Book Reviews
Review: “Seven Seasons of Buffy”
I try to avoid reading books out of order, and while it usually wouldn’t matter in this case, my having read Five Seasons of Angel before this one brings a couple of things to mind… the foremost being that while editor Glenn Yeffeth obtained fewer essays for the Angel collection, he also seems to have obtained more highly engaging essays for the it than for the Buffy collection. While that may sound like a minor slam of the Buffy collection, it’s not… it’s a big time golf-clap salute.
Review: “Thomas the Rhymer” by Ellen Kushner
Apparently, the big screen is not the only medium in which remakes are popular. There are many authors that have written successful versions of children’s stories and fairy tales. Ellen Kushner brings us Thomas the Rhymer, winner of the World Fantasy Award.
Review: “Killing the Rabbit” by Alison Goodman
This book is based in Australia yet blends in a bit of Japanese and Chinese culture. What doesn’t make sense is this South African Pharmaceutical Company is only killing Australian women with this trait and there is no mention of any other women in any other country. Resorting to the murder of those seven women and the other “loose ends” seems a bit drastic without taking into consideration the possibility of hundreds of women worldwide who might have the same genetic mutation.
Review: Bloom County: The Complete Library, Vol 1
The book has comic strips from Mr Breathed very first comics that he did in his college paper, up to 1982. His first drawings were funny, but doesn’t look at all like they do later on. But you can still see his humor and a few of his characters that he stuck with.
Review: “Chance Fortune and the Outlaws” by Shane Berryhill
Chance Fortune and the Outlaws is a fun story that pays homage to classic comic books and throws in young people having to deal with more than just learning to use their powers. If you enjoy a good read along the lines of Mr. Potter and his friends, comic book superheroes or just want something different to entice younger readers I would recommend this book.
Review: “The Hunter’s Blades” Trilogy by R. A. Salvatore
These are the first books by R. A. Salvatore that I’ve read. Now I know why he is a best seller. These books are not profound. They are not really awe-inspiring, even given the scope of the story. Aside from some journal entries by Drizzt, there is very little that is “deep” in these books.
But, they are a hell of a lot of fun to read, and surprisingly well written. I’m thinking I may have to check and see if he could indeed have written a good book based on Star Wars: Episode II.
Review: “Tinker” by Wen Spencer
If heavily armed elves, a demonic conspiracy, and a girl genius doesn’t sound like a wild enough ride, how about Pittsburgh being the epicenter of a dimensional rift. Welcome to Wen Spencer’s Tinker, a book that is an adventure worth every page!
Review: “Across The Nightingale Floor” by Lian Hearn
Billed as “Asian Fantasy,” Across the Nightingale Floor is an epic tale of revenge, intrigue, and love unrequited. At least, that is what the book jacket says. The writing style could have ascended me to a higher plane of enlightenment, but its absent plot, vapid characters, and stilted dialog made me want to commit hari-kari.
