Archive for the ‘The 4400 Book Reviews (Spoiler)’ Category

In today’s March bonus episode, I celebrate my fandom of The 4400 as a TV and novel series by interviewing David Mack the author of Promises Broken the series finally of this wonderful sci-fi series.  He discusses the differences and challenges of taking an idea to the small screen, to the comic book, and to a novel, and then we break down how he, Greg Cox, and their editor came to be concluding The 4400.  Mr. Mack answers such questions on how they decided whether or not Tom should have taken the shot and much more.  Finally he shares details reguarding a fund raiser that he is a part of for the Red Cross, which is quite cool.

I begin by sharing my thoughts on how David Mack and Greg Cox concluded this series.  I will tell you what I liked and didn’t about the conclusion, and I will encourage all of you out there in podcast land who have not yet checked out this series to do so.

Wayne is sitting in time out for today’s episode for not being The 4400 fan that he should be, but he will be back for our regularly scheduled second podcast for this month, so stay tuned for that.

Thanks for listening, we really are glad you are a part of us and our discussion, Jesse

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A Spoilerful review of The 4400 novel Promises Broken by David Mack.

I have never been more afraid to read to a single novel than this one.  As I have stated before, I am not a behind the scenes guy.  I did not learn of The 4400 novels until after the show was cancelled, so I mistakenly thought that The 4400 was moving from the small screen to the book shelf.  In my discussion with Greg Cox author of two 4400 novels, I learned that this was a four book deal struck to build off the television show, and when the show was cancelled, they were going to finish the four books and unless sales were off the charts, that the four books were going to be the end of The 4400.  I was crushed because how could this in depth series be finished in only two books because two of them were set during the show.  I love The 4400, and I was terrified at how the series was going to close because when you love a series, in any entertainment medium, the end can so easily disappoint.  David Mack does not disappoint.  This ending will satisfy any 4400 fan especially in terms of faithfulness, and that is the highest compliment I can pay a closing novel. 

This book does not wait long for all heck to break out.  Basically this is novel could be called the Battle for Promise City or the Battle of Seattle depending on which side wins.  If you remember the ending of the television series ending, Jordan Collier and his band of promicin positives take control of Seattle and remake it as Promise City.  Well, the United States military want their city back and they send in the big guns, big boats, a big laser, and a surprising group of promicin super soldiers, to get it back. 

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For the past three years I have been hanging on a cliff with all the other 4400 fans out there.  Danny Farrell infected literally thousands and thousands of people with promicin including N-TAC, City Hall of Seattle and more.   9000 dead…9000 new promicin positives, how will such a huge leap in the positives be handled?  How is N-TAC and City Hall going to function with so many Promicin Positives in each one?  How is the future side that wants to stop the 4400 going to react to loosing some of the Marked and Isabelle Tyler?  Jordan Collier is now in charge of Seattle…I mean Promise City.  Maia is now a supporter of Jordan Collier, and Tom Baldwin is considering taking a promicin shot.   It was one great cliff hanger.  One writer’s strike later, and we have been left on that cliff for three years. 

Greg Cox was entrusted to take us off of this cliff, and does so in the book Welcome to Promise City, which was very appropriately named considering one of the finally shots of the show was a picture of a Welcome to Seattle sign, which was spray painted to state Welcome to Promise City. 

The one thing that got me most excited about this novel was the fact that there were a clear singular plot distinctive to this novel and another plot that is clearly not meant to be completed in this novel, which signals more 4400 novels are on the way.  Here is a synopsis of the two plots.  The plot which is completed in this novel is a sinister plot by someone to recreate Danny Farrel’s ability to produce promicin an infect all those who come near, and the second plot is the 4400′s counter attack against the Marked.  The Marked at the end of Season 4 of the show go on the offensive against the 4400, but during the series finale, the tables are turned and the 4400 gain the upper hand and go after the Marked.  These multiple plot lines made for a very face paced book and a quick read. 

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This is a spoilerful review of The Vesuvius Prophecy by Greg Cox

Novels Mentioned

The Vesuvius Prophecy

I just finished The Vesuvius Prophecy, which is a tie in to the sci-fi show from the USA network The 4400, of which I loved.  I am a book guy.  In fact, I can only think of 4 shows in the history of television that I have watched every episode: Third Rock from the Sun greatest sit-com ever, Boston Legal Denny Crane greatest TV show character ever, Burn Notice and Psych, and the last two which are shows I like, but have been aided greatly by DVR, which makes catching shows so much easier.  I just never cared that much for seeing every episode of any TV show.  I have a life and books, so sitting down every Monday to watch a show is hard for me, but for me The 4400 was appointment TV for me.  More importantly The 4400 is the only sci-fi show my wife loved, which says a lot for it. Now, I know.  I know this is not a Star Wars novel, but maybe, just maybe, we can find room in our hearts for a non-Star Wars tale.  Don’t worry though Star Wars fan.  Star Wars novels will always be my number one novel obsession.

If you have not seen this TV show, e-bay it now, but here is the short premise.  4400 individuals were taken by a ball of light across decades and returned to the Seattle Washington area some with new abilities or “powers” if you will.  The first couple of seasons of the show were the 4400 trying to discover why they were taken and returned and the government trying to figure out how to handle these people with abilities.  Once, they discover who and what took them…I really do not want to ruin that surprise for you…Watch the show! There are some who say the 4400 were taken and returned to save, and some think they were taken and returned to destroy, and you don’t know which.  The basic plot of the show is trying to discover the truth of the 4400 and whether they should be supported or stopped.  It’s a mystery, and I enjoy it…Now, on the first novel tie in of the show, which should have never ever been cancelled.  USA mishandled this show, and I wish the SYFY network would resurrect it as they did Stargate: SG1, and the resulting spin-offs, but that’s another rant for another day…Let’s get to the book, shall we.

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