The Dragon Slayer (Bone #20-27) 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 Dragon Slayer
Series: Bone #20-27
Author: Jeff Smith
Rating: 3 of 5 Stars
Genre: Graphic Novel
Pages: 176
Words: 8K

What a world of difference. I read this omnibus and instead of feeling angry and pissed off at Smith for being a jerk whose face I wanted to punch in, I actually enjoyed this.

Unfortunately, Smith’s proclivity for stretching things out is still quite prominent, but reading a much bigger chunk of the story all at once helps negate the feeling that he’s shafting you as a customer.

I’m definitely going to stick to reading the omnibus versions instead of the standalones. But it still makes me wonder just how readers stood it back in the day. I was ready to commit murder and I know that there were times the issues were delayed, so people would have had to wait 2 months instead of just 1 month for a measly little no-nothing don’t advance storyline.

I really thought about upping this to 3.5stars, but wasn’t sure if my enjoyment was because I actually enjoyed the story itself or just the pure blessed relief of actually getting some forward momentum for the story because of the omnibus format. I decided to play it safe and we’ll see how things go next month.

I’m also going to be tagging these with the graphic novel tag instead of the comic tag. For me, the labels are more about the format than the actual content. Sure, this was still a comic. But anything over 75pages just seems more like a novel to me while a comic denotes anything from 20-70 pages, like the Asterix books for example.

★★★☆☆

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From Boneville.fandom.com

Stick Eater

Ever since Phoney Bone claimed he was a dragon slayer, he was the town’s people’s favorite and he was on his way for winning the bet. A hooded figure rests in the Barrelhaven tavern who the villagers call a Stick-Eater. When Smiley comes to get receive payment from the stranger, Lucius advises him not to and gives the pilgrim his share on his behalf. Wendell didn’t believe it was wise to provide the stick-eater a meal claiming they were in cahoots with the dragons, when Lucius asked if he had any problem with it, Wendell answered no, but he would receive his beers from Smiley from now on.

Business

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.

Earth and Sky

The Two Stupid Rat Creatures bicker over whether to bake Fone Bone, Thorn, and Gran’ma Ben in a quiche, or make stew from their bones. They are interrupted by Gran’ma Ben, attacking them with her sword. They retreat, and Gran’ma gives Thorn her sword, which agitates the rat creatures. Gran’ma suggests that Thorn may be close to The Turning. She interrogates one of the Two Stupid Rat Creatures, who confesses that they have been ordered to evacuate the valley, but is interrupted by Kingdok, who knocks out Thorn and Fone Bone, and attacks Gran’ma Ben. Fone Bone comes to, and calls for the Dragon’s help.

Smiley hears Fone Bone’s faint calling, but Phoney has another problem – the customers are nursing their beers. The pair suggest various possibilities, and Smiley mentions the Midsummer’s Day Picnic, which Lucius kept secret from Phoney. Smiley and Wendell both hear Fone Bone calling, and a search party goes out to find them in the woods. Wendell and Euclid find blood all over the ground and trees.

Kingdok continues to throw Gran’ma Ben through the woods, hitting her against a tree and discussing how much he hates the Flat-Landers. As he is about to kill her, Thorn ambushes Kingdok and slices off his arm with Gran’ma’s sword. He suffers an attack of the Gitchy Feeling, and hallucinates Gran’ma and thorn as queen and princess respectively. He cries out, and the Two Stupid Rat Creatures escort him off into the night. Fone Bone finds Gran’ma Ben and Thorn, and dress Gran’ma’s wounds as she warns Thorn that the Lord of the Locusts is seeking her.

Council in the Dark

In the woods, Kingdok has collapsed and the Two Stupid Rat Creatures are in a panic. they try to stop the bleeding and one blames the other for attacking the trio. They realize what the Hooded One will do to them if Kingdok dies, but soon realize that he is the only one who knows they disobeyed the evacuation order, and if he dies the Hooded One will blame Thorn and Gran’ma Ben. They agree to flee and go into hiding, and they abandon Kingdok in the forest.

Thorn bandages Gran’ma Ben, who explains that Thorn is a Veni-Yan-Cari who can walk between the Realms of the Awaken and Dreaming. Fone Bone volunteers to defend Thorn, and Gran’ma Ben suggests that the Hooded One may be a rogue Disciple of Venu – an ancient religion that studies the dreams. She is afraid that the Hooded One will sacrifice either Thorn or Phoney to free the Lord of the Locusts, and decides to take Thorn to Atheia. Thorn refuses and lashes out at Gran’ma. Despite Gran’ma’s protests, Thorn storms off into the woods. Gran’ma gives Fone Bone her sword, and an amulet, and tells him to find Thorn and warn Lucius about the Lord of the Locusts. Fone Bone races after Thorn, and Gran’ma Ben runs into the forest.

Fone Bone gives Thorn the sword, and they reach Barrelhaven – which has been walled off. Jonathan Oaks explains that Lucius never came back from his search. Jon refuses to let Fone Bone and Thorn in, under orders from the new boss – Phoney Bone.

The Straggler

Once again, The Hooded One comes before the Locust. She reports that the men of Pawa have allied themselves with the Locust and the Rat creatures, that Thorn, the Red Dragon, the Bones, and Gran’ma Ben are all in Barrelhaven, and that Kingdok was badly wounded, which may mean Thorn is turning. The Hooded One questions the Locust’s plans, but the Locust assures her that it is her above all else who the Locust loves. If she frees him, she will never lose him again.

Fone Bone, Smiley Bone, and Thorn’s search party find no trace of Gran’ma Ben or Lucius, and Phoney invites Fone Bone to dinner. Thorn goes to sleep in the tower room, watched by the Hooded One. Fone Bone finds the big room of the bar converted to an extravagant dining hall. Phoney and Smiley admit their scheme to get out of their debt and back to Boneville in style, which Fone Bone refuses. He tries to explain to Phoney the issue with Thorn, but all his attempts are dismissed. He storms out, leaving Phoney and Smiley to revise their plan. Fone Bone encounters a baby rat creature, who leans on him, pinnign him against a tree.

Thorn dreams she is on a cliff with her grandmother, who enters a sinister cave. A hooded figure in the image of a young Gran’ma Ben beckons to her, and attempts to take her hand. She is interrupted by Fone Bone, who wakes Thorn up. He presents the cub to Thorn, who threatens to kill it if he doesn’t kick it out.

Deliver us these Laws

Jon sees Lucius approach the gate, and rouses Phoney and Smiley. The villagers clear the logs, and ask for word on Gran’ma Ben. Lucius admits he couldn’t find her. Fone Bone pulls Smiley away from the crowd, and takes him to the stables. Phoney greets Lucius, who is enraged at the new “security measures.” He realizes, however, that the village supports Phoney, and decides to sleep in the barn instead of Phoney’s offer of the kitchen.

Fone Bone shows Smiley the cub, whom he takes to immediately, feeding it a sandwich. Lucius enters the barn and Fone Bone gives him the amulet. Lucius realizes it’s the Nights of Lightning all over again, and Fone Bone explains why he was yelling the other night. Smiley wonders if Thorn will allow him to wear the crown.

Wendell notes that there never was a dragon in Barrelhaven, and that they shouldn’t be the ones trapped behind walls. The villagers agree that it’s time for Phoney to earn his keep.

Lucius, Fone Bone, and Smiley visit thorn, who breaks down in Lucius’s arms.

The Lord of the Locusts speaks through The Hooded one to the Rat Creatures and Pawans, and rallies them to take up arms against the Flat-Landers.

The Midsummer’s Day Plan

Phoney accuses Wendell of holding out on him, and travels the town taking taxes from the villagers.

Fone Bone argues that rat cub must go to the mountains, to be with the other rat creatures. Smiley suggest that they do it themselves. Thorn comes in to apologize for her behavior, and announces that she is returning to the farmhouse. Despite Fone Bone’s protests, she leaves the sword behind and leaves the barn. Fone Bone and Smiley follow her, but Smiley is distracted by Phoney making a speech about the morals of the village, and orders the townspeople to bring their valuables to him. Lucius admits that dragons exist, and Phoney accuses him of allying himself with them. Phoney announces that all the valuables will be used as bait to catch and kill a dragon. Lucius explains to Smiley that the only way to discover dragons for oneself is to be taught that they are make-believe. Fone Bone returns from the tavern without Thorn, and wonders to the whereabouts of Gran’ma Ben.

The Lord of the Locusts sends the Pawans and rat creatures to destroy their respective enemies, and sends Kingdok to capture Thorn and the Bones.

The Turning

Thorn leaves a letter for Fone Bone on her dresser and wanders off in search of the farmhouse. Fone Bone and Smiley jump the wall, and Smiley runs off with the cub, pursued by Fone Bone. Phoney orders Jon to get the wagons ready to go to the Dragon’s Stair and to search for Fone Bone and Smiley. He is confronted by Ted, who he tells about his plan to scam the village. Ted warns Phoney that his thieving days will catch up to him. He finds the barn empty, with nothing but Gran’ma’s sword. When he leaves, a mysterious hand takes the sword.

Thorn falls asleep in the forest, and four hooded figures place the sword in front of her and trigger a dream in which she is approached by the Great Red Dragon. She looks into a light and sees rat creatures. Then her grandmother, and then Fone Bone, but will not say if they are alright. Fed up, Thorn decides to go to her friends, to which the Dragon notes that she is already awake. She wakes up, and races back to the village.

Phoney prepares the cows to move out all the treasure, to the cheers of the villagers.

On the Dragon’s Stair

The group reaches the Dragon’s Stair, and Phoney orders the terrified villagers to set up a crude snare while he makes a trail with the treasure. He is confronted by Ted once more, who admits he wants Phone out of the valley as much as anybody. The snare triggers, and Phoney approaches the Great Red Dragon, caught in the trap. The Dragon admits to seeing the trap, thinking Phoney needed a dragon to fool the townspeople. The villagers tie the Dragon’s head down, and force a knife into Phoney’s hand, threatening to kill him if he doesn’t kill the Dragon. He is interrupted by Thorn, who demands to know what is happening. She orders Wendell to free the dragon and get the villagers ready to face the rat creatures. As they are arguing, one spots fire coming from their town, and mistakes it for the dragons. A group of rat creatures approach the crowd and Thorn faces them, accompanied by the four hooded figures who returned her sword. They push the rat creatures back, and Phoney frees the dragon who chases them off. Thorn orders the villagers to get their supplies, and takes off with Phoney to find Lucius back in the burning village. The shocked villagers prepare for war.

• All My “Bone” Reviews

The Detective (Joe Leland #1) 2Stars

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 Detective
Series: Joe Leland #1
Author: Roderick Thorp
Rating: 2 of 5 Stars
Genre: Fiction
Pages: 487
Words: 220K

Inner monologueing that, psycho-sexualization this, belly button lint beyond belief. I mean, some of the characters went on for pages and pages blabbing and blabbing and then they’d blab some more. The author would make very odd conversation connections that weren’t obvious to me as a reader and I really struggled to follow the thought processes. At the beginning Joe gets very upset that his wife left him a note asking some questions that they’d gone over the night before. It made zero sense to me why he was upset about it and it’s not explained, that I could see, why he was upset about it. Everything was referred to obliquely instead of head on. This book typifies everything I hate about books from the 60’s and 70’s. Bunch of pretentious, self-absorberd author replacement wankery.

The ONLY reason I read this is because the sequel is the novel on which Die Hard was based and I want to read that book. So when I learned it was the second book about Joe Leland, of course I had to read the first book. What kind of sicko only reads the second book in a duology, amirite? Those people might exist, but I am not one of them. After reading this, I almost wish I was though!

After I read the next book, I’ll never read another thing by Thorp if I can help it. I haven’t even looked up his body of work just so I can avoid it. I don’t care that much about him.

The final nail in the coffin was the ending. They figure out why the husband is dead and it’s a big fat reason and the book ends with the investigation just starting. Feth that! You don’t drag me through almost 500 pages and then just stop. That’s total bull caca in my opinion. So I’m giving this the “trash” tag.

★★☆☆☆

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From Wikipedia.com

Joe Leland, a private detective, begins investigating a case for the recently widowed Norma MacIver. Norma requests that Leland find out everything he can about her deceased husband. Norma requests Leland personally because her husband had mentioned knowing him in the past.

It turns out that Leland and Colin MacIver served in the same military unit during World War II, but at different times. Leland interviews Colin’s first wife, Colin’s mother, and the security guards at the track where Colin supposedly killed himself.

Norma introduces Leland to her neighbor and former therapist, Dr. Wendell Roberts. During their conversation, Wendell reveals that he knew Leland’s wife Karen. It is revealed that Wendell was friends with the man with whom Karen Leland had had an affair.

As Leland’s investigation deepens he uncovers evidence of corruption and murder. Eventually, Leland discovers that Colin was connected to a homicide during Leland’s earlier life with the police department as a detective. During the investigation of Teddy Leikman’s death, a confession was obtained from Felix Tesla, Leikman’s roommate. Tesla was subsequently executed by electric chair. It turned out that Colin MacIver was the true murderer. Joe’s partner, Mike Petrakis, managed to decipher Colin’s coded notes and reveal a paper trail of corruption.

Clay Statue - MTG 4th Edition

Rehearsals for Oblivion: Act One (The King in Yellow Anthology #9) 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: Rehearsals for Oblivion: Act One
Series: The King in Yellow Anthology #9
Editor: Peter Worthy
Rating: 3 of 5 Stars
Genre: Cosmic Horror
Pages: 252
Words: 99K

This was much more melancholic than cosmic horror’y. It reminded me of the later stories in Chamber’s original King in Yellow than of the first ones. Everything was just kind of sad. Part of that I know is because of the inclusion of several poems.

Several of the stories were about the degradation of the human spirit. One in particular was about a drug addict who would screw anything on two feet. The King in Yellow uses him as a prophet, but everything that made him proper malleable material for the King was because of his own choices. The King simply reaped the benefit of the man’s own self-destructive choices. Several of the stories went that route and I thought it devalued the power and the horror that the King in Yellow is supposed to have and be. One might see it as a little thing, but if you are going to write The King in Yellow, you need to write him correctly. Man, look at me, turning into some kind of KiY purist, sigh.

Now, some of the stories were downright awesome. One was a Sherlock Holmes and Watson pastiche where Holmes and Watson face down a Protege of Moriarty’s. Said Protege wants to bring the King in Yellow to our plane of existence to rule so that he can resurrect Moriarty and the three of them (Protege, Moriarty and the King in Yellow) can rule the world. I don’t think the Protege really understood that once he had brought the KiY into our world, well, he would have brooked no challengers to his power. Holmes does a little razzle dazzle bippity boo and defeats the Protege and thus keeps the world safe.

Another story that I thought did the mythology great service was “Yellow is the Color of Tomorrow”. It takes place in the alternate universe of the United States where Winthrop and Thorndyke had been President, the Indian and Negro states had formed their own union and the suicide booths were in regular operation. The story follows a man who buys a used collection of books as a way to push off the ennui of living in such a society. He ends up reading the King in Yellow, goes completely mad, kills the old bookseller and the story ends with him realizing what he’s done and heading off to the suicide booth so he doesn’t go to jail. It captured the feel perfectly from Chamber’s original story.

The final story in the anthology, “The Purple Emperor” tries to open up a greater cosmology. In it the narrator is a devotee of the Purple Emperor, some higher order being that is in charge of multiple dimensions, one of which contains the King in Yellow. The whole story revolves around the King in Yellow trying to spread his influence through psychics so that when the time is right, he can challenge the Emperor and take his place. I like the idea of a wider cosmology, as it brings more story options to the table. My only fear would be that the KiY would get lost in it all and become just a bit player instead of the main force of the mythology.

Overall, I thought the various authors did a great job of either taking a tiny piece of the original stories and spinning a wider web from them or simply extrapolating from the original and running wild with a logical conclusion from that extrapolation.

★★★☆☆

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Table of Contents:

The Curse of the King 

Richard L Tierney

The Dream-Leech 

Willliam Laughlin

Ambrose 

John Scott Tynes

In Memoriam 

Roger Johnson and Robert M. Price

Cordelia’s Song From The King In Yellow 

Vincent Starret

Chartreuse 

Michael Minnis

Cat With The Hand Of A Child

Mark McLaughlin

Lilloth

Susan McAdam

Reflections in Carcosa

Mark Francis

Broadalbin

John Scott Tynes

The Adventure Of The Yellow Sign

G. Warlock Vance

Tattered Souls

Ann K Schwader

What Sad Drum

Steve Lines

The Machine In Yellow

Carlos Orsi Martinho

The Peace That Will Not Come

Peter A. Worthy

Yellow Is The Color Of Tomorrow

Ron Shiflet

The Purple Emperor

Will Murray

A Line Of Questions

Joseph S. Pulver, Sr.

• The King in Yellow & Other Stories (Book 1)
• In the Court of the Yellow King (Book 2)
• The King in Yellow Tales (Book 3)
• A Season in Carcosa (Book 4)
• New Tales of the Yellow Sign (Book 5)
• The Hastur Cycle (Book 6)
• Cassilda’s Song (Book 7)
• The Yellow Sign (Book 8)

Throne of Chains

The Tree of Day and Night promised much power to whoever could sit upon the Throne of Chains. But while chains may be forged of steel or of flowers, nonetheless they are chains. The Mage of Shadow found the Throne of Chains deep within the Forest Refuge and claimed it as his own. Little did he realize the cost of such an act. From his humble beginning as a forest lord to his transformation to the Emperor of Shadow, he had no idea what he would pay for the power he would come to wield. But even if he had known, he still would have made the same choice.

Prisoner’s Base (Nero Wolfe #21) 4Stars

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: Prisoner’s Base
Series: Nero Wolfe #21
Author: Rex Stout
Rating: 4 of 5 Stars
Genre: Mystery
Pages: 164
Words: 61K

Ooph, this was a kick in the pants. Two women are killed and while both Wolfe and Archie deny it, they bear some responsibility for the murders being able to happen at all. It wasn’t a big happy fun time to read about.

And yet, the mystery of what happened was fantastic to read about. Money, greed, people’s egos, big business, murder and false identities. This story had it all and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Of course, I’ve enjoyed every Nero Wolfe set of stories I’ve read so far, so I guess I kind of expect a good story by now. Rex Stout has not let me down.

Do you know how many other authors I can say that about? NONE. Nobody. Brandon Sanderson has mired himself in worldbuilding, unnecessary complicatedness and moral ambiguity. Adrian Tchaikovsky has let his politics not just creep into his stories but roll on through like tanks through Tienanmen Square. Edith Pargeter ended up boring the living daylights out of me by the end of the Brother Cadfael books. Alan Dean Foster lost me when the Pip and Flinx stories kept on going beyond all reasonableness and plot plausibility. Rex Stout is a rock in the turbulent sea of authors who have disappointed me and let me down. A veritable stony island that resists all attempts at disappointment.

★★★✬☆

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From Wikipedia:

After an argument between Archie and Wolfe over Archie’s weekly paycheck, a young woman arrives at the brownstone with an unusual request. She wants to rent a room until June 30, one week away, without revealing her identity or presence to anyone. Wolfe rejects the idea, but before he and Archie can send her away, a lawyer named Perry Helmar arrives. He is the legal guardian of Priscilla Eads, a young woman who has gone missing, and he wants to hire Wolfe to find her before June 30. The photographs he has brought with him convince Archie that Priscilla is the house guest.

The terms of her father’s will state that Priscilla is to inherit 90% of the stock in Softdown, a major towel manufacturer, when she reaches her 25th birthday on June 30. However, her ex-husband, Eric Hagh – currently living in South America – claims that she signed a document giving him half of her property. In addition, several Softdown officers are concerned about Priscilla suddenly becoming a majority stockholder.

Wolfe sends Helmar away without an immediate decision, then offers Priscilla a choice. She can either pay the same fee Helmar offered and stay at the brownstone incognito, or she can leave and Wolfe will accept Helmar’s terms and begin tracking her down the following morning. She chooses to leave, but before Wolfe can call Helmar the next day, Inspector Cramer brings news that both Priscilla and her maid, Margaret Fomos, have been strangled to death. Margaret had keys to Priscilla’s apartment, but they were not found on her body, leading the police to conclude that the murderer targeted her first in order to gain access to Priscilla.

While Archie feels guilt at his involvement in the events that led to Priscilla’s death, Wolfe takes no interest in the case, having no client and no prospect of a fee. Infuriated, Archie storms out to begin investigating on his own. He barges into a meeting of Softdown personnel, four of whom are officers who will inherit Priscilla’s stock in her place, and learns from them that Helmar will receive shares as well. Before he can learn much more, Lieutenant Rowcliff arrives and arrests him, based on claims that he had impersonated a police officer to get into the building.

While being questioned, Archie learns that thanks to Rowcliff’s pettiness and overeagerness, Wolfe has been taken into custody as a material witness. Outraged, Wolfe states that he does now have a client – Archie – and the two are released. From Lon Cohen, Archie learns about Priscilla’s background, her marriage and time spent living in South America, and her best friend Sarah Jaffee, who owns the remaining 10% of the Softdown stock. Sarah tells Archie that Priscilla had planned to oust the company’s board of directors and replace them all with women, including herself, Sarah, and Margaret. Archie urges her to file an injunction blocking the four Softdown officers from exercising the voting rights on the stock they hold until the murders have been solved, but she turns down the idea. He also tries to question Margaret’s husband Andy, but without success.

Shortly after Archie returns to the brownstone, a lawyer named Albert M. Irby arrives and asks to see Wolfe. He represents Hagh, who is due to arrive in New York the following afternoon. That next morning, Sarah decides to act on Archie’s suggestion of legal action; Wolfe arranges representation for her by Nathaniel Parker, his lawyer. He uses the decision as leverage to bring all of the involved parties – the four Softdown officers, Helmar, Sarah, Parker, Andy, Hagh, and Irby – to his office for a meeting that night.

The meeting yields little of use, but after everyone has left, Sarah calls Archie from her apartment to report that her keys are missing. Suspecting that the murderer may have stolen them and is lying in wait, he instructs her to leave the phone off the hook and exit so that he can clearly hear her; when the line goes silent, he rushes to her building and finds her strangled to death in the apartment.

After being questioned and released from custody, Archie discovers that Wolfe has brought Saul Panzer in on the case and provided him with expense money. He observes the interrogation of several people who were at the meeting, with Cramer’s permission, then relays a suggestion to re-enact the night’s events at the office. To his surprise, Wolfe accepts.

The gathering takes place at noon that same day, with Saul present as well. Wolfe dismisses the police’s initial theory that Margaret was killed only to get her keys and/or because she recognized her attacker. Saul had traveled to South America, carrying a photograph of Hagh that Sarah had given to Archie, and learned that he had died three months earlier. The man claiming to be Hagh is in fact Siegfried Muecke, an associate who left South America shortly after Hagh’s death. Muecke had learned of the document Hagh and Priscilla signed, witnessed by Margaret, and traveled to New York to collect half her property. He killed all three women because they had seen the real Hagh, either in person or through photographs, and could expose his deception.

Archie vents his frustration by punching Andy when he lunges at Muecke, who is quickly arrested.

• All My “Nero Wolfe” Reviews

Pirates vs CP9 (One Piece #42) 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: Pirates vs CP9
Series: One Piece #42
Arc: Water Seven #11
Author: Eiichiro Oda
Rating: 2.5 of 5 Stars
Genre: Manga
Pages: 207
Words: 10K

A lot of fighting between the Straw Hats and the CP9. It goes to one vs one battles or two vs two in some cases, as the fighting spreads all over the place. The premise is ridiculous. Robin is handcuffed and one of the CP9 has the key. They all split up so the Straw Hats have to split up to recover each key in hopes it is the correct one.

So a lot of swirly fighting going on. If you like fighting, then this volume will be right up your alley.

★★✬☆☆

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From Wikipedia:

“The Key to Freedom”

“Pirates vs. CP9”

“Handcuffs No. 2”

“Mr. Chivalry”

“Franky vs. Fukurô”

“Power”

“Life Return”

“Monster”

“Monster vs. Kumadori”

“The Terrifying Broadcast”

The Straw Hats and Franky break off and engage CP9 in battle. Unsuited for the initial pairings, the crew exchanges opponents to improve their chances of victory, allowing two members of CP9 to be defeated. Meanwhile, Luffy follows Robin’s captors, CP9 leader Spandam and CP9’s strongest member Rob Lucci. Lucci fights Luffy in order to give Spandam time to take Robin to the government’s inescapable prisons. Instead, while trying to call for help, Spandam accidentally triggers the destruction of the Straw Hats, summoning the world government to destroy Enies Lobby and whoever is on it.

