Just read it for the third time, keeps getting better
357891
Nelson DeMille is the only author in America whose work I will buy in hardback sight unseen. He is the only author whose work I will read over and over again and seemingly enjoy more each time. This one has it all: DeMille's alter-ego engaging wit in the flesh of detective John Corey and a tremendous plot that involves murder, a fascinating treasure hunt that dredges up the history of Captain Kidd and a very plausible end-of-the-world terrorist scenario. DeMille also creates some of the best villains in fiction. I can't decide who I wanted to dismember more: Frederick Tobin or Paul Stevens. This is absolutely a great read that was funny, engaging, suspensful and ended up being a great history lesson along the way. Take it on vacation and you may not want to leave the room.
3033576
I have read this book three times over the last thirty years and it gets better each time. The complex story with multiple characters easily rolls into each book until the story builds to its conclusion.
397674
This is the forth or fifth time that I have read this series. I used to have the 3 individual books, but over the years they disappeared. I was lucky and found this used book, though the quality is perfect. In terms of the story, it is fast paced, well written and entertaining. even after 20 plus years and multiple reads, I still find myself becoming very attached to the characters and even tearing up at different points in the book. If you are a fantasy fan, a fan or the Lord of the Rings trilogy, these are must reads.
4674316
So, I have decided to marathon read the Harry Potter books for the very first time for the impending release of the seventh and final book. So far, the third book in the series is my favorite thus far. The story was complicated and rich, the characters divine, the plot twists unexpected, and I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it.

I'm told they get much better from here, but I don't know if Rowling can top the third book. If she does she will secure a spot in my admiration permanently. I can't  wait to reread this one.
3210175
I discovered this book about 10 years ago, and I consistently revisit the book once a year. The book has lost a bit of it's luster over the years, mainly the childhood set-up, but it is always a page turner. I agree with some of the reviewers that Phedre does lack a bit of depth, but I have also read the rest of the trilogy, and then the following trilogy, and the books keep getting better.
The language is a bit flowery, but everything is described in such detail and so vividly that it's easy to get lost in the imagery and to visualize these characters. The setting is just as much a character as Phedre and the intrigue and politics can set your mind awhirl.
673117
The 5th book in series that keeps getting better.

The author was more aggressive in style with this edition, as he had multiple story lines going at once, which allowed the various characters that we know and love to share the spot light, while introducing new ones, and presenting a guest appearance by a character from the first book.  Sounds complicated, but it wasn't.

The book and the series so far have not disappointed. The concept is brilliant, and it's executed with both style and depth.

When I tell other adults about this fantastic series, their eyes glaze over - but this book is written in the best tradition of "Boy's and Men's Fiction" - nonstop action, exotic villains and clean story lines.

The book is recommended for 12 and up, and I think that is a safe audience.  It really does not have mature themes or (much) mature language.  The book has violence, people die, although none by the hands of our hero's.
1867597
Given the subject matter, Remender and Craig are knocking this out of the park.

This definitely isn't a comic for everyone, and the angst comes through a bit hard, but at the same time, it's such a wonderful allegory for high school and coming-of-age that I can forgive a lot.

The story is tightening, diving deeper, and the art continues to wow.

Compared to the other two volumes, this one felt a bit more disjointed, less coherent as a single arc, but it still manages character change and growth--even if this one is more of a downer than the last few.

Regardless, I'm excited to see where this series continues to go.
2948739
I was skeptical of this book after reading it the first time, but after finishing the trilogy and re-reading them all, I can safely say these are some of my favorite books.

Reader thoughts:
This book lives up to its promises. It's an adventure in this not-so-different world where Kira is faced with disdain, decisions, prejudice, choices, and persecutions. There are angry people on all sides of the fence, and her friends are targeted when she is.

I do love how it starts, that Kira thinks she's a zero, a no one. I also love that she wants to be a doctor, especially considering how the trilogy ends. She soon learns that she can't just read minds, she can hijack them.

Then she learns she's not alone.

There is death here. It's not gory, and there's nothing too graphic (no rape or physical torture, just mental interrogation sort of scenes), but there are still consequences. This trilogy has a war between the readers and the jackers, and it's chaos when mind-reading is ordinary. I just love it.

It would be 5 stars except for the brief, clean, yet unrealistic romance. Kira is a bit blind when it comes to trusting people sometimes. She gets better, though.

This trilogy goes from high-school level, to a gang, to a secret prison, to a larger secret prison, to a secret society, to open chemical warfare. Yet, we feel at each step that Kira is vital. Not that she is a Mary Sue, for she has plenty of faults, but that her personality is strong enough, her abilities are unique enough, and that she knows just the right people to pull off the stunts that are needed to save the day. She is just a little clever and spunky and self-sacrificing, the perfect combination for a favorite hero.

