Rating: 
Summary: Faith and fantasy
Review: Angels have appeared on the cybernet, heralding a return to traditional religious beliefs across America. After Deidre McMannus's partner assassinated the Pope, her LINK to the cybernet was severed and she was booted off the police force. There were hundreds of witnesses, so his guilt was never in question, but what if he wasn't actually guilty? When a mysterious man named Michael appears on Deidre's doorstep, she's tempted by his offer of a new LINK, but is hesitant about what he wants in return: her help in discrediting the cybernet angels and the Presidential candidate who says he's the Second Coming. Plus, her judgment is clouded by her growing attraction to him. Soon Deidre's life is fraught with danger as she finds evidence about her partner's innocence and about the reality of angels on Earth and the cybernet. With the help of old friends, including Rebeckah, the leader of an underground Jewish army who is also a lesbian, she just might have a chance to come out of this conspiracy alive. 'Archangel Protocol' is a great sci fi adventure with some intriguing commentary about having faith.
Rating: 
Summary: Archangel Pretty Dull!
Review: Angels have appeared on the cybernet, heralding a return to traditional religious beliefs across America. After Deidre McMannus�s partner assassinated the Pope, her LINK to the cybernet was severed and she was booted off the police force. There were hundreds of witnesses, so his guilt was never in question, but what if he wasn�t actually guilty? When a mysterious man named Michael appears on Deidre�s doorstep, she�s tempted by his offer of a new LINK, but is hesitant about what he wants in return: her help in discrediting the cybernet angels and the Presidential candidate who says he�s the Second Coming. Plus, her judgment is clouded by her growing attraction to him. Soon Deidre�s life is fraught with danger as she finds evidence about her partner�s innocence and about the reality of angels on Earth and the cybernet. With the help of old friends, including Rebeckah, the leader of an underground Jewish army who is also a lesbian, she just might have a chance to come out of this conspiracy alive. �Archangel Protocol� is a great sci fi adventure with some intriguing commentary about having faith.
Rating: 
Summary: Worth the price of admission
Review: Archangel Protocol is a fast fun read. CyberPunk with a sense of humor, the book starts when detective Deidre McMannus is asked to take a new case. Her prospective client has the name of an angel, looks to die for, and a profession that makes Deidre very nervous. He's a cop. A former officer herself, Deidre hasn't had the best relations with her fellows since a scandal involving her partner cost her her badge, her faith, and her access to the LINK -- the computer system that runs the world. Since a person can't even buy a cup of coffee legally without the LINK, she's been living on the fringes of the law ever since. Now, maybe, just maybe she has a chance to get some of her own back. A world divided into theocracies, a murdered Pope, and a senator who seems to be God's own choice for the next U.S. president add spice to the mix. Pick up a copy, put up your feet, and settle in for a good story.
Rating:
Summary: Bet you can't put it down
Review: Archangel Protocol is a fast-paced, science fiction fantasy hybrid with a noir cyberpunk flavor. Because it touches on so many genres and sub genres, as well as the subject of the fate of humanity, there really is something for everyone in this book. Lyda Morehouse has developed a cast of wonderfully believable and fascinating characters, complete with goals, dreams, and, most importantly, flaws. Unlike some books with many key characters, the protagonist is well developed and likable, rather than simply relying on those in supporting roles to inspire interest and sympathy. The world has a complex history and political system, all of which have been built without an excess of techno garbage usually associated with cyberpunk. The new and unfamiliar is explained smoothly and succinctly, keeping the story from getting bogged down in definitions and description. The pace of the story complements the rapidly unfolding plot, making it an extremely tough book to put down. There are moments of beautiful imagery, giving the reader a vision of this future world and the people who live within it. It is a world which I hope to be able to visit again, and I strongly look forward to reading this author's next book.
Rating:
Summary: Thoughtprovoking and well written
Review: Archangel Protocol starts off as something of a futuristic pulp detective novel, but quickly builds into something far more ambitious. Don't read too much about the plot in advance - this one benefits from being read without too much advanced knowledge of the plot or setting.
