False Value

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My favorite color scheme!
 False Value, by Ben Aaronovitch

I've had this, the 8th Rivers of London novel, for over a year.  But I have this tendency to put off the latest book in a series because then there won't be any left.  Well, the 9th book will be published next month, so now I can read this one...

Peter applies for a security position at the super high-tech company Serious Cybernetic Corporation.  (Everything is named after Hitchhiker's Guide things, which is fun.)  He tells them that he was pushed out of the Met, but in fact he's undercover, looking for answers to some questions.  Something weird is going on, involving Babbage's Difference Engine, another mysterious thing called a Mary Engine, and what appears to be a real, true, artificial intelligence.  

At the same time, though, people are being hypnotized into attacking the CEO, and a fleet of terrifying magical killer spider drones flying around town.

Aaronovitch brings in the American version of the Folly, called the Librarians -- they work out of the NYPL.  And Peter is going to be a dad soon.  There's a lot going on.

There are many fun elements in this story, but...I found it somewhat muddled, too.  There are a lot of new characters and it isn't always easy to remember who is who, or even to understand what's supposed to be going on.  I liked the beginning and the resolution, but the middle was not always great.  I hope the next installment will be more coherent, because I love this series, and I think it's a great setup that allows for endless invention.  This is a universe that shouldn't run out of stories.

Comments

  1. Mary R.March 15, 2022 at 5:37 PM

    I began this series last summer and really liked it. Very happy to hear there are soon to be 9 books!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. JeanMarch 16, 2022 at 5:08 PM

      Not to mention just as many graphic novels! Hard to keep up with.

      Delete
  2. JoyMarch 23, 2022 at 11:35 AM

    I'm ready for book three but keep being distracted by other things. Knowing that I'll get to a plot that involves Babbage's Difference Engine is a good reason to get going on this series again.

    ReplyDelete

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