Anvil of Stars

Rating:
Summary: tight.as if the reader were inside the story line.BIG truth.
Review: the worst the book reaD WAS THE PART ABOUT THE DYNAMICS OF THE STARS. i REALLY WANTED TO LEARN. I T WAS THE PART OF THE STORY WHERE DESCRIPTIVES WERE THE NAME OF THE GAME. i FELT AS IF THE MAIN CHARACTERS KIND OF CHANGED FACES AND BEGAN TO PERSUE DIFFERENT INTRESTS OTHER THAN THAT OF THE ORIGIONAL MISSION, aND i SEEMED TO KNOW HOW THE PLOT WAS TO COME FULL CIRCLE (CHARACTER WISE) JUST LIKE a wHITLEY STRIBER/jAMES KENUTEKA NOVEL. but I really, really dug the whole sheebang! email me @ [e-mail]

Rating:
Summary: Book that could have been good
Review: This book is a sequel to Forge Of God. I give Forge Of God 5 stars because that's an amazing book with good action, technology, and science.

This book does not follow the lines of the Forge Of God. Its basically a story of kids living in a spaceship, having sex with each other, while facing moral dilemmas about the tast they're assigned to do by the aliens.

Reasons why I dislike this book:
1. Too much sex. Kids live in some kind of society where everyone has sex with one another. Graphic sex scenes.
2. There is glorification of homosexuality. There are kids who think they're gay, which is absolutely unrelated to science ficiton subject matter.
3. The book focuses on romance and relationship rather than the philosophy and action.

If you want to read a good book about invasion of earth, read Greg Bear's Forge Of God, dont touch this book.

If you want to read a good book about relationships of young adults and how they're facing hardship and growing up, then read Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card.

Rating:
Summary: Very Good...Greg Bear at his finest.
Review: This is an astounding book. It combines hard SF with human drama in a way that will keep you up at night. Plot and characters are well developed. Bear is able to captue both the induvidual and the global reactions to the mystifying events presents in this book. If you like hard SF with strong human elements get this book.

Rating:
Summary: Hard to put this one down
Review: This is one of the best Sci-Fi novels I've read. It's not all action throughout the book - there are several interludes between the action sequences - but it never slows down enough to become boring. The ending was completely satisfying and unexpected.

Rating:
Summary: THRILLING SF ADVENTURE ABOUT WAR AND GROWING UP.
Review: THIS IS ONE THE BEST BOOKS I'VE READ BY BEAR. HE HAS WRITTEN A SAGA OF WAR AND REVENGE AND WHAT HAPPENS WHEN REVENGE BECOMES OBESSION. THE CHARACTERS ARE ALL TEENAGERS SENT ON A MISSION TO AVENGE THE EARTH AND IT'S IHABITANTS KILLED BY PLANET DESTROYING ALIENS. WHAT HAPPENS IN THIS NOVEL WILL BREAK YOUR HEART AND MAKE YOUR SPIRIT SOARS.

Rating:
Summary: It has it all
Review: This is the first time I've ever thought a sequel was better than the original, and that is no mean feat. What appealed to me about the original (Forge of God) was the way the author told a story and didn't get overwhelmed by sci-fi detail. Even though Anvil of Stars has MUCH more hard science, it refuses to be overwhelmed by technology. This lets the characters and plot stand out. It's believable, interesting and consistent (mostly).

Plot - 4.5 stars - good, creative and for the most part, independent of the first book

Characters - 5 stars - the story describes the life of children who have had no parental guidance for years and are faced with the task of genocide. The are portrayed brilliantly.

Technology - 3 stars - I didn't follow a few of his explanations which led to me not understanding some of the cool stuff.

Setting - 4 stars - Bear chose a neat angle to continue the Forge of God story.

Not all of these are 5 star ratings but to find one book with some much, done so well is wonderful. You wont put it down.

Rating:
Summary: This is a failed sequel
Review: Unlike the Forge of God which really kept me on the edge of my seat, and had me caught up in the emotions of the horrifying ending, this left me cold. I could not relate to the characters at all and the plot was disconected at best.

Rating:
Summary: Great mix of character development and technology
Review: Very interesting and involved storytelling. The issues raised by the ending have resonated with me for quite a while and the central theme -- what are the qualities that make a good hero and a good leader -- is very compelling.

Rating:
Summary: COOL BOOK MAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Review: When I first got this book it was because some friends told me too; at the time I really didn't like science fiction but after I read this book I loved science fiction and began to read all kinds of science fiction books from Aliens: Female War to Reality Dysfunction,from Shadows of the Empire to Dark Force Rising,from Darkness Behind the Stars to Alien Blood. Well you get the idea the book really influenced me and I'll always remember it when I grow up and someday hand it down to my kids.