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A review by frasersimons
Titanium Noir by Nick Harkaway
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Fun, quick, but of neo noir in a cyberpunk adjacent world. Stratification of class is embodied physically, with titans being a “progression” in humans. Long life but with a kind of gigantism, as a seeming side effect of a drug that saves lives.
The MC is a detective that intersects with legitimate authorities on only specific cases, which naturally leads him down a noir rabbit hole of betrayal, sex, and murder.
I wouldn’t say there is that much emphasis on the core idea of the book. Most of it is very much little man caught up in big machinations, plot beat and plot twists. But it does feel novel enough that it didn’t read as derivative. There is no overstaying of welcome and the interactions with the titans keeps things fresh. It’s not fully bombastic nor sobering. It knows what it’s going for and manages to nail it. More upmarket than commercial, I’d say.
The MC is a detective that intersects with legitimate authorities on only specific cases, which naturally leads him down a noir rabbit hole of betrayal, sex, and murder.
I wouldn’t say there is that much emphasis on the core idea of the book. Most of it is very much little man caught up in big machinations, plot beat and plot twists. But it does feel novel enough that it didn’t read as derivative. There is no overstaying of welcome and the interactions with the titans keeps things fresh. It’s not fully bombastic nor sobering. It knows what it’s going for and manages to nail it. More upmarket than commercial, I’d say.