Science Fiction Books > B Science Fiction Books > M

A military Dilemma

Advantages: an enjoyable read
Disadvantages: not to everybody's taste. Classified as military sci-fi

...his home would make a better soldier being more motivated to defend it. This does not take into account the training and esprit of either the citizen soldier or the mercenary. It appears to be a rather common belief among some that mercenaries have no ethical or moral code of behaviour. Many mercenary companies at this time engeged in elaborate manourvers to make it impossible for an enemy to actually fight without actually engaging in any fighting. ...
...will be familiar with." Its better to get forgiveness than to obtain permission" is the full quote. When dealing with a very large bureaucracy it sometimes is almost impossible to get them to make a decision.(If nobody actually makes a decision then its nobodies actual fault) A situation can arise than needs to be addressed at once and if you have to wait for permission an opportunity can be lost. So hence the quote. Sometimes military situations ...

Coloneljohn 01.03.2009 · Read full review
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Review of Better to Beg Forgiveness - Michael Z. Williamson

Behold the book

Advantages: Fantastic story
Disadvantages: Could upset the devoutly religious

Behold the Man is one of the hardest books to put down I have ever come across. You pick it up thinking "one chapter before dinner" and end up delaying dinner so you can read more, it is that compelling. Basically the book tells the story of Karl Glogauer. Bullied at school, as an adult he is looking for some meaning in life, both romantic and spiritual, and often one gets in the way of the other. Given the chance to travel back in time (a one ...
...try to discover the truth about the crucixion and Christ. Story alternates between Karls' life in our present, and his current life (the past) in Roman occupied Judea. His miserable school life, his failed relationships and his quest for the truth all intwine to make for a compelling and original tale, which climaxes in a shocking (but inevitable) conclusion. Apparently when the book came out, it was denounced in certain quarters as blasfamous, ...

dalg 07.11.2002 · Read full review
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Review of Behold the Man - Michael Moorcock

Closer to Heaven

Advantages: Great character building
Disadvantages: A little slow paced for my taste

Fantasy and science fiction are genres that mesh well together. Some authors have written successfully across both genres, but not usually in the same story. Jaine Fenn has managed to combine both in one book and it's an interesting read. One night, a stranger is found lying unconscious in a bog just outside the village of Dangwern. He appears to have come from nowhere and, apart from a strange piece of cloth lying near his naked body, there is nothing ...
...Unfortunately, this includes the stranger himself, as he is suffering from amnesia and has no idea even where he is, much less how he came to be there. Fortunately for Sais, as he is nicknamed, the boy who finds him is "sky touched". This means he is soon to travel to the City of Lights to be tested to see if he is worthy of being a consort of the goddesses. The village elders permit Sais and the boy's mother Kerin to accompany him to see if anyone ...

Soho_Black 19.12.2009 · Read full review
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Review of Consorts of Heaven - Jaine Fenn

It is not just about football!

Advantages: It's very funny, and oh so true!
Disadvantages: None

The Disc, for those who don't know, continues to float in space, supported by the elephants who ride the back of the great swimming turtle A'tuin. The Hub about which the planet spins is a centre of great magic, and best avoided if you want to live a happy and contented life. At the outer perimeter is the great circle sea which unendingly streams over the rim into the void, which is best avoided if you want to continue to live at all. Most Discians ...
...Smeems, for instance, is the Candle Nave at the Unseen University. He has to worry about keeping the candles not just alight, but properly melted, artistically, gothicly, dribbled, as it were. Of course, there's Trevor to help. And there's Nutt. With two t's. Trevor Likely has a tendency to skive off work whenever possible, and to kick a tin can around. His dad was a legend. Nutt is… well, no-one's quite sure what Nutt is, even him. Goblin isn't ...

hiker 07.12.2009 · Read full review
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Review of The Unseen Academicals - Terry Pratchett

From Dead to Worse

Advantages: Good read
Disadvantages: Lots of threads, can be confusing

...A failed attempt of takeover from werewolves in another area results in Alcide becoming the new packleader. This, however, comes with a price which is the death of a few weres in the community including the previous packmaster Patrick, Maria-Star, Alcide’s girlfriend. As for the vampires, the explosion in the vampire summit results in the loss of various main personnel in Queen Sophie’s court and the King of Nevada, Felipe, grabs the opportunity. ...
...Louisiana apart from Eric and his gang. Eric surrenders to the new regime and manages to keep his area. And with Sookie saving the King from the attack of the Sophie’s last surviving child, Eric is slowly gaining the trust of the new King. And as for our heroine Sookie, a surprise meeting with her great-grandfather Niall reveals her heritage of being part-fairy. This completes Andre’s discovery of Sookie having fairy blood. And also explains the ...

medgenie 21.11.2009 · Read full review
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Review of From Dead to Worse - Charlaine Harris