Customer Reviews

Farscape: House of Cards

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is a great book for a Scaper. It has a few errors (like forgetting that Luxans put their surname first and given name last) but is all in all a good read. It gives more back-story than a Farscape fanatic would need, and less than someone who's not familiar with the show would need, which makes me wonder what audience it's supposed to be geared towards. But I loved the insights it gave, specifically into Aeryn and Rygel. Finally, someone realizes that everything isn't always Rygel's fault! Now to point out some errors in the editorial review... Moya is the ships name, it's not 'The Moya'. Crichton is not the leader of our motley crew. They really don't have a leader. The human is just another one of them. And the others are far from his cronies. They are not resting a spell in the Uncharteds, they pretty much live there. And Rygel is not insectoid. He's amphibian. He's not an irresponsible sidekick, he's a deposed dominar to over 600 billion subjects. No one ever gives the poor guy enough credit! The plot had plenty of twists and turns, but not too many to follow. I suspect that I shall re-read this book several times.

Liantac is a gambler's paradise and the Uncharted Territories version of Las Vegas. Having recently delivered a passenger to the planet, Crichton and the others decide to take the opportunity to buy supplies, relax, and visit the world's main attraction: The Casino. It isn't long before Rygel takes a chance and ends up losing Moya to the casino owner. Now the Farscape crew are trapped on Liantac with no means of escape and the ever-present threat of Peacekeeper intervention. Forced to work off debts, D'Argo becomes a bodyguard and Zhaan is in danger of being added to a private plant collection. Crichton however has more important issues on his mind, most notably the fact that he can't remember the words to "Viva Las Vegas".

"House of Cards" is the entertaining first novel in a series based upon the popular television programme, Farscape. Packed with humour and action, this is a must-have for any fan. There isn't much of a plot, but this is so fun to read that you won't really care. The author manages to capture the atmosphere of the show perfectly. The descriptions of Liantac are vivid and the characters behave as you would expect them to. The focus is not placed upon any one member of Moya's crew and everyone is given a chance to shine. "House of Cards" is a thoroughly enjoyable read. I would recommend it to any fan of the Farscape series.

Every fan of Farscape should enjoy this book. It's like reading the script of one of the episodes, it is that well done. The dialogue between Moya's crew is hilarious and since it's a book we also get to read what some of them are really thinking when dealing with the other members of the crew. I hope there are more books on the way.

That is, if you can call three a bunch. Having read all three original Farscape adventures (Dark Side of the Sun and Ship of Ghosts), I feel House of Cards is the only one to hit the nail on the head. Point one: It had a grand story with compelling sublots, all the threads wove the larger story together for us. Point two: The characters were true to the televised versions we love, in action, inner thoughts, and dialogue. Point three: No one over-shadowed anyone else. There's nothing wrong with favoring one character for an episode but this was the first of a new series and should feature ALL the characters extensively. As it did. Point four: DeCandido gave us a new and lavish world full of vivid and easily imagined scenes. Point five: It didn't "talk down" to fans. With 2+ seasons worth of stories and histories and plotlines to include, DeCandido didn't rush thru a summary, use some quick writer's trick, or over simplify things (as Bischoff did with Ship of Ghosts). No spoon feeding of backstories here! It was new-reader-friendly without annoying loyal fans. And the final point: It was a lot of fun to read!

This book is lovely (particularly if you've read the dreck that was Andrew Dymond/Jim Mortimer's Dark Side of the Sun). The characterization is right on, without being overwhelmingly gimmicky (e.g. John is trying to figure out the lyrics to Viva Las Vegas throughout the book, but not every time he opens his mouth). The action moves along quickly, logically, and with that typical Farscape insanity that makes you go, "What the yotz?" This is a fast, pleasant read for anyone who likes to watch the television series and wishes they'd seen more episodes.

