Thursday, March 31, 2016

Dead Six (Dead Six #1)


Dead Six - Mike Kupari, Larry Correia 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.com & Bookstooge's Reviews on the Road Facebook Group by Bookstooge's Exalted Permission.
Title: Dead Six
Series: Dead Six
Author: Larry Correia & Mike Kupari
Rating: 4.5 of 5 Stars
Genre: SFF
Pages: 725
Format: Kindle digital edition







Synopsis:
Michael Valentine, former marine and mercenary extraordinaire, has burnt out. Trying to live a "normal life" as a security guard, Valentine is going out of his mind. One day a former team mate offers him a job of a lifetime. Making money hand over fist for the United States Government while bringing the War on Terror to the terrorists in places they thought were safe.

Lorenzo. Con man, thief and hitman. He thought his family safe. Big Eddie convinced him otherwise. Of course, Big Eddie promises they'll be safe if Lorenzo does just one, teensy weensy impossible, job.

Lorenzo and Valentine are on a collision course. Women get involved, things slightly Cthulhu'ic are involved and backstabbing and betrayals are the keywords of the day. Will Valentine and Lorenzo kill each other or save each other?

My Thoughts:
Wow! Just wow! Valentine and Lorenzo are apparently on two different paths when suddenly they're on a collision course. Then suddenly they're reluctant allies. Now that sounds like a whiplash ride, but considering this book is over 700 pages long, the process was gradual and realistic.

Having the dual viewpoints, essentially telling 2 stories, worked. Each POV was prefaced by which character it was and the location, and that was very helpful.

There was a group called Exodus that played a very brief part. They seemed to be some sort of super vigilante group that was driven by the need for Justice against those who could never be brought to Justice by ordinary means. There was another group called Majestic, which was more referred to than anything else. I am assuming they will both play bigger roles in the next book.

There is an object of power, human sacrifice and a heavy unearthly feeling in parts. That is why I gave this the paranormal  tag, even though it was pretty strictly a gun fest.
The violence level was pretty high definitely earned the ultra-violence tag. Brains, blood and body parts blown all over the place. High calibre weapons do a lot of damage and neither author shied from describing such carnage.

Correia is known for his gun porn. Apparently, Kupari was right behind him, egging him on and adding his own. Thankfully, it didn't overwhelm any part of the story and it sounded like what a soldier would think/talk in these kinds of situations. I don't enjoy gun porn for the record.

I know this doesn't really tell why I liked this so much, but I stayed up until almost 11pm two nights in a row reading this because I just couldn't put it down. I think that speaks volumes in and of itself. I am really looking forward to the sequel, Swords of Exodus.

Wednesday, March 30, 2016

Counterstrike (Black Fleet #3)


Counterstrike - Joshua Dalzelle 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.com & Bookstooge's Reviews on the Road Facebook Group by Bookstooge's Exalted Permission.
Title: Counterstrike
Series: Black Fleet
Author: Joshua Dalzelle
Rating: 4 of 5 Stars
Genre: SFF
Pages: 365
Format: Kindle digital edition







Synopsis:
Jackson Wolfe is about to head up the remaining fleets of Earth against the Phage, in a strike against a theoretical Phage Overmind.
All of the info about the Phage come from the new alien allies. Said allies are unwilling to dirty their hands with actual fighting but have no problems with using other races as proxies.
Wolfe must now fight a 3 front war. One against the Phage. One, very surreptitiously, against their supposed allies. Finally, one against his own commander who can't take any chances.

My Thoughts:
Best book of this trilogy. And it ends. Jackson Wolfe is alive at the end but his story is over. The story about the alien allies hasn't finished, but the Phage aspect is done.

As soon as the alien allies made it clear that they used other races to wage their wars, the origin of the Phage was pretty much a foregone conclusion. It was an interesting turn but not a shocking revelation. It definitely makes the "allies" the new "enemies" for any future books.

The tiny bit of "romance" was awkward and really didn't add anything to the story or make the characters any better. I wish that Dalzelle had left it out altogether. It would have fit just fine with Wolfe as a character.

In the author's note at the end, he makes it clear that this IS a trilogy. I like that he had the balls to end this and not try to endlessly milk it.  While I am hoping to read more in this universe, I am ok with being done with Jackson Wolfe.

