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wyntrchylde's reviews
637 reviews
Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
1.0
Looking back on this now through the eyes of my children who are having to read it in English class...I hated this book.
Liege-Killer by Christopher Hinz
5.0
Liege Killer
By Christopher Hinz
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Published In: New York, NY
Date: 1987
Pgs: 458
Summary:
200 years ago, an apocalypse swept across Earth. Man escaped to orbital colonies leaving the madness behind. The Paratwa, the deadly assassin genetic twins, were extinct. Man lived in harmony on the edge of space scattered among hundreds of colonial cylinders. But…something has awakened. A piece of the past has come back. The body count is rising. Can the civilized future man embrace what comes to their aid?
Genre:
Science fiction, murder mystery, alternate history, suspense, action
Main Character:
Gillian
Favorite Character:
Gillian…because he is pure awesome.
Least Favorite Character:
Paula Marth. Mainly because there are places where her character doesn’t ring true. Especially when she finally has had enough of spoiled brat Jerem and delivers an attention getter. Only to spend the rest of the books thinkcasting at us about how bad she feels because she disciplined her unruly child. I get that she would feel that way. But it is a boat anchor whenever she appeared in a scene.
Favorite Scene:
The Cohe wand fights. It’s a set of visuals that would make for an awesome motion picture. Imagine a black energy lightsaber that acts like a combination whip/scythe Green Lantern ring. It’s a great weapon.
Plot Holes/Out of Character:
None that leap out at me.
Last Page Sound:
Satisfied sigh.
Author Assessment:
I would love to read more Christopher Hinz
Disposition of Book:
This has been on my re-read pile since 1987. I’ve read it at least three times. And it is staying on my re-read pile. Awesome book.
By Christopher Hinz
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Published In: New York, NY
Date: 1987
Pgs: 458
Summary:
200 years ago, an apocalypse swept across Earth. Man escaped to orbital colonies leaving the madness behind. The Paratwa, the deadly assassin genetic twins, were extinct. Man lived in harmony on the edge of space scattered among hundreds of colonial cylinders. But…something has awakened. A piece of the past has come back. The body count is rising. Can the civilized future man embrace what comes to their aid?
Genre:
Science fiction, murder mystery, alternate history, suspense, action
Main Character:
Gillian
Favorite Character:
Gillian…because he is pure awesome.
Least Favorite Character:
Paula Marth. Mainly because there are places where her character doesn’t ring true. Especially when she finally has had enough of spoiled brat Jerem and delivers an attention getter. Only to spend the rest of the books thinkcasting at us about how bad she feels because she disciplined her unruly child. I get that she would feel that way. But it is a boat anchor whenever she appeared in a scene.
Favorite Scene:
The Cohe wand fights. It’s a set of visuals that would make for an awesome motion picture. Imagine a black energy lightsaber that acts like a combination whip/scythe Green Lantern ring. It’s a great weapon.
Plot Holes/Out of Character:
None that leap out at me.
Last Page Sound:
Satisfied sigh.
Author Assessment:
I would love to read more Christopher Hinz
Disposition of Book:
This has been on my re-read pile since 1987. I’ve read it at least three times. And it is staying on my re-read pile. Awesome book.
Hellhole by Kevin J. Anderson, Brian Herbert
1.0
Hellhole
By Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson
Publisher: Tor
Published In: New York, NY
Date: 2011
Pgs: 532
Summary:
Hellhole, the last stop for those trying to make a new start. A shattered world subjected to an asteroid impact in the recent geologic past. The end of the line in the Deep Zone, the recently colonized part of The Constellation. Here the rebel General Adolphus is exiled. Expected to fail and die on the hellish planet, the General makes a go of it. Abiding by his terms of surrender…until he is ready to again try to free the people from the feudal, tyrannical Constellation. Finding survivors of the alien species who made Hellhole home in the pre-apocalypse, the General plots. And the Diadem suspects. And the turmoil ensues. The Constellation’s 2nd Civil War is coming. Aliens exist. Mankind is at a crossroads.
Genre:
Militaria, science fiction, epic scope
Main Character:
General Tiber Adolphus
Favorite Character:
Vincent. He resists the peer pressure to jump into the slickwater and accept a half-alien life. He stays true to himself.
Least Favorite Character:
Diadem Michella Ducenet. She’s a bit of a one note villain who gets a lot of screen time. Would have been better served with making the Black Lord Selik Riomini a bigger villain. While Michella was shrewish, her daughter Keana comes across as a flighty, spoiled child of privilege with no concept of the “real” world.
Favorite Scene:
When Adolphus stands on his principles early in the book and acting morally surrenders his fleet rather than fire on the Constellation ships filled with human shields.
