Can you fault a book for not being what you thought it would be? This book sounded great. I have had it for decades, and I finally read it. The struggCan you fault a book for not being what you thought it would be? This book sounded great. I have had it for decades, and I finally read it. The struggle of humans in a vampire-controlled world. Starting in the mid-1600s, we see the underground rebellions of humans versus vampires start with a Edmund Corey striking the first blow at the cost of his own life. The story then moves to Noel Cordrey and his life-long study of vampires. We have pirates, monks, vampires in this story. But, despite how exciting this sounds, most of the novel is Noell and company walking slowly across Africa in order to meet the first vampires.
This book is slow, tedious, and despite what the back tells us, not really about the struggle except in the the first 20 pages or so and the last 50. This could have been great. But it was a struggle to get through as its just a whole lot of walking mostly.
Not a bad read about Germany further resisting after surrendering in WWII. However, it is at least 200 pages longer than it needed to be for what it cNot a bad read about Germany further resisting after surrendering in WWII. However, it is at least 200 pages longer than it needed to be for what it conveyed, and surprising, the title character (the man with they Iron Heart, Heydrich, is an absent character in this book. He have a few chapters where he appears, but there is no character development in this book about him. Lots of other side characters, but not a single German is examined (either pro or against the uprising). Having a German perspective (both sides) probably would have improved this book. But the German perspective, is entirely missing....more
The Rise and Fall of D.O.D.O., like all works of Neal Stephenson, and now with Nicole Galland, has a great premise. The Rise and Fall of D.O.D.O. is tThe Rise and Fall of D.O.D.O., like all works of Neal Stephenson, and now with Nicole Galland, has a great premise. The Rise and Fall of D.O.D.O. is the story of DODO, a black-OPs unit in the government trying to bring back magic to the world which died in 1851. This story, is the rise and fall of DODO according to the title. And, it delivers in the Rise and the Fall, but the really big issue, in over 700 pages, we never really know what DODO is, what it does, or why it does it. Now not all questions needs to be answered, but for how much of DODO is explained, I really didn't even learn what they did day to day once operational. We only get in-depth descriptions of some adventures to to make money (over 100+ pages on one attempt which was way too long), and recruiting other members. We never got to to know DODO.
In addition, like DODO, we have a very large cast of characters that could of have maybe interesting, but we learn nothing bout them. The two main characters, Tristan and Melisande, I know all that I am going to know in the first 4 chapters. No character exploration here. Every single character is flat and can be just replaced with name.
I feel that the addition of Nicole did help this book (no multi-page info dumps), and the story moved along quite well (til the last 100 pages and it just grinds to a halt and you just want it to end). I see there is a sequel by Nicole coming up, but I have no desire to read it, but I suspect it might be better without Neal, but I'd rather read about the day-to-day operations instead of what the sequel is about.
Neal, clearly is not for me. But Neal, like Tim Powers, has some of the coolest ideas in books that make me want to read them. However, unlike Tim Powers, he's not that good of a writer.
This had a lot of potential to be really good. But, it is just ok....more
Not a bad read, but not great either. There are good seeds to a good character here. Partly the issue with this books is the description on the back pNot a bad read, but not great either. There are good seeds to a good character here. Partly the issue with this books is the description on the back places Garret solidly as the main character in the stories, but really it is Sebastian, the wampyr, that is the lead. And frankly, Garret is more interesting. I am thinking this is Bear's play on a Holmes/Watson trope, but she doesn't quite pull it off. None of the characters ever really grow or become more interesting. The world itself is interesting too, but like all the things that are interesting in this book, it is just kernels.
There is a lot of potential in here. Sadly, none of them are developed enough to really recommend this book. I am curious if the further books develop Garret better because she, by far, is the most interesting thing in this book.
Oh, and she has a carpet bag. :D Bear tells you this oh so many times....more
This book is full of interesting world-building ideas that are half to /14 baked. I flew through it, but it wasn't that good. The magic system presentThis book is full of interesting world-building ideas that are half to /14 baked. I flew through it, but it wasn't that good. The magic system presented in the book is the star, but the book doesn't really explore it in depth, and considering it is the main McGuffin this book, it is quite disappointing. The alternate world that the characters also inhabit is interesting, but that world is only hinted at in this book (maybe its covered more in the next).
This is a heist story that goes pretty much as expected. The heist is planned, executed, and, of course, something goes wrong. The main character never really grows, the side characters could be interesting, but the author spends very little time with them.
