Saturday, June 14, 2014

Heirs of Prophecy (Sembia #5) (Forgotten Realms)


Heirs of Prophecy  - Lisa Smedman This review is written with a GPL 3.0 license and the rights contained therein shall supersede all TOS by any and all websites in regards to copying and sharing without proper authorization and permissions. Crossposted at Bookstooge.booklikes.blogspot.wordpress.leafmarks.com by express permission of this reviewer

Title: Heirs of Prophecy
Series: Sembia #5, Forgotten Realms
Author: Lisa Smedman
Rating: 2.5 of 5 Stars

Synopsis:
Larajin, illegitimate daughter of Thamalon Uskevren by an elf, tries to find out her past and connect to her elvish heritage. In that process she finds out she has a full on twin brother, is the priestess of 2 goddesses and is prophesied, along with her brother, to avert a war between the elves of the 'local' forest and Sembia and surrounding human cities.
And we get a little bit o' drow *grin*

My Thoughts:
I really enjoyed Smedman's Lady Penitent trilogy and so was looking forward to this. Sadly, I found it to be the weakest book of the Sembia series so far. Not because of the story or any egregious errors of the wordsmithing craft but because of the characters.

All of Thamalon's other children have been whiny brats in the books they've starred in and while I didn't care for them, I could kind of understand the whole rich spoiled brat thing. But Larajin has been hidden as a maid and didn't find out about her heritage until the last couple of years, so she isn't a rich spoiled brat.  Instead, she is a sentimental drip with barely an ounce of sense in her head. Her brother, who while half-elf appears fully elvish, is a human hating machine. We're talking "It is better to die while killing one human than to live on in dishonor of sharing the world with humans" type of hate. Eye rolling, cringe worthy kind of hatred.

Thankfully there is a good bit of action to the story and we get a tiny bit of Drow involvement [I've been a huge fan of the drow ever since the War of the Spiderqueen series, not that wretch Drizz't] which always perks the story up.

While most series have a weak book, this was definitely weaker than expected. I just hope the series can pick up again. Only 2 more books left!

On a completely different note, I am absolutely LOVING these covers. They are very busy and dark, but once you read the story you can look at the cover and pick out details that make complete sense. I love that kind of thing. Almost makes me want to buy these, even if they are only in paperback with no chance of ever seeing hardcover.

Friday, June 13, 2014

A Dance of Cloaks (Shadowdance #1)


A Dance of Cloaks (Shadowdance) - David Dalglish This review is written with a GPL 3.0 license and the rights contained therein shall supersede all TOS by any and all websites in regards to copying and sharing without proper authorization and permissions. Crossposted at Bookstooge.booklikes.blogspot.wordpress.leafmarks.com by express permission of this reviewer

Synopsis:
A city torn by 3 factions: a self-proclaimed King of Thieves, the 3 Merchant Princes and the effete, corrupt and useless "real" King.
Thiefman wants the Merchant Princes gone, for some reason or other and is waging all out underworld war on them. To further his aim, he is training his son to be the ultimate emotionless killer and he's doing a great job of that.
The son decides that he doesn't want to follow his father's plans and tries to strike out on his own. But he's only 13.
The Merchant Princes want the Thiefman gone, as he is strangling their businesses. They too are waging war, but lesser merchants are nibbling at their borders, intriguing to bring them down and become the next set of Merchant Princes.
Finally, the King. Playing all sides against the other for fear of losing his throne, his crown and ultimately his head.

My Thoughts:
This reminded me a lot of Brent Weeks' Night Angel trilogy, with everything kind of happening in one city but spreading out a little.
Sadly, only Aaron, the son of the Thiefman, is halfway likeable. There were 1 or 2 minor characters who weren't bad either [and they both die], but other than that, everyone was a backstabbing, traitorous, greedy and vicious son of a gun.

It was all about grabbing power but with no one of good character to cheer for. I am opposed to this type of writing on so many levels that it is really hard to enjoy it. Dalglish has another series, the Half Orc series, that I'm going to try. If it is less gloomy I'll probably return to this series and continue on. But if it is in the same vein, then I'll be done.

Life is tough enough and heroes few and far between for me to immerse myself in the hopeless, abject despair of fallen humanity.

Rating: 3 of 5 Stars
Author: David Dalglish

Thursday, June 12, 2014

Into the Black (Odyssey One #1)


Into the Black: Odyssey One - Evan C. Currie This review is written with a GPL 3.0 license and the rights contained therein shall supersede all TOS by any and all websites in regards to copying and sharing without proper authorization and permissions. Crossposted at Bookstooge.booklikes.blogspot.wordpress.leafmarks.com by express permission of this reviewer

Synopsis:
Mankind has built their first faster than light starship. For its initial voyage, a select group of all the special force branches from various nations are on board, along with various groups of scientists. Almost a galactic joyride you might say.
Of course, they land in the middle of a new war between a civilization that has been at peace for 8 Millennia and some shadowy mystery badguys. The Terrans kick butt and gain some allies and they find that they are BEHIND enemy space lines.
To Be Continued.

My Thoughts:
I've read some of Currie's work before, the Hayden War Cycle, and while I enjoyed it, I wasn't really impressed. This book I was impressed.
There was a great mix of space fighting, ground troop fighting [which I love! Give me marines and guns any day!] and a lot of setup for the future.
In a lot of ways it reminded me of John Ringo's Through the Looking Glass and Alan Dean Foster's The Damned trilogy. Lots of military action, Terrans being totally bad ass as natural warriors and some really good/scary alien baddies.

There were definitely some very cliched and roll your eyes moments, mainly when Currie tried to give his guy characters some emotional depth. These guys are all either super fighter jocks or ultra-marines.  Currie should have left well enough alone.  But if he had then I'd be complaining about lack of character depth, so I guess he just can't win *grin*

Definitely going to be reading more in this series.

Rating: 3.5 of 5 Stars
Author: Evan Currie

Wednesday, June 11, 2014

With the Lightnings (Lt. Leary #1)

With the Lightnings (Lt. Leary, #1) - David Drake This review is written with a GPL 3.0 license and the rights contained therein shall supersede all TOS by any and all websites in regards to copying and sharing without proper authorization and permissions. Crossposted at Bookstooge.booklikes.blogspot.wordpress.leafmarks.com by express permission of this reviewer


Synopsis:
Young arrogant, rich and snotty Lt. Leary gets all pissy with his dad, gets cutoff from the family fortune, joins the space navy to spite his father and ends up saving a whole world from the badguys. And he makes a good friend of a sexy librarian.

My Thoughts:
Pure escapism. I'm usually ok with that, especially since 90% of what I read is just that. But when reading about a spoiled, uppity, privileged beyond belief brat, my working man's blood just boils sometimes and it is hard to enjoy the read.

I enjoyed the overall story of a small group of plucky heroes retaking a world from the dastardly bad guys. Lots of fun fighting, explosions, thrills and brazen and ballsy decisions. And a Librarian, with a Capitol "L". Always good in my books [hahaha]

I just didn't like Leary. I got this for free and am glad I read it but it bears out what I think of Drake already: I enjoyed his Lord of the Isles fantasy series but very little else. I just don't quite click with his stories or writing. If I can get the second book for free I'll probably try it but unless it is super-de-duper better I won't continue after that.

Rating: 2.5 of 5 Stars
Author: David Drake

Tuesday, June 10, 2014

Moth (Moth #1) DNF at 30%

Moth - Daniel Arenson This review is written with a GPL 3.0 license and the rights contained therein shall supersede all TOS by any and all websites in regards to copying and sharing without proper authorization and permissions. Crossposted at Bookstooge.booklikes.blogspot.wordpress.leafmarks.com by express permission of this reviewer

I just couldn't take this puree any more. Maybe if I was a preteen this would have been ok, but its simplisticness [NOT simplicity mind you] just bored me.

David Eddings' Belgariad or Ursula LeGuin's Earthsea Trilogy are good examples of simplicity. Yet at the same time they are engaging and well written.

