PissWeakly Reviews: July 2021

Wednesday, July 21, 2021

Abaddon's Gate / James S.A.Corey

Abaddon's Gate

(Expanse #3

by James S.A.Corey (aka Daniel Abraham)

fantasy, fansonly

not read in July 2021

rated 6/10: read to pass the time

The series is a never-ending saga with -- mostly -- the same central cast. This book begins with a new character. Nothing attractive about him. I hope, I thought, that this character does not join the central cast. Well, no... once he is smeared across his own windscreen. Seems he's been written out.

But wait: A character who was killed in book one... is back. In typical by-the-numbers nonsense style he speaks in stupid riddles. Including admitting that he has no idea what he is doing. He has no idea, I have no interest.

I had this series categorised as "space opera". I have changed that to "fantasy". Rubbish fantasy. With action rather than plot to make the reader wonder, is something interesting about to happen? Well, no. Expect more shooting. More mystical happenings. No explanations.

To call this inexplicable clap trap "space opera" is an insult to the good writers of space opera (think, Doc Smith).

That said... this series is written as by-the-numbers entertainment. The aim is to provide endless entertainment so that readers will return -- for more of the same. As such -- I expect that it will succeed.

If you enjoyed the first two books, I am sure that you will enjoy this third.

I did enjoy the first two. But now -- I have had enough.

Just a few chapters in, I stop reading.

I will look for a book with a plot. Or, at least -- a space opera with a developing plot... and a definite conclusion. Maybe Doc Smith, again ... :-)

Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper

... Agamedes Consulting / Problems ? Solved

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One joy scatters a hundred griefs" ... Chinese proverb

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Dying for you to read my blog, at https://notdotdeaddotyet.blogspot.com/ :-)

Monday, July 19, 2021

Generation one / Pittacus Lore

Generation one

(Pittacus Lore)

fantasy, subadult

read in June 2020

Rated 6/7: Read to pass the time

A mixed bag of teens from around the world. Each with a different superpower. Seems to be a very common basis for stories. And for TV series.

This one is okay. Not great.

Some of the characters are absolute stereotypes... As are the powers. Nothing very interesting.

The most interesting aspect of the book is the villainy -- but not in a nice way.

The villains are nasty. Their methods and actions are unpleasant and amoral. Nasty enough to cause nightmares. Too nasty -- I would have think -- for subadult readers :-(

Not surprisingly, for a by-the-numbers book of clichés, there is a strong moral... In favour of friendship. Nice, but not nice enough to balance the brutality.

This book is one of a never-ending series. Light reading. No conclusion. The moralistic messages highlight the calculated intent to make money from the teen market. Not quite harmless.

Nick Lethbridge    /    Consulting Dexitroboper
Agamedes Consulting    /   Problems? Solved.
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One, be a good person; two, have fun; three, be happy; four, show respect and be respected; and then number five was, if you can play tennis after that, it's an added bonus."... Ash Barty's first coach

Into the Fire, Pittacus Lore

Into the Fire,

Pittacus Lore

subadult, fansonly

rated 3/10: so bad it's embarrassing

I really dislike a book which has no real conclusion. This book is even worse -- it has no beginning. Well...

The book begins with a group of people in a plane. They talk about people who we have never met -- who are not even in the plane. There is some semi-heroic chat about rescuing... someone Or taking risks with villains we have never heard of.

Okay. If you are a fan, you may have read earlier books, you may know what's going on.

Then it gets worse: Turns out, the pilot has mysteriously disappeared. Fortunately, one of the characters has the superpower to control machinery. Phew! But wait -- for some mysterious reason his superpower does not work on this plane.

It's okay, he phones a friend (from the plane). The friend tells him to click his ruby slippers (or some such). And wow! it works... His superpower is upgraded.

Luckily... landing a commercial aircraft is so simple that this teenager -- untrained -- does it safely.

So far, this book has many of the elements of the only other Pittacus book that I have read. Different characters -- from the same stereotypes -- and the plot is a close copy.

Then there's some cutesy teen stuff of a girl learning more about her own superpowers. Then my brain threatened to collapse from an overload of stupidity.

Boring... boring... boring.

To save my brain from implosion, I stop reading.