Tuesday, March 29, 2016

It Shouldn't Happen to a Vet (All Creatures Great and Small #2)


It Shouldn't Happen to a Vet - James Herriot 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.com & Bookstooge's Reviews on the Road Facebook Group by Bookstooge's Exalted Permission.
Title: It Shouldn't Happen to a Vet
Series: All Creatures Great and Small
Author: James Herriot
Rating: 4 of 5 Stars
Genre: Autobiography
Pages: 290
Format: Scan







Synopsis:
Year 2 of Jim's Adventuring in Vet'ing.

My Thoughts:
I didn't enjoy this one quite as much as the previous book. I think that is mostly because the novelty had worn itself out in book one.

Other than that, this was just as solid. Good character sketches, interesting descriptions of happy and sad times. This time around we also get some of the social interactions that Jim has; even if only to get completely plastered, fall down a hill with a drunk woman and then meet the girl he wants to impress.

I am glad I am reading these.

Monday, March 28, 2016

The Dracula Caper (Time Wars #8) DNF@38%


The Dracula Caper - Simon Hawke 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.com & Bookstooge's Reviews on the Road Facebook Group by Bookstooge's Exalted Permission.
Title: The Dracula Caper
Series: Time Wars
Author: Simon Hawke
Rating: 1/2 of 5 Stars
Genre: SFF
Pages: DNF
Format: Kindle digital editions







Synopsis:
The Multiverse continues the war. Now Drakov, the crazy russian, has introduced genetic creatures, namely were-wolves and vampires, into "our" timeline in London in an effort to destabilize our timeline and destroy us.


My Thoughts:
This book is where I stop reading this series. It wasn't that the plot was any cheesier than previous books. It wasn't that the characters were suddenly stiffer than cardboard, because they've always been standup cutouts.

Nope, I quit because this was more than half exposition about Time War physics and other such immaterial crap. This was the 8th book in the series. I don't need the whole primer for the Time Wars, an exposition about why things are so bad and history of each character and why they are the way they are.

It frustrated me so much that I just quit, the book and the series.

Good riddance!


Dreams of Steel (The Chronicles of the Black Company #6)


Dreams of Steel - Glen Cook 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.com & Bookstooge's Reviews on the Road Facebook Group by Bookstooge's Exalted Permission.
Title: Dreams of Steel
Series: The Chronicles of the Black Company
Author: Glen Cook
Rating: 4 of 5 Stars
Genre: SFF
Pages: 383
Format: Kindle digital edition






Synopsis:
The Lady must pull together a whole new Black Company, as most of the group gathered in the last book were beaten. With Croaker out of the picture, she must fulfill the obligation to the Taglians and take down the Shadowmasters, her former apprentices known as the Taken.
Problem is, the Taglian leaders don't want her, or the Black Company, around any longer; and a Death Cult gets involved and tries to make the Lady the death goddess's avatar; and the Shadowmasters play their games against the Lady and each other.

"It's complicated" only scratches the surface!

My Thoughts: Spoilers Ahead Matey's!
Thankfully, we learn relatively early on that Croaker's not dead, but being held captive by the Lady's sister, a Taken and now a Shadowmaster named, Catcher? I can't keep track of which Taken is which much less when they start with the whole new identity thing and switch it all up.
Needless to say, I'm glad he's alive even if he played a very small part in this book.

I really wish I had read these back in the day when I was part of the SFBC. These books make Steven Erikson's whole Malazan Book of the Fallen series look like the bloated up pompous bag of wind that they turned into in the last 3 books. The Black Company books are superior in almost every way and as a bonus, I get answers.  Well, I guess late to the Black Company party is better than never.

The reveal at the end, about the Lady's child, was almost so not there that I had to read the couple of paragraphs a couple of times to make sense of it. Little things like that are why I prefer an omniscient narrator style instead of the unreliable. But it fits with the whole tone of the series and Cook writes it so it isn't clunky, choppy or distracting.

