Rating: 
Summary: garbage
Review: I am 30 yrs old, read dozens of books a year and can whole heartedly say that this is the worst sci-fi book I have ever read. I just finished the book and need to express to someone my anger over the time I have just wasted. I have never reviewed a book before but needed to warn others away from this crap.
Agarrett's comments should not be ignored. After reading 35 pages of Chalker attempting to explain in depth (he fails) some battle armor the protagonist is given to help him on his mission, it is never really spoken of again.
Contrary to other reviewers, I feel there is very little character development. I still can't even remember the names of half the "ragtag crew". It is easy to forget characters integral to the plot are even part of the story until it is their turn to die saving the group. There are two romances in the book, but neither of the pairs share any chemistry. It's basically, "Her name was Spotty" . . . "Oooh we're having a baby?" There is little insight into what the characters are really feeling or thinking. Worst of all is the description of the aliens. I'll sum it up here: they flew in egged shaped fuzzy things. Want more info on the Titans? Too bad that is all you get.
What really gets me the most is all the inconsistancies. The main character goes from being completely hairless and disfigured from interstellar space travel to a receding hairline, full beard and no noticable flaws? At one point there is a whole debate over who should attempt a meeting with an unknown foe. It is finally decided after much arguing that three should go: the priest, the girl and the hero. The next paragraph, the priest and girl go. What happened to the hero? TWO separate characters are stricken with amnesia. Hours later they are describing events they were supposed to have forgotten. Finally, a central theme in the world of the Titans is the evil power of 15 foot tall flowers. Oh no, I just gave it away. Yup, that is it. The flowers are evil, don't expect me or Chalker to elaborate.
I will never read another book by Chalker. I suggest that you also stay very far away from this book.
Rating: 
Summary: A good yarn, worth reading
Review: A good very Jack Chalker type story. Good character development and an interesting concept. The story sort of feels like it was originally intended to be a series and was hacked down to one volume. Too bad because this would have made a great series. The characters, plot and background are excellent. A good story but you'll wish it was longer. I could not put it down when I got the last half!
Rating: 
Summary: A Perfect Mix of Action, Adventure, and Mystery
Review: A ragtag crew made up of scientists, warriors, a Qadulan, also called a Pooka, and a stowaway, must, with the help of the Dutchman, a deadly space pirate, land on the world of Helena, one of many worlds occupied by the Titans, creatures with extraordinary powers, and retreive the activation codes for Priam's Lens, a weapon with the power to stop them. On a Titan-dominated world, nothing requiring energy works, so they are reduced to using "antique" weaponry. Soon, however, they lose even that.This is an exelent story that contains a perfect mix of action, adventure, and mystery in a sci-fi world. Anybody who is into action, adventure, and/or sci-fi will need to read this book.
Rating:
Summary: Lens Uncovered
Review: Helena, a planet of two continents, Eden and Atlantis, and two moons, one of which contains a powerful weapon.
Terrans (people from Earth) are finally leaving their local and exploring the universe, often destroying any race they come in contact with. They were kings of the universe. Or so it seemed. Out of the Unoccupied reaches of space, a god-like, immortal-seeming race of beings were biding their time, conquering worlds, often like humans did, but for another reason: their exotic flowers. Terrans call them Titans, and for a good reason. The Titans took over worlds suitable to their needs and changed whatever they needed to breed their alien flowers. Finally they reached Helena, a human occupied world. They took over. They didn't completely wipe out humans, nor did they treat them as equals. They were simply there. Ignored. Upon Hector, one of Helena's moons, is a super-weapon of sorts, called Priam's Lens. It was rumored that Priam's Lens could destroy the Titan cities, but there was one catch. There were code encryptions buried deep under Helena's surface, and that was the difficult part. A team of scientists, fighters, a Quadulan, and a Naval officer are sent to retrieve the code to activate Priam's Lens, but as they reach Helena, they are reduced to none of the luxuries they had previously thought. With the aid of two natives, Littlefeet and Spotty, the team is able to reach the code. But will Priam's Lens even work after its century-long abandonment? I've read a lot of books dealing with sci-fi and the lot, but this one really captivated me. The sheer knowledge that Chalker emits about technology and space blows me away, and the planet of Helena seems next to real to me. If it weren't in paper, it would be!
