For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
1st Corinthians 1: 18
Despite a world experiencing increasing lawlessness and chaos, despite whatever issues I am experiencing, the truth is that God is in control. He had a plan for the salvation of mankind before He even created the cosmos. He knew me by name. When I stand before the throne of Judgement on the last day, all of my sins, all of my faults, all of the evil within me, will have been paid for by Jesus and His sacrifice on the cross. The proof is His resurrection. And I celebrate that today. And you can too.
You are not perfect. You know this. And God demands perfection. Not because He is a hateful tyrant but because He is perfect and can accept nothing less. He is Perfect Justice. He is also Perfect Mercy. He has shown you that mercy by giving you the chance to accept His Son Jesus as your Savior and your Lord. Jesus was perfect and He will take your sins and imperfection if you give them to Him. For the love of God people, don’t turn away and reject that!!! Ask Him to reveal Himself to you. The least you can do is ASK! It costs you nothing. A mere five seconds of your time.
I know most of the time I deliberately try to be positive and upbeat about what the Resurrection of Jesus means to me personally. But I have that hope and I don’t know that you do. I want you to have that hope and eternal assurance. So please, I beg you, ask Jesus to reveal Himself to you.
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 by Bookstooge’s Exalted Permission
Title: Red War Series: Mitch Rapp #17 Author: Vince Flynn & Kyle Mills Rating: 3 of 5 Stars Genre: Thriller Pages: 316 Words: 96K
On his author page for the book, Kyle Mills shows how his speculation about powerful world leaders and specifically Putin, formed the basis for this book. Published in 2018, it was very prescient of how Russia would act in the coming years. Thankfully for us, Russia chose to invade Ukraine instead of starting World War III by invading some NATO countries. So I consider this book alternate future history.
At the same time, it was very uncomfortable as we know how the conflict actually has turned out and there is no super action hero to save the day. Men like Mitch Rapp are purely fictional, unfortunately. I’d have much preferred a truly fictional story for a truly fictional character. War is only enjoyable to read about if you know what is happening isn’t real, can’t be real and never will be real. Once it takes a turn into the possible, then you are forced to deal with the horrors of real war.
It was a great action story. With the retired assassin Azarov being forced out of retirement and working alongside Rapp, the dynamics were great. I was able to put aside my dislike of Mills’ handling of Rapp as a purely action hero’y kind of guy and just let the story carry me along, like I had just jumped out of an airplane for a HALO insertion.
And I just landed in your back yard. And killed you. With my nuclear bazooka. So I win! Just like I did when I read this book.
★★★☆☆
From Kylemills.com
Synopsis – Click to Open
When Russian president Maxim Krupin discovers that he has inoperable brain cancer, he’s determined to cling to power. His first task is to kill or imprison any of his countrymen who can threaten him. Soon, though, his illness becomes serious enough to require a more dramatic diversion—war with the West.
Upon learning of Krupin’s condition, CIA director Irene Kennedy understands that the US is facing an opponent who has nothing to lose. The only way to avoid a confrontation that could leave millions dead is to send Mitch Rapp to Russia under impossibly dangerous orders. With the Kremlin’s entire security apparatus hunting him, he must find and kill a man many have deemed the most powerful in the world.
Success means averting a war that could consume all of Europe. But if his mission is discovered, Rapp will plunge Russia and America into a conflict that neither will survive.
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, by Bookstooge’s Exalted Permission
I don’t know why I keep “reviewing” these. Mainly to keep track I guess. I mean, these are regularly funny. Every time I read one I enjoy myself. How many ways can I say “I enjoyed this funny comic because Groo is an idiot”. So far, I’ve said it 27 times. I guess that’s enough. I think after this I’ll just start using this “review” place to talk about whatever is on my mind at the time. So be prepared to be wowed and amazed as I pontificate on matters most important.
★★★✬☆
From Bookstooge.blog
The Minstrel and the Sage are captured as spies and they tell a couple of stories about Groo as a spy to fend off their deaths. Groo is in the camp and when everyone starts making fun of him he attacks them. Minstrel and Sage use the chaos to escape and the issue ends with Groo furiously attacking everyone.
So, somebody had a birthday this month. And somebody requested the First Cycle of Marvel Champions. And what is more, somebody got the cycle too. Somebody is a lucky rat barstard. And he’s obviously devilishly handsome to boot!
I made out like a bandit this year. At this time in my life, gifts are becoming harder and harder as I have most of what I already want. But introducing a new hobby has introduced new things to acquisition (hence the title) and this make it easier to send out lists for the family. I got the Base Game for Christmas and finally got it Sleeved Up earlier this month.
The Green Goblin scenario pack
Wrecking Crew scenario pack
Thor hero pack
Captain America hero pack
Ms Marvel hero pack
Hulk hero pack
Dr Strange hero pack
Black Widow hero pack
Now that I am the proud owner of the first cycle, Let the Playening Begin! Well, maybe next month. Wouldn’t want to rush into anything now, you know? đ
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 by Bookstooge’s Exalted Permission
Title: Portraits of Murder Series: ———- Editor: Alfred Hitchcock Rating: 4 of 5 Stars Genre: Crime Fiction Pages: 607 Words: 241K
This is the final Alfred Hitchcock collection that I have access to. After this, I have several of the issues of the new magazine. So it seems fitting to end this reading journey, which started in 2021 with “Death Mate”, with a gigantic collection (it is over 600 pages after all) of murder, almost murder and revenge.
Of the 47 stories, I found that only 2 or 3 were repeats and they were good enough that I didn’t mind reading them again. This kept me occupied for almost a week, as I would just dip my toes into its pages each night until I was tired enough to go to sleep. That’s a great way to read a collection of short stories.
The final 10 or so stories dealt with the supernatural. There was a clear demarcation up to that point. Everything up to then had been plain old people doing dirty or being done dirty. Then suddenly things got all supernatural. It was kind of jarring, as it felt like a completely different collection. Murder was still the main dish, but suddenly the menu with all the sides had changed, dramatically. It was like I went from having the option of ordering loaded baked potatoes, cheese sticks or onion rings to carrot sticks, apple slices or plain yoghurt. And that is why this collection was 4stars and not more. It was too much of a change for me to comfortably enjoy.
★★★★☆
Table of Contents:
Click to Open
EDWARD D. HOCH—Shattered Rainbow
DONALD HONIG—Wonderful, Wonderful Violence
LAWRENCE BLOCK—The Most Unusual Snatch
NEDRA TYRE—A Murder Is Arranged
HENRY SLESAR—The Poisoned Pawn
DON TOTHE—The Lifesaver
JACK RITCHIE—What Frightened You, Fred?
