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Those in Peril - SPOILER ALERT

PostPosted: Sat Apr 02, 2011 2:17 pm
by Nefer
If you've read the book please post your thoughts here!

Re: Those in Peril - SPOILER ALERT

PostPosted: Sat Apr 02, 2011 2:19 pm
by Nefer
Here is garwil's review:

garwil wrote:I received a copy for my birthday and to say that I am very disappointed would be an understatement. Some of you may like it but I have closed the book having not read even a quarter of the way through and doubt I will re-open it. In my opinion it is just not WS's style at all. Maybe I am just an "old fogey" but bring back the Old African stories is my opinion and what I know and come to expect from him.

It is a far cry from the style of Assegai and I think that maybe he took some of the criticism of that book to heart and has overdone it. The style is just not there at all! Some time back, somewhere, I read that people were asking if he was indeed writing the books himself or getting some-one else to do it and now I wonder as well.....

As they say here in Africa.... aaaaish!!!

Re: Those in Peril - SPOILER ALERT

PostPosted: Thu Apr 14, 2011 7:28 am
by jeffw
So disappointed - his publisher should be ashamed - they're milking their sacred cow - their editing is a disgrace and the writing? I'm stuck for words. No doubt some of WS's more ardent followers will still buy this, but only out of loyalty. Everything comes to an end, sadly, for me, Those in Peril was the full stop. Read the reviews on Amazon.co.uk - distressing. Will stick with his old stuff and remember.

Re: Those in Peril - SPOILER ALERT

PostPosted: Fri Apr 15, 2011 5:06 pm
by johnrogers
I have not read the book yet but intend to in the very near future.The release dates are so contraindicted in canada I am not even 100% sure when it is coming out.

#-o I have read a few reviews and am a little concerned not great raving reviews however I will read it and decide.When I am finished reading the book I intend to give an honest opinion on www.blurbal.com I have never read one wilbur smith novel that I did not like and think it was a great offering or one of the best books I have ever read - yes of course some better than the others but they all stood pretty straight and tall to me.

:lol: see you soon Those In Peril ( and looking forward to the day )

Re: Those in Peril - SPOILER ALERT

PostPosted: Fri Apr 15, 2011 8:45 pm
by Nefer
I thought it was just me who couldn't find the book!

It's not on the kobo site yet, and when it is I'll get it as an e-book. Based on reviews I won't be putting down money for a hard-copy, I hardly have room on my bookshelves as it is.

Re: Those in Peril - SPOILER ALERT

PostPosted: Fri Apr 15, 2011 9:14 pm
by johnrogers
Nefer wrote:I thought it was just me who couldn't find the book!

It's not on the kobo site yet, and when it is I'll get it as an e-book. Based on reviews I won't be putting down money for a hard-copy, I hardly have room on my bookshelves as it is.


Agree it has been really weird they keep altering dates day to day - as far as amazon.com - re kindle no ebook version available as of yet - I will be fine got lots of reading around the house til then - however the reviews I am reading are a little negative went thru a few of them on amazon.com today and a lot of thumbs down however that could be a sabatoge of some sort I find it hard to believe Wilbur would write a book that was not good so I will judge when i read it

[b7] YOU HAVE TO READ :lol: WATER FOR ELEPHANTS

Re: Those in Peril - SPOILER ALERT

PostPosted: Sat Apr 16, 2011 7:25 am
by vincent
Have recently finished "Those in Peril". Not his best effort. Storyline very predictable and some of the sex and violence a bit too gratuitous. His desciptive powers are still strong but I cannot see myself reading it twice.
I will always remain a fan of his. I try to remember that he is getting on now and he cannot be expected to produce a winner every time. He has given me 30+ years of pure reading pleasure so if it ends now, so be it.
Vincent.

Re: Those in Peril - SPOILER ALERT

PostPosted: Sun Apr 17, 2011 7:25 pm
by johnrogers
Just a note regarding some of the reviews and opinions on this post

Do not make a judgement on this book until you have read it - a lot of the comments on Wilburs offering Those in Peril have not been that great not only on this website but others as well.I have not read it yet but find it hard to believe that Wilbur could ever write a not so goo novel.I have read every one of his a have never read one that I did not like.

Read it and do not go by reviews and opinions only :shock:

Re: Those in Peril - SPOILER ALERT

PostPosted: Wed Apr 20, 2011 9:51 am
by johnrogers
Regardless of reviews I read all over the internet that Wilburs novel Those in Peril is on the best sellers list all over the world where it has been released.

What I do get in the comments and reviews it is a little powererful in the descriptive sex stuff and the debauchery genre.The book is not available in Canada yet that I can see.I will be honest I am not crazy for heavy sex description in a book a little is ok but a lot is a not - so we shall see soon enough,

:lol: Point is Those in Peril is Number #1 - on the bset seller list worldwide

[b7] Nefer have you seen the damn book available anywhere in Canada ?

