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Book Reviews: Bridges, Basecraft Cirrostratus, Out of Positi
15 years ago
General
Bridges
The book's premise is that each of its five chapters is told from a different character's perspective, and the gimmick is in the first three chapters we have some severe overlap of three characters doing the same scene. While it provides you the character perspectives, by the third time the hotness is gone. This would be absolutely tiresome had not the author done something nice: in one chapter, a conversation was glossed over. In the next, he fully plays out that conversation. So you get the full experience by reading all three chapters, even if that experience is what's going on before the sex, not during or after. By simply glossing over the threesome on the third time, nothing would have been lost from the book.
As much as I am down on the repetitiveness, I genuinely think that the book takes off as soon as it's got the three-perspective-threesome out of the way. We're treated to genuine characterization, conflict, and in chapter four and five, tear jerkers. I will not shy away from the fact that chapter four really moved me, it got to me, because I have some personal experience with that sort of arena. It was well worth the price of admission.
Basecraft Cirrostratus
It's easy to write a glowing review about something awesome, and it's easy to write a review about something that's awful. It's another thing entirely to write about something that that is not quite good enough, that could be better, that is ultimately flawed but promising.
Basecraft Cirrostratus is set in a 1930s-style world, about a cougar named Elor who flees a harsh regime to a flying airport where he falls in with a bad crowd, as well as his ex-boyfriend, getting tangled up with killings, gun running and a love triangle. All around international intrigue. The setting reminds me of Bioshock and its criminal underbelly, had Rapture been in the sky rather than the sea.
Sounds promising, doesn't it? Well it is promising. That's the thing. It's a wonderful setting. The story itself is nice - some real Coincidences, some things that don't quite make sense, but solid.
The flaw comes from the author's style. Many things draw the reader out of the story. Characterization, telling not showing, presentation, perspective, certain plot points - there are places they could have simply been better. It's clearly his first book.
But it's not bad. The author has a real talent at description, he knows his setting and he knows his technology in that setting. He knows his characters, but sometimes details their machinations a little too much. The story, as I repeat, is solid. It just could be better. Despite the flaws, I am satisfied with the story as a whole.
Despite what I say above, I do believe you should give it a chance. I am confident the author, Justin Lamar, threetails, will have a much better second book. And a third book. And a fourth. Basecraft Cirrostratus is a good first try, and it's clear the author is learning from it. I look forward to his next publication.
Out of Position
On the topic of first novels, when I read Kyell Gold's first novel Volle, I couldn't finsih it. I hit a part that was so very slow and never went back. It poisoned my opinion of the author. After reading Out of Position, I must say that my opinion has been cleansed and in tip top shape.
The book barely needs a review, because it is that good. I have my issues with it, but they're picking nits and not helpful in a review itself.
It's a story about a football player discovering he's gay, and all the trials and tribulations around that, as well as those with his partner. It's not so much a "coming of age" story as a "coming out and becoming an adult" story. For what it is, it's strong and hits hard and I can't approve enough.
The book's premise is that each of its five chapters is told from a different character's perspective, and the gimmick is in the first three chapters we have some severe overlap of three characters doing the same scene. While it provides you the character perspectives, by the third time the hotness is gone. This would be absolutely tiresome had not the author done something nice: in one chapter, a conversation was glossed over. In the next, he fully plays out that conversation. So you get the full experience by reading all three chapters, even if that experience is what's going on before the sex, not during or after. By simply glossing over the threesome on the third time, nothing would have been lost from the book.
As much as I am down on the repetitiveness, I genuinely think that the book takes off as soon as it's got the three-perspective-threesome out of the way. We're treated to genuine characterization, conflict, and in chapter four and five, tear jerkers. I will not shy away from the fact that chapter four really moved me, it got to me, because I have some personal experience with that sort of arena. It was well worth the price of admission.
Basecraft Cirrostratus
It's easy to write a glowing review about something awesome, and it's easy to write a review about something that's awful. It's another thing entirely to write about something that that is not quite good enough, that could be better, that is ultimately flawed but promising.
Basecraft Cirrostratus is set in a 1930s-style world, about a cougar named Elor who flees a harsh regime to a flying airport where he falls in with a bad crowd, as well as his ex-boyfriend, getting tangled up with killings, gun running and a love triangle. All around international intrigue. The setting reminds me of Bioshock and its criminal underbelly, had Rapture been in the sky rather than the sea.
Sounds promising, doesn't it? Well it is promising. That's the thing. It's a wonderful setting. The story itself is nice - some real Coincidences, some things that don't quite make sense, but solid.
The flaw comes from the author's style. Many things draw the reader out of the story. Characterization, telling not showing, presentation, perspective, certain plot points - there are places they could have simply been better. It's clearly his first book.
But it's not bad. The author has a real talent at description, he knows his setting and he knows his technology in that setting. He knows his characters, but sometimes details their machinations a little too much. The story, as I repeat, is solid. It just could be better. Despite the flaws, I am satisfied with the story as a whole.
Despite what I say above, I do believe you should give it a chance. I am confident the author, Justin Lamar, threetails, will have a much better second book. And a third book. And a fourth. Basecraft Cirrostratus is a good first try, and it's clear the author is learning from it. I look forward to his next publication.
Out of Position
On the topic of first novels, when I read Kyell Gold's first novel Volle, I couldn't finsih it. I hit a part that was so very slow and never went back. It poisoned my opinion of the author. After reading Out of Position, I must say that my opinion has been cleansed and in tip top shape.
The book barely needs a review, because it is that good. I have my issues with it, but they're picking nits and not helpful in a review itself.
It's a story about a football player discovering he's gay, and all the trials and tribulations around that, as well as those with his partner. It's not so much a "coming of age" story as a "coming out and becoming an adult" story. For what it is, it's strong and hits hard and I can't approve enough.
pj wolf
~pyrostinger
I gotta pick me up some of these, then...
Wakboth
~wakboth
You're definitely living up to your plea for furry writers to give critiques and reviews of one another, I see!
threetails
~threetails
Only one thing, "Cirrostratus" wasn't my first book. "The Goldenlea" was, and I'm frankly considering a complete rewrite of "The Goldenlea" because it's not half as good.
Rechan
~rechan
OP
