4 member(s) found this review helpful.
I agree with the other reviewer on those particular points and add the following: Whatever theme the author was trying to put forward was lost to me. I found no characters that I could identify with nor a plot that was engaging enough to hold my attention. I read this book on several recommendations but found it difficult to enjoy. That said, its underlying theme of torture as a tool of the judiciary might make the book all the more topical in this day and age of Abu Ghraib and waterboarding.
Your mileage may vary, of course, and you might find it a better read (as did those who recommended the book to me), but I did not like it. I might give it another try now that I won't be surprised by the themes in the book.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
Slightly worn copy (my books are usually pristine, this looks like it's been read before) Really interesting concepts explored here, which is why I love sci-fi, it gives us the chance to explore what it is to be human at a remove, which makes it less frightening to go to the dark places. It's about power and torture, and following orders and being in command. Not an easy read but I liked it.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
A very interesting idea, but I could not get involved in the story... the writing was stilted and the plot was particularly slow-moving, presumably to introduce the characters, who were all fairly unlikeable, for the few chapters I read.