Customer Reviews

Storm Cycle

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(15)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

Iris Johansen and her son Roy Johansen have teamed up to bring us a taut, edgey tale full of action and with a very modern turn. The computing angle was very well done and sounds very plausible. I found the characters good and liked the lone maverick that Tavak seems to be. The only thing I did not care for and felt crafted was the Government involvement. Her last few stories have dealt with treason and secret plots within governments. So that was a no-brainer. I don't think any of us are surprised at what individuals in government may be up to. Overall this is a good read. I liked the tension between Rachel and Tavak, both are hot-headed, determined, very intellegent people, and I also liked the Egyptian influence. I think alot of times we overlook good things because they are not "modern", not part of progress. But sometimes progress is not the most effective answer.

Rachel Kirby is a prodigy with computers, she has written a program that allows her to use unused internet time from other sources. When people are not on line they can donate their computing time to her giant computer, Jonesy. Time on her network is desired by many including our government. The main reason she is so dedicated is to find a cure for a very unique illness that is killing her sister, Allie. It attacks the central nervous system and finally kills the victim. I don't know if there is really a disease like this but it sounds horrible.

Tavak is a mavarick archeologist searching for cures and secrets that belonged to an Egyptian Physician. A female physician who led a school in Cairo. He has been stealing time on Jonesy and when he is trapped in the burial chamber of Peseshet, he calls Rachel on the only access he has. She is very interested to meet the person who has circumvated her program to protect Jonesy. She forces the NSA to rescue Tavak from his nemesis, Charles Dawson.

At almost the same time someone has taken a shot at Rachel, the bullet grazes her head and she is placed in a hospital. But nothing slows her down and she is out shortly striving to save the thief in Egypt. Tavak is transfered to Rachel, who he must convince of the viability of the concept that Peseshet had learned to reginerate nerves.

Very well thought out story and very well written. I enjoyed it.

Unlikeable characters + Unbelievable circumstances + Insipid writing = Storm Cycle

Another Vine choice, this one seemed interesting as a high-tech thriller based in Egyptian mythology.

Rachel Kirby is desperately trying to find a cure for her ailing sister using a computer called Jonesy. But not only is someone--John Tavak--siphoning off some of the computer's processing power but someone is out to kill her. Furthermore, John Tavak in Egypt needs her help. Together, they search the ancient history, hoping that Peseshet may give them the key to save Rachel's sister's life...and their own.

I Liked:

I enjoyed seeing a real life computer concept (combining the unused processing power of normal computers) in a fictional setting. I know that this is used by SETI (our home computer even ran the program for many years) and I think it is an incredibly neglected concept in the fictional realm. Also, Egyptian history has always been intriguing. Whether it's their ages old architecture still standing, their hieroglyphics or some other inexplicable draw, the Egyptians have always held an appeal.

I appreciated the affection for Rachel and her sister, Allie, which reminds me a lot of the relationship I have with my own sister.

Also, the very end was kinda exciting. Probably the most exciting in the book.

I Did Not Like:

I have not violently hated a book this passionately since probably Batman: Fear Itself or more likely, Deck the Halls. I wanted to throw this book so hard against the wall no less than half a dozen times...within the first 50 pages. Why? Let me expand...

1. Rachel Kirby. In the beginning, I liked her (despite her rather glowing physical description: petite, delicate, face "glowing with energy and life"). But then, she takes a one way nose dive into Mary Sue territory when she gets a PhD in Computer Science (a notoriously challenging degree) at the ripe age of 15 and a SECOND doctorate in Medicine when she is 20 (page 18). Yes, she somehow whipped through twelve years of elementary, middle, and high school and 12+ years of college in 15 years of her life. As if this in and of itself didn't make her a Mary Sue, then the fact that every time anyone tries to cross her, she treats him or her extremely rudely (even the investigator who is trying to find her killer starting on page 11) and gets away with it (which I could understand maybe occasionally, but all the time and with each person?). Despite her poor behavior, she has flocks of fans, is highly respected even by her enemies, and pushes around the NSA like a doggie chew toy. Right. Mary Sue anyone?

