Second "book" of the series is another collection of stories - 3 this time. Shouldn't read this prequel before the first one, and doesn't stand alone.Second "book" of the series is another collection of stories - 3 this time. Shouldn't read this prequel before the first one, and doesn't stand alone.
What it *does* do is connect nicely with the first book - origin stories, reasons. It reveals that the first book is frighteningly close to current times, if you believe in grey goo and human arrogance. I was glad that some folks had a lift. Points to more potential secrets for the third book.
I liked the collection, but not as much as the first one. Based on what we know, I want to finish the series before starting anything on the TV box. More thoughts on the whole series in the next review....more
Fun Memorial day weekend read, nearly as good as the original. Might have read before seeing the movie sequel, certainly the book is much better.
This Fun Memorial day weekend read, nearly as good as the original. Might have read before seeing the movie sequel, certainly the book is much better.
This is the only sequel Crichton wrote, and it's very good. The technology at Site B is the same as the original book, but that makes sense. Tech that the protagonists have is improved, which also makes sense - it's been more than five years. The science is consistent, and I like the resolution. The human antagonists are comical, and come to appropriate ends.
The book was written after the first film, perhaps under some pressure from Spielberg. The return of Ian Malcolm (the author cited Doyle's return of Holmes) is a joy, and not only are his lines mentally spoken by Jeff Goldblum, but there is often wry commentary related to his early adventure in the first book. Scenes at the end of the book (and under morphine) are also similar, a Malcolm monologue on modern science.
If there's one thing I would ask the late Michael Crichton, it would be why kids? They were grandkids of an overconfident owner in the first book; here they are just student helpers. Perhaps this was a Hollywood influence also....more
World building *and* one massive story arc in a single book. That it's part of a series and a larger universe is just icing on the cake. Friends have World building *and* one massive story arc in a single book. That it's part of a series and a larger universe is just icing on the cake. Friends have recommended Sanderson for years, and it's about time I dove in.
Downtrodden folk, nobles, a mysterious governmental structure led by one who claims to be eternal. Swords and... sorcery? This idea of metallic powers is all new and fully formed. While reading, I was thinking of connections to role playing games, and that's a good thing. The core of the crew, the heist, these are things I enjoy reading, and the characters are all very three dimensional. Fight scenes are well described, and could certainly be filmed - though they may not exceed the visualization in my head.
Were there any drawbacks? I can't think of any right now. The love interest felt "cute" at first, but grew - and in the end, completely made sense for the character. As Vin learned about metals, it felt a little like vignettes from video games, but it also worked well with the story. Going beyond that, it was the things she learned in those scenes that gave the best results. Well done, Brandon Sanderson!
This is a book I would happily recommend. I started as an audiobook, which was a nice taste, but far to slow for my reading tastes. The audiobook runs 24 hours, I finished reading the ebook in just under nine. Massive bonus - though a series, this book easily stands alone!...more
With a plot that hinges on an examination between the differences between faith and religion, this thirteenth Discworld novel is contains less outrighWith a plot that hinges on an examination between the differences between faith and religion, this thirteenth Discworld novel is contains less outright humor than previous books I have read and a lot more wry observations. This is a thinking reader's book.
My favorite character? Probably the copper roofed library, haven to philosophers and proof against random thunderbolts. Okay, if it has to be a speaking part, I choose Didactylos. "It's a funny old world, and doesn't contain enough to drink.”
Book club choice, read as an audiobook. Bill Nighy narrates the author's footnotes (there were maybe 6 in the whole book?) and Peter Serafinowicz voices Death (a somewhat minor part in this story). That leaves the majority of the book to Andy Serkis, the famed motion capture portrayer of Gollum and others. He also has a pleasing voice and used a variety of accents for the various characters.
I really enjoyed the story, and can hardly believe it's been more than two years since my last Discworld read. I was planning on reading Feet of Clay, to continue the City Watch series, and may return to that plan soon....more
Book #4 is complete, the story really isn't. Book 5 (or even a follow-on novella) would be an excellent opportunity to have a The Bully of Barkham StrBook #4 is complete, the story really isn't. Book 5 (or even a follow-on novella) would be an excellent opportunity to have a The Bully of Barkham Street moment, showing this story from the other side. Alas, it was not to be.
Fewer characters than the previous 3 books to watch, and one main story - a heist, or at least an RPG adventure. The tech is greatly improved from the previous 3 books also. No particular explanation, but that's fine - roll with it. I liked the story.
