April 2011 in books
Some of these reviews can also be found on Amazon.
In April 2011 I read the following books:
- 1. In the Heart of Darkness, by Eric Flint and David Drake
This has all the flaws and all the strengths of its prequel, with one rather glaring addition. In the first book, there were a few hints, but they could be ignored, that there was some ridiculous time-travelling technological intervention going on. But now that has been made very clear, and I don't like it. It seems cheap and tacky. The fictional world actually made more sense when it could be seen as the good guys being guided by God against a Satanic foe.
It's still a good read, mind, and I still recommend it.
- 2. Destiny's Shield, by Eric Flint and David Drake
It's a law of nature that any book called "X of Y" or "X's Y" is crap. Yup, that law is still true. This book is crap. That's not to say that I didn't like it though. It's fine entertainment, easily digestible in bite-size chunks suitable for reading for a few minutes on the bus. What little substance the story had in the previous two volumes in the series has gone, but there's still plenty of action and humour. The authors are clearly capable of laughing at their own work.
- 3. Fortune's Stroke, by Eric Flint and David Drake
This is getting a bit silly now. Still fun to read though.