Bookstooge's Reviews On the Road

Friday, May 12, 2023

Pescatel (The Hatchery) (Groo the Wanderer #17) ★★★✬☆

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: Pescatel (The Hatchery)
Series: Groo the Wanderer #17
Author: Sergio Aragones
Rating: 3.5 of 5 Stars
Genre: Comics
Pages: 24
Words: 2K

From Bookstooge.blog

Groo is lost, starving and drowning. He eventually makes it to land, finds a village surrounded by a lake filled with man eating fish and gets a job at the village being their war chief. He is sent out to destroy the villagers’ enemies. Only, being Groo, he attacks their allies and makes them their enemies. When a second ally village is called to make peace, Groo attacks them as well thinking they are the enemies. Now everybody is an enemy of the village.

But thanks to the man eating fish, the village is safe. Until Groo releases the only fish that eats the man eating fish. The villagers finally kick Groo out and he runs into the villagers enemies. And proceeds to tell them everything.

When I read the previous Groo comic, Wakizashi mentioned that #17 was the first comic he had bought with his own money and was very nostalgic about it. So I figured I’d give him a shout out because things like that are important. Why you ask? Because I said so, that’s why! And if you disagree, you can go sit in the corner without dinner and think about what a miserable wretch you are to even contemplate disagreeing with me. Wakizashi knows better and that’s why he is eating a delicious fish dinner, just like Groo.

Groo is a walking disaster. I mean, if he “could” do something the wrong way, invariably he does it the wrong way. And yet he always walks away from the situation alive, even if he should have died. Aragones knows this is the formula and as such doesn’t try to put pat endings on the comics. For example, in this issue the last page is of Groo walking into an ambush by the original villagers who hired him. Aragones doesn’t show the battle but we know we’re going to see Groo next issue, even if he’s hurt and bleeding, hahahaa.

The other thing is just how ridiculous Groo continually is. I’m going to include a page from the comic to illustrate this. I laughed hard enough when I read that Mrs B had to ask what was going on. When I said “I’m reading a Groo comic”, she just rolled her eyes and understood.

This whole page just sums up Groo to perfection.

★★★✬☆

All of My “Groo the Wanderer” Reviews

Thursday, May 11, 2023

The Con Man (87th Precinct) ★★★✬☆

Title: The Con Man
Series: 87^th Precinct
Author: Ed McBain
Rating: 3.5 of 5 Stars
Genre: Crime Fiction
Pages: 150
Words: 51K

From the Publisher

A con man is plying his trade on the streets of Isola: conning a domestic for pocket change, businessmen for thousands, and even ladies in exchange for a little bit of love. You can see the world, meet a lot of nice people, imbibe some unique drinks, and make a ton money…all by conning them for their cash.

The question is: How far is he willing to go?

When a young woman’s body washes up in the Harb River, the answer to that question becomes tragically clear. Now Detective Steve Carella races against time to find him before another con turns deadly. The only clue he has to go on is the mysterious tattoo on the young woman’s hand—but it’s enough. Carella takes to the streets, searching its darkest corners for a man who cons his victims out of their money…and their lives.

The synopsis is very misleading, in that it makes it seem like there is only ONE con man doing his thing. Well, there isn’t. I won’t tell you how many though, because that would be, GASP, a spoiler and heaven forbid you read a spoiler for a book from 1957! (and by the way, Leia is Luke’s sister) Plus, everyone knows by now that Bookstooge.blog is a completely Spoiler Free Zone and I never tell anyone anything. You bunch of saps…

This wasn’t nearly as “gritty” as the Pusher and I am very thankful for that. McBain doesn’t go into graphic detail about the murders, so that’s good too. And it’s hard to be “gritty” about con men tricking people out of 5 dollars, or 50 dollars or 500 dollars. Basically, trust nobody and you’ll be safe. That’s my philosophy and it would have helped the poor marks who were fleeced in the story.

