Book Reviews
Since I subscribe to Library Thing I've decided to rate and write a short review for every book that I finish reading in the future. This thread will contain all of my reviews. All ratings are on a scale of 1 to 5 (5 is best).
Comments are welcome. Also feel free to post your own review and rating on the same books I've posted on.
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Book Reviews
Book: James Clavell's Whirlwind
Author: James Clavell
Rating: 3.5
Link: http://www.librarything.com/work-info.php?book=6828662
Review: The author selected a fascinating setting and background for his story. He very effectively portrays the fear and uncertainty of being a foreigner in Iran at that time. Unfortunately, the book suffers from having too many characters that aren't strongly distinct from each other. This makes the early portion of the book somewhat confusing. To make things worse, the middle of the book starts to feel somewhat repetitive. Too many pages seem to have little purpose beyond reemphasizing the chaos and upheaval that's going on. Fortunately, the book is saved by a very strong ending with a good level of tension and satisfactory conclusion.
Book Reviews
Book: Insurrection
Author: David Weber, Steve White
Rating: 3
Link: http://www.librarything.com/work-info.php?book=7040010
Review: For someone familiar with the game "Starfire", this is an interesting novelisation of what is obviously an actual gameplay experience. The book has a real sense of belong in a pre-existing story line. However, because the book attempts to cover so much ground, it is forced to approach things as a collection of short story lines. This reduces the overall cohesiveness of the book. The book does succeed at presenting and resolving a situation between two well matched powers and provides appropriate tension in wondering which side will triumph.
Book Reviews
Though the first written, it is chronologically the last book in a collection set in that universe. Also included in the series are "Crusade," "In Death's Ground," and "The Shiva Option." All four have been collected into a two book set, "The Stars At War" and "The Stars At War II."
Incidently, the two book set includes added scenes, much like buying the "director's cut" of a movie.
Veni, Vidi, Volo in domum redire.
Book Reviews
Yup, I'm reading Crusade now, and quickly figured out that it takes place before Insurrection. I'd have bought the omnibus versions, but I can't stand to buy new books (because for the price I can buy twice as many used books), and I'm sure those won't hit used bookstores for quite some time. I knew about the added scenes, but just can't bring myself to pay the money. I don't own The Shiva Option yet, but I'll probably pick it up at some point.
I definitely don't think the books are as good as some of his later stuff (Honor Harrington), but they do have some interesting facets, and it is intriguing to know the rules system behind the story. It also interesting to spot some of the places where he did and didn't take creative license in translating the rules to the book...
Book Reviews
Book: Crusade
Author: David Weber, Steve White
Rating: 4
Link: http://www.librarything.com/work-info.php?book=6920876
Review: This is the second book in David Weber and Steve White's Starfire/Stars at War series, but it takes place before the first book. The writing here is definitely an improvement over the first book. The different plot lines are handled in a much cleaner fashion, and they manage to maintain a much better sense of tension. By about halfway through the book or so it did start to feel like the good guys were not particularly in trouble, but they still managed to pull off a strong ending. David Weber is good at writing interesting space battles, and there are plenty of those mixed in with some ground action and politics for variety. 4/5
Book Reviews
Book: In Death Ground
Author: David Weber, Steve White
Rating: 4
Link: http://www.librarything.com/work-info.php?book=6920870
Review: Unlike the prior two books in the series, this one does relatively little swapping between story lines. Instead, it focuses on the events at a single place at a time. Once those events have resolves, the book moves on to a new location while some number of months go by off stage. This general structure works better than the tangled mess of plotlines that are used in the prior books.
The story is solid, and the characters are reasonably interesting. The book does end on somewhat of a cliffhanger, as the war as a whole is definitely not over yet. At least the end happens after a fairly major battle, so it's a reasonable place to stop.
Nothing particularly outstanding in this book, but also nothing that really causes problems.
Book Reviews
Book: The Postman
Author: David Brin
Rating: 5
Link: http://www.librarything.com/work-info.php?book=6920982
Review: I originally read the book before I ever saw the movie. It turns out that both are very good, but the movie definitely departed from the plotline of the book.
This is an excellent book. Brin presents a main character who is interesting and believable, a man who is caught in his own lies. The post-apocalyptic genre is not overly common these days, and may not appeal to everyone. Brin mostly does a good job of making the setting "timeless" (that is, not becoming dated due to an overreliance on what were current events at the time of writing), however there is some amount of an "alternate history" mindset required to enjoy this book.
I think my only real complaints about the book are two pieces of somewhat advanced technology that he threw into the story. They work into the plot just fine, but their existance feels somewhat jarring to me in a setting that is otherwise fairly well grounded on available technology. Fortunately, this is only a very minor blemish in my eyes, and the book really doesn't suffer from it. 5/5
...yeah, yeah, so I read an entire book last night. Wanna make something of it?
