The fourth star is purely because of the last few chapters dealing with the fallout of everything that had happened.
Up till that point, apart from anThe fourth star is purely because of the last few chapters dealing with the fallout of everything that had happened.
Up till that point, apart from an as always excellent battle, it was all rather stodgy with sections of long drawn out nothingness. The positives of these parts were brilliant characters, witty dialogue, but even these ups were almost lost in an over bearing amount of people talking, talking more about what happened, what will happen, and things they have done but off page that is fundamental to the outworking of the story. A good amount of chapters were just there that didn't add much to anything, other to have introspections and such like, even though each character had had about twenty of them already.
As I mentioned there is an excellent battle. In typical Abercrombie fashion it is raw and visceral, no glory or heroics just people wounded, hurt, exhausted and barely getting out of it alive. Don't get me wrong, I do enjoy characters and exploring them, and I don't want action all the time, but in Last Argument of Kings or The Heroes it shows Abercrombie can balance these aspects very well. Shame not here.
Now for the fourth star. There is the whole aftermath of events of the the trilogy thus far. I like it when there is time given to what follows everything that happened in a book, or tv series, film, etc. And this is no exception. People, especially in Abercrombie works, go through a lot of stuff and thus it is only right that page space is given to read how they feel, how they have changed and so on. Plus there are a handful of extra goodies stashed away that make it all the more enjoyable to read.
If this is indeed the last book set in the First Law world, then this is as good as it could be. ...more
There is a lot of repetition. Jack Four has his back against wall, finds equipment, struggles his way out of predThree sets a pattern. What about ten?
There is a lot of repetition. Jack Four has his back against wall, finds equipment, struggles his way out of predicament, injured, recoups, then repeat cycle.
That may be spoilers, but it is the pattern of the book, and this repeats many times to the point where you know what is going to happen before it occurs (though the setting changes). This is a massive detriment to the book, the cyclic nature of the plot and character arc. it does bog the already thin plot down, and a good chunk of the book is merely Jack Four waddling into his next life and death scenario.
Also Neal Asher reverts heavily reverts back to his what I call his 'MacGyver Phase.' This is a character who has little resources but with the random odds and ends, eg a battery, screwdriver and half a shoe, is able to cobble together something that helps him progress against seemingly unsurmountable odds. Which is boring after the second round of intricate detail of rerouting power in an electric saw.
Now, the POSITIVES.
There is plenty of action, and the numerous fight sequences and battles are never boring nor the same. Asher has an excellent grasp on how to describe beam weapon fights, explosions, running and shooting and the like, without it feeling he is reusing the same terms and words.
It is great to see a return of some old classic alien creatures from previous novels of Asher's.
Jack Four is a decent enough main character, mystery of who is a clone of, his trying to come to terms of what is going on and why. He does go though the wringer quite a bit, he definitely not some superhuman, invincible person, and this adds some depth to him, and in the end you do want to see him succeed and overcome the challenges he experiences.
And a small point, it is not all that connected to the wide Polity which it is set in. Yes there are a return of certain characters and races, but it is minimal and you don't need to know everything that has happened before to read this book. ...more
In the end the Red Dwarf episode Backwards (or Sdrawkcab) did a better job of explaining time going backwards than this book.
And the episode was funnyIn the end the Red Dwarf episode Backwards (or Sdrawkcab) did a better job of explaining time going backwards than this book.
And the episode was funny too, making the notion entertaining as well as turning physics on its head.
In this book, NOPE!
However, it starts off with people, including the main character Edward Bush, travelling to the past with their minds. Ok, decent premise. But their physical bodies don't travel, but they still need air, food and water...
Then Edward Bush is then trained to kill someone... but he doesn't because he is an artist?
People, especially the main character, are not written as people, they do not act and speak in any sort of semblance that could be described as human. Bush (the main character) in the middle of a conversation says 'I am hungry.' Conversations feel like they have already started, that the author cut out beginning of them just to get some ridiculous speech delivered. And then they abruptly finish. People do things with no reason give as to why.
Oh yeah, the main character then teams up with some people travel into past only then for the book to go off the rails by randomly having one of the characters go off on some random idea that time is not unidirectional in going forward, but it is in fact going backwards. Now see my opening sentence.
