TheBullMooseReport

A compressed blueprint for what is necessary

Revisado: 01-02-24

Bothe the first book “Delta-V” and this book Critical Mass, are well written, and well researched.

The characters are at times heartening, and frustrating, they are to the extent written believable.

From a political, physics and engineering perspective, I feel the timeline is a bit compressed, but over a three decade span I could see all of this happening.

Excellent read. I look forward to other titles by this author. I also look forward to meeting him at any sci-fi convention he is a panelist at.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

bad teenage military sci-fi

Revisado: 04-20-22

I really tried to give this thing as much as I could. The writing is cliche, the drama is forced, the descriptions are mechanical and without flow.

I admit some of that could be the narrator, but it's just not very well done or very well written.

I don't think The writer ever served in a combat role, or the military. each one of the team members are a character of a military archetype, poorly written, poorly executed. just not well done.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

I'm fan of spaceopera, & hard sci-fi. But......

Revisado: 11-27-21

I just can't get into the characters.

While there seems to be I real effort at some character development, I just can't find myself wanting to continue to read or listen when the human race is clearly heading for the crapper, and is actually been there for quite a while.

if I wanted to have nothing but bad news, with no escape, and no hope, then I'd read some depressing horror.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

fantasy magic, not science fiction.

Revisado: 10-19-21

The story is interesting, the characters have some depth in complexity and overall the story is decent.

The challenge I'm having with this, is I began this series when I was looking for a science fiction story.

For some reason people continue to try to label fantasy as science fiction because science fiction sells more, and that's really bothering me.

If you like fantasy, you will enjoy this story. if you like science fiction, and we're looking for science fiction you'll be very confused and by the time you hit the second book you'll realize that there is no science in this at all, and it is purely a fantasy novel of magic.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

finally became too much.

Revisado: 09-28-21

The author has been regurgitating old Roman esque stories for the last two books. I was seriously hoping that it would improve, but it has only gotten worse.

it's really quite obvious that the entire book series is based off of the jackal being the mad emperor Cammodus, The Darrow is loosely based off of Marcus Aurelius / Spartacus and the entire story is based off of the second slave uprising in Rome's third century AD.

It is now gotten to the point where there's no science, there's no story, and the character development is off the rails.

I'm sorry but the lead character is such an emotional basket case, and gullible fool that he could never actually be in the position he is.

For all this is supposed to be about trust and friendship and loyalty, it's more about stupidity and gullibility and conmen.

But the science part really got me.

Example: If you are in a ship, that has artificial gravity, and also is moving at a significant acceleration to be able to get from the Jovian moons to the Earth lunar system in a couple of weeks, and then you think because someone 6 seconds "communications delay" is a long ways off, and you don't have anything to worry, you're an idiot.

The delaying communications between the Earth and the Moon is about 1 and 1/2 seconds at 250,000 miles. light traveling at 186,000 mi a second.

none of the communications, or distances in this book make any sense.

this is glaringly obvious, when the author seems to think that the early warning systems for the moon, which he calls "the Rubicon buoys" at 1 million km, is some huge distance.

So when The hero is flying between planets, and receives a signal from the jackal and asks what the delay is of the transmission time and it is only a 6 second delay. So therefore The hero deduces they're safe.

evidently they're also moving stealthfully, because the jackal can't figure out that they're not headed for Mars but they're headed for the Earth Luna system instead?

so I guess optics, and radar, and laser ranging, none of that exists in this future with anti-gravity and pulse cannons etc.

so on top of the horrible character representation and development, along with miraculous saves that have only been seen in the cheesiest of books, and fiction of a hundred years ago, this author apparently never even completed high school science. maybe not even middle school science.


final judgment is, bad storyline, bad science, bad character development,and terrible plot line.

I just can't take it anymore.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Red Rising a book for a times,

Revisado: 09-21-21

this is a book that is for our times. it talks of the billionaires, and the gig workers, and the refugees in the peasants. it uses other words, and puts them in other context, but this is a book about our world today. it is also a book that leans heavily upon the Roman empire prior to its fall.

this first book in the series does not have much to do with spaceships, and only a limited amount with advanced technology.

I only found two minor inconsistencies in the book, that the editor missed. but they do not detract from the story.

so read this book, and then think about your position in the color schemes, because they're really there.

and know that if the golds are not overthrown, in this lifetime, they will rule for a thousand years because technology will make certain of it.

Great book look forward to the others.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

They changed the voice actor and not for the bette

Revisado: 05-18-21

for the first four books of this series, the individual who was doing their voice-overs, I thought didn't excellent job.

The voice-overs in this book, makes everyone sound like they're from New Jersey in varying ways. it gets a little better as the book goes on, but not good enough.

so if you were a real fan of the first four bucks, I would suggest reading this one as opposed to listening to it.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 5 personas

excellent space opera with good character developm

Revisado: 05-09-21

Whilel obviously a setup for a series of books, it was very well done.

The science in the novel is fairly accurate, and adheres to our understanding of the physical universe.

The character development is very well done, and the flashbacks well implemented.

you still want to find out a little bit more about the Martinez family, and their background, but I have a feeling that'll be slowly metered out as the real mystery here with Sula.

I also enjoyed some of the backstory and look forward to finding out more if there is any more.

if there is no more backstory, that will also work as it was a good setup for the ongoing story. I will be getting the next book.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

The book is definitely aimed at younger readers.

Revisado: 05-07-21

The characters are interesting, the plot line has a few twists.

it is a decent book for a 12-year-old. A 16-year-old would probably not make it past a third of the way, in the first book in the series.

I say again, it is a good book, just not targeted to an adult or older teenage audience.

There's no hard science in this. in all honesty, you could substitute else for Dion's, dwarves for the crab like creatures, and plucky human rogue for the protagonist and you'd have a fantasy novel. without changing just about anything else.

If you're looking for a diversion, or something for your 12-year-old, this is a good book.

If you're looking for a space opera science fiction, forget it.

It's not a bad book, and the writing is decent. it just isn't space opera.

When I first started the series, I was hoping I would get a space opera series as that is what I searched for on Goodreads.

Overall decent book, but just so you know this is a fantasy novel with overlays of technology, and none of the "science" in it has any basis in our current understanding of the universe in any way at all.

Arthur C Clarke told us that an advanced science could be indistinguishable from magic. In this case, I think even that would be difficult.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

decent as military sci-fi goes and space opera

Revisado: 04-04-21

I found the story to be interesting, although confusing in the first few chapters. it got much better as it went along, and became more detailed and understood.

Most of the interactions between the Marines were different, but believable given my own personal experiences with combat.

his overall description of the surroundings are decent upon visual, I only wish there was a little bit more background developed through conversation.

Good enough that I'm willing to order up the next book in the series. and I think I'll look forward to the third one as well.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña