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3.87 AVERAGE
3.87 AVERAGE
adventurous
fast-paced
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
My favourite Charles Stross book yet. I'm very much looking forward to the rest of the series.
What I like about this book, and hopefully the rest of the series, is the diverse settings and how they have been carefully constructed to provide contrast and commentary, above and beyond the actual text. Best of all, that layer of thought is able to be easily ignored while enjoying the story itself.
The story moves quickly, almost too its detriment sometimes. Even with the challenges and road-blocks she faces, Miriam adapts remarkably quickly to an enormously large amount of change in a very short space of time, which I don't find terribly plausible. Putting that aside, I have no other major complaints, there are just enough twists and turns to keep you guessing and entertained.
I'm looking forward to seeing how the rest of the series plays out.
Reading Time: 8 hours, 41 mins
What I like about this book, and hopefully the rest of the series, is the diverse settings and how they have been carefully constructed to provide contrast and commentary, above and beyond the actual text. Best of all, that layer of thought is able to be easily ignored while enjoying the story itself.
The story moves quickly, almost too its detriment sometimes. Even with the challenges and road-blocks she faces, Miriam adapts remarkably quickly to an enormously large amount of change in a very short space of time, which I don't find terribly plausible. Putting that aside, I have no other major complaints, there are just enough twists and turns to keep you guessing and entertained.
I'm looking forward to seeing how the rest of the series plays out.
Reading Time: 8 hours, 41 mins
A fun bit of fantasy from Charles Stross. His familiar themes are pushed slightly to the background here as he tells a fun, and engaging story of a woman who has inherited a family ability to flip between worlds.
While certainly not one of Stross' most engaging or well written works, it's seriously fun, the main characters are likeable and avoid being too cliched, and there are enough little in-jokes to keep a techy like me entertained.
It does make you appreciate just how well written the Game of Thrones books are too.
I look forward to reading the rest of this series.
While certainly not one of Stross' most engaging or well written works, it's seriously fun, the main characters are likeable and avoid being too cliched, and there are enough little in-jokes to keep a techy like me entertained.
It does make you appreciate just how well written the Game of Thrones books are too.
I look forward to reading the rest of this series.
adventurous
informative
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
I had this on my tbr list for a while, or rather the original books were for a while. If you want to read the series you have to get the collections now apparently due to publisher reasons.
I was enjoying the heck out of this up until about 5-6 pages from the end.Basically inexplicably (though in dangerous circumstances) the male love interest is killed off. Also in a situation where the main character is not entirely clear on what is going on.
Either it is suddenly sloppy clunkyness or a setup because there are reasons to want them presumed dead. And wouldn’t be the first character in there book to turn up not dead. (And sufficient political reasons to want them out of the way)
I’m going with thatset up theory, but it pretty much spoiled the ending for me. Hence 3 rather than 5 stars.
I was enjoying the heck out of this up until about 5-6 pages from the end.
Either it is suddenly sloppy clunkyness or a setup because there are reasons to want them presumed dead. And wouldn’t be the first character in there book to turn up not dead. (And sufficient political reasons to want them out of the way)
I’m going with that
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
After having read all of the "Laundry Files" books, this one comes as a disappointment. This compilation of the first two books of the "The Merchant Princes" series contains less story line and character development than one of the LF stories. It's more a long winded story of intrigue, betrayal and the fight for influence - not my cup of tea.
Regarding the audio book version: Excellent reading, without this I probably wouldn't have finished!
Regarding the audio book version: Excellent reading, without this I probably wouldn't have finished!