2. John Tavak. He's the Indiana Jones of the book and, proving that the authors think the readers are stupid, is spelled out as such on page 307. He is one of the most contradictory characters I've ever seen! One minute, he's "mocking, unscrupulous, reckless, and completely self-absorbed" (page 99), then the next he is charming, kind, and witty! More disgustingly, Tavak can steal, cheat, spy, invade privacy, kill, and more and it's not bad, but when the "bad guys" do it, it is? What kind of shady morality is this? Not to mention, he is described as so smart that his IQ couldn't be measured (page 75). Uh, hello, did no one take a brief jaunt to Wikipedia and look up the IQ test? Number one, there is no "maximum limit" for the IQ. Furthermore, since when did a high IQ mean that a person was intelligent? Then, as if things weren't unbelievable enough, he starts Harvard classes at 10! What is it with this authors and these super smart babies? Has no one heard of a normal childhood? The last nail in the coffin of this Gary Stu is that, while he "was not a handsome man" (page 79), he is described as having "dark hair ruffled by the wind", looking "younger than thirty-eight" with a "tall, muscular body [that] possessed a sort of rough elegance", having a "high impact" presence whose "(sometimes described as "electric") blue eyes glitter with...vitality and intelligence...[that] was almost mesmerizing". This flowery description is enough to make me gag the first time around, but A) he isn't supposed to be attractive and B) we are constantly inundated with this description!

3. Other characters are equally frustrating. Ben, Tavak's friend, is insulted at every opportunity, down to the fact that Tavak let his drag along only to make Ben feel needed (aw, thanks guys!). Allie, Rachel's sister, is supposedly so sick...but how does she get Russian customs to let her in? Hal Demanski, the casino owner that Rachel Kirby cheats in a boring theft of Ocean's Eleven, would be great were it not for his over-the-top "Galahad" romance with Allie (lasting all of a few hours) and being described constantly as having "undeniable wit and intelligence" (which is jammed so far down our throats, we are gagging; see page 247 for yet another clunker mention). Nuri and the Russian are heavily stereotyped. Norton has the bite of a neutered dog. Sorens and Dawson I easily interchanged, not even sure who was saying what most of the time (not that I ultimately ended up caring). Emily is almost exactly like Rachel, only older and drunker. Simon and Val have no personalities other than to worship and lick Rachel's feet (oh, and Val is also super hot too). The detectives are hideously stereotyped, particularly the computer nerd who would give his front teeth to see his goddess...yes, Rachel Kirby! I didn't even bother to remember their names. The college kid who helps the detective is so hideously portrayed as a weed head, it makes me sick. And this is only a spattering! Where are the Tums?

4. The plot. Firstly, sending an email that is nearly the length of a novel to a woman on the other side of the world while stuck in the middle of a tomb with a man about to die (page 47)? Talk about taking a HUGE risk! Just the other day, my mother, who lives all of 17 miles away from me, sent me an email at 10am and I didn't get until 12am! So, I hope that these guys have a better connection. Next, while I can believe much of the super-computer thing (using to find cures, searching for archaeological finds, and even decrypting to an extent) but using the computer to analyze data to find Peseshet's tomb in the first place? This really smart of making Jonsey (dumb name anyway) a Dues ex Machina. Not to mention, that in an obvious attempt to be Indiana Jones, National Treasure, Ocean's Eleven, CSI, the plot skips and belches all over the world, spending a page or two detailing the most important parts in each locale, e.g. finding the clues, forcing their information from their informants an,d gabbing about how Rachel and John feel about each other, and then whipping to the next location. I have never felt so jolted around in my life. It was as if the authors had ADD.

5. The romance. John and Rachel's romance is so forced, so over the top, I wanted to wretch. The authors force John Tavak down our throats, hoping we will forget that he has killed a man and committed arson, theft, breaking/entering, and is a rude, arrogant, self-centered thrill seeker (which is completely inconsistent with how he really acts) and will want to see him hook up with Rachel Kirby (who at least is consistent in her character!), with whom he has almost no chemistry. Then Allie and Hal's romance is strange. She is 32, and he is late forties. That right there is strange (not many will abide an almost 20 year age difference). From his over the top gentlemanly speech about being her Galahad to his buying a piece of her artwork, this relationship made me want to throw the book through a closed window.

6. This scene: "She was suddenly acutely aware of everything about him. The smell of a spicy aftershave, his long fingers on the glass holding the drink, the strength of his shoulders, the tightness of his stomach and buttocks." Uh, HELLO? "Buttocks"? EW! Too much information! "The desire to reach out and touch him..." Depeche Mode ought to try to sue for the use of these words. "...was dizzying in intensity. What was happening to her? Stupid, she knew what was happening. Sex." WTF? Sex was happening to her? How does sex happen to a person? Is something happening in this scene that no one is telling me? I so do not understand that wild comment in the slightest.

7. Travel to other countries, many of which are hostile, is way too easy. And where does all this money come from? Company card? If so, tsk, tsk.

