Indomitable (The Chronicles of Promise Paen #2) ★★★☆ ½

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 Title: Indomitable

 Series: The Chronicles of Promise Paen #2

 Author: W.C. Bauers

 Rating: 3.5 of 5 Stars

 Genre: SF

 Pages: 367

 Format: Digital Edition

Synopsis:

Promise Paen has survived her jaunt on Montana. However, certain political elements with the Republic have painted her as rogue warhead, just waiting to go off.

In a training exercise with some green recruits, Promise continues the training mission even with 90% casualties. She wins the unwinnable scenario, due to some help from a highly placed General who is against the training mission on principle. Things go wrong right at the end and one of her subordinates is killed.

Promise and the General are both benched. The General takes the flak and Promise's career survives, but she is removed from commanding her platoon to being second in command. Her platoon heads to a hell world to relieve other soldiers guarding against in-system terrorists. But their codes have been compromised and as soon as Promise's forces land, their own mechanical weapons turn against them.

They barely survive and her platoon is folded into various other 'toons. The aforementioned General has been “demoted” but given command of the Special Forces and said General asks Promise to join. And that is how the book ends, with galactic war looming and Promise getting ready to go into a high action unit.

My Thoughts:

It has been two and half years since I read Unbreakable. Thankfully, I was able to slide right back into the universe. It helps that beyond Promise Paen, almost no one survived from the previous book to clutter up the storyline here. Everyone gets introduced.

This was some good writing and some good storytelling. If you like space military stories with some thoughts from the main character, then this is the series for you.

I, however, will be ending my time with this (ongoing I assume) series.

I do not like Promise Paen. She cannot read the most simplified political situation and shoots her mouth off. She does not accept orders from her superiors without whining and trying to go around said orders. She sees and talks with her dead mother and in this book, allows that to become such a distraction that she doesn't pay attention to her commanding officer. She allows her emotions to drive her decision making and as a leader of a military unit, that gets others involved.

I still gave this 3.5 stars because of the storyline and the writing but the above things about Promise Paen drive me crazy. Since she's the main character, I know it will continue. I'll not roll around in a bed of poison ivy.

★★★☆ ½ 

 

1. Unbreakable (Book 1)

The Book of Atrix Wolfe ★★★★ ½

^{This review is written with a GPL 4.0 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 WordPress, Blogspot & Librarything by Bookstooge’s Exalted Permission}
 Title: The Book of Atrix Wolfe

 Series: ------

 Author: Patricia McKillip

 Rating: 4.5 of 5 Stars

 Genre: Fantasy

 Pages: 254

 Format: Digital Edition

Synopsis:

Atrix Wolfe, a powerful mage, is drawn into a conflict between 2 Kingdoms. One fateful night he uses his magic to put an end to the conflict and things go horribly wrong. He conjures The Hunter, a living nightmare of pain, terror and death. One king dies, the other flees, broken completely.

Many years later, the 2^nd son of the dead king, is attending the Wizards School. He is recalled home and takes a book with him. His elder brother, unable to have heirs, makes him the heir and wants him to settle down and begin stabilizing the royal line, ie, get married and start making babies. Prince Talus agrees but still wants to study the magic book he brought home, little realizing it is the Book of Atrix Wolfe and the words contained are twisted by Wolfe's despair at what he had done all those years ago.

In his mucking about, Talus calls the attention of the Hunter again, gets kidnapped by the Queen of the Faeries and is the fulcrum upon which turns the fates of many. The Hunter's nightmare must end, the Faerie Queen's daughter returned, Atrix Wolfe atoning for his misdeeds and Talus saving his brother's life.

Just like a fairytale, there is a satisfying ending, even if not a happy ending, for everyone's storyline.

My Thoughts:

The Book of Atrix Wolfe was my first McKillip book. I read it back in '05 and over the next 2 years gobbled up her back list of books. I had never come across an author who wrote like this and it blew my mind. I became a fan of hers with this book and it holds one of those special places in my mind.

