Intimidation (Eyeshield 21 #4) (Manga Monday)

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  Bookstooge's Exalted Permission.
Title: Intimidation
Series: Eyeshield 21
Author: Riichiro Inagaki
Artist: Yusuke Murata
Rating: 5 of 5 Stars
Genre: Manga
Pages: 200
Format: Digital Scan

Synopsis:

The Devil Bats have a Pride Game against another highschool, which is known for it's delinquents and quarterback with arms like rubber bands. The Chamelion's are prepared for Eyeshield 21, but with Monta now on the team, the Devil Bats can run the ball or pass it. A good battle ensues and the Chamelions obviously lose and end up as Harima's slaves.
With the very public victory, the Devil Bats have tryouts and gain enough new members to have an actual team without Harima resorting to terror/blackmail tactics to force people to play. The Devil Bat's are on their way.

My Thoughts:

I always feel iffy about giving manga 5 stars. However, this volume had more humor than the first volume AND gives us a good football game and a tryout from hell. For a light sports manga I couldn't have asked for a more perfect volume.

Sena in playing the Chamelion's realizes that, since he has faced Shin and the Whiteknights, nobody else can really intimidate him. In the end it is Eyeshield 21 doing the intimidating. Monta has found his home as a receiver. He is good at it, gains encouragement from his team mates and provides the fans with all the funny monkey action they want. We also see just a little bit into some of the player's family lives and while not groundbreaking, it does create a depth that separates them from some of the more 2d characters.

I settled in to read this prepared to slog. Instead, I laughed my head off and tore through it like I was running a sprint. I am also adding it to my best book of the year list. Sometimes something light & fluffy is what I need and this really fulfilled that need today.
`

The Last Guardian of Everness (The War of the Dreaming #1) DNF@70%

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  Bookstooge's Exalted Permission.
Title: The Last Guardian of Everness
Series: The War of the Dreaming
Author: John Wright
Rating: 2 of 5 Stars
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Pages: 333
Format: Kindle digital edition

Synopsis:  Spoilers

Galen Waylock, a spoiled young brat who is very talented, thinks he knows better than his grandfather. So when he receives a vision that he thinks foretells the end of the world, he charges in instead of investigating like his grandfather tells him too.
Which leads to Galen being possessed by his ever so great Grandfather, a malevolent magician working with the devil. There are other characters and it is obvious that a lot of various religious Ideas are represented.

My Thoughts:

Fairytales can be good. However, most of that is because they are short. Things happen, boom, Happily Ever After. If you take the time to think about them, then you begin to wonder just what in the world was going on and how did such stupid idiots survive to propagate?

This book was a 300+ page fairytale.

It was not written badly or unskillfully. There were no egregious errors. However, it bored me out of my mind and I couldn't get past the style and the idiocy of some of the characters. It is a good thing this wasn't my first book by Wright or I would have consigned him to the "Authors to Avoid" list and that would have been a shame.


On an unrelated note, I have about reached my limit with Booklikes. I can't comment without going through hoops [thanks to you who did comment on my posts], I can't load my dashboard and even this review took a couple of reloads to get all the parts of the page to appear. If things haven't improved, site-wise, by the end of the month, I'll be leaving. If things do improve, then the next goal will be staff interaction by the end of the year. Just wanted to give you all a heads up about where my thoughts are.
`

Stiletto (Checquy Files #2)

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  Bookstooge's Exalted Permission.
Title: Stiletto
Series: Checquy Files
Author: Daniel O'Malley
Rating: 4.5 of 5 Stars
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Pages: 585
Format: Kindle digital edition

Synopsis:  Spoilers

The Grafters have set in motion events so that they can join the Checquy. A Checquy agent, Felicity is given the job of being the bodyguard to a Grafter, Odette. Both have grown up with horror stories about the other's organization.
Unfortunately, a small group of young Grafter's doesn't WANT join the Checquy and they are willing to go to war, and kill millions of normals, to keep the merger from happening.
Now Felicity and Odette must work together to stop this group while their bosses must work together to make sure the merger happens. Magic and Bio-Technology working together.

My Thoughts:

When I finished this, I realized it had been 4 [!!!!] years since I had read the Rook. Definitely worth the wait though. I was expecting another Myfanwy Thomas story and it took me a while to realize that this book was NOT about her. Took me even longer to realize that Felicity and Odette were the main characters and not just the openers.