Re: Those in Peril - SPOILER ALERT

PostPosted: Wed Apr 20, 2011 11:11 am
by Nefer
Nope :(

The official WS site says it'll be out May 3 :shock: I'm pretty sure I remember an April publication date being advertised before... I guess it got pushed back.

Not that I'm complaining as I do have ample reading material to get me through the next 2 weeks :)

Re: Those in Peril - SPOILER ALERT

PostPosted: Thu Apr 21, 2011 8:58 pm
by johnrogers
jeffw wrote:So disappointed - his publisher should be ashamed - they're milking their sacred cow - their editing is a disgrace and the writing? I'm stuck for words. No doubt some of WS's more ardent followers will still buy this, but only out of loyalty. Everything comes to an end, sadly, for me, Those in Peril was the full stop. Read the reviews on Amazon.co.uk - distressing. Will stick with his old stuff and remember.


I have not read it yet but the reviews on amazon and on forum and on other sites are not good.No doubt reviews are a big influence on the reader - what I find difficult is there is not one book ever written by Wilbur Smith that I have not enjoyed and revelved in to the maximum

Oh well will find out for myself soon enough :-({|=

Re: Those in Peril - SPOILER ALERT

PostPosted: Fri Apr 22, 2011 1:22 am
by jeffw
Have been with WS from the beginning and marvelled at his genius. Hunted and prospected many of the areas he has written about so for me the link is very strong. However, unfortuntely everything must end. Will continue to pre-order his books for as long as he writes, as will many; whatever the pitfalls - because he will always rank as the greatest adventure writer ever to come out of Africa. For me his name lives on through, When the Lion Feeds and other earlier works. However, there were brilliant writers before his debut and others, no doubt will follow.

Re: Those in Peril - SPOILER ALERT

PostPosted: Fri Apr 22, 2011 12:46 pm
by johnrogers
jeffw wrote:Have been with WS from the beginning and marvelled at his genius. Hunted and prospected many of the areas he has written about so for me the link is very strong. However, unfortuntely everything must end. Will continue to pre-order his books for as long as he writes, as will many; whatever the pitfalls - because he will always rank as the greatest adventure writer ever to come out of Africa. For me his name lives on through, When the Lion Feeds and other earlier works. However, there were brilliant writers before his debut and others, no doubt will follow.


Regarding Wilbur Smith as the greatest adventure writer in the world when you think that virtually every word he has ever written in all of his 35 books they all have have been epic in every way.What I like the most of what Wilbur Smith can accomplish and do when he writes that no other writer can is, as I have read thru all of his 35 books one at a time and have read them in the correct order and every time I finished one and then started the next the next book was even better than the previous .Not only that he really knew how to tell the story he knew how to draw you in when I read his books I felt like I was there in real time with the courtenays and the ballantynes and the egyptian saga was the best of all other than the Quest which was just to must fantasy for me.

Re: Those in Peril - SPOILER ALERT

PostPosted: Mon May 02, 2011 8:28 pm
by Matbow
I finished Those in Peril over the weekend...and I actually enjoyed it!

- Didn't feel like a WS book; first time I have felt someone else could have written it.
- Sex scenes were over the top.
- Really weird to read a WS novel set in the modern day; Blackberry's, Skype etc...
- Very quick read; I finished in 4 or 5 'sittings'

And John, to answer your question from my other thread (about how I have this book) - I may live in Boston, but I'm from the UK and have an Amazon.co.uk account...

Re: Those in Peril - SPOILER ALERT

PostPosted: Mon May 02, 2011 10:31 pm
by tedd
[q
- "Sex scenes were over the top".
-
Excluding his early books I've always felt that WS's sex descriptions in his recent novels are way out - he cannot differentiate between sex and smut/porn - I'll get a copy of Peril soon and see what you mean!

Re: Those in Peril - SPOILER ALERT

PostPosted: Sun May 15, 2011 4:38 pm
by johnrogers
Those in peril a 10 out 0f a 10

Classic WS standalone I loved it could not stop reading it and when I was finished left me wanting for more.I waited a long time to read this book and was very concerned about the terrible reviews I have read.Those in Peril is equal to any of WS standalone that I have read and I have read them all - what may have swayed some people to not like it so much is the three pages of erotica that exsisted in fact I agree I was shocked to find sex so descriptive in any of his other books.But it was only three pages and that was that then WS got on with it.

I also think a lot of people were wanting a Courtenay, Ballantyne, or Egyptian novel instead of a stand alone - me to - would love to see an extension of one of those series perhaps someday we will.