So it was with trepidation that I began my re-read. Things change in 12 years. My “little cousin” was in first grade and a bossy little boy when I first read this. Now he's 6'4” and graduated highschool. I am now married, bald [well, shaved. Receding hairline isn't fun for anyone] and about 25lbs more muscular [hahaha]. Of course, most of the changes are inside and not always easy to see or for me to even know. * insert Zen aphorism about mirrors and the back of one's head *

My concerns were well founded, unfortunately. The story was just as good, the writing even better. But I could not accept the lack of communication between the various characters. The Faerie Queen's lover and her daughter have disappeared on the fateful night and she has been looking for them ever since. She knows that Atrix Wolfe is responsible, but instead of asking for his help, she kidnaps Talus, uses him as a go between and even then STILL doesn't actually tell him what is wrong. Atrix Wolfe won't tell anyone about the Hunter, even while it is active again. Talus won't tell his brother about the Faerie Queen and just goes off and does his own thing.

It was all extremely fairy tale like, so that type of thing is expected. But it really bothered me this time around and I couldn't get past it. I knocked off half a star for that. It didn't help that I'd been dealing with a sore back, lack of work and issues at church. I didn't have the patience or reserves to accept the foibles of fictional characters.

Other than that issue, this WAS just as good as before. McKillip is a master wordsmith and her use of the english language is enchanting. She doesn't just use words and sentences “correctly”, she knows them and the rules well enough so that she can “weave” them. It is the difference between a paint by numbers picture of the Mona Lisa and the actual Mona Lisa.

★★★★ ½

1. The Book of Atrix Wolfe (2005 Review)

Salute the Dark (Shadows of the Apt #4) ★★★★★

^{This review is written with a GPL 4.0 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 WordPress, Blogspot & Librarything by Bookstooge’s Exalted Permission}
 Title: Salute the Dark

 Series: Shadows of the Apt #4

 Author: Adrian Tchaikovsky

 Rating: 5 of 5 Stars

 Genre: Fantasy

 Pages: 326

 Format: Digital Edition

Synopsis:

The Empire is spread thin. Stenwold Maker knows this and sends out various people to other cities to stir up rebellion. If enough cities can rebel at the same time, the Wasp Empire's grasp might be broken.

Stenwold goes to the Commonwealth. Salme continues the fight for the Ant Cities with his Irregulars. Che sneaks off to yet another city while Acheaos, only partly recovered, takes part in a Moth Ritual that kills him. Thalric ends up coming back to the Empire, killing one of the three Rekef Generals and goes back to Capitas in chains.

Tisamon, twisted by his Mantis honor, leaves Felise and heads to Capitas, drawn by the power of the Darakyon Box. Said Box is firmly under the control of Uctebri, a Mosquito kinden. Uctebri is plotting against Emperor Alvdan II with plans to replace him with his sister, who will be Uctebri's puppet.

Totho and Drephos, tasked with making an example of the Bee City, set up the first chemical warfare test. The creators of the gas kill themselves in remorse and Totho ends up gassing the Wasp soldiers instead and running off with a damaged Drephos.

Tisamon and Felise meet as Gladiators in Capitas and attempt to assassinate the Emperor. Unbeknownst to them, they were only a distraction for Uctebri and Seda to kill Alvdan and use the Blood of an Emperor to gain access to the Darakyon Box. Nothing goes according to plan though. Tisamon and Felise kill Uctebri, destroy the Box and are killed in turn. Seda must convince the Wasp populace to accept a Wasp Empress and recalls all the armies to consolidate her power. This recall, along with the various rebellions, allow many city states to survive as Free Cities.

Of the 4 Conspirators we are introduced to in Book 1, Stenwold the beetle, Tisamon the mantis, Atrissa the spider and Nero the fly, only Stenwold is still alive. And of his apprentices, Che, Tynisia and Totho are the only ones still alive by the end of the book. Many of his apprentices die heroic, noble deaths, but die they do.

War grinds bones and hearts alike.

My Thoughts:

This was an excellent book. In the previous book I was saying how I wasn't enjoying this series as much upon this re-read. Well, this book definitely put paid to that idea.

