Hamilton has been one of the few science fiction authors who has managed to claim a place on my top list. I don’t really need to think about buying a new novel by him and I can just pick it up if I see it. Here I do have to add I haven’t read the story collection he publish a few years ago, but that is mainly because I’m not that much of a short story fan. Their limited length simply fail to satisfy me sufficiently, most of the times.

Great North Road is actually a detective set in a future environment. For a change the time leap is not as great as in his previous novels so the setting contains a lot of familiar elements. The story is also quite earthbound. This time no space battles, sequences of space travel or explorations of future or alien tech. Personally I don’t think an SF author should always stick to the same game to prevent becoming repetitive and find some new challenges. Nevertheless quite some Hamilton tropes remain, like strange not-understood aliens and an array of rather eccentric or peculiar characters.

As usual the cast of characters is huge. A change however is that Hamilton spends more time on characterization. In essence there are five main protagonists (if I am counting right) of which two take center stage. Hamilton spends plenty of time with them to give them all the space they need. Also new in this novel are many sequences of flashbacks that he uses to fill in backgrounds. They are not annoying. Most of the story takes place in two settings so they provide some variation, not only in setting but also in mood and atmosphere. Hamilton also uses the flashbacks to showcase the new universe he has created as the two central settings are very focused and there is relatively little movement. He has spent time developing the new universe and does not want to leave them in the background. I can say that chances are low that Hamilton will write another book in this universe, so it is actually nice to see and know more.

All the time spent on the characters and the flashbacks add more layers to the story. They do not cause complexity but allow Hamilton to create a greater weave which he gradually connects with each other.

The central part of the plot that he has created, which is the storyline focusing on the murder case, is highly peculiar and utterly fascinating. Hamilton wrote investigation storylines before but here he takes it to a new level. It is new and refreshing. Everything happens in a slightly different way that we are used to and that just made it captivating to me.

Around the central part revolves a second storyline. This centers less around the now but more about what happened before and how it affects what happened later. Unfortunately this part is not very original. There are some peculiarities but overall we’ve seen it before. Another downside is that the storyline starts to drag on as it progresses. It is here that the length of the story is felt. Developments are slower and more repetitive. This is simply caused by the fact that Hamilton is not hurrying and does everything step by step until he reached the conclusion. Perhaps he was enjoying himself playing it all out meticulously.

As one can suspect the murder case storyline gets solved before the other storyline. The subsequent endgame then takes to long and the conclusion is suddenly wrapped up quickly. It almost felt as if Hamilton noticed the story was getting too long and that now he had written what he had needed to write, the loose ends were not that interesting anymore and he wanted to be done with. It almost seemed that Hamilton was taking the easy way out. Not that it would be implausible, it was just somewhat unlikely and that was rather in stark contrast to the careful worldbuilding and real people that he had developed.

So the book all around is 99% strong to good with the last 1% having a glitch. I would even have accepted it if Hamilton would have just left the last 20 pages out as these are just silliness in my opinion. No reason to give this novel some bad marks. Endings are always though. In such cases an open ending would be better than to quickly wrap everything up.

There is one last remark I do want to make. The actual plot is not that complex that is it justifies such a big novel. Hamilton simply added details, layers and flashbacks to expand it as much as he could. It did not hurt the pace as he kept that a good constant, although it was nowhere fast. One would almost think he abused the credit he has built up over the years with the big novels that did require all the space they needed. Normally this novel would have been cut to a third of its length (I’m serious) and one would have not lost anything important. Well, that’s just my opinion. Not that I say it’s too long. I love a long and great read and a short book means I will spend less time enjoying myself and thrill will be over far too soon. Anyhow, this is another great one by Peter F. Hamilton. Recommended.

The story is fast paced. There is hardly any time for contemplation. In the meanwhile Burroughs introduces new ideas and peoples. The only question that I personally had was to which extent those ideas were original and the first occurrence of them in a science fiction story. I don’t read that much very old science fiction although I do aim to read the classics, like the Barsoom novels by Burroughs. I also assume that these are considered classics because they introduced for the first time concepts and ideas that would define later mainstream science fiction novels. Thuvia, Maid Of Mars is a short novel so there is not much space to put in many new things. There is only one set of related ideas that felt very familiar although I hadn’t encountered them in this form. So in that sense it was new too. It is actually this component which makes the novel a more than interesting read.

