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Hellhole Trilogy #1
Hellhole
Only the most desperate of Constellation colonists would ever dare to make a new home on Hellhole, a planet ravaged by natural disasters. But its location out on the wild frontiers of the Constellation, among the Deep Zone worlds, makes it the final refuge for those fleeing from the rule of Diadem Michella Duchenet.
532 pages, Hardcover
First published March 15, 2011
116 people are currently reading
1725 people want to read
About the author
Kevin J. Anderson
1,037 books3,102 followersYes, I have a lot of books, and if this is your first visit to my amazon author page, it can be a little overwhelming. If you are new to my work, let me recommend a few titles as good places to start. I love my Dan Shamble, Zombie P.I. series, humorous horror/mysteries, which begin with DEATH WARMED OVER. My steampunk fantasy adventures, CLOCKWORK ANGELS and CLOCKWORK LIVES, written with Neil Peart, legendary drummer from Rush, are two of my very favorite novels ever. And my magnum opus, the science fiction epic The Saga of Seven Suns, begins with HIDDEN EMPIRE. After you've tried those, I hope you'll check out some of my other series.
I have written spin-off novels for Star Wars, StarCraft, Titan A.E., and The X-Files, and I'm the co-author of the Dune prequels. My original works include the Saga of Seven Suns series and the Nebula Award-nominated Assemblers of Infinity. I have also written several comic books including the Dark Horse Star Wars collection Tales of the Jedi written in collaboration with Tom Veitch, Predator titles (also for Dark Horse), and X-Files titles for Topps.
I serve as a judge in the Writers of the Future contest.
My wife is author Rebecca Moesta. We currently reside near Monument, Colorado.
I have written spin-off novels for Star Wars, StarCraft, Titan A.E., and The X-Files, and I'm the co-author of the Dune prequels. My original works include the Saga of Seven Suns series and the Nebula Award-nominated Assemblers of Infinity. I have also written several comic books including the Dark Horse Star Wars collection Tales of the Jedi written in collaboration with Tom Veitch, Predator titles (also for Dark Horse), and X-Files titles for Topps.
I serve as a judge in the Writers of the Future contest.
My wife is author Rebecca Moesta. We currently reside near Monument, Colorado.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 284 reviews
July 13, 2023
I once saw Darth Vader standing next to this author. Darth (if I may call him that) was holding a sign that begged, “Please don't send me to Hellhole." Well, don't send me either.
I don’t give one-star ratings lightly. I like to believe that every book has at least one redeeming quality. Yeah, Hellhole doesn't. And I was caught off guard by this. I read Dune and the sequel, Dune Messiah a couple years ago, and I remember being impressed. I expected anybody allowed to follow Frank Herbert would be a talented writer. Indeed, my father has enjoyed subsequent books in the Dune universe written by Kevin Anderson and Brian Herbert. Where did this book go wrong? Answer: at every possible turn.
The book is marketed as part one of an epic space opera. The plot is, in fact, grand with several parallel storylines. But there are lazy holes in the timeline. And I would have appreciated fewer changes in perspective. The writing is mediocre and lacks subtlety. As you would expect, there is a huge cast of characters. Although Kevin and Brian devote the time to flush out everyone’s back story, they remain two-dimensional. Within a page or two of meeting each character, you can assign them to the good or evil camp and trust they’ll stay put. (To anyone who cries you shouldn’t expect well-rounded characters in science fiction, I would point to Hyperion.)
There are also sections where I rolled my eyes at how ridiculous the plot had become. One character learns his family was slighted seven hundred years ago and goes on a killing spree of the perpetrators' descendants. Then, most surprising to me overall is the lack of creativity. For a civilization advanced enough to travel between planets, I didn’t see evidence of any other major technological breakthroughs.
I don’t give one-star ratings lightly. I like to believe that every book has at least one redeeming quality. Yeah, Hellhole doesn't. And I was caught off guard by this. I read Dune and the sequel, Dune Messiah a couple years ago, and I remember being impressed. I expected anybody allowed to follow Frank Herbert would be a talented writer. Indeed, my father has enjoyed subsequent books in the Dune universe written by Kevin Anderson and Brian Herbert. Where did this book go wrong? Answer: at every possible turn.
The book is marketed as part one of an epic space opera. The plot is, in fact, grand with several parallel storylines. But there are lazy holes in the timeline. And I would have appreciated fewer changes in perspective. The writing is mediocre and lacks subtlety. As you would expect, there is a huge cast of characters. Although Kevin and Brian devote the time to flush out everyone’s back story, they remain two-dimensional. Within a page or two of meeting each character, you can assign them to the good or evil camp and trust they’ll stay put. (To anyone who cries you shouldn’t expect well-rounded characters in science fiction, I would point to Hyperion.)
There are also sections where I rolled my eyes at how ridiculous the plot had become. One character learns his family was slighted seven hundred years ago and goes on a killing spree of the perpetrators' descendants. Then, most surprising to me overall is the lack of creativity. For a civilization advanced enough to travel between planets, I didn’t see evidence of any other major technological breakthroughs.
March 19, 2019
I've sort of fallen behind on my "reviewing" of late.
Not that anyone has been exactly shattered by that.
This is a pretty good book. I think the synopsis is a bit misleading. It says that it's a book about survival on a tremendously inhospitable planet where the General and his most loyal followers are exiled. That there they uncover a "cache of alien artifacts".
The story opens with the set up and the exile and then jumps forward 10 years into the future and what they uncover isn't exactly a cache of alien artifacts.
I'd describe the book as more a galactic "Game of Thrones" (though plotted and constructed better and more precisely). The Empire is crushing the "rest of the planets", the more outlying and "unfriendly" worlds. There is a lot of political maneuvering, back stabbing, revenge(ing) (in one case being served very, very, very cold).
And of course other things I won't mention as...that would be telling. We don't really need spoilers to review this one.
The book is interesting and while I find it waned a little as it went on over all it's "a good yarn". I think you're going to find some "well trod" ground if you've read much science fiction (or watched much science fiction TV over the years) but it's still well done with good characters. One problem seems to me to be the same I've seen other books fall into and that's the "skipping points of view". We're trying to cover several interlocking political stories along with some personal ones thrown in for spice and another that's not so easily tagged.
So...I can only go 3 stars for now, but I'd say a high 3 and I can recommend you try it. I've sent for the next from the library.
Not that anyone has been exactly shattered by that.
This is a pretty good book. I think the synopsis is a bit misleading. It says that it's a book about survival on a tremendously inhospitable planet where the General and his most loyal followers are exiled. That there they uncover a "cache of alien artifacts".
The story opens with the set up and the exile and then jumps forward 10 years into the future and what they uncover isn't exactly a cache of alien artifacts.
I'd describe the book as more a galactic "Game of Thrones" (though plotted and constructed better and more precisely). The Empire is crushing the "rest of the planets", the more outlying and "unfriendly" worlds. There is a lot of political maneuvering, back stabbing, revenge(ing) (in one case being served very, very, very cold).
And of course other things I won't mention as...that would be telling. We don't really need spoilers to review this one.
The book is interesting and while I find it waned a little as it went on over all it's "a good yarn". I think you're going to find some "well trod" ground if you've read much science fiction (or watched much science fiction TV over the years) but it's still well done with good characters. One problem seems to me to be the same I've seen other books fall into and that's the "skipping points of view". We're trying to cover several interlocking political stories along with some personal ones thrown in for spice and another that's not so easily tagged.
So...I can only go 3 stars for now, but I'd say a high 3 and I can recommend you try it. I've sent for the next from the library.
April 9, 2011
This is an audacious and arrogant attempt to write
AN ALL NEW EPIC!
To do this the authors pull from many of the pivotal science fiction and science fantasy universes in an effort to create a grand new adventure.
By pull from I mean rob at gunpoint, by effort I mean copy and paste, and by adventure I mean sodomized by highwaymen who just robbed you and stole your own work with the kind of plagiarism that only the cleverest of college freshmen try to pull.
Lets see. Star Wars? Check. X-files? Check. Oh, and lets not forget the sobbing, torn and impregnated victim that gave birth to the text: Dune.
At least, with Dune, they are robbing from their own hacked Dune works. So you can add incest to the charge. The names have been changed to protect the franchise.
PLOT: Prologue: Tiber Adolphus successfully revolts against the evil corrupt star-empire. Yeah, that's right: HE WON. Then, so we can have an actual trilogy, he surrenders to avoid causing civilian deaths. That's funny, because the rebellion started with one of his officers barging into his former family home and murdering every usurping SOB that was in the building. Now some readers might be saying no, he lost the opening battle because he froze. He lost because he was and is completely incompetent at military leadership. He had control over the stringline hub: which is the keystone to the entire Constellation Empire.
Comparison: In Dune, Muad'Dib places the water of death over a spice blow, and tells the guild if they don't support him he will destroy all spice production: They buckle. Tiber has control over the stringline hub, a fleet that outmatches his enemies, and the moral high ground: He surrenders, sacrificing all he fought for to keep his "image" intact. He doesn't even try to retreat or disable the enemy ships, He surrenders. In the same prologue the courts drum up 200 charges against him and that same "image", and he willingly pleads guilty to all of the charges.
It also makes space combat completely ridiculous: If Tiber is so uptight about causing civilian deaths, and his enemies know this, then he is effectively beaten. Any commander with a lick of strategy and no scruples (hey, this is KJA, so none of the villains will have scruples anyway) can lock some civilians in his brig and Tiber cannot fire on them without betraying everything he claims to stand for.
Oh, okay there was one villain who claimed he made the whole 'human shields' strategy up, but he's not trustworthy: he's semi-senile in one sense and tells the story twice in vastly different ways, both of which differ from the prologue we read.
The book betrays that the authors do not think about setting at all when they are writing. I call this the CGI green-screen effect, as if the book were written on a sound stage, and the reader has to imagine the backdrop for themselves, because what goes on in the background never effects what happens on the stage. Ever. Not once. It can effect a scene change, or represent 'drama and tension' but 1 person in the book dies to a natural disaster 'on screen'.
