In the 22nd century, the first wonder of a brave new world is the Phoenix Space Elevator, designed to give mankind greater access to the... read full description
reviews
Mar 10, 2010
Sheila
rated it: 
In a world where memories are as likely to be manufactured as real, where “razers” link their heads wirelessly into whatever part of the internet they can find, where electronic counter-measures are hacked by electronically enhanced people, it’s not surprising that life get a little confusing.
Mirrored Heavens is a somewhat confusing book, but intriguing and engrossing. The author uses short clipped sentences to set his scenes, then peoples them with a cast of characters who may or may More...
Mirrored Heavens is a somewhat confusing book, but intriguing and engrossing. The author uses short clipped sentences to set his scenes, then peoples them with a cast of characters who may or may More...
Jun 19, 2009
Rickg
rated it: 
This is a quick read that really, really wants to be a movie. There's a lot of action, not that much character depth.
The story itself is somewhat standard.. nefarious organization wants to nuke everything, start over. There are three points of view within the story that give us different perspectives. That's part of the problem - Williams introduced things like Marlowe and Haskell used to be lovers.. or did they since their memories are implanted. But there's so much else going on t More...
The story itself is somewhat standard.. nefarious organization wants to nuke everything, start over. There are three points of view within the story that give us different perspectives. That's part of the problem - Williams introduced things like Marlowe and Haskell used to be lovers.. or did they since their memories are implanted. But there's so much else going on t More...
Jul 04, 2011
Shell
rated it:
The Mirrored Heavens is a fast paced sci-fi action book. Anyone who has ever played the table top role playing game Cyberpunk will instantly recognize the futuristic world that Mr. Williams places his story. Unfortunately, he falls into the trap of many players/game masters of this genre. There is an amazing amount of detail put into the fight scenes and a pitiable amount of attention put toward character development.
As the story bounces between the groups of characters, it is often d More...
As the story bounces between the groups of characters, it is often d More...
Jan 19, 2009
Mark
rated it: 
The Mirrored Heavens by David J Williams
Published by Bantam Spectra, May 2008
ISBN: 9780553385410
www.mirroredheavens.com
414 pages
In recent years it’s been good to see publishers push out new talent in the SF field. This book continues that trend by being a hyperactive debut novel. If your tastes in SF run to a nicely extrapolated projected future and lots of espionage activity, saving the world and beyond, this debut might be More...
Apr 30, 2011
Wayne
rated it: 
This is probably the fastest paced book I ever read. However, that is not a compliment. The action moves so fast that you don't actually get to experience any of it. Everything flashes past before it can even leave an impression. There is no character development, no plot puzzles to speak of and by then it leaves you empty and drained. There is so much violence and mayhem, that it over shadows the characters and becomes redundant and boring by the end. Also, the ending was a complete farce and m
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Dec 10, 2009
Robert
rated it:
Took a break from hard sci-fi Dragon's Egg to read an adrenaline, rip n run book. True to the jacket blurb the book is sprinting from page one but for the first half I really didn't care for the four narrative style. Then the global context became clearer (I recommend reading the history appendix first) and I got more into it and became pretty interested in the resolution which came a little fast and disjointed but still interesting enough to give the sequel a lash.
I've got some gripes More...
I've got some gripes More...
Mar 09, 2011
Brian
rated it:
Not for me. I just didn't like it and ran out the clock just to say I finished it. It's part of a trilogy that I won't be participating in.
First - I find it very interior and have trouble "seeing" what's going on.
Second - where's the magical fuel for these suits come from?
Third - I don't usually like present tense (see Water for Elephants.... ack!)
Fourth - there are major problems with the prose rhythm and the sentence length is irregular and t More...
First - I find it very interior and have trouble "seeing" what's going on.
Second - where's the magical fuel for these suits come from?
Third - I don't usually like present tense (see Water for Elephants.... ack!)
Fourth - there are major problems with the prose rhythm and the sentence length is irregular and t More...
Nov 21, 2010
Rob
rated it:
...The Mirrored Heavens is something of a mix of techno-thriller and cyberpunk. For fans of either sub-genre there is quite a lot to like about this book. It definitely has some of the best realized future battle scenes I've come across. For someone with my obsession for environmental matters, political considerations and societal change this novel is not a really satisfying read. A lot is hinted at but even more has to make way, to keep the pace of the story as high as it is. The Mirrored Heave
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May 19, 2009
Reed
rated it:
Maybe I'm just in a rut right now, but I cannot seem to find a book that satisfies at the moment. My latest "failure" at the moment is David Willimas "The Mirrored Heavens". Billed as an updated Neuromancer and an action-packed thriller, I was looking forward to give it a go.
