grandgranini's review
2.0
Basically diesel punk with some airships and rocketeer type superheroes. The story never came alive for me, and the pacing and language seemed rather clunky, though that might have been intentional.
mayoroffailure's review
3.0
I think that everyone finds a book during their lifetime that seems to have been written just for them, Mr. Christopher's Empire State series was written just for me.
As soon as I read the synopsis on goodreads my mind just about exploded at the idea of it. Detectives? Noir? Superheroes? Alternate Worlds? All in one novel! Too good to be true. Not only is it true but Mr. Christopher has quite a good start on his hands. For those that dont know the story here's a quick rundown:
The last fight between two prohibition era superheroes ends in an explosion that causes a rift in the universe. As a result of that rift the Empire State is born, a depressing and sad copy of New York in a steam punkish future. Rad Bradley is a Private Detective in the Empire State and after he makes a surprising discovery he uncovers a plot to close the rift and destroy the city all together.
The plot is a truly original concept that made me giddy whenever I read the short blurb, but the book delivers in its own right. Firstly, its a remarkably easy read, and if you were determined I doubt you'd have an issue finishing it in a day. But Secondly you never see whats coming, whenever you think that one of the characters is on a certain side they change and whenever you think you have the plot figured out you dont. As a result Mr. Christopher has crafted a story that will blindside you and keep you guessing until the last eight pages.
I absolutely love the pacing and storytelling used in this novel and I cant wait to begin the next one in the series. At this point you may be asking, however, why exactly I gave it three stars, and my reasoning is actually rather simple. While Empire State is a novel that I'll probably read again it has one fundamental issue, the characters. This is not to say that the characters were cliche or bad, they were simply underdeveloped, and as a result you dont find yourself caring much about what happens to them. This was a big misstep on Mr. Christopher's part because, at least for me, characterization is a big deal; If I dont care about the characters and what is happening to them then I become less apt to actually keep reading.
That is not to say, however, that you shouldn't read this book, the story is marvelously entertaining and a truly original piece of Sci Fi. Like many good pulp novels, you quickly drink down the sweet syrup of its prose and are left thirsting for more at the pages end.
As soon as I read the synopsis on goodreads my mind just about exploded at the idea of it. Detectives? Noir? Superheroes? Alternate Worlds? All in one novel! Too good to be true. Not only is it true but Mr. Christopher has quite a good start on his hands. For those that dont know the story here's a quick rundown:
The last fight between two prohibition era superheroes ends in an explosion that causes a rift in the universe. As a result of that rift the Empire State is born, a depressing and sad copy of New York in a steam punkish future. Rad Bradley is a Private Detective in the Empire State and after he makes a surprising discovery he uncovers a plot to close the rift and destroy the city all together.
The plot is a truly original concept that made me giddy whenever I read the short blurb, but the book delivers in its own right. Firstly, its a remarkably easy read, and if you were determined I doubt you'd have an issue finishing it in a day. But Secondly you never see whats coming, whenever you think that one of the characters is on a certain side they change and whenever you think you have the plot figured out you dont. As a result Mr. Christopher has crafted a story that will blindside you and keep you guessing until the last eight pages.
I absolutely love the pacing and storytelling used in this novel and I cant wait to begin the next one in the series. At this point you may be asking, however, why exactly I gave it three stars, and my reasoning is actually rather simple. While Empire State is a novel that I'll probably read again it has one fundamental issue, the characters. This is not to say that the characters were cliche or bad, they were simply underdeveloped, and as a result you dont find yourself caring much about what happens to them. This was a big misstep on Mr. Christopher's part because, at least for me, characterization is a big deal; If I dont care about the characters and what is happening to them then I become less apt to actually keep reading.
That is not to say, however, that you shouldn't read this book, the story is marvelously entertaining and a truly original piece of Sci Fi. Like many good pulp novels, you quickly drink down the sweet syrup of its prose and are left thirsting for more at the pages end.
valjeanval's review
3.0
Well... I kind of expected to like this one a lot more than I actually did. The tone and the style was great in a Rocketeer meets Noir detective way, but for some reason I just never really got invested in the story. The plot twists and turns all the time, and while usually that's a good thing, this time I sort of gave up following that early. Probably that's more a reflection of how numb my brain is lately than a failing of the author.
