Broken Angels

By: Richard K. Morgan

Narrated by: Todd McLaren

Length: 16 hrs and 8 mins

Publisher's summary

Cynical, quick-on-the-trigger Takeshi Kovacs, the ex-U.N. envoy turned private eye, has changed careers, and bodies, once more, trading sleuthing for soldiering as a warrior-for-hire and helping a far-flung planet's government put down a bloody revolution.

But when it comes to taking sides, the only one Kovacs is ever really on is his own. So when a rogue pilot and a sleazy corporate fat cat offer him a lucrative role in a treacherous treasure hunt, he's only too happy to go AWOL with a band of resurrected soldiers of fortune. All that stands between them and the ancient alien spacecraft they mean to salvage are a massacred city bathed in deadly radiation, unleashed nanotechnolgy with a million ways to kill, and whatever surprises the highly advanced Martian race may have in store. But armed with his genetically engineered instincts, and his trusty twin Kalashnikovs, Takeshi is ready to take on anything...and let the devil take whoever's left behind.

Broken Angels is the second Takeshi Kovacs novel. Don't miss the first, Altered Carbon, or the third, Woken Furies.

©2003 Richard K. Morgan (P)2005 Tantor Media, Inc.

Critic reviews

"A superior, satisfying cyberpunk noir adventure." (Publishers Weekly)
"A lively follow-up to an energetic debut, with a still refreshingly cynical hero." (Booklist)

Slow to start but better than the first

This took me a while to get in to but once we have some character development I think it's better than altered carbon.

Nice 2nd - But Not Altered Carbon

I am really enjoying the Kovacs series. Altered Carbon is an all time classic sci-fi and I think it should be listened to first. It is more of a Jack Reacher - Blade Runner blend. This has military war background, albeit an anti-war perspective that saves it for me.

It has a dizzying number of characters but the reader does a fabulous job creating important characteristics. He has one that sounds like Steve Buscemi that is particularly amusing.

Not as good as the first, but additions to the world building are nice

Certainly not as enjoyable as the first and I found myself losing focus at a few times and having to go back and re-listen. There were interesting additions to the entire universe in parts, but it seemed that even the parts that were supposed to be big moments fell a bit flat.
I am someone curious to see if particular characters show up again in later entries as series is and of course from watching the Netflix version “reincarnating” people is built in to the story for the most part.

falls short of the first.

I bought the second book in the series because the first book was excellent, but there is a dramatic drop off in the story quality in this one. The narration is excellent. They do an excellent job, but they're working with what they're given.

So much better than the show

Listening to this book is a reminder on how much material is always available for the TV shows. They could have gone in so many directions from the source material and now I am so ready to listen to the third book

- Sean D James

I can read erotica elsewhere.

An exciting story with great characters ruined by these distracting, awkward bits of .. well really it's porn, not erotica.

Don't get me wrong. I like a good steamy love scene. I mean, what's not to like? But, this just had kind of a creepy misogynist feel to it. I understand that Kovacs is an intense and passionate character who is used to a good conquest or two or ten per novel. But this was like the author realized that Shades of Grey and books like that are very very popular, so maybe he thought ... . I'm sorry but he just isn't making it work.

Most of the (should I call them sessions?) are way, way too long. I was like "Alright enough already." And I fast-forwarded.

As far as the storyline goes. I love this whole idea. I love its worlds .I love Kovacs. This particular book; I'm about halfway through and honestly it's a little contrived. It winds around.

The next book is even more sexually explicit. Just FYI. That one I'm just reading on my Kindle. I heard the narrator wasn't so great. Didn't know how to pronounce Kovacs.

Anyway that's my two cents.

No Mercy

What a great story. Broken Angels is edgy, fearless, angry, and to the point. This is an excellent sequel to Altered Carbon. Takashi moves from the world of PI to soldier/mercenary, and he takes no prisoners. In our first encounter with this bitter protagonist, we wonder at the military life of an envoy gone PI. Now we know. Besides the stunning array of far-future weaponry and tactics, we get a birds-eye view of the crazy social dynamics of a distant world at war 400 years from now. Politics, sex, corporate espionage, and yes, aliens, all populate the rich universe Morgan has painted. With the crisp ambiance of Blade Runner and the in-your-face encounters of the Sopranos, this novel will not disappoint you. I particularly enjoyed the clash of ideologies that were thoroughly fleshed out. There are the anticipated Morgan twists that satisfy the mystery reader in us, and it plays out nicely, leaving you satisfied. I recommend this to the hard sci-fi, fantasy, and mystery reader, but caution those with delicate sensibilities; if you’re prudish or easily shocked, Morgan is not your author.

And the streak ends.

Altered Carbon was fantastic, Woken Furies was different but good, Broken Angels is great... but what happened to the reader!?!
This guy doesn't sound like Tak, he doesn't feel like Tak, he doesn't even say his name right.
If you have listened to the other books in the Takeshi Kovacs series be prepared for a nails on chalkboard experience. The reader isn't bad, but it is a big step down from the first two.
The story doesn't disappoint, but doesn't quite have the impact of the first two.
Overall worth getting, expecially if you loved the first two, which you should listen to before this, but be prepared to hate the narrator.

Cyberpunk and Grit!

I was looking for something that was decidedly sci-fi and cyberpunk and this fits the bill perfectly!

Well written with three books in the series which leaves you wishing there were more to be had.

Action and mystery, there promises to be plenty of audio action and I can only cajole you to take a listen and enjoy.

We need more like this!

Takeshi Still Rocks, but...

...now that I’ve listened for my second or third time, it’s clear to me how much has been lost from Altered Carbon: clarity and feeling in the storyline and poor production values in the recording (primary in the narrator’s too obvious insertions either during edits or new sessions where both disturbing changes in volume and/or tone are jarring). The storyline is more complex, with many more characters and a less obvious arc makes for a bumpier ride. I’m hoping that the end of the trilogy is as I remember it, in which I was left so desperate for more that I was driven to write Mr. Morgan about the trilogy (and Thirteen, another favorite); I was delighted to hear back from him!

Now that Netflix has released a truly remarkable 10-episode interpretation of Altered Carbon, I presume his current residence @ Head in the Clouds will preclude any future correspondence beyond receipt of well-deserved fan mail!