Tuesday, September 30, 2014

The Krytos Trap (X-Wing #3) (Star Wars)


Star Wars: The Krytos Trap (Star Wars: X-Wing) - Michael Stockpole This review is written with a GPL 3.0 license and the rights contained therein shall supersede all TOS by any and all websites in regards to copying and sharing without proper authorization and permissions. Crossposted at Bookstooge.booklikes.blogspot.wordpress.leafmarks.tumblr.com by express permission of this reviewer.

Title: The Krytos Trap
Series: X-Wing, Star Wars
Author: Michael Stackpole
Rating: 3.5 of 5 Stars
Genre: SFF
Pages: 355


Synopsis:
Having just lost my review due to one stupid unfortunate swipe of the mousepad, yet again, this will be the last review I compose here in Booklikes.
I will be using a word processing program and reduce my stress and general level of profanity, which our neighbors will greatly appreciate.

Ok, Corran is captured, not dead and in his escape finds out his Gramps was a jedi and he is too.

Rogue Squadron plays politics because that scumbag Bothan Borsk Fey'la has decided he will be a player in galactic politics.

My Thoughts:
Reading this again was probably a mistake. Not because it was bad, but because it was just plain mediocre. And considering that these are probably near the top of the stack in quality, that is sad.

Not that I'm bitter about Disney's total raping of the Extended Universe or anything. That doesn't color my thinking at all, oh no. /sarcasm 
Sadly, I feel like Star Wars has been ruined all over for me now.

Anyhow, this was an enjoyable read and there was a lot I had forgotten. I plan to finish out this series but re-reading this series that I had enjoyed so much in the past has made me seriously consider selling all my Star Wars books. Bleh...

Monday, September 29, 2014

Lord of Stormweather (Sembia #7 Final) (Forgotten Realms)


Lord of Stormweather  - Dave Gross This review is written with a GPL 3.0 license and the rights contained therein shall supersede all TOS by any and all websites in regards to copying and sharing without proper authorization and permissions. Crossposted at Bookstooge.booklikes.blogspot.wordpress.leafmarks.tumblr.com by express permission of this reviewer

Title: Lord of Stormweather
Series: Sembia,  Forgotten Realms
Author: Dave Gross
Rating: 3  of 5 Stars
Genre: Fantasy
Pages: 316


Synopsis:
Tamlin Uskevren, Heir of the Uskevren House, is kidnapped and then rescued by his brother and sister.
At the same time, the Hulorn [supreme ruler of the City] has hired an assassin to kill of his opposition. Mundane or magical, the Hulorn doesn't care.
And because of that, Thamalon, his lady and Erevis Cale are all transported to a magical land that is ruled by an apparently Powerful and Cruel Tamlin.
All threads come together in the end as this series about the Uskevren family comes to a close as well.

My Thoughts:
The series ends and we get to see the end of one Generation of the Uskevrens and the beginnings of another.
I really, really wish I had finished this series before starting the Erevis Cale trilogies, it would have filled in a lot of blanks.

Basically, Thamalon dies, Tamlin takes over and the city of Sembia goes on as before. This was a good adventure story with lots of fighting, magic and mystery.  A good end to Erevis Cale and his connections to the Uskevrens. It also ends the rise of the House of Uskevren and begins its plateau.

This series overall is a good intro to Erevis Cale in the first 2 books and the next 5 fill in information that is relevant to Cale in the two trilogies. Pretty good 7 book series in the Forgotten Realms world.

Sunday, September 28, 2014

Moll Flanders (Classic)


The Fortunes and Misfortunes of the Famous Moll Flanders - Daniel Defoe This review is written with a GPL 3.0 license and the rights contained therein shall supersede all TOS by any and all websites in regards to copying and sharing without proper authorization and permissions. Crossposted at Bookstooge.booklikes.blogspot.wordpress.leafmarks.tumblr.com by express permission of this reviewer

Title: Moll Flanders
Series: -----
Author: Daniel Defoe
Rating: 4 of 5 Stars
Genre: Classic
Pages: 337


Synopsis:
The Life and Adventures in Crime of Moll Flanders. As told by Moll Flanders after she was exiled to America, made her fortune and came back to England as a rich socialite.

My Thoughts:
I can see why this was on the banned books list. Seduction of the innocent [Moll], crime sprees, incest and bigamy on a grand scale.

Now, as Moll writes, she is supposedly repented from her former life and is writing these memoirs as a warning to others. However,  that is a load of crock. Moll is proud of what she has done, the stealing, the lying, the whoring, all of it. Every line written, every word used reflects Moll's true attitude.

Nothing was ever graphic but there was never any doubt of the acts that Moll committed.

