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Arthur Wallace #4
Broken Hero
How’s a secret agent meant to catch a break? If it’s not a demi-god going through puberty, it’s a renegade Nazi clockwork army going senile. Or a death cult in Nepal. Or a battery-chewing wizard’s relationship problems. Arthur Wallace, agent of MI37—Britain’s agency for dealing with the supernatural, the extraterrestrial, and the generally odd—has to pull everything together, and he has to do it before a magical bomb tears reality apart…
400 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 26, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
August 14, 2018
3 stars for the 4th installment, 3 stars for the entire series where for my entertainment buck I felt like we definitely peaked with the 3rd book. Having said that...
This is certainly another action packed tale in the brief year covered by the 'No Hero' books (yes, they save the world 3 times one October and then it's a year later... go figure). The characters are certainly stronger (literally and, I guess, metaphorically? literarily?) than they were in the first 1 1/2 books. Fortunately, Arthur manages to keep the spine (see also 'balls') he was starting to grow in book 3 and saves the world much more on purpose this time than in the preceeding tomes. OH AND THANK THE GODS his references to Kurt Russell all but disappear. If he'd have kept on with that, I think I would have found a way to shoot him...
Unfortunately, 'Broken Hero' - again action-packed though not what I'd deem 'hilarious' no matter what is put on the jacket - does not keep up the same complete story-telling, edge of your seat panache that the last book achieved. For me, I'd say a lot of that rests on the shoulders of Clyde, whose dithering rambling because less enamoring and much more annoying. Seriously, the book would have been a third shorter without his rantings, most of which were just annoying rather than in any way, shape or form entertaining. And the high school level relationship troubles become much more whiney and teenagery than I prefer in non-YA tales.
In addition, there are far too many hiccups and general plot holes to make this book stronger than that. For example - - - SPOILERS : STOP READING HERE, YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED:
- How or when does Ephie disappear from the pub in Scotland during the initial attack?
- Why does Clyde go from complaining about poor Latin to poor Greek in Lang's notes?
- How does the 'desk ornament' wind up with the 'away team' when Tabby is supposedly studying it in the office?
- When was Kayla ever pregnant a FIRST time (ref. 'Pain she's so defenseless against she's trying to bury it under ANOTHER pregnancy...')? Sure, the 2nd half of the book gets it right (she is a STEPMOM) but still.
- Did the huge badguy robot dude really use the US Army slogan 'Be all you can be' before... well, you'll see...
- And GOTT IM HIMMEL, it should be UHRWERKMAN not UHRWERKMÄNN!! The umlaut should only come into play for plural references! UNVERZEIHLICHE SCHEISSE!
Oh well, despite all my griping, I've enjoyed the series about as much as I expected to. I went in thinking 'fun but not earth-shattering' and Wood delivered. If this is the set that starts his career, then I think he'll be just fine. And anyway: thanks for helping tide me over until the next 'Laundry Files' installment comes out later this year.
Keep it real MI37! Relatively speaking....
This is certainly another action packed tale in the brief year covered by the 'No Hero' books (yes, they save the world 3 times one October and then it's a year later... go figure). The characters are certainly stronger (literally and, I guess, metaphorically? literarily?) than they were in the first 1 1/2 books. Fortunately, Arthur manages to keep the spine (see also 'balls') he was starting to grow in book 3 and saves the world much more on purpose this time than in the preceeding tomes. OH AND THANK THE GODS his references to Kurt Russell all but disappear. If he'd have kept on with that, I think I would have found a way to shoot him...
Unfortunately, 'Broken Hero' - again action-packed though not what I'd deem 'hilarious' no matter what is put on the jacket - does not keep up the same complete story-telling, edge of your seat panache that the last book achieved. For me, I'd say a lot of that rests on the shoulders of Clyde, whose dithering rambling because less enamoring and much more annoying. Seriously, the book would have been a third shorter without his rantings, most of which were just annoying rather than in any way, shape or form entertaining. And the high school level relationship troubles become much more whiney and teenagery than I prefer in non-YA tales.
