The Holmes-Dracula File (The Dracula Files #2) 3Stars

 

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Title: The Holmes-Dracula File
Series: The Dracula Files #2
Author: Fred Saberhagen
Rating: 3 of 5 Stars
Genre: Fantasy
Pages: 189
Words: 68K
Publish: 1978

Dracula gets conked on the head, loses his memory for a bit and spends the book tracking down the villains who did this to him. Sherlock Holmes is looking out for a crazy guy who drains people of their blood and a psychopathic doctor. Worlds collide as Dracula and Holmes team up to stop a second Black Plague from enveloping London.

Much, much, much more enjoyable than the previous book. Most of that is because this was a brand new, wholly original story. But still just a 3star read in general. I find it rather ironic that I enjoyed this book more than the previous one but still rated it the same. Part of that is because that’s all this book is worth. It’s a good, disposable read that I have zero interest in ever re-reading.

Thankfully, Dracula doesn’t completely change character here. He’s still the totally unreliable narrator from the first book, with an ego the size of Europe. In this book’s setting, that’s actually a good thing. It worked, unlike in the Dracula Tape. Holmes on the other hand, felt very cardboard cutout’y. Saberhagen uses Doyle’s style of Watson doing the narrating for Holmes’ side of the story and he didn’t quite have the writing chops to fully flesh out a character being written about by another character. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think that’s an easy thing at all. Doyle did a masterful job of it and we’re all enriched by him making that conceit a “thing”, but it takes more skill than I feel Saberhagen had. Saberhagen aped it well enough, but didn’t have it down comfortably.

There was one thing that had me rolling eyes though. Holmes and Dracula look similar enough that even Watson gets them mixed up in a bar room brawl (♪bar room blitz♪). Turns out that Dracula is Holmes daddy from an affair Dracula had with Holmes’ serially unfaithful mother. Come on, really? And to make things even more awkward, young Mycroft had to kill Holmes’ mother because she’d turned, or something like that. It was all very “backstory” and didn’t work and made me cringe. And yet now, thinking about it, I’m laughing my head off at how badly it was executed. That obviously wasn’t Saberhagen’s intent, but hey, whatever gets me through the book ;-)

I’m definitely going to be reading more of these, eye rolls and all.

★★★☆☆

From the Publisher

1887, London, Victoria’s Jubilee -- criminals threaten to release thousands of plague infested rats on the day of celebration. The extraordinary powers of the Count and sharp mind of the Master Detective team up to avert a catastrophic public disaster. (And, the reader discovers more than a deerstalker hat and an Invernes Cape in Holmes’ family closet.)

City of Stairs (The Divine Cities #1) DNF@19%

 

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Title: City of Stairs
Series: The Divine Cities #1
Author: Robert Bennett
Rating: 1 of 5 Stars
Genre: Fantasy
Pages: 88/464
Words: 28K/148K
Publish: 2014

Due to the inclusion of certain subject matters, I am dnf’ing this book and will not be reading any more by Bennett.

★☆☆☆☆

A Gathering Evil (Dark Conspiracy #1) 3Stars

 

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Title: A Gathering Evil
Series: Dark Conspiracy #1
Author: Michael Stackpole
Rating: 3 of 5 Stars
Genre: Fantasy
Pages: 276
Words: 98K
Publish: 1991

This is a trilogy by Michael Stackpole. He was a staple for me growing up. He wrote some kickass standalone fantasy novels, he wrote a bunch in the Star Wars Expanded Universe (back when Star Wars’ book were still good, even when they were bad) and he wrote a couple of original series. He also wrote in other universes, what I now call Franchise Fiction. He wrote in the BattleTech series, and really, his Star Wars stuff was franchise fiction too. But it was stuff I grew up on in the 90’s and early ‘00’s and formed what I wanted and looked for in stories. He pretty much stopped by the early ‘Teens and as such, I haven’t seen new stuff from him in years.

So I decided to go back and read some of his older stuff. Stuff I hadn’t read. I wasn’t interested in his Battletech stuff, as I tried to read a couple of books by other authors in that Franchise and didn’t care for it at all. I’d never played the game and had no connection, which meant I wasn’t going to try. That left me with this trilogy, originally called The Fiddleback trilogy and some standalones. I wanted to get a taste and a trilogy is the best way to do so in my opinion. Longer than a standalone book but not a bloated, unfinished monstrosity like Game of Thrones.

Only to find that this trilogy was based on an Role Playing Game (rpg) called Dark Conspiracy. And that this was now known as the Dark Conspiracy trilogy. I found all of this out AFTER reading the book. You might be wondering why I am going on and on and on about this.

That is simple. 

This is Proto-Litrpg and next to the Romance genre, Litrpg is the lowest rung on the ladder. I spit on Litrpg. If I was the hero, Litrpg would be a Nazi Zombie and I would be doing the world a favor by killing it. If Litrpg was a hero, it would be as a pathetic, spineless pos protagonist like Shinji Akari (from the anime Neon Genesis Evangelion) and it would be my DUTY to kill him and get a real hero in his place. Needless to say, I don’t like Litrpg. Thus, finding out that this trilogy is proto-litrpg was like drinking a bottle of coke only to find out afterwards that someone had peed in it. GROSS!

