The Eternal Prison

I am a big fan of Jeff Somers previous books. The Eternal Prison is just as good! Avery Cates is back, a little worse for wear, but still as tough as nails. Swept up into the politics of his world Avery goes to do what he's best at kill someone. The story is told from two different perspectives which makes it a little strange, but all becomes clear in the end. Somers gritty story telling, the fast pace all out action, and colorful characters make this an entertaining read. It's a no brainer, go pick it up!

The titular phrase of this review leaves the reader with a sense of foreboding, yet curiosity, about what is yet to come for Avery Cates, and for the world (and society) as a whole. There are enough reviews about the plot that I won't repeat them here but rather add my thoughts about Avery Cates, and Jeff Somers, and the series as a whole. Jeff Somers is not afraid to damage his character. Avery Cates, the anti-hero human, has been through his own personal hell and changes as a result. His wounds from one story aren't "magically healed" in the next. The start of each installment isn't with Somers hitting "the big reset button" for his characters but rather builds on what's transpired up to that point, while at the same time revealing layers of complexity for his characters, and not just Cates. Some of the recurring characters, like Marko (the techie) have some added depth in the latest installment (The Eternal Prison). Even some of the "bad" guys, e.g., Dick Marin, show to have some depth and elements of humanity (such as it is) as well. The Digital Plague was set up as the a transition between The Electric Church and The Eternal Prison and as one other reviewer commented, there was a lot of exposition. But after reading The Eternal Prison it can be seen that exposition was necessary. Jeff Somers has shown no fear in destroying the world he built in The Electric Church. The Digital Plague served as first warning that the status quo will be shredded in this new world, and one can almost picture Jeff Somers doing so with a slight knowing smirk on his face - and his protagonist, the aforementioned anti-hero Avery Cates is all the better for it. Avery Cates has a tendency to do things "the hard way" and Jeff Somers sits back and rather than dictate the story, he lets the characters dictate the story. Stephen King wrote in his book "On Writing" to (paraphrasing here) "write what you know" and "build the story, add your characters, and see how they respond to your world". Jeff Somers has done both quite well and he has demonstrated he is not afraid to take chances and we have what could have been just a good story become a great story as a result.

While I thought that The Electric Church was one of the best recent science fiction works I've read, I felt that the follow-up book, The Digital Plague, was less than fulfilling. Jeff Somers has returned to form, however, in the third installment of the Avery Cates series, The Eternal Prison. Avery Cates is back in The Eternal Prison, which takes place soon after end of the digital plague from the second book. The cops and the army are fighting it out for control of society. Cates, the anti-hero hitman, gets pinched by the cops and thrown into Chengara, a prison specially developed for "people of interest" like himself. Cates has to use all of his wits to stay alive, and staying alive means breaking out. The action moves along briskly in The Eternal Prison and avoids most of the exposition that slowed down The Digital Plague. Cates always has a new set of associates, since being a Cates associate tends to dramatically reduce life expectancy, but some old familiar faces also are in the mix. The new characters are woven into the story well and are, for the most part, more interesting than most of the new faces from The Digital Plague. Probably the best thing about this entry in the series, apart from Somers' pacing, are the changes in Avery Cates. He's famous, he's tough, but as things continue to slide downhill, Cates begins to wonder if fighting is even worth the bother, especially if things look like they'll turn out the same way in the end. Or, if he goes on, for what purpose? Cates works through the questions in Cates fashion, simply but directly, without Somers turning him into some fountain of metaphysical mess. It's a great installment, a return to the tight pacing of The Electric Church, and the central character is revitalized as something more than a stereotype. The Eternal Prison is definitely worth your time and money.

As the third, and most recent, addition to the continuing Avery Cates serious The Eternal Prison doesn't dissappoint. If you haven't yet read the first two novels featuring Avery Cates, The Electric Chuch and The Digital Plague, I would suggest you pick them up first before tackeling the Eternal Prison. It's not exactly necessary that you've read the first two, but it will definitely make the experience as a whole more enjoyable. The Eternal Prison picks up where The Digital Plague left off, as we once again follow Avery in his exploits as one of the systems most feared and well known gunners. As this story picks up we find Avery struggeling to carry on in a life where he has lost nearly everything he held dear, and nothing seems to be going the way he planned it. In all honesty the only thing he seems to have going for him this time around is a large amount of yen, though it takes a mountain of it to buy anything with all the termoil. It's funny because he's not so much afraid of getting killed as he is of having an unsatisfactory death after all he's been through. In the end the Eternal Prison is a fast-paced story that creates a perfect mix of action and even a few unexpected plot twists, though looking back there were plenty of hints. It can be a bit confusing as you first start, but just give it time and have faith in Somers writing skills. By the end of the novel all will be made clear and it's definitely a ride worth taking!

The Eternal Prison (Avery Cates) is the third in the Avery Cates series and it has left me salivating for more. The first two books by Jeff Somers, The Electric Church and The Digital Plague (Avery Cates), introduces us to the down on his luck Gunner Avery Cates and his stumblings through NY and various sundry locations throughout the planet. This series is not for the weak at heart, they are graphic and basically in your face kind of books. They are also the kind of books that you won't be able to put down. Do yourself a favor and check out these books!