A notable review of my book 'The Steampunk Adventures of Harry Lampeter' with thanks to Johan Coetzee
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The Steampunk Adventures of Harry Lampeter
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The Steampunk Adventures of Harry Lampeter
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by
Roger Ley (Goodreads Author)
It was amazing
"Oh behave, baby!" Okay so that line isn't anywhere in the book, but the story had such an Austen Powers vibe that I could not resist. The novel is short, yet it manages to cover a lot of ground. Of necessity it is quite fast paced. I liked the overall flow and rhythm. Every sentence has meaning and every word choice is important. As such, it isn't the kind of book you listen to "while". While doing the dishes is okay but while driving or while cooking might not work. If you've missed a beat because you were focusing on something else, you may get lost.
Okay, so about the story. Harry is a self-important, narcissistic, arse. I like him. I probably wouldn't be friends with him in real life, but I like him as a character. The story is about preventing the Scots from stealing the English war tech and moves on to prevent the invasion of Britain by the US. Saying it like that makes it sound quite shallow, but it really isn't. The author manages to pull all weird plot points together and make the ending very satisfying.
When I see the word "dystopian" I cringe a bit on the inside. I'm so over the horrible future type of novel, where everything is a struggle for survival and no one is happy. Not so here! The novel is set in a dystopian future, but is quirky, upbeat and fun. And the characters are happy. Maybe it plays on our current situation with Covid lockdown, but I really enjoyed something lighter, with a happy ending.
I listened to the version narrated by Craig Bowled and I didn't take to the narrator initially, I thought him very dry. Until I realised that this dry humour is quintessentially British and is, in fact, exactly what is needed. Maybe I've spent too much literary time on the otherside of the Atlantic recently ? Anyway the dry style of the narrator serves as a perfect counterpoint to the rollicking, frolics of the character.
Okay, so about the story. Harry is a self-important, narcissistic, arse. I like him. I probably wouldn't be friends with him in real life, but I like him as a character. The story is about preventing the Scots from stealing the English war tech and moves on to prevent the invasion of Britain by the US. Saying it like that makes it sound quite shallow, but it really isn't. The author manages to pull all weird plot points together and make the ending very satisfying.
When I see the word "dystopian" I cringe a bit on the inside. I'm so over the horrible future type of novel, where everything is a struggle for survival and no one is happy. Not so here! The novel is set in a dystopian future, but is quirky, upbeat and fun. And the characters are happy. Maybe it plays on our current situation with Covid lockdown, but I really enjoyed something lighter, with a happy ending.
I listened to the version narrated by Craig Bowled and I didn't take to the narrator initially, I thought him very dry. Until I realised that this dry humour is quintessentially British and is, in fact, exactly what is needed. Maybe I've spent too much literary time on the otherside of the Atlantic recently ? Anyway the dry style of the narrator serves as a perfect counterpoint to the rollicking, frolics of the character.
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