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psyckers's review against another edition
4.0
This is an excellent and well written sci-fi thriller that is easy to read and hard to put down. In this world, most things are now powered by empathic engines ever since the discover of empathy essences powering engines more than 100 years ago. Our Protagonist Charlotte Pudding discovers noises that to her sound like muffled voices in an antique writing desk and what follows becomes a whirlwind of conspiracies, drama, weird people such as Drakeforth, and even a religious cult called Arthurisim.
Its a fun ride and at times quite humorous as Pudding pairs up with Drakeforth try and uncover possibly the biggest mystery in a hundred years.
Its a fun ride and at times quite humorous as Pudding pairs up with Drakeforth try and uncover possibly the biggest mystery in a hundred years.
amywriterrose's review against another edition
3.0
It was gimmicky. And not to the point where it made it charming, at least not for me. Maybe for some. But it left a bitter taste in my mouth. You can read more of my thoughts on it here: https://amy-rosenfeldt.com/by-paul-mannering/
ensslen's review against another edition
4.0
Engines of Empathy is fun, easy, and well paced. It lured me in with easy entertainment then delivered its ideas.
wandering_not_lost's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed this book. It's not exactly what you'd call realistic, and the ending was a bit of a let-down both in the "oh that's how you're going to end it" as well as the "...wow, that felt rushed" categories, but this is one of those books that you don't really feel the need to nitpick too much because it was such a fun ride. The conversation is sharp, the worldbuilding is charming (machines powered by positive feelings, a daffy new religion, and some really fun characters), and the erudite and matter-of-fact craziness of it all never veered into the sort of "well, if you're going to let THAT happen, then what's the point?" that has kept me from enjoying some books of this genre.
The ending was the only disappointment. A bit of special snowflake saves the day. A bit of "oh, I've gotten them into this situation, now how do I get them out of it?". And a bit of pointless depressingness? It just felt rushed, the pacing off and the tension bled away too easily. The ending really lacked an emotional beat, and the climax didn't feel well thought-out or entirely logical, even given the mechanics of the world. But, all that aside, I would definitely recommend this to anyone looking for a lighthearted read.
The ending was the only disappointment. A bit of special snowflake saves the day. A bit of "oh, I've gotten them into this situation, now how do I get them out of it?". And a bit of pointless depressingness? It just felt rushed, the pacing off and the tension bled away too easily. The ending really lacked an emotional beat, and the climax didn't feel well thought-out or entirely logical, even given the mechanics of the world. But, all that aside, I would definitely recommend this to anyone looking for a lighthearted read.
booknooknoggin's review against another edition
4.0
http://geekpronblog.blogspot.com/2015/02/engines-of-empathy-book-review.html
aliciasirvid's review
5.0
Quirky, original, fun, with tones of Pratchett, my favourite book of 2014. If you like your scifi/fantasty with liberal doses of crazy and humour then this book is unmissable.
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