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Newbury and Hobbes #3
The Immorality Engine
On the surface, life is going well for Victorian special agent Sir Maurice Newbury, who has brilliantly solved several nigh-impossible cases for Queen Victoria with his indomitable assistant, Miss Veronica Hobbes, by his side. But these facts haven’t stopped Newbury from succumbing increasingly frequently to his dire flirtation with the lure of opium. His addiction is fueled in part by his ill-gotten knowledge of Veronica’s secret relationship with the queen, which Newbury fears must be some kind of betrayal. Veronica, consumed by worry and care for her prophetic but physically fragile sister Amelia, has no idea that she is a catalyst for Newbury’s steadily worsening condition.
Veronica and Newbury’s dear friend Bainbridge, the Chief Investigator at Scotland Yard, tries to cover for him as much as possible, but when the body of a well known criminal turns up, Bainbridge and Veronica track Newbury down in an opium den and drag him out to help them with the case. The body is clearly, irrefutably, that of the man in question, but shortly after his body is brought to the morgue, a crime is discovered that bears all the dead man’s hallmarks. Bainbridge and Veronica fear someone is committing copycat crimes, but Newbury is not sure. Somehow, the details are too perfect for it to be the work of a copycat. But how can a dead man commit a crime?
Veronica and Newbury’s dear friend Bainbridge, the Chief Investigator at Scotland Yard, tries to cover for him as much as possible, but when the body of a well known criminal turns up, Bainbridge and Veronica track Newbury down in an opium den and drag him out to help them with the case. The body is clearly, irrefutably, that of the man in question, but shortly after his body is brought to the morgue, a crime is discovered that bears all the dead man’s hallmarks. Bainbridge and Veronica fear someone is committing copycat crimes, but Newbury is not sure. Somehow, the details are too perfect for it to be the work of a copycat. But how can a dead man commit a crime?
355 pages, Paperback
First published September 27, 2010
31 people are currently reading
1571 people want to read
About the author
George Mann
336 books669 followersGeorge Mann is an author and editor, primarily in genre fiction. He was born in Darlington, County Durham in 1978.
A former editor of Outland, Mann is the author of The Human Abstract, and more recently The Affinity Bridge and The Osiris Ritual in his Newbury and Hobbes detective series, set in an alternate Britain, and Ghosts of Manhattan, set in the same universe some decades later.
He wrote the Time Hunter novella "The Severed Man", and co-wrote the series finale, Child of Time.
He has also written numerous short stories, plus Doctor Who and Sherlock Holmes audiobooks for Big Finish Productions. He has edited a number of anthologies including The Solaris Book of New Science Fiction, The Solaris Book of New Fantasy and a retrospective collection of Sexton Blake stories, Sexton Blake, Detective, with an introduction by Michael Moorcock.
A former editor of Outland, Mann is the author of The Human Abstract, and more recently The Affinity Bridge and The Osiris Ritual in his Newbury and Hobbes detective series, set in an alternate Britain, and Ghosts of Manhattan, set in the same universe some decades later.
He wrote the Time Hunter novella "The Severed Man", and co-wrote the series finale, Child of Time.
He has also written numerous short stories, plus Doctor Who and Sherlock Holmes audiobooks for Big Finish Productions. He has edited a number of anthologies including The Solaris Book of New Science Fiction, The Solaris Book of New Fantasy and a retrospective collection of Sexton Blake stories, Sexton Blake, Detective, with an introduction by Michael Moorcock.
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March 1, 2019355 - "Christmas Spirits" (A Maurice Newbury Story)
December 30, 2017
4.5 stars. Another rollicking steampunk romp in an alternative Victorian Britain. George Mann is truly the Steampunk Master. It’s been a long time since I read the first two in this series and in the interim have read many other steampunk stories, but Mann is still the best! I love his portrayal of Queen Victoria as a poisonous, almost undead scheming monstrosity, kept alive by machines.
July 17, 2019
I have been waiting for this series to really hit it's stride and I think we just got there.
The world building is very similar to the others but it had a few extra things that made it a bit more vivid this time.
The characters are really developing well too. Newbury goes through a lot in this one but it makes his character so much better in the long run. Miss Hobbes though is really becoming who I had hoped she would. Not quite there yet but well on her way.
The plot was brilliant and had a few threads that really tied together well. It also had a lot of action which was great ( one scene with Veronica best the end was fantastic).
Easily the best of the series and I'm glad I persevered with it.
Still more Bond than Holmes which is really an excellent combination.
Highly recommended.
The world building is very similar to the others but it had a few extra things that made it a bit more vivid this time.
The characters are really developing well too. Newbury goes through a lot in this one but it makes his character so much better in the long run. Miss Hobbes though is really becoming who I had hoped she would. Not quite there yet but well on her way.
The plot was brilliant and had a few threads that really tied together well. It also had a lot of action which was great ( one scene with Veronica best the end was fantastic).
Easily the best of the series and I'm glad I persevered with it.
Still more Bond than Holmes which is really an excellent combination.
Highly recommended.
April 22, 2012
You know what's particularly annoying about most alternate Britains, especially steampunk ones? It's the fact that the author seems far too often to think that all that's required is to stick a Zeppelin or two in the sky and allude to brass instruments a lot and that means he's done his job. The flip-side of this overly lazy approach is no better either: the type of book which doesn't really have a story as such, just a series of carefully constructed non-electronic machines, described in lovingly autistic detail, with a plot of sorts hazily sketched in between clockwork robots and steam powered spaceships, like an inconvenient addendum.
So, the fact that George Mann's alternate England is one where the machinery complements rather than swamps the story puts him ahead of the game from page one. This world is one where steam-driven machinery is everywhere, but only mentioned when the exploits of Sir Maurice Newbury and Miss Veronica Hobbes require it. The same goes for the Revenant (for which, basically, read 'zombie') plague which lay at the core of the first N&H book. There are still revenants wandering about London, but they remain in the background, because they're not needed in this book. Miss Hobbes may mention a zeppelin on the horizon in passing, but she feels no need to delineate the exact mix of hydrogen to helium required to make it float, or to give us a potted alternate history of flying machines. Like the maps at the beginning of epic fantasy novels, such concerns have their place, but are only of fleeting interest - they might provide what marketeers refer to as Added Value, but they're not the reason for purchase.
As a result, Mann's London feels like a real place, with a real (if different) history and a cast of real (if different) people, who step forward and back into and out of the narrative when the situation requires and not simply to show how clever the author can be,
Queen Victoria in this world, for example, has existed since the first novel as a malevolent spider at the centre of a web of tubes and coils, piping and pumps, all designed to artificially extend her life. In The Immorality Engine she achieves centre stage while rarely actually appearing as it becomes crystal clear that everything which has happened to date is a consequence of her altogether selfish machinations. Newbury and Hobbes, meanwhile, continue their will-they, won't-they dance round one another and Charles Bainbridge (in many ways my favourite character in the series) continues to struggle between what he'd like to be true and what evidently and actually is.
On which subject, this book successfully addresses one minor failing (if you can call it that) of the earlier books. There's far more emotional depth to the characters here than before. There was always a sneaking suspicion in the two earlier novels that Newbury and Hobbes' mutual attraction was more a matter of authorial fiat than growing naturally from two characters in real sympathy with one another, but here Mann treats the relationship (and that between the two and Bainbridge) with a wonderfully deft touch. That Newbury's opium addiction, initially obviously reminiscent of Holmes' cocaine habit, is overcome under Miss Hobbes' ministrations is refreshing in itself, as it sets Newbury apart from that too famous detective. Better still, however, towards the end of the book it seems possible that Newbury will have to re-addict himself for the good of Miss Hobbes and her ailing sister. Layers pile upon layers in a relationship which could easily have appeared artificial until it's clear that Mann intended this slow growth in affection all along.
Don't be fooled however; this is not a novel of romance only. Mann is one of the best writers of action sequences in any genre, and he never fails to impress here, with several set pieces which glory in quick shifts of perspective, sudden bursts of activity and sundry feats of derring-do. Bainbridge under attack from rockets and ruffians; robotic horses at the charge; and more than one mechanical spider armed with razor sharp blades - Mann treats the reader to all this and more with apparently effortless skill.
Like Paul Magrs' Brenda and Effie series or George MacDonald Fraser's Flashman, this is a book which can be read as a standalone or, more profitably, as one in a series of increasingly impressive volumes. If you haven't tried any Newbury and Hobbes yet, this is the perfect time to jump on, while the series is still young.
Trust me, this is a series that could run and run...
So, the fact that George Mann's alternate England is one where the machinery complements rather than swamps the story puts him ahead of the game from page one. This world is one where steam-driven machinery is everywhere, but only mentioned when the exploits of Sir Maurice Newbury and Miss Veronica Hobbes require it. The same goes for the Revenant (for which, basically, read 'zombie') plague which lay at the core of the first N&H book. There are still revenants wandering about London, but they remain in the background, because they're not needed in this book. Miss Hobbes may mention a zeppelin on the horizon in passing, but she feels no need to delineate the exact mix of hydrogen to helium required to make it float, or to give us a potted alternate history of flying machines. Like the maps at the beginning of epic fantasy novels, such concerns have their place, but are only of fleeting interest - they might provide what marketeers refer to as Added Value, but they're not the reason for purchase.
As a result, Mann's London feels like a real place, with a real (if different) history and a cast of real (if different) people, who step forward and back into and out of the narrative when the situation requires and not simply to show how clever the author can be,
Queen Victoria in this world, for example, has existed since the first novel as a malevolent spider at the centre of a web of tubes and coils, piping and pumps, all designed to artificially extend her life. In The Immorality Engine she achieves centre stage while rarely actually appearing as it becomes crystal clear that everything which has happened to date is a consequence of her altogether selfish machinations. Newbury and Hobbes, meanwhile, continue their will-they, won't-they dance round one another and Charles Bainbridge (in many ways my favourite character in the series) continues to struggle between what he'd like to be true and what evidently and actually is.