Yeah, the 'explanation' of this is not one. It is analogy after analogy, with no actual science or techno babble to accompany it. Random things are said by the characters.
There is more to this book, a lot more, but I neither have the time no incline to even begin delving into it, other to say that it is over-indulgent, wordy for the sake of being wordy, rubbish, that Brain Aldiss thought was deep and insightful, but is not.
Shame, because Non-stop was a surprise find and a great read.
The first half of this book is back to front. There is a twist on page 54, or we know it is a twist because the characters of the book react to it witThe first half of this book is back to front. There is a twist on page 54, or we know it is a twist because the characters of the book react to it with a hush, holding their breath, and the reveal is SOMETHING NOT SEEN BEFORE! ARGH! What is this new nonsense? The entire universe and life is turned upside down! What is going to happen next?
We as the reader do not have the same reaction because we know nothing of this particular part of the world, thus the new reveal, twist, whatever it is, is not based on anything we know. Thus, Mieville spends the next however many pages setting up the world and the things associated with the twist, so then we (as the reader) can have the same reaction as the characters. By this point my interest in this book was finished.
The thing is, the latter half of the book deals with the fallout of this twist, but since it is after the explanation and history of the aliens and language and clones etc etc etc, I was bored. And annoyed.
There are positives. The aliens are aliens, they are not humanoid or blobs of stuff with relatable human emotions or characteristics. Their society and civilisation is unique and interesting to learn about. Their language and how it is different to everything else, means they are as a species almost aloof and nigh to incomprehensible, and thus the work and effort to overcome that in the face of the threat the twist brings is great and interesting and thoughtful. These sections are very good.
The human characters are lacking. I can't remember anything at all about the main character, not even their name. But then this is a book about an alien species and the overall view of language and communication between them and everyone else. And the broader context of language and communication in general. Big themes.
Shame it is back to front. The twist is stupid in the context of the book. And the characters are lacklustre and not memorable. Can't remember much of the second half of the book.
It sets off with a good start, strong character, strong plot, mystery and intrigue.
Still after all the yearThe genesis, the origin, of Jack Reacher.
It sets off with a good start, strong character, strong plot, mystery and intrigue.
Still after all the years since first reading this, (SPOLIERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) I do think the death of his older brother is too contrived to put into the first book. I get it, set up stakes, have an emotional investment for Reacher (even though he is invested in this mystery already), but we don't know Reacher that well only then to dump the emotional baggage of having his brother killed on top of that. This could have been in the second or third book.
Any way, apart from that, it is a strong start, solid premise, solid mystery, the reveal is done well. Also not forgetting Reacher, again strong start, good layering of the character with habits and personality and views of the world. The action is okay, but not over done. It is a steady and enjoyable read....more
"Let the reign of terror begin!" shouts the Invisible man. "But not before I relate to you how I procured my rather fetching coat."
Yes, just before th"Let the reign of terror begin!" shouts the Invisible man. "But not before I relate to you how I procured my rather fetching coat."
Yes, just before things are going to kick off, about thirty to forty pages are devoted of the Invisible Man relating to some guy how when he first turned invisible he found out that cold was bad when nude, he needed a coat and hat, and how he ran around London and spent a night in a shop. Yeah I get it. This could have been summed up in five lines along the lines of this: "I needed a coat to fend of the cold, I looked around London trying not to bump into people. Finally found clothes and a coat and some bandages from a shop. Put them on. Felt warm, and then proceeded to carry on my experiments for no reason in the small town of Iping. Went mad and ended up here, in your house."
This is book is considered a classic. A classic from one of the most well renowned and influential authors of all time. But it does not excuse the long, boring slog of reading about how he got a coat. It does not excuse some sloppy writing, does not excuse some flimsy plot contrivances. It is about the Invisible Man, and the focus on him, his descent into madness, but he was already a jerk before he was invisible, and his descent into madness makes no sense.
But then I might not truly understand the nuances of the book, and am ignorant of... stuff.
However, I have no problem with the lack of explanation and the science of how he turned invisible. Also some of the speech and language is hilarious.