8. The villains are straight from a child's book, stupid, dorky, and blurting their simplistic plans to any and all who are willing to listen. Also, a big red herring appears, which was annoying rather than clever.

9. Repetition. Need to describe someone? All else fails use the words "vitality", "intelligence" or "energy" or some derivative of the above. In fact, those words (or their forms) occur so frequently in the book, it would make a hell of a drinking game. Also, at least once a chapter, Rachel has to mention how she doesn't trust Tavak, yet still believes him (one example on page 99 and another on 275). I mean, come on, get over this already! Either trust the guy or don't but don't spend half the book waffling.

10. Why the hell is it okay to interrupt Emily's important project but to interrupt Rachel's important project is a sin? Come on, even if Rachel found a cure for her sister's ailment, it would be years before it could be used!

11. The conclusion was a little too over the top in its optimism.

Dialogue/Sexual Situations/Violence:

Random spouting of profanities (h***, d***, b****, one instance of the F-bomb, etc.).

Rachel caves and sleeps with John. No details are shown other than Rachel cuddling with John after having sex (Gag!) and missing him when he disappears in the morning (Double gag!)

Someone attempts to kill Rachel Kirby and John Tavak several times. A man is found dead in the back of a vehicle. The end is particularly violent, as several men die brutally.

Overall:

A much better and shorter book would have been thus: The shooter is successful in killing Rachel Kirby. Harsh? Oh, yeah, but this book was harsh on the mind. It was like salt in a wound, like sand in your underwear, like eating rotten eggs. The torment that I went through just to read this book (and to finish!) was so great, I should get an award for it!

The characters are horrible and unbelievable, changing every two seconds to suit the authors' purpose. The plot is stupid and jerky, hopping from one end of the globe to the other in an attempt to show a huge, epic, thriling adventure. Then the romance...Lord have mercy, if I ever have to read about firm buttocks again and sex "happening", I think I will put myself out of my misery.

And thus a great concept is violently murdered. The pure atrocity of the book was so much, I could only read like 5 pages at a time, otherwise I would have thrown the book at the nearest wall and screamed in pain and agony. In fact, at the end, I could no longer contain myself (I was desperate to finish the dreck before I threw in the towel), I was literally yelling at the book. I wouldn't wish this book on my worst enemy. If I could, I would go 0 stars, but alas, I can only do 1.

Brought to you by

*C.S. Light*

The story starts well enough!

Rachel Kirby, a computer whiz kid in Houston, Texas, and a rock hard business woman, will let nothing and nobody stand in the way of the only goal that really matters to her. She is intent on using the power of a super computer and a vast network of supplementary computing power to find the cure for GLD (Globoid Cell Leukodystrophy more prosaically known as Krabbe's Disease), an obscure neurological disorder most commonly found in infants that is killing her younger sister, Allie.

Having narrowly survived an attack by a sniper she thinks is linked to her computer contract with the National Security Agency, Kirby is working frantically to close the back doors in her system that have been compromised by a hacker whose skills likely outstrip her own. An enigmatic e-mail from John Tavak, a stranger who claims to be trapped and in imminent danger inside an Egyptian tomb also includes a surprising but unapologetic admission that Tavak is the virtual thief who has hacked into Kirby's system. If Kirby will press her contacts into service and rescue him from the would-be assassins waiting for him outside the tomb, he'll explain everything about his illicit use of her computer network. Of course, Kirby is unable to refuse the offered bait and the game is afoot!

The game, unfortunately, is a weak and entirely derivative copy of Dan Brown's THE DA VINCI CODE. STORM CYCLE is filled to the brim with unbelievably sterile, cartoonish caricatures and cardboard cutout characters, insipid dialogue, gunfights, explosions, contrived romance and, of course, historical puzzles. The goal, if you can believe this, is a compendium of miraculous cures developed by Peseshet, an ancient Egyptian physician. Naturally, one of the illnesses for which Peseshet had developed a cure was GLD but if the big mean, corporate, pharmaceutical machine, driven purely by bottom-line profit motives, beats Tavak and Kirby to the brass ring, all the cures will be suppressed.

One of the editorial reviews suggested "Despite the lack of character development or surprising plot twists, action fans should be satisfied." Well, they were half right. There certainly was a lack of character development and there were no surprise plot twists. But I certainly wasn't satisfied.

The nicest thing I could think of saying about STORM CYCLE is to suggest that it would make a decent screenplay for a computer game. The action and the setting would make for some fun computer play and the puzzles would make an interesting diversion. But, as a novel, STORM CYCLE is a waste of good paper and precious reading time. Give this one a wide berth!

