Jon
I really enjoyed this book and thought the use of Rabbits was genius to talk about the absurdity of racism. Well written, great characters (as always) and I loved the true British hero, who was so normal and basically mostly taking the path of least resistance rather than in Hollywood fashion triumphing single handily. He seemed so much more like a real person, like how most people behave in difficult circumstances. It would be an excellent read for school kids as a way to discuss racisim.
My only disappointment was the ending. I suppose I've grown too used to Hollywood heros!
This is an interesting concept and an enjoyable read but for me was somewhat let down by a rather tame and unfulfilling end. The books seemed to just stop, in fact I had paused reading for the evening thinking that the next night I would finish the book and get the exciting end and when I resumed I found I only had two pages to go! (I read this as an ebook!) I throughly enjoyed the characters and the story was intriguing but I'm not sure I will manage the second installment.
That Jodi Taylor is a Witch! If she wrote the Train Timetable it would be action packed, witty and UnPutDownAble!
I have never liked any of the classic literature (or Shakespeare who I cannot stand) having been forced to endure it at school, but I love reading so hats off to Jodi Taylor for getting me to read something outside of my normal genre of books and this is entirely due to the fact that I find her style of writing so throughly enjoyable. It seems It hardly matter what she is writing about either.
As for the book, as usual she is able to make characters come to life and even the rogues seem appealing. Her plots are always intriguing but it's the banter that I feel is her trademark and at times it's absolutely brilliant.
I'm not suddenly going to rush out and buy Jane Eyre or pick up a Dickens, but I'd read more about Mrs Bascombe and Lord Ryde happily, and would love to see them turn up on a St Mary's adventure....
There's not many books I don't finish after I begin reading them but I'm afraid this was one. I felt the writing was almost like a stoey written at school with short sentences and not much depth to descriptions and conversations. I just didn't like it, which is sad as I enjoyed the idea of it greatly.
Of course it's each to their own and I hope others enjoy it more than I did.
I though the ideas behind the book were good and the scope was huge, but found the cast of characters a bit daunting at times trying to remember what they all looked like due to the vast number of species. Old age memory probably. I though the conclusion was anti climatical and the US marines in space Fire In the hole attitude not very star trekky. Great idea but for me, let down by too many sections where charcaters just act completely out of character for Federation crew, too many different species, and too many planetary anhilations seemingly just for the sake of it. I didn't understand why the borg send a couple of ships now and again until the Federation have their last minute escape plan in place, then they send their fleet. It just didn't make sense to me. They are ruthless and relentless, and this seemed the equivalent of the baddy telling Jame Bond his entire plan while he holds a gun on Bond, right beifre Bond kills him!
I love the St Mary's books and the wonderful adventures the crew have, but I feel Ronan is the weak point in the whole thing. I know the team are disaster magnets and if it can go wrong it will go wrong, but with Roanan it alway feels a bit to ‘B' movie scripting. Too many bad guy makes a speach then the others escape, good guys get the baddy then fumble about and let him go. Just shoot the b***** on sight. Why this incessant messing about letting him escape all the time. But apart from the over used B movie Ronan, these are brilliant books with a great variety of British characters.