In addition, there are far too many hiccups and general plot holes to make this book stronger than that. For example - - - SPOILERS : STOP READING HERE, YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED:
- How or when does Ephie disappear from the pub in Scotland during the initial attack?
- Why does Clyde go from complaining about poor Latin to poor Greek in Lang's notes?
- How does the 'desk ornament' wind up with the 'away team' when Tabby is supposedly studying it in the office?
- When was Kayla ever pregnant a FIRST time (ref. 'Pain she's so defenseless against she's trying to bury it under ANOTHER pregnancy...')? Sure, the 2nd half of the book gets it right (she is a STEPMOM) but still.
- Did the huge badguy robot dude really use the US Army slogan 'Be all you can be' before... well, you'll see...
- And GOTT IM HIMMEL, it should be UHRWERKMAN not UHRWERKMÄNN!! The umlaut should only come into play for plural references! UNVERZEIHLICHE SCHEISSE!
Oh well, despite all my griping, I've enjoyed the series about as much as I expected to. I went in thinking 'fun but not earth-shattering' and Wood delivered. If this is the set that starts his career, then I think he'll be just fine. And anyway: thanks for helping tide me over until the next 'Laundry Files' installment comes out later this year.
Keep it real MI37! Relatively speaking....
October 4, 2016
http://openbooksociety.com/article/br...
Broken Hero
Arthur Wallace, Book #4
By Jonathan Wood
ISBN # 9781783294534
Author’s Website: http://www.jonathanwoodauthor.com/
Brought to you by OBS reviewer Omar
Synopsis:
How’s a secret agent meant to catch a break? If it’s not a demi-god going through puberty, it’s a renegade Nazi clockwork army going senile. Or a death cult in Nepal. Or a battery-chewing wizard’s relationship problems. Arthur Wallace, agent of MI37—Britain’s agency for dealing with the supernatural, the extraterrestrial, and the generally odd—has to pull everything together, and he has to do it before a magical bomb tears reality apart…
Review
Broken Hero, starts like any other urban fantasy story, with an insectoid robot smashing its way through the pub that our heroes are drinking in. In this pub, we meet Arthur Wallace, the field leader of the MI37, an English government branch dedicated to solve paranormal problems, and keep the country safe. Their team bonding was going well, until Kayla, the muscles of the team, started a fight with her demigod daughter who is a dreamer, causing a fight in the pub before the metal robot appeared. The problems start there for Arthur, as this encounter with the Uhrwerkmann (metal robots) has left him with some PTSD, as he almost died again. Another thing is that his girlfriend/boss has asked him to move in with her, and a new member for their team “promoted” by MI6, but with the power to shut down MI37. The worst problem for Arthur is the bomb, Uhrwerkgerat, this and all realities if it goes off.
I liked the Broken Hero, it was a very funny story to read and the characters helped the story progress with their own personality. All of the characters were funny, especially Arthur and Clyde, these two had the funniest lines and had me laughing throughout the whole book.
While I liked the story, at the beginning, it was I little hard to follow the storyline; the characters mentioned past events, and if you haven’t read the previous book liked I did, it was a little difficult to follow the story. Once the storyline starts to stay in its own path, it gets more interesting and makes the reader not to want to put their book down.
Another part that I liked were the sub-stories. While the main story was fun and interesting, all the characters had their own personal story to follow, either couples fight, parenting, or even their sex life; at the end all the sub-stories help to humanize the characters and to show the reader that secret agents suffer from the same mundane feelings that everyone else does.
The idea of multiple realities exists and affecting each other, is a topic that I like to read a lot in science fiction and urban fantasy book; for that reason, I liked the idea of the dreamers, who control what parts of those realities truly happened and which ones do not. These concepts are making me consider read the previous books, and also because I want to learn how is that Arthur came to be part of MI37.