Anyone who reads this post I encourage you do not judge the book until you have read it for yourself - I do not understand why people are rateing it so low

:lol: WS may you live forever and write more books

Re: Those in Peril - SPOILER ALERT

PostPosted: Mon May 16, 2011 6:40 am
by nippydan
Well, just finished Those in Peril yesterday, I got it for my birthday on Monday so didn't take long to finish. I've got to be honest, I've come looking for a discussion board just to gauge other people's opinions and this is the first one I found. I came looking because I have to say that although it didn't take me long to finish it was only because once I start a book I have to finish it. I love Wilbur Smith's books, Courtneys, Ballantynes, Egyptian novels too. I must admit that I did ask for this one for my birthday with a bit of intrepidation as I was really enjoying Assegai and then realised that I didn't have long left so it must go to a second novel. However he seemed to wrap it up really quickly as if he was hitting a deadline rather than writing the story he wanted. Bearing mind I'm 32, been to University and 'enjoyed myself' I found the graphic nature of the sex scenes completely unnecessary and had no place as part of the story. In particular the two rape scene's (what need was there for the first one). I felt Wilbur is starting to sound like a dirty old fantasist than someone actually telling a story. Being the son of someone who was in the special forces and grown up around several of these type of men, I found it completely unbelievable the dialogue Wilbur wrote for how Hector and Paddy spoke. They would have been much more rough and ready. And it was blatantly obvious from their first interaction that Hazel and Hector would end up together although the way she was so submissive all the time was also more like Wilbur's fantasy than how those characters would have actually played out. I listened to Jack Higgins on desert Island discs and he said it was an interaction with a former tutor that changed the way he wrote. The tutor told him it wasn't him that told the story but the characters he created. The next book he wrote was so much better than anything he'd written before that his publisher said they had to publish under a different name (Jack Higgins). I kind of feel that Wilbur is now trying to fit his characters into the story he wants to tell rather than enjoying the characters taking him on a journey which was what it felt like in the Court/Ball/Egypt series he did.

I can't believe Johnrogers that you can compare that book with so many of Wilbur's previous books at 10 out of 10. I'd recommend you go back and read his earliest novels again come back to Those in Peril and read it again. This novel does not compare, predictable, seedy, unrealistic dialogue are not something I have ever found in one of his books, albeit I know he likes the odd sex scene. Extremely disappointed and although I will always buy his books because of my loyalty to him for the pleasure he gave me when I read Seventh Scroll when I was 18 (I then rushed out and bought his whole back catalogue everytime I had any pennys), I woul dnot recommend this book to anyone.

Re: Those in Peril - SPOILER ALERT

PostPosted: Mon May 16, 2011 10:07 am
by johnrogers
Hi Nippydan

I always judge a book by how much I enjoyed it.As you did I read the book in a matter of only a few days.Why I give it such praise is the story was so exciteing and fast moving - I agree his beginning novels had much more depth but only in the Courtenay,Ballantyne series.Remember this book was a standalone and I found it no better or worse than any of his previous standalones.What compels me to give it a ten out of ten is it was a great tale to spin I could not put it down.

I don't think we can expect a masterpiece out of WS every time he writes a book - But when I read WS by the end of the book I always feel refreshed and excited.The heavy sex description turned me off in fact I was shocked and disgusted but it lasted for three pages and that was that - from there the book took shape.

However all of you points in your post are true enough I can not argue any of them with you in fact you are correct and I expect the majority of people feel very much the way you do in Those of peril.

take care - good reading

Re: Those in Peril - SPOILER ALERT

PostPosted: Mon May 16, 2011 10:18 am
by nippydan
Thanks John, was just surprised you could give it ten out of ten that was all. I agree it was fast moving and I really liked the idea of the story. It has just hit me who it was like reading though. Matthew Reilly is just like that where he comes up with a great idea but then tries to cram too much action into his story and plots and characters go completely way past the point of credibility. Was so annoyed when he left the ending in Seven Ancient wonders with no closure and certainly no warning that there would be follow up books. Money grabbing so and so, I refused to buy or read his follow to it I was so wound up. Will re read his first few books: contest, ice station and temple which I thought were brilliant though.

Have you got any other good authors you'd recommend? Love Wilbur usually and I also like Lee Child, Henning Mankell and I have a ponchant for sci fi with David Eddings (only the Belgariad and Mallorean series though, the rest were rubbish) & Robert Jordan. Just started reading Christian Jacq too which I'm enjoying.

Re: Those in Peril - SPOILER ALERT

PostPosted: Mon May 16, 2011 10:43 am
by Matbow
Interesting reviews here. It seems like everyone has the same thoughts on the novel, but are rating it very differently!

My thought process when reviewing Wilbur Smith books is that I compare them against his other works, not other authors. In that sense, I'm probably more critical of a new Wilbur novel than I would be for a book from an author who is new to me.

So, that being said - I rated Those in Peril a 6 in the above poll, but if I were to rate is against all the other books I have ever read, it would be a solid 7.5...