| Title | : | Dark Angel 2: Skin Game |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | - |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Kindle Edition |
| Number of Pages | : | 272 |
| Publication | : | First published February 1, 2003 |
Dark Angel 2: Skin Game Reviews
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Raise of hands from ones who remember these two at their best and quirkiest?
As a Dark Angel fan I was happy to know that the cliffhanger we were treated to in the end of season two wasn't the end. The canon continued in the books format. And I had these books for a bunch of years before I finally read them. Why? Because with all the transgenic stuff I wanted my english to get to the point where I could actually understand what I would be reading about.
Now, I haven't watched the series for a long while, but I thought that this book did it justice in terms of characters and relationships. The writing was quite good too, wich I wasn't really expecting. And it picked up right where the show left it time wise. My only problem was that this was a relatively short read but it was treated like a full size novel, with unnecessary attention to the side characters, when all I wanted was to know what the main core was doing. I was hoping for more Alec and Max interaction (strictly platonic by the way, they're like siblings busting each other's balls), more Max kicking White's ass, some Logan developments, maybe a clue or two about Sandeman. I mean it still could happen in the next book, but could they really squeeze all the answers in that one little book? I guess I'll find out soon enough.
Over and out -
Dark Angel fanfiction!
Every once in a while I fall in love with either Jessica Alba, Jensen Ackles or Michael Weatherly. Then I watch episodes of Dark Angel to get my fannish fix. And then I get terribly excited about Dark Angel, thinking that it is definitely the best TV show ever, buying all sorts of stupid fannish gimmicks (yes, I seriously have a Dark Angel key chain).
This time around it was books. Of course, the books arrived after I was over my bi-annual Dark Angel craziness (which, you guessed it, lasts about as long as it takes me to get to the second half of the second season. Not that the rest of the second season isn't good, but, well, interests fade). So I wasn't starving for more DA anymore when I read it. For that, it was actualyl quite good. My only complaint would be that White still didn't get to have sex with Max or Alec. You'd think that'd had been the first thing they'd have corrected when they continued canon in book-form, but no, no sex for the mutants.
Poor guys.
(but damn, Jessica Alba is pretty. And Jensen Ackles is just hot. Or maybe it's the other way around.) -
TL;DR:
The best description I saw was that it reads like fanfiction. Lots of empty, filler, conversations; crude impersonations of characters; and a little magical help from above. The first jaw-dropping example of this is Logan carrying a very convenient key into Terminal City (through the Jam Pony incident).
All momentum the series was leading up to was also put on hold. Things like the were left unaddressed. Be warned that this book makes no progress in the overall narrative.
My Experience
I recently rewatched this show. I watched it sporadically when I was young and never forgot. And for someone who never remembers the names of actors, Jessica Alba always stuck with me because of this show. While watching it I wondered if it was based on some sort of book, and I found these. An ending to the show? Please!
This was however a weird transition. A poor choice of writer perhaps. Transitioning from the "show, don't tell", this book really did a job of describing even the things you hadn't wondered, and would never be included in the series. Are you interested in the family history of White's sidekick? Collins has you covered! Didn't see the series last episode? A whole chapter describing the scenes and exact lines of the show, with no further insight. I felt like I was reading the author's research into the show, a draft instead of a well-thought-out plot that could survive without repetitions and easy descriptions of what all new characters look like, their family backstories, or some flashback into an episode.
I didn't enjoy how the story does not seem to follow the same logic as the show. Both transgenics and agents are described with too many emotions for soldiers who are just doing what they were trained to do, turning conversations too casual. The omniscient narrator was perhaps foreign for what used to be a TV show.
In the end, the story ends up tying together, working by a bit of magic (). Still, they seemingly ignore what was described as an important secret (). -
4.5
I recently got in the mood to re-watch Dark Angel for the first time in like… 18 years? I never caught the final episode on tv and it always left me wondering…
So, after re-watching the show and finding that the ending was, well, kind of not an ending... I was pleased to discover these books.
