Search the Products Store
Search the Book Store
clog dancing Book Store Index
Privacy Policy
Copyright Notice
Home
|
|
Hell's Faire (Posleen War Series #4) |
Author: John Ringo
Published: 2004-07-27 |
List price: $7.99
Our price: $7.99
|
Usually ships in 24 hours
As of: January 07th, 2009 05:53:00 PM
|
|
|
Customer comments on this selection.
 Beware, or become a crunchy
I've come to love reading John Ringo and his style of writing. His books are always action packed and there is enough good ole boy feel to it that you can't help smile as humans stomp some Posleen. Hell's Faire certainly doesn't skimp on the action and continuous warfare. The ACS and SheVas are very prominent. If you enjoyed the first three, you would certainly love this one.
It is interesting to know that as I was reading I couldn't help but think that Hell's Faire was nothing more than the second half of When the Devil Dances, or as I finished When the Devil Dances I stopped and wondered at how strange of a place to stop a book, with the ACS heading to impending doom at Rabun Gap. All is explained by Ringo that indeed it was one book, that books 3 and 4 were originally intended as one book, until 9/11 happened.
Although this one was a little less in plot and more on mindless action, I must say I enjoyed it nonetheless. You get a feel of triumph as the SheVas kick some crunchies' butt. I can't help but wonder how much of the rest of the series has Ringo's influence or if his name was simply attached to the book. If you enjoyed the first three, you would most certainly enjoy this book as well. A satisfactorily ending to the series, although the end of Hell's Faire ended a bit abruptly and too clean. Recommend none the less.
4 stars.
 The conclusion to the Posleen War Trilogy
You'll notice that most of the negative reviews for this book came from those that spent the extra money for the hardcover edition, and felt ripped off because of the reduced length of this volume compared to the previous three. I can see how they could gripe about that, but don't let it scare you away from reading this fine book.
HELL'S FAIRE is a rip-roaring, non-stop thrill ride the entire way through. As the previous novel, When the Devil Dances, comes to a close, you're left with a cliff-hanger in which all out battle is about to be joined. This book picks up right where that one left off and commences the carnage. There is practically no character or plot development in HELL'S FAIRE, just action, action, action. However, that isn't something to complain about when you're talking about a book from one of the best military sci-fi action sequence writers out there. For a series the magnitude and size of the Posleen War, you need a huge and action-packed finale to wrap things up. So what if that finale happens to be huge enough to warrant its own book? Bun-Bun and the ACS troops kick some serious tale in this one and you'll be hard-pressed to put it down the entire way through. No breaks, no bore, just intense and bloody action.
Also, I just have to comment on the reviewer that was offended by the scene with Glennis and the radioactive decontamination protocol. That scene was hilarious (one of the best of the whole series) and you shouldn't get your panties in a wad for something so innocent.. Go read Ringo's Ghost series if you really want something to [cry] about.
So, to me it doesn't really matter that the conclusion to the series had to be marketed as a separate book, you still get the same story with the same ending either way, you just pay a bit more for it. It was well worth it. A very enjoyable series!
 Deux ex machina indeed
"The biggest complaint I have is the deus ex machina saviors . . . "
Sums it up for me. I have refused to buy or read anything else in the series because of that ending.
Sorry, John, but there has to be some penalty. Readers had a lot invested in the series by that point. It was great until then but that just makes what felt like a betrayal even worse, whatever the reason.
I can't think of many books in the enormous numbers I have read that left me feeling this, well, cheated.
I originally read the ending with growing disbelief. It felt just as if, a few chapters from the end of a very long book in a long series, that the publisher had called and told the author that the fifth book was a no-go and this one had to end the whole story (and was still due in his hands in a couple of days).
A fine addition to the series
I know exactly what I liked about this book over the earlier ones...the focus wasn't on superhero Mike Oneal. No, the focus was on Bun-Bun, the superhero mechanized cannon\assault vehicle! And while superheroics were still present, there were real people involved as well. I guess that's just my preference.
Overall, this is a great wrap-up to the posleen invasion phase of the series. As usual, the combat sequences are vividly portrayed and just a ton of fun.
 Starts Strong, but Lingers Too Long - and Took One Book Too Many!
"A Hymn Before Battle" and "Gust Front" introduced John Ringo and his War Against the Posleen universe with a rousing start. Unfortunately, the next two books (this review is for "When the Devil Dances" and "Hell's Faire" because, even as Ringo admits, they are really one book) do not live up to the beginning. "When the Devil Dances" starts strong, picking up a while after the battle of "Gust Front"; humanity is struggling in pockets of civilization as they continue to battle against the initial invasion of the Posleen. But, they also know that the next, bigger wave is approaching, and that stopping the final taking of Earth by the Posleen seems impossible without re-enforcements from the units fighting off world - re-enforcements that they are told are not coming.
These two books are darker as well; Ringo admits to this in his afterwards of "Hell's Faire" where he talks about the effects of 9-11 on his writing of the book(s) and where he also admits to the faults of the third and fourth books of the series.
Though the book(s) has(ve) some great moments and some great battles, there are some serious flaws riddling the story. The biggest problem with the third book (or third and fourth books), is that it is too long...way too long - really needed some editing. Again, Ringo admits to this; which is unfortunate because that means it could have been fixed before publication. I think most of the blame falls on Baen Books, not Ringo; Baen has become a bit of a factory and its good authors suffer for it.
Another big problem with "When the Devil Dances" and "Hell's Faire" is the direction Ringo takes to story and the characters. The darkness that Ringo brought to these books, does not fit the first two books or the universe he created. And, he leaves us completely unfulfilled in regards to the background intrigue that has been building throughout the series. And, when he talks in the afterwards of walking away from the universe for a period of time because he is burned out on it, I found that very unfair as there was too much left undone.
And a warning: my biggest problem with these two books is the way he ends it! I won't tell you the ending, but it is so quick and so pat, I was left so dissatisfied, that it spoiled the universe for me. Then it got worse when the next books in the universe were cash-cow pot boilers written by other authors! What a disappointment.
>>>>>>><<<<<<<
A Guide to my Book Rating System:
1 star = The wood pulp would have been better utilized as toilet paper.
2 stars = Don't bother, clean your bathroom instead.
3 stars = Wasn't a waste of time, but it was time wasted.
4 stars = Good book, but not life altering.
5 stars = This book changed my world in at least some small way.
|
|
Our clog dancing book picks:
|
|
Search the clog dancing Products Store
LCS Amazon Store 2.5 © 2009
|