Andrew's Reviews > The Bookman

This book I picked up (along with the other two in the Bookman series) was a gamble - partly because the cover looked interesting and partly from the sheer scope and audacity of the preface of the story.

Well what did I think - okay I can say that there are a lot of comments and opinions about this books and the series in general and so far I can see reasons for most of them. yes the story does shift gears from fast to slow in stages to the point where you find yourself dragging through pages of nothing much (where I guess the involved storyline needs to be explained and nudged along) to pages of blistering action and mayhem.

For me I didn't really mind either but what I did mind was that it felt that the main protagonist had not got a clue what was going on. he seemed to stumbled from one situation to another - nearly all of which he was propelled to by one group or character or another - it felt like at times he was little more than the ball in one giant pinball game. Don't get me wrong we as the "viewers" had to be able to have the story unfold in front of us so in one way we learnt what was going on at the same time as Orphan was. However a little initiative and ability on his part would have been good. It felt at times as though he was one long victim to it all.

That said it may have been partly my own fault having read this right after finishing another book where the drives, motives and reasons for the story were clear and simply laid out you were just along for the ride.
All I can say is even through all of this I will read the others in the series and see if all the characters suffer the same confusing fate or if this is corrected in later instalments.