William
I first read The Martian in my pre-Goodreads days and I'm not 100% sure when, I do know it was before the movie was a twinkle in Matt Damon's eyes. When I first read this book I loved it, I enjoyed the science, the problem-solving and the (one sided) banter. It really reminded me of what I love about Asimov's writing, especially his short fiction. There's a problem that seems impossible to solve, let's look at what we've got and hack our way out. This is pretty much the same reason I like Sherlock Holmes.
Did I enjoy it the second time around? Absolutely, with one little caveat. I flew through the book, loving every minute of it - until the very last page where the story just stopped very suddenly. That was so not how I remembered it. I remembered a gentle and funny epilogue that eased the reader out of the extreme tension of the last scene of the book. I was sure it was there last time. I had a weird moment in which I considered the possibility I was in a parallel universe. Then I gave myself a mental slap for being a silly sod and instead started wondering if it was all a dream.
An internet search provided the answer - no I was not loosing my marbles, for some baffling reason they had removed the epilogue at some stage, leaving the story with the abrupt ending. The original (very short) ending can be found here:
https://the-martian.fandom.com/wiki/Original_Ending
Endings are very important, if you spoil the ending it can sour everything that went before. I'm leaving my five stars, but that is most definitely for the version with the epilogue. Now I'm off to cut and paste the epilogue back into my copy of the otherwise excellent The Martian.
I first read The Martian in my pre-Goodreads days and I'm not 100% sure when, I do know it was before the movie was a twinkle in Matt Damon's eyes. When I first read this book I loved it, I enjoyed the science, the problem-solving and the (one sided) banter. It really reminded me of what I love about Asimov's writing, especially his short fiction. There's a problem that seems impossible to solve, let's look at what we've got and hack our way out. This is pretty much the same reason I like Sherlock Holmes.
Did I enjoy it the second time around? Absolutely, with one little caveat. I flew through the book, loving every minute of it - until the very last page where the story just stopped very suddenly. That was so not how I remembered it. I remembered a gentle and funny epilogue that eased the reader out of the extreme tension of the last scene of the book. I was sure it was there last time. I had a weird moment in which I considered the possibility I was in a parallel universe. Then I gave myself a mental slap for being a silly sod and instead started wondering if it was all a dream.
An internet search provided the answer - no I was not loosing my marbles, for some baffling reason they had removed the epilogue at some stage, leaving the story with the abrupt ending. The original (very short) ending can be found here:
https://the-martian.fandom.com/wiki/Original_Ending
Endings are very important, if you spoil the ending it can sour everything that went before. I'm leaving my five stars, but that is most definitely for the version with the epilogue. Now I'm off to cut and paste the epilogue back into my copy of the otherwise excellent The Martian.
[Note: This book is good - the sequels are excellent, any criticism of this book does not apply to the rest of the series which just gets exponentially better]
This is a very interesting novella, told from the point of view of a Security Unit (a human-looking organic/machine robot - think Arnie in Terminator but asexual). This SecUnit has examined it's functions and disapproves, it doesn't mind keeping it's clients safe, but doesn't like the fact that it may be called upon to kill things - so it calls itself Murderbot. This is an unusual SecUnit, it has hacked it's own governor chip and now doesn't have to obey commands - it has freedom. With this freedom it carries on doing the day job of keeping humans safe but now secretly downloads TV series to binge watch whenever it's left alone. Now though it has been asked to watch a bunch of researchers on an unexplored planet and things are going a bit weird. Keeping this bunch of humans safe may be harder than expected...
I really enjoyed the main character (Murderbot) and the unfolding mystery. Things build to an exciting climax...and then it's over. Most of the story I would give 4 to 5 stars, but the ending felt rushed and unsatisfactory, not quite “it was all a dream” territory, but close right at the resolution the main character falls unconscious and wakes up to find everything has been sorted out. It was a bit of a disappointment as up until then the story had been great.
So my final decision is:
⭐︎⭐︎⭐︎ Story. (5-2 for ending)
⭐︎⭐︎⭐︎⭐︎⭐︎ Main character.
Average = ⭐︎⭐︎⭐︎⭐︎
[Note: This book is good - the sequels are excellent, any criticism of this book does not apply to the rest of the series which just gets exponentially better]
This is a very interesting novella, told from the point of view of a Security Unit (a human-looking organic/machine robot - think Arnie in Terminator but asexual). This SecUnit has examined it's functions and disapproves, it doesn't mind keeping it's clients safe, but doesn't like the fact that it may be called upon to kill things - so it calls itself Murderbot. This is an unusual SecUnit, it has hacked it's own governor chip and now doesn't have to obey commands - it has freedom. With this freedom it carries on doing the day job of keeping humans safe but now secretly downloads TV series to binge watch whenever it's left alone. Now though it has been asked to watch a bunch of researchers on an unexplored planet and things are going a bit weird. Keeping this bunch of humans safe may be harder than expected...
