Monday, May 31, 2010

May '10

SHADOWMARCH: SHADOWRISE
-T. Williams-554-pbook
-fantasy-the 3rd book of the Shadowmarch tetrology. I ended up reading this in short sections at lunch at work, and I think that really worked against this book. The way it was written made it so it needed to be read in 3-5 long reads. Barrit ends up going through yet more stuff and meeting the King of the Qar, Briony makes it safely to another kingdom only to face assassination, etc and ends up fleeing back to Southmarch and the fruitcake godking reveals his plans to sacrifice the king of Southmarch to gain control of a god for his own personal use. This book just didn't really resonate with me, but I think I would have enjoyed it more if I had read it in fewer, but longer, sessions.

STAR WARS: FATE OF THE JEDI: BACKLASH
-A. Allston-304-epub
-fantasy- I really enjoyed this book. It was a short adventure, with everyone going to Dathomir, and a confrontation with the Dark Sisters, but it was light and humorous. Several one liners just caused me to burst out laughing. Allston can write good Star Wars stuff. Hoping the next book advances the plot a little more though.

MALAZAN BOOK OF THE FALLEN: DUST OF DREAMS
-S. Erikson-946-epub
-fantasy-overall, this was nearly as bad as Toll the Hounds, in that everyone whined and complained about the harshness and meaninglessness of life. If they really felt like how they talked, they would have killed themselves off. The very FEW action parts to this book were great, but were so far and few between that they were lost in this mammoth volume. With the tone of the series turning soapbox'ish and not about the action, I can no longer recommend this series. The action, the politics, the maneuvering, it is all gone, given over to mindless rants about philosophical whines by people who shouldn't be ABLE to whine philosophically. Dreading the final book but also looking forward to it just to end this nightmare. This series has devolved into a kind of Terry Goodkind preachiness.

TEARS OF ARTAMON: PRISONER OF THE IRON TOWER
-S. Ash-384-epub
-fantasy-Gavril gets back his drakhaoul, Eugene finds the gate and gets a drakhaoul of his own and another kingdom, the Francians, challanges Eugenes empire.

VANG: THE MILITARY FORM
-C. Rowley-228-epub
-scifi-an ancient alien lifeform is recovered from space and ends up taking over a world, which is then nuked to prevent it taking over other planets. This was how "Alien" should have been. Alien lifeform takes over humans and changes them to ultimate warriors and spreads like wildfire. Very violent, lots of fighting, lots of people writhing in agony while being taken over. Just as good as I remember from back in junior/highschool.

VANG: THE BATTLEMASTER
-C. Rowley-215-epub
-scifi-2000 years after The Military Form. Another Vang is found, this time a battlemaster. Sadly, this book was not nearly as engaging or exciting to read. The battlemaster was obsessed with getting back to its homeworld instead of taking over human space. Once there, and it realized the Axon-Neurone time was over, it just gave up. Not much fun reading about an alien that just makes diversions so it can go home to die. Pooh.

DEMON CYCLE: THE WARDED MAN
-P. Brett-416-pbook
-fantasy-a world several thousand years after ours. The night belongs to demons, which rise out of the core of the earth and destroy life where ever they can find it. Wards, drawn symbols, are humanity's only defense against them. Defensive wards are all that are available to humanity. A prophesied savior, the Deliverer, is supposed to restore humanity's ability to fight back. Follows 3 main characters, Arlen, Leesha and Rojer. Arlen becomes a messenger and finds a lost city of new offensive wards. Leesha becomes a villages Herb Gatherer and makes up new wards. Rojer is a jongleur who can play the violin and charm demons. In the end, Arlen is betrayed by a kingdom based on arab culture [big surprise there] but wards himself and starts to teach the hamlets how to fight back. Brutal. While not graphic, very bad things happen and you are not left in doubt about what those bad things are. Extremely well written and it just pulled me right to the end. A book I was excited to be reading. Good stuff.

DEMON CYCLE: THE DESERT SPEAR
-P. Brett-579-pbook
-fantasy-follows Jardir, the Desert Spear [the man who betrayed Arlin in the first book], as he grows up and takes over the Krasians. Begins his drive to take over the northern kingdoms to make them all one so they can effectively fight against the demons wholesale. Arlin, Leesha and Rojer are wound through the story, and Leesha plays the next biggest role, after Jardir. Once again I really enjoyed this, not quite as much as The Warded Man, and am looking forward to the next book in this cycle.

CODEX ALERA: PRINCEP'S FURY
-J. Butcher-350-epub
-fantasy-Tavi goes to the land of the Canim, only to find them overrun by the Vord. Makes a kind of peace with the remnants and they all head back to Alera. Meanwhile, back in Alera, the Vord queen is taking over, fast. Gaius buys enough time to give Tavi time to get back to Alera. Gaius dies and things get real bad, real fast. The Vord are just voracious.

CODEX ALERA: FIRST LORD'S FURY
-J. Butcher-457-epub
-fantasy-the final stand in Alera. The Vord queen has been "corrupted" by human emotions, and Tavi makes the most of that. A last stand back in Calderon, Kitai and Tavi end up killing the Vord queen. Tavi becomes First Lord. Alera makes alliances with other races, in preparation for the time they will have to invade the Canim homeland to destroy the Vord there. A good ending place, but leaving so many huge threads that sequels seem almost a given.

FOREIGNER
-C.J. Cherryh-UNFINISHED-pbook

BILL, THE GALACTIC HERO
-H. Harrison-185-pbook
-scifi/satire-a complete military scifi satire. Bill the rube gets conned into joining the army. After surviving many trials, Bill becomes inured does what he needs to to get away from the front. Ends up going back to his homeplanet and tricking his brother into joining. Bill just can't get a break.


MONTHLY SUMMARY
11 novels
1 unfinished novel
4618 pages

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

April '10

DISCWORLD: JINGO
-T. Pratchett-282-epub
-fantasy- an island pops up between Ahnk-Morpork and Klatch and things get unsettled. Vimes, Carrot, Vetinari and several Klatchians manipulate things to make everything work. And Vimes get "Duke'd", much to his horror. Oh, and Nobby gets in touch with his feminine side and that is really the only funny part of the book.

DOOM: KNEE-DEEP IN THE DEAD
-D. Ab Hugh-180-epub
-game novelization- Oh My Word! This just about has to be the worst book, grammar, plot, characterization, that I have ever read! It was basically reading the game with some token things thrown in, like conversation, love interest, duty, despair and hope. It was just plain horrible. Continuity was almost nil; to call the characters cardboard cutouts would insulting to cardboard. The game is awesome, this novel, not so much. I can see why someone would read this first one, because they are into Doom, but after getting through this trainwreck, I don't see how the next 3 books were ever published. I certainly won't be reading them!

STAR WARS: DEATH TROOPERS
-J. Schreiber-138-epub
-fantasy\horror- the first foray into the Star Wars universe that is outside the typical fantasy/action genre. A prison ship goes derelict next to a dead star destroyer. Turns out there is some sort of plague, genetically engineered zombie ceator thingy and just about everyone buys the farm. Han Solo and Chewbacca are in the prison ship and they and 2 others escape. I guess this was supposed to be creepy and scary, but it came across as hack to me. Telling me that a corridor seems to go on forever, instead of making me feel the character's terror, makes me feel like they are a complete idiot. Nothing in the story interested me, and having Han and Chewie thrown in for a connection came across as very weak and lame.

ROBOTECH: INVID INVASION
-J. McKinney-135-epub
-scifi-the first in the New Generation trilogy. Scott is the only survivor of the doomed Mars Expedition to survive the re-invasion of earth. This book mainly deals with the gathering of the group as they start their way to Reflex Point. The book offers a whole lot more info in regards to the Sentinels and Hunter's Fleet and hints at things already taken place affecting this time and place.

ADMIRAL'S GHOST
-NB. VanYoos-UNFINISHED-epub
-scifi-a drug runner dies and is united with some weird alien who possesses bodies to experience life. T/he/y end up as some Admiral for some aliens. Not fast paced, not really engaging, plus it crashed my 505. So that was the deal breaker.

ELVEN WAYS: THE DARK FERRYMAN
-J. Rhodes-UNFINISHED-epub
-fantasy-simply couldn't get back into the world created in The Four Forges.

DRESDEN FILES: STORM FRONT
-J. Butcher-184-epub
-Urban fantasy-in which we are introduced to Harry Dresden, a wizard who is a PI, who also helps out the cops. In this story Harry takes down a big baddy wizard who is breaking the rules while himself under scrutiny from the White Council. Palatable urban fantasy, but I prefer the Codex Alera series alot more.

DRESDEN FILES: FOOL MOON
-J. Butcher-214-epub
-Urban fantasy-werewolves and the like are killing people. Some rogue fbi agents [who nobody knows are rogue yet] set up Harry, a Werewolf and a top mob boss to kill take the fall for the killings. Harry gets the crap beaten out of him and survives.

BORDERLANDS: COVENANTS
-L. Freeman-375-epub
-fantasy-this book was just not long enough. A horse trooper turns out to have magical abilities AND be the kings heir. He knew this and was running away, which is why he was in the horse troopers. Has to prevent a war between the Borderlands and his country of Iversterre while learning to control his magic, avoid being taken over by his former master [who has turned to the dark arts to gain more power], avoid the attentions of a jealous former comrade who is also showing magical abilities and do this all while different factions vie for either his attention, or death. Very well written, gripping action, tense, but never gets dark. It is a great attribute to be able to show bad things without allowing that tone to take over.

BORDERLANDS: KING'S OWN
-L. Freeman-269-epub
-fantasy-Rabbit, the horse trooper/talent user/king's heir, is also named Cyn [kin] of the ruling elf of the Borderlands. Along with Jussom, king of Iversterre, he fights a demon trying to take over a town near the border that wants to precipitate a war. Fresh and intriguing and well done. Highly recommended.


BORDERLANDS: SHADOWS PAST
-L. Freeman-307-epub
-fantasy-Rabbit, with the Royal retinue, is invited to a fief for a possible marriage proposal. Thing aren't what they seem though. Turns out there are several factions, envoys from other countries among them, that want marriage, death, chaos, etc, etc. Good characterization. The only concern I have is "where is the author going?" with the story. I just hope she knows the end of the story.

