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3.82 AVERAGE
3.82 AVERAGE
I quite liked this book. It's a Laundry Files book from Mo's POV instead of Bob's. It gives us much more insight into her personality than we've gotten before. I will agree with some of the critical reviews that Mo is not actually that nice of a person, but she does come across as a very complex and real character. I'm eager to get back to Bob in the next installment, but this was a great story step in that direction, showing what is happening on an everyday level rather than in the specialized arcane bunkers that Bob usually investigates.
This was not as bad as people said (and really is more like a 3.5)
It's the next one that'll have the ' elves with tanks ' I think Stross agrees with me that ' mass-effect charm ' is probably the most dangerous superpower.
This is the sixth book of the Laundry Files, and the first to be narrated by Mo instead of her husband. The plot keep me thoroughly engaged, and I enjoyed Mo's voice - it was a nice change. I finished the book utterly wrung out, and I think that is probably a common experience due to Stross' skill at bringing the reader into sympathy with the speaker. I think this is the fourth Stross piece I've read in the past couple of weeks, and it probably isn't wise to immerse one's self so deeply in this particular world! I'm going to have to step back and read something else for a bit as a breather.
Mo's life is falling apart just as she is appointment the new head of a new department for superheroes. This is a terrific tale in the Laundry Files and poor Mo is put through the ringer.
Read the previous a few years ago. The first few in the series were great but they were all blending together. Notes on the fifth said to give it a bit and try again. I just did and I'm done. The "procedural" aspect of the bureaucratic government is far too slow and involved and the rest seems redundant and dull. Nothing especially terrible, but I couldn't care enough to finish this.
Probably the best & most consistent book series out there currently.
Found myself skimming the pages to get over the filler nonsense of minute bureaucratic meetings..
I used to like Mo.
Overall, a depressing book.
I used to like Mo.
Overall, a depressing book.
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
Just like the previous entry in the Laundry Files series (The Rhesus Chart), this one feels a lot more mature, thought-out and cohesive than the earlier volumes. That's a good thing. While I liked the main protagonist Bob and his meandering techno-magic babble, it did become stale after a while. I also never really felt like I actually really understood what was happening plot-wise at all points.
The Rhesus Chart and the Apocalypse Score, on the other hand, showcase Stross' growing maturity as a writer. There's still some low-brow laughs and some intentionally bad puns in here, but less sexist male gaze and the plot really does have a nice twist this time.
Regarding the audio book version: I was quite annoyed that it was read by someone other than Gideon Emery, whose voice I really like and have come to associate with this series. However, there's actually a really good reason for this change in the plot. Also, after my initial hesitation, I gotta say Elle Newland really delivered.
The Rhesus Chart and the Apocalypse Score, on the other hand, showcase Stross' growing maturity as a writer. There's still some low-brow laughs and some intentionally bad puns in here, but less sexist male gaze and the plot really does have a nice twist this time.
Regarding the audio book version: I was quite annoyed that it was read by someone other than Gideon Emery, whose voice I really like and have come to associate with this series. However, there's actually a really good reason for this change in the plot. Also, after my initial hesitation, I gotta say Elle Newland really delivered.