Customer Reviews

The Myriad: Tour of the Merrimack #1

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

 

 

Ordinarily, I would not pick up a book with a cover showing some guy with a sword fighting on a spaceship. The cover blurb doesn't help--this book is about a United States space ship called the "Merrimack", captained by one Captain Farragut, who patrols the space lanes thrashing evil be-pincered and tentacled aliens. Sounds really cheesy, right?

Happily, I have a friend whose opinions I trust, who finally persuaded me to give Meluch a try--and let me tell you this is one of the most fun books I have read this past year. In fact, I quickly read the sequel (Wolf Star) and the third book, (Sagittarius Command). These books are fun, they are not deep--yet Meluch is an author of considerable subtlety; she bends the conventions of the space opera genre enough to give the reader an occasional delightful surprise--though she never disrespects the genre in which she writes.

If other reviews have given away plot spoilers, that's a pity. The fugue-like changes that mark the plot twists are best kept as a surprise.

There's quite a bit of subtle humor in the dialogue. For example, Farragut actually is given occasion to remark "Damn the mines!". This is, of course, a reference to a remark attributed to the historical U. S. Navy Admiral David Farragut, whose actual words were allegedly, "Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead!". But in Farragut's time, what we call "mines" were called "torpedoes"--so Meluch not only worked in the quotation, she corrected it!

This is one of the best science fictions books I've read. I really enjoyed it! The story line was well written and the best way to describe it was that it had depth. It has great actions and the author does an excellent job is describing it and most of all it's believable. It also had a mystery aspect that the USS Merrimack was trying to solve. It was this mystery that kept me reading as each chapter ended you slowly came closer to knowing the secret. Another reason I enjoyed this book was the character development. The store wasn't about one or two lead characters. It was about a whole ship of characters and how they interact with each other, the Hive, the Aliens, Earth and others. I understood what the characters felt and thought. As I read the story I felt that I was there, that I was part of the story.... One of the characters that lived of course. The characters were so well developed even down the bickering and taunting that some of them had between them. To me the story was more then just a science fiction book that I read. It was more like a window into the lives and adventures of the USS Merrimack. I can't wait to look into the window of book two and see how their lives have changed, what new mysteries unfold, and what new adventures await!

Since the other reviews blow the plot surprises for you, I won't bother repeating them. Ms. Meluch has finally returned after a too-long hiatus from science fiction, and her writing is as sharp as ever. I snapped this book up without question the moment I saw it on the shelf. There is nobody who can breathe life into characters the way she can; they lodge in your chest like a heartache and leave you thinking about the books long after you have finished them. Her stories move, they are imaginative, and they carry a thread of dry / wry humor through them that makes them a very human and thoroughly enjoyable read.

Other than the two Wind books, Meluch's previous stories have been stand-alone tales. I was expencting a more straightforward series of adventures for the Merrimack, and I confess the the surprise ending and subsequent changes in the personnel and their interactions was a wee bit of a bummer, because one hates to lose the relationships and plots that have evolved. However, staying put would have probably meant having to jettison some characters, and I like the crew of the Merrimack well enough to spend more time with them and see where the series goes.

If you're new to Meluch's writing, this is a good introduction to her style. If you're wondering which of her past books to try and get a copy of, I'd recommend starting with Chicago Red, and for a more fantastic, less military setting, Wind Dancers and Wind Child.

I've been a fan of her work since the 80's, and she's always been one of my favorite SF authors. I emailed her before I knew about this series coming out to let her know I really missed her work, and that was when I found out about this new series - she told me there was something new on the horizon that I ought to like if I liked her previous works. Since I hate waiting for each book in a series to come out, I now tend to wait till all are written before buying any, so I can read straight through. But I only lasted until this month, bought the first two. Figured I can wait for the last now since it won't be that long of a wait.

As usual, she goes above and beyond to immerse the reader in her universe. She doesn't bore you with trying to explain her technology as if to justify it - this *IS* sci fi after all, and I don't expect it to be forced to line up with current technology somehow. She creates a universe and makes you feel as if you're walking through it.

So often I find myself speed-reading parts of books that just drag out the descriptions too much, as if the author is trying to impress you with how many pages or words their book has when it goes to print. She doesn't write any filling fluff, so every page is something to linger over and absorb to its fullest.