CODEX ALERA: CAPTAIN'S FURY
-J. Butcher-387-epub
-fantasy-Tavi, now acknowledging his title of Octavian, must try to make peace with the Canim in the face of a Senatorial guard, a Senator who wants glory and the Canim themselves. Meanwhile, Gaius sneaks into Kalare with the help of Bernhard and his wife and lets loose a Great Fury that Kalare is holding. It destroys the capital of Kalare and ends the resistance. Ends with Tavi going with the Canim back to their homeland to help fight the vord and to give him breathing room to learn to deal with his new status as Princep.

DISCWORLD: THE LAST CONTINENT
-T. Pratchett-227-epub
-fantasy-a story about Rincewind and the wizards and a land suspiciously like Australia. Where it never rains. They have to make it rain. This book typifies why I liked the stories about Rincewind the best. Silly, comedic danger, action and nothing more serious than a thunderbolt. Good stuff.

ROBOTECH: METAMORPHOSIS
-J. McKinney-148-epub
-scifi-ugh. This arc, New Generation, of the Robotech saga was my least favorite in the anime and it is tough reading. Boring and slogging. The team is almost at reflex point and the invid simulacrom joins up with them, Ariel. Don't know when I'll read the next one, going to be awhile though.

TEARS OF ARTAMON: LORD OF SNOW AND SHADOWS
-S. Ash-387-epub
-fantasy-a would-be emperor. A young artist, heir to a kingdom and a cursed power. A powerful scullery maid, who must compete with a Foreign Princess. Battling clans who hate each other with absolute hatred. This is the backdrop of the story Sarah Ash begins to weave. Interesting, but to be honest, nothing really stands out to me from this book. I'll finish the series, enjoy them, but probably never re-read them again.

DRESDEN FILES: GRAVE PERIL
-J. Butcher-255-epub
-urban fantasy- a vengeful rogue wizard kills himself to turn himself into a ghost. He has help from the Vampire Court and they all go after Harry. Harry saves the night but starts a war between the White Council and the Vampire Court. A main side character was some kind of Christian Knight Templar, and it really grated how he was used. He was powerful because he believed, not because of WHO he believed in. I'll read one or two more, but this just hits too close to home, with blasphemy and stuff, for me to really enjoy these.

VLAD TALTOS: PHOENIX
-S. Brust-189-epub
-fantasy-one nice thing about a shorter book, you don't get bogged down in anything. Vlad helps save the Empire from invasion and from being torn apart from internal strife, but he also separates from his wife and takes off in exile to start a new life as a "not an assassin".

SHADOWS OF THE APT: DRAGONFLY FALLING
-A. Tchaikovsky-540-epub
-fantasy- whoo! This was good! The wasp empire rolls over an ant city, allows another ant city to invade Collegium [which beats them off with help of allies right the end], Totho [the halfbreed in love with Cheerwell Maker] turns traitor and joins the empire, lots of fighting, lots of cool exploring the world of humans with insect characteristics without being stodgy, dry or repetitive. Tchaikovsky can write. Very well. The story just sucked me in and I in no way felt like I was reading 500 pages. This is what fantasy should be. Engaging, not over the top, telling a large story but not losing sight of individuals while not getting bogged down in meaningless detail, exploring a new world [to the reader] while not being expositional. Highly recommended!!!



MONTHLY SUMMARY
16 novels
2 unfinished novels
4217 pages

Wednesday, March 31, 2010

March '10

CODEX ALERA: CURSOR'S FURY
-J. Butcher-407-epub
-fantasy-The canim make a major push into the lands of Alera in conjunction with Kalerain [a high lord] making a play for the throne. Tavi takes command of a legion to fight the canim and earns the loyalty of his men. Turns out he is the grandson of the current First Lord. Right at the end Tavi gets his furies for the first time. and it turns out the Vord have taken over the canim's lands.

BATTLECHASERS
-T. Robinson-149-epub
-fantasy-I enjoyed this more than Robinson's Mirror of Opposition. It was one night on a battlefield after the battle. Several opposing forces come to a head and several centuries worth of chasing, etc are finished. This felt very much like a Forgotten Realms book. Dwarf, elf, good mystic priest, evil lady vampire, dragon, thief and some undead. A nice light fantasy trope read.

DARKTOWER: THE GUNSLINGER
-S. King-UNFINISHED-epub
-horror?-it was just to sloggy and boring. I don't want to read about some guy chasing another guy while the world is dying around them. Every word seemed to drip with apathy, lethargy and hopelessness the character[s] was\were feeling.

MALAZAN BOOK OF THE FALLEN: REAPER'S GALE
-S. Erikson-969-epub
-fantasy-ties together the Bonehunter's story and the fall of the Letheri empire. This world is physically big! So much going on that I doubt that everything will tie together in a nice neat bow. More like reading about independent multiple assaults on the Crippled God.

FRUITS BASKET #23
-N. Takaya-manga
-thankgoodness this is done! Ughhh. To many people looking to similar with to many similar problems.

RANMA 1/2 #26-31
-R. Takahashi-manga
-more one shot stories. Not going for an over-arching plot. Getting repetitious.

DREAMWISH BEASTS AND SNARKS
-M. Resnick-UNFINISHED-pbook
-scifi-a collection of short stories about hunting, scifi style. The first few were ok, but the overall idea of hunting, usually safari style, doesn't interest me, so after the novelty wore off, so did my interest.

YOTSUBA&! #6-7
-K. Azuma-manga

TRAIN + TRAIN #1-6
-H. Kurata-manga

MALAZAN BOOK OF THE FALLEN: TOLL THE HOUNDS
-S. Erikson-961-epub
-fantasy-this book was WAY too big. Close to 1/4 of the book was the internal monologueing of every single character whining about this, that or the other. The actual happenings/doings were completely overshadowed by all the existential, emo-gothic complaining. I could only recommend this book to a hardcore fan who needs Erikson for a fix. Almost as bad as Goodkind when he got on his soapbox.

HITCHHIKER'S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY: AND ANOTHER THING
-E. Colfer-247-epub
-scifi humor-a sequel to Adams' Hitchhiker's trilogy of 5 books. A worthy successor too. This was funny, irreverent, and I felt like I was reading Adams and not some wannabe. Probably won't read any more if there are more written though.

FUTURE IMPERFECT
-K. Laumer-441-epub
-scifi-a collection of short stories about the future that all have something negative overall taking place in society or with the world itself.

SHOGUN
-J. Clavell-803-pbook
-historical fiction-a dutch sailing crew with an english pilot are shipwrecked in Japan. Follows the pilot as he goes from captive to honored samurai. Around the time of Elizabeth I. Politics within Japan itself, Catholicism and Protestantism, and just plain human beings being human beings. I enjoyed this but considering it is fiction, have to wonder how accurate the portrayal of Japanese culture is.

VLAD TALTOS: TALTOS
-S. Brust-161-epub
-fantasy- the story of how Vlad made some Dragaeran acquaintances and got his spell breaking gold chain, as well as walked the paths of the dead and brought back the heir to the Throne.

SHADOWS OF THE APT: EMPIRE IN BLACK AND GOLD
-A. Tchaikovsky-571-epub
-fantasy-set in a world where humans are insect aspected, by kind, ant-kinden, mantis kinden, moth kinden, wasp kinden, etc. The Wasp Empire is rolling over the known world and 20 years earlier a group of friends watched a city fall and vowed to prepare for the time when the Empire came to their homes. That time is now. Follows 4 main characters who are proteges of one of those original friends. Their adventures as they begin to learn about and try to combat the threat of the Wasp Kinden Empire. It is very well written, but weird with humans having insect aspects and certain powers. Weird but very original.


MONTHLY SUMMARY
9 novels
2 unfinished novels
15 manga
4709 pages

Saturday, February 27, 2010

February '10

MALAZAN BOOK OF THE FALLEN: THE BONEHUNTERS
-S. Erikson-909-epub
-fantasy-so much violence, sadness and hopelessness. So well written, so full of depth and crosscurrents. I am already looking forward to rereading this series. Bring it on!

ACACIA: THE WAR WITH THE MEIN
-D. Durham-UNFINISHED-pbook
-fantasy-this story seemed like my thing. A kingdom about to undergo tumult, royal children spirited away, assassins, etc. But for whatever reason, I just couldn't get into it. I tried 5 times, and would read 5-10pages, and then lose interest. So I gave up. I would recommend it anyway, how weird is that?

WOLF: WOLF HUNTING
-J. Lindskold-UNFINISHED-pbook
-fantasy-well, Lindskold finally lost me here. Every book seems to be a new place, new people, new adventures. But, it feels like Lindskold has no imagination for the places she has already explored and so is forced to make up more and more new lands to have her stories in. And the fact that Firekeeper and the wolf are practically mated, without the mating, is just pushing the beastiality line and really isn't appropriate. Goodbye Jane, your first Wolf book was great, I shall remember you by that one, and not the rest.

ROBOTECH: GENESIS
-J. McKinney-155-epub

ROBOTECH: BATTLE CRY
-J. McKinney-139-epub

ROBOTECH: HOMECOMING
-J. McKinney-147-epub

ROBOTECH: BATTLEHYMN
-J. McKinney-115-epub

ROBOTECH: FORCE OF ARMS
-J. McKinney-155-epub

ROBOTECH: DOOMSDAY
-J. McKinney-161-epub
-scifi-comprising the Macrass Saga part of Robotech, these 6 books are almost a word for word for scene novelization of the anime. This is not a bad thing, if you watched the anime first and loved it. I would NOT recommend these to someone to read BEFORE watching the anime. It is just to stilted, silly individual plots [while great in one epic storyline, they suck as standalones] and the writing is not inspired. I still enjoyed these, but I really liked Robotech too.

STAR WARS: LOST TRIBE OF THE SITH: PRECIPICE
-J.J. Miller-29-epub
-fantasy-a short story tying directly in with the new Fate of the Jedi series. About the lost ship of Siths who crash on a planet.

STAR WARS: LOST TRIBE OF THE SITH: SKYBORN
-J.J. Miller-27-epub
-fantasy-a short story tying directly in with the new Fate of the Jedi series. About how the Sith meet the populace of the world and the beginning of their takeover.

