Thursday, April 17, 2014

Persuasion (Classic)


Persuasion - Jane Austen 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 27 year old middle daughter turned down a first love at 19 due to a friend's advice. She always regretted that refusal. Now,  Family Circumstances throw her back into his sphere and we get to see the End of the Story..

My Thoughts
Since this is my 3rd read [read it in '03 and '06] and I enjoyed it as much if not more so than the previous times, I thought I'd bump this up to a 5 Star. 3 reads, all enjoyable, how can that NOT be a 5 star?

There is very little real drama that goes on in this book. Any that does occur is so far off stage that it might as well not be part of the book and I think that is a big part of why I like this book so much. It is about the slow maturation of a love spurned that wouldn't die. And it ends up blooming.

Honestly, I can't pin down WHY I like this Austen book more than her others. It isn't better written, it isn't more exciting, less actually happens, side characters are less fleshed out but I still like this the best.

When I read books like Wizard Squared and I despair of liking female writers, Austen grounds me and reminds me that she can write books that just absolutely astound me, again and again and again and so hope doesn't die. It also shows me that I like Romance, real romance however.

Rating: 5 of 5 Stars
Author: Jane Austen

Wednesday, April 16, 2014

Wizard Squared (Rogue Agent #3)


Wizard Squared (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
Gerald, from another dimension, makes a different choice from "our" Gerald back in Book 1, which turns him evil and sets him on the path of world and dimension domination.

My Thoughts
I didn't like this book.  The girls, and I use that word instead of "women", act like the worst type of stereotypical girls with their whining, talking, criticizing and general all around wasting of time and energy instead of either doing something or supporting those who are trying to do something.

The 2 guys aren't much better. A tortured, self doubting genius and a tortured, self doubting wizard of incalculable strength. Yeah. I was that angsty, emotional and doubtful once too, when I was 19.

There is one more book in this series, but I won't be reading it, nor will I be reading any more by Mills.

Rating: 2.5 of 5 Stars
Author: K.E. Mills

Monday, April 14, 2014

Tsubasa: RESERVoir CHRoNiCLE #20 & 21 (Manga Monday)


Tsubasa: RESERVoir CHRoNiCLE, Vol. 20 - Clamp
Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle, Vol. 21 - Clamp
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
After the fallout from the previous volumes,  the remains of the group end up in Fai's [pronounced F-eye] homeworld, where Fai must face up to what he has done, in the present and in the past. Fai's past is also revealed, pure tragedy.

We find out how Wei-Fang has been manipulating things from the very beginning and how Yuko the Time Witch has been opposing him.

My Thoughts
Volumes like this are why I love CLAMP's stuff. Pure, unadulterated drama and pathos.

Twins sacrificing themselves, rulers going insane & destroying entire countries, memories returning, friends making horrific sacrifices for each other.
Kurogane cuts his own arm off to return Fai's magic so they can all escape.
(hide spoiler)
How cool is that?!?


This story arc is more about the big picture, so it obviously isn't resolved. I am actually getting excited about how this will all turn out.


Rating: 4 of 5 Stars
Artist & Author: CLAMP

Sunday, April 13, 2014

The Chosen (Rogue Angel #4)


The Chosen (Rogue Angel, Book 4) - 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
Mysterious happenings are occurring in New Mexico. Demonic creatures of darkness are killing people, an incarnation of the Divine Child keeps appearing and saving people, Annja keeps having assassins trying to kill her and through it all an old Jesuit killer keeps popping up.

Also the big, bad, terrible United States Military is doing horrible, dark, secret, scary things. Oh my!

My Thoughts
Annja, the skeptic, who can pull a sword out of no-where, is physically enhanced, sees a demon with her own eyes, but she says it was just an eagle. This whole "I don't believe in the supernatural even though I'm part of it now" thing grates. It is "Denial" of the worst kind.

Other than that, this was a pretty enjoyable action urban fantasy. Annja teams up with a dying Jesuit who goes after supernatural baddies and they go after a deranged military guy who is trying to breed hybridized demon/animals. Yeah, weird.

I enjoy reading these, even with the faults. It is a formulaic action story, so if I have to put up with 1 or 2 faults in each story, that's ok. Not all formula stories can be as awesome as the Mack Bolan series.