Book Reviews
Book: Threshold
Author: Sara Douglass
Rating: 4
Link: http://www.librarything.com/work-info.php?book=6920988
Review: The first half of this book is very excellent. The author does a great job of presenting an interesting world and an interesting conflict. There is a very strong sense of urgency, and the coming evil is kept nicely vague and indistinct without being overly nebulous.
Unfortunately, the second half of the book loses the sense of urgency, which is odd, considering that the second half of the book is really be operating under a tighter deadline than the first half. The author is attempting to explain the sudden growth and development of the main characters (neccessary in order for a happy conclusion), but is just unable to pull it off convincingly.
The weaker second half definitely affects the rating, but fortunately, the strong first half is able to carry through, and the overall impression is a good one.
Book Reviews
Book: Exultant
Author: Stephen Baxter
Rating: 4
Link: http://www.librarything.com/work-info.php?book=6920941
Review: I'll say up front that I'm a big fan of Stephen Baxter. However, he definitely has a tendancy to cover some similar themes and styles in his stories. Therefore, I was happy to find that this book was a little bit of a refreshing change from his typical offerings (while still retaining most of what makes his style distinct). This book has a fairly tight plot, rather than being a sprawling epic which he sometimes wanders off into. Not only that, but the book doesn't end with there only being one member of humanity left alive! *shock*
This particular book does fit very easily into Baxter's common universe, and nicely covers an era that hadn't yet seen much detail.
Book Reviews
Book: The Adventures of the Stainless Steel Rat
Author: Harry Harrison
Rating: 4
Link: http://www.librarything.com/work-info.php?book=6897275
Review: This book actually contains the following three books: The Stainless Steel Rat, The Stainless Steel Rat's Revenge, and The Stainless Steel Rat Saves the World.
These books are very much a space-opera style story. No significant effort is spent on making science realistic. Instead, science is twisted around to server the plot. This is not necessarily a problem, but could be irritating to some people, as there are issues that are somewhat anachronistic, or not entirely thought out. I'm sure some of this is due to the fact that the stories were originally written from the late 1950's through early 1970's.
All three books present a character who could easily be seen as invincible. Somehow, Harrison is able to develop plausible plot lines and problems that present serious problems to the hero. He writes everything in a unique style that couldn't exactly be called funny, but is humorous in an off-beat sort of way.
Don't expect serious, heavy reading here. Instead, this book contains light, non-stop action where anything might lie around the next corner.
Book Reviews
And if I'm not mistaken - it's primarily written in the first person, yes? These are a favorite of my uncles. I've read part of one. They are both light, and entertaining... if a bit implausible.
-- Kent
Book Reviews
Yes, written in first person. They're definitely meant to be more cinematic than realistic.
Book Reviews
Book: The Divinci Code
Author: Dan Brown
Rating: 4 stars
Review: I can see why this book was so controvertial, now that I've read it. Take it as what it is (FICTION) however, and it's an excellent read. While this may not seem like the normal sort of thing to review on this forum, I found the story to be remarkably similar to a RPG, as the main characters have to assemble clues hidden centuries before and solve multiple puzzles in order to find a long lost threat to 2000 years of history, all while having their heals dogged by mysterious and dangerous agents of powers far beyond anything they should be equipped to handle. Brown does an amazing job of drawing connections from the strangest of places in the real world and turning them into increadably convincing dark conspiracies. The pace of the book is riviting. Couldn't put it down.
Veni, Vidi, Volo in domum redire.
Book Reviews
I haven't actually read it myself, but I would definitely fall into the "IT'S FICTION!" camp... I doubt I'll end up reading it though, as I have a strong, irrational dislike for reading books that have become popular (although it's ok for me to continue to read new books by a popular author, as long as I discovered them before they became popular). :roll:
Interesting comparison to an RPG. From your description, it does sound like it'd make an interesting campaign...
Book Reviews
Book: The Deathworld Trilogy
Author: Harry Harrison
Rating: 4
Link: http://www.librarything.com/work-info.php?book=6897258
Review: I've read this book a couple of times now. I find it enjoyable in part because Harrison is very good about presenting an overly capable character(s) (that should be able to handle anything you throw at them) and finding situations to put them in that are both challenging and plausible.
Harrison does get a little preachy in the second story, but other than that, the stories are pretty straightforward adventures about solving some unusual problems.
This is classic (old) sci-fi, with much of its faults and charms, and therefore may not appeal to some people.
Book Reviews
I liked it. However, I read it after I'd read some of Dan Browns other titles "Digital Fortress" and "Angels and Demons". I was becoming somewhat dissillusioned w/ his writing after the 2nd title of his I read, so when I read Da Vinci Code it was only "so-so" for me.
I'm afraid he has very little originality to his story telling skills. Every book is the same story told w/ differing characters and locales. While it may be mainstream entertaining and sell many copies, as well as make a decent movie...it's just that, not extraordinary for me.