On which subject, this book successfully addresses one minor failing (if you can call it that) of the earlier books. There's far more emotional depth to the characters here than before. There was always a sneaking suspicion in the two earlier novels that Newbury and Hobbes' mutual attraction was more a matter of authorial fiat than growing naturally from two characters in real sympathy with one another, but here Mann treats the relationship (and that between the two and Bainbridge) with a wonderfully deft touch. That Newbury's opium addiction, initially obviously reminiscent of Holmes' cocaine habit, is overcome under Miss Hobbes' ministrations is refreshing in itself, as it sets Newbury apart from that too famous detective. Better still, however, towards the end of the book it seems possible that Newbury will have to re-addict himself for the good of Miss Hobbes and her ailing sister. Layers pile upon layers in a relationship which could easily have appeared artificial until it's clear that Mann intended this slow growth in affection all along.
Don't be fooled however; this is not a novel of romance only. Mann is one of the best writers of action sequences in any genre, and he never fails to impress here, with several set pieces which glory in quick shifts of perspective, sudden bursts of activity and sundry feats of derring-do. Bainbridge under attack from rockets and ruffians; robotic horses at the charge; and more than one mechanical spider armed with razor sharp blades - Mann treats the reader to all this and more with apparently effortless skill.
Like Paul Magrs' Brenda and Effie series or George MacDonald Fraser's Flashman, this is a book which can be read as a standalone or, more profitably, as one in a series of increasingly impressive volumes. If you haven't tried any Newbury and Hobbes yet, this is the perfect time to jump on, while the series is still young.
Trust me, this is a series that could run and run...
August 10, 2014
Following on from his first two hugely enjoyable Newbury & Hobbes Investigations (The Affinity Bridge and The Osiris Ritual), George Mann brings us the latest offering in his steampunk-flavoured series; The Immorality Engine.
Once again focusing on the exploits of occult expert, and agent to the crown, Maurice Newbury alongside his assistant, Miss Veronica Hobbes, we find Sir Maurice at a new low. He is despondent and introverted, hiding away in a seedy opium den, slave to his desire for the drug. He has been consumed by addiction, his duties as Her Majesty's agent as much neglected as his own welfare. However, all is not lost: enter Miss Hobbes and Sir Charles Bainbridge, Chief Inspector of Scotland Yard and best friend to Newbury. The pair have come to rescue Newbury from his self-destructive anaesthesia and give him purpose once more. Thus, they bait him with the prospect of a tantalising new case: a series of robberies are being committed. Ordinary in of itself, were it not the fact that the perpetrator continues to ply his trade after his own death, his corpse residing in the police mortuary.
With this intriguing basis for a story in place, Mann goes on to lead us through a tale of mad doctors, crazed cults, sickly prophets and clandestine societies, all of which is injected with his usual, boundless energy. Action sequences crackle with electricity, visceral scenes burn with bloody horror, characters radiate with a sense of truth and the pace steams through every chapter with a focused vision of what shape the story will eventually take.
The cast are also granted more room for development than in previous instalments, much to their credit, and the relationship between Newbury and Miss Hobbes is afforded some much deserved exploration, which helps to shed more light and their thoughts and feelings, and on the kind people they truly are.
The villains are also tremendously enjoyable and it feels as though Mann had as much fun writing them as he did from writing his heroes and heroines. Their motivations add depth and colour to the world in which they exist, broadening the story's scope. It also aids in revealing the true nature and motives of one of the key players in Mann's universe.
I really can't recommend this book enough. I enjoyed every page as it whisked me through the story at break-neck speed as I found myself hungry for the next revelation the story would bring. There is an all-encompassing sense of advancement, of progress, that pushes the characters further and enriches them with new-found depth. You find yourself constantly fascinated and wishing for more.
George Mann has managed to create a work that he should be immensely proud of. It bursts with an enthusiasm that can not fail to pull you in and hold you in its thrall. He is unquestionably one of the most prominent and talented writers in the steampunk genre and I greatly anticipate more from this extraordinarily talented writer.
Once again focusing on the exploits of occult expert, and agent to the crown, Maurice Newbury alongside his assistant, Miss Veronica Hobbes, we find Sir Maurice at a new low. He is despondent and introverted, hiding away in a seedy opium den, slave to his desire for the drug. He has been consumed by addiction, his duties as Her Majesty's agent as much neglected as his own welfare. However, all is not lost: enter Miss Hobbes and Sir Charles Bainbridge, Chief Inspector of Scotland Yard and best friend to Newbury. The pair have come to rescue Newbury from his self-destructive anaesthesia and give him purpose once more. Thus, they bait him with the prospect of a tantalising new case: a series of robberies are being committed. Ordinary in of itself, were it not the fact that the perpetrator continues to ply his trade after his own death, his corpse residing in the police mortuary.
With this intriguing basis for a story in place, Mann goes on to lead us through a tale of mad doctors, crazed cults, sickly prophets and clandestine societies, all of which is injected with his usual, boundless energy. Action sequences crackle with electricity, visceral scenes burn with bloody horror, characters radiate with a sense of truth and the pace steams through every chapter with a focused vision of what shape the story will eventually take.
The cast are also granted more room for development than in previous instalments, much to their credit, and the relationship between Newbury and Miss Hobbes is afforded some much deserved exploration, which helps to shed more light and their thoughts and feelings, and on the kind people they truly are.
The villains are also tremendously enjoyable and it feels as though Mann had as much fun writing them as he did from writing his heroes and heroines. Their motivations add depth and colour to the world in which they exist, broadening the story's scope. It also aids in revealing the true nature and motives of one of the key players in Mann's universe.
I really can't recommend this book enough. I enjoyed every page as it whisked me through the story at break-neck speed as I found myself hungry for the next revelation the story would bring. There is an all-encompassing sense of advancement, of progress, that pushes the characters further and enriches them with new-found depth. You find yourself constantly fascinated and wishing for more.
George Mann has managed to create a work that he should be immensely proud of. It bursts with an enthusiasm that can not fail to pull you in and hold you in its thrall. He is unquestionably one of the most prominent and talented writers in the steampunk genre and I greatly anticipate more from this extraordinarily talented writer.
March 14, 2020
The first book in this series was good but seemed to be missing something...like it didn't quite all come together. The second was one step better and a fine read. Now, with this third novel, the series is firing on all cylinders. Bring on number four!
March 2, 2012
Newbury & Hobbes are into another mystery in this popular Steampunk series from George Mann. This is the third book in the “A Newbury & Hobbes Investigation” series with the other two books being “The Affinity Bridge” and “The Osiris Ritual” BOTH RECOMMENDED
In this book we run into Newbury & Hobbes’s favourite crook Edwin Sykes. Edwin is so smart that even though Newbury believes he is a master criminal he has never been able to prove it. Now Sykes has pulled off the impossible in that while his body was lying in the morgue he has committed another jewellery theft. All that was found on Sykes body was a card for Packworth House where the Bastion Society meets. All the signs point to Sykes having done the theft, however he was dead at the time ??
Just a minor problem to Newbury who, with his capable assistant Miss Veronica Hobbes, is on the case.
Miss Hobbes sister Amelia is under the care of Doctor Fabian, at the Grayling Institute, who is developing some type of machine for the queen.
When a second Edwin Sykes is found murdered at the site of a jewellery heist Newbury is thrown for a loop until he finds that the first Sykes body is in fact a copy of the original. Where would Sykes get the money or expertise to copy himself, and to what end ?
In the meantime Inspector Bainbridge of Scotland Yard has been helping them on the case until he is called away to meet with the Queen after an unsuccessful assassination attempt on her life. This then becomes Inspector Bainbridge’s top priority. This leaves Newbury & Hobbes to determine how two Edwin Sykes came to be.
After following some leads to the Bastion Society of which at one time Doctor Fabian was a member of they determine they must get inside to determine what is really going on there.. In an attempt to find out what is happening at Grayling Institute and check in on Amelia, who can see the future, Newbury and Hobbes arrange a meeting.
Newbury ,directly with Doctor Fabian, and Miss Hobbes to sneak into the institute, to talk to her sister Amelia. When Miss Hobbes does sneak in she gets turned around and opens the door to a room that has 20 copies of her sister. All are in a stupor and mumbling about future events. What is Doctor Fabian doing with these copies ? What is his master plan ? And what can Newbury and Hobbes do to stop it .
At the same time Inspector Bainbridge is attacked after leaving the Palace however is able to fend off his assailants.
In the meantime Newbury and Hobbes are sure that there are answers at Packworth House and specifically from the Bastion Society. After breaking in they find over 100 dead bodies in a room upstairs in Packworth House and some of the bodies they recognize as copies of members of the Bastion Society.
They are completely at a loss as to what this all means and are soon captured and locked into a dungeon in the basement. Newbury has since found out from the head of the Bastion Society that in fact the society is making plans to eliminate the Queen as it goes against their ideology for her to still be alive being assisted through mechanical means.
Newbury and Hobbes do escape and find out what the Societies true plans are and do their best to rescue Amelia and deal with the Bastion society and Doctor Fabian.
Mann fills his world with as many Steampunk attributes as he can including the Queen hooked up to an artificial life support system and steam powered everything.
Another great story from a master
In this book we run into Newbury & Hobbes’s favourite crook Edwin Sykes. Edwin is so smart that even though Newbury believes he is a master criminal he has never been able to prove it. Now Sykes has pulled off the impossible in that while his body was lying in the morgue he has committed another jewellery theft. All that was found on Sykes body was a card for Packworth House where the Bastion Society meets. All the signs point to Sykes having done the theft, however he was dead at the time ??
