Tuesday, January 12, 2016

The Steel Within the Soul (Gonji #2) (Deathwind Trilogy #2) DNF@10%


Gonji: The Soul Within the Steel: The Deathwind Trilogy, Book Two - T. C. Rypel 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: The Steel Within the Soul
Series: Gonji
Author: T.C. Rypel
Rating: of 5 Battle Axes
Genre: SFF
Pages: Abandoned
Format: Kindle



My Thoughts:
This was initially put out in the 80's and then re-released/issued in '13. I don't know how the original read, but it is obvious that the author did not spend those 30 years polishing up his authorial skills.

It was complete and utter amateur. It sounded like something that I would write, on a better day. But that isn't good enough. So I'm done with this book, this series and quite possibly this author. Which is too bad, because I really like the ideas put forth.

Monday, January 11, 2016

Lines of Departure (Frontlines #2)


Lines of Departure - Marko Kloos 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: Lines of Departure
Series: Frontlines
Author: Marko Kloos
Rating: of 5 Battle Axes
Genre: SFF
Pages: 329
Format: Kindle






Synopsis:
Andrew Grayson is on the forefront of fighting the aliens. Going in hot, calling down nuclear fire upon them and still humanity is losing.
So do the NAC and SRA ally with each other? Nope. The political games continue, things worsen on Earth and all the malcontents are shipped off to a frozen moon while the leadership tries to figure out if they can fight the aliens.
And Grayson ends up with some former TA colleagues and starts a rebellion on the winter moon when the general in charge tries to become a military dictator.
Things end with the aliens blockading Earth, from Jupiter.

My Thoughts:
This was good!

We get to see Grayson in all forms. In the army calling down nukes, trying to prioritize his relationship with his girlfriend, learning that his mom is a person, learning that the higher ups aren't just ignorant but they're deliberately looking out for themselves at humanity's risk.

There were a couple of times where I wondered HOW in the world he was going to get out of Situation X, Kloos does a good job of making it happen without being totally Deus Ex Machina. I was glad that I had read the short story and novella before this, as it really provided some background about Earth that made a couple of throwaway remarks be a lot more important.

The end, where Earth is probably going to bite the alien bullet, was ok. Probably because I have book 3 and hence can read it, IF I WANT TO, instead of being stuck at a cliff hanger. That being said, I am choosing to wait. Book 4 is coming out later this year and I'd like to wait to read book 3 until I can dive right into 4, IF I WANT TO.

Yes, I am in a good, yell'y mood right now.

Sunday, January 10, 2016

Measures of Absolution (Frontlines #1.2) (Novella)


Measures of Absolution - Marko Kloos 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: Measures of Absolution
Series: Frontlines
Author: Marko Kloos
Rating:     of 5 Battle Axes
Genre: SFF
Pages: 63
Format: Kindle




 

Synopsis:
A novella about one of Andrew Grayson's squadmates that survived the Detroit debacle. Only to be sucked back into  the "policing action" against another welfare riot.
And we find out that maybe those rioting are being led by those who have been washed out of the military, "unfit" for duty because they refuse to fire on NAC civilians.

My Thoughts:
This turned everything onto its head for me. We find out just how underhanded the political and military leaders of the NAC [North American Confederacy] are being. How the TA are being used as civilian police. How bad things REALLY are on earth.

And that former soldiers might just be the patriots that a confederation needs.

I liked this.

Lucky Thirteen (Frontlines #1.1) (Short Story)


Lucky Thirteen - Marko Kloos 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: Lucky Thirteen
Series: Frontlines
Author: Marko Kloos
Rating:     of 5 Battle Axes
Genre: SFF
Pages: 14
Format: Kindle






 
 Synopsis:
A short story of rookie pilot Lt. Halley's first drop ship command.

My Thoughts:
14 pages that describes Halley's trial by fire. Thankfully, Kloos simply dealt with the adventure of Lucky Thirteen and Halley from beginning to end and didn't throw in padding about her and Grayson's budding romance. In fact, this is strictly about Halley.

Kloos manages to masterfully give us the full story inside of a short story. I didn't feel rushed, or underdone. It was just right. A great break between Terms of Enlistment and Lines of Departure.