Lacking time for contemplation, the characters remain are rather flat. The few personal thoughts that Burroughs spends time on are mainly focused on primary issues than providing some depth or insight into the characters. Of course Burroughs’ aim in writing these stories was more to entertain and play with alien races and cultures than to showcase a fantastic setting for a well constructed story as his predecessors Jules Verne and H.G. Wells were prone to do. One thing that does show is that Burroughs is well immersed into the Barsoom universe. It is unique and has a distinct atmosphere. It is alien while the aforementioned authors based themselves more on an earthly perspective. This is what makes this novel something more than just an average or even poor novel compared to today’s standards. One has to read it with the time it was written in in mind, which I tried to, and then there is much interesting to see, as Burroughs has a good writing style which will keep the reader going and that’s a quality that is always important in any novel.

One last note concerns the ending. It seemed somewhat abrupt to me and the story stopped suddenly while different matters were still unresolved. Perhaps it will conclude in a later novel although I had expected some storylines to be extended more. Now I am just not certain. At least it will push me to continue on. That said, I have not been reading this novel with great intent. I would not particularly recommend this novel. It is more for collectors like me who like to explore more of the classics in science fiction as one usually only reads the most successful books while the remaining ones are usually harder to find or get. As I have done so before I have discovered that it is often worthwhile to read the “other” books as well as they enrich the experience and the universe that has been created.

The first level provides the connection with the Dark Tower cycle. As it should not conflict with anything happening in the later story it is of a very minor substance. Even so it is great to meet the central characters of the series again and with only some limited scenes he provides the reader with the familiar touch that defines each character.

In the second level King once again, after Wizard And Glass, goes into the background and history of the main character of which the reader had mainly seen glimpses. I have to say I much anticipated this return and I simply drank in the words. The story itself is not that complex. With several different stories in one novel the space is limited. The story is actually pretty much a canvas unto which King adds new insights and answers to old mysteries, making them part of something else instead of giving them straightforwardly.

The third level is supposed to be an old tale of the Dark Tower universe. Instead King could not control himself. There is a lot of detail in the story and certain elements are clearly connected to the Dark Tower cycle instead of the tale itself. There were certain things the narrator of the story could not know or some things that would provide insights which he should have been using. Some things don’t even seem to belong in the tale. It is a peculiar story. More one that King would tell on the Dark Tower universe than that a native would or could tell about his own. The details also conflict with the idea that it is a children’s story. It is certainly not the right way to have told it. Nevertheless, because of those details and insights, it makes a highly interesting read. The story itself starts fairly cliché and it takes some time before it starts to blossom and become something far more.

Personally I enjoyed the second level tale the most, although it is less complete than the third level story. The Wind Through The Keyhole is certainly a great addition to the series and it holds up to the same quality. As there are more untold background stories I can only say that I hope King will be inspired to write some more. Highly recommended.

The Crown Of The Blood is a high fantasy novel with a very low fantastic element in it. Thorpe follows some typical military tropes to tell his story although he puts it in an original setting. The pacing is moderate although the plot development is fairly fast. Military affairs take up the brunt of the story, but Thorpe does not spend much time on battles, sticking mainly to the top command, which also is taken by the main character of the novel. The plot itself is entertaining enough although it is not much that out of the ordinary. There are some nice twists, but Thorpe has a destination to reach that in the end does get where it intended to be. That does take out some of the anticipation, although there the road taken and the way Thorpe tells his story prevents the reader from getting bored or the story becoming a drag.

Besides following the main character Thorpe has two other major narratives that provide some extra insight in events. One of the narratives is actually not that well chosen, although it does contain the most dramatic storyline, so the character was chosen for that reason and not for the perspective. There are also some minor points of view. Thorpe only uses those were he we wants to add something extra and they don’t get much extra.

The character development is rather minor. Only one character undergoes several changes. Most of the others, including the central character, don’t seem much shaken by the turn of events they come across. The main character himself is rather strange. For an important military commander he seems to think and behave more like a soldier than a general and throughout the novel he remains rather straightforward and naive in his actions. There is nothing special about him and it is more the weakness of the opposition and his unwillingness to show his strength that allow him to move events.

Despite the mundane nature of the story and the peculiar central character, the plot does contain a hidden secret, a mystery that held my interest throughout the novel. On the background something was going on and Thorpe barely gave anything away about it. I am still intrigued about it and it is this which want me to read the next novel as the story is far from done. Thorpe also set the story in an original setting that is different from the usual fantasy fare, creating a society and culture that may not be particularly complex, but is at least different and something else. I really like it when authors take that step and it certainly is a stimulant for my ongoing interest.

