Michael Schlotfeldt Schlotfeldt itibaren Chambry, 77830, Fransa
I really like John Scalzi's writing. It's not too fancy, no particular bells and whistles, but it's not stilted either. It goes down easy. The Ghost Brigades is set in the same context as Old Man's War, and links up to it in various ways, but the main protagonist is a different one with a whole different bundle of issues. I wasn't surprised that Scalzi decided to write more about the Ghost Brigades, and I was half-expecting it not to link up at all -- which would have been disappointing, really. I'm glad it did link up. I especially like the ending, even if it is a little too convenient, just because things tie up neatly and leave things in a good place. I'm looking forward to reading The Last Colony, and I hope that it's a similar deal in that, too. Judging from the blurb, which I quickly scanned just now, it is. I was also pleased that there was more done with the transference-of-consciousness thing. It's something I'm seeing a lot of in SF, and it's interesting how differently it's handled. You've got personalities in chips, you've got backed-up bodies with the brain included, etc. I liked the way it was done here, with the new consciousness not 'taking' because of the lack of experiences, and that the whole process resulted in someone subtly different. I wasn't entirely convinced by the protagonist or the antagonist. The protagonist was necessarily not much of a character in himself, and although I did kind of like him, I didn't really root for him. I think that's what made me stall mid-book, although I picked it up again easily enough. And I'm not sure the antagonist's motives were explored clearly enough. If he'd been introduced earlier, somehow... I also saw the thing with the kid coming a mile off. One thing I really, really liked as a random small touch was the characterisation of Harvey, near the end. Most of the soldiers just kind of blended into each other for me and then there's this one insane, trigger-happy guy. It made me grin, reading his section. I think you could read this book as a stand-alone, but I suggest you don't. Start with Old Man's War: it'll help you care more about the world and some of the supporting characters.
This was really an absolutely wonderful book, but ended up being so sad and depressing. I would definitely recommend it anyway though. As my first Kristin Hannah book, I am looking forward to reading more from her.