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Royce Ree #1
The Emperor's New Clothes: An Interstellar Heist
An intrepid secret agent...
Agent Royce Ree was once the best covert intelligence operative in the Empire. But all he's been able to accomplish lately is screw-up after screw-up. Now, the Emperor has assigned the once-great agent a mission: Royce needs to pull off the biggest heist the Universe has ever seen, or it’s bye-bye cushy government job, hello cleaning toilets in a dive-bar on Baga-V.
A ludicrous mission...
With the Empire poised on the edge of chaos, everything depends on Royce's ability to steal another civilization's impeccable sense of style. To succeed, he needs help from the last person he’d ever ask--his aristocratic ex-husband.
One last chance...
Along with his career and the Emperor's dignity, Royce is about to get a chance to save a love he thought he'd lost forever...
“The Empire has survived wars, supernovae, democracy, and the collapse of a neighborhood universe.
Let us hope it survives the good intentions of Agent Royce Ree.”
– Author unknown (personal communication to the Emperor).
Note: This book was previously published as "Royce Ree Omnibus, Volume 1", a compilation of 5 serial novellas. It is now published as a single, stand-alone novel.
Agent Royce Ree was once the best covert intelligence operative in the Empire. But all he's been able to accomplish lately is screw-up after screw-up. Now, the Emperor has assigned the once-great agent a mission: Royce needs to pull off the biggest heist the Universe has ever seen, or it’s bye-bye cushy government job, hello cleaning toilets in a dive-bar on Baga-V.
A ludicrous mission...
With the Empire poised on the edge of chaos, everything depends on Royce's ability to steal another civilization's impeccable sense of style. To succeed, he needs help from the last person he’d ever ask--his aristocratic ex-husband.
One last chance...
Along with his career and the Emperor's dignity, Royce is about to get a chance to save a love he thought he'd lost forever...
“The Empire has survived wars, supernovae, democracy, and the collapse of a neighborhood universe.
Let us hope it survives the good intentions of Agent Royce Ree.”
– Author unknown (personal communication to the Emperor).
Note: This book was previously published as "Royce Ree Omnibus, Volume 1", a compilation of 5 serial novellas. It is now published as a single, stand-alone novel.
288 pages, ebook
First published December 5, 2013
5 people are currently reading
261 people want to read
About the author
Aldous Mercer
9 books54 followersA native of Toronto, Aldous Mercer enjoys martinis and relaxing on the beac-ha! No.
Aldous Mercer is a workaholic with a penchant for numerical mind games and caffeinated beverages. He uses his degree in Engineering to ensure that none of the spaceships in his books have cubic pressure-vessels. In real life he always annotates Engineering Drawings in Iambic Tetrameter.
Aldous Mercer is a workaholic with a penchant for numerical mind games and caffeinated beverages. He uses his degree in Engineering to ensure that none of the spaceships in his books have cubic pressure-vessels. In real life he always annotates Engineering Drawings in Iambic Tetrameter.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews
May 13, 2014
let. Me count. the motherfuckin' ways.
1. sentient housepets
2. FTL tech small enough to fit inside your skull
3. gay dudes whose gayness is incidental yet organically integrated into a clever plot
4. james. bond. in. space.
5. love, and stuff, but with cutting little comments because there's no way anyone will admit it
6. virtual-reality fashion sense so good nina garcia could never question your taste level on television
7. YOU HEARD ME I SAID JAMES BOND IN SPACE
mr. mercer: you may proceed.
Bonus Omnibus Reviews of Previously-Released, Pre-Omnibus volumes, helpfully Omnibussed for Your Omniconvenience:
1. The Emperor's New Clothes:
welcome to the party.
fantastic banter between two former lovers set against a galactic heist caper?
yes, please.
laughs, sexual tension, and a hero just begging for a movie: mr. royce ree, imperial spy and jilted boyfucker extraordinaire.
i had a blast—and immediately went on to the second installment.
if you don't like cliffhangers, i recommend you buy the omnibus edition—because it was all i could to do to wait for the next part to download without throwing a tantrum.
2. Drivepolitik:
the plot thickens.
but the sexual tension hardly needs any thickening at all.
amidst the pandemonium of a planetary invasion and a rekindling of romantic feelings long-buried, our heroes find their plans well and truly fucked—and their respective missions bollixed beyond repair.
so much fun.
onward!
3. The Gorilla in the Vents:
pitch perfect.
characteristic intrigue, banter, mysterious hints, and snatches of overheard conversations come together into one big marvelous gumbo of awesome.
the scope expands to encompass developments on a galactic scale even as it contracts to the space between two people in a bed.
humor and whimsical technological flourishes combine with brief, shocking flashes of emotion—and it's great.
it's in balance.
wonderful stuff. next installment, please...
4. Madman's Rue:
holy balls.
this was spectacular.
it's all i can do to type this before hurriedly buying the 5th and concluding book in what has turned out to be a marvelous sci-fi serial of the first water.
things that go boom; wildly inventive tech; murder, intrigue, despotism, war, romance—this is some heady shit, right here—plus lulz?
so much fun i can't even—
5. Imperial Command:
well, goddamn.
in a series of flashbacks that recede further back in time, serving as a final, triumphant montage (just like with the end of classic caper films—where you're told exactly how the clever-as-fuck hero outwitted, you know, everyone) this final volume of chapters concludes the first royce ree space opera in what i can only describe as motherfuckin' style.
i have goosebumps; my nipples are hard; what is this life even about, really—
—and why didn't i think to write this story first?
*is pelted by rotten produce hurled from the cheap seats*
okay! okay! fine. because i'm not aldous mercer.
or whatever.
*sulks*
(highly recommended.)
1. sentient housepets
2. FTL tech small enough to fit inside your skull
3. gay dudes whose gayness is incidental yet organically integrated into a clever plot
4. james. bond. in. space.
5. love, and stuff, but with cutting little comments because there's no way anyone will admit it
6. virtual-reality fashion sense so good nina garcia could never question your taste level on television
7. YOU HEARD ME I SAID JAMES BOND IN SPACE
mr. mercer: you may proceed.
Bonus Omnibus Reviews of Previously-Released, Pre-Omnibus volumes, helpfully Omnibussed for Your Omniconvenience:
1. The Emperor's New Clothes:
welcome to the party.
fantastic banter between two former lovers set against a galactic heist caper?
yes, please.
laughs, sexual tension, and a hero just begging for a movie: mr. royce ree, imperial spy and jilted boyfucker extraordinaire.
i had a blast—and immediately went on to the second installment.
if you don't like cliffhangers, i recommend you buy the omnibus edition—because it was all i could to do to wait for the next part to download without throwing a tantrum.
2. Drivepolitik:
the plot thickens.
but the sexual tension hardly needs any thickening at all.
amidst the pandemonium of a planetary invasion and a rekindling of romantic feelings long-buried, our heroes find their plans well and truly fucked—and their respective missions bollixed beyond repair.
so much fun.
onward!
3. The Gorilla in the Vents:
pitch perfect.
characteristic intrigue, banter, mysterious hints, and snatches of overheard conversations come together into one big marvelous gumbo of awesome.
the scope expands to encompass developments on a galactic scale even as it contracts to the space between two people in a bed.
humor and whimsical technological flourishes combine with brief, shocking flashes of emotion—and it's great.
it's in balance.
wonderful stuff. next installment, please...
4. Madman's Rue:
holy balls.
this was spectacular.
it's all i can do to type this before hurriedly buying the 5th and concluding book in what has turned out to be a marvelous sci-fi serial of the first water.
things that go boom; wildly inventive tech; murder, intrigue, despotism, war, romance—this is some heady shit, right here—plus lulz?
so much fun i can't even—
5. Imperial Command:
well, goddamn.
in a series of flashbacks that recede further back in time, serving as a final, triumphant montage (just like with the end of classic caper films—where you're told exactly how the clever-as-fuck hero outwitted, you know, everyone) this final volume of chapters concludes the first royce ree space opera in what i can only describe as motherfuckin' style.
i have goosebumps; my nipples are hard; what is this life even about, really—
—and why didn't i think to write this story first?
*is pelted by rotten produce hurled from the cheap seats*
okay! okay! fine. because i'm not aldous mercer.
or whatever.
*sulks*
(highly recommended.)
