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a_h_haga's review
3.0
*Thank you to the author that sent me this in exchange for an honest review*
When I got this book I originally thought it was a collection of short stories with steampunk elements. I continued to believe this for quite a while, actually, enjoying seeing some of the characters again.
If that had been the case, this book would have gotten a 4/5 star rating here on Goodreads.
But it wasn't.
After a while I realized that this book actually tells a coherent story.
I would have loved that, had it not been for the way it was told.
As said, in novellas, but with no chronological order, and the story isn't even finished!
If I were to put the stories into order, it would be something like this:
IV
VI
III
V
VII
I
II
X
VIII
IX
Then again, they were fun to read the way they were as well, just as long as you know about the main story unfolding after a while.
That said, this is a fun book to read.
The writing is good - although I think the author might be inspired by Cormac McCarthey, in the way that there aren't many commas in the text. Other than that, it was easy to read.
Also, there is a sense of fun in the writing that I don't often see.
So I will enjoy reading the next book, hopefully a continuing of the story that starts up in this one, and now that I also know that there is a main story, I will probably enjoy it more!
I have written minireviews for each of the short stories, and they follow here:
"Timeshock"
The first story in this short story collection is an interesting one, I have to admit that. I really liked the idea of the ''time machine'', and the different characters using it.
I'm a little sad we didn't get the answer to the big question, though it may have been implied.
Also, it was written as a classic, which was a shock for me, but a welcome detail.
4/5
"Tobias Fitch"
This was unfortunatly a bit slower than the first story. Mostly just Tobias walking around wondering about the job he's on. Not that interesting, and when it finally got interesting, it ended. Feeling we were just left with a lot of questions after this one.
2/5
"High Cliff Tea Rooms"
I really, really enjoyed this story! It has adventure, funny characters and humour all around! A well written and entertaining read
5/5
"A Christmas Carry-On"
This was a retelling of the well-known ''A Christmas Carol'' story, and an interesting one at that. There wasn't really a moral here - or as it said at the end of the story, the moral is to not believe everything you read - but it was a fun twist on the story, and I liked the details.
4/5
"An Aquanaut Misadventure"
Another fun one!
I really did enjoy the aspect of this story, both the sea-rocket, and the whole secres-society-against-the-Americas thing going on. I also think we got to meet one of the characters we've met before, and that was fun!
My only problem is that I would have loved to see how they actually did the thing they did at the end.
4/5
"Lost in the Great White"
The Admiral!
Nothing more needs saying!
Ok, it does, but the Admiral was awesome!
I really am enjoying the humor in these stories, they are a part of steampunk I didn't know I missed, before this.
Unfortunatly this story had some weird writing, taking away from the story.
3/5
"La Grande Course de la Caravane"
We got to meet Ellen again! Also, pirates.
A story with a fun consept, lthought I think it turned a little cliche after a while...
3/5
"In the Shadow of the Moon''
Part 2
No, I haven't read part 1, yet, that comes after part 3.
This novella picks up rather quickly after the first in this book, and instantly after the second, as far as I can tell.
It's a bit slow and info dumpy, though.
3/5
"In the Shadow of the Moon''
Part 3
Still a bit info dumpy, but a lot more happened in this novella. Also, it was a fun one, if nothing else for Ms Tickle the 3!
3/5
"In the Shadow of the Moon"
Part 1
Ok, so I'm both glad and not that this came last in the book. It was interesting, but it would also have been really confusing if I'd not read part 2 and 3 beforehand.
Liked the mix of nostalgia and humour
4/5
When I got this book I originally thought it was a collection of short stories with steampunk elements. I continued to believe this for quite a while, actually, enjoying seeing some of the characters again.
If that had been the case, this book would have gotten a 4/5 star rating here on Goodreads.
But it wasn't.
After a while I realized that this book actually tells a coherent story.
I would have loved that, had it not been for the way it was told.
As said, in novellas, but with no chronological order, and the story isn't even finished!
If I were to put the stories into order, it would be something like this:
IV
VI
III
V
VII
I
II
X
VIII
IX
Then again, they were fun to read the way they were as well, just as long as you know about the main story unfolding after a while.
That said, this is a fun book to read.
The writing is good - although I think the author might be inspired by Cormac McCarthey, in the way that there aren't many commas in the text. Other than that, it was easy to read.
Also, there is a sense of fun in the writing that I don't often see.
So I will enjoy reading the next book, hopefully a continuing of the story that starts up in this one, and now that I also know that there is a main story, I will probably enjoy it more!
I have written minireviews for each of the short stories, and they follow here:
"Timeshock"
The first story in this short story collection is an interesting one, I have to admit that. I really liked the idea of the ''time machine'', and the different characters using it.
I'm a little sad we didn't get the answer to the big question, though it may have been implied.
Also, it was written as a classic, which was a shock for me, but a welcome detail.
4/5
"Tobias Fitch"
This was unfortunatly a bit slower than the first story. Mostly just Tobias walking around wondering about the job he's on. Not that interesting, and when it finally got interesting, it ended. Feeling we were just left with a lot of questions after this one.
2/5
"High Cliff Tea Rooms"
I really, really enjoyed this story! It has adventure, funny characters and humour all around! A well written and entertaining read
5/5
"A Christmas Carry-On"
This was a retelling of the well-known ''A Christmas Carol'' story, and an interesting one at that. There wasn't really a moral here - or as it said at the end of the story, the moral is to not believe everything you read - but it was a fun twist on the story, and I liked the details.
4/5
"An Aquanaut Misadventure"
Another fun one!
I really did enjoy the aspect of this story, both the sea-rocket, and the whole secres-society-against-the-Americas thing going on. I also think we got to meet one of the characters we've met before, and that was fun!
My only problem is that I would have loved to see how they actually did the thing they did at the end.
4/5
"Lost in the Great White"
The Admiral!
Nothing more needs saying!
Ok, it does, but the Admiral was awesome!
I really am enjoying the humor in these stories, they are a part of steampunk I didn't know I missed, before this.
Unfortunatly this story had some weird writing, taking away from the story.
3/5
"La Grande Course de la Caravane"
We got to meet Ellen again! Also, pirates.
A story with a fun consept, lthought I think it turned a little cliche after a while...
3/5
"In the Shadow of the Moon''
Part 2
No, I haven't read part 1, yet, that comes after part 3.
This novella picks up rather quickly after the first in this book, and instantly after the second, as far as I can tell.
It's a bit slow and info dumpy, though.
3/5
"In the Shadow of the Moon''
Part 3
Still a bit info dumpy, but a lot more happened in this novella. Also, it was a fun one, if nothing else for Ms Tickle the 3!
3/5
"In the Shadow of the Moon"
Part 1
Ok, so I'm both glad and not that this came last in the book. It was interesting, but it would also have been really confusing if I'd not read part 2 and 3 beforehand.
Liked the mix of nostalgia and humour
4/5
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