And Yet.

Stackpole was still good enough of an author to make me enjoy the story. That’s why it got 3stars. Now that I know he has “pee’d in the Coke bottle” I’m not sure how I’ll feel about the next two books. But that’s another month’s problem, right? I know, I’ll just buy a new, sealed Coke bottle for the next book and call it good enough ;-)

★★★☆☆

From the Publisher & Bookstooge

Tycho Caine is a man with a mission. He's sure of that. But, waking up in a body bag with amnesia, he not sure of much else. Except that someone wants him dead. An exciting adventure novel of a near-future world where technology and occult mysticism merge. Dark forces and hidden masters conspire to control humanity, and Tycho Caine needs to figure out which side he's on.

An interdimensional being wants to invade Earth and Caine was his catspaw. But an opposing Earthly psychic has turned Caine to his side and now it is up to Caine and small group of misfits to stop this Entity from entering their world and devouring it.

To Become a Marked One (Demon Slayer #15) 3.5Stars

 

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Title: To Become a Marked One
Series: Demon Slayer #15
Author: Koyoharu Gotouge
Rating: 3.5 of 5 Stars
Genre: Manga
Pages: 192
Words: 9K
Publish: 2019

I did enjoy this volume more than the previous one, but that was because the focus was on Tanjiro and him doing all the additional training that each of the demon slayers and Pillars had to go through. The parts where it was group oriented or about the Society of Pillars discussing things, I lost interest. I am not a group oriented guy and I like reading about the Lone Hero, not the Avengers. When I was perusing Wikipedia for the chapter titles and summary, I read through the summaries for the rest of the volumes. I think I’m going to stop reading with this volume. Too much group stuff going on.

If this manga had stayed focused on Tanjiro, I suspect I would have kept on to the end. The following page is WHY I like Tanjiro as a character so much. He’s still smiling and being friendly, but he tells the unvarnished truth to the Pillar. No hate, no fear, just wanting to move on with his training so he can reach his goal.

★★★✬☆

From Wikipedia

"Dawn Approaches"

"Daybreak and First Light"

"The Rumble of Victory"

"A Request for Instruction"

"To Become a Marked One"

"A Place to Be"

"Visitor"

"Full-Strength Training"

"Welcome..."

With his new sword Tanjiro destroys Hantengu, and after risking herself to protect the villagers, Nezuko is bathed in sunlight, but to everybody's surprise she is not harmed by it. Once learning of it, Muzan discovers that Nezuko attained the power he spent his entire life looking for. Knowing that Muzan is determined to confront them directly to capture her, the Demon Slayers make preparations for the final battle against him.

Venom and Song (The Berinfell Prophecies #2) 3Stars

 

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Title: Venom and Song
Series: The Berinfell Prophecies #2
Author: Wayne Batson & Christopher Hopper
Rating: 3 of 5 Stars
Genre: Middle Grade Fantasy
Pages: 437
Words: 141K

While I enjoyed this, it was simply too long. This second book in the Berinfell Prophecies was over 100 pages and 40,000 words longer than the first book. That is a significant increase for a middle grade book. I think part of the issue is that having seven main characters with multiple other side characters AND a villain just bloats things up no matter what. Trying to give each of the kids enough page time to make them stay relevant to the story while using adult elves to fill in historical and training gaps made it almost impossible to see any scene that could have been cut.

I enjoyed the various training scenes as the kids learned how to use their powers but also how to use them as part of the group. No one of them was obviously “better” and it was made clear that they were stronger as a whole than as disparate parts. While I “agree” with that, I have always preferred the lone wolf kind of hero and story.

During the climactic battle at the end where it appears that the Spider King dies, I was wondering what they (the authors) were going to do to for the third book. I had a momentary thought of “Well, maybe the Spider King isn’t really dead. Nahhhh, they wouldn’t do something so obvious.” Sure enough, the authors went that route. That is the problem with reading books meant for a less experienced set of readers.

I am glad I read this and I’m ok with having a new pair of authors run across my radar. I know both of them have written other things, so depending on what I think of the final book in the Berinfell Prophecies will determine if I seek out any more stuff by them or not. I’m totally on the line at the moment.

★★★☆☆

From the Publisher

Now in the strange realm of Allyra, the Seven young lordsconfront a traitor in their midst, a creature-infested forest, teenage fearsand doubts, inexplicable mysteries . . . and the Spider King himself. In a rigorous training program that makes boot camp looklike Disneyland, the Seven must quickly learnto harness their own powers, work as one, and elude the Spider King's spies.But as the ancient Berinfell Prophecies are revealed, the Seven soon discovertheir training might not be enough. To stop the Spider King they must also unravelthe secrets of the Rainsong, travel to a creepy, trap-infested fortressto find the legendary keystone, and lead the Berinfell Elves in an attack on the Spider King's own turf.

The Hanging Stones (Silver John #4) 3Stars

 

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Title: The Hanging Stones
Series: Silver John #4
Author: Manly Wade Wellman
Rating: 3 of 5 Stars
Genre: Folk Fantasy
Pages: 178
Words: 56K
Publish: 1982

So, it might be hard to make out, but that cover shows John hiding on one of the capstones of the New Stonehenge while a werewolf carries a body over its shoulder.