The humor was just the same as the Rook. The action however had much more to do with genetic thingies than ghosties and goblins, even though there was an incident that involved a dead Checquy agent gone bad. The twisty-turny plot raced ahead at Formula 1 speeds. It felt like a Thriller, whereas the Rook definitely had that Mystery vibe going on.

O'Malley can write! I laughed, I got frustrated and I was triumphant. I can't ask for much more than that. Of course, I hope it isn't another 4 years before we get the next Checquy book. I also added this to my Best Book of the Year List.

Oh, does anyone know what Checquy means? I'm too lazy to look it up :-D

`

The Autumn Republic (Powder Mage #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.com by  Bookstooge's Exalted Permission.
Title: The Autumn Republic
Series: Powder Mage
Author: Brian McClellan
Rating: 4 of 5 Stars
Genre: SFF
Pages: 619
Format: Kindle digital edition

Synopsis:  Spoilers

Tamat is back. Taniel is being chased by Adrom forces, his own forces. Adamat is acting as a go between for forces beyond his imagination.
The gods are at war and they are being killed,one by one. That god/god slayer is convinced that HE will rule the world as a paradise. Can what is left of the Powder Mages fight a god, an invading army and win an election. Not without blood, sweat and black powder.

My Thoughts:

This ends the series on a bloody, dirty, gritty note, just like how it started. It is a relatively satisfactory ending and as much of a happy ending as you can expect from a Flintlock Fantasy.

Even after 3 books, I was still confused with various names of people, nations, etc. It all just blended in together and I went a long for the ride. I'm sure I missed out on some details and what not, but honestly, I just didn't care.

I know that isn't exactly a ringing endorsement but while I liked the overall plot and ideas, I just couldn't get past the grim grittiness of it all. If you like that kind of thing then you'll love it here.
`

The Empire of the East (Book of Swords #0)

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  Bookstooge's Exalted Permission.
Title: The Empire of the East
Series: Book of Swords
Author: Fred Saberhagen
Rating: 3.5 of 5 Stars
Genre: SFF
Pages: 512
Format: Kindle digital edition

Synopsis:

This is an omnibus edition that contains 3 short novels [probably novella's in today's world]
The Broken Lands
The Black Mountains
Ardneh's World

Basically how the West is trying to stop the encroachment of the Eastern Empire and the adventures thereof.
Taking place in a fantasy setting that quickly becomes apparent that it is actually post-apocalyptic, you get a mix of magic and tanks, etc. The story follows one young man as he goes from a farm boy to a warrior. The scale goes from one province to the Whole World.

My Thoughts:

This is the prequel stories to the Book of Swords series and I can't recommend reading this until you've read the Sword series first as it would really spoil some of the mystery in that.

However, as stories go, I found this enjoyable and it fit perfectly with the tone of the Swords series. Light on character, almost no tension and things just happen. I own the Sword books and am tempted to buy this JUST to have it on my shelf. I doubt I'll ever be re-reading this though. It is a good one off read and does answer a lot of questions posed in the Swords series.

As a standalone book, it works pretty well too. And it is infinitely more interesting than Saberhagen's Berserker series. Recommended if you liked the Sword series OR if you have no plans of ever reading them.
`

The Running Man

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  Bookstooge's Exalted Permission.
Title: The Running Man
Series: -----
Author: Stephen King
Rating: 4 of 5 Stars
Genre: Thriller
Pages: 260
Format: Kindle digital edition

Synopsis:

Ben Richards signs up for the Games to earn money for his sick daughter. He knows that the Running Man is rigged but all he needs to do is stay ahead of the hunters for 3 days and his wife and daughter will receive his earnings.
This is the story of Ben Richards, fighting for the survival of his daughter while having it televised as entertainment for the masses.

My Thoughts: Spoilers

The emotions in this book were palpable. Richards' hopelessness, despair, cynicism and determination rolled off the pages and over me like a wave. I never got depressed from it though, as his determination was in the forefront and simply ruled his every thought and action. Ben Richards was a very desperate man, but he was not a broken man.

