adrian

Merchant's luck good - Gieana, not so much.

Reviewed: 01-30-25

I really enjoyed Merchant's Luck - I had read the book before the audio book - I enjoyed reading it and listening as well - The characters are real, and easy to care about - I would love any kind of sequel - 40,000 down just the opposite - don't care what happens - It's tedious just to get through....

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It's one of Cherryh's - I should have expected it

Reviewed: 01-14-25

It wasn't until I got 2/3 of the way through the first book before it got interesting. It was cheap, and I had to listen to something so I got through it and I'm in book 2 now and it's either interesting or at least it's so much more interesting than it was. Maybe I'm no longer calibrated.

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Not my kind of book

Reviewed: 01-13-25

I prefer strong lead characters, with depth and meaningful personal conflict and a well defined story theory - I didn't find it here - The main character is weak and sniveling and whining throughout the book - I think that's supposed to change with the development of the story and I kept hoping, but it never really does. Finally, the conclusion is obvious from about mid way and even though it's Juvenile and very unrealistic, you just want to scream that the characters can't seem to get it.

I bought this book as a deal - It was cheap so I can't complain to much, and I listened all the way through, but I don't think I want to go through the rest of the series - There is a detailed sex scene if you like that sort of thing - I really don't like reading about other people's experiences so maybe that kind of soured me. I think it's better taken as a romance novel with a little magic and lot of people getting tortured and killed and a main character that can't function because of her inner "feelings".

I guess, I could never really get involved with the main characters - I could never really care if they succeeded - To be honest, I sort of kept thinking they should just die - how do you get behind a pirate who spent her life killing and stealing finally gets caught and can't live with the fact that her crew were killed, and the book starts with her in prison - How do you have empathy for someone like that. Worst of all, she's spends the book whimpering about how the man she "loved" died, Yea, he was a pirate to - He killed people and finally got caught and killed. Sort of makes you want to root for the antagonist in the book, but you never get to hear about them, their motivations, character - Maybe there aren't any that I can want to succeed.

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Not for entertainment

Reviewed: 06-24-12

Would you try another book from Gregory Benford and/or Robin Sachs?

Unlikely, but authors often write better books as they develop skills, and accomplished writers often try something new with poor results. I would not assume that Gregory Benford work is all like this.

What could Gregory Benford have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

Maybe start with a plot. More real color, and definitely character development would help.

What do you think the narrator could have done better?

The narrator was excellant.

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

Not unless the advertisements for the movie were deceptive, and I probably would not stay for the ending.

Any additional comments?

I could argue this book should get 5 stars. I could argue it deserves none. I give it 3 as result of the indecision. Most books contain some philosophy, the author bombarding the reader with his or her self-described wisdom about the life experience. This book contains abundance. It is not what I would call science fiction. Artistic fiction, maybe, an hour and a half of vivid descriptive language involving long sentence with seldom used words, but there is no science in there anywhere. No description of the space ships; no explanation how they work, no flow of time, only a lot of gore with no suporting science as to how it was created. Some readers may like that. It’s not for me.

At a writer’s conference a few years ago, the speaker explained that there was a basic format for all “good” stories. Three acts, character development, plot, setting, tension, resolution, dark moments; Gregory Benford was obviously not at that conference. The speaker further explained that some artistic authors purposely deviated from the tried and true methodologies. This book is an example of severe deviation. The speaker said there was a name for these writers. Homeless is the word she used.

If you read for a better understand your inner psychology, you may find value here, and I have to say, it was worth every penny I paid for it.

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3 people found this helpful