Saturday, January 09, 2016

Fledgling (Liaden)


Fledgling (Theo Waitley, #1) (Liaden Universe, #12) - Steve Miller, Sharon Lee 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: Fledgling
Series: Liaden
Author: Sharon Lee & Steve Miller
Rating:   of 5 Battle Axes
Genre: SFF
Pages: 528
Format: Kindle




Synopsis:
Daav yos'Phelium is on Delgado in his Jen Sar Kiladi persona. And he's "married" with a 14 year old daughter.
This book is not about him.
It is about Theo, his daughter. And the politic'ing on a world full of eggheads who have no grasp on reality. This is about Theo growing up into her, unknown to her, Liaden heritage and piloting skills inherited from Daav.

My Thoughts:
I accidentally started Ghost Ship before this, which is 2 or 3 books ahead of this. And it wasn't until I was at the 50% mark that I realized my mistake. Hence, a lot of what happened in this book was slightly referenced in Ghost Ship and I had pretty good idea of what was going to happen.

And I still enjoyed it. Not as much as the other Liaden books, as it is dealing with a 14 year old girl and the politics of scholars but it was still enjoyable. It was also good writing. I know it was good writing because it got me extremely frustrated, in several instances, at several of the characters and how they reacted. I am learning to enjoy moments like that because it shows that the authors know how to present a society, a character and their interaction. And that interaction isn't always smooth, happy or rational.

By the end I was glad I had read this and was ready for more Theo Waitely, soon to be Pilot.

Friday, January 08, 2016

Day Watch (Night Watch #2)


Day Watch - Sergei Lukyanenko 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: Day Watch
Series: Night Watch
Author: Sergei Lukyanenko
Rating:   of 5 Battle Axes
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Pages: 480
Format: Kindle




Synopsis:
3 interconnected stories centered around a game being played between Geser and Zabulon with some very long consequences for both the Light and the Dark.
And the Inquisition is showcased a bit more.

My Thoughts:
Whereas the first book, Night Watch, dragged me all over the place, this one simply left me feeling deliciously melancholy for the whole book without feeling depressed. That is a rare thing and something I treasure. The Elric of Melnibone series accomplished the same feat, but at its heart it is just an action story. Here we have a story of Dualism and how it affects those who are in the fray.

The stories were interesting but I gave no thought to trying to figure out what game Geser and Zabulon [the leaders of the Light and the Dark in Moscow, respectively] were playing. I simply sat back and let the words sweep me away. One of the things I didn't like was that Lukyanenko used a lot of song lyrics in this and I'm sure they either tied into the story or if one knew of Russian pop culture, would have been much more meaningful. I simply skipped them and didn't feel like I'd missed a thing.

One of the things that got my back up in the previous book was how Dualistic it was. This was even more so, but it showed the inevitable consequences of believing in Dualism, in just about any form and hence defeated itself, philosophically speaking. It also made me thankful for a God who isn't just some nameless force schlepping around in the background.

I had watched both movies, Night Watch & Day Watch, after reading Night Watch and was a little afraid that I might have spoiled the book for myself. Nothing doing. The movie and the book don't appear to be related at all. However, if I see certain plot points in future books, I'll know they just crammed in things from them into the movie Day Watch.

Tuesday, January 05, 2016

The Hidden Masters of Marandur (Pillars of Reality #2)


The Hidden Masters of Marandur - Jack Campbell 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: The Hidden Masters of Marandur
Series: Pillars of Reality
Author: Jack Campbell
Rating: of 5 Battle Axes
Genre: SFF
Pages: 369
Format: Kindle




Synopsis:
Mari and Alain come back together, after their respective guilds attempt to kill them, rather directly in fact.
While Alain accepts that Mari is the Daughter of Jules, Mari hasn't made her mind up just yet. She just wants to help make things better.
They go on a couple of adventures, the final one being to find old records that might give them an edge, technologically. Because they need an edge of some sort if they're going to go up against the two most powerful Guilds in the world plus an Empire!

My Thoughts:
When I read Firefight by Sanderson last month, I stated that even Sanderson couldn't make me like YA. Well Sanderson, meet Campbell. He's made me like YA for 2 whole books AND had me rate them pretty high.