HAROLD Q. MASUR—Doctor’s Dilemma
CLARK HOWARD—Money To Burn
BABS H. DEAL—The House Guest
WILLIAM LINK and RICHARD LEVINSON—The Man in the Lobby
Nadesico was a 26 episode anime series released in 1996 in Japan and eventually made it to the US on dvd in 2002. Those were not the days of simultaneous releases. Pirate subbers roamed the interwebz and the battleships of Legality were hounded by impatient fans as well. When I originally watched this, I thought it was the most funny thing ever. I recommended it as one of the handful of “Auto-recommends” to non-anime people who wanted to know what “anime” even was.
Over the last couple of years with reading various old and new manga and rewatching some of my old favorite anime I have realized that I have aged out. Maybe “aged” isn’t the right word, but my circumstances have change enough that the messages anime promotes and counts on to attract viewers don’t appeal to me any more. This was quite apparent to me watching Nadesico.
I chose to binge watch all 26 episodes, back to back. That was a mistake and yet it was the only way I made it through at the same time. 10 1/2 hrs of youth, angst, love, uncertainty and trying to find one’s place in the grand scheme of things. Having it compressed into one viewing made those things very obvious. It is why I said I have aged out of anime. I am no longer young (even though I hate to admit that). My angst now concerns whether to make double mortgage payments or put the extra money towards savings for when a car inevitably breaks down. I’ve been happily married to Mrs B for over 15 years now and she still loves me. I have 24years experience doing my job and know what I am and am not capable of. I know where I fit in life and I am satisfied with that place. Maybe if they made middle aged anime? But that wouldn’t sell very well, not even to me, hahahahaa.
What did happen to me, that I wasn’t expecting, was the emotional impact of watching so much all at once. While I am stable, the built-in instability of the show affected me quite a bit. It made me anxious and depressed. I suspect that watching a tv screen for that long also played a big part of that. But I don’t want to experience that again. I want to make this clear, anime didn’t change, nor has it changed. I have changed. So if you can still enjoy anime, then do so, with gusto.
Which means I need to start getting rid of the majority of my anime. I don’t plan on rewatching 95% of it any more and sadly, this watch of Nadesico shows that even my favorites were for a different time, a different place, a different me.
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 by Bookstooge’s Exalted Permission
Title: Might As Well Be Dead Series: Nero Wolfe #27 Author: Rex Stout Rating: 4 of 5 Stars Genre: Mystery Pages: 179 Words: 59K
I enjoyed this. That about sums it up. Go read the synopsis and save yourself the trouble. Because you’re not good enough to truly appreciate a Nero Wolfe mystery, not like “I” appreciate them…
★★★★☆
From Wikipedia:
As the book opens, James R. Herold, prosperous businessman from Omaha, Nebraska, consults Wolfe about re-establishing contact with his son, whom he had (as it eventually transpired) falsely accused of theft eleven years before. The son, Paul Herold, had consequently broken almost all ties with the family, changed his name and moved to New York City. Even the latter meagre information was only known because Paul has recently sent his sister a birthday card postmarked NYC. The father has already taken obvious steps such as an ad in the newspaper and consulting the Missing Persons Dept of NYPD.
Although the present name of Paul Herold is unknown, Wolfe suspects that he has at least retained the same initials, and therefore places an advertisement in the newspapers the following day advising PH that he is innocent of the crime of which he was once suspected.
Needless to day, more than one person with those initials thinks he his falsely accused of a crime, and the advertisement attracts many telephone calls to Wolfe’s office the next day.
The advertisement is also silent about the crime of which the man is innocent.
Meanwhile, a man known as Peter Hays has been on trial for murder, and the case is already with the jury, and a verdict is expected soon. Wolfe and Archie Goodwin are sufficiently distracted by enquiries about Peter Hays being the man named in the advertisement (and that he is by implication innocent of the murder for which Hays is currently being tried) that Wolfe dispatches Archie to visit the court room to hear the verdict against Hays. By comparing the man he sees in court to photos supplied by the father, Archie tentatively identifies the two names as referring to the same man.
This sets up a confrontation with Hays’ attorney, Albert Freyer, who suspects Archie of duplicity (since Archie earlier told Freyer, among others, that the advertisement referred to a different crime, not the murder of Michael Molloy for which Hays has just been tried), but Wolfe and Freyer, after some discussion, quickly come to an agreement on how to proceed to the best advantage of all concerned:
Although Wolfe might collect a substantial fee by immediately notifying his client that his son has been found (albeit in mortal jeopardy), Archie’s identification is still not certain, and Wolfe’s client would be more satisfied if he was able to deliver the son as a free man.
Peter Hays has refused to give his lawyer any information on his background, something that counted against him with the district attorney, and seems depressed to the point of hopelessness, using the novel’s title Might as well be dead to describe how he feels. This tends to validate Archie’s tentative identification, but a personal meeting of Archie with Hays would be needed to be sure.
Peter Hays has limited funds, and although Freyer is convinced of his client’s innocence, it would be vastly preferable to have help both in the form of Wolfe’s assistance and the financial backing of the father.
Therefore, Freyer will start an appeal (initial steps are not costly) and meanwhile Wolfe will work on clearing Hays/Herold, and delay informing Wolfe’s client for the time being.
Later on, Wolfe sends some of his operatives, including Johnny Keems, to investigate some of the friends and associates of Michael Molloy. The next day, the body of Johnny Keems is found killed by a hit-and-run driver. Since his pockets lack $100 in money Archie gave him to bribe potential witnesses, Wolfe and Archie consider it to be linked the Molloy murder, but the authorities make no such connection since the apparent murderer of Molloy has already been convicted. But as more persons connected to Molloy are found dead, Wolfe and Archie must find the evidence to free Hays before the murderer, now no more than a maniac, can eliminate everyone who might expose the truth.
I was pretty proud, I must admit. Commenting is the GOAL of this blog. Not likes, not attention from big sponsors who want to exchange my spit for gold, not even knowing that I have stuck it to WordPress.com and made them suffer nigh-immortal torment. No, my goal is to have lots and lots and lots AND LOTS of fun comments with people. And so on I went, tripping merrily along my little way.
Until sometime in March when I needed to check a stat in the old “classic” view. And the number of comments popped up, the EXACT number, not the flipping rounded number that the new view uses. And whammo, bammo, I was over the 60,000 mark!!!!!!!! 25K of those are mine, but that means you all have blabbed here 35,000 times since the inception of the blog in 2013 (yes, I have backdated posts to 2000, but I have only been here since ’16). Which means you all are a big fat bunch of blabber mouths!
I LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Your comments mean the world to me, no matter how silly, serious, confrontational or even plain spambot’y. I might write the posts (or post the art images) but you all are the ones that make posts pop. Thank you, thank you very much from the bottom of my heart. I know you don’t have to comment and I respect the choice of those of you who don’t, but I want those of you who do comment to know that you feed my soul every time you drop those words on my blog. I once heard a lady I respected very much say that Beauty Feeds the Soul. I don’t disagree, but would personalize it to Words Feed Bookstooge’s Soul.
