Read Time: 1 Minute
I found book two of the Isaac Steel chronicles much harder to get into than the first. While the humour and pacing are the same, for me much of the story just fell flat. The first book’s off-the-wall chaos had an infectious energy, ricocheting unpredictably from one zany scenario to the next. This sequel attempts the same approach but, for me, doesn’t land with the same success.
It’s not that the story is bad; it just feels lacklustre compared to how much I enjoyed the first. Isaac Steele is back, of course, along with Timothy, his mind-wiped and personality-shifted robot sidekick. Together, they’re working for the Department of Clarification to investigate the reappearance of someone long thought dead and unravel the mystery of an impossible heist that stole the Best Idea in the Universe.
Like its first, this book bounces from scene to scene with quirky humour, witty one-liners, and a satirical take on government and technology reminiscent of Idiocracy. Yet, I struggled to reconnect with the characters and found myself less invested in their journey. The charm and absurdity that hooked me the first time around felt a bit diluted here.
Maybe a relisten in the future will find me in a different frame of mind, but for now I have to call it as I heard it. Ultimately not a great follow up to the first, but there was a lot of chuckles along the way.