If it’s too good to be true, then it’s too good to be true. That is true whether you’re talking about money or love. Be happy and satisfied with what you have. Otherwise you’re going to end up losing what you do have. Don’t be stupid.

Well, if you really want to be stupid, you can be. But I’m going to have to charge you for being stupid on my blog. And that’s going to cost you a cool $20 American. Just leave your name, address, mother’s maiden name, credit card number, expiration date and cvw number down in the comments. It’ll be a sacrifice, but I’ll take your data and bilk you. But remember, I warned you, so it’s your fault.

★★★✬☆

All My “87^th Precinct” Reviews

Wednesday, May 10, 2023

Scramble (One Piece #39) ★★★✬☆

Title: Scramble
Series: One Piece #39
Arc: Water Seven #8
Author: Eiichiro Oda
Rating: 3.5 of 5 Stars
Genre: Manga
Pages: 207
Words: 10K

From Wikipedia:

“Sea Train Battle Game”

“Ramen Kung Fu”

“You’re Not Alone”

“The Honorable Captain T-Bone”

“Plastic Surgery”

“Necessary Evil”

“Scramble”

“The Supermen of Enies Lobby”

“I Got It!!”

“The Big Showdown on the Judiciary Island”

As they move through the train looking for Robin, Sanji, Usopp, and Franky deal with the lesser members of Cipher Pol. Although they find her, Robin does not allow herself to be saved. CP9 captures Franky again, kicks Sanji and Usopp from the train, and continues on to Enies Lobby. Sanji and Usopp wait along the tracks, and reunite with Luffy and the others when they go by. They arrive at the judiciary island soon after CP9 does and engage the forces of the world government in order to get Robin back.

This was an absolute action packed volume. To the point where there were pages where I didn’t even bother trying to figure out the details of what was happening because all that mattered was that several characters were fighting. I have to admit, I am not a big fan of how Oda-san draws his action scenes. He might know exactly what he’s trying to convey and can see it himself, but for me, it is just a big swirly mess.

The crew keep increasing in power and I have to say, I really like Usopp becoming the Sniper King. And Luffy’s reaction to him is hilarious. Luffy thinks he’s a super hero because he wears a cape, hahahahaa. Good stuff.

With more info about the World Government, this world is really starting to remind me of the Warhammer 40,000 Universe, ie, there is no good side and power is all that matters. The CP9, the supposed arbiters of Justice, are as corrupt, ruthless and unprincipled as any pirate villain we’ve seen so far. At this point, I’d throw my hat into the pirate ring just to oppose them, they’re that bad. It doesn’t speak well of the WG that they employ and condone such characters.

This volume ends with the Straw Hats and Franky’s gang having broken into the Island where Robin is going to be judged. All of the CP9 are there as well as 10,000 WG marines. So I expect the fights will be continuous and non-stop in the next volume as well.

★★★✬☆

All My “One Piece” Reviews

Tuesday, May 09, 2023

Julius Caesar ★★★✬☆

Title: Julius Caesar
Author: William Shakespeare
Rating: 3.5 of 5 Stars
Genre: Play
Pages: 192
Words: 55K

From Wikipedia:

The play opens with two tribunes (appointed leaders/officials of Rome) discovering the commoners of Rome celebrating Julius Caesar’s triumphant return from defeating the sons of his military rival, Pompey. The tribunes, insulting the crowd for their change in loyalty from Pompey to Caesar, attempt to end the festivities and break up the commoners, who return the insults. During the feast of Lupercal, Caesar holds a victory parade and a soothsayer warns him to “Beware the ides of March,” which he ignores. Meanwhile, Cassius attempts to convince Brutus to join his conspiracy to kill Caesar. Although Brutus, friendly towards Caesar, is hesitant to kill him, he agrees that Caesar may be abusing his power. They then hear from Casca that Mark Antony has offered Caesar the crown of Rome three times. Casca tells them that each time Caesar refused it with increasing reluctance, hoping that the crowd watching would insist that he accept the crown. He describes how the crowd applauded Caesar for denying the crown, and how this upset Caesar. On the eve of the ides of March, the conspirators meet and reveal that they have forged letters of support from the Roman people to tempt Brutus into joining. Brutus reads the letters and, after much moral debate, decides to join the conspiracy, thinking that Caesar should be killed to prevent him from doing anything against the people of Rome if he were ever to be crowned.

