David Hurwitz

Not exactly scifi

Revisado: 06-12-20

This is an okay story that could take place in 1850. It’s planet-based and has none of the wonder or mystery that a good sci-fi yarn should have. It’s also through the half I listened to before giving up, not particularly exciting. There are a lot more interesting and exciting stories on Audible

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Too Long and Too Slow

Revisado: 01-28-20

I have read all the major novels in the Diving Series, and this, the longest, is the least satisfactory. Kristine Rusch's characters are prone to overthink, rethink a situation, mull things over, and review their options, to such a degree that it really annoys me. In her previous novels and in the Retrieval Artist Series, this writing style has not been a major problem because the books in both series have been of normal length. The Renegat, however, is 28 hours long, a big book by any standard. Because the book is so long, the characters' overthinking is extreme and slows down the plot progression to a crawl. Her people also are more likely to just think to themselves than communicate to others, leading to a real paucity of normal conversation. This lack of communication causes problems and perhaps that's the point the author wants to make, but I just want to strangle someone to get them to say what they are thinking. There is a lot to like about the story, which would have been better told if it were half the length. There are mysteries, the vastness of space to contemplate, and emergencies to deal with that are exciting, all which would be better in a shorter work.
I still have issues with some of the SF background in the series. I have trouble accepting a star drive, the Ancapa drive, that can fold space, send a ship across light years (I assume, the author doesn't specify) but is about the size of a basketball and fits in a container next to the captain's chair. Also, after 5000 years or so of use, it's still unreliable, which doesn't make a lot of sense to me. And I don't understand the political structure of the galaxy, how it is governed, what is the fleet's actual role, and how it is financed. At the beginning, we are treated to the spectacle of a scrap heap with a million ships. Where does the fleet get the money to scrap a million ships? Why is the fleet always moving on, abandoning sectors? What is a sector anyway? It seems strange to me that the fleet moves on and then there is concern that anarchy and war will develop in the abandoned sectors. The author never provides answers to these obvious questions, and thus fails to flesh out a truly believable future universe.
Maybe some of these questions will be answered in the future, and maybe the author will provide more digestible 10-11 hour novels, as I would like to continue with the series.

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A Great Series Keeps Getting Better

Revisado: 04-22-19

In my opinion, The Expanse is the best science fiction series in years. Tiamat's Wrath is a worthy addition to the previous seven books. This one is somewhat longer than the previous books, but it didn't take me long to get through it as it was hard to stop listening. The book really has it all: great battle scenes, political intrigue, and well-drawn characters with back stories, flaws, and moral imperatives. The speculative science fiction is first-rate as is the treatment of the perils of empire building. It is rare to find a Sci Fi page turner that makes you think about what you are reading. The authors continue to capture the mystery of the universe as a backdrop to the story line. These days, too many authors treat a spaceship journey as if it were a bus ride and fail to construct a universe that awes the reader or listener. The two authors of Tiamat's Wrath have not fallen into that trap. In addition, I can't say enough good things about Jefferson Mays' reading of the story. For those of you who may not know, he is a consummate actor. I had the pleasure of seeing his one-man Christmas Carol last December in LA and was blown away by his performance of the classic tale. This is a book and series not to be missed.

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It's Only Okay

Revisado: 02-01-18

I have so far liked this period piece series which I started near the end before going to book 1, which I enjoyed. This story suffers from some inane dialog and a detective too stupid to know when he needs help from other law enforcement authorities. Building suspense from actions no reasonable person would take, is not my idea of the way to develop a story. Nonetheless, if you like this series, this story, with its authentic post WW I feel, will likely keep you interested.

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Keeps Getting Better

Revisado: 01-20-18

I have enjoyed all the volumes in this series, but Persepolis Rising is perhaps the best. The authors seem infinitely imaginative and this story is a great combination of speculative science and a close look at the human condition. With real characters with real frailties, the novel outdoes most of its competition in which one character is pretty much interchangeable with another. Kudos to the authors for bringing it off. My only regret is having to wait for the next book.

