Reviews
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Don't get me wrong I like Daniel...But reading chapter after chapter of Whitelaws having him prattle on was just TOO much. Knowledge of a subject is great, but doesn't make for an intersting novel. Way to much info. The story was disjointed and I didn't believe her character portrayals of SG-1. Boring! The two Honor books were 5 stars.
reviewed by advisor on November 27, 2006 2:39 AM
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I'm actually extremely pleased with this novel, and found myself immensely entertained. I suspect this is in good part because I am both prepared and capable of distinguishing history from science fiction.
As a student of meso-American culture, I can state that no culture remains fixed throughout time. The Aztec culture exists today in a totally different way than it existed in the tenth century. Once one then takes this culture into a purely fictional framework, off to another planet, and twisted it to suit the machinations of a Go'auld that itself was considered an atrocious creature even by Ra's standards, it is most certainly going to be gruesome and differ from the Aztecs of past that some textbooks portray in an idealized light. As to the chocolate, of course it was never produced as candy bars, but I chuckled at the way it cleverly connected Quetzalcoatl to O'Neill. The author has taken genuine research, married it to mythology and come up with an excellent and original plot.
I automatically suspend my disbelief when I read novels like these. They are a fun detour from the real world, and I see them purely for their entertainment value. Since the series itself takes us all on an excursion from reality every week, I would have personally been disappointed if this book had attempted to foster upon us something else. Equally, I am pleased that the author did not over-simply an intriguing story.
Whether one could possibly stand so close to volcanoes without being cooked - based on the extraordinary images on her website, it appears the author had no trouble with such encounters in real life!
As to characterizations, I was gratified to note that the author dealt with them in a mature and insightful manner. I enjoyed the way each team member was presented - more so in this novel than in others from this particular series.
I would liked to have seen a longer story, as I feel the end was somewhat short and that some scenes could have been fleshed out more, but again, this was in keeping with the series which is of course subject to the restrictions of time. No doubt the publisher must have an upper word limit for similar reasons as the show's producers have a time limit. I understand that MGM approves of each novel and therefore, feel quite comfortable in reading it as canon. Having said that, as with everything else about this novel, it has remained very faithful to the series. For all of those reasons, I'm giving it five stars and would highly recommend it. I'm looking forward to this author's treatment of the spinoff Atlantis series.
As a student of meso-American culture, I can state that no culture remains fixed throughout time. The Aztec culture exists today in a totally different way than it existed in the tenth century. Once one then takes this culture into a purely fictional framework, off to another planet, and twisted it to suit the machinations of a Go'auld that itself was considered an atrocious creature even by Ra's standards, it is most certainly going to be gruesome and differ from the Aztecs of past that some textbooks portray in an idealized light. As to the chocolate, of course it was never produced as candy bars, but I chuckled at the way it cleverly connected Quetzalcoatl to O'Neill. The author has taken genuine research, married it to mythology and come up with an excellent and original plot.
I automatically suspend my disbelief when I read novels like these. They are a fun detour from the real world, and I see them purely for their entertainment value. Since the series itself takes us all on an excursion from reality every week, I would have personally been disappointed if this book had attempted to foster upon us something else. Equally, I am pleased that the author did not over-simply an intriguing story.
Whether one could possibly stand so close to volcanoes without being cooked - based on the extraordinary images on her website, it appears the author had no trouble with such encounters in real life!
As to characterizations, I was gratified to note that the author dealt with them in a mature and insightful manner. I enjoyed the way each team member was presented - more so in this novel than in others from this particular series.
I would liked to have seen a longer story, as I feel the end was somewhat short and that some scenes could have been fleshed out more, but again, this was in keeping with the series which is of course subject to the restrictions of time. No doubt the publisher must have an upper word limit for similar reasons as the show's producers have a time limit. I understand that MGM approves of each novel and therefore, feel quite comfortable in reading it as canon. Having said that, as with everything else about this novel, it has remained very faithful to the series. For all of those reasons, I'm giving it five stars and would highly recommend it. I'm looking forward to this author's treatment of the spinoff Atlantis series.
reviewed by nutshell on November 27, 2006 6:35 PM
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Man, this was fantastic! Fans of the show absolutely must read this book. It's set near the end of Season 5, and follows up one of my all time favorite Season 3 episodes, Crystal Skull. I'd always wanted to know more about the skull and what happened between Daniel's grandfather Nick Ballard, and Quetzelcoatl but I never expected to have this huge story that includes an entire Aztec civilization. It was amazing! I mean, the author must know a lot about the Aztecs because the really incredible thing was that he tied it altogether exactly with the Goa'uld, the Mayan City of the Gods in Mexico, Teotihuacan, crystal skulls and Daniel's theory about aliens building the Egyptian pyramids. In between all that we had page turning drama and action, lots of angst between the team members, and a humongous volcanic eruption that makes the Last Day of Pompeii look teeny.