Finally, I enjoy Cook's writing. I don't skim. Anything. It is interesting and he does a great job of hiding little nuggets of info among otherwise random things. It is kind of fun actually. All the battles, fighting and magic make it ok too *wink*

Saturday, March 26, 2016

Unclean (The Haunted Lands #1) (Forgotten Realms)


Unclean  - Richard Lee Byers 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.com & Bookstooge's Reviews on the Road Facebook Group by Bookstooge's Exalted Permission.
Title: Unclean
Series: The Haunted Lands
Author: Richard Lee Byers
Rating: 3.5 of 5 Stars
Genre: SFF
Pages: 352
Format: Kindle digital edition







Synopsis:
Following a griffin rider/mage, a mercenary and the machinations of several Red Wizards of Thay, including Szass Tam.
Some power is raising hordes of undead, some not seen for centuries and invading the Kingdom of Thay. The griffin rider is the survivor of 2 attacks and becomes a de facto general in the new army raised to fight the hordes. The mercenary is trailing a band of rogue Red wizards who have taken his betrothed, along with hundreds of others, for experimentation. And the Wizards council is playing games as Szass Tam, the lich wizard, attempts the long game of taking over Thay.

My Thoughts:
This was pretty standard fare. There seemed to be a couple more POV's than I was used to in a Forgotten Realms book but since they all advanced the story, it made for the scope of the story to be told in a wider sense. It worked even while annoying me for not staying strictly with 2-3 characters like I am used to in a FR book.

My issue [and I always seem to have at least one with any of these churned out stories] was the plot line dealing with the mercenary and his kidnapped love interest, who ends up being turned into a super vampire. His pov and adventures added nearly 1/4 of what we see and while it was necessary, the whole "love interest" part just didn't ring true. It would have worked better if the love interest was a family member instead of a love interest.

And at the 90% mark, I realized I had already read the end of the story arc in the book The Crimson Gold, a stand alone book in the Rogue series. Which was kind of a downer, as the suspense is gone, but at the same time was neat as I now had a destination already in mind and I just needed to see how the author would get to there.

Sunday, March 20, 2016

The River of Shadows (The Chathrand Voyage #3)


The River of Shadows - Robert V.S. Redick 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.com & Bookstooge's Reviews on the Road Facebook Group by Bookstooge's Exalted Permission.
Title: The River of Shadows
Series: The Chathrand Voyage
Author: Robert Redick
Rating: 2 of 5 Stars
Genre: SFF
Pages: 593
Format: Kindle







Synopsis:
The crew of the Chathrand are pretty much captured, lots of things happen, Arunis pretty much wins even while being killed.

My Thoughts:
You know what? I like the overall story. But I can't stand the palpable despair and hopelessness that permeates every action, every thought of every character.
It seems like they are racing ahead of a tsunami, once step ahead of being completely swept away.

I am not a fan of hopelessness.

Saturday, March 19, 2016

Batman versus Predator (Batman versus Predator #1)


Batman versus Predator - Dave Gibbons, Adam Kubert, Andy Kubert 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.com & Bookstooge's Reviews on the Road Facebook Group by Bookstooge's Exalted Permission.
Title: Batman versus Predator
Series: Batman versus Predator
Author/Artist: Dave Gibbons, Andy & Adam Kubert
Rating: 4 of 5 Stars
Genre: Graphic Novel/Comic
Pages: 128
Format: Digital scan







Synopsis:
A Predator comes to Gotham and starts hunting the top dogs. Batman gets involved and it comes down to a brutal finish between a wounded Batman and a wounded Predator.

My Thoughts:
I own this in paper. I bought the collected edition when it came out in the 90's and my teen self was amazed at how amazing amazingly amazing this was. What could be more amazing than Batman, in amazing bat armor,  fighting an amazing predator?

Yeah, that is a lot of amazeballz there.

Reading this now, it is a solid, if a bit short, story.  There is actually very little of Batman fighting the Predator, more like skirmishes while the Predator kills off various Gotham elites. Thankfully, right at the end, there is a scene where Batman takes a baseball bat to the Predator. I think that scene alone would make this book worthwhile.

I am not sure I'll ever be reading this again though. It had sat on my bookshelves, lo these long years, and I hadn't even thought of it until I read that silly book, Archie versus the Predator. That was just so much fun that I had to dig these out [there are 3 graphic novels in this series, even though each is a standalone story if I remember correctly] and see how they've fared over time.

I was planning on reading all 3 in a row and then review them right after the other but after this one I think I'll let it rest for a week or so before trying the second.

