Wednesday May 5th 0922

I brought two books with me to China, largely for airplane-fodder. Sadly, I had thought there'd be books in English in specialty bookstores, but I was disappointed: they only really carry "Let's Learn Chinese", "Let's Learn English", and "A Hundred Phrases for the Aspiring Emigree", OR recent publisher Bestsellers like "The Audacity of Hope", "Harry Potter and The Belated Sequel", and such. What I'd much prefer is a nice solid midlist book selection, but I assume that, given the hassles of book importation to the PRC (both legal and logistical) and the mercurialness of the likely customer's tastes, it is hard to avoid relying on sure-profitable books.

And so I've been rereading my two books over about every four weeks, and last night I finished a re-read of Titanicus by Dan Abnett, since I wasn't ready to plow my way through Titus Groan by Mervyn Peake again.

Titanicus is a nice solid geek-fest with giant robots, straightforward characters, and plenty of combat sequences, and so it makes for a nice relaxing read. I imagine it's a lot like Grandma's mysteries in entertainment value (except for the fact I doubt there are giant robots and lasgun combat sequences in the mysteries, haha). Having read Titanicus a few times now, and some other books by the author, I have to conclude however that it is not quite as solid plot-wise as most of his other books.

I think the MacGuyver at the end tends to spoil the book a bit for me (the Archenemy needs to get its act together if a homemade bomb made from piss, screw washers, and nytrate can get pulled through an entire parade ground of troops by a ragged crew of 5 and hit the Weak Spot). I also thought that the resolution for Cally was anticlimatic: she was leading her PDF remnant through all sorts of spiky baddies the whole book, and it ends with her getting a pat on the back and a dead husband, without even a cinematic out: I get the feeling that her injured charge was supposed to be a real interesting sneak through enemy lines, but Abnett realized the book was getting a bit thick for a paperback and cut it off early. I thought Moderati Tarses was real cool, but in the end he was shoehorned into the "Oh Noes A Invictus/Tempestus Commanded Titan in the Middle of Heresy" role. And there were entire characters unused: the gardener guy was intriguing, and added next to nothing to the book.

Overall, the book is solid and gripping for the first 600 pages, but I felt the tying-off of the several plot lines in the last 100 felt like it was rushed and maybe under publication pressures.