February 9, 2014
welcome to the party.
fantastic banter between two former lovers set against a galactic heist caper?
yes, please.
laughs, sexual tension, and a hero just begging for a movie: mr. royce ree, imperial spy and jilted boyfucker extraordinaire.
i had a blast—and immediately went on to the second installment.
if you don't like cliffhangers, i recommend you buy the omnibus edition—because it was all i could to do to wait for the next part to download without throwing a tantrum.
fantastic banter between two former lovers set against a galactic heist caper?
yes, please.
laughs, sexual tension, and a hero just begging for a movie: mr. royce ree, imperial spy and jilted boyfucker extraordinaire.
i had a blast—and immediately went on to the second installment.
if you don't like cliffhangers, i recommend you buy the omnibus edition—because it was all i could to do to wait for the next part to download without throwing a tantrum.
September 15, 2014
Update 4/22/14
I read the last 20% after writing this review. I'm changing my rating to a full 5 stars. I have one thing to add: HOLY. SHIT.
******************************************************************
4.5 stars
I think Aldous Mercer must have a very full brain.
If you have a snuffy nose, Mr. Mercer, don't get rid of the tissues - thar's gold in that snot.
(Yeah, that was odd, but in my defense Mercer's the genius, not me.)
I haven't even finished the book (I'm at 81%) but I feel driven to write this review.
Lemme say this: I am so attached to this book, Jon Stewart is back on TV after taking a week off (why that man needs vacations I don't know) and I'm reading this book instead of watching. Fuck Jon Stewart. I say this even though I'm still hoping to bear Jon Stewart's babies. That's right, I like this book that much.
The only thing that holds me back from declaring my undying love is that I still feel like I'm missing something. It's a similar reaction I had when I listened to Tori Amos as a young teen. I had no idea what the lyric so you can make me cum that doesn't make you je-hee-uuus meant. There was something there, I knew it was awesome, but it was just beyond my ken.
I look at most scifi and think why? why all the words? The closest I come to a scifi geek is a profound love of Firefly. I didn't set up my brain through years of scifi reading and so it takes me quite awhile to catch on.
But that's not on the lovely Mr. Mercer. His book has layers. I know I can read this book again and again and still find new nuggets of awesomeness. And I really like that it's helped me grow as a reader. It forced me to think, instead of reading in a half-dazed stupor saying that's haaaawt. (Um, I'll probably go right back to that, though.)
Also fantastic in this book is the relationship between Royce Ree & his fellow agent. I don't want to ruin it for others, but I will say that there is loads of angst & longing, though it's understated. You're not going to die of diabetic coma, thank god, but you will feel the sweet pain of lurve.
As for Royce Ree, he is AWESOME. It's already been said (and when I said it in a status update I thought I was being mucho original) but he is like a less obnoxious James Bond - but one who would in no way be interested in Pussy Galore.
Oh! Oh! Royce Ree is also a little like my favorite man ever - Humphrey Bogart. "Of all the missions, on all the planets, in all the worlds, he's gotta walk in on mine. *slugs back synthahol*" <---I made that up and I'm VERY PROUD OF IT. Ahem.
I haven't even gotten to the humor - here's an example: "Very well," she said abruptly. "Summon the gorillas." The next time I see an opportunity to work that into a conversation, it's happening. I might have to arrange a trip to the zoo.
The only other thing I have to add is this:
Hey, Aldous, where the fucking fuck is #6??!!
(Just kidding, dude, yer awesome.)
I read the last 20% after writing this review. I'm changing my rating to a full 5 stars. I have one thing to add: HOLY. SHIT.
******************************************************************
4.5 stars
I think Aldous Mercer must have a very full brain.
If you have a snuffy nose, Mr. Mercer, don't get rid of the tissues - thar's gold in that snot.
(Yeah, that was odd, but in my defense Mercer's the genius, not me.)
I haven't even finished the book (I'm at 81%) but I feel driven to write this review.
Lemme say this: I am so attached to this book, Jon Stewart is back on TV after taking a week off (why that man needs vacations I don't know) and I'm reading this book instead of watching. Fuck Jon Stewart. I say this even though I'm still hoping to bear Jon Stewart's babies. That's right, I like this book that much.
The only thing that holds me back from declaring my undying love is that I still feel like I'm missing something. It's a similar reaction I had when I listened to Tori Amos as a young teen. I had no idea what the lyric so you can make me cum that doesn't make you je-hee-uuus meant. There was something there, I knew it was awesome, but it was just beyond my ken.
I look at most scifi and think why? why all the words? The closest I come to a scifi geek is a profound love of Firefly. I didn't set up my brain through years of scifi reading and so it takes me quite awhile to catch on.
But that's not on the lovely Mr. Mercer. His book has layers. I know I can read this book again and again and still find new nuggets of awesomeness. And I really like that it's helped me grow as a reader. It forced me to think, instead of reading in a half-dazed stupor saying that's haaaawt. (Um, I'll probably go right back to that, though.)
Also fantastic in this book is the relationship between Royce Ree & his fellow agent. I don't want to ruin it for others, but I will say that there is loads of angst & longing, though it's understated. You're not going to die of diabetic coma, thank god, but you will feel the sweet pain of lurve.
As for Royce Ree, he is AWESOME. It's already been said (and when I said it in a status update I thought I was being mucho original) but he is like a less obnoxious James Bond - but one who would in no way be interested in Pussy Galore.
Oh! Oh! Royce Ree is also a little like my favorite man ever - Humphrey Bogart. "Of all the missions, on all the planets, in all the worlds, he's gotta walk in on mine. *slugs back synthahol*" <---I made that up and I'm VERY PROUD OF IT. Ahem.
I haven't even gotten to the humor - here's an example: "Very well," she said abruptly. "Summon the gorillas." The next time I see an opportunity to work that into a conversation, it's happening. I might have to arrange a trip to the zoo.
The only other thing I have to add is this:
Hey, Aldous, where the fucking fuck is #6??!!
(Just kidding, dude, yer awesome.)
January 4, 2014
The ability to read Goethe and Dostoevsky in original doesn’t give me any advantage to read science fiction in English. And it is maybe less to do with the ability to understand language though with the science fiction genre itself. I strongly believe that the regular readers of a science fiction genre have a different brain structure than me. They feel this imaginary world on the totally different level and can grasp immediately the meaning of the many words that don’t belong to our every day talk.
I don’t need to mention that English is not my native language- a native speaker can find enough mistakes in my reviews not to have any doubt about it- but I can assure you that my reading English is perfectly good. It’s why I was desperate at the beginning being forced to read the same paragraphs over and over again to understand who was who and who did what and what it was about at all.
And the only thought I had during reading of the first sequel was:
WHY ARE YOU DOING IT TO YOURSEFL?? IT IS NOT YOUR GENRE!!
And here is the moment where I have to thank Julio who caught my attention with his reviews to the series:
Because without his exciting reviews:
I would have never read it. I would have never added it to my TBR. I would have never noticed it at all. But-thanks God- I'm a very curious person. I would have probably given up after the first installment. But I wanted to know WHY somebody was so excited about it? It had to be a reason for it. And I’m soooo glad/happy/grateful to give it a chance.
And I’m soooo glad/happy/grateful to develop a new talented author, Aldous Mercer. His writing is one of the pleasant surprises of this year for me.
In spite of a difficult start, I’ve read it one sitting and enjoyed it a lot.
Can I say, I fell in love from the second sight? I definitely did.
The best thing here are:
It is something I can't compare with. It is crazy, funny and serious at once, sexy and unusual. It’s getting better and better with every next part. The writing.My only complaining:
And I’m looking forward to reading more of Aldous Mercer in the future.
Highly recommended. And not only for the science fiction fans.
July 10, 2014
What an intro! I knew immediately that Royce and I were going to get along great. Aldous Mercer picked exactly the right words to pique my interest. I was delighted by all the showing, and with such an economy of words that each one was important to the story. I was giddy and fervently hoping this was going to continue.
Sci-fi isn't my normal genre, but what I've read, I enjoyed. Probably comes from a childhood watching reruns of the original Star Trek TV series with my father, quizzing him on characters. It's easy for me to get confused, though, so I was happy when I was able to follow the story without a problem.
The characters:
Royce had integrity, but was also willing to walk the edges and play in the gray areas. He played the long game well, and was able to adjust quickly to changing circumstances. He was also a master of avoidance, sidestepping questions, misdirecting attention and doing whatever else he could to avoid sharing information. A tough agent, but vulnerable when it came to Les.
Les was earnest, loyal, and honorable. He was softhearted, but willing to do what needed to be done. A bit naive, sometimes, but smart, and it didn't take him too long to figure things out.
Watching them interact? The dancing they did around each other? The tension? Priceless.
The story:
Unexpected, original, funny, exciting, sweet, intense, suspenseful...brilliant.