The werewolves in this story are sad, pathetic creatures eking out a miserable existence. They are not alpha predators, they are scavengers of the lowest sort. I rather like that. Puts them into their proper place. The downside is that they aren’t much of a threat, except at the end where they come together in a massive group. While John and Co have to face them, it ends up being taken care of by a group of magically resurrected neanderthals. Yeah, it’s like that.

This was just as low key as the previous Silver John books and boy, it kind of grated. Don’t get me wrong, I still enjoyed this but it was like eating rice with a couple of grains of sand mixed in. Irritating.

Still the best Wellman stories that I’ve read though. Understated folk fantasy, it just works.

And once again, the cover is probably the best part :-)

★★★☆☆

From the Publisher & Bookstooge

This Silver John adventure takes the honey-voiced folksinger to the site of a rising replica of Stonehenge, which selfish and ruthless millionaire Noel Kottler is building in Appalachia as a money-making tourist attraction. A pack of werewolves who live nearby spell trouble for his plan, though --- and even they may not turn out to be his worst problem. Eventually, a warlock raises a tribe of ghost made flesh neanderthals who destroy the werewolves and hang the millionaire on the Hanging Stones to prevent him desecrating what Stonehenge stood for.

The Sum of All Men (Runelords #1) 3Stars

 

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Title: The Sum of All Men
Series: Runelords #1
Author: David Farland
Rating: 3 of 5 Stars
Genre: Fantasy
Pages: 517
Words: 194K
Publish: 1998

Grim. That is the word to describe this book (and I suspect, the series). I suspect that is why I gave it 2stars back in ‘08 and never read any more. Now that some time has passed, I wanted to try the series again.

What I noticed this time around, specifically, was the utter lack of hope. Yes, there were embers of hope within individuals, but they were based solely upon their ability to do something about the situation. Considering who they were facing (Raj Ahten was pretty much at god level with all of his endowments), that hope was really wishful thinking and not true hope. There was no prophecy. There was no entity with greater power than anybody in the story. It was very much a “we are on our own and must make do” kind of story. If that appeals to you, then I highly recommend this book.

These books were written when the Wheel of Time had slowed to a crawl. Farland managed to write the first four books within a four year period. Then he slowed down due to life circumstances and as far as I know, the series never got past book 8 and remains unfinished, because Farland died. “He’s ded Jim”. I suspect I will be reading the first tetralogy and call it a day.

Series and authors like Farland and Jordan and Martin should be a serious warning to readers, especially those who think their favorite author is going to live forever (coughSandersoncough. Have you seen that guy? He’s almost 50 and is going to have a heart attack by then if he doesn’t lose a lot of weight. He’ll kill himself and then where will all the fans of his Stormlight Archives be? Up a creek without a paddle, that’s where). This is the reason I am such a fan of trilogies. Tell your story and then be done. The Runelords was originally going to be a trilogy before it bloated up to an 8book unfinished monstrosity.

Now, that there is a mighty lot o’ complaining, yessiree. I do acknowledge that. It mightn’t even make you question why I gave this 3stars and why I would continue with the series. It is because it is an intriguing story. Farland has actually thought out the logical consequences to his magic system, and while it is extremely depressing, it makes total sense. I am looking forward to someone in the story working out yet more shenanigans.

The covers are all by Darryl Sweet, the same guy who did the covers for the Saga of Recluce and the Wheel of Time. Don’t be put off by them, this story is very different from those. Sweet had one mode of drawing and that was it.

★★★☆☆

From Wikipedia

In the universe of The Runelords, there exists a unique magical system which relies on the existence of distinct bodily attributes, such as brawn, grace, and wit. These attributes can be transferred from one individual (or animal) to another in a process known as "giving an endowment". Lords who have taken many endowments become extremely powerful, almost superhuman, and are known as Runelords.

Seeking the hand of the Princess Iome Sylvarresta, Prince Gaborn Val Orden is sidetracked when the Wolf Lord Raj Ahten invades the Kingdom of Heredon, seeking to rule all of Rofehavan.

• The Sum of All Men (2008 Review)

The Mu of Muichiro (Demon Slayer #14) 3Stars

 

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Title: The Mu of Muichiro
Series: Demon Slayer #14
Author: Koyoharu Gotouge
Rating: 3 of 5 Stars
Genre: Manga
Pages: 191
Words: 9K
Publish: 2019

While this was better than the previous volume, this series is fast losing its appeal to me. I’ll read the next volume next month and if my enjoyment level doesn’t go up, I’ll probably abandon the series.

★★★☆☆

From Wikipedia

"Awful Villain"

"Swordsmith"

"The Mu of Muichiro"

"Coming Back"

"Trading Insults"

"Abnormal Situation"

"A Passing Moment of Excitement"

"Mitsuri Kanroji's Life Passes Before Her Eyes"

"Get It Together, Moron!"

After coming to terms with his own past, Muichirō defeats Gyokko, while Tanjiro and the others struggle against Hantengu. While the battle rages on, Haganezuka races to reforge Tanjiro's new sword and deliver it to him.

