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robinwalter's Reviews (1.87k)
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Not a bad story, but the mystery lacked any tension because the culrpit was blindingly obvious from the very beginning
informative
medium-paced
A very informative look at a very famous person, marred by some sloppy and/or lazy assertions about other writers. Despite that, a worthwhile read.
challenging
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This is the fifth Rachel Savernake book, and the fourth I've read. I've enjoyed all four, but I found this one the most relaxing. I made a determined effort to read this latest instalment very slowly and very carefully, in the hope of perhaps figuring some of the mystery out, maybe catching a clue or two. Exactly as I expected, I failed utterly — the mystery was as impenetrable to me as always. Which did not affect my enjoyment of the story at all.
What made this the most relaxing of the Savernake stories I've read was a noticeable change in Rachel Savernake. On reflection, it seems a change that was basically inevitable at some point in the series, but it still left me feeling a little wistful.
Especially in the first two books of the series there was an aura of tension bordering on malice emanating from Rachel's extremely enigmatic personality. I found reading those two in particular, and Sepulchre Street to a lesser degree, to be a very tense and somewhat unsettling experience. I was never quite sure whether she was hero or anti-hero, protagonist or antagonist. Which I absolutely loved. It was unique and different, and they all left me wondering exactly whose side Rachel was on.
In this latest instalment, Rachel Savernake continues to operate by her own rules, but is unequivocally and unambiguously on the side of the angels. Not once in this story was I afraid of her, which was a first for me.
This is not a criticism of the book , simply an observation that at least for now, she seems less complicated and less morally/ethically ambiguous. Which is emphatically not true of the mysteries she solves. The first murder that happens in the story caught me completely by surprise, which was a real delight, and the ultimate reveal of who did what to whom, when, why, and how was hugely entertaining. Once again this is a Rachel Savernake story I highly recommend, and I look forward to the next instalment to see whether Hemlock Bay marked a significant step toward healing for a deeply scarred protagonist, or was simply the author teasing us with a temporary transformation - her better angels momentarily in charge while her inner demons slept. Time will tell, I'm sure.
What made this the most relaxing of the Savernake stories I've read was a noticeable change in Rachel Savernake. On reflection, it seems a change that was basically inevitable at some point in the series, but it still left me feeling a little wistful.
Especially in the first two books of the series there was an aura of tension bordering on malice emanating from Rachel's extremely enigmatic personality. I found reading those two in particular, and Sepulchre Street to a lesser degree, to be a very tense and somewhat unsettling experience. I was never quite sure whether she was hero or anti-hero, protagonist or antagonist. Which I absolutely loved. It was unique and different, and they all left me wondering exactly whose side Rachel was on.
In this latest instalment, Rachel Savernake continues to operate by her own rules, but is unequivocally and unambiguously on the side of the angels. Not once in this story was I afraid of her, which was a first for me.
This is not a criticism of the book , simply an observation that at least for now, she seems less complicated and less morally/ethically ambiguous. Which is emphatically not true of the mysteries she solves. The first murder that happens in the story caught me completely by surprise, which was a real delight, and the ultimate reveal of who did what to whom, when, why, and how was hugely entertaining. Once again this is a Rachel Savernake story I highly recommend, and I look forward to the next instalment to see whether Hemlock Bay marked a significant step toward healing for a deeply scarred protagonist, or was simply the author teasing us with a temporary transformation - her better angels momentarily in charge while her inner demons slept. Time will tell, I'm sure.
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
A sweet and promising start to a new series. I look forward to the next.
hopeful
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
A snappy, upbeat end to the Delone arc. Implausibly happy ending really, but that's what made it a fun read
emotional
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Harlequin Historical February 2024 - Box Set 2 of 2
Eva Shepherd, Lucy Morris, Sarah Rodi, Samantha Hastings
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
challenging
hopeful
informative
reflective
medium-paced
In The Hitch-Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy there's a passage that reads as follows:
‘So this is it,’ said Arthur, ‘we are going to die.’
‘Yes,’ said Ford, ‘except . . . no! Wait a minute!’ ... ‘What’s this switch?...
‘No, I was only fooling,’...‘we are going to die after all.’
After reading this remarkable book about infrastructure (and ultrastructure), I was left with the feeling that the author knows many of us are in 'so this is it, we're going to die' mood, and wants to say 'wait, what's this switch?" This book is all about the MASSIVE switch that would be needed to avoid the fatal ending. As such it's fascinating, informative, thought-provoking, and challenging.
The author is a fan of Douglas Adams' works, referencing his "SEP Field" gag in a perfectly apposite passage, and with a focus throughout the book that reminded me of Adams' Dirk Gently, whose primary focus was "the interconnectedness of all things"
There'a A LOT of detailed explanation on the 'interconnectedness of all things' infrastructural in this book, but it's not remotely funny. Adams wrote science fiction comedy, Dr Chachra writes science, not fiction and writes, not comedy, but to propose a way to avoid tragedy. ESPECIALLY for those of us in the Global North (even those like me deep in the geographical South), this book is often uncomfortable reading - or should be.
Dr Chachra writes VERY well. I actually found the first 15-20% of the book a little slow to get going, but as I went further into the book, I realised that the beginning was crucial, setting the terms of reference, explaining the "how we got to here" before starting on the "how do we get OUT OF here?" bit at the end. That opening section also serves to outline very clearly how exceptionally well-qualified she is to write about the subject. That she knows her topic very, very thoroughly can perhaps best be illustrated by a couple of examples illustrating her ability to distill the complex to its simple essence and communicate that essence clearly:
For all of human history, we’ve been living like energy is scarce and matter is infinite, when in fact the opposite is true
The idea of business as usual — extracting raw materials from the ground, turning them into products, and then dumping the waste as pollution — isn’t just politically challenging or morally reprehensible, it’s also fundamentally at odds with basic physics. (e.a.)
When this book was recommended to me on Mastodon, the person who recommended it tagged the author. Dr Chachra herself replied, saying " I really do think you'll appreciate my book HOW INFRASTRUCTURE WORKS" She was very, very, very much NOT WRONG.