I was asked to review this as an "early reviewer" - and what a great read it was too.
Aimed at younger readers, that should not put off the older fantasy fans as it was an entertaining story which is very easy to get into and demands little of the reader.
The book is also illustrated throughout with pictures that really do work well on the Kindle and they add to the charm of a title that is best described as Harry Potter mixed with a little of Enid Blyton's Famous Five.
The book touches on real life issues (as well as it's fantasy theme) and I think this is a great modern title which should be on the reading list of any younger reader.
A great adventure and I'll certainly be seriously considering the next books in the series when I want an accessible easy read.
Aimed at younger readers, that should not put off the older fantasy fans as it was an entertaining story which is very easy to get into and demands little of the reader.
The book is also illustrated throughout with pictures that really do work well on the Kindle and they add to the charm of a title that is best described as Harry Potter mixed with a little of Enid Blyton's Famous Five.
The book touches on real life issues (as well as it's fantasy theme) and I think this is a great modern title which should be on the reading list of any younger reader.
A great adventure and I'll certainly be seriously considering the next books in the series when I want an accessible easy read.
Another excellent sci-fi read which takes me away from my usual "epic battle" type books with a thoughtful journey through generations of colonists tasked with setting up home on another planet.
The title hits upon many talking points of interest and I particularly like the way religion was covered, showing mankind's ability to make myth from a factual basis. There were so many conflicting issues here, the atheist scientist that was infact seen as a God of sorts herself and the way that whilst we think we become more enlightened as time progresses, we do infact revert back to our natural instinct of social grouping.
Whilst this wasn't an all out sci-fi war with battles, casualties and conquest, its a very thoughtful book and a recommended read to anyone who likes a more considered approach to the future.
Highly recommended!
The title hits upon many talking points of interest and I particularly like the way religion was covered, showing mankind's ability to make myth from a factual basis. There were so many conflicting issues here, the atheist scientist that was infact seen as a God of sorts herself and the way that whilst we think we become more enlightened as time progresses, we do infact revert back to our natural instinct of social grouping.
Whilst this wasn't an all out sci-fi war with battles, casualties and conquest, its a very thoughtful book and a recommended read to anyone who likes a more considered approach to the future.
Highly recommended!
This review was written for LibraryThing Early Reviewers.
CONTAINS SPOILERS (OF SORTS)
To say I was disappointed by this title is something of an understatement. Maybe I was previously spoilt by similar titles such as "A Dark Matter" by Michelle Paver, whose book was a riveting read from beginning to end.
The same, sadly cannot be said for this. The book is written as a series of journals by a group of students on an archaeological dig. Whilst this in theory makes for a great read, in the case of Cold Earth it feels rather disjointed. Personal experiences are referred to but never fully explained and the different "views" of the students only serve to make the book feel as if you are taking one step forward in the plot and half a step back.
Theres essentially two storylines here.... First the isolation of the dig and the possible "haunting" by long dead inhabitants and secondly the loss of contact from home and a potential epidemic which has wiped out mankind. Unfortunately both plots fail to deliver with the Ghost element never being fully explored either as delusions or a reality and the epidemic being mentioned almost in passing at the end.
Then theres the horrible clichéd parts which include the almost traditional "shadow of hand on outside of tent" to the emotional baggage of a person whom has lost a loved one in tragic and horrific circumstances.
I did not find the dig itself either particularly well documented or interesting and finished the book thinking - thin plot, with alot of nothing going on.
Two and a half stars because show more there were moments of entertainment there and I did manage to see it through to the end. show less
To say I was disappointed by this title is something of an understatement. Maybe I was previously spoilt by similar titles such as "A Dark Matter" by Michelle Paver, whose book was a riveting read from beginning to end.
The same, sadly cannot be said for this. The book is written as a series of journals by a group of students on an archaeological dig. Whilst this in theory makes for a great read, in the case of Cold Earth it feels rather disjointed. Personal experiences are referred to but never fully explained and the different "views" of the students only serve to make the book feel as if you are taking one step forward in the plot and half a step back.
