Wednesday, July 04, 2012

Review: Magician's Gambit


Magician's Gambit
Magician's Gambit by David Eddings

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



I truly enjoyed this, enough so that as I finished this book, I immediately started and finished the next book [b:Castle of Wizardry|645023|Castle of Wizardry (The Belgariad, #4)|David Eddings|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1320402551s/645023.jpg|1808841].
And considering how the story flows from one book right into the next, I am having a hard time remembering what happened in each book.

But I really enjoyed this. So there is my indpeth review :)



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Tuesday, July 03, 2012

Review: Way of the Wolf


Way of the Wolf
Way of the Wolf by E.E. Knight

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



Vampire Earth series. I figured it was going to be a series that could have been a sequel to [b:The Strain|6065215|The Strain (The Strain Trilogy, #1)|Guillermo del Toro|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1326225354s/6065215.jpg|6241525].

Not quite so much. Vampires are just aliens, yeah, go figure.

Anyway, I never would have thought this author was the same who wrote the [b:Dragon Champion|632579|Dragon Champion|E.E. Knight|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1309209466s/632579.jpg|618882]. I'll probably read a couple more to see where the series goes...



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Review: The Magician's Nephew: The Chronicles of Narnia


The Magician's Nephew: The Chronicles of Narnia
The Magician's Nephew: The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Having recently read Roald Dahl's [b:The Witches|6327|The Witches|Roald Dahl|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1351707720s/6327.jpg|105046], it gave me an immediate comparison between 2 children's book.

You can't truly compare them, as they written for completely different reasons.

But anyway...

Very good! A wonderful story about 2 children and the beginning of Narnia. It was well written and the narrative just flowed. Nowhere did a word or phrase jar me out of the world Lewis crafted. Hints of Christian theology were deftly woven through, while leaving the fantasy wide open.

A wonderful start to The Chronicles of Narnia.



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Monday, July 02, 2012

Review: The Gabble - and Other Stories


The Gabble - and Other Stories
The Gabble - and Other Stories by Neal Asher

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



This series of short stories boils Asher's "essence" down to it's essentials.

I highly recommending reading at least through [b:The Technician|7704959|The Technician|Neal Asher|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1265715884s/7704959.jpg|10409832], as many of the stories deal with planets, people, incidents that have already been introduced, however slightly, in previous book.

Hardcore violence and the fleshing out of the Polity Universe...



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Review: The Witches


The Witches
The Witches by Roald Dahl

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



A little boy, along with his grandmother, takes down all of the witches of England, as a mouse!

Yep, another Dahl classic. It is short, funny, terrifying[at least I suspect it would be to a young child] and just chock full of Kid Power like the rest of Dahl's books.



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Review: Brain Jack


Brain Jack
Brain Jack by Brian Falkner

My rating: 2 of 5 stars



An AI is born and has the ability to change peoples memories, etc due to a new tech. And it is up to our plucky young hero to save the day

Basically, the author is a complete computer geek and goes into indepth detail [shallow, pointless detail I might add] about how the protagonist does his hacking. TCP this, firewall that, blah blah blah. I like computers and have a passing familiarity with networks, etc, but this was just over the top.

The thing that didn't make sense to me, however, was why wasn't the A.I. more like skynet? Saying that it was in its 'infancy' and hadn't 'learned', that just doesn't scan. It had all the world's knowledge at its digital fingertips and it couldn't figure out how to live in harmony with humans or realize it couldn't and hence pull a Judgement Day?

I explain it simply by saying it is YA and the author didn't want to get too complex. But I think that young people would see that same problem I do. At least, I hope so.



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Sunday, July 01, 2012

Review: xxxHolic, Vol. 01


xxxHolic, Vol. 01
xxxHolic, Vol. 01 by CLAMP

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



We are introduced to Watanuki, a helpless bumbling pushover who can see spirits, and to Yuko, the time/space witch [who would also be the hottest character if CLAMP didn't draw her so weird].

Watanuki pretty much gets tricked into servitude and see's Yuko in action, granting peoples wishes.

Right the end Lee and Sakura appear...



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Review: Tsubasa: RESERVoir CHRoNiCLE, Vol. 09


Tsubasa: RESERVoir CHRoNiCLE, Vol. 09
Tsubasa: RESERVoir CHRoNiCLE, Vol. 09 by CLAMP

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



Sakura sleeps the day way while Lee fights an evil Kuragane. Is it the original or a copy from that current world?

And is Ashura a woman or a man? I thought a woman, but it gets called "lord, master", etc, and other masculine terms.



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Review: Ninja High School Pocket Manga #3 (Ninja High School


Ninja High School Pocket Manga #3 (Ninja High School
Ninja High School Pocket Manga #3 (Ninja High School by Ben Dunn

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



so Jeremy Feeple gets yet ANOTHER space alien trying to marry him.



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Moved to Goodreads.com

Since I've been copying/pasting my reviews at Goodreads to here, I've decided to make my life easier and just keep my reviews there.

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http://www.goodreads.com/RahXephon