Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
There's a story in there somewhere, 3 Feb 2009
I've had this book for a long time, initially drawn to the synopsis on the back cover it has lingered on my shelf due to the not so positive feedback from friends and the reviews on Amazon. I finally decided to read the book and am glad that I did, however I am more pleased that I've finished it.
There is no doubt that the imagination behind its construct is admirable. The creation of the Fey and the Worldsingers are particularly interesting, however the trouble is that it is all very confusing. I found that the majority of the time I was only getting the gist of the story but not understanding the full picture. Whilst the Kingdom of the Jackals may be clear to the author it is not so for the reader. There is no easy access to this world and you are presented with different races, places and a complex history of it's time and people all of which are poorly explained. It seems the author assumes that you will fully understand and accept what is presented, however this is not the case.
I really tried to understand but found that I failed to keep up with it's relentless pace. I was unsure as to who was fighting whom and for what reason. The book would have served better had it been the climax of a series, with the reader already having a full understanding of the world the author created but as a first book it is a world unto itself.
Whilst I wouldn't tell anyone not to read this book I would suggest approaching it with caution and to read all the reviews on Amazon to get a good indication of what the book may hold.
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13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Fizzing with invention, 20 Sep 2007
This is an excellent book, a real page turner, depicting an intricate war between (fairly absolute) evil and (more than slightly grubby) good. The fictional world is vividly constructed and utterly convincing. The Kingdom of Jackals and its enemy, revolutionary Quatreshift, rather resemble late 18th century Britain and France in politics and general situation - Jackals defended by its navy of trusty airships, Quatreshift bleeding as enemies of the people are liquidated by the Gideon's Collar. But both states have much more to them than that, and older things sleep (or not) deep beneath Jackals, waiting to be summoned.
Through this bizarre world we follow the adventures of Molly and Oliver, orphans, whose special talents make them targets for the underground evil. We also meet a race of noble steam powered robots, and a covert organisation - the eponymous Court - dedicated to preserving Jackals. It all culminates in an epic battle involving gods, revolutionaries, human and fey armies, the Steammen and more (with some echoes of Philip Pullman - but although this is emphatically not a His Dark Materials clone).
There is much, much more. My only reservation - and why I give it four stars rather than five - is that perhaps there is too much for all the elements to be knitted together properly. The Court, for example, really only plays a peripheral role, and other themes and characters (such as the Observer and her bullish colleague) don't really serve much purpose. I think the material could have been better served if it had been used for two or even three books. Perhaps there will be a sequel? (Refreshingly, there is no and-they-all-lived-happily-ever-after - once their temporary alliance to save the world end, the central characters pursue wildly different courses and are bound to come into conflict).
But please don't be put off by that minor quibble. Do buy this book, it's vastly entertaining and a rivetting good read.
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8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Endlessly Inventive!, 22 April 2009
Wow, what a ride! There is so much to like about this book, managing to blend future and past, historical and fantastical into a Vitorianesque type alter/world. It is an immensely charming read, with great, witty dialogue and cleverly managed page-turning plot lines.
There is, for me, more than a nod and a wink to Pullman and 'His Dark Material's' going on here, right down to the two 'heroes' Lyra and Will, oops, I mean fiesty Molly and oh so serious Oliver, but that is not to say that this is a second-class Dark Materials clone. Quite the opposite - this takes some inspiration and runs with it.
There are so many amusing (and unusual) parodies/charicatures from European history - Karl Marx, Oliver Cromwell and Benjamin Disraeli being but a few, and there is an affectionate, tongue in cheek feel underlying the whole thing - one of the first scenes i think of is two M. P.s clubbing each other senseless as a form of debate in Parliament - utter genius!
The one downside is just the sheer scale of the immagination here; it is extremely easy to feel overwhelmed by the constant barage of information going on, which, while building an immensely complex and believable world, can also confuse and detract from the sharp plot twists that are also a constant throughout the tale.
Another minor moan is that i kept waiting for the actual Court of the Air to have some serious page time, but it just never happened; in fact, the book would have worked just as well without the Court's involvement, and there was a slight whiff of deus ex machina in their timely appearance right at the end of the book.
I could go on and on about different aspects of this tale - i loved the steammen, loved Commodore Black, loved the Special Guard (X-Men anyone!) loved the concepts (taking the arms off of figurehead kings! Royalist comment, perhaps), i loved the Whisperer, loved the talking weapon!
I would personally mark this book as 4.5, losing a half mark just because of the way i felt my brain twisting trying to keep up with so much information, but Amazon don't do half marks, and i can't bear to give it four.
Overall, if i were to say just one thing, it would be that this book is simply great fun.
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