Defoe does a great job with his writing and I enjoyed this story, even as the story is not uplifting, inspiring  or in anywise about anything good.

Thursday, September 25, 2014

Thief River Falls Run (Endworld #2)


Thief River Falls Run - David Lawrence Robbins This review is written with a GPL 3.0 license and the rights contained therein shall supersede all TOS by any and all websites in regards to copying and sharing without proper authorization and permissions. Crossposted at Bookstooge.booklikes.blogspot.wordpress.leafmarks.tumblr.com by express permission of this reviewer

Title: Thief River Falls Run
Series: Endworld
Author: David Robbins
Rating: 2.5 of 5 Stars
Genre: SFF
Pages: 204


Synopsis:
Alpha group with Non-violence Spiritual Guy head out to try to get to the Twin Cities, again.
But they get waylaid by a new group. This group seems really organized, has info about the Family, controls mutates and the area surrounding the Twin Cities.

White hick cowboy man finds a 70's retro blackgirl who just digs his jivey whitemeat and Big Burly main character wonders if his true blue eyed blond love still loves him after he's been away a whole 2 days. And Indian man has a stereotypical cherokee beauty and her daughter show up at the Family's compound. Babes abound for everyone!

My Thoughts:
I ended up giving this the Parody tag because it is impossible to take seriously. The supposed cream of the Warriors act like total idiots and even someone as civilianized as me can spot the issues they just ignore.

The women. Oh lordy, what a pubescent wetdream. A super busty black woman has fallen into enemy hands, is tortured and raped repeatedly and when rescued by the Intrepid Group, falls in love with the whitest of the white guys and acts like she hasn't had anything happen to her. Goes so far as to offer herself to Cowboy man.
Thankfully the Indian women only shows up sick for about a page before the story moves on.
But what really got my goat was Blade [the main character] and his love interest. They are going to get married after the group successfully makes the Twin Cities run, but when the group stops at Thief River Falls and they spend 2 nights there, Blade is wracked with doubt and wonders if Lover Girl is thinking of him as much as he is thinking of her.

But even with all that, this story was fun and quick and showed a lot more potential than the first book. It also was very evident that this would be a paint by numbers series, which helped me to just ignore all the impossibly stupid things and enjoy the adventure side. This is going to be one of those series that I like to read and like to rip apart. It just will be :-)

Tuesday, September 23, 2014

The Source (Necroscope #3)


Necroscope III: The Source - Brian Lumley This review is written with a GPL 3.0 license and the rights contained therein shall supersede all TOS by any and all websites in regards to copying and sharing without proper authorization and permissions. Crossposted at Bookstooge.booklikes.blogspot.wordpress.leafmarks.tumblr.com by express permission of this reviewer

Title: The Source
Series: Necroscope
Author: Brian Lumley
Rating: 4 of 5 Stars
Genre: Horror/Thriller
Pages: 464


Synopsis:
The Russians, oh those naughty Ruskies!, are fooling around with a laser defense thingy so they can negate the United States' Star Wars program. Problem is, something goes wrong and they open a portal to the homeworld of the Vampires.
Yeah, pretty bad eh?
And they compound things by hiding it.
The Brits send in a spy to find out what is going on. He gets captured, and eventually sent to the other side along with some others.
Meanwhile Harry is down in the dumps with his new body and is pining away for his missing son and wife. So when things go South for the brit spy, E-branch sends in the necroscope to save the day.
He hooks up with his now 20'something year old son [his wife has gone insane, poor thing], finds the other humans and joins in a  big battle with the Vampire Lords.
And he finds out that his son
, while having stupendous mental abilities, is now also a vampire.
(hide spoiler)
Ouch.

My Thoughts:
I am enjoying these book more and more. Most of the book was spent on the British spy finding out about the vampires and his time on the other world. Another 1/3rd was spent at the Russian base as a vampire has gotten loose and is slowly destroying it from within. And we get a little bit of Harry and lots of Harry right at the end.
The mix worked perfectly for me.

I had visions of something like a Vampire Hunter D storyline going on, but thankfully it wasn't. The vampire lords on the other world were so divided that it took Harry's son to unite them [and for most of them to be destroyed in the battle].

The psychological side of things was pretty tense in the Russian base. The scientists are doing their thing, the KGB their thing, the Russian E-branch their thing. We get to see how the vampire escapes and begins to haunt the base. It was great!

The gore and sex factor were almost nil in this book, which I found refreshing and why I added kept the 4 star rating. Very tense the whole book through and I found myself wanting to keep reading, which is always a good sign for me.

