"Rising Tides: Destroyermen, Book 5"
Well written and inspite of being only the next book in the series, this one wraps things up better than book 4 where we were left hanging, screaming for book 5 so we could find out what happens. Well after you read book 5 you'll know.
Book 5 isn't perfect. Some actions sequences are less than what I would have expected compared to those in previous books but others were better, and we are left wondering if there will be whole new stories to come just expanding on these events.
This is a good read and well worth your time.
"Early career but well written"
Obviously an "early" Hamilton. It reads smoothly and the narrator is pleasant, but he's still learning to develop his plots. This isn't the epic thriller you will come to love in the star flyer wars in the Pandora's Star/Judas Unchained series or the Void Series but you'll grow to like the characters and there's pretty good action mixed in to keep action junkies like me happy. If you like his style in his later books read this series and if you give it time it will grow on you, if you're not sure or a new reader of Peter F Hamilton, his later books are his best and these are simply good so whatever you do don't put these down and leave Hamilton until you've tasted the good stuff.
"This is a good space opera"
It's been a while since I've come across a writer of space opera's I've found interesting. I may not have believed his premiss about the new fleet tactics and lack of command obedience he had to overcome when he took command of the fleet but in true SciFi form if you dispell or forgive the premiss, the rest is consistent and very interesting and action packed. Once I got into this first book in the series, I finished all the rest in less than 2 weeks. I found these a very good read. Can wait until the next in the follow up series comes out in May.
"This series is very good"
I bought "Hounded" on one of Audibles sales based entirely on its 4+ rating. But what could a book about a modern day Druid do to keep your interest??? It's great. Its funny, its original, its action packed, it develops its characters enough for you to actually come to think of them as people you'd like to know, simply put its the best new series I've read in years and his dog is hillarious. Get Hounded and I think you'll be hooked.
"Nice read"
I like the writing style smooth with mostly short sentences to keep the action moving even in the slower parts of the book and having lived in Japan it has some of the flavor of Japan even if it is a bit mystical.
"Too much introspection"
Book 1 is great, two is good and then there's the mockingjay. Someone must have told the author to get the character more in touch with her feelings and turned an action series into a quivering indecisive mess. It's sad because I loved the first book and this series could have been so much more. In the end I was simply glad it was over and thats pretty sad.
"where's the end"
The story is nicely written, but it just ended when it appeared to be just getting started. Maybe I missed something important and I was interrupted several times near the end but it just left me hanging. It had all the features that made most of Card's other books so readable but ... Where's the Beef???
"who compared this to Tolkien"
Don't be fooled by the quality of the writing. Mr. Martin can make words flow, it's a shame he doesn't understand honest fore shadowing, character relationships & plot development. Do not expect this book to be a page turner except to hurry ahead to find some meat that is actually developed, There is action but he sets up situations that could fill a 100 pages & then kills the character or cuts away as if to say there is a maximum length to each chapter or never develops the relationships or action promised in earlier fore shadowing. Unfortunately I bought all 5 in the series at the time of my original purchase of a Game of Thrones hoping the quality of proses meant the story was just slow to develop but these books are like a bad daytime soap with no reason for anything other than bad acting & plot. I am 1/2 way through book 4 & still waiting for peyton place to become the great adventure it easily could be but nothing yet. Only more meaningless characters showing up to waste my time and disappear or change fundamentally in character. Whoever compared this author to Tolkien couldn't get past the R. R. in the name. Tolkien he ain't!
I love a good mystery where we try to follow the clues until the end where a cute twist ties it all up but a cardinal rule is never lie to the reader or waste their time. Its ok not to use the gun on the table in the den in scene one in the final act but not ok for the author to highlight someone pick it up, sneak it into his pocket and set up his relationship with the gun only to never see it again and then have someone else kill the victim in the last scene in the kitchen with a butcher knife randomly grabbed in the sink when the struggle begins.
If I could do it over, I would not have bought these books. But on a bright note, when James Lee takes over narration in the book 4 there will be no more complaints about the narrator! He's good!