The odd thing, this book is about death. So many characters die. If you just told me the synopsis, I'd probably roll over in despair. But HOW they die, the writing itself, redeems their deaths from a hopeless struggle into something greater. Tchaikovsky manages to show how horrible death is, how inevitable and yet have his characters overcome it by their selflessness. Prince Salme, leader of the Irregulars, is the prime example of this. I can't put into words, but Tchaikovsky makes him a Hero, even while killing him off.

The other wonderful thing is the character development. Being a sensitive kind of fellow [he says while being reminded that morning by a coworker about the time he chased down and stomped a mouse to death with his combat boots, IN CHURCH], character development has to be done just right. Not enough and I complain about cardboard. Too much and I complain about estrogen and make fun of “feelingz” and talk macho for a couple of sentences. I'm pretty much the Goldilocks of the Male Book Reviewer. It has to be Just Right or I piss and moan like a man baby. In this regards, it is like Tchaikovsky had me as a model for creating and growing his characters. It is Done Right. People change. People question themselves. People don't change. People don't question themselves. Sometimes people are stupid and other people are genius.

My only complaint for the book is “Why hasn't Stenwold Maker groomed another Spymaster to either take his place or at least take some of the burden?” And yet that oversight on Stenwold's part is what makes him, him. So even my complaint is rooted in one of the best things of this series, the characters.

Last time I read this, I gave it 4 Stars. This time around, I appreciated the writing more and the whole tone. I enjoyed it just as much and found it to hold up to a re-read with no problems. There were a couple of instances when I was reading that I thought to myself “This is astonishing”. I don't think that about many books I read, not even the ones I really enjoy.

★★★★★ 

1. Salute the Dark (2011 Review)
2. Blood of the Mantis (Book 3)
3. Dragonfly Falling (Book 2)
4. Empire in Black and Gold (Book 1)

Lando (Sacketts #7) ★★★★☆

^{This review is written with a GPL 4.0 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 WordPress, Blogspot & Librarything by Bookstooge’s Exalted Permission}
 Title: Lando

 Series: Sacketts #7

 Author: Louis L'Amour

 Rating: 4 of 5 Stars

 Genre: Western

 Pages: 176

 Format: Digital Edition

Synopsis:

Lando Sackett was given into the care of a neighbor when his mother died and his father just took off. Lando ended up taking off and living off the land and eventually calls out the man who stole his inheritance.

He heads out West with a tinker Gypsy, finds out his uncles are on the trail to kill him (for the sin of his father daring to marry their sister), comes across the fact that his father knew where a sunken treasure ship is and finds out that his dad isn't dead and always meant to return but couldn't, due to being in a mexican prison.

Lando saves the town from the gambler and is headed out West again.

The End (sunset and all)

My Thoughts:

L'Amour definitely has a thing for skipping huge chunks of time. Lando spends 6 years in the mexican prison and that time and his rescue take about 3 pages. He is skipping from peak to peak in the story and only gives us details when it suits the story he wants to tell. A very different style than what I'm used to in SFF.

I had read this in highschool but the only thing I remembered was the prizefight at the end. But my goodness, it was worth remembering. A boxing fight where the crowd is under the control of the gambler and using dirty tricks against Lando. A rifleman trying to shoot him from a window. His Ranger friends showing up and making things even. The joy, sweat, blood and tears of one man fighting another. This fight is why I gave this book 4 stars instead of 3.5.

The rest of the book was pretty good too. Showed how greed and pride could destroy men from the inside and how obsession could take over and ruin a man from living a quiet, satisfying life. A great Western that shows Rugged American Individualism at its best.

To close, the cover. While this edition does a decent job of showing the prizefight at the end, the guy just doesn't look like Lando. THIS cover does a much better job:

Now that's a MUSTACHE!

★★★★☆

1. Sackett’s Land (Book 1)
   
2. To the Far Blue Mountains (Book 2)
3. The Warrior’s Path (Book 3)
4. Jubal Sackett (Book 4)
5. Ride the River (Book 5)
6. The Daybreakers (Book 6)

Kantovan Vault (The Spiral Wars #3) ★★★★☆

^{This review is written with a GPL 4.0 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 WordPress, Blogspot & Librarything by Bookstooge’s Exalted Permission}
 Title: Kantovan Vault

 Series: The Spiral Wars #3

 Author: Joel Shepherd

 Rating: 4 of 5 Stars

 Genre: SF

 Pages: 545

 Format: Digital Edition

Synopsis:

Captain Erik is in the middle of Tavali space, under the protection of a special branch of the Tavali armed forces. They are searching for a data core of an old Drysine Queen so that the queen on board, Styx, can become fully functional and help in the fight against the Alo, who seem to have been suborned by the Deepynines, another supposedly extinct machine race.

