Author: Gareth L Powell
Series: Ack-Ack Macaque #1
Published: 25 December 2012 by Solaris
Length: 416 pages
Source: publisher
Other info: There
will be a sequel, called Hive Moon. Gareth has written other things.
Summary : In
1944, as waves of German ninjas parachute into Kent, Britain's best hopes for
victory lie with a Spitfire pilot codenamed 'Ack-Ack Macaque'. The trouble is,
Ack-Ack Macaque is a cynical, one-eyed, cigar-chomping monkey, and he's
starting to doubt everything, including his own existence. A century later, in
a world where France and Great Britain merged in the late 1950s and
nuclear-powered Zeppelins encircle the globe, ex-journalist Victoria Valois
finds herself drawn into a deadly game of cat and mouse with the man who
butchered her husband and stole her electronic soul. Meanwhile, in Paris, after
taking part in an illegal break-in at a research laboratory, the heir to the
British throne goes on the run. And all the while, the doomsday clock ticks
towards Armageddon
Review: It’s
2059. France and Britain have merged and are doing quite well, aside from the
fact that King William is in hospital following injury in an explosion,
Victoria Valois has bene called back to London following the brutal murder of
her husband, and soon finds herself caught up in a conspiracy theroy involving
a flight to Mars. Merovech, heir to the British throne, is on the run after
breaking into a research lab with his girlfriend, Julie. And there is a soldier
called Ack-Ack Macaque, whose job it is to fly spitfires and take down German
bombers. He’s also an eye-patch-wearing, cigar-smoking, monkey. All kinds of
fun!
The premise of a non-humanoid (kind of...do monkeys count as
humanoid? Do human count as monkey-oid? I don’t know. Anyway.) main character got
me hooked. Then I started it, and
decided it would be a good read. Probably because in this alternative timeline,
the United Kingdom encompasses France, ireland, and Noraway. What did we get to
get Norway? Norway is cool.Britain is cool. The global pollitics state of
Ack-Ack Macaque is generally cool.
The first chapter includes Paul’s very very brutal murder.
His brain was cut out. as well as this being a gruesome thing to happen to
someone, it also reasises a lot of quesitons, to get Victoria investigating,
and us reading.
I like the idea of Soul catchers, but I also don’t, if you
get my drift. The idea of the technology that can record every facet of your
memories and your personality is interesting, but the idea of actually doing
that is a bit disturbing. Without the soul catcher, we wouldn’t have Paul, or
at least a version of him. With the limited view we get of him (he spends most
of Ack-Ack Macaque as a program in Victoria’s head), I felt I just want to hug
you.
We have a cast of excellent main characters. VIctoria is
amazingly resiliant, considering what she goes through. She’s a fighter, and
takes care of herself, even when she’s really really beaten and cut up, and she
is a really good heroine. Merovech and Julie. Shipping so hard! They are adorable
and work well together, and hugs to them. And then there’s Ack-Ack Macaque. He is now one of my favourite characters. His
cynical outlook and generaly attitude to life is one you won’t forget.
The minor characters are good as well. You get the captain
of an airship, the Commodore (or variant of that name), who you get attached to
in the way that Victoria did. There’s K-8, a clever young girl who works with
Ack-Ack Macaque. And there’s a whole lot more
antagonists that keep the major plot rolling.
It takes a bit of time for everoyne to meet. It’s nice, as
it keeps you wondering how everyhting fits together, and at the smae time, it’s
annoying, because you’re wondering how it a fits together. The three threads
meet fully about halfway trough the book. When they do, you realise how
important what they are doing is, not only on a full scale, but also on a
personal level-everyone’s got reasons to hate Celeste Technologies.
Overall: Strength 5 tea to a book with an excellent
setting and cast. Definitely want the sequel.
Sounds like an excellent read, Nina! I'm adding it to my wishlist! :)
ReplyDelete