tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7703856341303488608.post4533204850895715971..comments2024-03-22T19:07:21.790+00:00Comments on The Wertzone: The Shadow of the Scorpion by Neal AsherAdam Whiteheadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11383677312079611311noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7703856341303488608.post-38476091712344662042009-04-03T16:31:00.000+00:002009-04-03T16:31:00.000+00:00Line War does not make sense as a standalone. The ...Line War does not make sense as a standalone. The main Cormac Polity novels have an odd structure, debut Gridlinked is almost a standalone - ie some big picture mysteries remain but a satisfying and complete ending, then 2 big volumes each split in two, so Line of Polity is first half with Brass Man its completion, and again we arrive at a good ending, and then Polity Agent is the first half with Line war its completion and now we are sort of done with Cormac.<BR/><BR/> We jump several hundred years in the future for Skinner/Voyage Sable Keech with a prequel in Prador Moon, and then we jump maybe another 4-500 years for Hilddigers which is another standalone outside the Polity, with the main POV the Polity "ambassador".<BR/><BR/>The new novel Orbus seems to take place after Voyage Sable Keech and bring together some Cormac-line characters with the ones in the Spatterjay sequence (Skinner...)<BR/><BR/>After that it seems Mr. Asher will start exploring his "Owner" milieu of various ss, most recently in Galactic Empires<BR/><BR/>Gridlinked or The Skinner are the best starting points for Polity novelsLiviuhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04615405766065227026noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7703856341303488608.post-45728811783804287032009-04-03T16:11:00.000+00:002009-04-03T16:11:00.000+00:00Hmm, maybe I should try the Line War then. Though...Hmm, maybe I should try the Line War then. Though I don't think it's available in the U.S.!!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7703856341303488608.post-90201987090146110642009-04-03T03:23:00.000+00:002009-04-03T03:23:00.000+00:00Just finished it too though I had it for a while s...Just finished it too though I had it for a while since Night Shade released it. <BR/><BR/>I read all of Mr. Asher's novels (10 Polity incl this one + Cowl) and most of his short fiction and I sort of agree that Shadow of the Scorpion is both the weakest of all as a novel, but a decent introduction to the Cormac main series (5 novels + several ss)just finalized on a high note last year in Line War.<BR/><BR/>Shadow reads more like an extended novella and there is nothing essentially surprising in it, but it gives a good flavor of the mainline novels which are on a much grander scale.Liviuhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04615405766065227026noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7703856341303488608.post-14782335155931748132009-04-02T14:11:00.000+00:002009-04-02T14:11:00.000+00:00I had looked forward to this book for what seemed ...I had looked forward to this book for what seemed like forever (it was so late in printing)...finally, bought it, tried to read it, and actually returned it to the bookstore it was so disappointing.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7703856341303488608.post-19031318145616764292009-04-02T12:02:00.000+00:002009-04-02T12:02:00.000+00:00I thought this book was by far the weakest of Ashe...I thought this book was by far the weakest of Asher's, and not a very good indication of what his main series is like (which really grows in scope after a more contained start with Gridlinked).Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com