Just a minor problem to Newbury who, with his capable assistant Miss Veronica Hobbes, is on the case.
Miss Hobbes sister Amelia is under the care of Doctor Fabian, at the Grayling Institute, who is developing some type of machine for the queen.
When a second Edwin Sykes is found murdered at the site of a jewellery heist Newbury is thrown for a loop until he finds that the first Sykes body is in fact a copy of the original. Where would Sykes get the money or expertise to copy himself, and to what end ?
In the meantime Inspector Bainbridge of Scotland Yard has been helping them on the case until he is called away to meet with the Queen after an unsuccessful assassination attempt on her life. This then becomes Inspector Bainbridge’s top priority. This leaves Newbury & Hobbes to determine how two Edwin Sykes came to be.
After following some leads to the Bastion Society of which at one time Doctor Fabian was a member of they determine they must get inside to determine what is really going on there.. In an attempt to find out what is happening at Grayling Institute and check in on Amelia, who can see the future, Newbury and Hobbes arrange a meeting.
Newbury ,directly with Doctor Fabian, and Miss Hobbes to sneak into the institute, to talk to her sister Amelia. When Miss Hobbes does sneak in she gets turned around and opens the door to a room that has 20 copies of her sister. All are in a stupor and mumbling about future events. What is Doctor Fabian doing with these copies ? What is his master plan ? And what can Newbury and Hobbes do to stop it .
At the same time Inspector Bainbridge is attacked after leaving the Palace however is able to fend off his assailants.
In the meantime Newbury and Hobbes are sure that there are answers at Packworth House and specifically from the Bastion Society. After breaking in they find over 100 dead bodies in a room upstairs in Packworth House and some of the bodies they recognize as copies of members of the Bastion Society.
They are completely at a loss as to what this all means and are soon captured and locked into a dungeon in the basement. Newbury has since found out from the head of the Bastion Society that in fact the society is making plans to eliminate the Queen as it goes against their ideology for her to still be alive being assisted through mechanical means.
Newbury and Hobbes do escape and find out what the Societies true plans are and do their best to rescue Amelia and deal with the Bastion society and Doctor Fabian.
Mann fills his world with as many Steampunk attributes as he can including the Queen hooked up to an artificial life support system and steam powered everything.
Another great story from a master
November 24, 2018
Book three of this Steampunk series that currently runs to 5 books. Newbury and Hobbes investigate an apparent plot to take down the queen, but there are several things amiss and all is not as it at first appears. When some identical bodies show up it's clear someone has been using advanced medical science or the supernatural means to duplicate human beings. Some clues point to the mysterious gentleman's club known as the Bastion Society.
Even though I enjoyed this book I had a few issues with it. Part of the ending was fairly obvious and I figured it out half way through. One or two of the twists were also easy to guess, except right at the end where there appears to have been a ploy within a ploy. How that turns out I will have to see in the next 2 books.
Even though I enjoyed this book I had a few issues with it. Part of the ending was fairly obvious and I figured it out half way through. One or two of the twists were also easy to guess, except right at the end where there appears to have been a ploy within a ploy. How that turns out I will have to see in the next 2 books.
July 24, 2011
The satisfying end of the first Newbury and Hobbes trilogy. Beside all the action, twists and turns I have been impressed by the splendid character development.
The end is superb because it delivers a formidable end of the series and offers more than promising hints what the reader can expect in future.
The end is superb because it delivers a formidable end of the series and offers more than promising hints what the reader can expect in future.
June 26, 2015
I think this series is growing on me. The first book I was solidly meh about, although the ending made me more intrigued and willing to go into the second book. The second book I still didn't love, but was more to my taste. Now, by the third book, I think Mann is getting better as he goes. This is now a solid series that I am more than willing to go further in. (Presuming there are more, I guess.)
Note: The rest of this review has been withdrawn due to the changes in Goodreads policy and enforcement. You can read why I came to this decision here.
In the meantime, you can read the entire review at Smorgasbook
Note: The rest of this review has been withdrawn due to the changes in Goodreads policy and enforcement. You can read why I came to this decision here.
In the meantime, you can read the entire review at Smorgasbook
August 11, 2017
A good third entry in the series. I am starting to really hate Queen Victoria, though. I feel like we are also finally starting to see whatever this series is leading up to and I'm glad that not all is as it initially seemed with Amelia. I'm not sure whether I'm a fan of a Veronica/Maurice romance, but I was definitely not a fan of Maurice being an opium addict so I guess we'll have to see how it plays out. Definitely looking forward to the next one!
July 21, 2017
A whole 'nother level
The best of the series so far. Either I am more invested now or the plot has thickened enough. Still a few hasty resolutions here and there, but overall much better.
The best of the series so far. Either I am more invested now or the plot has thickened enough. Still a few hasty resolutions here and there, but overall much better.
July 7, 2017
Fun and quick read, I love this alternate Victorian England Mann has created. It's the perfect blend of reality and steampunk. I think this one might be my favorite in the series so far!
August 15, 2023
Yet another fun chapter in the Newbury & Hobbes adventures. Filled with more bizarre gadgets and plot twists, Mann leaves you always wanting more and anxious for the next installment
July 23, 2014
The third Newbury and Hobbes adventure starts dramatically with a funeral of a favorite character and then goes back some time to its real start several months after the end of the Osiris Ritual to recount the events that led to said funeral.
The Immorality Engine has the same structure as the first two books - seemingly unrelated mysteries, this time the murder of a high-class jewel thief and an assassination attempt on Queen Victoria - which bring Maurice Newbury out from his opium descent after the events and especially the denouement of the Osiris Ritual which made him question everything about his life, job...
His stout friend Inspector Bainbridge and Newbury's assistant Veronica Hobbes - who intuits that she is at least partly the reason for his descent into full addiction, though unlike us, she does not know exactly why, but things are trickier as we learn during the novel - try desperately to "bring him back" and finally the case of the jewel-thief and later the deeper mysteries involved do so.
The usual combination of great character interaction, inventiveness and a combination of villains that tops everything to-date plus a lot of moral ambiguities make the Immorality Engine a great culmination of the series to date ending its first arc on a superb note.
And of course the twist ending - though to be honest I saw that a while back, but still it made for a great last chapter - promises a lot to come and makes the next book an even bigger asap.
I will add the full FBC review closer to the publication date (June UK, Sept US) while for now I urge you to read the first two books for an excellent series that combines the best of Sherlockian mysteries, Bond secret agent stuff and steampunk.
FBC rv below:
INTRODUCTION: “The Affinity Bridge” was a personal favorite of mine in 2008 and the next series installment "The Osiris Ritual" was a top 20 novel for 2009. In consequence I have been pestering Mr. Mann for a review copy of The Immorality Engine for a long time and I was absolutely delighted when I got a pdf sometime in the spring. While I read the book on receiving it, the May-July hiatus from FBC due to my household move prevented my reviewing it for its UK publication in June; in addition, as a third series novel after reviewing the first two, The Immorality Engine was one of the harder reviews to do as I wanted to balance meaningful information with avoidance of both spoilers and repetition of what I have said earlier, so it took a while longer than I wished.
OVERVIEW/ANALYSIS: The Immorality Engine is the third Newbury and Hobbes adventure and the action takes place some months from the end of The Osiris Ritual. In somewhat of a gamble, the author does not start the novel chronologically, but dramatically with a funeral of a favorite character and then goes back in time to recount the events that have led to said funeral.
While on first read I was a little bit surprised by this narrative choice which seemed to unbalance the feel as the book starts emotional and then flatlines somewhat for a while and then accelerates to the dramatic climax, in the end I thought the change was effective in mixing things around and avoiding the same dynamic from the first two books.
As storyline goes, The Immorality Engine has the same structure as the previous installments - seemingly unrelated mysteries, this time the murder of a high-class jewel thief and an assassination attempt on Queen Victoria - which bring Maurice Newbury out from his opium descent after the events and especially the denouement of The Osiris Ritual which made him question everything about his life and job.
His steadfast friend Inspector Bainbridge and Newbury's assistant Veronica Hobbes - who intuits that she is at least partly the reason for his descent into full addiction, though unlike us, she does not know exactly why, though things are even trickier than we know - try desperately to "bring him back" and finally the case of the jewel-thief and later the deeper mysteries involved do so.
The Immorality Engine flows well and you cannot stop turning the pages until the final resolution, while the combination of great character interaction and inventiveness that has characterized the series to date is present in full. Adding to this, The Immorality Engine features several villains that top everything up to now, while the earlier moral ambiguities get even more pronounced here. The story-lines of the three volumes come full circle in some ways here and bring a sense of closure to the first half of the series, while promising much for the next planned three volumes, though the way the characters have grown on me I would be happy to read six more at the least.
Overall, The Immorality Engine (A+) is a great culmination of the series so far ending its first arc on a superb note and I strongly recommend everyone that loves sff adventure with a steampunk/mystery/thriller tinge to give it a try!
The Immorality Engine has the same structure as the first two books - seemingly unrelated mysteries, this time the murder of a high-class jewel thief and an assassination attempt on Queen Victoria - which bring Maurice Newbury out from his opium descent after the events and especially the denouement of the Osiris Ritual which made him question everything about his life, job...
His stout friend Inspector Bainbridge and Newbury's assistant Veronica Hobbes - who intuits that she is at least partly the reason for his descent into full addiction, though unlike us, she does not know exactly why, but things are trickier as we learn during the novel - try desperately to "bring him back" and finally the case of the jewel-thief and later the deeper mysteries involved do so.
The usual combination of great character interaction, inventiveness and a combination of villains that tops everything to-date plus a lot of moral ambiguities make the Immorality Engine a great culmination of the series to date ending its first arc on a superb note.
