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aleffert's review against another edition
3.0
It is natural to compare this to Spin, the book it's a sequel of and so I will. Spin is a better book in basically every way. The plot is stronger, the characterization is deeper, the setting of social upheaval vastly more interesting. It ended with some open questions, but i didn't really feel it needed a sequel. That said, Axis is a totally competent and fairly engaging book, with solid if largely uninteresting characters and a decent amount of action and suspense. Apparently one more book is coming in the series and I am cautiously optimistic.
mjrosenb's review against another edition
4.0
Good, but it was missing something compared with the first book.
willia4's review against another edition
3.0
When I first read Axis, I didn't write a review for it (as I wasn't reviewing books at the time). When I started added some of my favorite books into Goodreads, I decided that it warranted a review; but it seems that I could only find two sentences to say about it: "Good, but not nearly as good as Spin. Which isn't really surprising since Spin was just phenomenal.".
Well. That doesn't say very much, does it? Once I found out that the third book in this series, Vortex was out, I decided that I should re-read the first two before cracking open the third. And now that I've finished it, why not try to flesh out those two sentences a bit?
The problem is that those two sentences really do sort of sum it up. This is not a bad little book, though it's a bit tedious in ways that Spin never was. But it's a little tough to explain why it was tedious. I think it comes back to the way that Spin catalogs a few decades worth (or, a few billion years worth, depending on how you count) of an incomprehensibly large world-changing event as seen through the eyes of one of the smartest, most driven people alive (or, at least, his personal physician). Axis, on the other hand, tells the story of a few relatively normal people living through a reasonably large adventure.
Which is to say, I suppose, that the scale is completely different. I used the word "adventure" in my previous paragraph, and I think that's accurate. In its heart, Axis is an adventure story: there are daring break-ins, earth quakes, collapsing buildings, explosions, government intrigue, and more. Sure, a Big science fiction plot is wrapped around it (the whole thing takes place on a "neighboring" planet and one of the main characters is a Martian, after all), but the sci-fi feels like window dressing for something just a little tawdrier.
Not that there's anything wrong with an adventure story. I like adventure stories. But, as a follow-up to such a masterwork of the genre as Spin, it just feels wrong: almost boring, as if the explosions are just there as a distraction from the plot which has an extremely slow build to a somewhat anti-climatic ending.
As a stand-alone work, though, it's pretty entertaining. So I still rate it at 3 stars. I liked it. It's just not the book you should read immediately after finishing Spin. And that's a shame since the series ordering practically begs you to do that (after finishing Spin, you want to keep reading).
Well. That doesn't say very much, does it? Once I found out that the third book in this series, Vortex was out, I decided that I should re-read the first two before cracking open the third. And now that I've finished it, why not try to flesh out those two sentences a bit?
The problem is that those two sentences really do sort of sum it up. This is not a bad little book, though it's a bit tedious in ways that Spin never was. But it's a little tough to explain why it was tedious. I think it comes back to the way that Spin catalogs a few decades worth (or, a few billion years worth, depending on how you count) of an incomprehensibly large world-changing event as seen through the eyes of one of the smartest, most driven people alive (or, at least, his personal physician). Axis, on the other hand, tells the story of a few relatively normal people living through a reasonably large adventure.
Which is to say, I suppose, that the scale is completely different. I used the word "adventure" in my previous paragraph, and I think that's accurate. In its heart, Axis is an adventure story: there are daring break-ins, earth quakes, collapsing buildings, explosions, government intrigue, and more. Sure, a Big science fiction plot is wrapped around it (the whole thing takes place on a "neighboring" planet and one of the main characters is a Martian, after all), but the sci-fi feels like window dressing for something just a little tawdrier.
Not that there's anything wrong with an adventure story. I like adventure stories. But, as a follow-up to such a masterwork of the genre as Spin, it just feels wrong: almost boring, as if the explosions are just there as a distraction from the plot which has an extremely slow build to a somewhat anti-climatic ending.
As a stand-alone work, though, it's pretty entertaining. So I still rate it at 3 stars. I liked it. It's just not the book you should read immediately after finishing Spin. And that's a shame since the series ordering practically begs you to do that (after finishing Spin, you want to keep reading).
vicdigital's review against another edition
4.0
Incredibly thought-provoking book, a sequel to the equally compelling "Spin". And this is apparently the middle book of what will turn out to be a trilogy, which makes sense, because the BIG idea of these two books has yet to be resolved.
Wilson is a master at putting very HUMAN characters in the midst of these amazing, mind-blowing situations, and allowing the reader to fully experience these events.
However... I HAVE noticed a disturbing trend in his novels that I'd be perfectly happy to see him abandon, and that's where one character (the one usually driving the human side of the plot) turns out to be more than a little crazy. They become the de facto 'villain' of the book, when one wasn't needed. First "The Chronoliths", then "Spin" and now "Axis" (and likely his other books as well), someone emerges in this role. In the first two books, it was necessary (and in The Chronoliths, it works fantastically), but here, it feels a bit forced.
One side note, I know that Wilson is an agnostic or an atheist, and attempts to seed some of his novels with this doubt about God, but in MY experience reading his books, it only helps reinforce my own faith. As with anything beyond our understanding or ability to prove beyond a shadow of a doubt, we must ultimately fall back on pure faith, and many of his characters do indeed do that. I find it comforting, rather than unsettling.
Anyway, this is a wonderful book. But definitely read "Spin" first.
Wilson is a master at putting very HUMAN characters in the midst of these amazing, mind-blowing situations, and allowing the reader to fully experience these events.
However... I HAVE noticed a disturbing trend in his novels that I'd be perfectly happy to see him abandon, and that's where one character (the one usually driving the human side of the plot) turns out to be more than a little crazy. They become the de facto 'villain' of the book, when one wasn't needed. First "The Chronoliths", then "Spin" and now "Axis" (and likely his other books as well), someone emerges in this role. In the first two books, it was necessary (and in The Chronoliths, it works fantastically), but here, it feels a bit forced.
One side note, I know that Wilson is an agnostic or an atheist, and attempts to seed some of his novels with this doubt about God, but in MY experience reading his books, it only helps reinforce my own faith. As with anything beyond our understanding or ability to prove beyond a shadow of a doubt, we must ultimately fall back on pure faith, and many of his characters do indeed do that. I find it comforting, rather than unsettling.
Anyway, this is a wonderful book. But definitely read "Spin" first.
yvarg's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
eeuan's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
sebrei's review
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75