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: Cthulhu Cymraeg Series: Cthulhu Anthology #16 Editor: Mark Jones (ed) Rating: 3 of 5 Stars Genre: Cosmic Horror Pages: 127 Words: 47K
I had my fears about this collection, as it had a forward by ST Joshi, a so-called “authority” on the Cthulhu mythos. I say “so called” not because he doesn’t know his stuff, but because the Cthulhu mythos isn’t worthy of anyone spending as much time on it as Joshi has. It’s like studying a pile of poop and then calling yourself an authority on poop in your backyard. You can do it, but it’s a complete waste of time and talent. And then if you have the ego that Joshi apparently has, you expect “respect” for being an “authority”. What I’d like to do is kick his teeth in. But all I’ve got is this stupid blog that is being destroyed by the company hosting it. Isn’t that right WordPress.com? I’d like to kick their teeth in too.
Other than that generalized expression of violence, I should be done now.
So, Joshi’s introduction didn’t mean this was a skank collection of wanktards writing out of their asses, like most of the stuff headed by Joshi. I’m guessing that’s because Jones was the editor. On the flip side, he included some really wacked out stories, ones that were supposed to be humorous, but in that bizarro way that’s not actually amusing. Then it would rocket over to the more typical cosmic horror’y side of things with death, despair and violence.
That schizophrenic approach is why this only got 3stars and not any more. It wasn’t a bad collection but it wasn’t a very good collection either. And that’s how I’m going to end this review.
Well ok, to be honest, it has some touchups that need to be done, but my Author Index project is essentially finished.
I started this Project back in October of ’22 and have been slowly working on it. I am now done the bulk of the work and just have to add all the “new” authors that I’ve read since I started. So I’ll have to comb over my Calibre library and play catch up. It also means that I need to do monthly maintenance and add new authors at the end of each month. That is MUCH easier than doing the 900+ from scratch. I can handle that easily.
What this means though? Between this and Hotel Bookstooge, it means I’ve put more work into Bookstooge.blog than I have into any other blog I’ve had over the years, to the point where I feel extremely possessive of this site and can only imagine one scenario where I would disappear it. Sadly, this does mean that I am tied down to WordPress.com for the quite foreseeable future. So expect me to rage and rattle my chains and then do nothing because the reality is that I’m here and I cannot abandon this much effort. It would kill me to do that.
What this means for you? Not much really, unless you use an index a lot. My experience has shown me that not a lot of people do and only the outliers tend to. But do be happy for me, because it’s another Blogging Project under my belt. I think I’m going to take a nice long break from such projects. Unless someone suggests something that catches my fancy, then all bets are off.
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 by Bookstooge’s Exalted Permission
Title: Mort Series: Discworld #4 Author: Terry Pratchett Rating: 4 of 5 Stars Genre: Fantasy Pages: 265 Words: 73K
This was my 3rd time reading this. And I once again bumped it up half a star. So another 8 years and I suspect I’ll be bumping it up again, hahahahaa đ
In this, we are introduced to yet another sub-series (or set of characters) in the Discworld. This time it is Death. Death takes on an apprentice who royally messes things up and in the end Death fixes it all.
Death is a jolly good fellow. Definitely shows what Pratchett’s thoughts on THAT matter were (if his suicide wasn’t enough to convince you). It works for a light and fluffy fantasy series. Which is all this is. Except it isn’t. Does that make sense? Pratchett is not trying to have his cake and eat it too with the Discworld series, he IS having his eat and eating it. He gets to tell funny stories AND he gets to spout off his own personal philosophies. It doesn’t get much better than that for an author.
Thankfully, as a reader, I too can pick and choose whether I want to read this lightly or seriously. If I had been in grumpy mood I would have read this seriously and taken Pratchett’s points about death apart one by one, showing that his ideas were nothing but an illogical mishmash of every other religions’ ideas on death and how he contradicted himself at every turn. But I was in a good mood so I just ignored all that and enjoyed Mort making a complete hash out of being Death’s apprentice.
Hash can be good, especially with beets. That’s called Red Flannel Hash here in New England. A can of corned beef hash, a can of purple beets, a frying pan and voila, a delicious meal that is healthy because obviously the beets are vegetables and so that outweighs all the fat from the corn beef hash.
In ending, you should read this book if for no other reason than I said so and that it will be the literary equivalent of adding some beets to your corn beef hash reading diet.
★★★★☆
From Wikipedia.org
Synopsis – Click to Open
As a teenager, Mort has a personality and temperament that makes him unsuited to the family farming business. Mort’s father Lezek takes him to a local hiring fair in the hope that Mort will land an apprenticeship; not only would this provide a job for his son, but it would also make his son’s propensity for thinking someone else’s problem. Just before the last stroke of midnight, Death arrives and takes Mort on as an apprentice (though his father thinks he has been apprenticed to an undertaker). Death takes Mort to his domain, where he meets Death’s elderly manservant Albert, and his adopted daughter Ysabell. Mort later accompanies Death as he travels to collect the soul of the King of Sto Lat, who is due to be assassinated by the scheming Duke of Sto Helit. After Mort unsuccessfully tries to prevent the assassination, Death warns him that all deaths are predetermined, and that he cannot interfere with fate.
Later on, Death assigns Mort to collect the soul of Princess Keli, daughter of the murdered king, but he instead kills the assassin the Duke had sent after her. Keli lives, but shortly after the assassin’s death people begin acting as if something had happened without knowing why, namely what would be funeral preparations and acts of mourning. She soon finds that the rest of the world no longer acknowledges her existence at all unless she confronts them and even then only in a confused manner which is forgotten immediately after. She subsequently employs the wizard Igneous Cutwell, who is able to see her as he is trained to see things that are invisible to normal people (like death) to make her existence clear to the public. Mort eventually discovers that his actions have created an alternate reality in which Keli lives, but he also learns that it is being overridden by the original reality and will eventually cease to exist, killing Keli. While consulting Cutwell, Mort sees a picture of Unseen University’s founder, Alberto Malich, noting that he bears a resemblance to Albert.
Mort and Ysabell travel into the Stack, a library in Death’s domain that holds the biographies of everyone who has ever lived, in order to investigate Albert, eventually discovering that he is indeed Malich. They further learn that Malich had feared monsters waiting for him in the afterlife, and performed a reversed version of the Rite of AshkEnte in the hope of keeping Death away from him. However, the spell backfired and sent him to Death’s side, where he has remained in order to put off his demise. During this time, Death, yearning to relish what being human is like, travels to Ankh-Morpork to indulge in new experiences, including getting drunk, dancing, gambling and finding a job. Mort in turn starts to become more like Death, adopting his mannerisms and aspects of his personality, while his own is slowly overridden.