After ignoring the soothsayer, as well as his wife Calpurnia’s own premonitions, Caesar goes to the Senate. The conspirators approach him with a fake petition pleading on behalf of Metellus Cimber’s banished brother. As Caesar predictably rejects the petition, Casca and the others suddenly stab him; Brutus is last. At this point, Caesar utters the famous line “Et tu, Brute?”[2] (“And you, Brutus?”, i.e. “You too, Brutus?”), concluding with “Then fall, Caesar!”

The conspirators make clear that they committed this killing for the good of Rome, to prevent an autocrat. They prove this by not attempting to flee the scene. Brutus delivers an oration defending his actions, and for the moment, the crowd is on his side. However, Antony makes a subtle and eloquent speech over Caesar’s corpse, beginning with the much-quoted “Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears!”[3] In this way, he deftly turns public opinion against the assassins by manipulating the emotions of the common people, in contrast to the rational tone of Brutus’s speech, yet there is a method in his rhetorical speech and gestures: he reminds them of the good Caesar had done for Rome, his sympathy with the poor, and his refusal of the crown at the Lupercal, thus questioning Brutus’s claim of Caesar’s ambition; he shows Caesar’s bloody, lifeless body to the crowd to have them shed tears and gain sympathy for their fallen hero; and he reads Caesar’s will, in which every Roman citizen would receive 75 drachmas. Antony, even as he states his intentions against it, rouses the mob to drive the conspirators from Rome. Amid the violence, an innocent poet, Cinna, is confused with the conspirator Lucius Cinna and is taken by the mob, which kills him for such “offenses” as his bad verses.

Brutus next attacks Cassius for supposedly soiling the noble act of regicide by having accepted bribes. (“Did not great Julius bleed for justice’ sake? / What villain touched his body, that did stab, / And not for justice?”[4]) The two are reconciled, especially after Brutus reveals that his beloved wife committed suicide under the stress of his absence from Rome; they prepare for a civil war against Antony and Caesar’s adopted son, Octavius, who have formed a triumvirate in Rome with Lepidus. That night, Caesar’s ghost appears to Brutus with a warning of defeat. (He informs Brutus, “Thou shalt see me at Philippi.”[5])

At the battle, Cassius and Brutus, knowing that they will probably both die, smile their last smiles to each other and hold hands. During the battle, Cassius has his servant kill him after hearing of the capture of his best friend, Titinius. After Titinius, who was not captured, sees Cassius’s corpse, he commits suicide. However, Brutus wins that stage of the battle, but his victory is not conclusive. With a heavy heart, Brutus battles again the next day. He asks his friends to kill him, but the friends refuse. He loses and commits suicide by running on his sword, held for him by a loyal soldier.

The play ends with a tribute to Brutus by Antony, who proclaims that Brutus has remained “the noblest Roman of them all”[6] because he was the only conspirator who acted, in his mind, for the good of Rome. There is then a small hint at the friction between Antony and Octavius which characterizes another of Shakespeare’s Roman plays, Antony and Cleopatra.

This was the most enjoyable play of ol’ Shakes that I’ve read in quite some time. I don’t know if it’s because I can appreciate Brutus and his reasoning about why he had to assassinate Caesar or having a group of more mature characters helped, but whatever the reason, I found myself quite enjoying this.

My only issue with Brutus and his actions was that he had decided Caesar was going to take power even though he had declined it three times previously. What gave him that idea? What had Caesar done? Nothing as far as I could tell. But Brutus had the idea stuck in his head and so he murdered a man over something he hadn’t done yet. I’m all for preventative action but that’s taking it a titchy bit too far.

Bad form, old chap, bad form I say!