Now I was shocked to see some reviewers comments on the characters being changed here, couldn’t disagree more. Collins seems to have written what could’ve been a season opener for season 3, the characters are exactly as they are in the show (down to Max and Logan being the most annoying non-couple couple ever). Not to mention that he literally novelizes a good portion both the first and final episode of s2 for the readers benefit. Having seen them so recently, it was a bit annoying to me, but if you haven’t it is good catch up. So yeah, I felt like the characterization was spot on.
Basically, this is a monster of the week episode which has the main plot still developing in the background, weaving them both together at the end.
And darnit, Collins had me feeling so sad for the transgenic Kelpy as we got to go through his memories of the Manticore fire and being convinced he would be left to die alone.
”Suddenly it struck him that he really didn’t want to die. Struggling to his feet, Kelpy yelled; but he had a small voice, one that didn’t stand out or draw attention, one that most certainly couldn’t be heard above the cacophony in the hall. He shouted over and over, but he knew they didn’t hear, couldn’t hear. They were all running for their lives and didn’t have time for him. Tears ran down his cheeks and Kelpy resigned himself to burning to death, alone, his oven… and then his tomb…”
I was so glad that Collins just briefly recapped White-the breeding cult in a Max/Clemente talk because I really hated that storyline on the show (it turned it into a completely different show and is probably a reason why it was canceled, it was confusing and made no sense).
The ending was a bit rushed with White, things went just a bit too smoothly, but I really enjoyed this and am sad there is only one more novel (+ a prequel novel) because this could’ve been a cool way to continue the series.
I thought Alec was in it too little at first, and then as soon as he was in it he was being very Alec-y and taking off with Joshua, lol, again… can totally see this as an episode.
If you like Dark Angel, I’m sure this novel won’t disappoint (unless you’re looking for sex scenes, romance and all that jazz, then I think fanfiction is where you need to go) -
When i saw this book i was very hopeful. I had loved the dark angel series and was greatly disappointed when the third season didn't come out. Amazingly enough I was more disappointed with these books. Both books completely disregarded the series. Characters were changed and events that had happened previously were ignored. It was frustrating for me simple because the characters that i had grown to love where warped and distorted the whole time i was reading I kept thinking she wouldn't do that he wouldn't say that that can't happen because this happened. All that aside if you haven't seen the show the books are interesting but the if you haven't seen the show there isn't much reason to read the book.
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I loved the show Dark Angel, and in fact I own both seasons and watch through them periodically, so I thought I'd read the continuation. I desperately wanted to know what happened after the end of Freak Nation, and I am...disappointed. I'm not convinced the author ever watched the series, or had more than the most passing familiarity with the characters and plot lines. Also, his writing was painfully bad--I'm having a hard time believing that this guy has received awards. Maybe his original works are better, but this was a little hard to get through, and only my curiosity kept me going. I'll probably read the next one, too, just to see where the story could have ended, but then I'll definitely be returning these to the friend I borrowed them from and moving on.
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Was this not as bad as the first one in the trilogy or have just become accustomed to the authors shitty, shitty writing? I feel like the awful male gaze writing that was really obvious in the first was not as present here. Because the characters were more established? I don't know.
Look. I'll be honest. This is trash. I don't why I'm reading these except that I am a completetionist and that I fucking loved this show with my everything (even though in hindsight it was a hot mess at times and that whole other shit that was happening behind the scenes. I will forever be mad at Joss Whedon and Firefly for what happened. FOREVER MAD. And that was before the shitshow that was Age of Ultron happened. Ugh. I could talk about how I am forever mad at Joss Whedon forever so we better just leave it there.) and even just a little... tiny... very badly written vestige of this show is important to me.
The first fifty pages (minus the prologue) is a recap of the final ten minutes of the season two finale so that makes a decent chunk of this book redundant. There's a serial killer on the loose and Ames White is involved so we all know how well that's going to turn out. Not well. In case you were wondering and not only that Max has the whole of Terminal City looking to her for leadership. Look. The actually plot isn't that bad. I could see it as an episode. Particularily in the second season. (Oh... boy. Let's not go into how I think they jumped the shark with burning down Manticore and bringing in a BREEDING CULT. But... no addition of Alec/Jensen Ackles can really stop me from thinking so.)
