Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I really enjoyed this trilogy, but readers considering it should probably at least consider the following up front: * You're gonna be subjected to miles of dialog-free prose, more than I've ever seen in any book that proports to be a novel. If you're into the science, and into visualizing what you read, you'll have no problem. But if you're used to Crichton, forget it. The pace will kill you. * If you don't already know geology, keep a dictionary handy. He uses 150 geological terms I'd never heard of. * The book has two main topics: Mars and Politics. Don't expect a thriller. * There are gaps in the science that you'll have to overlook. He's weak on the biological, but strong on the astrophysical. * The characters are pretty archetypal, so you'll probably relate to at least one of them. But also, some are, well, pretty darn annoying. But they add to the story anyway if you can stand them. So given that, if you're not scared off, read it. Read all three. You'll like them, and in the end you'll feel like you know a lot about Mars. It's an epic, and a great one despite its occasional shortcomings.