★★★✬☆

All My Shakespeare Reviews

Monday, May 08, 2023

Return to Haven (Empire Rising #3) ★★★✬☆

Title: Return to Haven
Series: Empire Rising #3
Author: David Holmes
Rating: 3.5 of 5 Stars
Genre: SF
Pages: 290
Words: 111K

From the Publisher and Bookstooge.blog

The revelation that the human race is not alone has sent shockwaves throughout Earth’s naval powers. Suddenly all eyes have turned to Haven and the trade routes to the Vestarian and Kulrean homeworlds.

Thinking he has nothing to lose, Haven’s First Councilor puts into motion a plan that threatens to turn star empire against star empire. As a result, Captain James Somerville finds himself thrown into the thick of battle once again. Yet not everyone in the Admiralty is enamored with his brash style of command and this time, his reckless actions may finally catch up with him.

James faces a court martial that is used by the politicians to gain popular support for annexing Haven and he marries one of Haven’s leading politicians.

Meanwhile, India has invaded Haven and means to subdue it before any other of the Space Powers can do anything to stop them.

Captain Happy Pants, to help bring the lost colony of Haven into the British Fold, marries Sexy Lost Politician, thus making her Lady Happy Pants. So long Ensign Captain Chicky Boo. You will be missed.

With Space India invading Haven, a group of special marines go all guerilla warfare with the dissidents. It was the kind of action I like. There was still a lot of space action though, with missiles and lasers and stuff, so if that does it for you, you’ll still enjoy this.

While I am not wildly excited about this series, I am thoroughly satisfied with each book so far. That’s all I can truly ask for.

★★★✬☆

All of My “Empire Rising” Reviews

Celestial Prism - MTG 4th Edition

Sunday, May 07, 2023

The Rogue Retrieval (Gateways to Alissia #1) ★★★✬☆

Title: The Rogue Retrieval
Series: Gateways to Alissia #1
Author: Dan Koboldt
Rating: 3.5 of 5 Stars
Genre: Fantasy
Pages: 263
Words: 90K

From the authors site & Bookstooge.blog

Stage magician Quinn Bradley dedicated his life to a single purpose: headlining for a major casino on the Las Vegas strip. But just before his dreams come true, two modern mercenaries show up to make him a puzzling offer. Half a million dollars for six months on a private assignment. Their corporate employer has discovered – and kept secret – a gateway to a pristine medieval world called Alissia.

For fifteen years, they’ve studied it beneath a shroud of secrecy. Now, the head of their research team has gone AWOL, with a backpack full of disruptive technology. They’re sending in a retrieval team, and they want Quinn Bradley to come along. His talents for illusion, backed with the company’s considerable resources, should make for some convincing magic.

It will need to be convincing. Because Alissia has the real thing.

The AWOL guy is now the King of the most powerful country on Alissia and Quinn finds out the hard way that impersonating a magician is a very serious matter. Quinn ends up in Magician Land and the rest of the crew try to make it back to the portal as they dodge assassins from a rival corporation.

Everyone who is still alive makes it back to Earth and the book ends with Quinn getting contacted for another mission, which he is eager to take.

Mogsy reviewed Koboldt’s latest book, Silver Queendom, back in October and that put him on my radar. Glad she did.

Portal fantasy. Pretty decent. Plan on reading the rest of the trilogy. Not much else to say. Not because anything was bad but because I’m tired of writing. Maybe I’ll have more to say about the next book. Probably depends on how many other reviews I write the same day.

Oh wait, there was an awesome He-Man easter egg in this book. I chortled quite jollily when I read it. Yep, now I’m done.

★★★✬☆

Saturday, May 06, 2023

Blogshido: The Way of the Blogger

Blogshido. The Art of Blogging. The Way of the Words Warrior. Keyboard Ninjitsu. This ancient art is as many faceted as there are people who practice it. I will not even attempt to cover everything associated with this wondrous art today, but instead I will focus on the specific kata known as The Monthly Review.

