[Caly]

My book club just finished reading it and not a single one of us liked it (honestly, I couldn't even finish it).

The reviews at both amazon.com and amazon.co.uk were mostly favorable so it seemed like a good book to try, but I've read better writing when I was grading high school students' papers. I don't know how this guy even got published, unless he was really closely related to someone high up in the publishing company

It seems like a popular series (I believe there are four out now) and I'm just trying to figure out what I missed or if I am crazy or what. I found the characters pathetic, the bad guys pathetic, the writing atrocious, and the plot nonsensical. Am I being too harsh?

Caleyna, http://www.fantasyfreaks.org

[Rob B]

HERE (http://www.sffworld.com/ubb/Archives/Archive-000011/HTML/20011212-1-000635.html) is an archived topic about him and his books.

I've heard much the same about Irvine--not that great. I had marginally considered trying him, but the overwhelming complacent to negative opinions steered me away.

Isn't he Australian?

[Caly]

Thanks for the link! I am glad to see that I'm not crazy.

And yes, I believe he is an Aussie. His bio in the beginning of the book is much more intersting than the actual book. I read it a month or so ago and recall that he did a lot of intersting things involving the ocean and submarines and stuff. He obviously didn't have time to take a writing class.

Carrie