Friday, March 18, 2016

He Fell in Love with His Wife (Classic)


He Fell in Love with His Wife - Edward Payson Roe 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.com & Bookstooge's Reviews on the Road Facebook Group by Bookstooge's Exalted Permission.
Title: He Fell in Love with His Wife
Series: -----
Author: Edward Roe
Rating: 4 of 5 Stars
Genre: Romance
Pages: 308
Format: Kindle digital edition







Synopsis:
A farmer's wife dies and leaves him on his own. After several disastrous attempts at hiring women to take care of his domestic needs, he enters into a business marriage with a woman who has been used, lied to and cast aside.
What neither of them expects is to fall in love with the other. However, when the cad who ruined the woman returns, all comes into the open and love and justice prevail.

My Thoughts:
After the Best Book of 2015 came from Roe (His Sombre Rivals) I deliberately lowered my expectations for this book.

In some ways that was a good thing. This was a rather dry romance. It was a romance that I could believe in. Nothing like those pornographic books today that are called romance but are not much more than passion and sex. It also wasn't the Jane Austen variety of romance [of which I am a big fan] with its funny, quirky, irascible, heroic and villainous characters who were in very circumscribed circumstances. However, what this was a romance that dealt with some deep issues and had some weight behind it.

A couple of things that I really did like:


1) One night a group of young men come to the cottage and perform some backwoods thingy, where they scream and insult the wife and husband. Well, the farmer knows that what they are saying is false but the wife doesn't and she is so afraid that she faints. The farmer then gets a hickory stick and beats the boys black and blue. But all the while he knows the boys aren't trying to harm his wife and he doesn't hold a grudge. He is punishing them for frightening her and to teach them to think before they act.

2) Near the end of the book the farmer confronts the man who ruined Mrs Farmer's reputation [by marrying her and hiding the fact that he was already married] and whips the man until he leaves.

Men are creatures of violent natures, even those most inclined to peace and tranquility. Most of the time we see that violent nature at its worst; in murder, in abuse, in rape. But when properly channeled and in a right cause, a violent man is a thing of wonder to behold.

So overall this book was a success for me. I have several more of Roe's book in my Calibre library and I am glad that I'll be reading more of him.

Monday, March 14, 2016

Something Under The Bed Is Drooling (Calvin and Hobbes #2)


Something Under The Bed Is Drooling - Bill Watterson 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.com & Bookstooge's Reviews on the Road Facebook Group by Bookstooge's Exalted Permission.







Title: Something Under The Bed Is Drooling
Series: Calvin and Hobbes
Author/Artist: Bill Watterson
Rating: 5 of 5 Stars
Genre: Comics
Pages: 128
Format: Digital scan



Synopsis:
The further adventures of Calvin and his best friend Hobbes. We are introduced to Rosalyn the infamous babysitter. Susy the girl next door becomes more entrenched as the love/hate interest. And life as a kid is shown in all its glory and all its horror.

My Thoughts:
What a wonderful book. This was as good as the first. Since this is a series of daily strips, there is not an overall plot. You might get several comics in a row dealing with the same story arc, but that is it.

The art is simple and yet Watterson is able to portray so many intricate feelings and situations. It seems simple but if I were to try to portray these comics with words, I am not sure I could do it. Watterson does it with almost stick characters. I used the word "genius" in my review of the first book I believe and I can only say the same again.

Sunday, March 13, 2016

The Jewel of Turmish (The Cities #3) (Forgotten Realms)


The Jewel of Turmish - Mel Odom 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.com & Bookstooge's Reviews on the Road Facebook Group by Bookstooge's Exalted Permission.
Title: The Jewel of Turmish
Series: The Cities
Author: Mel Odom
Rating: 2.5 of 5 Stars
Genre: SFF
Pages: 320
Format: Kindle







Synopsis:
A half elf teams up with a human mercenary to hunt down a wolf that has taken to killing humans. Said elf is part of an enclave of Sages dedicated to keeping the undead from their part of the Sea of Fallen Stars.
At the same time, a long dead zombie lord arises and begins anew his assault on the area.
The conclave must defeat the zombie lord, who is being backed by a group of mysterious black magic sorcerers.

My Thoughts:
The only other book I've read by Odom is The Rover and I remember not really liking it.
This was just a mish mash of tropes all pushed together.

The mysterious group of magicians for instance. They are mentioned and used as motivation and then just abandoned like they never existed. It was annoying.
The half elf and the mercenary lady were as stiff as a whittled pine board and their supposed romantic feelings were as believable as me expressing my feelings for a mountain.

Overall, this was just bleh. Odom did nothing to make me want to read more of his stuff. I've got one other Forgotten Realms trilogy by him that I'll eventually get to and then it'll be quits between us.

