Thursday, January 31, 2013

Review: Alta: Joust #2


Alta: Joust #2
Alta: Joust #2 by Mercedes Lackey

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



I really enjoyed this, but was abruptly reminded of why I don't read Lackey anymore.

A timely reminder...



View all my reviews

Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Review: Continental Contract


Continental Contract
Continental Contract by Don Pendleton

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



Bolan goes to France and kicks butt. And gets involved with yet another woman.

I don't see a problem with him getting comfort where he can, but the whole "Oh, maybe I can find peace with this woman. Oh noes, I am too violent and bad. Back to hell on earth I go" schmucky'ness is irritating.



View all my reviews

Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Review: Slanted Jack


Slanted Jack
Slanted Jack by Mark L. Van Name

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



My tablet decided to crash on me so I couldn't add stars, shelves or a review of this until I got to my desktop.
Technology.

And that is what this series seems to be about, and yet still be stultifying. I love the whole premise of Jon and Lobo. Meta-human and super warmachine team up to take on the universe.

Only, they don't. They hide, they skulk, they pout, they whine.

I enjoyed the read, but it was like going 55mph, while I was in a ferrari. It could have been so much more.

I think I am done with Mr. Van Name...



View all my reviews

Monday, January 28, 2013

Review: The Uplift War


The Uplift War
The Uplift War by David Brin

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



Chimps and Gorillas and Humans, Oh My!

A half decent story intermixed with Brin's own evolutionistic life outlook.

I suspect this is how an atheist might feel while reading C.S. Lewis...



View all my reviews

Sunday, January 27, 2013

Review: The Grimnoir Chronicles: Detroit Christmas


The Grimnoir Chronicles: Detroit Christmas
The Grimnoir Chronicles: Detroit Christmas by Larry Correia

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



A little short story about a Christmas Mystery. As other reviewers have noted, it helps tremendously to have read [b:Hard Magic|8643407|Hard Magic (Grimnoir Chronicles, #1)|Larry Correia|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1327951330s/8643407.jpg|13514467], as that book explains the world you find yourself in in Detroit Christmas.

It was a fun little read with some action and magic all jumbled around, with some gangsta's. I love gangsta's. I also like saying "gangsta's". Makes the Mrs laugh...



View all my reviews

Saturday, January 26, 2013

Review: Miami Massacre


Miami Massacre
Miami Massacre by Don Pendleton

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



Beach party! and the intro, albeit very brief, of the Talifero brothers. It is about time some kind of high calibre mercs were brought in, as opposed to the stupid antics of the Mafia.
And the beginning of a plan to make Bolan "legal" is also started.

On a general overall note, here are some of my thoughts on the series so far.

Definitely a different world than today. Much is made about the Mafia, ala La Cosa Nostra, and how mysterious and strong they are. How the general populace thinks they are a fairytale.
I was thinking, does the U.S. even have a "Mob" problem in this day and age? I know they exist, but are they a real player in world politics?

Pendleton seems to go out of his way to justify what Bolan is doing. On one level, I can see why he does. While I am all for Law and Order, I also see how criminals, of all orders, bend and manipulate it to their advantage. And having a Vigilante who is guided by a strict set of morals would be awesome.

Romances. Each novel Bolan seems to come across some bimbo who he has some sort of connection with. It really doesn't fit with the overall themes of the series. I guess it adds something, but I find it more of a distraction...



View all my reviews

Thursday, January 24, 2013

Review: Star Wars: Winner Lose All


Star Wars: Winner Lose All
Star Wars: Winner Lose All by Timothy Zahn

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



The much touted prequel to [b:Star Wars: Scoundrels|13573427|Star Wars Scoundrels|Timothy Zahn|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1333577643s/13573427.jpg|19154402]. As much about some twin sisters who are thieves as about Lando.

Based on this, I think Scoundrels should be just fine...



View all my reviews

Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Review: Mercy Kill


Mercy Kill
Mercy Kill by Aaron Allston

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Awesome!

While it has been a while since I've read some X-Wing'ness, and I've forgotten most of who comprised Wraith Squadron, who can forgot a smart Gamorean who can pilot an X-Wing? Good ol' Piggy!

He is what made this work for me. The overall story of political intrigue and traitors between the GA and the New Empire was only so-so.

But like I said, Piggy/Voort was just great. And I have to admit, I never saw the whole Yuuzon Vong part coming. You could have knocked me over with a feather when it was revealed that Scut was Vong. I wish he had died an evil villian instead of really being a good guy. No Vong will ever be a good guy in my books.

So go read this!



View all my reviews

Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Monday, January 21, 2013

Review: Battle Mask


Battle Mask
Battle Mask by Don Pendleton

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



I have just added a new tag, "ultra-violence" to my list of tags. And all the Mack Bolan books fit the bill so far.
Not necessarily graphic, but a lot of it and fast and non-stop.



View all my reviews

Saturday, January 19, 2013

Review: The Moonstone


The Moonstone
The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



A mystery whodunnit that centers around an Indian Diamond, with some murder thrown in. Enough clues and whatnot are withheld from the reader so that identifying the culprit is impossible.

Told from the perspective of multiple people through letters and diary/journal entries, this was an intriguing read.

Collins makes each individual who tells their part of the story a unique person with their own voice, foibles and strengths.



