(no subject)
Nov. 29th, 2005 10:18 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
learnedaxRead Midnight Nation.
So, this book was alright, it had a few nice moments. I didn't really dislike it, but it didn't really spark anything for me either. Some of the characters and their relationships were rather well drawn, others not so much (especially the villain, a JMS special). The world between the cracks conceit is well-worn at this point, though this book breathes a touch of novelty into it with semi-explicit use of it as a metaphor. The story is somewhere between personal journey and epic, and I didn't feel that it really did all that much for either. Our heroes literally embark on a preordained journey, with an endpoint that was surprisingly toothless. There are several major plot holes which detracted from my satisfaction with the resolution, although up until then it's reasonably enjoyable.
There is a lot here in common philosophically with JMS's work in B5, particularly in seasons three and four. The villain, for instance, is another attempt to show balance and moral uncertainty that winds up feeling longwinded and transparently false, to the protagonist as well as to me. In light of that, the final choice is really no choice at all, and the outcome doesn't really make sense given what we know. There are also a number of traits of the main character that are similar to Sheridan, from overall attitude down to turns of phrase. Not to mention the familiar fallout of prophesy from his own future.
I've mostly noted points where I thought it was lacking, but really it's not bad, just ok. If it had had more depth to the conclusion it could have been quite good, I think. As it is I was a bit disappointed after Rising Stars.
So, this book was alright, it had a few nice moments. I didn't really dislike it, but it didn't really spark anything for me either. Some of the characters and their relationships were rather well drawn, others not so much (especially the villain, a JMS special). The world between the cracks conceit is well-worn at this point, though this book breathes a touch of novelty into it with semi-explicit use of it as a metaphor. The story is somewhere between personal journey and epic, and I didn't feel that it really did all that much for either. Our heroes literally embark on a preordained journey, with an endpoint that was surprisingly toothless. There are several major plot holes which detracted from my satisfaction with the resolution, although up until then it's reasonably enjoyable.
There is a lot here in common philosophically with JMS's work in B5, particularly in seasons three and four. The villain, for instance, is another attempt to show balance and moral uncertainty that winds up feeling longwinded and transparently false, to the protagonist as well as to me. In light of that, the final choice is really no choice at all, and the outcome doesn't really make sense given what we know. There are also a number of traits of the main character that are similar to Sheridan, from overall attitude down to turns of phrase. Not to mention the familiar fallout of prophesy from his own future.
I've mostly noted points where I thought it was lacking, but really it's not bad, just ok. If it had had more depth to the conclusion it could have been quite good, I think. As it is I was a bit disappointed after Rising Stars.
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no subject
Date: 2005-11-30 04:59 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-11-30 06:35 am (UTC)(Speaking of which, I still need to rejigger TAA's ending, which is suffering from something of the same problems.)
TAA
Date: 2005-11-30 01:43 pm (UTC)2) Add some sudden but inevitable betrayal
3) Kill a main character
Re: TAA
Date: 2005-11-30 08:26 pm (UTC)(Except I didn't have the guts.)
no subject
Date: 2005-11-30 06:15 pm (UTC)JMS recently started a run on Fantastic Four, and I'm already thinking of dropping it. Reed Richards should not remind me so much of Delenn.