Rating: 
Summary: Religion and Technology
Review: I just finished this book, and I found it enjoyable and thought provoking. You can focus on the technological aspect -- false on-line identities, what some of the consequences of having a network connection directly to the brain might be -- or the religious aspect -- the nature of god, His/Her/Their relationship with humanity. I appreciated that the book could handle these subjects and not have any easy answers; and at the same time, the plot of the story is an engaging adventure story that moves at a good pace without getting bogged down to get a religious or technological point across. An enjoyable read.
Rating: 
Summary: one of the worst books I've tried to read in the last year
Review: I read a lot, of both science fiction and non-fiction (history, science, economics, theology, etc.). Of the 300-400 books I start each year, I finish all but a handful. This book was in that sub-elite company. It fails as science fiction, fails as religous commentary, and fails as character fiction. The science fictional aspects of it remind one of a sad retread 1980's cypberpunk novel - the private investigator, the mysteriously competent friends, the decaying urban setting...but with none of the freshness that this trope used to display. The theological commentary was a sledgehammer being used to operate on china - yes, yes, extreme right wing patriarchal preachers are bad. Right, got it. Now, please stop ranting; it's page 14 and I'm already sick to death of it. The characters are poorly drawn, and the dialogue is a bit embarassing to read. I could not force myself to get beyong 150 pages, even though I tried several times. A friend bought the book at the same time that I did, because we'd both read the same good review (Locus?), and he couldn't even make it as far as I did. In conclusion, I'm mystified at the good press this freshman attempt is getting. Heck, I'm mystified that it wasn't left in the slush pile.
Rating:
Summary: one of the worst books I've tried to read in the last year
Review: I read a lot, of both science fiction and non-fiction (history, science, economics, theology, etc.). Of the 300-400 books I start each year, I finish all but a handful. This book was in that sub-elite company. It fails as science fiction, fails as religous commentary, and fails as character fiction. The science fictional aspects of it remind one of a sad retread 1980's cypberpunk novel - the private investigator, the mysteriously competent friends, the decaying urban setting...but with none of the freshness that this trope used to display. The theological commentary was a sledgehammer being used to operate on china - yes, yes, extreme right wing patriarchal preachers are bad. Right, got it. Now, please stop ranting; it's page 14 and I'm already sick to death of it. The characters are poorly drawn, and the dialogue is a bit embarassing to read. I could not force myself to get beyong 150 pages, even though I tried several times. A friend bought the book at the same time that I did, because we'd both read the same good review (Locus?), and he couldn't even make it as far as I did. In conclusion, I'm mystified at the good press this freshman attempt is getting. Heck, I'm mystified that it wasn't left in the slush pile.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful Characters, Excellent Story
Review: I read Lyda Morehouse's Archangel Protocol on the recommendation of several friends. I have not often read Cyberpunk in the past, but this novel has me hooked. Morehouse creates an interesting world and fills it with vibrant and engaging characters, in particular the mysterious Mouse and his AI creation Page. Morehouse constructs a dark world but infuses it with just the right amount of humor to keep the reader sane. This book is one of the best debut novels to come out in the last few years. She tells an excellent story and leaves you hungering for more. Luckily, she has a follow-up book (Fallen Host) and plans for more in the same universe. Although Fallen Host is a standalone book, not a sequel, read Archangel Protocol first to get the most enjoyment out of both of them.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful Characters, Excellent Story
Review: I read Lyda Morehouse's Archangel Protocol on the recommendation of several friends. I have not often read Cyberpunk in the past, but this novel has me hooked. Morehouse creates an interesting world and fills it with vibrant and engaging characters, in particular the mysterious Mouse and his AI creation Page. Morehouse constructs a dark world but infuses it with just the right amount of humor to keep the reader sane. This book is one of the best debut novels to come out in the last few years. She tells an excellent story and leaves you hungering for more. Luckily, she has a follow-up book (Fallen Host) and plans for more in the same universe. Although Fallen Host is a standalone book, not a sequel, read Archangel Protocol first to get the most enjoyment out of both of them.
|