Theres essentially two storylines here.... First the isolation of the dig and the possible "haunting" by long dead inhabitants and secondly the loss of contact from home and a potential epidemic which has wiped out mankind. Unfortunately both plots fail to deliver with the Ghost element never being fully explored either as delusions or a reality and the epidemic being mentioned almost in passing at the end.
Then theres the horrible clichéd parts which include the almost traditional "shadow of hand on outside of tent" to the emotional baggage of a person whom has lost a loved one in tragic and horrific circumstances.
I did not find the dig itself either particularly well documented or interesting and finished the book thinking - thin plot, with alot of nothing going on.
Two and a half stars because show more there were moments of entertainment there and I did manage to see it through to the end. show less
As soon as I read this titles description I looked forward to reading it.
I am a fan of the Event Horizon type sci-fi, where the true horrors of space are found to be within oneself rather than some laser wielding Super Alien and The Void went far beyond merely satisfying that preference in literature....
The Void is expertly written, captivating the reader and drawing you into both the real world and dream world of the story without leaving you baffled or having a "What the?.." moment.
The story is genuinely creepy in places and thought provoking in others. I wonder if there was not a sly "literary wink" to The Shining in one of the dream sequences at a bar too!
This book is science fiction, its also about psychological baggage (of which each character brings to the story), its about the human mind and it could be said even has a mild religious undertone to it.
Its a title you must read. If you are a sci-fi/horror/thriller fan you will love this title, I certainly did and I would be very surprised if this isn't rated as the best title I read in 2012.
I will certainly be reading more of Brett J. Talley in the future.
I am a fan of the Event Horizon type sci-fi, where the true horrors of space are found to be within oneself rather than some laser wielding Super Alien and The Void went far beyond merely satisfying that preference in literature....
The Void is expertly written, captivating the reader and drawing you into both the real world and dream world of the story without leaving you baffled or having a "What the?.." moment.
The story is genuinely creepy in places and thought provoking in others. I wonder if there was not a sly "literary wink" to The Shining in one of the dream sequences at a bar too!
This book is science fiction, its also about psychological baggage (of which each character brings to the story), its about the human mind and it could be said even has a mild religious undertone to it.
Its a title you must read. If you are a sci-fi/horror/thriller fan you will love this title, I certainly did and I would be very surprised if this isn't rated as the best title I read in 2012.
I will certainly be reading more of Brett J. Talley in the future.
This review was written for LibraryThing Early Reviewers.
**CONTAINS MODERATE SPOILERS**
In this novel we see the Soul Drinkers taking on the Necron's. Whilst that in itself does not bode well for a indepth story (to be fair the Necron's are hardly a charismatic race) Ben Counter manages to produce a compelling and interesting story, which ends rather unexpectedly in a cliff-hanger.
There's a great irony to this story with the inclusion of the Mechanicus, who despise the Necron's whilst at the same time perhaps sharing the most in common with. It seems the whole premise of the Mechanicus is aspiring to be more "Necron like" it was a shame that this irony was not explored further.
With that in mind we see the continuation of whatever plan Ikintos is putting into place for the Soul Drinkers chapter and the story teases at this subplot throughout the novel without actually revealing anything.
I enjoyed this novel, infact I think it is (so far) one of the best WH40k storylines and despite not liking cliff-hangers, found this one very welcome and has me looking forward to the next (and last) book in the series. May Ben Counter was feeling that the storyline of the Soul Drinkers was dragging on too long and wanted to ensure that the final book gets read? Who knows but with the exception of the first book in the series, this rates up there as second.
In this novel we see the Soul Drinkers taking on the Necron's. Whilst that in itself does not bode well for a indepth story (to be fair the Necron's are hardly a charismatic race) Ben Counter manages to produce a compelling and interesting story, which ends rather unexpectedly in a cliff-hanger.
There's a great irony to this story with the inclusion of the Mechanicus, who despise the Necron's whilst at the same time perhaps sharing the most in common with. It seems the whole premise of the Mechanicus is aspiring to be more "Necron like" it was a shame that this irony was not explored further.