When reading the book, the majority will think that the title, Broken Hero, is referring to Arthur and the problems he has, and I do believe it is; but after finishing it and writing this review I come to the conclusion that it could be referring to all characters and even the traitor. Jonathan Wood did a good job when naming this book, it fits well with the events that happened because at one point we all believe we are heroes, and we all can break at one point in our life.
If you are a fan of author Jonathan Wood or the Arthur Wallace series, then I recommend you Broken Hero. In this book, you go on an adventure to save the world with a man that has finally reached a point where his world is falling apart, but he does his best to save those he loves, even if he has to die to do it.
*OBS would like to thank the publisher for supplying a free copy of this title in exchange for an honest review*
Broken Hero
Arthur Wallace, Book #4
By Jonathan Wood
ISBN # 9781783294534
Author’s Website: http://www.jonathanwoodauthor.com/
Brought to you by OBS reviewer Omar
Synopsis:
How’s a secret agent meant to catch a break? If it’s not a demi-god going through puberty, it’s a renegade Nazi clockwork army going senile. Or a death cult in Nepal. Or a battery-chewing wizard’s relationship problems. Arthur Wallace, agent of MI37—Britain’s agency for dealing with the supernatural, the extraterrestrial, and the generally odd—has to pull everything together, and he has to do it before a magical bomb tears reality apart…
Review
Broken Hero, starts like any other urban fantasy story, with an insectoid robot smashing its way through the pub that our heroes are drinking in. In this pub, we meet Arthur Wallace, the field leader of the MI37, an English government branch dedicated to solve paranormal problems, and keep the country safe. Their team bonding was going well, until Kayla, the muscles of the team, started a fight with her demigod daughter who is a dreamer, causing a fight in the pub before the metal robot appeared. The problems start there for Arthur, as this encounter with the Uhrwerkmann (metal robots) has left him with some PTSD, as he almost died again. Another thing is that his girlfriend/boss has asked him to move in with her, and a new member for their team “promoted” by MI6, but with the power to shut down MI37. The worst problem for Arthur is the bomb, Uhrwerkgerat, this and all realities if it goes off.
I liked the Broken Hero, it was a very funny story to read and the characters helped the story progress with their own personality. All of the characters were funny, especially Arthur and Clyde, these two had the funniest lines and had me laughing throughout the whole book.
While I liked the story, at the beginning, it was I little hard to follow the storyline; the characters mentioned past events, and if you haven’t read the previous book liked I did, it was a little difficult to follow the story. Once the storyline starts to stay in its own path, it gets more interesting and makes the reader not to want to put their book down.
Another part that I liked were the sub-stories. While the main story was fun and interesting, all the characters had their own personal story to follow, either couples fight, parenting, or even their sex life; at the end all the sub-stories help to humanize the characters and to show the reader that secret agents suffer from the same mundane feelings that everyone else does.
The idea of multiple realities exists and affecting each other, is a topic that I like to read a lot in science fiction and urban fantasy book; for that reason, I liked the idea of the dreamers, who control what parts of those realities truly happened and which ones do not. These concepts are making me consider read the previous books, and also because I want to learn how is that Arthur came to be part of MI37.
When reading the book, the majority will think that the title, Broken Hero, is referring to Arthur and the problems he has, and I do believe it is; but after finishing it and writing this review I come to the conclusion that it could be referring to all characters and even the traitor. Jonathan Wood did a good job when naming this book, it fits well with the events that happened because at one point we all believe we are heroes, and we all can break at one point in our life.
If you are a fan of author Jonathan Wood or the Arthur Wallace series, then I recommend you Broken Hero. In this book, you go on an adventure to save the world with a man that has finally reached a point where his world is falling apart, but he does his best to save those he loves, even if he has to die to do it.
*OBS would like to thank the publisher for supplying a free copy of this title in exchange for an honest review*
April 7, 2016
I can see why these books are popular. They are well written and the lines are funny, but for me it didn't add up to a satisfying read. I thought it was going to be terrific, but the story (which is daft) stays at the same crash bang wallop level all the way through.
