Rate this book

Judgement At Proteus (2000)

by Timothy Zahn(Favorite Author)

4.13 of 5 Votes: 1

languge

English

genre

Fantasy

series

Quadrail

review 1: Great finale to the series. This series moves away from the confined spaces and limited passengers of earlier novels to large scale confrontations, jetting investigator Frank Compton and his companion Beyta from space stations to planet surfaces, collecting the varied allies -- and enemies -- that he's encountered, in one fairly explosive final confrontation. As befits a SF detective novel, filled with (perhaps somewhat anachronistic) references to classic noir films of the 20th century, everybody had hidden agendas, and even the reader rarely knew all the cards that were in play. The novel is fun.
review 2: This book was a very fitting finale to the entire Quadrail series, with stakes increasing from the enemy faced in the first few books to what seems to be a... more much more malevolent threat. As always,I enjoyed the main characters which Zahn has developed over the series, particularly Frank and Bayta, of course, as well as the alien races and Quadrail system prevalent in these books. But, for those of you who are considering whether or not to read this, I should next stop and say: DO NOT READ THIS STANDALONE. START AT THE BEGINNING OF THE SERIES. If you do not you will lose some of the impressiveness of the story, the history of the relationships, or if you have trouble jumping into the context of a sci-fi environment without having every term explained such as some other reviewers noted, you might miss some helpful initial clues to what those mean.One of things I enjoy most about Zahn's novels is that there is always at least one twist I never expected (which is a rarity for most novels or TV shows!) and yet looking back there is always clear hints about the build up to it, so that it is only natural this might happen. I absolutely hate it when writers (in particular, mystery writers) decide to try to trick the reader by a "big reveal," but in such a way that you felt they deliberately misled you and gave you zero clues.I think one of the key highlights to this series in particular is the depth and intense storyline across 5 books that spend 80% of their time on a train in space. It takes a certain amount of skill and imagination to create a viable train in space (vs standard spaceship), to make it believable, and then beyond that to make it not only key to your story but a thoroughly enjoyable read despite being "stuck" in a relatively simple location for so many scenes!The second major praise I'll throw out before wrapping this review up is the character of Frank Compton. We have someone as clever - more clever - than Bond, since he anticipates enemy moves, plans traps 3 steps ahead, and invents his own weapons or distractions spur of the moment, but without any of the cheesy, over-the-top or melodramatic routines that make the character stereotypical or unbelievable. He's insanely smart, observant and quick on his feet, but understandably so considering both his training and just who he is. He's not flashy, he takes inputs and assistance from others, but he necessarily plays cards close to his chest due to the enemy he's fighting. He sees the cost and is saddened by death, but doesn't let it stop him - the main objective and fighting the Modhri and/or Shonkla-raa requires the sacrifice of some of their pawns although he tries to avoid it where possible.All in all, another solid Zahn book to add to my favorites! less

Download links for: Judgement at Proteus

Advertising