With that in mind we see the continuation of whatever plan Ikintos is putting into place for the Soul Drinkers chapter and the story teases at this subplot throughout the novel without actually revealing anything.
I enjoyed this novel, infact I think it is (so far) one of the best WH40k storylines and despite not liking cliff-hangers, found this one very welcome and has me looking forward to the next (and last) book in the series. May Ben Counter was feeling that the storyline of the Soul Drinkers was dragging on too long and wanted to ensure that the final book gets read? Who knows but with the exception of the first book in the series, this rates up there as second.
I have to admit that I discovered the "Dead Space" universe a little later than most, starting with an ex-rental purchase of the game and then onto a couple of animated movies.
The premise is simple - Ancient artifact from space turns people into monsters. Despite that rather simplistic base theme, it makes for a rather good light reading yarn. Creepy in places and interesting throughout, it's hardly the finest example of literature around, however it is damn entertaining.
For horror fans I'd say its a must. For Sci-Fi fans I'd say its worth considering and for everyone else I'd say Why not?.
Despite its rather unashamedly simple concept, it does delve a little into spirituality and mankind's acceptance and/or belief in the idea of deity, divine purpose etc - so it gets a few extra points for the questions it raises there.
Character wise, I found nothing particularly to rave or complain about. The characters filled their roles nicely and whilst I found no particular attachment to any of them, they were really secondary to the main storyline.
A good read in all.
The premise is simple - Ancient artifact from space turns people into monsters. Despite that rather simplistic base theme, it makes for a rather good light reading yarn. Creepy in places and interesting throughout, it's hardly the finest example of literature around, however it is damn entertaining.
For horror fans I'd say its a must. For Sci-Fi fans I'd say its worth considering and for everyone else I'd say Why not?.
Despite its rather unashamedly simple concept, it does delve a little into spirituality and mankind's acceptance and/or belief in the idea of deity, divine purpose etc - so it gets a few extra points for the questions it raises there.
Character wise, I found nothing particularly to rave or complain about. The characters filled their roles nicely and whilst I found no particular attachment to any of them, they were really secondary to the main storyline.
A good read in all.
Finding the book was written in the first person was initially a disappointment for me as its not my preferred reading. After the first few pages it became apparent that it did indeed work very well and what followed was an interesting and gripping story from beginning to end.
I liked the slightly different side we saw of the Grey Knights and enjoyed the interaction between them and the Space Wolves.
I was somewhat disappointed though with the cover artwork, instead of a grizzled Space Marine it looks more like a Marvel Superhero better placed on the front of a comic book.
Many readers over on the Black Library site are rating this 5/5. Whilst this book does rate as ONE of the best I've read from the Black Library, its certainly not a book that I would believe should score a perfect 5. I bought early and paid £11 for the ebook version direct from the Black Library and whilst very happy that I did, I would suggest that unless the next book in the Grey Knights series is a must read, then you probably would be better advised to wait a while for the price to drop and pick up another title instead.
I liked the slightly different side we saw of the Grey Knights and enjoyed the interaction between them and the Space Wolves.
I was somewhat disappointed though with the cover artwork, instead of a grizzled Space Marine it looks more like a Marvel Superhero better placed on the front of a comic book.
Many readers over on the Black Library site are rating this 5/5. Whilst this book does rate as ONE of the best I've read from the Black Library, its certainly not a book that I would believe should score a perfect 5. I bought early and paid £11 for the ebook version direct from the Black Library and whilst very happy that I did, I would suggest that unless the next book in the Grey Knights series is a must read, then you probably would be better advised to wait a while for the price to drop and pick up another title instead.
Normally a book which I wouldn't naturally select. My tastes in fantasy are either totally based on no facts/histories/realities with dragons and warriors, or they are set in the future with spacecraft and lasers. Whilst obviously this book is a little mix of fantasy, believed fact and myth its a combination that works very well, keeping the reader enchanted until the very end.
The author (Irene Radford) manages to incorporate magic and history in a way that is very convincing and never feels forced.
Having not read the previous 3 books in this series, I have to admit I will certainly be adding them to my reading list for this year.
