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Viravax #1
Viravax
At a private laboratory known as ViraVax that is run by the mysterious Children of Eden, former agent Rico Toledo uncovers a terrifying plot that has left his partner genetically programmed for assassination. Original.
320 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published September 1, 1993
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
June 15, 2014
Not a bad book overall, but it took a *long* while to get truly interesting. I was ready to write it off, but around chapter 20-21, it finally started to show some promise. At that point, I decided to finish the book, and to be honest, I'm glad I did. It turned out to be a lot more interesting than I'd possibly hoped at first. Glad to see it ramped up there. Overall, a good read, but extremely slow to get going. If you don't mind a slow start, or if you can struggle through the start, and well into the midpoint, you'll likely come away with a decent experience. However, if you're the type that hates build-up, or doesn't like to wait for half the book before things start to come to a head, then you'll want to give this one a pass.
November 7, 2018
Over all a win as far as how it is written and concept. It rushes at times and oversimplifies the science but the bones of it are good and the writing is good. I would recommend it to anyone who is interested in thinking about the darker side of genetic manipulations and crisper technology. Less Gattica where we end in a dystopia of our own making but more of potential pitfalls of nefarious people with private agendas and where that might take us. Interesting and thought provoking story.
June 23, 2015
Warning: Read this book first before going on to the sequel (Burn). The story actually gets a bit better in the sequel, as it's more fast-paced, but it will make no sense unless you first read this book.
Viravax is an interesting premise, but a largely unsatisfying book to the reader. It masquerades as a near-future techno-thriller, but has a plodding pace that cancels out virtually all of the thrills. The tension throughout the book is quite thick, but not enough on its own to salvage the novel. In the book, a religion (which seems to have some similarities to a few of the beliefs of Seventh Day Adventists) has become a world superpower through its business wealth and scientific research. They have a secretive lab in which they study tailor-made viruses, and they perhaps even have an agenda to take over the world...
One main issue I had with this book (and to a lesser extent, the sequel Burn), is that some action takes place offstage. Between chapters, the reader is jarred by the passage of an unknown period of time, during which certain events have occurred. And the reader has to discover what those events might have been through the drawn out pontifications of whichever character is featured in the current chapter.
And there are too many characters. Not too many for the storyline, and not too many for the reader to keep sorted out. But way too many when you have to get stuck in their head and listen to their thoughts, over and over as they mull things about. Not everybody thinks in linear fashions, either, so the narrative within a chapter jumps around as a character explores recent events (that you missed, so the action is told to you instead of being shown to you), and then his thoughts wander as he recalls earlier events that you didn't know about previously, either. It allows the author to build really well developed characters, but it also bores the reader to tears.
Give me a book that doesn't require me to spend chapters and chapters in the heads of multiple characters, and instead lets me watch the action, and I'm happier.
Choppy, disjointed, and ultimately largely boring, this book is a bit of clunker right up to the end, where the plot suddenly wraps up so neatly and so quickly that the reader is left frustrated.
The frustation is eased somewhat by the knowledge that there is a sequel, and thus the abrupt denouement of the 1st book is in fact a mere preparation for the real action that takes place afterwards.
And if you are curious about that, then you'll have to check out the sequel, Burn, which is a bit better, but completely uncomprehensible unless you read this book first.
Viravax is an interesting premise, but a largely unsatisfying book to the reader. It masquerades as a near-future techno-thriller, but has a plodding pace that cancels out virtually all of the thrills. The tension throughout the book is quite thick, but not enough on its own to salvage the novel. In the book, a religion (which seems to have some similarities to a few of the beliefs of Seventh Day Adventists) has become a world superpower through its business wealth and scientific research. They have a secretive lab in which they study tailor-made viruses, and they perhaps even have an agenda to take over the world...
One main issue I had with this book (and to a lesser extent, the sequel Burn), is that some action takes place offstage. Between chapters, the reader is jarred by the passage of an unknown period of time, during which certain events have occurred. And the reader has to discover what those events might have been through the drawn out pontifications of whichever character is featured in the current chapter.
And there are too many characters. Not too many for the storyline, and not too many for the reader to keep sorted out. But way too many when you have to get stuck in their head and listen to their thoughts, over and over as they mull things about. Not everybody thinks in linear fashions, either, so the narrative within a chapter jumps around as a character explores recent events (that you missed, so the action is told to you instead of being shown to you), and then his thoughts wander as he recalls earlier events that you didn't know about previously, either. It allows the author to build really well developed characters, but it also bores the reader to tears.
Give me a book that doesn't require me to spend chapters and chapters in the heads of multiple characters, and instead lets me watch the action, and I'm happier.
Choppy, disjointed, and ultimately largely boring, this book is a bit of clunker right up to the end, where the plot suddenly wraps up so neatly and so quickly that the reader is left frustrated.
The frustation is eased somewhat by the knowledge that there is a sequel, and thus the abrupt denouement of the 1st book is in fact a mere preparation for the real action that takes place afterwards.
And if you are curious about that, then you'll have to check out the sequel, Burn, which is a bit better, but completely uncomprehensible unless you read this book first.
July 20, 2016
This is basically decent SF read. I find it interesting how the ideas of the future at the time the book is written compare to reality. On the other hand, I found the writing style somewhat confusing and very annoying. On the other other hand, the end of this just... fizzled. Which is why I am only giving it three stars.
March 12, 2016
Some interesting ideas regarding genetic manipulation and religious fundamentalism. But since 3/4 of this book read like exposition, there is no real sense of development in the story. The Climax feels very rushed and the most intesting part is the prospect of things to come.
Standing for itself, Viravax is not very engaging.
Standing for itself, Viravax is not very engaging.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews