Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Futuristic Shoot-em-Up, 19 Sep 2007
Set in a near future dystopian New York and London, this high-energy story pits mid-level hitman Avery Cates against the two most powerful forces in the quasi-fascist world. The first of these is the System Security Force (SSF), the totally tricked-out elite troops who keep the peace in the name of the System of Federated Nations. (If is the "SS" in their name reminds you of another group of elite soldiers, it's probably intentional.) Of course, in this class-stratified future, keeping the peace pretty much means keeping the plebes in line and protecting the wealth and health of the upper crust. They don't pay too much attention to small fry like Cates until one of his hits goes bad, and he kills an undercover SSF officer.
Alas, if you kill an SSF officer, all bets are off, and you're lucky if you live 24 hours. As it happens, Cates is incredibly lucky -- instead of being stomped into a pink puddle, he is made an offer he can't refuse and is directed to kill a very high profile target. This brings him up against a sinister religion known as The Electric Church, whose membership is growing at an exponential rate. The reason for its growth may lie in the wild rumors of forced conversion and brainwashing, rumors that Cates' new assignment will prove or dispel.
Jam-packed with fast and furious cinematic action, the book's real distinguishing feature is its colorful cast of characters. Cates assembles a team to help him -- including a weedy acquaintance with mysterious mental abilities, a British techie on the lam, and strange twin sisters specializing in transportation -- and then leads them to London for the big showdown. It's crucial in these kind of stories (or movies) that the hero be likable and his henchmen interesting. Cates, as the hitman with a heart of, well, silver if not gold, is charismatic and flawed enough to carry the story (until the end, when he kind of loses it), and the cast of supporting characters have enough personality and surprises to keep one interested. The overall effect is kind of comic-booky (not in a bad way), and while it's not exactly groundbreaking or earth-shattering stuff, it should fit the bill for those looking for an action-packed futuristic shoot-em-up.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Good first third, mediocre rest, 23 Oct 2007
The book starts with lots of pace and lots of depth, like a real page turner. The story reminded me of "Escape from New York". The characters are well defined, the description of New York very atmospheric. Unfortunately after around 1/3 of the book, the pace drops, the descriptions are repetitive. The finale is disappointing and short. It might work as a movie, but as a book it lacks depth and energy.
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4.0 out of 5 stars
The Electric Church, 5 Jul 2008
Still a relatively fresh-faced arrival on the fiction scene, Jeff Somers brings a brilliantly competent slice of sci-fi action in the form of "The Electric Church", in which the "Gunner" Avery Cates, a mercenary of sorts in a dystopian future, is hired by the fascist State Security Force to shoot down the leader of a new religion: one where the brains of the converted are removed and inserted into high-tech bodies.
It's a great story, full of surprises that reward the reader regularly. Told in the first person, it brings very personalised observations of a world where most of the inhabited areas lie in ruins following a series of hostile takeovers and riots. Gunning is the only way to make enough yen to support a steady diet of gut-rotting booze and stale Pre-Unification cigarettes, and Avery Cates is one of the best Gunners available.
The narrative is clipped, stylish and engaging, affording one of those rare experiences where you really get to know the character, which is often difficult in first person fiction. Somers brings it off with flare, describing as the character contemplates them the broken down cities, the hard-assed people inhabiting them, and an all-important choice: surrender to the growing faith of the Electric Church for immortality and salvation, or live in poverty with all guns blazing?
An awesome read by a true talent. Don't miss out.
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