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The Walking Shadows #2
Midnight
In a gritty, tech-noir version of 1930s Manhattan, an ex-cop and his robot partner must stop a killer who’s sending the city into chaos.
December, 1933. The city that cannot sleep, where cartels and mobsters go bump in the night. Manhattan’s delicate peace is broken when four politicians in the pocket of America’s reigning megacorporation are murdered at the Edison Hotel, dispatched by an unknown assassin wielding a rare and unique weapon. The NYPD calls upon the only man for the Elias Roche, the Nightcaller.
With Upper City bigwigs in a panic and the shadowy Iron Hands poised to make a grab for the Lower City, Roche is having doubts about his role in the complex power structure as a former cop and current Mob enforcer. But he sets out to investigate, now under more scrutiny than ever a new radio show based on his escapades thrusts unwanted fame upon him, the FBI are breathing down his neck, and a relentless journalist is dogging his every move. Meanwhile, an awakening cynicism in his Automatic partner, Allen Erzly, is turning their already bleak world upside down. As the pressure mounts, it’s a race to find the killer before the eve of the New Year.
December, 1933. The city that cannot sleep, where cartels and mobsters go bump in the night. Manhattan’s delicate peace is broken when four politicians in the pocket of America’s reigning megacorporation are murdered at the Edison Hotel, dispatched by an unknown assassin wielding a rare and unique weapon. The NYPD calls upon the only man for the Elias Roche, the Nightcaller.
With Upper City bigwigs in a panic and the shadowy Iron Hands poised to make a grab for the Lower City, Roche is having doubts about his role in the complex power structure as a former cop and current Mob enforcer. But he sets out to investigate, now under more scrutiny than ever a new radio show based on his escapades thrusts unwanted fame upon him, the FBI are breathing down his neck, and a relentless journalist is dogging his every move. Meanwhile, an awakening cynicism in his Automatic partner, Allen Erzly, is turning their already bleak world upside down. As the pressure mounts, it’s a race to find the killer before the eve of the New Year.
392 pages, Paperback
Published August 17, 2021
6 people are currently reading
1773 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
July 7, 2021
So yeah, I had this brief phase where I’d talk like a 1920s gangster after having a few drinks. “waaah, don’t taze me, coppah!”, “you damn dirty rat, you took my jaeger bomb, seeee”, and so on. I loved it and everyone else hated it, especially the chicks. What sort of dame doesn’t like being belittled? Hmm… I suppose that makes sense now, I was being a huge dick. Ok, anyways, after a severe dry spell, I eventually stopped doing the voice altogether. I recently found Midnight and it combined my love of Cagney-eqsue gangsters with robots. Score!
Midnight is set in an alternate reality 1930s New York. The city is split in two, with the rich upper-class folks living on top of a huge platform called the Plate that is perched above the old city. They avoid the people below the Plate and essentially treat them like shit. Dropping pennies off the shelf to smoke these losers. I’d totes be tossing empties and taking a whizz of the edge if I was up there. Then again, I have zilch for drive, and no real skills, so there’s no way I’d make it there or get thrown out pretty damn quick.
But yeah, the city itself is in a massive depression that was caused by the introduction of Automatics, which are humanoid robots. The Automatics have differing cognitive abilities and are differentiated by the colours of their eyes. Green being only able to follow commands, blue being able to think for themselves, and red pretty much murdering psychopaths. The Automatics are treated even more like shit than the lower-class people and there’s a prohibition on robot parts rather than alcohol. That’s where the mafia steps in and two groups, the Iron Hands and Maranzano’s gang, run the town dealing in robot parts and violence.
So our story follows this gruff cop/mob enforcer/grey-area-guy named Roche and his naïve blue-eyed robot partner Allen. Some upper-city bigwigs went down below the Plate to do some slumming and got blown away. A gang war is erupting, the assassin keeps bumping off mobsters, and the whole city is about to turn into mayhem. Have no fear readers, Roche and robo-Allen are on the case!