And that is not what I should take away from the classic this book is. ...more
I was bored at some points then intrigued at other times. I was fascinated at some sections then weary with other passages. I can say I have read it.
I was bored at some points then intrigued at other times. I was fascinated at some sections then weary with other passages. Blasted through many pages then took me five days to read thirty five pages or so. It was somewhat predictive of the future, then at other points ran into complete and utter absurdity which ruined some well thought out and cleverly written sections.
Pretty much sums ups my feelings towards the classic that is 1984.
I could make this into a 10,000 word review, but my feelings are that of ambivalence, and even then that is to strong of a word.
One of the big things I remember is the six or so pages of Ian Malcolm pontificating about what is goinThere is so much that is wrong about this book.
One of the big things I remember is the six or so pages of Ian Malcolm pontificating about what is going on at the island, answering questions no one asked, figuring out mysteries where there hasn't been any indication or clues to what the answers may be, with one person interrupting here and there to say 'go on' or 'why is that?' or 'what does that mean?' It serves no purpose, it is boring, poorly written and does nothing for anything. Also, isn't Malcolm an expert on chaos theory? Why is he an expert on dinosaurs all of a sudden?
Crichton also has a massive section explaining how Jurassic Park was wrong, and how this second island actually makes the dinosaurs and he processes going into making a dinosaur. Yeah, because splicing frog DNA with dino DNA found in mosquitos was scientifically sound, and thus we need how the scientists somehow put a dino in an egg for it to hatch...…….. This book is about dinosaurs in the present day, we left the realms of what is possible already. Just let us enjoy the concept!
Characters are bland and boring. No attachment to them, I can only remember Ian Malcolm and that is because I imagined Jeff Goldblum and not for anything this book does for the character.
The bad guys, I think they were bad guys, were just a bunch of business men driving around the park in one jeep nicking eggs. I think they were still wearing their suits as they did so. Spoilers, they all die, I think.
Bland, boring and a waste of time. Makes the film seem all that much better. ...more
I read this book years ago, back in the late 90's, and I still remember liking it as I read it. Thus began me buying all the books, spending all the mI read this book years ago, back in the late 90's, and I still remember liking it as I read it. Thus began me buying all the books, spending all the money I saved to buy the latest one. Back then I didn't know how many there would be.
Anyways, kids morphing into animals and fighting aliens. As a kid I was hooked. Also there were some deep themes that were introduced in this first book. War, and the effect it has on people. And these are kids dealing with an alien invasion and waging war against them. How do you react when members of your own family are the enemy? Loss, sacrifice, and so much more.
Yes, they are an easy read, the characters are set in their predetermined roles and do not venture too much out of those parameters, the bad guys are evil with no redemptive qualities.
But it is an enjoyable read, and touches on big themes, and what is not to like about a tiger fighting against aliens?...more
Classic. Held up as a sci-fi great. The start of a series of books by an author that would become a sci-fi giant.
And I didn't like it all that much.
ThClassic. Held up as a sci-fi great. The start of a series of books by an author that would become a sci-fi giant.
And I didn't like it all that much.
The best way to describe why I feel this way is the part of the book where the main character participates in a game which is poorly described and nigh on nonsensical, only to morph into another character (because he is a shape shifter, for reasons) to trick the crew of the ship to believe he is the captain whose form he has taken, only then for the crew to realise he isn't the captain immediately, to then return to his normal form and still carry out his plan in the first place, thus rendering the whole thing I have just described as moot.
Also I think there are cannibals in this, for no reason.
It is messy, it goes from one place to another without much in the way of why this is happening. the main character faces peril at each step, but manages to overcome said peril, much in the way of pulp serials like John Carter. Thus the danger and threat is lessened.
Also the characters are not that memorable, can't remember their names.
This book was wonderful... until it fell off a cliff by the end of the book.
For all the wonderful, exquisite prose and descriptions, taking its time tThis book was wonderful... until it fell off a cliff by the end of the book.
For all the wonderful, exquisite prose and descriptions, taking its time to establish the character of Fitz, setting up plots and intrigue, it loses all of it by the end. It becomes rushed and messy, a new plot is inserted with fifty pages to go, random things happen, things get skipped over, the prose lacks the quality and depth it once had. And Fitz becomes next to useless in the grand scheme of things.
