This is an excellent example of how an author can fill a novel with thrilling car chases, heists, and revenge schemes and still explore important issuThis is an excellent example of how an author can fill a novel with thrilling car chases, heists, and revenge schemes and still explore important issues such as racism and poverty....more
I absolutely loathed Riley. I think I was supposed to be impressed at his brilliance and that would carry me through. Unfortunately, to me, it seemed I absolutely loathed Riley. I think I was supposed to be impressed at his brilliance and that would carry me through. Unfortunately, to me, it seemed like this was one of those capers that works mostly just because it does. There are certainly a couple of clever bits, but the rest... I guess I am supposed to feel he's a genius for spotting all these weaknesses that life just happened to set up for him to exploit... But mostly I kept finding myself thinking, "Well, that was convenient." And some of the conveniences left rather a bad taste in my mouth. Like, it's a good thing there are a couple of nearly virginal women who can be exploited through love/sex because they've never really experienced real lovemaking before. So, while the character is lightly taken to task for his misogyny (though not his murderous ways), I don't really feel the book is. I also didn't find the FBI agent chasing him to be any more likable and there is so little interaction that I didn't feel any cat and mouse-ness from it all. It's almost like you're supposed to think, "I've seen the agent vs. criminal dynamic a millions times before, I can just fill in the blanks and clever witty banter of the past" or something. And, finally, I feel like there could have been one more twist -- an obvious, but better one -- that would have made the ending so much more interesting and would have followed earlier events of the book better....more
I'm quite surprised that I liked this one so much. See, I read another book by this author that had pretty much every element that should make me loveI'm quite surprised that I liked this one so much. See, I read another book by this author that had pretty much every element that should make me love a book... Yet somehow I hated it. I've avoided all the author's other books because of it, but I actually had to read this I've got a project. I'm real glad I did.
Fun characters and world building, high stakes and a complete story despite it being the first of a series. There's definitely a big hook for the next book, but everything I needed answered was.
There were a few elements that I found irksome, but nothing major. Mostly little things that probably only bug me. ...more
First person, present tense is always a hard sell for me, as are dual time narratives if they’re not done in a certain way.
That said, I can understanFirst person, present tense is always a hard sell for me, as are dual time narratives if they’re not done in a certain way.
That said, I can understand why this one was recommended to me. The main character doesn’t let the viewpoints of her family or community stop her because of her gender. It highlights that even in her family’s business (meth) skill doesn’t trump gender... unless she makes it so. She runs circles around the men in her life because they are too comfortable with their privilege. It’s sort of funny that there was a “glass ceiling” with the drug trade, but also not surprising when I thought about it.
The side plot of helping battered women — and particularly Native women — was a good nod to other small town issues. ...more
Parts of this audiobook were incredibly exciting and gripping... And parts just dragged... Particularly anytime the phrase "Captain Black, the Space PParts of this audiobook were incredibly exciting and gripping... And parts just dragged... Particularly anytime the phrase "Captain Black, the Space Pirate" or anything ending with "TM" was said. Perhaps it's just that certain phrases shouldn't be spoken aloud more than once. I'm assuming that the whole Captain Black etc thing must have been one handle or something, so it would make more sense in the printed book, but as an audiobook it just seemed very... juvenile.
Otherwise we've got the "Hackers" vibe in space. There are interesting world politics. The new age of piracy is pretty interesting. I didn't care for any of the main characters that much. I'd say the book was a bit low on emotional connection....more
The book was a wild and crazy -- but fun ride -- almost the whole way through. It's much more violent than I normally go for, but luckiI'm a bit torn.
The book was a wild and crazy -- but fun ride -- almost the whole way through. It's much more violent than I normally go for, but luckily Swierczynski paints his pictures just at the edges so you can imagine all the nastiness, but the descriptions are not too in depth. I can gross myself out as far as I want and stop there, I guess.
The plot definitely keeps you guessing about who did what and how in the heck everything is going to work out. So, really, a pretty close to five star romp of a novel. The end, however, was like hitting a brick wall and parts of it about as pleasant.... So... I'm not sure. Also, there was a loose end that just irks me, even though it's not important.