I did like the character of Clive, who talked all the time, but changed when he was drunk.
"So," I say, "how's it going?"
"Ah, well, I mean," Clyde looks up from a legal pad full of notes, warming up his word factor, "as I believe previously described, Lang is not the easiest experimental thaumatophysicist to understand. And that's not exactly a crowd much lauded for their crystalline prose. to to disparage their many accomplishments. Very important subset of folk are thaumatophysicists....." and he goes on for a page, or sometimes two at a time, even three, in one monumental phone call.
A worthy successor to Miss Bates.
I did like the character of Clive, who talked all the time, but changed when he was drunk.
"So," I say, "how's it going?"
"Ah, well, I mean," Clyde looks up from a legal pad full of notes, warming up his word factor, "as I believe previously described, Lang is not the easiest experimental thaumatophysicist to understand. And that's not exactly a crowd much lauded for their crystalline prose. to to disparage their many accomplishments. Very important subset of folk are thaumatophysicists....." and he goes on for a page, or sometimes two at a time, even three, in one monumental phone call.
A worthy successor to Miss Bates.
November 13, 2016
Such a fun series, and this latest (and last) installment doesn't disappoint. It had me laughing out loud at times! The mix of characters are really unique and strongly drawn, especially the emotional entanglements. They are like a family... they hate each other, they care about each other, they resent each other, they have each other's back....they are a small secrets unit of the British government that fights supernatural threats. In this case, some Nazi era giant clockwork robot AIs, a death cult. parallel realities, unexpected pregnancy, and a new team member have the members of MI37 scrambling. A fun and creative series that will bring a smile to your face as you read! I am so going to miss this bunch!
September 15, 2016
The final book in the series. It was hard to read, in that I am emotionally invested the characters and the series by the time I made it to book number four.
I really, REALLY felt like something terrible was going to happen throughout the entire book. The sense of impending doom, the taste of dread in mouth. Broken Hero not only in name, but by nature.
I was happy with the wrap up here. From my understanding this will be the final book in the series for now. I looked forward to reading future novels by the writer.
*off to find a another series to read*
I really, REALLY felt like something terrible was going to happen throughout the entire book. The sense of impending doom, the taste of dread in mouth. Broken Hero not only in name, but by nature.
I was happy with the wrap up here. From my understanding this will be the final book in the series for now. I looked forward to reading future novels by the writer.
*off to find a another series to read*
August 14, 2016
Another fun addition to the "Hero" collection.
May 6, 2019
I had a bit of a tough time with this one. I liked the action and found the story to be pretty good, and while the characters and drama were complex, I have to be honest and confess that I did not like the direction many of the characters went.
Though the story was a little complicated in certain areas, but I was never truly lost. As always, the characters were inventive and fun. The moments of comedy were amusing and I did smile at a few points. That said, I couldn't get past some of the relationships the characters. Honestly, by the end, I could barely stand Arthur, Hannah, and Tabby. Freaking Tabby. I understand that she might have a mental illness and can't emote as a regular person might, but throwing a car battery at the head of someone you're supposed to love is completely unacceptable. I was back and forth with Hannah, and Arthur and Kayla? I don't know what happened to them, but they were both all but cruel toward the people they were supposed to love. I got so angry about their behaviour I nearly quit the book.
This could be because I was getting attached to them enough to become so passionate, but honestly I was hoping that Clyde and Felicity would just leave their respective partners for their own sakes. I also understood the theme the author was going for, but it was just so hard to get past at certain points.
I do think followers of the series should read through it just to see how the series ends, but I didn't love it as much as I wanted to.
Though the story was a little complicated in certain areas, but I was never truly lost. As always, the characters were inventive and fun. The moments of comedy were amusing and I did smile at a few points. That said, I couldn't get past some of the relationships the characters. Honestly, by the end, I could barely stand Arthur, Hannah, and Tabby. Freaking Tabby. I understand that she might have a mental illness and can't emote as a regular person might, but throwing a car battery at the head of someone you're supposed to love is completely unacceptable. I was back and forth with Hannah, and Arthur and Kayla? I don't know what happened to them, but they were both all but cruel toward the people they were supposed to love. I got so angry about their behaviour I nearly quit the book.
