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madhatter360's review against another edition
3.0
Compared to the Veronica Mars books (which too be fair are cowritten by the creator) this wasn't as good at capturing the feel of the series. A lot of things felt over explained and some characterization was off.
ruby_bunbun's review against another edition
3.0
I'd give this book 4 stars if only the writers of the leverage and librarians novelizations didn't paint Eliot or Jake to be womanizers in every single one of their pov chapters
orionmerlin's review against another edition
4.0
This was a great, fun romp which perfectly matched the tone of the show.
I knocked a star off, however, due to a single joke being repeated like, four times, about both Cha0s and Wil Wheaton being at the con.
It was funny the first time.
But it got old.
I knocked a star off, however, due to a single joke being repeated like, four times, about both Cha0s and Wil Wheaton being at the con.
It was funny the first time.
But it got old.
maddslib's review against another edition
Clunky writing, dated references, super out of character -- but the thing that really set it off for me was the ickiness of the scene of Parker deciding to go undercover in a SLAVE LEIA BIKINI not only is that extremely out of character for her, it reeked of fanservice and male-gaze-iness. As a female fan of Leverage it was an immediate turn-off and I could no longer continue.
lizardgoats's review against another edition
2.0
Okay, I love Leverage and I was very excited to see tv tie-in books (3 total) but this first book was a bit of a disappointment. The idea of running a con at comic con was fun. And having Wil Wheaton's character, Chaos, be an antagonist is super clever (esp since Wil Wheaton is also a character, tho the two never meet "in-person" in the book).
But idk. Sometimes reading these official tie-in novels feels like I watched a completely different show than the author did.
Here are my main examples (SPOILERS):
Eliot talking about killing people when it's his pov. It's canon that Eliot left his assassin days behind him and does not kill people anymore (with the exception of the season 3 finale). There's also a point where Eliot is dressed up as a stormtrooper and is threatening to beat up some hapless teen for wanting a picture with him. Like, yes, he and Parker are trying to get somewhere, but it's so out-of-character. Eliot's got a huge soft spot for kids. It's like the author heard the "appropriate response" comment in the show and just...didn't understand what Eliot meant at all.
Then there is Parker. She also needs a costume for the con and what does she pick? Leia's slave bikini outfit. ARE YOU KIDDING ME!?!? What's that Margaret Atwood quote on male fantasies? Because Parker is canonically not sexualized on the show. That's an important part of her characterization (also it's gross. Even femme fatale grifter Sophie isn't sexualized like that). She would absolutely never pick the Leia bikini outfit. Leia's normal white gown--yes, 100% that.
That being said. I didn't hate the book. It was a fun premise, even if I took issue with a lot of aspects (more than the above mentioned). It just often felt out-of-character. I did appreciate a lot of the fandom references. As shows, Leverage and Trek had a lot of crossover. Jonathan Frakes was a director on a number of episodes and there's a bevy of post-Trek actors who guest starred. So all the references were like happy little easter eggs for me to spot. I can appreciate that.
But in many regards the comic con in the book was the male-dominated no-girls-allowed clubhouse version--as much as the author made concessions that that isn't the case. It felt like lip service (tho in-character for Hardison) because the plot didn't really hold that out.
Two stars. It was an okay read. But it didn't hold a candle to the show and I would've prefered a novel written by the actual writers on the show.
But idk. Sometimes reading these official tie-in novels feels like I watched a completely different show than the author did.
Here are my main examples (SPOILERS):
Eliot talking about killing people when it's his pov. It's canon that Eliot left his assassin days behind him and does not kill people anymore (with the exception of the season 3 finale). There's also a point where Eliot is dressed up as a stormtrooper and is threatening to beat up some hapless teen for wanting a picture with him. Like, yes, he and Parker are trying to get somewhere, but it's so out-of-character. Eliot's got a huge soft spot for kids. It's like the author heard the "appropriate response" comment in the show and just...didn't understand what Eliot meant at all.
Then there is Parker. She also needs a costume for the con and what does she pick? Leia's slave bikini outfit. ARE YOU KIDDING ME!?!? What's that Margaret Atwood quote on male fantasies? Because Parker is canonically not sexualized on the show. That's an important part of her characterization (also it's gross. Even femme fatale grifter Sophie isn't sexualized like that). She would absolutely never pick the Leia bikini outfit. Leia's normal white gown--yes, 100% that.
That being said. I didn't hate the book. It was a fun premise, even if I took issue with a lot of aspects (more than the above mentioned). It just often felt out-of-character. I did appreciate a lot of the fandom references. As shows, Leverage and Trek had a lot of crossover. Jonathan Frakes was a director on a number of episodes and there's a bevy of post-Trek actors who guest starred. So all the references were like happy little easter eggs for me to spot. I can appreciate that.
But in many regards the comic con in the book was the male-dominated no-girls-allowed clubhouse version--as much as the author made concessions that that isn't the case. It felt like lip service (tho in-character for Hardison) because the plot didn't really hold that out.
Two stars. It was an okay read. But it didn't hold a candle to the show and I would've prefered a novel written by the actual writers on the show.
elbell99's review against another edition
3.0
Very medium. A lot like the show: easy and simple. I did feel like the characters acted like themselves and the story made sense, but I would've like more of a deep dive into each of their heads... I guess that's what non-published fanfiction is for ;)
lee_hillshire's review against another edition
- Strong character development? No
I think I lost my brain a little when Cha0s suggested going and playing a game of D&D with Wil Wheaton. Everything after that is just a blur.
Granted, everything before that is kind of a blur too.
Just, really poor writing all around. If we're reading this book we're probably a fan of the show, you don't have to give us everyone's entire backstory ever, much less the moment you introduce them. Plus some *cough* very out of character moments.
Basically, I threw this book at a wall. Multiple times.
ansoncamp's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
bekahmccue's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
An enjoyable read. A little bit pulpy and the writing in some sections is repetitive (mentioning the same thing in almost exactly the same way only a chapter or two apart) as well as having some editing errors that can take readers out of the story. If you can get past the fact it feels a bit too much like fan-service at times, a fun, Leverage-like romp!
sungod's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25