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martyfried's review against another edition
3.0
Perhaps it was just that this was an audiobook version and was hard to follow, but I gave up at about 95% because I didn't really know what was going on anymore, and didn't really care. I think I had lost interest much earlier, and so I wasn't paying close enough attention; I started losing track of the characters and the story line. I kept going because I enjoyed the first book, Altered Carbon, and also because I was watching the Netflix series based on that book. I guess I'll probably give up on this series.
mcnevinh's review against another edition
4.0
More military sf than the first in the series, which was noir sf. Brutal, with a body count that could be considered ridiculous--yet philosophical and anti-war. Takeshi Kovacs is a fascinating anti-hero lead. Female characters are better handled by the author than in the first in the series; at least, no one's description highlights their breasts...! There are many twists and turns, and sometimes the main character's motivation is questionable, if not opaque. So, as with the first, I'm rating it well but with mixed feelings... And I still know I'm going to end up reading the third. And, like the first, the world building is spectacular, complex, and invigorating.
_sequel_'s review against another edition
4.0
This book was, I think, a lot better than Altered Carbon. The plot wasn't tangled and confused, and I really enjoyed the magic space portal not being the most scientifically terrifying thing in the war torn society. The end of the book just kept getting better once the Martians were introduced too!
thirdcoast's review against another edition
3.0
Falls short of Altered Carbon. Part of it reads like a military, adventure narrative. The science-fiction is a little superfluous. It turns toward the end in a better way, but could have been edited or pared down to make a stronger book.
kejadlen's review against another edition
4.0
3.5/5 - Good enough that I had a hard time putting it down, but the characters and ending were somewhat underwhelming. Still merits the rating due to the action/plot and universe.
bookaneer's review against another edition
3.0
A very weak 3 stars. For those who want to read this book and expect that it'll be like Altered Carbon, abandon all hope. The setting is completely different. Gone is the noir feel of AC, and instead I felt I was reading a gritty version of Forever War/Starship Troopers, with a less likable main character. Yes, the cortical stacks and resleeving tech still play a huge role, but aside from that, BA is straight-up military SF.
Now, I love me some mil-SF but all the ones that I enjoy do not spend half of the book to build up the plot, which strands were actually bordering between meh and alright for me. I feel the author tried to put too many elements, but it did not work out for me like it was in AC. We got this war-torn colony world in Sanction IV, the cartel, the corporation (who's always bad in this kind of fiction), a quasi religious-rebellion/faction politics, and even a Ridley-esque mysteriously ancient and technologically advanced Martians which corresponding chapters became a BDO exploration drama. On top of all these fascinating stuff, there were lots of distraction of expositions - one about a certain pop music that took a few pages - that felt out of place and distracting.
And of course the issue of Takeshi as the brutal, cold version of James Bond where almost every woman in his vicinity wants to have sex with him. Was it the Envoy thing that made him so irresistible or maybe he just got lucky wearing super hot sleeves? Speaking of Envoys, I think everyone should have a drinking game every time Tak made a reference to his 'Envoy Intuition', which has become the solution of everything, although sometimes it takes a while for him to process.
Hmm, I sound far more critical than I intended to. I did like the novel, it was gripping, bleak as hell, deliciously misanthropic, with a compelling use of dehumanizing technology. Loved the action sequences (Tak was at his best when committing massacres) and some small Band of Brothers camaraderie moments among his team members.
The question is now, should I continue to the third book? Thoughts? :)
Now, I love me some mil-SF but all the ones that I enjoy do not spend half of the book to build up the plot, which strands were actually bordering between meh and alright for me. I feel the author tried to put too many elements, but it did not work out for me like it was in AC. We got this war-torn colony world in Sanction IV, the cartel, the corporation (who's always bad in this kind of fiction), a quasi religious-rebellion/faction politics, and even a Ridley-esque mysteriously ancient and technologically advanced Martians which corresponding chapters became a BDO exploration drama. On top of all these fascinating stuff, there were lots of distraction of expositions - one about a certain pop music that took a few pages - that felt out of place and distracting.
And of course the issue of Takeshi as the brutal, cold version of James Bond where almost every woman in his vicinity wants to have sex with him. Was it the Envoy thing that made him so irresistible or maybe he just got lucky wearing super hot sleeves? Speaking of Envoys, I think everyone should have a drinking game every time Tak made a reference to his 'Envoy Intuition', which has become the solution of everything, although sometimes it takes a while for him to process.
Hmm, I sound far more critical than I intended to. I did like the novel, it was gripping, bleak as hell, deliciously misanthropic, with a compelling use of dehumanizing technology. Loved the action sequences (Tak was at his best when committing massacres) and some small Band of Brothers camaraderie moments among his team members.
The question is now, should I continue to the third book? Thoughts? :)
frogcatcher3's review against another edition
3.0
Lots of killing, lots of sci-fi. Good page turner but nothing great.
balise's review against another edition
2.0
Not sure if the issue is me or the book, but i got so bored... :/
spitefulgod's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
bick_mcswiney's review against another edition
3.0
This is a mishmash of a book with many different twists and turns, moving from war to adventure to hard scifi on a dime. This leads to an interesting tale, but one that is disjointed at parts, making it hard to feel empathy for the characters.