The text is so insensitive to anything that isn't mainstream that it almost feels deliberate. Religions other than the primary alien religion are mocked as silly or arrogant. The authors introduce a happy gay couple only to blatantly murder one of them in the same 5 page chapter. Worse, the method in which he died was something that multiple other characters experience safely: immersion in the slickwater pool. (no relation at all to X-files Black Oil...Black Oil was evil! Slickwater is good!)
Hey wait, weren't you talking about the Plot? Yeah, what plot? Bad guys are bad. Good guys are good, but in kind of a sticky situation, which they will get out of. Sorry, did I ruin the trilogy for you? Look at the cover of the book...looks scary! Read the book...Storms? What storms?
But seriously, look at the cover. Looks like an impressive hellscape, a place where humanity would have to struggle to survive. Yet there is no struggle to be seen, never a mention of "I'm sorry captain, we can't do that, we just don't have the resources" in fact quite the opposite: Tiber manages to build an interstellar stringline hub connecting 54 planets. Yeah, rustic...
KEY POINTS TO READING HELLHOLE: Ask yourselves these questions before you read the text:
1 Should the setting actually have an influence on the characters and plot: (Should the text deal with resources, when its suggested that resources are very scarce? Should the storms be more than a dramatic backdrop?)
2 If the book claims to be science fiction, should it not remain consistent with generally held scientific theory? If it decides to break with that, shouldn't it explain why? (One of the authors has a BA in Physics.)
3 Should characters need more motivation for what they do other than which side of the good/evil scale they fall on?
4 Should the text be internally consistent?
If you answered no to any of those questions add one star for each no. That's the grade you will most likely give this book.
I cannot understand the target audience for this book. It boggles my mind that people can consider this good science fiction. Entertaining? Sure, some people can ignore glaringly obvious plot holes and 1 dimensional characters, but that is Hollywood's job, not the job of a whining and fumbling 'writer' who can't believe he hasn't won a Hugo yet.
That being said I derived quite a bit of entertainment from the book, but not from the enjoyment intended by the author(s). I took rather sick pleasure in tearing the text apart line by line for its pathetic mediocrity:
-Storms that tear up the landscape and scorch the earth, yet the colony has thriving farms and livestock industries, including the infamous vineyards.
-A method of space travel that is physically impossible and scientifically unsound and completely impractical, which was meant to make an allusion to the expansion of railroads, an allusion which is never expanded upon in the actual text.
-Politics and intrigue which are neither political or intriguing.
-A sick sense of viciousness from an author playing god with his characters, striking them down or rewarding them on a whim.
Short review? The book is bad.
Long review: The book was a waste of the author's time. This project has less value than a B movie sent directly to DVD. I have no idea what possessed TOR to grant a 'good six figure' advance for this title as sales and quality have already shown it to be forgotten by the reading public, within a month of publication. The good news is that within six months anyone daring to try the book will have no trouble finding a Hardcover bargain copy for cheaper than the paperback.
But don't worry, an attempt to make the book more palatable is underway:
LOGIC AND BREAD, The Smellhole Chronicles
[image error]
AN ALL NEW EPIC!
To do this the authors pull from many of the pivotal science fiction and science fantasy universes in an effort to create a grand new adventure.
By pull from I mean rob at gunpoint, by effort I mean copy and paste, and by adventure I mean sodomized by highwaymen who just robbed you and stole your own work with the kind of plagiarism that only the cleverest of college freshmen try to pull.
Lets see. Star Wars? Check. X-files? Check. Oh, and lets not forget the sobbing, torn and impregnated victim that gave birth to the text: Dune.
At least, with Dune, they are robbing from their own hacked Dune works. So you can add incest to the charge. The names have been changed to protect the franchise.
PLOT: Prologue: Tiber Adolphus successfully revolts against the evil corrupt star-empire. Yeah, that's right: HE WON. Then, so we can have an actual trilogy, he surrenders to avoid causing civilian deaths. That's funny, because the rebellion started with one of his officers barging into his former family home and murdering every usurping SOB that was in the building. Now some readers might be saying no, he lost the opening battle because he froze. He lost because he was and is completely incompetent at military leadership. He had control over the stringline hub: which is the keystone to the entire Constellation Empire.
Comparison: In Dune, Muad'Dib places the water of death over a spice blow, and tells the guild if they don't support him he will destroy all spice production: They buckle. Tiber has control over the stringline hub, a fleet that outmatches his enemies, and the moral high ground: He surrenders, sacrificing all he fought for to keep his "image" intact. He doesn't even try to retreat or disable the enemy ships, He surrenders. In the same prologue the courts drum up 200 charges against him and that same "image", and he willingly pleads guilty to all of the charges.
It also makes space combat completely ridiculous: If Tiber is so uptight about causing civilian deaths, and his enemies know this, then he is effectively beaten. Any commander with a lick of strategy and no scruples (hey, this is KJA, so none of the villains will have scruples anyway) can lock some civilians in his brig and Tiber cannot fire on them without betraying everything he claims to stand for.
Oh, okay there was one villain who claimed he made the whole 'human shields' strategy up, but he's not trustworthy: he's semi-senile in one sense and tells the story twice in vastly different ways, both of which differ from the prologue we read.
The book betrays that the authors do not think about setting at all when they are writing. I call this the CGI green-screen effect, as if the book were written on a sound stage, and the reader has to imagine the backdrop for themselves, because what goes on in the background never effects what happens on the stage. Ever. Not once. It can effect a scene change, or represent 'drama and tension' but 1 person in the book dies to a natural disaster 'on screen'.
The text is so insensitive to anything that isn't mainstream that it almost feels deliberate. Religions other than the primary alien religion are mocked as silly or arrogant. The authors introduce a happy gay couple only to blatantly murder one of them in the same 5 page chapter. Worse, the method in which he died was something that multiple other characters experience safely: immersion in the slickwater pool. (no relation at all to X-files Black Oil...Black Oil was evil! Slickwater is good!)
Hey wait, weren't you talking about the Plot? Yeah, what plot? Bad guys are bad. Good guys are good, but in kind of a sticky situation, which they will get out of. Sorry, did I ruin the trilogy for you? Look at the cover of the book...looks scary! Read the book...Storms? What storms?
But seriously, look at the cover. Looks like an impressive hellscape, a place where humanity would have to struggle to survive. Yet there is no struggle to be seen, never a mention of "I'm sorry captain, we can't do that, we just don't have the resources" in fact quite the opposite: Tiber manages to build an interstellar stringline hub connecting 54 planets. Yeah, rustic...
KEY POINTS TO READING HELLHOLE: Ask yourselves these questions before you read the text:
1 Should the setting actually have an influence on the characters and plot: (Should the text deal with resources, when its suggested that resources are very scarce? Should the storms be more than a dramatic backdrop?)
2 If the book claims to be science fiction, should it not remain consistent with generally held scientific theory? If it decides to break with that, shouldn't it explain why? (One of the authors has a BA in Physics.)
3 Should characters need more motivation for what they do other than which side of the good/evil scale they fall on?
4 Should the text be internally consistent?
If you answered no to any of those questions add one star for each no. That's the grade you will most likely give this book.
I cannot understand the target audience for this book. It boggles my mind that people can consider this good science fiction. Entertaining? Sure, some people can ignore glaringly obvious plot holes and 1 dimensional characters, but that is Hollywood's job, not the job of a whining and fumbling 'writer' who can't believe he hasn't won a Hugo yet.
That being said I derived quite a bit of entertainment from the book, but not from the enjoyment intended by the author(s). I took rather sick pleasure in tearing the text apart line by line for its pathetic mediocrity:
-Storms that tear up the landscape and scorch the earth, yet the colony has thriving farms and livestock industries, including the infamous vineyards.
-A method of space travel that is physically impossible and scientifically unsound and completely impractical, which was meant to make an allusion to the expansion of railroads, an allusion which is never expanded upon in the actual text.
-Politics and intrigue which are neither political or intriguing.
-A sick sense of viciousness from an author playing god with his characters, striking them down or rewarding them on a whim.
Short review? The book is bad.
Long review: The book was a waste of the author's time. This project has less value than a B movie sent directly to DVD. I have no idea what possessed TOR to grant a 'good six figure' advance for this title as sales and quality have already shown it to be forgotten by the reading public, within a month of publication. The good news is that within six months anyone daring to try the book will have no trouble finding a Hardcover bargain copy for cheaper than the paperback.
But don't worry, an attempt to make the book more palatable is underway:
LOGIC AND BREAD, The Smellhole Chronicles
[image error]
December 17, 2020
4.5 Stars for Hellhole: Hell Hole Trilogy, Book 1 by Brian Herbert read by Scott Brick. This was a great start for a new epic story. Scott Brick’s narration was great.
May 1, 2023
Nice SiFi book. I am reminded of Herbert's father's universe of Dune in the star spanning political empire and all it's intrigues. Good Read. Recommended
March 9, 2018
Hellhole is ok. Short punchy chapters propel the story at a good pace but like a direct to video film the action just never happens.
September 13, 2012
This book was difficult to read because it was just so boring to read. There are no direct confrontations, except in the prologue and even in that the confrontation isn't that flash. None of the antagonists face each other directly and while I can understand that this is the first novel in a trilogy there is nothing compelling enough to pull readers through to the second or third novel.
There are several problems with the novel, which I'll go through below...
The planet was a hellhole? Really? It just didn't come across that way in the text. A couple of "killer" storms blew through doing absolutely no damage and even when they were inbound, there wasn't any sense of danger to the main characters or to anyone. The planet's ecosystem is supposed to be resilient and resist foreign plants, etc. but there is no follow through on this. No one ever mentions how hungry they are or wonders where their next meal is going to come from. General Adolphus (a horrible name for a protagonist) and his merry men may as well have been exiled to Planet Bland.