And of course the twist ending - though to be honest I saw that a while back, but still it made for a great last chapter - promises a lot to come and makes the next book an even bigger asap.
I will add the full FBC review closer to the publication date (June UK, Sept US) while for now I urge you to read the first two books for an excellent series that combines the best of Sherlockian mysteries, Bond secret agent stuff and steampunk.
FBC rv below:
INTRODUCTION: “The Affinity Bridge” was a personal favorite of mine in 2008 and the next series installment "The Osiris Ritual" was a top 20 novel for 2009. In consequence I have been pestering Mr. Mann for a review copy of The Immorality Engine for a long time and I was absolutely delighted when I got a pdf sometime in the spring. While I read the book on receiving it, the May-July hiatus from FBC due to my household move prevented my reviewing it for its UK publication in June; in addition, as a third series novel after reviewing the first two, The Immorality Engine was one of the harder reviews to do as I wanted to balance meaningful information with avoidance of both spoilers and repetition of what I have said earlier, so it took a while longer than I wished.
OVERVIEW/ANALYSIS: The Immorality Engine is the third Newbury and Hobbes adventure and the action takes place some months from the end of The Osiris Ritual. In somewhat of a gamble, the author does not start the novel chronologically, but dramatically with a funeral of a favorite character and then goes back in time to recount the events that have led to said funeral.
While on first read I was a little bit surprised by this narrative choice which seemed to unbalance the feel as the book starts emotional and then flatlines somewhat for a while and then accelerates to the dramatic climax, in the end I thought the change was effective in mixing things around and avoiding the same dynamic from the first two books.
As storyline goes, The Immorality Engine has the same structure as the previous installments - seemingly unrelated mysteries, this time the murder of a high-class jewel thief and an assassination attempt on Queen Victoria - which bring Maurice Newbury out from his opium descent after the events and especially the denouement of The Osiris Ritual which made him question everything about his life and job.
His steadfast friend Inspector Bainbridge and Newbury's assistant Veronica Hobbes - who intuits that she is at least partly the reason for his descent into full addiction, though unlike us, she does not know exactly why, though things are even trickier than we know - try desperately to "bring him back" and finally the case of the jewel-thief and later the deeper mysteries involved do so.
The Immorality Engine flows well and you cannot stop turning the pages until the final resolution, while the combination of great character interaction and inventiveness that has characterized the series to date is present in full. Adding to this, The Immorality Engine features several villains that top everything up to now, while the earlier moral ambiguities get even more pronounced here. The story-lines of the three volumes come full circle in some ways here and bring a sense of closure to the first half of the series, while promising much for the next planned three volumes, though the way the characters have grown on me I would be happy to read six more at the least.
Overall, The Immorality Engine (A+) is a great culmination of the series so far ending its first arc on a superb note and I strongly recommend everyone that loves sff adventure with a steampunk/mystery/thriller tinge to give it a try!
August 29, 2023
Loving this series. 😍
September 9, 2016
All too often the Steampunk genre is judged by its bare basics. Add in an airship, monocle and some contemporary items with gears, and to some people you’re set to go. However, the charm of the genre comes from other aspects – Archaic societal norms given futuristic technology, the Empire at a height it never truly knew, and concepts from other genres put into a new light. This is what the Newbury and Hobbes series has always excelled at, and this new outing offers to show that much more of the world.
Having resolved a multitude of seemingly impossible cases, Newbury’s star is on the rise. Held in high esteem and venerated by the public, life has never been better, but his increasing reliance upon opium is taking its toll. As such, his new case could not have come at a worse time. A criminal is performing high risk crimes with astounding success, despite having been confirmed dead for weeks. The police even have his body in the morgue, and it is down to Newbury and Hobbes to solve this mysterious riddle.
This time the steam-driven future-tech is kept largely in the background. Instead, it focuses initially upon the political and societal elements of the world, furthering the series’ world building efforts. While the steampunk elements help drive the story forwards, the focus is more upon the mystery and characters themselves. It’s used as a catalyst, to help enhance the other elements of the tale rather than overwhelm them, and this sparing approach to the story allows Mann to craft a far more immersive world. When the more occult elements come into play, the mix of body-horror and insanity gives the tale a sense of boundless energy; and there is far more thought put into how these secret societies operate than you would expect.
What sadly holds this book back more than anything else is some surprising contradictions with real-world history. While a few odd dates or even strangely paced figures would be fine, you end up with everything from misjudging when the Empire was at the height of its power to certain social norms. This makes it difficult to read even with the benefit of suspension of disbelief, and paired up with some surprisingly clichéd turns for the series, it proves to be a much weaker outing than the first two books.
The series is most definitely worth exploring for its futuristic Victorian setting and steampunk elements, and The Immorality Engine does benefit from some fascinating ideas. However, it’s definitely one best saved until after you read The Affinity Bridge or a few of the better outings.
Having resolved a multitude of seemingly impossible cases, Newbury’s star is on the rise. Held in high esteem and venerated by the public, life has never been better, but his increasing reliance upon opium is taking its toll. As such, his new case could not have come at a worse time. A criminal is performing high risk crimes with astounding success, despite having been confirmed dead for weeks. The police even have his body in the morgue, and it is down to Newbury and Hobbes to solve this mysterious riddle.
This time the steam-driven future-tech is kept largely in the background. Instead, it focuses initially upon the political and societal elements of the world, furthering the series’ world building efforts. While the steampunk elements help drive the story forwards, the focus is more upon the mystery and characters themselves. It’s used as a catalyst, to help enhance the other elements of the tale rather than overwhelm them, and this sparing approach to the story allows Mann to craft a far more immersive world. When the more occult elements come into play, the mix of body-horror and insanity gives the tale a sense of boundless energy; and there is far more thought put into how these secret societies operate than you would expect.
What sadly holds this book back more than anything else is some surprising contradictions with real-world history. While a few odd dates or even strangely paced figures would be fine, you end up with everything from misjudging when the Empire was at the height of its power to certain social norms. This makes it difficult to read even with the benefit of suspension of disbelief, and paired up with some surprisingly clichéd turns for the series, it proves to be a much weaker outing than the first two books.
The series is most definitely worth exploring for its futuristic Victorian setting and steampunk elements, and The Immorality Engine does benefit from some fascinating ideas. However, it’s definitely one best saved until after you read The Affinity Bridge or a few of the better outings.
May 1, 2014
Having picked this up for 50p in a charity shop, together with the first in the series (see previous review), I thought I would read it to see if the author has improved. Oh dear me, no he hasn't. I am assuming that, apart from the steam punk element, the history of the UK is supposed to be as it was in reality. Set in 1902, the evil villain, Sir Enoch Grant, refers to making 'the Empire cover the world again'. Yet in 1902, the Empire was probably at its largest extent. Sir Charles Bainbridge says that he is 'the' Chief Inspector at Scotland Yard'. I assume (again) that he is supposed to be the head of the Metropolitan Police. That individual has never been known as 'the Chief Inspector', but the Commissioner. . We have Sir Maurice and Veronica escaping from the clutches of Sir Enoch through tunnels carved through 'the bedrock' past catacombs. Clearly, the author has done no research into the geology of the London Basin. Had he done so, he would have learned that the London Basin (as it is known) is formed of London Clay, not rock, quite unsuitable for catacombs. (In fact burial in London became a serious problem by Victorian times for this reason which is one of the reasons for the growth of the large private cemeteries on the outskirts, such and Kensal Green, Highgate and, further out, Brookwood). Queen Victoria figures prominently in the story, as an ageing woman kept alive by machinery and living permanently in the dark. No thought is given as to excuses which might be given for her non appearance in public and the author appears to be unaware that the Queen's self imposed isolation following the death of Prince Albert almost led to the over throw of the monarchy. He is also unaware that the British crown at that time descended to the eldest male of the sovereign. All in all, the howlers in this book are risible. I shall not be bothering with any more
October 25, 2011
I really enjoyed this third book in the "Newbury & Hobbes" investigations series by George Mann. This adventure reunites Agent to Queen Victoria, Sir Maurice Newbury and his very able assistant Veronica Hobbes. Set in a Victorian London which is very different to the traditional history. This is a world where Queen Victoria is kept alive by Dr Fabian using amazing medical know how, evil half dead "revenants" crawl through the streets preying on the unfortunate, clockwork and steam driven trains and vehicles fill the streets and the air.
In this third book, the body of Edwin Sykes, a burglar and murderer well known to Scotland Yard is found dead in a gutter. Shortly afterwards crimes are committed showing all of the hallmarks of Sykes. Can Sykes still be committing crimes even though he has been found dead? What starts off as a perplexing investigation unearths even more intrigue and leads to a strange cult and links back to the mysterious Dr Fabian.
I really enjoyed this book, even better than the first two in the series (Affinity Bridge and Osiris Ritual), it kept me hooked right through and we learn more about the characters of Newbury, Veronica and her tragic sister, Amelia Hobbes. A wonderfully inventive steam punk adventure in Victorian London with a whole host of characters which could quite easily have jumped right out of a Dickens novel. Brilliant!
In this third book, the body of Edwin Sykes, a burglar and murderer well known to Scotland Yard is found dead in a gutter. Shortly afterwards crimes are committed showing all of the hallmarks of Sykes. Can Sykes still be committing crimes even though he has been found dead? What starts off as a perplexing investigation unearths even more intrigue and leads to a strange cult and links back to the mysterious Dr Fabian.
I really enjoyed this book, even better than the first two in the series (Affinity Bridge and Osiris Ritual), it kept me hooked right through and we learn more about the characters of Newbury, Veronica and her tragic sister, Amelia Hobbes. A wonderfully inventive steam punk adventure in Victorian London with a whole host of characters which could quite easily have jumped right out of a Dickens novel. Brilliant!
