This might have been more successful for me than Fingersmith, which I enjoyed, but I’d seen the film adaptation first, and preferred the changes to the source material. Knowing nothing about this, the first little bit had me a bit slow off the mark. Mostly concerned with building the relationship between MC and her mother, it dragged pretty substantially.

However, when the paying guests arrive—a couple on somewhat rocky footing—things start to get much more interesting. An unlikely romance blossoms in a historical context that makes it more complicated, but still highly relatable to today. And things just get more tense, as a spark sets the plot ablaze.

Waters felt like she had meticulously contrived each section, but particularly the characters’ reactions and nuanced interactions. Each point jumps off from the next, and though shocking, follows what’s established. Very enjoyable. I’d call it a literary slow burn thriller with good queer rep and a touch of romance.

I always thought that the movie was underrated. As flawed as it was, it’s still an interesting question at the heart of it about humankind, which is what the best science fiction does. Underwater thrillers are usually more interesting as space too, since it’s as foreign, but teeming with life, and feels somehow more pertinent.

The book is simultaneously better and worse than the movie. The ending is more complicated and the characters more fleshed out, less Hollywoodized. The best parts of the film are mostly from the book. But because it does try to do more, the incredulity of some of the outcomes come into play. The movie fixes this by having everything occur at a subliminal level. Without this luxury, a few of the plot beats become really questionable, and feel really indulgent toward the characters and their specific arcs, and final outcome. An ending much better fleshed out and here, and far less cheesy.

DNF’d at 31% of the audiobook. Don’t care about Jack. Don’t care about Isabelle. Don’t care about the weird creatures. Don’t care where this is going.

Off the back of the finale of the first book (ie spoilery for people who haven’t read Daemon) the dark web has merged with “reality” with augmented reality tech, allowing the factions attempting to come up on top after, essentially, the new world order caused by the daemon program. And once again, there’s gestures at characters who are somewhat punk, in so far as using the dark net stuff as a way of co-opting individual power away from capitalists—but it’s all merged with this MMO system and gonzo, kill count, drones and guns and bombs and crap.

It comes down to a lot of lip service and world building that is actually quite interesting, and cutting edge, but are reduced to plot driven battle Royal of sorts. It’s fine, fun, commercial fiction, and is post the more interesting aspects of the story in book one. Less cringe worthy dialogue and one-liners, but then there’s also a lot of people running around saying they’re level 12 rogues and stuff. People in awe of online wizards with drones and military grade weaponry skirmishes that are then covered up by news propaganda. It all gets a little too unbelievable while trying to purport a kind of realism in other areas.

It’s a mash-up that feels juvenile, ultimately, even though there are kernels of cool ideas within this new kind of society leveraged with, basically cryptocurrency (dark web bucks, or whatever). As with the first, I’m not fully sold and don’t think it’s really cyberpunk and is actually a techno thriller with some (seemingly) well researched technological components grafted to bare bones characters and plot.

I actually really liked this one. Not only is there a new romance introduced, it’s with a character I was surprised to see developed, let alone so well. It also finally brings up the fae favours that seem to be completely forgotten the last few books. Murphy and Molly are depicted much better, the plot hook being around the fallen angels mixed with the fae are my favourite aspects of the world. All in all, it feels like a book that aims to nip and tuck all the sloppiness of the past, and mostly it does that well. I also really like Ivy, even under these circumstances.

It probably doesn’t do anything wildly exceptionally, but it is the first really solid entry since Dead Beat. And this time it manages to include the women in ways that aren’t diminutive. Bit of a mile stone, really.

DNF 60% into it. I just can’t get into the voice. It’s so mechanical and monotonous. There’s some really great commentary and observations about America and western society, but this character is so dry and boring. Plot beats aren't even boring. It's just hard to care.

Obviously, I am massively in the minority, so I didn’t give it 1 star. Maybe it’s the narration, maybe it’s just my current mood. Who knows. Either way, I’m pretty sure it’s a case of it’s me, not the book, with the reviews I’m seeing.

DNF’d 10%

The audiobook is Not Good. There’s multiple viewpoints, not just 1 or 2 or 3–but a lot! Because there is only one narrator and she doesn’t try to change her voice it is impossible to distinguish and it becomes very confusing. I’ll try it again at some point in print, maybe. I have a lot of books in print already though, so it won’t be any time soon.

As Canada is a colony of Britain, it makes sense that the systemic problems with the systemic problems with racism parallel the mother country. Most Canadians similarly think race problems are a US thing, and use it obfuscate issues back home.

Starting from that perspective this book does an excellent job of explaining what illicits white guilt, what the typical reactions to conversation about race are—including how they are derailed and why. It begins with the history of the UK and then expands so everything has the necessary context for what is seen in media and politics today. This is by far the most clarifying text about why the discussion around racism is continually stymied and how people of colour’s voices are continually policed.

Probably the most clear book on the topic I’ve read to date. Very glad I picked it up. And the audible version, narrated by the author, is fantastic.