SOJALS rating:

Mediocre (2/5)

I first read this in June 2006 and most recently on the 1st May 2010

Two hundred years ago there was a failed revolution against the tyranny of the First Families. It was led by. Now revolution is brewing again. Takeshi Kovacs is a tough guy. He's also driven and has relationship issues. For the past few years he has been murdering the priests of a particularly unpleasant religion. He has reasons for it, of course. However, once he gets involved with Silvie Oshima, and joins the revolution, it all gets a bit hectic.

I have to say that was a pretty exciting read. It's all wildly over the top of course, but it you like full-throated, guns-blazing action then this is the book for you.

For amusement on my second read through, I mentally removed the word "Envoy" wherever it occurred as an adjective, e.g. "Envoy training" became "training" and got a very similar though less melodramatic read. Morgan's Envoy stuff just doesn't add anything beyond what your normal all-action hero would possess. It seems there's little value in being Envoyed, as it were. I don't want to get into an argument about my augmented human is better than your augmented human but. To see the difference, look at Ian Cormac of Neal Asher's Polity Series. Check out "GRIDLINKED". You do get the feeling that a Polity agent is actually a bit more than your average Envoy. See, see. Am I right? Of course I am.

What's it got? Aliens, far-flung future failing empires, cloning, mercenaries on maddened rampages, hard-hitting babes with big hair and big guns, renegade government men, betrayal and death in wheel-barrow loads.