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nytxia's review
4.0
Thank you very much to the publisher for offering me a free copy of this book to review. This didn't have any interference in my final opinion.
The Plot
So the basic premise is simple: The two biggest villains in the world fall in love. They both have evil plans, so imagine a sort of partnership. What can go wrong? (Or better yet, what can go right?)
Overall, this book combines a refreshing simplicity that you can find in a cartoon (think villains that want to take over the world) and a complexity of a well-developed satire. Many aspects of our society are satirized, and typical cartoonish roles are stereotyped: The hero, the villain, etc.
You’ll get loads of action and many hilarious scenes. It does feel a bit ‘episodic’ at times, until the major plot is revealed. But in the end, you’ll feel as if everything made sense (somehow). The whole thing does feel a bit like a parody with its few “weird” moments – But I do like weird, and I liked this.
Characters & Points of View
How likable can villains be? You definitely have to read this book if you want to find out. Our main protagonists are mostly selfish and self-centered, so why would you like them? Simple, because they are human. And why do they feel human? Because they feel love. It’s as simple as this. Surely, Otto and Esmerelda cannot be that bad, if they care about each other. . . can they? And the fact that they remain villains, never abandoning their same evil plans and schemes, only makes them more fun. At some point, you find yourself rooting for the villains (no kidding). But please, do not interpret this as they are immutable or don’t change: These characters are well developed and will grow with the narrative.
Oh, but there’s also our almost-typical hero: Jake Indestructible. You will like him too. And there’s the villainess’s best friend! And the scientist’s best robot friend that you will want as your personal pet. Oh, and . . . Ok, I will stop. I just really wanted to make clear how awesome the characters are.
Writing Style
In this third person narrative, we have an overall omniscient narrator who is strategically placed in different settings, and reveals the characters’ thoughts as he sees fit – This only becomes obvious at a certain point because in the beginning I thought the author was going to provide us with different POVs. Well, even without the use of limited POV, the characterization was very well done, each character very well defined by actions, mannerisms, and voice.
The author does tend to be matter-of-factly in a few instances, and this includes the occasional ‘bookisms’, ‘emotions in the eyes’, and ‘dialogue attribution’. Despite this, the hilarious storyline still seemed to flow nicely and grab my attention. A few transitions in time / action passages are very rhythmic by using a very characteristic structure which adds a bit of a comic vibe. Example: “After sliding, kicking, dodging, maneuvering, parkouring, leaping, squeezing, sabotaging, nearly exploding, …”
The creative use of acronyms was rather amusing and smart too. Even if the writing style isn’t what I’d rate higher, is appropriate enough for the narrative.
CONCLUSION
If you're in the mood for a sci-fi comedy, and you want some damn funny and likeable villains, get this book now!
The Plot
So the basic premise is simple: The two biggest villains in the world fall in love. They both have evil plans, so imagine a sort of partnership. What can go wrong? (Or better yet, what can go right?)
Overall, this book combines a refreshing simplicity that you can find in a cartoon (think villains that want to take over the world) and a complexity of a well-developed satire. Many aspects of our society are satirized, and typical cartoonish roles are stereotyped: The hero, the villain, etc.
You’ll get loads of action and many hilarious scenes. It does feel a bit ‘episodic’ at times, until the major plot is revealed. But in the end, you’ll feel as if everything made sense (somehow). The whole thing does feel a bit like a parody with its few “weird” moments – But I do like weird, and I liked this.
Characters & Points of View
How likable can villains be? You definitely have to read this book if you want to find out. Our main protagonists are mostly selfish and self-centered, so why would you like them? Simple, because they are human. And why do they feel human? Because they feel love. It’s as simple as this. Surely, Otto and Esmerelda cannot be that bad, if they care about each other. . . can they? And the fact that they remain villains, never abandoning their same evil plans and schemes, only makes them more fun. At some point, you find yourself rooting for the villains (no kidding). But please, do not interpret this as they are immutable or don’t change: These characters are well developed and will grow with the narrative.
Oh, but there’s also our almost-typical hero: Jake Indestructible. You will like him too. And there’s the villainess’s best friend! And the scientist’s best robot friend that you will want as your personal pet. Oh, and . . . Ok, I will stop. I just really wanted to make clear how awesome the characters are.
Writing Style
In this third person narrative, we have an overall omniscient narrator who is strategically placed in different settings, and reveals the characters’ thoughts as he sees fit – This only becomes obvious at a certain point because in the beginning I thought the author was going to provide us with different POVs. Well, even without the use of limited POV, the characterization was very well done, each character very well defined by actions, mannerisms, and voice.