And so many twists...one surprise after another. Towards the end, I was in a constant state of shock, or awe. I still have questions, though, so I'll be anxiously waiting for the next installment :)
Warning: This was definitely more sci-fi than romance. There was plenty of sweet longing, and UST, but don't expect any steamy bedroom scenes. It didn't bother me because the story and characters were so interesting and entertaining...okay, maybe it bothered me a little ;)
Also, I'm usually not a fan of disrupted timelines...jumps forward or back, but it worked here. Just be sure to pay attention to where the story is on the timeline or it can get confusing.
The writing:
I already mentioned the wonderful word choices and the author's talent for showing us what was happening. There was so much more, though. I loved how we were given information in bits and pieces, like watching a puzzle slowly being put together. Some of that information was in the smallest of details, stunning details that left such an impression on me. Oh, yes, I was giddy as I read this. And the humor! Thoughts and comments interjected with such perfect timing, I read them over and over in appreciation, never failing to laugh or grin. It was more than funny one liners, though. There was an overall sense of tongue in cheek humor embedded throughout this intriguing spy thriller and I loved it.
Aldous Mercer...I love your words.
This story...I will be thinking of this story for a long time.
Side notes:
I loved the introduction of Les' dimple, and I wish we'd seen more of it.
Sci-fi terms were introduced naturally and I easily discerned their meaning through context. There were some typos and other small editing errors, but they didn't distract.
Note: A copy of this book was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
Previously posted on
Sci-fi isn't my normal genre, but what I've read, I enjoyed. Probably comes from a childhood watching reruns of the original Star Trek TV series with my father, quizzing him on characters. It's easy for me to get confused, though, so I was happy when I was able to follow the story without a problem.
The characters:
Royce had integrity, but was also willing to walk the edges and play in the gray areas. He played the long game well, and was able to adjust quickly to changing circumstances. He was also a master of avoidance, sidestepping questions, misdirecting attention and doing whatever else he could to avoid sharing information. A tough agent, but vulnerable when it came to Les.
Les was earnest, loyal, and honorable. He was softhearted, but willing to do what needed to be done. A bit naive, sometimes, but smart, and it didn't take him too long to figure things out.
Watching them interact? The dancing they did around each other? The tension? Priceless.
The story:
Unexpected, original, funny, exciting, sweet, intense, suspenseful...brilliant.
And so many twists...one surprise after another. Towards the end, I was in a constant state of shock, or awe. I still have questions, though, so I'll be anxiously waiting for the next installment :)
Warning: This was definitely more sci-fi than romance. There was plenty of sweet longing, and UST, but don't expect any steamy bedroom scenes. It didn't bother me because the story and characters were so interesting and entertaining...okay, maybe it bothered me a little ;)
Also, I'm usually not a fan of disrupted timelines...jumps forward or back, but it worked here. Just be sure to pay attention to where the story is on the timeline or it can get confusing.
The writing:
I already mentioned the wonderful word choices and the author's talent for showing us what was happening. There was so much more, though. I loved how we were given information in bits and pieces, like watching a puzzle slowly being put together. Some of that information was in the smallest of details, stunning details that left such an impression on me. Oh, yes, I was giddy as I read this. And the humor! Thoughts and comments interjected with such perfect timing, I read them over and over in appreciation, never failing to laugh or grin. It was more than funny one liners, though. There was an overall sense of tongue in cheek humor embedded throughout this intriguing spy thriller and I loved it.
Aldous Mercer...I love your words.
This story...I will be thinking of this story for a long time.
Side notes:
I loved the introduction of Les' dimple, and I wish we'd seen more of it.
Sci-fi terms were introduced naturally and I easily discerned their meaning through context. There were some typos and other small editing errors, but they didn't distract.
Note: A copy of this book was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
Previously posted on
June 19, 2016
So awesome! This book is spectacularly entertaining. It's a light-hearted, smart, funny, complex sci-fi story and I absolutely loved it. There were times when I wasn't at all sure what was going on, but this story is told in a non-linear way and it all gets explained in the end, and in rather spectacular fashion. It felt very cinematic to me, like one of those fun heist movies where the story goes back and forth in time a lot and how they pulled it all off it isn't revealed until the very end. It's funny and charming and exciting and totally engrossing. This has great characters, great humour, smooth writing, exciting derring-do, marvellous tension, and a wonderful love story. I am really looking forward to reading this again, now that I know what actually happened. I hope there's more to come in this series because it's awesome. I had so much fun reading this.
January 18, 2014
One fine morning, Aldous Mercer decided to write a story. He found a shaded corner, sat down and wrote and saw that the story was good. But, he decided that if he messed up with the readers mind, there would be more engagement with the book. So he tore up the story in jigsaw puzzle size pieces and rewrote it all jumbled up. In this way apart from enjoying the writing (which is witty, humorous and intelligent) the readers also had to sort out the story and the characters and form a final picture in their minds. Those of the readers who ended up with a picture could never be sure that it was the picture in Aldous' head. Because here, Aldous was devious, he never gave out the picture and is keeping his cards very close to his chest, thus keeping his readers thirsty for more and himself with the possiblity to upend the readers perceptions once again.
This book is a Comedy of Perceptions, with swashbuckling heroes, knights in shining armour
, spies and honey traps. A space adventure with doses of spies and heist conmen. It reminded me of my favourite books/movies such as Marcus Didius Falco - Imperial Agent extraordinaire - Ancient Rome, Malcolm and Co of Serenity/Firefly
and Han Solo of Star Wars.
. This is ofcourse an accolade from my end.
Deeper thoughts
Mr Mercer, the Master of Perceptions, does not give detailed descriptions of his characters except where it is absolutely necessary for the plot. As the theme of the book is perception, starting with the perceptions created by fashion and ending with our perceptions of the characters and the story, which he continuously keeps turning on their heads, the lack of character physical descriptions becomes more important and valid. We are to judge the characters purely on themselves, that is their actions and interactions and not their outward appearance. This is more than OK by me, in fact it is a kind of utopia for me, not to judge or by judged by the outer appearance.
I wish Aldous Mercer all the best because I want him happy and well because I NEED the next Royce Ree installment soonest.
This book is a Comedy of Perceptions, with swashbuckling heroes, knights in shining armour
, spies and honey traps. A space adventure with doses of spies and heist conmen. It reminded me of my favourite books/movies such as Marcus Didius Falco - Imperial Agent extraordinaire - Ancient Rome, Malcolm and Co of Serenity/Firefly and Han Solo of Star Wars.. This is ofcourse an accolade from my end.Deeper thoughts
Mr Mercer, the Master of Perceptions, does not give detailed descriptions of his characters except where it is absolutely necessary for the plot. As the theme of the book is perception, starting with the perceptions created by fashion and ending with our perceptions of the characters and the story, which he continuously keeps turning on their heads, the lack of character physical descriptions becomes more important and valid. We are to judge the characters purely on themselves, that is their actions and interactions and not their outward appearance. This is more than OK by me, in fact it is a kind of utopia for me, not to judge or by judged by the outer appearance.
I wish Aldous Mercer all the best because I want him happy and well because I NEED the next Royce Ree installment soonest.
November 17, 2014
GUYS, GUYS THIS IS .99 FOR A FEW DAYS!! GET IT!!!! :D It's been rereleased with a pretty new cover. I had so much fun reading this book! http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00H4L8244
***
I'm sitting here still feeling absolutely stunned from what happened, so this will be short and simple and incoherent. I'll probably rewrite everything when I'm more awake. I can't even discuss anything because trust me, you do not want to be spoilered for this book. It's almost 5am now, that's how late I stayed up to read this. Seriously, it is unreal and just thank gosh I have no class tomorrow....well, today now. Clever, humorous, brilliantly thought out. Like another reviewer said, think James Bond in space. Twists that left me fooled and with an urge to go back and look at everything with fresh eyes now. The only niggle I had was the small editing errors, but the story was just too good to let those really detract from it. I would recommend this to anyone in search of an absorbing and thrilling book, whether you like sci-fi or not, whether you read lgbt or not. I'm boggled that this author escaped my attention for so long.
There just better be more to come! (Edit: There will be, yay!)
Note: Get the omnibus edition, which has all five installments in one volume.
***
I'm sitting here still feeling absolutely stunned from what happened, so this will be short and simple and incoherent. I'll probably rewrite everything when I'm more awake. I can't even discuss anything because trust me, you do not want to be spoilered for this book. It's almost 5am now, that's how late I stayed up to read this. Seriously, it is unreal and just thank gosh I have no class tomorrow....well, today now. Clever, humorous, brilliantly thought out. Like another reviewer said, think James Bond in space. Twists that left me fooled and with an urge to go back and look at everything with fresh eyes now. The only niggle I had was the small editing errors, but the story was just too good to let those really detract from it. I would recommend this to anyone in search of an absorbing and thrilling book, whether you like sci-fi or not, whether you read lgbt or not. I'm boggled that this author escaped my attention for so long.
