This is an anthology of short stories/novelettes and a good example why I like some of the author's works and some I deeply hate. It was a really mixed bag for me.
Neal Asher can tell exciting stories, that's undeniable. Many of them deal with themes of severe body modification, sometimes bordering on body horror, sometimes going over the line. Often brutal violence is depicted but the medicine of his setting can heal almost everything nearly immediately. So it is supposed to be OK. Trauma is glossed over.
If you have read other books of Neal Asher you already know that.
Some stories had elements I found so problematic, they pulled me out of the reading flow. Superhuman (male) protagonist overriding the free will of others, for example. One story contained something I would classify as non-con with a underlying theme of (male) agent of higher civilization meets barbarian society. 😒 And he triumphs, of course.
I liked it very much. The book found me via a recommendation of Austin Kleon (›Steal like an Artist‹) at the right time as I contemplated restricting my social media and wanting to focus on my blog instead.
It's a short read. That means that the topic isn't unnecessary padded. It also tells the experiences of other people, not only the author's. And most importantly, it lists 34 prompts to start you practicing noticing, collecting and sharing.
I found the pacing to be uneven and the ending didn't convince me at all. Alas, the evil queen was terribly flat and boring.
That said, I like books and tea on principle, I also liked the protagonists, quite a few of the side characters and especially the setting a lot. But I was bored around the middle of the book and had do force myself to finish it. This was my first read in the cozy fantasy sub genre, so maybe it was just not for me.
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
This is the second book in the series, set chronologically after the first but can be read as a standalone novel.
Like the first book in the series it started (very) slow until the first death happened. Then the plot picks up its pace and it is truly epic. I like the world the author created. But my biggest problem with this novel is again that the protagonist(s) remained distant. I am told how they acts and speak but I could only infer what they are thinking or feeling. That was frustrating.
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