Whitechapel Gods
by S.M. Peters
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Book Summary Information
Author: S.M. PetersEdition: Mass Market Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2008-02-05
ISBN: 0451461932
Number of pages: 374
Publisher: Roc
Book Reviews of Whitechapel Gods
Book Review: Interesting setting and atmosphere but a clunky narrative
Summary: 2 Stars
Part Steampunk and Steam- Fantasy, `Whitechapel Gods' takes place within the confines of the titular London neighborhood. Two supernatural entities, referred to as Mama Engine and Grandfather Clock, have somehow seized control of Victorian Whitechapel and closed it off from the surrounding cityscape by erecting a large, almost impenetrable wall around its environs.
Whitechapel has been transformed into an unpleasant Piranesi -meets - Dore landscape of titanic steam- and gasoline- driven machineries, tended to by a dwindling population of servile humans. The air is so polluted that early death from various lung ailments is common; to make things worse, a new disease, in which humans are slowly converted to the Victorian equivalent of cyborgs, has arisen among the populace and threatens to extinguish humanity from Whitechapel altogether.
Periodically, the humans attempt to overthrow their masters, but Mama Engine and Grandfather Clock maintain control by fielding armies of vicious robots ("Boiler Men") and human / machine hybrids ("Gold Cloaks"). Also maintaining the status quo is one Baron Hume, formerly an eminent engineer, now a cyborg, and someone who may have played a role in the arrival of Mama Engine and Grandmother Clock to Whitechapel.
The narrative centers on yet another effort by the downtrodden humans of Whitechapel to seize control of their city and eliminate the tyrants. The plot follows the adventures of a number of characters, such as Missy, the Fallen Woman; Bailey, the mastermind of the latest uprising; Oliver, Tom, and Hew, participants in a failed earlier effort at Liberation; Jack the Scraper, a nasty criminal mastermind who looks solely to his own welfare; and Bergen, a former Big Game hunter who is dispatched to retrieve the critical information that will enable the humans to overthrow their rulers.
The narrative unfolds over the course of several days, as the band of human saboteurs struggles to penetrate the core installations of Whitechapel and bring down the source of the Gods' powers.
First-time novelist Peters obviously derives some of his inspiration from Gibson and Sterling's "The Difference Engine". This is not a bad thing. However, "Whitechapel Gods" is a middling success. The setting and atmosphere are certainly well envisioned and memorable. However, the overall narrative is disappointing. The novel is a good 100 pages too long and could have benefitted from better editing. The initial chapters fail to provide adequate exposition on the world and geography of Whitechapel, leaving it to the reader to try and infer these features as the storyline unfolds; this is unhelpful.
Another problem lies with the author's decision to regularly interrupt the narrative to indulge in purple-prosed descriptions of phantasmagorical visions endured by several characters who have a kind of `psychic' link to the minds of the Gods.
The author also can't resist stuffing many chapters with confusing internal dialogues between some of the characters and Mama Engine; these dialogues are rendered in italics and clog the narrative so often that it makes reading these chapters a tedious and boring task. Also of dubious value are the epigraphs leading off each chapter; these obtuse musings, presumably originating from Baron Hume, shed no light on the story and should have been jettisoned by the editor.
The narrative regains momentum during the last 30 pages, as the struggle to overthrow the Gods enters a violent and desperate phase; the book is at its best here. It's just unfortunate that getting to those rewarding last pages requires plodding through some rather inert chunks of storyline.
While "Gods" has its weaknesses, it shows promise, and author Peters' next book may be something worth keeping an eye on in the field of SF / Fantasy writing.
To close, a Soapbox Moment: the paperback version has a very nice, attention-getting cover illustration; unfortunately, the artist is uncredited. This omission occurs too often with too many paperback SF books. I hope the ROC editor(s) will try and correct this defect in future printings !
Summary of Whitechapel Gods
A thrilling new Steampunk fantasy from a talented debut authorTWO GODS-ONE CHANCE FOR MANKIND
In Victorian London, the Whitechapel section is a mechanized, steam-driven hell, cut off and ruled by two mysterious, mechanical gods-Mama Engine and Grandfather Clock. Some years have passed since the Great Uprising, when humans rose up to fight against the machines, but a few brave veterans of the Uprising have formed their own Resistance-and are gathering for another attack. For now they have a secret weapon that may finally free them-or kill them all...
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