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pagad Sneering Imperialist from perfidious Albion Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: Showing feelings of an almost human nature
Sneering Imperialist
#1: Aug 29th 2011 at 7:05:19 AM

Well, I just finished this and I'm not sure what to think. I liked the premise and the story, but I'm honestly not that keen on the author's writing style and I felt that it was hard to keep track of what was going on location-wise.

Anyone else read it?

With cannon shot and gun blast smash the alien. With laser beam and searing plasma scatter the alien to the stars.
jewelleddragon Also known as Katz from Pasadena, CA Since: Apr, 2009
Also known as Katz
#2: Aug 29th 2011 at 11:37:16 AM

I liked it very much, but it definitely felt like a lit-fic author writing fantasy (which it is), that is, retreading a fair amount of modern-fantasy stuff as if it were new. I think the first part was great but the second half got plot-holey.

EJKorvette Since: Aug, 2011
#3: Aug 30th 2011 at 10:14:28 PM

Would have thought there would be more comments about this book. Yes the middle was a little slow. Hopefully the second book will be exciting the whole way though.

From there to here From here to there Funny things Are everywhere!
MildGuy I squeeze gats. from the bed I made. Since: Jan, 2011
I squeeze gats.
#4: Aug 30th 2011 at 10:48:02 PM

Haven't read it. Is it true that the only GLBT character in the novel is a Complete Monster villain?

pagad Sneering Imperialist from perfidious Albion Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: Showing feelings of an almost human nature
Sneering Imperialist
#5: Aug 31st 2011 at 9:45:59 AM

Actually, I don't remember any LGBT characters at all. The Twelve, who I suppose could be considered the main "villains", were all convicted murderers on death row about whom very few details were given bar two of them (Babcock and Carter).

With cannon shot and gun blast smash the alien. With laser beam and searing plasma scatter the alien to the stars.
frog753 Non-Action Guy from CT and/or MA Since: Jul, 2009
#6: Sep 2nd 2011 at 11:31:04 AM

[up][up]Er, well, IIRC they have a bunch of chemically-castrated sex offenders working at the lab from which Twelve originate, and...technically the main one they focus on, he molested boys, but...whatever you've heard sounds quite inaccurate. They're not really villains, they just get manipulated by the villains. Certainly not a Complete Monster. Are you sure you're not thinking of some other book?

I had never heard of this book until maybe a month or so before it came out, whereupon my mom started seeing articles and stuff about it all over and introduced me to it, or rather its impending release. Despite the fact that it's absolutely the sort of thing she would never read, she has this habit of thinking she knows what I'll be interested in and relentlessly hyping things up for me.

So yeah, I'd been pumped full of Passage hype that summer and hadn't read or heard a single negative thing about it before actually reading it. Took it to Nantucket, where there is effectively not internet for me, and thus eagerly devoured it over the course of about a week. Yeah, it dragged a bit at times, but I barely noticed it.

It wasn't until after I finished, having altogether enjoyed it a fair amount, that I started reading negative Amazon reviews and came to notice that it wasn't turning out to be the smash hit that some of the hype suggested it would be. I can be very impressionable about media, and my opinions wavered somewhat.

But I still think it was pretty good. Reminded me a lot of Fallout 3 at times, which was the main game in my life at that point. I'd say I'll go see the movie when it comes out, but considering how the whole thing wasn't very successful in the long run, I don't know if there'll even be a movie...

edited 2nd Sep '11 11:32:17 AM by frog753

Flora Segunda | World Made By Hand | Monster Blood Tattoo ^You should read these series.
jewelleddragon Also known as Katz from Pasadena, CA Since: Apr, 2009
Also known as Katz
#7: Sep 4th 2011 at 3:12:18 PM

This book also inspired my personal rule "If you're going to explain something at length, make sure it's something the readers wanted explained and not something the readers already figured out."

DeMarquis (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#8: Oct 17th 2012 at 11:57:29 AM

Am reading this book now. Frankly, given the reviews, I was (pleasantly) surprised to discover that it has absolutely nothing to do with vampires at all. The monsters are much more like zombies with super-powers. Also, the first part is really much more character-driven (and well written) than plot-driven (which proceeds v...e...r...y...s...l...o...w...l...y). The ending of part I is kind of a downer, though.

I'm done trying to sound smart. "Clear" is the new smart.
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