Rating: 
Summary: myah...
Review: So so. By Drake's standards, not his best work. Certainly, the scope and complexity of what he was attempting was larger than anything else he has done. Having said that, I couldn't help but notice that after the third or fourth battle in the Open Lands, everything seemed repeated. And repeated. And repeated. The sex scenes seem rather superfluous, as well. This isn't a bad book, but it shouldn't be ranked as high as some of the classics of the genre.
Rating: 
Summary: great, but a too predictable ending
Review: The book was great. The gods, the wars, the best mix of sci-fi fantasies I have ever read. I will admit that I do not read many of david drakes books and like them, but this book has changed my whole opinion on the works of David Drake. If you want a good book with a lot of action in it, read this book.
Rating: 
Summary: Dark, brooding, yet entertaining
Review: The Northworld Trilogy, based on Norse tales, is not a light, airy read. Many of the characters are less than likeable, and blood and gore are easy to find (not a problem here, but some are more squeamish). That said, this is a good series. One reviewer complained that some of the characters were two-dimensional. Doesn't everyone know a few people who seem the same? Not everyone in this world or any other has varied and complex reasons for their actions, or lack thereof. The characters have their reasons, and one of the driving forces for many of them (as was true in many Norse stories) is revenge. Mr. Drake has a way with imagery, especially when dealing with combat that makes it seem as if you are in the fight, and you care about the characters involved. All in all, a good series by an author with many good series such as Hammer's Slammer's; the Igniting the Reaches trilogy; and his new series, with Eric Flint, (An Oblique Approach, and In the Heart of Darkness).Also HIGHLY recommended is his book, Patriots.
Rating:
Summary: Northworld? Bleh.
Review: This book (Northworld) was unoriginal and rather boring. The characters were less than one-dimensional and quite frankly there was little to interest me. There was plenty of opportunity here for the author to more thoroughly develop his universe (social structure and characters). Instead he decided to focus on poor descriptions of combat sequences and the occasional deus ex machina to drag the story along. The book featured a main character about whom we couldn't care less, and one surrounded by blithering idiots to boot. Apparently in the author's mind, women exist simply to satisfy the sexual urges of male characters. Now, I understand that this was all based on Norse mythology, but there's no reason to preserve the same intellectual level. Fortunately I read this book without having to spend any money to do so (thanks Baen Free Library!).
Rating:
Summary: Northworld? Bleh.
Review: This book (Northworld) was unoriginal and rather boring. The characters were less than one-dimensional and quite frankly there was little to interest me. There was plenty of opportunity here for the author to more thoroughly develop his universe (social structure and characters). Instead he decided to focus on poor descriptions of combat sequences and the occasional deus ex machina to drag the story along. The book featured a main character about whom we couldn't care less, and one surrounded by blithering idiots to boot. Apparently in the author's mind, women exist simply to satisfy the sexual urges of male characters. Now, I understand that this was all based on Norse mythology, but there's no reason to preserve the same intellectual level. Fortunately I read this book without having to spend any money to do so (thanks Baen Free Library!).
Rating:
Summary: A tour de force - literally and figuratively.
Review: This is another classic trilogy from David Drake, who forged "Hammers' Slammers" and also (with Steve Stirling, another fine wordsmith) gave us "The General" series. Drake is particularly adept and both using and acknowledging the sources of myth and legend while striding boldly outside what we used to think were the limitations and cliches of those genres. Nils Hansen is a tough, brutal man but no more so than is necessary to get the job done; and as in all of Drake's so-called military science fiction (which category does his work a descriptive disservice) here is a series hero who, like most people who work at 'the sharp end', understands all too well that - Nietzsche to the contrary - that which does not kill us does not make us stronger; it usually leaves us crippled in mind or in body and wired and plumbed with tubes and monitors and pain snaking around under the sheets. As Drake himself has said (and I have poorly paraphrased); if you choose to deploy men of violence then you owe it to them, yourself and the rest of society to not be ashamed, surprised or ignorant of the results. Not that Drake uses his books to expound philosophy; this is an excellent read on many levels. Drake tells strong stories strongly. And in a field where all too many authors over-indulge in the presentation of motivations and personal psychology to the detriment of action and passion, Drake is an outstanding craftsman of damn good books.
Rating:
Summary: Very enjoyable read
Review: What was the book supposed to be about? I was expecting an off-world war adventure (the book delivered on that premise in spades. Good.) and I expected an adventure (never realized or possible in this context). I found the prose confusing, misleading and hard to follow. I didn't think the author was communicating to me at all, and in the end felt totally frustrated with the entire piece. I know this guy is supposed to be famous and published an awful lot of books, but I think he's published a lot of awful books if this is his regular prose. There's so much good sci-fi around these days that I can't warn strongly enough: read them and give this book a miss. Its really that bad. You've been warned. Read something by Simon R. Green instead.
Rating: 
Summary: Very, very bad. Skip it and be happier for it.
Review: What was the book supposed to be about? I was expecting an off-world war adventure (the book delivered on that premise in spades. Good.) and I expected an adventure (never realized or possible in this context). I found the prose confusing, misleading and hard to follow. I didn't think the author was communicating to me at all, and in the end felt totally frustrated with the entire piece. I know this guy is supposed to be famous and published an awful lot of books, but I think he's published a lot of awful books if this is his regular prose. There's so much good sci-fi around these days that I can't warn strongly enough: read them and give this book a miss. Its really that bad. You've been warned. Read something by Simon R. Green instead.
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