Unfortunately, I'm 150 pages in and finding myself looking longingly at my "to read" pile--wondering if I should give something else a try. It's not that the writing is piss-poor. More...
Unfortunately, I'm 150 pages in and finding myself looking longingly at my "to read" pile--wondering if I should give something else a try. It's not that the writing is piss-poor. More...
May 20, 2010
R.
rated it: 
I don't say things like this often, but he's gotten it right. Williams is as observant as Bruce Sterling, close to as brilliant as Gibson with language and creative like Vinge or possibly Charles Stross on meth. (Though it's hard to imagine him on meth.) I really look forward to the completion of the set, though I'll be sad to see it over.
His terse sentence structure means it moves full forward at full speed. Picture Hemingway as Science Fiction. His observations of what life is be More...
His terse sentence structure means it moves full forward at full speed. Picture Hemingway as Science Fiction. His observations of what life is be More...
Jul 29, 2010
Seak (Bryce L.)
rated it:
Unlike any book I've ever read, The Mirrored Heavens [US:] [UK:] blasts out the gates and never lets up. I have to admit that I'm not the most well-read when it comes to science fiction (I'm working on it), but I was really surprised at how much I enjoyed this story about a very real future world where terrorists are attempting to take over.
It's not too often that you read a book that's completely told in the present tense. This annoyed me at first, but the more I got used to it the More...
It's not too often that you read a book that's completely told in the present tense. This annoyed me at first, but the more I got used to it the More...
Jan 25, 2010
Dennis
rated it:
The Mirrored Heavens is the worst novel I have read to-date.
There is nothing good about it. It even smells bad.
It's been a while since I cracked it last, so these comments are weakened by time. I felt even angrier while I was reading it.
The dialogue is gross and awful. The dialogue is the Microsoft Songsmith of prose, except without the tacky, ironic appeal.
There are plenty of characters and no character development. None. They are there. They do t More...
There is nothing good about it. It even smells bad.
It's been a while since I cracked it last, so these comments are weakened by time. I felt even angrier while I was reading it.
The dialogue is gross and awful. The dialogue is the Microsoft Songsmith of prose, except without the tacky, ironic appeal.
There are plenty of characters and no character development. None. They are there. They do t More...
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Jul 14, 2008
Gopakumar
rated it:
David J. Williams has written a hyper-kinetic bang-up of a novel with blistering action sequences that hits like a flechette.
Set in the early part of a dystopian 22nd century the geopolitical canvas is sketched out in quick brushstrokes in the preface of the book, and in more detail on the author's website before quickly jumping to the action of zone tripping "razors" and hi-ex tossing combat "mechs". The U.S. is pretty much a military dictatorship at this point More...
Set in the early part of a dystopian 22nd century the geopolitical canvas is sketched out in quick brushstrokes in the preface of the book, and in more detail on the author's website before quickly jumping to the action of zone tripping "razors" and hi-ex tossing combat "mechs". The U.S. is pretty much a military dictatorship at this point More...
Aug 06, 2008
Raja
rated it:
It's great, modern cyberpunk and the near-future it posits is all too plausible. I found myself wishing it was harder SF; it glosses over pretty much all of the mechanics of future networking and hacking to an even greater extent than Gibson or Stephenson.
I was frustrated by the ending. It's good in that it isn't predictable, but bad in that there are zero clues, or at least zero that I caught, that could even give you an inkling of how it might end. So while the ending ties everyth More...
I was frustrated by the ending. It's good in that it isn't predictable, but bad in that there are zero clues, or at least zero that I caught, that could even give you an inkling of how it might end. So while the ending ties everyth More...
Jun 07, 2010
Skorgu
rated it:
This is a 24-hour can't-put-it-down thriller. The human characters are familiar, well-established cyberpunk tropes as is the plot: if you crave uniqueness from either this may not be the book for you. The real stars are the pacing and the world; the 22nd century dystopia is a familiar flavor, Williams' interpretation brings more than the usual level of consideration to the political and economic forces at work and weaves them into the action with a set of interlocking storylines with textbook pr
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Jun 08, 2010
Mathieu
rated it:
Couldn't finish it. Worst dialog, in particular, that I've tried to read in ages. All the characters sound alike, which, given the conceit of jumping between their viewpoints every paragraph, is glaringly obvious... but worse, the actual lines are each trying to be exposition, wit, dramatic confrontation and character development at once, and failing at every task. It reads like someone's first attempt at a screenplay, and non sequiturs sprout from this mulched pulp like mushrooms after rain.
