Koko the Mighty

EBK #2

by Kieran Shea

After narrowly escaping death, Koko Martstellar (ex-corporate mercenary) and Jedidiah Flyn (depressed former sky-cop) are busy putting their lives back together, running a saloon/brothel on The Sixty Islands - the world's most violent and decadent resort. But when bounty agent Jackie Wire comes to collect the outstanding price on Koko's head, it's time again for Koko and Flynn to make tracks. Fleeing pellmell across the Pacific and shipwrecking along a thought-to-be uninhabitable coast, things only go from bad to worse for our heroes... but, hey, that's the 26th century for you. Buckle up, buttercup. Only the mighty survive.

Genres: Science Fiction, Fiction, Cyberpunk, Fantasy, Science Fiction Fantasy, Novels, Pulp

400 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published June 9, 2015

Reviews

[Lindsay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not quite as madcap as the first one, this is still very good SF action. The present tense writing brings immediacy to the narrative which is always good in an action piece.

Koko and Flynn are just about to open their new brothel back on the 60 islands when the surviving bounty hunter from the first book catches up to them. Flight and pursuit follow and they find themselves at the mercy of a pair of mad scientist entrepreneurs and their happy little commune of guinea pigs.

These novels are a lot of fun with some terrific world-building for background.

[Blodeuedd Finland · Rating 3 out of 5]

Koko is back! And as cool as ever. Just not as lucky. She really has the worst of luck! I mean she gets another brothel/bar, she has Flynn, who helped her in book 1. I have to stop here and talk about Flynn for a second. This is not a romance. This is sci-fi, it's pulp. They like each other, they hooked up and are now living together. Anyway, she has it all. The good life on Sixty Islands. Until..BOOM!

Damn that bountyhunter! Arghhh. I really do hate her. Coming in and ruining their lives again.

This book mostly takes place in a strange settlement. Everyone is so nice, but Koko is not buying it. But then she does not really believe in the goodness of people either so why should she.

We get a bit more about the world (everyone is in for themselves). I liked the settlement, ok so it was weird, but this world is so brutal and the settlement was so peaceful. We also get some action, they do have that nasty bounty hunter after them still. What is it with this book and eyes!? ewwwwww. It feels like I am 360 in this review.

Conclusion:
And then it ends, and I go all dang! No! Now I need more. It's not a cliffie. Everyone is happy. Just, it still is a cliffie cos more will come.

[Tiny Octopus · Rating 2 out of 5]

first run with koko was compulsively readable. this go round, not so much. super bogged down in description with a much slower pace. made it through half before getting way bored. sorry koko.

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

Compared to the opener this is a bit undernourished--the speed and banter isn't as frisky, and there definitely isn't enough violent action. Still an OK romp, and I think I'm game for another sequel....but there are signs here that the series doesn't have the horsepower to go much further.

At least one chapter has a classic opening, though:
"THE DEPORTATION SUCK
On a scale of one to ten with one being pretty bad and ten being a grisly incubus of horror obliterating rational thought, waking up to a pair of rats gnawing on your lower lip definitely levels Wire's dial at ten point nine."

[Neal Holtschulte · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sequel to the irreverent, break-neck-paced, action-packed Koko Takes a Holiday, Mighty takes off right where Holiday left off. It starts off as another near-future cyberpunk-ish shoot 'em up packed with wild descriptors and details that border on psychedelic poetry. Unfortunately it couldn't maintain its momentum.

The middle chunk of the book slows down and feels desperate to keep the reader's attention. Slowing down isn't the problem. There is a lovely scene in the latter half of the middle that is mostly introspective. I found this scene touching and felt better connected with the main character after it, but the scenes on either side felt boring or merely plot-necessary and I didn't see a connection between the introspection and the remainder of the book.

Overall Mighty is more of the same compared to Holiday and Holiday is damned good. If you like the first book, you will enjoy the second one, but it felt strained in parts compared to the first.

[R L · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first book really blew me away. Unfortunately, the second installment lacks the crazy cyberpunk settings of the first. A lot of the action occurs in a nondescript camp that could just as well be situated in Medieval England or the Wild West.