The Dracula Tape (The Dracula Files #1) 3Stars

 

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Title: The Dracula Tape
Series: The Dracula Files #1
Author: Fred Saberhagen
Publish: 1975
Rating: 3 of 5 Stars
Genre: Fantasy
Pages: 186
Words: 76K

When I was looking around for another series to add to my tbr, I ran across these and didn’t really pay attention to the author. I probably should have, as I haven’t had the best luck with Saberhagen for the most part. However, it has been over 8 years since I last read a book by Saberhagen, so when I realized this series was by him, I figured I’d give him another chance.

Back in ‘14 I called his Berserker book dry and pedantic and “workmanlike” (and not in the good way). This was very much in the same vein. What saved it from an ignominious 2star rating and series abandonment was reading about Dracula try to justify everything that took place as chronicled in Bram Stoker’s Dracula. He’s an unreliable narrator and what’s more, he’s a big fat whiny loser. It was hilarious. I don’t know if Saberhagen intended things to turn out that way, but my goodness, watching Dracula perform mental contortions of unfathomable proportions to justify himself was better than going to the circus.

For this book to work, you really need to have read Dracula, not just know the basic premise but have read it and be familiar with it. Which leads to the biggest drawback, for me, in regards to this book. I knew, roughly, what was going to happen and was bored. Dracula’s re-writing of the events aren’t different enough to make this book stand out as something truly new. Kind of like watching an actor’s commentary track on a movie. Sure, it is a little different and you get a slightly different view, but it is not a different movie. Same with this book, and since it wasn’t in epistolary format, it automatically wasn’t nearly as good as the original.

With all of this complaining, I’m still giving this 3stars. Dracula is a great story and even Saberhagen couldn’t cover that up. I’m really hoping that the next book is more original though, or I’ll have to dnf the series.

★★★☆☆

From Fandom.com

The Dracula Tape is a novel by Fred Saberhagen where Dracula tells his version of the events in the Dracula novel.

Dracula tries to paint himself in a better light and while some of his claims ring true (like the issue of blood type and the blood transfusions Lucy Westenra received) others (such as what happened on the Demeter) have an unreliable narrator quality about them.

According to this novel the final events of Dracula took place in early November 1891.

Per this novel the fates of the other characters are:

Jonathan Harker - dies of apoplexy in 1938 while raging at Neville Chamberlain.

Mina Harker - dies of old age in 1967; rises as a vampire her youth restored in the "present" day

Lucy Harker (Mina's daughter) - still alive

Quincey Harker (Mina's son) - killed in the Battle of the Somme, 1916

Moving Pictures (Discworld #10) 3.5Stars

 

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Title: Moving Pictures
Series: Discworld #10
Author: Terry Pratchett
Rating: 3.5 of 5 Stars
Genre: Fantasy
Pages: 267
Words: 97K

When I read this back in ‘07, I really didn’t like it. I gave it 3stars back then, but it was one of my least favorite Discworld reads to date.

This time around, I thoroughly enjoyed this, mainly because Pratchett just skewers Hollywood and movies and it totally aligns with my absolute disgust with movies and the people who make movies and tv their hobby. Brainless, gormless, garbage. While Pratchett and I didn’t see eye to eye on many, many things, I am man enough to admit that he got at least one thing right. Hollywood is evil and does so much damage that it is incalculable.

With that, I just HAD to bump this up a coveted half star. I know Pratchett is wriggling in his grave with pleasure. He should be.

★★★✬☆☆

From Wikipedia.org

The novel begins with the death of Deccan Ribobe, the last member of an ancient order tasked with 'remembering' Holy Wood through ceremonial chanting, and the escape of an influence from Holy Wood Hill. Several months later, the alchemists of the Discworld have invented moving pictures. Many hopefuls are drawn by the siren call of Holy Wood, home of the fledgling "clicks" industry – among them Victor Tugelbend, a dropout from Ankh-Morpork's Unseen University and Theda "Ginger" Withel, a girl "from a little town you never ever heard of", and the Discworld's most infamous salesman, Cut-Me-Own-Throat Dibbler, who introduces commerce to the equation and becomes a successful producer. The business of making movies grows rapidly, and eventually Victor and Ginger become real stars, thanks to the help of Gaspode the sentient dog (who also develops a manager-client relationship with Laddie, who everybody considers to be the real Wonder Dog, although in fact is very simple-minded). Holy Wood for a while becomes an effervescent place full of humans, dwarfs, alchemists, demons (which essentially constitute the main technological device to make movies), and trolls (among whom is Detritus) all living in harmony.

Meanwhile, it gradually becomes clear that the production of movies is having a deleterious effect on the structure of reality. After Victor discovers the body of Deccan and the ancient order's record, Ginger is possessed by an unspecified entity and she and Victor find an ancient, hidden cinema, complete with a portal to the Dungeon Dimensions. Back in Ankh-Morpork, during the first screening of Blown Away (a parody of Gone with the Wind) which the senior wizards of the Unseen University are also attending, a creature from the Dungeon Dimensions breaks through. Victor fights it (in what eventually becomes a parody of the movie King Kong also featuring the Librarian of the Unseen University), having discovered that he could exploit Holy Wood magic and the narrative conventions of the clicks if he had a camera pointing at him. However, after the creature is defeated, Victor and the Librarian realise that the creatures will still try to get through from the Dungeon Dimensions and that Ginger in her possessed state was not trying to summon them but trying to keep them from coming through (possibly as a result of being descended from the High Priestess of Holy Wood). Returning to the ancient cinema at Holy Wood, Victor and Ginger witness a golden statue of a warrior (reminiscent of an Oscar) come to life and travel through the screen to defeat the creatures.