Characters were weakly drawn clones of each other. One character, Antonia Anqui arrives on the planet fleeing from an abusive relationship using an alias and her new "boyfriend's" mother doesn't question her past or where she is from. In fact, the galaxy's worst criminals are supposed to be sent to the planet as punishment but none of the characters on the planet come across as being a hardened criminal and no one is worried about their safety or concerned about the nature of their neighbours. "There are just so many gosh-darn good people here". Again, Planet Bland.
I honestly couldn't have cared less about any of the characters and if the Diadem (head baddy) were to have thrown any of them into a blender I wouldn't have been worried, there was another clone on the next page.
The writing was horrible and felt amateurish with many things told and not shown and didn't engage me at all. I carried on reading just because I wanted to finish the novel and not because I cared about what was going to happen.
Then there are the plotholes. One guy dies after he falls into the Slickwaer Lake and yet no one else who jumped in suffered the same fate, they were all allowed to get out and are levitated out by the powerful aliens in the soup. As to the Slickwater... where is Agent Mulder when you need him? Again, with a planet filled with murderers and rapists (other than just the rebels exiled to Planet Bland) one would think the general populace would be a little more concerned with their safety and yet NO ONE is paranoid that the aliens might be lying to them about the motives. Really fast travel between planets requires stringliner terminals in the planet orbits. Adolphus has someone connect a new stringline to another planet toward the end of the novel to Hellhole (these stringlines are only allowed to come from Coruscant, I mean Sonjeera) and the opposition (the baddies) deliver a shipment of military ships to the planet after the terminal has been installed and the military commander doesn't wonder "Gee, I wonder where that other terminal comes from?"
Loved ones die and people get raped (not that you're made to care for anyone) but the only follow through is "oh well, shit happens" and they move on. The rape victim throws herself into the slickwater, gets possessed and comes out five minutes after the rape just fine.
A person is murdered and there's whole speech about how Adolphus must be better than the corrupt Diadem and that there needs to be a proper investigation... an investigation which lasted a whole 50 words more with the perpetrator not being worried at all that the ruling might not go his way. Hell, I suppose he is on Hellhole, where else can they send him?
None of the characters act like real people and can forgive some things in a blink. Oh I think you manipulated my dad into killing himself and ruining my family but hey you threw yourself into the slickwater so you must feel really bad about it. Let me come back and read all of your love letters and forgive you. Completely unrealistic.
I used to really enjoy Kevin J Anderson but it seems as though his writing has only gone one way. I won't be back. Hellhole, Hellhole 2 and Hellhole 3 can go to hell.
There are several problems with the novel, which I'll go through below...
The planet was a hellhole? Really? It just didn't come across that way in the text. A couple of "killer" storms blew through doing absolutely no damage and even when they were inbound, there wasn't any sense of danger to the main characters or to anyone. The planet's ecosystem is supposed to be resilient and resist foreign plants, etc. but there is no follow through on this. No one ever mentions how hungry they are or wonders where their next meal is going to come from. General Adolphus (a horrible name for a protagonist) and his merry men may as well have been exiled to Planet Bland.
Characters were weakly drawn clones of each other. One character, Antonia Anqui arrives on the planet fleeing from an abusive relationship using an alias and her new "boyfriend's" mother doesn't question her past or where she is from. In fact, the galaxy's worst criminals are supposed to be sent to the planet as punishment but none of the characters on the planet come across as being a hardened criminal and no one is worried about their safety or concerned about the nature of their neighbours. "There are just so many gosh-darn good people here". Again, Planet Bland.
I honestly couldn't have cared less about any of the characters and if the Diadem (head baddy) were to have thrown any of them into a blender I wouldn't have been worried, there was another clone on the next page.
The writing was horrible and felt amateurish with many things told and not shown and didn't engage me at all. I carried on reading just because I wanted to finish the novel and not because I cared about what was going to happen.
Then there are the plotholes. One guy dies after he falls into the Slickwaer Lake and yet no one else who jumped in suffered the same fate, they were all allowed to get out and are levitated out by the powerful aliens in the soup. As to the Slickwater... where is Agent Mulder when you need him? Again, with a planet filled with murderers and rapists (other than just the rebels exiled to Planet Bland) one would think the general populace would be a little more concerned with their safety and yet NO ONE is paranoid that the aliens might be lying to them about the motives. Really fast travel between planets requires stringliner terminals in the planet orbits. Adolphus has someone connect a new stringline to another planet toward the end of the novel to Hellhole (these stringlines are only allowed to come from Coruscant, I mean Sonjeera) and the opposition (the baddies) deliver a shipment of military ships to the planet after the terminal has been installed and the military commander doesn't wonder "Gee, I wonder where that other terminal comes from?"
Loved ones die and people get raped (not that you're made to care for anyone) but the only follow through is "oh well, shit happens" and they move on. The rape victim throws herself into the slickwater, gets possessed and comes out five minutes after the rape just fine.
A person is murdered and there's whole speech about how Adolphus must be better than the corrupt Diadem and that there needs to be a proper investigation... an investigation which lasted a whole 50 words more with the perpetrator not being worried at all that the ruling might not go his way. Hell, I suppose he is on Hellhole, where else can they send him?
None of the characters act like real people and can forgive some things in a blink. Oh I think you manipulated my dad into killing himself and ruining my family but hey you threw yourself into the slickwater so you must feel really bad about it. Let me come back and read all of your love letters and forgive you. Completely unrealistic.
I used to really enjoy Kevin J Anderson but it seems as though his writing has only gone one way. I won't be back. Hellhole, Hellhole 2 and Hellhole 3 can go to hell.
July 23, 2014
The blurb above is somewhat misleading since the novel is classic space opera in the style of KJA' Seven Suns and follows the absolute same narrative structure with various pov's (good, bad, unclear which, but mostly good/bad) in various threads, in various locations throughout the settled universe - here there are 20 core-worlds exploiting 54 colony worlds of which the so called Hellhole is just one though it is quickly clear it will be the most important - threads that intertwine, separate...
As in Seven suns and especially in the Terra Incognita series, important characters can die at any time so do not get overtly fond of anyone
The writing style is the clear one familiar from the above and the book is a fun adventure you do not want to put down, a bit on the pulpy/campy side and predictable in large measure, but entertaining
As a series debut it ends on the typical KJA' semi-cliffhanger familiar from the series above and I definitely plan to read the next as soon as I get it, though my hope is the authors will keep the series manageable for its depth - currently I would say 3-4 novels, but of course if the universe expands considerably, could be more - since that was the one thing i disliked about Seven Suns
I am not familiar - no interest in the slightest - with the Dune or SW book so i cannot comment on how the co-authorship works there, but here the narrative is smooth and as mentioned very typical of KJA's original standalone series
As in Seven suns and especially in the Terra Incognita series, important characters can die at any time so do not get overtly fond of anyone
The writing style is the clear one familiar from the above and the book is a fun adventure you do not want to put down, a bit on the pulpy/campy side and predictable in large measure, but entertaining
As a series debut it ends on the typical KJA' semi-cliffhanger familiar from the series above and I definitely plan to read the next as soon as I get it, though my hope is the authors will keep the series manageable for its depth - currently I would say 3-4 novels, but of course if the universe expands considerably, could be more - since that was the one thing i disliked about Seven Suns
I am not familiar - no interest in the slightest - with the Dune or SW book so i cannot comment on how the co-authorship works there, but here the narrative is smooth and as mentioned very typical of KJA's original standalone series
February 5, 2019
General Adolphus looses his bid for independence and is exiled to a planet ravaged by an asteroid collision. Here he is expected to perish with no supplies and no resources. Instead he makes the planet into a place where others with no hope in the civilized world, a place they can go to and make a new life in the Deep Zone.
Through an accident, a colonist falls into a pool of shimmering water. But it is not just water and he comes out a changed man.
Adolphus plans to break away from the ruling tyrannical woman that runs the civilized worlds and become independent. Will he succeed and what does this have to do with shimmering water?
I found this a very enjoyable book with lots of world building and interesting characters and have gotten the second in the series already.
Through an accident, a colonist falls into a pool of shimmering water. But it is not just water and he comes out a changed man.
Adolphus plans to break away from the ruling tyrannical woman that runs the civilized worlds and become independent. Will he succeed and what does this have to do with shimmering water?
I found this a very enjoyable book with lots of world building and interesting characters and have gotten the second in the series already.
October 8, 2012
Dear Brian Herbert,
I am writing to inform you that your writing sucks. As in the real world, characters should not be written as purely evil or saccharin-sweetly scrupulous. In the real world, we have shades of grey. Not only are characters written this way more true to life, but they are a hell of a lot more entertaining to read about. The characters in the book were so far from three-dimensional that I want to call them one-dimensional, although thinking about that makes my head hurt. Instead, I will say that the humans were not at all believable as humans and (believe it or not) the aliens were not believable as aliens. I know this sounds strange since authors usually get a free pass on their aliens since they come right out of their imagination, but these Zions really left me wanting more. What more, you might ask? How about some actual believable dialog and behavior? I expect such things from brand new authors or high school students, but certainly not established authors.
The only thing even closely resembling a redeeming quality of this book was the plot itself (of course overlooking the extremely poor writing). Simply put, the story wasn't bad. I spent the whole time reading it imagining how much better I could have done given the same basic story, which did take away from it a bit. The ending (which is always an issue with books in a series) and extremely unfulfilling and made me sorry I stuck around that long.
Since this is a sci-fi novel, I will give you a free pass on many of the inaccuracies within. I cannot, however, let this one go without comment: there is no mention of the theory of relativity's time dilation (which is proven science fact) when the "FTL" ships are moving faster than light. I realize it may have thrown a wrench into your otherwise superb novel (ahem) but a true fan of this genre would have included it.
All in all, I found this book very hard to read and almost put it down numerous times. I really regretted reading it and will not be reading the next.