Yeah, so this has the bones to be a rad alt-reality robot gangster story, but it whiffs dudes. It fell flat and fails to engage the reader. It was kinda sci-fi, kinda-noir, kinda-30s, but never settled into any sort of groove. The characters, dialogue, and setting were all on the thin side and it got confusing at parts. I’d keep forgetting it was in the 30s as the dialogue read more like current day. I’d keep forgetting that Allen was a robot as he was pretty damn human to me. Maybe it’s just me, and I should lay off the brain-cell killing bottomless mimosa Sundays, but I never got immersed in the story.
It’s like when you eat a bunch of space cake. You see the walls wobbling a little but are waiting for it to really kick in and be one with the universe. But you just sit on the couch playing Pokemon because it was a weak batch. That’s what this book was like. A cool world and promising characters that just doesn’t deliver the experience you want.
Anyways, that’s about all I got. Adios amigos!
Oh wait, check out my rad site for more content like this: The SciFi Book Guy
Midnight is set in an alternate reality 1930s New York. The city is split in two, with the rich upper-class folks living on top of a huge platform called the Plate that is perched above the old city. They avoid the people below the Plate and essentially treat them like shit. Dropping pennies off the shelf to smoke these losers. I’d totes be tossing empties and taking a whizz of the edge if I was up there. Then again, I have zilch for drive, and no real skills, so there’s no way I’d make it there or get thrown out pretty damn quick.
But yeah, the city itself is in a massive depression that was caused by the introduction of Automatics, which are humanoid robots. The Automatics have differing cognitive abilities and are differentiated by the colours of their eyes. Green being only able to follow commands, blue being able to think for themselves, and red pretty much murdering psychopaths. The Automatics are treated even more like shit than the lower-class people and there’s a prohibition on robot parts rather than alcohol. That’s where the mafia steps in and two groups, the Iron Hands and Maranzano’s gang, run the town dealing in robot parts and violence.
So our story follows this gruff cop/mob enforcer/grey-area-guy named Roche and his naïve blue-eyed robot partner Allen. Some upper-city bigwigs went down below the Plate to do some slumming and got blown away. A gang war is erupting, the assassin keeps bumping off mobsters, and the whole city is about to turn into mayhem. Have no fear readers, Roche and robo-Allen are on the case!
Yeah, so this has the bones to be a rad alt-reality robot gangster story, but it whiffs dudes. It fell flat and fails to engage the reader. It was kinda sci-fi, kinda-noir, kinda-30s, but never settled into any sort of groove. The characters, dialogue, and setting were all on the thin side and it got confusing at parts. I’d keep forgetting it was in the 30s as the dialogue read more like current day. I’d keep forgetting that Allen was a robot as he was pretty damn human to me. Maybe it’s just me, and I should lay off the brain-cell killing bottomless mimosa Sundays, but I never got immersed in the story.
It’s like when you eat a bunch of space cake. You see the walls wobbling a little but are waiting for it to really kick in and be one with the universe. But you just sit on the couch playing Pokemon because it was a weak batch. That’s what this book was like. A cool world and promising characters that just doesn’t deliver the experience you want.
Anyways, that’s about all I got. Adios amigos!
Oh wait, check out my rad site for more content like this: The SciFi Book Guy
May 5, 2021
The second book in Brenden Carlson’s tech-noir series, Midnight centers around a detective and his robot partner whom are trying to save the city from absolute chaos.
Brenden’s world building and creativity exceeded my expectations in this tech-noir and anyone who loves a 1930’s alternate New York universe with robot detectives, cool code names, and typical obnoxious journalists hindering investigations, this one is for you!
Brenden’s world building and creativity exceeded my expectations in this tech-noir and anyone who loves a 1930’s alternate New York universe with robot detectives, cool code names, and typical obnoxious journalists hindering investigations, this one is for you!
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May 26, 2021Special thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book.
I have not at the time of this review read the first title in the series. However although characters were in another book I did not feel lost or too far behind in understanding and appreciating this story.