It's an easy read. Terrible writing but not hard to read. There's no mention of voluptuous bodies this time around. Max gets described as a goddess on occasion but that's from the view of someone very, very disturbed so I supposed it can be allowed. And I mean... Max was sort of goddess like. I guess. I think all there really is to say is that this is only truely worth reading if you want to see a takedown of Ames White. The cult dude who uses his position in a government agency to manipulate those around him in his crusade to rid the world of transgenics.
I don't know. I've got one more to go. Then these can disappear into the back of my bookcase. -
Denna boks början flätas in i seriens sista avsnitt för att sedan helt enkelt fortsätta som om ingenting har hänt. Man får förlja Ames Whites fortsatta intriger mot de transgena, lära känna hans underhuggare (som förvandlas till riktiga karaktärer helt plötsligt); utöver det hur Max accepterar ledarskapet för "Freak nation/Terminal City". De båda parallella berättelserna flätas samman av en karaktär: en seriemördare som flår sina offer. Givetvis ser White till att så fort som möjligt tippa över skulden på de transgena...
En riktigt bra historia som på många sätt känns som ett riktigt avsnitt, karaktärerna fångas in i det skriva ordet på ett sätt så man verkligen känner igen dem från serien. Speciellt kul är det att se att detektiv Clemente verkar vara den hyvenskille man fick intrycjket av att han var redan i tv-serien. Men det är givetvis också kul att låta Whites underhuggare komma fram och vara lite mer än bara ansiktslösa agenter som får gra Whites smutsjobb. den bryggande intrigen med seriemördaren har drag av Låt lammen tystna, men på ett bra sätt kan jag tycka. Kul dessutom att man knyter an till en karaktär som jag vill minnas nämndes i tv-serien också. I boken förekommer lite Max+Logan-angst, men det är inte så mycket det kunde ha varit och går att leva med; kemin mellan Max och Logan är ungefär lika övertygande här som i serien. (Dvs skulle man plocka bort den detaljen helt, skulle den inte saknas).
Slutet är något som lämnar mig lite tudelad, dels så inser jag nödvändigheten med att göra White till den stora skurken, men slutkapitlet med "bekännelsen" och förklaringen till vad som egentligen skedde känns aningen tillrättalagd och sentimental. Men det är avgjort något som jag kan leva med, resten av boken är såpass bra. -
Collins has the subtlety of a a herd of elephants running through the jungle. Every time he switches perspectives to a new - male - character, he does a full brain dump of their past, their hopes and dreams, their context, etc. Dull as shit, and leaves no surprise for the reader. As well, since he does this with EVERY guy, important to the plot or disposable, I don't know the importance and just can't get it up for EVERYONE. I feel like I have empathy fatigue for stupid scenes and nothing left for the main plot. Not only that but bad technique is completely breaking the forth wall. And, honestly, why do I care about this secondary character's family going back a few generations? I don't even care about that for main characters - and if any ancestry should be traced, it would be the eugenics cult!!! Oh gee, this human had grandparents, shocking....
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As other reviewers have mentioned, only die-hard fans would really be interested in this book. It continues the story that was cut short when FOX axed the show. The writing was a bit simplistic, there were a few inaccuracies with the show that annoyed me (including one very not minor one) and I felt the resolution of the virus storyline was a bit of a cop-out. But overall, it was nice to find out what happened next.
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Oh Alec. You and your situational ethics could not save this terribly written book. It's *almost* worth reading simply because it's so bad. There's one chapter that uses at least three different metaphors to describe blood. One described rubies dripping off a knife. Not dripping like rubies. Actual rubies, dripping. It was awful.
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Garbage, not a continuation of the show at all. And the writing's pretty bad. Eh, I get what I pay for.
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Oh my god... and it is not said in a good way. Thankfully this book is a small one because I wouldn't have lasted a 500pages. I've read the first one too and the writing still feels off. There was less description of clothes and stuff but there were still some pretty bad descriptive stuff in there. So, the writing sucked.
