5 star sci-fi, 1 star lame romance novel

Narrator sounds like he should stick to reading to his grandkids. NO character differentiation. There is gender distinction, but everyone sounds the same, and the women are whiny and pouty trying to be sexy.

Absolutely hooked by the opening plot. Great sci-fi. Love Jake, love Alice, love the premise. I listened to the end just for that. I also love how it turned out and can't wait to read another.

That said, the conversion into a worse-than-B-grade romance novel destroys the quality of the story. It's like a 12-year-old trying to write porn. At this time in American history, there are more women than men so they are used to sharing. For some reason it is deemed necessary for Jake to reproduce, so he takes up with 5 or more women. They all handle it very well, they are not jealous (except when they are), rather they are supportive of each other (except when they feel they aren't getting enough of Jake). They cease being intelligent women and turn into sex kittens. All the women are beautiful and have perfect bodies with large busts, and no thigh lumps. It's okay for there to be love relations in sci-fi stories, but I didn't come here for Danielle Steel, and this stuff is so juvenile and over-written that you will roll your eyes, shake your head, and sigh.

I don't know who would enjoy this kind of stuff; it's not imaginative, not titillating, not grown up. For example:

* Jake (despairing of his responsibilities managing several computer sites): If we open more alien facilities, I'm screwed!
Female: Oh, I'm pretty sure that happened last night. [and the author can't leave it alone], and I was hoping it would happen tonight too! [still can't leave it alone] she said with a wicked wink. [sigh, shake my head]

*trite "sexy" lines like "I resemble that remark!" and "I barely rate "saucy wench"!

And. I get so tired of doing the editor's job. I get tired of talking to the recording, correcting grammar, tired of making word changes. E.g. He lay her on the couch. This writer uses only about 1/4 the past perfect tense and he should, even after allowing for individual choice. One of the worst examples: "Jake wore his flight suit that morning, and had not changed it all day." Any high school English teacher would change this to, "Jake HAD PUT ON his flight suit that morning, and had not changed it all day."

Anyway, I guess I have to accept that there are no editors anymore and that whatever sorry excuse for grammar the writer delivers is what gets published.

I really don't know how to rate this story. If the next one continues with such infantile, trite, gag-me "romance" drivel, I will have to go see Nora Roberts, or Lolita.

76 people found this helpful

Story limited by the booty call

Is there anything you would change about this book?

There is a large portion of the book detailing the main character's sexual escapades with multiple women that he recruits into "service" after he wakes up from stasis. I'm sure that "man from the distant past" meets "Earth rebounding from apocalypse" can generate some strange circumstances, but "Building a harem" wasn't one of them. The author even mentions "harem" and "booty call" in the book so I feel warranted in the headline for this review. I could even get onboard with the concept if he didn't make it such a main aspect of the book.

What could Charles Lamb have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

Beyond addressing the obvious, I would say that the author needs to present the motivations of the characters in a better way. Danger doesn't really present itself until the last 25% of the book. There seems to be no urgency for much of the story. It seems to progress as a function of the needs of the "AL:ICE" computer(?) system.

Which scene was your favorite?

No scene was my favorite. The sci-fi aspects were good. I really liked AL:ICE. Who wouldn't like an artificial intelligence with a self preservation agenda who was willing to manipulate people to get her(?) way? It might have been done before, but that part of the story was enjoyable none-the-less.

Do you think Alice needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

No it doesn't need a follow-up. Even if it were to explore some of the alien races and further push out mankind into space, I fear that were

Any additional comments?

I like the concept / premise. I like the sci-fi ideas. If you just want to put your brain on hold and don't mind a lot of teenage fantasy thrown in then this book is fun.

30 people found this helpful

Adolescent

Story is a collection of simplistic "perfect" scenarios working to elevate humanity ( US centric) toward galactic superiority. Thrown in is a healthy dose of adolescent soft porn scenes. I felt sorry of the narrator wading through much of that. Narrator was reasonable. Overall: Stay away from this unless you are a spotty teenager.

16 people found this helpful

Hanky Panky in a Future world

The story started out okay with some interesting concepts and just about when it came time for the real mark of a good story to begin, here come the sexcapades. This story could have gone so many directions, but sex with multiple partners with an explanation as to why it okay... Give me a break . Give me a science fiction fantasy not a sexual pervert running a future world

12 people found this helpful

Hollow, shallow, but only mildly annoying overall.

First off, I've read (or listened, as it were) far worse. For all of its inherent storytelling flaws, the actual wordcraft of the author is not at all bad. Additionally, even though this is a post-apoc piece, at least it's a positive rebuilding type rather than the doom and gloom hipster bull sjit that's so common now.

The primary failings of this story are: 1) Linear plot, 2) Male Mary Sue main character, 3) Cardboard characters, 4) Rote alien villains, and 5) Overall amateurish structure.

My assessment is that this author has some capability, but needs more learning and mentorship in the story crafting that goes beyond mere technique of words.

6 people found this helpful

Yawn

This series has very high reviews, I can only imagine that is because 11 and 12 year olds are enjoying it. The story is simply a string of uninterrupted victories for the protagonist punctuated by poorly written sex scenes between the same and his 8 wives...

6 people found this helpful

A little lighter than most.

