The Book Shelf: The Broken Cycle by A. Bertram Chandler

The Broken Cycle is part of the John Grimes adventure line of novels from A. Bertram Chandler and it's the first of that series that I have ever had the opportunity to read. Chandler has an easy to read style that makes the book feel more like watching your favorite TV show than working your way through some dense volume of immense and importance. As a result it's a lot of fun to read.

At times the story moves at a breathtaking pace with Grimes and Una Freeman, his only companion throughout much of the novel, desperately trying to find their way home after being hurtled through space and time. The aliens they meet along the way are interesting, and while not as terrifying as the plasmoids in Spider Robinson's Telempath, they nonetheless get the job done. On the whole this aspect of the novel has made me glad that I picked up several other John Grimes novels when I was at the used book sale because the character has a lot of potential and Chandler's writing is quite enjoyable.

That isn't to say that the novel doesn't have its issues. The character of Una Freeman is an unsympathetic mess who I often found myself wishing had died along the way. In a lot of ways it seems that she is a caricature of the modern woman (of the late 70s fashion). By turns she is independent and strong, then she turns caustic, then she turns into this sexually liberated individually who gleefully jumps into Grimes' bed even though she doesn't actually care much for him as a person. Without question she was the most difficult part of the story as she often bounced from one personality to the next with little connection to the events surrounding them.

Still, the novel was an enjoyable read and I look forward to reading more from the Grimes series in the future. If you have the chance to pick this one up for a good price then I highly recommend it.

The Book Shelf: Doc Savage, The Man of Bronze by Kenneth Robeson

I started reading Doc Savage novels four years ago and since I first picked one up I've been on the hunt for a copy of the The Man of Bronze. So many of the later tales are based on the set up from this initial story that I felt like it was a must have in order to fully understand the series.  In some ways I was right. 

The novel sets up the foundation for how Savage is able to sustain his heroic efforts and establishes his connections with the Maya. It also provides a standard for all future efforts in the series to be measured against as Savage's talents are pushed to their limits throughout the story.  This tale also begins one of my favorite traditions in the Savage line: future technology actualized. 

On the whole the novel shows the early growing pains of a character that has been freshly launched and that is still fully developing. The quick writing and energetic actions scenes make up for those little hiccups that come along with early tales of any heroic figure. We're also shown what would become a regular feature of the line when Doc Savage acts as the Deus Ex Machina repeatedly throughout the story. 

Still it's a good tale and an excellent introduction to a cast of characters that would set the tone for an entire generation of authors. 

Four Rocking Chicks out of Five