CODEX ALERA: FURIES OF CALDERON
-J. Butcher-383-epub
-fantasy-a world where humans have carved for themselves an empire in a hostile world. Led by the First Lord, humans have the powers of 'furies' to enhance them. This follows one young man from his beginnings as a humble shepherd in the outer stretches of the empire as he saves the region, makes an alliance with a hostile race and is given patronage by the First Lord to attend the Academy. Very well done. Good characterization, intriguing novel plot and an overarching plot.

CODEX ALERA: ACADEM'S FURY
-J. Butcher-404-epub
-fantasy-the First Lord is incapacitated and Tavi must help cover it up. With some friends he fends off attacks magical, physical and political. Tavi is fury'less and mocked as a freak by the rich and powerful. Using his wits alone he survives. Keeps things from collapsing until the First Lord recovers.

MIRROR OF OPPOSITION
-T. Robinson-172-epub
-fantasy-3 young warriors in training end up saving the world from a demon almost as old as god. Ok. This seemed forced. There were many times where Zen'ist thought was bandied about, along with a perverted form of Christianity. The characters had no depth and they seemed to follow a cookie cutter path-1 becomes a great warrior, 1 becomes a Powerful Angelic Being of Great Goodness and 1 becomes a bad guy who gets bored and so helps out the good guys just because he can? They weren't fleshed out. 1 or 2 short chapters in and things just get busy. They just seemed like cardboard characters moving along a candyland path. Several things didn't make sense to me. If the school the boys were at was a school for a powerful empire, why were the badguys just having their way? Where were the Imperial Forces? The gates. Why did the Mirrorist simply have a holding pattern? Why didn't they USE the gates in force instead of simply hiding them? If something isn't going to be used by you, destroy it so the enemy can't use it. Basic military thought, at least in my opinion. And the whole angel/demon thing, phooophhh, it just smacked of D&D and the Apocrypha. With that being said, overall it wasn't a bad read. It just should have been longer with some serious character development.

WAR OF THE SPIDER QUEEN: EXTINCTION
-L. Smedman-228-epub
-fantasy

WAR OF THE SPIDER QUEEN: ANNIHILATION
-P. Athans-225-epub
-fantasy

WAR OF THE SPIDER QUEEN: RESURRECTION
-P. Kemp-232-epub
-fantasy-the War of the Spider Queen finishes up. Basically everybody in the group dies except three females. One who becomes the new Lolth, one who returns as high priestess to Menzoberranzan and the final one who becomes the Lady Penitent, a slave to Lolth. Lots of fighting and magical battles and such.

QUADRAIL: DOMINO PATTERN
-T. Zahn-229-epub
-scifi/mystery-this confirms it. Zahn is officially trying his hand at the mystery genre while staying in Scifi. Overall, it reminded me of the Asimov book Caves of Steel. It was well written, interesting, kept moving along without getting hung up on inconsequential details and ended well while at the same time setting up BIG things for the future. So now Compton and friends are in league with a modhri. And it looks like the big bad aliens who ruled for a millenium or more a long time ago are coming back. Zahn ratchets up the threat level in each book. I have to wonder if he is contracted to write "x" number of books in this series? I just hope it ends well. This is a good solid addition to a Zahn library. I enjoyed it more than Third Lynx or Odd Girl Out.

GREEN
-T. Dekker-UNFINISHED-pbook
-just couldn't get into it. Felt like I was reading some sort of "oh well, might as well write more" kind of book. Now I want to go re-read the Circle Trilogy to see if it is what I remember it to be.

ROBOTECH: SOUTHERN CROSS
-J. McKinney-123-epub

ROBOTECH: METAL FIRE
-J. McKinney-151-epub

ROBOTECH: THE FINAL NIGHTMARE
-J. McKinney-170-epub
-scifi-these 3 books comprised the "Robotech Masters" trilogy. About the Robotech Masters coming to earth to get the Protoculture matrix in the SDF1. They fail, the flowers bloom, life on earth is blown even further downwards and the Invid are coming. Also fleshes out more about Dana being a unique creature in regards to Protoculture and ties into the Sentinels subseries coming up later. The overall plot was not nearly as interesting as the "Macross" saga and Dana was not a very dynamic character.

AMAZING AGENT LUNA OMNIBUS #2
-N. DeFilippis & C. Weir-pbook
-manga-finishes up the schoolyear for Luna. Lots of turmoil among all involved. Ends with Luna's crush becoming pretty much the new badguy and his dad [the former badguy] becoming part of the team. This seemed a good place to end. It seemed the writing team was losing focus and not having a solid story to go with. I wouldn't want to see anymore volumes until they get things settled.

SUPERMAN: THE DEATH OF CLARK KENT
-various-pbook
-graphic novel-a supervillian figures out Superman is Clark and starts taking out everyone close to Clark. Superman beats him eventually and all is ok. Also turns out Luthor was incapacitated by the clone problem and in the end of the book he comes back, fully revived. This storyline is a good reason why comics are for youngters and teens overall. Conduit escapes from prison and within a month has a bajillion bases, men and weapons up the wazoo, robotic clones of himself, a whole robotic town based on Smallville AND a nuclear missile? I mean, that is just too much. Good storyline overall though.

MALAZ: NIGHT OF KNIVES
-I.C. Esslemont-237-epub
-fantasy-an account of the night that Kellenved and Dancer ascended. I enjoyed this, even as confusing as it was. Esslemont has a slightly 'lighter' hand when it comes to his fight scenes, which was nice. Still plenty of action and detail though.

STAR WARS: LOST TRIBE OF THE SITH: PARAGON
-J. Miller-26-epub

VLAD TALTOS: JHEREG
-S. Brust-208-epub
-fantasy-the first in a series in a world where humans and reptilian'ish humaniforms coexist, but not peacefully. Vlad Taltos is a human who lives among the Draegon. He becomes an assassin and works his way up the ranks, basically being a mob boss. This reminded me of a murder mystery in a fantasy setting from the Mafia's point of view. Interesting.

VLAD TALTOS: YENDI
-S. Brust-167-epub
-fantasy- a complicated plot between Draegons involves Taltos. Very shallow, quick wit remarks and lots of turf war style fighting seem to be the hallmarks of this series.

VLAD TALTOS: TECKLA
-S. Brust-144-epub
-fantasy-Vlad's wife Cawti takes up with revolutionaries who want to overthrow the system and make things more "fair" for Easterners[humans]and Teckla, the grunt of the Draegons. Too much talking by the head revolutionary for my taste. Vlad should have just wasted him right in the beginning. Oh well.


MONTHLY SUMMARY
24 novels, short stories
3 unfinished novels
2 graphic novel/manga
4936 pages

Sunday, January 31, 2010

January '10

MALAZAN BOOK OF THE FALLEN: MEMORIES OF ICE
-S. Erikson-900-epub
-fantasy-The storyline takes a decided cut about 3/4 of the way through. One storyline ends and another picks up, but so different that it feels like another book. Overall, I enjoyed this nearly as much the second time. I made more connections, but the impact of the sadness and loneliness of the Imass was really subdued.

OH MY GODDESS! #33-34
-K. Fujishima-manga
-these 2 volumes really should have been one. It was one story arc and the books were THIN! I'm about ready for OMG! to wrap up. I feel like I am being milked.

STONEWAYS: QUEEN FERRIS
-S.C. Butler-495-pbook
-fantasy-the second in the Stoneways Trilogy. Reiffen comes into his own, kills 2 of the wizards and ends up marrying Ferris right at the end. Even though this series is about Rieffen, Avender is the character that most of the story is told through, so he feels like the main character. Poor Avender, a hero who can't get the girl.

RANMA 1/2 #22-25
-R. Takahashi-manga

STAR WARS: IMPERIAL COMMANDO: 501st
-K. Traviss-434-pbook
-fantasy-picks right up from the Republic Commando books. Two of the clones get stuck in the 501st, the rest go to Mandalore. Lots of angst and Jedi hating and some seriously twisted thinking. Might as well be a soap opera with all the drama.

MALAZAN BOOK OF THE FALLEN: HOUSE OF CHAINS
-S. Erikson-722-epub
-fantasy

MALAZAN BOOK OF THE FALLEN: MIDNIGHT TIDES
-S. Erikson-674-epub
-fantasy-so much goes on, that it is hard to write about it. In a nutshell, the Crippled God, a being from another dimension brought to the Malazan world and chained by its world's gods, has vowed to destroy them all, and this series is about that battle. Epic Fantasy.

