Reviews

I like to read books about border crossings at the southwestern United States and Mexico, so I was a little disappointed when I found out this didn't have anything to do with Mexico and the United states.
I liked Robert McCammon's "Swan Song," and I sort of liked "Boys Life," but this book disappointed me.
It's this author's attempt at sci-fi, and for me it didn't work. In The first place, my mind grappled with the idea of the Earth being a border for two alien races. They were battling for control of this border. But the Earth is circling the Sun at a high speed and also spinning on its own axis at the same time, so I don't know how it can be a border.
The ending sucked. Everything was just too Pat, with finding the right tools left by aliens in Area 51 in Roswell New Mexico. This tool was able to turn back time to 2 years before, when the Gorgons had first come to earth, and the Peacekeeper alien who took over the Ethan's body was able to make a shield to keep the Gorgons from coming through to earth, and if the Gorgons didn't come, well then the Cyphers wouldn't come either. So this Peacekeeper alien who took over Ethan's body was able to program the alien artifact, to reset time. he does this, and makes himself into a shield encircling the earth, and people who had died just came back to life and life continued like it was before. Some people could remember what happened, but many of them couldn't. This was lame!
The Gorgons and the Cyphers were appropriately gruesome, but there is this sex scene where the Gorgon Queen has sex with this Evangelical preacher, Jefferson Jericho, that is just disgusting and totally uncalled for.
One Moment In the book where I felt a little spark of Interest was when the Gorgon named Vope causes a human to materialize in a rocking chair:
"the rocking chair moved, just a fraction. It creaked. And as Jefferson Jericho watched, a form began to materialize in the chair. It began first as a barely discernible whorl, as if the air itself was becoming solid and an invisible finger had stirred it. There was that soft hissing or Whispering or metallic sound that Jefferson had heard in the park. This is Star Trek shit, he thought... but within 3 seconds - and in total silence - a body came into being in the chair, first as a ghostly, pale Outline by What Might Have Been flickers of blue energy, and then fully realized and solid. The rocking chair Creaked back and forth, and the man in it stared at both Jefferson and Vole with huge frightened Eyes under a bald Dome that sparkled with sweat."
The president of the United States in His White Mountain Hideaway reminded me of Biden, with his dementia.

I have to admit, I feel like this author let me down.

kris7's review

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dark mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

jonahbarnes's review

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A fun ride, a lackluster ending. Still think McCammon is great. One sex scene, bleh.

clamu's review

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dark emotional slow-paced

3.0

charshorrorcorner's review

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4.0

As a HUGE Robert McCammon fan, I was beyond excited when I read that he was writing an epic science-fiction/horror book. (I will probably faint when I finally get the signed copy I ordered from Cemetery Dance.) Overall, The Border did live up to my expectations.

The characters here were all well drawn except, oddly,for the main protagonist, Ethan. I felt that we never got to know him in-depth.

Spoiler

As we started learning who Ethan was, we discover he's being taken over by The Guardian, and then before we know it the real Ethan is gone. To little or no fanfare, I may add, which felt wrong to me.

I loved the sci-fi bits of the war between the Cyphers and the Gorgons. The Gray Men were beyond scary as was just the thought of living in a world caught between warring space factions. The imagination that could think all of this stuff up is worth worshiping, IMO. Some of these creatures and their modes of transportation were amazingly vivid.

Now here's the part I don't want to even give voice to: I disliked the ending. A lot. It did not ruin my reading experience as a whole, but it brought my rating down by one star.

Spoiler

I hate, yes-HATE, deus ex machina endings and this is surely one. In the midst of discovering one of the greatest tragedies of mankind, comes this fancy gadget to save the day. Really? All of this wonderful creative imagination and then that to end it? I was SO disappointed.

Overall, I was pleased with The Border and happy to see the Robert McCammon from the 80's with whom I originally fell in love. His passion and love for his characters is still evident and I love him for that. If it weren't for that ending, this would be yet another book for my McCammon favorites shelf.

As it stands, this was still an excellent book-and I do highly recommend it!

theneverendingtbr's review

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5.0

Oh my god, what a phenomenal read this is!

I've never read a bad book by McCammon, he's one of my favourite authors; more people need to be reading his books!

If you're into science fiction/alien invasion stories, you need to get this book and read it!

Loved the characters and I cared for all of them, I'd say this is the best character driven book he's written!

Can't recommend this author enough, he's such a damn fine writer!

Top Rated and would read again!

deathspoets's review

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3.0

{3/5}

The book is good, but yeah... I don;t feel like finishing it for now

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