Bookstooge's Reviews On the Road

Tuesday, June 09, 2015

Dark Intelligence (Transformation #1) (Polity)

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.com & Bookstooge's Reviews on the Road Facebook Group by Bookstooge's Exalted Permission.

Title: Dark Intelligence

Series: Transformation, Polity

Author: Neal Asher

Rating: 4.5 of 5 Stars

Genre: SFF

Pages: 416

Synopsis:

Penny Royal, a rogue A.I. that went black after the Human/Prador war, is back. It should be dead.

One man and one woman, working with and against each other and Penny Royal, seek it out to find out what has happened.

But how do you fight an A.I. that can turn you into another creature or change your very memories?

That is what Spear and Satomi must figure out if they want answers to their questions and an end to their quest for vengeance against Penny Royal.

My Thoughts:

I love Neal Asher's Polity books. Hard Technology [as opposed to High Fantasy] and ultra-violence all wrapped into a thrill ride where you don't know which way is sideways or how you'll get there.

I always know I'll enjoy these books and hence tend to save them. But at some point I just have to start eating and then I enjoy every minute of it.

Even though the book is ostensibly about Penny Royal, everything is through the eyes of Spear and Satomi, both whom have been wacked by Penny in one way or another. So it starts out as a Quest for Vengeance type story but as you read along, both Spear and Satomi realize that things don't quite add up. By the end of this book [it is supposed to be a trilogy] it appears that this story is a story of Redemption and making things right. However, my experience with Asher leads me to believe that the convolutedness of this story is JUST beginning and that I still don't have a clue as to the End Game.

I did knock off half a star for the 2 unnecessary sex scenes. They weren't "explicit" but were graphic enough that I thought noting them was necessary. I also added the "Ultra-Violent" tag, but to be honest, I had to stop and think about it. So I'm either getting jaded or Asher is getting mellow.

To end, a really fun book that continues my love affair with Asher's Polity Universe.

Original post: Bookstooge.booklikes.com/post/1182496/dark-intelligence-transformation-1-polity

Sunday, June 07, 2015

Visitors (Pathfinder #3)

Review:

Title: Visitors

Series: Pathfinder

Author: Orson Scott Card

Rating: 4.5 of 5 Stars

Genre: SFF

Pages: 609

Synopsis:

Rigg, Noxon, Umbo and the others all do their own things to try to save the planet Garden.

Noxon returns to earth. Rigg and Umbo try to save one of the Walls and set things up for yet another wall and the facemask'ers.

Time and Causality bend, change, trade places and generally act in such a way that I am thankful we humans don't have to deal with those actions and their consequences.

My Thoughts:

It has been 2 years since I read Ruin but to be honest, it feels like 2 months ago. I knocked off a half-star because I'm not sure how these books overall will stand up to re-reads.

Some of the other reviews I'd read stated that the readers were disappointed in the ending and so I was not really excited about this. Thankfully, this was on the same level as the previous 2 books, finishes the trilogy very nicely and still gave me lots of action and rationalistic beings acting rational.

Thank goodness.

Card put a lot of thought into the exigencies of time travel and how it would work AND what the moral implications of such would be. Like I said about the other books, this was a cool rush of cold water. Especially when I see all the crap out there about teens and romances and such. I want to scream out "Use your brains!!!" but obviously the characters in aforementioned books can't do such, because their authors aren't using theirs.

And if you're thinking that is slam, it certainly is.

A lot of ideas from Ender's Game are present, such as genocide, right and wrong, absolutes vs morals of the moment, etc. Also, if you're expecting tense expectation, forget it. We're dealing with multiple time travelers here, all of who want the same thing and are working towards the same goal.

Overall, I enjoyed this trilogy, am glad I bought them in hardcover and am glad that Card can still write some good stuff.

Original post: Bookstooge.booklikes.com/post/1181400/visitors-pathfinder-3

Monday, June 01, 2015

May '15 Roundup

This month was a great month because I set myself the goal of deliberately DECREASING my reading goal and I wasn't sure how it was going to go. However, I was successful and only read 10 books. Considering that 3 of those were manga as well, I feel really good.

I was hoping to keep it in the single digits, but Memorial Weekend did me in, as I had lots of time to do nothing.

So without further ado...