In the end most things return to normal (also because the Patrician and the wizards make it clear that they will not allow any more movies to be produced ever again), although dwarfs find themselves inexplicably singing "Hihohiho" while mining. Victor and Ginger have a last dialogue over the meaning of Holy Wood and being famous, and Gaspode and the other animals under the influence of Holy Wood lose their ability to reason and speak. The ending lines depict a poetic scene about the fragility of Holy Wood dreams.

• Moving Pictures (2007 Review)

• All of My “Discworld” Reviews

• All of My “Discworld: Rincewind” Reviews

• All of My “Discworld: Witches” Reviews

• All of My “Discworld: Death” Reviews

• All of My “Discworld: The Watch” Reviews

Transitions (Demon Slayer #13) 2Stars

 

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Title: Transitions
Series: Demon Slayer #13
Author: Koyoharu Gotouge
Rating: 2 of 5 Stars
Genre: Manga
Pages: 190
Words: 9K

I realized that while I really like Tanjiro and his two friends, I simply don’t care for any other of the side characters. And this volume is chockful of other characters.

I definitely struggled to get through this. I sure hope volume 14 works better for me.

Bookstooge out...

★★☆☆☆

From Wikipedia

"In the Way"

"Thank You, Tokito"

"Won't Die"

"Sneaking Around"

"Pretentious Artist"

"Transitions"

"Bright Red Blade"

"Wanted: Respect"

"To Be a Hashira"

Hantengu and Gyokko attack the Swordsman Village and Tanjiro fights them, with help from Muichirō Tokitō, the Mist Hashira, Mitsuri Kanroji, the Love Hashira and Genya Shinazugawa, the younger brother of Sanemi, the Wind Hashira, who is eager to be acknowledged by his older brother.

Conan, Lord of the Black River (Conan the Barbarian #23) 3Stars

 

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Title: Conan, Lord of the Black River
Series: Conan the Barbarian #23
Author: Leonard Carpenter
Rating: 3 of 5 Stars
Genre: Fantasy
Pages: 230
Words: 79K

This was slightly better than the previous Conan book by Leonard Carpenter, but it really feels like Carpenter is missing some essential ingredient to really make this feel like a Conan novel. Whatever.

I hadn’t realized that Carpenter has written eleven of these pastiches and did so from 1986 to 1996. As such, it does matter which order you read them. This one, Lord of the Black River, was the last to be written. It makes reference to previous characters (of whom I had no idea who they were) and situations, but it was all surface level stuff so it didn’t REALLY matter.

Unfortunately, this was exactly the same in tone as Conan the Hero. Why TOR allowed Carpenter to write so many Conan novels is beyond me. Maybe because he could churn out one a year for eleven years in a row? I have nine of the eleven on my tbr (including this and the previous one) and I have a feeling that I’m going to end up sounding like a recording for each one. These are adequate hyborean age sword fantasy stories, but they are not Conan stories.

Excitement, that is what is missing! In one scene, Conan and the crews of the ships he is commanding are sailing down a big river. They encounter a gigantic electric eel (this scene is the basis for the cover) and eventually kill it. But the entire scene lacked excitement. It should have been scary, tense, thrilling. Instead, it was very lackadaisical and pedestrian. It was like reading about a group of tourists crossing the street in New York City. And even I can imagine ways to make that exciting. A boring Conan story is anathema to me, so we’ll see how many more I get through before trying another author. (already being in the mindset of quitting is not a good place to be)

★★★☆☆

From Wikipedia

After successfully fulfilling his commission to overthrow a tyrannical baron in Koth, Conan travels into Baalur, a city-state in Shem. The queen of Baalur, Rufia, needs his aid. Baalur is suffering from a plague cast upon it by Zeriti, an old enemy of his previously believed dead. Zeriti seeks to settle a score dating from Conan's previous encounter with the two women, told in the story "Hawks Over Shem", and her curse is transforming Rufia's subjects into hideous zombies.

With an army of Baalurian soldiers, Conan begins his journey to retrieve a white lotus, the primary antidote for removing Zeriti's cruse, said to only bloom near the source of the Styx, the infamous black river. His army marches across the city-state of Nedrezzar before reaching the port city of Asgalun, where they set sail for the Styx, which serves as a boundary between Shem and the ancient kingdom of Stygia. The crew follow the river down a vast tributary to the east and travel south as it flows into the Black Kingdoms. The expedition encounter many dangers along the way, including pirates, hostile local rulers, religious cults, and cannibals before reaching the Styx's headwaters.

At the source of the Styx, they face their worst and final challenge, Zeriti's bloodthirsty undead lover. However, the white lotus is finally secured and Conan's crewmembers return down the river. After a final encounter with Zeriti in Asgalun, they return to Baalur and cure the city's inhabitants.

