But the book's proportions are those of an epic; at more than 400 pages, it feels inflated, repetitious and strangely devoid of surprise.

Its most striking passages are direct quotations, strangely devoid of context or point of view.

Her voice was strangely devoid of emotion, and she sighed.

The region of space along their course seemed strangely devoid of traffic.

Something about their faces ... The toughs' faces were all the same, immobile, strangely devoid of life.

Except for the watery eyes, she seemed strangely devoid of emotion, and Jason wondered if it was a form of grief.

Within the rectangle, a look from the other side of the hotel revealed city streets strangely devoid of either vehicular or pedestrian traffic.

The humans began colonising using the prearranged alien jumpgates although every sector they visited was strangely devoid of intelligent life.

For a contest so important, the mayoral campaign has been strangely devoid of major issues.

It was strangely devoid of any sense of distance.