5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Categorically the worst novel of the series ..., April 4, 2003
I picked up STATE OF WAR today and read it in an evening, but that shouldn't be taken as a sign that the book was well-written. The last book, CYBERNATION, was released in November 2001, so the bulk of it was no doubt written before the World Trade Center attacks. That makes this book the first in the 'Net Force' series to be written after the September 11 attacks. Unfortunately, the authors chose to attempt to integrate the events of 2001 into this future they had been portraying, and they did so without even the slightest modicum of skill: the references were incredibly hamhanded and extremely clumsy, and came across with all the subtlety and grace of a sledgehammer hitting a watermelon.
This, to me, was the worst of the novel's flaws, but it is hardly its only one. Tyrone's sudden miraculous superhuman sharpshooting ability was comically unbelievable because it had no foundation built for it in any prior novel -- worse, it came across as the cliched 'boy genius saves the day' syndrome made so hated by Wesley Crusher and Macaulay Culkin. None of the main characters (Alex, Toni, Jay, Howard) experience any significant personal growth or character development, and many beloved secondary characters are entirely absent. And many of the novel's substories and plot threads were not only uninteresting, but are left sloppily unresolved. What was the argument Tyrone could not think of? Whatever happened to Joan?
I'm fond of the series' characters after having watched them grow and live their lives throughout six other novels, so I may still pick up whatever novel is written next, mostly out of blind hope that future novels won't be as awful as this one was. But it hurt to see the characters be such pale imitations of their former selves. Comparing the 'Net Force' of STATE OF WAR to the 'Net Force' of its predecessors is like comparing a romantic comedy to the kind of movie you'd pick up in the back of your video store -- the ones they keep behind the red curtain. A huge, huge disappointment.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Generic At Best, September 19, 2003
This seventh book in the now stale Net Force series offers nothing new and is better left alone. The Net Force series started off fresh but the books have since grown forced and clichéd. Writers Perry and Segriff seem to still follow the same plot blueprint that most of the books have followed: ruthless bad guy with a diabolical scheme (even though we never learn what it is), a lowlife assassin, a new set of net viruses (a requirement), and Net Force saving the day. At least in this book the writers decide to change the status quo a little in the ending and provide a jumping-off point for bored readers.
There are a wealth of better alternative books: readers looking for military/political thrillers should check out Tom Clancy's REAL books, while readers wanting action/adventure should try Clive Cussler's writings, and readers looking for future/tech should try some of William Gibson's books.
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5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Waste of Time, March 30, 2003
By A Customer
Net Force - State of War is a total waste of the reader's time. Mr. Clancy should be embarrassed to have his name associated with it. The writers try to spin a high tech thriller, but have no mastery of either their subject or the techno thriller style. --- A total waste of paper and money.
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