The author does tend to be matter-of-factly in a few instances, and this includes the occasional ‘bookisms’, ‘emotions in the eyes’, and ‘dialogue attribution’. Despite this, the hilarious storyline still seemed to flow nicely and grab my attention. A few transitions in time / action passages are very rhythmic by using a very characteristic structure which adds a bit of a comic vibe. Example: “After sliding, kicking, dodging, maneuvering, parkouring, leaping, squeezing, sabotaging, nearly exploding, …”
The creative use of acronyms was rather amusing and smart too. Even if the writing style isn’t what I’d rate higher, is appropriate enough for the narrative.
CONCLUSION
If you're in the mood for a sci-fi comedy, and you want some damn funny and likeable villains, get this book now!
urlphantomhive's review
4.0
Read all my reviews on http://urlphantomhive.booklikes.com
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review during this blog tour!
Well, this was unexpected. It was definitely not an everyday read. It got me hooked right from the start with it's absurdity. And absurd it was. In this respect it sometimes reminded me of the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, because at times it was almost as if a random mix of words was created (like the robotic tapirs or the disposable yacht). Not that I consider this a bad thing, not at all. I enjoyed myself a lot reading it.
Otto and Esmerelda were both quite likeable characters despite their short comings, and I don't know what it is these days but this is the third book in two months with a very interesting AI. SCRAP might have even been my favourite character from this book. However Jake never really came to live for me, and the scenes at the UN were perhaps a bit too weird, even for me.
So, if you're looking for something you definitely haven't read before, if you're willing to accept that nothing is this book is going to be believable (I mean, in the first chapter Esmerelda steals the complete Louvre), if you want a book filled with more acronyms than you may find necessary (though I truly like acronyms), try this book.
UPDATE: December 2015: Review of the three bonus epilogues now available on Wattpad!
I really liked Otto Von Trapezoid And The Empress Of Thieves. It was absurd, weird and a lot of fun to read due to its randomness. So, when I got an email announcing Jesse Baruffi had written three special bonus epilogues, I didn't hesitate.
Prepare for more randomness, absurdity and weirdness. But all in a good way of course. All of them are really short, so if you enjoyed reading the book, I would definitely recommend them. These stories can easily be read in a few minutes. Perfect for when you're terribly behind on your reading challenge?
Requiem for a Twine takes place at a Twine Aid festival and was my personal favourite of the three.
The Further Adventures of the Talking Skull of Teddy Roosevelt is just as weird as the title suggests.
Marooned ties some of the loose ends of the book together.
The stories can all be read on Wattpad.
Thanks to the publisher for providing me with a copy of these stories in exchange for an honest review!
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review during this blog tour!
Well, this was unexpected. It was definitely not an everyday read. It got me hooked right from the start with it's absurdity. And absurd it was. In this respect it sometimes reminded me of the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, because at times it was almost as if a random mix of words was created (like the robotic tapirs or the disposable yacht). Not that I consider this a bad thing, not at all. I enjoyed myself a lot reading it.
Otto and Esmerelda were both quite likeable characters despite their short comings, and I don't know what it is these days but this is the third book in two months with a very interesting AI. SCRAP might have even been my favourite character from this book. However Jake never really came to live for me, and the scenes at the UN were perhaps a bit too weird, even for me.
So, if you're looking for something you definitely haven't read before, if you're willing to accept that nothing is this book is going to be believable (I mean, in the first chapter Esmerelda steals the complete Louvre), if you want a book filled with more acronyms than you may find necessary (though I truly like acronyms), try this book.
UPDATE: December 2015: Review of the three bonus epilogues now available on Wattpad!
I really liked Otto Von Trapezoid And The Empress Of Thieves. It was absurd, weird and a lot of fun to read due to its randomness. So, when I got an email announcing Jesse Baruffi had written three special bonus epilogues, I didn't hesitate.
Prepare for more randomness, absurdity and weirdness. But all in a good way of course. All of them are really short, so if you enjoyed reading the book, I would definitely recommend them. These stories can easily be read in a few minutes. Perfect for when you're terribly behind on your reading challenge?
Requiem for a Twine takes place at a Twine Aid festival and was my personal favourite of the three.
The Further Adventures of the Talking Skull of Teddy Roosevelt is just as weird as the title suggests.
Marooned ties some of the loose ends of the book together.
The stories can all be read on Wattpad.
Thanks to the publisher for providing me with a copy of these stories in exchange for an honest review!
jmanchester0's review
3.0
This was so over the top and weird. I realize it was designed to be, but it still took a while to get used to. You've got to realize that it's parody on the level of silliness of things like The Naked Gun, or Airplane. Once I realized that, it was a bit easier to read. Though as I continued to read, I got the feeling that it was trying to push into the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy area. It was good - but not that good.