• One Piece Reviews

The Price of Liberty (Empire Rising #4) ★★★☆☆

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 Price of Liberty
Series: Empire Rising #4
Author: David Holmes
Rating: 3 of 5 Stars
Genre: SF
Pages: 388
Words: 155K

From the Publisher

War has been declared. The Indian Star Republic has landed ground troops on the newly discovered colony of Haven as they seek to seize access to the alien worlds of Vestar and Kulthar. The British Star Kingdom has reacted. A battle fleet has been formed with orders to drive off the Indians and retake Haven.

Cleared from a highly-politicized court martial and now newly married, Captain James Somerville leads Endeavour to join up with the fleet going to liberate Haven. Yet he is not entirely welcome for not everyone is happy with the outcome of the court martial.

Meanwhile, Major Johnston commands a small marine special forces unit stranded on Haven itself. Caught in the middle of a gruella war, he must use all his skills to help the resistance weaken the Indian invaders in anticipation of a British ground assault.

As the war quickly heats up, both men will learn the true price of liberty.

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Something has changed. Either I have or the writing has. Or I’ve just noticed the writing. Many of the conversations were awkward and stilted, like they had been written, sigh, instead of just recording what was said between 2 people. There were also 2 letters written in this story that I simply skipped because they were pages long and was nothing but blather that didn’t actually do anything for the plot. As Polonius would have said “Brevity is the soul of wit”. (that’s Shakespeare for those not familiar with Hamlet) There was no brevity here.

The story is longer and is actually almost 2 stories. One about Cpt Somerville doing spaceship stuff and another about the super british marine who leads the insurgency on Haven. Both enjoyable but neither needed some of the padding that the author stuck in.

Now that the idea of “Space Kingdoms” has been introduced and the idea of this universe explored, I am afraid I am going to start focusing on the skill of the author in regards to wordsmithing. As Asimov proved, ideas might work fantastically for short stories, but you need solid plotting, characters and writing to successfully pull off a novel. I felt like I saw some cracks in the foundation of the writing part. I don’t expect every author to be as good as Rex Stout, the author who I now consider the preeminent wordsmith against who I judge every other author, but I do expect a bit more than simple “He said. She said.” kind of conversations. I realize also that writing from a first person view is different from a third person omniscient viewpoint but the point remains is that Holmes didn’t handle things nearly as well as I “remember” him doing in previous books.

This is one of the reasons I am not a big fan of long, ongoing series, especially for indies. Pedestrian writing can only go so far and then it becomes a bigger hindrance than anything, especially for me. I expect good quality in the books I read, not just basic skill.

I realize I have complained a lot here. The story is still good. The action was exciting. If I can set my mind to judge this based on that alone, I might be ok for the long haul. I suspect I’ll know my answer one way or another within 2 more books. I’ll either be able to paper over the cracks I’ve seen or they’ll just get bigger in my view and I’ll have to stop.

And with having close to 400 Books on my TBR , I’m getting to the point where just dropping a series midpoint doesn’t bother me anymore.

★★★☆☆

• All of My “Empire Rising” Reviews

American Independence Day, July 4 (2023 Edition)

In Congress, July 4, 1776

The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America, When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.–That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, –That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.–Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.

He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.

He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.

He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.

He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.

He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.

He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected; whereby the Legislative powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.

He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.

He has obstructed the Administration of Justice, by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary powers.

He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.

He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harrass our people, and eat out their substance.

He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.

He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil power.

He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:

For Quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:

For protecting them, by a mock Trial, from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:

For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:

For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:

For depriving us in many cases, of the benefits of Trial by Jury:

For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences

For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies:

For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws, and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:

For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.

He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.

He has plundered our seas, ravaged our Coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.

He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.

He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.

He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages, whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.

In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.

Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our Brittish brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which, would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.

We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.

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Circle of Protection: White - MTG 4th Edition