The aforementioned novel is called The Drowning City (2009) by Amanda Downum. The first thing that gave me a better perspective of the story was that it put a setting in a location that was similar to somewhere in southeast Asia. Such a setting is rather unusual in fantasy, so that made me interested in how Downum would present it. She did so quite well. It gave me the right vibe and she managed to keep it nondescript, making it hard to determine familiar elements that I might recognize. For one part this was also caused by a lack of description. The main character only visits a limited number of places so the reader only gets a limited view of those. Downum keeps the point of view narrow. If the character doesn’t pay attention to it, then she doesn’t tell more. Personally I don’t mind that as my own imagination fills in the details where I want them to be, although there could have been a bit more. The picture I could create of the setting remained incomplete.

Although there is a main character, there are some story threads involving minor characters. Although Downum tries to she did not entirely succeed in fleshing them out the extent that I got to care about them. This worked better with the main character, although as a heroine she did move around rather ineffectually, while she claims to be one of the best.

One thing I should not forget to mention is that the term “necromancer” is a bit too heavy as a word. In the story it is just someone who works sorcery through spirits in a wide range of ways. There is no real undead element which once again confirmed my right guess to pick this one up even though of the term. In fact the world the story takes place in has a strong spirit element, which makes it all relatively normal.

The story itself unfolds quickly. Downum wastes no time on introductions or foreplay. Nevertheless things are not rushed. Everything takes it time. Not that the story development is slow. Events run on every turn and plenty happens. The strange thing is that it doesn’t feel that way. Downum has a writing style that has a leisurely pace. In a way it expresses the warm humid climate the characters are in. The surprising thing is that it doesn’t take Downum many words to achieve this effect. It can easily be created by using many words to slow the reader down. Instead Downum uses very few words, allowing for a dual flow in the narrative.

The plot is not very complicated. Downum keeps things as down to earth as possible. Yes there is magic, but it does not dominate. It serves the story and most other things are not so different from normal situations. The characters may have abilities, they only give them an advantage in certain situations. In others they have to handle things no different than any other person.

I did not get particularly excited about The Drowning City. On the other hand it did not have real flaws either. I did enjoy the read. It is different from the usual fantasy fare although it does not take things on a weird or grand scale. It is a good novel, not exceptional although the usage of fantastical elements and the peculiar writing style in combination with the plot development do somewhat impress me. I certainly want to read more and although I have the next novel at hand, I have not felt inclined yet to start with it. Thus my mixed reaction. If it really had taken me, I would have continued reading the series. As I cannot really pinpoint real flaws or dislikes I can only conclude I was not entirely satisfied. The story did not grab me and I only really cared somewhat about the main character. All the others remained unsubstantial. Still I do would recommend this novel, but it would not be on top of any list.

David Weber had sidetracked his main character in the previous novel, now on the way back he sidetracks her a bit more, exploring another part of the universe the story takes place in. The mission is different, the resources more limited than ever and the environment is rather hostile. That is how it seems. However, familiar characters rush to the main characters’ support so that the limitation in resources can be compensated. And the hostile environment? Not as much as it appears. Before long it’s business as usual and true danger doesn’t fall through. Weber adds in some minor storylines to spice things up, but they are quite predictable. In my head I had some interesting scenario’s but I didn’t see anything coming close except for one sequence that turned out to be just a game of power play that didn’t go all out. It is something I’m starting to expect from Weber by now. He doesn’t want to hurt his characters too much. It’s okay not to do so. It is just that he opens a broad window of opportunities that I don’t see that often in other stories and my expectations start rising high in anticipation. And then he hardly makes any use of it. It’s a choice and it could take the story development in far dramatic directions. These choices are why this series doesn’t manage to really rise above the mainstream. Not all of his novels have this, I need to add. It is this particular novel in which he takes his story to a new and different environment where it is made possible.

One other thing that I’ve started to notice after reading six novels within a fairly short space of time is that most of the different character rather talk much of the same. I know these books have been written rather quickly within a short span of years. It is just that as a writer one of the fun things in writing should be varying the way characters talk and behave to give them more body and character. I’m beginning to miss this, especially as the main character is joined with friends from the past which makes the interaction too easygoing and the stiff military speech is slackened a lot which drains the variation even more. One of Weber’s key phrases that stands out is “At any rate”, which is used by virtually any character. Weber also introduces another nickname which comes out of nowhere and simply does not work for me. I won’t make a real verdict on it.

