Review: I wanted to love it
Rating: 2 out of 5
Date: 04 4, 2013
I really did. The story premise is good and I like the split narrative between 1912 and 2012. The technology the author introduces stretches credulity a bit, but I can live with that just fine; the book is fiction trending toward science fiction after all.All of the good ideas are wiped away by one key failing as far as I can tell: no editor. Or, if an editor was used that person was, well, not very good. A good editor could have easily cut 20,000 or more words out of the book and it would have been much better for it. An editor would, I hope, have caught a mistake like this from a scene where characters in 1912 are discussing armaments available to them on the Titanic:"I want one of those!" probably have had some Lee Enfield MKIII Short Rifles on board for close confines of ship. It was in .303 British caliber a pretty potent round up to 300 yards. You can probably google those weapons if you need more particulars."If I thought it would do any good other than getting more men killed than these disgusting creatures", Murdoch replied, "I'd break into the Vickers machine guns on board."The author's note to himself to do a little more research on SMLE rifles finds its way into the final text.There are many other examples similar to this one throughout the book. Not author notes appearing, but problems that never would have been had a good editor been used.The author came up with what I think was a very good idea for a story with a different take on the Titanic disaster and it could have been epic. But the editorial mistakes really distract from any tension that the story might otherwise create.