The novel lacked the intensity, action, plot twists and character development from her other works.
Unfortunately, this is a boring story with forced romance and underdeveloped supporting characters. I started to love chess because of that book. I chose it because I have a great love for Katherine Neville, particularly for the book Eight. While the plot sounds intriguing, it's not even nearly as good as her other works. They make a bet - if Verity loses, she'll have to work for Tor for a year and one day and if she wins, Tor will get her appointed to The Federal Reserve Bank. He decides he wants to join her game and it becomes a competition between the two. Into the picture comes Tor, her former mentor who taught her everything she knows. Tired of not getting what she deserves, she decides to show them how flawed their computer security system is by temporarily stealing the money. Verity is a vice president of Bank of the World, constantly fighting with her chauvinistic superiors who always dismiss her suggestions unless they can claim them as their own. Everything has been easy to guess and there were no exciting twists. This book has been painfully generic, especially considering our main heroine and her love affair.
I’ve loved Nevill’s work for years, but this book totally ruined my impression of her writing. Considering these are books featuring great female lead characters and are exquisitely crafted mysteries, it's surprising that the romantic and sexual relationships of the leads are so thoroughly bungled. Furthermore, that he fell for her before ever meeting her or at first sight, shows that his interest had nothing to do with her intelligence or personality. In my opinion, this plot point detracts from both the overall storyline and the development of the heroine by suggesting that she isn't nearly so clever. He is also smarter than she is and has anticipated her every move, smoothing the way for her whenever possible. It turns out, inevitably, that the hero was assisting the intrepid genius-heroine because he's been secretly in love with her from the moment he first saw her. As with "The Eight" and again in "A Calculated Risk", the break-neck pacing of the storyline comes screeching to a halt for a sexual interlude just prior to grande finale. The only minor quibble I've ever felt in regard to her books is the inclusion of some kind of romance between the hero and heroine, which, to me, always feels slightly off-kilter. Everything she writes is technologically advance for the time and endlessly fascinating for techno-thrilling mysteries. Katherine Neville consistently amazes me.
0 kommentar(er)
