Defekt

by Nino Cipri

[Quirky Cat]

Defekt is the second novella in Nino Cipri's Finna series, and it was such a delight to read! If you're a fan of fast-paced and humorous science fiction, then this is absolutely a series that you need to check out.

When it comes to loyal employees, you won't find anyone better than Derek. His entire life is LitenVärld. No, really – he even lives in a shipping container set up in one of the back parking lots. His dedication can not be questioned.

Or rather, once upon a time, it could never have been questioned. Then Derek dared to take a sick day – he really did need one. Suddenly, the management and company started seeing Derek through new eyes. Who would have thought that this would be enough to throw him into a world where furniture comes to life and tries to eat him?

“When “Don't Be Evil” Fails, Try “Don't Be Boring”: It's worked for us since 1958.”

As a huge fan of Finna, I just knew that the sequel was going to be amazing. I went into this novella with high expectations – and was blown away. What I got was SO much better than I expected. Defekt may just be my favorite of the series (so far – please let there be more).

Where Finna is an entertaining novella full of portal jumping pirates, Defekt is more of a Cronenberg/science fiction horror tale with a humorous undertone (and overtones, for that matter). I love both novellas, but for completely different reasons.

The series is centered on a science fiction version of a Scandinavian superstore (go ahead and guess which one). The company has found lots of neat hacks to get the job done fast and quickly, including other dimensions and their resources. That sometimes results in...let's say, oddities.

Having all of that introduced in Finna allowed for Defekt to dive right into the world. As well as all of its glorious chaos. I really enjoyed that we kind of got to see a different side of things, though management, HR, and corporate BS is still a major factor (and it is perfect).

“Derek looked back at the table only to see it staring up at him.”

I can't even begin to tell you the number of times this novella got me to burst out laughing. The quote above had me crying; I was laughing so hard. Nino Cipri and I are on the same wavelength when it comes to humor, I think. And I love it.

If you don't believe me, here's a testimonial for you: My husband is not much of a reader (I know, I know), but even he wants to read both Finna and Defekt after seeing how much enjoyment I've gotten out of them. Okay, the fact that I read a few key quotes didn't hurt any.

Thanks to Tor.com and #NetGalley for making this book available for review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Check out more reviews over at Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks (of Books