Alec McQuay is an author who’s work I’ve enjoyed. This though is very different from his book Spares. It did recognize the setting instantly from his short story Bunker Buster (that story can be found in the book reviewed here). This made me happy as I’d enjoyed that story.
I like the cover of this book. There is a simple quality that appeal to me. I Can’t help feeling that it should have been photo-realistic and sepia though. This book is set in a post-disaster Cornwall. It somehow manages to avoid being Steampunk story and reminding me more of a western. A western with energy weapons and artificial intelligence engine that ensure mankind never again has the destructive capabilities to destroy the planet.
Emily Nation is an assassin. She’s a sociopath that takes great delight in her profession. She also happens to have a great grounding at home with her wife and daughter. What seemed like a normal job destroyed Emily’s life and everything that mattered to her. This is more than a simple revenge or justice tale though. There is an entirely different story unfolding just beneath the main one. What is the Custodian doing? Why does it have a deal with Emily? What does the Custodian suspect about Mr Silvine? The bigger of these questioned do not get answered in this book. Which I’m hoping means that there will be a sequel to this story.
In short this book is like Tank Girl, Mad Max and DOOM mashed together and set in the old west. Except in this case the west in question happens to be Cornwall. What’s not to like?
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