What didn't I like? First and foremost, the blurb. I understand civil war is exciting, but it doesn't even start until halfway through the book - and definitely isn't the main story here. I try to avoid blurbs that give away the story, but that was freaking difficult when "civil war" was the first two words, and often in caps.
The rest is likeable enough, though the characters are awkward at times. Would definitely make for a fun film. Overall rating - somewhere closer to 3 than 4. The series so far has two 3s and two 4s -
Was prepping for book 5 due to a friend suggesting it may be the next book club book - but he relented (another friend has only read the first book - that's a lot of catch up!). Will read book 5 sometime in the future, and probably not as an audio book....more
Read the paperback decades ago, maybe a year before the film - which was so good that I remember it instead of the last quarter of the book. This is tRead the paperback decades ago, maybe a year before the film - which was so good that I remember it instead of the last quarter of the book. This is to say yes, the book is different, slightly better and definitely worth reading.
Very satisfying techno thriller, with computer tech jargon and early touch screens. Great descriptions of dinosaurs and DNA. Highlights the sheer exuberance of scientists and the stupidly rich, all narrated by Ian Malcolm, in a role that Jeff Goldblum was born to play.
However... there's just too much Malcolm towards the end of the book. Pages and pages of dialogue, and all of it a slight pause between thrill events. Sure, the character the excuse of being whacked out on morphine - but what was the author's excuse? Minor quibble, but I think the movie does a better job of balancing.
In the author's acknowledgements, Malcolm was inspired by physicist and part time chaos theoretician Heinz Pagels, who died just two years before the book was released. Goldblum was so popular in the film that Crichton brought Malcolm back for the second novel.
Almost feels like two stories, with the second ending all in a rush. Unlike most middle-series books, has a definitive end - but then the third book oAlmost feels like two stories, with the second ending all in a rush. Unlike most middle-series books, has a definitive end - but then the third book of the series was published 49 years after this one!
The first half is a good story, with Colin trying to save Susan. As before, this is map-driven and connected with contemporary magic. I love how the Old Magic is a big part of the tale.
The title and the back cover description both cover what happens halfway through the book - the kick off of the second story as it were. This leaves the pit of the first story behind and wends through Welsh historical magic. Unfortunately, it also ends all in a rush.
The result, for me, is a rating slightly below that of The Weirdstone of Brisingamen. Looking forward to reading the third, and more books by Garner also....more
Time slip novel with additional notoriety from The Cure. Best of the three Aviary Hall books. I liked the book, especially the ending, but honestly KiTime slip novel with additional notoriety from The Cure. Best of the three Aviary Hall books. I liked the book, especially the ending, but honestly Kindred was much better.
This is told from Charlotte's perspective. It also involves Clare, who we really only know through notes, and Emily, who has some resemblance to Charlotte's sister (from The Summer Birds and Emma in Winter). Early on, Emily becomes a brat unleashed from lack of Clare, but she ultimately matures. This book contains less of the descriptive language of the earlier books, which is a shame - the historian in me would love to know more about how the location changed between times.
While the books in the series contain the same Makepeace sisters, each of the three stories is self contained. Charlotte here doesn't think about flying, or wonder much about Emma - but perhaps that's in character, as she lives her new life at boarding school.
Finally a note about The Cure. Robert Smith's song is a nod to this book, but more in the resonance of the title than anything else. Based on reviews here, folks coming from the song to the book are mostly disappointed by the different Charlotte's. I went the other way 'round, and was disappointed by the song, so there you are....more
Published 4 years after the first book, this one focuses on Emma Makepeace, the younger sister whose older sister (and protagonist of The Summer BirdsPublished 4 years after the first book, this one focuses on Emma Makepeace, the younger sister whose older sister (and protagonist of The Summer Birds) has gone off to boarding school. Emma was bratty and unlikeable in that book and is so in most of this one also.
She does grow though the book, but mostly with no reason to do so. Her behavior towards Bobby is basically abuse, and his reaction is also very uncomfortable. The whole book takes place over a few weeks of winter.
The strangest element is a continuing shared dream between Emma and Bobby. If there was significance to this beyond teaching the characters to be better people, I missed it. In the dream, time proceeds backward at a glacial scale. Was Emma waiting for the garden of Eden (and disappointed by primordial oceans instead) a commentary on religion? Hard to tell.
Chronologically, we step back a year or so for the next book, with Charlotte as the focus. That book is the real goal of my search for a long-past read, and it is also the most widely known....more
An interesting story about English kids learning, one by one, to escape their end-of-term classes and fly. The plot proceeds slowly through the summerAn interesting story about English kids learning, one by one, to escape their end-of-term classes and fly. The plot proceeds slowly through the summer to a conclusion as the new term begins.