I have made this aspect of Blogshido fully my own. To the point where I have a kata all my own, which I call the Roundup & Ramblings. Now, it might surprise you (but hopefully not) to learn that I began to practice R&R not because everyone else was doing it and I wanted to be popular and fit in. Someone who is reading this may even think to themselves “Then what is the point?”. I forgive you and to show that I really have, I have a cookie, a nice glass of milk and your binky blanket just waiting for your nap-nap.

POINT ONE to Bookstooge-san for discombobulating his opponent

Other practitioners of the Monthly Review have their own reasons and methods. My goal is not to judge them. A true master of Blogshido knows what works for him may not work for others and accepts that knowledge, thus making him even more Masterly.

POINT TWO to Bookstooge-san for being so masterly

No, my goal in starting my Roundup & Ramblings were very simple. A very small force may redirect a larger force away from itself and thus Blogshido teaches us that small efforts not only can be effective but that they use less effort and thus prolong your stamina in a battle.

POINT THREE to Bookstooge-san for prolonging his stamina and thus being able to blog for years and years and years.

My blog is mainly a review blog of books with a smattering of non-review posts thrown in. Soon after being married it became evident to both Mrs B and me that she had zero interest in the books I was reading and reviewing but was very interested in the random thoughts that popped out of my head. This laid the foundation of me linking up all of my non-review posts in one easy to access place.

POINT FOUR to Bookstooge-san for thinking of his wife

Once I began doing that, I realized that it didn’t need to stay there and I could include lots ~~and lots of ads~~, errr, data. Thus the power of Blogshido came full circle. My kata of Roundup & Ramblings ended where it had begun. I was using my own energy to power others which in turn empowered me to overcome them all. Thus my mastery was complete.

POINT SET, MATCH AND WIN for Bookstooge-san winning at Blogshido

I bow humbly before you all, as a true master.

Friday, May 05, 2023

Business (Bone #20) ★★★☆☆

Title: Business
Series: Bone #20
Author: Jeff Smith
Rating: 3 of 5 Stars
Genre: Comics
Pages: 21
Words: 1K

From Boneville.fandom.com/wiki/

Fone Bone, Thorn, and Gran’ma Ben continue their trek to Barrelhaven. Upon reaching an overlook of the village, Fone Bone remarks that the Barrelhaven looks peaceful, to which Gran’ma Ben warns that “looks can be decieving.”

At the tavern, dragons are on the villagers’ minds. When approached by Lucius with an offer of another round, Wendell and Euclid refuse, but immediately accept an offer from Smiley, as do other patrons. Lucius becomes infuriated at the town’s obsession, and Phoney and Smiley muse over their plans, with Phoney admitting he has no plans to slay a dragon, as they aren’t really dangerous. When Jonathan Oaks orders from their end of the bar, Lucius confronts Phoney in the pantry. To Phoney’s protests, he plans to call off the bet, as he doesn’t find it worth riling up a mob, and because Phoney is disrespecting the Dragons’ wishes to remain hidden. Phoney challenges Lucius to tell the villagers the truth, but leaves him fuming when he makes no action to do so.

In the woods, Gran’ma suffers an attack of the Gitchy Feeling. The trio is ambushed by one of the Two Stupid Rat creatures.

Phoney is scum of the earth. I mean, he’d make a perfect villain here. It is really tough trying to figure how to deal with him here. Yes, he’s Fone’s cousin and doesn’t seem to want to bring harm to Fone but on the other hand, he’s willing to do almost anything to anyone to get what he wants. His little talk with Lucius about “honesty” was the real kicker for me. He twists the meanings of words to make them do what he wants and he manipulates them so as to manipulate Lucius too. He’s exactly the kind of person that should be throttled, because he’s pure poison. We do find out from Lucius that the dragon wants to remain hidden. Why? We still don’t know.

