Sunday, August 31, 2008

August '08

STAR WARS: LEGACY OF THE FORCE: FURY
-A. Allston-fantasy
-356-Incredible, it has been nearly a year since I read Inferno. I slipped right back into the Star Wars universe though. Caedus kidnaps Allana. Reveals to her that he is her father. Centerpoint is made operational and subsequently destroyed by the Jedi. The Jedi are preparing themselves to be a third "galactic" government of sorts. Luke lets go of Mara. Ben lets go of his hatred of Caedus. While destroying Centerpoint, other Jedi rescue Allana and Han and Leia find out that she is Caedus and Tenel Ka's daughter. Jaina, Zekk and Jag take down Alema Rar. Han and Leia are given new Mando armor. Ends with Jaina heading off to get "extra" training to take down Caedus. You know she is heading to Fett. And since Traviss is writing the next book, it is a given. Only 2 more books to go.

STAR WARS: LEGACY OF THE FORCE: REVELATION
-K. Traviss-fantasy
-410- well, I have to admit, I was a bit disappointed. Caedus is really slipping. Doesn't seem like much of a Sithlord at all. The GA fractures when the Duumvirate of Caedus and Niathal splits. Ben proves with evidence that it was Caedus who killed Mara. Jaina gets training from Fett. Fett uncarbonites his wife who has been in it for close to 30 years. I was mostly disappointed in how lame and shallow the "training" of Jaina was by Fett. Saying things like "be a different person" and then using a real sword instead of a lightsaber. Whatever. Everything takes place in a month too. Just seemed very shallow, and there were no humorous spots to lighten things up like in Fury. And LOTS of humanistic moralizing about Jedi, Sith and what is good and what is wrong. Traviss has ruined it by bringing her 21st century humanistic amoralism to the table.

COREAN CHRONICLES: DARKNESS
-L.E. Modesitt, Jr-fantasy
-492- the Iron Valley becomes part of Lanachrona. Alucius and the militia become the Northern Guard and go to fight nomads in the north. Ends up fighting talent creatures [pteridons]. Ends with Alucius getting extra Talent training from the soarers so he can fight Ifrits, beings who used to rule the world. I enjoyed reading this book. I really did my best to enjoy the story without wanting to buy the series. I think I succeeded. I have enough books of my own I haven't read that I won't be reading the next for quite some time.

STARSWARM
-J. Pournelle-scifi
-349-a young boy, with an implant, who is the unknown heir of a huge interplanetary conglomerate, foils a plot to take over his adopted world and discovers native intelligence. This was EXTREMELY reminiscent of Heinlein's juvenile scifi. I enjoyed it but it lacked depth. It was good for what it was.

IN LEGEND BORN
-L. Resnick-fantasy
-461-first, Resnick is Mike Resnick's [of Santiago fame] daughter. This story was ok. It had the token warrior, evil magic user, good magic user who prophesied, prophesied hero, hero's family member who would betray him and the woman who nobody can resist. A country has been subjugated for 1000 years. Infighting and feuds keep them weak. A world spanning empire rules them. Suddenly the Hero fights for freedom. Everybody else wants freedom now too! Feuds, fights, hatreds and hundreds of years of superstition are gone in a matter of months. I enjoyed reading this, but after reading the Malazan Book of the Fallen books, it was very underdeveloped and showed the authors lack of understanding on how politics and military strategy work, especially in a sword and shield era. The little blurbs on the back were nothing but hype, and I am reacting to those more than the story in this review. This was a good, generic, forgettable fantasy story.

TAKEN: THE LIGHT-YEARS BENEATH MY FEET
-A.D. Foster-scifi
-245-the second in the Taken Trilogy. The four friends go to another planet since Marc is now a chef. End up meddling in politics to further their journey home. Still pursued by the aliens that originally kidnapped them. Ends with them leaving for a part of the galaxy that "might" be familiar with one of the non-terran aliens. Nice and light and not crass like the first.

No comments:

Post a Comment