Book Reviews
Review: “Heart’s Blood” by Juliet Marillier
In Heart’s Blood Ms. Marillier has created believable characters, both living and dead who grow and change through the book. Far from being a knock-off, the story and style stand out nicely on their own. I’m glad to have had the opportunity to discover her work.
Review: “Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty” by Raymond Benson
Let me begin by saying that I wanted to love this book. I love the game, I love the characters, I love reading; it seemed a natural fit. Unfortunately, it wasn’t. What I ended up reading was an “okay” version of a story that I know could have been much better.
Review: “Alien Contact”, edited by Marty Halpern
I’m always on the lookout for good reading and new authors to follow. Alien Contact is something of a veritable who’s who of the current genre greats, with some names I’m not as familiar with in the mix as well.
With twenty-six short stories telling tales of man meeting with other intelligences, Marty Halpern has pulled together an anthology filled with hours of enjoyable reading.
Review: “Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith” by Matthew Stover
The opening of the final chapter of the Star Wars Saga begins on a fast-paced note, and rarely slows down until the very end. All of us old-time Star Wars fans know exactly how things turn out, but what we’ve never known was how events progressed in that direction; until Episode II, we never knew just how much of the bigger picture was manipulated by Darth Sidious.
In this story, we learn how much has been manipulated, how long the pieces have been in play, and how they all come together in the end.
Review: “Calculating God” by Robert J. Sawyer
If you read science fiction, you have to read Robert J. Sawyer. That’s all there is to it.
Calculating God explores such mundane questions as “Was the universe designed by an intelligent creator?” “Is there a God?” “Does he influence the affairs of man?” “Why is there life in the universe?” Sawyer’s answers are the most imaginative you will ever read.
Review: “The Luck of Madonna 13” by E. T. Ellison
Usually, as I’m reading a novel, I get an idea of how I’m going to start off the review. Usually a theme coalesces and is fully formed by the time I reach “The End.” But with The Luck of Madonna 13, by E. T. Ellison, I honestly have no idea where to begin, other than to say that this is easily the weirdest book I have ever read. Which must be a good thing, as I whole-heartedly believe that was one of the author’s intentions.
Review: “The First Rule” by Robert Crais
I made a careless mistake, sitting on my sofa at around 1:30am… I picked The First Rule off the daunting TBR stack in my living room and began reading, fully intending to read just the first couple chapters, then get in bed.
Somewhere around 6:30am, with the morning sky already bright, and my eyes burning from lack of sleep, I forced myself to stay awake and finish the book. I absolutely refused to put the book down with so few pages left, and pushed my way through to the end.
Review: “Feed” by Mira Grant
“Feed” is fascinating, compelling and while it runs for close to 600 pages, the novel never feels long or drawn out. Grant expertly sets up the world within the first 100 pages and then slowly begins to examine the implications of what we’ve learned about her universe over the rest of the novel.