View all my reviews

Friday, January 18, 2013

Review: The Mark of Athena


The Mark of Athena
The Mark of Athena by Rick Riordan

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



I have to admit, when I started this book, I really didn't want to. However, it was worth it, at least as much as any of these Heroes of Olympus book can be.

I don't know that I care enough about the storyline to look forward to the next book. I might read it when it comes out, I might not. I simply don't care.

The Percy Jackson series had humor, style, action and grace. Heroes has teen angst.



View all my reviews

Wednesday, January 16, 2013

Review: The Birth of the Dread Remora


The Birth of the Dread Remora
The Birth of the Dread Remora by Aaron Rosenberg

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



I liked this, but really wanted to like this more. Unfortunately, it was just too simplistic.

A barely technological underwater society sees a great light. And builds a spaceship without ANY idea of what "space" is.
That isn't so much a problem. What is a problem is that once in space, these explorers become almost instant experts at navigating, fighting and cluge'ing things together.
Once a problem is solved, it is forgotten about, like it can never come back.

Good for the very young adult or a precocious pre-teen. Who will probably have fond memories, and try to re-read it when they are older, and be greatly disappointed...



View all my reviews

Sunday, January 13, 2013

Review: The Fog


The Fog
The Fog by James Herbert

My rating: 1 of 5 stars



I was under the impression that James Herbert wrote "horror". But after reading this, and his [b:Others|459869|Others|James Herbert|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1348462673s/459869.jpg|1717211], I've come to the conclusion that Herbert writes about depravity.

No more James Herbert for me.



View all my reviews

Saturday, January 12, 2013

Review: Death Squad


Death Squad
Death Squad by Don Pendleton

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



Bolan gets a gang together, causes havoc in LA, and everybody but Bolan DIES!. What a surprise, eh?

I think Bolan works better as a lone agent than as a leader of a group...



View all my reviews

Friday, January 11, 2013

Review: EarthCore


EarthCore
EarthCore by Scott Sigler

My rating: 2 of 5 stars



Stupid.

Stupid dumb aliens.

Between this and [b:Ancestor|481601|Ancestor|Scott Sigler|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1175117790s/481601.jpg|469966], I think I have had enough of Sigler. His writing and his plots are not good enough for me to come back anymore...



View all my reviews

Wednesday, January 09, 2013

Review: Star Wars: Scourge


Star Wars: Scourge
Star Wars: Scourge by Jeff Grubb

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



This was an enjoyable Star Wars read. Nothing spectacular, but I think I'm ok with some non-spectacular stories for awhile.

A jedi librarian has to find out why his former padawan died and along the way figures out that he's not a total loser because he's not Anakin Skywalker.

And Hutts. I like Hutts. They are great villains and make great characters you love to hate.



View all my reviews

Tuesday, January 08, 2013

Review: Jane Austen: Minor Works


Jane Austen: Minor Works
Jane Austen: Minor Works by Jane Austen

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



This was all the dregs that never quite made it to the public.
Some were better than others and some were positively boring.
All in all, if you are an Austen fan, you'll like these. Depending on how much of an Austen you are will define how much you like this book.



View all my reviews

Monday, January 07, 2013

Review: Warlord of the Air


Warlord of the Air
Warlord of the Air by Michael Moorcock

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



Old school time travel scifi.

Not immediately tied to Moorcock's Eternal Champion series, but definitely tied to the Multi-verse...



View all my reviews

Saturday, January 05, 2013

Review: Enna Burning


Enna Burning
Enna Burning by Shannon Hale

My rating: 2 of 5 stars



I did not like Enna. I did not find her circumstances sympathetic and I found her young girl ways to be simply stupid.
Unlike the [b:The Goose Girl|179064|The Goose Girl (The Books of Bayern, #1)|Shannon Hale|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1330728389s/179064.jpg|2715267], this was not engaging or endearing.
Thankfully, my wife tells me that the 3rd book of Bayern is better, so I'll read it.



View all my reviews

Friday, January 04, 2013

Review: An Evil Hour


An Evil Hour
An Evil Hour by Russell Blackford

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



If I had just these books to measure against themselves, in regards to the overall Terminator franchise, I would be ok with these books.
However, I have to compare them to the other T2 series, and this series loses itself in trying to explain the kinks out of time/space/dimension traveling.



View all my reviews

Thursday, January 03, 2013

Review: Towers of Midnight


Towers of Midnight
Towers of Midnight by Robert Jordan

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



I am satisfied with how Sanderson is writing and how he is handling these last 3 Wheel of Time books.



View all my reviews

Wednesday, January 02, 2013

Review: Soldier of the Legion


Soldier of the Legion
Soldier of the Legion by Marshall S. Thomas

My rating: 1 of 5 stars



First book in '13 that goes on my "Abandoned" shelf.
This year I have decided that if I don't like a book within the first 100 pages, forget it.

I was expecting a bit more, as this was published by Ridan, the group that originally published [a:Michael J. Sullivan|2063919|Michael J. Sullivan|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/authors/1365679488p2/2063919.jpg], whose 6 book series I loved.

Too much description in place of good writing. Describing something with some funky colored words doesn't mean you've described it well, just differently.

The romance, or the trying to project romance. This is what truly made me give up. It was sappy, nauseating and poorly done. It wasn't believable, the "love" triangle was as cardboard as the box my Amazon order just came in, and it just screamed "pointless plot tool".



View all my reviews