Monday, September 22, 2014

Akira #6 (Manga Monday)


Akira, Vol. 6 - Katsuhiro Otomo This review is written with a GPL 3.0 license and the rights contained therein shall supersede all TOS by any and all websites in regards to copying and sharing without proper authorization and permissions. Crossposted at Bookstooge.booklikes.blogspot.wordpress.leafmarks.tumblr.com by express permission of this reviewer

Title: Akira #6
Series: Akira
Author & Artist: Katsuhiro Otomo
Rating: 4.5 of 5 Stars
Genre: Manga
Pages: 460


Synopsis:
Tetsuo pretty much fights with everybody-the Americans, Kaneda & Kei, Lady Miyako and the Specials- and loses control. Loses control of his power, his body and his mind and keeps morphing between being Tetsuo and an amorphous conduit for the Energy of Life.

Neo-Tokyo is bombed, solar lasered multiple times and then Akira'd.

The Ending, where Kaneda and Kei take up where Tetsuo left off with the Great Tokyo Empire, was a bit of a disappointment but considering when this was written and what the culture was at the time, not surprising.

My Thoughts:
This had some seriously awesome battles. Tetsuo morphing into a giant blob and destroying things, Tetsuo capturing one of the laser arrays and crashing it into the American naval group, Tetsuo and Akira's energy getting jiggy.
Kaneda shooting, laser gunning and then just punching out Tetsuo.

It was great.  5 star Great in fact.

However, the ending, where it turns out that Akira and the specials were the next genetic step of Mankind but had been forced by the scientists to become what they were and Akira's desire to just be with his friends, was a let down.
The kid started/ended World War III, was cryogenically frozen and was the Fear of the whole freaking world, turns out to just want his friends? Yeah, lame.

I don't understand the whole Tetsuo/Akira thing. Somehow they had to meet at just the right time, their energies combine and then all the kids could be together? I realize manga likes to be vague, but this was positively opaque.

The final message, that Japan was going to stand on its own 2 feet and would no longer brook foreign intervention was definite political pandering of the day.

Overall, the series was good and I am glad I bought these. I highly recommend this to older teens and up, as this is a good series to show the roots of manga in America.

Sunday, September 21, 2014

Canadian Crisis (The Executioner #24)


Canadian Crisis - Don Pendleton This review is written with a GPL 3.0 license and the rights contained therein shall supersede all TOS by any and all websites in regards to copying and sharing without proper authorization and permissions. Crossposted at Bookstooge.booklikes.blogspot.wordpress.leafmarks.tumblr.com by express permission of this reviewer


Title: Canadian Crisis
Series: The Executioner
Author: Don Pendleton
Rating: 3 of 5 Stars
Genre: Thriller
Pages: 123

Synopsis:
The freaking residents of Quebec, guided by the hidden hand of the Mafia, are agitating for an independent state. Little do the stupid pinheads know that they are only setting the stage for a Mafia Country, a World Headquarters of Crime.

Thankfully, Mack Bolan knows that what is good for the Mafia is bad for Canada AND the United States.

My Thoughts:
Mack saves Canada from the damned Quebecois and in the process gets to kill a ton of Mafia dons.

All the action and adventure takes place in a hotel riddled with secret passages and Bolan makes the most of them. Posing as a Mafia Enforcer, he uses his status to get in the midst of them and with the help of the passages, appear to be in 2 places at once.

This was a good read. When the 9mil and the 44magnum get going, the action is a full frontal assault that doesn't stop until it is over. blam, Blam, BLAM!

Friday, September 19, 2014

Wedge's Gamble (X-Wing #2) (Star Wars)


Wedge's Gamble (Star Wars: X-Wing Series, Book 2) - Michael A. Stackpole This review is written with a GPL 3.0 license and the rights contained therein shall supersede all TOS by any and all websites in regards to copying and sharing without proper authorization and permissions. Crossposted at Bookstooge.booklikes.blogspot.wordpress.leafmarks.tumblr.com by express permission of this reviewer.

Title: Wedge's Gamble
Series: X-Wing, Star Wars
Author: Michael Stackpole
Rating: 3.5 of 5 Stars
Genre: SFF
Pages: 358


Synopsis:
The New Republic MUST take over Coruscant if they want to truly be a Galactic Power. With that in mind, Rogue Squadron heads to Coruscant to scout out the lay of the land. However, due to scheming and politics, the invasion must begin NOW and it is up to Rogue Squadron to figure out how to peel the hard fruit that is Coruscant.

And they are not unopposed. Ysanne Isard, the new Head of Security and Empress of the Empire in all but name, is preparing for the invasion and has brewed up a nasty plague to welcome the New Republic.

And the traitor is still in the midst of Rogue Squadron, reporting to Kirtan Loor. Who can it be?

My Thoughts:
No one ever said that Star Wars books are finely crafted pieces of literature. But some are better than others and they all fall prey to the drama of Space Opera.
This book was a bit fuller of said drama than the previous book, hence the 1/2star reduction.