Besides these complaints of mine the story is entertaining enough and a fun read, flipping the pages easily. It is of a lower quality than the previous two novels so Weber rather returns to his minimum quality level and this novel certainly doesn’t add much to it. In the changed setting of the novel he rather sticks in familiar territory. The people encountered are not that much different than what the main character is familiar with. The culture is pretty much the same and all the rest is rather interchangeable. The series seems to be slowly amassing missed opportunities. Perhaps it is that the previous two novels were so much better that I’m complaining more than before. I know I am usually rather critical even when I enjoyed a novel and finished it within a short amount of time. I can only assume it has been a slow build-up which has reached its peak. For the series itself the novel is not the weakest and they are all not that far off from each other in actual quality. I am also not done with the series. There are more novels and I will pick them up eventually. I just bumped into my comment after reading the first novel that one shouldn’t read too many of them and keep some intervals between them to wear them off.

This is the fourth book he has written and this one takes up a storyline that has been lingering since the first book of The Malazan Book Of The Fallen and remained unfinished after the eight book of the series, Toll The Hounds. In a way one can see Orb Sceptre Throne as a sequel to that novel. There are a few minor storylines from Esslemont’s earlier books that continue here as well, but most of the storylines in the novel are all related to the central story arc. In that Esslemont keeps up at staying onto fairly standalone  novels, although one needs to have read the books of the Fallen to appreciate them fully.

In more than one way Orb Sceptre Throne wraps up old storylines and brings them to, although perhaps temporary, a conclusion. Some mysteries are finally unraveled. The tragic element that was part of his and Erikson’s books is diminished much. So much has happened already that more would not leave much left. In that sense the ending is rather timid. I had expected a great clash, but it didn’t happen. Matters got resolved without reverting to them. In a way that was disappointing. Nevertheless it is good for a change to see that great destruction and violence is not always the answer so I did appreciate how Esslemont handled it.

The story was well crafted in the typical style we are used to, quickly switching between characters and scenes.  For a change there are less greater powers active which reduces the tone of the events to a more down to earth nature, although plenty of supernatural stuff keeps happening.

Esslemont’s writing style has always been very similar to that of Steven Erikson. Because his earlier novels followed characters that Erikson hadn’t touched it remained hard to really compare them. In Orb Sceptre Throne most of the characters used have been introduced and used much by Erikson. I was thus very interested in how well Esslemont could preserve their peculiar characteristics. I have to say he did so very well. I had only a feeling that there were minor differences, but I couldn’t point them out.  Should two authors be so similar in style? I don’t really mind. Esslemont does have a different voice and the similarity makes his and Erikson’s novels form a greater unity than it might have had.

I had great joy to read more stories taking place in the Malazan universe and Orb Sceptre Throne is a good addition to the series. It closes a number of old open ends which means that the next stories will contain more new things, about which I am in great anticipation. Recommended.

Flag In Exile mixes planetary events with activities in outer space. In that sense it is more like the first novel of the series, On Basilisk Station. Differences are that there is not as much action and the pace is somewhat lower.  Much is focused on the grand finale so it takes some reading before the story goes all out.

The main character has undergone some heavy ordeals in the previous novel and still suffers from it in this one. To Weber the main character is his heroine so whatever still plagues her does not inflict as heavy troubles as it could have been. As usual he remains somewhat lenient on her. The drama isn’t taken as far as it could have been. Of course one can attribute it to the strong will and character of the main character to be able to overcome her hurdles so quickly. This prevents heavier drama to follow as the main character keeps it under control. Weber does show the vulnerability caused by earlier experiences is still there.  As said in previous reviews, the way Weber portrays the main character is not a flaw and that he doesn’t take the drama further isn’t either. I mainly mention them because they are obvious paths that could have been taken in the story. Weber limits the heavy drama to a few and keeps the others at bay. Describing these choices reflect how the story is set up so you know what you will get.

The story itself is engaging, although one some parts it remains rather mundane for a science fiction novel. Weber doesn’t cover much ground that is original or extending or crossing boundaries. He stays within the familiar limits of the genre. His only original contribution is on space travel and space ships which has been well developed. The main focus lies on space warfare so he chooses not to spend too much time on details that are not related to it. The question that remains with me is if he puts his focus where his strengths are or that he could have developed the non-space warfare elements in a better way. That would certainly have improved the overall standing of the series. Now it remains rather mainstream, however well written and structured the space warfare is.

With Flag In Exile Weber keeps a certain level of quality after the good Field Of Dishonor. Among the novels until now it is about average in quality which is a positive thing as the novels keep me reading on. Turning the pages comes easily and that is always a good thing.

Field Of Dishonor contains exactly what I was missing in the previous novels. The characters take center place as they are now outside the regular spaceship setting and are able to behave and act without the normal constraints within the military. There is much more personal drama and character development and this brings everything much more to the front.I really liked it and consider it a vast improvement.

