Customer Reviews

Agatha H and the Airship City

5 star:		(27)
4 star:		(18)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

OVERALL SCORE: A-

Overall, if you enjoy steampunk, adventure stories, science fiction or fantasy you should pick this up and is defintaelly a good read. I would give it a A- for a starting novel.

MY TAKE:

I enjoyed the book, I felt it was well writen for being an adaptation of the web-comic Girl Genius (which I am a fan of). The steampunk themed Europe the authors have dreamed up is amazing. They do a good job of describing the different steampunk inspired devices and enviornment without losing the reader in technical jargon that doesn't add anything to the book. The main characters are well developed, however there are a lot of supporting characters in this first novel that made an appearance that is going to be easy to lose track of in future books. The other drawback is that it seemed a bit short, however since I do read the webcomic I understand why they stopped where they did as it was a natural stopping point.

BREAKOUT:

World Building: A

They do a good job of building a unique steampunk world, solid A.

Plot/Story: A

This is the first book of the series, which introduces the world and the main character Agatha, it finished up the main plot of this story nicely and leaves a couple of sub-plots open that leave you wanting more, solid A.

Characters: B+

The main characters are portrayed very well, but as I mentioned above some of the supporting cast that was introduced who played only a small part in this book is going to be hard to remember, will be curious to see how the authors deal with this going forward, B+.

Length: B-

The length was disappoiting, again I know where they stopped where they did due to this being a retelling of the webcomic but would have liked to have seen it fleshed out a bit, maybe add some additional details about the world, B-.

Agatha H. and the Airship City (the novel) is a second look at the Agatha Heterodyne "Girl Genius" story now being developed in the authors' graphic novels, the most recent two of which have won the Hugo for Best Graphic Story. As such, it should be taken as a secondary source.

This volume covers the story we met in the first three volumes of the graphic story: Agatha Heterodyne and the Beetleburg Clank, Agatha Heterodyne and the Airship City, and Agatha Heterodyne and the Monster Engine.

Phil Foglio has stated in interviews that one part of the Girl Genius story is what happens to legends over time. The legends about Agatha's parents and uncle have grown with time; should we not expect the same of the legends about Agatha? In fact, there are some details changed and snippets of story added. A prologue tantalizes with glimpses of history and historical characters and perturbs the historical timeline developed by fans, hinting at clues or vital constraints. Other changes deepen and richen the character development without, so far as I can tell, damaging the story. We learn a few new things and are reminded of some old ones. Some lines of fan speculation are cut off, leaving us to focus on better questions.

The Girl Genius story is all about the backstory. Bit by bit through the graphic novels we've gotten history, found questions in it, and gotten answers that have provided fascinating and bigger questions. That essential story dimension does not change.

The Foglio humor still glows. Much of it revolves around the Jaegermonsters. If you are a fan, you probably know that the Jaegermonsters were a late addition; Phil was already drawing the comic books in which the first part of the story appeared when they were invented. By now they are deeply woven through both story and backstory. Among their narrative duties, they serve as clowns whose antics conceal both foreshadowing and backstory. A few new incidents near the start of the novel had me laughing out loud. (Clowns or not, they are capable of noble action and sacrifice.)

Is this as good a novel as the graphic story is a graphic story? No, it is not. That's not bad news: the graphic story's artwork, pacing, and working out of story details are so good that it would be a wonder if the novel could match it. The most apparent weakness is that details of the milieu that can be background in graphic form must be explained, and sometimes the explanation pauses the story for detail that might better be given elsewhere. This is a matter of technique and a basic problem for all SF&F writing, and unless the Foglios choose not to improve (for the sake of style, perhaps) they surely will.

It is possible that writing this novel required the Foglios to make another pass over their story notes. The overall plot and the key characters were written before the first published page was drawn, promising a tightly woven story. Phil and Kaja Foglio have delivered magnificently on that promise. This novel may help them continue to do so.

If you want the primary source for the Girl Genius story, continue to buy the graphic novels and read the eponymous web site. That's what they are for. If you are already a fan of the story, or cannot bear the long graphic form, then buy this book. But if you skip the graphic novels, you are missing an awful lot of richness, depth, and fun.

I feel a little guilty about only giving this three stars -- I *love* the webcomic, and obsessively check at 9PM Pacific Time Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday evenings to see each new page. I grab the graphic novels as soon as they come out. The Foglios have made a stunning alternative world, their art is amazing, they've crafted a fabulously intricate plot that has gone on for years with cliffhangers, twists and revelations on almost every page, etc. They richly deserve every accolade it has received.

When I heard this book was coming out, I immediately pre-ordered it, but was a little nervous. I didn't know if they could write prose as dazzling as their webcomic and, while I craved learning more of backstory, I feared the whole house of cards might fall down if they tried to explain too much.