The Tavali are even crazier in their politics than humanity and some of their sub-allies are just plain nuts. The long and short is that Erik's sister is kidnapped, which forces him to mastermind a break-in of the Tavali's most secret treasure cave, the Kantovan Vault. Within said vault is a journal that will help Styx find the data core and the Tavali military gain the upper hand against their civilian counter parts.

Of course, the Tavali military doesn't know that Erik has the help of Styx, a Drysine. The Tavali have specially trained units to deal with remnants of Drysine machinery and if they know that Erik has an active Queen, well, he and his crew have as much chance of surviving as I do if I pissed straight into the sun.

Yeah, no chance.

My Thoughts:

This was just as good as the previous two books. I hadn't realized it had been just over a year since I read book 2 though. Which leads me into my first issue.

Names. There was not a glossary or character list at the beginning of the book. Usually I don't care about that, but when single names get tossed about, with a military designation, it would be nice to know WHO that person is. It wouldn't be an issue if this was a completed series and I was reading them every month or two, but with a year between reads, it would have been nice to have a character list. And a sum-up of the previous book, even 2-3 paragraphs to remind me what has gone on.

Second, and final issue, was that things seemed a bit dragged out. I found myself skipping descriptions of “whatever” and sometimes even conversations if they didn't seem 100% on point to the plot. I suspect Shepherd would have gotten a “what a simplistic book” if he HADN'T added all those extra bits, so maybe he just can't win? But drag is something to be aware of.

The battles, once again, were the high point. All ground force fights, ranging everywhere from remote mountain tops to a subway system with mecha. The Tavali military calls up some of its retirees to help out Erik and Co on a planet and man, that was awesome. Pitched battles in slum'y areas. Buildings toppling, explosions, etc, etc. It was glorious.

While I know that the Drysines are needed in the fight against the Deepynines, I'm still rooting for someone on board Erik's ship to blow Styx to kingdom come and back. It feels like having Skynet on board; it's just waiting to turn on you and kill you. Brrrrrr. I don't care if Styx becomes a hero, I'll think of it as a badguy to the bitter end of the series.

Another thing I liked was that no one came across as stupid. Sometimes you'll get a lazy author who makes the characters act in such a way, to propel the story onward, that you wonder if the character is an idiot. None of that here. Professionals all around and acting like the adults they are written as. Bravo to Shepherd for that!

★★★★☆

1. Drysine Legacy (Book 2)
2. Renegade (Book 1)

Red Magic (Forgotten Realms: The Harpers #3) ★★☆☆☆

^{This review is written with a GPL 4.0 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 WordPress, Blogspot & Librarything by Bookstooge’s Exalted Permission}
 Title: Red Magic

 Series: Forgotten Realms: The Harpers #3

 Author: Jean Rabe

 Rating: 2 of 5 Stars

 Genre: Fantasy

 Pages: 320

 Format: Digital Scan

Synopsis:

Maligor, a Red Wizard of Thay, has plans, big plans. He's built himself up an army of gnolls and has let it be known that a newly established young red wizard has built his tower on some land that Maligor wants. In secret, Maligor has been building an army of darkenbeasts out of cute wittle woodland animals and is planning on taking over the gold mines for his own personal enrichment.

The city of Aglarond, which is close to Thay, is worried about all the activity going on and they hire some Harpers to investigate. Galvin the druid and his friend Wynter the pacifist minotaur. Aglarond sends it own representative in the form of Brenna Greycloak, a small time politician and enchantress.

In the process of infiltrating Thay, the Harpers are captured by Szass Tam, lich wizard and main character in other future books. Szass Tam has them lead an attack on the mine to stop Maligor. They succeed, skedaddle out of Thay and go their separate ways.

