smiorganbaldhead's review against another edition
4.0
The grendels are an fascinating and terrifying alien species, and I really enjoyed reading about colonists' conflict with them. The last third of the book when the conflict comes to a head is easily the best part. The subplots about the humans relationships and love triangles were much less interesting to me. Perhaps because of this, most of the character deaths have limited impact, as in many cases the reader knows little about the person getting eaten by a grendel beyond their name. Still, grendels made this book very enjoyable.
ronschae4's review against another edition
5.0
These are the ROCK STARS of modern SF! This is one (of a bushel-ful) of their finest work. A tremendous retelling of Beowulf vs. Grendel with great science behind the plot. Set in a far off world, a human settlement is besieged by a faster-than-the-eye beast - which will be your heart rate, too, as this captivating story unfolds. Brilliant! Classic literature meets contemporary masters - could it get any better? I say NO!
taylorgraves555's review against another edition
3.0
It was pretty good! I thought it got kind of slow towards the ending, but the surprise twists in the book are what makes it really worth your while.
smartflutist661's review
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
3.75
Definitely a part of the "told-you-so" tradition of science fiction, wherein the lone person with a belief in some great monster is pooh-poohed by everyone else, and is proven right in the worst possible ways. In the end this reminded me a lot of Dragonsdawn, which was apparently published in the same year. Maybe there was something in the air.
The characterization and action were well-done; I liked Tau Ceti 4, though it was not as alien as one might expect from an alien world; and the highlight, of course, the, were a great driver for the story. I wish the investigation of these had been more central to the narrative, though.
Overall, a pretty good book.
The characterization and action were well-done; I liked Tau Ceti 4, though it was not as alien as one might expect from an alien world; and the highlight, of course, the
Spoiler
alien "African frogs with nasty habits"Overall, a pretty good book.
eldritchscholar's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
elisamck's review against another edition
2.0
Begin saai - midden mooi - einde saai. Einde review #zucht
sgilbert3114's review against another edition
4.0
Two hundred colonists travel light-years from Earth to the distant star Tau Ceti, hoping to establish a permanent colony on what they have dubbed Avalon. They spend most of a year creating their own little slice of paradise. Unfortunately, their presence has unknowingly upset the local ecology, and their colony is soon targeted by an enemy that seems impossible to defeat.
I read this book with my local book club. I was a little hesitant because I'm not a huge Niven fan, though I do seem to better enjoy the books he writes with Pournelle. I must say, I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this book- I've already downloaded the short story that comes next and plan to read the rest of the trilogy. The book is action-packed pretty much from the beginning, and the tension and fear the colonists feel is palpable. I enjoyed the parts that showed the grendels' perspective- I thought it added something extra to the story. Even though I've only read book 1, I definitely recommend this series.
I read this book with my local book club. I was a little hesitant because I'm not a huge Niven fan, though I do seem to better enjoy the books he writes with Pournelle. I must say, I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this book- I've already downloaded the short story that comes next and plan to read the rest of the trilogy. The book is action-packed pretty much from the beginning, and the tension and fear the colonists feel is palpable. I enjoyed the parts that showed the grendels' perspective- I thought it added something extra to the story. Even though I've only read book 1, I definitely recommend this series.
quoththegirl's review against another edition
3.0
I enjoyed this book far more than I expected, and found myself devouring it late at night at a frightful pace. I've not had great success with books by two authors in the past (they always seem to be plagued by inconsistent characters and general sloppiness), so I assumed three authors would be even worse. Pleasantly, in this case, not so! The story's premise is basically Beowulf in space, which sounded deliciously pulpy to me. It ended up being a more sophisticated and nuanced book than I anticipated. The characters are all ridiculously flawed people and quite unlikeable, but by the end I found myself surprisingly attached in spite of it. Still not brilliant literature, and the characters' obsession with sex (while understandable in the context of a colony trying to perpetuate itself in the face of low numbers) felt downright juvenile, but I'd give it up to a 3.5-star rating.
pegolon's review against another edition
4.0
Although the characters behave like from a 80ies testosterone filled action movie I really enjoyed the unexpected revelations and twists throughout the book. The women could have been less submissive and more confident, but that was the time then. Fortunately todays SF stories are better balanced in regards of the behavior of the characters, but in the end I really enjoyed the book and am looking forward to part two and three.
bonfire_at_night's review against another edition
4.0
I think Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle are mostly famous for writing science-fiction of the science-heavy variety. The Legacy of Heorot is different, delivering thrilling action spectacle throughout and that culminates in an epic (and brutal) battle of man against beast.
Humankind began the colonization of space. About two hundred colonists were send to Avalon, the fourth planet of Tau Ceti, where they arrive after one hundred year journey in suspended animation. They don't feel on top of their game - many report that the long sleep severely affected their cognitive abilities -, but the island on which they build their settlement is a paradise. Although there are hardly any animals to hunt, they brought their own (horses, calves, trouts, chicken) and they began to grow their crops.
