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A review by otherwyrld
Ack-Ack Macaque by Gareth L. Powell
4.0
For something that sounds so fundamentally silly at first glance, this is a surprising dark book. It deals with themes such as animal experimentation, the nature of reality and basic human freedoms for example. However, it does so in such a clever and fun way that you don't even start to think about the themes that the book is exploring until after you have finished it.
The title character is a monkey version of Nick Fury, a World War II ace fighter pilot. His world starts to fall apart though when he begins to realise that all is not quite what it seems to be. Meanwhile, in a future Europe where Britain and France became a united country in the 1950s, the heir to the combined throne finds his life is in danger and has to go on the run, assisted by a former journalist who survived the same helicopter crash as he did when on active service, her godfather who happens to run a century old skyliner (a modern zeppelin), a super hacker and a certain monkey with a penchant for booze, cigarettes and mayhem.
Needless to say, all the disparate parts come together and there is a thrilling climax aboard a luxury yacht which literally brings the house down.
Having read the original short story that came before this book (which appears at the end) I can see why the author couldn't let this character go. There are a couple of sequels to look forward to as well.
Just a hell of a lot of fun to read.
The title character is a monkey version of Nick Fury, a World War II ace fighter pilot. His world starts to fall apart though when he begins to realise that all is not quite what it seems to be. Meanwhile, in a future Europe where Britain and France became a united country in the 1950s, the heir to the combined throne finds his life is in danger and has to go on the run, assisted by a former journalist who survived the same helicopter crash as he did when on active service, her godfather who happens to run a century old skyliner (a modern zeppelin), a super hacker and a certain monkey with a penchant for booze, cigarettes and mayhem.
Needless to say, all the disparate parts come together and there is a thrilling climax aboard a luxury yacht which literally brings the house down.
Having read the original short story that came before this book (which appears at the end) I can see why the author couldn't let this character go. There are a couple of sequels to look forward to as well.
Just a hell of a lot of fun to read.