November 5, 2011
Tbe third in George Mann's Newbury and Hobbes Investigations Steampunk series is great fun from beginning to end. Sir Maurice Newbury, Queen Victoria's agent, is continuing to sink into his opium addiction, much to the dismay of his great friend, Sir Charles Bainbridge of Scotland Yard. Still more distressed is Sir Maurice's assistant Miss Veronica Hobbes.
When the body of a suspected jewel thief turns up murdered in one of the seedier sections of London, yet robberies identical to to the corpse's earlier crimes continue to occur, Sir Maurice must rise to the occasion. Bainbridge and Hobbes literally drag him out of an opium den. To add to the mystery of the corpse, there also seems to be a threat to the life of the Queen.
The plot includes clairvoyants, clones, a wacky resurrection cult, spectacular war engines in the best Steampunk tradition, and a vision of Queen Victoria that is truly creepy. Kept alive by the machines of the the diabolical Dr. Fabian, she sits like a spider in the web of her own mad plots and deceits. Newbury and Hobbes are forced to decide whether their loyalty has been misplaced.
The Immorality Engine completes the first story arc of the series and I can hardly wait for the next installment of the Newbury and Hobbes investigations.
When the body of a suspected jewel thief turns up murdered in one of the seedier sections of London, yet robberies identical to to the corpse's earlier crimes continue to occur, Sir Maurice must rise to the occasion. Bainbridge and Hobbes literally drag him out of an opium den. To add to the mystery of the corpse, there also seems to be a threat to the life of the Queen.
The plot includes clairvoyants, clones, a wacky resurrection cult, spectacular war engines in the best Steampunk tradition, and a vision of Queen Victoria that is truly creepy. Kept alive by the machines of the the diabolical Dr. Fabian, she sits like a spider in the web of her own mad plots and deceits. Newbury and Hobbes are forced to decide whether their loyalty has been misplaced.
The Immorality Engine completes the first story arc of the series and I can hardly wait for the next installment of the Newbury and Hobbes investigations.
October 11, 2016
Newbury and Hobbes return for a third outing in their steampunk Victorian London. This time their investigation begins when a dead criminal seems to still be undertaking robberies in their own unique style. This leads them to the mysterious Bastion Society and it's head Enoch Graves. How are duplicate bodies being made? And who is trying to attack the Queen?
Although there's plenty of weird and wonderful steampunk elements to this story they are not really important to the plot. It's all about a cult with an odd belief and their deadly plan. I could see it working perfectly well in a normal world set book but of course it's much more fun with Newbury and Hobbes involved.
This book took the characters a lot further than the first two. Newbury has fallen in a terrible opium addiction, Hobbes is realising her sister is not being given the treatment she deserves and the pair have to cope with the secrets they've kept from one another and their romantic feelings. Plus there's the fact they end up questioning the authority of all they hold dear, something I particularly liked as I've not seen it in a book like this before.
Perhaps less steam-punky than the previous books but a lot of fun and some proper, well delivered character development.
Although there's plenty of weird and wonderful steampunk elements to this story they are not really important to the plot. It's all about a cult with an odd belief and their deadly plan. I could see it working perfectly well in a normal world set book but of course it's much more fun with Newbury and Hobbes involved.
This book took the characters a lot further than the first two. Newbury has fallen in a terrible opium addiction, Hobbes is realising her sister is not being given the treatment she deserves and the pair have to cope with the secrets they've kept from one another and their romantic feelings. Plus there's the fact they end up questioning the authority of all they hold dear, something I particularly liked as I've not seen it in a book like this before.
Perhaps less steam-punky than the previous books but a lot of fun and some proper, well delivered character development.
March 23, 2012
As usual, this book was well written and evenly paced. It kept me turning the virtual pages (kindle version) from the start.
I really enjoyed each conflict the main characters had to face, and I was pleased with their resulting choices. I'm very glad Newbury and Hobbes finally got together, seeing as I was rooting for that to happen from the first book.
Honestly, the only disappointment I have is that this was only a trilogy. This, the third and final book, wrapped up the story nicely, but it was definitely left open for more, if George Mann should feel so inclined.. and I really hope he does. I really got to hating the Queen, and was really looking forward to her demise, so I was really left wanting more at the very last chapter.
But this was a marvelous series, and whether George Mann decided to continue with these characters at any future date or not, I am a fan and would recommend these to any and everybody I know!
I really enjoyed each conflict the main characters had to face, and I was pleased with their resulting choices. I'm very glad Newbury and Hobbes finally got together, seeing as I was rooting for that to happen from the first book.
Honestly, the only disappointment I have is that this was only a trilogy. This, the third and final book, wrapped up the story nicely, but it was definitely left open for more, if George Mann should feel so inclined.. and I really hope he does. I really got to hating the Queen, and was really looking forward to her demise, so I was really left wanting more at the very last chapter.
But this was a marvelous series, and whether George Mann decided to continue with these characters at any future date or not, I am a fan and would recommend these to any and everybody I know!
August 6, 2016
In many ways this book is absolutely bonkers a steampunk punk detective story featuring a almost Davros like Queen Victoria....however it's very compelling as it is well written and has almost a 'blockbuster' kind of feel that allows you to enjoy the tale and revel in the absurdity.
I read this fairly swiftly whilst on holiday and as holiday reading I would recommend it...it doesn't take up much of your time and although I don't feel I learnt anything from the book it did entertain...which is I think is all it was meant to do.
I read this fairly swiftly whilst on holiday and as holiday reading I would recommend it...it doesn't take up much of your time and although I don't feel I learnt anything from the book it did entertain...which is I think is all it was meant to do.
November 21, 2022
CAWPILE 7.71
Re-Read November 2022 for Final Book Support Group. Rating change from 3 to 4 stars.
I'm thoroughly enjoying re-reading this series.
Really picked up pace in the second half of this book and was far more bloody than I thought it would be. I am intrigued by the set up for the next one and will continue the series, especially as the author is a North East writer and I like to support my own.
Re-Read November 2022 for Final Book Support Group. Rating change from 3 to 4 stars.
I'm thoroughly enjoying re-reading this series.
Really picked up pace in the second half of this book and was far more bloody than I thought it would be. I am intrigued by the set up for the next one and will continue the series, especially as the author is a North East writer and I like to support my own.
May 20, 2016
I've said it before, and I'll say it again...I freaking love this series! It's like a steampunk Sherlock Holmes, with Veronica the Watson to Maurice's Holmes. Each book gets better and better as more and more is clearly going on outside of the respective cases of the book.
The Immorality Engine is atmospheric right from the opening, as soon as you start reading you can feel the fog closing in, everything takes on a slightly darker tinge, you can hear the rain and smell the not entirely pleasant smells of London. You fall in to the book and remain there until the very last page.
The opening this time was a bit different than usual as we start off in the future, then go back several days. The time jump was brilliantly done, the opening however was a little bit grim. To quote Newbury "The soft loam sucked at his boots, thick and oozing, as if trying to pull him down in to its slick, waterlogged depths, down amongst the corpses and the coffins of the dead." You can see why the book pulled me in to the book, with writing like that! The opening had me panicking a bit actually, being a huge fan of the books! I should have known better than to panic, but panic I did! I had a horrible sense of foreboding and dread for the entire book, a sense that increased steadily the closer we got to the climax of the book, I knew nothing good was going to happen and I was heart broken by the opening. But like I said...I should know better by book three! All is not as it seems in this book!
As I've just mentioned, Mann creates some fantastic descriptions that really spark your imagination and pull you in to the book, as the setting rises up around you. "A perimeter of uniformed bobbies stood like ghostly sentries, half visible in the vaporous morning." I just love the imagery Mann writes, it creates a specific image in your mind, waking up your imagination, and creating a certain tone and feel to the book. His writing is simply fantastic, and the pace of the book is brilliant. The mystery is always wrapped up expertly, with but a few threads woven in at the end, ready for the next book. His writing never fails to be compelling, atmospheric, cinematic and at times, entertaining. As always we are straight in with the mystery and it's a particularly good one!
Veronica continues to be one of my favourite characters. She doesn't do or want to do anything a regular lady of the time period would. She walks in to a rather nasty crime scene, determined to do her part. She's daring and courageous, and she doesn't take any of Newbury's crap. She's disappointed in him, but she still believes in him and hopes for the best. I enjoy the fact she's not afraid to get her hands dirty, and will run around and fight just as much as Newbury. She's not your typical Victorian lady and she's brilliant and intelligent and just fantastic! I enjoyed her even more in this book because we see another side to her, with everything going on with her sister, and the thing with the Queen. She's not quite as composed as she usually is at one point.
Newbury continues to fascinate me. He's a very flawed character, but he's also very likeable and has a certain dramatic flair. He uses opium and we've watched him fall, inevitably, more and more in to addiction over the course of the books. I like that he's flawed, opium addiction was common at the time, I'm fairly certain, and it's being explored so well in these books. In this book, he's pretty heavily under the influence, it's not a pleasant book for him, with withdrawal symptoms and so on. Veronica and Charles's reactions are very realistic and very natural, and I felt a certain sense of pride in Newbury when he determined to get along with out it after a particularly brutal scene. It'll be interesting to see if he actually manages it. His flaw is what makes him so very realistic, but there's so much more to him than his addiction. He's ridiculously intelligent, and I'm rooting for him to finally kick the habit.
I need to mention Bainbridge because he and Newbury are quite the pair. He cares so much about his friend, but has a bit of a hard time showing softer emotions, and his particular brand of caring is a bit gruff, it was quite amusing, especially as Veronica was on to him. It made me sad in this book, how Newbury and Hobbes weren't entirely sure if they could entrust him with the truth. I'd like to think he'd be on their side, and I'm hoping they'll trust him eventually.
