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thymrman's review
2.0
This book was a massive disappointment based on what I expected just from reading the synopsis. What I expected was a rather gritty book about a man on the run from the company he used to work for. Getting the side character quickly and progressing with this escape while showing you a a nicely built world, maybe some fun enjoyable one of characters to build the world even more.
But instead of that, it was mostly something completely different. The main story that was hinted at in the synopsis didn't even start till about the 80% mark. With most of it being the main character Mason killing some people, interacting with various characters to minor amounts who all feel very similar, and some odd side plots and conspiracies that don't play a role really and never feel very well integrated. Then suddenly the book seems to start. It didn't build the world well at all, showing us minor hints at two different groups and larger focus on the main group he is a part of. Then through some rather generic cyberpunk style tech you would expect and call it good.
There are also some strange parts, I'm okay with technology so advanced it seems like magic, but this cyberpunk book actually seems to revolve around magic. It feels really odd and out of place, like your expecting a decent answer and at the moment it just seems to be...magic? Along with some other magical characters that start getting development in the last 20% of the book, but it just feels out of place.
Overall it feels like this book was a strange overly long prologue for future books. But didn't do enough for me to actually enjoy it and have it stand by itself. I highly doubt I will ever bother looking for a second book in this series if it ever gets made.
But instead of that, it was mostly something completely different. The main story that was hinted at in the synopsis didn't even start till about the 80% mark. With most of it being the main character Mason killing some people, interacting with various characters to minor amounts who all feel very similar, and some odd side plots and conspiracies that don't play a role really and never feel very well integrated. Then suddenly the book seems to start. It didn't build the world well at all, showing us minor hints at two different groups and larger focus on the main group he is a part of. Then through some rather generic cyberpunk style tech you would expect and call it good.
There are also some strange parts, I'm okay with technology so advanced it seems like magic, but this cyberpunk book actually seems to revolve around magic. It feels really odd and out of place, like your expecting a decent answer and at the moment it just seems to be...magic? Along with some other magical characters that start getting development in the last 20% of the book, but it just feels out of place.
Overall it feels like this book was a strange overly long prologue for future books. But didn't do enough for me to actually enjoy it and have it stand by itself. I highly doubt I will ever bother looking for a second book in this series if it ever gets made.
quiraang's review
2.0
Shallow characters and the plot only really starts going somewhere as the book ends. "Find out what happens in the next book". I won't be reading it.
newhampster's review
4.0
Never expected to like this series, but I picked it up for a summer in betweener. I could not put it down and absolutely loved it. Parry has a fabulous style and builds characters we love and care for. That’s an art not often seen in a sci-fi/dystopian series. If you like rollicking stories blended with crazy tech, read this
jayeless's review
1.0
This book never really clicked for me. There were a lot of characters (maybe 30 or 40), who mostly all blend into one another, and not all of them get good explanations as to who they are or what their role is in the story. Perhaps because of this, I found the plot very hard to follow. There were a lot of subplots, and those that involved similar people doing similar kinds of things with motives/goals that were not fully clear were hard to disentangle. I know that the main plot involved some kind of betrayal against the company… and our chain-smoking, prostitute-obsessed macho man of a protagonist has to investigate this and exterminate the traitor… but then the company decides to exterminate him instead. Then there was also some poison rain or something, a slave girl with magic powers, and an old nuclear power plant with mutant people hanging out there, ready to attack people like in some cheesy FPS video game . I feel like you would need a notebook by your side to try to understand this book properly, and even then I get the sense the author is purposely leaving lots of stuff unexplained so people will buy the later books in the series. So, hmmm. While apparently this series has its fans, I'm not planning to continue with it.
As an aside, I also thought it was mildly hilarious that in Parry's vision of 2150, everyone is chain-smoking again like it's still 1950. Long-term social trends? Naw, what's that.
As an aside, I also thought it was mildly hilarious that in Parry's vision of 2150, everyone is chain-smoking again like it's still 1950. Long-term social trends? Naw, what's that.
mikhailrekun's review
4.0
Better than I expected, honestly. Hews a *bit* close to the standard tropes, but it's got enough genuine creativity to keep me reading.
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