A great book and a worthy investment of your time. Entertaining, gripping and a real page turner!
The author (Irene Radford) manages to incorporate magic and history in a way that is very convincing and never feels forced.
Having not read the previous 3 books in this series, I have to admit I will certainly be adding them to my reading list for this year.
A great book and a worthy investment of your time. Entertaining, gripping and a real page turner!
This review was written for LibraryThing Early Reviewers.
** Contains spoilers **
I do like fantasy literature that has religion crossing into it. I have however been let down in the past by authors who "cop-out" with the story, leaving it open to interpretation without giving a definitive resolution. The most recent of these being "Blasphemy".
The Cloning is more of the same and whilst starts off well (with an interesting angle on the issues for the mother of the potential cloned Jesus) it falls short with what I would regard as a cheap ending and a wishy-washy open question, backed up with a series of religious inferences as coincidental occurrences during the story.
The love interest between the two main characters Marc and Marie seemed fake to me too, it was forced and very unrealistic.
With that in mind though, it wasn't a chore reading the book but by the time I was about 30 pages from the end, I knew I wasn't in for any surprises.
A great casual read which won't demand too much of the reader and like many of the religious fantasy books, won't offend anyone either.....
I do like fantasy literature that has religion crossing into it. I have however been let down in the past by authors who "cop-out" with the story, leaving it open to interpretation without giving a definitive resolution. The most recent of these being "Blasphemy".
The Cloning is more of the same and whilst starts off well (with an interesting angle on the issues for the mother of the potential cloned Jesus) it falls short with what I would regard as a cheap ending and a wishy-washy open question, backed up with a series of religious inferences as coincidental occurrences during the story.
The love interest between the two main characters Marc and Marie seemed fake to me too, it was forced and very unrealistic.
With that in mind though, it wasn't a chore reading the book but by the time I was about 30 pages from the end, I knew I wasn't in for any surprises.
A great casual read which won't demand too much of the reader and like many of the religious fantasy books, won't offend anyone either.....
The third book in the Galactic Alliance series (currently the last) which has the Croniech returning.
A fast paced book, perhaps suffering a little from simplistic outcomes that the other books followed.
With that in mind though its a great read and whilst influences from Star Trek et al for me were clear to see, its a brilliant way to end the current series.
I hope people purchase these books, not just because its a great read but because its also great value for money and you are supporting an indi writer.
I have now purchased all of Doug Farren's work and am looking forward to reading.
A fast paced book, perhaps suffering a little from simplistic outcomes that the other books followed.
With that in mind though its a great read and whilst influences from Star Trek et al for me were clear to see, its a brilliant way to end the current series.
I hope people purchase these books, not just because its a great read but because its also great value for money and you are supporting an indi writer.
I have now purchased all of Doug Farren's work and am looking forward to reading.
So far, (out of the first three in the Soul Drinkers series) I think that this is the weakest, nothing really happens and the whole story is based around the hunt for a rogue Soul Drinker.
Maybe it is because I've read quite a few Warhammer novels in a short space of time but the repeated major battle imagary has lost its appeal somewhat, decending into similarity with every other 40k book I've read.
Its a good light read, however if you are new to the Warhammer 40k universe, don't bother reading, its a rich universe and you will find yourself quickly lost by the unexplained terms et al.
Maybe it is because I've read quite a few Warhammer novels in a short space of time but the repeated major battle imagary has lost its appeal somewhat, decending into similarity with every other 40k book I've read.
Its a good light read, however if you are new to the Warhammer 40k universe, don't bother reading, its a rich universe and you will find yourself quickly lost by the unexplained terms et al.
Wow.
A horror novel based in WW1 which manages to keep a horrific dark story going without understating the real horrors of WW1....
Mr Yeates has an ability to make the reader wince with the written word, a skill which should make fans of horror crave for more of his material and a skill which he deserves much credit for.
The story was gripping, playing on many fears (such as the insincere smiling horror which seems to get to your fears at a very base level)
One surprise for me was a rather "racey" piece of narrative about halfway through the book which managed to throw a spanner in the dark, forboding tone the book takes the majority of the time.
