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bubbleybrain's review
4.0
Cyberpunk noir novel set in the far future of megalopolises versus other megalopolises where the overlords are the kings of capitalism. Dalton Rust so happens to hail from a family of one such megacorps, but is jaded with the fake smiles and spectacle of his old life and works in the gritty field of private investigation. He thought he escaped his former existence until a lawyer comes crawling in, needing his help explicitly. Can't escape the dirty deeds of the corporate overlords no matter how far into the sewer one goes.
I like novels who own their futurism and keep it organic without over-explaining whatever X body mod is, or why what brand is better for these mods, or the slangs for each person in this jagged society. It made it easy to get into the plot and focus on the mystery at hand, which was Dalton's need to uncover the truth behind a stolen document. Clear directive with great progression not bogged down by useless narrative semantics. To make up for the clear unfamiliarity, the novel had a selection of comforting tropes. Lawyers are humorless shark-toothed robots. The prostitute with heart of gold. Jaded PIs who have seen a little too much of reality to be shocked by almost anything. It was a pretty solid story. Author Klop did a good job.
However, I did always wonder why the bad guys never shot up Dalton's business (since the knew early on where he lived.) Always got me. I also could have used a chapter or two added in the end, because Klop did an excellent job and making me invested in several of these side characters, and I'd have liked to have known how things played out with them. A little extra closure. But the reason for the 4 over a 5 was punctuation/grammar mistakes throughout. For me, it's distracting, but a casual reader probably wouldn't notice, and if this was every read aloud or came in audio format it would be fine. It's purely something that hampers aesthetic viewing. Quite an excellent and engaging read. Add it to your reading list!
I like novels who own their futurism and keep it organic without over-explaining whatever X body mod is, or why what brand is better for these mods, or the slangs for each person in this jagged society. It made it easy to get into the plot and focus on the mystery at hand, which was Dalton's need to uncover the truth behind a stolen document. Clear directive with great progression not bogged down by useless narrative semantics. To make up for the clear unfamiliarity, the novel had a selection of comforting tropes. Lawyers are humorless shark-toothed robots. The prostitute with heart of gold. Jaded PIs who have seen a little too much of reality to be shocked by almost anything. It was a pretty solid story. Author Klop did a good job.
However, I did always wonder why the bad guys never shot up Dalton's business (since the knew early on where he lived.) Always got me. I also could have used a chapter or two added in the end, because Klop did an excellent job and making me invested in several of these side characters, and I'd have liked to have known how things played out with them. A little extra closure. But the reason for the 4 over a 5 was punctuation/grammar mistakes throughout. For me, it's distracting, but a casual reader probably wouldn't notice, and if this was every read aloud or came in audio format it would be fine. It's purely something that hampers aesthetic viewing. Quite an excellent and engaging read. Add it to your reading list!
whistberry's review
5.0
I found this to be a super smart and enjoyable mash up of classic noir detective fiction and speculative science fiction. Think Blade Runner but with more humor. Fantastic world building that is revealed naturally through the plot rather than info dumping so you'll need to get used to some of the language and societal concepts but the author does a great job of providing plenty of context to help you along. Dalton Rust fits squarely into the Philip Marlowe/Sam Spade mold of world weary wise guys caught up in a case with political implications far beyond what he signed up for. We're also introduced to a host of interesting side characters as his investigation unfolds that I assume will figure in future installments of this intriguing new series. The vision of a future where a handful of oligarchal families control the wealth and destiny of the rest of society is an all too relevant and believable vision of our future but half the kick here is watching Dalton mess with the snooty types who are trying to use him for their own nefarious ends. All in all, an expertly-written book that is lots of fun for fans of science fiction and noir mysteries.
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