I will say though, that some of the ideas about the grail that he expands on and brings to forefront of peoples minds and thoughts are interesting! I understand they're not his ideas though, but still, he's done a fine job of writing a fiction novel to bring them out into mainstream society, if that makes sense.
Recent novel I read that I aboslutely enjoyed: Changling Plague by Syne Mitchell. Great book, if you've not read it, I'd highly recommend it!
"A common mistake that people make when trying to design something completely foolproof is to underestimate the ingenuity of complete fools." -Douglas Adams
Book Reviews
Book: A Stainless Steel Rat is Born
Author: Harry Harrison
Rating: 4
Link: http://www.librarything.com/work-info.php?book=6897269
Review: This book explains to the reader how James diGriz became a stainless steel rat. The story and plot twists are interesting and full of Harrison's odd sense of humor. This is definitely light reading, but definitely an entertaining story.
Book Reviews
Book: Going Postal
Author: Terry Pratchett
Rating: 4.5
Link: http://www.librarything.com/work-info.php?book=7918104
Review: This book seems to have a little less random strangeness than other Pratchett books that I've read. It still very much contains his sense of humor and odd way of looking at the world, but it is perhaps toned down just a bit.
This is a great story about overcoming impossible odds and getting caught up in something greater than yourself. The parallels to the real world are interesting and humorous.
Book Reviews
Book: A Song for Arbonne
Author: Guy Gavriel Kay
Rating: 3.5
Link: http://www.librarything.com/work-info.php?book=7918163
Review: This book contains a great story. Unfortunately for me (and the primary reason for the reduced rating) I had a real hard time keeping names straight. Even two thirds of the way through I'd hit a character that hadn't been mentioned in a while and I'd be confused as to exactly who that person was. This problem made the start of the book very difficult to get through.
Fortunately I was able to push on, and was glad I did. Kay has a talent for good descriptive writing, and presents a plot that is interesting. The book does leave you wanting more; not because the story is left unfinished, but you want to see what happens next in peoples lives.
This is definitely a book about the relationships between people, but with a good amount of action, intrigue, and various twists thrown in.
Book Reviews
Book: Ship of Magic
Author: Robin Hobb
Rating: 5
Link: http://www.librarything.com/work-info.php?book=7918116
Review: This is an outstanding book. The setting is definitely something refreshingly different from your typical fantasy. As you might guess from the title, everything is very centered around ships and sailing.
As is typical for many books, the author flips back and forth between a couple major story lines and a few minor ones. However, unlike most books where there are some story lines you just have to read through in order to get back to the "good stuff", in this book you can't wait to get back to all of the story lines. They're ALL "good stuff".
Hobb develops some interesting characters, and presents them with some situations that develop very nicely, and there seem to be many places where the plot has a lot of potential, but goes a slightly different direction than you expected, but is still better off for taking the different route.
This book actually brought me to the stage of being unable to put it down when I was only about a quarter of the way through (leaving me with a couple late nights). Usually with a good book that happens when I have about a quarter of the book left. I'm very much looking forward to reading the next two books in the series, although perhaps I should get some sleep first...
Book Reviews
That's quite a review, coming from you. I might have to go pick that one up.
-- Kent
Book Reviews
I'd definitely recommend it.
err...
I definitely recommended it.
Robin Hobb also wrote a very good series about an assassin's apprentice...
Book Reviews
Book: The Mad Ship
Author: Robin Hobb
Rating: 4.5
Link: http://www.librarything.com/work-info.php?book=7918135
Review: While I enjoyed this book very much, I thought it fell just a little short of the first book in the series. Even so, it was nice to see some of the characters change and grow in this book. There was also a good number of unexpected turns to the plot. I'm very much looking forward to seeing how this series gets all wrapped up in the third book.
Book Reviews
Book: Dune
Author: Frank Herbert
Rating: 4.5
Link: http://www.librarything.com/work-info.php?book=6897494
Review: This is an old favorite of mine that I've reread many times. I tried to pay attention this time to what it is that I like about the book so much. It's a little difficult to tell, but I think it's that somehow Frank Herbert makes me feel like the setting is *real*. He makes you feel like there are things happening in his universe besides just what you read about in the book. He also presents a setting which is very different from typical science fiction. Finally, there is a lot that goes on in the book that you don't pick up with a single casual reading. This makes it all the more enjoyable to go back and reread and reread and reread.
Book Reviews
Book: Ship of Destiny
Author: Robin Hobb
Rating: 5
Link: http://www.librarything.com/work-info.php?book=7918122
Review: This book is an outstanding conclusion to a great series. It is amazingly well crafted, and I'm very impressed with how the pieces all come together in the end. Robin Hobb has a talent for giving you a story where anything might happen, and what usually does happen might be unexpected, but is always very satisfying. This book has a great sense of things coming full circle in a way that is satisfying rather than cliched.