It is really good old steampunk with heavier sci fi than some but the plotting and characters were both good enough I will definitely read more by this author and find the first book.
I have not at the time of this review read the first title in the series. However although characters were in another book I did not feel lost or too far behind in understanding and appreciating this story.
It is really good old steampunk with heavier sci fi than some but the plotting and characters were both good enough I will definitely read more by this author and find the first book.
July 14, 2021
It's 1933 and just a few days away from Christmas in an alternate Manhattan, a city divided by a huge platform or plate that separates the rich who live above the plate in Upper City from the poor below in the Lower City. The city is in the midst of a Depression brought on by the introduction of robots or Automatics although Upper City is mostly immune to the economic disaster due to their money and power.
Gangsters have controlled Lower City completely by controlling the business of robot parts but now a shadowy organization called the Iron Hand has moved in. A shaky peace exists between the two until another element enters the picture, a lone assassin who is killing members from both groups and, most recently, four politicians in what had been a neutral hotel. The only chance of preventing an all-out deadly war between the two criminal empires is Roche, a tough ex-cop who has become something of a folk hero to the people of Lower City who know him as the Nightcaller (a name he hates) and his robot partner, Allen.
When I requested Midnight, a tech-noir by Brenden Carlson, I hadn't realized it was the second in a series. However, although there are some allusions to the events of the first book, they didn't effect my enjoyment of this sequel. And, for the most part, I did enjoy it. I loved the world-. or, in this case, the city-building the explanations of the different robots, as well as the noir elements to the story. The characters are interesting if somewhat one-dimensional but that works here and I especially liked Allen. The story does get bogged down in some places but the pace always picks up quickly, keeping my attention and willing suspension of disbelief throughout the first 80% or so of the novel.
However, the last 20% seemed rushed. Within a few breaths after Roche and Allen uncover the assassin, their opinions of the person and their motives seem to do a 180 degree switch on their feelings and the story rushes off in a different direction. Granted, it wasn't entirely a surprising change but it was just too abrupt for me to fully accept. Overall, though, I enjoyed the story and would recommend it to anyone looking for an entertaining story with noir elements and robots.
3.5
Thanks to Netgalley and Dundurn Press for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review
Gangsters have controlled Lower City completely by controlling the business of robot parts but now a shadowy organization called the Iron Hand has moved in. A shaky peace exists between the two until another element enters the picture, a lone assassin who is killing members from both groups and, most recently, four politicians in what had been a neutral hotel. The only chance of preventing an all-out deadly war between the two criminal empires is Roche, a tough ex-cop who has become something of a folk hero to the people of Lower City who know him as the Nightcaller (a name he hates) and his robot partner, Allen.
When I requested Midnight, a tech-noir by Brenden Carlson, I hadn't realized it was the second in a series. However, although there are some allusions to the events of the first book, they didn't effect my enjoyment of this sequel. And, for the most part, I did enjoy it. I loved the world-. or, in this case, the city-building the explanations of the different robots, as well as the noir elements to the story. The characters are interesting if somewhat one-dimensional but that works here and I especially liked Allen. The story does get bogged down in some places but the pace always picks up quickly, keeping my attention and willing suspension of disbelief throughout the first 80% or so of the novel.
However, the last 20% seemed rushed. Within a few breaths after Roche and Allen uncover the assassin, their opinions of the person and their motives seem to do a 180 degree switch on their feelings and the story rushes off in a different direction. Granted, it wasn't entirely a surprising change but it was just too abrupt for me to fully accept. Overall, though, I enjoyed the story and would recommend it to anyone looking for an entertaining story with noir elements and robots.
3.5
Thanks to Netgalley and Dundurn Press for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review
July 14, 2021
Like its predecessor Night Call, Midnight is a dark, action-packed story filled with suspense that made it hard to put this book down. Carlson details his characters in a compelling, multi-dimensional way, allowing the reader to understand and connect with them (even the robots). I can't wait to read how this thrilling story finishes in the next addition to the Walking Shadows trilogy.