Sincerely,
Dissatisfied Reader
I am writing to inform you that your writing sucks. As in the real world, characters should not be written as purely evil or saccharin-sweetly scrupulous. In the real world, we have shades of grey. Not only are characters written this way more true to life, but they are a hell of a lot more entertaining to read about. The characters in the book were so far from three-dimensional that I want to call them one-dimensional, although thinking about that makes my head hurt. Instead, I will say that the humans were not at all believable as humans and (believe it or not) the aliens were not believable as aliens. I know this sounds strange since authors usually get a free pass on their aliens since they come right out of their imagination, but these Zions really left me wanting more. What more, you might ask? How about some actual believable dialog and behavior? I expect such things from brand new authors or high school students, but certainly not established authors.
The only thing even closely resembling a redeeming quality of this book was the plot itself (of course overlooking the extremely poor writing). Simply put, the story wasn't bad. I spent the whole time reading it imagining how much better I could have done given the same basic story, which did take away from it a bit. The ending (which is always an issue with books in a series) and extremely unfulfilling and made me sorry I stuck around that long.
Since this is a sci-fi novel, I will give you a free pass on many of the inaccuracies within. I cannot, however, let this one go without comment: there is no mention of the theory of relativity's time dilation (which is proven science fact) when the "FTL" ships are moving faster than light. I realize it may have thrown a wrench into your otherwise superb novel (ahem) but a true fan of this genre would have included it.
All in all, I found this book very hard to read and almost put it down numerous times. I really regretted reading it and will not be reading the next.
Sincerely,
Dissatisfied Reader
March 15, 2011
Plot holes are like pot holes some time you go over them and sometimes they swallow you whole. To me they were big ones.
The first is the planet hellhole itself. While it is meant as a penal colony and as harsh place to live. The progression from that to the transport hub and not to bad a place to live within ten years on a population of 100,000 and ten years. Certainly there explanations and descriptions to flesh out and explain this miracle but it was all just too good to be true.
The second was the layout of the interstellar transport network. While it is a clever idea some more work on the background could have sorted out the kinks. As probably the largest engineering project in human history bad guys use its cost as an excuse for high tribute payments yet the good guys build one out of bits that fell off the back of a truck. The gap between cost of the two projects is excessive and while bad guys greed is meant to fill in the difference instead it rings hollow.
While the idea of secret mine full of pixie dust works. The idea of the pixie dust being found, the mine being developed and finished product being used all within ten years and in secret. No its just too easy.
Finally the bad guys. Now they are meant to be dumb otherwise how can good guys beat them. But ten years after a major rebellion it comes bigger and better than ever and nobody is any the wiser. I suppose it has to happen when the empress of the known universe( 76 planets ) has a dirty tricks department of two people.
Look I know I am being pedantic and I accept that suspension of disbelief is an essential element of any good fiction but these were just two big to ignore and ruined the story for me.
The first is the planet hellhole itself. While it is meant as a penal colony and as harsh place to live. The progression from that to the transport hub and not to bad a place to live within ten years on a population of 100,000 and ten years. Certainly there explanations and descriptions to flesh out and explain this miracle but it was all just too good to be true.
The second was the layout of the interstellar transport network. While it is a clever idea some more work on the background could have sorted out the kinks. As probably the largest engineering project in human history bad guys use its cost as an excuse for high tribute payments yet the good guys build one out of bits that fell off the back of a truck. The gap between cost of the two projects is excessive and while bad guys greed is meant to fill in the difference instead it rings hollow.
While the idea of secret mine full of pixie dust works. The idea of the pixie dust being found, the mine being developed and finished product being used all within ten years and in secret. No its just too easy.
Finally the bad guys. Now they are meant to be dumb otherwise how can good guys beat them. But ten years after a major rebellion it comes bigger and better than ever and nobody is any the wiser. I suppose it has to happen when the empress of the known universe( 76 planets ) has a dirty tricks department of two people.
Look I know I am being pedantic and I accept that suspension of disbelief is an essential element of any good fiction but these were just two big to ignore and ruined the story for me.
April 19, 2011
I just finished reading this book, and I have to say wow. I was immediately hooked after the preface, where we immediately jump into the back story of a brilliantly written General on the day of biggest defeat. From there, we jump into a well thought out plot that has surprises that are that very rare thing, a surprise. I usually find myself knowing the outcome of a book about midway through, yet with this novel, I found myself pleasantly, and unpleasantly, surprised by the events of each character. I don't have any words of higher praise to an entertainer than to say that I was entertained. I was entertained.
September 16, 2025
Hellhole by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson is the opening novel of a space opera trilogy that blends frontier survival, political intrigue, and buried alien mysteries. The story follows General Tiber Adolphus, an exiled rebel who’s banished to the violent wasteland of Hellhole, a planet filled with storms, eruptions, and endless dangers. What begins as a punishment becomes an opportunity, as Adolphus and his fellow outcasts struggle to survive while secretly plotting to challenge the corrupt galactic empire that cast them aside. Beneath the planet’s hostile surface, however, lies a forgotten alien legacy that could upend everything.
The book thrives on its large scale and world-building. Hellhole itself is a vivid, dangerous setting, and the Constellation’s politics provide plenty of intrigue and conflict. The plot is ambitious, weaving rebellion, colonization, and the mystery of alien technology into one sweeping arc. Readers looking for a grand, adventurous sci-fi saga will find plenty of excitement in the environmental hazards, power struggles, and looming sense of discovery. It’s a classic space opera setup with clear stakes and a wide cast of characters.
Still, the novel isn’t without flaws. Characters often feel one-dimensional, the pacing stretches longer than it needs to, and the story leans on familiar sci-fi tropes without always reinventing them. Since it’s the first book of a trilogy, many threads are left unresolved, which can be frustrating if you want a complete payoff. Overall, Hellhole delivers an entertaining, large-scale adventure that’s best enjoyed by readers who don’t mind a slower pace and are ready to commit to the full trilogy for the bigger picture
The book thrives on its large scale and world-building. Hellhole itself is a vivid, dangerous setting, and the Constellation’s politics provide plenty of intrigue and conflict. The plot is ambitious, weaving rebellion, colonization, and the mystery of alien technology into one sweeping arc. Readers looking for a grand, adventurous sci-fi saga will find plenty of excitement in the environmental hazards, power struggles, and looming sense of discovery. It’s a classic space opera setup with clear stakes and a wide cast of characters.
Still, the novel isn’t without flaws. Characters often feel one-dimensional, the pacing stretches longer than it needs to, and the story leans on familiar sci-fi tropes without always reinventing them. Since it’s the first book of a trilogy, many threads are left unresolved, which can be frustrating if you want a complete payoff. Overall, Hellhole delivers an entertaining, large-scale adventure that’s best enjoyed by readers who don’t mind a slower pace and are ready to commit to the full trilogy for the bigger picture
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 17, 2012
I can’t help but regard Hellhole as a gateway novel to contemporary space opera. It’s the sort of fantastical science fiction that immerses you not merely into a scattering of new ideas, but into an entirely new setting. Like a lot of works in this subgenre, it's got a large cast of characters, it cuts frequently back and forth between many realms and events, and centers more on the story itself than the scientific explanations behind the technology. I found the narrative eased me into every facet of what, in other hands, might have been a grandiose, too-densely-packed universe. But the setting of Hellhole, while certainly vast, isn’t a Pandora’s Box of unnecessary names and histories. Every scene set the stage or advanced the plot in some way. All in all, Hellhole is concise for its size.
The essential set-up: It's the distant future and the whole of humanity has fallen under the control of an interstellar government known as the Constellation. At the center of this political web is the Diadem (that's a title), Michella Duchenet, a vindictive, scheming old woman who refuses to relinquish her power to anyone and sucks dry the resources and wealth of every planet under her regime—which is to say, hundreds of planets.
The ruling echelon of Constellation society is formed of a number of noble families—a curiously antiquated system of government for a sci-fi future, but then this is space opera. I just rolled with it and found it enjoyable. Instead of mere land holdings, the most powerful families govern whole planets and profit from their resources. They live in opulent estates on Crown Jewel planets and have seats on the ruling Council, each awaiting their family's turn on the Star Throne.
But what you’ve ultimately got is a feudalistic oligarchy worth hating, and it’s from the unrest fostered by the ruling nobles—they are the 1%!—that the heroes originate: outcasts, frontiersmen, and even disgruntled lesser nobles. These live and toil in the Deep Zone, a far-flung network of fifty-four planets that, despite their great distance, are yet forced to pay excessive tribute to the Constellation.
The book’s chief protagonist is Tiber Maximilian Adolphus, a general who almost overthrew the Diadem's regime in a great rebellion but failed in a moment of moral crisis—unwilling to fire upon enemy ships filled with innocent civilians used as human shields by the Constellation. Defeated, he is exiled to the hostile and untamed planet of Hallholme (which is nicknamed Hellhole by its occupants) and kept under observation. Meanwhile, Constellation propaganda has painted him as a monster, not the peasant hero he really is.
So what drives the conflict? you might wonder. Adolphus isn’t one to give up, or to let the Constellation continue to steal, bleed, and murder its less fortunate people or all the worlds in its grasp that would thrive if only they were independent. Hellhole, his prison, is a dangerous planet, but it attracts the downtrodden and the desperate. Where better to recruit rebels for another shot at breaking the Diadem’s grip on humanity? But General Adolphus doesn’t want revenge or another tragic war. He’s got another plan in mind and it’s epic, risky, and fragile...and that’s not accounting for the strangeness of the alien species of Hellhole that everyone believed to be extinct.
If I say anything more, I’ll be straying into true spoiler territory. My recommendation? Read the book and find out. To anyone reading this review in advance of the novel: it does help one’s expectations going into it knowing that Hellhole is merely the first in a trilogy.
I will say that I’m not normally a reader of space opera, but this book hooked me, and now I’m certainly invested in what comes next. I also enjoyed the technologies introduced. In particular, the iperion (a rare and powerful mineral) and the “quantum breadcrumbs” they can form in space that allows a certain type of ship to travel distances that would otherwise take months or years to cross. It’s this very (expensive) tech that allows the Constellation to control so many far-flung planets. Now, I do hope that the next book in the trilogy explores the science of telemancy a little bit more—at the moment, it feels too much like magic.
