Twisted Metal by Tony Ballantyne

Mini-Review

Wow.

I just finished Twisted Metal by Tony Ballantyne last night. I've gotta say, it's a mess.

The world just does not track true to me. No justification is given for the levels of technology that suddenly appear and would have been useful just pages before (or even afterwards in different applications). What powers the Robots? They are never depicted 'eating', fueling up, or recharging. Why would you bother collecting bauxite ore if you think Aluminum is mythical? How can you develop nuclear reactors if you don't even understand the role that oxygen can play in chemistry or metallurgy? Why is the main weapon of the Robots an awl (as opposed to a stiletto or rondel)?

I even found a major typo!

At least the philosophical issues are interesting and the action fast paced. The narrative is, in fact, quite addictive. I can hardly wait for the next book in the Penrose series!

***/5