• The “Essential Conan” Trilogy

• All of My “Conan” Reviews

The Lost and the Lurking (Silver John #3) 3Stars

 

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 Lost and the Lurking
Series: Silver John #3
Author: Manly Wade Wellman
Rating: 3 of 5 Stars
Genre: Folk Fantasy
Pages: 178
Words: 56K

Silver John is tasked by the gubbamint to investigate a town. Turns out the entire town is in thrall to a witch woman and she has BIG plans.

John does his usual self-effacing thing, calls on demonic powers (but supposedly benign) and ends up letting a black preacher save the souls of Wolver when the witch woman accidentally kills herself.

Yeah, this story was about evil devouring itself. John does very little, just a nudge here and there. Exactly as in the previous two novels.

The only difference here is that Wellman lets his politics peek through for just a couple of sentences. I was disappointed in him for doing so because he hadn’t done so before. It felt very whiny.

I gave this the same rating as the previous Silver John stories because it was a template and just like the previous ones. As long as you can deal with that aspect of these stories, then you’ve nothing to fear from diving into this series.

I usually like to include the covers for these, but I simply couldn’t find one that was even halfway decent. The big ones were just smaller versions stretched out and pixelated OR they were pictures of an old paperback with all the attendant damage an old book cover has. That’s actually what I’m using here but with it being smaller it isn’t so noticeable.

★★★☆☆

From the Publisher and Bookstooge

Country folk, especially backcountry folk, are like to be a mite suspicious of strangers. But a plain man with a civil manner and no highfalutin airs can count on a neighborly reception from simple, decent people, so when the natives of Wolver looked to be fixing to whale on Silver John, he reckoned maybe it wasn't the sleepy little hamlet it seemed. But then, if it was, he had no business there anyhow.

The man who picked the guitar with the silver strings had seen some doings in this mountain country, and had a reputation with some almighty powerful souls, not all of them flesh and blood. So when the government got curious about the goings-on in Wolver, it wasn't so strange that they should have asked Silver John to see what he could see, nor at all peculiar that the wanderer had shouldered his pack and his guitar and hiked up the trace of a road to take a gander.

Wolver had a desolated look, from the smoking trash piles outside the town to the tumbledown ruined church. The children in the grimy yards stared at him dully, while their elders ignored him or watched him with undisguised hostility. John had no quarrel with them, but it sure looked like they were set on picking one with him.

With Tiphaine the witchwoman in talks with foreign agents to bring down the United States, John must call on all his arcane knowledge to not only save the deceived people of Wolver and his own life, but the American Way of Life itself.

Eric (Discworld #9) 3.5Stars

 

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: Eric
Series: Discworld #9
Author: Terry Pratchett
Rating: 3.5 of 5 Stars
Genre: Fantasy
Pages: 94
Words: 35K

While I enjoyed this, this is also where I feel that Pratchett lost the zaniness that is Rincewind. Don’t get me wrong, Pratchett tries, he really does. But the magic is gone, completely.

Amusing but not really funny. I would still recommend this if you’re reading Discworld. Every little bit helps fill in the bigger picture of just how crazy that world is.

Well, onward to the next book...

★★★✬☆☆

From Wikipedia.org

The story is a parody of the tale of Faust, and follows the events of Sourcery in which the Wizard Rincewind was trapped in the Dungeon Dimensions. Rincewind is summoned by the thirteen-year-old demonologist, Eric Thursley, who wanted a demon to grant his heart's desires. He is disappointed when Rincewind tells him he is unable to grant wishes. Rincewind is disheartened to learn that the spells to confine demons work on him; Eric's parrot tells him that because he was summoned as a demon, he is subject to the same terms. The arrival of Rincewind's Luggage causes Eric to suspect deceit on Rincewind's part. Eric's demands are renewed and Rincewind finds that snapping his fingers allows him to grant the following wishes.

• To be Ruler of the World. Eric and Rincewind are transported to the rain forests of Klatch in the Tezumen empire (a parody of the Aztec Empire). The locals declare Eric Ruler of the World. During this tribute, Rincewind and the parrot explore the temple of Quezovercoatl (a parody of Quetzalcoatl), where they find a prisoner, Ponce da Quirm (a parody of Juan Ponce de León), who is to be sacrificed. Da Quirm tells Rincewind about the terrible fate the Tezumen have planned for the Ruler of the World, on whom they blame all of life's misfortunes. Rincewind, Eric and da Quirm are tied up at the top of a pyramid to be sacrificed, when Quezovercoatl makes his appearance. Unfortunately for him, the Luggage also makes an appearance, trampling the six-inch-tall Quezovercoatl in the process. The Tezumen, pleased to see Quezovercoatl destroyed, release the prisoners and deify the Luggage in the place of their god.

• To Meet the Most Beautiful Woman in All History. Rincewind transports himself and Eric inside in a large wooden horse (a parody of the Trojan Horse). Exiting, they are surrounded by Tsortean soldiers, who take them for an Ephebian invasion force. Rincewind manages to talk their way out from the guards and out of the city, only to fall into the hands of the invading army. Rincewind and Eric are taken to Lavaeolus, the man who built the horse as a decoy so that he and his men could sneak in while their enemies waited around the horse for them to come out. They re-enter Tsort through a secret passage, and find Elenor (a parody of Helen of Troy). Eric and Lavaeolus are disappointed to find that Elenor is now a plump mother of several children, and that artistic licence had been taken in her description. The Ephebians escape the city while Tsort burns, and Lavaeolus and his army set out for home. Eric notes that "Lavaeolus" in Ephebian translates to "Rinser of Winds", hinting that Lavaeolus is an ancestor of Rincewind.