There just better be more to come! (Edit: There will be, yay!)
Note: Get the omnibus edition, which has all five installments in one volume.
January 3, 2015
Not in a reviewy mindframe, I am.
But I need to get this out of the way so I can move on to #2 without having the lack of a review for the first instalment wiggling in my brain like some annoying parasite.
It's... good?
I like it, don't get me wrong. But while it is intriguing and imaginative, it's still practically first chapter of a novel, and I don't feel like I've been given the chance to fully get into this novel yet.
But I am pretty into it, so I'll keep going until the free instalments end and then see what happens there.
But I need to get this out of the way so I can move on to #2 without having the lack of a review for the first instalment wiggling in my brain like some annoying parasite.
It's... good?
I like it, don't get me wrong. But while it is intriguing and imaginative, it's still practically first chapter of a novel, and I don't feel like I've been given the chance to fully get into this novel yet.
But I am pretty into it, so I'll keep going until the free instalments end and then see what happens there.
Want to read
March 16, 20193/16/19 Currently FREE via Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...
January 20, 2014
A Retief For A New Generation
Humor in Science Fiction is not a new thing. Readers seem surprised when they encounter it. Sometimes it's episodic humor in otherwise serious stories, (see most conversations between Miles Vorkosigan and his cousin Ivan) sometimes the story itself is farce/ satire (see Douglas Addams entire body of work) and sometimes we're looking at a Comedy of Ideas (see Keith Laumer's Retief novels.)
While there are farcical moments in Royce Ree's first full adventure, this really does fall into the third category and Royce, very much together and up to his eyeballs in plans within plans and contingency plans if those should fall through, is almost an homage to Retief, though Royce has some surprisingly vulnerable spots that he shows to the readers if not the rest of the universe.
While you can take The Emperor's New Clothes in small bites, (the story is available in separate "episodes") I recommend devouring the whole thing in one wild, multi-course feast. (Hence the Omnibus.)But I suppose I should back up again...
This is (shocked face) not a traditional romance. Nor is the story told in traditional linear fashion as most folks are accustomed to with romance. There is a romance contained within the story - and it is a central driving force behind the story - but there's so much more going on here than boy meets boy.
We're well and fairly tossed in medias res and then jump backward and work our way forward (for the most part) until the final reveals. This is not a structure familiar to most romance readers, but should be familiar to readers of crime fiction, this ending first, here's what happened before, and finally here are the machinations behind the scenes are a structure we've seen there frequently. (See Reservoir Dogs, e.g.)And this is, among other things, a classic tale of the Big Job that had to be Planned Carefully and had Lots of Things Go Wrong Despite All the Planning.
Which works well for a comedy and I found myself snickering and bursting into surprised laughs more than once. Royce sets out, supposedly to steal a planet's impeccable sense of style. He ends up stealing oh so much more than that. What appears to be a simple break and enter soon evolves into a mess of, pardon the pun, royal proportions. I do wonder how Royce kept all the lies and machinations straight without his head exploding - but that's what he does. And he's good at it. Some plot points seemed a bit too convenient, even for a comedy, but it doesn't mar the overall sense of oh-no-I-can't-believe-that-just-happened fun.
Aldous Mercer's twisty mind (and I mean this in a good way) takes a traditional fairy tale, turns it inside out and plunks it on its head, lightly tosses with story traditions from far flung sources (don't think you slid the Buddha under the bodhi tree reference past me, ha!) and stirs with just enough chaos to keep you guessing.
This is his first self-publishing venture and if I have any criticism, it's that when you self-publish, you need to take your time. There were points where I had to re-read several times before I realized the wrong word had been used in error and some odd formatting issues appeared in one chapter where the font suddenly became gargantuan. But this is a learning process and nothing that a good editor and a second upload can't fix.
To say much more would be to give things away - and you really need to approach this story with a sense of wonder and have all the surprises jump out at you fresh and new or it won't be any fun. I still have questions. Of course I do. Royce's parentage. The structure of the Empire. Did Les ever forgive him?
I'm looking forward to more. Royce is arrogant, high-handed, outwardly cold and a lying bastard. And I think I'm in love.
Humor in Science Fiction is not a new thing. Readers seem surprised when they encounter it. Sometimes it's episodic humor in otherwise serious stories, (see most conversations between Miles Vorkosigan and his cousin Ivan) sometimes the story itself is farce/ satire (see Douglas Addams entire body of work) and sometimes we're looking at a Comedy of Ideas (see Keith Laumer's Retief novels.)
While there are farcical moments in Royce Ree's first full adventure, this really does fall into the third category and Royce, very much together and up to his eyeballs in plans within plans and contingency plans if those should fall through, is almost an homage to Retief, though Royce has some surprisingly vulnerable spots that he shows to the readers if not the rest of the universe.
While you can take The Emperor's New Clothes in small bites, (the story is available in separate "episodes") I recommend devouring the whole thing in one wild, multi-course feast. (Hence the Omnibus.)But I suppose I should back up again...
This is (shocked face) not a traditional romance. Nor is the story told in traditional linear fashion as most folks are accustomed to with romance. There is a romance contained within the story - and it is a central driving force behind the story - but there's so much more going on here than boy meets boy.
We're well and fairly tossed in medias res and then jump backward and work our way forward (for the most part) until the final reveals. This is not a structure familiar to most romance readers, but should be familiar to readers of crime fiction, this ending first, here's what happened before, and finally here are the machinations behind the scenes are a structure we've seen there frequently. (See Reservoir Dogs, e.g.)And this is, among other things, a classic tale of the Big Job that had to be Planned Carefully and had Lots of Things Go Wrong Despite All the Planning.
Which works well for a comedy and I found myself snickering and bursting into surprised laughs more than once. Royce sets out, supposedly to steal a planet's impeccable sense of style. He ends up stealing oh so much more than that. What appears to be a simple break and enter soon evolves into a mess of, pardon the pun, royal proportions. I do wonder how Royce kept all the lies and machinations straight without his head exploding - but that's what he does. And he's good at it. Some plot points seemed a bit too convenient, even for a comedy, but it doesn't mar the overall sense of oh-no-I-can't-believe-that-just-happened fun.
Aldous Mercer's twisty mind (and I mean this in a good way) takes a traditional fairy tale, turns it inside out and plunks it on its head, lightly tosses with story traditions from far flung sources (don't think you slid the Buddha under the bodhi tree reference past me, ha!) and stirs with just enough chaos to keep you guessing.
This is his first self-publishing venture and if I have any criticism, it's that when you self-publish, you need to take your time. There were points where I had to re-read several times before I realized the wrong word had been used in error and some odd formatting issues appeared in one chapter where the font suddenly became gargantuan. But this is a learning process and nothing that a good editor and a second upload can't fix.
To say much more would be to give things away - and you really need to approach this story with a sense of wonder and have all the surprises jump out at you fresh and new or it won't be any fun. I still have questions. Of course I do. Royce's parentage. The structure of the Empire. Did Les ever forgive him?
I'm looking forward to more. Royce is arrogant, high-handed, outwardly cold and a lying bastard. And I think I'm in love.
September 26, 2018
Combine a heist story with divorced spies in space (who never stopped loving each other but neither is going to admit that first), and you get this seriously fun sci-fi romance.
Galactic agent Royce Ree and his aristocratic ex-husband Les are thrown together on planet Baldessh during Ree's mission to steal another civilization's impeccable sense of style. Ree's on his last chance after one too many failed missions, and Les has an Imperial chip in his head assigning him to steal the Baldesshi FTL drive, which would mean war. That would all be complicated enough, but as they're extracting, Baldessh is invaded. It only gets more complicated from there.
I love almost everything about this, from the way Ree and Les fall back into professional sync immediately, to the passionate tension between them, to the sentient pets/familiars of Baldessh, to the mindblowing complexity of the heist that, once revealed in all its glory, made me want to immediately re-read the book so I could see all the pieces falling into place. My only complaint: the overabundance of hyphens. Seriously. Too many.
My recommendation: Buy, read, laugh, place hand over heart and sigh at the HEA, and join me in wishing Mercer would write further adventures of Ree and Les. 'Cause I would totally read that.
