Undaunted (Kris Longknife #7)

Author: Mike Shepherd

Rating: 3.5 of 5 Stars

Synopsis
Princess Kris Longknife meets up with an Itechee envoy who has been sent to warn humanity of a potential threat to both their species.
The second plot is a localized plot on a planet to try to split the United Sentients federation.

My Thoughts
I didn't have the usual whiplash, "did I miss a book" feeling when I started this. Considering the problems between the U.S. and the Peterwalds and the internal problems of the U.S., I was kind of surprised that Shepherd decided to write about the Itechee, the big bad aliens who almost wiped out humanity 80'ish years ago.

And I was even more surprised that they were "friendly" and bringing warning of an even greater threat to us all. Ramped up the "Threat Matrix" and made sure that the series wasn't going to end in 2 books. Boo to that! I am getting sick of the "never ending" series I'm coming across lately. A long series is fine, but one that has no over arching plot, no "big" storyline, that just plods on from one plot to the next, well, it reminds me of Alan Dean Foster's Pip and Flinx series, that I gave up in disgust on.  I just hope this doesn't become something like that.

The little on planet battle was a brief, easy lull in the tension. There was no chance of it working and we the reader could see that a mile away. So we got to see Space Marines kick local redneck butt. Good stuff.

All along I thought this was going to deserve a 4star. Then Shepherd has Longknife start wondering sexually about the Itechee ambassador, to the point of spying on him while swimming. 7 foot tall aliens with no penises, well, WHY would a female be interested in that?
It grossed me out and smacked of filthy fan service.
Or maybe Shepherd is a sick perv and he can't admit it so it is sublimated into his stories?


Crossposted on Bookstooge.booklikes.blogspot.wordpress.com

Assassin's Apprentice (Farseer #1)

Author: Robin Hobb

Rating: 3 of 5 Stars

Synopsis
A royal bastard is thrown into the royal court and trained to be an assassin.

My Thoughts
Having heard of Robin Hobb and specifically this trilogy, I went into this with some high hopes. Sadly, this was only a mediocre story.

Lots of grinding, whining, angst, blah, blah, blah. I found the main character to be thoroughly uninspiring. The kingdom as a whole was a backdrop that felt like it was kind of painted on and the threat of the Redships and the forging, well, it wasn't much of a threat since it didn't make the story change.

And I have to admit, I was expecting something a bit flashier from an assassin. I think Brent Weeks and his wetboys have ruined me for simple assassins.

I'll finish the trilogy, but I doubt I'll be reading any more of Hobbs, she has failed to impress.


Crossposted at Bookstooge.booklikes.blogspot.wordpress.com

Year of the Demon (Fated Blades #2)

Author: Steve Bein

Rating: 4 of 5 Stars

Synopsis:
Mariko is now in the NARC department, with a new partner. She crosses paths with a delusional psycho cult leader who is in possession of a magic mask that has an affinity for weapons and her blade specifically.

The 2 historical storylines are about the making of the mask and an encounter between Victory Unsought and the Mask later on.

My Thoughts
I have to admit, I read the first book, Daughter of the Sword, because the cover showed an incredibly cute asian woman with a sword. Well, the cover for this book is even better in my opinion.

I think this is classified as Urban Fantasy, but the fantasy part is so slight that you might miss it if you sneeze. Plus, 2 of the 3 storylines take place in Historical Japan, not modern day.

Mariko's storyline about the psycho cult leader was pretty good, but was more of a "plucky girl gets her mojo back" storyline than anything else. And there was no sword fighting. Also, the whole Sword and Mask thing didn't seem to be a big part of this line of the story.

Which brings us to the second storyline. About Daigoro and his continued fight for his and his house's survival. The Mask and Sword were focused on much more and there was lots of intrigue, fighting, politic'ing and moments of "ah ha!" that I enjoyed. We get to see how the Mask really affects its wearer.

And that leads us to the final storyline. The young girl Kaida who is a diver. Her little village sees a huge shipwreck and several days later some very scary men come to look for something specific in the wreck. One of the men makes the Mask and it is very evident that Arcane Powers are used and infused into the Mask.

