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14 of 15 people found the following review helpful
By M P Hall
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
This is set in an alternative 1860's,following explorer Richard Burton's investigations into Spring-Heeled Jack a strange leaping apparition.This book employs many'steampunk'conventions like advanced retro technology,real historical figures,and some variation of the classic vampire zombie werewolf monster.Spring-Heeled Jack,however is a genuine Victorian urban myth.Mass hysteria or not,this bouncing,blue lighted sex-pest remains one of the most intriguing, bizzare mysteries out there.
Without spoiling the reveal,Hodder uses Jack to provide a logical justification for some of the more advanced science in his world.He has skillfully woven documented Jack encounters into his plotting and this is the most satisfactory part of this work.However,it is about 200 pages too long and this story,although well-constructed and logical does not exite.I wanted it to be just a bit more surprising,clever or funny than it actually was.
Entertaining enough and rekindled my interest in the real SHJ.
Without spoiling the reveal,Hodder uses Jack to provide a logical justification for some of the more advanced science in his world.He has skillfully woven documented Jack encounters into his plotting and this is the most satisfactory part of this work.However,it is about 200 pages too long and this story,although well-constructed and logical does not exite.I wanted it to be just a bit more surprising,clever or funny than it actually was.
Entertaining enough and rekindled my interest in the real SHJ.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase
Victorian London is stalked by a mad-eyed leaping sex-pest/assassin and a gang of vicious "loup-garous" intent on abducting the capital's chimney sweeps. Who better to divine their nefarious intentions and solve these apparently unconnected mysteries than the unconventional explorer and adventurer, Sir Richard Francis Burton and his trusty sidekick, poet and libertine Algernon Swinburne.
Take a covey of well-known Victorian (well, sort of Victorian) personalities, drop them into an alternate history, add a goodly dose of steampunk, a thick London pea-souper and some exploding werewolves and shake well. Spring-Heeled Jack is, on the face of it, a great idea. No... it's a wonderful idea! Admittedly it reads a bit like a Sherlock Holmes pastiche in places and this may offend the more hardline Holmes & Watson Taliban. But, if you accept this, it is certainly exciting, fun, suspenseful and not without a gentle undercurrent of wit. It's packed full of adventure and it doesn't let up for a moment.
Neither is it without its flaws, however. Another reviewer has suggested that Hodder had a headfull of great ideas and fully intended cramming them all into this one novel. I can't disagree that it is a little //too// packed with steampunk inventions, historical exposition and background (at least in the first half). I felt that that Hodder would have done well to park some of these ideas for subsequent episodes (there are two; The Curious Case of the Clockwork Man and Expedition to the Mountains of the Moon) and let the story unfold by itself... to "show, and not tell".
A few more minor gripes; the nature and intent of Spring Heeled Jack (if not his ultimate motive) is mostly pretty obvious from quite early on in the story. The characterisation is generally well done although, having read two Burton biographies (A Rage to Live and The Devil Drives), I can't say that I was entirely concvinced by Hodder's portrayal which made Burton a little too lighthearted, not as darkly menacing as his biographers would have us believe. If you want more Burton fiction, do try the Riverworld series - PJF did the great man rather better in some ways. The dialogue is good Victorian stuff, although Hodder's attempts at East End Cockney are... misguided to say the least.
All told, this is a ripping yarn, steampunk but skirting the borders of fantasy; well executed if a little unpolished and definitely worth a stab. If Hodder was able to calm his style down a little, the follow-ups should be well worth a look.
Take a covey of well-known Victorian (well, sort of Victorian) personalities, drop them into an alternate history, add a goodly dose of steampunk, a thick London pea-souper and some exploding werewolves and shake well. Spring-Heeled Jack is, on the face of it, a great idea. No... it's a wonderful idea! Admittedly it reads a bit like a Sherlock Holmes pastiche in places and this may offend the more hardline Holmes & Watson Taliban. But, if you accept this, it is certainly exciting, fun, suspenseful and not without a gentle undercurrent of wit. It's packed full of adventure and it doesn't let up for a moment.
Neither is it without its flaws, however. Another reviewer has suggested that Hodder had a headfull of great ideas and fully intended cramming them all into this one novel. I can't disagree that it is a little //too// packed with steampunk inventions, historical exposition and background (at least in the first half). I felt that that Hodder would have done well to park some of these ideas for subsequent episodes (there are two; The Curious Case of the Clockwork Man and Expedition to the Mountains of the Moon) and let the story unfold by itself... to "show, and not tell".
