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3.88 AVERAGE
3.88 AVERAGE
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
This one felt somewhat repetitive, with most of the incidents that occurred being essentially the same. It didn’t really feel like the reveal of the villain had that much weight to it, and their motivation seemed pretty generic. The “twist” that the villain was actually twins seemed pointless. Her plot didn’t seem to rely on anything unique about twins, like needing to be in two places at the same time. Her accomplice really could have been anyone.
I like the ideas behind this book, I mostly like the characters, and I like most of the storyline. However...The book is just SO slow-moving and wordy that it feels like a chore to get through it. Despite the excessive amount of words, the characters are still not fleshed our properly, which is a shame, and this story could probably have been told better in half the pages.
I thought this second book in the Peculiar Occurrences series was a fun second novel. I enjoyed the development of Books and Braun as people and in their relationship with each other. I look forward to more books in this series.
This one was even better than the first, and like the first it was great fun to read. I highly, highly recommend these books to anyone who likes action/adventure, witty dialogue, humor, and well written and well rounded female characters. Actually...well written characters overall, but these books feature a plethora of absolutely wonderful female characters (both on the good and bad sides), that it deserves special mention.
Can't wait for the next in the series! There is going to be a next in the series, right?
Can't wait for the next in the series! There is going to be a next in the series, right?
The writing style, language, plot, and characters all feel forced. I really disliked the first book, but I gave this series another try since this one was rated so highly. It is certainly a fun story, but everything about it feels forced. The characters are a step above one-dimensional, but not by much.
As the second Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences Novel, The Janus Affair more than delivers on the promise of last year's [b:Phoenix Rising|9795166|Phoenix Rising (Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences, #1)|Philippa Ballantine|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1319574583s/9795166.jpg|14685275], even if the story at the heart of it isn't quite as strong. With the preliminaries out of the way, Ballantine & Morris are able to spend more time exploring their steampunk society, developing the relationship between Books and Braun, and building upon some of the plot threads teased but left dangling in the first instalment.
Let's start with the steampunk elements. While present in the first book, they were either a part of the background or they stood out awkwardly. Here, not only are they far more prevalent, but they blend very well into the overall story. They're still cool and exciting (particularly the train at the beginning of the book and the motorcycle near the end), but they just seem to fit better. You just get the sense that Ballantine & Morris felt a bit more relaxed here, making it a bit easier to draw the reader into the fun.We also get to see more of the other agents from the Ministry, which is a trend I hope continues in subsequent books.
As for the characters, they are truly why this second volume shines. First of all, we find out just what was up with Bruce Campbell in the first book, and even if his story isn't perfectly resolved, it's handled very well. As for Books and Braun, we get to explore more of their respective backstories, particularly with Books - by the time you're done this book, the haunting voice of his father will make much more sense, and the origin of his James Bond style skills and experience will be satisfactorily exposed. The two flirt with the idea of romance much more than in the first book but, in the tradition of the best stories of the genre, it remains just that - flirting and fun. There's still a healthy dose of antagonism and distrust between them, but it's balanced with genuine friendship and admiration.
It's just a shame the story behind it all - the reason for our two heroes to get out of the Archives - isn't as exciting or as compelling as that of [b:Phoenix Rising|9795166|Phoenix Rising (Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences, #1)|Philippa Ballantine|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1319574583s/9795166.jpg|14685275]. It all starts out promising enough, with the very public disappearance of several women, all in a very 'flashy' manner (to say the least). The problem is the mystery of the disappearances is dragged out for too long, one woman disappearing after another, with little in the way of investigative progress or narrative exposure of the dastardly villains and their motives. The politics of it all are interesting, if a bit heavy-handed at times, but they tend to get in the way of moving the story forward. It must be said, however, that while the climactic set-piece isn't quite as exciting as the first book, Books does get a far better opportunity to shine.
All-in-all a fun, exciting read that bodes well for future instalments in the series. Well worth a read.
