Customer Reviews

Net Force

5 star:		(29)
4 star:		(36)
3 star:		(20)
2 star:		(27)
1 star:		(38)

 

 

I read this for a reading assignment and was immediately hooked. I'm not sure if it's part of the Op-Center series, but if it is you'd never know it. Mr. Clancy does a great job tying in the characters. Net Force is a book anyone who likes computers would like, and the lingo isn't too hard to understand for those who aren't into computers. Enjoy! This is a great book!

I've read a few of the NetForce novels, including this one that launched the series, and thought I'd pop around and see what some of the Amazon.com users like me thought about them. I'm really surprised they're not more well received. Some thoughts in reply to several comments I've seen readers make here:

1) Tom Clancy did not write these novels. He and Steve Pieczenik are listed as "created by," and it appears that a writer named Steve Perry may have done most of the actual writing of at least two of the three NetForce novels I've read. His name is an attention-getter, and it is somewhat odd to me that so many reviewers comment on "this isn't Clancy's best work." Of course not. It's obviously not his writing, so the books cannot be accurately reviewed from that angle.

2) Comments regarding there being less than Clancy's usual tons of technical detail are irrelevant as well. Personally the technical detail bores me anyway, and there is too much here for my tastes, making it one of the weaknesses of the NetForce series IMO. YMMV; some reviewers want more technical detail, I want less. There's enough in this series to be illustrative, but for me (I prefer plot exposition, moving the story along, and character development) the writer stops to explain various weapons more than enough. It slows the story down, but at least it's not too distracting.

3) Someone commented that this series "is not written for people who actually use computers." Ahem. I have operated a commercial website for several years as a part-time job, and my full-time job is on my PC as well. I have rebuilt and upgraded entire computer systems by myself with minimal instruction. I practically *live* in e-mail. And I do enjoy this series. Again, perhaps the reviewer was looking for some kind of extensive technical detail on the computer systems and how they function and interface, but gimme a break, that's *work* to me. I read for pleasure, not to take my work with me into those hours. The internet crime focus and extensive descriptions of a futuristic virtual-reality-driven internet are definitely interesting reading.

Having said all that, the prospective reader of this series must also be aware that it is not just a series of self-enclosed stories but an actual serial of sorts. One of the bad guys in this novel returns later in the "Night Moves" book (third in the series), our heroic geek Jay Gridley meets someone in that one who changes his life and becomes part of future episodes, the working relationship between Alex & Toni (with occasional comments about an attraction) bears fruit in future volumes, and Colonel Howard's family life (plus the life of his son Tyrone) is another thread that runs throughout much of the series.

The NetForce books realistically include people of multiple races, backgrounds, personalities, interests, religions, politics, etc., and consistently have the interesting multiple perspective of viewing the story through the eyes of various characters. It also introduces us to some little-known martial arts, primarily from Indonesia, but in the later "CyberNation" book we get some sharply drawn bad guys and one of them has a Brazilian fighting style. By and large, this is a series which I will continue to follow with interest.

Let me start by saying I'm not an avid fan of reading books. Only on very rare occasions do I have the desire to read books just for the sake of reading. However, reading this book was not only a very pleasant experience, I enjoyed it so much I actually want to read the rest of this series, which is an amazing thing for me to say.

This book is set in the year 2010 when computers and technology have become increasingly important in everyday lives. The internet has expanded its reach across the entire world and can be accessed in a 3-D simulation, relating what you're doing on the computer to events occurring in real life. Alex Michaels finds himself in a situation where he must take control of a government organization in charge of maintaining the status quo on the internet and route out cyber-terrorists from usurping power in other countries.

This book's target audience was obviously those who are infatuated with the internet and technology. Well, it hit its target with precision aim. It also mixed in a nice amount of action and drama to go along with the geeky look into our future and where technology will lead us.

At first it was hard to keep up with the various characters going about their separate lives, but toward the end it was much easier. As the book progressed, not only did it become easier to keep up with who was doing what, but it was interesting to see how the different characters interacted with one another and to see things from their different points of view.

All and all, a very well written book. However, it might not appeal to those who aren't quite as infactuated with technology and the internet as I am. I give it a 4 out of 5 stars.

Everybody likes to cry over how this isn't writen by Tom Clancy and blah blah blah. Right at the bottom of the title it says:

"Created by Tom Clancy and Steve Pieezenik, writen by Steve Perry"!

