mabigg's reviews
3 reviews

The Palace of Eternity by Bob Shaw

adventurous reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

A wonderful novel! This has all the makings of a Hollywood blockbuster: excellent pacing, a great protagonist, and exciting action sequences against formidable aliens. Yet it's more than that as Shaw is an excellent writer who presents a multitude of big ideas that make SF as a genre so special. 

The toughest part of finishing my first Bob Shaw novel will be choosing the next.

Highly recommended.

Ringworld by Larry Niven

slow-paced

3.0

Good, but not great. Overrated and over-hyped. Not awful though.

The Drowned World by J.G. Ballard

medium-paced

• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

Took 30+ pages to get going out of 175, and even then I wouldn't describe it as particularly exciting or interesting. Ballard is a wonderful writer, but this book is a tad overrated.