There's lots of dialogue between unimportant characters.

The book's main theme is an old trope, and I must admit, it wasn't poorly executed. Still, reading this, I felt like I'd seen ever scene somewhere else before.

With all that said, there's still gritty action, crazy weapons, badassery and future tech, just less of it than the first.

Here's hoping the 3rd installment makes a comeback.

[Viktorija B. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Slow start, a very terrifying subplot which basically removed my favorite character from most of it - damn! - and a despicable villain. Missed the action, though I couldn't say that this book was bad, and for a sequel, it really pulled its weight. A-okay stuff. Can't wait for the next one - this dudes knows his cliffhangers.

[Ed Ray · Rating 2 out of 5]

Much less enjoyable than the first one.

[Josh · Rating 1 out of 5]

I loved the first book's absurdist sci fi give-no-fucks. But for whatever reason, this 2nd book just left me...giving no fucks. I guess that's a shallow well that you can only go to so often.

[Rich Evans · Rating 2 out of 5]

Got better towards the end but it dragged.

[Pau Varela · Rating 3 out of 5]

Vaig comprar 'Koko Takes a Holiday' en una llibreria de Londres, en un d’aquells moments en què compres llibres com qui compra munició: sense pensar-ho gaire i esperant que et salvi de les estones mortes a l'hotel. No en sabia res, ni de l’autor, ni del llibre, ni tan sols vaig llegir la contraportada. Només em va cridar l’atenció la promesa d’una protagonista amb mala llet i una distopia tropical plena de trets. I caram, quin encert. Va ser una lectura esbojarrada, ràpida i addictiva, com si Tarantino hagués escrit Blade Runner amb ressaca.

Evidentment, quan vaig veure que hi havia una segona part, 'Koko the Mighty', m'hi vaig llençar de cap.

Aquesta continuació arrenca poc després dels esdeveniments de la primera: Koko Martstellar i el seu amant melancòlic, Jed Flynn, es veuen obligats a fugir de la caçarecompenses Wire, decidida a cobrar el preu que pesa sobre el cap de Koko. En la seva fugida desesperada, acaben en una comunitat perduda de la mà de déu que té tota la pinta de secta. I, per si no n’hi hagués prou, la comunitat està assetjada per uns éssers anomenats de-civs (una raça humana regressiva i violenta).

El millor del llibre continua sent l’estil de Shea: directe, eficient, sense concessions. L’escriptura és minimalista però no plana. No hi ha lloc per a monòlegs introspectius ni per a parèntesis lírics; tot va a cop de metralladora. I si bé això podria sonar esgotador, Shea ho fa funcionar amb una naturalitat sorprenent. El món que construeix continua sent original dins del panorama de la ciència-ficció distòpica; una societat desquiciada, ultracapitalista, decadent i violenta, però narrada amb un to festiu que no es pren mai massa seriosament. Shea no fa worldbuilding, fa worlddropping: et llença dins del caos i et diu que t'espavilis.

Ara bé, no tot rutlla tan bé com al primer llibre. Els personatges secundaris són més irregulars. Koko continua sent un huracà carismàtic (irònica, impulsiva i sempre a punt per una baralla) però Flynn encara arrossega aquest paper de “noi en perill” amb massa dignitat per ser interessant i massa inacció per ser útil. Wire, per contra, mereix una sèrie pròpia: és tan letal i eficient que sembla un Terminator amb ganes de venjança i una moral molt personal.

La relació romàntica entre Koko i Flynn grinyola. Més que afegir profunditat, sembla una excusa per condicionar algunes desicions poc coherents. I el tram central del llibre, on la nostra parella protagonista queda atrapada a la comuna, perd ritme. L’acció es desinfla, la trama fa cercles, i l’arribada a la comunitat sembla més una casualitat de guió que una conseqüència de decisions reals. Durant algunes pàgines, tens la sensació que els personatges no tenen el volant a les mans, i això resta força a la història.

Malgrat tot, Koko the Mighty és una lectura molt entretinguda. Violenta, divertida i desacomplexada. Potser no té la frescor ni el ganxo de la primera entrega, però si t’agrada la ciència-ficció passada de voltes i un toc de cinisme punk, no et decebrà.

