Angelmaker

By: Nick Harkaway

Narrated by: Daniel Weyman

Length: 18 hrs and 11 mins

Publisher's summary

Joe Spork repairs clocks, a far cry from his late father, a flashy London gangster. But when Joe fixes one particularly unusual device, his life is suddenly upended. Joe's client, Edie Banister, is more than just a kindly old lady - she's a former superspy. And the device? It's a 1950s doomsday machine. And having triggered it, Joe now faces the wrath of both the government and a diabolical South Asian dictator, Edie's old arch-nemesis.

With Joe's once-quiet world now populated with mad monks, psychopathic serial killers, scientific geniuses, girls in pink leather, and threats to the future of conscious life in the universe, he realizes that the only way to survive is to muster the courage to fight, help Edie complete a mission she gave up years ago, and pick up his father's old gun.

©2012 Nick Harkaway (P)2012 AudioGO

Unexpected treasure

If you could sum up Angelmaker in three words, what would they be?

Delightful, intricate, satisfying

What other book might you compare Angelmaker to and why?

It's not quite like anything I've read before. But maybe, the Count of Monte Cristo who's prison was a "safe" life. :)

What about Daniel Weyman’s performance did you like?

Wonderful diction and characterizations.

Any additional comments?

Surprising mashup of Clive Cussler and Dan Brown with a little of R.A. Heinlein's political cynicism.

So cool!

Harkaway's book is a wonderful mixture of entertainment and beautiful writing. Weyman delivers a stellar performance. By the way, for those interested in investigating the mysteries of subtext, a thought: what is a one with a hundred zeros called? You will have to search for the answer.

Creative Story and characters

Mr Weyman's narration was superb! even though at first the book dragged on and seemed to make no sense to me, I was intrigued enough to keep listening to his soothing voice. the more characters got introduced the more talent seemed to come forward and he kept getting better! Finally, the very long story began to get my attention
as the characters finally began to make sense and the story began to build and at long last tie together! There was excitement, drama, emotion and each character was so well played I honestly felt a part of it at times! It is so rare to have the pleasure of a great narrator, it makes whatever book you have even better! The story ended quite well and the characters came together in a wonderful, at times heart breaking and even funny, blend of misfit wonder. The writer did a great job at building them where I felt I really knew them and understood them. it was a nice change I suppose, it wasn't droning on and on about every little detail of a room or surroundings, it was relevant for the build of the story, which I had to be patient for, which in the end was worth the wait! Overall, a pleasant, well spent experience. I am glad I stepped out of my norm! I will look for more by this author and especially the narrator!! cheers!!

One of my new favorite storytellers

I liked first of all the voice in which it was written. Good balance of narrative, description, thoughts of the characters, and a perfect little dash of smart Alec, or tongue in cheek.

Good character development. We really got to know the characters, who were well rounded, and some grew and changed.
The plot was well crafted, satisfying, just enough surprises. I appreciated the strong female characters. I like the subject matter - that the protagonist works with his hands, and although ostensibly a clock and mechanism repair person, is a maker at heart.
Read it! It is a beautifully made adventure that will make you smile.

An investment but well worth it!

I almost gave up on this book. A bit of a slow start, couldn't fathom how hybrid of fantasy/steam punk/sci-fi was going to work.

But I liked the characters, so plugged along. SO glad I did. A great story where the good guys save the day, even if they technically are criminals.

Put this on your list for a whopping road trip, it's perfect.

Wonderful

Brilliantly written and the best adventure to escape to. I hung on every word. Enchanting.

Untraditional Hilarity

Any additional comments?

I really cannot say I always knew what was going on in this book, but I don't think that it really matters. Everything from the characters to the story is unconventional and original. Numerous times I exploded into laughter after being utterly surprised by some hilarious action.

Here are a a few of the things that happened in the first chapter, if this sounds good to you, buy this book:
-Son returns a truck full of socks that his father stole
-A homicidal cat is stopped from a murderous rage by vaseline on the bookshelf
-A blind dog holds our hero's balls hostage as he talks to an attractive old lady
-Trying to buy cat poison from a man that believes cats are holy animals

From there we have homicidal monks, kinky old women, tommy guns, the biggest crime spree in history, BEES, clockwork, crazy people, crazier people, brainwashing, shenanigans, and more of the one toothed blind dog!

I recommend this book to everyone.

Riveting listen!

What made the experience of listening to Angelmaker the most enjoyable?

The narrator is unbelievably good, and the story is unique and fantastic.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

Yes!

What about Daniel Weyman’s performance did you like?

The different voices, but especially the voice for Bastion the dog!

Who was the most memorable character of Angelmaker and why?

Edy. It is so rare to get the perspective of an elderly spy/criminal mastermind looking back on her life.

Any additional comments?

Must Listen! Made my commute a pleasure.

Practically perfect in every way

The narrator is my favorite I’ve ever listened to, the story was engaging, original, and all around great! You will not be disappointed.

master story teller!

Harkaway is a master story teller! A great romp through the intriguing world of London's putative underbelly, and the reluctant hero who saves the world.