Not recommended.

Paul Weiss

I've never heard of this author, so I cannot compare with previous works. I rented this book on tape for a long trip. First, I would like to mention that narration on the CD is pretty bad. It is done at an unnatural speed and is very choppy. There is barely any intonation and few gaps between words.

About the book itself. The story has a good idea. It's definitely a light action adventure type book, with some high tech things and Egyptology mixed together. Though a lot of liberties are taken with the facts, I think that novels like this require a certain suspension of disbelief.

However... The writing is so bad, it does not make up for the good plot. Here are a few examples.

a) Dialogs are insipid and uninspired. Conversations between Rachel and her sister can be summed up with:

Ally: "I don't need you to protect me."

Rachel: "I have to do this"

Ally: "No you don't"

Rachel: "Please understand, I really do."

Ally: "I won't let you!"

Rachel: "Ally..."

Ally: "Rachel!!"

b) "Show, don't tell" should have been applied to the character development. Rachel is supposed to be super smart (PhD at 15, MD at 20), driven, and tough. Tavek is super smart, egotistical, charming and easily bored. Ally is gentle and strong. I know all this because I was told so over and over again by the authors, and by the supporting characters. Yet at no point did I feel like the characters lived up to their descriptions. I saw no streaks of genius, no toughness on the part of Rachel, nothing egotistical on the part of Tavek. The number of times I heard "God, he was so smart..." after some common place remark by Tavek, was appalling.

Book Club Review

STORM CYCLE

Iris Johansen and Roy Johansen

Our book club's book for February was STORM CYCLE, by Iris and Roy Johansen. We chose this book because we were in the mood for a thriller. We tend to read more "mystery" books with a crime to solve, rather than international thrillers like this one, and we decided we'd like a change of pace. We also like fast-moving books (I still don't think we're quite over our 2666 experience), and one of our members had seen Iris Johansen in a book signing...We were game, because most of us had heard of her even if we hadn't read her in the past.

STORM CYCLE is the story of Rachel Kirby, computer genius, who has built a computer with massive processing power created by "borrowing" the computing cycles of computers (personal computers, even video games) that are plugged in but not in use. Rachel portions out the cycles to worthy organizations, and even top-secret parts of the government, while reserving the most computing power for her pet project, the search for a cure for her sister's under-control but often-fatal disease. As the book starts, her computer (nicknamed Jonesy) is hacked by fellow genius John Tavak, who has broken into an Egyptian tomb in search of the medical secrets taken to the grave by an ancient Egyptian female doctor named Peseshet. John strong-arms Rachel into helping him, and before you know it, they're off on a mad dash to find a miracle cure, outsmart G-men, and come up with a system designed to bankrupt a money-hungry Las Vegas casino mogul.

If all of these sound like the elements of every thriller and movie you've ever seen, that's because they are. Really, the whole book reads like a screenplay (perhaps for the next Indiana Jones movie, because that's who John Tavak is clearly modeled after). Every character is good looking, brilliant, one step ahead of the bad guys. Our tough heroine does of course have a heart of gold; as does the greedy Las Vegas mogul, who serendipitously finds love with Rachel's ailing but equally hard-nosed sister Allie.

And yet, somehow the elements work together. We discussed that very often international thrillers have so much going on that it's tough to keep track of who's who and what's going on. STORM CYCLE doesn't have that problem, which does make for a very fast and easy read. As a group we tend to like books featuring Egyptian lore and/or history, and there's some interesting Egyptian stuff here, even if it reads like a thrown-away script for the next installment in the "Mummy" movie series.

As for characters, they are pretty bad. There's not one original character or thought on any of these 400 pages, though some of the technology angles are pretty interesting (the authors go into more detail about them in an afterword). So the bottom line is - The book is a good escapist read, if you have the proper expectations. We actually found that there was very little to discuss other than what I've written here. A book does require a little subtlety, probably, to make for good discussion, but there's none of that here--just lots of action, some required romance thrown in, and an ending that you could have seen coming a mile away that is nonetheless entertaining and satisfying.

If you're stuck on a plane or train, don't want to think too hard, and want something to keep your mind occupied, STORM CYCLE will do just fine. However, don't expect the title to ever make any sense.

This book has no real mystery, no pulse-pounding excitement (maybe some adventure but nothing exceptional) and poor writing. There is nothing noteworthy about the story and the characters are cardboard, milquetoast at best.