Originally reviewed at Beauty in Ruins
Let's start with the steampunk elements. While present in the first book, they were either a part of the background or they stood out awkwardly. Here, not only are they far more prevalent, but they blend very well into the overall story. They're still cool and exciting (particularly the train at the beginning of the book and the motorcycle near the end), but they just seem to fit better. You just get the sense that Ballantine & Morris felt a bit more relaxed here, making it a bit easier to draw the reader into the fun.We also get to see more of the other agents from the Ministry, which is a trend I hope continues in subsequent books.
As for the characters, they are truly why this second volume shines. First of all, we find out just what was up with Bruce Campbell in the first book, and even if his story isn't perfectly resolved, it's handled very well. As for Books and Braun, we get to explore more of their respective backstories, particularly with Books - by the time you're done this book, the haunting voice of his father will make much more sense, and the origin of his James Bond style skills and experience will be satisfactorily exposed. The two flirt with the idea of romance much more than in the first book but, in the tradition of the best stories of the genre, it remains just that - flirting and fun. There's still a healthy dose of antagonism and distrust between them, but it's balanced with genuine friendship and admiration.
It's just a shame the story behind it all - the reason for our two heroes to get out of the Archives - isn't as exciting or as compelling as that of [b:Phoenix Rising|9795166|Phoenix Rising (Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences, #1)|Philippa Ballantine|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1319574583s/9795166.jpg|14685275]. It all starts out promising enough, with the very public disappearance of several women, all in a very 'flashy' manner (to say the least). The problem is the mystery of the disappearances is dragged out for too long, one woman disappearing after another, with little in the way of investigative progress or narrative exposure of the dastardly villains and their motives. The politics of it all are interesting, if a bit heavy-handed at times, but they tend to get in the way of moving the story forward. It must be said, however, that while the climactic set-piece isn't quite as exciting as the first book, Books does get a far better opportunity to shine.
All-in-all a fun, exciting read that bodes well for future instalments in the series. Well worth a read.
Originally reviewed at Beauty in Ruins
Janus is the two headed god, and whoever decided to use his name in this title, deserves a pay bump. Everything in this book is two faced in some way.
The Janus Affair takes our favorite archivists Books and Braun on another adventure as well as answering questions that were raised in the first volume of the series. More is revealed about both characters’’ past as wells certain plot lines laid down in the first volume.
More importantly, the famous duo struggles to finds out what has happened to the disappearing suffragettes.
The adventure aspect of the novel is good. It is a fun read in that sense and would make a good movie. I find the drawback to be the forced, very forced romantic interact between the two characters. There is no spark or connection.
But I must admit, I am happy that certain plot elements have not been drawn out. In today's series where everything gets drawn out for far too long, it is refreshing to read a book where it isn't.
The Janus Affair takes our favorite archivists Books and Braun on another adventure as well as answering questions that were raised in the first volume of the series. More is revealed about both characters’’ past as wells certain plot lines laid down in the first volume.
More importantly, the famous duo struggles to finds out what has happened to the disappearing suffragettes.
The adventure aspect of the novel is good. It is a fun read in that sense and would make a good movie. I find the drawback to be the forced, very forced romantic interact between the two characters. There is no spark or connection.
But I must admit, I am happy that certain plot elements have not been drawn out. In today's series where everything gets drawn out for far too long, it is refreshing to read a book where it isn't.
This is what I had to say about Book 1 in this series:
Delightful steam-punk romp. Suspend belief in the possible and just sit back and enjoy the heat! Am sufficiently hooked, so next book in the series, here I come!
And all I can say is DITTO for this book. And guess what, there is another book soon to be published and, since my local library does not have it, I have ordered it on Amazon. (The first two books came not from our library but via mail from my younger brother-in-law, who is a fan of science fiction and science fantasy. The books appealed equally to my husband and me, so we both eagerly await the arrival of Book 3!)
Delightful steam-punk romp. Suspend belief in the possible and just sit back and enjoy the heat! Am sufficiently hooked, so next book in the series, here I come!
And all I can say is DITTO for this book. And guess what, there is another book soon to be published and, since my local library does not have it, I have ordered it on Amazon. (The first two books came not from our library but via mail from my younger brother-in-law, who is a fan of science fiction and science fantasy. The books appealed equally to my husband and me, so we both eagerly await the arrival of Book 3!)
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
adventurous
funny
fast-paced