Category: B+

leuchars?

Posted on by Greig

The Execution Channel

Ken MacLeod

The Execution ChannelMacLeod tries something new with this near-future thriller. Set in a world with rampant terrorism (including nuclear attacks) and American offensives throughout Central Asia.
Principally told through the eyes of James Travis, a middle aged IT professional with incriminating links to a foreign power, and his daughter Roisin who’s a peace protester camped outside RAF Leuchars (now a USAF base in all but name).
Things kick off when Roisin photographs something unusual on the base just before an explosion wipes the base out. At the same time James’ cover is blown.
Everything gets murky and mucky from there on in as politics and power come to bear.
It’s a world where disinformation on the net is co-ordinated by governments, manipulating soldier’s blogs and feeding stories to bloggers with strong enough a reputation in order to manipulate public perception.
It is, to tell the truth, full of interesting ideas but ultimately falls of being an exceptional piece of work as the story never feels like it pulls together to give a really powerful payoff. Also the only character I thought was anywhere near nuanced enough to be interesting was the daughter and even she seemed a touch on the underwritten side at times.
I suppose I sound a bit disappointed with this, but please don’t get me wrong it’s a pretty strong read – it just could have been extraordinary.

Rating: B+

beloved?

Posted on by Greig

The Ghost Brigades

John Scalzi

The Ghost BrigadesThe follow up to Old Man’s War is a curious beast. It’s set in the same context, even features a couple of characters from that first novel, but it’s protagonist is entirely different.
Jared Dirac is a Special Forces soldier in the CDF, what the regular forces call The Ghost Brigades. Unlike every other Special Forces soldier Dirac was created to host the conciousness of another man. Charles Boutin was the brilliant scientist behind the BrainPal and the transfer of conciousness that allows the CDF special forces to exist, but now he’s gone renegade and betrayed humanity to competing alien forces. However the transfer seems to fail and Dirac becomes a regular SF grunt.
The book follows Dirac through basic training and into full-blown combat and on to a confrontation with Boutin himself after he gains access to the man’s memories.
It’s a fun book but flawed in that it lacks a real sense of coherence and succeeds better in providing a satisfying ending to the story in the first book than anything else.
It’s still worth a read if you want a quick blast of Heinlein like old school science fiction, like.

Rating: B+

celgas?

Posted on by Greig

The Court Of The Air

Stephen Hunt

Court Of The AirIn two separate threads this book tells the story of two orphans. Molly, a child of a poorhouse and too smart for her own good and Oliver, raised by his uncle but effectively under house arrest as he’s suspected of having been infected by the feymist.
The book is set in an alternative, steampunky, version of Victorian era Britain. Hunt twists the past and traditions of Britain and continental Europe so effectively as to create a very different, yet believable, world.
Of course this being a fantasy the two orphans are vital to the future of a free world under threat from an insane ‘communityist’ under the thrall of ancient evil gods. Their trials and tribulations take place in wonderfully conceived locations with entertaining, if cut out, characters.
I really rather enjoyed this book. It has it’s flaws, to be sure, with weak pacing at times, the lack of character depth, and a couple of loose threads forgotten come the end but it is very much worth a read if you like fantasy novels.

Rating: B+

owlswick?

Posted on by Greig

Making Money

Terry Pratchett

making moneyThe latest Discworld is the second to feature Moist von Lipwig as the lead character.
While, like every Pratchett book, this is a thoroughly entertaining read it just feels a bit tired. The central premise feels weak and several of the supporting characters are utterly forgettable.
There hasn’t been a truly exceptional Discworld book since Night Watch and that’s a good few books back now.
Anyway like every Pratchett I’d recommend it to anyone. It may be best to read the first Lipwig book – Going Postal – first as the storyline follows directly on from it and some of the humour plays off of things that happen in it.

Rating: B+

pow?

Posted on by Greig

The Creation Records Story: My Magpie Eyes Are Hungry for the Prize

David Cavanagh

creation records storyThis book is not only a comprehensive account of Creation records but also manages to place everything in the context of the fortunes and transformations of the british record industry over the course of a couple of decades.
Alan McGee reportedly hates it, which is a good indication of just how close to the truth the author has managed to get. Indeed it is a deeply impressive piece of research before you even consider it’s other merits.
It is authoritative and intelligent, thorough and thought-provoking. It’s single great flaw is that reading another page on the breakdown of the relationships in The House of Love or another page on the umpteenth studio that My Bloody Valentine spent two hours in before Kevin Shields decided it wasn’t good enough kills much of the momentum of the story and you can start to get bogged down bored with it and it can become a chore to get to the next interesting bit.
I think that you really have to be keen to know everything about Creation before even thinking about picking this one up. If you are you’ll find that you couldn’t wish for better overview.

Rating: B+

deck?

Posted on by Greig

A Tale Etched in Blood and Hard Black Pencil

Christopher Brookmyre

blood-pencil.jpgThe latest Brookmyre to hit paperback is both about a murder case in modern day Scotland and a group of people growing up together as they go through primary and high school.
It seems to me to be about how our school days shape the rest of our lives and how hard it is to see people for who they really are in the here and now when you spent every day of your childhood building up an idea of who they are.
Like everything Brookmyre touches this is a fun, quick read. The problem lies in the fact that the little details about playground life are so much better drawn that the actual characters of the schoolkids. So you have to be told that everyone knows that this character isn’t a bad kid rather than him actually showing it through actions and attitude.
Also as he really does fall in love with the sections in the past the contemporary story seems a bit lightweight, more of an excuse than the actual point of the whole thing. Though I did like the banter between the hotshot lawyer and the pub landlady.
Better than the mountain of dross than can be found in the crime section in most bookshops/libraries I’d say it’s well worth a read. Just don’t expect prime Brookmyre

Rating: B+

chartreuse?

Posted on by Greig

Old Man’s War

John Scalzi

Old Man's WarScalzi’s debut novel is a stylish homage to Heinlein.
The central conceit of the novel is that the human Colonial forces recruit citizens of the wealthy western nations to become solidiers as they reach 75 years old with the lure that they’ll be young again and out defending humanity among the stars. It’s an idea that Scalzi has a lot of fun with as the new recruits go through basic training and on into relentless battle.
The prose can be a little lumpy at times and he’s not quite worked out how to show instead of tell, but it’s quite a lot of fun.
I’d recommend it if you’re looking for a diverting piece of old school science fiction

Rating: B+

drink me?

Posted on by Greig

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince

J.K. Rowling

Harry Potter and the Half Blood PrinceSixth and penultimate book in the outrageously successful JF fantasy series. I’ve reviewed this book before, back when it first came out.
Reading it a second time makes plain that some character’s motivations aren’t what they seemed to be the first time I read it, which makes the upcoming final book all the more interesting.
What else? Well I’d still rate the book the same, it’s entertaining enough, but it’s filled with flashbacks and the present day action is pretty sparse until the last third of the book. As for the big twist, well it’s still pretty shocking but I’ve changed my mind a great deal about it’s implications.
As before, no recommendation, but I did enjoy reading it.

Rating: B+

inquisitor?

Posted on by Greig

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

J.K. Rowling

Harry Potter and the Order of the PhoenixThe fifth Harry Potter book and basis for the latest film in the series which is due out later this year. I did a quick re-read in preparation for the film. I’ve reviewed it before when the book first came out, and this the first time I’ve read it since it came out.

Rating: B+