Review of 'The Apocalypse Codex'
The Apocalypse Codex by Charles Stross
4th book in the 'The Laundry Files' series
Another installment and another serious amount of difficulty for Bob Howard, civil servant working for ?The Laundry? an agency whose responsibility it is to protect the United Kingdom from occult threats. He has been tagged for management advancement so is tested by being assigned to investigate the American televangelist Pastor Raymond Schiller of the “Golden Promise Ministries” whose visit with the Prime Minister caused some concern in The Laundry. Working with two “external assets” (not directly employed by the Laundry) who take no prisoners they very quickly find themselves over their heads as they are trapped in Denver with alien infestation and the awakening of something that should best stay sleeping…
A welcome return to form for Stross with this slightly less dark chapter of “The Laundry Files”. Bob is once again thrown to the bureaucratic wind as he struggles to keep up with what is going on around him yet always seeming to come out on top (whether by luck or skill is debatable). Quite a good read that finishes quite abruptly (followed by the slightly clarifying “Classified Appendix” - though of course, I could not have read this section as the introduction clearly states “You must under no account read beyond this page” - a welcome, small, bit of humour after the general gloom and doom of the rest of the novel) and someone less than satisfying. A lot of time reading is, much like Bob, just trying to figure out what is going on not only with the baddies but also with The Laundry itself which does make it a bit slow (and confusing) going sometimes.
Action, suspense, violence, aliens, the occult, and a touch of ironic British humour…What more could you ask for?
Rating: “Really good but I have some issues”
Review Date: 2017-11-23
Genre: Science Fiction
Publisher: Orbit
Publication Date: 2011
ISBN: 9780356500980
Other reviewed books in the 'The Laundry Files' series:
- The Atrocity Archives (Book 1)
- The Jennifer Morgue (Book 2)
- The Fuller Memorandum (Book 3)
- The Rhesus Chart (Book 5)
Other reviewed books by Charles Stross:
- The Atrocity Archives (Book 1 of The Laundry Files)
- The Fuller Memorandum (Book 3 of The Laundry Files)
- The Jennifer Morgue (Book 2 of The Laundry Files)
- The Rhesus Chart (Book 5 of The Laundry Files)