I read Deadlock by Iris Johansen (this book really seems to have been penned more by her based on what I read compared to Deadlock) and this book falls at the same level; characters that are not especially likeable, a story that is too cliche in its layout, a plot that leaves nothing to be guessed. There is little character development outside of discusssions, little backstory to create a link with the characters.

The book, like Deadlock, truly falls short in the writing. Like in Deadlock (and in the review I wrote for that), the author(s) tends to use the same phrases over and over and over; a few examples would be "he/she made a face" (nothing more, never a better description), "hands clenched at her side", "she moistened her lips", and "dammit" (I don't care if a book has cursing or not, but its annoying when the one word is used throughout; there were maybe 2 or 3 other curse words used once or twice, but dammit came up excessively), and these are just a few of the compulsively repeated phrases. Second, the author's desire to keep the story moving seems to have led to a total lack of description of person, place or thing; nothing and no one was given much more than a cursory explanation. Third, and perhaps most aggravating to me, was the fact that there was always an answer, or someone within reach who could provide the answer, no matter how ridiculous or unreasonable the circumstance. These all may be considered nitpicking, and I concede to that point, but these are my impressions of the book.

The novel moves too quickly without covering essential information like character backstories and motivations. So far as the 'romance' goes, it was bland and seemed to be there because the author wanted it; when tied up in what is supposed to be life-and-death circumstances, it is just a bit too much for my taste.

So, to sum up, perhaps interesting as a weak diversion but don't expect fireworks.

Good luck...

The storyline was pretty interesting and although the plot is a little far-fetched.

It still held my attention from beginning to end. So if you're looking for a fun and exciting read

with plenty of Indiana Jones like action then you're

going to find Storm Cycle a very enjoyable read.

Quite honestly I'm really tired of Johansen's Eve Duncan and wasn't even going to pick this one up. Glad I did. The story is somewhat implausible, the characters are not fully developed, but the book has a steady stream of action moving towards the goal.

Rachel Kirby is a beyond brilliant scientist who is trying to save her younger sister Allie, who is dying of Globoid Cell Leukodystrophy, by finding a cure. John Tavek, a rogue and another brilliant human being, hacks into Rachel's computer Jonesy which is just about the most powerful computer in the world. He SOS's her while trapped in an Egyptian tomb where the tablets buried with the healer just may contain a cure for - guess??? - Globoid Cell Leukodystrophy. Like I said in the first paragraph, the story is somewhat implausible. To sum up much of the book--the bad guys are after the cure too which will also cure other diseases and attempted murder and mayhem result.

If you like Egyptian history and the complexities of computers as well as a light romance and some suspense, then this book should please.

In Houston computer guru Rachel Kirby is obsessed with her research into finding a cure for the nervous system disorder Krabbe's disease. Her efforts are personal as the horrifying degenerating and often fatal but rare disorder is devastating her sister, Allie.

To her shock, someone tries to assassinate Rachel; she was fortunate the sniper missed. Soon afterward she receives an odd email from a total stranger. John Tavak insists he is trapped inside an ancient Egyptian tomb with physician Peseshet, who was a physician to the great pharaohs. He signs off saying he believes Peseshet has a cure for Krabbe's disease. Though Rachel assumes this is a cruel hoax, she is desperate so she and her sibling travel to where Tavak claims to be entombed while obtaining unexpected assistance from arrogant billionaire Hal Demanski.

When the story line focuses on the two siblings racing to and in Egypt while assassins give chase, STORM CYCLE is an exhilarating thriller. When the plot takes a double romantic spin, it feels contrived and forced as if this is expected of at least the mother part of the Johansen writing team (sort of like Hitchcock cameo appearances). Still the tale is action-packed from the moment someone tries to shoot Rachel and never slows down as she and Allie courageously seek the cure that Tavak swears is available. The second Johansen mom-son collaboration (see SILENT THUNDER) is a fun adventure tale.

Harriet Klausner

STORMCYCLE is a fast-paced read with action and adventure throughout the book; the plot is undeniably captivating and suspenseful. Although some of the scenarios are totally unfeasible, they are rather amusing especially if you look upon the surface and extend a little belief. As other reviewers mentioned, the dialogue and character interactions need further development and fine-tuning. Since this has been a common assessment in prior publications, the reader can expect more complexity and creativity from Johansen's storylines. Accordingly, STORMCYCLE'S overriding strengths are the unique events and the unbelievable escapades the characters experience. If you read the book for its intended purpose, to take the reader along for a non-stop exciting and thrilling ride, you will thoroughly enjoy this book. Worthy to weather the storm!