Galactic agent Royce Ree and his aristocratic ex-husband Les are thrown together on planet Baldessh during Ree's mission to steal another civilization's impeccable sense of style. Ree's on his last chance after one too many failed missions, and Les has an Imperial chip in his head assigning him to steal the Baldesshi FTL drive, which would mean war. That would all be complicated enough, but as they're extracting, Baldessh is invaded. It only gets more complicated from there.
I love almost everything about this, from the way Ree and Les fall back into professional sync immediately, to the passionate tension between them, to the sentient pets/familiars of Baldessh, to the mindblowing complexity of the heist that, once revealed in all its glory, made me want to immediately re-read the book so I could see all the pieces falling into place. My only complaint: the overabundance of hyphens. Seriously. Too many.
My recommendation: Buy, read, laugh, place hand over heart and sigh at the HEA, and join me in wishing Mercer would write further adventures of Ree and Les. 'Cause I would totally read that.
February 1, 2014
This is simply an amazing book. It has everything I love in science fiction: an interesting universe, cool tech, strange fantasy-esque elements, fun characters, crazy hi-jinks, hidden plots, and at the core a great plot.
If you're coming from outside the "M M Romance" subgenre (as I am), don't let that divert you. While there is a strong romantic subplot between the two male leads, it is treated as in any 'mainstream' sci-fi novel: an essential part of the plot, but if you're looking for erotica, you'll be disappointed.
The two main characters, Royce Ree and Les'Anther Dai-Sarn, are both Imperial Agents who unexpectedly encounter each other while on-mission. Unexpectedly because they were once married and still harbor feelings for each other (details of why/how they split are revealed throughout).
Now, Les is charged with retrieving this civilization's FTL technology (the act of which is essentially a war crime), while Royce's mission is to retrieve the civilization's "Impeccable Sense of Style" - a very ambiguous-sounding mission, to be sure.
However, while they're trying to achieve this, the planet is invaded by a Kovan Warlord, so they must put their feelings for each other aside, complete their respective missions, escape the planet...
Oh, and then plot happens. (No spoilers ;) )
Aldous Mercer is a new author (only one published work prior to this), and has promised more in the Royce Ree universe in 2014. (Which I shall pounce on and devour)
If you're coming from outside the "M M Romance" subgenre (as I am), don't let that divert you. While there is a strong romantic subplot between the two male leads, it is treated as in any 'mainstream' sci-fi novel: an essential part of the plot, but if you're looking for erotica, you'll be disappointed.
The two main characters, Royce Ree and Les'Anther Dai-Sarn, are both Imperial Agents who unexpectedly encounter each other while on-mission. Unexpectedly because they were once married and still harbor feelings for each other (details of why/how they split are revealed throughout).
Now, Les is charged with retrieving this civilization's FTL technology (the act of which is essentially a war crime), while Royce's mission is to retrieve the civilization's "Impeccable Sense of Style" - a very ambiguous-sounding mission, to be sure.
However, while they're trying to achieve this, the planet is invaded by a Kovan Warlord, so they must put their feelings for each other aside, complete their respective missions, escape the planet...
Oh, and then plot happens. (No spoilers ;) )
Aldous Mercer is a new author (only one published work prior to this), and has promised more in the Royce Ree universe in 2014. (Which I shall pounce on and devour)
July 26, 2016
First off (As said in the blurb) this is not a 'book' as such but an instalment, you'll need to get the 'omnibus' to read the whole story arc. So be warned there's cliffhangers and none is complete on it's own. Individually they all appear to finish around 70% for extracts of other work; however the five parts are all either offered free or at a low price so no reason that need put you off.
The first chapter is very impelling,a flash of character giving a taste of the end scene, then the story jumps back a eight days and we start to see how they get there.
Royce Ree and Les make for interesting characters, there's a lot between them that's not being said.
Plot. The plot is confusing:
- Part of this is intentional; a result of political machinations or Drivepolitik as it's known in this verse. It's a puzzle and sometimes you form an impression for it to be changed with a later comment.
- For me there were some basic confusions as well. A good way through this and I had to stop and reason what planet Royce and the Les were from, as main characters and with the story being told in their alternating pov, I felt it should have been made clearer.
- Plot aspect - SPOILER -
The language is often a large part of the confusion. With any fantasy or sci-fi book a different world is being introduced to the reader. Few people like pages of explanations, but we need enough to understand the setting. Often when I stumbled I felt just a few words would have given a better picture or if things had just been said in simpler terms. This is a sci-fi and I'm evidently not quite part of that cliche.
Each chapter is followed by a paragraph or so of communications or overheard conversations. Some of these are very funny, a few are very confusing; all of them must be read as they're often vital to the following chapter. It's love/hate for me; while I liked many of these little snapshots, they ruin the flow giving very defined end/beginnings to the chapters. Some of these (or the info there in) would have been better incorporated into the main story text.
It's a space comedy, a story of errors - the title of this installment being a blatent hint. It's also written for true Sci-fi fans, and a glossary would definitely help.
Overall its an interesting beginning, the characters and the quirky humour thread through it have enough appeal for me to pick up the second part. If you can get into the story you'll love it.
The first chapter is very impelling,a flash of character giving a taste of the end scene, then the story jumps back a eight days and we start to see how they get there.
Royce Ree and Les make for interesting characters, there's a lot between them that's not being said.
Plot. The plot is confusing:
- Part of this is intentional; a result of political machinations or Drivepolitik as it's known in this verse. It's a puzzle and sometimes you form an impression for it to be changed with a later comment.
- For me there were some basic confusions as well. A good way through this and I had to stop and reason what planet Royce and the Les were from, as main characters and with the story being told in their alternating pov, I felt it should have been made clearer.
- Plot aspect - SPOILER -
The language is often a large part of the confusion. With any fantasy or sci-fi book a different world is being introduced to the reader. Few people like pages of explanations, but we need enough to understand the setting. Often when I stumbled I felt just a few words would have given a better picture or if things had just been said in simpler terms. This is a sci-fi and I'm evidently not quite part of that cliche.
Each chapter is followed by a paragraph or so of communications or overheard conversations. Some of these are very funny, a few are very confusing; all of them must be read as they're often vital to the following chapter. It's love/hate for me; while I liked many of these little snapshots, they ruin the flow giving very defined end/beginnings to the chapters. Some of these (or the info there in) would have been better incorporated into the main story text.
It's a space comedy, a story of errors - the title of this installment being a blatent hint. It's also written for true Sci-fi fans, and a glossary would definitely help.
Overall its an interesting beginning, the characters and the quirky humour thread through it have enough appeal for me to pick up the second part. If you can get into the story you'll love it.
November 8, 2015
[So, I finally got around to reading this. To be fair, what I read was the original serial-ish format thing released on Smashwords, which had been sitting around unread for quite some while. I'm putting my review here since I read them in quick succession without noting comments (bc I was reading on my phone, and it really isn't as convenient for me to type as I read there), and I have no idea how similar or different this omnibus edition is.]
I find that Mercer does this thing where you really have to be in on the joke to fully get his stories, and I can't decide if its more borne of absentmindedness or a more pointed sort of gatekeeping.
At least with this series, it was mostly just story/world details and not also complex technical stuff. ...I dunno, I'm not a fan of things when it feels like the author's too busy trying to prove how clever they are to tell a story straight. I find that there are ways of withholding details and letting a story unfold that doesn't make the reader feel like they're idiots for not getting something the first time when it was never even explained to them.
I'm not saying it's necessarily purposefully or wholly malicious on the author's part, but just...these sort of stories don't make me feel "welcome" in the world. Like the author's hazing us or something. And sure, to some people, and to a point, it might seem all in good fun, but it never feels good to feel like we might be the butt of some massive prank.
Royce. Just...what. Why.
He's so not endearing. These revelations in the last installment demonstrate his cleverness, sure, but also color him as decidedly...well, psychopathicly self-serving. It renders Royce and Les' "relationship" really disturbingly coercive and renders the consent rather dubious.
I mean, Royce is not uncaring, but still, just...the whole ending throws the entire thing into a different light that makes me uncomfortable with it all.
I think the thing is, I feel betrayed. I was led to believe that there was some sort of higher cause, even with all of the misdirections and double-backs, but in the end, it all still boiled down to self-serving vanity.
And with Les...there's just something condescending or patronizing about how he's treated, and it irritates me so much? Like, no, it's not just "hysterics"; his feelings that led to the divorce were valid, and quite achingly poignant, and his whole character arc, what originally had seemed like a reclamation of his past depression turned out that he'd been manipulated out of him by Royce...that just renders their relationship so discomfortingly uneven.
To be fair, the world creation is pretty fascinating. And the writing itself is really rather not-bad. It's just...the way the story is presented doesn't exactly make it easy for you (or I suppose, didn't make it easy for me) to really get to know the world.