If you can read the book, at least read the credits before you whine so much. After that being said, this is an excellent series and I highly suggest. 4 stars, could have been 5 but a couple chapters were really really bad and kind of confusing. It's one of those rare books that even if you're dead tired you want to get to the next chapter to see what happened next.

Well, this book was okay, it just didn't leave up to expectation. Like books where people get killed in furious action? Don't look here...Like character development? Not here either. Do you like a shotty attempt at explaining what possibly the net will be like in 10 years? Look here. One point of the book: The ending is entirely anti-climatic...Unless you're into "technothrillers" aimed at preteens, there isn't any reason to read this. If you want some true Clancy, pick up Rainbow Six or Clear and Present Danger.

I have to admit, this is one book that I did not finish, and I usually read a book all the way through. Whether I finish it out of duty to the author, or plain stubbornness, I'm not sure. However, in this case, I made an exception to my rule. It should have all been there: intrigue, hacking, etc. etc. But I just could not get into this book one iota. I could really care less if everyone in this book gets shot and all the computers blow up. And can we stop with all of the Dodge automobile placements? Was this sponsored by Dodge? I just couldn't get all the way through this, and I don't think going any further would have changed my mind.

I'll give it a ½ star. That's just for the premise.

Parts of this book are good. Other parts, not so much. The VR stuff that is interspersed throughout as the way folks surf the net in this somewhere down the line time horizon isn't a strong point of the story at all, and neither is all the net slang used in the dialog. Actually, it's kind of a strange situation where the action part of this action book is actually somewhat weaker than the chartacter development.

I don't know if that means I'll read another Net Force book, though.

Tom Clancy is an amazing author. We have begun to expect thrilling novels from him. Net Force is just a step above the rest.
The book begins with the assassination of Michael Day, the head of Net Force. Net Force is the governments computer control agency, believed by some to be ore powerful than the FBI and CIA. The assassination is the spider in the web of events leading to the exciting conclusion. There are five main characters in this novel: The Selkie, who is an assassin trying to take out the replacement head of Net Force, Plekhanov, who is trying to take over Ukraine, Alex Michaels, who is the new head of Net Force, and Toni Fiorella, the martial arts master.
This book has some very thrilling moments like "Ruzhyo placed the wavering crosshairs on the mans chest" and "He turned and saw the old lady with her cane held over her shoulder like a baseball bat, ready to belt his head into the bleachers." are just some of them.
I suggest you read this literary masterpiece, it will keep you on the edge of your seat.

The author, Tom Clancy, is known for being a military technology buff, and porting his love over to his novels. Originally an insurance broker, he wrote his first novel, The Hunt For Red October in 1984. From then on, he's been well known for being an excellent military writer as well as creator of military and terrorist scenarios. His skills as a writer, show in this book, as well as his interests in technology and terrorism. Net Force is a novel, that starts, and doesn't stop. Like a roller coaster, it drops you down and takes you for many twists and curves in the plot. Net Force, is also a frame story. It had many different stories going on at once in it, that all combine to a fantastic climax. Me being an avid reader of Clancy novels, I found this book extremely enjoyable. Character development started right off, as they went in about Michaels (The new director of Net Force) and his reactions to the many chaotic events that happen around him. Clancy showed human flaws in his normal characters. I really enjoy those types of characters, so I suppose that struck a chord with me. Also, Clancy's use of imagination as well as technological knowledge was superb. To describe the internet, a growing almost living thing, twelve years into the future, and go into that much detail, is incredible. The antagonist, just like the protagonist, is indeed, human. Although his goal is world domination, he attempts to succeed in very simple and humanly possible ways. He makes mistakes (which ultimately lead to his downfall) and underestimates Net Force. Of the many sub-stories however, I enjoyed the Russian, "The Rifle's" most of all. Clancy later carries this character ahead to the 3rd book, and ties it together very well.

I just finished two Tom Clancy "thrillers" ... " Op Center" and " Net Force" were actually the worst I had ever read by him. He used to write a "crafted" novel that was well researched and had suspense. At least he hasn't stooped to using sex! Op Center is slow and plodding and actually pretty dull for a bloody thriller. Net Force has all too much blood and gore to be actually about the web! The techno window dressing was put in to "sell, sell, sell". He has become a "product" and his books are no longer literature, but formulas for the best seller list?