For the plot, it is a pretty basic one, not bad per se but not good... and turns out this book felt more like a thriller/detective novel than the continuation of the Dark Angel series. If you like this genre it's okay, but not if you were waiting to find your loved characters and their lives.
Speaking of the characters, there is zero development there, the relationships felt really boring, just a pale copy of what is in the show... the characters in themselves were too.
Also, there were like 2 or 3 chapters that were just retelling of what happens in the last episode of season 2... it felt really a too easy way to fill up the pages lmao.
Also, there were pretty bad stuff, some even felt like a parallel with transphobia that made me really uncomfortable, even coming from the bad guy of the series/books... it wasn't necessary even if it was a couple times.
We spend a long way in the book doing nothing much interesting and the detective work of this book is resolved in the couple last chapters.
Overall it is not a good book, not as a stand alone and not even as the continuation of the series... Some fanfictions are done better than that.
Also, if you want to make a continuation of the series, maybe watch it carefully first? Because the main plot point uses something that isn't in the series anymore. This thing disappeared with Max going back to Manticore between season one and two... so yeah, way to make this book false from beginning to end by making the plot useless...
Anyway, I wanted to read the whole trilogy because I effing love Dark Angel but maybe I'd be better off reading or writing fanfictions of it...
We'll see if I make it to book 3 or not, but I have no hope it'll be better than the first two. -
I enjoyed returning to the series, albeit in book form rather than TV form. The prose was a little clunky, but not to such a degree as to become a big issue. In general, it was a good continuation of the story, and most of time the characters felt like true to their original versions. The only thing that struck me as odd was that Max - who's in nearly every scene in the TV series, with most of the action riding on her - was pretty secondary to the plot. She didn't move much, and spent a lot of the story making phone calls and being a conduit between other characters. Similarly, she seemed a bit more sentimental at the end that I remember her ever being before. For all that I enjoyed returning to the world.
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Ich kann gar nicht sagen, wie froh ich bin dass es diese Bücher gibt! Nach dem Finale der 2. Staffel war ich einfach nur total enttäuscht, da gerade etwas sehr cooles passiert war von dem ich gerne gesehen hätte wie es sich entwickelt. Diese Möglichkeit bietet mir nun das Buch. Zwar ist es nicht so ausführlich wie es eine weitere Staffel gewesen wäre, aber immerhin geht es weiter. Die Charaktere sind top umgesetzt, sie verhalten sich genauso wie man es aus der Serie gewohnt ist und auch die Handlung konnte mich überzeugen.
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I read the first book in this series, then I watched the two seasons that were made of the TV show, now I'm reading this one which begins just before the series finale and continues from there. It has a lot of repeated dialogue and scene material from the finale, so if you don't quite remember the series finale, you should still be okay reading this. I felt like it was a good extension of the series and enjoyed reading it while I was meant to be mowing my lawn. oops.
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Good read. I bought books 1 and 3 of these continuation books after the series was canceled and accidentally read 3 first... and now after reading 1 I'm finding out book 2 was the one with the answers I wanted! Gah!
It's also a little bit funny that I read this book in April and May of 2021 and the book took place between March and May of 2021. What are the chances? -
A little too formulaic for me, but still a good read . It fits well with the TV Show that aired.
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Completely gripping.
Was utterly gutted when Dark Angel was cancelled. This book is a very welcome continuation. -
3.5 stars!
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After watching and loving the show, I wanted to know how the cliffhanger ended. Really enjoyed the book.
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Note: This review has some info on the book After the Dark included.
I don't make it a habit to read books that are based on television shows or movies. It's not that they are all bad (they are not). It's just original ideas tend to be better than ideas from someone else. However, I do break that habit once in a while. This last weekend I read "Skin Game" and "After the Dark" by Max Allan Collins. These sequel books are based around the "Dark Angel" Universe, which was a short lived TV show created by James Cameron in 2000-2002.
I decided to review them together because unless you watched the show, the books are not of interest to most people. If you did watch the show, you'll know it ended with a cliff hanger. These two books serve as the answer to that cliff hanger.
