4.5 StarsIron Angel by Alan Campbell is a case where sometimes too much of a good thing can be a bad thing. This book is the sequel to Scar Night, a novel that is a glorious steam punk mash filled with demons, angels, and clockwork machines. In Scar Night, we get treated to a truly amazing setting (Deepgate) that is as much of a character as our actual heroes. In this one the setting is much larger, vast, an epic adventure. It goes from the gates of Hell to far off countries like Pandemeria. I have to confess that I am very biased as this type of novel thrills me to death. I could read novels like this one non-stop. Iron Angel's epic adventure is actually overshadowed by the sheer power of the city of Deepgate from the first book. I longed for the fully realized setting in this book, it is a truly grand creation. Even though our cast from Scar Night returns to this book, they actually take on the smaller roles. We are treated to a much larger and colorful cast of Angels, Demons, and Constructs...““My master.” Anchor tipped his head back. “God of brine and fog, pearlmaker and pirate in Heaven. Ayen’s shipwright and captain of the Rotsward. So many names, eh.”The writing of Campbell's is much the same as in book one. It is colorful, detailed, and very imaginative...“Deepgate lay to the west, now half a league behind the airship. Torn and burning in a thousand places, the city hung in her surviving chains like a great blackened funnel over the abyss. Swathes of the League of Rope quarter had been reduced to a smouldering crust, or had crumbled entirely into the pit below, exposing further webs of chain. Ash swirled between the metal links. Fires raged out of control in the Workers’ Warrens, in Ivygarths and Chapelfunnel, and on the fringes of the Scythe where vast rents could be seen among the shipyards. Gases poured from ruptured aether vats and from the coal gas depositories around Mesa’s chain, forming ochre and white layers between docking spines and buckled gantries. Trunks of black, red, and silver smoke uncoiled from the Poison Kitchens, feeding the expanding clouds above, while the city below lay veiled in crimson vapors. The sun glimmered faintly, a copper-coloured smudge." Another example:“The Mesmerist ruler stood beside the parapet of the sweeping red balcony, gazing out across Hell. The crimson sky smouldered behind him, casting liquid shadows across the smooth ridges and indentations of his black glass helmet. He stood about nine feet tall today, more or less the same height he’d been since Harper had been in his service, yet his glass armour warped gradually as light and shade passed over it. Even as Harper watched, Menoa’s breastplate flowed, changing from the face of a catlike beast to the grimacing visage of a hanged man. Spikes grew out of his shoulder plates, and then shrunk back inside again, as though following the rhythm of his breathing. His gauntlets rested on the parapet before him like huge dark claws.” This story moves along very quickly, so much so, that it is easy to become a bit lost. The new characters are all great, but there is simply too much going on to ever become connected to them. I especially liked John, our rope tied giant of a man with a bag of soul beads at his hip and a burden like no other. Dill returns to this one and he plays a major role in the events of the world.If you like stories that take place in Hell, and that are filled with Angels, Demons, Monsters, and clockwork constructs, and also features strange creatures and magic, then this is a series for you. Campbell has created a dark and twisted steampunk world that will have you wanting more. This series is reminding me so much of the Noreela series by Tim Lebbon(A favorite author of mine). I highly recommend this series to fans of the genre and the subject matter...great stuff! After reading the first book in the series last year I was definitely interested in reading the second book in the Deepgate Codex. While I did enjoy Iron Angel I didn’t think it was on the same level as its predecessor Scar Night.The story line more or less picks up after the events of Scar Night and adds in a few more characters that I found to be quite interesting. When thinking about what actually happened in the book I feel like there was a lot going on but at the same time not a lot actually happened. There was so much going on and I felt that the end goal was a little disappointing.Once again both Dill and Rachel are featured within the book but I felt as though we didn’t get a lot of time with them. I am curious about Mina Greene though as she does definitely sound like an intriguing character.I really enjoy the world building and the descriptions that Alan Campbell gives within the book. It’s so unique and different to other books that I have read that I’m really curious to know more about the world and its dynamic and that sort of thing.It’s sort of hard to write down what I thought of Iron Angel because in general, I thought it was an entertaining read but I’m still a little bit lost with the plot. I just feel like Alan Campbell tried to cram a lot of new story into the book and it didn’t do it any favours. I also feel like I may have missed something somewhere as I feel like the plot had a hole or two in it. I will however, continue on reading the series and I look forward to picking up God of Clocks in the near future.
What do You think about Il Dio Delle Nebbie (2008)?
Don't think I'm in the mood for this book, I keep reading other things in between
—Asdasdeasa
Not quite as good as Campbell's debut, 'Scar Night', but still a great read.
—JohnCena
