Final Exam (Oh My Goddess! #3) ★★★★☆ (Manga Monday)

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Title: Final Exam

Series: Oh My Goddess! #3

Author: Kosuke Fujishima

Rating: 4 of 5 Stars

Genre: Manga

Pages: 152

Format: Paper edition

Synopsis:

Various chapter stories usually with comedic overtones. Belldandy is crowned Queen of Nekomi Tech. Belldandy and Kei go on a date only to have it ruined by Urd and Sayoko. Megumi invites the motor club over and Urd has them play a magical game of Life.Kei has to take exams but ends up with a brainless double that gets dressed up like a girl taking it for him. Finally, Sayoko's cousin attends the Tech and tries to make moves on Belldandy with rather predictable results.

My Thoughts:

This was a very humorous volume. What stood out to me was the dinner date between Kei and Bell where both Sayoko AND Urd interfere. Sayoko to try to steal Kei from Bell. Ok, an aside here. I still don't understand why Sayoko is SO determined to steal Kei. It makes for a great ongoing plot point but I really do have to turn my brain off to accept it. Urd interferes because she's on a mission to get Kei and Bell together conjugally. And yes, conjugally is a real word, I looked it up to make sure! So, during this dinner date Sayoko is trying to be a third wheel and Urd sees it. Urd enchants a roasted turkey to life and it jumps off the serving cart and begins running at and attacking Sayoko. I just about died laughing.

Of course, things aren't quite so funny when Sayoko's sleazy cousin shows up and tries to force Belldandy to abandon Kei and be his girlfriend. It had real stalker/rape vibes and while it was shown as something bad, the fact that a character was acting like this at all was a reminder that I was reading something from almost 30 years ago. I don't remember this type of thing being an ongoing issue in future volumes but I'll definitely be more aware of it now.

On to the art!

This is a very simple and clean piece of art but at the same time it really expresses everything I like about Belldandy. It's obvious she's no ordinary girl, as evinced by her sitting on top of a power pole. At the same time her femininity is in no way compromised. The long flowing hair, the simple shoes, the dress with the sash and apron, the small smile. It all comes together to show a beautiful woman who is extraordinary but not a sexpot. I think that Fujishima did an excellent job of creating beauty without salaciousness. * thumbs up *

★★★★☆ 

• Previous Oh My Goddess! Volumes

Leader of the Pack (Oh My Goddess! #2) ★★★★☆ (Manga Monday)

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Title: Leader of the Pack

Series: Oh My Goddess! #2

Author: Kosuke Fujishima

Rating: 4 of 5 Stars

Genre: Manga

Pages: 152

Format: Paper Copy

Synopsis:

Now life as a couple for Kei and Belldandy begins. They have to find a house/apartment for Megumi, stop Sayoko from trying to steal Kei to drive Bell away from Nekomi Tech, win a bet against another racing club with Bell as the the prize, deal with the System Force not working and no longer trying to keep Kei and Bell together and if ALL those things weren't enough, Family Problems.

Yep, Belldandy's older sister Urd is tired of watching Kei fumble around, so she comes to Earth to seduce him to give him the confidence to go all the way with Bell. She breaks a few rules and hence gets her goddess license curtailed and ends up having to live with Bell and Kei.

It doesn't appear that Kei will EVER get to be alone with Belldandy.

My Thoughts:

Cute. That's probably the best word to describe this volume. I did notice the chapter breaks in this volume, as each chapter was titled. Definitely showing its magazine roots. No over arching plot really, just adventures of the week type things. It works for now.

Sayoko is really setting herself up to be a rival to Bell and yet we as the readers know that she simply can't BE a rival since she's only human. She does show a few flashes of humanity so we do know she's not just a complete witch.

Kei is pretty spineless. His senpais make up a rule book for the beach and one of the rules is that he can't go into where the girls are staying, so he can't visit Belldandy. IT'S A MADE UP RULE!!!! Sigh, but he doesn't break it, nor does he show enough intelligence to work around it, until the very end of the stay. Eh, it just shows why he didn't have a girlfriend in the beginning and gives LOTS of room for character growth.