Up to that point it is by and far one of the most flowing and amazingly worded books I have read. Hobb has a wonderful flow to her writing. The prose is almost purple but doesn't become pretentious. Fitz could have been some untouchable, highly skilled, nigh on invincible, arrogant, idiot like some books of this style end to lean too, but doesn't. It makes Fitz a highly relatable character, with genuine flaws and weaknesses. The other characters are not there to say how great he is, or to elevate him by being stupid and dependant on him.
Great book, wished to have given it five stars and a high 90% rating, but doesn't because it is undone by the less than satisfying, messy, slightly incoherent and rushed ending.
This is where, for me, the Jack Reacher series was just about to jump the shark. Not quite there, but a pattern is established which is carried on whiThis is where, for me, the Jack Reacher series was just about to jump the shark. Not quite there, but a pattern is established which is carried on which makes the series nose dive.
The pattern is: 1) It is revealed that Reacher just so happens has a passion about a subject. 2) The central premise of the murder/mystery/plot is about that passion of Reacher. 3) Reacher is fantastic at this passion and uses this as of yet unrevealed passion to solve the mystery.
This is about maths. Reacher loves maths. Just so happens in the past he would talk about very complicated maths, theoretical physics maths. But we had never seen this before, but, it has always been there.
It is yet another skill that Reacher has to already considerable amount of skills. I know people can have may skills, but at this point and from this point on, it gets ridiculous to the point of absurdity just how convenient it is that he just so happens to have the skill that is integral to the solution of the plot.
The writing isn't that good either. Yes Child hasn't been the best author in terms of prose and description, but the premise and character of Reacher was enough to carry the books, and the mystery of the book too. But here it is basic 'he said' 'she said'. It comes across that no one is doing anything whilst talking.
This was the book that made me start to leave the series and not be as an avid reader as I once was. ...more
Brilliant premise, brilliant set up, brilliant mystery. Yeah I think I have got across how brilliant this book is.
The premise oThis is peak Lee Child.
Brilliant premise, brilliant set up, brilliant mystery. Yeah I think I have got across how brilliant this book is.
The premise of how the bodies were found, and the mystery surrounding this, and how the perp had carried out these murders is excellent and very intriguing.
Jack Reacher is at his best here, a keen and sharp mind, got a few skills up his sleeve but not the almost superhuman and convenient skill he has that just so happens to be the plot of the book, for example being awesome at maths when Bad Luck and Trouble is about maths.
It is a big book, but the hook is so good that the it never feels as long as it actually is and never gets old. Everything is in this book for a purpose but doesn't come across as obvious that it is in there for a purpose.
The resolve and reveal is excellently handled, the build up to it is tense and truly gripping. The payoff is well executed and not rushed, like later books in the series. Time is given in this book about the whys and how's of the murders, but is not spelt out just in case you don't get it.
One of the best, or, if not the best Jack Reacher book....more
After the slog that was Salvation and the huge sections dedicated to each character and their respective backstories, Salvation LThis is more like it.
After the slog that was Salvation and the huge sections dedicated to each character and their respective backstories, Salvation Lost makes up for most of it.
The problem with Salvation is that it is only character set up. True they have now been established and Salvation Lost can get on with the story and we know who they are and feel connected to them, but that cut have been cut down considerably and still have the same connection with the characters. And most of what they did has no pay off. And whatever payoff there is, doesn't need to have all that long and sometimes boring backstory. Now in Salvation Lost, the main characters can do stuff, get things going, and there is danger, true genuine threats and dangers they face and you wonder if they are going to survive. Even the stuff set in the far future is more interesting, it isn't just training montages, the far future characters are making plans and getting involved in battles and action.
And the action for the most part is very good. There is a space battle that is edge of the seat stuff. A battle on board a space ship that is quite visceral.
Now that the very obvious twist is out of the way, the Olyix are a tremendous threat, seemingly unstoppable. And the fact we know that the earlier plot and characters fail, in a sense, it is interesting to see Hamilton not writing humans coming up with a plan that will bring victory like his Commonwealth series. The Olyix are going to win for the most part, and that is somethng new for Hamilton.
However, there are meandering sub plots that are terrible. Go nowhere slowly, and there is a slight twist at the end with one of them, but it did not need so much page space to set up, and all the character work. Every time the story goes to this and another one, the plot stops dead, it is a slog to get through. And the characters are all wholly unlikeable, all of them, and one sub plot is about a woman who is a good person. But she is as unlikeable as the criminals who, in part, helped the bad guys.
Also Hamilton relies on 'quantum' this and 'quantum' that. And there is a reveal that falls very much in the ball park of typical Hamilton.
These two books so far could have been edited and changed into one book into the size of the first one. This would mean the boring first one wouldn't be as boring, and the superfluous sub plots of the second one could be removed thus improving the pace of the book altogether.
Not the best Hamilton book, but by no means the worst....more
We at the Square Groot had the great privilege to read this book before it came out, and thus it was difficult to write a review wHorizon Zero Dawn 2.
We at the Square Groot had the great privilege to read this book before it came out, and thus it was difficult to write a review without spoilers.
However, now I can go into a lot more detail about the book.
First of all, this does remind me a lot of the video game Horizon Zero Dawn. The harsh living conditions, some one who is an outsider, ancient tech viewed as magic and taking over people and things. Yes there are no new stories, but this is a little too close for comfort for an already established and well known product. Whether Lawrence was influenced or not, don't know, but the similarities are there.
Yaz, is the main character and she is okay, but falls into the typical YA role very quickly, and again comes across as Aloy from HZD. She has some interesting things to do, finds out stuff, but unfortunately there are more interesting and more well rounded characters in the book compared to her.
Also the tech, or power, is ill defined and odd. We the reader should be able to know what it is by us being the observer, even though the characters don't know what it is. But I was confused to what the 'stars' were and what was going on in the 'city'. That was a problem.
There is so much to talk about when it comes to this book. Go to www.squaregroot.com under the Fantasy Book section to listen to a much more in depth There is so much to talk about when it comes to this book. Go to www.squaregroot.com under the Fantasy Book section to listen to a much more in depth review of this book.
But here is a summary of what I thought about this book.
Way too many characters. Though many are well fleshed out, have history, feelings, emotions, and arcs, it gets to the point where there is no single protagonist, but four or five of them. But each gets their own equal amount of page space which sometimes slows the pace down. Also it gets confusing to who did what and when, and who knows what, and who interacts with who. Characters become bad guys for no reasons, and good guys turn bad, for no reason. Very muddled.
The plot is one thing, then turns into another thing, which then becomes the focus leaving you confused as to why was the first plot introduced only to be dropped.
The mythology is grand, on a scale rivalling LotR or GoT, and I am interested to see how much deeper this goes. The world building is on a rand scale too.
The whole cat and mouse, being one step behind saving and rescuing his wife got old very quickly. And the fact thaI'm done with the John Carter books.
The whole cat and mouse, being one step behind saving and rescuing his wife got old very quickly. And the fact that he saved her and left her alone in the middle of battle with enemies all around, I am not surprised John Carter's wife was kidnapped, what did he think would happen? It is a weak way to start a story.
And again like my other reviews, no character development, no depth added to anyone or expanded on. John Carter is presented as noble and the like, but in reality is a blood soaked, crazed, maniac. Other people are there. Oh, he has a son now, which John Carter takes an absolute age to figure out, even though the son looks like him, jumps like him, fights like him. Makes Carter look like an idiot. And he is the hero.
This book again adds more to Mars in terms of people and races, history and mythology, exploring new and weird places, seeing a giant bee thing. All of this is good, but lacks any oomph because it is set against a quest that was only the making of John Carter not being smart.
Oh, there are more conveniences. And another section where Carter finds himself in a prison for many months.
This series is very repetitive, and the action is getting old. Yes, I know this is what the story is about and the time it was all the rage. The serialised stories, keeping people wanting more, the entire pulp niche of sci-fi, but for me it got old and boring and repetitive quickly.
I wanted to like this more, to enjoy one the most well known and much loved sci-fi story, it being perhaps one of the foundations of sci-fi as we now it today, but I couldn't. Trying to be objective and taking into account the time etc of the book, it doesn't excuse the problems I mentioned in this review.
