After having watched the first season, I was quite eager to read the book and get to know the characters better through the original medium.
Reading the introduction by the author, I had a clear idea in my head of who Kovacs was. An idea that was immediately contradicted with the first chapter of the book. That was interesting, though. It made me think about how people view themselves differently to how those around view them.
Even by the end of the book, I couldn’t say whether I liked or hated Kovacs. He was certainly a character with a lot of depth to him. However, he was the only one I really got to know. Seeing the others through his eyes coloured my perceptions of them a lot.
I wasn’t very clear on exactly what an Envoy did. The book, despite the wide range offered by the stack technology, was very focused on Earth. I did find it interesting to see the disconnect between Kovacs and the sleeve he wore, though. Like when he felt like a passenger being controlled by the original occupant.
It was also good to see the relation between the sleeve and its occupant. Like how Kovacs wasn’t resistant to pain, due to the young female sleeve. Or needing a cigarette because his new sleeve was addicted.
I really liked seeing how the society on Earth had evolved due to the technology, even if I did only get hints of it. The waste of bodies, for instance. I couldn’t understand where all of the sleeves were coming from.
I also would have liked more background to Kovacs. I had so many questions about his history. His relationships. Family. He was an interesting character, but something about him felt unfinished.
This book was an intriguing read, with interesting technology and a main character I would like to see and learn more of. At the same time, it would be good to get a much wider view of the world and society.
Ink of Blood 