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A review by raelindenberg
The Ghost Brigades by John Scalzi
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Second book by Scalzi and while I believe it’s well-written, I’m unimpressed by where this narrative seems to be going.
These books are starting to conjure strong parallels to American imperialism and intelligence and I’m not liking which “side” this author is seeming to take. It’s looking like it’s very pro-military good (despite ethical and moral issues) and anyone who challenges this imperial militarism is bad....
The “villain” of this story made some valid points as to why our characters were the bad guys — or if not the bad guys themselves, working for a morally corrupt military empire — and while the villains methods were questionable themselves, the fact that our main characters just towed the line of the empire without SERIOUSLY questioning whether or not our villain could actually be *right* (even if his methods were almost as insidious) makes it apparent that this author believes that despite having questionable morals, military might is always right. Which...it isn’t.
I’m going to have to see where this story leads into the 3rd book, “The Last Colony” and if these moral conundrums actually get the narrative discussion they deserve.
Giving it 3 stars for a well-written read that flows well, but the seemingly pro-military message of this story and world is starting to get to me...but maybe that’s my own fault for reading, you know, **military** sci-fi.
These books are starting to conjure strong parallels to American imperialism and intelligence and I’m not liking which “side” this author is seeming to take. It’s looking like it’s very pro-military good (despite ethical and moral issues) and anyone who challenges this imperial militarism is bad....
The “villain” of this story made some valid points as to why our characters were the bad guys — or if not the bad guys themselves, working for a morally corrupt military empire — and while the villains methods were questionable themselves, the fact that our main characters just towed the line of the empire without SERIOUSLY questioning whether or not our villain could actually be *right* (even if his methods were almost as insidious) makes it apparent that this author believes that despite having questionable morals, military might is always right. Which...it isn’t.
I’m going to have to see where this story leads into the 3rd book, “The Last Colony” and if these moral conundrums actually get the narrative discussion they deserve.
Giving it 3 stars for a well-written read that flows well, but the seemingly pro-military message of this story and world is starting to get to me...but maybe that’s my own fault for reading, you know, **military** sci-fi.