Death’s absence forces Mort to collect the next two souls, who are both located on separate parts of the Disc (in the Agatean Empire and Tsort, respectively), and due to die on the same night that the alternate reality will be destroyed. Before he and Ysabell leave to collect the souls, Mort uses the part of Death within him to force Albert to provide a spell that will slow down the alternate reality’s destruction. After Mort and Ysabell leave, Albert returns to Unseen University, under the identity of Malich. His eagerness to live on the Disc is reinvigorated during this time, and he has the wizards perform the Rite of AshkEnte in the hope of finally escaping Death’s grasp. The ritual summons both Death and the part of Death that had been taking Mort over, restoring him to normal. Unaware of Albert’s treachery, Death takes him back into his service, the Librarian preventing the wizard’s escape.
Mort and Ysabell travel to Keli’s palace, where the princess and Cutwell have organised a hasty coronation ceremony in the hope that Keli can be crowned queen before the alternate reality is destroyed. With the reality now too small for Albert’s spell, Mort and Ysabell save Keli and Cutwell from being destroyed with the alternate reality. They return to Death’s domain to find a furious Death waiting for them, the latter having learned of Mort’s actions from Albert. Death dismisses Mort and attempts to take the souls of Keli and Cutwell, but Mort challenges him to a duel for them. Though Death eventually wins the duel, he spares Mort’s life and sends him back to the Disc.
Death convinces the gods to change the original reality so that Keli rules in place of the Duke, who was inadvertently killed during Death and Mort’s duel due to the destruction of his lifetimer. Mort and Ysabell – who have fallen in love over the course of the story – get married, and are made Duke and Duchess of Sto Helit by Keli, while Cutwell is made the Master of the Queen’s Bedchamber. Death attends Mort and Ysabell’s wedding reception, where he warns Mort that he will have to make sure that the original Duke’s destiny is fulfilled, and presents him with the alternate reality he created, now shrunk to the size of a large pearl, before the two part on amicable terms.
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 by Bookstooge’s Exalted Permission
Title: Lives of Christopher Chant Series: Chrestomanci #4 Author: Diana Jones Rating: 5 of 5 Stars Genre: Middlegrade Fantasy Pages: 241 Words: 88K
Now why can’t DWJ have written the rest of the Chrestomanci books like this one? This was fun, engaging, lively, with just the right amount of drama and even the badguys weren’t unpleasant jerks. They were just bad. Here’s a longer quote from the book that encapsulates the “feel” of the book.
“The trouble was, school had also taught him that girls were a Complete Mystery and quite different from boys. He had no idea what books girls liked. He was forced to consult Oneir, who had an older sister.
“Then could you come down to the bookshop with me and see if you can see some of them?” Christopher asked.
“I might,” Oneir agreed. “What’s in it for me?”
“I’ll do your geometry tonight as well as your algebra,” Christopher said.
On this understanding, Oneir went down to the bookshop with Christopher in the space between lessons and tea. There he almost immediately picked out The Arabian Nights (Unexpurgated). “This one’s good,” he said. He followed it with something called Little Tanya and the Fairies, which Christopher took one look at and put hastily back on the shelf. “I know my sister’s read that one,” Oneir said, rather injured. “Who’s the girl you want it for?”
“She’s about the same age as us,” Christopher said and, since Oneir was looking at him for a further explanation and he was fairly sure Oneir was not going to believe in someone called the Goddess, he added, “I’ve got this cousin called Caroline.” This was quite true. Mama had once shown him a studio photo of his cousin, all lace and curls. Oneir was not to know that this had nothing whatsoever to do with the sentence that had gone before.
“Wait a sec then,” Oneir said, “and I’ll see if I can spot some of the real slush.” He wandered on along the shelf, leaving Christopher to flip through The Arabian Nights. It did look good, Christopher thought. Unfortunately he could see from the pictures that it was all about somewhere very like the Goddess’s own Anywhere. He suspected the Goddess would call it educational. “Ah, here we are! This is sure-fire slush!” Oneir called, pointing to a whole row of books. “These Millie books. Our house is full of the things.”
Millie Goes to School, Christopher read, Millie of Lowood House, Millie Plays the Game. He picked up one called Millie’s Finest Hour. It had some very brightly colored schoolgirls on the front and in small print: “Another moral and uplifting story about your favorite schoolgirl. You will weep with Millie, rejoice with Millie, and meet all your friends from Lowood House School again . . .”
“Does your sister really like these?” he asked incredulously.
“Wallows in them,” said Oneir. “She reads them over and over again and cries every time.”
Though this seemed a funny way to enjoy a book, Christopher was sure Oneir knew best. The books were two and sixpence each. Christopher chose out the first five, up to Millie in the Upper Fourth, and bought The Arabian Nights for himself with the rest of the money. After all, it was his gold sovereign.” ~page 65
I laughed my head off at that. And rest of the book had that fun tone as well. Yes, there was some really dangerous things going on and Christopher wasn’t in the best of circumstances and he doesn’t always act like a good boy, but the thrust of the novel was all that was good instead of focusing on the unpleasant and nasty, as was done in Witch Week. This is what I want from a middle grade story.
I think it helped that Christopher is going to be the next Chrestomanci and how it turns his world upside down and inside out. Chrestomanci, as a position, is front and center and you can see how the responsibility of it weighs down on both the young and the old. But nonetheless, each bearer takes it up at the proper time and does their duty. Ahhhh, that’s good stuff! Responsibility, putting others above your own self, protecting the weak and helpless, facing down evil, people NEED that in their fiction, especially nowadays. And kids? It’s essential, sigh.
Anyway, this was the best Chrestomanci book so far and it showed just what a splendid writer DWJ could be when she wanted. Highly recommended.
★★★★★
From Wikipedia:
Click to Open Summary
The novel tells the story of Christopher Chant’s childhood in a magic filled Victorian style era. Although both of his parents are powerful practitioners of magic, the two are constantly at loggerheads; his father (an enchanter, the strongest type of magic-user) is entirely devoted to his work, to such a degree that the young Christopher is afraid that he would not recognise him should the two meet in public. On the other hand, his mother (a sorceress, the second-strongest type of magic-user) is a social climber, and is apparently only married to his father for his social connections. Christopher finds solace in his uncle Ralph, but due to his travelling job they rarely see each other.
The only escape that Christopher has is through his dreams, in which he is able to escape to other worlds. While he is not the only person with this ability, seemingly no one is able to do it so easily as he. Christopher is able to bring items with him into the real world, and after one of his many nannies discovers his hoard of items and accuses him of stealing, he tells Uncle Ralph of his power. Uncle Ralph is intrigued by this and has Christopher go on a ‘test’ to see what he can bring back. In the place between worlds, which takes the form of a valley, Christopher meets Tacroy who is supposed to guide him on his uncle’s orders, however the two discover that whilst Tacroy is projecting his mind there Christopher is physically going into the other worlds; something which is impossible.