This book has occasional line drawings of the characters. It would be a perfect read-aloud book with younger kids. The main character here is Charlotte Makepeace; her sister Emma is a main character in the next book Emma in Winter, and we return to Charlotte again in Charlotte Sometimes.
It is the last of these that I may have read as a kid - it is also the most well known. I found all three in the Internet Archive, and enjoyed this quick read....more
A mostly spectator Dr. Jones tangles with magic mumbo-jumbo on a vengeance quest that also has some coins tacked on. Author Martin Caidin gets to writA mostly spectator Dr. Jones tangles with magic mumbo-jumbo on a vengeance quest that also has some coins tacked on. Author Martin Caidin gets to write about more flying machines.
There is a lot going on here - King Arthur and the confederate south and for some reason the Vatican? Like the previous book, Indiana Jones digs into the explanations; unlike the previous book, he ends up resorting to magic and primitive batteries.
Comparing this book to the previous, it does feel like it was written as an Indiana Jones story (see my review of Indiana Jones and the Sky Pirates to compare), but he seems a bit superhuman here. The previous book was technologically plausible, this one too often resorts to a magic girdle. In both books, the author has plenty to say about flying, and that matches his background as a pilot.
I've had Marooned on my reading list (and in a stack of paperbacks) for a while, and I plan to read that soon....more
A group story led by Indiana Jones, it feels a lot like the role playing adventure it was adapted into 3 years later. The first of two additions to a A group story led by Indiana Jones, it feels a lot like the role playing adventure it was adapted into 3 years later. The first of two additions to a series of prequel novels, which to that point had apparently been more closely tied with Young Indiana Jones.
Martin Caidin did a lot with planes, from flying to writing manuals and other books on the subject. This is a main focus for the bad guys here (group acronym - "EVIL") and the modified Ford Trimotor that the good guys fly. The additional main character Gale Parker is well l written and complex, and I understand she returns in the next book. Finally, an author's afterword details some of his sources - there is good history to this fiction.
The writing was just okay. It was irritating to hear inner thoughts from two different characters on the same page. Other reviews have criticized Caidin for writing a very un-Indy like Jones, and I can see some of that. I wonder if he had a story mostly written and then edited to make it an Indiana Jones story when the franchise came calling.
For me, I liked it. Very hard to find, but I'm glad I read this before tackling our book club choice and the sequel, Indiana Jones and the White Witch. 3½ stars....more
An epic conclusion with huge battles, tough choices, and far more complex situations than Middle Earth or Narnia.
Each of the primary characters from tAn epic conclusion with huge battles, tough choices, and far more complex situations than Middle Earth or Narnia.
Each of the primary characters from the two earlier novels really comes into their own. We hear the story of the dwarves, a short courtroom drama with a masterful conclusion. The odds really are against the good guys, with events not going their way. It is truly the individual choices that resulted in the ending we have.
As a series, the first book (also the author's first) had some rough patches. I'm glad Kay leaned into these for the second and third books - the consequences felt more real for it. I didn't love the Arthurian incursion, but the author knew what he was doing and it worked out. That may be one sticking point in realizing this on video, which is a shame - this would be truly fantastic.
I plan to read more Kay in the future, including a reread of Tigana and Ysabel, which is linked to this series through a pair of characters. This author is rapidly becoming one of my favorites....more
Released six years after the first novel in the series, this is the first time the Slow Horses officially "go live". I didn't enjoy this one as much aReleased six years after the first novel in the series, this is the first time the Slow Horses officially "go live". I didn't enjoy this one as much as the second novel in the series.
The beginning of this novel also has a drift through introduction to the building, which is wonderfully replicated at the end. The writing is very poetic - the reader can feel the oppressive heat of a London summer. Many different focuses here, which feels broader than the previous books' focus on Lamb and Cartwright. We also see the friction between Taverner and Tearney more clearly.
Despite the events of that previous novel, the Horses feel less like a team at the start of this. Maybe that's on me, expecting an Impossible Mission Force. There are certainly more guns in this book. I liked the second novel (Dead Lions) better, but that may be the historical aspect. Aspects of this novel feel like a setup for a larger confrontation in a future novel.