MONTHLY SUMMARY
5 novels
6 manga
3225 pages

Thursday, December 31, 2009

2009 In Review

1: Shadow of the Hegemon-Orson Scott Card-442
2: Acorna: The Unicorn Girl-Anne McCaffrey & Margaret Ball-254
3: Reservoir Chronicle Tsubasa #16-Clamp-184
4: Reservoir Chronicle Tsubasa #17-Clamp-182
5: Reservoir Chronicle Tsubasa #18-Clamp-184
6: Reservoir Chronicle Tsubasa #19-Clamp-183
7: Oh My Goddess! #30-Kosuke Fujishima-151
8: The Three Musketeers-Alexandre Dumas-738
9: One Piece #19-Eiichiro Oda-210
10: Acorna: Acorna's Quest-Anne McCaffrey & Margaret Ball-282
11: The Count of Monte Cristo-Alexandre Dumas-618
12: Dragon Ball #1-Akira Toriyama-175
13: Adam- Ted Dekker-400
14: The Prince of Nothing: The Darkness That Comes Before-R. Scott Bakker-577
15: The Dragon Keeper Chronicles: Dragonspell-Donita K. Paul-334
16: The Last Rune: Beyond the Pale-Mark Anthony-622
17: The Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide-Douglas Adams-815
18: Shaman King #13-Hiroyuki Takei-190
19: Shaman King #14-Hiroyuki Takei-190
20: Shaman King #15-Hiroyuki Takei-186
21: Dinosaur Beach-Keith Laumer-186
22: Catch-22-Joseph Heller-443
23: Blessed Child- Ted Dekker & Bill Bright-351
24: A Man Called Blessed-Ted Dekker & Bill Bright-356
25: King Kelson's Bride-Katherine Kurtz-374
26: The Dragonriders of Pern: Dragonflight-Anne McCaffrey-188
27: The Dragonriders of Pern: Dragonquest-Anne McCaffrey-250
28: The Dragonriders of Pern: The White Dragon-Anne McCaffrey-295
29: Hellsing #1-Kohta Hirano-204
30: Hellsing #2-Kohta Hirano-188
31: Hellsing #3-Kohta Hirano-190
32: Hellsing #4-Kohta Hirano-205
33: Amazing Agent Luna Omnibus #1-Nunzio DeFilippis & Christina Weir-502
34: Miss Marjoribanks-Margaret Oliphant-497
35: Noble Dead: Dhampir- Barb & JC Hendee-376
37: The Lost Fleet: Dauntless-Jack Campbell/John Hemry-283
38: The Lost Fleet: Fearless-Jack Campbell/John Hemry-295
39: Oz: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz-Frank Baum-272
40: Inuyasha #1-Rumiko Takahashi-183
41: Inuyasha #2-Rumiko Takahashi-190
42: Hellsing #5-Kohta Hirano-205
43: Hellsing #6-Kohta Hirano-191
44: Hellsing #7-Kohta Hirano-190
45: Battlefield Earth- L. Ron Hubbard-942
46: Oz: The Marvelous Land of Oz-Frank Baum-291
47: Noble Dead: Thief of Lives- Barb & JC Hendee-410
48: Noble Dead: Sister of the Dead- Barb & JC Hendee-405
49: Oz: Ozma of Oz-Frank Baum-272
50: Inuyasha #3-Rumiko Takahashi-196
51: Inuyasha #4-Rumiko Takahashi-186
52: Inuyasha #5-Rumiko Takahashi-190
53: Inuyasha #6-Rumiko Takahashi-188
54: School Rumble #1-Jin Kobayashi-176
55: School Rumble #2-Jin Kobayashi-174
56: School Rumble #3-Jin Kobayashi-174
57: School Rumble #4-Jin Kobayashi-174
58: School Rumble #5-Jin Kobayashi-176
59: American Notes & Pictures from Italy-Charles Dickens-unfinished
60: The Harper Hall of Pern: Dragonsong- Anne McCaffrey-140
61: The Harper Hall of Pern: Dragonsinger- Anne McCaffrey-192
62: The Harper Hall of Pern: Dragondrums- Anne McCaffrey-167
63: Inuyasha #7-Rumiko Takahashi
64: Inuyasha #8-Rumiko Takahashi
65: Inuyasha #9-Rumiko Takahashi
66: Inuyasha #10-Rumiko Takahashi
67: Inuyasha #11-Rumiko Takahashi
68: Inuyasha #12-Rumiko Takahashi
69: Inuyasha #13-Rumiko Takahashi
70: Inuyasha #14-Rumiko Takahashi
71: Inuyasha #15-Rumiko Takahashi
72: Inuyasha #16-Rumiko Takahashi
73: Inuyasha #17-Rumiko Takahashi
74: Inuyasha #18-Rumiko Takahashi
75: Looking Glass: Manxome Foe- John Ringo & Travis Taylor-463
76: Inuyasha #19-Rumiko Takahashi
77: Inuyasha #20-Rumiko Takahashi
78: Inuyasha #21-Rumiko Takahashi
79: Inuyasha #22-Rumiko Takahashi
80: Inuyasha #23-Rumiko Takahashi
81: Inuyasha #24-Rumiko Takahashi
82: StarWars: Luke Skywalker and the Shadows of Mindor-Matthew Stover-311
83: A Child's History of England-Charles Dickens-unfinished
84: Noble Dead: Traitor to the Blood- Barb & JC Hendee-396
85: Case Closed #1-Gosho Aoyama
86: Case Closed #2-Gosho Aoyama
87: Case Closed #3-Gosho Aoyama
88: Case Closed #4-Gosho Aoyama
89: Jane Eyre-Charlotte Bronte-502
90: Master Humphrey's Clock-Charles Dickens-144
91: The Bourne Identity-Robert Ludlum-535
92: Oz: Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz-Frank Baum-256
93: The Bell at Sealey Head-Patricia McKillip-277
94: The Bourne Supremacy-Robert Ludlum-646
95: The Twelve Kingdoms: The Vast Spread of the Seas- Fuyumi Ono-294
96: Reborn! #1- Akira Amano
97: Reborn! #2- Akira Amano
98: Oz: The Road to Oz-Frank Baum-261
99: More Than One Universe-Arthur C. Clarke-554
100: The Bourne Ultimatum-Robert Ludlum-unfinished
101: Star Wars: The Clone Wars: The Cestus Deception-Steven Barnes-457
102: Bridge to Terebithia-Katherine Paterson-191
103: The Council Wars: There Will Be Dragons-John Ringo-719
104: Inuyasha #25-Rumiko Takahashi
105: Inuyasha #26-Rumiko Takahashi
106: Star Wars: The Clone Wars-Karen Traviss-256
106: Recluce: Natural Ordermage-L.E. Modesitt, Jr-496
107: A Madness of Angels-Kate Griffin-538
108: A Two Handed Engine-Henry Kuttner and C.L.Moore-UNFINISHED
109: Oz: The Emerald City of Oz-Frank Baum-UNFINISHED
110: This Is Not A Game-Walter Jon Williams-367
111: Bleach #21-Tite Kubo
112: Bleach #22-Tite Kubo
113: Reborn! #3- Akira Amano
114: Reborn! #4- Akira Amano
115: Reborn! #5- Akira Amano
116: Star Wars: Cloak of Deception-James Luceno-342
117: Red Mars-Kim Stanley Robinson-572
118: The Lost Fleet: Courageous-Jack Campbell-299
119: With Friends Like These...-Alan Dean Foster-232
120: Bleach #23-Tite Kubo
121: Bleach #24-Tite Kubo
122: Bleach #25-Tite Kubo
123: The Lost Fleet: Valiant-Jack Campbell-284
124: The Swan's War: The One Kingdom-Sean Russell-517
125: Xxxholic #13-Clamp
126: The Lost Fleet: Relentless-Jack Campbell-320
127: King Raven: Tuck-Stephen Lawhead-443
128: Taken: The Candle of Distant Earth-Alan Dean Foster-262
129: Star Wars: Coruscant Nights: Jedi Twilight-Michael Reaves-343
130: The Charmed Sphere-Catherine Asaro-473
131: Visions of Fantasy-Isaac Asimov, editor-180
132: Crown of the Isles: The Gods Return-David Drake-398
133: Reborn! #6-Akira Amano
134: Reborn! #7-Akira Amano
135: Fruits Basket #22-Natsuki Takaya
136: Crossroads: Shadow Gate-Kate Elliott-475
137: Pip & Flinx: Running from the Deity-Alan Dean Foster-255
138: Star Wars: Coruscant Nights: Street of Shadows-Michael Reaves-306
139: Corean Chronicles: Alector's Choice-L.E. Modesitt, Jr-510
140: Translucent #1-Kazuhiro Okamoto
141: Yu-Gi-Oh! #1-Kazuki Takahashi
142: Yu-Gi-Oh! #2-Kazuki Takahashi
143: Yu-Gi-Oh! #3-Kazuki Takahashi
144: The Swan's War: The Isle of Battle-Sean Russell-467
145: The Cryptonomicon-Neal Stephenson-UNFINISHED
146: The Council Wars: Emerald Sea-John Ringo-490
147: Reborn! #8-Akira Amano
148: Noble Dead: Rebel Fay-Barb & J.C. Hendee-416
149: Pip & Flinx: Trouble Magnet-Alan Dean Foster-272
150: Inuyasha #27-Rumiko Takahashi
151: The Bronze Canticles: Mystic Quest-Tracy and Laura Hickman-453
152: The Swan's War: The Shadow Roads-Sean Russell-433
153: Vampire Hunter D-Hideyuki Kikuchi-238
154: Star Wars: The Bounty Hunter Wars: The Mandalorian Armor-K.W. Jeter-387
155: Fahrenheit 451-Ray Bradbury-190
156: The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes-Sir Arthur Conan Doyle-174
157: The Bronze Canticles: Mystic Empire-Tracy & Laura Hickman-391
158: Inuyasha #28-Rumiko Takahashi
159: Around the World in Eighty Days-Jules Vern-287
160: Frontier Magic: Thirteenth Child-Patricia C. Wrede-344
161: Cat-A-Lyst-Alan Dean Foster-206
162: Star Wars: The Bounty Hunter Wars: Slave Ship-K.W. Jeter-324
163: Night Angel: The Way of Shadows-Brent Weeks-661
164: Star Wars: Coruscant Nights: Patterns of Force-Michael Reaves-288
165: Inuyasha #29-Rumiko Takahashi
166: Firebirds-edited by Sharyn November-420
167: No Need For Tenchi! #1-Hitoshi Okuda
168: No Need For Tenchi! #2-Hitoshi Okuda
169: No Need For Tenchi! #3-Hitoshi Okuda
170: No Need For Tenchi! #4-Hitoshi Okuda
171: No Need For Tenchi! #5-Hitoshi Okuda
172: No Need For Tenchi! #6-Hitoshi Okuda
173: No Need For Tenchi! #7-Hitoshi Okuda
174: No Need For Tenchi! #8-Hitoshi Okuda
175: No Need For Tenchi! #9-Hitoshi Okuda
176: No Need For Tenchi! #10-Hitoshi Okuda
177: No Need For Tenchi! #11-Hitoshi Okuda
177: No Need For Tenchi! #12-Hitoshi Okuda
178: Corean Chronicles: Cadmian's Choice-L.E. Modesitt, Jr-510
179: Yu-Gi-Oh! #4-Kazuki Takahashi
180: Yu-Gi-Oh! #5-Kazuki Takahashi
181: Yu-Gi-Oh! #6-Kazuki Takahashi
182: Yu-Gi-Oh! #7-Kazuki Takahashi
183: The Darkwar Saga: Flight of the Night Hawks-Raymond Feist-UNFINISHED
184: The All-New Tenchi Muyo! #1-Hitoshi Okuda
185: The All-New Tenchi Muyo! #2-Hitoshi Okuda
186: The All-New Tenchi Muyo! #3-Hitoshi Okuda
187: The All-New Tenchi Muyo! #4-Hitoshi Okuda
188: The All-New Tenchi Muyo! #5-Hitoshi Okuda
189: The All-New Tenchi Muyo! #6-Hitoshi Okuda
190: The All-New Tenchi Muyo! #7-Hitoshi Okuda
191: The All-New Tenchi Muyo! #8-Hitoshi Okuda
192: The All-New Tenchi Muyo! #9-Hitoshi Okuda
193: The All-New Tenchi Muyo! #10-Hitoshi Okuda
194: The Last Rune: The Keep of Fire-Mark Anthony-593
195: The Last Rune: The Dark Remains-Mark Anthony-643
196: The Last Rune: Blood of Mystery-Mark Anthony-579
