Review: Not as Good As Larson's Star Force or Mech Series
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 12 19, 2012
If you have read the highly rated Star Force or Mech series, you know and probably like Larson's breezy style.  He manages to keep things moving, mixing a nice amount of action (mostly alien butt-kicking), with the occassionally interesting science fiction ideas (technologies or aliens) and a modicum of characterization.  Experienced readers wont mistake the Star Force or Mech series for classic science fiction (despite the stellar ratings on Amazon) but as quick and casual "dont think too hard" type reads they work very well.Larson's writing style and skills havent changed per se, but there are a few problems here that I didnt find in Star Force or the Mech series.  The first is the plot -- this volume is all set-up, there is nothing to the plot except an initial mission.  The plot is to some extent painfully cheesy/cliche -- aliens keep crashing on the earth, dead or if living hostile, no one knows why, all the governments want to collect their tech stuff first, all of which is powered by the mysterious Element X.  The main character, a hotty, gets recruited for the secret agency tasked with collecing X because they think she might be psychic -- turns out she can sense Element X.  On her first day, things at the agency go badly, and she is immediately thrust into a retrieval mission with hostile aliens and enemy soldiers from other nations.  That is it, unless you count the tentative is-it-or-isnt-it romantic tension with the hunky solider (groan).  Presumably, more plot points will be added in subsequent books -- we'll learn why the aliens keep coming, the main character will somehow be the one that figures out how to talk to them, gets the governments of earth to work together against some sort of threat, something along those lines, but this book is just the set up with a single mission.  So its a far cry from Star Force's defend the earth plot or Mech's "Aliens"-style infestation plot, which worked right from the get go in book 1 of each series.Anothe problem is that the Star Force and Mech series, while not serious or ground breaking science fiction, did include perhaps interesting sci-fi ideas and concepts now and again.  For example, in the Mech series, space suits are made of nano-adaptive materials to conform to the body and seal breaches.  By hacking the suit, the worker can transform it into a gaming (or porn) system.  That is a genuine, legit and clever sci-fi idea.  Both Star Force and Mech have enough of that to make clear that Larson is creative, and could probably write more meaty sci-fi if he chose.  Although both series are light reads, there is enough creativity and imagination to give them an anchor, and prevent them from being too fluffy.  By contrast, Element X, with its cheesy plot and lack of original sci-fi ideas, doesn't measure up.  To some extent, Element X seems to feel more at the level of the Men In Black movies, or the various Stargate series, which, while fine in a show/movie, is just a little too fluffy for my taste in a book.Conclusion:  Its Larson, he can write, but the plot of Element-X prevents it from being on par with the Star Force or Mech series.  Larson may well be able to improve things in subsequent books -- this first book is mostly set-up -- but judging on this book alone, Element-X isnt necessarily worth a read unless your a hardcore Larson fan.