The Dark Tower Boxed Set (Books 1-4)

Reviewer rating: 

2

Pros: 

Momentary bursts of thoughtful action and character development sprinkled throughout.

Cons: 

HEAVILY Self-Indulgent, Author intrusions are frequent as are egregious character and location references to his own previous books.

I'd reached a point of rewrite malaise and found no new sparks of idea cricling, so I decided to find a long series to be absorbed in. I have a fondness for fantasy series, and have read Stephen King since his first novel/movie. I've really enjoyed several of them, so having heard of the Dark Tower series, I jumped in.

I just closed the fifth book.  There are two left, but I'm not sure I will add my additional contributions to Mr. King's coffers, and here's why: I'm disappointed and frankly, annoyed.

A Game of Thrones: A Song of Ice and Fire: Book One (Random House Movie Tie-In Books)

Reviewer rating: 

5

Pros: 

Absorbing, fast-paced, accessible, the story unfolds through the experiences of the characters in unexpected ways. The author makes you care about them all, and his narrative is exceptionally well-edited.

Cons: 

Some of the names are a mouthful and/or sound like other names.

I read the reviews. The majority quite glowing. One said "I've read 3,000 pages of your drivel! Enough!" Really? 3,000 pages? I wish I had readers that loyal!

I knew nothing of this writer, but I was so enamoured of the HBO series, that I jumped right in. Fortunately, the film production adhered very closely to the book, so there were few distractions. I read it in three sittings. He had me after the first chapter.

The Windup Girl

Reviewer rating: 

4

Pros: 

Good story, good characterisations, interesting concept.

Cons: 

Can't think of any.

Emiko was designed to be beautiful, obedient and loyal; the perfect companion, assistant or lover. Then she was abandoned by her Japanese owner, left in a country where her very existence is illegal. She lives at the mercy of her new patron, Raleigh, pimped out as an exotic whore in his sex-club and abused nightly for the entertainment of customers. And still, all she can do is serve and obey. But the rumour of free New People living in North gives her something she never had before; hope.

Outpost

Reviewer rating: 

2

Pros: 

Fast paced action, lots of zombies.

Cons: 

Poor characterisations, no real ending.

A dozen people on a mothballed refinery platform, hiding from the real-world and themselves. But when the rest of the world succumbs to a pandemic, they find themselves more alone then even they anticipated and their fight for survival is just beginning. Their enemies are numerous; the ferocious Arctic winter, their dwindling supplies, the grotesque plague victims and, ultimately, themselves. 

Perdido Street Station

Reviewer rating: 

3

Pros: 

Amazingly detailed and colourful descriptions. Great characters and a very imaginative tale.

Cons: 

Long. Very long. Some descriptions are much too detailed and lengthy, which distracts from the story.

China Mieville makes the city of New Crobuzon comes alive with rich descriptions of its decrepit slums, elegant parks, Gothic spires and dank factories.

The Quantum Thief

Reviewer rating: 

4

Pros: 

Imaginative, fast paced, well written.

Cons: 

If you don't know your 'spooky action at a distance' from a German physicist's cat, then you won't get this.

Jean le Flambeur, is a thief, and not just any thief - an exceptional thief. Prometheus is a rank amature in comparison. 

Surface Detail (Culture Novels)

Reviewer rating: 

4

Pros: 

The best Culture novel in years

Cons: 

There is still a bit of sameness to it

When people die, a copy of their mind-states lives on in a cybernetic afterlife.

And if they've been bad, they can go to Hell.

This is the premise of Banks' latest instalment in the Culture series - galaxy-spanning adventure, far-flung hi-tech future, and general mouthpiece for what Banks seemingly hopes is the shape of things to come. Not surprisingly, he is dead against virtual Hells.

The Left Hand of God

Reviewer rating: 

4

Pros: 

An enjoyable fantasy

Cons: 

Not many, although the authorial voice is a little strange.

The Left Hand of God is an engaging and intriguing drama set in a world just a little to the side of our own. Hoffman's world is medieval in feel, its religion and landscape borrowing heavily from history, albeit arbitrarily blended for the author's purpose. It is hard book to classify for the purposes of genre or target audience and one can only assume it is one of those unicorns of publishing which all aspiring authors are told do not exist outside mythology - a book manufactured as cross-over, rather than accidentally so.

Tornado Siren

Reviewer rating: 

3

Pros: 

Interesting twist on tornado hunting. Likeable characters.

Cons: 

More metaphors than I could count, and unfortunately they pulled me out of the story.

A delightful book full of rich characters, narrative that occasionally showed the author's intrusion, but a story written in first person that actually worked.

Victoria Thomas, a tornado researcher with the NOAA, finds the footprints of a man and a dog in the middle of a twister's damage path. She dismisses it, but doesn't forget about it. When she finds them again a year later, and discovers a respected colleague saw the same thing many years earlier, she tags along with a storm chaser, determined to find this mysterious man and his dog.

Fall of Thanes (The Godless World)

Reviewer rating: 

3

Pros: 

Brian Ruckley can write - and he can write very well. A believable fantasy world, heavy in politics, treachery and back-stabbing.

Cons: 

The names of people, races, and species are hard to pronounce, too long, and difficult to distinguish. Drags heavily in spots - especially in Thanes - book 3.

Fall of Thanes is the third and final book in Ruckley's Godless World series, and it was in my opinion the weakest of the lot. Winterbirth (Book 1) introduced us to an incredibly complex world of political unrest, split into three or four ruling families. Thanes rule these families, and there is one High Thane that rules (supposedly) all.