My Thoughts:

I enjoy stories about the Red Wizards of Thay and about Szass Tam, so I was hoping this book was going to hit the spot, kind of like a good chili dog. Sadly, this chili dog had been left on the counter for a week then overcooked in the microwave for 10minutes.

The interactions between ANY of the characters, whether with other main characters or side characters, was complete cardboard. Galvin and Brenna fall in love for the adventure but then realize their separate life goals aren't compatible at the end, so they amicably go their separate ways. Wynter the minotaur. THAT should have been awesome. But partway through he gets “magic'd” and acts like a child for some time. And don't get me started on Maligor and his assistant Asp. I got whiplash from how they interacted.

Then all the harping (hahahaha) about what a great strategic genius Maligor is because he's using a public gnoll army to distract everyone while doing his real business with the darkenbeasts? It was bogus. I'm no military genius and even I would have been smarter than Maligor. I would have gathered in some other Red Wizards as "allies" and then betrayed them all like a Good Red Wizard is supposed to. Use their forces for my ends, weaken them and my other enemies and then crush them all in the end, using yet another set of "allies". Szass Tam did this, Maligor, not so much.

Honestly, this whole book felt like the author hadn't written any fantasy before, didn't know how to make use of her characters, hadn't ever watched one war movie and had no idea how to write a battle scene. “Meh” probably accurately sums up this whole book.

And this is what I got to read last week when I was super busy and doing lots of stuff outside of work as well. Not that I'm bitter or anything.

★★☆☆☆ 

1. The Parched Sea (Book 1)
2. Elfshadow (Book 2)

Polity Agent (Polity: Agent Cormac #4) ★★★★☆

^{This review is written with a GPL 4.0 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 WordPress, Blogspot & Librarything by Bookstooge’s Exalted Permission}
 Title: Polity Agent

 Series: Polity: Agent Cormac #4

 Author: Neal Asher

 Rating: 4 of 5 Stars

 Genre: SF

 Pages: 580

 Format: Digital Edition

Synopsis:

Another jain node is experimented upon, this time by a haiman. But she's a bit smarter than Skellor and doesn't allow it access to her, thus putting off its growth and takeover.

At the same time, it turns out that the Maker civilization, which created the Dragon, was also using jain tech and planned on seeding the Polity with the nodes and thus allowing the Polity to destroy itself. Well, the Makers ended up destroying themselves first, but Cormac must track down the remaining nodes that they sent with the Dragon.

And if that wasn't enough, it appears that a rogue AI, that left the Polity after the Prador Wars, has succumbed to jain tech and is actively trying to destroy the Polity as well.

Bloody jain tech, it just wants to kill everything...

My Thoughts:

This was the first book in the Agent Cormac series where things weren't wrapped up by the end. The Haiman's [a human who is aug'ing themselves until they can handle AI level of data] storyline was the slowest and the least completed. In many ways her plot line almost felt unnecessary except for when she propelled the other plot lines forward. I can't remember enough about the next book to know if she plays a big part or not. I guess I'll just have to wait and find out.

Cormac tracking down the other nodes and the Rogue AI lines were pretty closely intertwined. The rogue AI, named Cerberus, kept laying traps for Polity ships and they kept falling for it. Not sure if that was deliberate or if the Polity AI's really were that stupid? Considering how long range Earth Central plans, I'm betting on “deliberate”.

I had forgotten how many people died. Almost everyone we've met so far, except for Cormac [of course!], the biologist Mika, the Dracoman Scar and AI's, die. Subsumed by jain tech, destroyed in battles, tortured and killed by bad guys, etc. Even the revelations about Horace Blegg means he is out of the picture, his usefulness at an end. By his own side too, ouch!

This is fun to read and I enjoy the violence and blazing guns and super weapons and smarty pants AI's. I don't feel that this book lost anything upon re-read. Things might not be as “new”, but it was just as exciting as before. If you're looking for some bloody good science fiction, try this sub-series of Asher's Polity Universe.