I mean, 12'ish people go to a planet that is one giant city of 3+ trillion people and they have separate missions and they all end up together? Cue the eye rolling please.

Corran lusts after the hot babe Erisi and knows deep down that they aren't for each other? But he and Mirax have so much in common so the seed of love is there? Cue the eye rolling again!

Thankfully, there is a lot of speederbike fights, shoot outs and general adventure and mayhem to distract from the eye rolling'ness. One thing I do like is that even though Corran is the main character, Wedge Antilles has as big a part in the story as he does. I like finding out more about side movie characters.

Thursday, September 18, 2014

Mentats of Dune (Schools of Dune) (Dune)


Mentats of Dune - Brian Herbert,Kevin J. Anderson This review is written with a GPL 3.0 license and the rights contained therein shall supersede all TOS by any and all websites in regards to copying and sharing without proper authorization and permissions. Crossposted at Bookstooge.booklikes.blogspot.wordpress.leafmarks.tumblr.com by express permission of this reviewer.

Title: Mentats of Dune
Series: Dune
Author: Kevin Anderson & Brian Herbert
Rating: 2 of 5 Stars
Genre: SFF
Pages: 448


Synopsis:
A direct sequel to Sisterhood of Dune. The Mentats are truly coming into their own while placed between the battles of the Anti-Technologist Jihadis and Venport and his newly birthed Spacing Guild.

At the same time Vorian Atreides is whining and whinging his way across the universe trying to make up with his several generations removed family. And the despicable Harkonnens set in motion the feud that will consume both families.

And lots of other bits and bobs.

My Thoughts:
This book got the "trash" tag. Not because the grammar or writing was crap, but because Anderson and Herbert are so small minded that they can't write anything in the Dune Universe without ruining it with their banality.

I've read all the sequels/prequels and forgiven this Duo quite a bit, but this was just crap. Many, many instances of something about to happen, chapter ends, then the aftermath 2-3 chapters later, while the actual event isn't written about.
It was a deliberate choice, but it was a poor choice and made them look like the posers they are.

I am a big Frank Herbert Dune fan. Which is why I judge these more harshly than if they were just some random SFF books. These are money makers and it shows.  And as I've said before, these 2 authors don't even make one half of the writer that Frank Herbert was.

Not recommended.

Wednesday, September 17, 2014

Nevermore (Supernatural #1)


Supernatural: Nevermore - Keith R.A. DeCandido This review is written with a GPL 3.0 license and the rights contained therein shall supersede all TOS by any and all websites in regards to copying and sharing without proper authorization and permissions. Crossposted at Bookstooge.booklikes.blogspot.wordpress.leafmarks.tumblr.com by express permission of this reviewer.

Title: Nevermore
Series: Supernatural
Author: Keith DeCandido
Rating: 3 of 5 Stars
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Pages: 318


Synopsis:
Dean and Sam, the [in]famous Winchester brothers, are doing a favor for Ash, the computer genius who hunts demons online. Ash's friend is being haunted by a ghost and it is escalating.

Along the way, the boys come across a series of murders that seem to tie in to a resurrection ceremony based on the stories and poems of Poe.

My Thoughts:
This story takes place during Season 2, I believe, which needs to be taken into account since that is all the author has to deal with when it comes to characterization.

This would have been a typical 2 part tv episode. 2 storylines that aren't related except by location.  This story was nothing special, the Poe aspect felt very tacked on. It felt like it was added for the "Urban Fantasy" side of things, like a ghost haunting a washed up bar rockstar wasn't enough? But at the time, the tv show was focusing on urban legends, etc, so it makes sense.

If this had been my introduction to Supernatural, I wouldn't be bothering with any more. But like most novelizations of movies and shows, the books never live up to the show. So if you like Supernatural then I do recommend this. I did like it enough to put the next book on my TBR list.

Sunday, September 14, 2014

Assail (Malazan Empire #6) (Final)


Assail: A Novel of the Malazan Empire (Novels of the Malazan Empire) - Ian C. Esslemont This review is written with a GPL 3.0 license and the rights contained therein shall supersede all TOS by any and all websites in regards to copying and sharing without proper authorization and permissions. Crossposted at Bookstooge.booklikes.blogspot.wordpress.leafmarks.tumblr.com by express permission of this reviewer.

Title: Assail
Series: Malazan Empire
Author: Ian Esslemont
Rating: 2.5 of 5 Stars
Genre: SFF
Pages: 544


Synopsis:
Gold! Gold has been found in the northern land of Assail and everyone, from scum to soldier to sorceress is making their way their to make their fortunes.
The remnant of the Crimson Guard, the descendants of the Jaghut, the remaining T'lan Imass and whole masses of various people converge into yet another, albeit hopefully the last, pointless Malazan Story.

