Neil Winkler

Not Great, But Not Terrible Either

Revisado: 06-30-22

I appreciate what Stross was trying to go for. I enjoyed the musical aspects and the idea of a lost score being wielded to bring back an ancient god. But I just felt the book wasn't executed right. It was missing something the other novels had. However I did appreciate the honest look into Mo's internal thought process, as much as it dismayed me to hear her talk down on Bob, a character we've all grown to love over the past 5 books. It made her more human and fallible. She's not perfect, like anyone else.

The narrator, Elle Newlands did a fine job. However, it was a bit jarring hearing slightly different accents and voices compared with the previous narrator, Gideon Emery, but it's to be expected. One gripe was Ramona Random had a slight English accent in this one, but she's supposed to be American. At least in Jennifer Morgue, she was done with an American accent.

Pacing was another issue with this story. A lot of time was spent showing the boring aspects of Mo's new assignment in the Trans Human force, which is fine if it's balanced out with more exciting bits. But even the parts that should've been exciting were tiresome to get through, such as the couple battles they got called out for. The final culminating climax of the novel is a good example. This part should've been exciting and terrifying, but I found myself thinking "Man, this is just going on and on" when I would've normally been enthralled.

IDK. Not a terrible book overall, but not a great one either. I would agree with some reviews calling this the weakest entry in the series. But I would not skip it, as it introduces a few characters and one major character that plays into the story a couple books later. Just get through it and on to the next ones.

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This Book Introduced Me to A Whole New World

Revisado: 05-30-22

I first read Atrocity Archives on paperback about 10 years ago, and it completely blew me away. I always loved sci-fi, but was never too into "fantasy". The Laundry Files series blends the 2 genres perfectly with a dash of humor that makes these books a joy to read. Some may say this book and the subsequent books in the series have a lot of jargon, but I like that about them! It makes it all the more real. The main character, Bob Howard is a smart techie nerd with a dry, ironic sense of humor, and I find myself identifying with him a lot, as someone who works in the IT field. The Audible narrator, Gideon Emery is so perfect for this series. He does an excellent job doing different voices for each character, and he is consistent throughout the series. I absolutely recommend this to anyone who loves sci-fi, fantasy, and spy themed stories with some humor sprinkled in.

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I Tried!

Revisado: 05-30-22

I remember having a hard enough time getting through the paperback of this novel 10 or so years ago, and I am a huge sci-fi nerd. Something about Gibson's writing style just makes this story difficult to get into for me. But I managed to finish it all those years ago. Then last month I tried listening to the audio book, and I had to stop after only a few hours. I think it's the narrator that makes this almost impossible to get through. Dean doesn't do a good job doing different voices for the characters, and I found myself wondering often who was talking.

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A bit short for the price

Revisado: 05-11-22

As the title says, despite knowing it's a novella, I felt the length was on the shorter side for the price. Having said that, I always enjoy Gideon Emery's narration for the Laundry Files books, especially when Bob is the main protagonist. He does a great job doing the different character voices. The story left much to be desired. Again, I know it is a short story novella, but I felt Stross could have fleshed out some more details and lore about Japan and it's ghostly infestation. I would've enjoyed learning more about Japan's version of the Laundry as well. Overall, not a bad Laundry edition; I just wish there was a little more in there.

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