Four star review for TO INFINITY (and maybe that's far enough)

This review was posted earlier for TO INFINITY (and maybe that's far enough):

"4.0 out of 5 stars Nice to see Science fiction can still be fun., 7 Feb 2012

By 

G. Robbins "Miles of Smiles" (Cheshire, UK)

  

  

   

 

This review is from: To Infinity (and maybe that's far enough) (Kindle Edition)

I'd been hearing good things about Darren Humphries work for some time now and, on that basis, decided to give one of his books a spin. I've always been a science fiction fan, as my groaning bookshelves will attest, so this title came as the ideal starting point.

Mr Humphries has written this book with a Douglas Adams / Terry Pratchett voice. In that respect it has succeeded very well. The interplay between the characters is sharp and entertaining at every point. The story moves along well and there is plenty of enjoyable dialogue.

For the most part I really enjoyed this book, but, and there is a but, something happened to the end. Everything was going wonderfully until it got to 97%. I think the problem with this book is that the enemy is too good. There is a fine line between the hero being cornered and being able to fight his way out and the same hero being painted into a corner. I felt this was the case with this book, where the author had succeeded with the painting, thrown away the brush and decided to have the wall demolished from the other side by the next door neighbour.

I know this is going to sound odd, but don't let the ending stop you reading this book, it really is a treat. There were times when I cursed the end of my lunch break as I was enjoying myself so much. On a number of occasions, I was howling out loud with laughter and annoying my colleagues by insisting on reading out sections of dialogue.

On that basis, I'm going to have to knock off a star for the ending, otherwise it would have got a perfect score. If you are a Douglas Adams or Terry Pratchett fan, you'll feel very at home with this Darren Humphries book and enjoy it immensely."

That's a detailed review, so thanks for taking the time to review it.

A stonking great romp of a book! - New Five Star Review

This review of To Infinity (and maybe that's far enough) was recently placed on Amazon.co.uk

I couldn't have asked for a better endorsement. I really must get back to the sequel.

A stonking great romp of a book!, 22 Oct 2011

This review is from: To Infinity (and maybe that's far enough) (Kindle Edition)

This book slammed me straight on the funny bone. Some books cry out to have bits memorised so you can throw out quotes at appropriately humorous moments in your life. This is such a book.

To Infinity (and maybe that's far enough) New review posted

The website www.starsandaliens.com has reviewed To Infinity (and maybe that's far enough) - I'm having to use the full title now since the sequel now has the title of To Infinity (and maybe just a bit further). It's good with a slight reservation, and here it is:

"Concept/World
The worlds on which To Infinity (and maybe that’s far enough) is set are imaginative and entertaining.  I particularly liked the floating palaces of Bliss 3.

Story
The plot moves along at a good pace with lots of adventurous action.  I liked the unexpected changes of direction and the way the plot developed.  I was a little disappointed by the twist at the end.  Twists that reframe the whole situation can strain credibility, particularly when you’re deeply involved in the story.

Characters
Kaymer Haynes is an interesting character, a con man with a sense of humour.  I found him very engaging, with a sense that there was always a lot more going on than he was letting on.  Other characters are lightly but effectively drawn.  I loved the stroppy computer and the bonkers Dennis Crump.

Presentation
There is an error in the book description; “ever copy” instead of “every copy”. There are similar grammar/punctuation errors in the book (I noted 13), such as “Huge blocks of plas-wrapped cargo was floating free”.   If small errors of this kind irritate you when reading then you may find that detracts from your enjoyment of the story.

Overall           
I was intrigued by the title of this story and slightly puzzled by the end of the book because it wasn’t clear why it was called that other than as a jokey take on “To Infinity and beyond”.  I enjoyed the humour and adventure in the story, and I liked the characters, too.  The first couple of chapters are brilliant and it is a very entertaining read.  If it hadn’t been for the imperfect proofreading and the credibility-straining twist at the end, I would have given this 5*."

New books available in paperback on Amazon.com

Others of my books are now available on Amazon.com in an attempt to stave off the silly advertising of Origin.

You can now get To Infinity (and maybe that's far enough), The Sword In The Tree, Stormwreck and New York City Legend all for prices that aren't even a tenth of the ridiculous asking price of the Origin listings.

It's only paperbacks that are listed, though. For the hardbacks you still have to go to www.lulu.com . I'd get the hardbacks listed as well but that $75 a shot and almost the price of buying one of the Origin books. Considering the amount that I sell, it really wouldn't be worth the effort.

If the paperbacks took off, however...