My Thoughts:
Erikson lost me with his first Forge of Darkness series book and Esslemont has done the same for me with this book.

At some point, Existential Angst, Hints of Archaic Badness, Weapons and Spells that ALWAYS turn out to be Cursed & General Moping by Everyone, you just have to say no. No one is happy in these books, and I really mean no one.

It wears on you after a bit. Sure, the story can be cool and the action top notch and the epic can be big, but 17 books of between 500-900 pages each should not be ALL Grim Despair.

And for a book named Assail, the Forkrul Assail only appearing for about 3 pages tops in the last 5% of the book, well, that is Epic Fail to me. The Imass/Jaghut feud gets more time for goodness sake, and that was supposed to be OVER way back in Memories of Ice or so [the 3rd book  of 10 in the Malazan Book of the Fallen series].
I've gotten used to the fact that these books are all only loosely related,not a tight overall story but I don't like that either.

So what did I like? Well, the fighting and spell'ing were pretty good.

And that is why I'm done with Esslemont as well, He has turned into a clone of Erikson in his writing philosophy and I won't countenance it any more.

Saturday, September 13, 2014

The Vastalimi Gambit (Cutter's Wars #2)


The Vastalimi Gambit (Cutter's Wars) - Steve Perry This review is written with a GPL 3.0 license and the rights contained therein shall supersede all TOS by any and all websites in regards to copying and sharing without proper authorization and permissions. Crossposted at Bookstooge.booklikes.blogspot.wordpress.leafmarks.tumblr.com by express permission of this reviewer.

Title: The Vastalimi Gambit
Series: Cutter's Wars
Author: Steve Perry
Rating: 2.5 of 5 Stars
Genre: SF
Pages: 304


Synopsis:
Doc and Kay the Vastalimi, have returned to her home world to investigate a new plague that seems to be randomly killing various Vastalimi.
The rest of Cutter's Crew puts out a little brushfire of a situation and then heads to Vastalimi to help out Doc and Kay.
And the incorruptable Vastalimi police force is involved *eye roll*

My Thoughts:
After my initial rapture with the first book, I was all set to love this as well. However, either Perry's writing dropped a lot OR I used my brains and not my gun loving to read this one.

Sadly, this was just plain mediocre. Cutter's whole crew should have been involved from the get go, not 3/4 of the way through. There was a LOT of profanity [which I don't remember from the first book, but it might have been there] and I dropped a full star for interspecies sex [albeit non-graphic].

There was lots of skulking, posturing and the occasional chase/fight/shootout/whatever, but it seemed very blase to me. I'm not sure why but this book just didn't click with me like the first book did. If a 3rd book ever gets written I'll probably read it but I won't be waiting for it, counting the days, etc, etc.

Friday, September 12, 2014

The Jester (Riyria Chronicles #2.5) (Short Story)


The Jester - Michael J. Sullivan This review is written with a GPL 3.0 license and the rights contained therein shall supersede all TOS by any and all websites in regards to copying and sharing without proper authorization and permissions. Crossposted at Bookstooge.booklikes.blogspot.wordpress.leafmarks.tumblr.com by express permission of this reviewer

Title: The Jester
Series: Riyria Chronicles
Author: Michael Sullivan
Rating: 3.5 of 5 Stars
Genre: SFF
Pages: 33


Synopsis:
A short story about Royce and Hadrian having an adventure with a Widow, a Pig Farmer and a whole mountain filled with traps to protect a mysterious treasure.

My Thoughts:
This drops you in right at the end of the story and with a few deft conversations fills you in on what is going on, but not to the point that I would have liked, ie, I wanted a full novel out of this story!

I like Riyria so this little tidbit helped feed the hunger until the next book comes out [whenever that may be]. It is a standalone story as any references to other adventures are explained but it makes for a fuller, more enjoyable read if you have already read the previous Revelations & then Chronicles series. That being said, if you want to check out the Riyria series with no commitment, this story allows just that very admirably.

I took 1 star off because I would have loved to see this expanded into a full length novel. The material is certainly there for that. So maybe that is actually a plus?

Wednesday, September 10, 2014

The Fox Run (Endworld #1)


The Fox Run  - David Lawrence Robbins This review is written with a GPL 3.0 license and the rights contained therein shall supersede all TOS by any and all websites in regards to copying and sharing without proper authorization and permissions. Crossposted at Bookstooge.booklikes.blogspot.wordpress.leafmarks.tumblr.com by express permission of this reviewer

Title: The Fox Run
Series: Endworld
Author: David Robbins
Rating: 2 of 5 Stars
Genre: SFF
Pages: 255


Synopsis:
World War III has taken place 100 years ago and one man had prepared for it.
Now the group of survivors must go forth into the world as their own homegrounds are having deleterious effect on their lifespans.

