Reader’s Diary

Harry Bedwell

In railroad slang, a “boomer” is a railroad man who drifts from railroad to railroad.   The hero of this 1936 novel, Eddie Sand, is a boomer telegrapher.  He’s dedicated to what he calls the “careless road”, and values his freedom above all.   Like many a fictional cowboy hero, he shows up, does a job, solves a problem - often outwitting a boss in the process - and moves on.  Because of his competence he’s assured of another job down the line.  He might be tempted by a woman’s charms to settle down and become a “homeguard”, but he never succumbs.

“The Boomer” is a great period novel, full of the attitudes, technology, and lingo of early 20th century railroading.

David Weber

Another 800 pages of the “Honorverse“. Thanks to the cover art it wins the prize for “most embarrassing book for an adult male to be seen reading”. It has some good points: it’s much better than the last book in the series, it advances the story and characters, and there’s lots of space combat. However, Weber should toss out one half of his words and add some human interest and variety to the combat scenes.

During the last few books in the series I find myself rooting for the Havenite bad guys. At least they’re a republic, not a bunch of bowing and scraping monarchists like the protagonist nations. Sadly, Weber’s heroes always have a deus ex machina up their sleeves and I’m always disappointed.

The amount of time I’ve spent on this series, has made me resolve to read less genre series fiction. Or at least less genre series fiction that comes in 800-page chunks.

Steve Berry

Berry started out strong. In fact, I compared his first book to Ludlum’s early books. He then did the Dan Brown thing, writing three novels about “secrets” of the Catholic Church. Now he’s doing the James Bond movie bit with an over-the-top, all-action novel that completely abandons little things like pacing, motivation, coherence, and characterization. I can’t fault Berry for cranking his money machine again, but he’s shown that he’s capable of better work.

David Weber

Another “Honorverse” tome. I had to take three runs at this one and it’s only the hope that the following volumes in the series will be worth reading that made me slog through it. Are science fiction writers still paid by the word?

Bernard Cornwell

Uhtred the conflicted Anglo-Saxon returns in this, the latest in Cornwell’s Dark Ages series. The previous books in the series (”The Last Kingdom“, “The Pale Horseman“, and “Lords of the North“) were wonderful, vivid adventures. Sadly, this one is a letdown. It’s not bad, but the events in this volume don’t move the story forward much and I was left wondering whether Cornwell cranked it out to pay for some home remodeling or something. Worse, parts of it reads almost as a parody of Cornwell’s style. Cornwell has always been a reliable author and I hope he recovers his form for his next book.

S. Thomas Russell

I can’t get enough of “fighting sail” stories. “Under Enemy Colors” is a promising start to a new series in the genre. It features Royal Navy lieutenant Charles Hayden, whose half French, half English ancestry is a source of ongoing tension. It also features a dictatorial captain, a mutiny, a court martial, and non-stop action. It’s a hefty and satisfying historical novel.