★★★★☆

1. Polity Agent (2010 Review)
2. Brass Man (Book 3)
3. Line of Polity (Book 2)
4. Gridlinked (Book 1)

The Christmas Bowl (Eyeshield 21 #32) ★★★★☆

^{This review is written with a GPL 4.0 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 WordPress, Blogspot & Librarything by Bookstooge’s Exalted Permission}
 Title: The Christmas Bowl

 Series: Eyeshield 21 #32

 Author: Riichiro Inagaki 

 Artist: Yusuke Murata

 Rating: 4 of 5 Stars

 Genre: Sports Manga

 Pages: 192

 Format: Digital Scan

Synopsis:

The special training happens and all the other top players from the defeated team help the Devil Bats train so they can beat the Alexandres, who have won the Christmas Bowl ever since it started. Of course, Agon, that paragon of evil who I'd throw under a bus, doesn't honor his agreement and goes to the Alexandres. What a bastard.

Then, the Christmas Bowl. The Devil Bats take the immediate offensive and begin a huge drive. Only to have the Alexandres stop them cold, stone cold! Everything the Devil Bats try fails. Monta realizes that he is simply out-talented by Taka Honjou, son of his baseball idol and that Honjou has been training his own son for years as a catcher.. It almost breaks Monta. Then it's the Alexandre's ball. Their quarterback is a girl named Karin.

The volume ends with Karin throwing a perfect pass to Yamato, the Alexandres running back. Sena catches him, is blown off, catches him again and is blown off again.

My Thoughts:

So, this game is going to be 5 volumes long, or maybe just 4 if they do the last volume as a wrapup, but I doubt that.

I have to admit, I was feeling a bit bored. It was still good football, but still, you can only draw things out so much. How many times have the Devil Bats been immediately shut down? How many times have they been outclassed? How many times has Hiruma played mind games and Sena run faster than anybody else? I really hope the rest of the game doesn't bore me.

Now, Karin. I'm sorry, and I've mentioned this before, but a girl playing American Football? No. She's obviously going to be a big part of this game, as she's the quarterback for goodness sake. But it is so inconceivable that the whole idea throws me out of the game. It would be like Arnold Schwarzenegger, back in his Terminator days, entering a Miss Busty Bikini Contest and be given real thought to by the judges and the crowd. It would be ludicrous. So I'm just switching off my brain for this and hope it doesn't get too much more unbelievable.

A Real Tom Brady  /sarcasm

★★★★☆

1. The Winner Is... (Vol. 31)
2. This Is American Football (Vol. 30)
3. Second Quarterback (Vol. 29)
4. Showdown at Tokyo Dome (Vol. 28)

Sword of Caledor (Warhammer: Tyrion & Teclis #2) ★★★☆☆

^{This review is written with a GPL 4.0 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 WordPress, Blogspot & Librarything by Bookstooge’s Exalted Permission}
 Title: Sword of Caledor

 Series: Tyrion & Teclis #2

 Author: William King

 Rating: 3 of 5 Stars

 Genre: Fantasy

 Pages: 268

 Format: Digital Edition

Synopsis:

It has been 100 years since the previous book. Tyrion and Teclis are both becoming more adept at their roles and how they fit into Elven Society.

The book starts out with them and a bunch of humans on a quest to find the Sword of Caledor. Going through jungles, swamps and eventually ending up at a dead city, they find the Sword.

Once back home, Tyrion is called upon to take part in a tournament to decide the champion of the new Everqueen, as the previous one suddenly died, all because of Malekith's long term plans. Teclis must decode a bunch of scrolls he took from the dead city that seem to describe the end of the world.

Meanwhile, Malekith has bound the demon from the previous book and is invading the Light Elves/Asur's homeland. He uses the demon's ability to use portals to spread his army across the land and plans on destroying city after city in one fell swoop. He also sends an elite contingent to the Tournament to capture the new Everqueen. With her bound to Malekith, the Asur will have to follow him.E

Tyrion foils said capture, but the book ends with him and the Everqueen on the run and the land about to be overrun by dark elves.

My Thoughts:

My initial thought when we meet the twins and their human entourage in a jungle searching for the sword, was that these elves were not Tolkien's elves but that they seemed familiar. Further on, I realized that they reminded me of the Melnibonéans from Michael Moorcock's Elric Saga. Decadent, superior and on the decline without even realizing it.