• To Live Forever. Rincewind brings Eric and him outside time, just before the beginning of existence. They meet the Creator, who is just forming the Discworld. Rincewind and Eric are left on the newly formed world, with the realisation that "to live forever" means to live for all time, from start to finish. To escape, Rincewind has Eric reverse his summoning, taking them both to hell.

They discover hell steeped in bureaucracy, the Demon King Astfgl having decided that boredom might be the ultimate form of torture. Rincewind uses his university experience to confuse the demons, so he and Eric can escape. While crossing through the recently reformed levels of hell (satirical forms of Dante's Inferno) they encounter da Quirm and the parrot, as well as Lavaeolus, who tells them where the exit is.

The source of Rincewind's demonic powers is revealed to be Lord Vassenego, a Demon Lord leading a secret revolt against Astfgl. Using Rincewind to keep Astfgl occupied while gathering support amongst the demons, Vassenego confronts his king just as Astfgl finally catches up to Rincewind and Eric. Vassenego announces the council of demons has made Astfgl "Supreme Life President of Hell", and that he is to plan out the course of action for demons. With Astfgl lost in the bureaucratic prison of his own making, Vassenego takes over as king and lets Rincewind and Eric escape, so that stories about hell can be told. As they leave, Rincewind and Eric notice that the path they are fleeing along has good intentions written on each cobble.

• Eric (2007 Review)

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Curse of the Spider King (The Berinfell Prophecies #1) 3Stars

 

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: Curse of the Spider King
Series: The Berinfell Prophecies #1
Author: Wayne Batson & Christopher Hopper
Rating: 3 of 5 Stars
Genre: Middle Grade Fantasy
Pages: 335
Words: 107K

After how my last ya/middle grade book went (The Beggar Queen by Lloyd Alexander) I was just about ready to bag the whole idea of reading books geared toward the younger audience. Before I called it quits I asked some of the kids at church what they were reading. I’ll be honest, I didn’t expect much. But I ended up with a suggestion for the Berinfell Prophecies and after reading the synopsis, I decided it certainly couldn’t be as bad as the Beggar Queen. And it wasn’t, at all.

It IS more middle grade than young adult, as the main characters involved are all 13 year olds. There are also 7 of them. That concerned me a bit at first, because finding the right balance for points of view is hard and the more pov’s authors introduce, the harder the balance is to find. Thankfully, Batson and Hopper did an admirable job of giving each kid just the right amount of page time to tell the story they needed but without artificially giving more or less pages to each character.

Another thing that I liked, but wasn’t expecting, is that the authors are Christian and insert Christian elements into the story. No in a preachy way, but in many regards like Lewis does with his Chronicles of Narnia books. I only noticed it three or four times too, so it’s not like they are trying to drown their readers in it either.

This book is all about the gathering of the seven kids and how the elves were trying to get them all back to their original world. It had a good beginning, an exciting middle as all the kids had adventures and then the ending sees them all just crossing over. I am looking forward to the next book to see how things work out.

One final note. As this is middle grade, don’t expect any of the adults to be “actual” adults. They are adults per children’s views and act accordingly. Hence the “surprise” ambush near the end I saw coming from a mile away, but a kid wouldn’t, so the adults in the story didn’t.

★★★☆☆

From Fandom.com

Elves ruled over the land of Allyra for thousands of years until, in a great battle, the capital, Berinfell, was overtaken by an army of Drefids, Gwar, Warspiders, and Wisps under the command of the Spider King. Now as he rules the land, the remnant of the Elven race lives, hidden, in a network of subterranean passages called Nightwish Caverns.
In that battle, the seven heirs to the thrones of Berinfell were captured as babies and taken to the realm of the humans, known as Earth. Disguised among the millions of people on Earth, these Elf Lords have no clue of their identity until, around their thirteenth birthdays, some strange events start happening. Some are stalked by mysterious, creepy strangers, and others receive odd books from teachers, librarians, or bookstore owners. Eventually, the people, who had given the Elves the books, reveal to the Seven Lords their true identity, and the fact that they are being hunted by villainous creatures. These assassins, once held back by an old curse, are now free to kill the Seven. This they intend to do in order to keep the teenagers from returning to Allyra and rallying the Elves against their oppressor, the Spider King.
Autumn and Johnny are attacked in their house by a pack of Drefids, Jett and his family are assaulted by Cragons, and a Wisp of Jimmy's neighbor comes to the boy's school and attempts to quietly kill Miss Finney. Kat and Anna are pursued in a vicious car chase by Drefids, and Kiri Lee is later almost assassinated by Wisps posing as her parents in her own home. Tommy, Goldarrow and Mr. Charlie are forced to fight off another group of Drefids in an abandoned asylum while attempting to find a portal to Allyra.
In the final scene, all the Elven Lords and their escorts (except Autumn, Johnny, and Nelly) have assembled for a concert in Scotland before entering the nearby portal. In the middle of the performance, attended by humans and disguised Elves alike, a massive army of Gwar, Drefids, Cragons, and Wisps attack. In the midst of the chaos, Johnny, Autumn and Nelly arrive. They join the desperate rush of fighting Elves attempting to reach the portal. When they arrive, it is rapidly shrinking. Unbeknownst to everyone else, at the rear of the group Mr. Wallace is killed and replaced by a Wisp. As the final few Elves are diving into the portal, the Wisp kills Mr. Charlie and enters Allyra just before the doorway is completely closed. Once in the Elven world, the returning group of warriors are met by Grimwarden and a team of Elves, who assist the Lords and their guardians into the Underground. Mr. Wallace's Wisp accompanies them, a spy among their number.