Cadmann Weyland is a middle-aged man who came along as the head of security. He is a retired colonel, but since there is no external enemy for him to fight, he is fighting depression and a lack of purpose. When chickens are found mutilated, he begins to suspect that the island isn't their safe haven after all. His people don't take him seriously, though, and he is even ridiculed by some. But unfortunate for them, his worries are warranted.
To be honest, at first I thought that Jurassic monsters weren't exactly the most inspired enemy. It was only later that I realized that the book came out a couple of years earlier than Chrichton's Jurassic Park, and neither was I aware that the story was modeled on the Beowulf poem. I didn't read the myth and I don't know much about it, but the team of authors sure knew how to properly stage two of the heroic battles of the source material, turning Grendel and its mother into amphibian dinosaur creatures.
In the beginning, the monsters' superiority is overwhelming. I think the horrific encounters will remind many readers of Alien, as retreat seems to be the only option to survive, at least as long as they don't know enough about their opponents to figure out a more offensive strategy. In some moments, it truly turns into a work of horror, and you clearly see the bloody battles under the nightly sky or in the dark tunnels through which they dive.
There are breathers, though. I loved how the book depicts the colonization of the island and the cheerful celebrations. There are the silly love triangles and the lighthearted soap opera perfectly contrasts with the heavier moments. There are pregnancies, sexual hardships, polyamory, and rivalry. The mistrust against Weyland and his broken pride sure seem a bit forced (you would think that mutilated animals give some cause for concern), but it well fits the novel's overall tone.
I have to say that I very much enjoyed the psychology that forms the subtext to much of the action as well as the peace times. It's not believable at all; it's more the kind of 80s action movie psychology that can only be the product of a chauvinist white man's mind. Particularly, women are portrayed patronisingly, as if the text flew from an protective instinct on the side of its authors. Still, I find it excusable, as it again quite fits the general atmosphere and kind of comes with the tough guy action genre.
Actually, there is something similar for the other side. Occasionally, the story is told from the animal's perspective. The creatures are portrayed as highly intelligent, so it may make sense to suggest that the animals are able to acquire and apply concepts (like nests or false sun), gradually learning to better understand the humans and their weapons and traps. At one point it even describes their ambitions to strike fear into the heart of man, rather than eating or diminishing the enemy's numbers. Although I liked this in theory, I think it projected too much human psychology onto the beasts and made them less terrifying than they would otherwise have been.
Eventually, the plot unravels into a minor mystery. For instance, why are there no animals on the island? Where do the grendels come from? In the process, they begin analyzing and hypothesizing. For instance, I liked the conclusions they derive from an autopsy of one of their dead enemies. This gave some sort of structure to the plot. I thought the eventual resolution was pretty damn cool.
The salmons are the tadpoles of the grendel. The tadpoles are all male, the grown animals are all female. The tadpoles eat mud, the grown animals eat meat, including the tadpoles (if they have to). The animals of the island had already been eaten by the queens of the area, so that had been living off their newborns. The arrival of the human colonists ruffled their ecosystem. Now they had humans as well as their animals to eat. Eventually, the humans figured out a way to kill the grown grendels. This gave free way to the growth and thriving of a grendel army - and leads to the epic final battle for supremacy on the island.
This was everything you could want from an action story. The battle had many stages, throwbacks, changing dynamics, emotional stakes. The besieging horde's attacks are wild and erratic, with immense speed. The beasts are ruthless and ferocious. They inflict gruesome injuries and bloody chaos. But humankind was prepared. They established a fortress surrounded by electric fences and mines. They strike back with rifles, flamethrowers, axes, whatever is at hand. The attackers are not an army; they are wild animals that fight as much among each other as against the Earthlings, and the latter now how to literally heat up these violent encounters. Torched ground is all that remains.
The events grab the reader because they are made about people. Weyland may be the heroic protagonist, but he is vulnerable (like only true action heroes can be). The characters are all a bit silly and schematic, but personally, I began to like them. When in the end Weyland and his heart throb's husband are reconciled, you feel the tragedy when Weyland is not able to save him. The women may all be dolly birds, but at the end they finally hold their own. As the sights of battle changes, everywhere you find someone to sympathize with.
The story clearly paves the way for a follow-up where they would explore the mainland. Although I gained much child-like pleasure from the unapologetic hubbub acted out in these pages, it would have become a bit tedious had it been going on for much longer. So, I'm not sure if I continue with the series. But great fun while it lasted.
