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wildfaeriecaps's review against another edition
4.0
I did not expect to like this book. It's not exactly my standard fare. By the second chapter I was completely hooked. Wow. I cannot wait to devour the rest of this series. I won't lie, there were places where I was reluctant to keep reading. "This is standard spy movie stuff, I don't wanna!" my brain screamed. And it was, but.. it also wasn't. Roen is so.. human. He's a great character. His relationship with Tao is delightful and believable (I mean, the way they talk to each other. Not.. er.. spoilers, maybe..). I loved all the characters and felt like they were very well fleshed out. Okay, maybe not Antonio. He felt like a prop, but I was mostly fine with that.
Anyway! I suck at reviewing books. Here's my main takeaway from this: It was really good. Amazing. Excellent. It's on my list of books to recommend to people! And I look forward to reading more by Wesley Chu.
Anyway! I suck at reviewing books. Here's my main takeaway from this: It was really good. Amazing. Excellent. It's on my list of books to recommend to people! And I look forward to reading more by Wesley Chu.
rtpodzemny's review against another edition
4.0
What is the common thread of greatness that links titans of history like Genghis Khan, Alexander the Great, and Napoleon? Is it some vital spark of knowledge or inspiration? The sheer will to power? Is greatness found in the human spirit, or the human genome? Or did they all have an invisible alien brain worm telling them what to do?
Oh, it's the last one? The alien brain worm thing? Well, glad that's sorted, then. Thanks, Wesley Chu.
The Lives of Tao is an imaginative and fast-paced sci-fi thriller that, like its titular alien brain worm, manages to be intimate and epoch-spanning at once. I'm really looking forward to the sequel, and whatever Mr. Chu comes up with next.
Oh, it's the last one? The alien brain worm thing? Well, glad that's sorted, then. Thanks, Wesley Chu.
The Lives of Tao is an imaginative and fast-paced sci-fi thriller that, like its titular alien brain worm, manages to be intimate and epoch-spanning at once. I'm really looking forward to the sequel, and whatever Mr. Chu comes up with next.
dantastic's review against another edition
4.0
When secret agent Edward Blair is betrayed and killed, Tao, the alien symbiont that lives within him, must find a suitable host to continue the centuries long war between his faction, The Prophus, and their archenemies, the Genjix. Too bad he winds up inside overweight IT worker Roen Tan instead. Can Tao whip Roen into shape before the Genjix find him?
When Angry Robot offered an ARC of this book in their weekly newsletter, I jumped at the chance to request one. Two alien factions waging war against each other using humans as hosts and pawns? What's not to like?
Nothing, as it turns out. Lives of the Tao is an engaging read from start to finish. Roen's journey takes him from being an overweight, weak-willed shlub to a major player in a war for Earth's future. Not bad for an IT guy who hasn't had a girlfriend in ten years.
The relationships in Lives of the Tao are what drives the story forward, most notably Roen's relationships with Tao, the alien living inside his head, and Sonya, the Phophys host assigned to help Tao whip him into shape.
It's a fun read. One of my favorite parts is how Tao related a paragraph or two of the history between the two Quasing factions, the Genjix and the Prophus, at the beginning of each chapter, sometimes paralleling events in the story.
The ending, while somewhat predictable, was perfect for the story and left it open-ended enough for future adventures of Roen and Tao. Four easy stars.
When Angry Robot offered an ARC of this book in their weekly newsletter, I jumped at the chance to request one. Two alien factions waging war against each other using humans as hosts and pawns? What's not to like?
Nothing, as it turns out. Lives of the Tao is an engaging read from start to finish. Roen's journey takes him from being an overweight, weak-willed shlub to a major player in a war for Earth's future. Not bad for an IT guy who hasn't had a girlfriend in ten years.
The relationships in Lives of the Tao are what drives the story forward, most notably Roen's relationships with Tao, the alien living inside his head, and Sonya, the Phophys host assigned to help Tao whip him into shape.
It's a fun read. One of my favorite parts is how Tao related a paragraph or two of the history between the two Quasing factions, the Genjix and the Prophus, at the beginning of each chapter, sometimes paralleling events in the story.
The ending, while somewhat predictable, was perfect for the story and left it open-ended enough for future adventures of Roen and Tao. Four easy stars.
nenya_kanadka's review against another edition
2.0
I liked the idea, but the execution was much too heavy on casual sexism and flat dialogue for me. I cared a lot more about the Prophus/Genjix war than I did about what was going on with Roen.
surfmonkey01's review against another edition
4.0
Very good book. Take the TV show Chuck and add John Scalzi, and you'd get something close to this book. Very enjoyable read
billblume's review
5.0
It's been a while since I found a book I couldn't put down until it was finished. Wesley Chu delivers a well-paced action novel with a great twist on an alien conspiracy on Earth. Tao and Roen's relationship takes some amazing turns, making me laugh and eventually teary-eyed. Chu is easily one of my new favorite authors. I can't wait to read more of his work.
branch_c's review against another edition
3.0
This was an impulse read that I picked up upon realizing I had an unused B&N gift card. I do like to support Angry Robot, and I'm glad I read this one. In the end I think it was a bit too heavy on the battle training and video game violence for me, but the soul of the book was in the right place, and Chu did a fine job adding humanity to the character of Roen and using him to explore moral dilemmas on both the small and the grand scale.
emheld's review against another edition
5.0
Loads of fun, quick to read and compels you to read the next volume.