Sunday, January 12, 2014

Legion (Novella)


Legion - Brandon Sanderson 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.com by express permission of this reviewer

Synopsis
A genius is hired to recover a camera that can take pictures of the past.

My Thoughts
The MC is a genius, but he can't handle it. So instead of taking responsibility, he makes up imaginary people who CAN do the things he won't.

Some character has created a camera that can take pictures of the past and is trying to prove that the resurrection of Jesus Christ happened. Sadly, Sanderson takes the tack of pitting Faith against Reason instead of the reality of a blending of the two.

I am really sick of people saying that Faith is baseless and is just about a feeling, blah, blah, blah. I wish Sanderson and others of such ilk would go read some C.S.Lewis. But then, they wouldn't accept what he has to say anyway I suspect, as their minds are already made up in what they want to believe. The very charge they claim to bring against others.

Rating: 3 of 5 Stars

Author: Brandon Sanderson

Saturday, January 11, 2014

Book of Enchantments


Book of Enchantments - Patricia C. Wrede 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.com by express permission of this reviewer

Synopsis
A collection of 10 short stories by Patricia Wrede. Most were written for other anthologies but she gathered them all together and added 1 or 2 new ones and made them into a book.

My Thoughts
I have a real awkward relationship with books of short stories. On one hand, I love the idea. A whole book of boiled down, stripped to the raw, quintessence of ideas.
On the other hand, it rarely seems to be done right and most authors seem to throw their favorite ideas into it without the work.  And then you get the dreaded "loved 1 or 2 of them, but the rest were trash" syndrome.

Thankfully, I loved this collection and didn't have any problems with it. To be honest too, I've enjoyed just about anything from Wrede [except her Lyra books], so I am not an unbiased reader.

This ran the gamut from silly fantasy of The Frying Pan of Doom to the sad story about an older sister who is going to start living her life, tomorrow.  One thing I really did like was that Wrede wrote an appendice like thing where she explains where each of the stories came from. I find things like that fascinating for some reason.

Highly recommended to anyone who loves Wrede's works already.

Rating: 4 of 5 Stars

Author: Patricia Wrede

Thursday, January 09, 2014

Destiny (Rogue Angel #1)


Destiny (Rogue Angel Series #1) - Alex Archer This review is written with a GPL 3.0 license and the rights contained therein shall supersede all TOS by any and all websites in regards to copying and sharing without proper authorization and permissions. Crossposted at Bookstooge.booklikes.blogspot.wordpress.com by express permission of this reviewer

Synopsis
A Lara Croft clone, down to the shorts, twin pistols and twin "guns" (if you know what I mean) finds the missing piece Joan of Arc's sword and becomes an agent for Light with some supernatural powers.

My Thoughts
This was published by Gold Eagle, the imprint that did/does the Mack Bolan books, so I knew I was in for action and kickass'ness. It's like Harlequin, for men. However, I've never been a fan of Tombraider, as I don't really prefer busty babes as action heroes. So I wasn't sure how this was going to work.

Thankfully, it was a lot of fun. The supernatural side of things was very limited and I'm hoping it ramps up in further books. Having an older "mage" mentor worked well, especially since he's a dick. He's the perfect cranky old man. And his former apprentice does a good job of coming across as the deadly playboy who'd kill you as soon as look at you.

The plot was more setup than anything. It worked in finding the final piece of the sword, getting the sword and dealing with another adventurer who wanted the piece of the sword. Lots of introductions that WERE the plot.

Overall, I enjoyed this for the light fluff it was and am looking forward to the next couple in the series. I believe there are 30+ novels, but I'm not promising to hang around THAT long. But who knows, maybe it will keep my attention :-)

Rating: 3.5 of 5 Stars

Author: "Alex Archer"

Wednesday, January 08, 2014

Yotsuba&! 12 (Manga)


Yotsuba&!, Vol. 12 - 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.com by express permission of this reviewer


Ahhh, Yotsuba. The cute factor of a little girl who has no inhibitions, isn't afraid of people and IS afraid of silly things.

One of the things that I am really enjoying about Yotsuba&! [each chapter is called Yotsuba and "X"!, because everything is new to her] is the lack of some sort of overarching plot.

I don't have to worry about the end of the world, saving the world, falling in love, finding "the one", battling aliens, driving a giant robot, having my relatives kidnapped or killed, going to other planets, having magic invade every part of my life. Nope,none of that!

