Rating:  Summary: Ignition is the "Diehard" of the spring book season. Review: Ignition is the "Diehard" of this spring. Kevin Anderson and Doug Beason have proved once again that they are the masters of the techno-thriller.
Terrorists have taken over the space shuttle holding it for ransom as the our accidental hero "Iceberg" was in the right place at the wrong time, just like the trilogy of "Diehard" movies.
The action is fast and believable with lots of unexpected twists and turns that made me race through the book.
I highly recommend this fine volume and other Anderson/Beason works like "Virtual Destruction" and their other recent work "Fallout."
Rating:  Summary: Blastoff! Review: Kevin J. Anderson and Doug Beason struck gold when the wrote the action-packed book, Ignition. Terrorists take control of the space shuttle, Atlantis, at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Join Col. Adam "Iceberg" Friese, Nicole "Panther" Hunter, and other fun characters in their quest to save the shuttle and it's crew from being blown up by the terrorists. This task would be a lot easier for "Iceberg" if he wasn't alone and didn't have a broken foot.
Rating:  Summary: Die Hard Lite Review: Not his best writing to date. I would equate the story as a "Die Hard Lite." Half the action and suspense without all the calories. I found the villian to be a regurtitated Hans-like villian ala Die Hard, with all the gun toting half-cocked henchmen in tow. The plot was intriguing in holding the astronauts and space shuttle hostage. The story fails in a predictable plot, a improbable hero, and tired ending. I'd recommend this book for beach reading only.
Rating:  Summary: Die Hard Lite Review: Not his best writing to date. I would equate the story as a "Die Hard Lite." Half the action and suspense without all the calories. I found the villian to be a regurtitated Hans-like villian ala Die Hard, with all the gun toting half-cocked henchmen in tow. The plot was intriguing in holding the astronauts and space shuttle hostage. The story fails in a predictable plot, a improbable hero, and tired ending. I'd recommend this book for beach reading only.
Rating:  Summary: A good, fun read. Review: OK, folks. I know the book had many cliches and predictable plot twists. Actually, I didn't know until after I finished the book that it was being made into a movie, but while I was reading, the similiarities between Ignition and any number of action movies did cross my mind. However, when I picked up the book I knew I wasn't picking up a particularly cerebral book, but an action thriller, just like the cover said. I liked the way the book took us on a virtual tour of (a somewhat deliberately modified version of) the KSC, and the Space Shuttle Atlantis. Lots of action, even if it did get somewhat predictable. I felt the Jacques-Yvette incest thing was pretty pointless, didn't contribute anything to the story, and probably should have been axed by the editor. Still, I'd recommend the book for anyone looking to have some fun reading a book.
Rating:  Summary: Can You Say Die Hard III- the Space Shuttle Adventure?!? Review: Picture an older Bruce Willis running to save the day before the shuttle is blown to pieces. Instead of going shoeless, this time he has a cast around his broken ankle. Yep, the rest of it is as predictable. It's fun. It's not a mind bender, in fact it's probably more exciting to see if what you think is going to happen does. Guess what, it does. Read it, then go see the movie when it comes out to see what changes. If you're a bus passenger this is perfect.
Rating:  Summary: A Fun Read! Review: Terrorists seize control of the Kennedy Space Center and one shuttle. It's up to one man to stop them! It's the familiar "Die Hard" formula once again.Anyone picking up this book expects a light fun read with lots of action. The authors, Kevin Anderson and Doug Beason, know this and so that's what they give us. Lot's of guns, lot's of baddies and lot's of bang for your buck.
Rating:  Summary: Tom Clancy this is not Review: The first chapter showed real promise... a promise of an excellent thriller by Kevin Anderson and Doug Beason. Unfortunately, the promise of skilled writing was not in evidence in "Ignition." The paper-thin characters, led by Col. "Iceberg" Freise held no interest whatsoever. The biggest dissapointment was the fact that there was no way the unlikable astronaut would be killed off during the novel. Have you ever had a broken bone in the foot? I have. Mayby the authors should ask someone with this injury what climbing the ladder to the top of the Space Shuttle gantry would be like. The villian, Mr. Phillips will meet his demise, horribly, at the end. NASA will quietly sit in the background while this '90's Rambo saves the space program for them. His predictably geeky brother Amos (I once had a cairn terrier with that name) is an excellent example of why nepotism should be prohibited by the government. Upon completion of the book, I found out the movie rights had already been sold. This should be no suprise to anyone reading this book. Although Siskel and Ebert will hate it, the screen adaptation will do well at the box office. How about Pamela Anderson and Mickey Rourke as the incestuous killers? Save your money for the movie. Maybe the promise the movie producers will make might pan out. Heaven knows the book failed to deliver.
Rating:  Summary: Cotton Candy- nice, but no depth Review: The plot- well, you have your usual bunch of bad terrorists, two from France, an Australian, plus other red shirt wearers who get killed in no time at all, led by a slimey leader. You have the good guys, led by "Iceburg", his nerdy brother, and his ex girl friend. Iceburg has a broken foot. The leader of the hostages is pain, and argues with Iceburg. Iceburg has to rescue his girlfriend. He does that by stealing a chopper. Its cliche city in other words. You name the stereo type, plot device seen in any number of action movies and books and it is here. Having said all that, you will probably enjoy the read. Its face paced, frantic, and has even a few one liners that will make you laugh out loud. The characters have no depth at all, but who cares, this is an action thriller, not war and peace. And if you do want fast paced, exciting action, this is a great book for it. You will probably enjoy this one, gentle reader, but take it for what it is- a few hours of light entertainment ( i read it in three days, and that was for a few hours a day), that will be put on your shelf and probably not touched again. Grade: C
Rating:  Summary: Ignition is a solid read, with some flaws Review: The scenario postulated in Ignition isn't too far fetched, and Anderson and Beason do a credible job fleshing the story out...It's an exciting story that kept me up half the night reading it... Of course, it's hard for me to picture a guy with a broken foot trying to take out every terrorist in sight, but that's just one flaw I saw in the storyline...The other obvious flaw was the the replacement commander had been a mission specialist on three previous flights...Not likely to happen, as they mention prior to that that each shuttle commander had at least two missions as a pilot under his belt... Also, it seemed kind of pointless to move the Launch Control Center and the Vehicle Assembly Building, which sit right beside each other. Unlike the Russian space launch facilities, Kennedy Space Center is a major tourist attraction as well as a national asset. Overall, though, Ignition is definitely worth a read...
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