My Thoughts:
Post-Apocalypse fiction.  It could have been good, but unfortunately, this was cringeworthily eye rollingly bad.

100 years, got that? 100 years to train everybody in your compound to defend themselves at a basic level. 100 years for roads to be taken over by nature [10 years of non-use and most roads will be undrivable. 15-20 years and they aren't roads any more]. 100 years for other communities to either survive or completely fall apart.

The 3 main characters are always kidding about their being a "white man" and a "red man" as one of them is an Indian. The last Indian in North America. Because obviously of 15 couples at the beginning only the Indians married other Indians.

Then the women. Now, I am NOT a fan of women in the military but if you have a group of 70 people, in a completely hostile world, you train EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM to take care of themselves, from their childhood. However, the women presented here are full breasted lovelies just waiting to have babies. I'm all for that! But it isn't realistic, nor even probable.

Finally,  guns and food. You CANNOT store enough guns, ammo and food stuffs for 70 people for 100 years. Logistically, it simply isn't feasible. And your gene pool is too small.

So with those problems and some really stupid decisions all around and some poor writing, I found this lackluster. However, because I am such a generous guy, I am going to try the next book and hope beyond hope that this book was a fluke in this finely written epic series. *sarcasm*

Monday, September 08, 2014

Akira #5 (Manga Monday)


Akira, Vol. 5 - Katsuhiro Otomo This review is written with a GPL 3.0 license and the rights contained therein shall supersede all TOS by any and all websites in regards to copying and sharing without proper authorization and permissions. Crossposted at Bookstooge.booklikes.blogspot.wordpress.leafmarks.tumblr.com by express permission of this reviewer

Title: Akira #5
Series: Akira
Author & Artist: Katsuhiro Otomo
Rating: 4 of 5 Stars
Genre: Manga
Pages: 416


Synopsis:
America prepares to invade Japan to kill off Akira and Tetsuo.

Kei, Lady Miyako and the remaining 3 Special Children prepare to take Tetsuo over and use his power to kill Akira.

Kaneda gathers the last of the biker gangs, gets some serious hardware [another laser gun] and prepares to kill Tetsuo to spare Kei from harm in her attempt.

Tetsuo, clean from drugs, has his power soar. He goes nuts and puts a hole in the moon, takes over an American aircraft carrier and sets off some nuclear warheads. And he's losing control of his body to the power, which simply wants to use him as a conduit.

And Akira. A silent young child who is totally enigmatic and who we still don't understand a thing about.

My Thoughts:
I didn't enjoy this volume as much as the previous one, not sure why though.

This had more focused action, more plot advancement and Kaneda was back. I like Kaneda :-)

Part of it was this was lots of setup for the final volume and I wasn't expecting setup. That's what Volume 4 was for. This was like a 3rd down in football where the ball is handed off and advanced 1 yard. Strategic, but not that exciting run down the field or the unexpectedly clever long throw.

I will say that Tetsuo taking a chunk out of the moon was pretty exciting though! and seeing how using the power is affecting his body is just plain creepy. Speaking of creepy though, Akira, just sitting there looking through his almost slitted eyes.
For a young boy who has said nothing in 5 volumes, he gives me the shivers. I felt sorry for him at first but after the revelations by the group of scientists on the aircraft carrier that he is simply a pure conduit for the Power, I wanted him destroyed as much as the Colonel wants him destroyed.

Lordy, I want to read the final volume NOW! But delayed gratification, it is good too...

Sunday, September 07, 2014

Rogue Squadron (X-Wing #1) (Star Wars)


Rogue Squadron - Michael A. Stackpole This review is written with a GPL 3.0 license and the rights contained therein shall supersede all TOS by any and all websites in regards to copying and sharing without proper authorization and permissions. Crossposted at Bookstooge.booklikes.blogspot.wordpress.leafmarks.tumblr.com by express permission of this reviewer.

Title: Rogue Squadron
Series: X-Wing, Star Wars
Author: Michael Stackpole
Rating: 4 of 5 Stars
Genre: SF
Pages: 388


Synopsis:
When the Emperor died, the Empire did not. It was up to the Rebellion, now the newly minted New Republic, to continue the fight. One of the most notable parts of their military was Rogue Squadron, the X-Wing group that had helped take out 2!! Deathstars.
Now Rogue Squadron must build itself up with new members and go on missions that are so high profile that the mere mention of Rogue Squadron will send the enemy fleeing.
The first 4 books of this series center around Corran Horn, former Correllian Security [CorSec] agent and his integration into the New Republic.

