Book Reviews
Review: “The Dark Path” by Walter H. Hunt
Reviewing books, especially when you’re trying to write your own, makes you a bit self-conscious. When you’re asked for an opinion, you have to approach each title as a reader who is looking for a good escape. That self-conscious feeling only gets worse when I review works written by people I know. I want to give an honest opinion–but if I don’t like it, the friendship is irrevocably marred.
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: “Daemon” by Daniel Suarez
The story of how Suarez’s novel went from a self-published story to a major book contract and potential movie deal is one that will give hope to every aspiring writer out there. Suarez got his book into the hands of a target audience and created a buzz for himself that it was impossible for a conventional publisher to ignore. But the thing is–if “Daemon” weren’t a good book, no one would be talking about it. And “Daemon” is that good.
Review: “Morevi: The Chronicles of Rafe and Askana”
The idea of reading a book written by two people who had never even met was too cool to pass up. And I also felt like I should be supporting Bookcrazy and The Dragonpage by actually buying their authors’ books. So I sent Amazon.com my $23.95 (dear Lord, for a PAPERBACK! BTW, it is now available for $19.95). About six weeks later, Morevi: The Chronicles of Rafe and Askana was sitting in my doorstep, wrapped in a plain brown package.
It was worth every fucking cent.
This is a good book. Not a good “first novel”. A good novel. Tee, Lisa, you should be very proud of yourselves.
Review: “Bride of the Fat White Vampire” by Andrew Fox
God, I love the sci-fi-fantasy-horror-magicrealism-pagan-mystic genres, cause every once in a while you come across a book like Bride of the Fat White Vampire, by Andrew Fox. Funny, clever, and highly entertaining.
Review: “Not Your Father’s Horseman” by Valerie Griswold-Ford
When you ask author Valerie Griswold-Ford how she got her contract for Not Your Father’s Horseman, she will tell you, “Well, Tee suggested I finish the manuscript and then pitch it to Dragon Moon. What Tee didn’t tell me was he pitched it for me to Dragon Moon and got me a contract.” So, yeah, I figured a great motivator in getting your first novel done was a contract.
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: “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.