Maybe the author is an introvert. Maybe that's what that is. Maybe what this story needs in a reader is an extrovert, someone who loves meeting new people and enjoys coaxing out details. Not that there's as much back-and-forth a conversation would have, but I feel like me trying to read this might be a case of two introverts awkwardly trying to carry out a small-talk conversation. Or something.
I find that Mercer does this thing where you really have to be in on the joke to fully get his stories, and I can't decide if its more borne of absentmindedness or a more pointed sort of gatekeeping.
At least with this series, it was mostly just story/world details and not also complex technical stuff. ...I dunno, I'm not a fan of things when it feels like the author's too busy trying to prove how clever they are to tell a story straight. I find that there are ways of withholding details and letting a story unfold that doesn't make the reader feel like they're idiots for not getting something the first time when it was never even explained to them.
I'm not saying it's necessarily purposefully or wholly malicious on the author's part, but just...these sort of stories don't make me feel "welcome" in the world. Like the author's hazing us or something. And sure, to some people, and to a point, it might seem all in good fun, but it never feels good to feel like we might be the butt of some massive prank.
Royce. Just...what. Why.
He's so not endearing. These revelations in the last installment demonstrate his cleverness, sure, but also color him as decidedly...well, psychopathicly self-serving. It renders Royce and Les' "relationship" really disturbingly coercive and renders the consent rather dubious.
I mean, Royce is not uncaring, but still, just...the whole ending throws the entire thing into a different light that makes me uncomfortable with it all.
I think the thing is, I feel betrayed. I was led to believe that there was some sort of higher cause, even with all of the misdirections and double-backs, but in the end, it all still boiled down to self-serving vanity.
And with Les...there's just something condescending or patronizing about how he's treated, and it irritates me so much? Like, no, it's not just "hysterics"; his feelings that led to the divorce were valid, and quite achingly poignant, and his whole character arc, what originally had seemed like a reclamation of his past depression turned out that he'd been manipulated out of him by Royce...that just renders their relationship so discomfortingly uneven.
To be fair, the world creation is pretty fascinating. And the writing itself is really rather not-bad. It's just...the way the story is presented doesn't exactly make it easy for you (or I suppose, didn't make it easy for me) to really get to know the world.
Maybe the author is an introvert. Maybe that's what that is. Maybe what this story needs in a reader is an extrovert, someone who loves meeting new people and enjoys coaxing out details. Not that there's as much back-and-forth a conversation would have, but I feel like me trying to read this might be a case of two introverts awkwardly trying to carry out a small-talk conversation. Or something.
December 15, 2013
Don't let this book fool you. It's actually got a great sci-fi plot hiding behind humor. These books are supposed to be funny, and they are! I had several giggling fits reading this. But behind that, is a very clever plot. Not to give away too much, but you don't figure it all out till the end. At which point there's quite a bit of satisfaction over the whole thing. Because along the way, there are several moment where you wonder if you're going to be wildly disillusioned and disappointed by how the characters act.
Want to read
March 16, 20193/16/19 Currently FREE via Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...
February 1, 2020
3.5
Not easy to say something about The Emperor's New Clothes without one or the other spoiler. Is it already a spoiler saying that this is not the straight-forward story about a spy who's determined to get his ex back that it's pretend to be? Okay, maybe not that straight forward either because first it seems like a unlikely coincidence that they both meet during each of their own mission and then Royce is doing everything incl. jeopardizing his own mission to save his ex who left and divorced him. It's pretty clear that they both are not happy how things are between them and still love each other but they are still too proud to talk about it and there are still the same pattern in the other's demeanor that lead to the outcome in the first place.
I could have gladly watched those 2 dancing around each other, fight their attraction and the obstacles of their current job, save a planet and reveal a threat to the entire empire – only the author doesn't let me. First he creates a visible unbalance between the romance and the world building. Maybe it's me and I have to admit that my brain is not wired for this kind of Sci Fi. There is just too much to wrap my mind around, a planet where everyone is somehow related to the ruling house, sentient pets, a zombie virus, doe-or-die chips, FTL drives, impeccable taste filters, bionic soldiers, attention seeking warlords and cab drivers with more knowledge than the fleet admiral … and it certainly didn't help that the chapters most of the time were not much bigger than what other authors use as paragraphs in their books. Even without the last quarter of the book, after the happy ending, I would have to read the book again to understand what went on.
Don't get me wrong, it's not that Mercer is only telling what he likes me to see, he's totally showing everything and you completely make the conclusion on your own. He just doesn't give you time to feel it and of course sex is only happening off-page if at all but after reading the book to the very end I'm sure that all that was done deliberately to make you unaware bout some details, about missing scenes and motivations, to make you believe there is something like coincidence, that plans can be made in the spur of the moment … but what do I talk about, there is still stuff I don't understand or that I likely didn't understand correctly and I really believe there has to be sequel to take up the still loose ends but maybe I only have to read this book again to see my errors.
So heat-seekers look somewhere else and you sappy-hearts beware but if you like layers of scheming, spies in space and romance as the motivation of it all then just dive in.
Not easy to say something about The Emperor's New Clothes without one or the other spoiler. Is it already a spoiler saying that this is not the straight-forward story about a spy who's determined to get his ex back that it's pretend to be? Okay, maybe not that straight forward either because first it seems like a unlikely coincidence that they both meet during each of their own mission and then Royce is doing everything incl. jeopardizing his own mission to save his ex who left and divorced him. It's pretty clear that they both are not happy how things are between them and still love each other but they are still too proud to talk about it and there are still the same pattern in the other's demeanor that lead to the outcome in the first place.
I could have gladly watched those 2 dancing around each other, fight their attraction and the obstacles of their current job, save a planet and reveal a threat to the entire empire – only the author doesn't let me. First he creates a visible unbalance between the romance and the world building. Maybe it's me and I have to admit that my brain is not wired for this kind of Sci Fi. There is just too much to wrap my mind around, a planet where everyone is somehow related to the ruling house, sentient pets, a zombie virus, doe-or-die chips, FTL drives, impeccable taste filters, bionic soldiers, attention seeking warlords and cab drivers with more knowledge than the fleet admiral … and it certainly didn't help that the chapters most of the time were not much bigger than what other authors use as paragraphs in their books. Even without the last quarter of the book, after the happy ending, I would have to read the book again to understand what went on.
Don't get me wrong, it's not that Mercer is only telling what he likes me to see, he's totally showing everything and you completely make the conclusion on your own. He just doesn't give you time to feel it and of course sex is only happening off-page if at all but after reading the book to the very end I'm sure that all that was done deliberately to make you unaware bout some details, about missing scenes and motivations, to make you believe there is something like coincidence, that plans can be made in the spur of the moment … but what do I talk about, there is still stuff I don't understand or that I likely didn't understand correctly and I really believe there has to be sequel to take up the still loose ends but maybe I only have to read this book again to see my errors.
So heat-seekers look somewhere else and you sappy-hearts beware but if you like layers of scheming, spies in space and romance as the motivation of it all then just dive in.
February 16, 2014
2,5 stars
The plot confused the hell out of me. Don't get me wrong. There's nothing wrong with non-linear writing and only revealing the whole picture bit by bit, but this bordered on ridiculous. Even now, I'm not 100% sure what happened.
Also, even I could find numerous problems with tense (and that's saying something) and incorrect word use. Even the name of the MC changed from Les to Las once. It seemed like almost no proofreading had occurred before publishing :(
I'm not saying that there weren't some clever turns and funny moments. But there really wasn't enough to keep me entertained.
January 18, 2014
review will be in the omnibus edition after I finish it. At the moment busy reading it.
January 7, 2014
Book Review originally published here: http://www.iheartreading.net/book-tou...
The Emperor’s New Clothes is amazing. It’s so hilarious, imaginative, and refreshingly original that I couldn’t put it down once I started reading. The main character, Royce Ree, has a sense of humor that completely matches my own.
Here’s an example from one of the first pages.
“Retrieval of what, agent?” asked the Spymaster, finally.
“Their impeccable sense of style, sir.”
“And yet…and yet what you actually brought me was their Royal Princess, intent upon marrying the Emperor.”
Royce didn’t dare shift his gaze from that perfectly neutral wall to look at the other occupant of the room.
“You also,” continued the Spymaster, “brought me half of Baldasshi’s parliament, six hundred Nova class battleships, and a menagerie of wild animals.”
“Psychic wild animals, sir,” ventured Royce.