Some great quotes:
"Nothing says caution like a gun that obliterates everything in its path."
(Living in North Alabama, I know several people that could live by that motto. Too bad that's a mad scientist.)
"If any of you have gods to pray to, I'd suggest renouncing them before they disappoint you one last time."
Then I got to the poker game and it got pretty funny.
I have to admit, I didn't laugh on every single page, but there were parts that had me cracking up. The villain Amadeus X. Machina was especially inspired.
Some of it was pretty funny. But some of it just‰Ы_wasn't. There were parts that had me cracking up, but other parts that had me a bit bored. There were sweet parts that made me smile. But then even more parts that that left me feeling meh.
Which makes it hard to want to get back to a book to finish it.
As much as I enjoyed parts of it, it did seem like it took a while to read.
Would I recommend it? Well, parts of the book were truly inspired and were enjoyable and hilarious. But, some parts, to quote the book, "felt empty, hollow, and tedious."
Thanks to NetGalley and Curiosity Quills for a copy in return for an honest review.
Some great quotes:
"Nothing says caution like a gun that obliterates everything in its path."
(Living in North Alabama, I know several people that could live by that motto. Too bad that's a mad scientist.)
"If any of you have gods to pray to, I'd suggest renouncing them before they disappoint you one last time."
Then I got to the poker game and it got pretty funny.
I have to admit, I didn't laugh on every single page, but there were parts that had me cracking up. The villain Amadeus X. Machina was especially inspired.
Some of it was pretty funny. But some of it just‰Ы_wasn't. There were parts that had me cracking up, but other parts that had me a bit bored. There were sweet parts that made me smile. But then even more parts that that left me feeling meh.
Which makes it hard to want to get back to a book to finish it.
As much as I enjoyed parts of it, it did seem like it took a while to read.
Would I recommend it? Well, parts of the book were truly inspired and were enjoyable and hilarious. But, some parts, to quote the book, "felt empty, hollow, and tedious."
Thanks to NetGalley and Curiosity Quills for a copy in return for an honest review.
abookishtype's review
5.0
After the emotional pummeling I took from Atticus Lish’s Preparation for the Next Life, I needed something light and funny. Otto von Trapezoid and the Empress of Thieves, by Jesse Baruffi, was just what the bibliotherapist would have ordered. This supervillain romance has: sentient and not-so-sentient robots, an indestructible super spy, poison, airships, family snark, thefts of entire museums, and much, much more! And, unlike most superhero/villain satires, the one has emotional depth enough to keep the whole lot from collapsing under its own silly weight...
Read the rest of my review at A Bookish Type. I received a free copy of this ebook from NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.
Read the rest of my review at A Bookish Type. I received a free copy of this ebook from NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.
bryceoc's review
3.0
I received an ARC of this book through NetGalley.
I think there are only two words that really describe this book: ridiculous fun. It's silly and completely over-the-top, and even when it's trying too hard, it's a fun read. While I had a good time with it, it didn't really work for me. The main thing that I thought the entire time I was reading this was that it was just trying too hard, trying to fit so many gags in that there wasn't room for much else.
I would rate this a solid 3.5. You won't be getting a complex story, or deep characters, or even razor-sharp wit; you'll get a gleefully absurd book that only really wants to entertain.
I think there are only two words that really describe this book: ridiculous fun. It's silly and completely over-the-top, and even when it's trying too hard, it's a fun read. While I had a good time with it, it didn't really work for me. The main thing that I thought the entire time I was reading this was that it was just trying too hard, trying to fit so many gags in that there wasn't room for much else.
I would rate this a solid 3.5. You won't be getting a complex story, or deep characters, or even razor-sharp wit; you'll get a gleefully absurd book that only really wants to entertain.
librarylandlisa's review
3.0
This is a story about two villains that have similar demands for the UN. They begin to plan to kill one another but when the time comes they find out that hey have a lot more in common and they fall in love. There are a lot of geeky scifi and fantasy references and a lot of goofy humor that made me smile. The mechanical robot t-rex was one of my favorite things and I was sad to see him depart so early. I really wanted to love this book 100%. I really liked the underlying story but there was just too much going on for the length of the book. The acronyms were really cute and funny for the first half of the book but they got a bit old after a while and there were so many that I would suggest maybe a glossary of acronyms for those of us who struggle with it. All in all, I would recommend this for fans of scifi and humor and would love to get a YA audience to review it as well as I think many teens would like this too. I received a free advanced copy of this title from NetGalley for review.
rickus90's review
4.0
This book was great fun. Full review over here: https://rickusbookshelf.wordpress.com/2016/02/19/arc-review-otto-von-trapezoid-and-the-empress-of-thieves-by-jesse-baruffi/
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