Review: Fast paced sci-fi thriller
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 03 22, 2013
Full disclosure: I was given a copy of this work to read on my kindle.I've never read anything by Peter West, but I do like his understanding of (and ability to describe) technology as well as the pacing of his work. West keeps the chapters fairly short - I routinely read 2-3 chapters on my lunch break, and keeps the action going so that you want to keep reading "just a little more". So I give him fully marks for pacing, his vision of technology, his ability to breathe life into a battle (making it easier for the reader to visualize what the characters were seeing) and his ability to describe things.In all, the book is a fast paced, gripping read.What I didn't like was a complete lack of context. Where is Cinnamon City - on Earth or some distant planet? Who are the Kamari? I had to read through most of the book to figure out that they were human...I honestly thought they were an alien race at first. Then again, maybe they really are alien. To be fair, there is a glossary at the end of the book, although it didn't do me much good when I didn't know it was there and had already finished reading it. West does give a little insight on the reason for the Kamari insurrection, but it felt as though it was too little too late, given the point at which he wished to share it.Here's the interesting part, though. I found my allegiance switching from the government's Security Force to the Kamari about halfway through the book. So there is the very real possibility that this lack of context is actually a stroke of genius by the author - leading the reader into one belief and then letting the reader make up their own mind concerning the justification for the battle. In other words, he could very well be demonstrating how the information we're fed could be false if only we take the time to understand all of the facts. The book is called, after all, Information Cloud.I did have a bit of a hard time identifying with the characters - they felt a little shallow/cliched.This is the reason for my 4 star rating. It is an excellent read and I do highly recommend it. I hope that he continues with his plans to develop the story line in this series.