Atomic Underworld: Volume Two: The City of Rogues

by Jack Conner

The conclusion to the two-part Atomic Underworld storyline, which follows Tavlin Metzler through the mutant-filled sewers beneath Hissig. Atomic Underworld take place in the same world as The Atomic Sea.

Keep your eyes on the shadows ...

Washed-up professional gambler Tavlin Metzler is done working with the shadowy criminal network that lurks beneath the city streets, but when a brutal and mysterious set of murders occurs in the very bedroom of his old mob boss, Tavlin gets drawn back into the mix. In the world of the Atomic Sea, mutants thrive--fish-people, lobster-people, turtle-people--the list goes on. But in the country of Ghenisa, many of them are disenfranchised and relegated to life in the vast, alien sewers beneath the capital city of Hissig.

There Tavlin is taken by Boss Vassas's goons and given an edict by the Boss himself: find out who (or what) committed the crimes . . . or else. In no time, Tavlin is hip-deep in danger, dodging spies, cultists, mobsters, monsters and more sewer mutants than he can shake a foul-smelling stick at. But things get really complicated when Sophia, his old flame, shows up.

Atomic Underworld: Part Two is the conclusion to a two-part set of steampunk, horror and fantasy adventure novels by internationally bestselling author Jack Conner. If you like action-packed storytelling, Lovecraftian horrors, and unique twists and turns you won’t see coming, then you’ll love Jack Conner’s incredible mix of fantasy, adventure, mystery and espionage.

Buy Atomic Underworld: Part Two to plunge into the unique, endlessly entertaining tale today!

Categories: steampunk books, H. P. Lovecraft, cyberpunk science fiction, Lovecraftian horror, steampunk kindle books, cyberpunk detective, cyberpunk noir, steampunk fantasy, hp lovecraft

Genres: Fantasy

165 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 8, 2016

About the author

Raised in Austin, Texas, Jack Conner is the bestselling author of the Black Tower Trilogy. He's an ardent fan of fantasy, horror and weird fiction, and writes them all. He's lived all over the United States and has traveled across the world, but recently he's moved back to his beloved Austin.

Reviews

[Cameron Kobes · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick recap of the setting: the story takes place in and around the subterranean city of Muscud, which sits over the highly toxic Atomic Sea. In this alternate world technology has developed in a steampunk-like direction, and humans share the city with various pre-human alien species and with humans afflicted by the mutating effects of the sea. Rival gangs hold the most power in the city, but power also belongs to the cultists who worship various otherworldly gods. In the last book, our hero Tavlin “Two-Bit” Metzler, a gambler and thief and all-around rogue, was captured by cultists and brought to the temple of their god, Magoth. This second part to the story begins with Tavlin’s captivity and brainwashing in their temple. Other characters working with and against Tavlin include his ex-wife Sofia, friend and brutal mob boss Vassas, rival mob boss and cultist Havictus, the cult leader known only as the Lady, and a ghostly woman of ambiguous allegiance named Millicent.
As noted in my review of the previous book, the strongest feature of these books (probably of all Conner’s work) is the detail. The stinking, toxic, moist underworld that he paints feels stinky and toxic and moist. The description is vivid and graphic, and I really appreciated that. The characters are in some ways a little cookie-cutter (Boss Vassas is every cigar-chomping mob boss ever, Tavlin is right out of the Han Solo/Jack Sparrow/Malcolm Reynolds school for likable outlaws, all of the gangsters are noir characters with superficial mutations), but they’re fun anyway. Now, as I said, I read the previous book a few months ago, so I generally remembered who the characters are, good guys and bad guys and whatnot, but I couldn’t really remember which slimy jiggly pre-human alien race was which, and the sequel didn’t really take any time to recap those details. The story goes straight forward where the last book ended, with no recaps at all. For this reason, I wonder why the two books are in separate volumes at all. I’m aware that the author also released an Omnibus Edition with both books included, but why not just have them together as one novel? I can guess, but I prefer not to be cynical and to instead hope that the reason was creative.
For anyone who wishes to read these stories, the genre needs to be well understood. These are pulpy action stories. They take some inspiration from the horror tales of H.P. Lovecraft, but they are not horror. The purpose of these stories is to entertain, and in that capacity they deliver. A small advisory warning: the book contains a lot of graphic violence, some references to rape, and one descriptive sex scene. Some more sensitive readers might be put off by these features, though I personally was not. I found both of these books fully entertaining, and I expect if I read other work by this author I will encounter the same. The conclusion especially, the climactic fight scene that resolved the story, was especially satisfying. Fans of action and crime stories, dark fantasy, and horror/pulp fiction are the recommended audience for these books. As a fan of science fiction and fantasy, I loved them.

[Norma · Rating 5 out of 5]

As the reader would probably expect, part two resumes the story where Atomic Underworld, part one, ended - with Tavlin captured by the Lady and the Song and taken as a prisoner to the terrible temple of Magoth. And that is all I intend to say about the story, other than that the thrills have barely started and each new page brings a delicious delight of twists and turns, peopled by fantastically altered humans as well as aliens and, perhaps, even gods. And that mysterious wraith-like 'ghost' is back, too.
An amazingly, strangely beautiful, hideous world sprung from the imaginings of this talented author. A simply must read

[Robert Defrank · Rating 4 out of 5]

The concluding half of this eldritch duology of Lovecraftian Steampunk picks up with Tavlin Two-Bit, having been taken prisoner by a cult of deranged worshippers of an ancient abomination, a cult in allegiance with an invading empire and plotting to activate a deadly weapon. But with the help of some unlikely underworld allies and his estranged ex, Sophia, he carries on in the fight, puzzling out the secrets of the strange visitation that has plagued him and the mysterious schemes of his enemies, but his quest will carry a tragic price.

[Kristine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think I liked this book better than the first volume. There were plenty of twists and turns and great fight scenes. This is a fast paced story that quickly drew me in. I do recommend reading part pne before starting on the second part.

I received a copy of this manuscript from the author in exchange for an honest review.

[Ron · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great finish to this story real page turner
Everything comes together is a rip roaring finale