Customer Reviews

First Flight

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

 

 

From the opening chapter to the very last page, I was hooked. Not having read anything by Chris Claremont before, I had no preconceptions - X-men or otherwise. Fast-paced, with a heroine who is not quite perfect and therefore better for it. To baldly summarize the plot wouldn't do justice to it but I'll try:
Trainee Pilot (Heroine) screws up training test; second chance leads to routine "milk run"; romance, with limitations; ambushed by space pirates with a grudge; ambush survivors find alien ship; first contact; going after the pirates; consequences. (Told you I wouldn't do it justice).

The two sequels weren't quite as good (I'd give Grounded an 8 and Sundowner a 7), but I'm definitely hoping for a fourth book to find out what happens next.

I went to bed planning to read a chapter or two and ended up reading untill 3am. The action grabes you and won't let go, the characters are pretty well built and the science-side (for hardcores like me) is on the spot. No teleporters and other ridiculous stuff.

This book (and the sequel-Grounded) is well worth the cost. I can't wait for other books by C. Claremont

Chris Claremont cut his writing teeth writing X-Men for Marvel Comics. He was a fan favorite in that medium, and much of the X-Men's popularity was due, in no small part, to his work on the titles back in the late 1980's & early 1990's.

HOWEVER, in my opinion, Mr. Claremont didn't do nearly as well when he tried to cross over into writing science fiction novels.

His ever present long-legged feisty & impetuous female characters with lots of 'tude & style (but not much in the way of common sense and judgement) are present, as always, but they just don't come across as well in longhand prose, sans art. They're all style and bluster, without real substance - and the limiting factor is not the author's lack of ideas ... it's his lack of writing ability in the novel format. He's brilliant in comic books, but he's out of his native turf when it comes to full length novels.

Personally, I recomment avoiding his novels, and buying his classic comics instead ... you'll be far happier, and you may even recoup your investment.

Expectations for the first novel venture from Chris Claremont were high. What resulted is a bland, disappointing revisitation of the X-Men he made so successful and popular. The characters in "Grounded" are all parallels of those selfsame mutant comic book heroes. It's a wonder that the Marvel Comics Group isn't calling their lawyers. Lt. Shea is a fire-tempered, cocky redhead. Her team consists of a short, hairy berserker, and a big muscular Russian. Sound familiar? You could pick up back issues of the X-Men Claremont wrote and see much the same thing, with John Byrne and Terry Austin's artwork to enhance the story. The writing is Claremont's customary fare--well paced and smooth; his style is crisp and well-paced. The poignant moments offset the action well. It isn't as if he hasn't had practice writing action space-operas. The only insurmountable problem is "Grounded!" is not terribly original. In fairness, this was only Claremont's first novel. Perhaps he was getting his sea legs; perhaps he was just lazily firing the story he could most easily throw together from his keyboard. Claremont's back in the comics field where he belongs with DC's Sovereign Seven--which reads just fine without insulting himself or the reader by hearkening back to any of his earlier work

First Flight is a wonderful book that approaches first contact in an enjoyable and original manner. With treachery and betrayal added to the mix, you have a book that will keep you spellbound from the first to the last page.

As a former X-Men reader, I wasn't sure what to expect from Chris Claremont's first novel. Undoubtedly, some of the books characters do come over as rather two-dimensional, but persist and you will find a contemporary sci-fi novel that is pacy, gripping and original.

This book is one of the first science-fiction novels I ever read. I really enjoyed the characters and the story was very involving.