F/SF

This is a 3 stories in one book. Only one of the stories is really good. ( )

Wish there was more ( )

The novel is actually composed of 2 very different storylines, extremely loosely connected:
1. A combat military sci-fi about a scout named Felix. This is extremely good and I enjoyed it immensely for its rhythm, grit and realism regarding the stupidity of the brass. The intense battles are reminiscent of the ww1 carnage (unlike Starship Troopers' obvious ww2 inspiration). 5/5 is barely enough for this part.
2. Another storyline about some wiseguy Han Solo type crook and... space pirates. Yes, in a book not from the 1930s,but at the same ridiculous level. This part is terribly boring, ridiculous, unoriginal and riddled with badly written characters. If I could go less than 1/5 I would.
So the average is 3, and if the editor kept just half the book (the mil scifi) it would have been a much better decision. ( )

I read chapter one, half way through it I realized i no longer had any idea where the book is going. I suspect neither did the author. But I went ahead, got to chapter two and for the first part I thought I was still going to like the book. Half way through the second chapter I realized I no longer have had any clue where the book is going, for a second time.

People say the ending is nice. Well, good, but the middle part is an impassable platitude chasm. I had to stop. ( )