Christopher and Tacroy go on several of these trips, and on one to World 10 they get separated. Christopher meets ‘The Living Asheth’ a girl his age who is a vessel for Asheth, the Goddess of her world. He makes a deal with her for one of her magic temple cats, Throgmorten, but as she helps him escape he is speared by one of her many guards. After waking up in his bed with Throgmorten, Christopher accidentally causes a curtain rod to fall down and spear him through the heart, although he survives. This experience prompts his parents to send him to a boarding school where Christopher forgets to travel in his dreams because he enjoys it so much. Several ordinary months go by and Christopher decides to become a professional cricketer whilst his parents divorce. His friend accidentally hits him in the head with a cricket back, killing him. He wakes up confused in the morgue, where he then falls asleep in the hospital. The current Chrestomanci named Gabriel De Witt visits him, but disbelieves claims of him being an enchanter. Christopher’s father takes Christopher to several witches and discovers that a silver coin Ralph insisted he always carry on him was stopping him from doing magic.
Chrestomanci realises Christopher is a nine-lived enchanter and brings him to his castle to train to be the next Chrestomanci. He absolutely hates living there and disobeys all of the rules even actively going against them. He returns to travelling with Tacroy for his uncle and returns the deal with The Living Asheth; giving her a series of books about a girl named Millie at boarding school. The two become close friends and she insists he call her Millie instead. Christopher dies multiple times during these trips and always wakes up in his own world only to die in freak accidents similar to the prior ones. Millie discovers that when she grows to old for Asheth to use her she is going to be sacrificed to her. Christopher sacrifices one of his lives so that Millie can travel to his own world to hide.
Christopher discovers that Chrestomanci is investigating a smuggler named ‘The Wraith’ who somehow manages to bring illegal items from other worlds. Chrestomanci reveals to every person in the castle that their close friend Mordecai Roberts was working for the Wraith, and Christopher is shocked to find Mordecai is actually Tacroy. Tacroy pretends not to know Christopher and reveals to him that his uncle is the Wraith. Ralph manages to kill Chrestomanci by taking his lives and scattering them across worlds so nobody could find him. Christopher uses Throgmorten to trap Ralph before Millie is able to subdue him. Millie discovers that Asheth is too vain to actually give a mortal girl magic and she is in reality one of the most powerful enchantresses in existence.
Learning that Mordecai is enchanted to work for Ralph, Christopher and Millie travel to world 11 which is a mysterious place that only has one timeline. Christopher and Millie are both able to outwit the ruler of World 11 and free Mordecai, who willingly becomes a servant of Chrestomanci. However, Christopher sacrifices another one of his lives. Christopher’s parents reveal to him they are getting back together, but this time for love, and Christopher decides to continue living at the castle with the newly revived Chrestomanci and Millie. However, as Christopher attempts to travel he discovers he no longer can, as he only has two lives remaining.
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 by Bookstooge’s Exalted Permission
Title: Notes from Underground Series: (The Russians) Author: Fyodor Dostoyevsky Translator: Garnett Rating: 1 of 5 Stars / DNF@10% Genre: Fiction Pages: 186/19 Words: 50K/5K
I cannot stand when authors write nonsense and expect the readers to parse sense out of it. Dostoyevsky was writing this novel in response to some other popular philosophy book/idea at the time but he couched it in a way that I hated.
So I’m not going to waste my time wading through deliberate nonsense when he could have just stated “Reason X because of reasons 1, 2 and 3”. I dnf’d this at the 10% mark when it became evident what a sham this was. If you would like to waste your time deciphering this, be my guest.
★☆☆☆☆
From Wikipedia.org
The novella is divided into two parts. The title of the first part—”Underground”—is itself given a footnoted introduction by Dostoevsky in which the character of the ‘author’ of the Notes and the nature of the ‘excerpts’ are discussed.
Part 1: “Underground”
The first part of Notes from Underground has eleven sections:
Section I propounds a number of riddles whose meanings are further developed as the narration continues.
Sections 2, 3, & 4 deal with suffering and the irrational pleasure of suffering.
Sections 5 & 6 discuss the moral and intellectual fluctuation that the narrator feels along with his conscious insecurities regarding “inertia”—inaction.
Sections 7, 8, & 9 cover theories of reason and logic, closing with the last two sections as a summary and transition into Part 2.
The narrator observes that utopian society removes suffering and pain, but man desires both things and needs them in order to be happy. He argues that removing pain and suffering in society takes away a man’s freedom. He says that the cruelty of society makes human beings moan about pain only to spread their suffering to others.
Unlike most people, who typically act out of revenge because they believe justice is the end, the Underground Man is conscious of his problems and feels the desire for revenge, but he does not find it virtuous; the incongruity leads to spite towards the act itself with its concomitant circumstances. He feels that others like him exist, but he continuously concentrates on his spitefulness instead of on actions that would help him avoid the problems that torment him. The main issue for the Underground Man is that he has reached a point of ennui[7] (boredom) and inactivity.[8] He even admits that he would rather be inactive out of laziness.
The first part also gives a harsh criticism of determinism, as well as of intellectual attempts at dictating human action and behavior by logic, which the Underground Man discusses in terms of the simple math problem: two times two makes four (cf. necessitarianism). He argues that despite humanity’s attempt to create a utopia where everyone lives in harmony (symbolized by The Crystal Palace in Nikolai Chernyshevsky’s What Is to Be Done?), one cannot avoid the simple fact that anyone, at any time, can decide to act in a way that might not be considered to be in their own self-interest; some will do so simply to validate their existence and to protest and confirm that they exist as individuals. The Underground Man ridicules the type of enlightened self-interest that Chernyshevsky proposes as the foundation of Utopian society. The idea of cultural and legislative systems relying on this rational egoism is what the protagonist despises. The Underground Man embraces this ideal in praxis, and seems to blame it for his current state of unhappiness.[9]
Part 2: “Apropos of the Wet Snow”[edit]
The title of Part 2 is an allusion to the critic Pavel Annenkov’s observation that “damp showers and wet snow” were indispensable to writers of the Natural School in Petersburg.[10] Following the title there is an epigraph containing the opening lines from Nekrasov’s poem “When from the darkness of delusion…” about a woman driven to prostitution by poverty. The quotation is interrupted by an ellipsis and the words “Etc., etc., etc.”[10]
Part 2 consists of ten sections covering some events from the narrator’s life. While he continues in his self-conscious, polemical style, the themes of his confession are now developed anecdotally.
The first section tells of the Underground Man’s obsession with an officer who once insulted him in a pub. This officer frequently passes him by on the street, seemingly without noticing his existence. He sees the officer on the street and thinks of ways to take revenge, eventually borrowing money to buy an expensive overcoat and intentionally bumping into the officer to assert his equality. To the Underground Man’s surprise, however, the officer does not seem to notice that it even happened.
Sections II to V focus on a going-away dinner party with some old school friends to bid farewell to one of these friends—Zverkov—who is being transferred out of the city. The Underground Man hated them when he was younger, but after a random visit to Simonov’s, he decides to meet them at the appointed location. They fail to tell him that the time has been changed to six instead of five, so he arrives early. He gets into an argument with the four of them after a short time, declaring to all his hatred of society and using them as the symbol of it. At the end, they go off without him to a secret brothel, and, in his rage, the underground man follows them there to confront Zverkov once and for all, regardless if he is beaten or not. He arrives at the brothel to find Zverkov and the others already retired with prostitutes to other rooms. He then encounters Liza, a young prostitute.