Bell is pretty and shows touches of jealousy, love and anger whenever the situation needs it, IF Kei is involved. In some ways she's just as oblivious and naive as Kei, even while being a goddess.

What ever guy wants, a beautiful woman to be concerned about him

We find out that Bell has family and Urd comes to visit. Without being salacious, Urd is just plain wicked hot. But she's a liar and doesn't think about the consequences of her actions, so you know she'll be providing some good comic relief. Also, her interest in Kei is really non-existent, so no family love triangle drama. Thank goodness for that!!!

★★★★☆ 

• OMG! Intro Post
• Wrong Number (Book 1)

Wrong Number (Oh My Goddess! #1) ★★★★☆

^{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 & Tumblr by Bookstooge’s Exalted Permission}
Title: Wrong Number

Series: Oh My Goddess! #1

Author: Kosuke Fujishima

Rating: 4 of 5 Stars

Genre: Manga

Pages: 160

Format: Paper copy

Synopsis:

Keiichi Morisato dials the wrong number from his dorm room and ends up on the Goddess Hotline. Thinking it is a joke by his seniors, he wishes that the young woman who appears before him be his girlfriend forever. Belldandy is a real goddess and Keiichi's wish comes true. He and Bell are now part and parcel.

This leads to many hijinks, as the Ultimate Power does whatever it has to to keep them together.

Belldandy becomes a student at Nekomi Tech, where Keiichi is learning to become a mechanic/engineer/something. Suddenly, Keiichi has gone from Zero to Hero with the beautiful Belldandy at his side. Sadly, it's not all fun and games as jealously rears it head.

But between Keiichi just being a nice guy and Belldandy actually loving him and being a goddess, they'll work things out. But can Keiichi keep everyone from finding out that Bell is a goddess? And when the book ends, his little sister has just moved in with them.

My Thoughts:

This was just pure fun. It was light and fluffy and romantic and pretty much what every single guy wants to happen to him. Back in the day, this hit my romantic spot right on target, as I was short, thought I was a really nice guy and knew a couple of young ladies who I thought were goddesses.

Now, being married for just under a decade, this was still just as fun. I laughed out loud several times. Being written by a guy, about a guy, I think this will appeal to males more? It is really tough to tell though. I'd certainly recommend at least reading this book to check out if you like the over-arching idea.

The art is a little rough, but in the kind of way that gives it character and uniqueness, not in a slap-dash kind of way where it seems the manga-ka was drunk that day and couldn't be bothered. The piece I've included here is a great representative of the art style for this volume. Bell and Kei sitting on the roof of their temple/home. I'm going to try to include a sample from each volume so you can see the evolution of the art style as Fujishima grows more into his role as a mature manga-ka.

I LIKE black and white manga. It just works for me.

It is episodic. This was written chapter by chapter and released in a weekly or monthly magazine in Japan. Darkhorse just published the chapters in one book and there aren't clear dividing lines at all between chapters. In fact, there aren't chapters at all. Which can make it feel almost whiplash'y as you jump from one adventure straight into another. But hang on and you'll have a good time. A lot of info is thrown at you, such as Keiichi being at a tech school, having a sister, etc, etc, but it is never overwhelming. Belldandy is the bell of the manga and she always takes center stage.

I am really glad this was so fun.

★★★★☆

The Cygnet and the Firebird (Cygnet #2) ★★★★ ½

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Title: The Cygnet and the Firebird

Series: Cygnet #2

Author: Patricia McKillip

Rating: 4.5 of 5 Stars

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 315

Format: Digital Edition

Synopsis:

Taking place 2 weeks after the Sorceress and the Cygnet, we follow the continued adventures of Nyx Ro and Meguet Mervaine.

A magician invades Ro Holding looking for a hidden key of Chrisom's. Nyx and Meguet foil him. At the same time a magical firebird that turns everything to jewels and gold with its cry comes to Ro Hold. Nyx figures out it is an ensorcelled young man and in her studies he, she and Meguet all go to the land of Saphier. Where the first magician lives as well.

Saphier is ruled by the son of a magician and a dragon and he, Draken, wants ALL THE POWER. And he wants Ro Hold. It is up to Brand (the ensorcelled young man, who happens to be Draken's son), Nyx, Meguet and Rad (the first magician) to put a stop to Draken's quest to conquer all of time and space.