Plot Holes/Out of Character:
The fate of Fernando and the delegation to Sonjerra. Seems like more was intended by the way they met their end and what happened immediately afterward.
Last Page Sound:
Where’s the climax? I read this whole thing and the story doesn’t end. It just sets up for the next book in the series. This sucks.
Author Assessment:
This may be the last book I read by these two gentlemen.
Disposition of Book:
Half Price Book it…if I don’t burn it.
By Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson
Publisher: Tor
Published In: New York, NY
Date: 2011
Pgs: 532
Summary:
Hellhole, the last stop for those trying to make a new start. A shattered world subjected to an asteroid impact in the recent geologic past. The end of the line in the Deep Zone, the recently colonized part of The Constellation. Here the rebel General Adolphus is exiled. Expected to fail and die on the hellish planet, the General makes a go of it. Abiding by his terms of surrender…until he is ready to again try to free the people from the feudal, tyrannical Constellation. Finding survivors of the alien species who made Hellhole home in the pre-apocalypse, the General plots. And the Diadem suspects. And the turmoil ensues. The Constellation’s 2nd Civil War is coming. Aliens exist. Mankind is at a crossroads.
Genre:
Militaria, science fiction, epic scope
Main Character:
General Tiber Adolphus
Favorite Character:
Vincent. He resists the peer pressure to jump into the slickwater and accept a half-alien life. He stays true to himself.
Least Favorite Character:
Diadem Michella Ducenet. She’s a bit of a one note villain who gets a lot of screen time. Would have been better served with making the Black Lord Selik Riomini a bigger villain. While Michella was shrewish, her daughter Keana comes across as a flighty, spoiled child of privilege with no concept of the “real” world.
Favorite Scene:
When Adolphus stands on his principles early in the book and acting morally surrenders his fleet rather than fire on the Constellation ships filled with human shields.
Plot Holes/Out of Character:
The fate of Fernando and the delegation to Sonjerra. Seems like more was intended by the way they met their end and what happened immediately afterward.
Last Page Sound:
Where’s the climax? I read this whole thing and the story doesn’t end. It just sets up for the next book in the series. This sucks.
Author Assessment:
This may be the last book I read by these two gentlemen.
Disposition of Book:
Half Price Book it…if I don’t burn it.
Inferno by Larry Niven, Jerry Pournelle
5.0
Inferno
By Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle
Publisher: Orb Books
Published In: New York, NY
Date: 1976
Pgs: 237
Summary:
Imagine not being able to feel anything...not being able to see anything. And it goes on...and on...seemingly forever. Until you call out to God, and you feel the bottle open and you are poured out from your own private Hell into Hell. Benito has rescued you. And he has a plan. All you have to do is follow him downward through the deeper and darker sections of Dante’s Hell in search of the way out. All you have to do is follow...and not fall victim to the guilt that you belong in any of those lower depths with the damned souls trapped there. That’s all.
Genre:
Science fiction, quest, good vs. evil
Main Character:
Allen Carpenter
Favorite Character:
Allen Carpenter is us. We walk through Hell in his shoes.
Least Favorite Character:
This was a rare book where I liked all the characters.
Favorite Scene:
When Lucifer looks down at Allen and asks him the question.
Plot Holes/Out of Character:
This is pretty tightly plotted and the OOC moments are thin.
Last Page Sound:
Mmmmm...that’s good. I just hope that the recently produced sequel is as good.
Author Assessment:
They are tremendous together.
Disposition of Book:
Keeping it and re-reading it. Possibly sooner rather than later. It’s a rich tapestry of a story.
By Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle
Publisher: Orb Books
Published In: New York, NY
Date: 1976
Pgs: 237
Summary:
Imagine not being able to feel anything...not being able to see anything. And it goes on...and on...seemingly forever. Until you call out to God, and you feel the bottle open and you are poured out from your own private Hell into Hell. Benito has rescued you. And he has a plan. All you have to do is follow him downward through the deeper and darker sections of Dante’s Hell in search of the way out. All you have to do is follow...and not fall victim to the guilt that you belong in any of those lower depths with the damned souls trapped there. That’s all.
Genre:
Science fiction, quest, good vs. evil
Main Character:
Allen Carpenter
Favorite Character:
Allen Carpenter is us. We walk through Hell in his shoes.
Least Favorite Character:
This was a rare book where I liked all the characters.
Favorite Scene:
When Lucifer looks down at Allen and asks him the question.
Plot Holes/Out of Character:
This is pretty tightly plotted and the OOC moments are thin.
Last Page Sound:
Mmmmm...that’s good. I just hope that the recently produced sequel is as good.
Author Assessment:
They are tremendous together.
Disposition of Book:
Keeping it and re-reading it. Possibly sooner rather than later. It’s a rich tapestry of a story.