The story is not all that perfect. There are some minor details that Weber glances over of which I had expected him to spend some time on if he was really trying to go all out. He also pulls out more rabbits out of the hat that seem a bit too convenient for the main character. There are more struggles but he still refrains from going all the way. He remains somewhat protective of his main character, making her a bit too skilled on too many fields. However, a writer is allowed to choose his own approach to how he wants to portray and present his characters and it is also a subjective thing as each reader is different. By and by I should also remind myself that this novel is from the early nineties in which the science fiction genre was still quite different from what we are used to nowadays in science fiction.

All in all I consider Field Of Dishonor the best of the series until now. The plot of the first novel was better, but it loses on some style issues which Weber managed to get rid of mostly afterwards.Field Of Dishonor is more dramatic while still being a pageturner despite the lesser action, and it made me very eager to read the next installment as with this novel Weber breaks the standalone pattern and makes it part of the greater story. This book is still readable as a standalone work although it would spoil much of the events from the first three books. This one’s recommended.

While it is an official journal describing the daily progress and technical details and complications of the journey, Cook adds in a lot of observations. He is not simply recording where they are and what they encounter, he also tries to understand the people and cultures he meets and explain it in the right frame of mind. He is not simply an explorer, he pursues scientific research. He is careful in his approach, prefers to hold back and not judge too quickly, avoiding violence if possible even if the people he encounters have rather barbaric habits. He tries to understand them and does not push his values upon them. He is knowledgeable on previous explorations of the unknown and the errors that were made in those, leading to enmity and misunderstanding between explorers and natives. He tries not to abuse them from his superior position, although his expedition is limited in resources he always needs to trade for food in the most profitable way as he does not know how long his journeys will be.

While writing his accounts on what takes place, the reader gets insight in his character and behavior. He also gives his opinion on the situations he encounters. Often he seems very lenient towards the natives he encounters. This is only as long as they don’t cross certain boundaries that might cause undesired side effects. When this happens he immediately steps into action and does not stop until matters are resolved to his satisfaction while making sure he limits any negative impact from his actions. This approach made me reminiscent of the so-called Prime Directive from the Star Trek series. Cook himself reminded me much of captain Picard from the Next Generation Star Trek series. It almost seemed to me that his character had to be inspired by Cook. Because of his personal contribution to the journal it also resembles much of a diary. So this is not just a travel book, but also a partial autobiography.

The journals cover three expeditions. The first is to the Pacific Ocean. This is very new territory and most of the serious discoveries take place on this first journey.  It is also the most dramatic of the three journeys. Cook encounters more dangers and hardships than on the other expeditions.

The second expedition aims at finding the unknown southern continent. As we already know there is only ice there is not much to discover. Even so, Cook returns to some of the places he has been before and some new ones in between his attempts to find the southern continent. As he spent much less time in those places during the first journey we get a better view.

The third journey aims at exploring the northern Pacific Ocean, especially the Arctic. This is a quite different kind of journey. In the first place is the style of the journal. Cook lets go of the daily notifications and tries to write more of a travel story than a journal. Before heading to the northern Pacific he returns to earlier places and spends much more time there, giving many more details of rituals and other local matters. In his behavior Cook has also changed. He has less patience with the nasty habits of the natives and he treats them harsher. Perhaps he believes they should know better after several visits.

The abridged version focuses mainly on the discoveries and the events the expedition encounters. General descriptions of the lands and details that are similar to earlier ones that have been described are mostly left out. Only in a few cases I wanted to have read them. In most cases I was fine with the chosen cuts.

The edition I read kept Cook’s original writing style. Most prominent is the lack of consistency in the way he writes his words. Often he uses a phonetic version and this version can vary as well as if he is not sure how to write certain words. Fortunately it does not hamper the readability of the journals. One just has to get used to it and then it reads easily enough. Despite the use of phonetic words Cook’s prose is quite readable. I’ve read old journals before and I had much more trouble with them. I had expected I would need several to many months to finish this book, but it went much faster. Nevertheless this is not a book to read in long sessions. I simply read for like an hour per day and that worked fine.

The Journals of James Cook is certainly a very interesting read to anyone wanting to know about late eighteenth century shipfaring and the Pacific cultures and peoples of those times, even when you don’t know what it all means, but you know as much as the explorers do so you feel like you are part of the mission. It is a fine story of a careful and scientific approach to exploration. I enjoyed it quite a bit, much more than I expected.