Dance of Death

With the semester so recently ending (I got 3 A's, thank you for asking), I got the opportunity to finish the book I was reading. I had decided not to read the steampunk compilation due to sheer boredom with it. Instead I began to read the next Pendergast book, Dance of Death.

I must say, I am slightly disappointed with this book. In the typical Preston and Child book there is an element of the supernatural. Generally something so very little that the entire world is the normal every day world of you and me, but with something slightly off. There was no such element in this book. That fact disappointed me.

In general this book was the second worst of the Preston and Child books that Ive read (coming in just ahead of Reliquary). That fact too, was also disappointing coming off some of the best material that I have ever read in Still Life with Crows and Cabinet of Curiosities.

This book centered around a mental dual between Agent Pendergast and his brother Diogenes, who is bent on committing the perfect crime in an effort to ruin his brother. As the novel progresses it becomes apparent that Diogenes modus operandi is to kill individuals who were important to his brother's past. These killings, at first thought to be simply painful to Agent Pendergast are discovered to have the dual purpose of also framing Agent Pendergast for these crimes. In the end, we learn that both of these ideas are simply red herrings for Diogenes true crime.

In all, I will give this book a 3/5. Preston and Child, on their second worst day ever, are better than most authors will ever be able to be (in this genre I should say).

Next up? Maybe the end of that steampunk anthology? Perhaps the next Pendergast book (Book of Death)? I'm not sure. Summer is here though, and while I am taking classes, they are nothing too difficult and so I should be able to get some reading done.

In addition, Ive discovered a way to get old nintendo and super nintendo games onto the iphone. Perhaps now my secret ambition to run through an entire series of final fantasy or dragon warrior one game at a time can finally come to fruition!!! Seriously though, having the games available to you whereever you go, and the save state option makes it ridiculously easy to get in a few xp'ing sessions between classes or while waiting for the kids at the bus stop. Definitely a plus to finishing two series that involve a lot of work.