Efka's Reviews > Broken Angels

I'm not really sure if this book can really be called "a second part of trilogy". I mean, a trilogy, how I perceive it, is three books, three parts of a single story, unified by one or more main characters, usually plus some secondary characters and a consistant plotline, which, more or less, starts at the first book, later evolves and the final part brings a closure. I might be jumping ahead too much, as I'm already reading the third book, though my review is only about the second one but still. There's nothing in this book, ABSOLUTELY NOTHING AND NO-ONE, that has at least remote connection to the "Altered Carbon", except Takeshi Covacs. And even he is a middle aged afroamerican/caribbean dude in this book. It's a perfect stand-alone novel, this one, and the third book is a pre-history. So, as far as the story goes, it is quite safe to say that the story starts and finishes with Altered Carbon. Sort of.

Now a few words about the book itself. It's a slower read than the first one, it gets too concentrated on minor details at one point around the middle, and the story is much, much less noir detective. Actually, it's more alike to a military sci-fi than a noir detective, but the plot is decent enough to tag along for a ride and in the end it grips you quite well. I might have enjoyed more answers/explanations, but they weren't necessary and not getting them served on a plate doesn't actually matter.

Takeshi is still Takeshi, but what I really liked is the fun feeling, that Richard Morgan is a pacifist. I've got a few drops of this feeling while reading Altered Carbon, but as this book is much more concentrated on military, rebellions and war in general, no wonder that I've felt it much more in this book. So yeah, the dude who writes all that gory murder and torture sequences is a pacifist. Quite an oxymoron, wouldn't you agree?

"Broken Angels" might not have that glitter and appeal of its predecessor, but it is a solid book nevertheles, and if you enjoyed the first book of the series, this one should definitely be on you list too. A solid 4*.