The essential set-up: It's the distant future and the whole of humanity has fallen under the control of an interstellar government known as the Constellation. At the center of this political web is the Diadem (that's a title), Michella Duchenet, a vindictive, scheming old woman who refuses to relinquish her power to anyone and sucks dry the resources and wealth of every planet under her regime—which is to say, hundreds of planets.
The ruling echelon of Constellation society is formed of a number of noble families—a curiously antiquated system of government for a sci-fi future, but then this is space opera. I just rolled with it and found it enjoyable. Instead of mere land holdings, the most powerful families govern whole planets and profit from their resources. They live in opulent estates on Crown Jewel planets and have seats on the ruling Council, each awaiting their family's turn on the Star Throne.
But what you’ve ultimately got is a feudalistic oligarchy worth hating, and it’s from the unrest fostered by the ruling nobles—they are the 1%!—that the heroes originate: outcasts, frontiersmen, and even disgruntled lesser nobles. These live and toil in the Deep Zone, a far-flung network of fifty-four planets that, despite their great distance, are yet forced to pay excessive tribute to the Constellation.
The book’s chief protagonist is Tiber Maximilian Adolphus, a general who almost overthrew the Diadem's regime in a great rebellion but failed in a moment of moral crisis—unwilling to fire upon enemy ships filled with innocent civilians used as human shields by the Constellation. Defeated, he is exiled to the hostile and untamed planet of Hallholme (which is nicknamed Hellhole by its occupants) and kept under observation. Meanwhile, Constellation propaganda has painted him as a monster, not the peasant hero he really is.
So what drives the conflict? you might wonder. Adolphus isn’t one to give up, or to let the Constellation continue to steal, bleed, and murder its less fortunate people or all the worlds in its grasp that would thrive if only they were independent. Hellhole, his prison, is a dangerous planet, but it attracts the downtrodden and the desperate. Where better to recruit rebels for another shot at breaking the Diadem’s grip on humanity? But General Adolphus doesn’t want revenge or another tragic war. He’s got another plan in mind and it’s epic, risky, and fragile...and that’s not accounting for the strangeness of the alien species of Hellhole that everyone believed to be extinct.
If I say anything more, I’ll be straying into true spoiler territory. My recommendation? Read the book and find out. To anyone reading this review in advance of the novel: it does help one’s expectations going into it knowing that Hellhole is merely the first in a trilogy.
I will say that I’m not normally a reader of space opera, but this book hooked me, and now I’m certainly invested in what comes next. I also enjoyed the technologies introduced. In particular, the iperion (a rare and powerful mineral) and the “quantum breadcrumbs” they can form in space that allows a certain type of ship to travel distances that would otherwise take months or years to cross. It’s this very (expensive) tech that allows the Constellation to control so many far-flung planets. Now, I do hope that the next book in the trilogy explores the science of telemancy a little bit more—at the moment, it feels too much like magic.
January 24, 2012
Hellhole
By Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson
Publisher: Tor
Published In: New York, NY
Date: 2011
Pgs: 532
Summary:
Hellhole, the last stop for those trying to make a new start. A shattered world subjected to an asteroid impact in the recent geologic past. The end of the line in the Deep Zone, the recently colonized part of The Constellation. Here the rebel General Adolphus is exiled. Expected to fail and die on the hellish planet, the General makes a go of it. Abiding by his terms of surrender…until he is ready to again try to free the people from the feudal, tyrannical Constellation. Finding survivors of the alien species who made Hellhole home in the pre-apocalypse, the General plots. And the Diadem suspects. And the turmoil ensues. The Constellation’s 2nd Civil War is coming. Aliens exist. Mankind is at a crossroads.
Genre:
Militaria, science fiction, epic scope
Main Character:
General Tiber Adolphus
Favorite Character:
Vincent. He resists the peer pressure to jump into the slickwater and accept a half-alien life. He stays true to himself.
Least Favorite Character:
Diadem Michella Ducenet. She’s a bit of a one note villain who gets a lot of screen time. Would have been better served with making the Black Lord Selik Riomini a bigger villain. While Michella was shrewish, her daughter Keana comes across as a flighty, spoiled child of privilege with no concept of the “real” world.
Favorite Scene:
When Adolphus stands on his principles early in the book and acting morally surrenders his fleet rather than fire on the Constellation ships filled with human shields.
Plot Holes/Out of Character:
The fate of Fernando and the delegation to Sonjerra. Seems like more was intended by the way they met their end and what happened immediately afterward.
Last Page Sound:
Where’s the climax? I read this whole thing and the story doesn’t end. It just sets up for the next book in the series. This sucks.
Author Assessment:
This may be the last book I read by these two gentlemen.
Disposition of Book:
Half Price Book it…if I don’t burn it.
By Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson
Publisher: Tor
Published In: New York, NY
Date: 2011
Pgs: 532
Summary:
Hellhole, the last stop for those trying to make a new start. A shattered world subjected to an asteroid impact in the recent geologic past. The end of the line in the Deep Zone, the recently colonized part of The Constellation. Here the rebel General Adolphus is exiled. Expected to fail and die on the hellish planet, the General makes a go of it. Abiding by his terms of surrender…until he is ready to again try to free the people from the feudal, tyrannical Constellation. Finding survivors of the alien species who made Hellhole home in the pre-apocalypse, the General plots. And the Diadem suspects. And the turmoil ensues. The Constellation’s 2nd Civil War is coming. Aliens exist. Mankind is at a crossroads.
Genre:
Militaria, science fiction, epic scope
Main Character:
General Tiber Adolphus
Favorite Character:
Vincent. He resists the peer pressure to jump into the slickwater and accept a half-alien life. He stays true to himself.
Least Favorite Character:
Diadem Michella Ducenet. She’s a bit of a one note villain who gets a lot of screen time. Would have been better served with making the Black Lord Selik Riomini a bigger villain. While Michella was shrewish, her daughter Keana comes across as a flighty, spoiled child of privilege with no concept of the “real” world.
Favorite Scene:
When Adolphus stands on his principles early in the book and acting morally surrenders his fleet rather than fire on the Constellation ships filled with human shields.
Plot Holes/Out of Character:
The fate of Fernando and the delegation to Sonjerra. Seems like more was intended by the way they met their end and what happened immediately afterward.
Last Page Sound:
Where’s the climax? I read this whole thing and the story doesn’t end. It just sets up for the next book in the series. This sucks.
Author Assessment:
This may be the last book I read by these two gentlemen.
Disposition of Book:
Half Price Book it…if I don’t burn it.
October 29, 2011
Last spring I visited a private beach in Georgia. I walked the shoreline, then waded in expecting to get out far enough to swim in the ocean. Unfortunately, when knee deep in the water, before it was deep enough to swim, my feet slid into a trench of silt and muck that sucked me down knee deep into sedimental ooze and I became trapped as though in quicksand.
Apparently, I didn't drown.
But, I very nearly decided not to go swimming that day.
Hellhole is rather like that day at the beach. Before you get into the depths of the book where you are immersed in the storyline and tossed upon the seas of imagination you are challenged by very heavy going. The first several chapters describe the political climate and historical setting for the book. Those first several chapters read as though they were tacked on after the book was submitted for publication and drag down the expectations of what will follow.
If you grit your teeth and bear intensely boring background details, you will get to a very good story with interesting characters and intriguing speculative fiction / sci-fi ideas. How does one govern scattered planets? How does a race that is about to be destroyed preserve itself for thousands of years so that it can live again?
Other reviewers or the dust jacket will give you a general outline of this space opera, but I will tell you that if you don't give up and get past the awful first chapters this becomes a book worth reading.
Thanks to Tor books for sending me a copy of this book as a contest winner.
Apparently, I didn't drown.
But, I very nearly decided not to go swimming that day.
Hellhole is rather like that day at the beach. Before you get into the depths of the book where you are immersed in the storyline and tossed upon the seas of imagination you are challenged by very heavy going. The first several chapters describe the political climate and historical setting for the book. Those first several chapters read as though they were tacked on after the book was submitted for publication and drag down the expectations of what will follow.
If you grit your teeth and bear intensely boring background details, you will get to a very good story with interesting characters and intriguing speculative fiction / sci-fi ideas. How does one govern scattered planets? How does a race that is about to be destroyed preserve itself for thousands of years so that it can live again?
Other reviewers or the dust jacket will give you a general outline of this space opera, but I will tell you that if you don't give up and get past the awful first chapters this becomes a book worth reading.
Thanks to Tor books for sending me a copy of this book as a contest winner.
August 21, 2012
I was really enjoying this book quite a lot. Other planets, aliens, mysterious alien artifacts, telemancy, good guys and bad guys, and multiple interesting sorylines weaved together in ways that made you want to see how things would play out. I would have liked to read about more hellishness on Hellhole (they skip through most of the colonization) but it was still pretty fascinating.
The only problem was that it ends on a cliffhanger. A "screw you, it's too late now!" ending that leaves you feeling a bit used. entires story builds up to an inevitable showdown, which then doesn't happen because the authornchise to leave folks hanging (and wanting more). Personally, this always comes off as an asshole move on the author's part. I believe it is possible to resolve a conflict while still leaving room for sequels. Of course I can see now that this must be intended as something more epic with a major plot point threading the series together, unfortunately this pwrticular plot point made me feel like thijgs were far too unresolved for my tastes.
I'm sure many others wouldn't be bothered by this, but it does make me hesitant to pursue the series. How many books would I be in for? Will book wo leave me feeling as unsatisfied? I'll put book 2 on the maybe list.
If you aren't a bitter cliffhanger pansy like me, it is worth a read.
Memorability factor 8/10
The only problem was that it ends on a cliffhanger. A "screw you, it's too late now!" ending that leaves you feeling a bit used. entires story builds up to an inevitable showdown, which then doesn't happen because the authornchise to leave folks hanging (and wanting more). Personally, this always comes off as an asshole move on the author's part. I believe it is possible to resolve a conflict while still leaving room for sequels. Of course I can see now that this must be intended as something more epic with a major plot point threading the series together, unfortunately this pwrticular plot point made me feel like thijgs were far too unresolved for my tastes.
