Most Helpful Customer Reviews
|
|
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Intense, July 13, 2004
Counterfeit Kings rivals the best of classic SF in scope and intensity. The science fiction setting and plot are woven together tightly, giving us one of the most plausible future visions ever put on paper. The plot twists and turns like a runaway rollercoaster, and even the most jaded reader of SF is going to get taken by surprise as the story unfolds. But for me, the most fascinating details of Counterfeit Kings are the characters. The cover shows a flayed human face, and Adam Connell pulls off the equivelent feat in presenting his characters, peeling away the layers of their external actions to stare unblinkingly at the demons that drive them. Life in outer space isn't easy in Connell's vision--the characters are trapped in flimsy tin cans, surrounded by void, their lives dependent on jury-rigged and ever-failing technology. The stress and claustrophopia has taken a toll on even the most likable of the characters. The heroes are separated from the villians by only the thinest moral lines, but, in the end, these lines prove to be the truly important ones. Connell's understanding of human desires and actions equals or exceeds his impressive grasp of science fiction. Even non-SF readers will love this book. I can't recommend this book highly enough. Connell has gained a fan for life in me after this one.
|
|
|
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Action, Action 24/7!, July 10, 2004
By A Customer
Yeah, you can feel there are themes lurking under the book's surface current, but I don't have time for that. I want to be entertained. And I was! Holy cow, this book, it's like stepping onto one of those moving walkways at the airport. You have to be prepared for the jolt. So let me prepare you. Counterfeit Kings is high conflict, rip out the breaks, non-stop action. Chases, dogfights in space, murder, betrayals. Blood, guts, and octane, as I like to say. There's depth if you want it, but only if you want it. Connell's not hitting you over the head with allusions and symbolism and blah blah. You can be like me...I rode this thing like a twenty-foot wave and it left me breathless. I want more! Let's hear it for a sequel!
|
|
|
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Completely Original and Exhilarating, June 16, 2004
This remarkable novel by Adam Connell is a fast-paced page-turner that grabs you from the starting blocks and takes you on an exhilarating spree of plot twists, sudden violence, and poignancy. In spinning this volatile tale of desperation, conflicted loyalties, and revenge, Mr. Connell uses an interplay between a variety of characters--some despicable yet humorously sympathetic, and others heroic yet tragically flawed--to weave a wonderful read that left the impressions of a true cinematic experience on this reader. Highly, highly recommended.
|
|
|
Most Recent Customer Reviews
|
