Admiral Tim Posted October 8, 2011 Report Share Posted October 8, 2011 I've read Eagle strike (4), Crocodile tears (, and scorpia (5) They're pretty good and i've started stormbreaker (1) now. What do you think of them? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John A. Zoidberg Posted October 9, 2011 Report Share Posted October 9, 2011 Firstly, why wouldn't you start from the first? >_> Secondly, yeah, I liked them before I got into a more macabre style of writing. They're good for relatively mindless action, since they never really have giant twists to them. I got bored of them a few years ago though. If you wanna read more good stuff by Anthony Horowitz, though, definitely check out the Gatekeepers (I think?) series. The first book is called Raven's Gate or something. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admiral Tim Posted October 9, 2011 Author Report Share Posted October 9, 2011 cool though snakehead is supposed to have an awesome twist ending. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John A. Zoidberg Posted October 9, 2011 Report Share Posted October 9, 2011 They have twists, yeah, but it's never so much that it derails the entire plot. Like how in the book Invisible Man (not sure if you'd read it or not), it turns out Dr. Bledsoe is power-hungry and has no interest for human life. That utterly changes the plot. No matter what, the Alex Rider series remains about spies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admiral Tim Posted October 10, 2011 Author Report Share Posted October 10, 2011 [quote name='John A. Zoidberg' timestamp='1318183667' post='5570576'] They have twists, yeah, but it's never so much that it derails the entire plot. Like how in the book Invisible Man (not sure if you'd read it or not), it turns out Dr. Bledsoe is power-hungry and has no interest for human life. That utterly changes the plot. No matter what, the Alex Rider series remains about spies. [/quote] True. But the action is good and the best part is when you learn about the motive like for example Scorpia's invisible Sword plan. But it is kinda repetitive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John A. Zoidberg Posted October 10, 2011 Report Share Posted October 10, 2011 Action's never fantastic in a book. It gets dull. And being repetitive, well, yes. I mean, it gets tiring to read book after book of "OH MAN HE WANTSA KILL PEOPLE," then, "WAIT NEVERMIND ALEX RIDER IS ON THE CASE LOL." And motives are relatively obvious other than very specific details. I mean, if you're going up against an evil organization, obviously there's gonna be an evil plot involved. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admiral Tim Posted October 11, 2011 Author Report Share Posted October 11, 2011 [quote name='John A. Zoidberg' timestamp='1318281735' post='5572922'] Action's never fantastic in a book. It gets dull. And being repetitive, well, yes. I mean, it gets tiring to read book after book of "OH MAN HE WANTSA KILL PEOPLE," then, "WAIT NEVERMIND ALEX RIDER IS ON THE CASE LOL." And motives are relatively obvious other than very specific details. I mean, if you're going up against an evil organization, obviously there's gonna be an evil plot involved. [/quote] Some motives are obvious from reading the back Ex. Crocodile tears = Virus to earn money but some like scorpia had me wondering what invisible sword was for a while. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admiral Tim Posted October 18, 2011 Author Report Share Posted October 18, 2011 finished Stormbreaker two days ago and I finished point Blank yesterday. I'd they're the best books other than scorpia. I'm reading Ark angel and i've bought snakehead. Once i'm done the two I'll read skeleton key in class (Have it in school) then i'll buy Scorpia rising. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admiral Tim Posted October 21, 2011 Author Report Share Posted October 21, 2011 Ark angel is kinda boring. Halfway and no apparent plans. Another millionaire gone corrupt. I mean You did it in Crocodile tears and Eagle Strike. it's getting old. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alice Moonflowyr Posted October 21, 2011 Report Share Posted October 21, 2011 Its actually the same thing in every story if you think about it. Stormbreaker: Evil maniac wants to destroy Britain for something. Alex stops him. Point Blank: Evil maniac wants to take over the world. Alex stops him. Skeleton Key: Evil maniac wants to destroy the world. Alex stops him. And so on....... I like them, but still. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admiral Tim Posted October 21, 2011 Author Report Share Posted October 21, 2011 [quote name='Rupert Giles' timestamp='1319162577' post='5590612'] Its actually the same thing in every story if you think about it. Stormbreaker: Evil maniac wants to destroy Britain for something. Alex stops him. Point Blank: Evil maniac wants to take over the world. Alex stops him. Skeleton Key: Evil maniac wants to destroy the world. Alex stops him. And so on....... I like them, but still. [/quote] But there is diversity in the plot: Stormbreaker: Modified computer virus (Upgraded smallpox) Point Blank: Clones used to take over the world Skeleton key: Homemade bomb? Eagle Strike: Using the US missiles to kill off drug manufactures Scorpia: An assassin group killing school kids with nanotechnology and cyanide Crocodile Tears : Poisoning wheat to make relief funds then stealing it all. I basically read them just to find out the initiative. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bury the year Posted October 22, 2011 Report Share Posted October 22, 2011 've read some of the Rider books, and I agree that the Gatekeeper series is infinitely better. The main problem is that all the Rider books are episodic: since each one is self-contained and you can read them out of order, there's only so many plots you can use, even with attempts at suspense and action. Thus, it becomes boring. Gatekeepers has an overarching plot, which makes it suspenseful, and the horror/macabre elements are well played. ('Specially in Necropolis. That shit was [i]scary[/i].) That's neither here nor there, though. I liked the first couple of books, but I grew tired of them rather quickly and am now waiting for the last Gatekeeper book; which, according to the author, will probably take years. ;3; Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admiral Tim Posted October 23, 2011 Author Report Share Posted October 23, 2011 Finished Ark Angel. Worst one out of them all. Me personally, I dislike gatekeepers. I find it boring. One piece is much better. Warning Spoilers! I do find the Alex Rider books to be very repetitious. They follow this sequence. Exciting opening Alex gets mixed up in the mess Fight scene Boring part where you wonder what is going on (Maybe another fight scene) Find out the evil plan Last fight scene Resolve plot. They all die pretty much at the end. No one is left to re challenge Alex Stormbreaker: Herold Sayle: Shot by Yassen Nadia Vole: Killed by jellyfish Mr. Grin: Plane crash Point Blank: Mrs. Stellenbosh: Fell of the mountain Hugo Greif: Crashed Helicopter Eagle Strike: Damien Cray: Killed by plane engines Yassen Gregorovich: Killed by Damien Cray Scorpia: Nile: Lit on fire via hot air balloon Julia Rothman: Crushed by Air-Balloon Ark Angel: Kolo: Presumably killed by insects Nikolei Drevin: Canoes caused plane to crash Crocodile Tears: Leonard Straik: Killed with poison Desmond Mcain: Lit on fire with oil tank. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John A. Zoidberg Posted October 23, 2011 Report Share Posted October 23, 2011 ...how is Gatekeepers boring? I mean, I know the opening bunch of chapters in Raven's Gate are meh, but honestly, (correct me if I'm wrong, O haven't read the book in years) there's an old lady getting burned to death by acid, killer dogs, disappearing people, etc. I find it to be quite good. I know it's your opinion, but did you just read the first half of Raven's Gate and go "Meh, I don't like it" or did you read maybe the first couple books like you should have? By the way, why are you reading the books in that order? You skipped over Snake Head, and you them in a really weird order. I don't get it. :l When I read a series, I like to, y'know, read it in the right order. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admiral Tim Posted October 23, 2011 Author Report Share Posted October 23, 2011 [quote name='John A. Zoidberg' timestamp='1319333339' post='5594829'] ...how is Gatekeepers boring? I mean, I know the opening bunch of chapters in Raven's Gate are meh, but honestly, (correct me if I'm wrong, O haven't read the book in years) there's an old lady getting burned to death by acid, killer dogs, disappearing people, etc. I find it to be quite good. I know it's your opinion, but did you just read the first half of Raven's Gate and go "Meh, I don't like it" or did you read maybe the first couple books like you should have? By the way, why are you reading the books in that order? You skipped over Snake Head, and you them in a really weird order. I don't get it. :l When I read a series, I like to, y'know, read it in the right order. [/quote] I read like the first two books of gatekeepers and hated it. First i picked up Eagle strike and Scorpia at a library book sale. I read Eagle strike on a plane ride and finished it. I bought crocodile Tears to read on the plane ride back. I finished that and loved the series so I read my copy of Scorpia that was at my house. Decided to read Stormbreaker (I had already seen the movie) and rented it from the library. The same day the library was selling a used copy of ark angel and I bought that. I read stormbreaker then Chapters had a sale so i bought point blank and Snake head. I read point blank then ark angel. So i have snakehead at my house, Skeleton key at my school where I can read it there and I might buy scorpia rising today. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quiksilver Posted October 25, 2011 Report Share Posted October 25, 2011 Gatekeepers is much better, even though I've only read the first book and part of the second. Like someone up top said, it has an overreaching plot which helps IMO. Alex Rider, on the other hand, follows the same basic formula. You already covered this a bit, but I feel I need to add a bit, so, here is the Recipe for Success in Writing Alex Rider- Exciting opening scene involving Not-Alex Alex gets involved...somehow Alex goes undercover Ah shi- Cover's Blown Capture and subsequent escape Return FOR VENGEANCE Kill the boss's top henchmen, who ALWAYS is disfigured in one or another. (I mean, seriously. Mr Grin has a Glasgow smile, Nile has vitiligo, Conrad had a bomb he was carrying explode, and Kaspar has a freaking world painted on his head.) Confront the Big Bad, who explains everything Big Bad dies...but not because of Alex, of course Happy Ending! Bake at 12 hundred degrees for optimum flavor. There are a couple instances in which the All-Mighty Recipe is not followed, of course, but, more or less, that's an Alex Rider novel in a nutshell. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admiral Tim Posted October 25, 2011 Author Report Share Posted October 25, 2011 yeah pretty much Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admiral Tim Posted October 28, 2011 Author Report Share Posted October 28, 2011 started the first chapter of snakehead. I'll probably get back to it later. I'm getting around the middle of skeleton key. Where he meets the CIA and is given his assignment and you meet Sarov and conrad. Seems to be pretty good. I like it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admiral Tim Posted November 2, 2011 Author Report Share Posted November 2, 2011 Snakehead is meh... Ok right now. no big opening He met up with Ash... Why can't he just tell him about his parents!!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admiral Tim Posted November 6, 2011 Author Report Share Posted November 6, 2011 Bump. Yet another disfigured henchmen in Snakehead. I mean he had his ears cut off! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admiral Tim Posted November 11, 2011 Author Report Share Posted November 11, 2011 Finished Skeleton Key. Sarov is just.... messed up in the head. Bad. First of all he wants to adopt Alex. Even creepier is the fact he wants him to replace his dead son. Finally at the end he can't bring himself to kill Alex because he sees his son in him so commits suicide. Never thought Anthony Horowitz would end it that way but.... Anyways, wasn't great. I don't see how Conrad could fight Alex seeing he has a hard time walking.... Oh well. Back to snakehead Just beat the guy in Muay Thai and now Anan Sukit wants to kill him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admiral Tim Posted November 14, 2011 Author Report Share Posted November 14, 2011 I find it stupid how bad a shot all the villains have.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kitty Posted November 24, 2011 Report Share Posted November 24, 2011 I'm on the last book, Crocodile Tears. I waited two weeks to check it out of the library and now I don't have the inspiration to finish it... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Amazing Avian Posted November 25, 2011 Report Share Posted November 25, 2011 [quote name='Admiral Tim' timestamp='1321299338' post='5641306'] I find it stupid how bad a shot all the villains have.... [/quote] All villains graduate from [url="http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ImperialStormtrooperMarksmanshipAcademy"]The Imperial Stormtrooper Marksmanship Academy.[/url] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admiral Tim Posted November 27, 2011 Author Report Share Posted November 27, 2011 [quote name='Kitty' timestamp='1322172682' post='5663158'] I'm on the last book, Crocodile Tears. I waited two weeks to check it out of the library and now I don't have the inspiration to finish it... [/quote] Wasn't that bad... Ark angel really sucked, and scorpia rising is the last book. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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