Don’t tell me you can read that without even a hint of a smile, because I certainly can’t. Anyway, the book is filled with humoristic quirks like that, so I had a smile plastered on my face for most of my time reading. It’s also a very fast read. It was 328 pages in my .epub reader, but it went very fast. Now, back to the story.
Royce Ree is an imperial agent, who has a mission he can’t fail. Unfortunately, right at the start of it, he bumps into Les, the man he was once married to, and the last person he wanted to see. What happens next is of course, an argument, in the ventilation ducts of all places. They’re forced to work together, which means arguing more than cooperating for most of the time.
There were some minor flaws. The first was the ominipresent narrator. The book is told mostly from Royce’s POV, but every so often, the narrator jumps into Les’ mind, giving us his thoughts. Now, the omnipresent narrator (or whatever you want to call it, that’s the term my English teacher used in high school) isn’t always bad, but it’s not necessary here, and is actually a little confusing, because it doesn’t happen very often, almost like it happens without the author noticing.
Secondly, there are some typos. For example, on page 14 of my copy, right after the small introduction, there’s a sentence telling us where the characters are at (each chapter starts this way, which I don’t think is necessary either, it’s quite obvious where they are. It should only happen if we change perspective to other characters, not stick with the same ones) saying “Ventination Duct, Institute of Research and Development, Baldessh”. Which should actually be “Ventilation Duct”. Now, it’s no biggie, but the error glared at me from my screen because the words are bold and caps.
Anyway, those tiny annoyances didn’t really ruin anything. The plot was great, the characters were intriguing – I kind of want to invite Royce to every party I’m going to throw for the rest of my life, because he’s plain awesome – and the humor added an extra dimension to the story. The author is definitely very talented, and he’s crafted an imaginative, entertaining world, which I long to revisit. Please write more, and please hold on to that sense of humor.
The Emperor’s New Clothes is amazing. It’s so hilarious, imaginative, and refreshingly original that I couldn’t put it down once I started reading. The main character, Royce Ree, has a sense of humor that completely matches my own.
Here’s an example from one of the first pages.
“Retrieval of what, agent?” asked the Spymaster, finally.
“Their impeccable sense of style, sir.”
“And yet…and yet what you actually brought me was their Royal Princess, intent upon marrying the Emperor.”
Royce didn’t dare shift his gaze from that perfectly neutral wall to look at the other occupant of the room.
“You also,” continued the Spymaster, “brought me half of Baldasshi’s parliament, six hundred Nova class battleships, and a menagerie of wild animals.”
“Psychic wild animals, sir,” ventured Royce.
Don’t tell me you can read that without even a hint of a smile, because I certainly can’t. Anyway, the book is filled with humoristic quirks like that, so I had a smile plastered on my face for most of my time reading. It’s also a very fast read. It was 328 pages in my .epub reader, but it went very fast. Now, back to the story.
Royce Ree is an imperial agent, who has a mission he can’t fail. Unfortunately, right at the start of it, he bumps into Les, the man he was once married to, and the last person he wanted to see. What happens next is of course, an argument, in the ventilation ducts of all places. They’re forced to work together, which means arguing more than cooperating for most of the time.
There were some minor flaws. The first was the ominipresent narrator. The book is told mostly from Royce’s POV, but every so often, the narrator jumps into Les’ mind, giving us his thoughts. Now, the omnipresent narrator (or whatever you want to call it, that’s the term my English teacher used in high school) isn’t always bad, but it’s not necessary here, and is actually a little confusing, because it doesn’t happen very often, almost like it happens without the author noticing.
Secondly, there are some typos. For example, on page 14 of my copy, right after the small introduction, there’s a sentence telling us where the characters are at (each chapter starts this way, which I don’t think is necessary either, it’s quite obvious where they are. It should only happen if we change perspective to other characters, not stick with the same ones) saying “Ventination Duct, Institute of Research and Development, Baldessh”. Which should actually be “Ventilation Duct”. Now, it’s no biggie, but the error glared at me from my screen because the words are bold and caps.
Anyway, those tiny annoyances didn’t really ruin anything. The plot was great, the characters were intriguing – I kind of want to invite Royce to every party I’m going to throw for the rest of my life, because he’s plain awesome – and the humor added an extra dimension to the story. The author is definitely very talented, and he’s crafted an imaginative, entertaining world, which I long to revisit. Please write more, and please hold on to that sense of humor.
December 8, 2013
Hm, Aldous Mercer knows how to pull a readers into his story, I give him that. The way it starts is really good, but I missed some basic informations about the world this story is build on.
A reader is thrown into the story, in the middle of an action, but soon we are thrown in the past for eight day precise and can experience what brought one mentioned character, Agent Royce Ree, to the starting point of this story. So from this point, yes, this story is interestingly build and written. I liked it!
We have two main characters here, Agent Royce Ree, whom I liked a lot, and his ex-husband Les. Sure there are other secondary characters but none so interesting as our two MC. In overall, I liked the tension between Royce and Les, they had some unfinished bussiness between them, even love. So emotionally, well developed part. We could feel that they were still in love with each other. What I did miss was Les and Royce background story. What happened between them, how long where they married? Why did they separate, etc...
The Emperor's New Clothes is full of humor well written dialogues, I liked the main storyline in general, but did feel like there where holes in the story.
Recommended!
A reader is thrown into the story, in the middle of an action, but soon we are thrown in the past for eight day precise and can experience what brought one mentioned character, Agent Royce Ree, to the starting point of this story. So from this point, yes, this story is interestingly build and written. I liked it!
We have two main characters here, Agent Royce Ree, whom I liked a lot, and his ex-husband Les. Sure there are other secondary characters but none so interesting as our two MC. In overall, I liked the tension between Royce and Les, they had some unfinished bussiness between them, even love. So emotionally, well developed part. We could feel that they were still in love with each other. What I did miss was Les and Royce background story. What happened between them, how long where they married? Why did they separate, etc...
The Emperor's New Clothes is full of humor well written dialogues, I liked the main storyline in general, but did feel like there where holes in the story.
Recommended!
October 17, 2016
Take a gay James Bond, add in a dollop of Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, and invoke a retelling of the classical Emperor's New Clothes, and you get this story.
Royce Ree may come off as less than efficient at times, but every single thing he does is pre-planned. He gets reunited with his ex-husband during a mission, and what starts as a heist becomes a rescue. The old flames have to reconcile their past relationship as they maneuver around a planetary takeover by pirates. The humor is mostly in the "transcripts" at the beginning of each chapter, which includes the chapter titles if you pay attention.
The story, as a whole, is okay. There were a lot of parts that flew over my head and I had to use context to figure out what was going on. While I enjoyed Royce's gambit, I didn't get to fully appreciate it until it got spelled out for me in the last 5% of the book.
This is a decent story if you're looking for a sci-fi that casually features gay characters with a sweet romantic sub-plot.
Royce Ree may come off as less than efficient at times, but every single thing he does is pre-planned. He gets reunited with his ex-husband during a mission, and what starts as a heist becomes a rescue. The old flames have to reconcile their past relationship as they maneuver around a planetary takeover by pirates. The humor is mostly in the "transcripts" at the beginning of each chapter, which includes the chapter titles if you pay attention.
The story, as a whole, is okay. There were a lot of parts that flew over my head and I had to use context to figure out what was going on. While I enjoyed Royce's gambit, I didn't get to fully appreciate it until it got spelled out for me in the last 5% of the book.
This is a decent story if you're looking for a sci-fi that casually features gay characters with a sweet romantic sub-plot.
February 16, 2015
*** DNF at 37% ***
Okay, the idea is probably great, the characters have potential, as has their romance, there is some quirkiness here, too.
But... The narration about killed this for me.
It is so choppy. There is a new chapter every other page, and there is almost always a short gap in time and space. At the beginning of each chapter there is some log entry from a conversation, or whatever, with no real connection to the current scene. I just could not get into the flow. Exhausting.
There is absolutely no telling what is going on here, which would be great, if there was some more showing. I have no clue what I read, which could also be awesome, but I just can't connect to the story, what makes it even more challenging to read.
I'm out.
Okay, the idea is probably great, the characters have potential, as has their romance, there is some quirkiness here, too.
But... The narration about killed this for me.
It is so choppy. There is a new chapter every other page, and there is almost always a short gap in time and space. At the beginning of each chapter there is some log entry from a conversation, or whatever, with no real connection to the current scene. I just could not get into the flow. Exhausting.
There is absolutely no telling what is going on here, which would be great, if there was some more showing. I have no clue what I read, which could also be awesome, but I just can't connect to the story, what makes it even more challenging to read.
I'm out.