197: The Last Rune: The Gates of Winter-Mark Anthony-565
198: The Last Rune: The First Stone-Mark Anthony-513
199: Star Wars: The Bounty Hunter Wars: Hard Merchandise-K.W. Jeter-338
200: Summer of the Monkeys-Wilson Rawls-283
201: Pern: The Masterharper of Pern- Anne McCaffrey-366
202: Wolf: Through Wolf's Eyes-Jane Lindskold-579
203: Pern: The Renegades of Pern-Anne McCaffrey-305
204: Vampire Hunter D: Raiser of Gales-Hideyuki Kukuchi-215
205: Pip and Flinx: Patrimony-Alan Dean Foster-228
206: Star Wars: Jedi Trial-David Sherman & Dan Cragg-345
207: Vampire Hunter D: Demon Deathchase-Hideyuki Kukuchi-178
208: Magicians of Quality: The Mislaid Magician or Ten Years After-Patricia C. Wrede & Caroline Stevermer-328
209: Vampire Hunter D: Tale of the Dead Town-Hideyuki Kukuchi-167
210: Pern: All the Weyrs of Pern-Anne McCaffrey-404
211: Reborn! #9-Akira Amano
212: Inuyasha #30-Rumiko Takahashi
213: Inuyasha #31-Rumiko Takahashi
214: Imager-L.E. Modesitt, Jr-432
215: Reborn! #10-Akira Amano
216: Codgerspace-Alan Dean Foster-309
217: Corean Chronicles: Soarer's Choice-L.E. Modesitt-540
218: The Red Badge of Courage-Stephen Crane-142
219: Bleach #26-Tite Kubo
220: Wolf: Wolf's Head, Wolf's Heart-Jane Lindskold-602
221: Neon Genesis Evangelion #1-Yoshiyuki Sadamoto
222: The Black Stallion-Walter Farley-187
223: JAG in Space: A Just Determination-John G. Hemry-259
223: JAG in Space: Burden of Proof-John G. Hemry-293
223: JAG in Space: Rule of Evidence-John G. Hemry-276
224: The Commonwealth: Drowning World-Alan Dean Foster-315
225: Bartimaeus: The Amulet of Samarkand-J. Stroud-462
226: Neon Genesis Evangelion #2-Yoshiyuki Sadamoto
227: Neon Genesis Evangelion #3-Yoshiyuki Sadamoto
228: Neon Genesis Evangelion #4-Yoshiyuki Sadamoto
229: Neon Genesis Evangelion #5-Yoshiyuki Sadamoto
230: Eyeshield 21 #1-Riichiro Inagaki
231: Eyeshield 21 #2-Riichiro Inagaki
232: Eyeshield 21 #3-Riichiro Inagaki
233: Eyeshield 21 #4-Riichiro Inagaki
234: Eyeshield 21 #5-Riichiro Inagaki
235: Eyeshield 21 #6-Riichiro Inagaki
236: Eyeshield 21 #7-Riichiro Inagaki
237: Eyeshield 21 #8-Riichiro Inagaki
238: Eyeshield 21 #9-Riichiro Inagaki
239: Eyeshield 21 #10-Riichiro Inagaki
240: Eyeshield 21 #11-Riichiro Inagaki
241: Eyeshield 21 #12-Riichiro Inagaki
242: Eyeshield 21 #13-Riichiro Inagaki
243: Eyeshield 21 #14-Riichiro Inagaki
244: Eyeshield 21 #15-Riichiro Inagaki
245: Eyeshield 21 #16-Riichiro Inagaki
246: Going Postal-Terry Pratchett-377
247: Lady Audley's Secret-Mary Elizabeth Braddon-440
248: The River Into Darkness: Beneath the Vaulted Hills-Sean Russell-451
249: Star Wars: Millenium Falcon-James Luceno-317
250: Night Angel: Shadow's Edge-Brent Weeks-636
251: Bartimaeus: The Golem's Eye-Jonathan Stroud-562
252: Bleach #27-Tite Kubo
253: Neon Genesis Evangelion #7-Yoshiyuki Sadamoto
254: Neon Genesis Evangelion #8-Yoshiyuki Sadamoto
255: Neon Genesis Evangelion #9-Yoshiyuki Sadamoto
256: Twilight-Stephanie Meyer-498
257: Wolf: The Dragon of Despair-Jane Lindskold-729
258: Yu-Gi-Oh! Duelist #1-Kazuki Takahashi
259: Yu-Gi-Oh! Duelist #2-Kazuki Takahashi
260: Yu-Gi-Oh! Duelist #3-Kazuki Takahashi
261: Yu-Gi-Oh! Duelist #4-Kazuki Takahashi
262: Yu-Gi-Oh! Duelist #5-Kazuki Takahashi
263: Yu-Gi-Oh! Duelist #6-Kazuki Takahashi
264: Yu-Gi-Oh! Duelist #7-Kazuki Takahashi
265: Yu-Gi-Oh! Duelist #8-Kazuki Takahashi
266: Yu-Gi-Oh! Duelist #9-Kazuki Takahashi
267: Yu-Gi-Oh! Duelist #10-Kazuki Takahashi
268: Yu-Gi-Oh! Duelist #11-Kazuki Takahashi
269: Yu-Gi-Oh! Duelist #12-Kazuki Takahashi
270: Yu-Gi-Oh! Duelist #13-Kazuki Takahashi
271: Yu-Gi-Oh! Duelist #14-Kazuki Takahashi
272: Yu-Gi-Oh! Duelist #15-Kazuki Takahashi
273: Yu-Gi-Oh! Duelist #16-Kazuki Takahashi
274: Yu-Gi-Oh! Duelist #17-Kazuki Takahashi
275: Yu-Gi-Oh! Duelist #18-Kazuki Takahashi
276: Yu-Gi-Oh! Duelist #19-Kazuki Takahashi
277: Yu-Gi-Oh! Duelist #20-Kazuki Takahashi
278: Yu-Gi-Oh! Duelist #21-Kazuki Takahashi
279: Yu-Gi-Oh! Duelist #22-Kazuki Takahashi
280: Yu-Gi-Oh! Duelist #23-Kazuki Takahashi
281: Yu-Gi-Oh! Duelist #24-Kazuki Takahashi
282: Reservoir Chronicle Tsubasa #20-Clamp
283: Reservoir Chronicle Tsubasa #21-Clamp
284: Reservoir Chronicle Tsubasa #22-Clamp
285: Star Wars: Fate of the Jedi: Outcast-Aaron Allston-302
286: Looking Glass: The Claws that Catch-John Ringo & Travis Taylor-443
287: Noble Dead: Child of a Dead God-Barb & JC Hendee-464
288: Night Angel: Beyond the Shadows-Brent Weeks-720
289: Star Wars: Fate of the Jedi: Omen-Christie Golden-272
290: Yu-Gi-Oh! Millennium World #1-Kazuki Takahashi
291: Yu-Gi-Oh! Millennium World #2-Kazuki Takahashi
292: Yu-Gi-Oh! Millennium World #3-Kazuki Takahashi
293: Yu-Gi-Oh! Millennium World #4-Kazuki Takahashi
294: Yu-Gi-Oh! Millennium World #5-Kazuki Takahashi
295: Yu-Gi-Oh! Millennium World #6-Kazuki Takahashi
296: Yu-Gi-Oh! Millennium World #7-Kazuki Takahashi
297: The River Into Darkness: The Compass of the Soul-Sean Russell-353
298: Jurassic World: The Lost World-Michael Crichton-390
299: The Long Price Quartet: A Shadow in Summer-Daniel Abraham-304
300: The Long Price Quartet: A Betrayal in Winter-Daniel Abraham-291
301: The Elven Ways: The Four Forges-Jenna Rhodes-547
302: Ranma 1/2 #1-Rumiko Takahashi
303: Ranma 1/2 #2-Rumiko Takahashi
304: Ranma 1/2 #3-Rumiko Takahashi
305: Ranma 1/2 #4-Rumiko Takahashi
306: Ranma 1/2 #5-Rumiko Takahashi
307: Ranma 1/2 #6-Rumiko Takahashi
308: Ranma 1/2 #7-Rumiko Takahashi
309: Ranma 1/2 #8-Rumiko Takahashi
310: Delver Magic: Sanctum's Breach-Jeff Inlo-445
311: Stargate-Andre Norton-144
312: Star Wars: Fate of the Jedi: Abyss-Troy Denning-352
313: When Worlds Collide-Philip Wylie & Edwin Balmer-192
314: The Winds of Dune-Brian Herbert & Kevin Anderson-448
315: Landover: A Princess of Landover-Terry Brooks-352
316: Haze-L.E. Modesitt, Jr-303
317: Warbreaker-Brandon Sanderson-588
318: Ranma 1/2 #9-Rumiko Takahashi
319: Ranma 1/2 #10-Rumiko Takahashi
320: Ranma 1/2 #11-Rumiko Takahashi
321: Chrono Crusade #1-Daisuke Moriyama
322: Chrono Crusade #2-Daisuke Moriyama
323: Chrono Crusade #3-Daisuke Moriyama
324: Chrono Crusade #4-Daisuke Moriyama
325: Bartimaeus: Ptolemy's Gate-Jonathan Stroud-501
326: The Dark Elf: Homeland-R.A. Salvatore-271
327: The Dark Elf: Exile-R.A. Salvatore-256
328: The Dark Elf: Sojourn-R.A. Salvatore-270
329: Indiana Jones & the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull-James Rollins-330
330: Ranma 1/2 #12-Rumiko Takahashi
331: Ranma 1/2 #13-Rumiko Takahashi
332: Ranma 1/2 #14-Rumiko Takahashi
333: The Riftwar Saga-Raymond Feist-1295
334: Alcatraz versus The Evil Librarians-Brandon Sanderson-308
335: Icewind Dale: The Crystal Shard-R.A. Salvatore-344
336: The Godless World: Winterbirth-Brian Ruckley-654
337: JAG In Space: Against All Enemies-John G. Hemry-203
338: The Iron Elves: A Darkness Forged in Fire-Chris Evans-416
339: Wolf: Wolf Captured-Jane Lindskold-520
340: Twilight: New Moon-Stephanie Moon-563
341: Kingmaker, Kingbreaker: The Innocent Mage-Karen Miller-642
342: Titan-John Varley-302
343: Icewind Dale: Streams of Silver-R.A. Salvatore-377
344: Ranma 1/2 #15-Rumiko Takahashi
345: Ranma 1/2 #16-Rumiko Takahashi
346: Ranma 1/2 #17-Rumiko Takahashi
347: Inheritance: Eragon-Christopher Paolini-544
348: Icewind Dale: The Halfling's Gem-R.A. Salvatore-378
349: Kingmaker, Kingbreaker: The Awakened Mage-Karen Miller-712
350: Alcatraz versus the Scrivener's Bones-Brandon Sanderson-322
351: Castings: Blood Ties-Pamela Freeman-461
352: Clone: The Clone Republic-Steven Kent-384
353: Inheritance: Eldest-Christopher Paolini-668
354: Legacy of the Drow: The Legacy-R.A. Salvatore-316
355: Ethan Starke: Starke's War-John Hemry-216
356: Ethan Starke: Starke's Command-John Hemry-210
357: Ethan Starke: Starke's Crusade-John Hemry-218
358: A.I. Love You #1-Ken Akamatsu
359: A.I. Love You #2-Ken Akamatsu
360: A.I. Love You #3-Ken Akamatsu
361: A.I. Love You #4-Ken Akamatsu
362: A.I. Love You #5-Ken Akamatsu
363: A.I. Love You #6-Ken Akamatsu
364: A.I. Love You #7-Ken Akamatsu
365: A.I. Love You #8-Ken Akamatsu
366: Inheritance: Brisingr-Christopher Paolini-748
367: Cleric Quintet: Canticle-R.A. Salvatore-203
368: Ranma 1/2 #18-Rumiko Takahashi
369: Ranma 1/2 #19-Rumiko Takahashi
370: Ranma 1/2 #20-Rumiko Takahashi
371: Ranma 1/2 #21-Rumiko Takahashi
372: Dragon and Liberator-Timothy Zahn-364
373: The Iron Elves: The Light of Burning Shadows-Chris Evans-360
374: Hawkmoon: The Jewel in the Skull-Michael Moorcock-128
375: Hawkmoon: The Mad God's Amulet-Michael Moorcock-122
376: Hawkmoon: The Sword of the Dawn-Michael Moorcock-130
377: Hawkmoon: the Runestaff-129
378: Midas World-Frederik Pohl-276
379: After Worlds Collide-Philip Wylie & Edwin Balmer-190
380: Recluce: Mage-Guard of Hamor-L.E. Modesitt Jr-716
381: The Stoneways: Reiffen's Choice-S.C. Butler-463
382: The Forlorn-Dave Freer-260
383: Malazan Book of the Fallen: Gardens of the Moon-Steven Erikson-543
384: Malazan Book of the Fallen: Deadhouse Gates-Steven Erikson-683
385: Star Wars:Darth Bane: Dynasty of Evil-Drew Karpyshyn-296
386: One Piece #21-Eiichiro Oda
387: Cobra War: Cobra Alliance-Timothy Zahn-246