A few more minor gripes; the nature and intent of Spring Heeled Jack (if not his ultimate motive) is mostly pretty obvious from quite early on in the story. The characterisation is generally well done although, having read two Burton biographies (A Rage to Live and The Devil Drives), I can't say that I was entirely concvinced by Hodder's portrayal which made Burton a little too lighthearted, not as darkly menacing as his biographers would have us believe. If you want more Burton fiction, do try the Riverworld series - PJF did the great man rather better in some ways. The dialogue is good Victorian stuff, although Hodder's attempts at East End Cockney are... misguided to say the least.
All told, this is a ripping yarn, steampunk but skirting the borders of fantasy; well executed if a little unpolished and definitely worth a stab. If Hodder was able to calm his style down a little, the follow-ups should be well worth a look.
21 of 26 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
I bought this book having read the positive reviews and because of the endorsement from George Mann, whose books I have enjoyed. All the ingredients were there for a great read; Victorian London, interesting characters, pea-soupers, a mysterious Villain, Bedlam and Rakes. The scenes involving the poet, Swinburne, also provide some welcome light-relief and humour.
The book started promisingly introducing a plot that seems slightly more complex and involved than you'd usually expect from books of this genre; the characters also seem like they'll be interesting as well as flawed. I `steamed' (sorry) through the first hundred pages but then found that the writing started to get a little tired. Frustratingly, this continued until the last hundred or so pages which tied everything up.
Some of the more interesting aspects of the plot were abandoned in favour of a convoluted, repetitive and largely boring storyline. It was almost as if Hodder had loads of ideas that he was excited about and so put them all in without really thinking about their purpose. This novel showed huge promise and I'd love to read another, but preferably when the author has managed to hone his technique.
The book started promisingly introducing a plot that seems slightly more complex and involved than you'd usually expect from books of this genre; the characters also seem like they'll be interesting as well as flawed. I `steamed' (sorry) through the first hundred pages but then found that the writing started to get a little tired. Frustratingly, this continued until the last hundred or so pages which tied everything up.
Some of the more interesting aspects of the plot were abandoned in favour of a convoluted, repetitive and largely boring storyline. It was almost as if Hodder had loads of ideas that he was excited about and so put them all in without really thinking about their purpose. This novel showed huge promise and I'd love to read another, but preferably when the author has managed to hone his technique.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
2.0 out of 5 stars
Derivative ideas, poorly written
Why should science fiction/steam-punk and alternate history stories demand a lower quality of writing than other genres? Read more
Published 10 days ago by Drew
5.0 out of 5 stars
Enjoy the ride
I just enjoyed the ride in this book. I loved and loathed the characters (in the right way) and was hooked until the last page. Read more
Published 28 days ago by S. P. Rushton
5.0 out of 5 stars
It was a gift
I bought this for my daughter. All I can say is she loved it. She requested this book as a gift
Published 2 months ago by Lizzie Dripping
2.0 out of 5 stars
Boring extravaganza
It starts well(ish) then slowly goes down and down until you are utterly bored and annoyed with the characters (and their speech)and forget about the silly plot. Read more
Published 5 months ago by lovereading
5.0 out of 5 stars
A steampunk delight!
Started reading this because I love the title, and it's on the Steampunk Scholar's* list of top 10 steampunk works. Read more
Published 7 months ago by Mardi-Louise
5.0 out of 5 stars
Spring Heeled Jack with a alternative history twist
I have long been a fan of the Spring Heeled Jack mythology but this book certainly takes a unique twist on the character. Read more
Published 7 months ago by Michael Ryan
5.0 out of 5 stars
Just a great adventure
Im not into 'steampunk' and to enjoy this book you need not be, infact it might be better if you are just looking for a great adventure.....saves on all the nitpicking... Read more
Published 8 months ago by Grace Garvey
3.0 out of 5 stars
A flawed masterpiece
I need to start by saying that this is an extremely enjoyable book. A real page turner. The characters are vivid, their world well drawn and the pace of the story never slackens. Read more
Published 9 months ago by Yet Another Geek
5.0 out of 5 stars
Victorian Rollercoaster
This is a great Steampunk debut for Mark Hodder. I found it compulsive reading from start to finish, a rip-roaring good read. Read more
Published 18 months ago by missyspoons
5.0 out of 5 stars
Lots of Fun!!
Really enjoyed this! I'm sure there are better examples of alternate history, or steampunk or whatever you choose to call it, available but this book zips along so nicely it's... Read more
Published 18 months ago by Kevan James
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