Adam Christopher

I breezed through this fast little novel in two days, and it was a nice palate cleanser after my last read.

Good things: I really love how they explain that Ray, our robot protagonist, can pick up sensory details, how he relates to Ada and applies afterimages that may or may not be connected to whoever her personality imprint is based off of. The templating is good, and the afterimages are excellent -- he explains Ada's control of him, but he doesn't seem to rankle at the idea that she broke into him at some point and reprogrammed him to get from the semi-profitable PI business to the killer-for-hire business. At no time do we know what Ray was originally programmed for, but that's easily explained by knowing that he was broken down and rebuilt...

...but not perfectly. Between his creator's template and his own 'after image' memories, he is able to have some idea of what it is to smile, frown, laugh. He sometimes remembers details he shouldn't, after images on his tapes. He remembers a humanity that he's been gifted, and it makes him more sympathetic even if he can throw sparks from his fingertips and has an internal Geiger counter.

The prose is short and sharp, and has a nice pulpy feel to it. I didn't quite like how the dialogue was handled because it seemed a touch choppy, but beyond that it was good.

Bad things: I could have done with some fleshing of the plot, and more on Ada's involvement expounded on -- especially since it's clear that she has Ray on a leash and without him she has no hands or eyes or legs, but with her he's a puppet and less free than he seems. That relationship needed more meat. However, the ending brings up great questions about how their relationship will evolve in regards to his upgrades, and I definitely want to get the next book because it opens up a lot of character possibility, so hopefully in the next book we'll learn a lot more.

In short: good noir read, needs a little meatier plot but the character of Ray and his attempts to sort of human through his robot life is engaging and makes the thinner plot worth the read. Will get the next book.… (mehr)

This was not the book I thought I was going to get. The reviews and cover blurb advertised alternate history, dimensional rifts, super heroes, gangsters and detectives. It had all those, but the story felt like they'd all been put into a food-processor and roughly chopped together. Nothing fit. There was very little cause and effect and zero character motivation (other than simple survival). It felt a lot like an old comic book or television show where stuff happens because the story needs it to happen. There is no 'why'. Disappointing.… (mehr)