The Ghost Brigades
by John Scalzi
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Book Reviews of The Ghost Brigades
Book Review: Much stronger than the first book
Summary: 5 Stars
I liked Old Man's War well enough to read the second. Scalzi is very good at what he's good at, which is thoughtful setting, breezy and fun action, and smart characters. But for all the good in the first book, I felt it ultimately didn't have any complexity in the characters, and the Universe had some moral issues that were interesting and not really examined.
I'm happy to say that Scalzi has answered my concerns in this volume. The characters are much more complex. There are psychological motivations for the plot that go beyond "They think we're yummy." If you liked parts of Old Man's War, but wanted meatier characters, keep reading.
I can see why fans of the Military Action SF genre might not have liked it as much as the almost pure adventure of the first novel, but for the rest of the Science Fiction community, this is a solid step in the right direction for a very promising author.
Book Review: The door opens a little wider...
Summary: 5 Stars
Scalzi digs deeper into the "secret soldiers" seen briefly in his first novel "Old Man's War" (2005). Aside from examining how soldiers have their decisions already made for them (no surprise here), Scalzi once again delves into the scientific technology, and how it can be used by (and against) the soldiers.
Real losses by sympathetic characters, as well as the struggle for personal identity and making one's own choices, also resonate in "The Ghost Brigades" (2006). There's a brief tip of the hat (as well as an occasional nudge in the ribs) to military science fiction including "The Forever War" and "Starship Troopers" (both the book and the 1997 movie).
More sensitive readers should know there's no shortage of profanity in some places, with intermittent flashes of sexuality. Overall, this is a strong followup to "Old Man's War."
Book Review: No Life of His Own
Summary: 5 Stars
Jared Dirac has no life of his own. His body is a superhuman hybrid cloned from the DNA of a traitor to humanity to receive the stored consciousness that traitor--the top command hope that he will be able to answer their questions about what Charles Boutin will do next.
This book is a sequel to Old Man's War in name only, and while it leans on that novel for some concepts, it stands on its own. In some ways, the moral and ethical implications of the technology are questioned more fiercely here. And these are questions that our time and our world need to consider with the rapid advance of bio-technology. Even in our world, there are soldiers who are only children in age.
Ultimately, this book shows us that our choices are what make us fully human, our choices create our souls. Jared Rules!
Book Review: A Good Sequel, Very Enjoyable Read
Summary: 4 Stars
I really enjoyed John Scalzi's first book in the series, "Old Man's War", had high expectations for "The Ghost Brigades", and fortunately was not disappointed.
This book takes place shortly after the events in the first book and follows Jane (from the first book) and a clone of a suspected traitor who has been implanted with the original's memory (no spoilers here, you can get that off the back cover :-) What you really get is a look into "The Ghost Brigades", one of the more interesting aspects of Scalzi's universe. While some of the cultural and technical elements require a little suspension of disbelief, the overall story is a fascinating follow up to a great book.
Highly recommended if you enjoyed "Old Man's War". I am very much looking forward the next book, "The Last Colony".
Book Review: Excellent follow-up to Old Man's War
Summary: 4 Stars
Starts with a tricky bit of misdirection, and remains very entertaining the whole way through. Like Old man's War, it balances intense, vivid action with more thoughful parts that add depth to the story.
This time there is less action though and it did bog down the proceeedings just a tiny bit. There was one really awkwardly written part about 2/3 of the way through, like maybe that section had never been revised or something. However, that was corrected quickly and the book went on to a very exciting and interesting climax.
After 2 great books Scalzi is fast becoming one of my favorite authors. His writing style is so smooth, and I am looking forward to picking up The Last Colony as soon as the paperback is released, as well as checking out his other stuff.