The first in the series introduced us to a world where killing someone means they (almost always) come back to life. So, in this world, how do you actually commit murder?
That’s the question this story gives an answer to. Good mix of whodunnit with some serious risk to the storyteller who might not live to see the end of his own tale.
Narrator continues to not have a super-distinct sound for a couple characters.
So, full disclosure, I am not audiobook people. I am a massive Scalzi fan and I'm pretty fond of Zachary Quinto, so I thought it was worth a try. It's not enough. There are just too many names and too many subplots for me to keep track of just by listening. I'm not sure why audiobooks don't go the direction of podcasts, or even radio plays, and try for more auditory interest? Even Quinto, an expert voice actor, comes off as monotone and some of the voices he uses for different characters are jarring or absurd.
The bones, I think, are decent: Scalzi explores what options the criminal element has to operate with in a world in which murder doesn't work. He brings back his Dispatcher protagonist, his cop sidekick Langdon and the morally grey crime boss from the Dispatcher and that continuity and further story development was nice. Hopefully …
So, full disclosure, I am not audiobook people. I am a massive Scalzi fan and I'm pretty fond of Zachary Quinto, so I thought it was worth a try. It's not enough. There are just too many names and too many subplots for me to keep track of just by listening. I'm not sure why audiobooks don't go the direction of podcasts, or even radio plays, and try for more auditory interest? Even Quinto, an expert voice actor, comes off as monotone and some of the voices he uses for different characters are jarring or absurd.
The bones, I think, are decent: Scalzi explores what options the criminal element has to operate with in a world in which murder doesn't work. He brings back his Dispatcher protagonist, his cop sidekick Langdon and the morally grey crime boss from the Dispatcher and that continuity and further story development was nice. Hopefully I'll get a chance to read this at some point when it stops being an audible exclusive.
First: the narration is excellent. No problem there, five stars for Zachary Quinto.
The story is entertaining but too close to the Dresden Files by [a:Jim Butcher|10746|Jim Butcher|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1400640324p2/10746.jpg] (especially [b:White Night|91475|White Night (The Dresden Files, #9)|Jim Butcher|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1309552288l/91475.SY75.jpg|1254936]). So close, in fact, it made me quite uncomfortable. I'm sure the Chicago consultant, assisting a lady cop, and with an uneasy understanding with the local gentleman crimelord, is just a very general trope. As is having his apartment burn down, and the upstairs neighbors de barely surviving. And the plot. Quite familiar as well. No, it isn't plagiarism. It isn't close enough for that. But it is definitely a very strong resonance. Which may be fine for you, especially if you haven't read the Dresden Files. I really like the idea of the dispatchers and I hope there will be future stories, but I like my stories a little bit …
First: the narration is excellent. No problem there, five stars for Zachary Quinto.
The story is entertaining but too close to the Dresden Files by [a:Jim Butcher|10746|Jim Butcher|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1400640324p2/10746.jpg] (especially [b:White Night|91475|White Night (The Dresden Files, #9)|Jim Butcher|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1309552288l/91475.SY75.jpg|1254936]). So close, in fact, it made me quite uncomfortable. I'm sure the Chicago consultant, assisting a lady cop, and with an uneasy understanding with the local gentleman crimelord, is just a very general trope. As is having his apartment burn down, and the upstairs neighbors de barely surviving. And the plot. Quite familiar as well. No, it isn't plagiarism. It isn't close enough for that. But it is definitely a very strong resonance. Which may be fine for you, especially if you haven't read the Dresden Files. I really like the idea of the dispatchers and I hope there will be future stories, but I like my stories a little bit more original. Glad I didn't buy this book but got it included in audible plus, because I would have returned it.
Don’t get me wrong, this was perfectly fine mystery novel if you like that sort of thing. 4 stars, at least. But it gets knocked a star for introducing a perfectly interesting sci-fi premise but not trying to explain it in ANY way. This is the gun that’s introduced in act 1. :P
I didn’t read the first one and I’m definitely not going to.