Rating: 4/5
Humankind began the colonization of space. About two hundred colonists were send to Avalon, the fourth planet of Tau Ceti, where they arrive after one hundred year journey in suspended animation. They don't feel on top of their game - many report that the long sleep severely affected their cognitive abilities -, but the island on which they build their settlement is a paradise. Although there are hardly any animals to hunt, they brought their own (horses, calves, trouts, chicken) and they began to grow their crops.
Cadmann Weyland is a middle-aged man who came along as the head of security. He is a retired colonel, but since there is no external enemy for him to fight, he is fighting depression and a lack of purpose. When chickens are found mutilated, he begins to suspect that the island isn't their safe haven after all. His people don't take him seriously, though, and he is even ridiculed by some. But unfortunate for them, his worries are warranted.
To be honest, at first I thought that Jurassic monsters weren't exactly the most inspired enemy. It was only later that I realized that the book came out a couple of years earlier than Chrichton's Jurassic Park, and neither was I aware that the story was modeled on the Beowulf poem. I didn't read the myth and I don't know much about it, but the team of authors sure knew how to properly stage two of the heroic battles of the source material, turning Grendel and its mother into amphibian dinosaur creatures.
In the beginning, the monsters' superiority is overwhelming. I think the horrific encounters will remind many readers of Alien, as retreat seems to be the only option to survive, at least as long as they don't know enough about their opponents to figure out a more offensive strategy. In some moments, it truly turns into a work of horror, and you clearly see the bloody battles under the nightly sky or in the dark tunnels through which they dive.
There are breathers, though. I loved how the book depicts the colonization of the island and the cheerful celebrations. There are the silly love triangles and the lighthearted soap opera perfectly contrasts with the heavier moments. There are pregnancies, sexual hardships, polyamory, and rivalry. The mistrust against Weyland and his broken pride sure seem a bit forced (you would think that mutilated animals give some cause for concern), but it well fits the novel's overall tone.
I have to say that I very much enjoyed the psychology that forms the subtext to much of the action as well as the peace times. It's not believable at all; it's more the kind of 80s action movie psychology that can only be the product of a chauvinist white man's mind. Particularly, women are portrayed patronisingly, as if the text flew from an protective instinct on the side of its authors. Still, I find it excusable, as it again quite fits the general atmosphere and kind of comes with the tough guy action genre.
Actually, there is something similar for the other side. Occasionally, the story is told from the animal's perspective. The creatures are portrayed as highly intelligent, so it may make sense to suggest that the animals are able to acquire and apply concepts (like nests or false sun), gradually learning to better understand the humans and their weapons and traps. At one point it even describes their ambitions to strike fear into the heart of man, rather than eating or diminishing the enemy's numbers. Although I liked this in theory, I think it projected too much human psychology onto the beasts and made them less terrifying than they would otherwise have been.
Eventually, the plot unravels into a minor mystery. For instance, why are there no animals on the island? Where do the grendels come from? In the process, they begin analyzing and hypothesizing. For instance, I liked the conclusions they derive from an autopsy of one of their dead enemies. This gave some sort of structure to the plot. I thought the eventual resolution was pretty damn cool.
The salmons are the tadpoles of the grendel. The tadpoles are all male, the grown animals are all female. The tadpoles eat mud, the grown animals eat meat, including the tadpoles (if they have to). The animals of the island had already been eaten by the queens of the area, so that had been living off their newborns. The arrival of the human colonists ruffled their ecosystem. Now they had humans as well as their animals to eat. Eventually, the humans figured out a way to kill the grown grendels. This gave free way to the growth and thriving of a grendel army - and leads to the epic final battle for supremacy on the island.
This was everything you could want from an action story. The battle had many stages, throwbacks, changing dynamics, emotional stakes. The besieging horde's attacks are wild and erratic, with immense speed. The beasts are ruthless and ferocious. They inflict gruesome injuries and bloody chaos. But humankind was prepared. They established a fortress surrounded by electric fences and mines. They strike back with rifles, flamethrowers, axes, whatever is at hand. The attackers are not an army; they are wild animals that fight as much among each other as against the Earthlings, and the latter now how to literally heat up these violent encounters. Torched ground is all that remains.
The events grab the reader because they are made about people. Weyland may be the heroic protagonist, but he is vulnerable (like only true action heroes can be). The characters are all a bit silly and schematic, but personally, I began to like them. When in the end Weyland and his heart throb's husband are reconciled, you feel the tragedy when Weyland is not able to save him. The women may all be dolly birds, but at the end they finally hold their own. As the sights of battle changes, everywhere you find someone to sympathize with.
The story clearly paves the way for a follow-up where they would explore the mainland. Although I gained much child-like pleasure from the unapologetic hubbub acted out in these pages, it would have become a bit tedious had it been going on for much longer. So, I'm not sure if I continue with the series. But great fun while it lasted.
Rating: 4/5