December '09

A.I. LOVE YOU #1-8
-K. Akamatsu-manga
-the whole series. By the guy who went on to do Love Hina. This series was just this side of pornographic. It was also a blatant ripoff of Oh My Goddess in the first book or two.

INHERITANCE: BRISINGR
-C. Paolini-748-pbook
-YA fantasy-Eragon fights off Murtagh again, learns the source of Galbatorix's power, gets a new sword. Oromis and his dragon die. Roran learns lessons about politics and leadership. And we all find out that there is to be one more book. For some reason I didn't enjoy this as much as Eldest, but I have to admit, I think the story was better.

THE CLERIC QUINTET: CANTICLE
-R.A. Salvatore-203-epub
-fantasy-some evil group makes up this evil potion and tries to destroy a library, which for some reason is the center of everything in this particular region. The protaganist, Cadderly, is a young gifted mage who ends up helping the badguys and then destroying them. Extremely trope'ish. Dwarves, warrior woman who love him, jealous rival, etc, etc. Definitely not high reading. It was bland enough that it almost lost my interest. We'll see how the second book holds up. If it isn't any better, I'll probably drop the series.

RANMA 1/2 #18-21
-R. Takahashi-manga

DRAGON AND LIBERATOR
-T. Zahn-364-pbook
-YA scifi-the finale to the DragonBack series. Jack and Draycos, along with others, save the fleet of immigrants and in the process figure out that a Human/K'da pairing are immune to the Death ray. All the badguys get defeated after much daring-do and Jack ends up as the Ambassador to the new colonists, who have been given a world by the rich guy, who turns out to be Alison's grandfather. This was a good YA series. Fantastic Zahn.

THE IRON ELVES: THE LIGHT OF BURNING SHADOWS
-C. Evans-360-pbook
-fantasy- I actually liked this better than the first book. Another Star comes down to yet another land wanting its independence. Only this time there are things capable of destroying the shadow stuff, the Iron Elves included. Everybody was a jerk though, not a single character was really likable. If this doesn't change in the next book, whenever it comes out, that will be it for me. A semi-interesting story isn't worth a bunch of people you'd like to punch.

HAWKMOON
-M. Moorcock-502-pbook
-dark fantasy-consisting of The Jewel in the Skull; The Mad God's Amulet; The Sword of Dawn; The Runestaff. This was blase, really. Nothing Hawkmoon faced seemed overwhelming, nor was he really likable like Corum, nor ultra-tragic like Elric. And then he doesn't die in the end. It felt like a thin vegetable soup.

MIDAS WORLD
-F. Pohl-276-pbook
-scifi-several short stories chronicling mankind once unlimited energy is discovered. The push to the stars, the takeover [albiet peacefully and by our letting it go] of the earth by robots. An interesting little tale.

AFTER WORLDS COLLIDE
-P. Wylie & E. Balmer-190-pbook
-scifi-the group from earth makes to to Bronson Beta, only to find they are not alone. Other groups from earth have also made the crossing, and some of them are inimically opposed to Henderson's group. After a time of figuring stuff out, the bad guys are taken out and the good guys have the planet to themselves, for their children.

RECLUCE: THE MAGE-GUARD OF HAMOR
-L.E. Modesitt Jr-716-pbook
-fantasy-the final [for me] Recluce book. It was really more of the exact same. I've had enough for at least a year I think, if not longer.

THE STONEWAYS: REIFFEN'S CHOICE
-S.C. Butler-463-pbook
-fantasy-a young man, heir to 2 kingdoms, is kidnapped by wizards so they can control him and sow chaos in the world, thus strengthening their rule. Several of the boy's friends attempt to rescue him: a dwarf, a shapechanger, and 2 childhood friends. They get him back, only to have him go back to the wizards right at the end of the book. Is Reiffen under their spell, or attempting to fool the wizards and overthrow them? I would almost classify this as YA, because the characters are young teens, and the writing seems geared toward a younger, simpler audience. Looking forward to the next in this trilogy.

THE FORLORN
-D. Freer-260-epub
-scifi-you know those books that you think "well, maybe it will get better by the next chapter" only you think that for the whole book and it doesn't? This was one of those. Blatant sexuality, scumbags and betrayal upon betrayal. I certainly won't be reading anymore by this author. Very disappointed.

MALAZAN BOOK OF THE FALLEN: GARDENS OF THE MOON
-S. Erikson-543-epub
-fantasy- definitely appreciated this more the second time around of reading. It really helps knowing a general outline of what is happening so you can comprehend the details.


MALAZAN BOOK OF THE FALLEN: DEADHOUSE GATES
-S. Erikson-683-epub
-fantasy-I just realized, the Sha'ik rebellion ISN'T the Pannion Domin. I kind of skimmed over that fact last time. The question I have, is Icarium, a Jahg, the same thing as a Jaghut? Or are those different things? So many details just not explained. Hopefully more explanations in the later books.

STARWARS: DARTH BANE: DYNASTY OF EVIL
-D. Karpyshyn-296-pbook
-fantasy-the conclusion of the Darth Bane Trilogy. Bane discovers the secret of essence transfer and takes over Zanna while getting a new apprentice. Not as interesting as the preceding books.

ONE PIECE #21
-E. Oda
-manga

COBRA WAR: COBRA ALLIANCE
-T. Zahn-246-epub
-scifi-a start of a new Cobra trilogy. However, it doesn't start very promising in my opinion. In the other cobra books, Zahn starts each new story with a new generation and doesn't include the old generation very much at all. A clean break. It worked well. He doesn't do that here. Jin Moreau Broom gets a message for help from Qasam and it turns out another Troft Demesne is taking it over to kidnap all the spine leopards to let loose on the main Cobra World to distract the Cobra's while they take over the Cobra Worlds. It deals with Jin, some of her children and a bunch of Cobra-wannabe Qasamans. Zahn focuses more on the Qasamam "cobras" than on the real ones. And the whole Qasaman paranoia thing wore thin. Let the Cobra's kick Troft butt. And that just wasn't what was happening. Given this is a trilogy, the storyline is going to be stretched out, but still, this opening felt weak compared to the first 2 cobra books. Of course, time and memory might be biasing me against it.