Book Review: Infernal Devices by K.W. Jeter

This book was my first Netgalley read. I'm a big fan of what Netgalley is doing. If you have a kindle you should be taking advantage of their service.

On to the book. This was my first foray into the steampunk genre and I have to say that when I first started this book I was very confused as to what was going on. However, as I progressed through the book I started to get more and more into the plot and the characters.

Jeter does a phenomenal job of painting a scene and developing his characters. I could actually picture myself walking through the dank streets of London at night along with the main character. The main character in this book is Mr. Dower and he is one of the most unassuming main characters that I have come across in a long time. He just seems to be a plain old guy that gets caught up in one mess after another.  If I had his luck then I would never leave my home ever again. It is interesting to watch how he gets himself into trouble and then subsequently gets himself back out of that same trouble (with a little help from time to time). I believe that many of you will really enjoy his character.


As far as the plot goes, as I have said, I was confused at first about where I was heading in this book. But, as I read on the plot pulled me in and made me want to keep reading long into the night. Jeter spun a fantastic tail of science fiction set in old London. If your are a science fiction fan then I suggest that you pick this book up as an interesting alternative to what you may be used to reading.  

Overall rating: 4/5

First Book Haul

Here is what I've gotten from Borders in the last week or so:

 

 

 

I'm excited to get into these books. I know I'm behind on reading the Mortal Instruments books but that's ok. I still have some netgalleys to get to on my Kindle before I can start on these. For those of you who don't know Matthew Pearl, he's an adult fiction writer that's got some pretty great stuff. You should check him out if you are into adult fiction.

The Broker by John Grisham

In his final hours in the Oval Office, the outgoing President grants a controversial last-minute pardon to Joel Backman, a notorious Washington power broker who has spent the last six years hidden away in a federal prison. What no one knows is that the President issues the pardon only after receiving enormous pressure from the CIA. It seems Backman, in his power broker heyday, may have obtained secrets that compromise the world’s most sophisticated satellite surveillance system.

Backman is quietly smuggled out of the country in a military cargo plane, given a new name, a new identity, and a new home in Italy. Eventually, after he has settled into his new life, the CIA will leak his whereabouts to the Israelis, the Russians, the Chinese, and the Saudis. Then the CIA will do what it does best: sit back and watch. The question is not whether Backman will survive—there is no chance of that. The question the CIA needs answered is, who will kill him?

*Excerpt from Goodreads

This is another novel in a long line of great books by John Grisham. You know it's going to be a fun book when the CIA is leaking someones whereabouts just to see who kills him. When I read the jacket of the book I was afraid that they may have given too much of the plot away. I was wrong. There was still plenty of suspense and drama to be had. This book had me guessing how it was going to end until it was over. I must admit that I didn't guess right at all. 


The characters in this book are well rounded and well developed. It seems that Grisham takes great pride in developing the characters and the settings of his books and it shows. The chase in this book takes you into 3 or 4 different countries and crosses paths with many, many people. 


If you are a mystery fan or a Grisham fan then this book is a good read for you. It's not as good as "A Time to Kill" or "Runaway Jury" but it's by far better than "The Brethren" (those references will make sense to the Grisham addicts out there). 


Overall Rating: 4/5

My Favorite Authors

I decided that it was time to post something other than a book review on here. I thought I would give those of you that actually read this blog a taste of something new. So, I've decided to talk a little about my favorite authors. I read a lot of YA lit, but at the end of the day I always come back to these two authors.

My two favorite authors are Dean Koontz and John Grisham. I could sit and read their books all day everyday. The first book that had a real impact on me as a reader, and to this day is still my favorite book, was "Intensity" by Dean Koontz. The plot was amazing! It was also the first book I read that switched points of view. I literally couldn't put the book down. Grisham also has a way of keeping me on the edge of my seat. I once read his book "Bleachers" in 4 hours. I don't know what it is about these two guys but they just have a way of captivating me as a reader.

I have a few other books in my TBR pile to get through first, but after that I am anxiously anticipating reading the Frankenstein Series by Koontz. It looks amazing.

Here are a few book suggestions from each author if you are interested:

Koontz:
Intensity
Seize the Night
Odd Thomas
The Husband

Grisham
The Broker
The Appeal
Runaway Jury
A Time to Kill

I hope you enjoyed this post. Who are your favorite authors? Feel free to leave them in the comment box or via a link to your blog!