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A Good Listen

Revisado: 03-24-16

At least I don't have to worry about Battlestar Galactica. My last contact with the story was the original 1978 TV series with Lorne Green as Commander Adama. Perhaps listeners are expecting too much from this work. There's a lot of military sci fi out there and while much of it is exciting, and plenty of it is bad, expecting great literature is a no-win situation. If you want a great story, break out the list of 100 best all time books. Read Camus, Steinbeck, etc. Looking at this story in isolation, it's got some interesting twists and turns, a different kind of alien than one usually sees, a lot of political intrigue, and good battles. The narration is pretty good. At times the book is overblown, heavy-handed, preposterous and Geranger can be a bit of a clod. Par for this genre. Still, I'm enjoying the series for what it is. I've read and listened to a lot worse. I've listened to book 2, Warrior, and it's somewhat better. I will have to read book 3 as there doesn't seem to be an Audible edition yet.

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Vintage Scalzi with a few problems

Revisado: 09-15-15

John Scalzi can be relied upon to spin a good tale and this novel is no exception. It's a complicated story, with a lot of political maneuvering, and the plot design generally works well. As in some of his other works, the author invites the reader into the writing process. Here, there is a prequel that then leads into the main story and an alternate prequel tacked on at the end. I'm not particularly happy with this structure. I enjoy hearing or reading about the writing process, but not when it's part of the story. In this work, there are abrupt shifts of narrator and points of view that, to me, are a distraction. I would prefer a more tightly constructed effort. The alternate version of the prequel, tacked on at the end, after everything is resolved, serves no purpose except to suggest that it was a vastly inferior first draft. It is pretty much standard practice for good authors to write, then improve upon, their first go-around, but I don't need the first draft to enjoy the story. I do not want to suggest that this book is not worth a listen. My problems with it are minor and I think virtually all Scalzi fans will like this latest, (? last) addition to the Old Man's War series.

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Terrific Sequel!

Revisado: 08-11-15

I really like this book. It continues the story of the crew of the Rocinante, split up, and each confronting a deadly crisis. The stakes are high in this story and it's a high octane thriller that is hard to put down. Yet, in contrast to most other thrillers, the characters are very human and well-developed. We know a lot about them already and learn much more about their pasts. I would recommend that listeners read the short novella, "The Churn," before listening to this audiobook, as it will make Amos Burton's part of the story more understandable. Credit should be given to Jefferson Mays for an outstanding narration. I don't know if Audible listeners know much about him, but he is an accomplished Broadway actor, with a Tony to his credit, and has appeared in TV shows and films. He makes a great story even better.

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A good way to end!

Revisado: 07-02-15

This is a gripping story that, at last, brings this long-running saga to a close. A few surprises, desperation at the climax, and smart protagonists save the moon. The plot is complex, and it's not possible with audiobooks, to easily review a part of a previous book to refresh your memory. Nonetheless, the plot and subplots are usually easy to follow. I have enjoyed the Retrieval Artist series and the Anniversary Day spinoff, of which this is the final volume. Hopefully, the author is not done with Miles, Noelle, and Bernard and stories about the moon. On the plus side, good plotting, distinctive characters, and an interesting environment make the series a worthwhile read or listen. The narration is first-rate. On the minus side, I'm still not sure how domes section and I can't conceptualize the links. Everybody has so many, they must take up half their skull space. The author gives no explanation of FTL flight, or FTL communication. And I don't have a good idea of what constitutes the habitable universe. The characters ruminate and parse their actions excessively ending with, "I have to do it now," over and over to the point where the expression seems lame. Nonetheless, I think most listeners will like the series.

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The author delivers!

Revisado: 07-02-15

As promised, Ms Rusch has gotten down to business and moved the story forward with plenty of action. Those of us who have waded through, and paid for, middle chapters in the saga which should never have been separate books, are now rewarded with a story beginning to tie up the loose ends in the saga, and there are plenty of them. Lots of good detective work, tense drama and the usual good character development are present in abundance. A good penultimate episode.

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