Instead, I get to experience the joy of blue paint.  the deliciousness of s'mores, the sheer wonder of life itself. While I don't normally subscribe to the "cute little girl charms everyone" thought process, Yotsuba HAS completely charmed me.

12 volumes and I'm still not tired of her. The mangaka is doing an awesome job of looking at life without any of the jadedness of adulthood. Part of me wishes that it would be written faster, but another part of me is willing to let it just flow at its own pace.

Tuesday, January 07, 2014

Trial by Fire (Terminator Salvation Sequel) (Terminator)


Terminator Salvation: Trial by Fire - Timothy Zahn 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.com by express permission of this reviewer

Synopsis
Terminator: Salvation was NOT the end. It was merely the beginning of the end. And Marcus was not alone.

My Thoughts
I enjoyed the movie and really thought it was the end. Instead, this book shows that the AI that was destroyed was just a branch version, not the main one.

I recently read another Terminator book, Cold War, and man, Zahn shows with this book what a great author he is. There is no comparing the two. The writing was tight, the overarching plot suspenseful and the different storylines were all blended together just right.

It was nice to read something that I felt was crafted well even while being about something as non-serious as a movie spinoff. With all the crap floating around nowadays, coming across a well crafted gem makes it even more precious. Even if it is a fools gold gem :-D

The advent of the Theta Terminators opens up the whole future of the Terminator world. Unfortunately, I don't see that happening, much like I was hoping the T2 trilogy would give things a kick and they didn't. Highly recommended to Terminator fans but not to anyone else. Too much backstory is needed, or at least the first 2 and 4th Terminator movie.

Rating: 3.5 of 5 Stars

Author: Timothy Zahn

Monday, January 06, 2014

Widowmaker (Widowmaker #1)


The Widowmaker (The Widowmaker #1) - Mike Resnick 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.com by express permission of this reviewer

Synopsis
Jefferson Nighthawk, also known as the Widowmaker, is in deepfreeze for an incurable disease. Unfortunately, that is expensive and even the Widowmaker runs out of money now and then. So to procure more money to keep him on ice until a cure is found, a clone is made and sent on an assignment.

My Thoughts
I really enjoyed Resnick's Santiago duology and his Starship series was ok as well. Thankfully, I enjoyed this just as much.

Resnick's Outer Rim is a wonderful place to read about. Characters bigger than fiction, huger than real life. Battles and circumstances so outrageous, so unbelievable that you are sucked in. And you love it, all of it.

This is about a clone, Jeff Nighthawk, who has all the skills of Widowmaker, but not his experience of life, and Jeff resents Widowmaker. So while on assignment, he plans to kill his employer, who has already doublecrossed him and also Widowmaker, so that he, Jeff, will BE the Widowmaker.

Sadly, Jeff falls in love. With a lowclass gold-digger. And you know things never work out well when one of those are involved. So you know the ending from at least halfway through the book, if not sooner.

Simplistic, stylized, pulpy. But oh so fun. I look forward to the rest of this trilogy.

Rating: 4 of 5 Stars

Author: Mike Resnick

Saturday, January 04, 2014

Witches Incorporated (Rogue Agent #2)


Witches Incorporated (Rogue Agent) - K.E. Mills 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.com by express permission of this reviewer

Synopsis
Princess Melissande and her friend Bibbie, along with Reg, start their own Witches business and are hired to investigate some petty thieving at a large company. At the same time, Gerald is investigating a series of Portal Accidents and possibly something more sinister.

My Thoughts
I was really enjoying this book. One liners were abounding in every chapter. There was a great mix of humor, adventure and magic.

Things were going great, this was headed for 4stars easily, then the characters started fighting. About really stupid things.  And it wasn't amusing. It was annoying and ruined it all for me.The girls started acting like real bitches and the guys suddenly lost their spines and whined like 5 year olds.

I almost felt like I was reading the writings of 2 authors.  It was a very schizophrenic experience and almost made me want to stop reading. Thankfully, it all worked out in the end. I just hope the next book doesn't devolve into the kind of whining, moaning, bitch slapping and general childish'ness shown in part here.

But, the idea here, the general plot, is just totally awesome! Which is why I'll read the next book. A self-effacing super-powered magician, working secretly for the government. How does it get better than that!?

