Line of Control (Tom Clancy's Op-Center, Book 8) by Tom Clancy, Steve Pieczenik, Jeff Rovin
|
List Price: Our Price: $0.81 You Save: $7.18 (90%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $0.01 (click here) Category: Book See more book details and other editions |
|---|
Book Reviews of Line of Control (Tom Clancy's Op-Center, Book 8)
Book Review: It's Good, but.........
Summary: 3 Stars
This is the 1st book of the op-centre series that I have read, and I was a bit surprised to learn that it was not written by Tom Clancy but by Jeff Rovin. However, the book has got elements of Tom Clancy like the realistic scenarios, unbelievable action and of course- Thrill. But this can't cover up some disappointments , the worst of which was the plot which did not have the in-depth coverage as other Clancy works. Sorry to say so, but its true. However, this is a fine book, just that it pales in comparison to Clancy's previous great works.Book Review: Tom Clancy's Sap-center
Summary: 2 Stars
The first problem is the story itself. The plot is simple, linear, very lacking in credibility and has a few major holes. (I will elaborate later, not to spoil).
There is a very long, uninteresting, and frankly juvenile sequence of events at the Kashmir border, spanning about the second half of the book. There is no thrill, and a lot of Washington-Kashmir Chit-chat that goes nowhere fast- "thank you, your'e welcome, good luck, whatever."
The second problem is how this book is marketed- bordering on fraud. It says on the cover- Tom Clancy's op-center, line of control, "created" by Tom Clancy. Only at the bottom it is revealed in small letters that the actual writer is a one Jeff Rovin.
If this is so, Shouldn't the writer be credited as the "Creator"?
And what in the devil is a "New York Times #1 best-selling phenomenon"? Since when are phenomena being sold? This statement is nonsense- Again, clever and cynical marketing, taking advantage of readers.
The major holes I found in the plot- Why bother trekking across the glacier for hours on hours just to make an audio recording of Nanda's confession?! Why not just use the communication devices? Why does anyone on CNN or India care about this anonymous woman's confession? It is unlikely that a nuclear war would start over a few terror acts (A sadly regular event in that area of the world. And if so- why hasn't it started yet? Also much of the Indian's actions have little sense.
In conclusion- If you like this genre, I can only suggest a different book.
Book Review: Reads as if written to fulfill a contract
Summary: 2 Stars
Let me start by stating what has already been said - this book was not written by Tom Clancy. For starters, most Clancy novels require the reader's utmost attention. In the case of this book, I was able to read it while watching The Mexican in my hotel room on a rainy day at the beach. The problem is not so much with the plot, but with the fact that much of the first few chapters has been blatantly cut-and-pasted from the previous Op-Center book, "Divide and Conquer". It is also written extremely poorly. As a matter of fact, the book begins by talking about "Hood", but you don't get "Hood's" first name until a few chapters later. I'm not a grammar freak but things like that stick out. It seems as if in the cut-and-paste job they were running, they left out a few paragraphs that were essential to the development of "Hood's" character. Op-Center was once a good series. Now it seems quite obvious that they are simply being written to fit a contractual obligation. However, being the media monkey I am, I will continue to buy them. Also, if you are in the mood for something political but a little more dumbed down than Clancy, I recommend any of the first five books in this series, or any from the NetForce series. Otherwise, don't buy this book unless you are a fan of the series or simply don't want to miss any plot developments.Book Review: Huh?
Summary: 2 Stars
I could be alone in this. I too bought this book prior to an airline flight, and I based my purchase on two things. One, I thought Tom Clancy had something to do with it. And two, the blurb on the back seemed interesting.Well, I was mislead on both counts. I cannot for the life of me spot any influence from Tom Clancy - there is truly something wrong in the literary world when the cover of the book has the author in the smallest letters at the bottom.
And where on earth was this supposed cleric stirring up rebellion against India? And when did the border "erupt" between India and Pakistan? Did I miss something? I'll admit I'm not the most observant reader in the world, but I'm sure I'd notice what the blurb claimed to be the major plots of the book.
In the end, an okay book. Considering it wasn't by Tom Clancy. I certainly would not recommend it though, and I'd be making sure I am equipped with decent reading material before I take my next flight.
Book Review: What a waste...
Summary: 2 Stars
The plot starts of very well. As an Indian, I really enjoyed a lot of the initial background (even though some part was 'imaginative'). But sooner than you know, the plot runs into nonsense. Tom Clancy is famous for accuracy of info - too bad he did not write this one. An example - the terrorists find that the shortest path from Srinagar to Pakistan is via Siachen - what a crock. ...! On top of this, the back cover is misleading - the story is NOT what it says on the cover - quite crazy really.Indicates pathetic editing and publishing values. I was glad I had not paid for the book - only borrowed it. The action is unbelievable - literally. I wish someone else would pick up the idea and write a better book. And I hope the author would take ONE look at the map of Kashmir (I doubt if he could visit Siachen - so the faked description of the glacier and its dubious use in the plot is excused).