For fans of crime fiction and alternate history, this book is definitely one to read!
For fans of crime fiction and alternate history, this book is definitely one to read!
August 7, 2021
As a native New Yorker, I related to this book and know its setting well. At first, I thought it was a little strange, with all those robots, but as I continued, it grew on me. I'm glad I stuck with it because
like a good murder mystery. He could have cleaned up the language a little, but all in all it was a "goodread".
like a good murder mystery. He could have cleaned up the language a little, but all in all it was a "goodread".
July 22, 2021
Am I obsessed with these books? A little. Did I almost flip my desk in excited victory when everything I was hoping for and/or suspected came true at the end? Definitely. Do I need more of this unique and super fun series? Yes—like, yesterday.
July 26, 2021
My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher Dundurn Press for an advanced copy of this science fiction novel.
In Midnight, the second volume of The Walking Shadows, series, author Brenden Carlson continues to grow the alternative New York City he created in the first book, with a mysterious killer and more noir niceties. The year is 1933 New York City is divided into the upper class, separated by a plate or platform, and the lower city, ruled by corruption, mobsters and little recourse for most people. An assassin's has killed 5 megacorporation members who were slumming downtown, and only Elias Roche, known to those in desperate straits, including the police as the Nightcaller can solve the case.
The book is steampunk by way of Street and Smith, full-fisted noir, with lots of talk about mobsters and crime, with an intrepid in the way reporter to boot. I enjoyed that there was a radio show developed about the Nightcaller, sort of in the same way the Shadow was. I thought that was a nice touch. The world is interesting, the Automatics causing a Depression as they worked happily for no money, while people starved on the streets. The characters might be a little one note, a standard in noir stories, but I thought Roche's partner an Automatic named Allan Erzly who was slowly coming into his own, seeing the world not as it was programmed, but how it really was I thought that character's development was interesting.
There were a few anachronisms, but blame that on the influx of technology. I enjoyed that story and would like to know more about the world, and where the characters find themselves. I am looking forward to more books in this series.
In Midnight, the second volume of The Walking Shadows, series, author Brenden Carlson continues to grow the alternative New York City he created in the first book, with a mysterious killer and more noir niceties. The year is 1933 New York City is divided into the upper class, separated by a plate or platform, and the lower city, ruled by corruption, mobsters and little recourse for most people. An assassin's has killed 5 megacorporation members who were slumming downtown, and only Elias Roche, known to those in desperate straits, including the police as the Nightcaller can solve the case.
The book is steampunk by way of Street and Smith, full-fisted noir, with lots of talk about mobsters and crime, with an intrepid in the way reporter to boot. I enjoyed that there was a radio show developed about the Nightcaller, sort of in the same way the Shadow was. I thought that was a nice touch. The world is interesting, the Automatics causing a Depression as they worked happily for no money, while people starved on the streets. The characters might be a little one note, a standard in noir stories, but I thought Roche's partner an Automatic named Allan Erzly who was slowly coming into his own, seeing the world not as it was programmed, but how it really was I thought that character's development was interesting.
There were a few anachronisms, but blame that on the influx of technology. I enjoyed that story and would like to know more about the world, and where the characters find themselves. I am looking forward to more books in this series.
December 5, 2021
On the whole, I really enjoyed it.
This is presented as a murder mystery, and at the beginning, the mystery is very strong. It tights in with the city’s political struggle for power and I found that quite interesting and well-though out. Though I’ll admit that what I enjoy the most was the social circumstances of this imagined future city, were humans and semi-human robot work side-by-side and robots are often discriminated against.
Characters are really the strong suit of the story. Elias Roche is a very complex and empathic characters that remains mysterious at the end of the story. Yes we learn a lot about him – including some things that happened in the first book in the series – but there are so many hints at things that still remain in the background and some of which we only glimpse.
