Bookstooge's Reviews On the Road: October 2015

Friday, October 30, 2015

Streaming Dawn (Fated Blades #3.5)

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: Streaming Dawn

Series: Fated Blades

Author: Steve Bein

Rating: of 5 Battle Axes

Genre: SFF

Pages: 89

Format: Kindle

Synopsis:

The Wind has decided who shall be in power next. It is up to Kaida from the second book to make it happen. Considering she's the Wind's top assassin, how can she fail?

But when an incorruptible man carrying an Inazuma blade, Glory Victory Unsought, comes onto the scene, things get a little complicated.

My Thoughts:

I've really been enjoying these Fated Blade books. I have also found that these novella's really add a lot to the overall story. I like the fact that they occur ONLY in the past and are all about the Inazuma blades.

While this labeled as #3.5, mainly because of the Wind, which isn't introduced until Disciple of the Wind (book #3), it took me awhile to make the connection between the main character Kaida the Assassin [a very old lady] and Kaida the Fisher Girl [from Year of the Demon (book #2)]. But once I did, my enjoyment went up a notch. Next time I read through this series I'll definitely be reading this between books 2 and 3 instead of after 3.

I am buying the books in paperback as they come out and wish these novellas could be published that way as well. Ebook is good for reading, but not for collecting.

Original post: Bookstooge.booklikes.com/post/1279534/streaming-dawn-fated-blades-3-5

Tuesday, October 27, 2015

Terms of Enlistment (Frontlines #1)

Review:

Title: Terms of Enlistment

Series: Frontlines

Author: Marko Kloos

Rating: of 5 Battle Axes

Genre: SFF

Pages: 347

Format: Kindle

Synopsis:

Andrew Grayson has grown up in the slums. Super slums that are the same and the anti-thesis of Asimov's super cities. Unemployed, fed on vat grown soy and in danger all the time, Grayson has 3 choices. Become the violent, pathetic, broken man that his father is. Win the 1 in a billion Space Colony lottery and get off the planet. OR, join the military and work for 5 years and then retire.

Which would YOU choose?

My Thoughts:

Thoroughly enjoyed this. I have found that I like military enlistment style stories. Reading about boot camps and stuff is fun.

In many ways, this followed the same story path as ATLAS. Even down to the girlfriend from bootcamp and long distance relationship. However, where ATLAS was depressing, this wasn't. Things actually work out ok for them.

And then, just like in ATLAS, humanity discovers aliens. By the end of the book all we know is that they are immensely powerful and probably way ahead of humanity.

I am looking forward to continue reading this series. Hope it holds up.

Original post: Bookstooge.booklikes.com/post/1277881/terms-of-enlistment-frontlines-1

Monday, October 26, 2015

Red Blade from the East (Gonji #1) (Deathwind Trilogy #1)

Review:

Title: Red Blade from the East

Series: Gonji

Author: T.C. Rypel

Rating: of 5 Battle Axes

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 316

Format: Kindle

Synopsis:

Gonji, half breed Japanese ronin, wanders Europe as a sell-sword, looking for the legendary Deathwind.

What that is, we're never told.

Ending up in the town of Vedun, a safe haven made up of a large Christian community, Gonji must decide whether to help the townsfolk with their new supernatural overlord or to seek out the deathwind on his own.

How is a ronin supposed to keep his Honor, when everything around him conspires against that?

My Thoughts:

I wished I enjoyed this more. However, I did like it and will keep on reading this series. I know there are at least 4 more books, so I'm hoping with some experience that some of the rough patches in this book are smoothed out in later books.

I think that how Gonji's past was handled, dribbled out in tiny doles, was what I disliked the most. A sentence in this chapter, a sentence in another. In another circumstance, it might very well have worked. But here, it just didn't.

Original post: Bookstooge.booklikes.com/post/1277347/red-blade-from-the-east-gonji-1-deathwind-trilogy-1

Sunday, October 25, 2015

Farlander (Heart of the World #1)

Review:

Title: Farlander

Series: Heart of the World

Author: Col Buchanan

Rating: of 5 Battle Axes

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 402

Format: Kindle

Synopsis:

Ash, a Farlander and an assassin, is forced to take on an apprentice. Soon after the apprentice's training is finished, an assignment comes up that will take them into the heart of the Empire to kill the prince.

The Empire knows they are coming.

My Thoughts:

Much more than just an assassin story. A full blown, Empire growing, religious strains, etc, etc. It also does not have a happy ending.

And yet it drew me in, kept my attention and interest and even when things happened that I wasn't expecting, or liked, it was ok. I'll definitely be checking out the second book in this new series soon.

Original post: Bookstooge.booklikes.com/post/1276248/farlander-heart-of-the-world-1

Saturday, October 24, 2015

Skin Deep (Legion #2)

Review:

Title: Skin Deep

Series: Legion

Author: Brandon Sanderson

Rating: 3 of 5 Battle Axes

Genre: Paranormal

Pages: 208

Format: Kindle

Synopsis:

Stephen Leeds is back, this time to find a body that might be infected with dna tech that could give cancer or the plague, to every single person on the planet.

As are his splintered mind psyche fragments. Old and New. With Old and New Problems.

My Thoughts:

I enjoyed this more than the first book and had more issues with some of the philosophy spouted out, which is why the rating is the same as the previous book, Legion.

I liked how Sanderson showed the problems that Leeds has and how they are growing. Being a super-genius isn't all that it cracked up to be. ha. Leeds has issues with the number of psyche fragments and even greater issues with a random one showing up. My first thought was "What would it do to Leeds if he simply had one fragment take out a bunch of others to give himself room"? He'd lose skills, but would he take a step back from the edge of completely losing it? The fact that Sanderson can make me even think these questions is great.

The story itself was pretty good. Potential world plague, intrigue, corporate espionage. All good thriller stuff.

The main issue that brought this down for was the philosophy and the idea of Time being Infinite. Sanderson is at least nominally a mormon and hence I know we share a large amount of philosophy in common. However, I do use the word nominal and the idea of Time being Infinite is not something that is Biblical [not sure if that issue is addressed in the Book of Mormon or not]. In fact, while it might seem like a small issue, the reason it is so big to me is that so far in existence, only God Himself is infinite. Saying that anything else is is tantamount to saying that that is God as well. Wrong theology is one thing, but claiming Divinity [in a real world situation, not in a fantasy story] is Blasphemy.

To finish up, I sure do hope that Sanderson keeps up writing these Legion novellas. They are just plain interesting and engaging.

Original post: Bookstooge.booklikes.com/post/1276017/skin-deep-legion-2

Thursday, October 22, 2015

Mouse and Dragon (Liaden)

Review:

Title: Mouse and Dragon

Series: Liaden

Author: Sharon Lee & Steve Miller

Rating: 4 of 5 Battle Axes

Genre: SFF

Pages: 512

Format: Kindle

Synopsis:

A direct sequel to Scout's Progress. In which we see how Daav becomes the man we know him from in other books and what happened to Caylon.

Not much actually happens, but a lot of setup of events that shape future events.

My Thoughts:

I wish I had read this directly after Scout's Progress instead of waiting 18 months. I didn't actually realize that it had been so long until I went to look for the previous book and realized that, in publication order, there are several books between that and this. Next time around I'll be reading in Chronological Order. But for now, Publication is the best I think.

Anyway, this was just as good as the previous Liaden books. Romance that I enjoy instead of gagging over. In space.

But it is definitely a sequel and not be read before Scout's Progress. This would make no sense without that backdrop.

Original post: Bookstooge.booklikes.com/post/1275053/mouse-and-dragon-liaden