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alrauna's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
jacob_carae's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
rrjchristopher's review against another edition
4.0
A novelization of the first Girl Genius collection, Agatha Hetrodyne And The Beetleburg Clank. The absence of the Foglios' gorgeous illustrations in the graphic novel version could easily made this a clunky disaster. Instead it's a delight that compliments and expands the original.
thrabenvaliant's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Lovely, amusing, science-y, and a fun romp through a world none of the rest of us could have imagined.
a_h_haga's review against another edition
5.0
4.5/5 stars
This book is based on the popular webcomic Girl Genius and is a novelization of the story in the comic.
I've been a fan of the comic for 7 years now, but was unsure if I should pick up the books or not. I was afraid the writing wouldn't be any good, and therefor ruin the comic for me.
Turned out I had nothing to be scared about.
As a fan of the comic I already knew where the story was going in this book, but that didn't hold me back. On the other hand I think it enlightened the story for me, 'cause I now could look for tips to what was going to happen early in the story. The story is also fleshed out in the book, so I got some answers I've missed or forgotten while reading the comic, and at the same time I got a better perspective of time in the story, and there were some original parts as well that were great fun!
As I mentioned over, I was scared the writing wouldn't work for me, but thankfully it did!
The writing is easy to follow and I flew through the pages. The chapters were all rather long - none under 20 pages - but I didn't really notice.
My only problem with this book was that some places the writing made me think of notes taken to the comicpages. A few sentences here and there in the book that slowed the general flow, and some places the writing seemed a bit childish.
But all in all this book was a lot of fun, and I actually laughed out loud - something I never do with books - but Jägerkin just speaks to me!
Also, this is what I think of when I think of steampunk. Fun clanks, fighting, corsets and goggles.
All in all a fun fast read I'm SO glad I picked up!
NOTE: I may find this book so good because I already have a big relationship to the story and characters, so if you haven't checked out the comic, you may not find it as fun.
Link to comic: http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20021104#.WLwTl_krJPY
This book is based on the popular webcomic Girl Genius and is a novelization of the story in the comic.
I've been a fan of the comic for 7 years now, but was unsure if I should pick up the books or not. I was afraid the writing wouldn't be any good, and therefor ruin the comic for me.
Turned out I had nothing to be scared about.
As a fan of the comic I already knew where the story was going in this book, but that didn't hold me back. On the other hand I think it enlightened the story for me, 'cause I now could look for tips to what was going to happen early in the story. The story is also fleshed out in the book, so I got some answers I've missed or forgotten while reading the comic, and at the same time I got a better perspective of time in the story, and there were some original parts as well that were great fun!
As I mentioned over, I was scared the writing wouldn't work for me, but thankfully it did!
The writing is easy to follow and I flew through the pages. The chapters were all rather long - none under 20 pages - but I didn't really notice.
My only problem with this book was that some places the writing made me think of notes taken to the comicpages. A few sentences here and there in the book that slowed the general flow, and some places the writing seemed a bit childish.
But all in all this book was a lot of fun, and I actually laughed out loud - something I never do with books - but Jägerkin just speaks to me!
Also, this is what I think of when I think of steampunk. Fun clanks, fighting, corsets and goggles.
All in all a fun fast read I'm SO glad I picked up!
NOTE: I may find this book so good because I already have a big relationship to the story and characters, so if you haven't checked out the comic, you may not find it as fun.
Link to comic: http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20021104#.WLwTl_krJPY
bkwrm127's review
4.0
Took a little bit to get into the world, but overall a fun adventure with airships, mad scientists called "sparks", and wild creations. I listened to the audiobook, and the reader was fabulous with great voices and accents for all the characters.
rubel's review against another edition
3.0
A faithful adaption of the story told in their first two three graphic novels. Wonderful oversized characters in a fascinating world...but the novel was perhaps a bit too hampered by how it had been told before.
silvernfire's review against another edition
4.0
For some reason, telling the same story in prose and as a graphic novel is a challenge. For every graphic novel that falls flat when retold in words alone, there's a "comic-book adaptation" of a prose novel that leaves you wincing. Since I love the Girl Genius webcomic/graphic novels, I was braced for a not-all-that-great story when I started reading this novelization. The novel was much better than I expected, but not five-star material. In the end, it's the original version's humor that doesn't survive the translation to solid prose, but the story is solid enough.
