Clockwork Archangel

Utterly devoid of heart or sense

Revisado: 01-29-21

Ready Player Two attempts to recapture the magic and majesty of the Hunt from the first novel, but where the Hunt was a desperate yet hopeful scramble, the search for the Seven Shards is downgraded to merely desperate. On top of this, the first three and a half hours of this book are dedicated to what I can only term as "misery porn" in which the bright and optimistic ending of Ready Player One is transformed into a bitter-sweet midpoint after which Wade, and the audience, is bludgeoned repeatedly with the "money can't buy happiness" stick. Add to this a DRASTIC recharacterization of James Halliday, an utterly generic A.I. antagonist, and the distinctly underwhelming and unnecessary reappearance of Nolan Sorento, and the result is less than sub-par. The writing remains top quality, but the STORY is unoriginal, unimaginative, and painfully dull. On top of this, the few genuinely interesting portions of the story, those revolving around the new ONI technology, are hopelessly mired in unnecessary and ham-handed virtue signaling that does nothing to serve the plot. I'm all for having a message, but when that message DISTRACTS from the story you're trying to tell rather than working in conjunction with it, that's a problem. I mostly agree with the message Cline is attempting to deliver in these moments, but his method rams that message down the reader's throat in such a fashion that I was left wondering if Cline believed in what he was preaching or if he included it just for the appearance of being "woke". The one and only saving grace is the FANTASTIC performance of Wil Wheaton. I have never been more disappointed in a sequel in my life.

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wait, what?

Revisado: 04-17-18

Overall, this was a fun ride. The author tries to straddle the line between serious sci-fi war story and Douglas Adams style sci-fi comedy, which can be a little distracting, but R. C. Bray's performance is fantastic.

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READ THIS BOOK NOW!

Revisado: 02-28-18

I don't normally enjoy this type of fiction. I'm far more at home on the bridge of a starship in warpspace or riding through the forests of some magical kingdom than cruising through the streets of gangland in Southern California. I'd go so far as to say that if there isn't a blaster pistol or wizard somewhere in the book, I have absolutely no interest in it.

And yet, this title somehow caught my eye. Something in the book's description managed to pull me in enough to give it a shot. And so I would like to thank Joe Ide for creating such an interesting and incredible story and Sullivan Jones for bringing that story to life. This book was an intense ride from beginning to end. The way Ide combines the intricacies of the present case with flashback chapters explaining why and how Isaiah came to be the man he is now works to create a rich and compelling story. So once again, thank you Joe Ide and Sullivan Jones, for dragging me out of my comfort zone kicking and screaming and making me love you for it.

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sci-fi done right

Revisado: 02-26-18

While the twist will not really be a surprise for avid sci-fi readers, the way that twist is executed is phenomenal. The writing is great, and the voice performance is wonderful.

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Surprisingly Disappointing

Revisado: 09-22-17

After hearing from several friends that this book and The Dark Tower series were amazing, I was convinced to get this audiobook. You can imagine my surprise when, upon finishing it, I was left with an overwhelming sensation of "eh." I can't point to anything specifically wrong with the story, but I have been left with absolutely no desire to continue the series.

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Utterly Furious, In A Good Way

Revisado: 06-15-17

In the last 20 years, I've managed to read an average of 2-3 books every week. Dong the math, that's 2.5 books X 52 weeks X 20 years = 2600 books. I've read everything from high-fantasy to epic sci-fi, horror mystery to romance, and everything in between. Naturally, having read so many books, my vocabulary is decidedly larger than average. I tell you this so you'll have a point of reference to start from when I tell you that i have no way of conveying to you the sheer, unholy RAGE I felt at the conclusion of this novel. Having stuck it out through these five novels and enjoyed every minute of them, THIS ending leaves me with such a need to know what happens next that I doubt I'll be able to enjoy anything else on my reading list until book 6 is translated and IN MY HANDS. I NEED to know where the story goes from here.

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A resounding and heartfelt "meh."

Revisado: 12-15-16

This book has an intriguing premise, but the execution leaves a lot to be desired. Much of the plot feels like you're going in circles and the ending feels rushed and incomplete. Combined with a performance by the aptly named Jonathan Sleep, the end result is a story that leaves me feeling dissatisfied. The story has a lot of potential that it just doesn't live up to.

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Butcher gets better with every book he writes.

Revisado: 07-23-15

I love The Dresden Files. Every book in the series is better than the one before it. Butcher does a wonderful job of creating an entire world, complete with its own rules, laws, and limitations. James Marsters does a wonderful job of bringing this world to life, bringing just the right amount of energy, sarcasm, and weary angst in every situation, even if he can't pronounce some words, like sigil or Maeve.

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Andy Weir is a GENIOUS!

Revisado: 02-17-15

What did you love best about The Martian?

Despite the utterly dire situation, Andy Weir does an amazing job of bringing out the funnier moments of being stranded on an empty planet, turning what could be a dismally depressing story into a very enjoyable experience.

What did you like best about this story?

The rich storytelling and amazing characters, along with a meticulous attention to detail, make for a truly immersive listening experience.

What does R. C. Bray bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

R. C. Bray makes a great book even better. His performance really helps to bring the overall tone of this book to life.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Take 1 smart-ass astronaut, the planet Mars, four parts Castaway, and 1 part Gilligan's Island, then throw them in a giant blender and hit the switch.

Any additional comments?

This may be the most enjoyable book I've listened to in a long time.

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Truly Outstanding!

Revisado: 01-02-15

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I'd recommend Shaman Rises, and the rest of the Walker Papers, to anyone who loves urban fiction. Shaman Rises is a non-stop thrill ride from the word "go", in which all questions are answered and all paths come full circle.

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