Railhead

Reeve, best known (to me, at least) for the steampunk-flavoured Mortal Engines, here moves into a realm closer to cyberpunk, and does it very well. The notion that an interstellar empire might be based on a form of wormhole-crossing railway network is inspired, as is the focus on the resulting flotsam and jetsam of train-surfers, train-spotters, and graffiti artists. There is much thought-experiment in relation to the impact of advanced AI on human society, from the transcendent AI Guardians who protect humankind to the Motorik androids who interact with them rather after the classic robots of Asimov and his ilk, but with a more down-and-dirty feel than the high-tech Asimov universe. I also loved the little jokes buried in the text show more (such as the logo of the Imperium - lightning across two parallel lines - which may seem vaguely familiar to any British Rail passengers, and the nicknaming of the Emperor as "the Fat Controller"). The identification of the future ruling class with the Anglo-Indian business community rather than the usual suspects (mainly white European scientists) is neatly done. MB 10-xi-2021 show less

I was pleasantly surprised by how much of a solid and captivating book this was.

I was expecting to enjoy this, but I was expecting to have to work to remember the terminology and to understand all of the science fiction elements. However, it was surprisingly easy to pick up on the concepts of the world Reeve had created. I appreciated that there weren't endless descriptions of the world; instead, we were simply placed in it and everything came together cohesively.

There were some intriguing ideas given about humanity without feeling too forced. With a lot of emphasis on artificial intelligence, it became natural to be contemplating humanity and its role in the world. With the Guardians, godlike figures, being sentient creatures that one show more could send "data-prayers" too, even the idea of major religious figures was brought into contemplation.

There were comedic moments too that lightened the mood. The book was mainly action based, with the characters constantly on the move and constantly in the throes of some danger or some crisis, so having things like Zen thinking a bowl for washing his fingers was soup broke the tension beautifully.

My one major issue with this book was with the lack of personal repercussion for a particular action taken. I don't think it was entirely necessary, and I think that given the characters' thoughts leading up to it, what followed didn't make sense. (Avoiding spoilers makes me way too ambiguous!)

The ending left potential for a sequel open, and I'd definitely read a sequel. But this was such a good stand alone book that I almost wouldn't want to know what happens next so that I can keep imagining it.

This was a really fun read, and I totally recommend it to anyone who likes scifi casually but is scared of the investment most scifi books require. And to anyone who loves a good, fast-moving plot!

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. show less

Railhead/Philip Reeve The Great Network is an ancient web of routes and gates, where sentient trains can take you anywhere in the galaxy in the blink of an eye. Zen Starling is a nobody. A petty thief from the filthy streets of Thunder City who aimlessly rides the rails of the Network. So when the mysterious stranger Raven offers Zen a chance to escape the squalor of the city and live the rest of his days in luxury, Zen can’t believe his luck. All he has to do is steal one small box from the Emperor’s train with the help of Nova, an android girl. But the Great Network is a hazardous mess of twists and turns, and that little box just might bring everything in this galaxy — and the next — to the end of the line. The highly show more anticipated novel from Carnegie-medal-winning author Philip Reeve, Railhead is a fast, immersive, and heart-pounding ride perfect for any sci-fi fan. Step aboard — the universe is waiting.
 
I was pleasantly surprised by how much of a solid and captivating book this was.
 
I was expecting to enjoy this, but I was expecting to have to work to remember the terminology and to understand all of the science fiction elements. However, it was surprisingly easy to pick up on the concepts of the world Reeve had created. I appreciated that there weren't endless descriptions of the world; instead, we were simply placed in it and everything came together cohesively.
 
There were some intriguing ideas given about humanity without feeling too forced. With a lot of emphasis on artificial intelligence, it became natural to be contemplating humanity and its role in the world. With the Guardians, godlike figures, being sentient creatures that one could send "data-prayers" too, even the idea of major religious figures was brought into contemplation.
 
There were comedic moments too that lightened the mood. The book was mainly action based, with the characters constantly on the move and constantly in the throes of some danger or some crisis, so having things like Zen thinking a bowl for washing his fingers was soup broke the tension beautifully.
 
My one major issue with this book was with the lack of personal repercussion for a particular action taken. I don't think it was entirely necessary, and I think that given the characters' thoughts leading up to it, what followed didn't make sense. (Avoiding spoilers makes me way too ambiguous!)
 
The ending left potential for a sequel open, and I'd definitely read a sequel. But this was such a good stand alone book that I almost wouldn't want to know what happens next so that I can keep imagining it.
 
This was a really fun read, and I totally recommend it to anyone who likes scifi casually but is scared of the investment most scifi books require. And to anyone who loves a good, fast-moving plot!
 
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. show less

I would like to thank Capstone Publishing & NetGalley for a copy of this e-book to review. Though I received this ebook for free, that has no impact upon the honesty of my review.

Goodreads Teaser: "Come with me, Zen Starling, she had said. The girl in the red coat. But how did she know his name?

The Great Network is a place of drones and androids, maintenance spiders and Station Angels. The place of the thousand gates, where sentient trains crisis-cross the galaxy in a heartbeat. Zen Starling is a petty thief, a street urchin from Thunder City.

So when mysterious stranger Raven sends Zen and his new friend Nova on a mission to infiltrate the Emperor's train, he jumps at the chance to traverse the Great Network, to cross the galaxy in a show more heartbeat, to meet interesting people - and to steal their stuff.

But the Great Network is a dangerous place, and Zen had no idea where his journey will take him."