I'm sure many others wouldn't be bothered by this, but it does make me hesitant to pursue the series. How many books would I be in for? Will book wo leave me feeling as unsatisfied? I'll put book 2 on the maybe list.
If you aren't a bitter cliffhanger pansy like me, it is worth a read.
Memorability factor 8/10
April 10, 2011
Well I got half way through this book and decided to quit it. I skimmed through as well and it looks like I'm not missing much. I'm disappointed in this one a lot because I've read these guys Dune Trilogy and like it, in fact I want to read it again some day too. This book however just doesn't go anywhere at all and there's no action or hardly anything I'd consider Sci-fi too! I think the only action in the first 100 pages is an electrical storm. I understand it's book 1 of 3 but hell there's a ton of other trilogies I can name that have excellent 1st books. Ironically Dune: The Butlerian Jihad is one of them. I'm glad I won this book because I have no interest in reading the other two coming out and I can now give this one away to someone.
June 27, 2013
Do not waste your time reading this.
EDIT:
A GoodReads member named Drew challenged me to explain my very negative response to this book. I have read it months ago, but that is what I remember:
-It could have benefited from editing. There are numerous places where we are told the information that we were already informed about, sometimes on the same page.
-A number of decisions and actions of the characters seem to defy logic of their background and seem to be bent explicitly to allow for the plot.
-A number of characters are immeasurably naive considering their place in the shown society and the cutthroat politics that underlie it.
EDIT:
A GoodReads member named Drew challenged me to explain my very negative response to this book. I have read it months ago, but that is what I remember:
-It could have benefited from editing. There are numerous places where we are told the information that we were already informed about, sometimes on the same page.
-A number of decisions and actions of the characters seem to defy logic of their background and seem to be bent explicitly to allow for the plot.
-A number of characters are immeasurably naive considering their place in the shown society and the cutthroat politics that underlie it.
March 24, 2013
Flunked the Hundred Page Test, even though I hung on for 176 pages.
The plot might have eventually connected, if we ever got to it, but the characters were unrealistic from the opening. (In fact, had it not been for the Prologue, I might have stuck with the book longer.)
Don't waste your money. If it's free, don't waste your time.
Not a good read.
The plot might have eventually connected, if we ever got to it, but the characters were unrealistic from the opening. (In fact, had it not been for the Prologue, I might have stuck with the book longer.)
Don't waste your money. If it's free, don't waste your time.
Not a good read.
Read
March 27, 2011I read the sample on the Kindle app. It seems to be in that epic fantasy mold with lots of characters, some of them royalty. Ian Banks could make the planet more hellish.
May 4, 2012
I pick up an audio copy and book copy of the “HellHole” at the same time.
I wasn't crazy about the voice over for the book as it set a little bit over dramatic mood for the book, it all read as it is tail from a Crip.
However it did help to go over some part of the book that would seems slow at the beginning.
The book is sci fi novel in the imagined future, where humanity spread it wings and settled on many different planets across different constellations. The system governor by the bunch of bureaucrats and corrupt government where selected group nobles family rule different planets and provide with goods as a tribute to the government ( just think of taxes, but in a bit extreme volume) . There are 11 main planets that were settle long ago and offer more comfortable living to a small groups of people as environment and settlements are more friendly/civilize, another 56 father away planets that were newly settle, but consider as a secondary resource for the government to use as see it fit. The planets called dip zone planets and have to provide a tribute to the government in its useful resources, Something similar to the colonies in the past, take it all and do not care how it effect to the natural environment and echo system of the planets or people leaving there.
The story start with recollection of the lost revolt against corrupted system and it rulers, however the revolution was lost, as the leader General Adolphus wasn't able to cross line of the ethical sacrifices of civilians by lunching attack on the space ships assumingly full of civilians and relatives of the family fighting against the government, as a result the leader and his survived follower were send to the planet " Hellhole" that considered to be impossible for settlement and rejected in the past by colonist as natural resources and echo system is hostile and hard and only 500 years ago was completely destroyed by asteroid hit.
the story take turn and continuer 12 years later
Against all odds the small group survives their first year and establish a colony on harsh planet. The general Adolphus , manage and rule the planet and help to develop and survive to all immigrants that send there, it become refugee to all unwanted criminals, odd religious groups and other undesirable people for the government. The Hellhole general is looking for a way to make the planet independent and preparing for a new revolt to become independent along with rest of the Deep Zone planets 56 of them and stumble on the living aliens, the idea is good here, but presented too simple, for 12 years they were there and here two new immigrants just stumble on it in the matter of days after getting there during their ranging expedition. The story doesn’t have a concrete ending, it is just part one finished and you should expect to flip the page and keep going, but not here, you have to wait for book two.
So here we have living alliance with cool abilities and who want to share the human bodies as this is the only way they can exist, but they seems friendly, I question that, since they pretty much take over the body, so here this book copy idea from book “Host” just on the surface they not so hostile take over compeer to alliance in the other story.
So my rating is 3 as it wasn’t bad writing and some parts of the story keep me going and excited about possibilities, but still not very unique and have a lot of week ends.
And do not get audio book, that voice over just can be a buzz killer.
I wasn't crazy about the voice over for the book as it set a little bit over dramatic mood for the book, it all read as it is tail from a Crip.
However it did help to go over some part of the book that would seems slow at the beginning.
The book is sci fi novel in the imagined future, where humanity spread it wings and settled on many different planets across different constellations. The system governor by the bunch of bureaucrats and corrupt government where selected group nobles family rule different planets and provide with goods as a tribute to the government ( just think of taxes, but in a bit extreme volume) . There are 11 main planets that were settle long ago and offer more comfortable living to a small groups of people as environment and settlements are more friendly/civilize, another 56 father away planets that were newly settle, but consider as a secondary resource for the government to use as see it fit. The planets called dip zone planets and have to provide a tribute to the government in its useful resources, Something similar to the colonies in the past, take it all and do not care how it effect to the natural environment and echo system of the planets or people leaving there.
The story start with recollection of the lost revolt against corrupted system and it rulers, however the revolution was lost, as the leader General Adolphus wasn't able to cross line of the ethical sacrifices of civilians by lunching attack on the space ships assumingly full of civilians and relatives of the family fighting against the government, as a result the leader and his survived follower were send to the planet " Hellhole" that considered to be impossible for settlement and rejected in the past by colonist as natural resources and echo system is hostile and hard and only 500 years ago was completely destroyed by asteroid hit.
the story take turn and continuer 12 years later
Against all odds the small group survives their first year and establish a colony on harsh planet. The general Adolphus , manage and rule the planet and help to develop and survive to all immigrants that send there, it become refugee to all unwanted criminals, odd religious groups and other undesirable people for the government. The Hellhole general is looking for a way to make the planet independent and preparing for a new revolt to become independent along with rest of the Deep Zone planets 56 of them and stumble on the living aliens, the idea is good here, but presented too simple, for 12 years they were there and here two new immigrants just stumble on it in the matter of days after getting there during their ranging expedition. The story doesn’t have a concrete ending, it is just part one finished and you should expect to flip the page and keep going, but not here, you have to wait for book two.
So here we have living alliance with cool abilities and who want to share the human bodies as this is the only way they can exist, but they seems friendly, I question that, since they pretty much take over the body, so here this book copy idea from book “Host” just on the surface they not so hostile take over compeer to alliance in the other story.
So my rating is 3 as it wasn’t bad writing and some parts of the story keep me going and excited about possibilities, but still not very unique and have a lot of week ends.
And do not get audio book, that voice over just can be a buzz killer.
September 6, 2012
Overall, I thought this first novel in a series was a very good read. The characters were sufficiently established to carry the story arc--unlike some readers, I don't need a full back-story for each character. Their motivations and eventual actions were synchronous for the most part. I also found it refreshing the BH & KJA were able to establish the environment without long passages describing every blade of grass, tree species, and building adornments (some of their Dune novels tended towards this). The ending was a pleasant surprise in that although a future escalation in the ongoing struggle was certain, the roles of future pro- and antagonists was not telegraphed. All the major players seem to have a hidden agenda--which seems appropriate for this genre of fiction.
All that said, I did have a few difficulties with the flow:
Having read these authors contributions to the Duneverse, and being familiar with the genre, it's reasonable to expect a certain "similarity" in general atmospheres between various novels. However, the strong resemblance between the "Crown Jewels" and the "Imperium", political structures, and preferred modes of travel was somewhat jarring. If this is the authors' combined literary voice ... then I accept it as such and will filter my reading with that knowledge. Alternately, if this is some leftover "echo" from their most recent works, I hope they are able to lessen their effect.
Also, while the read is quite fast paced, I found that 101 chapters in the space of 500+ pages was a bit much. This division into micro chapters sometimes split the action into sections that took far too long to be fully realized. I hope that they are able to modify the structure of future novels in this series.
In the end, I very much want to experience the rest of the journey that the characters are on.
One final note: On the page facing the cover page, the entry for God Emperor of Dune is missing in the list of Dune novels by Frank Herbert.
All that said, I did have a few difficulties with the flow:
Having read these authors contributions to the Duneverse, and being familiar with the genre, it's reasonable to expect a certain "similarity" in general atmospheres between various novels. However, the strong resemblance between the "Crown Jewels" and the "Imperium", political structures, and preferred modes of travel was somewhat jarring. If this is the authors' combined literary voice ... then I accept it as such and will filter my reading with that knowledge. Alternately, if this is some leftover "echo" from their most recent works, I hope they are able to lessen their effect.
Also, while the read is quite fast paced, I found that 101 chapters in the space of 500+ pages was a bit much. This division into micro chapters sometimes split the action into sections that took far too long to be fully realized. I hope that they are able to modify the structure of future novels in this series.
In the end, I very much want to experience the rest of the journey that the characters are on.
One final note: On the page facing the cover page, the entry for God Emperor of Dune is missing in the list of Dune novels by Frank Herbert.