My Thoughts:
You want Star Wars that is tight, exciting, full of intrigue, suspense and action? Well, this book delivers.
I originally read this back in 2000 and all I put was the genre, as Science Fiction. I was on quite the Michael Stackpole kick back then and this book fit in perfectly, as it combined him and Star Wars.

No jedi, no sith, no philosophical ramblings about grey areas and crap like that. This was action and a man coming to grips that his beliefs might not be the be all and end all he thought they were.
Really good space battles, some romance [just a smidge, mind you. enough to leaven the loaf] and a bad guy who has a case of the "I hate you personally" really bad for Horn and Rogue Squadron.

This book takes place before Coruscant is in the hands of the New Republic and you really get the sense that the NR is just being birthed and could truly be snuffed out without too much effort. Good stuff!

Saturday, September 06, 2014

Deadly Shores (Destroyermen #9)


Deadly Shores: Destroyermen - Taylor Anderson This review is written with a GPL 3.0 license and the rights contained therein shall supersede all TOS by any and all websites in regards to copying and sharing without proper authorization and permissions. Crossposted at Bookstooge.booklikes.blogspot.wordpress.leafmarks.tumblr.com by express permission of this reviewer.

Title: Deadly Shores
Series: Destroyermen
Author: Taylor Anderson
Rating: 3 of 5 Stars
Genre: Fantasy
Pages: 465

Synopsis:
The Alliance makes a big push to raid Madagascar, ancestral home of the Lemurians and now the home of the Grik queen.
During this time Matt Reddy realizes that he needs to truly become the military leader of the Alliance while staying out of the political arena.
A theory is put forth that this world is the dumping ground for multiple worlds and that is why you get all the differences. And we meet French nazis with submarines.

My Thoughts:
I wasn't sure I was going to finish this book because it started with so much military/navy/ship porn that my eyes were glazing over and I was literally skimming pages of material.
It also doesn't help that each book solves one problem and introduces 2 more, thus allowing Taylor to keep this series open indefinitely. I am not a fan of open series. I like it when the author knows the destination, even if they're not sure how they are going to get there.

However, Taylor can write some of the best battle scenes I have ever come across. I was convinced I wouldn't read any more in this series but the battle for Madagascar sucked me in so hard, so fast, so completely that if this book had just been that, it would have gotten 5 stars. So I'll read the next book and complain about it too *smiles*

One of my other main issues is that Taylor is opening up the whole world and thus has too much material to work with. We have the Grik, the New Great Britain people, the twisted Catholic Dominion people, the unnamed People from the "south" I think and now French Nazis. Just how many "new" groups can Taylor stuff into this series? I find it ridiculous to be honest. Ridiculous and distracting. Each group is ancillary to the main Destroyermen and so we only get a little or no action from some groups in each book.

So while I enjoy this series, I can't recommend it because of the ship porn [worse than Tom Clancy and his descriptions of missiles and such] and it's ever growing scope. I wish I could recommend it however, as Taylor does some mighty fine writing.

Friday, September 05, 2014

God of Thunder (Rogue Angel #7)

God of Thunder  - Alex Archer This review is written with a GPL 3.0 license and the rights contained therein shall supersede all TOS by any and all websites in regards to copying and sharing without proper authorization and permissions. Crossposted at Bookstooge.booklikes.blogspot.wordpress.leafmarks.tumblr.com by express permission of this reviewer.

Title: God of Thunder
Series: Rogue Angel
Author: Alex Archer
Rating: 2.5 of 5 Stars
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Pages: 352

Synopsis:
Thor supposedly came to earth and left a great treasure as well as his hammer Mjolnir.
One of Annja's former acquaintances wants to make his mark by finding the hammer.
At the same time, a family of nobility that is skirting bankruptcy is seeking the treasure.
Leroux and Garin get involved, one on each side.

My Thoughts:
Forget any thoughts of Mjolnir. This story doesn't actually have anything to do with that, even though it should.
Lots of parenting issues between Annja, Leroux and Garin.

Some shooting and chases, an obligatory badguy who is "really" bad because he does torture and stuff [oh lordy, like that makes someone worse than the guy who embezzles and ruins 1000's of families lives? phhhh] and of course everything is solved in the last 5% of the book.

Too much about the treasure and not enough about the Hammer. That would have been cool but I guess the ghost author doesn't have an imagination? Wouldn't surprise me. I never liked Mel Odom, even if he wasn't the particular ghost writer for this book.

Wednesday, September 03, 2014

Ghostbusters: The Return


Ghostbusters: The Return - Sholly Fisch This review is written with a GPL 3.0 license and the rights contained therein shall supersede all TOS by any and all websites in regards to copying and sharing without proper authorization and permissions. Crossposted at Bookstooge.booklikes.blogspot.wordpress.leafmarks.tumblr.com by express permission of this reviewer.

