Rating: 
Summary: Have some fun - Read this book
Review: I've ben a fan of Juilian May since I read "Many Colored Land" quite a few years ago and I'm glad to see that she is still writing after she finished her Galactic Mileiu series. "Perseus Spur" is a little less cerebral than her last few book, but every bit as good. It also has a less ensemble cast of characters, but that just makes the action go even faster. The first person narratior is the sort of laid back hapless hero that you can't help but like and the plot has plenty of twists and turns to keep you awake. I'm looking forward to the rest of the series.
Rating: 
Summary: A fast-pacing,action-riddled "catch the villain " novel
Review: I've liked this book.I think of it like an "Indiana Jones Space Opera" ,whit a touch of Douglas Adams. A little absurd,a little colourful,the image on the cover captures the idea of the style of the book. A perfect read in a long summer day.
Rating: 
Summary: I hope the sequel is better...
Review: Julian May is a talented writer whose books I will buy notwithstanding reviews, because her best work (e.g., Jack the Bodiless, Diamond Mask, Magnificat) is so strong. Well, I'm sorry to say, Perseus Spur isn't up to her standard. The characters are shallow, the tension artificial, and the premise underdeveloped. I have seen reviews that praise the sequel, Orion Arm, and am willing to try that book as well, but I hope it has more of what Ms. May does well (thorough exploration of the characters and their society) and less of what she doesn't need to do at all - deus ex machina rescues, inexplicable blind spots and plot holes. (Such as, if the interrogation techniques and veracity-detecting machines of his era are essentially infallible, how could Frost/Icicle have been framed? Did he forget to volunteer to be questioned by those infallible techniques?) (Or, how severe is the penalty of Throwaway status if any interstellar CEO could restore his citizenship by hiring him?) On the other hand, there is a certain energy to the headlong pace, and there are some similarities to Jack Vance's terrific Demon Princes novels. Plus, an author who predicts the survival of Jimmy Buffett's musical legacy in the Margaritaville of the Perseus Spur deserves some slack. I'll try the sequel ...
Rating: 
Summary: This book was not written by Julian May
Review: Julian May is one of my favorite authors. Her books are always imaginative, detailed, witty, and colorful. May is unmatched in her ability to string together sentences with multiple adjectives used in novel ways to create a world with sight, sound, texture, and soul. Reading May is like reading good poetry-- effortless, provoking, flowing. That being said, Perseus Spur, the first of the Rampart Worlds Trilogy is a different kind of book for her. A new universe, 200 years in the future, dominated by megacorporations plotting and scheming to make a profit by exploiting the resources of our arm of the galaxy. There are no world-smashing psychic powers or Pliocene-era ramapthicines here. The protagonist is a former police officer, framed by the megacorps, and exiled to a tropical paradise where he has nearly drunk himself to death. He is a quasi-cynical, what-the-heck rough-around-the-edges sort with lofty, wounded ideals set against the galactic might of big business. This book has a sort of sardonic, tongue-in-cheek feel to it. May's imagination and vision can leave you breathless with the images she provokes, but the overall plot is pretty basic. This is no Ludlum thriller or groundbreaking sci-fi epic a la Asimov's Foundation. What it is is a good fun, smile at Ms. May's sense of humor and imagery, and cheer on the good guy type of book. She also has a number of pretty interesting sci-fi ideas for the concepts-- with a strong genetic component as did her Galactic Milieu/Pliocene Exile series-- that I can appreciate. The Pliocene Exile series is still my favorite from Ms. May. This one fails to deliver the depth of character for some of the supporting players in the story that her other series did. I feel like I understand the protagonist well, but not a lot of the others. Still, I had a great time reading it. Thanks, Ms. May. How about a sequel to the Pliocene Series? Hagen, Diane, Cloud, and Kuhal?