All 3 storylines wrap up satisfactorily. Unfortunately, as I noted earlier, Mariko doesn't get any sword fighting time. I was hoping for another sword fight duel in Tokyo, much like in the first book. Oh well, maybe in the next book.

 Crossposted at Bookstooge.booklikes.blogspot.wordpress.com

The Rose and the Thorn (Riyria Chronicles #2)

Author: Michael Sullivan

Rating: 4 of 5 Stars

Synopsis:
Hadrian and Royce must work together to save the girls of Medford House without becoming implicated in an attempt on the Royal family.

My Thoughts
With each book that expands the Riyria world, I hesitate before reading, afraid that maybe THIS is the book that Sullivan disappoints me with. For even Sanderson, he who needs no first name, has let me down.

Thankfully, that book wasn't this book.

I was just as impressed with this book as I was the previous Chronicles book. Royce and Hadrian are much more of a functioning team than just 2 individuals working for a common goal.

We get a good bit of the backstory of Melengar and Arista and Family that fleshes out what we know from the Revelations series. Some of the Church's motivations and schemes are revealed and more of the political landscape is in sight.

And finally, we get to see Royce do some slicing and dicing.


Crossposted at Bookstooge.booklikes.blogspot.wordpress.com

Murder is Easy

Author: Agatha Christie

Rating: 2.5 Stars of 5

Synopsis:

A little old lady runs across a retired policeman and tells him of her suspicions of mass murder in her little village. After she dies, the policeman visits the village to find out if the "little old lady from Pasadena" was a nutter or onto something truly horrible.


My Thoughts:

I enjoy Christie's standalone novels much more than her series based around a main character. Part of that is because each book is just as shallow and light as the previous and the continuation of a character with no growth irritates me. Whereas standalones aren't expected to be filled with character development and life growth.

This was a typical mystery, but unfortunately, Christie felt the need for the main character to go over every possibility of who and how. I think I skipped almost 10 pages when he started going over that info in his mind.

About 3/4's of the way through I realized who the killer was, because everyone else was too obvious or not obvious enough. So I got to watch the MC flail around.

There's a little bit of romance involved, but it felt formulaic at best.

Overall, not bad, but mediocre at best.


Crossposted at Bookstooge.booklikes.blogspot.wordpress.com

Jupiter War (Owner #3) (Polity)

Author: Neal Asher

4 of 5 Stars (1 extra star for ultra-awesome violence)

Synopsis
Saul must turn "his" space station into a spaceship capable of interstellar flight to escape the powers of earth. All the while fending off those same powers who desperately want him back on earth for vengeance and the data and tech he now owns.


My Thoughts
This was really a 3star book. We get Saul transforming the station into the ship, chipped humans on the ship rebelling, Saul debating the true meaning of freewill, responsibility and freedom, Galahad having her delusions of grandeur even while the whole structure on earth is falling to pieces, and finally, we get fighting. And that is why I gave it 4 stars.

Asher knows how to write a gritty, awesome, massively bloody fight, in space and with ground troops. That is the main thing I read his books for, awesome ideas about humanity/tech and violence. He does them both so well.

I didn't like Saul in the first book, and I still don't like him here in the third, as a person. As the Owner, however, he makes a kickbutt demi-god.

While it appears obvious that Asher has more to write in the Owner series, I really hope he returns to the main Polity Universe soon and gives us new stuff there.

The Black Arrow

Author: Robert Louis Stevenson

2.5 of 5 Stars

Synopsis

We follow the adventures of Dick/Richard Shelton during the War of the Roses, the war between the Houses of York and Lancaster in Merry Old England.


My Thoughts
I first saw this children's classic on some list of "Classics to read". My only real connection to Stevenson is Treasure Island, but even that is more of the movies. I mean, who can forget Muppet Treasure Island? I still love that movie. And Treasure Planet was a good Disney movie too.

Sadly, this mess of a book does not do much for Stevenson's reputation with me. Shelton is a stupid young man who does one dumb thing after another and yet everything works out in the end.

