mrawdon's review against another edition
3.0
I find the Laundry books enjoyable, but forgettable; I don't even recall what happened in the previous volume. This one might stick with me a little longer, as it seems like the series' overall story is slowly moving somewhere. The supporting cast is stronger than usual, too, and we get some tasty insight into how the Laundry works. The plot follows the format of half the pages of buildup, and then everything goes pear-shaped and our heroes have to scramble to stay alive. Some fine insights into Bob Howard's character and what makes him work as a hero, too. Hopefully the series will only get better from here.
davidsandilands's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
peter_xxx's review against another edition
4.0
The score for this book would be 3.5 if that was allowed on Goodreads (lets's rekindle that discussion :-))
This is the 4th laundry book and as always it reads a bit easier then the last one. This can have two reasons.
1. Charles Stross becomes a better writer with each book. Finding more and more his own voice and succeeding better in making all the parts that make up the Laundry books blend together. And there are lot's of parts. spy thriller, lovecraftian horror, hard sci fi and a satire on bureaucracy and IT jargon.
or
2. I get better at reading and understanding Charles Stross's style of writing. :-)
In this novel Bob Howard is tasked with overseeing an investigation in an american tv preacher style christian cult and while doing so ends up over his head in trouble and learns a thing or two about the organization he works for.
Great book but requires some knowledge of lovecraftian horror, computers and contact with the bureaucracy of a big company to understand all the jokes.
This is the 4th laundry book and as always it reads a bit easier then the last one. This can have two reasons.
1. Charles Stross becomes a better writer with each book. Finding more and more his own voice and succeeding better in making all the parts that make up the Laundry books blend together. And there are lot's of parts. spy thriller, lovecraftian horror, hard sci fi and a satire on bureaucracy and IT jargon.
or
2. I get better at reading and understanding Charles Stross's style of writing. :-)
In this novel Bob Howard is tasked with overseeing an investigation in an american tv preacher style christian cult and while doing so ends up over his head in trouble and learns a thing or two about the organization he works for.
Great book but requires some knowledge of lovecraftian horror, computers and contact with the bureaucracy of a big company to understand all the jokes.
jkomg's review against another edition
3.0
I liked it, I do like a religious zealot awakening an old god plot line, but the ending felt rushed. What happened to Schiller? The Watcher? Left us hanging Charles
cheshire_the_cat's review against another edition
5.0
Another great instance in the laundry files, this one feels a bit more fron the 'magick' side compared to the others, we get to see a bit of fallout from the end of The Fuller Memorandum and Howard's current status, like in the previous book we get a lot of worldbuilding which doesn't feel info-dumpy due to the PoV used, overall, very enjoyable if a bit less comedic compared to previous entries.
derekjohnston's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.0
elliottback's review against another edition
1.0
I'll be rating this harshly, as it introduces no additional material. It's the the in-between book of Bob. The same demons are here, just sponsored by a new tribe. There's no new tech. Yes, you get an insight into the hierarchy of the Laundry, but this feels like a contract novel with nothing actually **new** in it.
_meltea_'s review
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
titusfortner's review against another edition
5.0
The Laundry Files are amongst my favorite books. A wonderful blend of quirky, irreverent and funny, with an enjoyable every-man protagonist. I eagerly await future installments from the prolific author.
Re-read:
Closer to 4 stars. I love the world, the action and pacing; the twists and turns were well executed, but I also think that the ending is a little too rushed, and there wasn't enough Angleton or Mo. :)
Re-read:
Closer to 4 stars. I love the world, the action and pacing; the twists and turns were well executed, but I also think that the ending is a little too rushed, and there wasn't enough Angleton or Mo. :)
mjfmjfmjf's review against another edition
3.0
Pretty good but not as good as I was hoping. Actually the writing felt a little bit rushed, a little unfinished. Weird, editing probably would have added a little length to this one. Perhaps book 5 will be better - I'll be sure to be reading it. Anyway - too much Bob, barely any Mo. I liked Penelope and Johnny though. 3.5 of 5.