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johnayliff's review against another edition
2.0
A side-story set in the Lensman universe, this has an interesting premise but fails to do it justice. The hero is not a Lensman, but a scientist working with the Galactic Patrol, and his ultimate problem is not a villain but an environmental disaster, "flying vortices of atomic disintegration" which are produced as an occasional side-effect of atomic power. 'Storm' Cloud's unique ability to destroy these vortices is based on his ability to do calculations in his head instantaneously. This set-up could have led to something quite unlike the Lensman series, but, after Cloud has been set up as the Vortex Blaster, the bulk of the book is taken up by digressions in which he plays the role of Generic Space Hero, diving straight into interplanetary wars and hunts for interstellar drug dealers.
As if to make up for the lack of female characters in the earlier books, 'Storm' Cloud acquires a mostly female supporting cast. Most of these are also colourful (but, with one exception, humanoid) aliens, including a mute telepath and a cat-girl. This is, however, coupled with a grubby tendency to describe how much (or, more often, how little) the characters are wearing, and to send them to planets with hot climates and no nudity taboos.
The prose style could be called a thing of its time, except that its time was about twenty years before the book was actually written. I felt that it lacked the joyful exuberance of the earlier Lensman books, although I read the rest of the series some years ago and it is possible my tastes have changed since then.
As if to make up for the lack of female characters in the earlier books, 'Storm' Cloud acquires a mostly female supporting cast. Most of these are also colourful (but, with one exception, humanoid) aliens, including a mute telepath and a cat-girl. This is, however, coupled with a grubby tendency to describe how much (or, more often, how little) the characters are wearing, and to send them to planets with hot climates and no nudity taboos.
The prose style could be called a thing of its time, except that its time was about twenty years before the book was actually written. I felt that it lacked the joyful exuberance of the earlier Lensman books, although I read the rest of the series some years ago and it is possible my tastes have changed since then.
bookwomble's review against another edition
5.0
Don't trust my rating for this book. See this
review for why.
review for why.
nomad_scry's review against another edition
2.0
Considering that this is actually the first written part of the Lensman series, I shouldn't have been as surprised at the diminished story here. It just doesn't make as much sense internally, and the characters are even less interesting (which is saying something considering how much I disliked some of the characters in the prior two books.) On the other hand, I did enjoy finding out how the magic Lens was going to make the wearers even more powerful. If I learned anything from Anita Blake, it's that a progression of power is a fun read. (Until it isn't.)
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