Allen is also a very complex character, one that is slowly coming into himself. I loved his relationship with Elias, one that is increasingly becoming honest and deep, between two characters that are really very different.
So, the setting is very strong, the characters are also very strong. In the end, what’s lame is the mystery. Its starts out very strong, as I said, but it progressively patters out, until it resolves in something that I found quite disappointing. Besides, I realise that the mystery is really an excuse to write the story of the making of a super-hero, and so – well, it does the job. Though, seeing how the writing can be involving, I was expecting something more from the end.
But this takes noting away from the story. I really really enjoyed this one and I’ll read more from the series, if I get the chance.
This is presented as a murder mystery, and at the beginning, the mystery is very strong. It tights in with the city’s political struggle for power and I found that quite interesting and well-though out. Though I’ll admit that what I enjoy the most was the social circumstances of this imagined future city, were humans and semi-human robot work side-by-side and robots are often discriminated against.
Characters are really the strong suit of the story. Elias Roche is a very complex and empathic characters that remains mysterious at the end of the story. Yes we learn a lot about him – including some things that happened in the first book in the series – but there are so many hints at things that still remain in the background and some of which we only glimpse.
Allen is also a very complex character, one that is slowly coming into himself. I loved his relationship with Elias, one that is increasingly becoming honest and deep, between two characters that are really very different.
So, the setting is very strong, the characters are also very strong. In the end, what’s lame is the mystery. Its starts out very strong, as I said, but it progressively patters out, until it resolves in something that I found quite disappointing. Besides, I realise that the mystery is really an excuse to write the story of the making of a super-hero, and so – well, it does the job. Though, seeing how the writing can be involving, I was expecting something more from the end.
But this takes noting away from the story. I really really enjoyed this one and I’ll read more from the series, if I get the chance.
April 2, 2023
Not quite as much world building and not as confusing as the first book.
I wasn't crazy about the multiple points of view. It was fairly easy to get confused between who the "I" was or switching back and forth between Roche and Allen's POV. I understand WHY the author did that, it's just not a literary device that I'm keen on.
Allen is an interesting character and there is some great character development in this novel. Will read the final book in the trilogy, when it's available on Libby.
I wasn't crazy about the multiple points of view. It was fairly easy to get confused between who the "I" was or switching back and forth between Roche and Allen's POV. I understand WHY the author did that, it's just not a literary device that I'm keen on.
Allen is an interesting character and there is some great character development in this novel. Will read the final book in the trilogy, when it's available on Libby.
April 27, 2023
entertaining and with an ending I did not quite expect. Though we do get an answer to a question that has been hanging around since the first book and the clues are all there so when we get the answer it is more like of course that's the answer than any surprise. If you picked the clues up. if you didn't then I guess it would come as a surprise but I think most people will be able to pick up the clues even when they are just little bits and pieces throughout the text.
I found the end a little abrupt but maybe it's a little good not have all the answers leaves some thing for the next book.
I found the end a little abrupt but maybe it's a little good not have all the answers leaves some thing for the next book.
February 22, 2023
Content Warnings: Graphic Gore, Death, Paranoia, PTSD, Medical & Hospital Scenes, Hallucinations, Graphic Amputation, Blood, Similar themes to book 1 with classism and racism (against sentient robots).
So after book 1 (go read that before continuing this review!!) and into this one a bit I was hanging around a 3.5/5, suddenly in the last like 30% of the book it absolutely skyrocketed to 5/5 what in the absolute fuck holy shit.
Book 1 felt like a rocky start honestly, trying to find it’s feet. And oh boy did it find it’s feet in book 2. The characters felt more weighted and realistic, they felt more well rounded. The writing style also noticeably changed - though only a small bit - which really helped. And honestly, just overall it was fantastic. The twist reveal was SO much more punchy than book 1 and the leadup and everything around it was just, ah, chefs kiss.