The dragons solve it all because the humans are annoying them.

The End.

My Thoughts:

SO MUCH BETTER THAN The Sorceress and the Cygnet. There is no Corleu. In fact, there are no stupid characters; confused, unsure and discombobulated characters, but not an idiot in sight! And that pushed this book right into traditional McKillip territory. Beautifully worded phrases, symbols and pictures with much deeper meanings, lyrical prose that you have to follow like a song. It was everything that I like about McKillip.

I found this more polished, more lyrical and more fantastical than Sorceress. Sorceress was a rough fairytale told by farmers after a tough season of haying. Firebird felt more like a courtly bard singing a story before the entire court. Obviously, with me being King Bookstooge, I prefer the latter.

I was glad to have read the duology so close together. I'm not sure I would have enjoyed Firebird so much if I didn't have the immediate taste of Sorceress still on my mental tongue.

This, along with Austen, is the kind of romance that not only can I stand but actively enjoy. It is understated but powerful, much like a current in a river. Too many authors rely on the rapids of the river for their romances and it always upsets my literary canoe and tosses me into the drink. I don't like that. But this, this is like gliding down the Mississippi on a shady day. You can't ask for much better.

★★★★ ½

• The Cygnet Duology (2007 Review)
• The Sorceress and the Cygnet (Book 1)

The Wrath of the Great Guilds (Pillars of Reality #6)

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Title: Wrath of the Great Guilds
Series: Pillars of Reality #6
Author: Jack Campbell

Rating: 4 of 5 Stars
Genre: SFF
Pages: 280
Format: Digital edition

Synopsis: Spoilers!!

Mari and Alain must face the combined might of both Great Guilds and the Empire in an attempt to stave off the Storm of Destruction prophecied.

Dividing her army in parts, Mari sends the majority of it to another city and only takes a small force, but many great arms, with her to Dorcastle. There, she and Alain inspire the troops, unite the factions and fight off dragons and gatebuster bombs.

Dorcastle has 7 walls. Mari's forces are pushed back to the final wall and are about to lose even that when the other army she had separated out arrives to rescue them, turn the tide and allow the Daughter of Jules a complete and utter victory.

Now Mari can allow her world to develop technologically and the first thing they do is use the world far speaker they found in an earlier book. And someone answers back.

My Thoughts:

Almost all of this book was the battle scene at Dorcastle. Close to 60% is my guess. It was great. Much like Minas Tirath's 7 walls, Dorcastle provides plenty of room for lots of action. Mages and their dragons, Mechanics and their bombs, the Empire and their numberless cohorts, all fodder for the advanced weaponry Mari brings with her. It also showcases how she utilizes Mechanics, Mages and Commons, with all their various strengths and weaknesses. Alain's vision of Mari is constantly at the forefront of his mind and Campbell never lets the reader forget it.

This is definitely young adult but I did appreciate the fact that Alain and Mari were married a book or two ago. The romance was there, but it wasn't angsty, unsure love. It was growing, committed love that wasn't based just on their feelings.

There were only 2 things I didn't care for and I knocked off a 1/2star for each.

First, Campbell loves big, powerful, DUMB villains. Much like in his Lost Fleet series, where the 2 “official” sides do the same thing over and over and the main character Jack “Black” Geary, takes advantage, here we have the Heads of both the Mage's Guild and the Mechanic's Guild doing the same thing in the big battle that has NOT worked before against Mari and Alain. It just made the Guild leaders seem incredibly inept and stupid and you wonder how someone so dense got to the place of authority that they are in. Of course, it might have something to do with Campbell being a retired navy officer and perhaps reflects his actual experience with higher echelon officers. Pure speculation on my part though.

Second, no character development. It has taken me over 25 books of Campbell/Hemry to realize this (Lost Fleet, Lost Fleet:Beyond the Frontier, Lost Stars, JAG in Space, Stark's War) so it kind of came as a shock to really realize that he can't write growing characters beyond a certain point. It is the kind of writer he is and he needs to write accordingly. And now that I know this, I will also adjust my expectations accordingly.

