This is another book on colonization. To be totally honest I enjoyed the first half of the book more than the second, and I rather thought the book dragged on and could have done with a more vigorous editing. There are sections which are deeply descriptive, but it doesn't progress the story. Overall, I was a little disappointed.
This is the second book in the Ender's Game series, and is better than the novelized Ender's Game, although it is impossible to beat the short story version. Ender has grown a lot over the time between this book and the last, and the story is compelling and believable. I really enjoyed this book.
This is the third book in the Takeshi Kovaks series. It is similar to the second book, and follows on more strongly from that one that the first book. This is consistent with the overall arc if the series, so it doesn't bother me that it is different from the first book. Overall I liked this book, and read it fairly quickly. I think the end is good and was largely unexpected. [isbn: 0575081279]
1,000 years after interstellar society has collapsed, a new empire which is suspiciously like Canada rules most of the planets and their most valuable resources -- slaves and automated silicon chip factories. Two gentlemen from Venus set of to make their fortunes as what can only be described as slavers and pirates. They're clearly not nice people, but they are the heros of this book. The book is very readable, and like other books by Drake it is clear that the heros aren't always nice, and are haunted by their crimes. Yet they continue, and in the end might have accidentally done something nice. Overall, a good if different book. [isbn: 0441001793]
My first Katharine Kerr science fiction novel. There is a lot happening in this book: an inversion between the expected racism in our society; multiple alien species; political intrigue; murder; disease; and a first contact with a new alien species. The book could have included fewer plot elements and still have been excellent. Regardless, this book is quite good, and very unexpected from what I consider to be a fantasy author. [isbn: 0553285041]
This book is very different from Altered Carbon, as noted by many other online reviews. I found it very slow going, for a few reasons: it is quite long; it is very different from Altered Carbon in a way that almost feel like a bait and switch (Altered Carbon is a film noir detective novel, this is a hard core combat book with an alien influence); and Morgan has an annoying habit of providing emphasis with. periods. in the middle. of sentences which makes his work sometimes hard to parse. Overall and ok book and I like the alien stuff, but not what I was expecting and not as good as Altered Carbon. [isbn: 9780575081253;0575081252]
This is a retelling of the events of The Last Colony from the perspective of Zoe, the teenaged adopted daughter of the colony leaders. The story makes the teenaged female narrator quite believable, although that is a little annoying at times. There is a lot of introductory material, and then a relatively rapid wrap up of the story line, which is common across all of the Old Ma's War books that I have read. Overall I enjoyed this book, but not as much as Old Man's War or The Ghost Brigades. [isbn: 0765356198] [awards: nominee hugo 2009]
I've read this book before, many years ago. I figured I should re-read it, given how much I love the short story. Unfortunately, I think the short story is better than the novelization. The novel tends to try to explain too much, although the last chapter is a worthy addition. I'm sure I'll still read the rest in the series though, as there is more to see in this universe.
All of the Old Men's War books (Old Man's War and The Ghost Brigades) have started slowly and built up to a climax. That's been good because its given some time for background which makes the second phase of the book all the more fully formed. This book is the same, although I think the introduction is more long winded than previously, and the whole thing gets wrapped up surprisingly quickly. Overall a good book, but not as good as the previous two.
This book is a really good sequel, and just as good as Old Man's War. While some of the characters reappear, the story stands on its own and is quite entertaining. I enjoyed this book a lot. There's something about bright green genetically engineered super soldiers killing aliens that makes me happy. [award: nominee prometheus 2007] [isbn: 0765354063]