The remaining sections deal with his encounter with Liza and its repercussions. The story cuts to Liza and the Underground Man lying silently in the dark together. The Underground Man confronts Liza with an image of her future, by which she is unmoved at first, but after challenging her individual utopian dreams (similar to his ridicule of the Crystal Palace in Part 1), she eventually realizes the plight of her position and how she will slowly become useless and will descend more and more, until she is no longer wanted by anyone. The thought of dying such a terribly disgraceful death brings her to realize her position, and she then finds herself enthralled by the Underground Man’s seemingly poignant grasp of the destructive nature of society. He gives her his address and leaves.
He is subsequently overcome by the fear of her actually arriving at his dilapidated apartment after appearing such a “hero” to her and, in the middle of an argument with his servant, she arrives. He then curses her and takes back everything he said to her, saying he was, in fact, laughing at her and reiterates the truth of her miserable position. Near the end of his painful rage he wells up in tears after saying that he was only seeking to have power over her and a desire to humiliate her. He begins to criticize himself and states that he is in fact horrified by his own poverty and embarrassed by his situation. Liza realizes how pitiful he is and tenderly embraces him. The Underground Man cries out “They—they won’t let me—I—I can’t be good!”
After all this, he still acts terribly toward her, and, before she leaves, he stuffs a five ruble note into her hand, which she throws onto the table (it is implied that the Underground Man had sex with Liza and that the note is payment). He tries to catch her as she goes out to the street, but he cannot find her and never hears from her again. He tries to stop the pain in his heart by “fantasizing.”
And isn’t it better, won’t it be better?… Insult—after all, it’s a purification; it’s the most caustic, painful consciousness! Only tomorrow I would have defiled her soul and wearied her heart. But now the insult will never ever die within her, and however repulsive the filth that awaits her, the insult will elevate her, it will cleanse her…
He recalls this moment as making him unhappy whenever he thinks of it, yet again proving the fact from the first section that his spite for society and his inability to act makes him no better than those he supposedly despises.
The concluding sentences recall some of the themes explored in the first part, and he tells the reader directly, “I have merely carried to an extreme in my life what you have not dared to carry even halfway.”
At the end of Part 2, a further editorial note is added by Dostoevsky, indicating that the ‘author’ couldn’t help himself and kept writing, but that “it seems to us that we might as well stop here”.
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 by Bookstooge’s Exalted Permission
I read the first set of Lockdown Tales in ‘21. It was a strictly Polity universe set of stories and I enjoyed them. This time around, not every story was in the Polity universe. I’m still including this in my Polity numbering for the series, but there are one or two that aren’t Polity.
In his intro, Asher really lets loose against Civil Authorities overstepping the boundaries setup for them and how people just let them. He sounded very much like me in fact, or I sound like him (he’s older, so age before me). It made me laugh and cry because I completely agreed and yet a majority of the world didn’t, as they let fear, lies and manipulation determine their fate instead of taking it into their own hands.
I went into this collection thinking I would try to take notes on each story and write up my review that way, the way Marzaat (and others) do. However, that resolution didn’t last very long. With nine stories, each is a bit longer than just a “short story”, so I had to pay attention. I can’t read, pay attention, take notes AND enjoy the story all at the same time. So something had to give. Obviously, I just decided to not enjoy the stories and sacrifice my enjoyment for your edification. Because nobody is as important as you.
And if you believe that, you need some serious help. No, seriously, get some professional help. You rank about the same as monkey poop to me. Honest.
Therefore the notes went right out the window.
Xenovore was VERY similar to the previous book Weaponized and Asher even mentions that in his introduction. I was glad he did or else I would have felt very gypped. It wasn’t the same story but had enough of the same elements that I wished it had been shorter.
An Alien on Crete was a non-Polity story about an alien coming to Earth to awaken Earth’s guardian, blah, blah, blah. It didn’t engage me at all.
Skin was a story about a Polity citizen getting a new skin from a doctor who had run up against Polity rules. Of course, things go horrifically wrong and the skin ends up slithering away to the ocean. It was awesome.
Antique Battlefields was a tale of the Quiet War, when the AI’s took control. For me, this has always been the achille’s heel of the Polity Universe. I regularly overlook it every time I read a Polity book. The idea is that the AI’s are better than us without our corruption. We created them and thus they are inherently broken. That doesn’t fit Asher’s world view and so he just ignores it. It was interesting to see a quick snapshot of the war, but it really brought the aforementioned issue to my mind and so I just couldn’t ignore it.
Ha, would you look at that? I did ALL that without a single flipping note. My brain is awesome, that’s all I have to say. Suck it AI, you’ll never be anywhere near as talented in so many fields as I am.
There was one story where Asher lets loose his hatred of religion, but it was all of one sentence and in many ways felt more of an obligatory thing than because he actually feels that way. I think he does, but the fire is going out.
And that’s enough out of me. This is over 700 words now. Nobody needs to write or read something that long!
At over 1200 pages, and being my lunch break book, I have a feeling this is going to take me a year or so. Therefore, don’t expect a review any time soon, hahahahahaaa.
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 by Bookstooge’s Exalted Permission
Title: Jet Series: Jet #1 Author: Russell Blake Rating: 3 of 5 Stars Genre: Action/Adventure Pages: 260 Words: 86K
I gave a LOT of leeway to this book. If I was even a smidge less generous at the moment, I’d knock this down to 2.5stars. But I am feeling generous and have a stomach full of warm, yummy lasagna, so the book gets pass. This time.
The basic story is your typical Special Forces agent tries to get out and then is dragged back into the life, kicking and screaming. I was kind of hoping for a female version of Victor the Assassin. What I got was a very messy amateur rendition of Victor.
Jet is supposed to be the TOP operator that Mossad ever had. We’re talking so good that her instructors even told her to her face just how good she was. But between Blake’s amateur writing (he constantly switches between “clip” and “magazine”, sometimes in the same paragraph for goodness sake) and Jet acting like an idiot (in one instance she shoots someone and assumes they are dead. When she walks up to them, surprise, they aren’t dead and almost kill her) really made me question those qualifications. She was lucky at least 50% of the time. That’s not skill, not even close. Victor would have eaten this supposed agent at snacktime, forget even being a meal. So that aspect was very disappointing.
Now, as a brainless action/adventure book, this did have it. In spades. Jet fights in some sort of Mardi Gras party, She gets ambushed in Israel. And the grand finale is a massive fight on a super luxury cruise yacht of a billionaire Russian. Lots of people die and gun battles galore. It’s what I wanted.
Characterization was pretty nil. The side characters were completely two dimensional and Jet herself wasn’t much more than one of those franchise fiction heroines like Annja from the Rogue Angel series. Speaking of franchise fiction, there are 10 books in this series. I plan on taking these books one at a time though. If the next one doesn’t improve however, that’ll be it.
