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krysley's review against another edition
Nope, sorry, I can't do this one. I DNF'd but didn't feel I had the right to rate it at just 40 pages in. I just couldn't stand the info dump and the "Sergeant, yes, Sergeant" one more time. I did skim random pages later in the book and still didn't care.
slc333's review against another edition
3.0
I liked the basic story and am certainly interested to see where it goes next. However I found it a bit heavy on the military description and ended up skimming sections quite often. For example when they are being trained on the guns there was SIX pages in a row describing the different types of guns used by the marines. Also I found it hard to warm to the heroine as she doesn't really interact or form connections with anyone as her mission is too important and she knows what is going to happen to everyone. I think a little less omnipotence and manipulation ( I don't mind some it just too much in the story) and a little more human interaction would have improved it for me.
kazeneko20's review against another edition
5.0
A brilliant combination of Fantasy and Science Fiction. This book was a pleasure to read, I could not put it down.
mistressop's review against another edition
3.0
I would start out this review by saying id never reread this book. in my mind a mark of a good book is if you would go on this jorney again. that being said this book is so interesting it's crazy it has these data dump moments but if you treat it like a "movie" and iggy the data dumps it gets even better. also this book is crazy lonely. Here's the thing the book puts into play a lot of concept races and idea's. its a BIG fucking world. confusing and big. i loved this book there are problems but i loved it. i think it would work better as a movie tho. im not sure about this series as a whole but.. wow.. i can say if you love star trek and the Q .. this book is for you
ws_uds's review against another edition
4.0
Truyện này đọc ổn phết, mỗi tội nhân vật chính giỏi quá nên hơi sang chảnh. Mà bọn quân đội này phát huân chương như phát kẹo ý nhỉ. Đến cuối quyển truyện, theo ước tính của mình, nhân vật chính đã được hơn 70 huân huy chương các loại. :))
synobal's review against another edition
4.0
It's good though I think the main character is really getting very close to Marry Sue esque qualities. I'm reserving judgement till I finish the next in the series though. Still enjoyable for sure.
shannguyen's review against another edition
2.0
A good read but a tad heavy on the military detail, reminiscent of Tom Clancy.
lushr's review against another edition
3.0
This book was so great in so many ways, engaging story of an unusual woman, a pre cognitive heavy worlder, she has strength and foresight and must somehow save the galaxy in the next 300 years (no she doesn't expect to live that long). So she has a lot to put in play, firstly by joining the marines.
The recruit camp was my favourite part of the book, understanding the process the military puts them through and seeing whether she would succeed or fail really held my attention. I liked learning about life in the Space Force and how the chips would fall so to speak, where were people going to end up in the future, how would this action play out in the bigger plan, this was all handled masterfully by the writer.
The second half of the book is almost an entirely new book - with a total page count of 500-600 pages this is a long novel - of battles and adventure. But these adventures were not as gripping for me, the monologues the character gives every so often, always strike me funny, she's standing around talking, telling someone off, I don't enjoy it. Also one or two of the scenarios I just felt stretched beyond the limits of my suspended disbelief.
I plan to read the next in the series though as I got through this in record speed and from the first half of the book I can see just how talented this writer is and I'm sure this being the first in the series, she will iron out the wrinkles as the series develops.
The recruit camp was my favourite part of the book, understanding the process the military puts them through and seeing whether she would succeed or fail really held my attention. I liked learning about life in the Space Force and how the chips would fall so to speak, where were people going to end up in the future, how would this action play out in the bigger plan, this was all handled masterfully by the writer.
The second half of the book is almost an entirely new book - with a total page count of 500-600 pages this is a long novel - of battles and adventure. But these adventures were not as gripping for me, the monologues the character gives every so often, always strike me funny, she's standing around talking, telling someone off, I don't enjoy it. Also one or two of the scenarios I just felt stretched beyond the limits of my suspended disbelief.
I plan to read the next in the series though as I got through this in record speed and from the first half of the book I can see just how talented this writer is and I'm sure this being the first in the series, she will iron out the wrinkles as the series develops.
djwudi's review against another edition
3.0
I must admit, I chose to read this book first in my quest to read all of this year's Philip K. Dick nominees simply because I expected to find least interesting. I'm not big into military stories (the only other military-themed SF I can remember reading is Heinlein's [b:Starship Troopers|17214|Starship Troopers|Robert A. Heinlein|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1234902570s/17214.jpg|2534973]), so when sorting from least-curious to most-curious by back cover blurbs, this made it to the top of the pile.
However, I found it a lot more interesting and enjoyable than I expected. While there's certainly no doubt about this falling into the realm of military SF, it incorporates enough other aspects through Ia's abilities, characterization, and motivation that I had no problems getting through to the end, and never felt like I was slogging through it or reading it "just because" instead of out of actual enjoyment. Military hoo-rah may not be my thing, but Ia's an interesting enough character that I'll enjoy following up with her story when the sequels come out.
However, I found it a lot more interesting and enjoyable than I expected. While there's certainly no doubt about this falling into the realm of military SF, it incorporates enough other aspects through Ia's abilities, characterization, and motivation that I had no problems getting through to the end, and never felt like I was slogging through it or reading it "just because" instead of out of actual enjoyment. Military hoo-rah may not be my thing, but Ia's an interesting enough character that I'll enjoy following up with her story when the sequels come out.
tome15's review against another edition
3.0
A Soldier's Duty was a Philip K Dick Award nominee. But it doesn't seem to me to have the originality that one expects from such books. It seems to be a rather ordinary exercise in military science fiction with a precognition angle. Ho hum.