This book was not engaging or well written. It was boring and pedestrian. The characters were inconsistent in how they reacted to varied situations and the whole world itself was just off.

Example. A village has some sort of royalty that everyone used to look up to. Only now, he's a doddering old man and a warmongering priest has moved in and taken over control. Ok, since this world has been this way for 1000's of years, I'm assuming that there is a regulated transfer of control of power from one generation to the next. SO WHY ISN'T THE HEIR RULING THE VILLAGE AND KEEPING THE PRIESTS OUT? It just reeked of 'make up a situation without thinking it through''ness.  And just little things like that where the implications weren't thought through. It was annoying.

There was nothing bad, it just was amateur'ish and not worth my time.

Rating: 2 of 5 Stars
Author: Daniel Arenson

Monday, June 09, 2014

xxxHolic #7 & 8 (Manga Monday)


xxxHolic, Vol. 7 - CLAMP,William Flanagan
xxxHolic, Vol. 8 - CLAMP,William Flanagan
This review is written with a GPL 3.0 license and the rights contained therein shall supersede all TOS by any and all websites in regards to copying and sharing without proper authorization and permissions. Crossposted at Bookstooge.booklikes.blogspot.wordpress.leafmarks.com by express permission of this reviewer

Synopsis:
Watanuki gets in trouble, has Domeki help him out, complains out it and then turns around and helps Domeki and the circle of helping continues.
Watanuki's eye is the main issue and it turns out to be an object of power and he loses it. Only to have Domeki give up half his eye so they both can kind of see. Teaching Watanuki that he isn't a lone and his life impacts others, for good and for bad.

My Thoughts:
This was a light enjoyable read, as always. We have it confirmed that Watanuki is of great interest to the other world in so many different ways.
Domeki proves that he is a true friend indeed and Watanuki reacts like he always does, with bombast and insults. Himiwari is right, they are truly a comedy team.

Speaking of Himiwari. Watanuki's continued fascination with her, while being warned again and again by Yuko that she isn't for him and his completely ignoring the young beautiful spirit who loves him, is so typical of youth. Can't have what it wants and doesn't want what it can have.
The whole situation makes me grin and reminds me of my college days. So I have some sympathy for Watanuki, but not very much :-)

I enjoy the little chapter stories where Yuko grants a wish, usually to the detriment of the wisher.  They are deliciously macabre, sometimes humorous and always complete in and of themselves. You need that in a longer running series sometimes.

Rating: 4 of 5 Stars
Artist & Author: CLAMP

Sunday, June 08, 2014

Hidden Empire (Saga of the Seven Suns #1)


Hidden Empire  - Kevin J. Anderson This review is written with a GPL 3.0 license and the rights contained therein shall supersede all TOS by any and all websites in regards to copying and sharing without proper authorization and permissions. Crossposted at Bookstooge.booklikes.blogspot.wordpress.leafmarks.com by express permission of this reviewer

Synopsis:
Humanity, allied with an ancient alien race, is spreading out to the stars. Quickly and voraciously.
A much older alien race, which has disappeared, has left behind its civilization, offering tantalizing clues to instantaneous travel and the like.
Humanity uses one of these new tools to create a sun out of a gas giant and in the process discovers another alien race. These new aliens are immeasurably powerful, so much so that they are the ones that completely destroyed the disappeared aliens.

My Thoughts:
I've never been a big fan of Anderson, as I have found him to be a mediocre writer, especially in the Star Wars Expanded Universe.  But I wanted to give him a shot on his own writings, so I figured I'd try this series.

This was chunked up into about 15-20 viewpoints and at first I was worried I was going to have just little snippets from each. But characters die, side characters move up and it is a revolving wheel.

This is a sprawling Saga indeed. Human factions, alien factions [allies, dead and enemies] and robots from the disappeared aliens. It is going to be a fight for survival for humanity for sure.

Overall I enjoyed this book and beginning of the series. Anderson's writing, while not wonderful, was not the juvenile tripe I was mentally preparing myself for.  Hoping the rest of the series bears this beginning out.