December '09

A.I. LOVE YOU #1-8
-K. Akamatsu-manga
-the whole series. By the guy who went on to do Love Hina. This series was just this side of pornographic. It was also a blatant ripoff of Oh My Goddess in the first book or two.

INHERITANCE: BRISINGR
-C. Paolini-748-pbook
-YA fantasy-Eragon fights off Murtagh again, learns the source of Galbatorix's power, gets a new sword. Oromis and his dragon die. Roran learns lessons about politics and leadership. And we all find out that there is to be one more book. For some reason I didn't enjoy this as much as Eldest, but I have to admit, I think the story was better.

THE CLERIC QUINTET: CANTICLE
-R.A. Salvatore-203-epub
-fantasy-some evil group makes up this evil potion and tries to destroy a library, which for some reason is the center of everything in this particular region. The protaganist, Cadderly, is a young gifted mage who ends up helping the badguys and then destroying them. Extremely trope'ish. Dwarves, warrior woman who love him, jealous rival, etc, etc. Definitely not high reading. It was bland enough that it almost lost my interest. We'll see how the second book holds up. If it isn't any better, I'll probably drop the series.

RANMA 1/2 #18-21
-R. Takahashi-manga

DRAGON AND LIBERATOR
-T. Zahn-364-pbook
-YA scifi-the finale to the DragonBack series. Jack and Draycos, along with others, save the fleet of immigrants and in the process figure out that a Human/K'da pairing are immune to the Death ray. All the badguys get defeated after much daring-do and Jack ends up as the Ambassador to the new colonists, who have been given a world by the rich guy, who turns out to be Alison's grandfather. This was a good YA series. Fantastic Zahn.

THE IRON ELVES: THE LIGHT OF BURNING SHADOWS
-C. Evans-360-pbook
-fantasy- I actually liked this better than the first book. Another Star comes down to yet another land wanting its independence. Only this time there are things capable of destroying the shadow stuff, the Iron Elves included. Everybody was a jerk though, not a single character was really likable. If this doesn't change in the next book, whenever it comes out, that will be it for me. A semi-interesting story isn't worth a bunch of people you'd like to punch.

HAWKMOON
-M. Moorcock-502-pbook
-dark fantasy-consisting of The Jewel in the Skull; The Mad God's Amulet; The Sword of Dawn; The Runestaff. This was blase, really. Nothing Hawkmoon faced seemed overwhelming, nor was he really likable like Corum, nor ultra-tragic like Elric. And then he doesn't die in the end. It felt like a thin vegetable soup.

MIDAS WORLD
-F. Pohl-276-pbook
-scifi-several short stories chronicling mankind once unlimited energy is discovered. The push to the stars, the takeover [albiet peacefully and by our letting it go] of the earth by robots. An interesting little tale.

AFTER WORLDS COLLIDE
-P. Wylie & E. Balmer-190-pbook
-scifi-the group from earth makes to to Bronson Beta, only to find they are not alone. Other groups from earth have also made the crossing, and some of them are inimically opposed to Henderson's group. After a time of figuring stuff out, the bad guys are taken out and the good guys have the planet to themselves, for their children.

RECLUCE: THE MAGE-GUARD OF HAMOR
-L.E. Modesitt Jr-716-pbook
-fantasy-the final [for me] Recluce book. It was really more of the exact same. I've had enough for at least a year I think, if not longer.

THE STONEWAYS: REIFFEN'S CHOICE
-S.C. Butler-463-pbook
-fantasy-a young man, heir to 2 kingdoms, is kidnapped by wizards so they can control him and sow chaos in the world, thus strengthening their rule. Several of the boy's friends attempt to rescue him: a dwarf, a shapechanger, and 2 childhood friends. They get him back, only to have him go back to the wizards right at the end of the book. Is Reiffen under their spell, or attempting to fool the wizards and overthrow them? I would almost classify this as YA, because the characters are young teens, and the writing seems geared toward a younger, simpler audience. Looking forward to the next in this trilogy.

THE FORLORN
-D. Freer-260-epub
-scifi-you know those books that you think "well, maybe it will get better by the next chapter" only you think that for the whole book and it doesn't? This was one of those. Blatant sexuality, scumbags and betrayal upon betrayal. I certainly won't be reading anymore by this author. Very disappointed.

MALAZAN BOOK OF THE FALLEN: GARDENS OF THE MOON
-S. Erikson-543-epub
-fantasy- definitely appreciated this more the second time around of reading. It really helps knowing a general outline of what is happening so you can comprehend the details.


MALAZAN BOOK OF THE FALLEN: DEADHOUSE GATES
-S. Erikson-683-epub
-fantasy-I just realized, the Sha'ik rebellion ISN'T the Pannion Domin. I kind of skimmed over that fact last time. The question I have, is Icarium, a Jahg, the same thing as a Jaghut? Or are those different things? So many details just not explained. Hopefully more explanations in the later books.

STARWARS: DARTH BANE: DYNASTY OF EVIL
-D. Karpyshyn-296-pbook
-fantasy-the conclusion of the Darth Bane Trilogy. Bane discovers the secret of essence transfer and takes over Zanna while getting a new apprentice. Not as interesting as the preceding books.

ONE PIECE #21
-E. Oda
-manga

COBRA WAR: COBRA ALLIANCE
-T. Zahn-246-epub
-scifi-a start of a new Cobra trilogy. However, it doesn't start very promising in my opinion. In the other cobra books, Zahn starts each new story with a new generation and doesn't include the old generation very much at all. A clean break. It worked well. He doesn't do that here. Jin Moreau Broom gets a message for help from Qasam and it turns out another Troft Demesne is taking it over to kidnap all the spine leopards to let loose on the main Cobra World to distract the Cobra's while they take over the Cobra Worlds. It deals with Jin, some of her children and a bunch of Cobra-wannabe Qasamans. Zahn focuses more on the Qasamam "cobras" than on the real ones. And the whole Qasaman paranoia thing wore thin. Let the Cobra's kick Troft butt. And that just wasn't what was happening. Given this is a trilogy, the storyline is going to be stretched out, but still, this opening felt weak compared to the first 2 cobra books. Of course, time and memory might be biasing me against it.

Saturday, November 28, 2009

November '09

ICEWIND DALE: THE CRYSTAL SHARD
-R.A. Salvatore-344-pbook
-fantasy-the continuing adventures of Drizz't. A magical do-hickey from the bowels of hell comes to the surface and takes over a weakminded wizard. He threatens 10 towns and it is up to Drizz't and a new character named Wulfgar to save the day. Kill dragons and demons, face down hordes and get magical weapons. Good for what it is.

THE GODLESS WORLD: WINTERBIRTH
-B. Ruckley-654-pbook
-fantasy-a world where the gods made 4 races. One went bad and the other 3 banded together and committed genocide, then turned on eachother. The gods left the world in sorrow. One race disappeared, 1 split into factions and went to the woods and the third, the humans, split into medieval style clans. This is the story about the possible fulfillment of a prophecy stating the gods would return. Honestly, very little "grand" magic, more of a blood and mud medieval story. Follows a clan that is almost wiped out. It wasn't bad, it just seemed very slow and boggy reading. Since the library doesn't have the next book, doubt I'll read it.