The world was even more steampunk-y this time as well! I felt that was lacking a fair bit in book 1, kinda like someone just dusted it with a bit of steampunk glitter. This time someone lovingly painted every little corner in steampunk, and not even in the “just put cogs and steam everywhere” way which far too many people default to!!
One thing that really struck me with this book as well was the diversity and - not even the acceptance but - the normalcy of everything. There are issues of tension between ethnicities (close to post-world war so that fits in well and is done pretty well imo), classism and the on-going battle for automatron rights and acceptance in society. But, from our main characters - even the super fucked up, apathetic, asshole to everyone Roche - it’s just all part of humanity. It’s even pointed out (maybe a tad too heavy handed with that part) that it’s just normal, human, nothing odd or weird about it other than really awesome technology to help those that need it. And what issues with equality there is, they’re all fighting constantly throughout the stories, but never feeling siffling or heavy handed too much.
Some of Roche’s actions in this book really just made me love his character so much. Yes, it is still Connor and Hank from Detroit, but written a lot better than that haha. Roche very much becomes a lot more rounded of a character in this book, less “I’m just a complete asshole” and more “I’m traumatised, exhausted, done with everyone’s shit being my damn problem” and his PTSD and trauma I would say - though I’m not a war vet ofc though I do have some relevant experience on these topics - is handled quite well.
I’m gonna add a note onto my review for book 1 because I feel like it’s too harsh for what it grows into with this. I came across this series because I had accidentally requested an eARC of book 3 without realising it was part of a series and so I brought book 1 and 2 to read in preparation. I am so glad I made that initial mistake, I don’t believe I would have ever found this series otherwise. This will certainly be one series to add to the list of “I will become annoying by constantly talking about it to everyone and anyone” books haha!
So after book 1 (go read that before continuing this review!!) and into this one a bit I was hanging around a 3.5/5, suddenly in the last like 30% of the book it absolutely skyrocketed to 5/5 what in the absolute fuck holy shit.
Book 1 felt like a rocky start honestly, trying to find it’s feet. And oh boy did it find it’s feet in book 2. The characters felt more weighted and realistic, they felt more well rounded. The writing style also noticeably changed - though only a small bit - which really helped. And honestly, just overall it was fantastic. The twist reveal was SO much more punchy than book 1 and the leadup and everything around it was just, ah, chefs kiss.
The world was even more steampunk-y this time as well! I felt that was lacking a fair bit in book 1, kinda like someone just dusted it with a bit of steampunk glitter. This time someone lovingly painted every little corner in steampunk, and not even in the “just put cogs and steam everywhere” way which far too many people default to!!
One thing that really struck me with this book as well was the diversity and - not even the acceptance but - the normalcy of everything. There are issues of tension between ethnicities (close to post-world war so that fits in well and is done pretty well imo), classism and the on-going battle for automatron rights and acceptance in society. But, from our main characters - even the super fucked up, apathetic, asshole to everyone Roche - it’s just all part of humanity. It’s even pointed out (maybe a tad too heavy handed with that part) that it’s just normal, human, nothing odd or weird about it other than really awesome technology to help those that need it. And what issues with equality there is, they’re all fighting constantly throughout the stories, but never feeling siffling or heavy handed too much.
Some of Roche’s actions in this book really just made me love his character so much. Yes, it is still Connor and Hank from Detroit, but written a lot better than that haha. Roche very much becomes a lot more rounded of a character in this book, less “I’m just a complete asshole” and more “I’m traumatised, exhausted, done with everyone’s shit being my damn problem” and his PTSD and trauma I would say - though I’m not a war vet ofc though I do have some relevant experience on these topics - is handled quite well.
I’m gonna add a note onto my review for book 1 because I feel like it’s too harsh for what it grows into with this. I came across this series because I had accidentally requested an eARC of book 3 without realising it was part of a series and so I brought book 1 and 2 to read in preparation. I am so glad I made that initial mistake, I don’t believe I would have ever found this series otherwise. This will certainly be one series to add to the list of “I will become annoying by constantly talking about it to everyone and anyone” books haha!
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