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mabechel's review against another edition
4.0
I prefer this second book to the first one. Maybe it's because I know what to expect now and am therefore not disappointed when certain cliches happen (like the protagonist getting the girl or winning the fight). Overall, I read these books for the setting, not the character development or even particularly the plot. The world is rich and the author just tosses you in there, using almost no exposition. It doesn't make for a fast read, but it does make me curious. As long as you go in expecting grit and detail instead of entertainment, you'll enjoy this one just fine.
hank's review against another edition
4.0
If we take a spectrum with Chick Lit on one end and Dick Lit on the other this one is much, much closer to the latter. It has blood, gore, future tech guns, ridiculous Kalishnikovs and super human reaction times. Morgan stops his Takeshi Kovacs series from going full on Baldacci with his sleeve/cortical stack creation.
The characters can have two different deaths, real and non-real. The ability, for some, to re-sleeve after being killed, lends an even more pointless aspect to war. It subtly shadows everything in this universe. There are the haves, whose company, military outfit or individual wealth allow them the luxury of a new body whenever they need it unless their stacks are completely destroyed. The are the have-nots, whose precarious existance may allow a rebirth but probably not. All acts of betrayal, heroism, revenge are magnified or diminshed accordingly due to re-sleeveability.
I was also continualy wondering if the you that was re-sleeved was really the same you. Morgan takes a dim view of corporate behaviour, loyalty and greed. No one will accuse these books of being feel good books but they wrap some very thought provoking issues around a good story with lots of brutish behaviour from men and women. I have already started the third and last book.
The characters can have two different deaths, real and non-real. The ability, for some, to re-sleeve after being killed, lends an even more pointless aspect to war. It subtly shadows everything in this universe. There are the haves, whose company, military outfit or individual wealth allow them the luxury of a new body whenever they need it unless their stacks are completely destroyed. The are the have-nots, whose precarious existance may allow a rebirth but probably not. All acts of betrayal, heroism, revenge are magnified or diminshed accordingly due to re-sleeveability.
I was also continualy wondering if the you that was re-sleeved was really the same you. Morgan takes a dim view of corporate behaviour, loyalty and greed. No one will accuse these books of being feel good books but they wrap some very thought provoking issues around a good story with lots of brutish behaviour from men and women. I have already started the third and last book.
leemartin91's review against another edition
challenging
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
snigdha12's review against another edition
2.0
A disappointing sequel
This felt more like an independent novel rather than a sequel to altered carbon. The first book was a futuristic crime noir, this is more war expedition adventure story. The starting of the book was dull, it felt forced and strained. Kovacs, Jan, Wardani (an archaelog) and corporate executive form a team to go on a expedition to discover a martian artifact, a gate that allows you to do intergalactic travel. The only interesting and engrossing part was the team crosses the gate and enters a martian warship. The discoveries they made there seemed insufficient. If you're book is based on discovering martian artifacts then you might as well explain what exactly happened. There's no eureka moment there. The only climax that actually develops into fruition is finding out who is the rat.
This book did not have any of the Kovacs wit that the first book had, and had very little of the envoy detective skills.
I would only recommend reading it if you're a die hard fan of the series. Otherwise, the first book is enough.
This felt more like an independent novel rather than a sequel to altered carbon. The first book was a futuristic crime noir, this is more war expedition adventure story. The starting of the book was dull, it felt forced and strained. Kovacs, Jan, Wardani (an archaelog) and corporate executive form a team to go on a expedition to discover a martian artifact, a gate that allows you to do intergalactic travel. The only interesting and engrossing part was the team crosses the gate and enters a martian warship. The discoveries they made there seemed insufficient. If you're book is based on discovering martian artifacts then you might as well explain what exactly happened. There's no eureka moment there. The only climax that actually develops into fruition is finding out who is the rat.
This book did not have any of the Kovacs wit that the first book had, and had very little of the envoy detective skills.
I would only recommend reading it if you're a die hard fan of the series. Otherwise, the first book is enough.
librarian_of_trantor's review against another edition
3.0
This sequel to Altered Carbon was a little disappointing. But it's a relative thing since the first book was so good.
Addendum after reread (via audio book). Might be hard to get TV audience to follow into this story as second season of TV series "Altered Carbon". The first book and TV season are a murder mystery on a future Earth. The only parts that carry over to this book are the cortical stack/sleeve technology and Kovacs himself. Viewers would have to jump from "Blade Runner" like setting to a war torn colony world. And the long dead (?) aliens who are just a bit of background in the first book and TV series are the main focus of "Broken Angels". And Kovacs is in a different sleeve so of course he would be played by a different actor. It would be a bit of stretch for most viewers.
