Not as good as book 1

Another enjoyable romp from the pens of Pip Ballantine & Tee Morris but for me this one didn't quite live up to it's predecessor.

There is quite a good back story behind the main plot featuring Wellington & I will certainly listen to book 3.

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2 people found this helpful

Where is the next audiobook?

I loved this book and the characters but I wish audible had all the books and not skip the next two. I live in Sweden so I will have to wait for the two books to arrive by slow mail.

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Janus Affair?

Perhaps I am too pedantic but the title seemed divorced from the story - OK, it referred to the twins, an unsubtle and ancient twist which seems lazy,

Overall the book series is enjoyable enough but rather slow. I wanted to slap Books and Braun (did you spot the 'clever' device? Your character's character summed up in their name). Two books into 'The Ministry of Unlikely Plots' and they kiss! Give me strength!

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love the adventure

loved the twists and turns of this adventure, loved the narration and voices of the characters.
shame things change with next book, not sure whether I'll get it or not. it's very different having someone else's take on the characters voices.

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hot

loved it so much
will have to wait for the next book
too hot for now

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Glorious Steampunk

Steampunk at it's best!

Once or twice James Langton gets his accents confused, but otherwise he does a glorious job of bringing the story to life. None of his accents jarred my ear (unlike attempts by others) and the story moved with a nice pace.

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2 people found this helpful

Good story.

A good follow on to book one. A little drawn out in the centre but still enjoyable

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A peculiar affair

A great recording thoroughly believable with good characterisation in the accents and timing. The story, however, requires the total annihilation of belief not just its suspension - set in a re-imagined late Victorian London with a mis-matched couple fighting the bad guys (well, actually bad gals) and each other not to mention their boss ( a Victorian proto-M to their composite proto-Bond with a conscience) and the not-so-innocent bystanders.

If you are so far into fantasy fiction that you can suspend disbelief but not so far as losing touch with humanity then this is a good book well read and addictive enough to make you want the next in the series.

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Books & Braun

A cracking part 2 and a great step forward in the development of the archivist and the pepper pot.

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About as expected from the previous book

What would have made The Janus Affair better?

Editing out the plethora of Amercan terms used in the supposedly English setting.

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

Highly predictable it was only a matter of where in the series it would happen.

What does James Langton bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?

The voices. He's one of those narrators who makes it easy to distinguish which character is speaking. I don't know how accurate his New Zealand accent is, but it's enough to distinguish whihc character is speaking and it doesn't sound off to my non New Zealand ear.He could, however, have sung, rather than reciting, the songs.

If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from The Janus Affair?

I don't think I would have cut any scene, but I would have corrected all the Americanisms to fit in with the English setting.

Any additional comments?

I listened to this one ony because I'd already bought it. The first book wasn't encouraging - one of the main protagonists was written as very unlikeable which put me off - that character has improved (although it took far too long to show her redeeming features) but the supposedly English setting is spoiled by the number of American terms used (sidewalk instead of pavement, vest instead of waistcoat etc.) and everyday Americanisms (calling the ground floor the first floor, and the first floor the second floor, etc.) which is something that jarred and spoiled the flow of the story.

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