Amelia has always intrigued me, I like how she won't let her fear show to Calverton. How determined she is to be brave and remain strong. She's not had a brilliant life up until now, and we see more of her this book as she's at the Grayling Institute with Fabian. I don't want to say too much, because it will be too spoilery, but I'm still waiting to see how Mann is going to handle things with Amelia, I'm hoping it'll all end well for her, but I'm not entirely sure.
I spent the most of the book feeling like Dr. Fabian was incredibly shady. You get such shady vibes from him but it takes a while for you to work out why, or see why, which I actually liked, rather than being told straight out he was shady! It was nice to get a sense of wrongness from him, but not being entirely sure if it's founded or not. Calverton is incredibly creepy. The Queen herself is in this book a hell of a lot more than usual. I've never been entirely sure of her. Like Newbury I assumed some of the stuff she did was a one off, or for the good of everyone. This book does not pain a pleasant picture of her. She is not nice, not that she ever really was a barrel of sunshine and rainbows. But in this book, I feel we see her true colours, and I'm slightly scared by what might come about in the next book, and whatever it is she's planning. I actually found myself agreeing with the bad guys a little smidgen in this book!
As with the other books, we get more than one POV. In this book we get a lot of Amelia's POV, more so than usual that is, as well as a little bit of Fabian's, which provided in an insight in to what it is, exactly, that he does or rather did for the Queen. As well as being the means to see a rather ugly side to the Queen up close. We also get the usual POV's of Veronica. Maurice and Bainbdridge. Poor old Charles got in a bit of a scrape in this book, and it was brilliant to see him hold his own! Each character has their own distinctive narrative, and each change in point of view is done without a hitch, carrying on the narrative without any trouble. I enjoy seeing the other characters through the eyes of, well, other characters. I like knowing what's going on in each character's head and how it matches up with the others and so on.
The world of the book is so authentic. The steampunk elements are plentiful, but not in your face, there's no pages and pages of over blown descriptions of the devices/machines/etc or telling you how they work in exact detail for an entire chapter, like I've encountered before. The steampunk elements/devices seem to naturally belong in the world. I love getting lost in these books, it's such an original world, and I love reading about new devices and exploring new areas of this London.
So much is unsaid between Newbury and Hobbes in this book, that needs to be discussed. I was wondering what would happen after the end of the last book, but it would appear they went the not talking about anything route. I mean, partially it's pushed to the side because of Newbury's little opium problem and the case, but both of them had their reasons for not mentioning things that needed to be mentioned like ya know...the Queen...and feelings. Them being them, they eventually did talk about it...but in the worst possible place after me spending the entire book wishing they'd save themselves some hassle and jus have a chat!
I genuinely ship them so badly it's not even funny. They're so perfect together, and so good for each other. They suit each other rather. This book had me cheering so badly at some points, and getting all excited, but the romance element, is as ever, subtle and the main focus of the plot is the mystery. The romantic bits that there are, are very well done, and there was one scene that was just so them. Things have been building up over the course of the books and this is the book where it finally all comes together. I'm even more excited for the next book to see what happens with them!
As usual, Mann manages to weave plenty of plot threads in to one complex plot. Mann is a truly brilliant storyteller and weaves deductions with action, romance with mystery and so on. There are multiple threads, some seemingly unrelated to the case at hand, but involving other things, all woven together to give you a complex plot with multiple things going on, and an over-arcing plot becoming more and more fleshed out. Well, I think there is, because you all mark my words, the Queen is so up to no good.
I feel like there's higher stakes in this book, considering at one point we have a medieval army meeting steampunk and ready to take down the monarchy. There's also stuff going on with Veronica's sister that involves the Queen and it was truly shocking to me because even I didn't expect the Queen to be THAT bad. It's become obvious she's up to something and there's more going on with her. What I found most interesting is that having staunchly been the Queen's operatives, you see Veronica lose all trust and respect in the Queen, and Newbury struggling with his own thoughts on the Queen. He clearly supports Veronica, at least in this situation, but he isn't sure overall what to do. I found it very interesting watching this all go down with the two of them, especially when Veronica had a little freak out about not being able to leave.
The Immorality Engine is another thrilling instalment in a brilliant and original series that hooks you in from the beginning. You root for Newbury and Hobbes, you spend the book trying to work out what exactly is going on and how everything fits together, and delight in being completely wrong, because Mann always manages to surprise you at every turn and it's no fun working out a mystery before the characters! The initial mystery leads perfectly in to a much bigger plot, it's merely the first step in a more complex scheme.
The book ends on a note of foreboding tinged with anticipation all thanks to Amelia and her visions, and there's one last twist at the end that you know will not be at all good. The next book has been perfectly set up, and my mind is racing with all the possibilities for it, that will no doubt end up being wrong.
The Immorality Engine is a fantastic book, characters continue to have hidden depths, continue to be brilliantly written and come alive as you read about them. The book sucks you in with the continued fantastic world building, that's atmospheric and cinematic in equal turns. Immorality Engine has a world you can truly get lost in, and a plot you become fully invested in and get surprised by at every turn. While the main mystery is left neatly solved, there's an over arcing plot involving the Queen, and some other little threads that set you up for the next book, that you find yourself needing ASAP! I can't wait to see where the characters go next, or what mystery they'll next come face to face with.
The Immorality Engine is atmospheric right from the opening, as soon as you start reading you can feel the fog closing in, everything takes on a slightly darker tinge, you can hear the rain and smell the not entirely pleasant smells of London. You fall in to the book and remain there until the very last page.
The opening this time was a bit different than usual as we start off in the future, then go back several days. The time jump was brilliantly done, the opening however was a little bit grim. To quote Newbury "The soft loam sucked at his boots, thick and oozing, as if trying to pull him down in to its slick, waterlogged depths, down amongst the corpses and the coffins of the dead." You can see why the book pulled me in to the book, with writing like that! The opening had me panicking a bit actually, being a huge fan of the books! I should have known better than to panic, but panic I did! I had a horrible sense of foreboding and dread for the entire book, a sense that increased steadily the closer we got to the climax of the book, I knew nothing good was going to happen and I was heart broken by the opening. But like I said...I should know better by book three! All is not as it seems in this book!
As I've just mentioned, Mann creates some fantastic descriptions that really spark your imagination and pull you in to the book, as the setting rises up around you. "A perimeter of uniformed bobbies stood like ghostly sentries, half visible in the vaporous morning." I just love the imagery Mann writes, it creates a specific image in your mind, waking up your imagination, and creating a certain tone and feel to the book. His writing is simply fantastic, and the pace of the book is brilliant. The mystery is always wrapped up expertly, with but a few threads woven in at the end, ready for the next book. His writing never fails to be compelling, atmospheric, cinematic and at times, entertaining. As always we are straight in with the mystery and it's a particularly good one!
Veronica continues to be one of my favourite characters. She doesn't do or want to do anything a regular lady of the time period would. She walks in to a rather nasty crime scene, determined to do her part. She's daring and courageous, and she doesn't take any of Newbury's crap. She's disappointed in him, but she still believes in him and hopes for the best. I enjoy the fact she's not afraid to get her hands dirty, and will run around and fight just as much as Newbury. She's not your typical Victorian lady and she's brilliant and intelligent and just fantastic! I enjoyed her even more in this book because we see another side to her, with everything going on with her sister, and the thing with the Queen. She's not quite as composed as she usually is at one point.
Newbury continues to fascinate me. He's a very flawed character, but he's also very likeable and has a certain dramatic flair. He uses opium and we've watched him fall, inevitably, more and more in to addiction over the course of the books. I like that he's flawed, opium addiction was common at the time, I'm fairly certain, and it's being explored so well in these books. In this book, he's pretty heavily under the influence, it's not a pleasant book for him, with withdrawal symptoms and so on. Veronica and Charles's reactions are very realistic and very natural, and I felt a certain sense of pride in Newbury when he determined to get along with out it after a particularly brutal scene. It'll be interesting to see if he actually manages it. His flaw is what makes him so very realistic, but there's so much more to him than his addiction. He's ridiculously intelligent, and I'm rooting for him to finally kick the habit.
I need to mention Bainbridge because he and Newbury are quite the pair. He cares so much about his friend, but has a bit of a hard time showing softer emotions, and his particular brand of caring is a bit gruff, it was quite amusing, especially as Veronica was on to him. It made me sad in this book, how Newbury and Hobbes weren't entirely sure if they could entrust him with the truth. I'd like to think he'd be on their side, and I'm hoping they'll trust him eventually.
Amelia has always intrigued me, I like how she won't let her fear show to Calverton. How determined she is to be brave and remain strong. She's not had a brilliant life up until now, and we see more of her this book as she's at the Grayling Institute with Fabian. I don't want to say too much, because it will be too spoilery, but I'm still waiting to see how Mann is going to handle things with Amelia, I'm hoping it'll all end well for her, but I'm not entirely sure.
I spent the most of the book feeling like Dr. Fabian was incredibly shady. You get such shady vibes from him but it takes a while for you to work out why, or see why, which I actually liked, rather than being told straight out he was shady! It was nice to get a sense of wrongness from him, but not being entirely sure if it's founded or not. Calverton is incredibly creepy. The Queen herself is in this book a hell of a lot more than usual. I've never been entirely sure of her. Like Newbury I assumed some of the stuff she did was a one off, or for the good of everyone. This book does not pain a pleasant picture of her. She is not nice, not that she ever really was a barrel of sunshine and rainbows. But in this book, I feel we see her true colours, and I'm slightly scared by what might come about in the next book, and whatever it is she's planning. I actually found myself agreeing with the bad guys a little smidgen in this book!
