Book Reviews October 2021

Book Review: Sword of Kings by Bernard Cornwall (Affiliate link)

This is the penultimate book of the Saxon Tales series and its a good one. The author does a great job of setting up Uthred’s reason for having to go south. He has to keep an oath he made. It’s not one he wants to keep, but his honor demands it. The action in this book is good and the author does a good job of setting Uthred up in such a way that he’s not an invincible warrior, but has to face some real difficulties. Overall a good book.

Book Review: War Lord by Bernard Cornwall (Affiliate link)

War Lord is the final book in the Saxon series and the author really delivers. I started reading this book and couldn’t put it down. The action is tight and the characters are compelling. What I love best is you learn a part of English history, and how England came to be and the author does a great job of bringing that history to life. At the same time, he knows when to bring the series to a close and he does a good job with that as well. I highly recommend the book and the series if you enjoy historical fiction.

Book Review: Rogues by Darius Brasher (Affiliate link)

This is the fourth book in the Omega Superhero series and it’s a good one. We see Omega brought to his lowest by an arch foe, but also by his own arrogance. There are a couple scenes which are rough, but the author does a good job with the overall story. I also like how he gave us some insight into the arch foe that Omega ends up facing. Overall its a really good book.

Book Review: Crisis by Darius Brasher (Affiliate link)

This was a page turner. What I like is how the author explored the effect of past decisions on Omega and how he got to compare himself to the antagonist. The book ends on a cliff hanger and I can’t wait to read what happens next. This series keeps getting better and better.

Book Review: Watership Down by Richard Adams (Affiliate link)

I have reading Watership Down enough times to have worn my way through two copies and I’m now on my third copy with a reserve fourth copy. I love the book that much. The characters are amazing and the plot just grabs you. It’s one of my favorite books and if you’ve never read it, you should pick up a copy.

Book Review: Tales from Watership Down by Richard Adams (affiliate link)

This is the sequel to Watership Down and I like it just as much as the first book, both because you get to see what happens to the characters from Watership Down and because you get exposed to more rabbit mythology. If you loved the first book, you’ll love this one as well.

Book Review: Dragons of a Fallen Sun by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman (Affiliate link)

This is classic Weis and Hickman at their best, building a compelling story that grabs you and keeps you involved from start to finish. I like the new characters as well as the returning characters. If you’re looking for good fantasy, you can’t go wrong with this book or how everything is set up.

Book Review: Dragons of a Vanished Moon by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman (Affiliate link)

This was a good wrap up to the war of souls with some nice twists on the ending. The character development was solid and the story comes to a good conclusion. It's definitely a fitting ending to the Dragonlance series and some of the main characters.

Book Review: A Desert torn Asunder by Bradley Beaulieu (Affiliate link)

This is the final book of the shattered sands and it neatly ties up every loose string and wraps the series up in a way that brings satisfaction to the reader. I liked how every character’s arc ended and how the overall story concluded. Throughout the final page, I couldn’t stop turning the pages, wanting to find out what would happen next and how the story would wrap up. I am looking forward to the next series and will continue to reread these books because the story is one of the best I have read.

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.

January 2021 Book Reviews

Book Review: When Jackals Storm the Walls by Bradley Beaulieu (Affiliate Link)

Book 5 of the Song of Shattered Sands builds off the action of the previous books and starts to bring the series to a climatic end, but manages to end on a cliff hanger that will have you on the edge of your seat waiting for book 6. As always the characters come to life in this series and the author does a good job of keeping the reader engaged with the different characters, while inevitably bringing their story arcs together. If you like epic fantasy you’ll love this series, not the least because the author isn’t dragging out, but instead is keeping it focused and manageable.

Book Review: Random Man by A.R. Maxwell (Affiliate link)

This is a coming of age superhero novel where the main character doesn’t have full control of his powers. The author does a great job off establishing the character as well as the challenges he faces. She also makes sure that he struggles throughout the book, which makes it more interesting. The supporting cast is well written and the story is a page turner. If you’re looking for some fun superhero fiction, this book is a good one to read.

Book Review: How to Defeat a Hero by J. Bennett (affiliate link)

When I got this book, I stopped reading another series because I wanted to see what was going to happen to Alice, in this series, and I’m glad I did, because once I started reading this book, I couldn’t stop. I turned each page, curious to see what would happen next to Alice and her fellow henchmates. And I’m glad I did because the book was amazing. The twists and turns got me really excited and the way the story ended…wow. I have a feeling when the next book comes out, I’ll stop reading whatever else I’m reading so I can pick it up and find out what happens next.

Book Review: The Sidekicks Initiative by Barry Hutchinson (affiliate link)

This is a hilarious superhero fiction about former sidekicks that are drafted to save the world from a mysterious threat when the heroes can’t. The author does a good job of keeping you guessing as to what will happen next in the story and there’s plenty of humorous spoofs and jokes about superheroes. I hope the author will write more in this series.

Book Review: The Boys Vol 1 by Garth Ennis (Affiliate link)

I’ll admit I read this graphic novel because of the Amazon series, and I’m glad the series introduced me to it, because as always Garth Ennis manages to push his stories over the top. The story in the comics is different from the show, which makes it even more enjoyable, because it’s like you’re getting extra content. If you like superhero fiction, you’ll love this warped story about supes and what happens when you have a team of people take them on.

Book Review: A Dangerous Freedom by B. D. Lutz (Affiliate Link)

In the latest book from the divided America series, the author introduces more zombie action and humor. I liked the book overall though one difference I noticed is that the author switched between points of view almost every chapter and added more characters. It worked in terms of moving the story forward, but it did feel a little disorienting at times. Even so this was a fun read and I can’t wait for the next book.

Book Review: The Boys volume 2 by Garth Ennis (Affiliate link)

In the second volume of the Boys, the over the top action and craziness of the supes continues to take off, as does the efforts of the Boys to stop the supes. I like the parody of the X-men and the development of the characters. Overall its a good, gory story that skews the traditional superhero narrative.

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.