Rating: 
Summary: A very disappouinting effort from Mr. Chalker
Review: I am an avid SciFi/Fantasy fan and enjoyed Chalker's Well of Souls series immensely. I was immediately drawn into this book because of the fascinating mystery that was set up from the beginning. You will be disappointed to know that in the end, you recieve no answers to the questions that the entire story is premised upon. It is well and good to have bizarre things happening without reason and leave the reader to wonder how they tie together, but to then abandon them all in the end without any real explanation and meaning makes them entirely pointless, as is the case in this book. The story in itself, while an interesting concept, proceeds in a completely linear fashion without any twists, real character conflict, or unpredictable occurrences. It can be summarized in one sentence without missing too much of the plot: Bad aliens beat up mankind, mankind magically finds a weapon to beat them with, a team isassembeled to find the weapon, they find it, they beat up aliens. End of story. BOOO! This type of SciFi-lite might be fit for a SciFi Channel made-for-TV movie, but not a novel by one of fantasy's most thoughtful authors.
This might be a good one for the kids but not for anyone looking for a story with depth and intrigue. I would recommend passing on this one.
Rating:
Summary: A very disappouinting effort from Mr. Chalker
Review: I am an avid SciFi/Fantasy fan and enjoyed Chalker's Well of Souls series immensely. I was immediately drawn into this book because of the fascinating mystery that was set up from the beginning. You will be disappointed to know that in the end, you recieve no answers to the questions that the entire story is premised upon. It is well and good to have bizarre things happening without reason and leave the reader to wonder how they tie together, but to then abandon them all in the end without any real explanation and meaning makes them entirely pointless, as is the case in this book. The story in itself, while an interesting concept, proceeds in a completely linear fashion without any twists, real character conflict, or unpredictable occurrences. It can be summarized in one sentence without missing too much of the plot: Bad aliens beat up mankind, mankind magically finds a weapon to beat them with, a team isassembeled to find the weapon, they find it, they beat up aliens. End of story. BOOO! This type of SciFi-lite might be fit for a SciFi Channel made-for-TV movie, but not a novel by one of fantasy's most thoughtful authors.
This might be a good one for the kids but not for anyone looking for a story with depth and intrigue. I would recommend passing on this one.
Rating:
Summary: Non Sci-Fi Fan Loved It
Review: I am not a huge science-fiction fan, though I have enjoyed a lot of fantasy/sci-fi books and movies. Jack Chalker, however, present science fiction with such real characters, who drink, swear, and are generally believable. You won't be overwhelmed with sci-fi mumbo jumbo (the problem I have with "Star Trek"), and everything is based on at least SOME scientific reasoning. The book itself is a great collection of characters with a very engaging story line. Easy to read, compelling, it has all the elements of a good right-before-bed read.
Rating:
Summary: Non Sci-Fi Fan Loved It
Review: I am not a huge science-fiction fan, though I have enjoyed a lot of fantasy/sci-fi books and movies. Jack Chalker, however, present science fiction with such real characters, who drink, swear, and are generally believable. You won't be overwhelmed with sci-fi mumbo jumbo (the problem I have with "Star Trek"), and everything is based on at least SOME scientific reasoning. The book itself is a great collection of characters with a very engaging story line. Easy to read, compelling, it has all the elements of a good right-before-bed read.
Rating:
Summary: Engaging characters, plot and world
Review: I found only one copy of this book at a bookstore and then read a little about it on Amazon. I bought it and have to say it was very engaging and I highly rate it. Well developed characters and an interesting plot line. So far I have lent the book to 2 others and they have rated it just as highly as I have. I am not sure why this novel has not gotten more press than it has as a previous reviewer mentioned. I never read any of Chalker's books but after reading this have decided to read more!
Rating:
Summary: Engaging characters, plot and world
Review: I found only one copy of this book at a bookstore and then read a little about it on Amazon. I bought it and have to say it was very engaging and I highly rate it. Well developed characters and an interesting plot line. So far I have lent the book to 2 others and they have rated it just as highly as I have. I am not sure why this novel has not gotten more press than it has as a previous reviewer mentioned. I never read any of Chalker's books but after reading this have decided to read more!
|
