Customer Reviews

Catacombs

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4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
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1 star:		(1)

 

 

This is the rare book I couldn't even finish. The main characters are perfect Mary Sues or Gary Stus, with ludicrous amounts of skill (one character is described as being so good at knife-throwing he can hit a fly in a tornado), and their sins being absolved by the author (another character is arrested for staging an escape of someone else during their trial; this is presented as unjust imprisonment, despite the fact that her actions led to the deaths of an elderly man and a policeman). On the flip-side, anyone who is even implicated in treason, without even any proof, automatically becomes, to our "heroes," an unforgivable traitor with no moral scruples.

Some of the minor characters had the potential to be very interesting, particularly the ruler of Tanzania whose revolutionary ideals are disintegrating after the deaths of his sons, but they're all shoved to a corner so the "heroes" can show their stuff.

There's a lot of "my country, right or wrong" in this one; any atrocity is justified as long as it stops the communists from doing exactly what we're going to do.

Dreck. Avoid. If you want some vaguely sci-fi military action, try Jon Land; he's no genius either but at least his stuff is usually readable.

The suspense is high, and the hope for survival and success is addicting. Once I started reading, I couldn't stop. The theoretical aspect of a science fiction thriller shows through the plot. The danger gives you chills. It's both rivetting and consumes all your attention. A must read for all. The best part for me, I found the book in a thrift store. I hadn't any idea what it was about because the jacket was missing. I read a few sentences, and I was hooked.

Like many novels of the action-thriller type, Catacombs combines a little Indiana Jones, Dirk Pitt, and James Bond to make a story.

A second tier novel that may warrent notice once you have read your fill of other authors.