In the end, it reads like YA book, but is marketed as an adult novel. The author has written YA before and he hasn't really crossed the line yet. The world was interesting enough I do wish to learn more, but the book was so mediocre I don't want to read more....more
This was an interesting read. It reads just like a Austen book would. The people talk, behave as they do in those books (unrealistic, but consistent).This was an interesting read. It reads just like a Austen book would. The people talk, behave as they do in those books (unrealistic, but consistent). The world she has hinted at is very interesting, but you don't get much of the world in this book. It is just hinted at and at the periphery. I would have liked to have seem more of the world and less of the Austen, but that is not the goal of this book. For what it sets out to attain, it does very well, but some added complexity would have bee nice. Stepping out of the Austen-esque world for a few steps to grow beyond being a pastiche of Austen books would have helped it. I am curious to see where the others go as I do know each book is a different type of book....more
Clementine is a steam-punk adventure set in Priest’s Clockwork Century. I have read only 220 pages of Boneshaker, so my exposure to that world was a bClementine is a steam-punk adventure set in Priest’s Clockwork Century. I have read only 220 pages of Boneshaker, so my exposure to that world was a bit limited. However, it was enough to want to read books in this universe. I enjoyed Boneshaker while I was reading it. The library just made me return it.
Clementine was an enjoyable read. It was quick, fun, and partially satisfying. And what I mean by partially satisfying is that while it was fun to read, there is not much meat on this bone. The characters of Hainey and Boyd, although intersting, don’t get much history and background to them. We never get to really know them. I would not call them flat, but they aren’t 3-dimensional characters either. We don’t know what motivates them beyond the basic plot of the novel. We don’t get to see the character as fully developed. Priest does give you enough that I would like to know more about Boyd, and maybe Hainey. This novelette is your typical steampunk fare with dirigibles gllore. But, unlike what I have read in Boneshaker, it is nothing new. You can tell that she did not spend the time to develop her world or characters much in this novelette. This is just a story set in the Clockwork Century, but she didn’t expand that world or its characters at all. I did not learn anything new about this world with this read, and that is disappointing. It could have been much better. She didn’t add much to her own world or to the steampunk genre as a whole....more
The Rook is the story of Myfanny Thomas, a Rook in the organization called the Checquy. We first meet Myfanny, in a park, recently beaten, and with noThe Rook is the story of Myfanny Thomas, a Rook in the organization called the Checquy. We first meet Myfanny, in a park, recently beaten, and with no memory of who or what she is. From there, the journey begins. The rest of the book is the story of Myfanny discovering who she is, and most interestingly, and probably the most clever, becoming a different person that she was before. I don't want to say much more as the discovery is the heart of this novel, and the best part of this jourey. Sometimes sad, sometimes funny, but always interesting.
Overall, I didn't' have many complaints about this book. It is, really, a fairly standard urban fantasy book where the supernatural exist, and they are a subset of the world at large. Granted, in this book, we don't really get a notion of how the Checquy fits into the larger scheme of the world other than they are large mover and shakers, and impact the world at large.
My only complaint about this book is that the ending just feels to be attached quickly at the end. When we see Myfanny confront her antagonist who attacked her, that is quite fine. Maybe a bit less dramatic than I expected, but it works. There are plot threads still open, and I was fine with them being left that way and dealt with in another way, even a sequel, but that does not happen. (view spoiler)[We get a final denouement with the "boss" of the organization that is too neatly tied up with a nice neat bow. It did not ruin the book, but it felt like O'Malley just wanted to finish the book and not explore the larger story at hand. I will give him credit for not making the book larger than it is, but the ultimate relationship of the Checquy and the Grafters feels too quickly resolved. (hide spoiler)]
I am a sucker for urban fantasy for some reason. This book, although not great, and certainly nothing particular new, was a fun read. The world is somI am a sucker for urban fantasy for some reason. This book, although not great, and certainly nothing particular new, was a fun read. The world is somewhat new, and a bit of a new take on the vampire/werewolf dynamic.
This is the story of Xandra, half-human/half-vampire and her investigation into her sister's death. Overall, the story is good, but nothing new. Xandra is a fun, spunky character. I am interested to read some more her adventures. My complaints with the novel have more to do what is not explored. Like many aristocrats in the past, these aristocrats look down on the lesser, and in this case, it is the humans. Human society, and the pure hate of them, is not explored at all in this book, and the amount of hate/biogarty between vampire and human it calls to be explored. Also, it is implied that the rest of the world is not like England (where the book takes place), that the vampire (created from the black plague) are not as prevalent elsewhere. I hope these aspects are explored later in the series.
(view spoiler)[Lastly, my biggest complaint, is when Xandra discovers she is a goblin. The moment she officially discovers this, she immediately changes into that hybrid--no transition, nothing. She immediately becomes that, and then attacks her sister Ophelia. I don't mind the realization may effect her and change her a bit, but the entire process turns on when she knows? Not good. Yes, she was weaning off the medications that she was on, but to go full goblin the second the test results were revealed. (hide spoiler)]
Overall, a fun read, but nothing spectacular....more
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