I really enjoyed the main character (Murderbot) and the unfolding mystery. Things build to an exciting climax...and then it's over. Most of the story I would give 4 to 5 stars, but the ending felt rushed and unsatisfactory, not quite “it was all a dream” territory, but close right at the resolution the main character falls unconscious and wakes up to find everything has been sorted out. It was a bit of a disappointment as up until then the story had been great.
So my final decision is:
⭐︎⭐︎⭐︎ Story. (5-2 for ending)
⭐︎⭐︎⭐︎⭐︎⭐︎ Main character.
Average = ⭐︎⭐︎⭐︎⭐︎
I first read The Martian in my pre-Goodreads days and I'm not 100% sure when, I do know it was before the movie was a twinkle in Matt Damon's eyes. When I first read this book I loved it, I enjoyed the science, the problem-solving and the (one sided) banter. It really reminded me of what I love about Asimov's writing, especially his short fiction. There's a problem that seems impossible to solve, let's look at what we've got and hack our way out. This is pretty much the same reason I like Sherlock Holmes.
Did I enjoy it the second time around? Absolutely, with one little caveat. I flew through the book, loving every minute of it - until the very last page where the story just stopped very suddenly. That was so not how I remembered it. I remembered a gentle and funny epilogue that eased the reader out of the extreme tension of the last scene of the book. I was sure it was there last time. I had a weird moment in which I considered the possibility I was in a parallel universe. Then I gave myself a mental slap for being a silly sod and instead started wondering if it was all a dream.
An internet search provided the answer - no I was not loosing my marbles, for some baffling reason they had removed the epilogue at some stage, leaving the story with the abrupt ending. The original (very short) ending can be found here:
https://the-martian.fandom.com/wiki/Original_Ending
Endings are very important, if you spoil the ending it can sour everything that went before. I'm leaving my five stars, but that is most definitely for the version with the epilogue. Now I'm off to cut and paste the epilogue back into my copy of the otherwise excellent The Martian.
I first read The Martian in my pre-Goodreads days and I'm not 100% sure when, I do know it was before the movie was a twinkle in Matt Damon's eyes. When I first read this book I loved it, I enjoyed the science, the problem-solving and the (one sided) banter. It really reminded me of what I love about Asimov's writing, especially his short fiction. There's a problem that seems impossible to solve, let's look at what we've got and hack our way out. This is pretty much the same reason I like Sherlock Holmes.
Did I enjoy it the second time around? Absolutely, with one little caveat. I flew through the book, loving every minute of it - until the very last page where the story just stopped very suddenly. That was so not how I remembered it. I remembered a gentle and funny epilogue that eased the reader out of the extreme tension of the last scene of the book. I was sure it was there last time. I had a weird moment in which I considered the possibility I was in a parallel universe. Then I gave myself a mental slap for being a silly sod and instead started wondering if it was all a dream.
An internet search provided the answer - no I was not loosing my marbles, for some baffling reason they had removed the epilogue at some stage, leaving the story with the abrupt ending. The original (very short) ending can be found here:
https://the-martian.fandom.com/wiki/Original_Ending
Endings are very important, if you spoil the ending it can sour everything that went before. I'm leaving my five stars, but that is most definitely for the version with the epilogue. Now I'm off to cut and paste the epilogue back into my copy of the otherwise excellent The Martian.
I first read The Martian in my pre-Goodreads days and I'm not 100% sure when, I do know it was before the movie was a twinkle in Matt Damon's eyes. When I first read this book I loved it, I enjoyed the science, the problem-solving and the (one sided) banter. It really reminded me of what I love about Asimov's writing, especially his short fiction. There's a problem that seems impossible to solve, let's look at what we've got and hack our way out. This is pretty much the same reason I like Sherlock Holmes.
Did I enjoy it the second time around? Absolutely, with one little caveat. I flew through the book, loving every minute of it - until the very last page where the story just stopped very suddenly. That was so not how I remembered it. I remembered a gentle and funny epilogue that eased the reader out of the extreme tension of the last scene of the book. I was sure it was there last time. I had a weird moment in which I considered the possibility I was in a parallel universe. Then I gave myself a mental slap for being a silly sod and instead started wondering if it was all a dream.
An internet search provided the answer - no I was not loosing my marbles, for some baffling reason they had removed the epilogue at some stage, leaving the story with the abrupt ending. The original (very short) ending can be found here:
https://the-martian.fandom.com/wiki/Original_Ending
Endings are very important, if you spoil the ending it can sour everything that went before. I'm leaving my five stars, but that is most definitely for the version with the epilogue. Now I'm off to cut and paste the epilogue back into my copy of the otherwise excellent The Martian.
I first read The Martian in my pre-Goodreads days and I'm not 100% sure when, I do know it was before the movie was a twinkle in Matt Damon's eyes. When I first read this book I loved it, I enjoyed the science, the problem-solving and the (one sided) banter. It really reminded me of what I love about Asimov's writing, especially his short fiction. There's a problem that seems impossible to solve, let's look at what we've got and hack our way out. This is pretty much the same reason I like Sherlock Holmes.
