The Seraph Engine

Old Chrome, Book 1

By: I. O. Adler

Narrated by: Jonathan Waters

Miles Kim, cyborg and relic of a war fading from memory, is on the last train ride of his life.

When a gang of bandits attacks the train, Miles and 100 passengers find themselves trapped in in a standoff in the middle of the desert. But there’s more to the robbery than meets the eye.

An unknown entity has set its sights on the Seraph Express and her passengers. As people start dying, Miles realizes that any rescue will be too late, and no one will make it out alive.

It’s a struggle for survival and a race to discover what is after them and who among the survivors is hiding a secret worth killing for.

Discover a new favorite series in this tech noir cyberpunk adventure!

©2021 Gerhard Gehrke (P)2022 Gerhard Gehrke

If the man with no name were a cyborg

I loved the feel of it. The cyberpunk mix between frontier western and science fiction is cool. I was thrown back to “Firefly” which is probably one of the highest praises I can give. The pace is fast and the action high, and there is little “fuffarah” to distract you from the main plot – which incidentally has a few very interesting turns, so it never gets boring.

There is a lot of great stuff: Experience, that allows Kim to analyze the situation, identify problems (to which the answers are later supplied) and become a decisive factor in the resolution (which, given that he is the main protagonist, is probably a good thing). One of the better aspects of the book is that his implants don’t make him all that superior.

The reasoning about what is going on is very cool. How the cast should react and what it eventually leads to is gripping from beginning to end and has a nice flow to it. There is a nice back and forth between Kim and the parties in play, who each play to their strengths and resources – that gives a feel of life, which is neat. Kim isn't really a hero - nor an antihero. I guess I'd characterize him as a "good man gruff veteran". He feels kind of like some of the silent "i don't want to do this anymore" gunslingers like Clint Eastwood used to portray.

I’m not really down with the premise, that a man would end his life for an estranged son, as a driver for what is essentially a mystery action. I feel we know far too little of Miles Kim and his background, and why he sits in that train, on his way to “slightly arbitrarily” end his life. We do get some flashbacks – it just seems to be a little on the thin side. It is in my mind a weird frame around what is otherwise a suspenseful and well put together story.

I am also not convinced it would be possible to get away with a jailbreak such as this - the option to sell vital parts certainly points to a much darker society than the story lets on (at least initially) – but the lack of a chase feels a bit…flat? Certainly, a world building prequel would not be amiss.

The story screams “sequel” and I am inclined to listen in again. It isn’t particularly happy ever after, but – since Kim doesn’t bite the bucket – it is at least a solid set of for further adventures. I likely to listen in, if it becomes available on audible.

The narration by Waters is fantastic. The range and the control over the characters is very good and there is a clear understanding of who is who in this story. The tone of voice is a fine match to his measured but precise handywork and he makes the cast really work. I have come to expect a high degree of consistency from Waters and am not disappointed.

I will certainly recommend this listen, even to younger and “beginner” listeners of dystopian westerns.

Last Train of your life or is it?

At the start of this novel, the train robbery is just the tip of the iceberg in this short novel, starring a cyborg relic of war named Miles Kim. Miles is not young by any stretch of the imagination and is on the seraph engine to sell his parts and ends his life, all hoping to mend his relationship with his son Dylan. What unfolds is a hold-up that is anything but average, and he is determined to unravel the reason behind it so he can get on with the train ride.
The narration of this audiobook is tight and thrilling; the narrator is excellent at helping you distinguish characters with his voice. I had to double-check and only had one talented narrator in this book. The story is short and not overly complicated, making this a nice appetizer kind of read. The following stories follow Miles Kim beyond this last train ride into a life of being a sort of investigator for various crimes. I am interested in seeing what else Miles Kim will have to solve or fix.

The Seraph Engine

Miles is an older cyborg and decided to take a last train ride before undergoing surgery that will take all his parts out and terminates him. Unfortunately the ride is interrupted by a robbery. Miles is so ingrained with the help mode that he slips beck into that and from this point on his life changes.
Jonathan Waters is remarkable in his portrayal of Miles.
I started reading this in Vella and was upset when it disappeared. To say I was related to see it return is putting it mildly. I normally don't listen or read novels like this but this one is remarkable and the character of Miles just pulls you into his life--- the good, the bad and the ugly!!!
Fantastic story and audio!!!

A dystopian scifi with a western theme

A dystopia scifi story with a western theme (think cowboys and aliens). We are introduced to an obsolete cyborg that decides to sell his parts (and there by terminate his existence) to help his estranged son. His trip is interrupted by a train hold up that pulls him into a web of mystery that he tries to unravel as quickly as possible so that he can resume his trip.

First … the narration is very good and fits into the story well (+1 star). The rest of the story is an enjoyable leisure diversion/escape. Although the story is fairly short, the author does a good job developing the main character who is the center of the follow-on stories where he is something of a fixer/investigator (so you could probably read them in any order). You get a little mystery in a steampunk wild west in each story, but nothing particularly deep or enlightening … just a fun, light read.

I was given this free review copy (ARC) audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
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