April 28, 2024
I don’t know if I need to write a review of this or not. I only read the second half of the book because I decided, along with my reading partner, to cover this book. But to avoid being bored literally to death we cut the book in half. I’m sorry but after I read House Atredies and couldn’t finish it because it was just repetitive mind numbing garbage… yeah I’ll pass on that experience again. No thanks.
So here is what I can only assume is Brian Herbert’s Magnum Opus. I’m kidding, nobody knows about this book, nobody cares about this book, Googling Hell Hole usually brings up other properties first. This is probably meant as a way to get out of his dad’s (and Dune’s) shadow by writing his own “totally original and not at all like Dune” sci-fi book. This was maybe a way to shut up all those haters that he can only work in the vein of writing for a much more popular and already-established franchise. I guess? If that was the case it failed.
Also Kevin J. Anderson is still here for some reason?
Now I only read the second half so bear with me as I recount what I think happened in the first half. There’s a guy. Or rather, a Chad. A Chadly Chad God of a Man, Greatest General Ever. A real Leto th… whoop errr… uhh… let’s not compare him to a Dune character, hehe that’s ridiculous. He’s a real inspirational leader. He had some rebellion that he lost by not compromising his morals and killing civilians or something. What a, not only a Chad, but a sensitive caring man with all kinds of convictions. And shit.
He’s squaring off against an evil “old bitch” as everyone calls her. Diadem Michella. She’s… bad? Evil? Extortive? Anyway I dunno why our Chad General rebelled but because he lost, the Diadem banished him. I don’t know why she didn’t just kill him, but okay. She banishes him to Du… errr Selusa Secu… nope sorry. It’s not a Dune planet. It’s uh… Hallholme or something (I’m not consulting my notes and you can’t make me) but the locals just call it Hell Hole.
The Chaddest General is out there on what sounds like a pretty pleasant planet. Every now and then there’s a horrible storm that comes through called a “static storm” but they don’t seem to kill anyone so we’ll just ignore it. The General is planning a “D-Day” aka Delivery Day. Because he’s delivering, like your Amazon driver, a bunch of goods. He’s building a… String Line? StreamLine? I listened to the audio and I could not make out the words clearly but I’m pretty sure it’s a “String Line”. These “String Lines” are faster than light travel. Not the same faster-than-light travel that they have from their normal ships, this is different. It’s faster than faster than light. FTFTL if you would.
So Chaderella is gonna link all the “Deep zone” planets together. See the problem is the Deep Zone has to pay tribute to the Diadem because it costs so much money to ship through the string lines. They have to ship to the main planet whose name I forgot so we’ll just call it “Coruscant”. So all goods have to pass through Coruscant… until now! The General sent out tons of people with String Line technology (which was easy to obtain I guess?) and now he’s basically seceding.
But wait there’s aliens! Yeah I started reading the book when a guy just got infected with “Slick Water” which is water full of alien… goo? Melted jelly? Memories? Whatever. They start possessing the guy. They have telekinetic powers. And they’re good guys I guess. Because the Good Guys don’t distrust them outside of some lip service. Whereas the bad guys implicitly hate them, think they’re a creepy cult that are infecting people, and exterminate them outright. So I guess I’m supposed to like them?
Look, this book isn’t good. It’s better than KJA’s and BH’s Dune work because at least this doesn’t misunderstand a work while also being boring. But this is boring. I also suspect I like it more because I only had to sit through about 270 pages worth of material rather than 600 pages with House Atredies.
There are way too many PoV characters. Some of them are not at all important (my description above completely overlooks “Bishop or Ishop” a guy who wants to murder noble people for slighting his family, an alien-human hybrid, the Diadem’s daughter, a female victim, her boyfriend, his mother who is dating the general… oh my God this is padded to fuck).
Nothing happens either. You could argue that this is a series and there is more to come. I would argue that each individual book needs to stand on its own just the same. There is nothing that happens in the second half of this book. After the declaration of war we go to several different perspectives and endlessly repeat that a war is happening and that soon there will be a war and like… I guess that would be impactful if I cared about any of these characters and if anything had happened so far. This just feels like “stay tuned for next book, buy that one too idiot”. I’m exhausted just talking about this. Listen to our episode which is Patreon only if you want to know more about this but suffice it to say I am not a fan.
CONTENT IDEAS 4/20
I gave this a 1.5 and since I gave another 1.5 elsewhere on this rubric I decided to split the difference. Originality? No. Not even. This is trying to be the Dune we have at home. The meme is the most straight-forward one around. As far as the central themes and plot points, those are present but not developed. Again I only read the first part but it seems like a lot of the action happened here. The “fuck you buy our next book” ending and the fact that almost nothing happens makes me think that probably nothing happened in the first half. The reason this doesn’t just get a Level 2 on the rubric is because the Level 1 is very specific about rambling. There is a lot of repetition and rambling and repeating thoughts for the same characters (or different characters thinking the same thing). It’s also a bit douchey and arrogant. Like the writers are trying to write a smart character who is so clever and “all the others are fools to not recognize her danger and brilliance” and like… yawn. Just a big yawn. Stop rambling. Stop pretending you’re smarter. Get to the point - which you never do - and let’s move on. Brevity is the soul of wit motherf***cker. Talking about how smart you think you are at like 7 different junctures is the opposite of this!
ORGANIZATION 6/20
Speaking of rambling. Organization takes a hit for being much much much much too slow. The stringlines take 200+ pages to finally deploy. That entire time is not tense, or nail-biting, or “I wonder what is going to happen and is he going to pull this off?” Even with the aliens thrown in the mix or the queen’s daughter getting alien goo’d. The General is like “we can’t push the timetable up, if this gets out before the Stringline is in place we’re screwed. We just have to hope it does. I don’t know what we can do.” And me, reading it, is like “yeah there isn’t any tension here.” I’m sure your plan will go off without a hitch and then you guys are going to come to blows… only instead of coming to blows it’s more “we’ll come to blows later.” Like nothing ever feels urgent ever. It’s always people thinking about the plan they have in motion that is already in the process of being executed and… yawwwwwwwn.
WORD CHOICE 6/20
It’s simplistic, it’s boring.Word choice is usually something that gets a Level 3 unless it’s extraordinary. This is the time where it’s extraordinary. Extraordinarily… bad! Yeah!
PERSONAL PREFERENCE 3/20
I don’t want to use “hate” here. This book doesn’t inspire that kind of passion. It’s very just… bland. Dispassionate. Boring. I can’t say “hate” so I can’t give it a Level 1. But I also can’t say “I can understand why others like it” because I can’t. I don’t know why you would like this book unless you just need more of the crappy Dune novels written by these two and there just aren’t enough coming out to satiate your need for more content… here you go I guess?
RECOMMENDATION STRENGTH 1/20
As noted above I can’t really recommend this to anyone. Even someone who really, really, REALLY needs to know how this series plays out. Just read my review, skip it, and move on to the next book where PRESUMABLY something actually happens. But probably not.
TOTAL SCORE 20/100
So here is what I can only assume is Brian Herbert’s Magnum Opus. I’m kidding, nobody knows about this book, nobody cares about this book, Googling Hell Hole usually brings up other properties first. This is probably meant as a way to get out of his dad’s (and Dune’s) shadow by writing his own “totally original and not at all like Dune” sci-fi book. This was maybe a way to shut up all those haters that he can only work in the vein of writing for a much more popular and already-established franchise. I guess? If that was the case it failed.
Also Kevin J. Anderson is still here for some reason?
Now I only read the second half so bear with me as I recount what I think happened in the first half. There’s a guy. Or rather, a Chad. A Chadly Chad God of a Man, Greatest General Ever. A real Leto th… whoop errr… uhh… let’s not compare him to a Dune character, hehe that’s ridiculous. He’s a real inspirational leader. He had some rebellion that he lost by not compromising his morals and killing civilians or something. What a, not only a Chad, but a sensitive caring man with all kinds of convictions. And shit.
He’s squaring off against an evil “old bitch” as everyone calls her. Diadem Michella. She’s… bad? Evil? Extortive? Anyway I dunno why our Chad General rebelled but because he lost, the Diadem banished him. I don’t know why she didn’t just kill him, but okay. She banishes him to Du… errr Selusa Secu… nope sorry. It’s not a Dune planet. It’s uh… Hallholme or something (I’m not consulting my notes and you can’t make me) but the locals just call it Hell Hole.
The Chaddest General is out there on what sounds like a pretty pleasant planet. Every now and then there’s a horrible storm that comes through called a “static storm” but they don’t seem to kill anyone so we’ll just ignore it. The General is planning a “D-Day” aka Delivery Day. Because he’s delivering, like your Amazon driver, a bunch of goods. He’s building a… String Line? StreamLine? I listened to the audio and I could not make out the words clearly but I’m pretty sure it’s a “String Line”. These “String Lines” are faster than light travel. Not the same faster-than-light travel that they have from their normal ships, this is different. It’s faster than faster than light. FTFTL if you would.
So Chaderella is gonna link all the “Deep zone” planets together. See the problem is the Deep Zone has to pay tribute to the Diadem because it costs so much money to ship through the string lines. They have to ship to the main planet whose name I forgot so we’ll just call it “Coruscant”. So all goods have to pass through Coruscant… until now! The General sent out tons of people with String Line technology (which was easy to obtain I guess?) and now he’s basically seceding.
But wait there’s aliens! Yeah I started reading the book when a guy just got infected with “Slick Water” which is water full of alien… goo? Melted jelly? Memories? Whatever. They start possessing the guy. They have telekinetic powers. And they’re good guys I guess. Because the Good Guys don’t distrust them outside of some lip service. Whereas the bad guys implicitly hate them, think they’re a creepy cult that are infecting people, and exterminate them outright. So I guess I’m supposed to like them?
Look, this book isn’t good. It’s better than KJA’s and BH’s Dune work because at least this doesn’t misunderstand a work while also being boring. But this is boring. I also suspect I like it more because I only had to sit through about 270 pages worth of material rather than 600 pages with House Atredies.