Writer thoughts:
After a couple re-reads, I am impressed at the world-building (not just technology and new vocab) and range of conflicts. I also really like how limited and well-defined the magic is for this trilogy; it allows the characters to be clever. We know exactly what each character can do, and the technology keeps up, blocking their abilities with its own limitations.
2254063
The Way Into Magic certainly avoids becoming the 2 PM post-lunch snooze attack that is the middle book of most trilogies. It picks up right where The Way Into Chaos left off and takes off running at the same pace. While the fascinating part of the first book was watching Cazia and Tejohn's paths diverge, the real delight in The Way Into Magic is watching things come together as each of them makes discoveries -- sometimes the same ones, sometimes unrelated -- that bring the big picture into better focus.

There's more about the grunts, the portals, and the other creatures spilling into the world, of course, but there's also so much more about the different cultures, and how the polite faades begin to crumble in the wake of the events of the first book. The main characters remain incredibly well-drawn, of course, but their companions really shine, too -- particularly Ivy and Kinz.

Overall, another excellent book. I can't wait for the third one, and fortunately, I don't have to wait long at all.
2082490
The series gets better with every book, you can really feel the writer relaxing in to the series and enjoying the story as it progresses. The previous two have provided a solid base for this third book to really thrive and make a fascinating immersive read. The story twists and turns before you leaving you wondering where it will go and what will happen next; pulling you in to a different Era and keeping you reading.
Due to the way the books have been structured, particularly part 1(The Wall) it seemed there had been restrictions that the writer needed to stick to, or close to in order to tell the story; however with 'Part III: The Warlords' the restriction has been eased and it led to a more fluid engrossing book for the reader.
1749728
I just read this book for the second time. I tore through it so fast the first time, I had to read it again. It's amazing. In this book you get points of view of three main characters in three distinct storylines which essentially means three times as much action. And those three storylines come together at the end for a mighty wallop. Brace yourselves. Can't wait for Book 5.
4867742
amazing book, Ive read the blog posts and I really like the book adaptation, fun read, read it 3 times now
2216373
I was such a fan of the first two books in this series, at first I was skeptical, as this storyline varied significantly from that. The main characters are deep and developed enough that the story was still excellent even without the strong historical pull. In my opinion, start from book one in the series. The development of the characters makes this such an enjoyable ride.
3213647
The first 2 in this series are some of my most favorite books, and I've re-read them several times over the past 16+ years since they came out. I've always regretted that the series ended so quickly, but finally after all these years, there's another, and it's just as good as the earlier ones, or even better in some ways. Whatever her reasons for stopping writing for so long, the author hasn't lost her touch. And while I haven't read of any specific plans for a 4th volume yet, and this story doesn't end with a cliffhanger or anything, neither does it wrap things up and provide closure like the end of a trilogy normally would. Instead, it leaves many story threads hanging enticingly loose and ready, so I have high hopes that the author has returned to active writing at last, and more will be coming along soon. Welcome back, and thank you.
4955150
This is my third time reading this series. Every time I read it, I pick up in details that I had not previously picked up on. A really great series.
1509575
The third book in the series continues to develop the fascinating story cementing some of the concepts discovered in the previous two books. It builds out your knowledge of the world, introduces new characters and develops the main characters well. The writing style is well established and makes for easy reading. All in all, I enjoyed the book very much; it accomplished what really good books do: I couldn't put it down towards the end. Well worth reading (in sequence).
2465134
I have read this book three times. Twice in Chinese, and the third time this English Kindle version. I love it.
The story really hooks you as the plots unfold. I would suggest you at least read till Wang Miao gets involved in the investigation of that many world famous scientists committed suicide. That's where the real story begins, and the Red Coast Base chapters at the beginning are just planting the seed that leads to all these crimes targeting modern science, but you won't find out how they are related until very late in the book. Just keep your patience and read at least until the investigation begins.
Liu has done a very good job both in involving real physics in the story, and setting up the hooks with imagination. If the whole story is a play, it has four stage settings: Ye's life at Red Coast Base in the past; Wang's investigation in modern China; the unusual game world of the Three Body online game; the Trisolarans' world. Each of them can be taken out by itself to make a very good Sci-Fi, because all the characters are so well developed and the storylines are vivid emotionally and logically. It's not common to see sub stories this well done as they usually serve only as tools to the main story.
I've also read the latter two books in the series in Chinese. This first book is the best in my opinion. Like I said above, this book has four very well done sub stories, which means you may think you've read the best part of the book and it turned out to be always another surprise (in the good way) until you reach the end.
It may be just a matter of taste. But I love books that give you the cold, dark and hard facts about humanity, while at the same time some human actions really spark in the dark, which give you the light of hope. Liu is very good at this and he created Da Shi on the human side, and Listening Post 1379 on the Trisolaran's side. I really love them.