Its obvious that Mr Yeates has researched his topic well and there's a few sad tales (in relation to individual characters) thrown into the plot to add to the sense of hopelessness in the story.
A great read! I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys a battlefield horror (such as Jacobs Ladder, Deathwatch, The Bunker) whilst remaining respectful to the true horror of life in the battlefield of WW1.
A big thumbs up!
A horror novel based in WW1 which manages to keep a horrific dark story going without understating the real horrors of WW1....
Mr Yeates has an ability to make the reader wince with the written word, a skill which should make fans of horror crave for more of his material and a skill which he deserves much credit for.
The story was gripping, playing on many fears (such as the insincere smiling horror which seems to get to your fears at a very base level)
One surprise for me was a rather "racey" piece of narrative about halfway through the book which managed to throw a spanner in the dark, forboding tone the book takes the majority of the time.
Its obvious that Mr Yeates has researched his topic well and there's a few sad tales (in relation to individual characters) thrown into the plot to add to the sense of hopelessness in the story.
A great read! I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys a battlefield horror (such as Jacobs Ladder, Deathwatch, The Bunker) whilst remaining respectful to the true horror of life in the battlefield of WW1.
A big thumbs up!
After having read the first two Grey Knights Warhammer books I was getting a little fed up with the series, Hammer of Daemons though offers a new facet to the series' main character (Alaric) which sees him in situations way out of the "norm" for a Space Marine.
I don't think the Warhammer novels ever promise to be literary greats but as pure escapism into a foray of depressing futuristic bigotry, futility and misery they are second to none. Probably the best Grey Knights book so far and since there is only one more in the series, after my current read, I'm looking forward to returning to the inquisitorial world of the Grey Knights one last time.
I don't think the Warhammer novels ever promise to be literary greats but as pure escapism into a foray of depressing futuristic bigotry, futility and misery they are second to none. Probably the best Grey Knights book so far and since there is only one more in the series, after my current read, I'm looking forward to returning to the inquisitorial world of the Grey Knights one last time.
Sci-fi meets religion is often a good basis for a gripping novel and whilst there were a few facets of Blasphemy that were far too convenient to give it the air of realism I really wanted, it was nevertheless a good read. That was until the end.
To say I was let down (and no I won't spoil the ending) would be an understatement and the great story which had built prior was all a little ruined with the finale.
Douglas Preston seems very well researched and speaking as a tech found his computer/net references quite well informed (for example he mentions Usenet which is something the average PC user probably doesn't even know about)
Good, but could have been so much more....
To say I was let down (and no I won't spoil the ending) would be an understatement and the great story which had built prior was all a little ruined with the finale.
Douglas Preston seems very well researched and speaking as a tech found his computer/net references quite well informed (for example he mentions Usenet which is something the average PC user probably doesn't even know about)
Good, but could have been so much more....
As I read more of the Warhammer 40,000 universe I begin to believe that if you are not a fan of the rich environment that has built up around the table top battle game, then these book will probably leave you scratching your head in bewilderment.
As a fan of Warhammer 40k its a great read, seeing the Grey Knights fighting their way through the enemies of chaos and a number of tricks set up by the main "bad guy" in this story.
As with most of the Warhammer books theres mighty battle after mighty battle, a tried and tested formulae which feeds the interest in the table top game of the same name.
If you haven't read this, its the first in the "Grey Knights" series, so a good place to start - however the almost predictable way the story played out merely satisfied the desire for an action book without having anything truly unique or imaginative about it.
As a fan of Warhammer 40k its a great read, seeing the Grey Knights fighting their way through the enemies of chaos and a number of tricks set up by the main "bad guy" in this story.
As with most of the Warhammer books theres mighty battle after mighty battle, a tried and tested formulae which feeds the interest in the table top game of the same name.
If you haven't read this, its the first in the "Grey Knights" series, so a good place to start - however the almost predictable way the story played out merely satisfied the desire for an action book without having anything truly unique or imaginative about it.