What I did like is that this book presents a mystery and femme fatales with no love story (except a weird add on at the end which I'm not counting). I liked the visuals that it conjured and absolutely every person's name.
What I didn't like is that the actual writing felt a bit stilted with a lot of simple sentences in a row and the author occasionally needing to spell out why something was important. I never really understood how anything worked, and there were so many plot points to follow that I kept forgetting who was connected to whom and why. Again, that may just be my brain on standardized test season.
If you like Golden Age Sci-Fi and Noir Detectives, you are the person this book was written for, but go into able to read in big chunks. Reading ten minutes hear and there just did not work for me.
What I did like is that this book presents a mystery and femme fatales with no love story (except a weird add on at the end which I'm not counting). I liked the visuals that it conjured and absolutely every person's name.
What I didn't like is that the actual writing felt a bit stilted with a lot of simple sentences in a row and the author occasionally needing to spell out why something was important. I never really understood how anything worked, and there were so many plot points to follow that I kept forgetting who was connected to whom and why. Again, that may just be my brain on standardized test season.
If you like Golden Age Sci-Fi and Noir Detectives, you are the person this book was written for, but go into able to read in big chunks. Reading ten minutes hear and there just did not work for me.
ricky1998's review
mysterious
tense
slow-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
2.5
msaari's review against another edition
2.0
The setting was kind of interesting, but in the end the book left me cold. It just didn't make enough sense in the end, I suppose. There's more that could be done in this setting.
writer_matt's review against another edition
3.0
****SPOILERS AHEAD****
I was completely unsure of what to expect when I grabbed Empire State from my library, except that it seemed to bring together a bunch of things that I love.
The book is about The Empire State, which is technically a mirror universe of New York City that was created when two superheros damaged the space-time continuum during an epic fight. Or was The Empire State created before that event - this is not entirely clear, as a pivotal character had disappeared before the fight and ended up in the mirror universe. Regardless, the book's main plot line revolves around Rad Braybury - a private detective - who has been tasked with solving the mysterious death of a woman found practically crushed to death in an alley way. Along the way, he gets attacked by men in gas masks, starts to suspect his best friend is also a dead superhero, and drinks a lot of bootlegged liquor. He also becomes the unlikely hero who has to save the world - both of them - before the superheros destroy the link that binds these two worlds together.
I enjoyed the story. I enjoyed the characters. I did not enjoy, however, the lack of attention to little details like proof-reading that kept jumping out at me throughout the book. It was distracting! But, whether that is the fault of Adam Christopher or his publisher doesn't really matter.
Christopher has built a very effective world here - one that is quite dense and quite vivid. The book essentially read like a comic book, complete with scenes that made no sense in prose form, rather they called for a visualization of some kind. I often found those sections of the book just didn't work for me - it was as though the book didn't quite know what genre it was supposed to be, and really wanted to become a graphic novel.
However, what did work and what Christopher has done quite well, is create a series of really complex characters, who I wanted to get to know a bit better. My only complaint with characterization is that there is so little development - I wanted to see more of them, learn more about them. Especially Rad.
Certainly worth checking out if you like the mirror universe/alternative universe genre.
I was completely unsure of what to expect when I grabbed Empire State from my library, except that it seemed to bring together a bunch of things that I love.
The book is about The Empire State, which is technically a mirror universe of New York City that was created when two superheros damaged the space-time continuum during an epic fight. Or was The Empire State created before that event - this is not entirely clear, as a pivotal character had disappeared before the fight and ended up in the mirror universe. Regardless, the book's main plot line revolves around Rad Braybury - a private detective - who has been tasked with solving the mysterious death of a woman found practically crushed to death in an alley way. Along the way, he gets attacked by men in gas masks, starts to suspect his best friend is also a dead superhero, and drinks a lot of bootlegged liquor. He also becomes the unlikely hero who has to save the world - both of them - before the superheros destroy the link that binds these two worlds together.
I enjoyed the story. I enjoyed the characters. I did not enjoy, however, the lack of attention to little details like proof-reading that kept jumping out at me throughout the book. It was distracting! But, whether that is the fault of Adam Christopher or his publisher doesn't really matter.
