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: “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: “Eon: Dragoneye Reborn” by Alison Goodman
“Dragoneye” is the first of a two-part story set in Goodman’s universe. Thankfully, Goodman is able to resolve enough of the storylines to keep readers satisfied and make this a complete novel, while creating a cliffhanger and situation that will leave you wanting to pick up the next installment as soon as possible and find out what happens next.
Review: “A Companion to Wolves” by Sarah Monette and Elizabeth Bear
Now this was a surprise. Here is one of those rare books not produced as a precursor to a series.
This is not to say that the land Monette and Bear have created couldn’t support multiple visits. It is merely to say that they have constructed a tale that is complete and unconcerned with possibilities and marketing strategies beyond its own ken.
Review: “Gone” by Michael Grant
Grant has successfully written himself a real suspense-filled saga about a group of small city kids placed in extraordinary circumstances and dealing with problems that would cause any well-seasoned and trained adult to go crazy.
Review: “Horns” by Joe Hill
“Horns” starts with two of the most ingenious opening paragraphs I’ve read in a long while about Ignatius Perrish waking up from having spent the night before doing horrible things and getting ready to do a lot more. Also, Ig (as he’s called) has a pair of horns growing out of his head.
Review: “Thirteenth Child” by Patricia C. Wrede
Thirteenth Child is a YA novel and in this novel Patricia C Wrede crafts a story that may remind you of Orson Scott Card’s “Seventh Son” series. In this case, the hero is a young girl named “Eff” coming to grips with her magical heritage.
Review: “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” Graphic Novel
This graphic novel is perfect for anyone that has seen the movie or read the books, and wants to remember this great story. But more than that, this would be perfect if you have young kids that would be bored with the movie, but you want to share this with them. They would love this book and could act as a gateway to get them to read the novels.