JAG IN SPACE: AGAINST ALL ENEMIES
-J.G. Hemry-203-epub
-scifi-the final book in the JAG in Space series. Paul has ticked off enough people that he is being reassigned to Mars. But before he goes, he has to participate in another courtmartial for someone on their ship who has been selling secrets to the SASAL's. He and Jenn get married hurriedly at the end and then that is it. Kind of a "going out with a whimper" ending. Not sure why this series was so popular.

RANMA 1/2 #15-17
-R. Takahashi
-manga

ICEWIND DALE: STREAMS OF SILVER
-R.A. Salvatore-377-pbook
-fantasy-Bruennor the dwarf, along with some others, set out to find his ancestral home that he was driven from over 2 centuries ago. Mix in an assassin going after the halfling, a wizard going after Drizz't because he thinks Drizz't has the Crystal Shard and a dragon trying to kill them all, and you get a good rollicking adventure story.

TITAN
-J. Varley-302-pbook
-scifi-a complete piece of crap from the late 70's. A spaceship encounters a huge thing and end up crashing on it. An artificial world. A quest to find the guiding intelligence behind it. Madness, perversion and drugs. Basically, this story boiled down to hardcore feminism, lesbians and cocaine. Yeah, on a self aware planetoid type thing.

KINGMAKER, KINGBREAKER: THE INNOCENT MAGE
-K. Miller-642-pbook
-fantasy- there are 2 races in a land cutoff from the rest off the world, for its own protection. A fisherman from the lower caste race becomes the trusted advisor to the Prince, a higher caste race. Their adventures that draw them together and tear them apart. The King keeps the wall of protection up, but its cost is in his blood. This book ends with the king dying and the evil ruler from the outside world taking over the royal magician and turning the prince against his advisor. I really enjoyed this. The writing just drew me in. The dialogue was clever without being shallow, the problems were big without being pretentious and the characters were very real. I look forward to reading more by Miller.

TWILIGHT: NEW MOON
-S. Meyer-563-pbook
-fantasy- my final foray into the Twilight universe. This book sucked. Bella was a completely selfish, self-centered, suicidal, insecure, self-lying bitch. If this is the type of character teen girls want to read about and emulate, then we are all doomed. But maybe we'll get lucky and all those stupid types will just off themselves and do the world a favor. Maybe that is actually Meyer's sinister secret plan. A kind of Literary Eugenics Master Plan? LEMP for short ;-)

WOLF: WOLF CAPTURED
-J. Lindskold-520-pbook
-fantasy-Firekeeper and Derian are captured and taken South, to a land where people know about Royal Beasts and use them for future telling. Firekeeper learns about her origins and how she came to be with the wolves. Lindskold takes this book down a path I was not very comfortable with. Firekeeper wants to be a wolf and be with Blindseer. Practically bestiality. I hope the rest of the books in the series turn from this path, or I'm done with them.

THE IRON ELVES: A DARKNESS FORGED IN FIRE
-C. Evans-416-pbook
-fantasy-across the Sea, there is some evil witch elf who wants to cover the world in darkness, or some such. A group of elves have been marked by her, with one ear being turned black. Such elves are called the Iron Elves and cast out from elven society. They became a group of fighters in the human empire. They were disbanded for disloyalty, before the book begins. This book deals with the reforming of the Iron Elves, only without any elves except for the Captain, who is an elf who hates nature and who nature seems to hate in return. The New Iron Elves have to fight some battle and in the end realize that they have carried out the will of the Witch Elf and everyone is all sad. Darren recommended this, so I was really looking forward to it. Didn't really care for it though. I'll read the next, but only because the library has it.

INHERITANCE: ERAGON
-C. Paolini-544-pbook
-YA fantasy- a young boy finds a dragon egg, one of the last 3 and bonds with it. Minions of the dark king come looking for him while he is away and end up razing the farm he lived at and killing his uncle. He hooks up with an old dragonrider and learns swordsmanship and dragonriding lore. Makes it to the main hideout of a group of rebels who are fighting against the evil king. Oh my, I just realized this is Star Wars on dragons. And at the end? He scry's an old man in blinding white who is going to protect him and further his training. Can you say Tolkien? Not bad really, but nothing really wonderful. Good YA stuff to hook them.

ICEWIND DALE:THE HALFLING'S GEM
-R.A. Salvatore-378-pbook
-fantasy-Drizz't and company go rescue Regis, the overreaching greedy halfing. Ends at Cattie Brie and Wulfgar's wedding. This stuff is one step up from the Mars series by Burroughs. But palatable, unlike Burroughs :-)

KINGMAKER, KINGBREAKER: THE AWAKENED MAGE
-K. Miller-712-pbook
-fantasy-the finish to this duology. Morg takes over the next in line to be king and becomes king. Has Asher executed and the Prince exiled. Asher is spirited away and comes back to finish off Morg. While this book was longer, it seemed shorter, a lot shorter. While Innocent seemed to be about Asher's journey from fisherman to Olken noble, Awakened seemed a rush to finish the story.

ALCATRAZ VERSUS THE SCRIVENER'S BONES
-B. Sanderson-322-pbook
-YA fantasy-Alcatraz is on his way to a safe place when he gets a call from his Grandfather, who is at the Library of Alexandria. The stronghold of the Librarians. His dad has entered and his Grandfather is going in after him. So Alcatraz, along with some new relatives, take a detour to rescue everyone. Interesting. Not as funny as the first one, but it might be because I was expecting it.

CASTINGS: BLOOD TIES
-P. Freeman-461-pbook
-fantasy-1000 years ago, one group of people invaded a land and dispossessed another group. This book deals with the remnants of that dispossessed and how some want revenge. The format was different. Each chapter, whether 1 page or 50 pages, followed one character. And it switched between at least 10 different characters. By the end of the book you began to see the hint of an outline of how all these different threads were coming together. I enjoyed it and am looking forward to reading the rest of this trilogy.

CLONE: THE CLONE REPUBLIC
-S. Kent-384-pbook
-military scifi-the galaxy is ruled by the U.A.[Unified Authority]. Their will is enforced by an army of clones, who are programmed to not know they are clones. One man, Wayson, is a new type of clone, promptly discontinued, because he is self-aware and has an insatiable bloodlust in battle. Basically about his rise through the ranks and the politic'ing going on around him. It was an ok read, but I am just not a big fan of military scifi overall. Won't be reading any more in the Clone series.

INHERITANCE: ELDEST
-C. Paolini-668-pbook
-YA fantasy-Paolini definitely matured between the writing of this book and Eragon. This is a lot more original but still keeps the solid foundation. Very enjoyable. Eragon comes into his own as a rider, only to have to fight against Murtaugh, his brother, who has been turned by Galbatorix.

LEGACY OF THE DROW: THE LEGACY
-R.A. Salvatore-316-pbook
-fantasy-the next series in the Drizz't series. The dwarves have taken control of the mines. Drizz't's sister regains Lolth's favor so she attempts to hunt down Drizz't with Entreri's help [the assassin]. Regis is kidnapped and used as a pawn and the group must enter the Underdark to rescue him and to free Drizz't from the Drow. Cattie-Bri and Wulfgar have a falling out and Wulfgar apparently dies while in battle with one of Lolth's servants.

ETHAN STARKE: STARKE'S WAR
-J. Hemry-216-epub
-scifi-a sergeant is sent to the moon to take everything for the US. The US has fallen under the power of corporations, who have bought the powers that be in Washington. Who in turn micromanage the army, from the backlines. After yet another disastrous fight in which inept generals chew up a whole division following a plan that had no basis in reality, Starke mutinies and takes over.

ETHAN STARKE: STARKE'S COMMAND
-J. Hemry-210-epub
-scifi-Starke makes a truce with the civ population, fights off mercenaries hired by the gov't and deals with a betrayal from within. Lots of fighting and action. The one thing that kind of turned me off was how dumb and hick'ish Starke can view himself. Someone who can make the smart decisions he does is not stupid and yet he can sit back and pretend his is just a dumb soldier.

ETHAN STARKE: STARKE'S CRUSADE
-J. Hemry-218-epub
-scifi-A final push by a corrupt gov't fails, a populace demanding their rights and other countries snapping at the US's heels all lead to the fall of the current regime, the moon colony becoming another state and Starke and Co getting pardons and living happily ever after. This was much more enjoyable than the JAG in Space series, but still had that civic's lesson taste to it.

Friday, October 30, 2009

October '09

STARGATE
-A. Norton-fantasy
-144-a young man of half blood [Starman and native] must go with the last group of Starmen leaving the planet. They use a "gate" to travel to alternate worlds of the same world. Due to being chased, they are stranded on a world where the Star Lords are evil, corrupt gods. The young man helps with the downfall of the evil Star Lords and then travels on, looking for a world never inhabited. A nice YA novel that is well written but brief. To bad more authors today don't take lessons from Norton. She knew how to write!

STAR WARS: FATE OF THE JEDI: ABYSS
-T. Denning-fantasy
-352- Luke and Ben go on some weird force trip and meet dead people. Some darkside force is manipulating the sith to capture the Skywalkers. More Jedi go crazy and there is more confrontation between the Galactic Alliance and Jedi Order.

WHEN WORLDS COLLIDE
-P. Wylie & E. Balmer-scifi
-192-the world is on a collision course with 2 planets heading into our solar system. A group of scientists gather a group of select people and work on a rocket ship to take them to the second, smaller, hopefully inhabitable planet. For something written back in the 1930's, this was really good.

DUNE: THE WINDS OF DUNE
-B. Herbert & K. Anderson-scifi
-448-a direct sequel to Dune Messiah. This looks at Alia as she is forced to deal with the Empire after Paul so abruptly leaves. Jessica plays a big part too. Where the Dune Chronicles were big in scope and vision, these books between books by Herbert and Anderson seem to be looking at the nitty-gritty, the small. And I don't like that contrast. Dune SHOULD be big and galactic and over-arching. I'll continue to read these other Dune books, but I have no interest in buying them. Messing with immediate past, far past and ending the series is one thing, messing between books is another. It is just messy.