Rating: 3 of 5 Stars
Author: Kevin Anderson

Saturday, June 07, 2014

Eagle-Sage (Lon Tobyn Chronicles #3) DNF


Eagle-Sage - 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.leafmarks.com by express permission of this reviewer

I got to about the 50 page mark and it just wasn't working for me. Nothing bad and I can't really point out anything that was different from the previous books.

It was rather slow though.

Coe has another series that I'll try but I have my doubts as whether it will be any different. Coe seems to be on the slow boat to China and while that sometimes works for me, a lot of times it doesn't.

Rating: 2.5 of 5 Stars
Author: David Coe

Friday, June 06, 2014

Killing Floor (Jack Reacher #1)


Killing Floor  - Lee Child 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:
Jack Reacher, ex-army, is now an avowed drifter. Boating down the river of life with no destination in mind, simply seeing what comes his way.
He stops at a small Georgia town to escape a heavy rain and becomes embroiled in a small town's politics, several murders, a larger overall mystery and tangles with a real bad outfit.

My Thoughts:
First off, this is brutal. It got my Ultra-violence tag, but it was not ultra-violence that I like. I like Violence in space, or with elves, or in a time before I was born, not in the here and now. In other words, I don't like real life violence. If you can't wrap your head around the differences, that is ok. It took me years to figure why I liked some kinds of violence and not others. Very much a psychological/mental difference.
Prison rape that didn't happen, but was described what "could have" happened. A 4 man butcher squad that tortured and killed the families of anyone who found out about their activities, in pretty graphic detail.

At the same time, I really enjoyed the overall story/mystery/thriller. Jack is a smart man who simply doesn't want to be tied down to our current society's way of life. So he drifts and this time he simply drifted into the wrong place at the wrong time. It turns out that only he can take care of things once it is discovered his brother is involved. It is a very engaging story about a man doing what a man's gotta do.

There is a love interest, that is pretty strong, but you know how it is going to turn out right from the get go. Jack is no settlin' down man.  In the end, Justice AND Revenge are served, the badguys die and Jack drifts off to another town and another story.

Just like with Necroscope, I plan on reading more in this series, but provisionally on a book by book basis. One book I can't take, for whatever reason and I'm done.

Rating: 3.5 of 5 Stars
Author: Lee Child

Wednesday, June 04, 2014

Necroscope (Necroscope #1)


Necroscope - Brian Lumley 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 Paranormal Agencies, one in Britain and one in the USSR, are fighting it out.

One of the agents from Britain is a young man who is just coming into his powers. He can talk to and incorporate knowledge from the dead. He is the Necroscope.

The other main character is from the USSR and he is a necromancer, one who gets answers from the dead by touching, tasting, smelling, etc the bodies. It is disgusting. And he is the one who is trying to make a deal with a dying vampire.

My Thoughts: Spoilers Ahead
I was recommended this and even though it has a vampire in it, I decided to give it a go. I am glad I did.

This book is written from 2 basic view points, British and USSR but they are not concurrent timelines until near the end. Really, it was reading 2 different stories that only come together in the last quarter or so of the book.

One complaint I had was about the 2 sex scenes. Completely gratuitous. I hate things like that.

The vampire aspect of things was pretty cool. They are a parasite that inhabits your body and you and it meld until you both are one. Lumley does a great job of making this one so deceptive that the reader doesn't know what is true or not, right up til the end. The USSR agent dealing with it is completely out of his class and gets his in a very nasty way at the end.

The necroscope guy was more about him finding out about his powers than in joining the agency. He doesn't actually join until the very end and then he masters time/space, dies/doesn't die, and ends up going to reincarnate in his unborn son. Yeah, it is weird and disturbing.

Gruesome'ness wise, this was better than I was expecting, but there are a couple of scenes where the necromancer goes to work and Lumley describes it in more detail than I wanted. Sucking out the brains of a corpse? I gagged. But it isn't a big part of the book and probably doesn't take up any more time than the sex scenes.

I do plan on reading more in the series, but on a provisional basis. I'll keep reading until I hit a book that I don't like and then I'm done.

Rating: 4 of 5 Stars
Author: Brian Lumley