Saturday, March 12, 2016

A Cosmic Glow (Mobile Suit Gundam The Origin #11) (Manga)


Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin, Vol. 11: A Cosmic Glow - Yoshikazu Yasuhiko, Yoshiyuki Tomino, Hajime Yatate 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.com & Bookstooge's Reviews on the Road Facebook Group by Bookstooge's Exalted Permission.
Title: A Cosmic Glow
Series: Mobile Suit Gundam The Origin
Author & Artist: Yoshikazu Yasuhiko
Rating:  5 of 5 Stars
Genre: Manga
Pages: 372
Format: Paper




 Synopsis:
The Feds are throwing everything they have at A Baoa Qu, a military base controlled by Zeon that is right next door to the Principality of Zeon.
Zeon responds with their own Super Laser and wipes out a ton of Feds.
So it is up to the White Base to be a rallying point for the survivors to take the base.
Amuro heads up the mobile suits and is, obviously opposed by Char. But Lalah is involved and things don't go as anyone planned.
At the same time, the Zeon children are fomenting revolts of their own, against their father and each other.
The Deikun heirs, Char and Sayla ne~ Artesia, reveal themselves and bring even more chaos to the unfolding situation.
And Amuro and Char just plain duke it out!

My Thoughts: Spoilers Ahead, Mateys!
First off, I wish that the bloody publishers, Vertical, had official synopsis's on their website. It would make things SO much easier because let me tell you, this book was jam packed!

As much as I've enjoyed this series, at times having White Base "go there, go here, fight, fight, fight" got rather boring. This book kicked the boring right out of the door. Amuro is exponentially increasing in his piloting abilities and Char is slavering at the mouth for a chance to test himself against him again. What complicates things is Lalah. I don't understand WHY she chose to stay with Char. She and Amuro obviously had a Newtype connection, so why stay with Char? And it got her killed. That scene was incredible. And you get to see how Char cares nothing for anybody but himself. Even her death didn't throw him into a homicidal rage but he used it to egg Amuro on. At that moment I really hated Char and hoped he would die a horrible death.

Amuro's situation is complicated by the fact that Fraw is in love with him and he returns the feelings but he can't deny what he and Lalah had. And then for him to kill Lalah, even by accident, was just too much.

Seeing the disintegration of the Zeon leadership was a lesson in evil devouring itself. Please excuse me if I get the names wrong. Zabi, the father, is going to meet with the Fed military leader to sue for peace. His son, Gihren, uses the super laser to wipe out the Fed leader, knowing that his father would be there, all because he, Gihren, wanted to be in charge. When the sister, Kycilia, learns of Gihren's actions, she executes him and takes command. All the while Sayla/Artesia is leading a revolt of soldiers loyal to her father, the originator of the Zeon Freedom movement. And Char is watching it all play out and just laughing at the death and destruction. It is better than a Shakespeare play for drama.

Overall, this book shook me out of any lethargy I had for the series. It surprised me with its insight into the human characters and their motivations. While not a strong contender, it did earn a spot in my "Best Book of the Year" line up.  It has also renewed my desire to own the complete series as these are just gorgeous books. Heavy covers. Heavy, glossy pages that will not degrade. Bright colored pages. Black and white drawings that aren't a mess. These are quality books that I want on my bookshelf.

Friday, March 11, 2016

Midnight Over Sanctaphrax (Twig #3) (The Edge Chronicles #3)


Midnight Over Sanctaphrax - Paul Stewart, Chris Riddell 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.com & Bookstooge's Reviews on the Road Facebook Group by Bookstooge's Exalted Permission.
Title: Midnight Over Sanctaphrax
Series: The Edge Chronicles
Author: Chris Riddell & Paul Stewart
Rating: 3.5 of 5 Stars
Genre: Children's SFF
Pages: 370
Format: Kindle






Synopsis:
Twig is over the Edge, looking for his father. He finds him, and finds out that a great storm of renewal is coming to the Edge and he must release the floating city of Sanctaphrax out of its way.
But Twig, along with his crew, are all blown hither and yon across the Edge, without their memories. Now Twig must mount a rescue expedition for them and try to figure out just what he forgot.

My Thoughts:
I enjoyed this as much as the previous book. With childrens/middlegrade books it seems that things can go from one extreme to the other in terms of what I like, so I never know how I'm going to come out of these books.

