24 replies to this topic

[Bond_Bishop]

I wonder if you could tell me some more info about these books then what it stands in the site. More of the story etc. I want to know more about Gardner's books!!!

[zencat]

Then you should read them.

Here's a tease:

ICEBREAKER (1983): 007 battles a neo-nazi army in the Arctic Circle. A stand out in the Gardner series and a personal favorite of the author

[Qwerty]

I wonder if you could tell me some more info about these books then what it stands in the site. More of the story etc. I want to know more about Gardner's books!!! 

Just to add to Zencat's excellent reviews, do not read Cold Fall before SeaFire, believe me on that one. All three are exceptional books by Gardner, with Icebreaker really standing out as a good one.

Enjoy them!

[DLibrasnow]

ICEBREAKER is my personal favorite of all the Gardner novels.

[Tanger]

Of all the Gardner novels these are the three I want to read the most. Probably because they're the ones with the coolest titles. And Brokenclaw of course.

[Qwerty]

You've never read them Tanger? You're in for a good treat! They are some of his good work, but FSS and NLF are a little greater, I believe, still, you can;t argue with thse three, except for maybe Cold Fall, a bit lacklustre...

[Grubozaboyschikov]

ICEBREAKER ! ICEBREAKER ! ICEBREAKER !
I think it's the ever coolest Bond by Gardner. And it seems to me that in this very novel Gardner ceases to resurrect Fleming's Bond, but creates one of his own. It is this novel that his rules for a Bond thriller are totally shaped in. The piece about crossing the border and reconning the Soviet base is my favourite one.

[Qwerty]

I'll admit that Icebreaker has something that Gardner favors, which I won't mention what to non-readers yet. The second half the book, as even is the first half, is very thrilling, with the way theplot moves and what Bond does to stay ahead of the game. This is one of Gardner's that kept with enthused with rapt attention in it. A great read.

[Tanger]

No I haven't read any of the Gardner books yet. I'm trying to track most of them down at the moment but I still need to complete the Fleming novels so I'm going to wait until I've read those before I read anymore.

[Qwerty]

Ah, yes, that's what I tried to do too. There is a lot of continuity in some of Gardner's books, he really shows that they're part of the Bond novels. Hope you enjoy them when you get to them, quite a few of his earlier ones are very good!

[DLibrasnow]

Of all the Gardner novels these are the three I want to read the most. Probably because they're the ones with the coolest titles. And Brokenclaw of course.

ICEBREAKER, NO DEALS MR BOND and ROLE OF HONOR are probably my three favorite Gardner novels. I am also very fond of NEVER SEND FLOWERS.

[Qwerty]

Role of Honor is good indeed, Never Send Flowers is excellent, while NDMB, I thought was okay. It has a very interesting beginning, but....I just think it loses it's pace after a while. I thought you never could be sure what you would get with many of Gardner's late 80's books.

[DLibrasnow]

I thought the worst thing about NO DEALS MR BOND was the title but the actual plot and pace I thought was excellent. In contrast I didn't like the end to NEVER SEND FLOWERS although I thought the lead up was well written.

[Qwerty]

The title is indeed a low point, although 'Bond Fights Back' sounds even more, just plain disgusting!!! What a horror of a title!

I have to agree, that my least favorite part of Never Send Flowers was the ending, it seemed rushed at the park, somehoe, even though it is a great Gardner novel.

[DLibrasnow]

It was a great novel but the whole amusement park thing I hated...it screamed out "Hollywood" much like the Benson novel that featured Cannes.

[Qwerty]

Ah, yes. I just find it a bit 'non-Bond', although I do like that it's different. Just didn't come off too well in the final thing.

[DLibrasnow]

I agree.....it didn't really work in "Beverly Hills Cop III" either and it did seem the type of thing that Ian Fleming would despise.

[Bryce (003)]

I re-read FSS over the holidays in my travels.

Still a fantastic Bond adventure and then followed by Icebreaker makes these the best Gardner Bond double-feature.

I finished FSS about halfway into my trip and did actually look in a few used bookstores for a copy of IB because I enjoyed it so much.

[Qwerty]

I don't mind LTK at all, it's a great film, it's just so out of tune with the regular Bond film, but I guess something like that is needed once in a while.

[DLibrasnow]

It shook up the formula that is for sure....with mixed results.

[Qwerty]

Indeed, at first, it was least favorite James Bond film of all time, now, I hold it in higher regard, granted, I like other Bond films more, but this one never ceases to be some good, hard-edged enjoyment once in a while!

[DLibrasnow]

I never understood why Gardner felt it necessary in his book to reference the incident from Flemings LALD novel.

[Qwerty]

One can immediately notice that Gardner was keen on making many references to the original work by Ian Fleming.

Licence Renewed is a fine example, so many past adventures, girls and villains mentioned, he seemed to (rightly) lower the amount of his references in his later books, but there always were a few that slipped in there.

[Bond_Bishop]

I am also quite intrested in Win, Lose or Die

[Qwerty]

I am also quite intrested in Win, Lose or Die

Indeed another good one! Gardner's books always hopped around from bad to good to average, and in my opinion, this is one of his better ones. It took me a long time to track this one down and it was well worth the effort! Bond is at some of his best in here, with pretty good supporting characters. (I don't want to spoil too much.)
The pace in this one, I believe is very fast and it keeps the entire middle section of the book going very well. The finale seems just a bit rushed, but other than that, it was a great read!