Rating: 3 of 5 Stars
Author: Alex Archer

Friday, April 11, 2014

Waverly (Classic)


Waverley: or 'Tis Sixty Years Since (Oxford World's Classics) - Sir Walter Scott 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
I have thought about this, trying to make it short, to no avail. So bear with me please, as I try to pour forth the essence of this book for your perusal in such a time as will not bore you to tears nor drive you senseless with pointless words.

Edward Waverly, young lord, is alive during the 1745 uprising of the Highland Scot's, instigated by the Line of Stuart, to drive out the Line of Hanover from England and replace them with the Line of Stuart. You know, old school politics.

Edward has a father and an uncle, who each fall on one side of the political spectrum. They both decide, for varying reasons that young Edward must join the military. He does, takes a tour of the Highlands and promptly gets embroiled on the side of the Scots. Women are involved. Of course.

The Line of Stuart loses, Edward hides, lots of his Scottish acquaintances are killed and Edward ends up back in the good graces of the Line of Hanover and protects a young Stuart-supporting woman by marrying her and saving her, her father and their estate.

So Edward accidentally gets involved in a war, marries a cute girl and ends up richer and more powerful than when he started.

My Thoughts
I know that that synopsis is longer than some of my whole reviews. But I couldn't figure out a way to cut it down. Scott was a poet before he was a novelist, and it shows. His prose is dense, rhythmic and full of the rules of poetry instead of prose. Many things are described, multiple times, to get the point across. Bleh.

The story is so simple that once you parse it down, you wonder why the book is as long as it is. A spoiled young man has an adventure, gets the girl and the treasure. And done. But Scott drags us through the Highland dialect, their customs and makes the hero Edward simply sail through it all. At no point did I ever think that Edward was in danger of life, limb or even fortune.

I enjoyed reading this more than Ivanhoe or even The Heart of Mid-Lothian, mainly because Scott is simply trying tell a story here, albeit in a lyrical, round about kind of way. He hadn't fallen victim to his own success didn't use the Highland dialect for its own sake,nor was he moralizing to pad the word count.

It is History and I think that is partly why I enjoyed it as much as I did. Not a vastly distant history [from the author's viewpoint], but one that he could have researched and fictionalized by the generation that lived it.

So to abruptly end, I highly recommend this as a wonderful introduction to Sir Walter Scott. It is not as meaty as his successive books but it gives a rich aromatic flavor without destroying an undeveloped palate.

Rating: 3.5 of 5 Stars
Author: Sir Walter Scott

Wednesday, April 09, 2014

Hokas Pokas (Hoka #2)


Hokas Pokas! - 'Poul Anderson', 'Gordon R. Dickson' 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
2 short stories and one novella about the Hokas.

My Thoughts
The 2 short stories were mailed in and the novella was barely about the Hokas at all. There was ONE, yes count'em, one, Hoka and he was a side character.

This was a huge disappointment after how funny the previous book was. It was like the magic from before had completely dried up and the authors were desperately trying to revive it.

Makes you sad, really.

Rating: 2 of 5 Stars
Author: Poul Anderson & Gordon Dickson

Tuesday, April 08, 2014

Redoubtable (Kris Longknife #8)


Kris Longknife: Redoubtable - Mike Shepherd 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
Kris and Crew, in the process of hunting pirates and preparing to investigate the problem announced by the Iteechee, get involved in a Grenfeld problem.
One they can't walk away from, as a certain 12 year old girl, namely Abby's niece Cara, is right in the middle of it.

So Kris must help her longtime enemy, destroy a pirate nest, rescue a youngling and do it all without setting off a war with the unstable Grenfeld empire.

My Thoughts
This was fluff. The badguys aren't even really "badguys", just a bunch of wannabe warlords. Vicky Grenfeld gets all pally with Kris. Cara acts like a spoiled brat and is put in a VERY dangerous situation because of it.

Oh, and the author keeps Cara from really experiencing what would have happened to her if she HAD been kidnapped by pirates. I'm not a fan of violence against children, at all, but this was so blatant, so pathetic on the authors part that it completely turned me off.

Everything goes as Kris plans, she wins, they lose. Rah, rah, rah.  Yeah, not too excited or anything about this book. I hope the next book picks things up or it will turn into a snooze-fest.

Rating: 3 of 5 Stars
Author: Mike Shepherd

Monday, April 07, 2014

Tsubasa: RESERVoir CHRoNiCLE #17, 18 & 19 (Manga Monday)


Tsubasa: RESERVoir CHRoNiCLE, Vol. 19 - ClampTsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle, Vol. 18 - ClampTsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle, Vol. 17 - Clamp
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
Volume 17 concludes the adventure on the Acid Rain world, where Sakura comes into her own, Fai becomes a semi-vampire dependent on Kuragane, the Clone Lee rampages across the multi-verse in search of feathers and the original Lee must come to grips that Sakura doesn't view him as "Lee" at all.

Volume 18 and 19 deal with the crew on yet another world, where they are playing human fight chess and Sakura must be the Master. They think they are playing ot repay a village that the clone Lee destroyed, but Sakura is playing for deeper, darker and more important stakes.

My Thoughts
Where I've been complaining about Sakura being a non-character, in these volumes she almost becomes another person. She goes on adventures, becomes a wiser, but sadder, young woman.

Things get complex at the end as Sakura plays things so that she can travel on her own to prevent 2 futures, both of which are repugnant to her. Thus a 3rd universe is born and Wei-Fang's plans to control everything is put in jeopardy.

I added a 1/2 star because Sakura really takes charge and becomes a lot more like the Sakura from Cardcaptor Sakura. This series needed this, because Lee was quickly becoming the main character and Sakura just a side-character.

Rating: 3.5 of 5 Stars
Artist & Author: CLAMP

Thursday, April 03, 2014

The Widowmaker Unleashed (Widowmaker #3)


The Widowmaker Unleashed (The Widowmaker #3) - Mike Resnick Synopsis
Jefferson Nighthawk, the original Widowmaker, has been cured of his disease and released back into the land of the living. He just wants to settle down and live the rest of his days out quietly with a good woman.
However, the jobs his 2 previous clones pulled have made him a whole boatload of new enemies, ones he doesn't know at all. So it looks like the Widowmaker has a choice, come out of retirement or die!

My Thoughts
While I enjoyed this book, it seemed rather short compared to the others. However, it is as long page-wise as the previous two.

Jefferson gets out, expects to retire, but keeps sticking his nose into situations that draw him back into the bounty hunter lifestyle. He keeps "saying" he wants out, but his actions say otherwise.
Eventually he creates another clone to the Widowmaker and fakes his own death so he can live in peace.

This would be much better as an ending to the overall story instead of as a stand alone story. I think if you read all 3 of the Widowmaker books in a row, that this would have been a better tale, as it would have been directly resting on the previous stories.  As a story by itself, however, I found Jefferson Nighthawk to be a cantankerous, selfish, deliberately blind and obtuse old man. His abilities didn't outweigh his un-likable'ness.

When I read the 2 book, I found out there was a 4th book. I hope to hunt it down and read it in the next couple of months, because overall I have really enjoyed the Widowmaker books and think they rate right up there with the Santiago Duology.

Rating: 4 of 5 Stars
Author: Mike Resnick

Tuesday, April 01, 2014

Sea of Time (Kencyrath #7) (ARC)


The Sea of Time (Kencyrath) - P C Hodgell I received this copy from the publisher through Netgalley.com and that in no way has influenced my opinion in regards to this review.

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
Kothifir the Great, ruled by an obscenely obese god-king, peopled with colorful, dueling guilds, guarded by the Southern Host of the Kencyrath. Here Jame arrives, only to find that the turbulent city claims more of her attention than she thought possible.
Traveling through Time, dealing with the four Elemental gods, dealing with her own God and his priests, Jame just deal with internal and external threats and pressures.

My Thoughts
I was enjoying this up until the 45% mark. Then everything that I didn't like about the previous books reared it's ugly head until the 90% mark.

Jame, and her brother Tori, both act stupid. They won't take action, they hesitate, they allow threats against themselves to go completely unanswered, they practically invite people to harm them.

At one point Jame is thrown down a hole to an Under-City by the high City's Intelligence group. They try to kill her. And she does NOTHING about it. It doesn't enter into her equation at all.

A lot of "blind eye" turning goes on; by Jame, by Tori, by the Kothifirites, by the Kencyrath. Enough by so many people that I couldn't enjoy my read a whole lot.

Plot-wise this book doesn't advance the overall plot very much. The theological questions about the Three Who Are One still remain, the Kencyrath are as divided, stupid and self-centred as in any book before and the Lords of the Kencyrath, ie Jame and Tori, still aren't leading.

I am DONE with this series. If I could get stand alone novels maybe I could keep going. But Hodgell is making this a series, albeit a pointless and never-ending series, ala GRR Martin'esque style.

Rating: 3 of 5 Stars
Author: P.C. Hodgell