There are way too many PoV characters. Some of them are not at all important (my description above completely overlooks “Bishop or Ishop” a guy who wants to murder noble people for slighting his family, an alien-human hybrid, the Diadem’s daughter, a female victim, her boyfriend, his mother who is dating the general… oh my God this is padded to fuck).
Nothing happens either. You could argue that this is a series and there is more to come. I would argue that each individual book needs to stand on its own just the same. There is nothing that happens in the second half of this book. After the declaration of war we go to several different perspectives and endlessly repeat that a war is happening and that soon there will be a war and like… I guess that would be impactful if I cared about any of these characters and if anything had happened so far. This just feels like “stay tuned for next book, buy that one too idiot”. I’m exhausted just talking about this. Listen to our episode which is Patreon only if you want to know more about this but suffice it to say I am not a fan.
CONTENT IDEAS 4/20
I gave this a 1.5 and since I gave another 1.5 elsewhere on this rubric I decided to split the difference. Originality? No. Not even. This is trying to be the Dune we have at home. The meme is the most straight-forward one around. As far as the central themes and plot points, those are present but not developed. Again I only read the first part but it seems like a lot of the action happened here. The “fuck you buy our next book” ending and the fact that almost nothing happens makes me think that probably nothing happened in the first half. The reason this doesn’t just get a Level 2 on the rubric is because the Level 1 is very specific about rambling. There is a lot of repetition and rambling and repeating thoughts for the same characters (or different characters thinking the same thing). It’s also a bit douchey and arrogant. Like the writers are trying to write a smart character who is so clever and “all the others are fools to not recognize her danger and brilliance” and like… yawn. Just a big yawn. Stop rambling. Stop pretending you’re smarter. Get to the point - which you never do - and let’s move on. Brevity is the soul of wit motherf***cker. Talking about how smart you think you are at like 7 different junctures is the opposite of this!
ORGANIZATION 6/20
Speaking of rambling. Organization takes a hit for being much much much much too slow. The stringlines take 200+ pages to finally deploy. That entire time is not tense, or nail-biting, or “I wonder what is going to happen and is he going to pull this off?” Even with the aliens thrown in the mix or the queen’s daughter getting alien goo’d. The General is like “we can’t push the timetable up, if this gets out before the Stringline is in place we’re screwed. We just have to hope it does. I don’t know what we can do.” And me, reading it, is like “yeah there isn’t any tension here.” I’m sure your plan will go off without a hitch and then you guys are going to come to blows… only instead of coming to blows it’s more “we’ll come to blows later.” Like nothing ever feels urgent ever. It’s always people thinking about the plan they have in motion that is already in the process of being executed and… yawwwwwwwn.
WORD CHOICE 6/20
It’s simplistic, it’s boring.Word choice is usually something that gets a Level 3 unless it’s extraordinary. This is the time where it’s extraordinary. Extraordinarily… bad! Yeah!
PERSONAL PREFERENCE 3/20
I don’t want to use “hate” here. This book doesn’t inspire that kind of passion. It’s very just… bland. Dispassionate. Boring. I can’t say “hate” so I can’t give it a Level 1. But I also can’t say “I can understand why others like it” because I can’t. I don’t know why you would like this book unless you just need more of the crappy Dune novels written by these two and there just aren’t enough coming out to satiate your need for more content… here you go I guess?
RECOMMENDATION STRENGTH 1/20
As noted above I can’t really recommend this to anyone. Even someone who really, really, REALLY needs to know how this series plays out. Just read my review, skip it, and move on to the next book where PRESUMABLY something actually happens. But probably not.
TOTAL SCORE 20/100
June 2, 2011
When I first started seeing hype about this book, I knew I had to read it. Kevin J. Anderson is one of my favorite authors EVER, and I'll read anything he's written. And Brian Herbert, well, you may have heard of his dad...Frank Herbert...of Dune fame. Plus he went on to write several more books in the Dune series. So yeah. This was a big deal.
I started reading the second I got the book from the library (They took forever to order it. LAME!). At first, I had a hard time following the action because it did kind of jump around. But then I realized that it was just getting me ready for what was to come, and had laid a very nice foundation. I felt like the characters were well-developed and carefully crafted. Everyone had a purpose, even that wee small one that you didn't even think about three chapters ago. I love that!
I loved the premise of the book. It's very VERY sci-fi ,and I'm a huge sci-fi fan, as you know. So give me something that's all space and stuff and maybe not Star Wars, and I'm in. Don't get me wrong: I ADORE Star Wars and I have all the books and have read them tons of times. But sometimes it's so much fun to have a sci-fi from a Star Wars author that's completely different from anything they've done for the SW universe.
I was totally unprepared for the BIG THING in the middle. TOTALLY! I can usually see these things coming, but I was floored! WHHHHHAAAAAAAAAATTTTT?!?!?!??! I loved how that worked in to the book. It came at the perfect time and really built up from there.
And, in true sci-fi fashion, we're left with yearnings to read the next book, which had better be coming out soon. Soon as in tomorrow. Because you see, I NEED to know what's happening on Hellhole! I NEED to know what becomes of The General. Sophie. Devon. Antonia. Cristoph. Keana. And does the Diadem finally bite it?
All in all, a fantastic read, and one that I really enjoyed. Fans of science fiction or of either author will LOVE this. I'm giving it a 'pick me' rating!
July 10, 2015
I was an instant fan of authors Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson after reading their Dune collaborations. I read them in the chronological timeline order starting with The Butlerian Jihad, and I became hooked on their smooth and fast paced style. Like mini cliffhangers, they keep their chapters extremely short which allow the reader to move to different characters and dramatic situations at such a rapid pace, you find yourself reading a lot more than you normally would. This new series is no different, and while I still prefer the world of Dune, I was highly entertained by Hellhole and have already ordered the next two books in the trilogy. Personally, I cannot wait to dig in.
The characters are not quite as deep or defined as some might like, but that is the trade off when action is happening so fast and story developments are in constant flux. I was expecting more of a space theme with this book, but it became more focused on political maneuvering between the various players. Which was fine with me, it was just different than I had expected. The phrase ‘space opera’ is quite fitting for this series, because it is quite large in scope but never confusing or overwhelming. Like the Dune books, there is a handy glossary of characters and other details in the back for reference, although most will never need it. For fans of lighter science fiction and good old fashioned storytelling, this is a pleasantly enjoyable read that will leave you wanting more.
The characters are not quite as deep or defined as some might like, but that is the trade off when action is happening so fast and story developments are in constant flux. I was expecting more of a space theme with this book, but it became more focused on political maneuvering between the various players. Which was fine with me, it was just different than I had expected. The phrase ‘space opera’ is quite fitting for this series, because it is quite large in scope but never confusing or overwhelming. Like the Dune books, there is a handy glossary of characters and other details in the back for reference, although most will never need it. For fans of lighter science fiction and good old fashioned storytelling, this is a pleasantly enjoyable read that will leave you wanting more.
June 2, 2011
First, I will say that this was an easy, fun read. The chapters are short and the writing style is very accessible, with plenty of action.
I have read a few reviews complaining about a lack of character depth, and while I largely agree, I will leave that argument to others. I was more put off by the flatness of the setting; each planet in the great Constellation is barely described, leaving a picture of tiny one-dimensional orbs with one climate, one ecosystem and perhaps one major resource, if any. I was afraid that the trilogy was going to be based in the world of The Little Prince! Fortunately, the Deep Zone worlds show at least a little more character.
The authors also have a heavy-handed sense of foreshadowing. After I was a third of the way through Hellhole, it felt like I already knew what was going to happen - not only in the book, but in the rest of the trilogy. This notion was only strengthened by events later in the book.
That said, the story was entertaining enough that I will wait for a bargain on the second book, and hope for more depth and subtlety.
I received this book for free through Goodreads First-Reads. Thanks.
I have read a few reviews complaining about a lack of character depth, and while I largely agree, I will leave that argument to others. I was more put off by the flatness of the setting; each planet in the great Constellation is barely described, leaving a picture of tiny one-dimensional orbs with one climate, one ecosystem and perhaps one major resource, if any. I was afraid that the trilogy was going to be based in the world of The Little Prince! Fortunately, the Deep Zone worlds show at least a little more character.
The authors also have a heavy-handed sense of foreshadowing. After I was a third of the way through Hellhole, it felt like I already knew what was going to happen - not only in the book, but in the rest of the trilogy. This notion was only strengthened by events later in the book.
That said, the story was entertaining enough that I will wait for a bargain on the second book, and hope for more depth and subtlety.
I received this book for free through Goodreads First-Reads. Thanks.
December 22, 2016
I'm 8 or 9 chapters in so far and after a pretty interesting prologue, the 'actual' beginning has fallen flat for me. I'm not sure how all of these characters are important. I mean, I assume they are since the author chose to write from the POV, but it's lost on me. If things don't pick up soon, I'm going to have to call it quits and I definitely won't be continuing with the trilogy if that happens.
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Had to call it quits. I just couldn't get into the story. After an intriguing prologue, the story just fell flat for me. I tried skipping ahead but that failed too. I've just lost interest and I'm bummed because I thought it was going to be much better.
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Had to call it quits. I just couldn't get into the story. After an intriguing prologue, the story just fell flat for me. I tried skipping ahead but that failed too. I've just lost interest and I'm bummed because I thought it was going to be much better.
July 17, 2013
This book was just great fun. While at times some of the supporting characters felt like ciphers, this is only a minor criticism of a great yarn. I also wanted to see more of Hellhole itself, but the story itself was an enjoyable page-turner, and more than makes up for these minor nitpicks. Great villains, galactic war, aliens, this book has it all.
In fact, this story was gripping enough to make me forget about Adelaide's awful public transport for the better part of a week, which to me is the mark of a successful book. Bravo!
In fact, this story was gripping enough to make me forget about Adelaide's awful public transport for the better part of a week, which to me is the mark of a successful book. Bravo!
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