Once Jenny Casey was somebody’s daughter. Once she was somebody’s enemy. Now the former Canadian special forces warrior lives on the he...
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Apr 04, 2009
Sandi
rated it: 
I find it really hard to believe that Hammered was Elizabeth Bear's first novel. The plot was so tight; the characters were so interesting; and the story was both intriguing and exciting. It was one of those books that took great willpower to put down when I to go do other things. I have read and listened to a few short stories by Bear that I thought were fantastic. It's nice to see that she handles the novel format just as well.
Jenny Casey is a protagonist that I can relate to. More...
Jenny Casey is a protagonist that I can relate to. More...
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(6 people liked it)
Apr 20, 2009
Chris
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
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(5 people liked it)
Apr 07, 2009
Diane
rated it:
I've read several stories by Elizabeth Bear and often read her blog, so I was curious how she would handle long-form story telling. I was not disappointed.
This is a tight story, fast-paced and exciting. It has all sorts of elements that I really enjoy in my SF: female protagonists who are "real", robots - or in this case AIs and cyborg elements for the humans, dystopian society, space exploration. This is very definitely a hard SF novel, but the story is really character-c More...
This is a tight story, fast-paced and exciting. It has all sorts of elements that I really enjoy in my SF: female protagonists who are "real", robots - or in this case AIs and cyborg elements for the humans, dystopian society, space exploration. This is very definitely a hard SF novel, but the story is really character-c More...
Dec 17, 2009
Jennifer
rated it:
I've been reading Elizabeth Bear's blog for several months now and finally decided to pick up one of her novels. I was afraid to read one for a while, worried that I wouldn't enjoy her fiction as much as her blog. I needn't have worried.
Jenny (what a great name), the main character, is a Candadian veteran, an ex-addict and current alcoholic and at least half machine. She buries herself in the Hartford (another excellent choice; did I mention Bear lives in West Hartford?) undergrou More...
Jenny (what a great name), the main character, is a Candadian veteran, an ex-addict and current alcoholic and at least half machine. She buries herself in the Hartford (another excellent choice; did I mention Bear lives in West Hartford?) undergrou More...
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Jan 15, 2011
Victoria
rated it: 
This wasn't the easiest book in the world to get into, but once I did, I found the characters compelling and the future world vivid and unique.
Set in a world where the US has crumbled and Canada has become the major military superpower of North America, this is a strange, (almost) dystopian story about a former soldier who is breaking down under the wear and tear to her decade-old cybernetic modifications, and the scheming former superior officer who wants her back under his thumb an More...
Set in a world where the US has crumbled and Canada has become the major military superpower of North America, this is a strange, (almost) dystopian story about a former soldier who is breaking down under the wear and tear to her decade-old cybernetic modifications, and the scheming former superior officer who wants her back under his thumb an More...
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(1 person liked it)
Dec 03, 2011
Mark Philip
rated it: 
From where I sit, Elizabeth Bear is a relatively new author. I remember when she still had the time to be a regular at the Online Writers Workshop, and when this book was new and everyone was excited about it. The world is lucky that EBear has fulfilled that early promise and then some. She has entered the pantheon of science fiction and fantasy masters. She is one of my very most favoritest authors. Her writing has that solid thunk! of a new car door closing. The seams are perfect, the fit and
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(1 person liked it)
May 05, 2011
Anna
rated it:
A fascinating world and great characters, but difficult to read. First of all, there were so many characters, and we switched between them so much, that I found it tough to latch onto one long enough to pull me in at the beginning. By the end, they all were interrelated, but since the book ended on a cliffhanger, I felt like whole threads didn't quite make sense. (I'm sure that's the point --- to keep you reading for the sequels --- but I've never been a fan of hugely unresolved threads.)
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Feb 08, 2009
I quite liked this book, particular as it was set partially in Canada and that's always a nice ego boost to a Canadian reading an American author. My only issue with it was the bits worded in French. Many of them weren't correct, and these completely yanked me out of my "suspension of disbelief" mode. This also happens to me when watching a movie where the director has hired an English-speaker to put on a simulated French accent, which falls apart the minute the actor actually has to s
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Aug 07, 2009
Tom
rated it: 
Complete garbage.
Not a single interesting, engaging or sympathetic character. Multiple plot threads that go nowhere, with the most uninteresting one being the main storyline. No point in setting the book in Toronto as there is nothing referenced to make the location unique or realized. Brutal pacing and annoying insertions of non-translated French (oh, she's Canadian, she MUST speak French! Riiiight.)
Couldn't finish it fast enough, and I'd rather have another root ca More...
Not a single interesting, engaging or sympathetic character. Multiple plot threads that go nowhere, with the most uninteresting one being the main storyline. No point in setting the book in Toronto as there is nothing referenced to make the location unique or realized. Brutal pacing and annoying insertions of non-translated French (oh, she's Canadian, she MUST speak French! Riiiight.)
Couldn't finish it fast enough, and I'd rather have another root ca More...
Mar 19, 2011
'd already discovered her writing in some short stories; the one I really liked-in fact it was my favorite of the anthology-was her zeppelin story taking place in Chinese history for Zeppelin Adventure Stories. My expectations were high, and she met them head on.
Jenny Casey is near fifty, a combat-traumatized soldier living in a very grim future Hartford, Connecticut. Her extensive cyberware is going bad, there are ugly drugs being dispersed on the streets of her town and the local g More...
Jenny Casey is near fifty, a combat-traumatized soldier living in a very grim future Hartford, Connecticut. Her extensive cyberware is going bad, there are ugly drugs being dispersed on the streets of her town and the local g More...
