Pages

Saturday, April 25, 2015

Review: A.I. Apocalypse


A.I. Apocalypse
A.I. Apocalypse by William Hertling

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



Great story, good characters, but the main heroes are the (multiple!) A.I.'s.
SF set in the near future, the technology only a few years away and some already in development.
Character development a little better, than in the first book, and also like-able characters.
Highly recommended what-if-scenario, good sequel to Avogadro Corp (Singularity #1) byWilliam Hertling.
This not part of a trilogy anymore, a fourth part has been published, with probably no end in sight.
You have been warned. Already bought the other two parts, not sure when I will read them, I will take a break from SF.
Recommended to fans of the first book, fans of Daniel Suarez and Das System by Karl Olsberg (German Book) have not found it in english translation.



View all my reviews

Monday, April 20, 2015

Review: The Body Farm


The Body Farm
The Body Farm by Patricia Cornwell

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



I must admit, it is rather hard to write this review without spoiling anything.
The entire review with spoilers is found on Goodreads. This one is different, without spoilers.
Also I skimmed a few of the bad reviews (1-2 star) and I agree, this is so far the worst in the series.
Kay hm, too vigilante and dangerous ending, also with Lucy not very satisfying, too neat.
And not very much about the Body Farm, despite the title-giving place.
The book felt as if Patricia Cornwell is running out of steam meaning ideas. Also I think a different editor (this book is supposed to be seen by an editor) should have caught the problems with this book.
As I read the first 5 ebooks in this series back2back, I will take a break now.
Still, 3 stars, but also: not recommended and I am not too sure I will read more of the series.



View all my reviews

Review: Time's Edge


Time's Edge
Time's Edge by Rysa Walker

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



Almost all I said for the first in the series, Timebound, also applies to this book.
Great second book in the series, romance - love-triangel is just right, not too much and not too unbelievable.
Still sex-scenes only hinted at, happening off-page.
Really like the main characters.
Tweaking the time-line just to save one person proves difficult, if you do not know the repercussions.
The third and probably final book is supposed to be published later this year, and I will order it as soon as possible.
There are a few additional books in the same universe by different writers, which I just bought but have not read yet.
The setting of these books, observing the past with the help of a time-machine is entirely believable.
Highly recommended.



View all my reviews

Monday, April 13, 2015

Review: Compulsion


Compulsion
Compulsion by Allison Brennan

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



Warning: Love triangle.
Except for the complications with that and for me too much romance (and no sex), very good.
Also torture and some gruesome scenes. You have been warned.
Part of the books where flashbacks to scenes from her live, which sometimes felt boring, but later it became clear, that they where necessary and very well integrated in the main story. With enough twists to keep the interest.
Highly recommended page-turner. Preordered this and paid a bit more, than I am usually willing to pay for ebooks (12.99 Eur, which is today 13.75 Us$).



View all my reviews

Review: The Missing


The Missing
The Missing by Jane Casey

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



This is a standalone.
A few nice twists, although the final one was nearly obvious (well, I did not see it coming, but it was not totally unexpected as I skimmed a few reviews first, nearly spoiling me the book).
Except for the ending, that was bit much, this is a highly recommended book.
Great writing, as always with Jane Casey.



View all my reviews

Review: Time's Echo


Time's Echo
Time's Echo by Rysa Walker

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



Very good Novella with much needed background from Kiernan's POV.
Highly recommended for readers of the other books in the series. To be read after the first and before the second book.
But do not pay too much for it, I read it for free, it was an Amazon-Prime-lent book.



View all my reviews

Review: Timebound


Timebound
Timebound by Rysa Walker

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Started Time's Echo and realized that I should have read this one first, so I did, having already bought it nearly 2 years ago.
Luckily the 2nd book is published and as an Amazon-Prime-Member free for lending next month.
And the third book not too far away.
Romance in this book is ok, but borders on a love-triangle and instalove, you have been warned.
As I write this I am reading other books and am close to the ending of this book a quarter of an hour according to the Kindle.
The action and time-traveling is well done, constantly thinking of what happens if one little thing is changed, and not knowing the outcome.
Or suspecting the outcome and not liking it.
Great, so far. And highly recommended, the romance does not grate on my nerves and is not that important in this book.
But also no sex-scenes either, could have been a better.
The setting with a known serial-killer in the distant past, and luckily some other than Jack the Ripper, reminds me a little of Now You See Me (Lacey Flint, #1) - S.J. Bolton, but not as copied from the case files. Also it is imho not known wether the killer acted alone or who were his helpers (in RL and in the book so far).
Very well done. Rysa Walker is a history buff, and sometimes it is a bit much, but so far it is not distracting from the action and main story, again, rather integrated and perfectly done.
And the time traveling, gets not as confusing as in Tempest (Tempest, #1) - Julie Cross.