Title: Ghostbusters: The Return
Series: -----
Author: Sholly Fisch
Rating: 2.5 of 5 Stars
Genre: Paranormal
Pages: 304


Synopsis:
5 Years after GBII, the boys are kind of making things work. Emphasis on "kind of". Until a group decides that Peter V should be the next mayor of New York. At the same time an old has-been of a spirit, the spirit of Fear that wiped out Roanoke back in the day, decides that his time has come and he needs to instill fear in people so he can emerge and walk the earth again, with the requisite blood and sacrifices, etc, etc.

My Thoughts:
I actually only read this because of the authors name. I mean, is that name for real? I kept wanting to call him Folly Sh*t for some reason.

This book was mediocre at best. It felt like a real rehash of GBII as far as the villain went. The whole Peter for Mayor distracted from the story without adding anything except to give Morris[the black dude] a semi-happy ending. Peter and Girlfriend went over the exact same issues as they did in GBII and if it weren't for a couple of throw-away references I'd say this author wrote this book BEFORE GBII came out.

I was left with absolutely NO desire to seek out or read any other Ghostbuster books, whether by this author or not. Which is to bad, because the original Ghostbusters movie is one of the best ever, cheese effects and all.

Tuesday, September 02, 2014

They Also Serve (Jump Universe #3)


They Also Serve  - Mike Moscoe This review is written with a GPL 3.0 license and the rights contained therein shall supersede all TOS by any and all websites in regards to copying and sharing without proper authorization and permissions. Crossposted at Bookstooge.booklikes.blogspot.wordpress.leafmarks.tumblr.com by express permission of this reviewer.

Title: They Also Serve
Series: Jump Universe
Author: Mike Moscoe
Rating: 3 of 5 Stars
Genre: SF
Pages: 357


Synopsis:
Trouble and Crew get their ship sabotaged and in jumping end up at a Lost colony from the first lost jump ship.
The world is being run, in the background, by an ancient supercomputer. Only problem is, it appears to have gone insane and is now splitting part into separate entries. So the crew must figure out a way home, solve the domestic squabbles their presence has created AND fight a super computer that wants to kill every human on the planet.

My Thoughts:
I think I've had enough of Mike Moscoe/Shepherd. There has never been 1 big thing that has annoyed me, but just a series of little pinpricks and this book pushed me over the edge.

False guilt, internal melodrama, people acting like idiots for apparent reason, are among some of the reasons I won't continuing with this author. Another big one is characters who deny they are good at something so that others are forced to say so. I HATE it when people fish for compliments or pretend to be modest.

Au revoir Mike. You always rubbed me the wrong way and now I don't have to deal with it any more. Ahhh, it feels good.

Monday, September 01, 2014

Akira #4 (Manga Monday)


Akira, Vol. 4 - Katsuhiro Otomo This review is written with a GPL 3.0 license and the rights contained therein shall supersede all TOS by any and all websites in regards to copying and sharing without proper authorization and permissions. Crossposted at Bookstooge.booklikes.blogspot.wordpress.leafmarks.tumblr.com by express permission of this reviewer

Title: Akira #4
Series: Akira
Author & Artist: Katsuhiro Otomo
Rating: 5 of 5 Stars
Genre: Manga
Pages: 400

Synopsis:
Japan has collapsed. Russia has taken over the north. America is sniffing at the south, but is aware of Akira's potential and so staying relatively neutral.

Tetsuo and Akira have created a New Japanese Empire in the rubble of Neo-Tokyo and are opposed by Lady Miyako and the remaining Special Children. Tetsuo is trying to grow his power but after a look into the mind of Akira he practically curls up in fear.

Akira, and what he wants, are still a mystery. But we now know that he is not some innocent little boy. He has ideas and plans of his own.

Kei and Chyoko are doing their best to protect the last 2 of the Special Children and to reunite them with Lady Miyako, who is herself a special child from an earlier experiment than Akira came from.

Kaneda is gone for 9/10'ths of the book until he appears with a building falling from space right at the end.

My Thoughts:
This is definitely a mature manga. There are several instances of male and female nudity and while they aren't pornographic, they are graphic enough for any hormone driven teen.

The violence is another issue. One particular instance stood out to me. A man gets his face ground into glass fragments by another character.  It was brutal and not for the faint.

But with all that, I was wicked impressed with this volume. I can't really quantify why I liked this one so much, or even the whole series, but something just resonates in me when I read this. Maybe it is because men will always have that little boy inside who wonders if they are really cut out to be a Man. Or it might be the whole freaking nonstop action and superweapons and people doing incredible things with their minds.

I don't know why. But I do know I like this.