1) The Last Aerie 3 Stars

2) Wednesday's Wrath 3 Stars

3) xxxHolic: Rei Vol. 1 3 Stars

4) xxxHolic: Rei Vol. 2 3 Stars

5) Lyon's Pride 1 Star

6) Disciple of the Wind 4 Stars

7) To War, MSG:O Vol. 6 4.5 Stars

8) Thermal Thursday 3 Stars

9) Crystal Dragon 4 Stars

10) War of the Sons 2.5 Stars

So overall, this month was a net gain and not a net loss star-wise.

Original post: Bookstooge.booklikes.com/post/1177705/may-15-roundup

Sunday, May 31, 2015

War of the Sons (Supernatural #6)

Review:

Title: War of the Sons

Series: Supernatural

Author: David Reed & Rebecca Dessertine

Rating: 2.5 of 5 Stars

Genre: Media tie-in

Pages: 238

Synopsis:

Sam and Dean are played by Abaddon, sent into the past and used to try to wipe out some End Game Strategy God had setup to defeat Satan in the final battle.

My Thoughts:

Poorly done and poorly thought out, even for a Supernatural event. Anyone who reads ANY Biblical text knows Abaddon is a badguy, period. Stupid Winchesters.

A list of bloodlines outlining who the vessels of the angels will be in the last battle is the Big Secret? That is not a strategy, that is a weakness to hide. It is NOT a prophecy that deserves to be in a "War Scroll". Unless you're a writer with no ideas to work with.

Then the girl from the past ends up dying alone and old in a rest home? She was a hunter through and through. She wouldn't have lived to BE old. It was mawkish, sentimental and shallow.

Not sure how many more of these books there are, but I'm done with them. It just isn't worth the time to read them.

Original post: Bookstooge.booklikes.com/post/1177206/war-of-the-sons-supernatural-6

Saturday, May 30, 2015

Crystal Dragon (Liaden)

Review:

Title: Crystal Dragon

Series: Liaden Universe

Author: Sharon Lee & Steve Miller

Rating: 4 of 5 Stars

Genre: SF

Pages: 445

Synopsis:

The direct sequel to Crystal Soldier. And things get resolved in such a way as to show the creation of the Liaden Universe.

Intrigue, politics, fighting all come together from various places and planes.

My Thoughts:

I felt a little fuzzy reading this, as "Math" was suppose to save the day but obviously since Lee and Miller weren't talking real math, it was just referenced to so it felt kind of Ex Deus Machina.

That aside, this was yet another lovely foray into the Liaden Universe. This was the second book chronologically, but I have to say, I think the Publication Order is a much better way to read things. That was the way it came from the authors' minds and it should be transmitted to ours in the same fashion.

One thing I really liked was how much of an important part the Tree played. It has been referenced before, but it has almost been a non-existent side character, enough so that I never thought it was THAT special, not at all. Hope it plays a bigger part in future novels.

Original post: Bookstooge.booklikes.com/post/1176597/crystal-dragon-liaden

Thursday, May 28, 2015

Thermal Thursday (The Executioner #36)

Review:

Title: Thermal Thursda

Series: The Executioner

Author: Don Pendleton

Rating: 3 of 5 Stars

Genre: Action/Adventure

Pages: 138

Synopsis:

Mack must smash a new underground super-drug-highway that would connect Florida to Cuba and the Caribbean and he has only 24hrs to do so.

My Thoughts:

Mack fakes his way into yet another mafia secret stronghold, finds out what is going on and then hits the place so hard that it falls to pieces.

A fun read. Not much else to say.

Original post: Bookstooge.booklikes.com/post/1174938/thermal-thursday-the-executioner-36

Wednesday, May 27, 2015

To War (Mobile Suit Gundam The Origin #6) (Manga)

Review:

Title: To War

Series: Mobile Suit Gundam The Origin

Author & Artist: Yoshikazu Yasuhiko

Rating: 4.5 of 5 Stars

Genre: Manga

Pages: 440

Synopsis:

Zeon declares Independence. And we get to see how Amuro's father became the driven man he is and how that affected Amuro to be the young man he is.

My Thoughts:

In this book, we get to see how out-classed the Federation mobile suits are in comparison to the Zeon suits. I have to be honest, I don't understand how they were better. It was simply a matter of results I guess. Kind of like if you told me that Tank X was WAY better than Tank B and one Tank X destroyed a whole battalion of Tank B's all by itself. I just don't understand WHY the Zeon suits are so much better and that is frustrating.

