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A review by iam
Service Model by Adrian Tchaikovsky
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.0
Super fun story that follows a valet robot looking for employment and a new Master to serve after... something... happens to his old master.
(Un)Charles was an adorable protagonist, and while the story of a robot looking for purpose in a near apocalyptic world, with a side of "what happened here", isn't exactly new, it was a super fun book to read.
There was a bit of an episodical nature to the different parts, each of which felt rather contained in itself. This worked well, even if it felt a bit simplistic. That said, I admit that a lot of the nuance was lost to me - only after finishing and reading other reviews did I realize that each part seems to draw inspiration from/reference other authors (KR15-T = Christie, K4FK-R = Kafka, 4W-L = Orwell). In retrospect, I do see those parallels, and they make me laugh, but it can definitely also be enjoyed without noticing them.
I just love robots, and this was a great robot story, even if it doesn't bring much new to the table in terms of plot or commentary about free will, societal criticism, etc.
(Un)Charles too feels like a familiar protagonist, but he is nevertheless adorable, and I also enjoyed the combination with the dry humor and overall lightheartedness, despite the grim outlook of the book.
I read an ARC and reviewed honetsly & voluntarily.
(Un)Charles was an adorable protagonist, and while the story of a robot looking for purpose in a near apocalyptic world, with a side of "what happened here", isn't exactly new, it was a super fun book to read.
There was a bit of an episodical nature to the different parts, each of which felt rather contained in itself. This worked well, even if it felt a bit simplistic. That said, I admit that a lot of the nuance was lost to me - only after finishing and reading other reviews did I realize that each part seems to draw inspiration from/reference other authors (KR15-T = Christie, K4FK-R = Kafka, 4W-L = Orwell). In retrospect, I do see those parallels, and they make me laugh, but it can definitely also be enjoyed without noticing them.
I just love robots, and this was a great robot story, even if it doesn't bring much new to the table in terms of plot or commentary about free will, societal criticism, etc.
(Un)Charles too feels like a familiar protagonist, but he is nevertheless adorable, and I also enjoyed the combination with the dry humor and overall lightheartedness, despite the grim outlook of the book.
I read an ARC and reviewed honetsly & voluntarily.