cdeane61's review against another edition
2.0
Like the premise, had good experience with the writer in the past, but this is terrible.
I think this could have been good, but the protagonist is just too unbelievable, and gets progressively more so during the reading.
He is:
the best accident reconstruction expert on the planet (be it airline or automobile)
a reader of and follower of Greek and Roman philosophy and writings
a single malt scotch drinker
Has original art hanging on his walls
has multiple long distance chess matches going (only the Russian is giving him trouble)
a former marine sniper with a purple heart and silver cross
wife and child killed in a........
I could go on but what's the point - you get the picture.
Throw in an FBI operation with a female agent protagonist who is his soul mate
Start the book out with a very famous auto accident case (Darwin award worthy) and follow up with a scene that includes every silly insurance given excuse, sniper duels, just too much..
I honestly think if it hadn't been Dan Simmons and a check off for Last Name starting with an "S", I would have put this book down before I got 1/2 way through.
Two stars because his writing is not bad, and the underlying story plot of false insurance scams is interesting, and because if I give a book a one star, I should never have finished it to begin with.
I think this could have been good, but the protagonist is just too unbelievable, and gets progressively more so during the reading.
He is:
the best accident reconstruction expert on the planet (be it airline or automobile)
a reader of and follower of Greek and Roman philosophy and writings
a single malt scotch drinker
Has original art hanging on his walls
has multiple long distance chess matches going (only the Russian is giving him trouble)
a former marine sniper with a purple heart and silver cross
wife and child killed in a........
I could go on but what's the point - you get the picture.
Throw in an FBI operation with a female agent protagonist who is his soul mate
Start the book out with a very famous auto accident case (Darwin award worthy) and follow up with a scene that includes every silly insurance given excuse, sniper duels, just too much..
I honestly think if it hadn't been Dan Simmons and a check off for Last Name starting with an "S", I would have put this book down before I got 1/2 way through.
Two stars because his writing is not bad, and the underlying story plot of false insurance scams is interesting, and because if I give a book a one star, I should never have finished it to begin with.
matosapa's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
imakandiway's review against another edition
funny
informative
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
xumepa's review against another edition
3.0
Прочитала 7\8 книги и вот что я хочу сказать по этому поводу. Я помню Гиперион, я помню Террор. Что это? такое ощущение, что это начинающий писатель, который собрал сборник клише про детективов, про разных людей-русские, мафия КГБ, вьетнамцы и что-то слепил. периодически там какая-то толерантность мелькает навроде : как стрелять по врагу.... он или она...враг есть враг, совершенно неважно какой- при этом гендер. Не стала дочитывать, не шмогла. увы и ах.
sling's review against another edition
2.0
Fairly average with long exposition not integrated into the story. I gather it's one of the author's first novels reprinted but also the first one of his I've read. The characters are thinly drawn but some of the action scenes showed promise. A decent enough airplane read.
vbroes's review
3.0
Dan Simmons goes early Neal Stephenson, coming up with a pastiche-y, infodump-y thriller that's half comic, half serious. Now, don't get me wrong, Simmons writes fascinating infodumps and spectacular action scenes, but I found balance and pacing across the novel to be a bit off-kilter.
As a long-time Dan Simmons fan, I have to say, plus est en vous, Dan.
As a long-time Dan Simmons fan, I have to say, plus est en vous, Dan.
pharmdad2007's review against another edition
3.0
I was really conflicted about this one. Some parts were definitely 5-star (the parts that sound like Dan Simmons) and some part were 1-star (the parts that sound like James Patterson at his cheesiest). I really liked all of the insurance fraud anecdotes that were thrown in and the insurance investigative mysteries that were central to the plot. Not my favorite Simmons, but not bad.
carriekellenberger's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars.
This is one of my least favorite books by Simmons, but it was enjoyable because he is a great storyteller. He knows his topics inside out. I gave it a slighly higher ranking simply because of his mastery of several topics written into a very convincing detective story.
I liked how he wrote this story even though it includes a lot of gun history - a topic I don't know or care anything about.
Simmons never does what you expect. A+ writer.
I am hoping to finish the rest of his books in 2020.
This is one of my least favorite books by Simmons, but it was enjoyable because he is a great storyteller. He knows his topics inside out. I gave it a slighly higher ranking simply because of his mastery of several topics written into a very convincing detective story.
I liked how he wrote this story even though it includes a lot of gun history - a topic I don't know or care anything about.
Simmons never does what you expect. A+ writer.
I am hoping to finish the rest of his books in 2020.
tome15's review against another edition
4.0
I was surprised at the number of so-so reviews for “Darwin’s Blade.” I suspect that many of them are from fans of the several other genres in which Simmons participates. If you are a fan of Child’s Jack Reacher novels or Sandford’s Prey novels, you will probably like this. There is plenty of well-described action, clever technical detail, and moderately interesting character development.
henryarmitage's review
1.0
I've enjoyed Dan Simmons' SF and horror, particularly the Hyperion series.
I picked this up thinking it was SF, however it's a crime novel. I read
70-some pages but it wasn't doing anything for me. Did not finish.
I picked this up thinking it was SF, however it's a crime novel. I read
70-some pages but it wasn't doing anything for me. Did not finish.