From: idvpq.office/G=Nancy/S=Proctor/DD=idvpq.office@mhs-tva.attmail.com
Date: Mon, 16 Oct 1995 15:02:41 -0400
Subject: Book Reviews
     
Doug, 
I enjoyed glancing through some of your reviews.  I'm an INFP and found that 
areas of agreement and disagreement were about evenly split. 
 
Brust, Steven - I loved the Vlad Taltos books (except for the last one where 
our hero switched occupations - I didn't get to far in it).  What I enjoy most 
about these books is Brust's humor.  The plotting is good, but without Vlad's 
wisecracking I probably wouldn't have read the series more than once.   
                I agree that he did a great job with Dumas' style in the 
Khaavren books. 
 
Card, Orson Scott - I agree with you about the Ender series.  I haven't read 
the Worthing Saga or the Lost Boys.  I don't know why I bothered to finish 
Wyrms.  Have you read the 'Prentice Alvin series.  I enjoyed that.  It was 
really different in style and mood. 
 
Cherryh, C. J. - Downbelow Station is one of my favorite books.  I've probably 
read it at least 4 times.  Her Chanur series is great.  The aliens in that are 
better than any I've encountered elsewhere.  I also really like the Cyteen 
books.  In fact I guess I like all of her SF, but her fantasy books leave me 
cold.  Her characters are generally flawed to a greater extent than one 
usually sees in SF, yet in the course of the stories they manage to grow to 
the heights necessary to survive her truly intricate plots. 
 
Eddings, David - Fortunately, I only bought the first three of the Mallorean 
and didn't feel compelled to finish the set.  You know in the back of all his 
books where he says something about experimenting with the genre? (or 
something like that).  I think he's just seeing how many times he can write 
the same story and still get people to buy it. 
 
Kay, Guy Gavriel - I hated Tigana. I just couldn't work up any concern for the 
characters.  I really didn't care what happened to any of them.  A Song for 
Arbonne was interesting in a way, but once again I couldn't make a connection 
with any one in the story.  On the other hand, I loved the Fionavar Tapestry.  
It is one of the most emotionally charged fantasy sets that I've ever read.  
His use of myth was extraordinarily well done. 
 
Ludlum, Robert - I agree that the Bourne Supremacy and the Bourne Ultimatum 
were only so-so.  But the book that preceded them, the Bourne Identity was 
pretty good--At the time it was first published it served to break the mold in 
terms of the types of things authors were doing with thrillers.  I think 
that's why the other two sold so well.  The Iccarus Agenda is probably his 
best book though. 
 
Rawn, Melanie - These books simply had too many characters to keep track of 
and after the first couple of books I found that I really didn't like any of 
the characters enough to even try to keep up with them. 
 
Rice, Anne - I've really enjoyed all of her books though admittedly some are 
better than others.  I'm having a hard time getting into the latest one, 
Memnoch the Devil.  I pick it up every two or three weeks, but it just doesn't 
catch my interest. 
 
Roberson, Jennifer - The first three were pretty good, but as the series went 
on it just got more and more depressing.  I like happy endings and these books 
(or at least those I read) just left me feeling kind of sick inside.   
 
Have you been reading Robert Jordan's series?  It is truly delightful.  The 
characters are really well drawn and well fleshed-out.  The plots and subplots 
and intricate but not difficult to follow.    He also makes good use of 
mythology and folklore. 
 
I have recently discovered David Weber.  All of his books provide a pretty 
good read, but the Honor Harrington series is classic.  Great Space Opera! 
 
How about David Gemmel?  His fantasies are also very well done and his world 
has a definite sense of History. 
  
I'll check your home-page again. It was fun. 
Nancy Proctor 
IDVPQ@mhs-tva.attmail.com