This was a great continuation from Dragons of Dorcastle. It wasn't quite as gripping, as we know the characters and some about the world, but the growth of the characters was done so that I liked it, which is hard to do. I did like the action scenes and the time in the forbidden city of Marandur was good.

I also like the fact that Campbell doesn't dance around the whole super attraction between 2 young people. Mari and Alain want to get it on! Pretty bad. But instead of promulgating the false idea that sex equals love, or some such tripe, Campbell has them act like thinking adults. And controlling themselves. Too many times ya characters don't control themselves, probably because the author is as hormone ridden as the characters, but Campbell holds up something better. I liked that.

In the little section of "Also by Jack Campbell" it lists the name of the 3rd Pillars of Reality book and then under that states "Books 4-6". Which means he's got 6 books worth for this series. Given his penchant for 6 [ie, Lost Fleet, etc], I trust they will all be good.

Monday, January 04, 2016

Amazing Agent Luna #11 (Manga)


Amazing Agent Luna, Vol. 11 - Christina Weir, Nunzio DeFilippis, Shiei 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: Amazing Agent Luna #11
Series: Amazing Agent Luna
Author:  Nunzio DeFilippis & Christina Weir
Artist: Shiei
Rating:  of 5 Battle Axes
Genre: Manga
Pages: 248




Synopsis:
Luna is under attack from the Agency and the Knights. In a climactic battle, where Terra is trying to kill her, Luna saves Terra but is gravely injured.
Jennifer goes off the rails and pretty much takes down the Agency and the Knights.
Luna survives, Terra learns how to be a little girl and everyone pairs up appropriately for the ending.

My Thoughts:
It has been over a year since I read Vol #10. And that made this volume pretty good. This whole series is pretty saccharine so small doses worked best. But make no mistake, I enjoyed this series. Enough that I bought the whole thing.

Everything ends up happily with several of the adult couples getting married and several of the teens becoming couples. Nothing surprising, nothing sad. Very inline with how the series has been. A little rushed considering how much they packed in, but surprisingly, it worked out pretty good.

Saturday, January 02, 2016

The Death of Dulgath (Riyria Chronicles #3)


The Death of Dulgath - Michael J. Sullivan 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: The Death of Dulgath
Series: Riyria Chronicles
Author: Michael Sullivan
Rating:  of 5 Stars
Genre: SFF
Pages: 432








Synopsis:
Royce and Hadrian are almost broke. So they take a job. A job that entails planning an assassination of the Lady Dulgath so that her security can prevent just such an assassination.
Of course, it being Royce and Hadrian, things don't go quite according to plan.

My Thoughts:
Exhibit Number One:


As soon as I read that the Lady Dulgath's name was Nysa, I immediately suspected some things and was right. I just hadn't suspected ALL the things and Sullivan did a good job of tipping me over.

This was fun. It was also VERY informative. I had not realized that Royce didn't know of his Elven heritage and so that revelation came as quite the shocker to him.  Just like all the other Riyria books, this was just a romp. It doesn't try to be all epic and weighty and that is good as Sullivan's style doesn't lean in that direction.

However, he sure is a great storyteller! I wish I had more to say about the actual story, but I don't. You'll either like this or you won't.

I was one of the backers that got this booked created on Kickstarter. I own all the Riyria books in hardcover and wanted this one as well. So I put my money where my mouth was. As did over 1800 people. And now I'm famous. Well, maybe not famous, but "Bookstooge" is one of the backers listed in the book at the end.
I also really enjoyed the fact that Sullivan included the first chapter of his new series coming out later this year. It is a prequel series set some 1000-3000 years before the Riyria books and deals with the Empire of Man coming into being and throwing off their Elven gods. I'm sure that Novron's beginning, one of the main splinter gods in the Riyria books, will be shown with some sort of twist.

I would like more of Royce and Hadrian. Preferably 3 more novels in the Chronicles series to match the 6 of the Revelations. Sullivan has not ruled out such but also hasn't made any promises. Smart man.

Friday, January 01, 2016

2015 in Book Review

What a year 2015 has been. First off, I reached, and exceeded my reading goal but it had many tweaks throughout the year as reading slumps hit or I sped through 2-3 books in one day.
I read 183 books. Below is a picture encapsulating the year in little tiny pictures.