The ending with Fone, Thorn and Gran’ma Ben getting ambushed by 2 rat creatures is supposed to be tension filled and create that “oh no, what is going to happen” feeling, thus leading you on to buy the next issue when it comes out. The rat creatures are so incredibly stupid though, so I’m expecting something very clownish to happen that’ll rescue Our Crew.

I’ve also decided that I’ll read up through issue 27 and then make the switch to the omnibus versions. Those contain 7-10 issues in each volume and thus you get a lot more story in a volume. But that won’t be until the end of this year at the earliest. I hope I can hold on until then 🙂

★★★☆☆

All My “Bone” Reviews

Thursday, May 04, 2023

World War Cthulhu (Cthulhu Anthology #9) ★★★★☆

Title: World War Cthulhu
Series: Cthulhu Anthology #9
Editor: Glynn Barrass
Rating: 4 of 5 Stars
Genre: Cosmic Horror
Pages: 365
Words: 137K

From the Publisher & Table of Contents:

The world is at war against things that slink and gibber in the darkness, and titans that stride from world to world, sewing madness and death. War has existed in one form or another since the dawn of human civilization, and before then, Elder terrors battled it out across this planet and this known universe in ways unimaginable.

It has always been a losing battle for our side since time began. Incidents like the Innsmouth raid, chronicled by H.P. Lovecraft, mere blips of victory against an insurmountable foe. Still we fight, against these incredible odds, in an unending nightmare, we fight, and why? For victory, for land, for a political ideal? No, mankind fights for survival.

Our authors, John Shirley, Mark Rainey, Wilum Pugmire, William Meikle, Tim Curran, Jeffrey Thomas and many others have gathered here to share war stories from the eternal struggle against the darkness. This book chronicles these desperate battles from across the ages, including Roman Britain, The American Civil War, World War Two, The Vietnam Conflict, and even into the far future.

Table of Contents

Loyalty by John Shirley

The Game Changers by Stephen Mark Rainey

White Feather by T.E. Grau

To Hold Ye White Husk by W.H. Pugmire

Sea Nymph’s Son by Robert M. Price

The Boonieman by Edward M. Erdelac

The Turtle by Neil Baker

The Bullet and the Flesh by David Conyers & David Kernot

Broadsword by William Meikle

The Ithiliad by Christine Morgan

The Sinking City by Konstantine Paradias

Shape of a Snake by Cody Goodfellow

Mysterious Ways by C.J. Henderson

Magna Mater by Edward Morris

Dark Cell by Brian M. Sammons and Glynn Owen Barrass

Cold War, Yellow Fever by Pete Rawlik

Stragglers from Carrhae by Darrell Schweitzer

The Procyon Project by Tim Curran

Wunderwaffe by Jeffrey Thomas

A Feast of Death by Lee Clark Zumpe

Long Island Weird by Charles Christian

The Yoth Protocols by Josh Reynolds

Much, MUCH better than that stupid Black Wings of Cthulhu I read previously. This was proper cosmic horror with eldrich elder gods being summoned to our world. Of course, most of the stories end with the main characters being able to fight off the intrusions, but it came down more to the eldrich power simply not caring enough to make the effort to overcome the main characters. But the stories where the eldrich horrors do break through, oooooooh yeah, it gets baaaaaaad. And that is goooood!

One of the stories is a King in Yellow story, Cold War, Yellow Fever, and that is what elevated this from a pretty good 3 ½ star read to a darn good 4 star read. It was about what an extrusion of Carcosa into Cuba would look like during the 1960’s. While the King himself doesn’t make an appearance, his domain of madness is enough and I loved every second of it.

Even outside of that, the stories were pretty good. No fancy pants pretentious wankers writing balderdash but instead we had authors writing cracking entertaining stories about the madness hiding in the darkness, just waiting to devour us. THAT is what Cosmic Horror is about.

Glynn Barrass was one of the editors and so far, he’s done excellent work in the stories he’s chosen. Well done sir, well done. Now let’s have a cage match between him and that pustulent excrescence ST Joshi.

★★★★☆

All of My “Cthulhu Anthology” Reviews