Alice, as a book, reminds me of some of the fiction that Robert Heinleine wrote towards the end of his career. And I don't mean that in a negative way. This story is much more fiction and less science so requires a degree of acceptance that may be difficult for some hard-core science fiction types. And like Heinlein, there is a degree of misogynistic condescension.

The story is suitably fast-paced to hold your interest. If you don't mind multiple busty female characters fawning over the male lead character within a very accepting and cordial polygamist setting, this is an entertaining read. Don't expect literature and I think you'll enjoy the book.

5 people found this helpful

Not deep, or even epic but still enjoyable and fun

Any additional comments?

Lately I've been searching for a good Military Scifi Book like "Old Man's War" or "The Prince Roger Series", when I came upon "Alice". While this book won't be in my top 10 list, I definitely had fun with it...

The author's writing style really reminds me of John Ringo but lacking any technical detail. The setting/world is written in broad strokes with little of the details actually being filled in. Being a rebuilt post apocalyptic world, it's relatively easy for the reader to kinda fill/make up the details for themselves. The big thing in my personal opinion that is missing from making this a great book is the technical details/explanations. Authors like John Ringo, David Weber, Travis S. Taylor know how to add those parts in and create great books. This story is more along the lines of "well we recovered alien power cells that allow us to create ships that can travel over 3,000 miles in 20 minutes". While all Scifi books by there very nature require some suspension of disbelief, this book just kinda ignores that step and keeps plowing along. Normally I'd hate that but the pace of the story makes you wanna keep going. Kinda like John Ringo's Troy Series, starting off with a guy cutting fire wood for odd jobs and following him building a Death Star (cough, cough). This story is very wide encompassing but like I mentioned before, it's missing that technical details/explanations that allow for the reader to have that suspension of disbelief. That being the case the story gets predictable and even campy at times. The book is very formulaic with an interesting but stretched premise, a basic plot and decent spots of action. I do want to emphasize though, I did find this book fun and entertaining. I can't really put my finger on what kept me hooked. I was trying to explain this to a friend and I found movie comparisons worked the best. If you had fun watching movies like "The Core", "Battleship", "Waterworld", Battlefield: Los Angeles", & "Independance Day". I think you will have will have fun with "Alice". Just don't go in expecting "Black Hawk Down" or "Inception" or you will be dissappointed.

Now that I've completed this book it will definitely go into my easy listening category. It will be one of those books I turn on when I need background noise or use to fall asleep since. I will be watching for future books from this author. If he just adds that technical detail he's missing, I think he could become one of my favorite authors. Two things I will add is that while the book does not end on a cliffhanger, it definitely leaves many plot lines incomplete (Like the 1st "Divergence" movie, sorry haven't had a chance to read the book or see the second movie). 2nd the book does deal with the main character being involved in polygamy or maybe a willing harem is more closer description as the protagonist doesn't technically marry anyone. The book does give a explanation for this but it pretty much that after an apocalypse there are more women then men and our protagonist genes are encoded to access secret items and things can't be changed to accept others DNA. It's a little more detailed than that but its supposed neccesities reasonings felt extremely shallow to me. It personally made me a bit uncomfortable and to me it felt like it was something the author wanted to include for their own reasons and kinda just shoe horned it into the story but thankfully the story doesn't contain graphic sex scenes or anything I would consider too explicit neither does he really get to preachy on it in either direction.

5 people found this helpful

Really Wanted To Love It, but...

In the first 10 min I was like "hell yea, new favorite series", then it went all down hill. I am a crappy sci fi fan...almost 200 audio books worth. Two other reviews hit the nail with two things that drove me crazy. 1)Narrator reads like a kids book; he has a mid west Minnesota type accent for all the character and it makes everyone sound ridiculous. 2) writer gives me the creeps...less sci fi and more so soft porn. He has a military officer sleeping with a half dozen women bc that's how it is in the future and some are pretty young. I am retired military and even it a typical military guy would totally take advantage of a situation where options are plenty, you really want your "hero" character to be honorable, not sleezy.
Aside from the creepy soft porn, the writer misses mark with regard to story...too many issues to list.
Bottom line, I wish this book was what it could have been...it was a really cool plot.

4 people found this helpful

skip it-prepubescent polygamist god wannaB fantasy

Mediocre writing, horrible characters. More time spent on divorcee protaganists sex life with a neverending line of big breasted bonds, than on story. New 17 yr old sex starlet every year, by an ex-marine turned super man (like the Hulk), while elected President, while being an instantaneous super pilot, also being made a King...etc. Huge plot holes. Touching brush with military tactics & heritage, no actual working knowledge of strategy or tactics. Appears to have been written by an author who has never experienced life, much less military service or an actual relationship with a woman. I'm a southern conservative and the rampant male chauvinism made me cringe. Comes across as a god-complex having, polygamy supporting, immature attempt of a meld of better authors works.

Plot: underneath, not a bad idea but done better by many others
Characters: shallow, meaningless, sex based. No humanity, everything always works out with one sentance fixes for any problems
Science: nothing new, nothing clever. moves things along. if you liked Will Smith saving earth from an intersteller species with an F-18...(Independence Day) then this will fit in your technological world view.

4 people found this helpful