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3.7 AVERAGE
3.7 AVERAGE
decentă, nimic remarcabil pozitiv sau negativ. o carte ce mi-ar fi plăcut în adolescență, dar acum nu am putut trece de jumătate.
I stopped reading The Praxis after the fifth use of the word "lush" to describe a woman's body. (So I read about 30% of the novel.) Regardless of the discomforting objectification of women, even when they're doing their highly skilled jobs, The Praxis lacks the world building that I think is necessary at the start of any sci-fi novel. I felt thrust into a complex setting without much explanation along the way. The Praxis also lacks something that makes it "The Praxis"/ "Dread Empire's Fall" like the way lightsabers make Star Wars Star Wars or the spice makes Dune Dune. It felt too generically science fiction instead of something truly independent and unique. I think Williams tried to go for something as grand as Dune but missed the target entirely.
One of the reasons why I love and appreciate sci-fi novels like Dune is because of the way it feels like it was simply written from a human's perspective, not specifically a man's (or a woman's). I don't know if I can properly convey what I'm thinking about this into words... It's just that science fiction is a genre that isn't specifically catered to any sex. At least, it shouldn't be. The genre was, after all, invented by a woman, Mary Shelley. I don't think The Praxis is meant to be male gender exclusive, especially since one of the two main characters is a woman, but even when reading her scenes I definitely felt like it was meant to be read from a male perspective. Good novels are the ones that examine human nature as it applies to everyone. This means that authors have to write with what's in their head and not what's between their legs. The Praxis isn't the only sci-fi novel with this problem, it's just unfortunate that I expected to really enjoy it but was unpleasantly surprised by how alienated I felt by the writing.
One of the reasons why I love and appreciate sci-fi novels like Dune is because of the way it feels like it was simply written from a human's perspective, not specifically a man's (or a woman's). I don't know if I can properly convey what I'm thinking about this into words... It's just that science fiction is a genre that isn't specifically catered to any sex. At least, it shouldn't be. The genre was, after all, invented by a woman, Mary Shelley. I don't think The Praxis is meant to be male gender exclusive, especially since one of the two main characters is a woman, but even when reading her scenes I definitely felt like it was meant to be read from a male perspective. Good novels are the ones that examine human nature as it applies to everyone. This means that authors have to write with what's in their head and not what's between their legs. The Praxis isn't the only sci-fi novel with this problem, it's just unfortunate that I expected to really enjoy it but was unpleasantly surprised by how alienated I felt by the writing.
Very good sci-fi. Hundreds of years after most of the galaxy got their asses kicked, everyone is part of the Praxis. This isn't a book that takes place as humanity is defending itself; we already lost and assimilated.
It's real good setting, lot's of good world building, a couple of solid leads. Honestly, the only real problem I had was a repeated flashback delve into the backstory of one of the leads. I thought it was clear early on what was going to happen, but 50 plus pages were spent on something that could've been done, all at once, in a single chapter.
Other than that, I was a huge fan and have already added the next book to my Amazon wish list.
It's real good setting, lot's of good world building, a couple of solid leads. Honestly, the only real problem I had was a repeated flashback delve into the backstory of one of the leads. I thought it was clear early on what was going to happen, but 50 plus pages were spent on something that could've been done, all at once, in a single chapter.
Other than that, I was a huge fan and have already added the next book to my Amazon wish list.
The Praxis is the 1st novel in the Dread Empire series and details the end of the Shaa reign and the changeover to rule of previous conquered races (Humans included). One of the previous conquered races (the Naxid) attempt to co-opt rule of the remaining races and it is up to our main characters to foil this attempt. So starts the the wide ranging story with further details of this struggle still to be revealed in the next books in the series. The first book delves into how the two main characters became the people they are today along with the current events happening as the Naxid try to take control.
4 stars for an interesting read even if I am not yet really liking the main characters. Recommended for anyone who enjoys the space opera genre.
4 stars for an interesting read even if I am not yet really liking the main characters. Recommended for anyone who enjoys the space opera genre.
adventurous
emotional
tense
fast-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This is great space opera. It has a moderately hard SF edge -- wormholes aside, the spaceship physics are real, and every technology posited is a more than plausible extrapolation from current technology.
The only reason it doesn't get four stars is that space opera isn't my favourite kind of SF.
The only reason it doesn't get four stars is that space opera isn't my favourite kind of SF.
Liked this a lot; one of the top 100 SF novels of 2002.
At times it felt a little like I was reading a regency romance instead of a space opera, what with all the lords and ladies and patrons and frilly tailored attire.
But Gareth Martinez is an instinctively likeable protagonist (sometimes in spite of himself), and once we finally got to space for real (nearly 2/3 of the way through the book), the story pivoted nicely toward space opera, with compelling and unique space battles and clever conflicts. I plan to read Book 2.
But Gareth Martinez is an instinctively likeable protagonist (sometimes in spite of himself), and once we finally got to space for real (nearly 2/3 of the way through the book), the story pivoted nicely toward space opera, with compelling and unique space battles and clever conflicts. I plan to read Book 2.