A review by harlando
Broken Angels by Richard K. Morgan

4.0

Not as good as the first book.

I liked it, and it did take me back to my love for Altered Carbon. Takeshi Kovacs kicks ass, quotes Quellist philosophy, and occasionally gets laid.

I thought the long sex scene was remarkably unsexy. It wasn't awuful in a funny way, or in a too-graphic sort of way, or in a stilted way, it just wasn't sexy. I have though about it and the real fault with it is that it is unempathetic. I couldn't picture it happening to me. I'm still not quite sure why that is. I can imagine sex with unicorns or leprechauns, but I didn't feel any connection to the virtual sex scene between Kovacs and the archeolog. My best guess is that it is because it describes idealized virtual sex. That in itself shouldn't be a problem. I think most people would like to have a better body themselves, but for me there is always something unsexy about perfection.

It does fall apart a bit at the end with a few too many ruses and betrayals. The first 3/4 of the book rolls along with what seems to be a very straight forward plot, but it twists several times in the final chapters and I found myself wishing that the author had put in one less turn.