The Spirit Phone has just about everything. Science fiction, horror, steam punk, alternative history, necromancy. Yet, I felt like something was missing. The fate of humanity was at stake, but I didn't feel close to any one character. There is a saying, "A million deaths is a statistic. One death is a story." That is, it's hard to feel close to the story of a million people, but singling out one person, and making us feel that person's tribulations, makes it a fascinating story for us. We have two interesting main characters, Tesla and Crowley, two interesting secondary characters in the police officers, but none of those characters seem to have a private story at stake. Nobody has a wife or children to think about or a dear granny or Siamese cat. Of course, Tesla had his occupation, but that doesn't feel as close to me as a reader as would fighting evil to protect someone close to him. The plot was exciting, the action almost nonstop, there's magic and science and more science and magic. The one thing that was missing for me was a more human element. I couldn't get particularly fond of any character. The author ends with a short history as it actually happened, rather than the fictional tale. For a history buff like me, that was illuminating. Much thanks to Netgalley and BHC Press for allowing me to read and review an eARC of The Spirit Phone.
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