Book reviews

March 2021 Book Reviews

Book Review: The Boys Omnibus vol 3 by Garth Ennis (Affiliate Link)

The superhero hilarity and overall wrongness of the boys continues in volume 3 with herogasm. What I find interesting about the story is how the author uses extremes to get his points across. The story is solid and I like getting to know some of the main characters more. There’s a few moments where you’ll think they did what…but overall an enjoyable story.

Book Review: Peace Talks by Jim Butcher (Affiliate Link)

This is a slower paced Dresden Files book, mainly because it’s part 1 of a two part book. The author basically split the book in two because of the length, but with that said, it actually works pretty well, because there’s enough going on in this book on its own to make it worthwhile to just make it a book on it’s own. I liked the slower pace and the chance for the characters to be developed further. Solid book, but you’ll definitely want to read the next book because of the cliff hanger ending.

Book Review: Battle Ground by Jim Butcher (Affiliate Link)

Battle Ground picks up where Peace Talks leaves off and ratchets up the pressure and action. This book is more fast paced and what I like is that you get to see Harry Dresden challenged as he never has been before, in multiple ways. I enjoyed this book a lot. My only complaint is that the main character got shafted in a way that I don’t think was really fair for him. Even so, its another great book in the series.

Book Review: Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption by Stephen King (Affiliate Link)

I’ve always loved the Shawshank Redemption movie, so when I got this book for Christmas I was curious as to whether it would be better or worse than the movie. If anything what I discovered to my delight is that the book and movie are the same in quality. There are differences between the book and the movie, but each are equally enjoyable. If you loved the movie, you’ll love the book.

Book Review: Ready Player Two by Ernest Cline (Affiliate link)

I didn’t get into this book quite as much as the previous book, but it was still an enjoyable read. The premise is well executed and once again the heroes of the story find themselves having to complete quests in virtual reality, but with a catch. I liked the character development. Some of the nerdiness lost me, but for fans who enjoy some of the particular pop culture referenced, they are sure to enjoy it.

Book Review: First Born by Paul Thompson and Tonya Cook (affiliate link)

This is is the first book in the Elven nations trilogy for Dragonlance. It has a few spelling and grammar errors, but the overall book is good. The story is well told and its compelling enough to read that you’ll find yourself enjoying the story. I reread it for the first time in decades and still found it to be an enjoyable book.

Book Review: The Kinslayer Wars by Douglas Niles (Affiliate link)

This is the second book in the Elven Nations trilogy. The editing was better this time. The story itself was ok. It dragged a bit at times and you could tell it was a different author writing the book. It’s still a pretty decent story and I like that they explore different themes such as racism and slavery in the book, as well as show how the original elven nation became split in two.

Book Review: The Qualinesti by Paul Thompson and Tonya Carter (Affiliate link)

The final book of the Elven Nations Trilogy. It’s a fairly good story that shares the founding of the Qualinesti and shares the ultimate fate of Kith Kanan. It does drag a bit at times, but it’s a good wrap up for the trilogy.

Book Review of Divided We Fell and Of Patriots and Tyrants and Rites and Desires

Book Review: Divided We Fell by B. D. Lutz (Affiliate link)

This is a hilarious exploration of a zombie apocalypse in a divided America, where the conservatives and liberals of the U.S. have split the country in half. It’s also a potent reminder of what happens when we let our differences define us to the point that we can no longer find common ground. The characters are funny and the author does a good job of bringing all of them to life, with their faults and foibles, but also their virtues. The action is intense and the description is gory enough to please any horror fans. Overall it is a satirical commentary on the politics of our time, while also being an excellent zombie apocalypse novel.

Book Review: Of Patriots and Tyrants by B. D. Lutz (Affiliate link)

Of Patriots and Tyrants builds off the action of Divided We Fell and keeps you wanting to read more. Like in the previous book, the author continues to explore a zombie apocalypse that happens in a divided America, showing what happens when the politicians’ lust for power helps create the zombie apocalypse the main characters deal with. I like how the author further explores the characters and shows what they have to do to survive. The action is tight. I’m looking forward to the next book!

Book Review: Rites and Desires by Amanda Cherry (Affiliate link)

This is a page turner of a book with compelling characters. The main character Ruby is a villain you can sympathize with, on her quest to get her power back. The Blights are fun minions and the hero of the story is an excellent foil for Ruby. This novel had the right amount of action, along with character development, to keep you reading and wondering what would happen next, and how Ruby would react to it, in order to get what she wanted.