Conan the Hero (Conan the Barbarian #22) 2.5Stars

 

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: Conan the Hero
Series: Conan the Barbarian #22
Author: Leonard Carpenter
Rating: 2.5 of 5 Stars
Genre: Fantasy
Pages: 220
Words: 77K

I’ve been in a “mood” recently and I can tell it has made me much judgier about the books I’m reading. There has been no mercy dropping gently from the hands of Bookstooge. Instead, there’s been angry imprecations and authors scotched. Carpenter isn’t getting scotched like Ngaio Marsh did yesterday, but he’s on probation for sure.

Carpenter just doesn’t write Conan like Conan. He’s not indomitable or incredible or anythingable, he’s just a big guy with a sword who gets lucky a lot. In both senses of the word. I don’t like that. Conan should be larger than life. Instead, he’s just stumbling along like a normal Joe. I get that Carpenter doesn’t want to write Conan like other pastiche authors, but he’s not even writing him like Howard did for goodness sake.

The adventures too just kind of happen and Conan is along for the ride. Instead of being the subject of something evil and fierce, it’s boring old politics with a dash of ho-hum magic thrown in to keep it “fantasy”. It is like Carpenter doesn’t “get” Conan at all. Even Steve Perry with his disgusting monster girl love interests and stupid 500 year old wizards wrote Conan as Conan better than this guy. Carpenter is a loser as far as I’m concerned and if anyone has said anything good about the Conan books I’ve read of his so far, they are liars and fatheads. But because I’m so magnanimous, I’m reserving judgment on the rest of his Conan books until I read them.

I should get an award for being so nice...

★★✬☆☆

From Wikipedia

Conan and his friend Juma, both soldiers in the army of Turan, are stationed in the far-off jungles of Venjipur to defend its beleaguered royal family against the rebellious Hwong tribe. Both comrades are dissatisfied; they and those under them have been doing all the fighting, and see no chance for advancement, as their timid superior officers never risk their own lives in battle. In one skirmish, Conan rescues a girl named Sariya from being sacrificed by Mojurna, an evil shaman. This subsequently leads to trouble, when one of the Turanian officers attempts to rape her and is killed by Conan.

There are orders for Conan's execution, but he is the hero of Yaralet and a man whom King Yildiz has his eye on. However, Yildiz's captain devises a plan to get Conan out of circulation for a while by sending him deep into enemy territory. Conan's unit is ambushed, and he calls for reinforcements, only to have his request denied by one of the officers who has it in for him. His men defeat their attackers on their own—barely. The wounded Conan is carried back to camp by Juma. Meanwhile, his enemies plan to have him disposed of by their corrupt Venjipoorian allies. Accordingly, Conan is drugged and brought before the duplicitous Pheng Loon, leader of a Venjipoorian tribe the Turanians are supposedly there to help. Despite his hallucinations induced by the drug, Conan is able to throw off its influence and escape.

In segments interspersed with those detailing the main action, it's revealed that King Yildiz in Agraphur has his eye on Conan almost literally. His court wizard has kept Yildiz up-to-date on events in Venjipoor by scrying through a magic mirror. Also, the king's known enthusiasm for Conan has both fanned and inhibited his officers' machinations against the Cimmerian. Soon, Yildiz's intervention partiality results in Conan being summoned back to Agraphur for a ceremony. However, bureaucratic delays in his orders give the officers once last chance to try to get him killed. Again, Conan and Juma's forces are sent deep into rebel territory, where they're ambushed by numerically superior foes—but again they turn the tide and win. Their enemies now have no choice but to allow them to return to the capital.

After a long journey, Conan and Juma reach Agraphur, where King Yildiz gives Conan a medal and names him a Hero of Turan. Days of feasting and revelry ensue, to lead up to an official presentation ceremony. During these festivities, Conan works to uncover the identities of his enemies. Everything comes to a head at the ceremony, where Yildiz is menaced by a carnivorous vine sent by Mojorna. Conan and Juma defend the king against the plant, but delay destroying it long enough for it to consume the corrupt officers whose incompetence has cost so many lives in Venjipoor. Apprised of their plots and soured on foreign conquest, Yildiz commissions the Cimmerian to take over the Turanian forces in Venjipoor and set things right. Back in Venjipur, Conan shuts down the Turanian mission there. He is aided by the fact that Mojurna died when his plant was destroyed, but this development effectively denies him Sariya, who has taken the shaman's place as leader of the Hwong.

• The “Essential Conan” Trilogy

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