(Amy) From assorted places, I've heard that the Company series starts to go off the rails a bit around here. From what I read in this book, I'm not entirely certain I agree, but it does seem to be wavering a bit. Of course, I really like Mendoza, and she has not been being treated well by the Plot Fairies of late. Hm.

...maybe that's why it hasn't been quite so hard to resist picking up the next one, after finishing this one. It was a very busy month, with not much time to read anyway, of course, which does help on the resisting-temptation front.

Anyway. We grow ever nearer to the ominous 2355 date in the far end of the yo-yo-ing viewpoints in this book, and more clues about the nature of the Company are collected, tagged, and neatly filed away. The end does, indeed, draw nigh - one more novel to go, though I still haven't read the short story collections.

I am a little leery of picking up the last book, though whether that's because I'm worried it will all end badly or just because I don't want to see it end at all, I am entirely uncertain.
( http://weblog.siliconcerebrate.com/ze... ) ( )

The Machine's Child by Kage Baker follows along her popular Company series. It's probably one of the weakest in the series. The character of Alec has never really been a favorite of mine. In this book, Alec seeks to recover his long lost love, the cyborg Mendoza. He continues to plot the downfall of the company, while Josef, now a rogue cyborg disconnected from The Company, reconstitutes his father, the cyborg that recruited him. Plus other appearance by cyborgs we've met along the way.

Baker's projection of the future is unfortunately foreseeable given today's climate of political correctness and governmental tyranny over environmental issues. In this book, however, her usually crisp characterizations fall short. The Alec/Nicholas/Edward all in Alec's body just becomes wearing. Mendoza has completely lost her cynical edge. Josef has traded in his careful plotting for impulsive actions. Suleyman and Latiff seem to be just cameo appearances.

I can see why this book is necessary to set things up for the final confrontation. I just wish the characterizations hadn't had to suffer for the effort. If you haven't read the other books in the series, this is not the book to start with. ( )

See In the Garden of Iden. ( )

Not the strongest book of the series, but it picks up a good head of steam. The previous books have built upon the plot and details of the universe Baker has created. This one begins to hint at an eventual wrap up of the numerous dangling threads. Some information is revealed, but the reader is left wanting more. ( )