Take a photo of a barcode or cover
A review by obr
Railhead by Philip Reeve
5.0
A seriously strong 4.5 star read, rounded up because dang, that world building. That world. If you're looking for inventive cyberpunk YA with a twist of the tech noir about it, you've come to the right multiverse.
The vividly realised setting almost becomes a character in itself. It's full of the usual futuristic things: android, space-time portals, alien worlds with flying manta rays... But even so, it feels new and different. The idea of interstellar trains criss-crossing reality is a wonderfully simple idea, yet backed up with so many little details you really want to believe in the world the author has created. The little nods to real-life to pop culture could be amusing rather than [b:Ready Player One|9969571|Ready Player One (Ready Player One, #1)|Ernest Cline|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1500930947s/9969571.jpg|14863741] style overwhelming/annoying/distracting if you don't get them (Gentlemen Take Polaroids anyone?)
Zen Starling is you usual self-serving YA trickster-thief protagonist. He's out mostly for himself, with a little thought spared for his family and friends. He could be a bit bland and unemotional as a lead, and that lack of emotion could be a little disturbing given some of the circumstances he finds himself a part of. Nova, the Motorik is a useful sidekick (), while antagonist duties are swapped between several other side characters of varying appearance lengths. Attachments between characters are subtle, carefully woven into the story without detracting from it. One thing that stood out though - a non-Caucasian protagonist. In fact, to my knowledge, there's one character described as light skinned. It's not made into a big thing, and are descriptions mostly reinforced with little culture references. It's something fairly rare to be able to read a story about someone who isn't the default straight white male but who's struggles aren't created or exacerbated because of it.
This is action-based story telling, uncomplicated and easy to read. It's filled with tropes you've read many times before, but given fresh twists and a stylish repackage. Yes, the characters are fairly shallow in that distant YA way. Yes, quite often you can see what's going to happen before it does. It didn't change my enjoyment of the story, and it's imaginative setting of mainstream, multicultural cyberpunk made it a fun ride.
The vividly realised setting almost becomes a character in itself. It's full of the usual futuristic things: android, space-time portals, alien worlds with flying manta rays... But even so, it feels new and different. The idea of interstellar trains criss-crossing reality is a wonderfully simple idea, yet backed up with so many little details you really want to believe in the world the author has created. The little nods to real-life to pop culture could be amusing rather than [b:Ready Player One|9969571|Ready Player One (Ready Player One, #1)|Ernest Cline|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1500930947s/9969571.jpg|14863741] style overwhelming/annoying/distracting if you don't get them (Gentlemen Take Polaroids anyone?)
Zen Starling is you usual self-serving YA trickster-thief protagonist. He's out mostly for himself, with a little thought spared for his family and friends. He could be a bit bland and unemotional as a lead, and that lack of emotion could be a little disturbing given some of the circumstances he finds himself a part of. Nova, the Motorik is a useful sidekick (
Spoiler
/love interest - cute but necessary? Maybe it's to show that androids/Zen really could have a heart in there somewhereSpoiler
Raven, Anais and Malik were all just a bit too distant from the story. Thought Fox, while an interesting as an unhinged sentient war-train, could be a little dark... And also easily defeated in the end. Threndoy's laid back pleasure seeker to toughened leader-in-waiting felt like the most natural progression, but even she was a little short changed. Emotionally, why would she go back to her now cowed fiancee when she'd only ever wanted to leave him? And how had Kobi gone from jealous protector to deferential figure off to the side? His character changed so oddly it didn't quite add up to me. I guess I was disappointed, expecting an antagonist to really challenge Zen and Nova when in the end it was circumstances that worked against them.This is action-based story telling, uncomplicated and easy to read. It's filled with tropes you've read many times before, but given fresh twists and a stylish repackage. Yes, the characters are fairly shallow in that distant YA way. Yes, quite often you can see what's going to happen before it does. It didn't change my enjoyment of the story, and it's imaginative setting of mainstream, multicultural cyberpunk made it a fun ride.