As with the other books, we get more than one POV. In this book we get a lot of Amelia's POV, more so than usual that is, as well as a little bit of Fabian's, which provided in an insight in to what it is, exactly, that he does or rather did for the Queen. As well as being the means to see a rather ugly side to the Queen up close. We also get the usual POV's of Veronica. Maurice and Bainbdridge. Poor old Charles got in a bit of a scrape in this book, and it was brilliant to see him hold his own! Each character has their own distinctive narrative, and each change in point of view is done without a hitch, carrying on the narrative without any trouble. I enjoy seeing the other characters through the eyes of, well, other characters. I like knowing what's going on in each character's head and how it matches up with the others and so on.
The world of the book is so authentic. The steampunk elements are plentiful, but not in your face, there's no pages and pages of over blown descriptions of the devices/machines/etc or telling you how they work in exact detail for an entire chapter, like I've encountered before. The steampunk elements/devices seem to naturally belong in the world. I love getting lost in these books, it's such an original world, and I love reading about new devices and exploring new areas of this London.
So much is unsaid between Newbury and Hobbes in this book, that needs to be discussed. I was wondering what would happen after the end of the last book, but it would appear they went the not talking about anything route. I mean, partially it's pushed to the side because of Newbury's little opium problem and the case, but both of them had their reasons for not mentioning things that needed to be mentioned like ya know...the Queen...and feelings. Them being them, they eventually did talk about it...but in the worst possible place after me spending the entire book wishing they'd save themselves some hassle and jus have a chat!
I genuinely ship them so badly it's not even funny. They're so perfect together, and so good for each other. They suit each other rather. This book had me cheering so badly at some points, and getting all excited, but the romance element, is as ever, subtle and the main focus of the plot is the mystery. The romantic bits that there are, are very well done, and there was one scene that was just so them. Things have been building up over the course of the books and this is the book where it finally all comes together. I'm even more excited for the next book to see what happens with them!
As usual, Mann manages to weave plenty of plot threads in to one complex plot. Mann is a truly brilliant storyteller and weaves deductions with action, romance with mystery and so on. There are multiple threads, some seemingly unrelated to the case at hand, but involving other things, all woven together to give you a complex plot with multiple things going on, and an over-arcing plot becoming more and more fleshed out. Well, I think there is, because you all mark my words, the Queen is so up to no good.
I feel like there's higher stakes in this book, considering at one point we have a medieval army meeting steampunk and ready to take down the monarchy. There's also stuff going on with Veronica's sister that involves the Queen and it was truly shocking to me because even I didn't expect the Queen to be THAT bad. It's become obvious she's up to something and there's more going on with her. What I found most interesting is that having staunchly been the Queen's operatives, you see Veronica lose all trust and respect in the Queen, and Newbury struggling with his own thoughts on the Queen. He clearly supports Veronica, at least in this situation, but he isn't sure overall what to do. I found it very interesting watching this all go down with the two of them, especially when Veronica had a little freak out about not being able to leave.
The Immorality Engine is another thrilling instalment in a brilliant and original series that hooks you in from the beginning. You root for Newbury and Hobbes, you spend the book trying to work out what exactly is going on and how everything fits together, and delight in being completely wrong, because Mann always manages to surprise you at every turn and it's no fun working out a mystery before the characters! The initial mystery leads perfectly in to a much bigger plot, it's merely the first step in a more complex scheme.
The book ends on a note of foreboding tinged with anticipation all thanks to Amelia and her visions, and there's one last twist at the end that you know will not be at all good. The next book has been perfectly set up, and my mind is racing with all the possibilities for it, that will no doubt end up being wrong.
The Immorality Engine is a fantastic book, characters continue to have hidden depths, continue to be brilliantly written and come alive as you read about them. The book sucks you in with the continued fantastic world building, that's atmospheric and cinematic in equal turns. Immorality Engine has a world you can truly get lost in, and a plot you become fully invested in and get surprised by at every turn. While the main mystery is left neatly solved, there's an over arcing plot involving the Queen, and some other little threads that set you up for the next book, that you find yourself needing ASAP! I can't wait to see where the characters go next, or what mystery they'll next come face to face with.
April 27, 2023
Overall--pretty good. Creative. Lots of ideas. Not bad. But kinda disappointing, if I'm honest.
Like the books before it, it was good enough to finish once started, especially as I was hoping for a good ending. (I did think it was a good ending, btw. I was content with it.) But I'm all done now. I'm tired. I put all my hope on this third book and it didn't pay off.
All three books in this series started out promising, with characters that might turn out interesting, engaging conflicts, unique technology, and a fun sense of the possible, but then dwindled to quite dull. The pacing is deadly, and neither the mystery nor the action is very impressive. The worst thing is that the two main characters show no particular skill in solving crimes and no great facility for bringing in the bad guy, or really any useful aptitude at all, whether it is knowledge or experience or physical ability or insight. Their success is more a matter of stepping into whatever mess they've encountered and surviving until the end. Their planning skills are non-existent. Their attempted break-in and rescue of Hobbes's sister at the end was managed as badly as humanly possible, so much so it has to be considered a plot hole. They are not good at this.
(The bad guys were worse. Their plan was so stupid that it totally worked and still totally failed. Sorry. Spoiler.)
In fact, IMO, if you took Newbury and Hobbes out of this or any story and replaced them with just some lady from down the street and a guy you met at the gas station, it would come out about the same.
But what's weirdest is the tone. Nothing matches. It has the off-kilter feel of steampunk, leading one to expect some levity, perhaps, or a cartoonish sensibility to go with the clockwork horses, maybe a little bit of irony, but it is deadly serious, with the harsh reality of gruesome goings-on too earnestly told. I make it sound almost like it would work, but it does not. Not for me.
Well, it's okay. The imagery is highly imaginative and would probably translate well to a graphic novel or something. And I liked it enough to finish, as I say, so I won't give it a "did not like" rank of 2. But neither do I much recommend this or the others in the series.
Try it, if you like. YMMV.
Like the books before it, it was good enough to finish once started, especially as I was hoping for a good ending. (I did think it was a good ending, btw. I was content with it.) But I'm all done now. I'm tired. I put all my hope on this third book and it didn't pay off.
All three books in this series started out promising, with characters that might turn out interesting, engaging conflicts, unique technology, and a fun sense of the possible, but then dwindled to quite dull. The pacing is deadly, and neither the mystery nor the action is very impressive. The worst thing is that the two main characters show no particular skill in solving crimes and no great facility for bringing in the bad guy, or really any useful aptitude at all, whether it is knowledge or experience or physical ability or insight. Their success is more a matter of stepping into whatever mess they've encountered and surviving until the end. Their planning skills are non-existent. Their attempted break-in and rescue of Hobbes's sister at the end was managed as badly as humanly possible, so much so it has to be considered a plot hole. They are not good at this.
(The bad guys were worse. Their plan was so stupid that it totally worked and still totally failed. Sorry. Spoiler.)
In fact, IMO, if you took Newbury and Hobbes out of this or any story and replaced them with just some lady from down the street and a guy you met at the gas station, it would come out about the same.
But what's weirdest is the tone. Nothing matches. It has the off-kilter feel of steampunk, leading one to expect some levity, perhaps, or a cartoonish sensibility to go with the clockwork horses, maybe a little bit of irony, but it is deadly serious, with the harsh reality of gruesome goings-on too earnestly told. I make it sound almost like it would work, but it does not. Not for me.
Well, it's okay. The imagery is highly imaginative and would probably translate well to a graphic novel or something. And I liked it enough to finish, as I say, so I won't give it a "did not like" rank of 2. But neither do I much recommend this or the others in the series.
Try it, if you like. YMMV.
July 16, 2023
While struggling with an opium addiction, Sir Maurice Newbury gets called in to investigate the death of a known but difficult to catch serial burglar. But while the body is in the morgue, his signature burglary tactics are used again in another break in. The mystery deepens even more when they discover a second dead body--again, that of the said burglar.
The Immorality Engine is a Sherlock Holmes-like story set in Steampunk Victorian England that's fit for any readers who like either mystery or steampunk, or both.
Possible trigger warnings: Slight gore and torture.
+
Was this the first book I've read from the Newbury and Hobbes series? Yes. Is it fit as a standalone? Kinda. It CAN work as a standalone to some extent as it wasn't difficult to understand everything but I did get some spoilers from the first two books so there's that. But I was still able to enjoy this. The characters of Newbury and Hobbes are one of the best Sherlock Holmes + Watson inspired characters I've come across. There's a good balance between the two characters that the original duo did not, you'll easily realize that they wouldn't be as successful if they weren't working together.
I'm always a sucker for Steampunk and this did a good job of setting the scene. I always like how a lot of mystery stories I read that are set in Victorian England I did find a few inconsistencies when it comes to motivations of some of the characters
Overall, a pretty good read. Hoping to be able to read the others in the series as I got my copy of this book at a thrift shop.
The Immorality Engine is a Sherlock Holmes-like story set in Steampunk Victorian England that's fit for any readers who like either mystery or steampunk, or both.
Possible trigger warnings: Slight gore and torture.
+
Was this the first book I've read from the Newbury and Hobbes series? Yes. Is it fit as a standalone? Kinda. It CAN work as a standalone to some extent as it wasn't difficult to understand everything but I did get some spoilers from the first two books so there's that. But I was still able to enjoy this. The characters of Newbury and Hobbes are one of the best Sherlock Holmes + Watson inspired characters I've come across. There's a good balance between the two characters that the original duo did not, you'll easily realize that they wouldn't be as successful if they weren't working together.
I'm always a sucker for Steampunk and this did a good job of setting the scene. I always like how a lot of mystery stories I read that are set in Victorian England I did find a few inconsistencies when it comes to motivations of some of the characters
Overall, a pretty good read. Hoping to be able to read the others in the series as I got my copy of this book at a thrift shop.