This is definitely better than my worst fears -- you do learn a bit of backstory, and a few episodes from the first three volumes of the graphic novels are retold with enlightening new details. And the prose is servicable, if not dazzling.

But it really is mostly the story from the first three volumes, much of the same dialog, with a few adjectives tossed in to replace what was done in the artwork of the books. It just isn't the same!

For those already in love with the characters, it may not matter -- just seeing the familiar lines in the book immediately conjures up the page of the comic in which they occur and the characters you already know so well. But it's all a bit flatter without all that support.

[q]

It was Z. who felt he had to state the obvious. "It's a talking cat."

Theo shrugged. "Well, we're in a Heterodyne story now. These things happen." The others nodded.

[/q]

Can't you see them all running away from Klaus in a line as they say this?

[you can find it on the webcomic with date=20040823]. But if you try to imagine the book on its own, it just doesn't seem as engaging. "The others nodded." oy.

I'm not saying you shouldn't buy it. Of course you should. If you're as obsessed by the comic as I am, you will, anyway. You'll probably enjoy it, especially for the new bits sprinkled about.

But if you are new to the Girl Genius series, this isn't the place to start. Start by reading the webcomic. [Start from the beginning]. Soon enough, you'll be utterly in love with it all, you'll stay up all night for three nights straight catching up, and THEN you can buy this book for that extra bit.

I only heard about this novel a couple of weeks ago, and was so glad I could get it right away! No nail-biting waiting period! It's a very good adaptation of the wonderful Girl Genius comic. The Foglios do a great job filling in the many emotions in Agatha's pretty head. Although I have read the original comic many times, I found the prose version brings out details which make plot points more clear. The Barry/Bill prologue was a great read. Background on how Klaus brought Europa under control and the methods of The Other also helped.

Also, how to recreate the visual humor of the original? The Foglios add many new, extra touches which make Europa more real and provide extra smiles. Mentions of glass crabs, mimmoth invasions, Jaegermonsters "schtealing" boots (but not ham), and foods on sticks made me laugh.

I also love the non-Foglio cover art. It's neat to see a different interpretation of Agatha. Tom Kidd's depiction is true to detail but done in a realistic vein. I admit it got me thinking. A Girl Genius movie, perhaps? That would be the bomb! (What? He threw a *bomb* at me!) I can just see the opening scenes...The Heterodyne Boys prologue in sepia tones, narrated by Phil, leading into Phil storytelling on the street, as in Volume I page one. Then a pan back to show all Beetlesburg during the credits, ending with a zeroing in on Clay Mechanical. Continue with novel chapter 1 and Agatha getting ready for University. And then Agatha can walk right by Phil again on her way in. Of course, Kaja will be the lovely lady selling sugar frogs behind him.

ARRRG! Well, I can dream, right?

Both of us loved it. Great on her iPad and my iPod Touch. Even though my wife was told this was Vol 1-3 of the Graphic Novel (Girl Genius, Vol. 1: Agatha Heterodyne and The Beetleburg Clank, Girl Genius Volume 2: Agatha Heterodyne & The Airship City, link not found) she still yelled "It Can't Stop Here! [insert cursing]!!!" when she reached the end. If you like the Foglio's work, read the sample chapters for free and compare it to the free webcomic. Then buy the Text Novels and/ or Graphic Novels or Both and dig in!

-=FIN

Length:: 4:12 Mins

This video made with Xtranormal's State program. I received a copy of the unabridged audiobook for participation in the Amazon Vines program.

I'm a fan of the creator from back in the days of What's New with Phil and Dixie, so I jumped at the chanced to immerse myself in his steampunk world. My only complaint is that I didn't try it sooner. The story is a refreshingly lighthearted romp that I've found to be very enjoyable.

The voice actress is very adept at providing differing voices for the characters. Agatha always sounds a bit hesitant, Merlot nasally, Gil introspective, and so on. It's a nice listening experience that has broken up the monotony of my morning commute and for that I am very grateful.

There's no need to rehash the plot. The semiorphaned child living with "relatives" with access to great powers and little clue how to use them is a tried and true starting point for many good stories. The voice actress is able to breath extra life into them, even to the deadpanned jokes of the Jaeger monsters.

I have no qualms recommending this audiobook to fans of science fiction and fantasy. For those wondering exactly what steampunk actually is, this would serve as an excellent introduction to the genre.

The good: If you are already a fan of the webcomic Girl Genius, this is a MUST-buy. It provides all the details that a webcomic format cannot. It expands what we know about the characters, it provides new information and backstory the comic simply can't, and it gives those of us who like a good long read something to pore over. If you are a steampunk fan, this is also a must-have as the genre doesn't get much better than Girl Genius. And for anyone in the broader specfic genre, it's an education in world-building and in not taking oneself too seriously (something most speculative-fiction writers could take notes on.) For those who like a full-immersion experience, this is Wulfenbach's Europa in depth. And the cover art is pretty freakin' awesome.