Twig does a lot of growing [ha] in terms of becoming the kind of ship captain that will inspire loyalty from his crew. He never gives up in his search for them, even while providing us with some really fun adventures. Fun to read about, not necessarily fun to experience.

I am wondering if at some point the adventures will move away from Twig and onto some other character? Mainly because I've seen this [and have catalogued as such] as the Edge Chronicles while concurrently being the Twig series. With 10 books in the series, I can imagine at some point Twig becoming a minor, but famous, character. I haven't cared enough to look ahead and part of me doesn't want to know. I just want to experience the things as they come along to me.

Angles of Attack (Frontlines #3)


Angles of Attack - Marko Kloos 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's Reviews on the Road Facebook Group by Bookstooge's Exalted Permission.
Title: Angles of Attack
Series: Frontlines
Author: Marko Kloos
Rating: Unrated
Genre: SFF
Pages: 350
Format: Kindle



My Thoughts:
Due to some of the subject matter, I will not be continuing with this series.

And once again, an author's desire to be politically correct and include homosexuality so that their writing is "inclusive" forces me to abandon this author.  Given how my statements like this have been taken at social booksites, I am slowly being squeezed to saying what I think only on my blog here because otherwise a shitstorm gets raised and I just don't have the oomph to deal with it.

Thursday, March 10, 2016

The Scorched Earth (The Chaos Born #2)


The Scorched Earth - Drew Karpyshyn 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.com & Bookstooge's Reviews on the Road Facebook Group by Bookstooge's Exalted Permission.
Title: The Scorched Earth
Series: The Chaos Born
Author: Drew Karpyshyn
Rating: 3 of 5 Stars
Genre: SFF
Pages: 384
Format: Kindle







Synopsis:
The forest people are going to war, under the direction of one of the Minions, who has wormed his way into the Queen's confidence. They are going after the plains people, because the Minion can sense the Ring and the Sword, 2 of the 3 Talismans.
It is now up to the 4 Children to stave off the army, survive and gather all 3 talismans together.
But with the Order going on the rampage against any with chaos abilities, and the forest mages on the warpath, can they succeed?

My Thoughts:
I actually enjoyed this more than the previous book, mainly because the 4 chosen ones were all together and we didn't have to follow 3 or 4 storylines. This time around we followed the Chosen and the Minions.

The war between the forest mages and the plains warriors was good. Nothing like battles to move the story along. Not much else to say really. It is just "good but mediocre" kind of fantasy that fills the mind, much like iceberg lettuce fills the stomach.

Wednesday, March 09, 2016

World without a Superman (The Death and Return of Superman #2)

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.com & Bookstooge's Reviews on the Road Facebook Group by Bookstooge's Exalted Permission.
Title: World without a Superman
Series: The Death and Return of Superman
Author/Artist: Dan Jurgens, et al.
Rating: 4 of 5 Stars
Genre: Comics
Pages: 240
Format: Graphic Novel








Synopsis:
In the aftermath of Superman's death, hell breaks loose. A shady government agency steals his body, which Lex Luthor buried in a very public funeral attended by the JLA and the rest of the heroes in the DC universe.
At the same time, Lois has to deal with Clark supposedly having gone missing, while she knows he is dead. Ma and Pa Kent are being torn apart with their private grief and Jonathan ends up in the hospital with a heart attack.
And then things get weird with some sort of afterlife scenario where Pa Kent has to bring back Superman from a potential hell.
And then right at the end, it appears that 4 Supermen have come back.

My Thoughts:
This was fun and as bright, splashy and soap opera'y as one could wish for. This was everything a comic should be. Larger than life characters and scenarios.

Of course, I was rolling my eyes almost the whole time. I mean, super guns being sold to gangsters is the big problem in Metropolis? And Lex Luthor being mad because HE didn't kill Superman? Ay yi yi.

I enjoyed every page though. And it brings me once book closer to Doomed, where it looks like Superman is infected by Doomsday. I am looking forward to that!

Monday, March 07, 2016

Saltation (Liaden) DNF@5%


Saltation (Liaden Universe) - Steve Miller, Sharon Lee 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. Posted at Bookstooge.blogspot.com & Bookstooge's Reviews on the Road Facebook Group by Bookstooge's Exalted Permission.
Title: Saltation
Series: Liaden
Author: Sharon Lee & Steve Miller
Rating: Unrated
Genre: SFF
Pages: DNF
Format: Kindle





 My Thoughts:
Due to some of the subject matter, I will not be continuing with this series.