★★★☆☆
From the Publisher
Summary – Click to Open
She faked her death……to save her life. The plan almost worked. Her code name: Jet. A lethal operative for the Mossad. Many wanted her eliminated. Spoofing her own death was the only way to survive, but it didn’t work out like she planned. The past doesn’t give up its secrets easily. The tranquil island’s beauty was shattered in an instant. The attack forced her hand, and now she must make a decision. Will she stay dead, or return to a world that wants to kill her?
Decided to take a week off from being online starting today. After last Sunday’s “Melancholia” post, it became obvious that I needed a rest. Add in that I was dealing with a stomach bug most of this past week AND that WordPress.com sold its users into digital slavery and completely changed the WPreader and well, it all came together to really mess with me. I take blogging very seriously and sometimes too seriously, so things like this do a real number on me.
I’ve got all the regular posts scheduled and they’re open for likes and comments, but I’m going to absent myself for a bit to recharge. Which means I won’t be visiting your posts either this week. So don’t take it personally đ
Enjoy the week and I’ll probably be back Friday night or Saturday morning.
When I was a teenager, I volunteered at the local library several days a week during the summer. It wasn’t paid, but it allowed me to be around all the books, it helped me learn new things (how to check books out, check them in, catalog them, learn the filing and computer system, etc, etc). Fortunately, there were no librarians like this one working there. I’d have probably died from my hormones exploding đ
I chose this picture because of the boots. I like boots. From the little ankle boots with tiny heels to the more traditional under the knee ones to the right up over the knees, I like them all. I’ve never seen thigh high boots in real life though. Not even at the pumpkin festival where lots of people dress up.
Depending on how the WP reader displays the featured image, I may be forced to change it. But I won’t know that until this goes live. So my apologies ahead of time if the picture in the wp reader focuses on certain areas, that’s certainly not my intention.
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 by Bookstooge’s Exalted Permission
Title: The Winds of Gath Series: Dumarest #1 Author: EC Tubb Rating: 4 of 5 Stars Genre: SF Pages: 168 Words: 45K
Another short novel. I zipped right through it, enjoyed it immensely and then had to sit back and try to figure out why I enjoyed it so much. The story was ok. A young boy, Earl, stows away on a spaceship and becomes a Traveler and ends up on a world with some mystical singing stones. There’s a plot to replace an heiress and murder ensues and some good old fashioned mayhem. All in all there was nothing here that should have attracted me the way it did.
But upon some intense navel gazing and narcissistic mental contortions, I realized that I actually appreciated the writing itself here. Not because anything stood out, but because it was a totally smooth read without a single interruption of an awkward word or a wrongly turned phrase or a scene segue that was too abrupt. None of that happened. It was like Tubb was, gasp, an ACTUAL EXPERIENCED AUTHOR!!!! Oh Myrtle, say it ain’t so! I can be a picky reader. A word choice, while acceptable, will give me that bump in the road feeling if it’s not the exact correctly used word. It might not be the meaning but how it flows with the words around it. Words are like Lego pieces. One might do adequately, but another will fit better with its neighbors and a good author knows how to work them together. Tubb has that skill and that artistry.
That kind of thing can be subjective, so I know it’s not a big selling point, but it gives me hope for the rest of the series (however long it is. I believe it’s 30+ books?). Even if the stories themselves aren’t the greatest, I’m hoping the writing itself will carry me on through. If the stories are good, then that will be bonus! I feel like I’m in a Win Win scenario here.
Score for the Good Guys!
★★★★☆
From Wikipedia.org
Summary – Click to Open
Gath is a world with a unique tourist attraction: a mountain-sized white noise amplifier. With no indigenous economy other than the tourist slave labor trade, Dumarest struggles to break free from this dead-end world. Dumarest becomes attached to the retinue of the Matriarch of Kund and unwittingly finds himself embroiled in the vicious and complex political intrigues of the Matriarch’s court. After some keen detective work from Dumarest and the ensuing deadly battle with the Cyclan, Dumarest prevails and escapes from the backwater planet.
The day had come. It was time to stop looking at that box of Marvel Champions and take the next step. No, not playing it. What is wrong with you? WHY would you even think that? No, the next step was to sleeve the cards up. Duh.
There was also a bit of assembly but even such an anti-handyman as myself was able to overcome it and get things together.
So that’s that. NOW the next step is actually play it, hahahaha đ
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 by Bookstooge’s Exalted Permission
Hornblower is now married to Lady Barbara, is the lord of some estate and is on land with enough wealth to never need to work again. And he’s miserable as sin. So when the Admiralty gives him orders to go to sea again and wreak havoc on the French and try to cozy up to the Russians, Hornblower’s protestations ring particularly hollow. He also has a one time fling with some Russian duchess/countess/whatever. But it is so downplayed and not blatantly referred to that I wondered if it had actually happened. Quite the change from the previous books and how Forester handled Hornblower’s infidelities.
Now that Hornblower is in charge of a fleet (a small one, but a fleet nonetheless), the naval action is quite different. The focus isn’t on one ship and its particular actions, but on the various ships and this time we are treated to some bombers, which are light ships with big mortars. Very different than a cannonade between sailing ships. I appreciated the change in tactics that involved and even the type of naval action was a welcome change. I don’t want each book to be a naval clone of the previous one.
We also get a much more confidant Hornblower. He still has his doubts about himself, especially when one of his decisions leads to the death of a Lieutenant that was a favorite and was a stand-in pseudo-son but those doubts weren’t at his core anymore like they had been in previous books. I was glad to see that change. It felt like Hornblower was finally growing up, now that he was in his 40’s, sigh.
Even though I enjoyed this more than the previous book and Hornblower’s infidelities were down played, I’m forced to give this the same rating. Forced you say? That’s right, forced. The High Admiralty wrote me a letter and stated that if I rated this higher they would put me on half-pay for the rest of my life. Which with inflation and Bidenomics means I could buy one can of baked beans each week. So yes, I think the threat of being forced to live on one can of Bush’s Baked Beans each week qualifies as being forced. And if you disagree, well, that’s mutiny and I’ll hang your scurvy necks from the mast head as an example to the rest of you mutinous readers! Arrrgh, grrrr, belay the wind in the foremast, avast! And other such nautical’y sounding terms đ
★★★☆☆
From Wikipedia.org
Summary – Click to Open
Having achieved fame and financial security, Captain Sir Horatio Hornblower has married Lady Barbara Leighton (nÊe Wellesley) and is preparing to settle down to unaccustomed life as the squire of Smallbridge in Kent. He still yearns to serve at sea and accepts with alacrity when the Admiralty appoints him a commodore, puts him in command of a squadron and sends him on a diplomatic and military mission to the Baltic. His primary aim is to bring Russia into the war against Napoleon.
