Before the Dawn (Dark Angel) by Max Allan Collins
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Book Reviews of Before the Dawn (Dark Angel)
Book Review: Action with Thin Substance
Summary: 3 Stars
Let me preface this by stating I have never seen an episode of the T.V. series, (or movies, if any) and am judging the book solely on it's own merits.
This book follows Max, and to a small extent Seth, soldiers from an illegal government super soldier program called Manticore. They escaped while extremely young after their handlers shot and killed one of their classmates, showing that weren't stupid and could the writing on the wall. The author takes this too far, referring at times to both Max and Seth in the novel as "the X5" which serves to dehumanize them in the mind's eye of the reader. Dehumanizing the hero isn't a great idea, since the story suffers if the reader doesn't care about the protagonist's fate.
Pacing is fast but not overwhelming. Setting is not well explained (As in electronics were supposedly fried, what about those shielded or repairable?) since I thought the degeneration of the USA caused by the Pulse event was simply glossed over. Characterization is not very deep, but typical for an action novel. I don't really understand why Max didn't have her barcode tattoo laser-surgery erased, and how she hides her 'cat's eyes' which the author gave me the impression of not looking like normal human eyes. I did think the dialogue had it's witty moments, but I also thought Max's vocabulary didn't match her upbringing.
On it's own as a novel, this was a quick fluffy read that broke down if you thought about it too much. I give this type of book three stars and recommend better novels. Maybe it was written only for fans of the series?
Book Review: Didn't quite get it done for me
Summary: 3 Stars
I don't want to be negative, but after reading all these glowing reviews, I thought I'd better give a reality check for true fans of this awesome series: this book wasn't that great. Don't get me wrong, it didn't totally suck, but it's clear that this is just some writer guy who was comissioned to write the book. He has lifted most of the dialogue right from the series, so he gets away with it, but then, when he's supposed to telling us what Max is thinking, suddenly she's thinking in the vocabulary of a 55 year old college graduate from the heartland. Like, she sees a fat guard and thinks, "what a portly, heavyset fellow". Yeah right. I don't think "portly" "heaveyset" or "fellow" are really the words a post-pulse street rat like Max is going to use to describe this guy in her head. He's obviously a lot more comfortable with Logan-speak, but he makes him just a little too much like somebody's Dad. Plus, you can tell the guy is not a fan, because the book just lacks PASSION. It's like he contacted some younger friend and said "Well, let's plot this baby out". I'd be willing to bet serious cash that this guy had never even seen the show before his editor called and said, "Got a gig for ya." But let's be fair, overall, it's a definate fix for those of us who were chapped when the series got cancelled, and it's readable, and we can fill in the gaps ourselves, but it would have been better if they had found somebody maybe a little younger who was a huge fan of the series already.Gotta blaze..
Book Review: Don't get your hopes up
Summary: 3 Stars
Max Collins was the wrong author for this. The characterization was wrong, the plot often far too coicidental, even some of the information from the actual series seemed off. His action scenes, although well written, dragged on and on. There were too many times when I was saying to myself, "Max wouldn't do that." Men came off as evil incarnate, and I thought Max revealed she had "special abilities" to FAR too many people. She fights infront of both Kendra and OC which seemed completely un-max to me. She was always careful. I also had a hard time choking that Logan knew an X5 before Max. That seemed totally absurd to me. And, as long as I'm complaining, who the hell calls the space needle "the needle"? Nobody, certainly not people from seattle.
Nevertheless, if you like Dark Angel, read it because, well, it's all you've got. It's a fast read. It does answer some questions and it's fun. I just have to wonder if the creators of the show read these books before they're put on shelves. I kept on saying to myself, "I could write this better." Sadly, I actually believe this. I wish they had taken more time selecting an appropriate author for this series. I really hope the next two are better.
Book Review: Not as good as the tv show...
Summary: 3 Stars
While it was nice to get the closure that one needs after being left hanging by the TV series which ended abruptly, I have to say that I really like the TV show better. Still, if you were a Dark Angel fan that felt frustrated with the way the show just ended, it does give a little bit of closure, although it does feel a little anti-climatic.Book Review: Interesting
Summary: 3 Stars
This book lets you know what happened before the TV show. It helps set the stage but you need not read it.