December 9, 2013
A light hearted and fun read. For whatever reason, this reminded me strong of the Stainless Steel Rat series. Not in any of the details, really, more in feel and overall serious/ridiculous. With how much fun this was, I'm very much looking forward to reading more in this series.
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Note that I received a complimentary copy of this book.
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Note that I received a complimentary copy of this book.
dnf
April 24, 2014DNF'ed at 21%
Hopelessly lost and I'm not invested enough in the characters to even try and figure shit out. Between the FTL-variants, FTL drives, and dholags, I couldn't give a rat's ass about the Kova, the Spymaster, or Drivepolitiks. I'm just sayin' ... Sorry, not my cuppa.
Hopelessly lost and I'm not invested enough in the characters to even try and figure shit out. Between the FTL-variants, FTL drives, and dholags, I couldn't give a rat's ass about the Kova, the Spymaster, or Drivepolitiks. I'm just sayin' ... Sorry, not my cuppa.
January 21, 2014
Note for the entire series: Pay attention to the details. The most casual elements tend to have great significance later.
May 3, 2015
4.5...but I'll round up for pure enjoyment
I picked this up yesterday, after seeing it recommend in a thread I was watching in a semi-stalkerish way...you know, reading all the posts while only being marginally involved myself. Since picking a book to read from the thousands I own can sometimes take me hours, I decided to just forgo the search, buy this one and read it. Done. Annoying decision-making process completely sidestepped. Score!
So glad I did. I just plain had a blast reading this. I thought that Royce and Les were wonderful characters, their interactions were a pleasure and their poorly concealed feelings for one another marvellous. There was a lot of humor and the whole thing just had a sweet feel to it. The writing was crisp and compelling, the dialogue believable, the world-building just solid enough to give the reader a clear picture without bogging down the story, and the wit often subtle but readily apparent. Plus, there were psychic pets, zombie fashionistas, super spies, naked royalty, secret missions, soul searing love and one spunky rebellious princess. What more could I ask for?
Now, the book wasn't faultless. There were some minor editing issues, changes in tense and person (3rd to 1st) and occasionally I wasn't entirely clear what happened in a scene or what a particular technology actually did, but it really wasn't all that often or noticeable. I'll also admit that if I had been reading the individual instalments, instead of an omnibus (that read as smoothly as any other book I've encountered) I'd probably have been scratching my head about why it's broken up. But I wasn't, so I'm pretending it originated as a single text and moving on.
Lastly, I'm not a huge fan of the explain-it-all-in-a-big-historical-reveal-at-the-end technique. Here I thought some of it felt a little too convenient, some of it felt unrealistic (characters who knew each-other all pretended they didn't without the reader knowing why, for example) and some aspects weren't clearly explained. An example of the latter was the 'only if he asks you' scenario. This was accomplished, ostensibly arranged by Royce, but it was never shown how he managed to manipulate events and people to bring it about. (I realise that only makes sense to people who have read the book, for the rest of you it's just an example to show that there is an example.)
None of these issues severely detracted from my basic enjoyment of the book though. As a 'buy on a whim, even though I have tons I should read first' book I deem it a complete success. I look forward to the continuation of the series and will be looking for more of Mercer's writing.
I picked this up yesterday, after seeing it recommend in a thread I was watching in a semi-stalkerish way...you know, reading all the posts while only being marginally involved myself. Since picking a book to read from the thousands I own can sometimes take me hours, I decided to just forgo the search, buy this one and read it. Done. Annoying decision-making process completely sidestepped. Score!
So glad I did. I just plain had a blast reading this. I thought that Royce and Les were wonderful characters, their interactions were a pleasure and their poorly concealed feelings for one another marvellous. There was a lot of humor and the whole thing just had a sweet feel to it. The writing was crisp and compelling, the dialogue believable, the world-building just solid enough to give the reader a clear picture without bogging down the story, and the wit often subtle but readily apparent. Plus, there were psychic pets, zombie fashionistas, super spies, naked royalty, secret missions, soul searing love and one spunky rebellious princess. What more could I ask for?
Now, the book wasn't faultless. There were some minor editing issues, changes in tense and person (3rd to 1st) and occasionally I wasn't entirely clear what happened in a scene or what a particular technology actually did, but it really wasn't all that often or noticeable. I'll also admit that if I had been reading the individual instalments, instead of an omnibus (that read as smoothly as any other book I've encountered) I'd probably have been scratching my head about why it's broken up. But I wasn't, so I'm pretending it originated as a single text and moving on.
Lastly, I'm not a huge fan of the explain-it-all-in-a-big-historical-reveal-at-the-end technique. Here I thought some of it felt a little too convenient, some of it felt unrealistic (characters who knew each-other all pretended they didn't without the reader knowing why, for example) and some aspects weren't clearly explained. An example of the latter was the 'only if he asks you' scenario. This was accomplished, ostensibly arranged by Royce, but it was never shown how he managed to manipulate events and people to bring it about. (I realise that only makes sense to people who have read the book, for the rest of you it's just an example to show that there is an example.)
None of these issues severely detracted from my basic enjoyment of the book though. As a 'buy on a whim, even though I have tons I should read first' book I deem it a complete success. I look forward to the continuation of the series and will be looking for more of Mercer's writing.
August 5, 2017
This M/M SF work, a reworking of formerly published shorts and first instalment in a planned series, balances precariously and not always successfully between comedy, romance and intrigue.
You will notice I have not mentioned SF: the reason is that the SF setting, though pervasive, is hardly essential to what is, essentially, a spy story with a 007 - Roger Mooreish - touch. The same goes for the M/M element as, in the world imagined by the author, nobody bats a single eyelash at the leads' sexuality.
The plot, linear at first, takes a bit to take off as the author does not manage to pair the light comedic tones of the lovers' quarrels with the desperate seriousness of a situation in which a planet is being invaded by ruthless villains. It then sets nicely until, towards the end, the author decides to mix his cards again by introducing a series of complicated flashbacks that put everything the reader has come to understand about the situation in doubt again.
I have no qualm in admitting I lost my bearings there as it was probably the author's intention, but I still think he went too far.
A revision should take care of several typos and a few mistakes.
You will notice I have not mentioned SF: the reason is that the SF setting, though pervasive, is hardly essential to what is, essentially, a spy story with a 007 - Roger Mooreish - touch. The same goes for the M/M element as, in the world imagined by the author, nobody bats a single eyelash at the leads' sexuality.
The plot, linear at first, takes a bit to take off as the author does not manage to pair the light comedic tones of the lovers' quarrels with the desperate seriousness of a situation in which a planet is being invaded by ruthless villains. It then sets nicely until, towards the end, the author decides to mix his cards again by introducing a series of complicated flashbacks that put everything the reader has come to understand about the situation in doubt again.
I have no qualm in admitting I lost my bearings there as it was probably the author's intention, but I still think he went too far.
A revision should take care of several typos and a few mistakes.
January 9, 2020
This book didn't hook me until I was a third through, and I might not have stayed with it if it hadn't come highly recommended. I'm really glad I persisted, though.
I was dissuaded partly by a general sense of not knowing what was going on (and even by the end of the book, I was unclear on some of the "why's" even when I knew the "what's" and "how's"), but mostly because the tone felt inconsistent. I didn't feel like it committed either to "Hitchhiker's"-style OTT zaniness or "Star Wars"-y space-operatics and that affected how I viewed the book's stakes – I wasn't clear on when a plot complication was meaningful to the characters and when it could be removed by some bit of magic tech that hadn't previously been introduced.
But the amped-up James Bond-in-space vibe (with a dash of second-chance MM romance) is a lot of fun. There's a really great scene of multi-level conversation between two seasoned spies, and some very interesting sci-fi speculation throughout – for instance, in Mercer's universe, access to FTL tech has parallels with our own "who's got the bomb?" politics; each civilization only needs one drive.
I was dissuaded partly by a general sense of not knowing what was going on (and even by the end of the book, I was unclear on some of the "why's" even when I knew the "what's" and "how's"), but mostly because the tone felt inconsistent. I didn't feel like it committed either to "Hitchhiker's"-style OTT zaniness or "Star Wars"-y space-operatics and that affected how I viewed the book's stakes – I wasn't clear on when a plot complication was meaningful to the characters and when it could be removed by some bit of magic tech that hadn't previously been introduced.
But the amped-up James Bond-in-space vibe (with a dash of second-chance MM romance) is a lot of fun. There's a really great scene of multi-level conversation between two seasoned spies, and some very interesting sci-fi speculation throughout – for instance, in Mercer's universe, access to FTL tech has parallels with our own "who's got the bomb?" politics; each civilization only needs one drive.
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