Christopher has built a very effective world here - one that is quite dense and quite vivid. The book essentially read like a comic book, complete with scenes that made no sense in prose form, rather they called for a visualization of some kind. I often found those sections of the book just didn't work for me - it was as though the book didn't quite know what genre it was supposed to be, and really wanted to become a graphic novel.
However, what did work and what Christopher has done quite well, is create a series of really complex characters, who I wanted to get to know a bit better. My only complaint with characterization is that there is so little development - I wanted to see more of them, learn more about them. Especially Rad.
Certainly worth checking out if you like the mirror universe/alternative universe genre.
lyndiane's review against another edition
5.0
If MC Escher had been an author instead of an artist, his work would have been very similar to Empire State.
For those looking for super-hero action, don't disappoint yourselves. The superheroes in this story are very much part of the background. The story is psychedelic and weird in a truly mind-bending way, and I was not able to read it in one sitting (as is I am wont to do with well-written stories). The author has presented a unique aspect of parallel universes and has introduced potentially confusing duplicate characters with yin yang personalities, and it requires a bit of concentration to keep track of the various individuals. The setting is perpetually gloomy (much like Dark City and Blade Runner) and it was this that gave me an inkling that all was not as it should be. There are no obvious explanations for anything that happens and the reader is kept guessing right to the end.
I will wait a while before I tackle the sequel; my mind needs a bit of time to recover.
For those looking for super-hero action, don't disappoint yourselves. The superheroes in this story are very much part of the background. The story is psychedelic and weird in a truly mind-bending way, and I was not able to read it in one sitting (as is I am wont to do with well-written stories). The author has presented a unique aspect of parallel universes and has introduced potentially confusing duplicate characters with yin yang personalities, and it requires a bit of concentration to keep track of the various individuals. The setting is perpetually gloomy (much like Dark City and Blade Runner) and it was this that gave me an inkling that all was not as it should be. There are no obvious explanations for anything that happens and the reader is kept guessing right to the end.
I will wait a while before I tackle the sequel; my mind needs a bit of time to recover.
yesteres's review against another edition
1.0
I just plain could not get into this, and shouldn't have finished it. I don't feel like this worked on any level at all.
shirezu's review
4.0
From outside this looks like some cross-over of noir and superheroes with flashes of [b:Watchmen|472331|Watchmen|Alan Moore|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1327866860s/472331.jpg|4358649] and [b:Wild Cards|147908|Wild Cards |George R.R. Martin|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1172191781s/147908.jpg|1807663] but when you drill down you find this confusing, tangled sci-fi heart of other dimensions, reflections of the real world and duplicity of the soul.
The book starts as a detective novel set in a 30's/40's blend of Prohibition and World War 2 era Manhattan, known as the Empire State. A woman is missing and it's up to PI Rad Bradley to find out what's going on. The more he digs the more he discovers only find a whole lot more than he bargained for. It's almost as if he walked onto the wrong sound stage and suddenly he's in a different movie. Full of mad scientists, superheroes, an unknown Enemy, bizarre cults and more.
This is a madcap book with so many different genres pushed into it but somehow it holds them all together and doesn't burst. Towards the end it does start getting a bit full with a lot of things crossing over but it all ties up well. The description was great, the characters brilliant. I could see this making a great movie. For a debut novel it's a hell of a good start and I look forward to seeing what Adam Christopher comes out with next.
Definitely recommend this.
The book starts as a detective novel set in a 30's/40's blend of Prohibition and World War 2 era Manhattan, known as the Empire State. A woman is missing and it's up to PI Rad Bradley to find out what's going on. The more he digs the more he discovers only find a whole lot more than he bargained for. It's almost as if he walked onto the wrong sound stage and suddenly he's in a different movie. Full of mad scientists, superheroes, an unknown Enemy, bizarre cults and more.
This is a madcap book with so many different genres pushed into it but somehow it holds them all together and doesn't burst. Towards the end it does start getting a bit full with a lot of things crossing over but it all ties up well. The description was great, the characters brilliant. I could see this making a great movie. For a debut novel it's a hell of a good start and I look forward to seeing what Adam Christopher comes out with next.
Definitely recommend this.