Rating: 3.5 of 5 Stars

Author: K.E. Mills [also known as Karen Miller]

Friday, January 03, 2014

The Air War (Shadows of the Apt #8)


The Air War (Shadows of the Apt) - Adrian Tchaikovsky 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.com by express permission of this reviewer


Synopsis

All is in turmoil as the world moves towards war. In Solarno, the spies watch each other and ready their knives, while Myna sees the troops muster at its border and emotions run high as it vows never to be enslaved again. In Collegium, the students argue politics, too late to turn the tide. In the heart of the Empire, new pilots have completed their secretive training, generals are being recalled to service and armies are ready to march. Their Empress, the heir to two worlds, intends to claim her birthright.


My Thoughts
To date, Shadows of the Apt has been an 1800's magic warfare. In this book, things went all World War I, possibly even World War II level of tech. Airplanes, tanks and mechanized warfare.
I signed up for Swords and Sorcery. And this series started that way.

The characters from the earlier books are dying, getting old, being pushed aside. New characters are being introduced, then either killed or sent on their own little side adventure, thus fracturing the overall storyline even more.

Stenwald is an old doddering man. Tisamon is a ghost working for the Wasp Empress. Stenwald's niece is not even in this story, she's somewhere else, doing something "magic'y". Her moth lover is dead, Thalric is not part of the story, many of Stenwald's apprentices are dead.

A lot of the things that I liked in the first 5 books are gone. I just hope the next couple of books improve things.

Rating: 3 of 5 Stars

Author: Adrian Tchaikovsky

Thursday, January 02, 2014

The Outlanders (Lon Tobyn Chronicles #2)


The Outlanders (The Lon Tobyn Chronicle, Book 2) - David B. Coe 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.com by express permission of this reviewer

Synopsis
The Children of Amarid now know that invaders from Tobyn-Ser's sister land of Lon-Ser are responsible for the deadly attacks on their people. But their Order is paralyzed by infighting and indecision, and it is only a matter of time before the next invasion begins.

My Thoughts
It's been 3 1/2 years since I read the previous book, Children of Amarid, and I remember really liking it. But the library didn't have the other books and I wasn't in a position to buy them. Well, thankfully, the library keeps expanding the selection of books it has to lend out.

Let's hear it for Libraries!!!!!!!!!!

This was a good solid read. Nothing spectacular, no super de duper martial arts gorefest, no displays of magic that lit up half the world, but the characters were solid, believable and I felt like rooting for them. I always enjoy a book where I can root for the heroes.

The villains were great as well. Self-righteous mages, power hungry thugs with guns. This book had them BOTH! At one point, where one of the Mages is out to discredit another, I thought some really nasty political stuff was going to happen. Thankfully, the Mage Order simply split. That should show how much I dislike politics :-)

Looking forward to the next book in the series. And if that pans out, exploring even more of Coe's writings.

Rating: 4 of 5 Stars

Author: David Coe

Wednesday, January 01, 2014

A Grumpy Book by Grumpy Cat


Grumpy Cat: A Grumpy Book - Grumpy Cat 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.com by express permission of this reviewer


Synopsis
Internet sensation Grumpy Cat's epic feline frown has inspired legions of devoted fans. Celebrating the grouch in everyone, the Grumpy Cat book teaches the fine art of grumpiness and includes enough bad attitude to cast a dark cloud over the whole world.

My Thoughts
Well, my wife got me this book for Christmas, as I have several photos of Grumpy Cat in my "humor" picture folder on Facebook. And this book did not fail to make me laugh. There was everything from the typical Grumpy Cat picture with snide captions to a crossword puzzle where every answer was "no". How great is that?!?

Definitely a gag gift book and only meant for those who appreciate Grumpy Cat and his brand of humor. Others, the unwashed hoi polio, will find this creative gem going straight over their little heads and they will complain about how mean it is.

Grumpy Cat, and I, only have this to say in reply:
A, B, C, D, E, F, U.

Yep folks, another win for common sense, pessimism and dark macabre humor.

I deliberately chose to review this book first this year, as I knew it would make me laugh and set just the right tone for the rest of the year.

If the following picture doesn't make you laugh, this book is NOT for you:



Rating: 4.5 of 5 Stars

Author: Grumpy Cat