[Adam · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought the first novel starring Koko Martstellar was absolutely awesome. It was exactly what I wanted in an action packed cyberpunk sci-fi type of novel. So, I was pretty excited to delve into the second installment when it came out.

"Koko the Mighty" keeps up a similar feel and pacing to the first novel and explores unfinished business with the assassin Koko left alive in the first book, Jackie Wire. This is the mad dash to escape Wire and it brings us to all new parts of the future created by Kieran Shea. While this certainly retains everything we loved from the first novel, I did feel like it wasn't as exciting in some regards.

The only thing I thought was sort of out of place for this book was in the beginning where Koko has Wire subdued but leaves her alive. I felt that was a bit out of character regardless of the consequences. BUT, that's kind of what kicks off the whole story, so it was rather essential to make things work. Given the way the first book ended it's almost as if Shea didn't really plan on writing a sequel at the time, but the character became popular in her own right and a sequel was brought to bear. I, for one, would have been interested in a sequel regardless, so I'll forgive the slightly out of character move, because I got exactly what I wanted out of a novel.

Shea does a good job of building the story and diving deeper into Koko's personality as she tries to transition a life of "me" to a life of "us" and all the inherent conflicts that brings up with her training. This sort of additional baggage, I think, tee's off her intense anger more than expected and I felt she was almost too unhinged at times, but it sort of makes sense with her trying to reconcile new feelings

If you're looking for another action packed wild ride that sits somewhere between a Gibson novel and The Fifth Element (minues aliens) then this is the series for you. Shea has done it again bringing us a no holds barred amped up action packed sequel. As we would have expected!

[Tasula · Rating 3 out of 5]

Second in the Koko series finds her and Flynn running a brothel on the Sixty Islands, but the bounty on Koko's head is still sought by bounty hunter Jackie Wire, who attacks them. Koko and Flynn flee, Wire pursues, and they all wind up at a secretive cult-like community in an out of the way area. A group of desperate refugees from civilization also converges on the community, which results in a small but powerful battle.

[The Geeky Viking · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun, action-packed cyberpunk thrill ride, Koko the Mighty continues the tale of bounty hunter Koko five-hundred years in the future. There's enough action and fist fights for a dozen Hollywood blockbusters and Shea's prose is on point. Looking forward to finishing the trilogy with Koko Uncaged.

[Chris Jarvis · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed it -- but it wasn't great literature. I enjoyed Koko's tenacity and I genuinely like the character. I thought the characters were well-written. The speculation on the future of our planet was grim but you can squint and see how we could get there.

[Sheldon Wiebe · Rating 4 out of 5]

The sequel to Koko Takes a Holiday is as fast-paced, inventive and entertaining as its predecessor.

I'd give it five stars if it didn't end with a mind-boggling cliffhanger (or, rather, cliffhangers!).

[Trey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Badass!!

[Joelle Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good vacation read. Wish I'd read the first one first.

[BBFlyer · Rating 3 out of 5]

A book full of bad decisions and senseless violence.

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fast paced pulpy fun. Excellent diversion.

[William Walter · Rating 3 out of 5]

The entire story is a little thin in my estimation, though admittedly it is a continuing saga. I won't be reading more myself.

[Samantha · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOMEN PUNCHING ZOMBIES AND ZOMBIES DYING AND STUFF

[Samuel Tyler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Many people have dreamed of packing up their old jobs and opening a B&B or hotel with their partner somewhere in a picturesque holiday destination. You may just deserve this new life, but running a hotel is not easy, especially when it is on a pleasure island known for its indiscriminate violence and hedonism. Koko Martsteller had her last hotel/brothel blown up, but after a series of extraordinary events she has a new hostelry and a new partner. It’s a shame then that nothing is ever easy for Koko.

The events of ‘‘Koko Takes a Holiday’’ tool their toll on both Koko and Flynn so they are happy to settle back down to the quiet life. Unfortunately, the price on their head is still available and this means that mercenaries are on the lookout for them. Koko and Flynn finds themselves once more on the run from a familiar foe and end up hiding in a strange commune that has citizens who appear to be a little too docile. Can the pair survive another adventure together?