Now I know I've highlighted the negatives mostly. But obviously, I've stuck with this 6 book series until the end and given the final book 4 stars. That does say a lot without me having to write a lot. Nothing in this book is going to make you feel that you wasted your time or overturn all the good in the previous books. This is a good solid book to end a good solid YA series.

1. Review of Book 1
2. Review of Book 2
3. Review of Book 3
4. Review of Book 4
5. Review of Book 5

Star Nomad (Fallen Empire #1)

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Title: Star Nomad
Series: Fallen Empire #1
Author: Lindsay Buroker
Rating: 2.5 of 5 Stars
Genre: SFF
Pages: 253
Format: Kindle Digital edition

Synopsis:

Captain Alisa Marchenko has been left behind on a pohdunk world, recovering from her injuries. Inexplicably, there are NO armed force bases on the world or anyone she can turn to to return home. So she is forced to link up with some strange mechanic lady, find an old abandoned spacefreighter, take on passengers AND figure out how to work with an Imperial cyborg who is camping out in her chosen spaceship.

All Alisa wants is to get to her home planet and see her daughter again. But she can't do that while she has beefcake all over the place and pecs galore to ogle. Poor Alisa. She is so insecure and unable to take care of herself.

My Thoughts:

I went into this thinking it was going to be a cool SF adventure. It was billed as "for fans of Star Wars or Firefly". That should have been more than enough warning.

What I got was a story about a woman who is insecure, incapable of taking care of herself and obsessed with her imaginary relationship with a former enemy soldier. And I mean, totally imaginary. Oh, and don't forget his pecs.

If you like a romance book, without sex, and wrapped in a Science Fiction wrapper, this is the series for you. Considering there are at least 8 books, I guess "somebody" is buying these. Maybe people who like pecs.

Savage Homecoming (Omega Force #3)

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Title: Savage Homecoming
Series: Omega Force #3
Author: Joshua Dalzelle
Rating: 3 of 5 Stars
Genre: SFF
Pages: 261
Format: Kindle Digital Edition

Synopsis:

The synth that initially found Jason on Earth, who was all set to betray, backstab and sellout Jason, is back. With a vengeance. The synth knows where Earth is, knows who to mess with to manipulate Jason and its got some new allies. Big hitters that can wipe out the tech of a whole planet.

So Jason has to save Earth, save the girl, save his new connection with the alien government who is funding Omega Force and come to terms that he can never go back to Earth again. That is a lot to put on one man's shoulders.

My Thoughts:

The odd thing with these Omega Force books is that I tend to enjoy them overall but not in bits. In other words, I liked Savage Homecoming taken in its entirety and the idea, but if you were to ask me when I was reading Chapter Q if I liked it, I'd probably be "meh".

Earth is menaced and even while Jason single handedly saves them, he's now a wanted man because he gets blamed for bringing the aliens to Earth in the first place. That sounds just like the humanity I know and hate, doesn't it?

The woman "mysteriously" referred to in previous books shows up and my goodness, I did not like her. It is now wonder she and Jason are ex's. She does what she wants without thinking of the consequences or about what she is trying to accomplish and Jason just goes along with it.  Thankfully, she gets relocated back to earth and we won't, hopefully, have to deal with her in future books. This sets things up for Jason to hook up with the alien Captain instead, at least she acts like a mature adult.

The various battles were pretty good but Omega Force had a lot of petty word fighting amongst it's members. Not banter, but spiteful little girl style spats. It really seemed out of character and I'm not sure exactly what Dalzelle was trying to accomplish with it.

The Servants of the Storm (Pillars of Reality #5)

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Title: The Servants of the Storm
Series: Pillars of Reality #5
Author: Jack Campbell
Rating: 3.5 of 5 Stars
Genre: SFF
Pages: 320
Format: Kindle digital edition

Synopsis:

The Great Guilds are trying harder than ever to get rid of Mari and have joined hands with the Empire, even though that will probably spell their demise. Guilds and Empire both realize that Mari has a source of hidden tech and they all want it for themselves. Mari, Alain and 3 others must make a daring journey back to Marandur to rescue the texts.

Mari must also balance her presence in Tiea by making it her base of operations but without taking over the monarchy. It doesn't help that another Heir to the Throne shows up and starts taking over.

