****** - Verified Buyer
4.5
(Actual rating: 3.5/5)This book presents an alternate timeline of the U.S. in the 1930s where technology really took off...but the Great Depression still happened. It's a niche feeling sub-genre of sci-fi noir, which I really enjoyed! Of course, I can't resist comparing the atmosphere to Blade Runner/Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep as well as Detroit: Become Human. Overall, I did really enjoy this book and I look forward to the next one!There are some classic tropes in this that made me enjoy it so much, I won't lie. A hardened veteran of the police force (bonus points:he also hates androids) is paired up with the "newbie" rule stickler? LOVE. A programmed android/robot that has no real world experience and is just the purest little soul? LOVE. Less of a trope and more of just a theme, maybe, but the idea of humans and robots co-mingling in society? Big fan. This book checks all the boxes in terms of what I figured I would love from the sci-fi genre and crime noir genre. Additionally, I think the world-building was unique with the dual city aspect presented. There was plenty of backstory and world- building that fit in and I enjoyed the sort of "retelling" of the Great Depression that was presented (which was a weird sentence to type). The story wasn't too complicated, although it does take a bit to get all the characters and places and mafia connections down pat. I think there was enough intrigue to keep things interesting, but not too complicated to make it hard to read and digest.I will say there was some questionable police work and such in this book, but I am not reading it to be presented lawful, correct policing...I am just here to have fun and read. It wasn't distracting to me, but man...every cop in this dang book is dirty. But the author did weave in some discussion on morality and policing into this and the picture of complete corruption was fitting for the state of the world in this book.Just a few things that I hope will be improved upon in the next book. Some of the dialogue and writing felt very ham-fisted and corny. The potential is there, I just think the flow of the book was sometimes interrupted by clunky sentences and dialogue. But there were also some very nicely written sections as well! While we had some world building, it was mainly setting up the alternate reality of this version of the 1930s. I think this was important so the reader will accept this new version, but I do think we lost some of the micro-level world building because of it. I hope for more descriptive bits of the lower city.While I think the author did a good job of setting up the alternate reality of the 1930s, I do wonder why it was chosen rather than just setting the book in say, 2030. It was a unique choice, which I liked, but I really had to stretch my imagination to imagine this technology in the 1930s, as compared to real-life 1930s. My only thought was that setting it in the 1930s allowed for some atmospheric "traditional" noir, but I think we lacked the complete 1930s feel that could have been created.Again, I think this book was a fun ride. I wouldn't go in expecting to be completely blown out of the water, but for a debut title, coming from an author who is in grad school, kudos to Night Call for being such a readable book! I am looking forward to book two!
