Rating: 
Summary: Tedious
Review: Plainly one either loves or hates this book. There are possibly some good ideas hidden in it if you can get through the turgid prose. I gave up after 66 pages. As a previous reviewer commented, the book could have been improved by some serious editing. Mr Ortega needs to remember that each character's back story is just that and is better suggested than spelt out in detail, when it may, as happens here, get in the way of the main narrative. I will not be reading another book by this author unless it comes from a major publishing house where there is a fighting chance that it would have been properly scrutinised and edited.Is Jodere a vanity publisher?
Rating: 
Summary: A novel that crosses the genres of sci-fi and suspense
Review: The first page just sings off the page and grabbed me with the descriptive prose and sardonic voice. I could see Seattle 2051 shimmer and morph before my eyes as the pages turned. The beginning of the book builds slow as Ortega introduces the reader to intricate, yet well-defined characters who linger in your imagination long after the story ends. Where ((Frequencies)) could once have been considered a stretch of the imagination, it's evident in our post-September 11 world that this novel ironically mirrors life. In an effort to control terrorists at the turn of the millennium -- following a 7-year stretch of time known as the Terror Years - the government implements a new type of technology that reads brain waves (frequency emissions) like a polygraph detector. The Freemon or FREquency Emissions MONitors (agents of a special division of the FBI) monitor communities for evidence of violators who emit brain waves that fall into the overly active omega range that is typical of subversive thinkers and terrorists. (Side note: "Wired Daily News" reported recently that Lawrence Farwell, a neuroscientist from Iowa, helped develop a real life neuro-imaging test that is being field-tested with some success by the FBI.) In the government's zeal to maintain peace and control evil, the Freemon are accorded excessive power and lord it over the nation, like Big Brother in the age of Blade Runner. The pace of the novel quickens in a rush, revealing a plot twist that hits with the force of a synaptic disruptor. On the surface level, this is a highly enjoyable read. Peel back a few layers, and you realize there is a depth and complexity to the novel that is not immediately evident. The infinity symbol and Omega, delta, and alpha characters representative of various frequencies within the electromagnetic spectrum also symbolize main characters in the book. Ortega has included a glossary that not only defines various technical terms and concepts, but contains additional information that was not evident in the story. Detail lovers will find a treasure trove to explore in both the content and book design. My only critique is that I would have liked to have seen more conflict resolution with a few of the characters - Ignacio, McCready, Ashley and her brother - to wrap up what is promised to be the first in a trilogy. Overall, though, I highly recommend this read. Ortega is an author to watch.
Rating:
Summary: Good stuff!
Review: The only reason I gave it a 4 is because nothing's perfect and so the author has something to shoot for with the next one. This is a fun read. I normally don't like 'science fiction' and I suppose one can't even categorize this book in that way. It's 'only' 50 years in the future. Much of the technology seems right around the corner. Good characters, imaginative and exciting storylines. It's been hard to put down and I recommend it highly.
Rating:
Summary: Good stuff!
Review: The only reason I gave it a 4 is because nothing's perfect and so the author has something to shoot for with the next one. This is a fun read. I normally don't like 'science fiction' and I suppose one can't even categorize this book in that way. It's 'only' 50 years in the future. Much of the technology seems right around the corner. Good characters, imaginative and exciting storylines. It's been hard to put down and I recommend it highly.
Rating: 
Summary: Frequencies
Review: This is one of the best SciFi Books I've read in a long time. I'd even venture to say this is the most original in concept and voice since Gibson's "Neuromancer". The concepts and events are very timely to the direction things seem to be moving that it was almost chilling to read. Great characters! Great Voice! Definitely a talent to watch!
Can't wait for the sequels Josh! Or the Movie!
Rating:
Summary: Today's "Neuromancer"
Review: This is one of the best SciFi Books I've read in a long time. I'd even venture to say this is the most original in concept and voice since Gibson's "Neuromancer". The concepts and events are very timely to the direction things seem to be moving that it was almost chilling to read. Great characters! Great Voice! Definitely a talent to watch!
Can't wait for the sequels Josh! Or the Movie!
Rating:
Summary: What a great book!
Review: This is the first time I've enjoyed the "Cyberpunk / Dystopian" genre since Snow Crash & the Diamond Age. Admittedly the little (c), (tm), and (r) all get somewhat annoying -- but the story its self is well written, creative, and beautiful in delivery.
There's nothing overtly new in this book, but brings together a tremendous amount of mediocrity in to one impossible to put down read. If you think 1984 with a dash of Neil Stephenson, and a touch of Tad Williams, you'll likely end up with what we have here. This is a very highly suggested read.
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