But in the end, all roads will lead back to Dorcastle and Alain's visions.

My Thoughts:

My least favorite of the books so far. Not to say this was bad in any way, it just didn't keep me riveted like the previous books. I'd find myself putting the book down and checking my feed or something.

Part of that was the continued reiteration of Alain's "mage'ness". I get it, he doesn't show emotion. Or, he sees emotions in others that isn't easily visible to non-mages. There were a couple of other things as well that Campbell has repeated since book 1 that just started to bother me. I'm guessing part of it is that I've read this much closer to book 4 than book 4 was to book 3, etc. You follow me there?

The final "meh" was the cover. They changed the format. It used to be all brown with a square of the characters in the center. It was very striking. With this one, while keeping the same cover artist/style,  they've added that big blue swathe and "Jack Campbell" that just overpowers the other stuff.  Phracking publishers!

Ok, on to the good stuff.

The action continues strong. There is a fantastic submarine/gun/ship/crossbow/magic/river battle as they escape from Marandur that is as good as any of the battle scenes so far. There was also a memorable one on one fight scene between the royal siblings that really showed off their different upbringings since the fall of Tiea.

Overall, a good penultimate book in the series. Nothing here dissuaded me from wanting to read the final book or from highly recommending this to any lovers of SFF.

Demelza (Poldark Saga #2) DNF@6%

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Title: Demelza
Series: Poldark Saga
Author: Winston Graham
Rating: Unrated
Genre: Historical Fiction
Pages: DNF
Format: Kindle digital edition

My Thoughts:

This DNF was definitely a "me" thing and not because there was something truly wrong or outrageous with this book.

I tried at least 4 times to get into it and each time I found myself simply not caring one whit about any of the characters or the situation they were in. Not a dislike but a complete apathy that you could drown in. So I gave up. Forcing myself to read something is just going to waste my time and I'll end up writing a completely scathing review and wasting emotional strength that I need to save for something real.

 

The Pirates of Pacta Servanda (Pillars of Reality #4)

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Title: The Pirates of Pacta Servanda
Series: The Pillars of Reality
Author: Jack Campbell
Rating: 4 of 5 Stars
Genre: SFF
Pages: 322
Format: Kindle digital edition

Synopsis:

Mari and Alain must gather a group of mages, mechanics and skilled commons so they can begin fixing the world, by fixing the place where it truly began to break: The Kingdom of Tiae.
But Mari must not only convince other mages and mechanics to work together but she must convince those still in Tiae that she is not just some rogue, upstart mechanic trying to be a warlord. All the while the Mechanics Guild and the Mages Guild are both still hunting her and Alain, using any means possible to stop them, including pirates and dragons.

My Thoughts:

Thoroughly enjoyed this. I continue to be impressed. Mari and Alain make a very dynamic duo but they aren't perfect nor does their love "conquer all".  The romance between them isn't sappy and it really strengthens the tension in the story.

The action continues strong. Fighting pirates on the sea, yet another magical dragon, assaulting a Mechanic's Armoury and finally a warlord's host. It just never lets up.

I think that Campbell can write a duo more convincingly than he can a single character. The Lost Fleet series and the Lost Stars series are a very compelling first case and this series backs that up. It is like he can allow his characters greater leeway by bouncing off of another character, all the time, instead of being a pillar of Heroism all on their own. Even if I'm completely out to lunch on this, I still like the series where Campbell uses dual main characters.

I also just found out that the rest of the series [2 more books] is out. So I'll be getting those pronto and putting them into my High Priority list on my kindle. Which means that maybe I'll be done with those 2 books by February? What a tough life, eh?

A Natural History of Dragons (A Memoir by Lady Trent #1)

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Title: A Natural History of Dragons
Series: A Memoir by Lady Trent
Author: Marie Brennan
Rating: 3.5 of 5 Stars
Genre: SFF
Pages: 335
Format: Kindle digital edition

Synopsis: Spoilers

Isabella has always wanted to know more about dragons, ever since she was a young girl. But living in Victorian Times limits her options severely.
Thankfully, her parents are smart and marry her off to a man who is also interested in dragons. Before you know it, Isabella has wheedled her way into an expedition to study dragons. An expedition where she learns how rough the outside world is, where they uncover a scheme of great wealth and eventually where her husband dies.