Unfortunately I am done with the John Carter books, I have read three, I have read a classic, and I know it focuses and other characters in later books, but there are plenty of other books I want to read....more
The first book was average, I had my problems with it, but this is like a side scrolling beat 'em up game. Wave after wave of generic cWhat happened?!
The first book was average, I had my problems with it, but this is like a side scrolling beat 'em up game. Wave after wave of generic canon fodder. John Carter is some blood lusted maniac. Any depth or progression and exploration is gone in favour of contradictory mythology, and almost non stop action where it ventures into the realms of absurdity and never comes back.
The first ten pages are okay. The little mythology expansion is ok. But that is the only praise I can find in this book.
Even then the faint praise is full of negatives....more
An absolute classic of literature. It feels ahead of its time, some of the concepts are interesting and are enjoyable to learn about, even though therAn absolute classic of literature. It feels ahead of its time, some of the concepts are interesting and are enjoyable to learn about, even though there is little explanation for various things such as the light that powers things.
John Carter is okay. I had to keep reminding myself that this was written as a serial, short segments published every so often, thus the book is more about the fantastic and dangerous situations and how Carter will overcome the odds rather than character development. John Carter is action hero person, honourable and the like, and that is it. He falls in love with a princess because...reasons. He becomes friends with a green Martian because...reasons. There isn't much development of character because of how it was originally structured, and thus when there is a massive battle (which often times are skipped over) I know Carter will survive and thus there are no stakes or tension.
However, it is enjoyable enough, learning about the civilisation of Mars or Barsoom, various tribes and societies was interesting. The battles that Burroughs does describe simply described but very impactful. And there is no reliance on gore and blood which only serves to highlight how good a writer Burroughs was.
Burroughs does an excellent job keeping the story going, some wonderful concepts and ideas, and the writing, though a product of its time, is very good in places....more
This whole trilogy could have been two books. Certain plots and subplots with characters over the three books could have been cut away completely and This whole trilogy could have been two books. Certain plots and subplots with characters over the three books could have been cut away completely and the only result would be two books with a more concise, compact and tight narrative with excellent characters and insanely well described and huge space battles.
But that is not the case. Neal Asher has numerous characters and almost all of them have their own sections and viewpoint pieces. There are five or so main characters and they share the most page space, but there are numerous secondary and tertiary characters who do not need to have their own POV sections, but have them. Thus there is a lot of head hopping because Asher decided everyone needs to have their own sections. This disrupts the flow of the plot. Some sections do nothing for the story, some characters sections are superfluous they could have been a part of someone else story.
However, some of the character are interesting , and though they fall into something is happening to them and are transforming and building things slowly, this reveals new things about established elements in Asher's Polity series. Orlandine, one of the many main characters, goes through interesting things and carries on the her story that started all those years ago in Polity Agent. It was great that Asher decided to pick up on her story that seemed for a while one that would never be explored again. Trike has a similar arc, but goes on a bit too long. The Client, again similar arc, but sections seem to be wheel spinning. But they are interesting enough.
This is about the Jain, the big bad of the Polity. This book reveals a lot more of their history, how they became what we know them to be, goes into more about their tech and how it works. For the most part this was very, very good. It didn't take away anything form the threat that they pose, it added to it. The revealing of more of how the tech works makes it more threatening and dangerous. And the threat it does pose and what the Jain do in this book is incredible.
The space battles described in this prove to me that Neal Asher is the master of book space battles. The scale of this battle is huge, the destruction is on a scale that surpasses most things I have read or seen. The descriptions are spot on, the wording is excellent. A couple of times Asher gets bogged down in too much detail, but that is few and far between. Just sit back and revel in the insane destruction.
But, there is a lot of connecting things together and retcons, which if you haven't read any Asher books before may not be a big thing, but as a fan and reading all his books, this retconning and revealing things that shouldn't be known given the timeline, is very frustrating. This alone drops this rating because it messes up other books, causes not so much continuity problems, but makes things messy.
Could have been a higher score, but too many characters with their own sections, retcons and connections galore, and a couple of boring sections, makes this an OK Asher book, not his worse, but not up their with his best....more
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