And then, because I like stats, a picture graph representing each month.









62672 pages read. That makes my average book 342 pages long. When I first saw that average I was kind of wondering if I had been slacking, as I knocked off some rather large books this year. Then I realized that I also read a ton of Mack Bolan: The Executioner books and those average around 150 or less, so that explained it.
The page number is suspect because of the database here at Booklikes not exactly being in top form. I was able to edit most of my books since I was a librarian for a good bit of the year and then once I wasn't, other librarians have done an excellent job of turning about those edit requests, so I'm pretty sure of that number but wouldn't hold it hard.






And now on to more Booklikes specific things, since that is where I am at these days.
Been here just over 2 years. Complaints are pretty much the same as ever [ie, the horrible way the Re-blog function works here] and the Praises are pretty much the same [no censorship!!!].

One thing this year has shown me is that I am not a "group" person. My interactions tend to be one on one for specific posts. I have found that I react 1 of 2 ways in a group. I either get overwhelmed and leave, or I feel like I am the only one there, hence unappreciated, and leave. So to avoid frustration, and then lashing out at some poor schlub who has no idea what is going on, I stay away from the groups. Even the ones I like, like the Classic Clubs and Follow a Bookliker one.





One bug, the Likes&Attributions bug, has not been fixed. Since I reported it twice, it has occurred in my notifications on 4 separate occasions in December alone. That led me to not put up my reviews here at Booklikes since the end of November and simply put a couple of sentences in a 100% update as a mini review. I've got almost 30 drafts of reviews saved. Not a big fan of that, so I need to do something else for 2016 because that is a bug that does affect me and I need to respond somehow. I will be posting those reviews today and I apologize ahead of time if they're all timed for "now" and flood your feed.

I was talking with Musings about this because he does a partial review and then a link to his blog, because of the Reblog issue. My reviews aren't long enough to do that [my average is under 300 words, and that includes the little GPL schpeil and info about the book] but I liked the idea. I do have a facebook group where I post my reviews and I just put up a 1 sentence teaser for my review and then the link so if someone likes my sentence or wants to see more about the book, all they have to do is click.

I think I will be doing that here at Booklikes until the aforementioned bug is gone. I just don't know what else to do. I can't ignore it, like I can the reblog issue, because the bug does affect me on a week to week basis.







Thankfully, that sentence doesn't apply this year. I had a tremendously good year overall, even with one month being a total stinker where I hated almost everything I read [I believe it was August, btw].

Three books stood out this year as Potential Number One Book of 2015

1) His Sombre Rivals by Edward Payson Roe

2) The Aeronaut's Windlass by Jim Butcher

3) Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes

Honestly, looking at things, I think that His Sombre Rivals and Flowers for Algernon are tied for Number One. They both just stood out above everything else.
And that is why 2015 was an unqualified success for me. How can it not be a good year when you can't even choose between TWO books for Best Book of the Year?





In the beginning of December, I wrote about Goals for 2016. Upon reflection, this year I am going to set some very easy goals for me that I'm sure I can accomplish.

1) Read 150 Books in 2016

2) Read 2 Non-fiction books.

3) Re-read 1 book each month that I want to.

1 shouldn't be a problem unless life throws me a drastic curve, in which case reading a certain number of books will be last on my list of "Things I Care About".

2 is because Nothing Better inspired me with her goals for non-fiction. Of course, she went off the rails and was talking crazy huge numbers, like 1 non-fiction a MONTH but since my goal for the last couple of years has been 1 a year, I figure I can double that without to much of a hassle.

3 is because I was contemplating a Re-Read Year but that just wasn't feasible. Too many new books coming out that I want to read and the real possibility of hating a book that I used to love. I've got some books though that I KNOW I'll love so I'll just stick to them, even if it is my 4th or 5th time with them :-)



 

Ha. My continuing People escapades continue just like they did in 2014 and I suspect they will be the same in 2016. So don't take it personally if I stop following you because 3 gets you 5 that I'll re-follow you in a couple of months.





In Ending. Read all the Books in 2016 . Even the ones I'll trash you for for reading. Because Reading isn't about what I think of the book you read but about what you think of the book you read.