tacanderson's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
An enjoyable end to the series. It's too bad there's not more.
gianouts's review against another edition
4.0
An enjoyable action packed adventure set on a dangerous planet at war with its colonists, and the journey of an Interstellar Gambler.
justaguy's review against another edition
2.0
what a planet
I like to think that the story plot base is good. However, there is a lack of backstory to this and Jason in general too. The pace is so fast that there are a lot of details that seem to already know, but in the reality the reader like me doesn’t...that made me wonder if the author stretch it to 300 pages as a minimum. I can imagine there would be more adventure and mysteries waiting to be discovered. Plus, the lovemaking addition was just so bad...no reason to add it to this story that goes at a fast pace.
I like to think that the story plot base is good. However, there is a lack of backstory to this and Jason in general too. The pace is so fast that there are a lot of details that seem to already know, but in the reality the reader like me doesn’t...that made me wonder if the author stretch it to 300 pages as a minimum. I can imagine there would be more adventure and mysteries waiting to be discovered. Plus, the lovemaking addition was just so bad...no reason to add it to this story that goes at a fast pace.
gon8go's review against another edition
3.0
I’ve always enjoyed Harry Harrison. This is a quick, fun read that was more thoughtful and less dated than I would have imagined. It was still predictable and hokey but in a quaint, forgivable way that gives classic sci-fi pulp it’s charm.
metaphorosis's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars - Metaphorosis Reviews
Jason din Alt is a gambler with a special touch. When Kerk, ambassador from Pyrrus, engages din Alt to multiply a small stake, things get complicated, and the pair flee to Pyrrus, which offers problems of its own.
It took me a long time to get to Deathworld, way back when. A friend of mine promoted the books, but he was partial to military SF (he was right about Dorsai) and Gor (I've never wanted to check). When I finally did get around to Harry Harrison, I was pleasantly surprised. The Deathworld wrist holster in particular stuck in my mind, for some reason.
On this return trip, I was even more pleasantly surprised to find that it holds up. Sure, it's a very 'manly' book, but it's pretty good regardless. Harrison sets up an interesting situation, and he doesn't opt for the easy answers. There's admittedly a lack of subtlety to it, and it gets pretty heavy-handed at the end, but it's still worthy adventure SF when you want some light reading.
Jason din Alt is a gambler with a special touch. When Kerk, ambassador from Pyrrus, engages din Alt to multiply a small stake, things get complicated, and the pair flee to Pyrrus, which offers problems of its own.
It took me a long time to get to Deathworld, way back when. A friend of mine promoted the books, but he was partial to military SF (he was right about Dorsai) and Gor (I've never wanted to check). When I finally did get around to Harry Harrison, I was pleasantly surprised. The Deathworld wrist holster in particular stuck in my mind, for some reason.
On this return trip, I was even more pleasantly surprised to find that it holds up. Sure, it's a very 'manly' book, but it's pretty good regardless. Harrison sets up an interesting situation, and he doesn't opt for the easy answers. There's admittedly a lack of subtlety to it, and it gets pretty heavy-handed at the end, but it's still worthy adventure SF when you want some light reading.
novelryan's review against another edition
4.0
A very interesting setting, the characters are cookie cuttered together, some of the dialogue is very dynamic but most of it is unmemorable. the main character starts the story off very self motivated, and by the end the author would like us to believe he is selfless...
jmanchester0's review against another edition
3.0
With Bill the Galactic Hero being one of my favorite books of all time, when I came across Deathworld by Harry Harrison in a free iPhone app with audiobooks in the public domain, I thought I'd have to try it.
Some books take different amounts of time to get into - and while it was interesting enough at first to keep reading - it was about halfway through the book that I was hooked.
Jason dinAlt is the archetype space rogue, with a quick mind and quicker reflexes (think Han Solo, though this was written a decade and a half before Star Wars hit the screen). But he finds his match in the world of Pyrrus - a planet so deadly that it's children make him look like he's never stepped offworld.
Listening to a book is such a different experience than reading that it's difficult to review this the same way. I think the best part of the book is the suspense - not a twist & turns sort of suspense - but one that makes you want to keep reading (or listening) to figure out what's going to happen next. It's worth a read (or a listen) if you're into science fiction.
Some books take different amounts of time to get into - and while it was interesting enough at first to keep reading - it was about halfway through the book that I was hooked.
Jason dinAlt is the archetype space rogue, with a quick mind and quicker reflexes (think Han Solo, though this was written a decade and a half before Star Wars hit the screen). But he finds his match in the world of Pyrrus - a planet so deadly that it's children make him look like he's never stepped offworld.
Listening to a book is such a different experience than reading that it's difficult to review this the same way. I think the best part of the book is the suspense - not a twist & turns sort of suspense - but one that makes you want to keep reading (or listening) to figure out what's going to happen next. It's worth a read (or a listen) if you're into science fiction.
a1tanveer's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
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