May 16, 2024
On the one hand, I really enjoyed reading this; the pace and the characters have picked up so much from the first book. Each twist and turn was fun, if not genuinely surprising.
On the other hand,
On the other hand,
November 12, 2014
A certain criminal, Edwin Sykes, has turned up dead. Only after his body is found a burglary with his signature all over it is perpetrated. Is this a copycat or something more sinister? Sykes was a member of The Bastion Society, an organization that seems a little too highbrow for such a criminal lowlife. The head of the society, an Enoch Graves, gives Sir Maurice, Veronica, and Bainbridge a run around that convinces them that somehow these two crimes are connected to not only each other, but to the society. When Sykes turns up dead a second time, despite erroneously thinking perhaps this is a case of twins, the erstwhile investigators turn all their attention to the society. But soon Bainbridge is distracted by an attempt on the Queen's life, and Newbury and Hobbes take some risks that might prove their downfall. One thing though is known, that whatever happens Veronica's sister Amelia will pay the price with her life.
It has been my experience that there comes a point in a series of books that will either cement the longevity of the series and make it a viable franchise or will make you inherently know that the storyline is bound to collapse and fail miserably. This is the book in the Newbury and Hobbes series in which I just knew that this series had wings. While this in no way is throwing shade at the previous two volumes, there was just an extra something that made this book spark with the potential this series will achieve. I personally think that it all comes down to the expansion of the universe of these characters that leads one to feel that longevity is possible. What made me most excited was that the narrative isn't contained to the events in the books. What I mean is that Sir Maurice and Veronica often reference events and cases that we haven't heard about while not detracting from the narrative.
While yes, these might be out there as short stories which I haven't read yet, what I adore is that their narrative lives aren't bound by just the stories in the three volumes I have read so far and the allusions to other adventures aren't clumsily inserted making it necessary to find out if indeed you missed something or were supposed to by an anthology for the one story you wanted. I like to think of the characters I know and love in a book are having adventures when I'm not around, it makes them more realistic if you will. Many series recount all the adventures, one after the other in volume upon volume, and there's just something so restricting about this. Something contained and episodic. By lacking this restrictive container the series has so much more potential for expansion, I just thrill at what is to come!
What drew me into the book most of all, aside from that heart stopping flash-forward, was The Bastion Society. The real reason I was interested in them wasn't the megalomania of their leader Enoch Graves with his delusions of being King Arthur, oh no, but their underlying belief system? Oh yes. The Bastion Society's tenants are that great deeds should be done to keep England the England of myth and legend. By doing what needs to be done in this life, our next life shall be better. Earlier this year when I did a theme month for Lauren Willig's book That Summer , I spent a lot of time researching and reading about the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood. They believed in chivalry and deeds worthy of myth. Truth in art that will withstand time and show the past for those in the present. All beliefs that are eerily similar to The Bastion Society.
Therefore I was thrilled when Newbury and Veronica were lurking around Packworth House and many of the Pre-Raphaelite paintings were strewn about the meeting house's walls. Of course none of the art was mentioned by name, but by golly, I can recognize their artwork my the meanest description there is, and there it was. There was a frisson of happiness that I saw this correlation and then George took it one step further by placing the artwork on the walls. It felt like a special in joke just for me and anyone else who might get it. Plus, the fantastical imagery thus created in my mind of, what if the Brotherhood did take up arms like The Bastion Society did... Rossetti, Hunt, and Millais on real horses, not just posing for each others paintings, I literally can not stop smirking at this idea.
Yet there was an aspect of this chivalry that I think went to far, and that is Veronica as the damsel in distress. She has never been one of those swooning women in these paintings! If anything the men are more liable to swoon. But in this book where she has finally taken center stage she seems somewhat watered down. When the time comes she is able to kick the arse and take the names that we know she has always done, but there's some underlying current that second guesses her that I just don't like. Newbury, who has always been solicitous is almost overly protective, which could be written off as his growing feelings for Veronica coupled with the mores of the day, but it just didn't sit right this time around. Veronica herself seemed to even wonder at her own abilities and this I shall not tolerate! A kick ass character can have self doubts but there's a point you reach when their acts of daring do and chivalry outweigh any possible doubts, and The Immorality Engine was weighted a little lopsidedly...
But in the final analysis, it all comes down to the fact that George is able to handle concepts and characters better then most writers out there. While reading The Immorality Engine I was reminded of a show that just aired on BBC America, Intruders, which I watched solely for John Simm. The show was about rebirth and resurrection, and the idea that there is a secret society that has found the secret to immortality, all high and mighty concepts that in the end was a hot mess with plot holes and a narrative disaster that even the best of actors couldn't act their way out of. The third volume of George's series handles similar concepts and conceits and in such a clear and profound way that at one time I literally looked up to my friend who was working on a project while I was reading (at a Steampunk Convention no less) and said, "If Intruders could have captured these concepts half as good as George did here it would have been an awesome show." Instead we are just left with the consolation of an awesome book. I know, it's such a disappointment.
It has been my experience that there comes a point in a series of books that will either cement the longevity of the series and make it a viable franchise or will make you inherently know that the storyline is bound to collapse and fail miserably. This is the book in the Newbury and Hobbes series in which I just knew that this series had wings. While this in no way is throwing shade at the previous two volumes, there was just an extra something that made this book spark with the potential this series will achieve. I personally think that it all comes down to the expansion of the universe of these characters that leads one to feel that longevity is possible. What made me most excited was that the narrative isn't contained to the events in the books. What I mean is that Sir Maurice and Veronica often reference events and cases that we haven't heard about while not detracting from the narrative.
While yes, these might be out there as short stories which I haven't read yet, what I adore is that their narrative lives aren't bound by just the stories in the three volumes I have read so far and the allusions to other adventures aren't clumsily inserted making it necessary to find out if indeed you missed something or were supposed to by an anthology for the one story you wanted. I like to think of the characters I know and love in a book are having adventures when I'm not around, it makes them more realistic if you will. Many series recount all the adventures, one after the other in volume upon volume, and there's just something so restricting about this. Something contained and episodic. By lacking this restrictive container the series has so much more potential for expansion, I just thrill at what is to come!
What drew me into the book most of all, aside from that heart stopping flash-forward, was The Bastion Society. The real reason I was interested in them wasn't the megalomania of their leader Enoch Graves with his delusions of being King Arthur, oh no, but their underlying belief system? Oh yes. The Bastion Society's tenants are that great deeds should be done to keep England the England of myth and legend. By doing what needs to be done in this life, our next life shall be better. Earlier this year when I did a theme month for Lauren Willig's book That Summer , I spent a lot of time researching and reading about the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood. They believed in chivalry and deeds worthy of myth. Truth in art that will withstand time and show the past for those in the present. All beliefs that are eerily similar to The Bastion Society.
Therefore I was thrilled when Newbury and Veronica were lurking around Packworth House and many of the Pre-Raphaelite paintings were strewn about the meeting house's walls. Of course none of the art was mentioned by name, but by golly, I can recognize their artwork my the meanest description there is, and there it was. There was a frisson of happiness that I saw this correlation and then George took it one step further by placing the artwork on the walls. It felt like a special in joke just for me and anyone else who might get it. Plus, the fantastical imagery thus created in my mind of, what if the Brotherhood did take up arms like The Bastion Society did... Rossetti, Hunt, and Millais on real horses, not just posing for each others paintings, I literally can not stop smirking at this idea.
Yet there was an aspect of this chivalry that I think went to far, and that is Veronica as the damsel in distress. She has never been one of those swooning women in these paintings! If anything the men are more liable to swoon. But in this book where she has finally taken center stage she seems somewhat watered down. When the time comes she is able to kick the arse and take the names that we know she has always done, but there's some underlying current that second guesses her that I just don't like. Newbury, who has always been solicitous is almost overly protective, which could be written off as his growing feelings for Veronica coupled with the mores of the day, but it just didn't sit right this time around. Veronica herself seemed to even wonder at her own abilities and this I shall not tolerate! A kick ass character can have self doubts but there's a point you reach when their acts of daring do and chivalry outweigh any possible doubts, and The Immorality Engine was weighted a little lopsidedly...
But in the final analysis, it all comes down to the fact that George is able to handle concepts and characters better then most writers out there. While reading The Immorality Engine I was reminded of a show that just aired on BBC America, Intruders, which I watched solely for John Simm. The show was about rebirth and resurrection, and the idea that there is a secret society that has found the secret to immortality, all high and mighty concepts that in the end was a hot mess with plot holes and a narrative disaster that even the best of actors couldn't act their way out of. The third volume of George's series handles similar concepts and conceits and in such a clear and profound way that at one time I literally looked up to my friend who was working on a project while I was reading (at a Steampunk Convention no less) and said, "If Intruders could have captured these concepts half as good as George did here it would have been an awesome show." Instead we are just left with the consolation of an awesome book. I know, it's such a disappointment.
April 1, 2020
My review of The Immorality Engine (note: immorality, NOT immortality) is going to be flawed, because it is almost impossible to review this book without committing spoilers. If you've read my reviews for any length of time you know I am loathe to do that. So I will perforce tap dance around things a little. I had two problems with George Mann's novel. One, the technology in steampunk is supposed to be derived from the era of steam. Mann's inclusion of technology so sophisticated it has yet to be developed in 2020 really stretches and eventually destroys suspension of disbelief. Two, by the time this book is over our heroes Newbury and Hobbes have agreed to and participated in the most egregiously hare-brained course of action ever recorded. Their success is based on the fact that it is necessary to the plot, honestly. These people are professionals? Egad. At least the obligatory and annoying romance sub-plot is finally resolved.
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