My second thought, when Malekith invaded with a whole boatload of boats [sorry for that, but couldn't really think of another turn of phrase], was “Where are the watchers, the scouts, Joelendil Farmer?” Why didn't SOMEBODY see a whole bloody army invading? I don't get the impression that the Asur homeland was a vast, unpopulated realm. Maybe it is, but if so, me having no knowledge of the land denied me knowing that. It just came across as authorial “Because I said so!”

My third, and final negative thought, was, “this is depressing as all get out”. The Asur were ennui laden jerks, the Druuchi [the elves in thrall to Malekith, the other son of Aenarion] were all spies, tattletales and backstabbers and the humans were greedy pigs hardly even worth looking at.

Action-wise, this had some good stuff! The battles to find the sword of Caledor, in the jungle, in the dead city, were pretty good. Had a good mix of dinoaurs, ghosts and undead [sadly, no undead dinosaurs]. The slaughter at the Tournament was a bit “meh”, as none of the super-duper warriors, besides Tyrion, seemed to fight back and even Tyrion had to pull a rescue and run mission.

★★★☆☆ 

1. Blood of Aenarion (Book 1)

Secret of the Phoenix (Omega Force #6) ★★★☆ ½

^{This review is written with a GPL 4.0 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 WordPress, Blogspot & Librarything by Bookstooge’s Exalted Permission}
 Title: Secret of the Phoenix

 Series: Omega Force #6

 Author: Joshua Dalzelle

 Rating: 3.5 of 5 Stars

 Genre: SF

 Pages: 295

 Format: Digital Edition

Synopsis:

Jason Burke and the crew of the Serenity, dang it, the Phoenix, are hired by an archeologist to transport her to her former dig site and provide protection. She seems very familiar with the team and ship, provides very little concrete information about herself and at every stop Jason and Crew stumble onto other beings trying to kill them.

Turns out the archeologist's father Indiana [ha, just kidding] was the former captain of the Phoenix and he knew it's secret: that it was carrying 1 of the keys for a gigantic star destroying weapon. Now Omega Force has all 3 keys. They decide to go to the Death St.....errr, Super Weapon and destroy it.

The problem with that plan is two-fold. One, the ConFed want the key and the weapon and are chasing after Omega Force with a whole bloody fleet. The second problem is that the Super Weapon is actually a sentient AI and it doesn't WANT to be destroyed.

But the A-Team, no, no, no, OMEGA FORCE is nothing if not resourceful and it'll take more than Skynet...errr, the Sentient AI and a war fleet to prevent them from carrying out their mission.

As you can tell, I got this mixed up with a LOT of other stories.

My Thoughts:

For all of my snide asides above, I still enjoyed this quite a bit. Probably the most of the series so far in fact.

I did have a big issue though, so lets get that out of the way. If you have a key that is split into 3 parts and only those 3 parts can give access to a Super Weapon, WHY THE PHRACK DO YOU BRING ALL THREE KEYS TOGETHER? I would think that destroying the key/s you have would do the job of keeping the Super Weapon out of everyone's hands? Why risk someone recovering the most valuable resource in the quadrant/sector/galaxy/universe/whatever or stealing it from you? It just made zero sense to me.

Now, it did make for a great story. So I give Dalzelle that. This was thoroughly fun with plenty of space fighting as well as individuals on the ground. I prefer a good ground pounder battle myself to space ships zipping around going “pew, pew, pew”, so the Galvetic Marine battles were nice.

This was definitely the ending of one chapter for Omega Force. With Book 9, Revolution, having come out recently, I know that there will be at least a second chapter to this series. While not original or mind blowing, it is good escapist fun in space.

On an unrelated note, I know that Crusher and the other Galvetic warriors don't look like this, but this is what I always picture them as:

★★★☆ ½

1. Return of the Archon (Book 5)
2. The Enemy Within (Book 4)
3. Savage Homecoming (Book 3)
4. Soldiers of Fortune (Book 2)
5. Omega Rising (Book 1)