Customer Reviews

The Whims of Creation

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

 

 

In THE WHIMS OF CREATION, Simon Hawke takes the idea of the intelligent virtual reality game in a new direction. The novel is set on the Agamemnon, a generation spaceship made from a large asteroid.

A generation ship is a closed ecology and has little room for change. But on the Agamemnon strange things are happening. A botanist studying damaged herb plants encounters tiny humanoids with wings. A young woman coming out of a broken relationship is seduced by an elf. A security skimmer has a mid-air collision with a dragon. Three teenagers experience a different virtual reality simulation than the rest of their class. More people are going in for counseling and the suicide rate is on the rise.

All of these elements tie in with an intelligent program set up by a crazy genius during the first generation. She had a plan in mind and it is up to some teenagers, the head of security, a biologist and a professor to determine just what the threat is and how to deal with it.

Hawke does a very good job of addressing possible problems on a generation starship and creates a very interesting solution to the growing problems. This is a very entertaining read. By page fifty I was hooked

It's been a while since I read this but it continues to be one of my favorite books by Mr. Hawke that I've read. The setting is relatively unique for a fantasy book and appeals to my taste as a science fiction fan as well as an avid fantasy reader. What I think really makes it exciting, as I remember, is the element of mystery which is integrated into the plot. The suspense keeps you reading and you are constantly gratified by new clues to what is going on. New mysteries are created as the old ones are solved, thus the book feels like it's getting somewhere while preserving the feeling of anticipation and wonder at what will happen. Happily the ending is as gratifying as the rest of the story. It's definitely worth reading if you've got a couple of days.

As a huge fan of Simon Hawke, I've read a lot of his stuff. He's probably my favorite author. I did enjoy this read, but it's no Inadequate Adept series. It took a little to get into the thick of things, and it seems as soon as you really get into it, it wraps up. Again, LOVED Wizard of 4th Street series, and Reluctant Sorcerer Series, and Time Wars is next on my list. I still really enjoyed this book, but if you like this one, you'll love Reluctant Sorcerer. Read it. :)

Simon Hawke delivers an excellent read here, I haven't read it in a while but I've read it at least 4 times previously, and I'm not a very avid reader to be honest. Fresh and innovative ideas paired with evolving characters makes this an thoroughly entertaining book. I also enjoyed his Time Wars series a lot.
Other books I like: Terry Goodkind's Sword of Truth series, Robert Aspirin's MYTH series.