All told from the perspective of Isabella, now Lady Trent, in her 80's as she looks back over her life.

My Thoughts:

The only other Marie Brennan book I've read was Doppleganger, and it was so bad that I DNF'd it back in '10. With that in the back of my mind, I went into this read with a bit of hesitation.

Thankfully, this was a grand read and it scratched that Victorian itch I get every couple of years [and which I usually fill with a Jane Austen]. I liked the Memoir style and the interjections by Lady Trent kept things from getting too intense. Watching Isabella go from a young girl who bribed her maid to let her read books from her father's library to a young widow who has to figure out how to get on with life, Isabella comes across as a real person, which for a fictionalized woman in an alternate world with dragons, is pretty good.

At times I wondered if I was reading the same author as Doppleganger but I guess the genre and memoir style were more to my liking and that always helps.
`

Shattered Spear (Lost Stars #4) (Lost Fleet)

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Title: Shattered Spear
Series: Lost Stars
Author: Jack Campbell
Rating: 4 of 5 Stars
Genre: SFF
Pages: 350
Format: Kindle digital edition

Synopsis:

Iceni and Drakon deal with a plethora of threats. The Enigma's wipe out a near by system and begin to build up a base. The Syndics are sending more ships against Midway to take it back. A Warlord, who has personal enmity against Iceni, has arisen and is starting to build a systems wide group.
At the same time Roh AND Togo both appear to be going after the other's former chief, ie, Iceni and Drakon.
Thankfully, Drakon and Iceni make nice and get hitched at the end. Nothing says "Romance" like a nice contract while wearing battle armor and your former aide is trying to kill your lover.

My Thoughts:

Once again, Campbell does not disappoint with this latest Lost Stars book.

My only complaints are as such:

• Stop including Syndic/Alliance stereotypes just so characters can renege them to show how much they've changed. We get it. Midway is trying to go its own way. Stop beating me over the head with that.
• Give me more ground forces fighting. Having the Midway forces give up on taking the Enigma's base was realistic, but it wasn't fun to read about. Give me some room by room clearing action. Space shotguns, Doom style!

Considering that those are my only "complaints", I'm pretty happy. This is something like the 14th or 15th Lost Fleet Universe book by Campbell and I'm still not bored. I'm not mad at him for not finishing things up. I do hope that he wraps up individual story lines [like Jack "Black" Geary and the Lost Fleet: Beyond the Frontier series], but if he wants to keep writing spin off series/stories with new characters, I'd be great with that.

Finally, the cover. I've been really enjoying these Lost Stars covers and I hope that they keep the same artist for as long as the series runs. They are truly representative of the "feel" of these books.

Venetia

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Title: Venetia
Series: -----
Author: Georgette Heyer
Rating: 1 of 5 Stars
Genre: Romance
Pages: 375
Format: Kindle digital edition

Synopsis:

Venetia, a young woman who has been kept cloistered her whole life, has an encounter with a Rake where she is almost raped.
So naturally, she falls in love with him.
Family and Friends drama ensue, Venetia throws herself at Damerel and he takes her in self defense. The End.

My Thoughts:

This was a journey into Madness. I was obviously delirious after my 2500th Review and the endorphins were in control. That is the only thing I can think of as to why I agreed to MurderbyDeath and BookCupidity's request. However, the whole experience was fun.  The updates were interesting. They also kept me going when I wanted to quit. So thank you everyone who read along.

So, basically, there were little bits of humorous conversation gold that then were covered in excrement. Damerel's assault and declaration of would-be rape. The information that Venetia's mom was NOT dead but had simply married a rich man and been living abroad.

All of the various updates by people can be found with the "bookstooge lady romance project" tag added to this post.

Without a lot of detail, this was everything I thought a modern "romance" book would be.  A female wish fulfillment book. Heyer is NO Austen. The extensive overuse of comma's were just the gravestone on this book for me.