Rating:
Summary: Goofy, entertaining space opera/detective story
Review: Julian May is one of my favorite authors. Her books are always imaginative, detailed, witty, and colorful. May is unmatched in her ability to string together sentences with multiple adjectives used in novel ways to create a world with sight, sound, texture, and soul. Reading May is like reading good poetry-- effortless, provoking, flowing. That being said, Perseus Spur, the first of the Rampart Worlds Trilogy is a different kind of book for her. A new universe, 200 years in the future, dominated by megacorporations plotting and scheming to make a profit by exploiting the resources of our arm of the galaxy. There are no world-smashing psychic powers or Pliocene-era ramapthicines here. The protagonist is a former police officer, framed by the megacorps, and exiled to a tropical paradise where he has nearly drunk himself to death. He is a quasi-cynical, what-the-heck rough-around-the-edges sort with lofty, wounded ideals set against the galactic might of big business. This book has a sort of sardonic, tongue-in-cheek feel to it. May's imagination and vision can leave you breathless with the images she provokes, but the overall plot is pretty basic. This is no Ludlum thriller or groundbreaking sci-fi epic a la Asimov's Foundation. What it is is a good fun, smile at Ms. May's sense of humor and imagery, and cheer on the good guy type of book. She also has a number of pretty interesting sci-fi ideas for the concepts-- with a strong genetic component as did her Galactic Milieu/Pliocene Exile series-- that I can appreciate. The Pliocene Exile series is still my favorite from Ms. May. This one fails to deliver the depth of character for some of the supporting players in the story that her other series did. I feel like I understand the protagonist well, but not a lot of the others. Still, I had a great time reading it. Thanks, Ms. May. How about a sequel to the Pliocene Series? Hagen, Diane, Cloud, and Kuhal?
Rating:
Summary: A swashbuckling space opera -- or is it?
Review: Julian May is probably best known for her thoughtful four-volume Saga of the Pliocene Exile, along with its "prequels" Intervention and the Galactic Milieu Trilogy. With their deep psychological, philosophical, and religious underpinnings. these works have a unique flavor all of their own. But Perseus Spur, May's latest effort, is written in a very different and much less intense vein. In this novel, May is tapping the hoary tradition of the galactic space opera, a tradition that can claim among its venerable antecedents such classic yarns as those of the legendary E. E. (Doc) Smith, as well as the Northwest Smith stories of C. L. Moore. And although May echos the conventions of her literary forebears, she does so with her tongue very firmly lodged in her cheek. And she is never averse to sending up even the most sacred clichés of the genre. It is therefore not too surprising that in Perseus Spur we find the villain attempting to assassinate the hero by inducing a forty-foot diameter giant sea toad on an alien planet to devour his residence, while the hero himself belongs to a family that has made its fortune by commercializing a confection called "rozkoz," a product of an exotic biosystem that is many times more desirable than the finest chocolate. The result of all this is a light-hearted romp through the galactic future that readers may, if they wish, take simply at face value and enjoy as an entertainingly fast-paced star-hopping swashbuckler. On the other hand, those old enough to remember the early days of science fiction will find themselves doing a lot of chuckling, as well as experiencing a delightful nostalgia trip that can't help but add substantially to their enjoyment of the novel.
Rating:
Summary: Nice bit of fun...
Review: MAY appears to be having a good time with this one. If you're after another dose of her thoughtful Pliocene / Galactic Mileau series', go no further. This is some light-hearted fun from a very good author. It's great to get a central character who see what he has to do, then simply gets it done. No angst, no "OK, so I'll do that in two books time", just a bit of good ol',"time to get the bad guy!!"
Rating:
Summary: Science Fiction Epic with Cyber Punk Sensibilities
Review: May did a great job of mixing the feel of a Science Fiction Epic (ie. Star Wars) with the corporate/political feel of a CyberPunk book. While her main character is like something out of a gumshoe detective novel. To me, a great mix.
Rating:
Summary: Very disappointing
Review: Not much of a book compared to her other series. This is one story I could walk away from.
Rating:
Summary: Wham, Bam, thankyou Ma'am.....
Review: Sorry about the one line summary up there. It's wanky, I know, but I couldn't help it-I thoroughly enjoyed reading May's latest novel. Being one of the premier sci fi authors in the world, the Grande Dame has a following of several million who are already predisposed to flip out over her works. Although this novel is no where near as deep and thought provoking as its' predecessors, Julian May once more wends a tale that is so easy to fall in love with that you can literally see it unfold as she describes it to you. All the other reader reviews have just about said it all- and I too love the way that this book emulates the style of old, whilst also take the piss out of it. It's no brain strainer, but May has obviously had a LOT of fun with this one..... Makes me think of Dr Who for some reason.
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