An outstanding novel . . .
925302
. . . from one of the greatest Sci-Fi authors of all time.

"The Puppet Masters" is a novel concerning an alien infestation of the Earth -- and how that invasion is dealt with.  No plot spoilers -- just a few thoughts:

1)  This novel was written in the 1950's -- a time in which Heinlein was moving away from the Sci-Fi juveniles at which he had excelled, and was moving into adult fiction.  What would become his "future history" was developing -- but was not fully developed.

2)  A super-secret spy agency is a device that Heinlein would use again (notably in "Friday") but in the mind of this reviewer, "Puppet Masters" is the better book by far.

3)  As other reviewers have noted, this is a book written in the 50's, but narrated from the early 21st century.  It is most interesting to see some of Heinlein's predictions about how 21st century life might look.

4)  As in many of his other novels, Heinlein's female lead is red-haired.

5)  Although this novel was written many years prior to "Starship Troopers", one can easily see similarities in Heinlein's attitude about honor, devotion, service, and military strength.  Could "Starship Troopers" have been written, had not "Puppet Masters" preceded it?

All in all, this is a novel which I can recommend without any reservation whatsoever.

Five Stars.
4772373
There is much work behind this novel. You perceive it by its length, the complexity of the plot, the amount of characters and how their stories are intertwined, the attention to detail and even its division into a large number of scenes, which provide us with the picture of a truly impressive story, one of those for which you cannot wait to resume reading.
In a Star Trek-style atmosphere we find the crew of the Hudson, the first spacecraft to leave the solar system to reach that of an alien race, the Dremikians. Their planet, Dremiks, is threatened by the partial destruction of one of its moon, and humans offer to help them save it in exchange for new technology and the settlement of a colony on the planet. From this assumption comes the story of Captain Brett Hill, Commander Maggie O'Connell and all the other characters on board, including the alien Dwax. Soon each of them becomes our friend and we learn about the dynamics that bind them, in a mission that is anything but simple. Behind it in fact, a whole series of intrigues are hidden involving both humans and Dremikians, but not only them.
I'd rather not get into details, it would take away the surprise to those who'll read it. Suffice it to say that this beautiful novel caught me and entertained me, and I almost felt sorry that it's over. It's not easy to manage so many characters and still be able to make them real and distinguishable, but Cassandra Davis has succeeded in it.
If you like stories with spaceships, aliens and interstellar travels, you must read it.

Rita Carla Francesca Monticelli, author of&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Red-Desert-Point-of-No-Return/dp/B00L979374/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Red Desert - Point of No Return</a>
4185598
I haven't written a book review on any other books I have read, but had to pass this on to other readers.

I couldn't put this novel down...it held me captivated at what would happen next...and what an amazing ride...full of adventures and powerful characters.

The entire story burst with realism and intrigue.  This 226 page novel was as action packed as any 800 page novel I have read.  I look forward to future novels written by Michael Banister.
3209634
Absolutely terrific novel. So well written, such detailed descriptions, it was if a movie were running in my head. The plot held my interest and several times I had solved the mystery, only to change my mind a few pages later. Until the very end, I was not certain. An excellent novel that I can highly recommend.
3627681
What a marvelous novel. Louie Cronin writes with such vividness and insight, and I so came to like--and to root for--the characters. There is much to praise here: the elegant prose, the quirky plot, the penetrating observations about our modern, splintered culture. Louie writes with a voice all her own. Five stars!
3338520
This book was recommended to me and with good reason.  It was the first novel I bought online and had to install Kindl on my netbook.  Well worth it!  The novel engages you from the start.  The characters are well drawn and convincing.  The story provides a powerful sense of place and atmosphere is deftly sketched.  Well done!!
1895413
A superbly elegant story!!  It was a real treat to read this novel. While most suspense novels have superhero main characters, this novel contained characters as ordinary as any one of us. A classic tragedy, it expertly tells the story of how our loyalties can trap us in unanticipated events that can not help but spiral into the abyss of the tragic.  A must read. Well worth keeping and reading again. The ending left me breathless, and that is something not many novels do for me.  I felt like I had "experienced" this novel, not just read it.
3626492
I've just finished it and can truly say that it is among the best works  written on the African-American experience in the United States.  As a matter of fact, its one of the best novels I've read in years.  It's also a great Civil War novel, right up there with "Gone With  The Wind" and "Killer Angels".  It is the story of a Black calvary soldier  down in Mississippi during the Civil War who is fighting to free his family from slavery.  It is also the story of the soldier's wife,
Zenobia, who tries to lead her family to freedom through swamps and encounters with bands of Army deserters.  The battle scenes are striking--you really feel that you are there.  Ballard seems to have gone out of his way to show all sides, including the Confederates, to have their say.  He portrays their views in a way that is faithful to the times.  The characters are not stereotypical.  And the encounters between the ex-slave, now a calvary Sergeant called Joe Duckett , and his ex-master, now a Confederate Colonel named Kenworthy are powerfullly written.  This is a well paced war novel and fantastic love story.  The characters are  real people you live, love, hurt, and die with them.  It's a great read and will make an excellent gift for Christmas or Kwanzaa for all lovers of fiction, but especially for any Civil War buffs or lovers of  African American history or just plain historical fiction.
2077995
My review is based on an ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley.

