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A review by branch_c
Fiendish Schemes by K.W. Jeter
3.0
At the beginning I was reminded of why I still consider [b:Infernal Devices|49808|Infernal Devices|K.W. Jeter|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1230562287s/49808.jpg|48716] one of the best steampunk novels ever.
With the return of George Dower in this book, we get more of his late father's ingenious clockwork inventions, plus gigantic walking lighthouses, steam mines, and hints of communication with whales and with the oceans themselves. It's clever absurdity of the best possible kind, and Jeter is the absolute master of the pseudo-Victorian writing style with its subtly humorous language.
Unfortunately, the story takes a couple of turns in the middle that left me much less impressed. I'm not sure if the reader, along with Dower, is meant to find the ridiculous concept of "fex" to be distasteful or not, but along with other half-joking references to bizarre kinkiness, it came across as juvenile and not particularly funny.
Then the initially fascinating lighthouse concept is transformed into a squalid and implausible conspiracy led by the unfortunately ridiculous major villain. This so-called Iron Lady is too absurd to be taken seriously, not creative enough to be taken humorously, and the conspiracy she leads makes little logical sense.
Toward the end, when the action cranks up for the climax, there's a slight return to the bright promise of the beginning, but it's too little too late, and leaving me with a barely average impression of the book overall.
With the return of George Dower in this book, we get more of his late father's ingenious clockwork inventions, plus gigantic walking lighthouses, steam mines, and hints of communication with whales and with the oceans themselves. It's clever absurdity of the best possible kind, and Jeter is the absolute master of the pseudo-Victorian writing style with its subtly humorous language.
Unfortunately, the story takes a couple of turns in the middle that left me much less impressed. I'm not sure if the reader, along with Dower, is meant to find the ridiculous concept of "fex" to be distasteful or not, but along with other half-joking references to bizarre kinkiness, it came across as juvenile and not particularly funny.
Then the initially fascinating lighthouse concept is transformed into a squalid and implausible conspiracy led by the unfortunately ridiculous major villain. This so-called Iron Lady is too absurd to be taken seriously, not creative enough to be taken humorously, and the conspiracy she leads makes little logical sense.
Toward the end, when the action cranks up for the climax, there's a slight return to the bright promise of the beginning, but it's too little too late, and leaving me with a barely average impression of the book overall.