Apr 25, 2010
Chris
rated it:
This is one I'd recommend only for fans of military sci-fi. It's competent within the genre, but I'd say it has no crossover appeal outside the genre whatsoever. Williams goes to too much trouble to make sure the reader doesn't see the twists coming, at the expense of good characterization or emotional investment in the game-changing moments. The big reveals felt more like "Wheel of Plot" than the sucker-punches they were clearly intended to be.
Aug 09, 2011
Alistair
rated it:
This was a fast paced book and there are enough twists to keep you reading. However, as much as I wanted to like this book it left me wanting and I did not embrace it. I think that there was almost too many characters to follow along with. I felt that the story barely scratched the surface of what I thought was a intriguing future earth and society. I hope that the author returns to this setting for futher novels
Jun 30, 2010
Sporadic Reviews
rated it:
I've been looking for a good Science Fiction series to get into, and this so far has fit the bill!
It's a pretty good book, interesting characters and situations, interesting POV changes that could have been overdone but weren't.
And I love me some power armor battles!
There are sequels yes? I'll definitely give those a try too!
It's a pretty good book, interesting characters and situations, interesting POV changes that could have been overdone but weren't.
And I love me some power armor battles!
There are sequels yes? I'll definitely give those a try too!
Jan 14, 2011
John
rated it:
Unvarnished cyber-thrillah. The high-energy pacing kept me going just to see what it was all about, but the author has no gift for dialogue and many of the chases, etc came off as repetitive. I also had trouble suspending disbelief as the characters miraculously survived being shot, bombed and variously damaged again and again.
Apr 07, 2009
C.S.
rated it:
I liked it well enough. There were some great science fiction moments in it. Lots of action but the ending left me a little cold. Seemed kind of half baked. Like I had seen it before.
It was an interesting variation on the cyber thriller and worth a look but I haven't decided if I am going to read the 2nd novel, this is directly related to the ending for me. Not sure I liked where the story was going.
It was an interesting variation on the cyber thriller and worth a look but I haven't decided if I am going to read the 2nd novel, this is directly related to the ending for me. Not sure I liked where the story was going.
Jan 27, 2011
Phillip
rated it:
If you ever wanted to read a book that moves like a summer blockbuster, this is it. It takes a minute to get going, and the use of present tense takes a moment to get used to it, but once you do, it totally works. Intrigue, tactical nuclear weapons, powered armor, and infantry assaults on the moon. Read it.
May 23, 2010
Scott D.
rated it:
I was enthralled by the scenario of this book, which was extremely detailed and well thought out. The book is set in 2110, during a second Cold War, and it starts with a bang - a huge terrorist attack that turns the tension into action. The book is extremely fast paced and deals with agents doing their things in the Earth-Moon system.
On the negative side, there's not a lot of character development. The characters are all acting and reacting and talking tough.
Still, I w More...
On the negative side, there's not a lot of character development. The characters are all acting and reacting and talking tough.
Still, I w More...
Sep 02, 2011
Jason
rated it:
So far, it's very aggressive. Becoming increasingly more so.
And now, having finished it, I can say it's one of the best cyber punk/politicky type books I've ever read. There are two more in the series. Stoked.
There's a future earth. There is a truce between two great coalitions. There's a terrorist organization called Autumn Rain. Shit starts blowing up immediately and does not stop. There's a lot of intrigue and subterfuge. There's a cyber zone that is tastefully de More...
And now, having finished it, I can say it's one of the best cyber punk/politicky type books I've ever read. There are two more in the series. Stoked.
There's a future earth. There is a truce between two great coalitions. There's a terrorist organization called Autumn Rain. Shit starts blowing up immediately and does not stop. There's a lot of intrigue and subterfuge. There's a cyber zone that is tastefully de More...
Jun 03, 2010
David is a new friend who I met through Natalie I. I went to his book release party last night and decided to pick up the first book in his trilogy. I haven't read a book in quite some time. It's quite good so far.
Nov 20, 2009
mister
rated it:
Crazy cyber-punk, but from the aughties. Several story lines streaking towards each other in a 22nd century world. lots of tech. betrayals. old lovers. world war 4!! I loved this book.
Jan 26, 2009
Topher
rated it:
as the star rating says "it was ok". I do like the multi-point narration, switching as rapidly as it did, but otherwise, it was an acceptable but not notable entertainment.
Feb 22, 2009
Minna
rated it:
My first attempt to read "techno sci-fi" or whatever they call it. I actually kind of liked the storyline but it was several notches too "punky" for me. I'd watch this movie.
Aug 01, 2010
Bryan
rated it:
The excellent pacing and action make the mediocre writing fade into the background.