What it boils down to is this: when the Foglios are narrating something original to this novel, the story shines. When they're relating a scene from the graphic novels this book is based on, the story is still decent enough, but it feels well-worn and sort of flat. And since the authors are adding bits to scenes from the graphic novels—a little back story here, a character's thoughts there—this means the story quality can change from one paragraph to the next, and back again in the third, while in terms of the story, you're still reading the same scene.
So is it worth the read, if you've read the original already? A qualified yes. I think all those little additions will add a lot to my next rereading of the graphic novels. Sometimes a little expository lump really is the most efficient way to give the reader necessary information, and prose novels are better for that than graphic ones. But a reader already familiar with the original should probably go into this accepting that it won't be perfect.
What it boils down to is this: when the Foglios are narrating something original to this novel, the story shines. When they're relating a scene from the graphic novels this book is based on, the story is still decent enough, but it feels well-worn and sort of flat. And since the authors are adding bits to scenes from the graphic novels—a little back story here, a character's thoughts there—this means the story quality can change from one paragraph to the next, and back again in the third, while in terms of the story, you're still reading the same scene.
So is it worth the read, if you've read the original already? A qualified yes. I think all those little additions will add a lot to my next rereading of the graphic novels. Sometimes a little expository lump really is the most efficient way to give the reader necessary information, and prose novels are better for that than graphic ones. But a reader already familiar with the original should probably go into this accepting that it won't be perfect.
virginiaduan's review against another edition
5.0
Utterly fantastic. A girl genius who isn't embroiled in some stupid love triangle or even pining after some stupid boy - how utterly refreshing.
It took me awhile to get into it, but it's awesome. This is what steampunk should be like. Great read!!
It took me awhile to get into it, but it's awesome. This is what steampunk should be like. Great read!!
inkandpages's review against another edition
2.0
I think I realised pretty early on while reading this book that I wasn’t really going to like it, but its pretty short length, as well as the fact I’d bought it for under £2, kept encouraging me to just plough through and get it over with. I think I would class it as steampunk – it’s set in an alternate eighteenth century Europe, with mad genius scientists, hybrid soldiers, and the huge airship city from the title. Agatha, the main character, I actually really didn’t like; she was very inconsistent. At times she was portrayed as very prudish, but the next page she was being sexualised for the reader, and she was stubborn, but not in a compelling, interesting way, just a pig-headed and stupid way. She irritated me right from the start, and I much preferred the parts of the book that were about the other characters. The book itself didn’t really surprise me at all, I guessed pretty much every twist ages before it happened, and for all its trying to be quirky and exciting, it felt a bit too formulaic. The blurb made it sound really interesting and exciting, so the actual story was a huge disappointment.
Originally this book got three stars from me (which was already a little generous), but then I realised something – something so ridiculously annoying that I am actually getting more irritated just thinking about it – which severely affected my opinion of the book and made me lob off that original third star from the rating. The main character, Agatha, is called “Agatha Clay” on the blurb, and most of the book itself, and what I didn’t realise until after I’d finished that the very title of the book is a spoiler; “Agatha H and the Airship City”. I mean, I saw that particular twist coming a mile off, but why on earth would the author and publisher even try to call it a twist when it’s literally spoiled in the title. I thought it was so patronising and ridiculous and I’m really glad I didn’t cave and buy the other two books at the same time because trust me, I have no plans to ever continue with this series.
Rating: ⭐⭐
Originally this book got three stars from me (which was already a little generous), but then I realised something – something so ridiculously annoying that I am actually getting more irritated just thinking about it – which severely affected my opinion of the book and made me lob off that original third star from the rating. The main character, Agatha, is called “Agatha Clay” on the blurb, and most of the book itself, and what I didn’t realise until after I’d finished that the very title of the book is a spoiler; “Agatha H and the Airship City”. I mean, I saw that particular twist coming a mile off, but why on earth would the author and publisher even try to call it a twist when it’s literally spoiled in the title. I thought it was so patronising and ridiculous and I’m really glad I didn’t cave and buy the other two books at the same time because trust me, I have no plans to ever continue with this series.
Rating: ⭐⭐