I gave up on this one because I could not make any sense of the world or the connections between the multitude of characters depicted. The paragraph headings seemed to denote editing directions for video, but I could not understand their connection to the story. The plot was just buried in too many plot devices for me to make any sense of where I was headed and why. I could sense possibilities but was too frustrated to hang in. ( )

The style of the presentation of the story makes this book quite a heavy read at first. I have to admit I did get to a point where I was ready to give up on it, but I hate giving up on a book so I did persevere.

It was well worth it. The story is quite unlike any I have read before full of novel situations and characters. I thought the main character was very well crafted. I became really interested in knowing more about her and certainly felt involved and anxious when she was under threat.

Although very disjointed at first the story does progress into large very readable sections and the overall plot becomes clear.

I am knocking a star off what would otherwise have been a 5 star read for me. The main reason for this is that the ending section was too dreamlike and surreal to maintain my interest. This, imho, was not in keeping with the rest of the book. Although returning to reality for the very last chapters did redeem this somewhat.

Overall I am very glad I read this book and will keep an eye open for more by the same author. ( )

The parts of story I could get is quite great, and FANTASTIC world creation.

Too bad it is such a mess otherwise.

I got around 1/2 of book (read 100% of book but could only figure out half of book), and I am quite good on reading weird books. This book now tops the weird books list.

Oh well. ( )

This is nearly a good book. But sadly that nearly involves throwing away at least half of the current version. It is way too long filled with diversions, random film director camera remarks, and unnecessary cut aways to scenes or people that have no relevance, plus irritating flashbacks to events that have already taken place.. It also doesn't quite work on the biological construct level, or the secret super-agent details, but a little tidying up would probably fix those.

The scenario works well enough. In an america blighted by a home grown terrorist nuclear attack on the capital (no consideration given to how impossible this is) most cities and states are going on as best they can, a group of rogue ex-CIA agents receive enough unofficial support to start a secret agent program. Their agent is genetically altered (and by surgery) to be super - four arms and legs, (the leg arrangement is never described clearly) heightened senses and dexterity, on-board processing etc and et al. Capable of being deployed behind (unspecified) enemy lines and being totally self-reliant. The Agent can grow/create simple (non-sentient) altered life-forms to be her eyes and ears. A long running program raises the agent from birth with intensive training. However insufficient oversight was provided and the Agent manages to subvert her loyalty doctrine, and uses her powers and abilities to easily escape the facility in which she was housed. She flees to the US and takes refuge in the city of Milwaukee, which is simultaneously run and ruled by competing gangsters, and yet not abandoned by ordinary people attempting to make a living in what is frequently described as decayed infrastructure. It's not at all clear who's keeping the lights on or the water running. Of course such a program didn't create just one Agent, and all too soon she has to prepare to meet her nemesis.

The initial couple of hundred pages are slow setting the scenes up, the pace picks up a bit as the flashbacks are finally over and a linear plot can develop. A turgid middle follows while nothing much happens, before finally there's a bit of an almost climax, long foreshadowed and made even less interesting by a very long section of mental imagery, sort of dreamlike contest between the two agents. It makes little sense.

Not yet ready to see the light of day. But the author's writing style does show promise, and a more thoroughly edited version could be readable. ( )

I wasn't able to finish this book. That's the first time that's happened to me in almost twenty years, and only the third time in the last forty. The book is simply incomprehensible to me. It's like someone took four or five stories, ran them through a shredder, and pasted them back together randomly. I got about a quarter of the way through it and at no point did I go more than three pages without becoming completely baffled as to what was going on. About the only takeaway for me is that parts of the story take place in a future where medical advances are miraculous but unaffordable. And space aliens, maybe. Or are they fey? Anyway there are extra arms and legs and plenty of descriptions of breasts.

Maybe in a few years I'll pick this up again and it will all make perfect sense. Until then... wish I had something positive to say. ( )