Did I enjoy it the second time around? Absolutely, with one little caveat. I flew through the book, loving every minute of it - until the very last page where the story just stopped very suddenly. That was so not how I remembered it. I remembered a gentle and funny epilogue that eased the reader out of the extreme tension of the last scene of the book. I was sure it was there last time. I had a weird moment in which I considered the possibility I was in a parallel universe. Then I gave myself a mental slap for being a silly sod and instead started wondering if it was all a dream.
An internet search provided the answer - no I was not loosing my marbles, for some baffling reason they had removed the epilogue at some stage, leaving the story with the abrupt ending. The original (very short) ending can be found here:
https://the-martian.fandom.com/wiki/Original_Ending
Endings are very important, if you spoil the ending it can sour everything that went before. I'm leaving my five stars, but that is most definitely for the version with the epilogue. Now I'm off to cut and paste the epilogue back into my copy of the otherwise excellent The Martian.
An excellent climax to the series which sees a lot of character growth for all the characters and really makes me want to see more of this universe. I must say that my main take away from this book was that I was really glad that I'd read the novellas. Those novellas are presented as optional but there are so many offhand references, developments in the universe and jumps in character experience that I really can't imagine reading this without first having read those stories (which are great anyway imho).
An excellent climax to the series which sees a lot of character growth for all the characters and really makes me want to see more of this universe. I must say that my main take away from this book was that I was really glad that I'd read the novellas. Those novellas are presented as optional but there are so many offhand references, developments in the universe and jumps in character experience that I really can't imagine reading this without first having read those stories (which are great anyway imho).
One Word Review: Awesome! (If you don't know the series, I really recommend Book 1:[b:Telepath 31300289 Telepath (Hive Mind, #1) Janet Edwards https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1469938072l/31300289.SY75.jpg 51967177])Short Review: “Adversary” keeps the Hive Mind series rolling with a bang. It's all about relationships—family, friends, culture. Ms Edwards nails character growth while handing out out intense action scenes and some seriously tense confrontations. The plot ties up nicely, but there's a clear sign we're in for more. Can't wait!Longer Review (no spoilers, promise!): So, in “Adversary,” Janet Edwards dives into the complex world of relationships, especially during the critical New Year period. It's like catching up with old friends. The characters evolve, and it feels like you're right there with them.When Ms Edwards puts the pieces of the plot puzzle together, it's like fireworks. Action scenes? Oh, they're top-notch, keeping you on the edge of your seat. Tense debates, Poirot style confrontations? Check. Every moment of this not only moves the story forward but also adds layers to the characters. It's like she's got this perfect recipe for blending action and character growth.The wrap-up of the current plot is spot-on. You're left feeling satisfied (in my case almost euphoric), but Ms Edwards is cunning — there are clear signs that more world-building goodness is on the horizon in books yet to come. “Adversary” just cranks up the excitement for what's next. Janet Edwards knows how to keep the momentum going in the Hive Mind series. After this, I'm back counting the days until the next instalment, but even more so than last time.In a nutshell, “Adversary” rocks. If you're into characters you can care for and cheer for, heart-pounding action, and a a world that feel read and like a giant puzzle at the same time, this series is perfect. Seriously, dive in!Note: This review was delayed due to me just not knowing how to get my feelings together - I am so invested in these characters. Janet Edwards is certainly my favorite author.
One Word Review: Awesome! (If you don't know the series, I really recommend Book 1:[b:Telepath 31300289 Telepath (Hive Mind, #1) Janet Edwards https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1469938072l/31300289.SY75.jpg 51967177])Short Review: “Adversary” keeps the Hive Mind series rolling with a bang. It's all about relationships—family, friends, culture. Ms Edwards nails character growth while handing out out intense action scenes and some seriously tense confrontations. The plot ties up nicely, but there's a clear sign we're in for more. Can't wait!Longer Review (no spoilers, promise!): So, in “Adversary,” Janet Edwards dives into the complex world of relationships, especially during the critical New Year period. It's like catching up with old friends. The characters evolve, and it feels like you're right there with them.When Ms Edwards puts the pieces of the plot puzzle together, it's like fireworks. Action scenes? Oh, they're top-notch, keeping you on the edge of your seat. Tense debates, Poirot style confrontations? Check. Every moment of this not only moves the story forward but also adds layers to the characters. It's like she's got this perfect recipe for blending action and character growth.The wrap-up of the current plot is spot-on. You're left feeling satisfied (in my case almost euphoric), but Ms Edwards is cunning — there are clear signs that more world-building goodness is on the horizon in books yet to come. “Adversary” just cranks up the excitement for what's next. Janet Edwards knows how to keep the momentum going in the Hive Mind series. After this, I'm back counting the days until the next instalment, but even more so than last time.In a nutshell, “Adversary” rocks. If you're into characters you can care for and cheer for, heart-pounding action, and a a world that feel read and like a giant puzzle at the same time, this series is perfect. Seriously, dive in!Note: This review was delayed due to me just not knowing how to get my feelings together - I am so invested in these characters. Janet Edwards is certainly my favorite author.
