The Rise of the Iron Moon / Stephen Hunt

The Rise of the Iron Moon

category: science fiction: steampunk, author:

Stephen Hunt

book 3 of Jackals
original copyright 2009,
read in June 2011

Agamedes' opinion: 6 out of 10

As I started reading I thought, yes, this is quite fun. As I read on I down-graded my assessment. Part of it is the standard problem, of reading first the third book in a series.

But there's more.

Iron Moon introduces a couple of interesting characters. So far, so good. Then we jump to the characters from -- it seems -- previous books. Who -- because the author already knows them -- get just a sketchy introduction. There is a basic dissonance: thorough introductions to characters who turn out to be second-string support, weak introductions to main characters.

Reading just this one book, there is very little to attract me to the main characters.

Okay... All of that is a problem with having missed the first two books in the series. But...

There are three main characters -- and a whole lot of Star Trek ensigns...

Criminal Conversation / Evan Hunter

Criminal Conversation

by

Evan Hunter

published in 1994
read by Agamedes in May 2009
thriller

Wikipedia has this in the “legal thriller novels” category. The “legal” comes -- I guess -- from the theme of DA and police efforts to get evidence against a mafia don. The mafia are treated honestly: as violent, hypocritical thugs, who are sycophantic to anyone with power and who will do anything (nasty) to friend or foe to protect their own self interest. There was plenty of “strong sex” in the middle of the book. Interestingly, it seemed to be written from a female perspective. (Or, written to get a woman excited rather than a man. But still dirty enough for a man:-) The main characters fell in lust: I could see no basis for a long term relationship, despite the professed love and offer of marriage. A good read with a satisfactory -- though not happy! -- ending.

Agamedes' rating: 8 out of 10