 2008-12-19 - By the Sword
I was disappointed with By the Sword and the direction Wilson is taking the Jack as a character. I've read all the previous books loving the story lines where Repairman fixes other people's problems. These stories are clever and at time humorous (recalling the helicopter dropping used truck tires on a gangsters outdoor party LOL). I don't read the books for the fictional cosmic battles between good and evil that Jack got sucked into.
This book wasn't fun at all to read, it was very dry and dark. I'm having serious doubts that I'll finish the set knowing there are only two or three volumes left. On the other hand I may just wait for the paperback versions so I can be disappointed as cheaply as possible.
 2008-12-18 - Worthwhile continuation of the series
It's hard to rate this book higher than 4 stars, just because it doesn't really feel "complete". But it is a worthy addition to the series, answering many questions without really introducing too many new ones. The "Kicker" movement is explained, as is (at least in part) the women with the dog.
And it is an action filled tale; plenty is happening, and Jack seems to be right in the middle of everything. It was a fun read, and at some point for me, became a "can't put it down" type of read. I'm looking forward to the other final books of the series.
Not a book to read as a standalone, for sure. You really need the context of the earlier novels. But if you have that context, you're going to enjoy this one.
 2008-12-16 - Something Missing
I commented on R. Andrew Meger's "Downgrade" review, and in that review I was agreeing with much of what he said. I finished this book with a nagging what is missing in this book feeling. I couldn't put my finger on it. After reading other reviews and R. Andrew Meger's review it hit me. This book didn't have the usual side jobs that Jack has to creatively deal with as we see in many of the other books. I did notice not as much of an appearance from Gia and Vicky, but I just wasn't sure if that is what was giving me the less than satiated feeling. I now know what drew me to this series. The otherness was always there, but it was mostly the side jobs that kept me turning the pages. It was Repairman Jack that grabbed my attention and held it, not Save-the-world Jack.
 2008-12-11 - A dual review of Secret Histories and By the Sword
I won't repeat the mistake of revealing any plot elements of either of these books, which, ignoring Nightworld, currently represent the earliest and the latest installments extant in F. Paul Wilson's outstanding Repairman Jack series--I've been reprimanded by several Jackmaniacs for doing that in past reviews, and I can't take any more disapproval. Suffice it to say that longtime Jack fans will be greatly pleased with both books, which deliver the solid writing, action, suspense, and wry humor they've come to expect from the series; they're also notable for the many moments of frisson they provide, Secret Histories delving into many aspects of Jack's early life (basically a YA, it features a 13 year old Jack), and By the Sword (which has explicit ties to Wilson's classic World War II epic Black Wind) bringing the adult Jack closer to his date with destiny described in Nightworld. As a certain dumb blonde might say (without exaggeration, I might add), these books are "hot."
2008-12-09 - Going Nowhere and without Repairman Jack
Wilson nears the close to his famous, perhaps infamous, book series about "Repairman Jack" with By The Sword. With a storyline centering more about a pregnant teenager and a one-of-a-kind sword, and the multitudes of people and entities that are pursuing both, it seems less like a Repairman Jack novel, and more like a novel featuring a cameo of him. At times convoluted, and with elements that seem irrelevant, Wilson may have over-complicated his latest work.
To die-hard fans of the original Repairman Jack novels, By The Sword will only continue the disappointment that Wilson's newer stylistic components started. It will feel like you once had a precious gem, and that over time it became soiled and cracked, thus soiling your mood and cracking your expectations. To fans that have heralded the transformation that Wilson's novels have taken over the past few years, it will feel like you have stumbled across an instant classic that is sure to be in libraries for generations to come. To an outsider to the Repairman Jack series, it will be one of the most bewildering and unsettling reads of your life. It will feel as if you were taken into a helicopter, blindfolded and handcuffed, taken into the tropical jungle, spun around a few times and then released. Unfortunately for Wilson, the die-hard fans and readers unfamiliar with the series are bound to make up the majority of the audience.
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