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sasha_in_a_box's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed the Infernal Devices. The suspense and the weird mysteries were great, and it was worth it to read to the end; everything was tied up neatly, and not at all in a contrived way. The ending was awesome, I was delighted by the role all the strange characters ended up playing.
Getting into the book was kind of slow, I am not used to the Victorian (or pseudo-victorian?) language...That's more of my fault though. I think the intricacy and twisty-ness of the plot is a preference thing, but I personally enjoyed it. Not the greatest book ever, but a pretty great romp through the steam-punk Victorian insanity!
(A note about Morlock Night: I was about 60 pages away from finishing it, when it got stolen together with my purse and wallet... it was alright, but way too gimmicky. I'll perhaps come back to it one day, but I'm not going to actively pursue it right now.
Update:
My purse was recovered, and now I am done with Morlock Night. My review doesn't change, and I would give it 2 stars. Jeter should have decided if he wanted to go with fantasy or sci-fi. This particular genre mix didn't work for me at all.
Getting into the book was kind of slow, I am not used to the Victorian (or pseudo-victorian?) language...That's more of my fault though. I think the intricacy and twisty-ness of the plot is a preference thing, but I personally enjoyed it. Not the greatest book ever, but a pretty great romp through the steam-punk Victorian insanity!
(A note about Morlock Night: I was about 60 pages away from finishing it, when it got stolen together with my purse and wallet... it was alright, but way too gimmicky. I'll perhaps come back to it one day, but I'm not going to actively pursue it right now.
Update:
My purse was recovered, and now I am done with Morlock Night. My review doesn't change, and I would give it 2 stars. Jeter should have decided if he wanted to go with fantasy or sci-fi. This particular genre mix didn't work for me at all.
enelya's review
4.0
I’ve been coming across the subject steampunk every so often while browsing through my favorite genre Urban Fantasy. It seems only appropriate that I venture for the first time in the genre with the classic Infernal Devices.
The book introduces us to Dower Junior, son of renowned clockwork maker who inherits his shop and trade, but not his skill. The visit of a mysterious client starts a most disconcerting chain of events that will lead him far from the safety of his house.
The narrative is told from the point of view of the protagonist, recalling on the events that have come to pass. The book rolls out in different parts, which while following the same story path, introduce new elements or a scenery change in the story, and can be a little confusing until the reader (along with the main character) adapts to the new situation and the additional set of questions and unanswered riddles. Through a journey of mixed breeds, loony scientists, unique creations, devoted friends and unlikely allies it all comes together in a surprising and fully satisfying conclusion.
Well written and solidly constructed I found it a pleasant introduction to the steampunk genre and I’m looking forward my next clockwork expedition.
A last positive note to the preface/introduction, very informative, and to the cover, detailed and intriguing.
The book introduces us to Dower Junior, son of renowned clockwork maker who inherits his shop and trade, but not his skill. The visit of a mysterious client starts a most disconcerting chain of events that will lead him far from the safety of his house.
The narrative is told from the point of view of the protagonist, recalling on the events that have come to pass. The book rolls out in different parts, which while following the same story path, introduce new elements or a scenery change in the story, and can be a little confusing until the reader (along with the main character) adapts to the new situation and the additional set of questions and unanswered riddles. Through a journey of mixed breeds, loony scientists, unique creations, devoted friends and unlikely allies it all comes together in a surprising and fully satisfying conclusion.
Well written and solidly constructed I found it a pleasant introduction to the steampunk genre and I’m looking forward my next clockwork expedition.
A last positive note to the preface/introduction, very informative, and to the cover, detailed and intriguing.
derekerb's review against another edition
4.0
As many of the reviewers have mentioned here it is a very slow and difficult start. It required dedication and stubbornness to get through the first half.
However the second half was quite enjoyable both from the mystery story point of view and the exposition of the atmosphere, philosophy and characters built-up during the first half. It brought me in to a new world that wasn't quite late nineteenth century England and wasn't quite real. But it was fun to follow along having no idea where he was taking me.
I enjoyed the second half of the book enough to finish it. But, I have to admit, I will not be looking to read any more of this books.
However the second half was quite enjoyable both from the mystery story point of view and the exposition of the atmosphere, philosophy and characters built-up during the first half. It brought me in to a new world that wasn't quite late nineteenth century England and wasn't quite real. But it was fun to follow along having no idea where he was taking me.
I enjoyed the second half of the book enough to finish it. But, I have to admit, I will not be looking to read any more of this books.
sheeprustler's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
amywoolsey_93's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
booksnbotanicals's review against another edition
2.0
Wow... How many times can the author take credit for the term "steampunk"? The book itself was maybe, and a very loose maybe, 3 stars but the author's rant at the beginning where he brags about creating a term is ridiculous brings this down to a 2. Maybe the author will be known for his linguistic contributions but I won't remember the story 2 weeks from now.
tacanderson's review against another edition
4.0
Jeter was the man that coined the term Steampunk. This is a bit of a classic in the genre. If you're a fan of Steampunk, it's a must read. Even if you just like scifi this is a good starting point into the genre.
wadewinningham's review against another edition
4.0
The first few chapters succeeded in drawing me completely into the mystery and world of the book. And while the ending seemed a bit rushed, I thoroughly enjoyed it overall.
marimoose's review against another edition
2.0
Ugh. My review didn't save properly so now I'm just going to summarize what I'd said:
The book is the epitome of steampunk, which the author and his colleagues kind of coined as a term years ago. It has everything from mad scientists to explosions to adventures to automatons and clockwork mechanisms. It has religious idealists, anti-religious idealists, suffragists, lewd folk, and the poor tinker main character. Stylistically, I didn't think there was anything wrong. Heck, I respect Jeter the work and thank him for giving name to a literary sub-genre that's gotten more and more mainstream these days.
My low rating is mostly due to my disinterest and lack of mood to read the dated narration. Infernal Devices was classically written, much in the same manner Frankenstein was (which also--sadly--put me off, even though Frankenstein is the must-read of all sci-fi reads on my list). The characters weren't endearing (the most amused I was had been Creff's paranoia), and I found myself bouncing from one catastrophe to another without caring about whether or not the main character (Dower? Dowers?) came out unscathed.
So there it is. It's mostly my fault.
The book is the epitome of steampunk, which the author and his colleagues kind of coined as a term years ago. It has everything from mad scientists to explosions to adventures to automatons and clockwork mechanisms. It has religious idealists, anti-religious idealists, suffragists, lewd folk, and the poor tinker main character. Stylistically, I didn't think there was anything wrong. Heck, I respect Jeter the work and thank him for giving name to a literary sub-genre that's gotten more and more mainstream these days.
My low rating is mostly due to my disinterest and lack of mood to read the dated narration. Infernal Devices was classically written, much in the same manner Frankenstein was (which also--sadly--put me off, even though Frankenstein is the must-read of all sci-fi reads on my list). The characters weren't endearing (the most amused I was had been Creff's paranoia), and I found myself bouncing from one catastrophe to another without caring about whether or not the main character (Dower? Dowers?) came out unscathed.
So there it is. It's mostly my fault.
kerush's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75