Great series, finished this book today and am starting Wolf Star now, curious to see all the "history". And can't wait for the final book.

Needless to say I hope she puts out something else after this series is finished. I never tire of her work, and haven't read anything of hers yet that I didn't love.

The Myriad appeared on my birthday and for that reason I count that b'day to be one of the best. Meluch has created a universe I want to explore, populated with characters of depth and texture whom I look forward to seeing again...and again. Her story is rich and satisfying on all levels qualifying this book as character driven AND plot driven, the elements expertly woven together into whole cloth. How many writers can do that? I was thrown by the ending and delighted by it. "What if" is always a human lament. Perhaps we will get to see the concept in action down the line. As far as multi-layered science fiction goes, no one does it better than Meluch. I can't wait for WOLF STAR to arrive in bookstores, also scheduled for my b'day--WOOHOO!--and will gladly pay the hardcover price. I want my Meluch keepers to hold up for many readings to come.

One of the better books I've read in a while, with some good sci-fi mystery flavor, and plenty of action. While some of the characters seem rather shallow, I'd say they're pretty accurate reflections of some of the people I've met in the real world (is EVERYONE you know deep and interesting?) I couldn't put it down, and despite not being the made-for-TV-happily-ever-after you hope for, the ending leaves lots of very interesting potential for the next book, which I will have to read.

The Myriad: Tour of the Merrimack #1 is a new sci-fi book that I have recently read and highly recommend. Well-developed characters and an interesting story are what I primarily look for and hope for in any book that I read. What else does one need when it comes to a good book? I am happy to share that The Myriad has some of the best, most colorful and interesting characters I have experienced in a long time. Beginning with the first few pages through the entire book the characters continue to be developed in front of you. You begin to relate with them and care for them as the story moves along. You know them and feel a part of their lives. Actually the characters are a large part of this first book of this new series. I think that this sole aspect is what makes this book stand a part from others. But I guess that this should not be surprising since the author has a reputation for strong and interesting characters in her previous books.

The above review has done a great job of explaining the basic story of The Myriad: Tour of the Merrimack #1. So I won't restate the main storyline. But again the amount of detail that this story presents certainly is deeper than many other books I have recently read. Granted this is a book set to introduce you to the story and series, but the author seems to take the time to really set the stage and plot for you. The life on the ship is believable, the dialog seems like it was taken from some of the people I have either worked with or served with over the years. The locations visited and battles fought are rich with detail. I am hooked and really looking forward to the next book in the series. Again this is a book that I highly recommend.

First of all, I consider Rebecca Meluch to be one of the best living science fiction writers. I cannot understand why she is not better known. Perhaps part of the reason is the more than ten years between this book and her last, the excellent Queen's Squadron. A whole generation or readers has grown up never having seen one of her books on the shelf. The Myriad is a terrific book, with finely drawn, compelling characters and a riveting plot set upon a galactic stage. I don't want to reveal too much, but the ending left a sour taste in my mouth, negating much of what had gone on before and setting the next books in the series upon an entirely different and unexpected trajectory. Nevertheless, I will most certainly be looking forward to the next adventure of the crew of the Merrimack.

This an engaging military sci fi book for much of the book. Meluch draws you into the plot line and characters thoroughly, especially Captain Farragut. However, there is a major plot swerve in the last 30 or so pages that basically negates much of what happens in the first 90% of the book. I would have rated 4 stars but this plot swerve really threw me off the book. Not sure I'll pick up the sequel for fear of the same kind of odd plot device at the end.

The Myriad appeared on my birthday and for that reason I count that b'day to be one of the best. Meluch has created a universe I want to explore, populated with characters of depth and texture whom I look forward to seeing again...and again. Her story is rich and satisfying on all levels qualifying this book as character driven AND plot driven, the elements expertly woven together into whole cloth. How many writers can do that? I was thrown by the ending and delighted by it. "What if" is always a human lament. Perhaps we will get to see the concept in action down the line. As far as multi-layered science fiction goes, no one does it better than Meluch. I can't wait for WOLF STAR to arrive in bookstores, also scheduled for my b'day--WOOHOO!--and will gladly pay the hardcover price. I want my Meluch keepers to hold up for many readings to come.