The first in the Koko series was a magnificent slice of pulp science fiction that fizzed off the page. The book was packed full of action and great ideas. Kieran Shea’s quality writing was able to maintain structure and developed Koko’s personality, despite the pace. ‘‘Koko the Mighty’’ is set soon after the first book and also has plenty of violence and action, but whilst the first book was full on, the second allows moments of real pause to learn more about Koko and Flynn.

In the wrong hands this reduction in pace could have undermined the series; the books rely on a dark sense of humour that is both manic and macabre. Thankfully, Shea proves once again that he is a cut above in writing style and the slower feel actually enhances the characters and the world. ‘‘Mighty’’ is not as packed as the previous novel, but the events that do occur are given more time to evolve and the impact is greater. As a character Koko in particular is growing, she is finding love for the first time and beginning to understand that other people can matter. She is still snippy and sarcastic, but by adding more depth to her character, Shea is making her more vulnerable and therefore makes her plight more appealing to the reader.

Alongside the impressive character building Shea continues to build upon his future Earth. This creation is a darkly funny world that mixes the absurd bureaucracy of a Gilliam future with the colour of ‘‘Fifth Element’’ and the tough justice of ‘‘Judge Dredd’’. So many elements spring to mind, but as a whole Koko’s world feel fresh and different. This book, like the last, is violent, but this time the gore is not played only for laughs as some of the deaths impact on reader more than before. You can see the maturing of Koko in the book, but also you feel that you are witnessing Shea evolve into an even better writer.

‘‘Koko the Mighty’’ is a great continuation of a series that is going from strength to strength. The clustered explosion of the first book has been cut down to tell a simpler story, but the second outing still maintains the great action and dark humour. The conclusion leaves events open and the characters with decisions that have to be made. Reading the next instalment cannot some too soon. Original review on bookbag.co.uk

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I described the setting of the first Koko novel as, ‘A cross between Market Forces and The Ballad of Halo Jones, with a touch of ‘The Fifth Element,’ and stand by that description. The beginning of ‘Koko the Mighty’ is very similar to Koko Takes a Holiday, in that assassins ambush Koko in her bar and she is forced to flee. The plot then proceeds rather differently, in part because Koko’s boyfriend Flynn accompanies her this time. His role is to be a damsel in distress who tries to get Koko to talk about her feelings, a rather refreshing reversal of stereotypical gender roles. This sequel also expands the reader’s knowledge of the feral hyper-capitalist world five hundred years hence, where lives are the only cheap commodity. (I rather like that phrase, very neo-noir. Probably read it somewhere.) On the other hand, unlike the previous book it ends on a frustrating cliffhanger with very little about the plot resolved. It’s also worth noting that the author's word choices are quite distinctive, verging on peculiar. Two examples from the same page: ‘A hiccuped transcendence siphons off the last of Trick’s confidence.’ and, ‘Serpentining across the ground, out of the corner of her eye Koko sees...’

Overall, ‘Koko the Mighty’ is another entertainly violent science fiction adventure, featuring submarine hijacking, synthetic dogs, and a zero tolerance policy that really means it. Koko develops as a character somewhat, although she retains her charming habit of punching first and asking questions later. Wire the assassin is hyperbolically terrible and the place where Koko and Flynn wash up suitably creepy (albeit under-explained). Presumably there will be further installments of Koko’s story, but given the kinetic pace of events the abruptness of the conclusion feels disconcerting, as if a couple of chapters are missing. A fun read, though.

[Whitney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review written for and published by Portland Book Review on December 4th:

Koko the Mighty takes place shortly after the end to the insane rollercoaster that was Koko Takes a Holiday. Koko Martstellar thought she and her boyfriend, Jedidiah Flynn, were in the clear after their narrow escape from bounty agents sent after them by her crazy boss. Unfortunately, Jackie Wire survived and is determined to collect on the Ultimate Sanction elimination warrant – a bounty that will never expire, not until Koko is terminated. Koko and Flynn run to the Northern America prohib coat, but are badly injured upon arrival. When rescued by a society seemingly composed of good Samaritans, Koko is suspicious, but at their mercy. Soon Flynn’s strange behavior leads Koko to discover a secret and unethical experiment. Before she can whisk him away the society is attacked by pre-civs – disease ridden people left behind on earth when the majority of humanity migrated to space – and the attack is led by Wire.

