Review: The Fear Index

The Fear Index by Robert Harris
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Who knew that this random thriller about finances and computers was exactly what I needed?

Here's the plot: Eccentric billionaire, Alex Hoffman, is less into making ridiculous amounts of money and more into developing the tech behind it. But when an intruder breaks into his mega-secure mansion he begins to realise someone is out to get him.

This is one of those clever books that works partially because you really don't know if Alex is entirely sane or not. He does some strange things and behaves oddly often, so when people around him begin to question if this paranoia is all just in his head, we as the reader do too.

I know absolutely nothing about the stock market or hedge funds or computers, but I never felt completely in the dark. Sure, a lot of the numbers meant nothing to me, but its all explained quite well so that the tension is still there, and still taut. The human factor keeps things dynamic; we've got Hoffman's partner, Quarry, who is definitely in it for the money; Hoffman's wife, the artist; an almost-retired cop who is far more interested in investigating Alex than finding the guy who broke into his house. Plus a host of others who have their own intriguing motivations amongst all the drama. So there was always something to get swept up in, and I actually really enjoyed the balance of all these things coming together.

There is plenty of mystery around who it is that may be setting Alex up, and I had some interesting guesses along the way without ever really figuring out what was going on. This is a fast-paced thriller that keeps the action moving too fast for you to really draw your own conclusions.

I also really loved all the Darwinian talk and how it was being related back to artificial intelligence. I was not expecting this book to delve into AI as much as it did, but found I was pleasantly surprised by that aspect.

All in all, this was a quick one to get through. It keeps the pace fast and there are plenty of vastly different yet complementary elements to the story that will easily keep you entertained. There are probably a few technological plot holes, but I'm definitely not smart enough to find them. It wasn't an unforgettable, brilliant piece of literature by any means, but it sure as heck kept me thoroughly hooked for the day it took to read it.

View all my reviews

Review: A Song of Flight

A Song of Flight by Juliet Marillier
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A very satisfying conclusion!

WARNING: This review will contain spoilers for the previous two books in the series.

Here we go: A prince has gone missing after an attack from strange masked men and the dreaded Crow Folk, and the Swan Island warriors are tasked to investigate. Liobhan's brother, Galen, is involved, so for her it's personal. However her new relationship with Dau means they're being forced to split up for this one. Meanwhile Brocc, in the Otherworld, seeks a truce with the brutal Crow Folk that not everyone thinks is a good idea.

Honestly, this is such a PG series. It's all music and singing and dancing and frolicking about with people and beings that are just misunderstood. But in spite of all that, the lore really fascinates me. I love the Otherworld with all its strange, adorable creatures. I love the deadly, mysterious Crow Folk. I love the portals and forests and strange legends. There is so much detail and yes, it does slow down the story a tad, but it never feels like you're getting bogged down in it. I am all about action but I still never found it dull - there is just so much richness to the story.

I like that the kids are split up. Not that they're really kids - this is definitely an adult fantasy, with adult themes as opposed to YA insta-love with its magical sparks and stroking each other randomly. This shows the depths of true love quite well in the separation of Dau and Liobhan. Their feelings are profound, but they have jobs to do that come first. I really appreciated that. It was nice to see them playing to their own strengths without needing to depend on one another. Then of course we have Brocc, who is the most wholesome character I've encountered in a long time. Not a single bad bone in this guy's body - even when things are going really terribly for him. It was nice to see him challenged a bit.

The story has a lot of ground to cover but it does this well without seeming too long a tale. The variety of viewpoints helps keep things interesting, and with the constantly changing surroundings there's always something new to experience. The benefit of the author's love for detail is that you get a clear mental picture of these beautiful, magical lands with their dense forests, sparkling lakes and rocky terrain. I'd love to go exploring in a place like this!

This is the last book of the trilogy and it brings everything together really nicely. It wraps everything up neatly, but it still leaves a door to this world open.

All in all, this trilogy ended up winning my heart. This is a brilliant final instalment, and readers should be just as satisfied as I was with the way it all concludes.

With thanks to Macmillan for a copy

View all my reviews

Review: The Airways

The Airways by Jennifer Mills
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

This is a story about a ghost seeking revenge.

You would think it would be a fantastic horror story but the real horror is the pain of reading this book.

'Minds are illegible; they read the body. Wet cold prickles under the back, the shirt too thin. Bacteria hitches a ride in the air, clings to a hair in the nostril. They move, are moved, into these discomforts, go where there are openings. (Do they open things?) The body coughs, its whole length poised and racking. The eyes leave the stars and return; the body sits up, relaxes. The joint held aloft. They are in the fingers where the burn will meet the skin. In sweet smoke.'

If you appreciate that kind of writing, congratulations. You did what I could not. Have fun with this book which is full of passsages like this. You will love it.

When did 'brilliant literature' become synonymous with 'convoluted writing that goes out of its way to say everything except what it actually needs to say'? It all seems so pretentious to me. Just tell the freaking story please.

I LOVE ghost stories. THIS STORY IS ABOUT A VENGEFUL GHOST POSSESSING PEOPLE ON ITS WAY TO FIND THE MAN RESPONSIBLE FOR ITS DEMISE. It talks about themes like consent and identity and works its way into the mind of a man who thinks he's good but is actually a scumbag and it is actually full of really fascinating ideas. There was so much here to unpack and it could have been a really brilliant, entertaining story.

But, NO.

It decides instead to tell its fantastic story through long, convoluted passages and choppy imagery that remind me of all those times I filled my essays with pointless crap just to make the word count.

Also, I appreciate the importance pronouns have in helping us defining ourselves but unfortunately in the context of this book, all of the 'they' references just made an already-complicated writing style even harder to untangle. I was so lost.

This one was just not for me, folks.

I give full props to the story - the alternating chapters give us Adam's story and 'Their' story, but unfortunately They and Adam both do really, really boring things with their time so if you're not someone who enjoys books that just languish over describing boring things in a twisted manner then you will likely find yourself as frustrated as I was.

If you enjoy unravelling long, confusing passages to tease out what they're trying to say, you'll be all over this. This is for the language lovers; the people who are happy to forfeit action for pretty words. There are some really interesting themes and plenty of symbolism but if you're after a meaty story that really delves into these things you will be disappointed.

Honestly I was so excited to read this story and that just makes it all the more disappointing for me.

I hope others will appreciate it more than I did.

With thanks to Macmillan for a copy.

View all my reviews