Other than that, this continues to be top-notch in both story and art. The full color pages still amaze me and I don't have anything to add to what I've written in previous reviews.

Original post: Bookstooge.booklikes.com/post/1174488/to-war-mobile-suit-gundam-the-origin-6-manga

Sunday, May 24, 2015

Disciple of the Wind (Fated Blades #3)

Review:

Title: Disciple of the Wind

Series: Fated Blades

Author: Steve Bein

Rating: 4 of 5 Stars

Genre: Police Procedural

Pages: 528

Synopsis:

2 storylines this time around instead of 3. Thankful for that.

Modern Day:

Mariko must continue to hunt down Joko Daishi, the insane but genius mastermind who is the Leader of the Divine Wind. Only she has to do it on her own, as she's been kicked out of the police force. And it turns out there is another group interested in bringing down the Divine Wind. Only Mariko isn't sure she can work with this new group.

Historical:

Daigoro is still on the run from Shichio but now a mistress of politics and intrigue, Nene, enters the fray, hoping to lure them both to a mutual destruction for political gain for her husband. Can Daigoro survive Nene, Shichio AND the backstabbing of former allies?

And a mystical blade, one that gives immortality, is mixed up in it all.

My Thoughts:

Whoowhee! Now this was a fun ride. While the transition from the first book, Daughter of the Sword, to the second book, Year of the Demon, was like a complete cut with brand new storyline, etc, this book was practically a direct continuation from Year of the Demon.

I did deduct a half star for lack of sword fighting, but the more I read, the more I realize that the Inuzama blades are more about their reality shaping powers than their battle prowess.

The pacing and cutoff points between the Modern Day and Historical Times was excellently done and kept me reading. I read most of this in one day. Came home from church, plopped down on the couch and just tore through it like a starving man into a steak.

In the afterwords, Bein did state who the model for this cover was [one Sayuri Oyamada] but I'm not sure if she's been the model for the previous covers or not. Either way, once again, I love the cover. Exotic Woman with Deadly Weapon = Good Stuff.

Bein also mentioned a novella that accompanies this book, Streaming Dawn, which I'm assuming will be like the previous short story. I'm off to hunt it down now.

Original post: Bookstooge.booklikes.com/post/1172827/disciple-of-the-wind-fated-blades-3

Wednesday, May 13, 2015

Lyon's Pride (Tower and the Hive #4)

Review:

Title: Lyon's Pride

Series: Tower and the Hive

Author: Anne McCaffrey

Rating: 1 of 5 Stars

Genre: SFF

Pages: 336

Synopsis:

The war against the insects continues and the Talents continue their spread.

My Thoughts:

Due to the inclusion and normalization of homosexuality, I will not be finishing this series.

With that being said, I also think I'm done with McCaffrey. I know she won't be writing any more, obviously, but I'm tired of finding landmines like this and having to deal with it. I've read what I've wanted to of hers and now I'm done.

Original post: Bookstooge.booklikes.com/post/1165776/lyon-s-pride-tower-and-the-hive-4

Saturday, May 09, 2015

xxxHolic: Rei, Vol. 1 & 2 (Manga)

Review:

Title: xxxHolic: Rei Volumes 1 & 2

Series: xxxHolic: Rei

Author & Artist: CLAMP

Rating: 3 of 5 Stars

Genre: Manga

Pages: 392

Synopsis:

Watanuki, Yuko and the gang are back. Or more precisely, they are here "again". While the shop continues to cater to customers, Yuko and Domeki make cryptic remarks to each other about Watanuki's "choice".

My Thoughts:

Both these volumes only received 3 stars because it felt like CLAMP was milking the money machine instead of telling a good story.

The stories about the customers are as creepy, yet similar, as ever and the interchange between Domeki and Watanuki is a bit stale.

On the plus side, having Yuko back is wicked nice. Lordy, now there is a woman!

I'll probably continue to read this series as it is released here in NorAm, but based on these 2 volumes, I certainly won't be buying the series. I liked how the original ended and this hasn't changed my mind about that.

Original post: Bookstooge.booklikes.com/post/1162318/xxxholic-rei-vol-1-2-manga