Taking place in 2025, King displaces the issues of his day from the late 70's and early 80's and simply magnifies them into the future. It isn't a pretty picture.

There is also absolutely NO supernatural aspect to this book. I'm not used to that coming from King, even though since this is a Bachman book it can be excused. It was also very short, once again, comparatively. I'm thinking next year's Stephen King book will be one of his fatter ones.
`

I Don't Want to Kill You (John Cleaver #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.com by  Bookstooge's Exalted Permission.
Title: I Don't Want to Kill You
Series: John Cleaver
Author: Dan Wells
Rating: 3 of 5 Stars
Genre: Paranormal
Pages: 322
Format: Kindle digital edition

Synopsis:  SPOILERS

John Cleaver is doing A-OK. He's getting semi-along with his mom, he's going out with the hottest girl in school and the Demon Nobody is on her way to town. What more could a young psycho ask for?
Unfortunately for John, he's not quite as smart as he thinks and when another serial killer shows up in town, he doesn't know who is Nobody and who is just the "regular" killer. Can he afford to kill and maybe get it wrong or are the stakes too high? In the end, John's selfish obsession, brain smarts and experience just aren't enough and it takes his mom sacrificing herself to kill this new demon. And John and Brooke hook up as a new Demon Hunter Duo right at the end of the book.

My Thoughts:

Yeaaaahhhhh [said real slow and drawn out, not excitedly].

This book showcases the fact that John is still a teenager and as such thinks the world revolves around him and that only HE can do anything about anything. That thinking leads directly to his mother's death. I hope it haunts him for the rest of his fictional life.

Beyond that, I don't have much to say about the book. If you liked the previous 2 books, you'll like this. If you didn't like them, this certainly won't change your mind.

I won't be reading any more by Wells though. His sick fascination with serial killers might have a place in non-fiction, but to essentially "make it palatable" and present that interest to teens and young adults in that light is irresponsible. I ranted about Wells in my review of the previous book, so I all I have to say now is "Goodbye, you sick, sick man".
`

They Are Called the Devil Bats (Eyeshield 21 #3) (Manga Monday)

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  Bookstooge's Exalted Permission.
Title: They Are Called the Devil Bats
Series: Eyeshield 21
Author: Riichiro Inagaki
Artist: Yusuke Murata
Rating: 4 of 5 Stars
Genre: Manga
Pages: 200
Format: Digital Scan

Synopsis:

After a quick jump ahead of the White Knights, the Devil Bats are simply playing a delaying action. Shin is a machine that just mows down all opposition. However, something inside Sena responds and instead of running away, he gets faster. Instead of losing 0-99 like they did last year, they simply lose 12-62.  There is also an incident where Eyeshield 21 takes out the White Knight's quarterback and when he's in the hospital is becomes very apparent that said QB doesn't really want to be playing football.
The second half of the book is based on the football team looking to capitalize on how well they did to attract new players. Sena comes across someone who is playing for the baseball team, can catch anything, but is a terrible all-round baseball player. Insta-friendship :-)

My Thoughts:

There are times where manga is the perfect medium to express an ideal thought. Every excess of emotion that has ever been experienced can be experienced, less painfully and in many cases with great happiness, in this format.  Who doesn't remember that one small triumph in their life? For me, since this is a sports related manga, I can remember one summer camp where I won the 50yard dash, the 100 yard dash and the 1/4mile run. I got 3, plastic, gold medals, and was cheered by everyone. Everyone being about 40 other kids. It meant nothing in the long run and I wasn't suddenly on the path to stardom and track famousness, but it is a little golden point in my memory.

Reading this book was like watching others get their golden points, even if they are fictional characters. Monta, the new receiver, has to give up his dream of being a baseball player but he's encouraged by Sena that the ending of one dream can just be the start of another.

The humor was back up too and had me chuckling several times.
`

Dinosaur Lake (Dinosaur Lake #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.com by  Bookstooge's Exalted Permission.
Title: Dinosaur Lake
Series: Dinosaur Lake
Author: Kathryn Griffith
Rating: 2 of 5 Stars
Genre: Thriller
Pages: 439
Format: Kindle digital edition

Synopsis:

Henry, former New York City cop, now Chief Ranger, is dealing with budget cuts for his staff while the park he oversee's is dealing with some minor earthquakes. One of the tremors unearth's some heretofore unknown dinosaur bones and a group of archeologists descend on the find, like vultures on the rotting carcass of a cow. At the same time, long time members of the community are going missing, the group of local homeless people reports a monster eating some of their number and Justin, the ONE GOOD ARCHEOLOGIST, finds tracks leading from the water. Big tracks.