LANDOVER: A PRINCESS OF LANDOVER
-T. Brooks-fantasy
-352-this was just another tired rehash. About Ben and Willow's daughter. She is a teenager and rebellious and is sent off to a library to fix it. She rebels, Edgewood Dirk the prism cat convinces her to go anyway, she goes, discovers an evil magician [there only seem to be evil or inept magicians in Landover by the way] who is trying to open a gate to Abaddon and in the end takes care of everything and learns a valuable lesson about listening to her elders and yet doing exactly what she wants to anyway. I am not sure I can stomach much more of Brooks' stuff. Give me at least another year or two.

HAZE
-L.E. Modesitt, Jr-scifi
-303-I gave Modesitt a final chance with this book. He failed. It is at least 1000-1500 years after the fall of the American Empire but at least 2-3 times per chapter the main character is reminded in one form or another how evil they were and how enlightened and wonderful this new society is. First off, who even talks about empires thousands of years in the past. The past is forgotten and the evils of a generation are glossed over by newer evils. It was just another diatribe against capitalism wrapped in Modesitt's scifi universe. Only his Recluce stuff for me now.

WARBREAKER
-B. Sanderson-fantasy
-588-an interesting stand-alone story. People can give their "breath" [life essence] to another person and it enhances certain aspects of perception. The overall story deals with a kingdom split in the past that are now being manipulated to go to war by a third country. Deals with people who were present at the first split 300 years ago and how they are either trying to make up for what they did or running away from it. My first thought was how much like Mistborn it was, but it was different enough that it didn't feel like a copy. There was a lot of humor and I just laughed out loud several times. I would like to see Sanderson explore this world or the Elantris world more. But given his involvement in the finishing up of The Wheel of Time series, that is doubtful. This was a worthwhile read.

RANMA 1/2 #9-11
-R. Takahashi-manga

CHRONO CRUSADE #1-4
-D. Moriyama-manga

BARTIMAEUS: PTOLEMY'S GATE
-J. Stroud-YA fantasy
-501-the conclusion to this trilogy. Turns out certain demons have been planning revenge on the human race. They have figured out a way to take over a human host which gets rid of many of the drawbacks of being summoned. Nathanial finally stops being a complete ass right at the end and kills off all the hybrids with Gladstone's Staff. Finally, he unleashes the complete potential of the Staff to destroy the leader and in the process gives his life up. I have to admit, at first I didn't like the ending. Then I realized these books were about Bartimaeus, not Nathanial. Probably won't be reading any more by this guy though.

THE DARK ELF TRILOGY
-R.A. Salvatore-fantasy
-805-consisting of Homeland, Exile and Sojourn, this chronicles the beginnings of Drizz't Do'Urden, renegade drow. From his birth and growing up years in which he realizes he cannot be a typical drow [capricious, backstabbing, evil], his exile in the Underdark and realization that the Drow will never cease trying to kill him, to his journey to the surface world and his adventures to gain acceptance, these stories tell of a Drow of great skill and kind heart. Okay, so not the best writing ever, pretty shallow, but a good rousing tale to wile the time away.

INDIANA JONES & THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL
-J. Rollins-fiction
-330-the final nail in the Indiana Jones franchise's coffin. An old Indi is kidnapped by russians, along with a loser kid, who turns out to be his son by the woman from the first Indi movie. Aliens are at the heart of this adventure and they all go into a big black hole at the end or something. Glad I read the book and didn't spend money on seeing the movie.

RANMA 1/2 #12-14
-R. Takahashi-manga

THE RIFTWAR SAGA
-R. Feist-fantasy
-1295- the complete original Riftwar Saga, which includes Magician, Silverthorn and A Darkness At Sethanon. After having idolized this series from my highschool days, it was good to re-read it with a more mature reading taste. It still stands tall :-). A fantastic tale. A bit unpolished, but given it was Feist's first series, to be expected. Adventure and magic and fighting and bad bad guys and good good guys. I like this and would still recommend it.

ALCATRAZ VERSUS THE EVIL LIBRARIANS
-B. Sanderson-YA fantasy
-308-oh my. What a tale. Cross A Series of Unfortunate Events with something light, upbeat and funny, with a dash of the Mistborn non-hero, and this is what you get. I laughed the entire way through the book. A thirteen year old boy finds out that he is an Ocularist and must fight evil Librarians, who want to box and order everything. His grandfather helps him along with 2 cousins and a 13year old girl who is a knight. Their powers are hilarious. Alcatraz can break things. His grandfather can be late for anything, his cousins can trip and speak gibberish. I don't know how this will hold up to repeated readings, but on a first read, it was GREAT!

Wednesday, September 30, 2009

September '09

NOBLE DEAD: CHILD OF A DEAD GOD
-B. & JC Hendee-fantasy
-464-Magierre and Co go to the place she's been seeing in her dreams, brought upon by the black cloud thing. Get there, find some ultra-powerful artifact, leave and go their separate ways. This sucked. It was nothing but bickering, fighting, distrust and non-hope the whole way through. There was no joy, no light, no happiness. If the next book's tone is the same, I will be done with this series.

NIGHT ANGEL: BEYOND THE SHADOWS
-B. Weeks-fantasy
-720- the conclusion. A LOT happens. I'm still confused, to be honest. People pop back up from the dead, have new names, get possessed, get un-possessed, lots of battles, prophecies, etc, etc. Honestly, I felt like I was in a maelstrom reading this book. Just dragged along for the ride. Weeks did such a good job of weaving so much together that I can't pick particular threads to write about, it was all woven so tight. Blint coming back and his ability to still use the little black magic thing was a bit much though. Needs to be edited for profanity.

STAR WARS: FATE OF THE JEDI: OMEN
-C. Goldman-fantasy
-272-Jysella Horn [Corin and Mirax's daughter] goes nutso. More politic'ing between the Jedi and the GA. Luke and Ben trace Jacen's path of travels. And Ship [the sith ship] finds the Sith World and starts training them. Opening things up for another fall of the Jedi and ascendancy of Sith. Kind of sad.

YU-GI-OH! MILLENNIUM WORLD #1-7
-K. Takahashi-manga
-I really didn't enjoy this series. Going back thousands of years in Yugioh's memories to change fate. A bunch of old world style duels with stone tablets, sucked really. One final duel between Yugioh and Yugi to send Yugioh [the pharaoh] peacefully to the afterlife.

THE RIVER INTO DARKNESS: THE COMPASS OF THE SOUL
-S. Russell-fantasy
-353-whew. This was SLOW! Just like McKillip has her own unique style, so does Russell it appears. It is definitely not for everyone and I am hesitant to read any more of his stuff. Basically, Eldrich [the mage] stops the last of the Tellerites [rogue mages who want the arts to continue] and uses tons of people to gain this end. A sad and melancholic story. Not nearly as enthralling as the Swan's War trilogy.

JURASSIC WORLD: THE LOST WORLD
-M. Crichton-science fiction
-390-the novel sequel to Jurassic Park. Another island, Site B, is discovered by a scientist friend of Ian Malcom [who doesn't die, it turns out] and he finances an expedition. Malcom along with 3 engineers/designers and 2 stowaway kids go to the island. Everything goes wrong, as Malcom predicts and dinosaurs eat people. This was a rehash, and not a very good one. I can see why the movie added lots of people [to get eaten!]. Jurassic Park was cool, this was tired.

THE LONG PRICE QUARTET: A SHADOW IN SUMMER
-D. Abraham-fantasy
-304-a loose confederacy of kingdoms keep the rest of the world at bay with the power of Andats. Andats are beings forced into physical form by poets and they have the power of their name. Seedless is the andat in this story. He removes all the seeds from wool, in the blink of an eye. Gives the kingdom a huge economic advantage. He can also remove the living seed from anything. So if another kingdom attacks, he would be used to kill all the unborn babies and destroy all the crops of that particular kingdom. However, andats don't want to exist in our world, so they are constantly fighting their owners/poets to escape. Seedless sets up a scenario where he is working with the enemies of his poet. He intrigues so that the poet repeats a horrible deed from his past, unknowingly, until after the fact, in the hopes of breaking the poet so he kills himself and frees Seedless. The story is from the perspective of a young man who walked away from the poet's school and who has become a common laborer. A very complex world, but so sad. Nobody is happy. There is no joy, no happiness. Everyone is concerned with money, power, etc, etc. No one is content, but yearning after something, usually something out of their reach. Seedless succeeds in gaining his freedom and the kingdom falls.

THE LONG PRICE QUARTET: A BETRAYAL IN WINTER
-D. Abraham-fantasy
-291-turns out the common laborer from the previous book is an heir to another kingdom, except heirs figure out who is going to rule by killing off all the competition. Brother against brother. However, this time a sister enters secretly so she can have her lover/husband be the new king. So the sister conspires with outside forces to kill off all the brothers and blame it all on the main character. In the end the sister is revealed the hidden heir takes over. So much betrayal, backstabbing, fear, loneliness. It was not enjoyable and I don't know if I'll be reading the next book in the series.

THE ELVEN WAYS: THE FOUR FORGES
-J. Rhodes-fantasy
-547-a world where elves suddenly descended after mages had wiped themselves out. For hundreds of years the elves have been trying to remember where they came from and how to get back there. This follows 2 halfbloods. One becomes the spy for the queen of the elves and the other grows up with a dweller [think hobbit/dwarf cross] family. The elves have accords to not war with eachother and this series deals with how those accords are failing. In this novel, a renegade elf forces demons into weapons to make them super-powerful. And it comes down to the 2 halfbloods to stop him. I will probably read this series but no other by the author. It just wasn't interesting enough to me to search out her other stuff.

DELVER MAGIC: SANCTUM'S BREACH
-J. Inlo-fantasy ebook
-449-magic was all sucked up into a sphere hundreds of years ago and sealed away because it had become tainted and was destroying the land. The seal has been breached by the sphere itself [it has become semi-selfaware] and it is up to a small group of various races to find it and destroy it. This must have been Inlo's first book or something. It was almost painful to read. I think he had a thesaurus by his side when he wrote because his descriptions are always with words that are "too much". It was very shallow, very amateur. Not a good impression for a first book. Hopefully he improves with the next books in the trilogy.

RANMA 1/2 #1-8
-R. Takahashi-manga