Addendum after reread (via audio book). Might be hard to get TV audience to follow into this story as second season of TV series "Altered Carbon". The first book and TV season are a murder mystery on a future Earth. The only parts that carry over to this book are the cortical stack/sleeve technology and Kovacs himself. Viewers would have to jump from "Blade Runner" like setting to a war torn colony world. And the long dead (?) aliens who are just a bit of background in the first book and TV series are the main focus of "Broken Angels". And Kovacs is in a different sleeve so of course he would be played by a different actor. It would be a bit of stretch for most viewers.
wannabekingpin's review against another edition
3.0
all reviews in one place:
night mode reading ;
skaitom nakties rezimu
My Opinion: More than the whole first half of the book is tedious and slow work. In fact, so slow, I almost missed a few important details due to zoning out. But once it picks up, it shoots and bolts and flies. Martian spaceship, seemingly abandoned, unclear why though. Strange sense of premonition and danger always in the air. And a wake-up call for all of the humanity – what if Martians ran from someone else, some other big bad aliens? It would’ve been a great book were it not for the trudge through strange philosophies, mediocre attempts to seem edgy, and a weird fixation on male hormones. With poems about it, no joke.
If you’re willing to put in a little work, the book is good. A 3 out of 5 from me, for I could’ve done just fine without the dicksaber competitions and ego booster dialogues of “oh yeah, well…“
night mode reading ;
skaitom nakties rezimu
My Opinion: More than the whole first half of the book is tedious and slow work. In fact, so slow, I almost missed a few important details due to zoning out. But once it picks up, it shoots and bolts and flies. Martian spaceship, seemingly abandoned, unclear why though. Strange sense of premonition and danger always in the air. And a wake-up call for all of the humanity – what if Martians ran from someone else, some other big bad aliens? It would’ve been a great book were it not for the trudge through strange philosophies, mediocre attempts to seem edgy, and a weird fixation on male hormones. With poems about it, no joke.
If you’re willing to put in a little work, the book is good. A 3 out of 5 from me, for I could’ve done just fine without the dicksaber competitions and ego booster dialogues of “oh yeah, well…“
mehitabels's review against another edition
5.0
absolutely not at all what I was expecting, but ten times better than I could have hoped. from his first noire mystery Morgan takes his amazing character into the ethics and horror of war, and in an interestingly similar field, archaeology.
I was stunned at his wide ranging yet highly entertaining, brutal and poetically philosophical exploration of themes, and and and . . . dammit just believe me when I say that the second of the Kovacs books was just as amazing as the first.
I was stunned at his wide ranging yet highly entertaining, brutal and poetically philosophical exploration of themes, and and and . . . dammit just believe me when I say that the second of the Kovacs books was just as amazing as the first.
jpw447's review against another edition
I DNF'd this book, having read 300/460 pages of it. I really wanted to like it, but I couldn't bring myself to. The first novel left open the question of Sarah, returning to Harlan's World, and what Kovacs would do having going through his experiences on Earth.
Instead, none of that gets addressed, and the first novel is only acknowledged in passing twice, with nameless characters. My open questions weren't considered, and it was initially hard to get into the new setting, but I managed it.
The key problem is the distinct lack of drive in this book - the events of the first book have such purpose and clearly form part of the big conspiracy Kovacs unveils, and the world building is smattered throughout perfectly. With this novel, the end goal is very clearly established, and it feels like it takes *forever* to get anywhere.
I wanted answers to my questions, and got none, and I found it really hard to care about this new plot. The world-building is more ham-fisted, and the plot is just waiting for the characters to get on with it without really feeling like there's anything mysterious to unveil. I enjoy Morgan's writing and his style, but only when it's supported by a driven story. 4/10
Instead, none of that gets addressed, and the first novel is only acknowledged in passing twice, with nameless characters. My open questions weren't considered, and it was initially hard to get into the new setting, but I managed it.
The key problem is the distinct lack of drive in this book - the events of the first book have such purpose and clearly form part of the big conspiracy Kovacs unveils, and the world building is smattered throughout perfectly. With this novel, the end goal is very clearly established, and it feels like it takes *forever* to get anywhere.
I wanted answers to my questions, and got none, and I found it really hard to care about this new plot. The world-building is more ham-fisted, and the plot is just waiting for the characters to get on with it without really feeling like there's anything mysterious to unveil. I enjoy Morgan's writing and his style, but only when it's supported by a driven story. 4/10
nearlyrandom's review against another edition
2.0
Altered carbon created such an amazing universe. A human can now be transferred to knew bodies as a download. You can wake up on a distant planet in the future. Just great sci fi.
With Broken Angels I feel like Richard K Morgan tried too hard to make the book different. While altered carbon feels like a high tech crime noir, Broken Angels feels more like a military drama. The book might be fine on its own, but I felt like it was a let down with respect to Takeshi Kovacs story.
With Broken Angels I feel like Richard K Morgan tried too hard to make the book different. While altered carbon feels like a high tech crime noir, Broken Angels feels more like a military drama. The book might be fine on its own, but I felt like it was a let down with respect to Takeshi Kovacs story.