And that really stinks. I have been enjoying this series immensely and was seriously considering buying these in hardcover. So to have homosexuality just casually brought in like it was was a kick in the guts.

This has been happening more and more though and I am beginning to wonder if I am going to have to curtail my SFF reading. Will I have to cut down on my overall reading or replace the SFF with something completely different, like non-fiction? Either way, it will entail changes in my habits based on the changes in society today.

Don't I already do enough things that make me different? I tithe. I go to church on Saturday. I watch almost no tv/movies. I don't drink alcohol. I believe and act like, the Bible is true. And it is wearing me out. 

Saturday, March 05, 2016

The Assassins of Altis (Pillars of Reality #3)


The Assassins of Altis - Jack Campbell 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.com & Bookstooge's Reviews on the Road Facebook Group by Bookstooge's Exalted Permission.
Title: The Assassins of Altis
Series: Pillars of Reality
Author: Jack Campbell
Rating: 4 of 5 Stars
Genre: SFF
Pages: 329
Format: Kindle






Synopsis:
Mari and Alain have escaped Marandur. But they are constantly on the run from the Guilds. They must make their way to the Tower of Altis, where there are records that can help Mari, who has now accepted her role as the Daughter of Jules, decide how she will proceed to stop the Storm and save Dematr.
And she and Alain get married.

My Thoughts:
Each time I start these books, I wonder if I'm going to like it and that maybe THIS is the time that Jack Campbell lets me down. I don't know why. I suspect some of it has to do with it being young adult and I'm just naturally suspicious of that label.

However, THIS book was not THAT book. It did not disappoint.

In fact, I would describe this as a madcap flurry of fights and "barely made it" escapes. It also showcases Mari coming into her own as the Daughter of Jules and how she actually IS bringing Mechanics, Mages and Commons together.

With the political situation here in the US, I realized that this book is about Hope. Not about someone who will promise you what you want or even say they agree with what you believe. I think that spoke to me more than anything because I am fast losing hope that humanity can keep on muddling on without catastrophic consequences.

On a completely different note. With the revelations about the origins of the Mechanics, it was made evident that this whole series is based on one of Campbell's short stories in his book Ad Astra. In that story, a spaceship emergency lands on a planet, where the crew turn the ship rules into a religion and force the passengers to be their servants. It was one of those "ah ha!" moments that I do enjoy so much.

Friday, March 04, 2016

Return of the Dragon (Yu-Gi-Oh! R #4) (Manga)


Yu-Gi-Oh! R, Vol. 4: Return of the Dragon - Akira Ito 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.com & Bookstooge's Reviews on the Road Facebook Group by Bookstooge's Exalted Permission.
Title: Return of the Dragon
Series: Yu-Gi-Oh! R
Author/Artist: Akira Ito
Rating: 3.5 of 5 Stars
Genre: Manga
Pages: 200
Format: Kindle








Synopsis:
Gekko goes up against the Number 1 Card Professor, and loses. Hence, Yugi is shutout from rescuing Anzu.
Kaiba goes up against Yako and even with his Ultimate Blue Eyes, he loses spectacularly.
Things really don't look good for Anzu.

My Thoughts:
Gekko's battle was a bit underwhelming but at some point the Good Guys needed to lose. To bad Yugi was paired up with Gekko so one's loss was the others as well. I know Anzu will be fine in the end, but I'm excited to see how Ito brings the story to its conclusion.

Yako and Seto's fight was awesome! The dark god cards just radiate menace and it was fun to see Seto overwhelmed.

Looking forward to the conclusion of this series in the next volume.

Thursday, March 03, 2016

Twilight Watch (Night Watch #3)


Twilight Watch - Sergei Lukyanenko 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.com & Bookstooge's Reviews on the Road Facebook Group by Bookstooge's Exalted Permission.
Title: Twilight Watch
Series: Night Watch
Author: Sergei Lukyanenko
Rating: 3 of 5 Stars
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Pages: 432
Format: Kindle







 Synopsis:
Anton is now a mature family man with a little 3 year old daughter. His wife has left the Night Watch and while he is still in it, his heart isn't.
Throughout the 3 stories presented, Anton must wrestle what it means to be an "Other". He must decide if the Light and Dark ones are different after all and if the Inquisition is what he wants, or if it too is an empty body politic.

