Customer Reviews

Fortress on the Sun

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

 

 

Paul Cook's latest novel was difficult to put down. It starts with a mystery that leads the reader through the chapters with a strong desire to find out what is really happening. The findings behind the plot were a pleasant surprise. Cook's knowledge of science supports the portrayal of the characters and their unique situation, and his imagination is a joy to witness. The book was fast paced and could easily be a hit motion picture. The descriptions were vivid and they brought the reader into the fortress that is anchored to the sun, as well as, the underlying motivations of the characters. If unexpected twists and plot turns are what you like, and you enjoy the application of real science to a futuristic setting - then this is the book for you. Anything short of revealing the plot, could not do this book justice. You must read it and find out for yourself. Highly recommended.

I picked this up for free during a Read an eBook Week promotion. It's $4.61 in the Amazon Kindle store as I write this review, and you will get a lot more value out of it than the $4.61 purchase price.

I use a modified version of the Baen criteria in judging science fiction: the technology and plot lines need to be believable, you have to be able to relate to the characters, and if there are aliens don't gross me out or overly confuse me with strange names and abilities.

All that being said, I think this book hits it all except a little bit on the technology of a habitation being able to literally be anchored to the sun's surface, and the facility is actually mining materials, etc. from the sun's core and surface. Other than that one detail which I took off one star in the review - and that shouldn't stop you from reading a very good story - this book would hit all of my modified Baen criteria.

The author does a good job of developing the story line, interaction between the characters, and getting you to think: if a book can get me to think about the storyline and plot for a significant amount of time while both reading it and after the fact, I call that a pretty darn good job on the author's part. Even if science fiction is not your genre, this is really a story about good vs. evil and trying to overcome it and I would recommend it.

I'm looking forward to reading more from this author!

I read this book by the suggestion of others. I was not disappointed! It was a very good story, with clever solutions to interesting puzzles. One additional plus; Doc Savage fans are going to love this story (look for the hidden references). I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and highly recommend it for casual reading

I have owned this book for atleast 5 years and have read it many times. When i cant get interested in any other book i can lose myself in this one.

Aboard Sunstation Ra, a giant space station anchored to the sun and protected by powerful energy shields, a group of more than 100 prisoners harvest solar plasma for their captors. Despite having their minds wiped to erase any memory of their crimes - regressing some back to childhood - the sunstation prisoners have managed to carve out a peaceful existence during their three years of captivity. That is until a strange sleeping sickness spreads through Ra. The arrival of a new batch of prisoners complicates matters, initiating a series of events that reawaken the residents' memories and endanger their lives.

Fortress on the Sun is an engaging yarn, full of mystery and suspense. Cook moves the plot along briskly, filling it with clever twists. On the down side, Fortress on the Sun suffers from the weakness of most plot-driven adventure stories: thin characterization. More disappointing, the novel's denouement feels hurried - Cook anti-climactically strips away the last few layers of the onion during the closing exposition of the epilogue. But while certain events stretch the limits of plausibility, Fortress on the Sun's fast-moving plot and engrossing hook make for an entertaining read.

Story premise is interesting, prisoners held captive, unable to remember their crimes but needed by their jailers for their products. Unfortunately, the story jumps around different storylines, trying to build suspense. Also disconcerting was a few pages devoted to juvenile ramblings about sex. Totally unwarranted and didn't add to the story. As a woman who enjoys science fiction/fantasy, I didn't find those tidbits necessary.