View all my reviews

Review: Cruel and Unusual


Cruel and Unusual
Cruel and Unusual by Patricia Cornwell

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



Again beginning solving computer-problems with Lucy, yeah!
Rest is ok, recommended, fast-page-turner, still too similar to the other books and too expensive as an ebook.




View all my reviews

Review: All That Remains


All That Remains
All That Remains by Patricia Cornwell

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Rampant paranoia, conspiracy theories, and after just 3 books a simple pattern emerges, I do not really like.
Also the final twist after the first end, while well integrated, sews the problems up too neat, I would have liked to end the book without it.
That way it would have been a quite different ending and set a strong example why I do not like neither vigilantes nor vigilante killings.
Romance got worse, could have done without it. Too much background family/romance, should have cut that, the book would read better without it.
Still recommended, as a fast page-turner, but as I bought it, I think the ebooks are way too expensive. A cheap 1-5 Omnibus-Edition as is available as a paperback would be nice.



View all my reviews

Review: Body of Evidence


Body of Evidence
Body of Evidence by Patricia Cornwell

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



No Lucy and nearly no computers, and bad romance. After the lies and deception I would have ended the romance in Kays stead.
The story seems to follow a certain formularistic outline. I will keep an eye on that.
Still recommended and fast-paced-page-turner. Ending could have been better, so only 4stars.



View all my reviews

Review: Postmortem


Postmortem
Postmortem by Patricia Cornwell

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



As I read Kathy Reichs, Jefferson Bass, Karin Slaughter and Tess Gerritsen it was a logical step to read Patricia Cornwell.
One of the things that stopped me so far, was the number of books in the series, as I like to begin at the beginning.
This was spot on, a fast paced page turner and what really interested me, was her use of computers, as I started my education during that time, using nearly the same setup (dumb terminals, LAN, modem, PC etc.) and her descriptions are faultless, which I really appreciate.
This also leads to the introduction of the character I like most: Lucy.
The ending is ok, for a first book.
Highly recommended, fast page-turner. As real as it gets.



View all my reviews

Review: When I Was Jane


When I Was Jane
When I Was Jane by Theresa Mieczkowski

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



More like 2.5, Ending was very unsatisfying.
The beginning and first part of the story where good, but I cannot relate to any person in the book, and do not like the heroine. That I cannot even remember her name proves I do not like her.
The heroine should have taken the consequences and not accepted the lies.
I like my women (heroines) to be strong and independent and that could have happened here, but no, out of a false sense of belonging or whatever she chose to stay. A nice bloody kill would have satisfied me and increased the rating.
Not recommended, borders on boring although not really predictable.
Luckily this was an Amazon-Prime lent, so I did not buy it.



View all my reviews

Review: The Cage


The Cage
The Cage by Ethan Cross

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



Novella, a bit predictable, but as a teaser for the following books ok.
Be sure not to pay too much for it.



View all my reviews

Review: netwars 2 - Down Time 1: Rogue: Thriller


netwars 2 - Down Time 1: Rogue: Thriller
netwars 2 - Down Time 1: Rogue: Thriller by M. Sean Coleman

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



This review is not only about the first (this) part, but about the whole series, part 1-6.
Actually I would have liked it more in one book, I bought the first, when I saw all parts where available,
not when it came out. And giving that the short parts are costing too much, the whole series was more expensive when it should have been as a single book.
That is also my main gripe with it.
The story is a good continuation from the first series, and being that it is about high-speed-stock-trading (with computers, math and special, sometimes self-written programs), I can highly recommend this one, as I sometimes trade a bit in stocks myself. It is as real as it gets, without giving a manual for fraud.
No romance, lots of action, sometimes over-the-top, but a fun, fast read with a few twists, the twist at the end I saw coming, but it is ok, opening the story to a next series.
The computer parts are well explained, but then again I as a former helpdesk-slave, I maybe in too deep, I am not sure what a layperson would understand.
A short explanation of the special words and abbreviations used would have been nice.
Still, highly recommend, reasonably fast page-turner, not too over-the-top and from my pov very realistic, not SF, the story takes place in the present here and now.
For readers of Mark Russinovich and SF from Daniel Suarez.



View all my reviews