Rating: 
Summary: No Ultima background? No problem!
Review: I just finished 'The Technocrat War' and all I can say is: Wow! I had no knowledge whatsoever of the Ultima game/world before reading this book, and I didn't find it a hinderance at all. The world leaps off the page and into your imagination with an almost uncanny ease. The story and characters are so intriguing and vivid that I had trouble putting it down. This is a splendid work, and I look forward to future titles from this talented author.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent work
Review: I must commend Austen Andrews for the excellent work he did in this novel. Richard Garriot would be pleased on how he shaped the "New Sosaria." The book starts action paced, as the brave knight Montenegro faces down a highly skilled Jukan female. Austen then manages to capture the Knights battle internally, as he goes through his trials of virtue, much like the avatar did in the games. He uses the feelings of each character to draw the reader in, enablling sympathy for the characters. This is a story i highly recommend. Want action? Plot development? Or character interaction? This book has it all, and uses the Ultima world to great effect.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent work
Review: I must commend Austen Andrews for the excellent work he did in this novel. Richard Garriot would be pleased on how he shaped the "New Sosaria." The book starts action paced, as the brave knight Montenegro faces down a highly skilled Jukan female. Austen then manages to capture the Knights battle internally, as he goes through his trials of virtue, much like the avatar did in the games. He uses the feelings of each character to draw the reader in, enablling sympathy for the characters. This is a story i highly recommend. Want action? Plot development? Or character interaction? This book has it all, and uses the Ultima world to great effect.
Rating: 
Summary: Based on the Ultima Series? Not really.
Review: If your intent is to find a book based on the popular single player Ultima series of computer games, seek elsewhere. The book is based on the history designed for the cancelled online MMRPG Worlds of Ultima: Origin, which diverges from the history of the single player Ultima games just after Ultima 1, originally released back in 1980. While some names will be familiar to fans of the original series, there is little to no connection with the history of the popular series other than names of people and places which have little resemblance to their original depictions. 'Based on the bestselling computer game series' is stretching the truth to a noticable degree. The fact that the marketing seems targetted at fans of the original series without actually fulfilling that promise is a major reason for rating the book with 4 instead of 5 stars. That being said, the book itself is well worth reading. Fascinating characters, and hints at a longterm history, even if it isn't the one many purchasers might expect from the front cover. The interactions between the characters are believable and definitely not some stereotypical types stuck into a generic world. People and places are described well, and fit together. All in all, while this book isn't quite in the league of the classics such as the works of Tolkien, I have no hesitation in recommending that people buy and read the book, bearing in mind that it is not set in the original Ultima world of Sosaria/Britannia, but rather one that is more a 'what if' world where events went differently from a point in the deep past.
Rating:
Summary: The Technocrat War
Review: Incredible read .. well written and will come to life again when the new release of Ultima online comes out in 2002 (blackthornes Revenge) . Gripping story and for those of us that played UO online was a very realistic look at what the Role playing and style of game is to feel. Well Done! look forward to more.
Rating:
Summary: The Technocrat War
Review: Incredible read .. well written and will come to life again when the new release of Ultima online comes out in 2002 (blackthornes Revenge) . Gripping story and for those of us that played UO online was a very realistic look at what the Role playing and style of game is to feel. Well Done! look forward to more.
Rating:
Summary: Andrews Rocks!
Review: It might not be fair to review a book I haven't even finished. But I can't help but share what I think already. Andrews creates a very real world with very real characters who each in turn want something. This is cleverly weaved into a plot driven by greed, political warfare and power. The language is beautiful. And Andrews shows great skill in presenting the story very clearly, yet, without patronizing the readers. Though his attempts (to make references to what Ultima gamers would be familiar with) hardly qualifies it as "based on the bestselling computer game", The Technocrat War already has me looking forward to a compelling trilogy which I will read over and over again.
Rating:
Summary: Not a surprise
Review: Mr. Andrews has once again proven his worth as a writer. He could certainly do it full time and achieve great success. This book is excellent, and captures the mood and feel of the world perfectly, just as his other works have. The prequel fiction (which Mr. Andrews wrote) for the game that this book is based off of, check it out! If you like it then I highly suggest reading this book. ;?>
Rating:
Summary: Not a surprise
Review: Mr. Andrews has once again proven his worth as a writer. He could certainly do it full time and achieve great success. This book is excellent, and captures the mood and feel of the world perfectly, just as his other works have. The prequel fiction (which Mr. Andrews wrote) for the game that this book is based off of, check it out! If you like it then I highly suggest reading this book. ;?>
Rating:
Summary: A superb first book
Review: This book is exciting, entertaining, and suprisingly well written. I have been a science fiction/fantasy fan since I was a kid and try to support new authors. Austen Andrews was a name that I was not familiar with, so I picked up the book. What a delightful suprise: Great characters and a solid story line packed with excitement. I have placed Andrews on my list of "must read" authors, and look forward to his next offering.
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