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3.43 AVERAGE
3.43 AVERAGE
Overall, a well written and narrated story. A bit predictable at times, but the characters were interesting and well fleshed out. Disappointing that we didn’t learn what happened to Falk, but I guess that will have to wait for another story.
Well played Mr. Author sir. The opening line about how the Mek came and offered us up and we thought nah, we’ll just kick your ass and take it and I thought ‘yeah, that checks with today’s world’. Well played.
An overall fun romp, could see this making an entertaining series or trilogy, and made into a great movie. I would have enjoyed more development of the main characters, like pre capture then capture then the other events vs starting in capture making for a better story, but it was a great read and a short read and would recommend it to anyone.
An overall fun romp, could see this making an entertaining series or trilogy, and made into a great movie. I would have enjoyed more development of the main characters, like pre capture then capture then the other events vs starting in capture making for a better story, but it was a great read and a short read and would recommend it to anyone.
Gundog features a world where humanity is enslaved by an alien techno-species but with some The Last Starfighter-style fate, a massive dual-piloted mecha, and a bit of luck, a fire can be lit to fight back.
Gary Whitta begins a new, original sci-fi franchise with Gundog, and let me stress the "begins" and "franchise" in that sentence. He captures the structure of classic Cameron action films on the page and while things that come with that formatting could turn off bookish traditionalists it all works well when you read through that lens, (which shouldn't be surprising with Whitta's other works in film and comics.)
Certain aspects of descriptions can feel a little vague if you're looking for a hyper-realized picture of, say, how the antagonist species looks. Personally, this kind of writing doesn't bother me much as I like when books afford me just enough detail that I can complete an image myself. Would the finite and completed imagery be nice to have? Sure, but I think this format allows the reader to be part of the creation that way so I'm fine with it.
Conversely, the way moments are described should certainly clear the bench-mark for most folks. The world is mostly gritty and the action is exhilarating which allows for some quiet moments to shine, particularly later in the story. I do think some cynics will find these moments clichéd but the flip side of the cliché coin is otherwise described as universally relatable, again Cameron-esque that way.
Gundog is a really solid start to something bigger, the book itself nods toward the future, and I'd be happy to see more of this world. I'd recommend for a casual read, especially if you appreciate '80s and '90s action cinema.
I would like to thank NetGalley and Inkshares for my advanced copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
Gary Whitta begins a new, original sci-fi franchise with Gundog, and let me stress the "begins" and "franchise" in that sentence. He captures the structure of classic Cameron action films on the page and while things that come with that formatting could turn off bookish traditionalists it all works well when you read through that lens, (which shouldn't be surprising with Whitta's other works in film and comics.)
Certain aspects of descriptions can feel a little vague if you're looking for a hyper-realized picture of, say, how the antagonist species looks. Personally, this kind of writing doesn't bother me much as I like when books afford me just enough detail that I can complete an image myself. Would the finite and completed imagery be nice to have? Sure, but I think this format allows the reader to be part of the creation that way so I'm fine with it.
Conversely, the way moments are described should certainly clear the bench-mark for most folks. The world is mostly gritty and the action is exhilarating which allows for some quiet moments to shine, particularly later in the story. I do think some cynics will find these moments clichéd but the flip side of the cliché coin is otherwise described as universally relatable, again Cameron-esque that way.
Gundog is a really solid start to something bigger, the book itself nods toward the future, and I'd be happy to see more of this world. I'd recommend for a casual read, especially if you appreciate '80s and '90s action cinema.
I would like to thank NetGalley and Inkshares for my advanced copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
The kindest thing I can say about Gundog is that it was a very fast, very easy read. But you should not read Gundog.
The novel describes what they characters do and where they go but nothing about the world they live in. I have no idea what anything in this novel looks like. I kept hoping that this speedy pace would lead somewhere interesting, and it never does. Every narrative choice has the most obvious conclusion. It still somehow leaves dangling threads, but there's no world in which I want to pick up another volume to find out what happens next.
I haven't been this mad at myself for finishing a book since Ready Player One.
The novel describes what they characters do and where they go but nothing about the world they live in. I have no idea what anything in this novel looks like. I kept hoping that this speedy pace would lead somewhere interesting, and it never does. Every narrative choice has the most obvious conclusion. It still somehow leaves dangling threads, but there's no world in which I want to pick up another volume to find out what happens next.
I haven't been this mad at myself for finishing a book since Ready Player One.
3.5 stars rounded up. Gundog has a very interesting premise and the Mek and Gundogs were really cool. I was invested in the story, but there were parts that felt lacking. The action was written well, but felt rushed; I thought that all of the action scenes were over too fast. You could definitely tell that this was meant to be written as a screenplay, but overall, it was a fun listen, and I'd be interested to watch a movie if it ever got made into one.
adventurous
fast-paced
A breezy page-turner full of heart and hope.
+
“The existence of human life here on Earth, and the values she was raised to believe defined it— compassion, mercy, kindness, selflessness-were surely proof that those things existed out there, too, in the vast darkness of space.”
+
“The existence of human life here on Earth, and the values she was raised to believe defined it— compassion, mercy, kindness, selflessness-were surely proof that those things existed out there, too, in the vast darkness of space.”
This ARC was provided by Netgalley and Inkshares in exchange for an honest review.
Gundog is a fast paced underdog story of a brother and sister who are descendants of the last holdouts in an alien invasion. Our main character Dakota leads us through a compound escape, and out into unknown territory in search of a mystery location. The entire novel is delightfully cinematic, and doesn't dwell on anything unnecessarily.
This was a nice, casual read. I look forward to a potential sequel and hopefully a TV or movie adaptation.
Gundog is a fast paced underdog story of a brother and sister who are descendants of the last holdouts in an alien invasion. Our main character Dakota leads us through a compound escape, and out into unknown territory in search of a mystery location. The entire novel is delightfully cinematic, and doesn't dwell on anything unnecessarily.
This was a nice, casual read. I look forward to a potential sequel and hopefully a TV or movie adaptation.
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
