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theirresponsiblereader's review
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
What’s The Penny Black About?
After the…shall we say, extreme conclusion of Morte Point, Ben Bracken has to disappear. Not like he disappeared after he escaped from prison either—this is a whole new level. Not only does he have to hope that the several governments and criminal organizations never learn what he did, but he also has to hope that the 3 other people who know what he did don’t come looking for him.
So he assumes a name and lives in a tiny town called Horning. He gets a job that pays him just enough, he boards with an older couple (some of the nicer people you’ll ever meet). Ben takes the time to recuperate, to soak in the atmosphere, to remember what it is about people—British people, in particular—that made him love his country so much that he is what he is.
As he starts to prepare to leave this town and move on, he stumbles on to a criminal conspiracy in this quiet community. Because that’s what Ben Bracken does. Bears bear. Bees be. Ben finds conspiracies.
Ben feels like he owes people of Horning a debt because of the solace they’ve given him. So he decides to clean up town on his way out.
Things go from quiet and bad to loud and worse before long—and then it gets deafening and horrific.
So, what did I think about The Penny Black?
It wasn’t bad. It wasn’t my favorite, but there were some really good moments. The fight scenes were well done, as I’ve come to expect, and I really liked the self-reflection Ben undertakes and the steps he takes to move on with his life.
I honestly don’t have a lot to say—and I feel bad about that. It was alright. I think it’ll end up being a pivotal moment in the series, and I’m eager to see where things go from here, but I just can’t get that excited about this one.
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