The bad: If you aren't a reader of the comics, you'll be a little lost. If you ARE a reader of the comics, you may get caught up noting differences/slight inconsistencies. If you read the Secret Blueprints, forget it--things that are contradicted between even the Bluerpints and the Comics go even farther afield. Just stop trying to reconcile. (Some of these are simply development: the character Wooster's blueprints backstory is by spoiler-necessity at least incomplete, and it's fairly clear some characters like Theo and Sleipnir were, early in the blueprints and comics' development, intended to be less important than they've become, but things like this make the book, which is aware of what's ahead, a bit self-aware.)

The ugly: Unfortunately the writing is only slightly better than an above-average fan fic. Point of view changes mid-page with whiplash-inducing speed, descriptions drag on, the passive voice is used far too often. There are typographical and grammatical errors that an editor, if not the writers, should have caught before publication. It's a first novel, and it shows.

Overall: If you are already a fan, BUY THIS BOOK! You won't be disappointed. If you're new to Girl Genius, start with the comics and then buy this book.

Steam as in Steampunk, not romance -- though there is a good bit of that as well. Agatha H. and the Airship City is the novel adaptation of Phil and Kaja Foglio's popular Girl Genius web comic and graphic novels. It follows the adventures of Agatha Clay as her normal life at Beetleburg University is shattered when Baron Klaus Wulfenbach and his fleet of giant airships pay the town a visit. What follows is breathless tale of clanks (robots), monsters and mad-boy inventors in an alternate "Gaslamp Fantasy" reality of Victorian Europa. After ordering the audiobook, I read some reviews that suggested reading the (free) online web comic before listening to the audio book. I'm glad I followed that advice because it added to my overall enjoyment and understanding of the book. You could easily just start with the novel, but it lacks the rich visual cues of Phil's dynamic artwork and I think they greatly add to the story. Careful though, I found it highly addictive!

Why bother with the book at all then you may ask? Well, what it lacks in eye candy it makes up for in story. The book remains 99% faithful to the web comic, yet expands back story and character motivation in an expository way the graphic novel format just can't. If you enjoyed reading the web or comic format, the novel is an enrichment of that experience. Angela Dawe narrates the tale and while at first I wasn't impressed, her voice and characterizations grew on me. She doesn't vocalize the Jägermonsters' Romanian-Germanic accents quite the way I heard them in my head, but she does do them justice. I'll admit that listening to her speak them was easier than trying to read them. ;)

There is a lot going on, and while the main characters are well developed, it is a slow process and comes in bits and pieces. In this case the mystery adds the story. However, the horde of secondary characters are left a bit flat. Still, if gears, mad science and Victorian romance/adventure/humor are your thing, then Agatha H. and the Airship City is worth checking out.

~ Kort

This is a review of the audio CD version of this book. To set the stage, I had never heard of this series before listening to this book. I think that some of the other reviewers here do an outstanding job of discussing the story and giving you a background, so I'll cover my impressions of the audio version from the perspective of someone who didn't know the story beforehand.

For me, the first part of the book (perhaps most of the first CD) was a bit difficult to get into. I didn't find the reader particularly engaging at first, and there were a few terms that kept getting used that weren't defined (at least that I could tell) - so I was a bit lost in the story. I picked up on what a "clank" was pretty fast, but it took a bit longer to realize what a "spark" was. I disliked the beginning so much that I almost turned it off and didn't give it a chance. Lucky for me, I was listening in the car and was therefore a captive audience. :) By the end of the second CD, I was genuinely interested in the characters and wanted to hear more of the story. I got more used to the reader and began to appreciate some of her portrayals of the characters - she did some things very well. Perhaps if I had read some of these stories before, I would have known the context and picked up on the humor. As someone who didn't know anything about the series, though, it was lost on me.

Based on the other reviews here that I've read, I've come to the conclusion that this is a book better suited for reading yourself - at least if you are new to this series. For example, I had no idea that this was supposed to be humorous until I read a review about it. Thinking back, I can definitely see how it could have been hilarious - but it's read as more of a serious story on the CDs. The audio version might be appropriate for those of you who are already familiar with the story, though.

Overall, I give the story four stars and the audio version three stars. There are some pretty clever sections of the story, and it is enjoyable. The audio version is just a bit flat, IMO, and not worth the current price of about $20.

Set the gaslight fantasy world created first for graphic novels, hence it's wonderful sense of setting and scenery, this is narrated by Angela Dawes, whose work I have at times liked more than the material she was reading. Ms Dawes does a excellent job with accents and distinguishing voices. It's a bit over the top as befits the story, but fun.

The story may not please graphic novel purists but I had somehow missed the earlier works so this is my first exposure to the series. I liked it-- a lot.

And lucky, lucky me, the audio book based on this series Agatha H. and the Clockwork Princess: A Girl Genius Novel (Girl Genius Series) is due out in April. *Happy Sigh*