You want to know how stupid he is? After being alone with someone all night, he still thinks they are a young boy. Instead of the girl he ends up marrying. He meets "her" as her for all of 5 minutes and suddenly she's the love of his life and sets him off on several escapades to rescue her, most of which end in disaster for those around Dick.

He is a typical upperclass dickhead. People die for him, around him and because of him, and it means nothing to him.

Part of all this is that this is really a children's book. So everything is simplified. But it is simplified to the point of destroying the potential of this story.

I plan on reading Treasure Island next year and I hope it fares better than this!



crossposted at Bookstooge.booklikes.blogspot.wordpress.com

Iron Gray Sea (Destroyermen #7)

Author: Taylor Anderson

4 of 5 stars

Synopsis:

The new British Empire is dealt a grievous blow, the Alliance is beginning to break into factions due to its size, the Grik are quickly becoming "civilized" while the rogue Japanese are growing in influence, the Dom Empire is barely mentioned and finally, we are introduced to the "new" Empire who appear to want to be part of the Alliance.


My Thoughts:

While I enjoyed this (obviously, as I gave it 4 stars), the growth of the scope of the war and the continued introduction of yet more "empires", with no resolutions to any of the already introduced problems, is beginning to wear on me.

I am still wrapping my head around the New British Empire and the Dom Empire and now I'm supposed to just accept another one? Tech is growing quickly and the Griks are changing so fast that I feel like they are also a completely new enemy.

Speaking of the Grik. They are changing as a species under the secret direction of the Japanese. It doesn't work for me. A whole species, while it can adapt to new circumstances and new equations to their way of life, simply cannot continue as a cohesive whole while changing how Anderson is changing them. It just smacks of Deus Ex Machina for badguyness.

The Alliance. So far everything has worked well because strong, charismatic leaders have put the idea of wiping out the Grik ahead of politics and self interest. Sadly, that is changing.

And that leads me to my final point. This series is starting to scare me. Book 8 is already out and on my TBR and I see absolutely no way that it will be the final book. Shades of Robert Jordan are beginning to rise before me and I am wondering if this Destroyermen series will be the series that never ends.

I've bought the first 2 books but I don't know if I can in good faith buy any more until I know that some resolution is in the works.


Crossposted at Bookstooge.booklikes.wordpress.blogspot.com

M.Y.T.H. Inc in Action (Myth Adventures #9)

Author: Robert Asprin

3.5 Stars of 5

Synopsis
Guido and Nunzio must somehow stop Possiltum's army from invading everybody. So they join the army to destroy it from within. And hijinks ensue.


My Thoughts

The whole book is written from Guido's point of view, along with his language. So instead of Skeeve blundering through the narration, we get Guido skillfully informing us of the events.

It was a refreshing change at first, but then started getting a little old after nothing was happening. You can only take so much 'mob talk' with loquacious asides for so long.  Thankfully, there was a bar fight between the soldiers, the town police, the bar patrons and the military police. I was crying I was laughing so hard. But ymmv.

Overall, I found this a refreshing change from Skeeve's fake it and make it approach to life, and the bickering between him and Ahzz, I didn't miss that either. A good addition to the Myth books.

crossposted at Bookstooge.booklikes.wordpress.blogspot.com

Perilous Shield (Lost Stars #2) (Lost Fleet)

Author: Jack Campbell

4 of 5 stars

I enjoyed every page of this book.  The only caveat I have is that you really do need to have read the Lost Fleet series and Lost Fleet: Beyond the Frontier trilogy and obviously the first Lost Stars book.

You get more of the same. Iceni and Drakon continue their dance of mistrust and romance. More military maneuvers , more backstabbing by some mysterious source. Drakon's subordinate nutcase shows her true colors and you find out why she seduced him.

We also get a bit more of a look at the Syndic and Alliance security officers who fell in love with each other.

Overall, this was different enough from the "Black Jack saves the day" but still similar enough that I liked this [even though it is book 11 in the series] and am looking forward to the next book. And have no fear, there will be a next book. Too many questions are raised with no answers.