Acapulco Rampage (Executioner #26)

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.tumblr.com by express permission of this reviewer


Title: Acapulco Rampage
Series: The Executioner
Author: Don Pendleton
Rating: 3 of 5 Stars
Genre: Thriller
Pages: 126


Synopsis:
Mack heads to Acapulco to take out a fledgling movement, the New Mafia, headed by a Jew.
Said Jew doesn't like the Old Mafia telling him what to do and Mack makes a deal with him, be Unaffiliated and The Executioner will leave him alone until he crosses the line.
Sadly, the Old Mafia isn't going to take this lying down, so complete and utter mayhem ensues, Mack Bolan Style.

My Thoughts:
I can't get enough of these books. Mack crashes a luxury yacht into the New Mafia's headquarters, hijacks and lands their jet in the ocean and finally blows their base off the side of a mountain and into a bay.

How much more awesome do you need? And the super hot chick being the bad guy, cool beans.

Shallow, truly plotless, characterization is zero but so much fun. Kind of like how I imagine bungee jumpers justify their actions :-)

Vanity's Brood (House of Serpents #3 Final) (Forgotten Realms)

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.tumblr.com by express permission of this reviewer.

Title: Vanity's Brood
Series: House of Serpents, Forgotten Realms
Author: Lisa Smedman
Rating: 3 of 5 Stars
Genre: Fantasy
Pages: 320


Synopsis:
Arvin must rescue Karell before she gives birth. At the same time, he must prevent Sybil from freeing the Serpent God and becoming its Avatar.

My Thoughts:
The maundering end to this trilogy.

Arvin pretends to not know which way he wants to react for most of the book and the reader is expected to go along and then act surprised when he makes it.

The romantic angle between Arvin and Karell is milked for all it is possibly worth. Arvin's heritage is revealed and that makes everything ok between him and Karell.

Glad I read this, but definitely not worth buying the hardcovers, unlike some of Smedman's other Forgotten Realms works.

Walden & Civil Disobediance (Classic)

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.tumblr.com by express permission of this reviewer.

Title: Walden, Civil Disobediance
Series: -----
Author: Henry Thoreau
Rating: 1 of 5 Stars
Genre: Classic
Pages: 326


Synopsis:
Thoreau moves to Walden pond to live as a squatter for 2 years and rhapsodizes, as all scatterbrained, out of touch with reality poets are want to do, about how wonderful Nature is and how the Simple Life is the best.

In Civil Disobediance, Thoreau shows how him going to jail for a week because he wouldn't pay his tax is the height of him being completely independent. He also tries to make the case that any group of rational human beings really don't need a government because the Milk of Human Kindness will naturally flow between them all.

My Thoughts:
What a monumental tome of total Prickness.

Thoreau is an ass and every line he writes in this book simply confirms that fact. Nothing he writes has a true bearing on reality, everything is colored, warped and distorted by his belief that Nature is Pure and Kind and can Teach us Lessons. (and yes, the caps are on purpose, you can practically hear them)

I am glad I read this but no more Thoreau for me.

The Bacta War (X-Wing #4) (Star Wars)

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.tumblr.com by express permission of this reviewer.

Title: The Bacta War
Series: X-Wing, Star Wars
Author: Michael Stackpole
Rating: 4 of 5 Stars
Genre: SFF
Pages: 350

Synopsis:
Wedge, Coran and Co fight Isard and kill her in the end. Coran and Mirax get married and Mirax's dad, Booster Terrik, gets a hold of a Star Destroyer for his personal gad about the universe.

My Thoughts:
I really did enjoy this. It is just recently my desire to write reviews has plummeted, so I'm mailing these in and keeping track that I read them.

The Invaders Plan (Mission Earth #1) DNF

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.tumblr.com by express permission of this reviewer


authored by L. Ron Hubbard.

Read this back in junior high. This time around, I couldn't take the utter incompetence of the main character, who is a lackey for the villains.

Written that way on purpose, but it was just embarrassing and I was very uncomfortable.

Did not finish and will stick to Battlefield Earth & Final Blackout if I feel the need for some Hubbard.

Colorado Kill-Zone (The Executioner #25)

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.tumblr.com by express permission of this reviewer
 
Title: Colorado Kill-Zone
Series: The Executioner
Author: Don Pendleton
Rating: 3 of 5 Stars
Genre: Thriller
Pages: 104


Synopsis:
The Mafia hires a rogue army general [who happens to HAVE an army] who almost flawlessly executes a Bolan Trap. Emphasis on "almost".
Plus, there's a plot to kidnap the President of the United States for a Billion dollars in gold.

My Thoughts:
Sometimes I feel that is really unfair to give these books 3 stars because I enjoy the heck out of them. But there is more than simple enjoyment in rating a book.

I guess if this was food, I'd consider it a soda or an energy drink. Tastes good, feels good but a steady intake of such will hurt you.

So Mack gets suckered in by an old Vietnam buddy who has gone rogue. Fake military making Mack think he has crossed the line and killed soldiers who are just doing their job. A psychological tactic that comes this -- close to working. Thankfully, Mack's friends in the Mafia and the Government give him the heads up and so he can start thinking tactically again.