All that said, I can't rate this book (or series so far) less than 4 stars. Herron's next novel in the series was published just a year later - a year of breakout success for the author. At this point the series runs to 9 novels and a collection of stories, with no sign of slowing down....more
Third book completes the series, at least for now. Liked it and the series - but will repeat the caution to read all three books together. I honestly Third book completes the series, at least for now. Liked it and the series - but will repeat the caution to read all three books together. I honestly believe the author wrote one book and then published as three.
Yes, I know the series has two more books, one published this year. The author waited three years between books 3 and 4, so I think I might also :)
This book did close most of the open threads, which was nice. The space battles were well described, and the analysis of the defenses was cool. Big topics (the immortality of Bob, considerations of genocide, and colonization) and their impact are a focus here. Mostly hard science - but what's with antigravity?
No problem with FTL communication (a sci-fi staple) but the idea of field-effect plates lifting a city takes us beyond the hard science, which takes away a star for me. For that matter, now that I think back to the earlier roamers and probes, I don't know when the author introduced their "flying" aspect, which is subsequently taken for granted.
Will I read book 4, 5, and beyond? Very likely - this is good escapist fiction.
PS For book 3, I gave up on the audiobook (~8 hours) in favor of just reading the ebook (<3 hours). Will likely do the same for future installments....more
A solid follow up - really enjoying the series and the characters. This one has a historical focus for an extra dose of awesome.
I think this one startA solid follow up - really enjoying the series and the characters. This one has a historical focus for an extra dose of awesome.
I think this one starts faster also. Apparently the author wrote this to be accessible for anyone who hasn't read the first book - the cat introduction gives a solid feel for the characters, and for those who did read the first, a great brief reminder. In the first book, Lamb was a sleeping (farting) giant until roused; here he is pursuing his own mystery throughout.
Love the idea of a cold war sleeper, and this plot angle really kept me reading - finished the book in a day. I could definitely see rereading this (with the knowledge of the ending) to examine the choices. I also look forward to watching the second series of the television program. I did watch the first series after reading the first book, and while I didn't picture Gary Oldman as Lamb, Jonathan Pryce is the perfect David Cartwright.
The second book, middle of a trilogy. Solid ending of the book but not the series. Nods to other stories, and a big inclusion of one that might not beThe second book, middle of a trilogy. Solid ending of the book but not the series. Nods to other stories, and a big inclusion of one that might not belong...
The primary characters continue to grow, and treatment of women in this world is a step up from the previous book. Truly these protagonists have their own destinies, and a large cast of supporting characters are also clamoring to be heard. This book culminates in two mega battle scenes and startling revelations. My favorite (oft repeated) assertion is that "every gift the Goddess gave was double-edged."
Fionavar is the main world, our Earth a mere shadow. So when the story is like The Golden Bough, well that makes sense. What about when both the plot and at least one scene seem to reference Barbara Hambly's Darwath series? When the end of the second book reminds me of The Empire Strikes Back? Or the biggest inclusion of them all, one of an Arthurian nature? I felt a little overwhelmed and somewhat confused about how these all connect.
Not that it will stop me from reading the final book, soon....more
Completes the duology, satisfying message, but the protagonist is still pretty unlikeable. The last few chapters are a little *too* convenient.
Did notCompletes the duology, satisfying message, but the protagonist is still pretty unlikeable. The last few chapters are a little *too* convenient.
Did not know when I read the first that these were self-published. I applaud the author for that. I do think these two stories would have been better as one book, but perhaps there were reasons. The overall message is solid. I wonder if Dave's comments about the C64 not having any software in memory were from reviews or complaints about the first book :)
As another reviewer said very well, the first book was coming of age and this is mid-life crisis. I'm not sure he (or we) needed as many dead (and disabled) people to prove that - but it's funny, that's what Stephen King did with 11/22/63. Of course, he had the Yellow Card Man and some sort of external agency, while Craig just has the results of a mystical computer program.
I did not enjoy the second book as much. Lucy's attitude towards the overweight guy was great, and Craig appeared to learn from it - but spends the rest of his time doubting anyone could date overweight Craig, most of all enlightened Lucy. The guy is a good vehicle for showing the changes, but he just isn't that likeable - it's like reset affected not just time but also his brain. The final straw as making bets on things that he knew from the previous 11 months, which felt very much a cop-out. Interestingly it didn't really factor into the ending - I wonder if it was added at the last minute.
The first book was 3 stars, the series is 3 stars (and perhaps as one book could have been 4 stars for me), but this conclusion comes in at more like 2½ stars. Again, props to the author for self-publishing, and I'll look for another of his books to read in the future....more