My Thoughts:
The idea of a book or spell that can turn people into Others was interesting. The complications, the effects and the ripples from even the Idea of such a thing are shown in each of these stories.

The writing was much more polished, less chaotic and random, than the first book. The downside was that the morose and melancholy nature that I so enjoyed from the previous books was also tamped down.  Kind of like a campfire after the first 30min. It is now warmer and much more able to fulfill your needs [ie, roasting those horrible 'smores] but it doesn't LOOK like a wild raging fire any more.
Tamed.

Lukyanenko's philosophical musings, given voice by Anton's thoughts, while running in the same vein as before, are much more "Others" versus "People" instead of "Light" versus "Dark". Anton ends up thinking that ALL "Others" are like magical vampires, as they live off of the magic of people and the world. Which of course, is utter and complete bollocks. That is on the same level as saying that I am a grass vampire because I breathe in the oxygen it produces. In all honesty, Anton has matured and now has a family to be worried about, he doesn't need to sit around and mentally masturbate to such puerile philosophy.

I also liked how the Inquisition was shown to be the place for those who had given up hope instead of the last Bastion of Hope for Others.

Originally, I believe this was the last book. At least, I know I've seen "The Night Watch Trilogy" on a bunch of older editions of this and earlier books. I do know that there is a fourth book, called The Final Watch, and I'm wondering what Lukyanenko will write about to wrap things up. Aaaaand I just looked and there is a fifth book entitled New Watch, so it looks like I've got a bit more reading a head of me than I thought. I'm ok with that.

Wednesday, March 02, 2016

Demon Hunter (Yamada Monogatari #1)


Yamada Monogatari: Demon Hunter - Richard Parks 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.com & Bookstooge's Reviews on the Road Facebook Group by Bookstooge's Exalted Permission.
Title: Demon Hunter
Series: Yamada Monogatari
Author: Richard Parks
Rating: 2 of 5 Stars
Genre: SFF
Pages: 288
Format: Kindle







Synopsis:
Yamata is a generalized demon hunter. Spirits, changlings, ogres, etc, he can deal with them all.
Set in historic Japan, this is a book of short stories about Yamata and his adventures.

My Thoughts:
Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, she had to walk into mine.

I was expecting this read to be very anime'y. What I got was 1920's crime noir transposed over a historic Japan. I kept waiting for the main character, Yamata, to puff on a stogey and shoot someone with a .45. And I kept imagining Humphrey Bogart in a kimono.

And then near the end the author crossed one of the lines I've drawn for myself in regards to what I will and will not read and that crossed him off of any future reads.  Even without that, I kept looking at the percentage on my kindle to see if I was almost done yet. Never a good sign.

Tuesday, March 01, 2016

February '16 Roundup & Rambles







18 Books for the month. Only 1 DNF and quite a few graphic novels, comics and manga. This month just flew by, so having the lightness of the GN's and mangas was nice. Kind of like a no pressure read.

The only book that really stood out to me this month was the graphic novel Death of SupermanThe DNF, Atlantis Endgame, was only 5% in, so I didn't feel like I'd wasted any time whatsoever on it.

My Project Reread book, Way-farer, was a success and I enjoyed it this time around just as much as all the previous times. So it fared much better than last month's Jurassic Park.

I've also started to map out a reading plan for the manga I want to read/reread this year. It will take probably most of this month to get it really together, but since I still have a couple of Yu-Gi-Oh! R volumes to read, that shouldn't be an issue.  Probably going after Eyeshield 21 and then either W Juliet or Kare Kano.

I have started Madame Bovary, but it is my "phone" book, so I just read a page or two here and there when I'm waiting in line, or something like that. I've only read about 10%, which is why I haven't listed it yet. I really like the writing and am wondering about powering through it this month to see if I enjoy the plot or not.

Every month I think I'm going to type out the books I've read. And each month as I start to do it, I realize what a chore it is and my will to do so evaporates like the morning dew on a summer's day. I am thinking I might start a Roundup & Rambles post at the BEGINNING of the month and simply add each book as I review it. That way at the end of the month I can simply add the Rambles part of the post, along with the pic, and voila, Instant Post. We'll see.

I've enjoyed reading everyone elses wrap ups, roundups, end of months, etc posts. Thanks to everyone who made my feed a fun time yesterday and today. I do appreciate your hard work and ask humbly that you keep at it.

Kanpai!