Kingfisher

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Title: Kingfisher
Series: -----
Author: Patricia McKillip
Rating: 4.5 of 5 Stars
Genre: Fantasy
Pages: 352
Format: Kindle Digital Editions




 


Synopsis:
A fairy tale taking place in a modern world similar to Maine. Magic, motorcycles and cooking all collide.
A young cook, a young bastard prince and an evil rogue magician king duel it out for this world's version of the Holy Grail. And because it is McKillip, it is like reading a dream, a wonderful silky dream.

My Thoughts:
I read McKillip's last book, Bards of Bone Plain, back in '11. She had moved from a fantasy era to a 1920'ish style of era while keeping the magic. In Kingfisher she moves on to a fully modern world. Cell phones, motorcycles, personal lasers [!] and limos abound. But McKillip, in her inestimable way, weaves it effortlessly into a magic fairytale dealing with King Arthur, his knights [on motorcycles no less] and the Holy Grail.

There is nothing new in this book that will draw you to McKillip if you don't already like her style. If you do like her lyrical poetry, then this offers more of the same. I was mesmerized, after I got into the rhythm of her writing, and was quite surprised when I looked down and saw I had read 95% of the book. That was a good "surprised", just to be clear.

I like her writing, I like her stories and so I don't have much else to say. This did make me want to re-read all the other stuff of hers that I read years ago. We'll see.

He Fell in Love with His Wife (Classic)

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Title: He Fell in Love with His Wife
Series: -----
Author: Edward Roe
Rating: 4 of 5 Stars
Genre: Romance
Pages: 308
Format: Kindle digital edition







Synopsis:
A farmer's wife dies and leaves him on his own. After several disastrous attempts at hiring women to take care of his domestic needs, he enters into a business marriage with a woman who has been used, lied to and cast aside.
What neither of them expects is to fall in love with the other. However, when the cad who ruined the woman returns, all comes into the open and love and justice prevail.

My Thoughts:
After the Best Book of 2015 came from Roe (His Sombre Rivals) I deliberately lowered my expectations for this book.

In some ways that was a good thing. This was a rather dry romance. It was a romance that I could believe in. Nothing like those pornographic books today that are called romance but are not much more than passion and sex. It also wasn't the Jane Austen variety of romance [of which I am a big fan] with its funny, quirky, irascible, heroic and villainous characters who were in very circumscribed circumstances. However, what this was a romance that dealt with some deep issues and had some weight behind it.

A couple of things that I really did like:


1) One night a group of young men come to the cottage and perform some backwoods thingy, where they scream and insult the wife and husband. Well, the farmer knows that what they are saying is false but the wife doesn't and she is so afraid that she faints. The farmer then gets a hickory stick and beats the boys black and blue. But all the while he knows the boys aren't trying to harm his wife and he doesn't hold a grudge. He is punishing them for frightening her and to teach them to think before they act.

2) Near the end of the book the farmer confronts the man who ruined Mrs Farmer's reputation [by marrying her and hiding the fact that he was already married] and whips the man until he leaves.

Men are creatures of violent natures, even those most inclined to peace and tranquility. Most of the time we see that violent nature at its worst; in murder, in abuse, in rape. But when properly channeled and in a right cause, a violent man is a thing of wonder to behold.

So overall this book was a success for me. I have several more of Roe's book in my Calibre library and I am glad that I'll be reading more of him.

The Assassins of Altis (Pillars of Reality #3)

This review is written with a GPL 3.0 license and the rights contained therein shall supersede all TOS by any and all websites in regards to copying and sharing without proper authorization and permissions. Crossposted at Bookstooge.booklikes.blogspot. wordpress.leafmarks.com & Bookstooge's Reviews on the Road Facebook Group by Bookstooge's Exalted Permission.
Title: The Assassins of Altis
Series: Pillars of Reality
Author: Jack Campbell
Rating: 4 of 5 Stars
Genre: SFF
Pages: 329
Format: Kindle






Synopsis:
Mari and Alain have escaped Marandur. But they are constantly on the run from the Guilds. They must make their way to the Tower of Altis, where there are records that can help Mari, who has now accepted her role as the Daughter of Jules, decide how she will proceed to stop the Storm and save Dematr.
And she and Alain get married.