I especially loved the characterizations. The author nailed Jack O'Neill, and Daniel, and the banter between them was exactly like the show. Sam Carter wasn't just standing around mouthing off scientific stuff, either. Instead we really got some insights into how she thought and felt. I liked the scene between her and Janet Fraiser. Really, a very mature and logical approach to the whole shipper versus non-shipper argument. At the same time, the science that Sam explained made complete sense. And Tea'lc, wow, look for a really insightful conversation between him and Daniel Jackson!
I thought the `Daniel Jackson's diary' at the end of the book was a really neat touch. I've read a lot of behind the scenes books, but this explained the origins and interesting stuff about crystal skulls, Mayans and Aztecs. It was like an archeological paper written for real, but as if the Stargate and Goa'uld were for real.
Seriously, if you only ever read one Stargate book, make it this one! It's real homage to the show.
I especially loved the characterizations. The author nailed Jack O'Neill, and Daniel, and the banter between them was exactly like the show. Sam Carter wasn't just standing around mouthing off scientific stuff, either. Instead we really got some insights into how she thought and felt. I liked the scene between her and Janet Fraiser. Really, a very mature and logical approach to the whole shipper versus non-shipper argument. At the same time, the science that Sam explained made complete sense. And Tea'lc, wow, look for a really insightful conversation between him and Daniel Jackson!
I thought the `Daniel Jackson's diary' at the end of the book was a really neat touch. I've read a lot of behind the scenes books, but this explained the origins and interesting stuff about crystal skulls, Mayans and Aztecs. It was like an archeological paper written for real, but as if the Stargate and Goa'uld were for real.
Seriously, if you only ever read one Stargate book, make it this one! It's real homage to the show.
reviewed by work on November 29, 2006 8:51 AM
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Adventure - check
Action - check
Drama - check
Characterisation - check
Humour - check
Fandemonium's fourth outing into the Stargate SG-1 universe is a compelling tale that pushes imagination beyond the boundaries of the show. Firmly and expertly rooted in Aztec mythology, City of the Gods takes the reader to places that would explode even the most extravagant TV budget and realises vistas and scenarios the show's producers could only dream of.
Monumental cities and temple precincts on a world in cataclysm - feel the tremors and sneeze at the brimstone - provide the backdrop for desperate, ferocious rites and a truly galactic showdown that features more hair's breadth escapes than you can shake a stick at. But for all its relentless action the book never loses sight of the characters. Daniel Jackson's learning, passion, and ingenuity are equally as well portrayed as Teal'c's quiet intelligence and occasional sense of displacement or the subliminal emotional minefields Jack O'Neill and Sam Carter find themselves navigating.
An additional bonus comes in the shape of seamless ties into previous episodes - including the very welcome, superbly tongue-in-cheek reappearance of Daniel's grandfather, Nick Ballard - and the references to Fandemonium's earlier novel, Sacrifice Moon.
In short, this is a true homage to the show's intelligence, imagination, and humour and a rollicking good read to boot.
Action - check
Drama - check
Characterisation - check
Humour - check
Fandemonium's fourth outing into the Stargate SG-1 universe is a compelling tale that pushes imagination beyond the boundaries of the show. Firmly and expertly rooted in Aztec mythology, City of the Gods takes the reader to places that would explode even the most extravagant TV budget and realises vistas and scenarios the show's producers could only dream of.
Monumental cities and temple precincts on a world in cataclysm - feel the tremors and sneeze at the brimstone - provide the backdrop for desperate, ferocious rites and a truly galactic showdown that features more hair's breadth escapes than you can shake a stick at. But for all its relentless action the book never loses sight of the characters. Daniel Jackson's learning, passion, and ingenuity are equally as well portrayed as Teal'c's quiet intelligence and occasional sense of displacement or the subliminal emotional minefields Jack O'Neill and Sam Carter find themselves navigating.
An additional bonus comes in the shape of seamless ties into previous episodes - including the very welcome, superbly tongue-in-cheek reappearance of Daniel's grandfather, Nick Ballard - and the references to Fandemonium's earlier novel, Sacrifice Moon.
In short, this is a true homage to the show's intelligence, imagination, and humour and a rollicking good read to boot.
reviewed by bugger on November 29, 2006 11:42 AM