Here are a couple of things that are resolved (and they will probably sound silly if you've never seen the show)
1. The Terminal City siege and the future of transgenic rights (Skin Game)
2. The Virus (After the Dark)
3. The Cult (After the Dark)
4. What happened to Lydecker and Sandeman (After the Dark)
Here's the problem with all of it. It's all solved in a superficial way. Almost, as if the act of writing the words on the paper suddenly make the problem go away.
The ending was frustrating because it reminded me of a kid that has a homework assignment due and he's written the first 250 pages and he doesn't feel like wrapping it up properly so he just scribbles stuff down and writes "The End." The last ten pages seemed like they were written by an 8 year old.
Is it worth a read? I'd say if you liked the TV show and want to read the books, do it. They are both very short books. Overall, I would give the books 3 out of 10 (10 being Great).
Originally reviewed on my blog at
http://www.AustinJamesHere.blogspot.com -
As anyone who has seen Dark Angel will know, the end of the show is deeply unsatisfying due to it not being renewed for a third season. This book picks up where the last episode 'Freak Nation' ends (with a bit of a recap) so I have wanted it for a while to find out what happens next.
The book centres around the standoff between the transgenics in Terminal City and the authorities who want to destroy them. To make matters worse it appears on of their own is killing 'ordinaries' on the outside in the most horrific way. Max has the onerous task of trying to keep her extended family in line and their spirits up, as well as trying to find out who is responsible for the murders.
I found the book very enjoyable and the author has kept the characters true to how they are in the show. I was worried that there wouldn't be many chapters featuring Alec, my favourite character in the show, but he and Joshua turn detective to find out who the transgenic murderer is for Max, so I needn't have worried *g*!
One thing I did find threw me out of the story was the author having to tell us each time an X5 turned up that they were 'beautiful' or 'handsome', as if I'd somehow forget that they were the Martini people of the Manticore world! -
I really only read this book because it continued on the Dark Angel show which I recently just rewatched both season of. I discovered the exsistence of these books from wikipedia while I was on there reading about something from the show. I really hated how the show was left hanging with all those loose ends so I wanted to know as much of what was planned as I could so I tracked the books down.
As for Skin Game, it actually seemed like the writing for this book wasn't as good as the writing for the show was, though it did have the feel of it being just an episode that hadn't been put to film. The conslusion of the Seige of Terminal City was honeslty very unbelievable, resolved to easily, I doubt very much that the amount of hatred felt toward the transgenics by the police force & the people would just go away like that. I know it's a far fetched story overall to begin with but it didn't feel believable. I liked the story just because I liked the show & characters, though I did really enjoy the addition of swearing a great deal, it felt more true to the characters than what was allowed on network TV. -
Once again I would like to say that I am overjoyed to finally know the ending to my favorite tv series. That clifhanger at the last episode was killer. It just tore me apart because I wanted to know what happened next! Well...now I do.
This book continues where the episode Freak Nation left off. Max and the others are caged into Terminal City and are desperately trying to figure out a way to show the government and the rest of the world that they are not monsters.
Yet a transgentic serial killer is loose and isn't making the media war between normals and transgentics any easier.
This book was good. I'm happy to know what happens next and it settled my insane urge for Dark Angel. If you're a fan of the series then you should definitely pick this one up. You'll thank yourself later. -
Pros:
- No Jessica Alba
- Closure, or as close to closure as I'm gonna get
- No Jessica Alba
Cons:
- No Jensen Ackles
- As much as I would have liked more screen time for Craig Veroni in season 2 I thought there was a bit too much of him and Agent White in this book. Max didn't do anything except hang out and talk on the phone. And most of characters felt like afterthoughts, especially Alec and Joshua...and OC and Sketchy and Logan. But the original characters and bit characters from the show had whole chapters devoted to them.
- I wonder how TPTB had planned to solve the Max/Logan "we can't touch or you'll die" problem. Because this sucked. Also, did you know Max and Logan can't touch? You will after the one hundredth time you read it.
I really need to stop reading tie-in novels and just rewatch my dvds.
