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makiba's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Narrative and character quality take a bit of a hit towards the end of the book, but highly recommended.
While technically part of a series, it can be read as a standalone so you won't have to commit too much of your limited time.
Graphic: Gun violence, Sexual content, and Torture
Minor: Misogyny
ajediprincess's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
This world is so dark and harsh, but Takeshi Kovacs is a good guy in a world of scum, yet he's not too good that he himself doesn't have flaws. Ortegas is also a fantastic supporting character and they make a great detective duo, being at first skeptical of one another and somewhat antagonistic, but eventually learning to trust each other and work together. It was a really intriguing tension and despite covering so many ugly, distasteful topics, this book manages to emphasize the depravity of its setting without rubbing the reader's face in it.
This being said, I actually think I prefer the changes they made to the story in the television series over the book. This review would be impossible to write without spoilers, so I apologize for spoiling things in advance, but I will keep them brief.
The difference between the hotel personified and colored as The Raven and manned by an AI of Edgar Allan Poe himself was so delightful in the show, and I was very disappointed to see that the hotel Kovacs stays at is not called The Raven, but rather The Hendrix and it doesn't even really have a characterized AI to befriend Kovacs. This was just not as fun in the book as it was in the show. Poe was one of the best supporting characters.
Another huge change the show made that is absent from the book is the relationship between Rei and Kovacs.
These small gripes aside, I thoroughly enjoyed this gritty sci-fi, cyberpunk novel set in the far future of our Earth and I hope that others will too.
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Medical trauma, Cursing, Child abuse, Violence, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Classism, and Gore
Minor: Suicide, Stalking, Torture, Sexual violence, Murder, Eating disorder, Misogyny, Drug use, and Slavery
mar's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
Graphic: Blood, Misogyny, Police brutality, Violence, Death, Gun violence, Murder, Sexual content, and Sexual violence
Moderate: Drug use, Suicide, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, and Torture
Minor: Child abuse
violence against sex workers in particular is a major recurring theme in the booksillyduckie's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Blood, Drug use, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Medical content, Misogyny, Murder, Sexual content, Torture, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Violence, War, Addiction, Alcohol, Colonisation, Death, Grief, and Infidelity