Terminal World

This is a steampunk novel from an author known for SF. In the towering city of Spearpoint, Quillon is working as a pathologist in the district morgue. When a winged angel from the Celestial Levels ends up on his dissection table, it starts a chain of events that causes Quillon to embark on a journey into the hostile lands beyond Spearpoint. The main conceit at play is that the world (and Spearpoint) is divided into several different zones in which only certain kinds of technology can exist. Traveling from one zone to another, if you're heading from a more advanced zone to a less advanced zone, renders any more advanced tech unworkable. In Spearpoint itself the zones range from high-tech, to electricity, to steam-powered, to “Horsetown”. It's a strange set-up that naturally doesn't hold up to close scrutiny but there you are.

The beginning of the story moves along a fast clip and keeps you interested. But once Quillon is beyond Spearpoint, the story slows down considerably. There are a few moments when things get re-invigorated, but they don't last until perhaps the last 70 pages of the book when events once again move at quicker pace. It was interesting enough to keep reading, but just barely. The middle is a slog. And Quillon's not the most captivating character either. My biggest complaint is that the book lacks suspense for 95% of the story.

Some weeks ago I came across another reader who whole-heartedly recommends the author's book “House of Suns” but had warned me not to bother with this one.