Hornblower is shown dealing with the problems of squadron command, and using naval mortars (carried on special ships known as bomb vessels) to destroy a French privateer. This leads to the French invasion of Swedish Pomerania. Later his squadron calls at Kronstadt, where he meets with Russian officials, including Tsar Alexander I, who is favourably impressed by Hornblower and his squadron. Hornblower narrowly averts a major diplomatic incident when his secretary and interpreter (a Finnish refugee assigned to him by the Admiralty) attempts to assassinate the Tsar at a court function.
After Russia enters the war, Hornblower’s squadron takes an important role in the defence of Riga, which is besieged by French forces. The bomb vessels again take an important role, and so do amphibious operations under the protection of the squadron.
At the end of the novel, the French and Prussian troops abandon the siege and retreat. Hornblower accompanies the pursuing Russian forces until they meet the Prussian army, which has halted to form a rearguard. Hornblower meets with the Prussian general – Ludwig Yorck von Wartenburg and persuades him to change sides.
At this point it becomes clear to the accompanying Brown that Hornblower is gravely ill, apparently with typhus. In some editions of the novel the story ends here with the hallucinating Hornblower imagining himself being greeted in Hampton Court by Lady Barbara and his infant son. C.S. Forester however provided an additional chapter in which the convalescent Hornblower returns safely to Smallbridge in time for Christmas.
Silently without my window, Tapping gently at the pane, Falls the rain. Through the trees sighs the breeze Like a soul in pain. Here alone I sit and weep; Thought hath banished sleep. Wearily I sit and listen To the water’s ceaseless drip. To my lip Fate turns up the bitter cup, Forcing me to sip; ‘Tis a bitter, bitter drink, Thus I sit and think, — Thinking things unknown and awful, Thoughts on wild, uncanny themes, Waking dreams. Spectres dark, corpses stark, Show the gaping seams Whence the cold and cruel knife Stole away their life. Bloodshot eyes all strained and staring, Gazing ghastly into mine; Blood like wine On the brow — clotted now— Shows death’s dreadful sign. Lonely vigil still I keep; Would that I might sleep! Still, oh, still, my brain is whirling! Still runs on my stream of thought; I am caught In the net fate hath set. Mind and soul are brought To destruction’s very brink; Yet I can but think! Eyes that look into the future, — Peeping forth from out my mind, They will find Some new weight, soon or late, On my soul to bind, Crushing all its courage out,— Heavier than doubt. Dawn, the Eastern monarch’s daughter, Rising from her dewy bed, Lays her head ‘Gainst the clouds’ sombre shrouds Now half fringed with red. O’er the land she ‘gins to peep; Come, O gentle Sleep! Hark! the morning cock is crowing; Dreams, like ghosts, must hie away; ‘Tis the day. Rosy morn now is born; Dark thoughts may not stay. Day my brain from foes will keep; Now, my soul, I sleep (all rights reserved to the author) ~Source: https://pickmeuppoetry.org/melancholia-by-laurence-dunbar/
What a flipping day. I have ridden the roller coaster of my feelings up, down, all around and then by this evening felt like I hit a brick wall. Maybe watching 7solid hours of Martian Successor Nadesico wasn’t such a smart idea. Nor cruising the WordPress support forums and reading the shills lie about what WP.com is doing with selling their users out to AI.
It’s not even 6:30pm and I’m already for the next weekend. Maybe I need to get offline for a week? Well, a good night’s sleep and a busy week of work should help cure what ails me.
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 by Bookstooge’s Exalted Permission
Title: Legacies Series: Galaxy’s Edge #11 Author: Jason Anspach & Nick Cole Rating: 4 of 5 Stars Genre: Space Opera Pages: 466 Words: 155K
I enjoyed this more than the first book, even though it starts off with killing off one of the main characters we were introduced to in the previous book. I was not a huge fan of that but it help bring the focus back to Wraith/Ford and then Prisma and her warbot minder, K88 I think its name is?
There was also a lot of jumping around in both character perspective and in time. We meet Urmo again, the evil yoda of this series. If I hadn’t recently read Imperator (back in December) I doubt I would have remembered who he was and I would have been left scratching my head about his brief inclusion to the story.
The main story is that Wraith has a bounty on his head from the Assassin’s Guild and he has to track the head of the guild down to find out who put the bounty out on him. But to do this, he has to pretend to be Tyrus Rechs, who is dead (and like, dead dead. Dying in a nuclear explosion will do that to even immortals, surprise!). So Wraith is dressing up in Rechs old armor and goes to the assassins guild to get the job to hunt Wraith, ie, himself. But it all goes pearshaped when the Guild catches on and sets an ambush for Wraith. But Wraith is good enough to survive and now he has a lead.
The other storyline is about Prisma and K88 and their adventures on a Savage mini-hulk that is tractor beaming in random ships and using the passengers to run random war game scenarios. They are hooked up with some Republic fighters and one of them is from the same project that Wraith/Ford was in. Ravi shows up in the flesh and helps them out. Prisma is hearing a woman’s voice in her head, someone who can use the power who is nobody she knows. Turns out it is a Savage and she has plans for Prisma.
At the same time, Wraith, who is doing that whole Rechs/Wraith thing, finds out that his dad was not his dad but an old army buddy and that he, Wraith, is a long lived military experiment meant to be the tip of the Legionaire’s spear. To survive when the House of Reason took the project over, he had his memory suppressed and his buddy pretended to be his dad so there would be no record of him.
All of this is happening at the same time. POV’s are switching every couple of chapters and the forward momentum is absolute non-stop and relentless. By the end of the book I was begging for things to just stop and be in a bit more of an orderly fashion. I can understand why they wrote the book the way they did, but it was exhausting to deal with. As much as I complained about Takeover not seeming to advance the plot from Season One, I couldn’t complain about how the POV’s were handled. This just felt messier. Add in the deaths of Carter (the character from the previous book) and the apparent death (and if not, the complete disappearance of) Leenah and I had some real issues with how they handled secondary characters. I mean, why waste the entire first book of the series on a character who isn’t going to be around?
I know I have complained a good bit but I was happy overall with the book. It’s taking much longer for the authors to make apparent the path this second season is going to walk and I want that foresight now. I’m just thankful that author Nick Cole can’t narrate this series by some idiot who can’t tell a good story. Ohhhh, I still get angry with how they handled the Forgotten Ruins series. And look at that, I’m STILL complaining. I think somebody needs a nap.
★★★★☆
From Galaxysedge.fandom.com
Synopsis – Click to Open
With his duty to the Legion satisfied, Wraith sets out to find a lost member of his crew―the young girl, Prisma. But not only does the journey bring with it more death and destruction―and loss―than he ever imagined, it revives the shadows of a forgotten past… and the only way forward is to follow the footsteps of the legendary Tyrus Rechs.
Meanwhile, as the galaxy struggles to steady itself following the fall of a corrupt and bloated Republic, dangerous threats vie for power. These enemies include both the exceedingly modern and the impossibly ancient, awakening at long last to emerge from the darkness between the stars.