So engrossing--so mysterious that that closure seems unattainable, all evidence pointing to the seemingly impossible...Character studies of amazing (for good, neutral, AND evil) individuals...explorations of criminology, of psychology, of genetics...an absolutely fascinating novel....
3069170
"Casting The First Stone" (CTFS) is an outstanding novel that is well worth recommending to family, friends, and reading groups. I will most definitely recommend it to my reading group-Rare Essence Book Club.  Ms.  Roby's writing is getting better and better.  I thoroughly enjoyed  "Here and Now."  CTFS is very real in regards to the downfall of  many ministers who get caught up in greed, power and sex, and totally  disregard their spiritual being.  The book was hard to put down.  I'v glad  Tanya found the love and happiness she deserves.  I truly hope Ms. Roby  keep up the good work, and I'm looking forward to reading her next novel.
1912144
I am very impressed with this novel; it's one of the best I've read in recent memory and since I read anywhere from 4-8 novels a week that is high praise coming from me. The writing is exquisite, the storyline well-crafted, the characters almost mesmerizing in their depth and how realistic they seem despite being fantastical beings. The plot is slow to develop but in a good way, somehow keeping the whole of the story unpredictable even though you kind of already know what's going to happen. The research into both the cultural and historical backgrounds was obviously extensive, and the knowledge imparted to the reader flowed easily throughout the book. I loved it, really loved it, and I am hoping for many more novels from this author.
4376258
Outstanding novel !  One of the best I've read i two years !!!
3011360
This book is one of the best novels that I have read for several reasons. First, the style of writing is very lucid and simple. Unlike many novels, the reader will find himself hooked on to the book in the early stages, not because of the story, but because of the way the story is told. Second, this book is about a family, and this is why there is a sense of coherency and continuity even though important characters die at different stages of the novel. The emotions that are linked to the death of important characters are missing from other novels, except at the very end in some cases, because the death of the main character would result in a loss of interest in the rest of the story. In this book we are allowed to live and feel these emotions without them having a negative effect on our interest. By the time one of the main characters grows old and is ready to die, a new one is born and a new angle is woven around him. Third, the ending of the story is simply amazing. Some say that our last impression of the novel is the real deciding factor. In this case the ending of the story is probably one of the best parts of it and the reader closes the book while still imagining the picture that the author carefully painted in the last few sentences.
4486549
Just one of the many notable quotes from this OUTSTANDING novel about Montana and two young Scots who make their way from their home to this newly formed state of Montana in search of an Uncle.  This book has everything----the characters are unforgettable, the scenery is breathtaking, the story is remarkable----truly one of the best novels I have ever read.  There is one very bad thing about this novel and that is...that it had to end.  ***** stars is not enough!!!
1760038
Took a few chapters, but this book is absolutely one of the best novels of its type I have had the pleasure of reading. Outstanding.
979572
An astoundingly terrifying, emotional, finely-written novel...one of the best I've read in a long, long time. It will draw you in from the first paragraph.
730535
One of those novels you don't want to put down and you aren't ready for it to end.
I highly recommend it .