Feb 09, 2008
Chris
rated it:
I grew up near Hartford, and I have to say that there was very little that appealed to me. Sure, it has insurance companies and.... and.... umm.... a river. Anyway, after giving it some thought, I figured, "Why not Hartford?" After all, if the United States has collapsed under its own weight to the point where Canada has to come in and do peacekeeping operations, Hartford is probably even more of a hell-hole than most other more made-for-fiction cities. I'm sure Ms. Bear had the same t
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May 26, 2008
Celia
rated it:
Jenny Casey is an old soldier. She's middle aged, in constant pain due to her artificially reconstructed body, and suffers from vivid flashbacks. The appearance of a deadly new drug on the street alarms her, as does a murdered police officer, and Jenny Casey starts asking questions. Soon she realises that several people seem to have plans for her, and they're certainly not telling her all of the truth.
There's a couple of subplots (that spin their way together into the one major More...
There's a couple of subplots (that spin their way together into the one major More...
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Jan 02, 2012
Sarah
rated it:
Jenny Casey is an obsolete Canadian cyborg struggling to maintain a little humanity in a near-future dystopia. Instead, after a few mysterious deaths and the reemergence of several sociopaths from her tortured history, she finds herself sucked into a dark conspiracy for control of humanity’s destiny. A multitude of richly textured characters (even the ghost of Richard Feynman) and a deftly unfolded storyline more than make up for the irritatingly untranslated French passages. There is an awfu
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Apr 22, 2008
Brian
rated it:
Hammered is a fascinating story about a former Canadian soldier who's been injured and "repaired," Bionic Woman style, with artificial limbs and implants. But now, a confluence of events conspire to draw her back in to the world she wanted to leave behind, and to take the battle to the next frontier: space.
I enjoyed reading the book, but I was ultimately really disappointed that it basically ended with very little conclusion. The book leads you toward the protagonist, Jenny Cas More...
I enjoyed reading the book, but I was ultimately really disappointed that it basically ended with very little conclusion. The book leads you toward the protagonist, Jenny Cas More...
Jul 26, 2011
Michael
rated it:
Bear proves to have a skilled hand: blending elements of noir, golden-age, and cyberpunk sci-fi with classic character-driven drama, Elizabeth Bear has sculpted a post-cyberpunk tale that takes in an epic scale from a first-person perspective. THIS is how to write speculative fiction. Itching to finish the second book in the series.
Feb 01, 2009
From the little I've seen of Hartford and Canada, the pretense to Bear's story seems...appropriate. Jenny's vulnerability and self-medication - along with the pervasive role Unitek plays in the story of a damaged Earth - keeps the plot believable. This book served me well as bedtime reading from start to finish.
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Jul 24, 2010
JoyfulK
rated it:
This novel has character, suspense, action, plot, great world-building, and an actual basis in both hard science and current social trends. Add a strong (very strong, very believable) female main character and strong supporting cast. What more could a science-fiction reader want? I couldn't put it down. Recommended. Read the sequels, too.
Apr 07, 2009
Brenda
rated it:
I liked this book a lot. It was one of those books where the story started right away, without a whole lot of background information or setting things up. Because of that, I felt a little lost at first, but once I got a few pages in, I was hooked. I cared about the characters, and I'll be reading the rest of the series to find out what happens.
Dec 24, 2011
Julia
rated it:
Jenny Casey is a former Canadian soldier in a world where the Canadian military and corporations have become the world’s policemen. A lot of this takes place in Hartford, CT which is in even worse shape than it is now. Jenny there is Maker, and colleague to gangbangers and cops. But the book also takes place in gleaming Toronto and Jenny and several other characters are Quebeckers and speak Quebecois, which was at once delightful and a bit confusing to me. Another interesting character is Richar
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Jun 05, 2009
Kelly
rated it:
A plausible near-future book but not the most original novel I've read. I'm interested enough that I may read the next book. Not sure, though, it's not something I'm dying to do. We'll see.
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Sep 21, 2010
For September book club-chose this book based on what was at the library and the local setting. Club has the author visiting this month so we are reading selections of hers.
Jun 25, 2010
Becky
rated it:
Elizabeth Bear is most definitely a talent to follow. I've added her to my "favorite authors" list.
Sep 18, 2011
I knew this was a series, but the cliffhanger ending of this book made me angry. The author spent way too many pages setting up what ultimately isn't even in this book. I don't like that. If she'd stuck with the Valens side of the story and left out the gang-war stuff, it would have been really great. She can tell a tale, but this one didn't do it for me. I doubt I'll read anymore Jenny Casey books.
Oct 28, 2011
Dawn
rated it:
This series looked so interesting that I bought all three books at once. Too bad this turned out to be a waste of money.
The story in and of its self was good but much as I wanted to like this book, the writing style and story telling defeated me and I stopped reading about halfway through.
The story in and of its self was good but much as I wanted to like this book, the writing style and story telling defeated me and I stopped reading about halfway through.
Apr 02, 2008
Simone
rated it:
This is a well-paced, personal science fiction book. The main character is terrific, and the other point of view characters are equally interesting. The challenges feel real and perfectly scaled to the story, and the ending concludes the story without closing the door on more.
Sep 27, 2007
Sarah
rated it:
I read Elizabeth Bear's livejournal, so I'm a little biased, but Jenny Casey is a great character, and Bear is great at my favorite trick - making things clear without spelling everything out. Her characters feel like real people and this story has momentum and surprises.
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Sep 15, 2008
Amy
rated it:
ELizabeth Bear is an excellent writer and this was my first introduction to her. This trilogy remains my favorite, though. The lead character is incredibly strong and the storyline keeps you riveted. Highly recommended.
Jan 06, 2008
Juliana
rated it:
A bit rough around the edges in the way that an author's early work often is, but a fun and engaging read, particularly as far as the characterization goes. I'm very much looking forward to getting my hands on the sequel.