This could be because I was getting attached to them enough to become so passionate, but honestly I was hoping that Clyde and Felicity would just leave their respective partners for their own sakes. I also understood the theme the author was going for, but it was just so hard to get past at certain points.
I do think followers of the series should read through it just to see how the series ends, but I didn't love it as much as I wanted to.
June 2, 2024
Wasn't rip-roaring and funny as the back of the book said. Long winded and very stuck in the "I'm going to die" scenario to be enjoyable. Entire story could have been done in 100 pages and with less concentration on Arthur and more on the actual scenario!
August 11, 2017
Closer to 3.5 but Arthur got on my nerves this time out.
September 5, 2022
Another fun addition to the "Hero" collection.
February 12, 2023
Broken Hero by Jonathan Wood had moments of fun and creativity that kept me engaged in the story. The author showed potential in their writing by incorporating humor and imaginative elements. However, the lack of focus in the themes and the way they were developed proved to be a hindrance to the overall enjoyment of the book. The book had a tendency to jump between themes and villains without proper connection or reasoning, which left me feeling confused at times. Additionally, the writing style was not always clear, and some character dialogue felt excessive. Despite these shortcomings, I believe that with some refinement, the author could produce works that showcase their talent more effectively.
March 17, 2016
Reading this series so far, I always felt like it just wasn't for me, but wasn't bad. This book is different. It is an absolute mess.
Our heroes go to the US to help them with one of their problems.
The old problems still persist and I would have given the book a pass for them. I liked the new additions to the cast but they have to compete with the same old characters with their same boring problems and in the end have not nearly enough screentime.
What broke it for me, was the lack of focus that made me think the author lost interest. Themes and villains are thrown at the wall in the hope that something sticks or makes an impression. The book meanders jumps between the big bad, the surprising villain, a zombie apocalypse and some utterly banal body horror with no real connection or reasoning. The result: nothing sticks, there is no impact and all the amazing and supposedly horrifying images become boring.
After the last page there was a description for the next book. Like the synopses for the other books, it sounded really interesting. I won't read it. I don't care about this series anymore.
Our heroes go to the US to help them with one of their problems.
The old problems still persist and I would have given the book a pass for them. I liked the new additions to the cast but they have to compete with the same old characters with their same boring problems and in the end have not nearly enough screentime.
What broke it for me, was the lack of focus that made me think the author lost interest. Themes and villains are thrown at the wall in the hope that something sticks or makes an impression. The book meanders jumps between the big bad, the surprising villain, a zombie apocalypse and some utterly banal body horror with no real connection or reasoning. The result: nothing sticks, there is no impact and all the amazing and supposedly horrifying images become boring.
After the last page there was a description for the next book. Like the synopses for the other books, it sounded really interesting. I won't read it. I don't care about this series anymore.
May 1, 2017
Another solid entry in the series, with MI37 getting involed in a civil war between mechanical soldiers created by a long dead Nazi wizard.
Pocket realities, and a reality bomb add up to more globe trotting, London wrecking excursions.
My only slight complaint---very slight---is that the stories, while entertaining, seem to go on far longer than necessary. I would rather see them a bit shorter, with more frequency.
I have also heard that this is the last book in the series, but don't know if that's true or not. I certainly hope not as I would like to read more about the cases of MI37 and Arthur Wallace.
Pocket realities, and a reality bomb add up to more globe trotting, London wrecking excursions.
My only slight complaint---very slight---is that the stories, while entertaining, seem to go on far longer than necessary. I would rather see them a bit shorter, with more frequency.
I have also heard that this is the last book in the series, but don't know if that's true or not. I certainly hope not as I would like to read more about the cases of MI37 and Arthur Wallace.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews