Superman: Doomed (Superman)

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.com
Title: Superman: Doomed
Series: Superman
Author/Artist: Greg Pak, et al
Rating: 2 of 5 Stars
Genre: Comics
Pages: 544
Format: Paper graphic novel

Synopsis:

Taking place in the New52 timeline. Doomsday has been kept in the Phantom Zone and somehow is allowed out by somebody. He is literal poison to the world and his very presence kills. Superman tears him in half, gets infected and begins a battle with Doomsday over who will control his body. And it all turns out to be a masterplan by Brainiac to get control of everyone's minds so he can "change the perception of the universe" and hence, change the universe. Because he misses his dead wife and son. Who he killed.

Yeah...

My Thoughts:

This was first foray into the New52 reboot universe and I didn't like it. It also relied on the reader knowing the storyline from Reign of Doomsday. At least to explain why Doomsday is still around. Goodness, I hate these reboots.

This was a very messy read for me. The characters I knew were suddenly completely different. Superman and Wonderwoman? Superman and Lois Lane are just friends, not married? I felt like I was reading one huge Elseworlds storyline. Sadly, I wasn't and this is where things are.

This is a big, glossy book with some gorgeous art. Unfortunately, I had a hard time reading the text and trying to follow the action. There were so few panels used that I had to guess where I was supposed to look next to follow what was happening on ONE SINGLE PAGE. And half the time I couldn't tell if I was looking at a 2 page spread meant as one, or if I was actually supposed to read it as 2 pages. 

The storyline itself just went all over the place and made me wonder WHO was in control at the helm of this idea. Superman and Doomsday argue with each other, Clarke gets angsty, Supes and Wonderwoman are all lovey dovey while making promises of mutual destruction, Brainiac is putting the whole world in a coma while whining about his dead family and there is so much more. It wasn't a clear, concise storyline. It was a soup with about 67 different cooks all trying to make it "their way".

It took me 6 months to finally finish this. I just didn't want to read about it. If this had been from the library I probably would have abandoned it very near the beginning. However, I bought this in February so I was going to get my money's worth, even if I had to suffer for every page of it. Yankee thrift and all that.

I could probably write a bunch more but it would just be more complaints. To end, I didn't like this, I didn't like my foray into the New52 and it will be quite some time before I try out new comics again. 

The Siege (The Return of the Archwizards #2) (Forgotten Realms)

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.com by  Bookstooge's Exalted Permission.
Title: The Siege
Series: The Return of the Archwizards
Author: Troy Denning
Rating: 2.5 of 5 Stars
Genre: SFF
Pages: 356
Format: Kindle digital edition

Synopsis:

The Netherese are playing hardball with all the kingdoms, trying to dominate them under the guise of helping to stop the phaerim incursion.
Melegaunt died in the previous book but somehow his knowledge of the phaerim lives on in Galaeron and the Netherese are willing to do just about anything to get that knowledge, including abandoning Evereska and allowing Galaeron's dark shadow to control him more and more.
Battles and mayhem ensue and while the phaerim are weakened, so are the Netherese and the surrounding countries, as they all fight each other and betrayals abound.

My Thoughts:

i enjoyed this quite a bit more than the previous book but there were still points in the story that just left me scratching my head trying to figure out WHAT Denning meant or how he got from Point A to Point B. It is like what he thinks is obvious is completely opaque to me.

The big battle at the end was pretty cool and pretty much made up for none of the characters really being likable. I'd like to place an order for One Hero in the final book but I think that the menu is already prepared and that that option wasn't included.

Hell is for Devil Bats (Eyeshield 21 #9) (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.com by  Bookstooge's Exalted Permission.
Title: Hell is for Devil Bats
Series: Eyeshield 21
Author: Riichiro Inagaki
Artist: Yusuke Murata
Rating: 4 of 5 Stars
Genre: Manga
Pages: 208
Format: Digital Scan

Synopsis:

The Devil Bats lose. But only by 1 point. So the American team has to stay in Japan, which leads to Hiruma taking their plane tickets and taking the Devil Bats to Texas. Where they promptly win a game of beach football, win $1000, spend $1000 on snacks and run across Hiruma's old coach.
He challenges them to accept the Death March, a grueling 40 day training period where they will pack in 1 years worth of training on the way to Las Vegas, where they will get enough money to fly back to Japan. Everyone accepts and thus begins a time that has killed all who have attempted it, da da dum!

