Rating: 
Summary: One of the best Star Trek writers visits the Marvel Universe
Review: Diane Duane is one of the best Star Trek writers, and here she once again uses her great talent for bringing well known characters to life. I've read and enjoyed all of the Marvel novels, but I would rank Empire's End at the top of the list. I'd also strongly recommend Diane Duane's three Spider-Man books (The Venom Factor, The Lizard Sanction, and The Octopus Agenda), as well as her Star Trek books, especially Doctor's Orders. Diane Duane brings her readers into the minds of her characters, and therefore brings the characters into her reader's hearts.
Rating: 
Summary: An OK read
Review: Diane Duane, in my opinion, did a great job on the Spider-Man novels. But this book was a major letdown. First of all, I have always found the Shi'ar, even in the comics, to be quite boring and dull. Sadly, this is also the case with this book. I read this book, and then I re-read a few issues of Uncanny X-Men, and I have to say that the characterization in the comics is leaps and bounds over that in this book. The characters in this book are undeveloped, and seem just "off" from their normal selves. Some of them don't even have that many lines, which is always a problem with so many characters being sqeezed into one book (at least in the comics, they can alternate character focus each issue).However, this aside, I found myself not even enjoying the plot. The main villain (that being the galaxy-devouring creature) was completely and utterably uninteresting and static. And the idea of the X-Men fighting it with a "device that increases their powers a thousandfold" is just corny, and even more "comic booky" than the comic itself. It didn't sit right with me from the beginning, and it still doesn't even now. Another thing that bothered me was Duane's apparent misunderstanding of Gambit's mutant abilities. Throughout the book, she seemed to be operating under the assumption that his abilities involved the charging of EXISTING kinetic energy. However, Gambit's abilities actually deal with converting an objects potential energy INTO explosive kinetic energy. The book never gave any evidence that Duane realized this to be the case. Of course, maybe I was too bored to notice if she did... One last thing: she really seemed to be writing this the way she would a Star Trek novel. This book was absolutely cluttered with space jargon, from mini blackholes to blue and red shifting to galactic cores going quasar. It just really seemed to take up a lot of space without really saying much at all.
Rating: 
Summary: More about Xavier's sex life than I wanted to know
Review: First of all, let me just say Charles is not supposed to behave like a hormonal teenager. But that's exactly how he comes off in this book. A crisis hits, some new diffuculty in killing this Bug Eyed Monster of the Week, and Charles and Lilandra hop in the bed! Honestly, it got old after the first two chapters. Also, the writer completely forgot Charles IS Lilandra's acknowledged consort, according to the comics. An annoying error to be sure. She wastes the other characters as well. Beast is only here for snappy one liners. Gambit (without Rogue - BORING!) has powers utterly unlike his in the comics. Even Scott and Jean come across as a generic couple. She could have used the exact same plot and just changed the names to Spock, Kirk and McCoy. I doubt we would have noticed a difference. I was hoping these books would get better with more established writers. Looks like I still will have to hope.
Rating:
Summary: More about Xavier's sex life than I wanted to know
Review: First of all, let me just say Charles is not supposed to behave like a hormonal teenager. But that's exactly how he comes off in this book. A crisis hits, some new diffuculty in killing this Bug Eyed Monster of the Week, and Charles and Lilandra hop in the bed! Honestly, it got old after the first two chapters. Also, the writer completely forgot Charles IS Lilandra's acknowledged consort, according to the comics. An annoying error to be sure. She wastes the other characters as well. Beast is only here for snappy one liners. Gambit (without Rogue - BORING!) has powers utterly unlike his in the comics. Even Scott and Jean come across as a generic couple. She could have used the exact same plot and just changed the names to Spock, Kirk and McCoy. I doubt we would have noticed a difference. I was hoping these books would get better with more established writers. Looks like I still will have to hope.
Rating:
Summary: A True Waste of Time
Review: I can't believe I wasted my time reading this book. It was atrocious! The characters were reduced to 2 dimensional garbage. You knew what was coming chapters ahead. The author tries to draw out the dark temptations each character experiences but it was so bland, so cartoony, and very very unimaginative. She discards characters because their abilities just so happens not to fit in battle, how convenient. Ugh, I don't know why I even read it. I kept giving the author another chance with each chapter, and it was not worth it. Truly, stay away from this book.
Rating:
Summary: A True Waste of Time
Review: I can't believe I wasted my time reading this book. It was atrocious! The characters were reduced to 2 dimensional garbage. You knew what was coming chapters ahead. The author tries to draw out the dark temptations each character experiences but it was so bland, so cartoony, and very very unimaginative. She discards characters because their abilities just so happens not to fit in battle, how convenient. Ugh, I don't know why I even read it. I kept giving the author another chance with each chapter, and it was not worth it. Truly, stay away from this book.
Rating:
Summary: EXCELLENT
Review: I gave this book 5 stars because it had a well done plot
Rating:
Summary: An OK read
Review: I mean that. She did outstanding work on the Spider-Man Novels, but this X-Men; Empire's End book kind of falls way short of expectations. I kept waiting for the really exciteing chapters to begin and they never took place. I think Diane would do great books on other Marvel Characters like the Fantastic Four or the Avengers, maybe Spidey again also. But not the X-Men. It just was not good.
Rating:
Summary: Diane Duane is a good writer, however...
Review: I mean that. She did outstanding work on the Spider-Man Novels, but this X-Men; Empire's End book kind of falls way short of expectations. I kept waiting for the really exciteing chapters to begin and they never took place. I think Diane would do great books on other Marvel Characters like the Fantastic Four or the Avengers, maybe Spidey again also. But not the X-Men. It just was not good.
Rating:
Summary: Not for those who fondly remember their youth...
Review: If you are looking to recapture your youth through X-Men novels, skip this one. You won't like the way this book treats its characters. If you are looking for an afternoon read; occasionally enjoy a bubblegum-for-the-brain space story; are more interested in plot than characters; and most importantly, didn't put down good money for the book but got it from the library, you might like it. That's worth two stars.
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