There is just so much awesome mano-e-mano gun battles that it makes my Manly Ego growl with delight.

Please excuse me as I go punch out some walls now...

The Fatal Tree (Bright Empires #5 Final) (ARC)

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.leafmarks.tumblr.com by express permission of this reviewer.





Title: The Fatal Tree
Series: Bright Empires
Author: Stephen Lawhead
Rating: 3 of 5 Stars
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Pages: 360


Synopsis:
All the Universes are ending, since Arthur bringing his wife back to life with the Spirit Well pretty much buggered up everything.
Now there is a Fatal Tree guarding the Well so the group can't get to it and stop Arthur and set the Universe back on track.
Burleigh has a change of heart and tries to help the group.
In the end, everything gets back on track and Evolutiongod can continue its plan.

My Thoughts:
Thankfully, this series ends.

It felt VERY fluffy and it was hard to feel connected to any of the characters. My last book by Lawhead. Sometimes you just don't want to review a book and this is one of those times.

Horizon Storms (Saga of the Seven Suns #3)

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.tumblr.com by express permission of this reviewer.

Title: Horizon Storms
Series: Saga of the Seven Suns
Author: Kevin Anderson
Rating: 3 of 5 Stars
Genre: SFF
Pages: 672


Synopsis:
Surprisingly little happens in this volume.
The Roamers make an alliance with the Wentals [water elementals] and with the Free Planet of the Green Priests. They also find out that the main Human Empire has been pirating their space fuel and so cut them off, which brings reprisals.
The klikiss robots advance their plans to wipe out humanity and the ildarans.
The hydrogues and the faeros are duking it out and continue to destroy worlds and suns in the process.

My Thoughts:
Thankfully, this book didn't drag like the last one. However, not nearly as much happened. Got to the end of the book and went "huh? that is it" but not in a good way.

I consider books like this to be like eating frozen pizzas. They satisfy your hunger, don't disgust you and do what they are supposed to, but you'll never pull out the candles, the good china and silver and hire your neighbor to act as a waiter so you and the Mrs can eat a "le' frozen pizza".

Anderson is a b list author who has made a name for himself but I don't consider him to be a "good" author, merely a competent writer. His storylines leave a lot to be desired as do his characters and general blaseness.

I'll keep reading stuff by him and I'll probably lambast it each time as well. Hopefully that will help you if ever decide to read something by him.

Bitter Night (Horngate Witches #1)

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.tumblr.com by express permission of this reviewer.

Title: Bitter Night
Series: Horngate Witches
Author: Diana Francis
Rating: 2.5 of 5 Stars
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Pages: 270


Synopsis:
Max, warrior leader that protects a witch she hates, must overcome all her issues to save her coven from being destroyed by the Guardians, super witches who command Angels as their warriors.
And Max must open up to a new man in her life who is just as strong as she is and completely understands her and knows her better than anyone she has ever met in her whole life.


My Thoughts:
I knew going into this that this was a female book by a female for females so I was prepared for the female equivalent of a Mack Bolan book.
What I was not prepared for was how many conversations took place inside Max's head with herself. And what pushed this into total female wish fulfillment was just how perfect the male MC was from a woman's perspective. He's never met Max before but he knows, by a twitch of her eye or an uplifted shoulder, exactly what she is thinking and feeling.
The feelings! It was like drowning in a bathtub of Feelz for the entire book.


There was no sex, graphic or otherwise and that saved this from a DNF.


With all that being said, this clocked in around the 270'ish page mark and it was really 50-75 pages too long. Many mundane things were seriously over written [1 ½ pages describing buying cheeseburgers at the beginning of the story?]. It didn't come across as padding for word count but more like the author thought this junk info was necessary to the story when it completely wasn't.


This book confirmed what I suspected already, that I don't like this kind of book. Now I KNOW.

On a completely random note, I have a coworker who looks very similar to what you can see of the Main Character. Except she is a real woman and not that idealized impossibility splashed across the cover.

Secret of the Slaves (Rogue Angel #8)

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.tumblr.com by express permission of this reviewer.

Title: Secret of the Slaves
Series: Rogue Angel
Author: Alex Archer
Rating: 3 of 5 Stars
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Pages: 253


Synopsis:
Annja Creed is approached by a Bono/U2 based Billionaire Activist who is after some super tech created by a hidden society in South America.
At first this hidden society seems bad, as they kill everyone around Annja but then we see the light about how good they are because they "shared" in the past.
And Mr Activist is shown for the horrible, horrible person he really is and in the end everyone gets what they really deserve.


My Thoughts:
I still don't understand how a group of escaped slaves somehow turns into a super advanced society that can hide itself from satellites, etc? Sharing culture with those they escaped to doesn't suddenly make them into supermen.


I go into these stories with my believe-o-meter turned all the way to zero, or so I think and yet I still get shocked each time. I guess when the author writes so heavy handedly it can't be helped.


Other than that, this was typical Rogue Angel with guns and punching and swords and exotic locales. And plenty of new side characters to kill off. I have to admit, I love that part, I really do.