A dinosaur exists, it is smart and it wants to eat people, a lot of people. For some reason it is now exclusively up to Ranger Henry and his trusty cohorts [ex FBI Agent that would make Fox Mulder blush, older but stern submarine operator and of course, THE GOOD ARCHEOLOGIST] to go down into the subterranean caves, while a huge earthquake is predicted, and hunt down the dinosaur so that the namby pambies in the Gubba'ment can't capture it and cause even more havoc.

My Thoughts:

What I wanted:
a story where a dinosaur caused havoc, ate people and then died in glorious battle.

What I got:
a story where a dinosaur caused havoc, ate people and then died in glorious battle.
However, that was only the backdrop of the story. The real story was about how sensitive Henry, Justin and the other men were and how they all bonded and formed everlasting ties of friendship [until the dinosaur ate some of them of course] and with the POWER OF FRIENDSHIP, defeated the mean ol' dinosaur.

At the 60% mark I started skimming. At the 75% mark I started reading 1 page in 10. And by the end I still got the story but without all the clutter.

This was over 400 pages and it should have been cut down to just under 300. To do that however, the characterization would have had to have been axed, the action ramped up and a lot of the extraneous weight gotten rid of. I don't need to know about Henry's daughter's bad life choices and how she's getting her life back on track and how Justin is falling in love with her. I don't need to know the backstories or family histories of the 2 men driving the submersible. Sure, it makes them "real" characters but so what? Those 2 men were dinosaur food.

Now my main problem. Henry. Loving, gentle, caring Henry. Who is supposed to be an Ex New York City cop. Who got shot by a 10 year old and had to plug the kid. He is an emotional Gary Stu and really made me sick. In one instance, his wife sneaks into the danger zone to get pictures of the dinosaur to save the local paper even though Henry has reiterated over and over and over how dangerous and smart the dinosaur is. So of course she runs into the dinosaur and Henry's best friend saves her, at the expense of his own life. Does Henry get angry or upset? Oh no. He gently and carefully takes care of his wife because she almost died and he really needs to focus on that. Forget about that her selfish actions DIRECTLY caused the death of a good man, for no point. In fact, it was probably better that George died that way, so he wouldn't end up in a nursing home or something.  The "bonding" scene between Henry and the former FBI Agent was what made me throw up in my mouth though. FBI-man tells a story about a whole town going missing and how the gubba'ment covered it all up. It added pages to the book without adding one bit to the dinosaur eating people.

The dinosaur eating people was the blank canvas for everything else to be painted on. It was the paper while it should have been the painting. Frustrating as Phrack.

There are 2 more books in the Dinosaur Lake series, but since I'm guessing they're in the exact same vein as this, I'd rather cut off my toes than read them. Because if I can read 1 page in 10 and still get the story, something is very wrong.
`

September '16 Roundup & Ramblings

Welp, another month has flown by. And I do mean flown! It really feels like August is ending, not September.  This month was pretty good. 20 books. Knocked another Calvin & Hobbes book of the ol' TBR pile and started up my Manga Monday posts again, now that I have Eyeshield 21 on hand. That will up the numbers as I'll be reading one volume a week and reviewing it each Monday.

Best book of the month was Dune. I knew going in that I was going to love it, as it was part of my Project Reread, so it almost feels like cheating to put it as Best Book of the Month. But it was, so it stands :-)

Worst book of the month was easily, hands down, Obsidian Worlds.  Not much to say outside of what my review states.

Bookwraiths, over at Bookwraiths.com, has been doing a section called Friday Face Off, where he compares various covers of one book and picks which one he likes the best. I'm not going to be doing that, but I do think that highlighting covers can be a fun thing. Considering that I read almost exclusively ebooks, the only time I even see the cover is when the book is in Calibre before I put it on my kindle. So to take a minute and LOOK at the covers seems worthwhile.  I know the collage picture has them all, but they are small. So here's my 2 picks from this month: