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ghostnayto's review against another edition
I’m just uninterested right now, but the concept is good. Will return at a better time for me.
tani's review against another edition
4.0
Definitely the best book in the series. I enjoyed the different perspectives and seeing the story play out that way. Myke Cole's descriptive writing is also getting very very good. I noticed some very nice turns of phrase in here. I also thought that Jim and Sarah were more easily likable than the main character of his previous trilogy. My only problem is, I get so creeped out by the idea of our government doing these things that I sometimes find these hard to read!
violinknitter's review against another edition
So. Much. Body horror. So much.
I liked the world-building, I liked the depth of the characters for the most part. (Though I have some questions about the way Sarah was portrayed.) But so much description of viscera is not for me. I’ve enjoyed Cole’s internet persona & podcast appearances for years now, but this is the first time I’ve read one of his books. I might try again, but... they just might not be for me.
I liked the world-building, I liked the depth of the characters for the most part. (Though I have some questions about the way Sarah was portrayed.) But so much description of viscera is not for me. I’ve enjoyed Cole’s internet persona & podcast appearances for years now, but this is the first time I’ve read one of his books. I might try again, but... they just might not be for me.
jarichan's review against another edition
4.0
Die "Shadow Ops"-Reihe brachte mich zum Genre der Military Fantasy und ich war gleich hin und weg. jahrelang wollte ich auch die Prequel-Trilogie dazu lesen, aber es hat sich nie wirklich ergeben. Nun habe ich mir als Corona-Geschenk den ersten band geholt. Endlich!
Und wisst ihr was?
Dieses Buch hat mir sogar noch besser gefallen als die Hauptreihe. Band zwei ist schon für Mai geplant.
"Gemini Cell" hat mich von der ersten Seite an nicht mehr losgelassen. Das Buch hat alles, was ich für eine gute Lesezeit brauche: grossartige und lebensechte Figuren, eine gute Portion Action und Blut, aber auch einen durchdachten Plot, der mit Originalität und einigen Überraschungen aufwartet.
Cole schreibt zügig, schafft es aber trotzdem, seinen Figuren allen Tiefe und Charakter zu verleihen. Interessant fand ich dabei eine Beobachtung, die ich an mir selbst festgestellt habe: Normalerweise finde ich es spannend zu beobachten, wenn ein Charakter sich mehr und mehr der dunklen Seite zuwendet (Hat jemand gesagt Anakin?). Aber hier nicht. Hier bettelte ich Schweitzer beinahe schon an, sich selbst zu bleiben. Ich war verleitet, an meinen Nägeln zu kauen, weil ich so dabei war, wenn er hin und her geworfen wurde zwischen Leben und Tod.
Sowas schafft nur ein richtig guter Autor. Hiermit schafft es Cole definitiv auf meine Liste von Lieblingsautoren.
Und wisst ihr was?
Dieses Buch hat mir sogar noch besser gefallen als die Hauptreihe. Band zwei ist schon für Mai geplant.
"Gemini Cell" hat mich von der ersten Seite an nicht mehr losgelassen. Das Buch hat alles, was ich für eine gute Lesezeit brauche: grossartige und lebensechte Figuren, eine gute Portion Action und Blut, aber auch einen durchdachten Plot, der mit Originalität und einigen Überraschungen aufwartet.
Cole schreibt zügig, schafft es aber trotzdem, seinen Figuren allen Tiefe und Charakter zu verleihen. Interessant fand ich dabei eine Beobachtung, die ich an mir selbst festgestellt habe: Normalerweise finde ich es spannend zu beobachten, wenn ein Charakter sich mehr und mehr der dunklen Seite zuwendet (Hat jemand gesagt Anakin?). Aber hier nicht. Hier bettelte ich Schweitzer beinahe schon an, sich selbst zu bleiben. Ich war verleitet, an meinen Nägeln zu kauen, weil ich so dabei war, wenn er hin und her geworfen wurde zwischen Leben und Tod.
Sowas schafft nur ein richtig guter Autor. Hiermit schafft es Cole definitiv auf meine Liste von Lieblingsautoren.
maitrey_d's review against another edition
4.0
I think Myke Cole invented the military fantasy genre, and even if he didn't, he'll be remembered as somebody who introduced it to the masses.
Myke Cole has previous experience as an US military officer and security contractor, so that gives his military fantasy books a good tinge of "realism".
Gemini Cell was an action packed, full blown adrenaline ride. The protag, Jim Schweitzer is a Navy SEAL. But combine a hard-case like him with magic and you've got a one of a kind book on your hands. Although Gemini Cell calls itself a prequel to Cole's brilliant Shadow Ops series, this can be considered as a brand new book/series on its own. And it's Cole's best work to date. The characters are interesting and diverse. Cole pulls off that rare trick of making you feel all kinds of things about his characters: you want to root for them, then they are deplorable, and then you're back to cheering. You get your money's worth.
Like all his novels, Gemini Cell also asks interesting questions about personal rights, and how far the government can interfere in those rights when it comes to issues such as national security. However, I just couldn't flow with the idea that being a "professional" killer somehow made it okay to being a killer. When this book asks nice question about religion and personal rights, this sense of American gungo-ho-ness somehow didn't jive with the whole book. And considering, Cole distanced himself from this very thing in his other novels, even criticized them.
That apart, this is a great book. To quote Jim Schweitzer, this is the start of something new. I can't wait to see where it goes next.
Full Disclosure: I got an ARC from the publisher in exchange for a review.
Myke Cole has previous experience as an US military officer and security contractor, so that gives his military fantasy books a good tinge of "realism".
Gemini Cell was an action packed, full blown adrenaline ride. The protag, Jim Schweitzer is a Navy SEAL. But combine a hard-case like him with magic and you've got a one of a kind book on your hands. Although Gemini Cell calls itself a prequel to Cole's brilliant Shadow Ops series, this can be considered as a brand new book/series on its own. And it's Cole's best work to date. The characters are interesting and diverse. Cole pulls off that rare trick of making you feel all kinds of things about his characters: you want to root for them, then they are deplorable, and then you're back to cheering. You get your money's worth.
Like all his novels, Gemini Cell also asks interesting questions about personal rights, and how far the government can interfere in those rights when it comes to issues such as national security. However, I just couldn't flow with the idea that being a "professional" killer somehow made it okay to being a killer. When this book asks nice question about religion and personal rights, this sense of American gungo-ho-ness somehow didn't jive with the whole book. And considering, Cole distanced himself from this very thing in his other novels, even criticized them.
That apart, this is a great book. To quote Jim Schweitzer, this is the start of something new. I can't wait to see where it goes next.
Full Disclosure: I got an ARC from the publisher in exchange for a review.
texaswolfman's review against another edition
5.0
This book fits in horror, military or fantasy fiction. It's got a zombie/Frankenstein vibe that just makes it work. Well worth the read.
felinity's review against another edition
3.0
If I'd picked this prequel up first, instead of [b:Control Point|11783484|Control Point (Shadow Ops, #1)|Myke Cole|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1309460843s/11783484.jpg|15964749] I'm not sure I would have even finished it let alone read the others. It's darker, and messier (in the deaths), both making it not quite as much to my taste, but the writing itself is descriptive and - unlike many SF/F books - makes it easy to follow the author's imagination. I also suspect that part of the plot-messiness here is down to the sheer chaos of accidentally stumbling across such things in magic. I'll still read the sequel though, see where it goes.