Good fast writing, ok setup and background, (too) shallow plot. Would have worked much better as a graphic novel. ( )

Series Info/Source: This is the first book in the Avery Cates series, there are five books in that series. I borrowed this as an audiobook from my library.

Audiobook Quality (4/5): I listened to this on audiobook and the audiobook was fine. The narrator does a decent job with character voices and emotion. It was pleasant enough to listen to.

Thoughts: This reminded me a bit of a cyperpunk Nightside (Simon Green series) book, but not quite as creative or interesting as the Nightside. There are some quirky characters, the world is interesting (but seems a bit shallow), there is a ton of action, and a buttload of swearing (seriously there are points where every other word is a swear word). I listened to this on audiobook and my teen son would walk past my office and be like "Geez, mom and you tell me not to swear.."

The story follows Avery Cates (a gunner for hire) in a world where society has collapsed. He gets on the bad side of some cyborg Monks and then is hired by the dreaded corporate overlords to take out the leader of the Electric Church that the Monks belong to.

This portrays a gritty cyberpunk world and there is a lot of fast-paced action but the whole thing felt a bit thin as well. I just didn't really engage with the characters and the story is fairly simple (there are some twists but they were pretty predictable).

The whole book was like a piece of sweet candy (with lots of guns, swearing, and misery)....fairly engaging and somewhat yummy but leaving you feeling a bit unsatisfied when you finish it. It was okay but I most likely won't continue with the series. It just didn't have the interesting psychological depth of a lot of other cyberpunk books out there. I mean I guess there is the discussion around what the Electric Monks are doing to people but that never got very thought-provoking and was mostly just gross and terrifying.

My Summary (3/5): Overall this was an okay cyberpunk read if you are looking for an action-packed series of violent scenes with a lot of swearing. There are some quirky characters here that you never really get attached to and you don’t want to think about the story too hard. However, I enjoyed the gritty world and as long as I just kind of went with it and didn’t think too much it was an okay diversion. ( )

The Electric Church could easliy be dismissed as a formulaic cyberpunk pulp novel. It's a relatively short read - it part of a sequence - it's not doing anthing special.

Except that it is extremely will written. I approched this expecting to have to ignore some cringe-worthy dialogue or preposterous plot twists. The plotting is tight, believable and really engaging. The main charcter - Cates - is likeable and witty and the supporting cast is strong and interesting.

For a shorter novel - the scope is quite broad and it looks like the next on the sequence - rather then just being more of the same - really moves the world and characters forward. There isn't a huge amount of worldbuilding - certainly not the level I am usd to in a hefty space opera a la Alistair Reynolds but that works well - keeping the atmiosphere gritty and dark and keeping the reader grounded in the plot without distraction of understanding new technology or geography or social strata.

A thoroughly enjoyable and extremely well contructed novel with a dimension that lifts it above the standard pulp sci fi fayre - looking forward to reading the sequel. ( )

I really had to drag myself through the book. A pity because the book does have some strengths and positives to it. On the positive side, the dystopia it describes is actually pretty good. The concept of the Electric Church and the monks is definitely a pretty good, original idea. But that is about where it stops for me. I could go on about the cyberpunk and the noir, but other reviewers have done that in much better detail. Yes, those elements are present, and they are elements I have enjoyed in my science fiction in other selections. What got me was the somewhat plain prose, and the pace was just not there. It did not really seem engaging to me at least. Maybe there is one trope or stereotype too many. Or maybe not enough world building, too much of the usual hero going after the big bad guy. All I know is the concept seemed good, but the execution seemed lacking. The book was ok, but it was not great. It is first in a series, but I don't think I will be following the series. That it took me two months to get through it, when I often finish novels in much less time, was definitely a sign this was not a good book for me. Stuff like this I usually zip through it. This just did not really grab me.

I hear there is a movie coming out. Maybe the movie will be better than the book, though not holding my breath on that. ( )

In his debut novel, The Electric Church, Jeff Somers attempts to create a 21st century cyberpunk novel. His vision of the not-so-distant future, managed by the fascist System of Federated Nations and their powerful police, exists in economic chaos, spawning rampant poverty and a vibrant criminal element. Avery Cates, a gunner, thrives within this environment, until he accidentally kills a cop and attracts the attention of the Electric Church and its mysterious Monks, cyborgs with human brains.

Cyberpunk stereotypes abound with pop-culture jargon, computer-human interaction, near-future technology, and unsavory characters in an all-too-familiar tableau. Through most of the book I found myself one step ahead of our protagonist. Somers, clearly a gifted craftsman, writes in a clean, sharp style rooted firmly within the Chandler school but one that is utterly forgettable once the book is closed. His obvious talents intrigue and would work best in a less-formulaic story. Unfortunately, his next book will be a sequel to The Electric Church.

(The review abridged from my version in The Austin Chronicle, October 5, 2007.)
Link: [http://www.austinchronicle.com/gyrobase/Issue/review?oid=oid:546562] ( )