The only downside is that the plot is thin. The plot is not bad; it is completely coherent, and makes sense given the types of people we tend to find in the UT and the characters we know and love. However, there isn't much to it. It's been reported that Jim Mortimer had trouble getting a complex plot approved (or even understood) by the people at Boxtree (the UK publisher) and Tor; perhaps that's a partial explanation for the lightness of this novel.

I was intially surprised at how small the book was but in the hour or so it took me to read it (199 pages)I was pleased with how "Farscape" it was. The author has written a few Star Trek books that were quite good and he doesn't dissapoint here. A fun story that will fill your Farscape needs until the new episodes coming on June 15!

While testing his Farscape module, the astronaut John Crichton is shot through a wormhole and deposited in another part of the galaxy. While floating powerlessly in space soon thereafter, a freak accident finds him killing the brother of a Peacekeeper commander and running with a ship (a living ship) full of escaped Prisoners and one (thanks to him) Peacekeeper that can't go back to her ranks. Add in a person they've rescued along the way, some changes in the enemy but not in the "run away" premise, and you've worked your way up to the book.

Liantac is a gambler's paradise and one of the crown jewels in the middle of nowhere. According to Rygel, expert on all things fun, he's always wanted to go there and would have gone before except for a slight problem. There's been a little woe that wouldn't allow for travel to the planet with ships. After being sought after, told they'd be paid well for taking someone there, and reassured that biomechaniod ships function in its atmosphere, the crew agrees (some reluctantly) they can get supplies while planetside. Taking a deposed figurehead into a place like that can result in some problems, however, just like taking an Ex-Peacekeeper can drudge up some old problems. Yeah, its just like old times.

One thing I liked about this in light of the series and its departure is that this captured the Farscape feel rather well. Keitch R. A. DeCandido seems to know the series, and he certainly understands the motivations behind the characters. While reading along, he briefs you on the people therein much like the show would do, keeping them feeling like the series always does. He also knows his timeframe, too, and must have followed the series while working on this book. According to the author, it is set toward the end of season 2, between the episodes "Won't Get Fooled Again" and "The Locket." Knowing that and watching a few DVDs from that timeframe helps plugs into it rather well.

If you're like me and you still miss Farscape, then this isn't a bad way to find a little more of your fix. Its not the dynamic of the television cast playing out with a nice budget and some special effects, but it really does feel like the shows from that time often felt. It even does one of the things that the shows are notorious for, adding in a little "Earth humor" into the Crichton equation and letting him interpret many of the things he's seeing for you. Coupled with a nice outing by the always-troublesome "Sparky," a little Nebari moving, some Luxan added to the fray, and into sets the mood and the timeline really well.

To note, if you are new to Farscape then you need to watch the series up until the points mentioned and let it do the introduction for you. This is merely an installation in the saga and works well as an add-on to the DVD sets. While it could be understood without the background, picturing the faces and knowing their woes ahead of time lets this have more effect because the author does something I like, treating me like a viewer of Farscape and not a bumbling fool in need of constant reminders. Too many books do that when tied to a spin-off.

This was a truly fun read. The Characters were true to form, and the balance between humor, and action moved the story along without dragging.This is a story that could easily translate to the screen, whether big or small.

Mr. DeCandido has shown that he knows the show and relationships between the characters. Aeryns binge was brought that touch of pathos and romance that fan enjoy so much on the show. D'argo being attached to a foppish singer, you can just feel his disgust, and his struggle to hold in his anger. Rhygel is priceless as insticator of all troubles the crew of Moya face

Buy this book if you are a farscape fan!!

I do believe that Farscape fans should enjoy this work. Much better than the abysmal Dymond book. DeCandido exhibits a knowledge of the characters that far surpasses what I have seen in most other tie-in novels. I agree with the other reviews that I've seen elsewhere suggesting that this is an episode you will truly wish had been made. Intriguing story, some exquisite use of our characters, and Commander Crichton finally gets to be a scientist.

Man, an episode your gonna wish was on TV!

Cool story, even the scene with Aeryn getting drunk is great! I had to read it threw in one day. It was great!

If your a scaper, your gonna love this book.