Koko’s adventures continue to be fast paced and full of danger. This time around, the characters travel earthside, giving readers a glimpse at what has happened to our planet in the last five hundred years. Koko remains a kickass, foul mouthed warrior, whose past has a nasty habit of following her around. Despite a brief summary for the first book, readers will want to have read Koko Takes a Holiday before diving into this one. While no sequel is confirmed as of this time, the ending to Koko the Mighty will make readers hope for a follow-up, and soon!

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Koko the Mighty was not as good as the first one, Koko Takes a Holiday. There was not as many crazy action scenes or excitement. Koko and Flynn are on the run again when one of the bounty hunters from the first book tries to kill them after they make it back to the Sixty Islands. They find themselves in an isolated settlement with no way to escape.
I didn't really like the story of this one so much. I was interested in Koko and Flynn escaping and having more crazy, gun-fighting adventures and this book just didn't really have that. For most of the book, Koko is trying to figure out where they are and how to escape. The end of the book was pretty exciting when Wire, the bounty hunter, finally catches up with them, but for the most part I was sort of bored by the story.
I didn't really like any of the settlement people or sebastien and the doctor. You aren't really meant to like them so it worked out but that left only Koko and Flynn as the likable characters. It was still a quick and easy read, it was just a little disappointing since the first book was so good.
Overall 3 out of 5 stars. Hopefully there will be more since Koko is pretty great and the world that she lives in is crazy!

[Roy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really 3.5 stars. Interesting story and premise. Not quite as good as the first book "Koko Takes a Holiday", but that book has the special thrill that all good books have in a new universe of introducing an interesting premise, technology, and society. The overall feel has some resonance with Richard K. Morgan's "Altered Carbon" series.
It's the 26th century and the world has had it's ups and downs. There is clear evidence of big wars and still serious conflicts on a brush fire scale, now typically fought between corporate entities. This book continues the story of Koko, a retired mercenary, as she flees from a bounty hunter and encounters a unique enclave. Without saying more about the plot, the story has some interesting characters and some good plot features, but left me somewhat unsatisfied as it ends in what is at best a metastable position requiring another book. Many of the major plot issues are left unresolved, to be continued.
Above all else, it is an entertaining read with lots of action. If interested, I would read the aforementioned first book before this one.

[Gordon · Rating 3 out of 5]

As the second book in the series this definitely felt like a close on the current story arc but which left enough open ends that I can easily see a 3rd story. I really enjoyed this once it got going. It did feel a bit like a direct continuation of the last book and somewhat forced at the start but it settled into itself with Koko and Flynn washing up on the island with the nefarious Doctor and the cult like settlement.
I kind of felt sorry for the guys that decided to grab some food only to meet a more than slightly annoyed Koko and take a single handed kicking!
Wire was a relentless adversary through the whole tale though at times it did feel that the story was threatening to be less koko the Mighty and More Wire the Merciless. However having a couple of good strong characters is no bad thing and I did laugh with Wires experiment with the planes weapons that bit was very funny and well written.
All in all great, solid pulp fiction books and if Koko returns I am sure I will be picking up book 3.

[Tracey · Rating 2 out of 5]

review to come

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

A decent sequel to Koko Takes a Holiday. Again, very fast-paced, with just enough world building. Good ending but with plenty of loose ends for another novel.

Instead of on atmospheric orbital barges, the story took place at an isolated "settlement" down on Earth this time around - without any crazy background stuff happening like the Embrace ceremony in KTaH. So the setting wasn't nearly as exciting, insane and scifi-esque but still alright.

Plenty of POV chapters for the villain(s) but almost none for Flynn (unconscious throughout the first half of the book), sadly. I quite missed his POV as well as the usual banter and dynamic of the duo.

Anyway, I liked it well enough and read the novel in only two sittings.