Earthquake Weather

Rating:
Summary: The Best Living Fantasist keeps getting better
Review: Powers has really hit his stride. Last Call was brilliantly engrossing, and Expiration Date perhaps a bit of a letdown to many (not to me), but Earthquake Weather fulfills all the promise of the first two books and then some. (BTW, don't try to read this without reading the first two.) Powers is unmatched in creating a "real" world where fantastic things happen, and they happen a lot in this book. Sit back and enjoy the author's mastery of the off-kilter. When I finished it, I was moved to go back and reread the first two volumes all over again..... Powers, like Jonathan Lethem, is comfortably inhabiting the house Philip K. Dick built, and each is adding new wings. I eagerly await his next offerings.

Rating:
Summary: A brilliant conclusion to the King of Kalifornia trilogy
Review: Superlatives aside, "Earthquake Weather" is the third part of the Scott Crane story and brings this part of the story to a conclusion of sorts, as Crane learns a rather harsh lesson of kingship. Koot, Pete, and Angela are back, along with some new/old characters. I couldn't read this darn book fast enough, only to finish it and wish I'd taken my time... so I read it again. Powers has been exploring the Fisher King theme for some time ("Drawing of the Dark" was the first?), and his treatment of the mythos is simply brilliant. Solid place descriptions, believable, sympathetic characters, and some simply outstanding scenerios make this a choice read, for fans of Powers and Blaylock, and for anyone else, too.

Rating:
Summary: Powers does it again
Review: The first book I read of his was the equally masterful Expiration Date, which was a fascinating urban fantasy thats very unique story is continued here. This book is great, and I would recommend it to anybody willing to try a strange kind of fantasy where magic can really happen, ghosts haunt the living, and Bacchus is still the god of death as well as wine. But I also suggest you read Last Call first though, since Scott Crane and his friends allude to things that happened in the previous book continuously, which was really confusing to me. Basically, if you liked Expiration Date (and have looked over Last Call first)than this one's for you.

Rating:
Summary: Powers does it again
Review: The first book I read of his was the equally masterful Expiration Date, which was a fascinating urban fantasy thats very unique story is continued here. This book is great, and I would recommend it to anybody willing to try a strange kind of fantasy where magic can really happen, ghosts haunt the living, and Bacchus is still the god of death as well as wine. But I also suggest you read Last Call first though, since Scott Crane and his friends allude to things that happened in the previous book continuously, which was really confusing to me. Basically, if you liked Expiration Date (and have looked over Last Call first)than this one's for you.

Rating:
Summary: Impenetrable
Review: There ought to be a law against publishing a book and not telling you that it is a sequel. This story cannot possibly be read on its own...Don't try. I am on page 100 and almost nothing makes sense. Even though I bought this for a bargain rate, I still feel cheated.

Rating:
Summary: Impenetrable
Review: There ought to be a law against publishing a book and not telling you that it is a sequel. This story cannot possibly be read on its own...Don't try. I am on page 100 and almost nothing makes sense. Even though I bought this for a bargain rate, I still feel cheated.

Rating:
Summary: A typically great Tim Powers novel
Review: This book requires that one's read Powers previous two (Last Call and Expiration Date). A lot of it makes very little sense without that. So I would not recommend this novel to new Powers readers. This book isn't quite up to the hight standard set buy 'Last Call'. It's a terrific novel if you view it on it's own merit, but measured against Last Call, it's a bit weaker. The beginning is slow and seems a bit unfocussed, but about halfway through, all of the seemingly irrelevant characters and sub plots come together. The ending a terrific - much better than that of Expiration Date. Overall, a terrific read and one that won't be overly dissapointing to most Powers fans.

Rating:
Summary: Confusing and crazy but I read the whole thing...
Review: This is the first Tim Powers book I've ever read. His style of writing is eclectic and although this book did not live up to the expectations I had, I'm willing to give him another try. I found the plot to be completely confused. Perhaps if I had read the previous books in this series I might have enjoyed it more. In fact, I think with this book it is a must since I had no idea what was happening or why nor was I very interested by the end. Mr. Powers penchant for getting off the track of the story were by and large indulgent and unnecessary and added to the problems I had in finishing the book. In fact, there were several times I simply put the book down and started another. The funny thing is however is that even though I disliked this book, I did come back to it. This must be a testament to the excellence of his writing, although I cannot pinpoint why.

Rating:
Summary: Superb amalgam of last two novels with a host of new players
Review: This novel isa blending of the previous two Powers stories. A powerfull story is taken in a host of twists and turns , and a few familiar and unfamiliar faces to a searing if slightly predictable finish ( though even that has a couple of major surprises within it ) . This is a REAL WINNER if you are not a powers fan already , or have not read either expiration date or last call , worry not , the plot is subtle and all old storllines are gently introduced to provide a wonderful standalone novel

Rating:
Summary: A strong narrative
Review: Though Powers is always interesting, he has a tendency to get so lost in his own ideas that he wanders aimlessly around in them without keeping the story moving. Here, by spending little time explaining and lots of time moving the complex plot forward, Powers creates an effect that sweeps one along in the narrative. True, it means the reader starts out completely confused, but by letting us pick things up as we go, Powers does something important he frequently neglects to do: he actually goes somewhere. That's why I'm calling this his best work since that timeless classic, The Anubis Gates.