Written with a deft hand, this book quickly pulled me in and made me feel the story instead of simply allowing me to sit back and observe. Zen is an entertaining character, and has no trouble surrounding himself with others that fit the same description. He also has a real knack for finding trouble, but not as much luck in determining who, or what, will be the cause of that trouble until it's already too late for him to alter his course. Some of that is his own doing, while some is done to him by older and more experienced players.

Raven is a prime example, for he is most certainly not your average Joe, and it's mighty tough to get a handle on him. Sometimes he seems so honest and sincere, yet others it seems that every other line that comes out of his mouth is a lie. How's a young man to determine the truth of an older, and far more experienced, grifter than him? Even after finally hearing his own story it's tough to know just how much is true and how much is fabricated to gain him what he needs at that moment. That's a real skill, and that Reeve left us in the dark as well made it that much more potent and enjoyable.

Then there's Nova. Zen isn't quite sure what to make of her. She's loyal to Raven for one thing. And of course she's nothing like the other girls Zen knows. Nova is still figuring out who she wants to be, even though she's got some pretty strong ideas about who she already is. And at her core Nova truly is nothing like the other girls Zen knows; she's very much her own being.

The other characters are well crafted, and they grow and change as the story progresses. But the ones that really caught me were the trains. As interesting as the other people were, the trains appealed to me on so many levels. They all had their own stories, and those stories were ongoing and almost always unseen by all the blind riders. But some of the real 'railheads' like Zen heard their stories and fell just that much deeper in love with them. Even those trains that were frightening became more understandable and even accepted as the truth of their stories became clear. It really got to me that these trains had such extensive stories when they weren't the central focus of this story, or at least not in the conventional manner. I found their different personalities fascinating and appealing, as well as their various experiences — all of which made their interactions with Zen different and unique.

This story flows smoothly and at a decent clip, never once losing my interest or attention. The story and characters intertwined in a beautiful way, and while separately they were strong, when combined they became exceptionally powerful. The whole arc of the story was smooth and graceful, and even the ending was the same. Thankfully it left plenty of room to return to several characters, regardless of their humanity or not, and venture forth from where we last saw them. And I for one sincerely hope that Mr. Reeve decides to return to this rich and palatable creation of his, very soon and very often! show less

Zen Starling is a petty thief living with his sister and mentally ill mother in a dead-end world at the end of the line. His only passion is riding the rails - trains that travel between worlds in a flash - which also offers opportunities to steal. He's approached by a mysterious man named Raven, who wants him to steal a small box from the wealthy Noons, who control pretty much everything. The compensation he promises could solve all of Zen's problems.

I've never been much of a fan of science-fiction novels. Well, actually, I rather enjoyed a few of the older ones like [b:The Day of the Triffids|530965|The Day of the Triffids|John Wyndham|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1320530145s/530965.jpg|188517], but otherwise I always kind of got show more hung up on all the world-building and unfamiliar terminology. But I'd heard so much buzz about Railhead that I couldn't resist - and I'm glad I didn't! While it took me a while to find my feet and get into the story, it's quite fun and well-written. Philip Reeve has built a world that I found fascinating - much of which seems to be the result of artificial intelligence becoming self-aware. Even insects come together to possess a greater intelligence than as individuals, and he does it all with a sprinkling of subtle humor. Where I initially didn't see any parallels with the modern-day world, I eventually began to see the tweaks and twists he put on familiar things (such as teenager who 'ride the rails'). He's also taken a somewhat stock character (the young petty thief) and turned him into a rather likable hero, who still makes huge mistakes, in situations that aren't always cut-and-dried. In fact, many of the characters turn out to be multi-faceted, and I think I'll be watching for more from Mr. Reeve. show less

Zen Starling is a petty thief. He thinks he has just been caught stealing but instead he has been chosen for a mission by a mysterious stranger named Raven. Zen has to infiltrate the Emperor's train and steal something Raven desperately wants. He has always wanted to traverse the Great Network - a vast place of a thousand gates leading to very different places, of Station Angels, drones, maintenance spiders and many different trains all with their own personalities. Zen Starling jumps at the chance to see the worlds and steal something big.

I'm not really into made up worlds and stuff like that but this book sounded interesting enough to give it a go. And I must say it was really good! There is a very helpful glossary at the back. I show more really enjoyed going into these weird new worlds and meeting different types of creatures and trains. I was fond of Uncle Bugs. He is a Hive Monk which is a million bugs clinging together to form a human-shaped skeleton by using old junk like a cloak and a face mask. Very creative! show less

Set in a future world where trains travel through wormholes in the space/time continuum to take people to other worlds/planets. A time way in the future where Earth is long dead and rich train owning families rule the galaxy. Ned Starling is a thief but there seems to be more interest in him than normal after his latest heist and it is only the quick thinking actions of an individualized girl Motorik ( human form robotic AI being) called Nova that save him.
Nova works for a notorious criminal mastermind called Raven. This is someone who knows too much ( according to the Guardians who rule the galaxy) and has had his uploaded consciousness in hundreds of human forms systematically terminated until there is only one left. But is Raven show more really a "bad" guy? What is the secret and why does he need Zen so desperately to steal a small grey object for him.
This book is a lot like Bladerunner in that we have artificial intelligence in human forms that can think for themselves and fall in love with real humans. Also love some of the bit characters in the trains themselves all have personalities - stubborn, vain, insane and the merchant Uncle Bugs who is actually an entire colony of insect like beings ( a Hive monk) that can only communicate with humans when they are all together. ( See illustration at rear of the book.) Great stuff. Second book is called Black Light Express. show less