Vamphyri! (Necroscope #2)

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.tumblr.com by express permission of this reviewer.

Title: Vamphyri!
Series: Necroscope
Author: Brian Lumley
Rating: 4 of 5 Stars
Genre: Horror/Thriller
Pages: 470


Synopsis:
Years before the activities chronicled in Necroscope, one of the vampires set things in motion for his successor to rise should he ever be destroyed.
This story alternates between modern day tale of Bodescu the descendant and the story of the rise of Ferenczy, the ancestor.

My Thoughts:
Now this was a Cold War Espionage Thriller...with Vampires that I was expecting.

I really enjoyed the historical aspect, seeing Ferenczy through the ages and how he tired of life eventually.

There certainly were disturbing scenes that really bothered me. Bodescu forcing himself on his mother, aunt and cousin with his vampire powers while his Uncle stood by and watched was probably the worst. It wasn't graphic, thankfully, but it was more than enough to put me off.

This was definitely horror, with all the creepy disturbing'ness that goes along with that. Harry is part of the story,  but almost more like a facilitator of information than a real character. Of course, him being an incorporeal ghost might have something to do with that. I did like how things were worked out so Harry could stick around.

Not much else to say really. Not sure why the "!" was added in the title, but hey, those 80's were a bigger than big time.  Enjoyable.

The Price of Peace (Jump Universe #2)

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.tumblr.com by express permission of this reviewer.

Title: The Price of Peace
Series: Jump Universe
Author: Mike Moscoe
Rating: 3.5 of 5 Stars
Genre: SF
Pages: 329


Synopsis:
The group is hired by Westhaven [?] to hunt down some pirates and in the process come across a new group of corporate flunkies who are pushing a new drug to fund their rogue ways.

My Thoughts:
This was almost exactly like one of the Kris Longknife books where one of the little adventures is about rescuing some people from slave labor of drug harvesting.
This was the exact clone of that story [or to be correct, the KL book was a copy of this], and to be honest, I liked this one better.

Trouble, and us, are introduced to his wife-to-be, and that was cool. I really enjoyed following Trouble as he was kidnapped and then rescued.

Nothing stood out about this story at all, much like the previous book and all of the Kris Longknife books. A good solid SFAdventure story that while not blowing my socks off certainly didn't let me down.

One thing I noted, some editions say "Society of Humanity" and others "A Jump Universe Novel".  I hate it when things like a series name change happens for unfathomable reasons. It strikes me as messy and amateur'ish [not on Moscoe's part, buty by the publishers,  Ace/Penguin]

Berserker (Berserker #1)

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.tumblr.com by express permission of this reviewer.

Title: Berserker
Series: Berserker
Author: Fred Saberhagen
Rating: 2.5 of 5 Stars
Genre: SF
Pages: 179


Synopsis:
Humanity has spread through the stars and every intelligent race is so ultra-peaceful that when an ancient set of planet size killing machines wake up, Humanity is the last chance of All Life in the Entire Universe.

My Thoughts:
I read this back in highschool and all I can remember from that time was that I found the overall tone rather dry.

Well, this time through I STILL found this dry and bordering on the line of plain old boring. A series of short stories that were tangentially related through various characters. Of course, each story is dealing with the Berserkers.

Berserkers, left over machines from an ancient race so old that there isn't even a record of them except for the Berserkers, were created to be death dealers in a war so vast that it got out of control and the Berserkers wiped out their masters.  And now they are OUR problem.

This should have been cool, thrilling and edge of your pants exciting. But it wasn't. Saberhagen seemed to do his best to be pedantic and putting his words together like he was building a brick wall instead of a thrilling roller coaster. There was no menace, no real sense that the End of Everything is upon us. The narrator was an alien, but that was no excuse for how text-book like this was.

There are several more books in the Berserker series, but I certainly will not bother with them. I don't want to take a drink of water with every chapter I read.

xxxHolic #17, 18 & 19 (Manga Monday)

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Title: xxxHolic #17, 18 & 19
Series: xxxHolic
Author & Artist: CLAMP
Rating: 5 of 5 Stars
Genre: Manga
Pages: 165-185'ish

Synopsis:
The series wraps up with several clients showing up and showcasing how powerful and comfortable Watanuki has become as the shop owner.
And it all leads to one final dream, Yuko's dream.

My Thoughts:
During the whole time that I was reading these 3 volumes, I was simply shaking my head in wonder and amazement. Gone are the silly arguments between Watanuki and Domeki, gone are the times of Watanuki making a complete fool of himself for Himawari's sake and gone is Watanuki's self-effacing timidness.

Time is the main casualty in these volumes. We never know how much time has passed and while CLAMP sometimes shows things [Himawari &  Watanuki talking on the phone about her marriage for example] happening that take time, nothing is truly concrete.
CLAMP does try to show changes in some of the characters, Kahone-chan for instance, but the art style doesn't lend itself toward subtle changes and so everyone pretty much looks like their starting ages.

One thing that I REALLY liked was that Watanuki grants a wish to the Tsubasa crew so that the quest they began at the end of Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicles appears to be near the end.

Speaking of endings, another thing that I really liked in this series was that things were wrapped up. Himawari gets married to someone else and is actually happy. Domeki and Kohane-chan, who is no longer really a "chan", are on course to get together and are happy. Mokona is still drinking like a sponge and is happy. Maru and Moro are still sustaining the shop and are happy.

And most important of all, Watanuki sees Yuko's last dream and hence gets to see her for one last time and sees how she has confidence in him. And he is happy. I am satisfied with how this series has ended. I am seriously considering reading xxxHolic: Kei now.

To whit, this series is one of the best manga I've read to date. It has some action, enough humor, is supernatural, a tiny bit of terror, awesome characters, a convoluted plot and most of all, it has Yuko the Time/Space Witch.

The Art of War, With No Commentary (Classic)

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 by express permission of this reviewer


Title: The Art of War
Series: None
Author: Sun Tzu
Translator: Lionel Giles
Rating: 5 of 5 Stars
Genre: Non-fiction
Pages: 256

My Thoughts:
This edition, the Falls River Edition, ISBN #9781435136731, is still the Lionel Giles translation. Thankfully, this has a No Commentary part.

The plain text of Sun Tzu's writings are short, pithy, to the point and yet are vague and general enough that anyone can apply them almost however they want. I can see why this book is popular. I kept wanting to write my own commentary on each of the verses.

I'm glad to have finally read this, unalloyed by others' thoughts and inane comments.

The Ramal Extraction (Cutter's Wars #1)

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Title: The Ramal Extraction
Series: Cutter's Wars
Author: Steve Perry
Rating: 4.5 of 5 Stars
Genre: SF
Pages: 262


Synopsis:
Cutter, leader of a group of mercenaries, hires out to find a kidnapped daughter of a powerful leader on an out of the way world.
Cutter and Co must navigate local politics, galactic military law and a hidden enemy's agenda.
And nothing is at it seems.

My Thoughts:
I really, really, really enjoyed this book. I am not a huge fan of military SF most of the time, mainly because the authors get all A.C.R.O.N.Y.M.'y and totally gun porn'd and both of those things annoy the bejabs out of me. Perry does a little, just enough to make it feel Military, but not so much as to annoy me.

The plot was fast, furious, twisty [well, it was meant to be twisty but I think we all see the reality a klick away] and just the right amount of character and adventure.

Characters got me confused as to who was who, except for the alien. But considering that the military terms for people ALWAYS confuses me, no matter the book or series, I simply gloss over the names and enjoy them doing things. Background was given to the main characters in story form, as they each recall the first time they killed someone.

Plot was simple Rescue Kidnapped Princess while being Screwed by Somebody. Once you realize that things aren't on the up and up, it is pretty easy to see who the mastermind is, even if you're not sure why. And he gets his in the end.

Honestly, I'm not sure this deserves 4.5stars, but I enjoyed it enough that this time around it gets that from me. When I re-read this in a couple of years [5 to 10 in all probability] we'll see if the like'ability was just my initial impression or something longer lasting.

Only A Shadow (Fated Blades #0.5)

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 by express permission of this reviewer.

Title: Only A Shadow
Series: Fated Blades
Author: Steve Bein
Rating: 4 of 5 Stars
Genre: Historical Fiction
Pages: 61


Synopsis:
A ninja clan must disgrace a local leader whose goal is to wipe them out. They must steal his Fated Blade, which will then allow them to destroy him.

The old crafty ninja-master is training a young man and part of the training is out-smarting the young man so he'll realize that wisdom takes time to accumulate.

My Thoughts:
This was a fun little short story about one of the Fated Blades.

It was an adventure story with the stealing of the Blade. It was a teaching tale with the old ninja out-smarting the double-crossing young man. And finally, it was a Fated Blade Story, enough said.

The page count is a little mis-leading, as the story ends around page 45 and the rest was an excerpt from the first Fated Blade book, Daughter of the Sword. I really dislike when those type of things happen, even while I understand why the publishers keep doing it.

There was NO fantasy element to this story, nor any cross-over to present time with Mariko. I was a little disappointed, as I like the Mariko storylines more than the historical ones. However, this was still a great story and to be honest, I'd recommend someone trying this short story out if they weren't sure of starting the series.

Bein is a good writer, and sadly, that is more of a compliment than it should be. However, it is refreshing to read a well written short story that isn't boring or full of cardboard characters.

The Weight of Blood (Half-Orcs #1)

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 by express permission of this reviewer.

Title: The Weight of Blood
Series: Half-Orcs
Author: David Dalglish
Rating: 2 of 5 Stars
Genre: Fantasy
Pages: 228


Synopsis:
2 Half-orc [half-orc, half-elf] brothers team up with an avatar of death. One becomes a physical titan, hewing down all who stand before him. The other becomes a master of necromantic powers and plots to remove the avatar and take his place.
And in the end they go their separate ways, mainly because of an elf woman.

My Thoughts:
When I read A Dance of Cloaks by Dalglish I was not impressed with his non-use of any type of hero, but I did want to give him another chance with another series.
In the afterword Dalglish says this series is about redemption.
That might be the case, as the more physical of the brothers ends up regretting all the death he has caused, right at the end of the book. However, the first 95% of the book simply follows them as they slaughter, kill and commit other unsavory acts to further their own ends.

It left a very bad taste in my mental mouth and after Cloaks I am not willing to give Dalglish a 3rd chance. I am not, never have been and hopefully never will be, a fan of dark, gritty fantasy. I like my heroes to inspire me to be better, not drag me down in the blood, filth and muck.

xxxHolic #15 & 16 (Manga Monday)

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 by express permission of this reviewer

Title: xxxHolic #15 & 16
Series: xxxHolic
Author & Artist: CLAMP
Rating: 4 of 5 Stars
Genre: Manga

Synopsis:
Volume 15 is all about Watanuki saying goodbye to Yuko even though he doesn't realize it at the time. However, we the readers do and that makes it all the more poignant.
Volume 16 is about Watanuki taking over the shop and dealing with his first real customer on his own.

My Thoughts:
This series continues to impress me [I hesitate to say "astound", but honestly, it is really reaching that level].
The emotion between the characters, the emotion from the situations they are in, I have a hard time believing that a manga can do this to me.

In vol 15, Yuko explains to Watanuki why she must leave and yet at the end of the chapter, he ends up making the very same type of promise to wait for her return that set the events in motion that we read about in Tsubasa and xxxHolic. And it does seem that Yuko is now dead, but not truly gone. But it does seem that if anyone knew the dangers of making such a wish, it would be Yuko and she'd warn Watanuki against it. Maybe I'm mis-reading his wish however?

Watanuki takes over the shop in a pretty smooth transition from Yuko. He inherits her weird fashion sense, smokes her pipe and in many ways seems to be trying to emulate her actions and how she ran the shop. Time is another thing that isn't quite the same for us the readers now, as Watanuki has stepped outside of time and into the shop and so we don't see much what is happening outside or how time is flowing.

Very much looking forward to the final 3 volumes of xxxHolic!

Present Tense (The Great Game #2)

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 by express permission of this reviewer.

Title: Present Tense
Series: The Great Game
Author: Dave Duncan
Rating: 3.5 of 5 Stars
Genre: Fantasy
Pages: 418


Synopsis:
Edward comes back to our world, after 3 years in Next Door. Only now, because of his acceptance of the Filoby Testament, he is in greater danger here than he ever was over in Next Door. So his friends convince him to go back.
While planning out the steps for returning to Next Door, Edward tells them about the last 3 years and what has transpired.

My Thoughts:
This time around, the story was all about Edward. There was no Eleal or other secondary character. One storyline was about him in England, the other about him in Next Door.

This was a good solid read. Duncan knows how to spin a tale that is engaging but without a lot of wind and bluster. Nor do you get your heart rate up by screaming at the idiotic characters. Can't stand that when an author does that and thankfully Duncan stays away from it.

The ideas of Free Will & Pre-Destination are mentioned, but they aren't really explored. Edward, his father and others, have all tried to break the Filoby Testament and have only made it happen and in the end of the book Edward seems to have basically given up and just accepted that what it says will happen.
The whole FreeWill/Pre-Destination debate has been going on for Millenia, so I didn't expect Duncan to solve it, but I guess I was expecting a little more philosophizing about it.

Finally, and most importantly. absolutely nothing Nacreous ever showed up. I was pleased.