My Thoughts:

The humor was in your face in this volume. As soon as Hiruma gets to Texas, he immediately heads to a gun store, where the owner tells him that he can't take the guns back to Japan, to which Hiruma responds "I'll be smuggling them". Then Sena and Monta try to shoot some handguns and go ass over teakettle. I was laughing my head off.

The beach game was a fun little interlude leading into the training. In classic shonen style, the training is shown as powering/leveling up instead of the boring,hard work it really is.

One thing to note is that everyone, but Mamori of course, now knows that Sena is Eyeshield 21. The team spirit begins to coalesce and the Devil Bats truly start becoming a team instead of just a group of individuals that Hiruma is tricking into working together.

And that's it for this week's Manga Monday.

Death's Messenger (Blood on the Reik #1) (Warhammer)

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.com by  Bookstooge's Exalted Permission.
Title: Death's Messenger
Series: Blood on the Reik
Author: Sandy Mitchell
Rating: 3 of 5 Stars
Genre: SFF
Pages: 416
Format: Kindle digital scan

Synopsis:

Rudy, the poor orphan who has been raised by the local forester, discovers signs of Beastmen near his village. At the same time, rot begins to afflict the crops and towns people as well.
A witch hunter comes to the village and a lot is revealed. A bunch of the villagers were chaos worshippers, including Rudy's adopted father. They had some plan in store for Rudi but the beastmen's attack changed things. The witch hunter is now after Rudi and a childhood acquaintance who is the daughter of a the local healer.
Once out of the village, things happen and the two young people have adventures until they are caught by the witch hunter. And the book ends.

My Thoughts:

I still don't know the difference between Warhammer and Warhammer 40k. I assume W is a fantasy series like the Forgotten Realms series and that the W40K is a scifi of the same. I tried some of the W40K and it didn't work for me, so I was hesitant to try plain old Warhammer.

It was alright. Not great, but not terrible. The first half of the book was all setup with very little happening and then whammo, once things got rolling, the 2 youngsters just couldn't stay out of trouble to save their lives. And the ending that was a complete cliff hanger? Nahhh, that didn't impress me.

Since I don't know anything about Warhammer, I don't know the significance, if any, of the title or the series. What is a reik? A person, a place, a thing?  Is Death a personification in the Warhammer world? Does he have agents sowing chaos out in the world? If so, why? And really, so what?  I have a bunch of options to choose from for series to read in the Warhammer so I am literally just pointing my finger and saying "I'll read YOU" and hoping for the best.

If anyone is a Warhammer fan, and has some advice, please feel free to chime in. I can use anything right about now.

Sasha ( A Trial of Blood and Steel #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.com by  Bookstooge's Exalted Permission.
Title: Sasha
Series: A Trial of Blood and Steel
Author: Joel Shepherd
Rating: 3.5 of 5 Stars
Genre: SFF
Pages: 426
Format: Kindle digital edition

Synopsis:

Sasha is a princess. A princess who gave up her family rights to become the apprentice of the greatest swordsman and tactician of the country. Now her country is being torn apart by politics and religion and Sasha must decide what course to take.

Seeing ancient accords broken, Sasha must defy her family and the most powerful houses of the nation but in doing so she will unleash civil war and tear apart what she is trying to preserve. But when your own brother is trying to kill you to further his own power, does national unity matter?

My Thoughts:

I was expecting something a bit more from Shepherd. After reading his Drysine Legacy series I was prepared for full frontal fantasy awesomeness.

What I got was a spoiled woman, a self-centered and self-absorbed king/father, siblings who were friends, enemies and allies, sometimes all at the same time. Political powers that were willing to kill off their own heirs, religious leaders willing to lend credence to any act if it furthered their power. In fact, everything in this book seemed to be about power. It wasn't that pleasant really. The only good thing was the big battle at the end.

I'll be trying the next book but if it flows in the same vein as this one, I won't be going farther. It is just odd because I liked his scifi series SO much. Oh well, you can't win them all.

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

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.com by  Bookstooge's Exalted Permission.
Title: The Pirates of Pacta Servanda
Series: The Pillars of Reality
Author: Jack Campbell
Rating: 4 of 5 Stars
Genre: SFF
Pages: 322
Format: Kindle digital edition

Synopsis:

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

My Thoughts:

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

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

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

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

True Warriors Seek Out Strong Foes (Eyeshield 21 #8) (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.com by  Bookstooge's Exalted Permission.
Title: True Warriors Seek Out Strong Foes
Series: Eyeshield 21
Author: Riichiro Inagaki
Artist: Yusuke Murata
Rating: 4 of 5 Stars
Genre: Manga
Pages: 208
Format: Digital Scan

Synopsis:

Japan versus America in a game of American Football. Can the Devil Bats even hope to compete against a team that is made up of some of the toughest Americans out there? It is American Brute Force and Power versus Japanese strategy and speed.
But when Panther enters the game, can Sena up his game against a fresh opponent who isn't intimidated by Eyeshield 21's speed? In fact, can Sena keep up with Panther?

My Thoughts:

Another GREAT volume. This had my adrenaline up and running even as I sat on the couch and just read this volume. That is good story telling.

There was a lot of back and forth between strategies, point scoring, etc during this one. It wasn't one team dominating or the other pulling sneaky tricks to edge by by 1 point. This was all out war and the tides of fortune rose and fell appropriately.

I did have to roll my eyes at the coach's back story. It explained a lot but my goodness, it just showed him for the shallow guy he was. And his little "connecting" moment with Panther's desire to play had me groaning. However, the little montage with him getting kicked off the "46'ers" made me laugh, mainly because it was the "46'ers" instead of the 49er's. Just one of those things that strikes you funny at the right moment.

Hiruma is a freaking genius. I know that he is the quarterback but he's competing with the coach of the Alien's and coming out ahead. Coach and QB and doing a good job at both at the same time.  I really hope that his character is given more serious attention in future volumes. He might be providing a lot of comic relief but there is a good amount of depth to be explored.

I do continue to be disappointed by Mamori's lack of a role. Even as a potential love interest. She shows up and is shown in various panels, but that is it. I sure do hope she takes a bigger role by the end of the series.

Soldiers of Fortune (Omega Force #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.com by  Bookstooge's Exalted Permission.
Title: Soldiers of Fortune
Series: Omega Force
Author: Joshua Dalzelle
Rating: 3 of 5 Stars
Genre: SFF
Pages: 350
Format: Kindle digital edition

Synopsis:

Cap'n Jason and his mighty crew of rogue Do Gooders have pretty much spent all their money from their first mission on stuff for the ship and other missions. So now they need a job and they get one, from Da' Man, the Gubbamint, Big Brother.

A system is standing separate from the ConFed space government and suddenly their shipping lanes are being attacked by pirates, good stolen, commerce being ground to a halt. But they can't find the pirates hidden base so they hire Omega Force to get dirty, be dirtbag, scum loving, mercs and find the pirate base. Along the way, Jason and the Crew find out that it is the ConFed's, working in conjunction with a small group of power hungry individuals, that is working to bring the system to it's knees so it will be forced to join the ConFed.

And a beautiful woman is brought into the picture. Da Da Dum!

My Thoughts:

Ok, first off, I thought this was a slightly better book than the first one but I rated it 1/2star less. That is because this was 50% longer, which showed some of the Dalzelle's weakness in writing, and I was expecting more. Funny how expectations can really change things.

This was an enjoyable story of the crew getting into fights, doing some sleuthing, have a space battle or two and hooking up with a source of income that will allow them to continue The Good Fight. I didn't bother trying to figure out who or what was manipulating who or what, I was just along for the ride. Everything gets explained nice and neat by the end and the story ends.

In the first book, Jason thinks about "her" several times, but with no name or anything specific. Which bugged me, because if "she" was the love of his life, he'd be thinking of her by name. It felt like Dalzelle was trying to establish a character without actually doing any of the work. And in this book, "she" is referred to again, pretty much like that. The introduction of the  beautiful space captain and how she and Jason pretty much don't hit it off telegraphs that she'll be the romance interest in the series. At least the space captain has a name, position and is a real character. I foresee a lot of drama being milked out of this potential relationship.

If you like SF that is about the action, this series will suit you. It certainly suits me just fine even while I wish that it was being handled with more skill. Hopefully that is something that time will solve.

The Store DNF@25% w/ Extreme Prejudice

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.com by  Bookstooge's Exalted Permission.
Title: The Store
Series: -----
Author: Bentley Little
Rating: 0.5 of 5 Stars
Genre: Horror
Pages: 436
Format: Kindle digital edition

Synopsis:

The Store is coming to smallville, Arizona. Bad things have happened at other Store's across the country. Bad things have happened during the construction of the Store. Very Bad Things happen during the interview and initiation process to work at the Store.

And that is where I had to stop.

My Thoughts:

This book typifies Horror for me and why I don't read it as a genre. I don't have anything to say about the writing, or the story as a whole or anything else.

The 3 following happenings made me feel sick to my stomach and forced me to stop.

1) A sleazy young man is being interviewed to work at the Store. He's taken to the video surveillance room and is shown the women's dressing room, where he proceeds to watch the sister of the girl he's sleeping with, try on new jeans. The manager tells him that sometimes the women aren't wearing panties.

2) The aforementioned young woman applies to the Store. During her interview she is told that she'll have to take a polygraph test, with only the manager in the room. He tells her to take her blouse and bra off so he can affix the electrodes to her body. She does. And the manager leers at her the whole time. Then she has to give a urine sample. In the office, in front of the manager. She does.

3) The young woman is hired. She comes early on her first shift and is taken down to the basement. She is told to strip down to her bra and panties and forced to run a gauntlet between other employees [most of whom she knows] who inflict physical and verbal damage on her. At the end, they all say they love her and she responds in kind.


Now, I don't care if those instances are presented as wrong and bad, which they were. I don't want to read about the degradation, humiliation, torture and complete helplessness of a young woman. I don't want to invite the evil of that manager into my thoughts, and hence, into my house. That type of thing is sick and to use it for entertainment is sick as well.

Icerigger (Icerigger #1) (Project Reread #9)

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.com by  Bookstooge's Exalted Permission.
Title: Icerigger
Series: Icerigger
Author: Alan Foster
Rating: 5 of 5 Stars
Genre: SFF
Pages: 313
Format: Kindle digital edition

Project Reread:

I am attempting to reread 10+ books in 2016 that I have rated highly in the past. I am not attempting to second guess or denigrate my younger self in any way but am wanting to compare how my tastes have changed and possibly matured. I am certainly much more widely read now [both in the good and bad quality sadly] than then.
I will hopefully be going into the reasons for any differences of opinions between then and now. If there is no difference of opinion, then it was a hellfire'd fine book!
Links may link to either Booklikes or Blogspot, depending on when the original review was.

Synopsis:

Ethan Fortune, traveling space salesman, interrupts a kidnapping and is taken along for the ride. The little kidnapping craft crashes and the kidnappee's suddenly out number, out bulk and out gun their lone kidnapper. Sadly, they've crashed on Tran-Ky-Ky, the Hoth of the HumanX commonwealth, where metal is rare, the natives furry and the group is 1000 of kilometers from the only humanx outpost on the world.

After being rescued by a group of friendly natives, you'd think the groups' problems were over. Nope. It appears that they have arrived just as the locals are rising up against the Horde, a nasty group that sails around taking tribute and causing mayhem.

Lots of adventures happen and the book ends with the Slanderskee, an ice rigger [hence the name of the book and trilogy], skating into Brass Monkey, the humanx outpost.

My Thoughts:

If was I reading this for the first time, I'd be hesitating between 3.5 and 4 Stars. There are several things that you could nitpick about. My main one was where was the security detail for the Du Kanes? Heads of businesses that are multi-bajillionaires don't wander around by themselves.

However, since this is my 5th or 6th time reading this, I've obviously gotten past that. This is another book that I read multiple times in highschool, at least once or twice in bibleschool and then again since 2000. And now.  When I read this back in '06, I started looking for a hardcover edition. I managed to buy one recently [ie, in the last couple of years] for under $100, but before that, the price had ranged from $150 to $450. OUCH.

This was fun. Ethan is a good face for the group. Being a salesman he's used to dealing with disparate groups of beings and is mentally flexible enough that a little thing like being stranded on an ice planet doesn't make him panic and freeze [ha, wordplay totally intended there]. Skua September is the mature, wise, warrior elder. Ok, maybe not quite so wise or mature but he definitely provides that "experience" vibe that Ethan certainly doesn't have. Then the "scientist'y" teacher who fills in all those science'y parts necessary in an SF book. Finally, there are the Du Kanes. The sometimes senile, sometimes not, father and then Collette, the smart as a whip, really running the business but a dutiful and loving daughter. Who can only be described as fat.

Foster pulls no punches whatsoever in regards to Collette. In some ways it is rather shocking to see how she is treated so bluntly, but I never felt like it was used as a comedic "hey lets make fun of the fat girl" kind of thing. She is not a princess but is expected to fill a princess's role and that conflict brings a bit of gravity to this otherwise pretty light novel.

The fighting was great. There were several battles and each one was great to read about. Made me want to go outside, skate around and cut people's heads off :-)

Once again, this was a smashing success for my Project Reread.