Reviews

The Affinity Bridge by George Mann

mlklein1's review

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2.0

I had some difficulty with this novel - though it should of course be noted that I finished it. I also should say up front that I was so blown away by the very end of the book that it is seriously making me consider reading the next Newbury & Hobbes investigation. Excellent cliff hanger, Mr. Mann!

I don't have enough experience (any) with the steampunk genre to know whether the problems I had were with this book specifically, or the genre as a whole, so I'll be brief.

I felt Mr. Mann had planned a wild ride for us, but then it feels as if it was edited down to the key elements. There are no red herrings, which we come to expect in a mystery, don't we? Everything every character says or encounters has a bearing on the case. Yet at the same time, sometimes Mann goes into drudging detail about tiny day to day things the characters, particularly Newbury, does.

Additionally, I found Newbury to be a bit of a Hollywood cartoon hero. He is set upon relentlessly by our villains, and despite the fact that he frequently is about to succumb to his wounds and the blackness around him, he always manages to muster a little more energy to win the fight or escape. And this is in stark contrast to the tone of the rest of the novel that could easily have been written in the 1800s, save for the new technology peppered throughout.

Perhaps it's a credit to Mr. Mann that he very effectively has written a novel that appears true to the period. Then he adds the steampunk tech, and that’s fine, but then he adds Newbury, right out of a 1980s Hollywood buddy cop film. And the weight of those three elements together was just about too much for me.

awesomejen2's review against another edition

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adventurous slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No

3.0

cara_selene's review

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1.0

I started off enjoying this but in the final quarter of the novel I just spiraled into complete indifference. Newbury's turn from investigator into a balls to the wall combative James Bond/Rambo type was just too sudden. I lost track of how many wounds he had, how many times stitches popped, how many beatings he took... it just got to be too much and I found it hard to believe the man was still standing, let alone still fighting. I found myself skipping pages and pages of action because it was just walls of text describing his prowess. If not for that it was an interesting little mystery (albeit kind of predictable). Veronica was the only character I found myself caring for, all of the other characters fell way too far into stereotypical archetypes. Overall it was entertaining but I won't be going back for more.

tacanderson's review against another edition

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4.0

This was such a fun book to read. I loved it.

erinsanson's review

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3.0

Wasn't bad, wasn't great. Had Boneshaker potential, but didn't quite make it. Loved the plot, but the characters were kind of flat.

rosekk's review against another edition

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4.0

It was a great read. I love the whole steampunk setting. This wasn't the most original take on it, and there were huge Sherlock Holmes overtones, which is why I didn't give it 5 stars. Was still well worth the time, and I got into the characters.

kblincoln's review against another edition

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3.0

So looking for some action-oriented steampunk with lots of delicious descriptions of automata and airships?

This is your book. This is full-fledged, steampunked Victoriana complete with plague-driven Zombies, a fog-shrouded murder, missing automaton, and a hero extremely similar to Sherlock himself.

If that's what you're looking for, you'll be completely satisfied with the setting, its missing automaton mystery, the cool backstory for the Zombies, and the various chases, crashes, and attempted murders.

However, if you're like me, and want a bit more depth to your characters, the very Sherlockian Sir Maurice Newbury and his assistant, Veronica Hobbes won't fill you up.

I think the biggest problem for me, personally, was the very formal, very British-sounding narrative voice that differed very little from Hobbes or Newbury's voice. Because everything was formal, I never felt close to Newbury or Hobbes, although I wanted to like them.

(and then there was all the organising of tea and constant popping of Newbury's stitched wounds and for my personal taste a bit too much use of "whilst" outside of dialogue)

So if you're in the mood for some light, action-oriented Steampunk fun, this is great. If you're in the mood for more character-driven or philosophical Steampunk, then I'd probably look elsewhere.

This Book's Snack Rating: Sour Cream and Onion Lay's Potato Chips for the creamy delight of a fog-shrouded, Steampunk London featuring a very thin crunch of characters.

cjdawn236's review

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3.0

I thought the ending was a little convenient and felt somewhat rushed, but aside from that I enjoyed the book. I really liked the main characters and the overall story. I'm hoping I have time to read more of the series this summer.

silverina_js's review

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adventurous dark emotional funny inspiring mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

blaps_mortisaga's review against another edition

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3.0

I like steampunk. I don't like zombies. Three stars ;)