My Thoughts:
Each time I start these books, I wonder if I'm going to like it and that maybe THIS is the time that Jack Campbell lets me down. I don't know why. I suspect some of it has to do with it being young adult and I'm just naturally suspicious of that label.

However, THIS book was not THAT book. It did not disappoint.

In fact, I would describe this as a madcap flurry of fights and "barely made it" escapes. It also showcases Mari coming into her own as the Daughter of Jules and how she actually IS bringing Mechanics, Mages and Commons together.

With the political situation here in the US, I realized that this book is about Hope. Not about someone who will promise you what you want or even say they agree with what you believe. I think that spoke to me more than anything because I am fast losing hope that humanity can keep on muddling on without catastrophic consequences.

On a completely different note. With the revelations about the origins of the Mechanics, it was made evident that this whole series is based on one of Campbell's short stories in his book Ad Astra. In that story, a spaceship emergency lands on a planet, where the crew turn the ship rules into a religion and force the passengers to be their servants. It was one of those "ah ha!" moments that I do enjoy so much.

Atlantis Endgame (Time Traders #7) DNF@5%

This review is written with a GPL 3.0 license and the rights contained therein shall supersede all TOS by any and all websites in regards to copying and sharing without proper authorization and permissions. Crossposted at Bookstooge.booklikes.blogspot.wordpress.leafmarks.com & Bookstooge's Reviews on the Road Facebook Group by Bookstooge's Exalted Permission.
Title: Atlantis Endgame
Series: Time Traders
Author: Andre Norton, Sherwood Smith
Rating: 0.5 of 5 Stars
Genre: SFF
Pages: DNF
Format: Digital scan







My Thoughts:

The following quote from the book epitomizes why I abandoned this piece of betraying filth.

"Ross took her face in his hands so he could gaze down into those lovely brown eyes flecked with tiny bits of gold. I could swim in those eyes, he thought..."

The first 4 Time Trader books, by Norton alone, were wonderfully fun adventure stories. These previous 3 books were romance stories that hijacked the characters I had come to like and turned them into romantic caricatures of themselves. The Ross Murdoch of the Time Traders I liked would NEVER utter or think such things as the above. He was a man on a mission.

The Time Traders were betrayed by these collaborations and I for one am sick because of it. These last 3 books have now tainted the first four books for me. Good job Smith, you Chamberlain; Hitler would be proud.

Shadow Games (The Chronicles of the Black Company #5)

This review is written with a GPL 3.0 license and the rights contained therein shall supersede all TOS by any and all websites in regards to copying and sharing without proper authorization and permissions. Crossposted at Bookstooge.booklikes.blogspot. wordpress.leafmarks.com & Bookstooge's Reviews on the Road Facebook Group by Bookstooge's Exalted Permission.
Title: Shadow Games
Series: The Chronicles of the Black Company
Author: Glen Cook
Rating: of 5 Battle Axes
Genre: SFF
Pages: 320
Format: Kindle







Synopsis:
Croaker, along with the few remaining members of the Black Company, head towards a fabled city where the Black Company supposedly originated hundreds of years ago.
Along the way, they pick up a "few" more members and end up battling Taken that have faked their death.
Right at the end it looks like both Croaker [who is now the captain for the Black Company] and the Lady are dead, but I won't be sure until I read the next book.

My Thoughts:
These books are touted as "dark" and "anti-hero" and supposedly had a great influence on Steven Erikson and his epic Malazan Book of the Fallen series. I can see that but where Erikson went wrong, in my opinion, was that he left out the humor. You can only grind my nose into so much existential crap before I start to hate you as an author.

And that is why I can continue to like these books. There are grand flashes of humor at just the right points so you don't get mired down in the muck of ever ongoing battles for survival. Not laugh out loud moments, at least not for me, but deft touches that brought my spirits up and enhanced my enjoyment of reading about a group of mercenaries who really have no reason to continue their existence.

It was grand fun watching the Black Company just steam roll over all opponents for the first 90% of the book. They just couldn't lose. Which I think was a setup by Cook, on purpose. Because that last 10% made me wonder how these books were going to keep on going. So of course I'm going to keep reading. I was manipulated by Cook, realized it and ended up liking it.