Took me far too long to get through this book that was not scary, spooky or very creepy. I thought about DNFing it, but I kept holding out hope for a Took me far too long to get through this book that was not scary, spooky or very creepy. I thought about DNFing it, but I kept holding out hope for a great finish. Alas, that was sort of ho hum too....more
The second book of the Mistborn series sees young Elend Venture become king, the Keeper Sazed question his beliefs and the young Mistborn heroine, VinThe second book of the Mistborn series sees young Elend Venture become king, the Keeper Sazed question his beliefs and the young Mistborn heroine, Vin, coming fully into her Allomantic powers. Their city is besieged by not one, not two but three invading armies and much of the first 2/3 of the book focussed on the intrigue involved with this predicament. However, lying in the reeds of the main story is the idea that a treasure and the Well of Ascension lies hidden somewhere and whoever finds it will have the obvious advantage over their enemies. The final 100 pages is un-put-downable even if I guessed correctly what would eventually happen. Still, a good, if not too long, book....more
It took me a bit of time to get through this massive book, but it was worth it. I had an idea about how this trilogy would end, and while I wasn’t comIt took me a bit of time to get through this massive book, but it was worth it. I had an idea about how this trilogy would end, and while I wasn’t completely correct, some things played out as I figured they would. Still, some great action scenes / fight and I love the mystical aspect of “metals”. This series is top notch fantasy....more
What a great start to what many people consider to be one of the best modern fantasy series out there. Brandon Sanderson’s Mistborn trilogy starts witWhat a great start to what many people consider to be one of the best modern fantasy series out there. Brandon Sanderson’s Mistborn trilogy starts with this book Mistborn: The Final Empire. In it, young Vin, a street wise thief, discovers she is an Allomancer; someone who can use particular metals to enhance her strength, allow her to basically fly and extend her endurance. All powers she will need if she is going to help a band of rebels bring down the immortal Lord Ruler. There are some great characters in this novel, and the world building is fantastic as you learn plenty about the ash ridden society in which these people live. Great action too, although I felt the “plan” to overthrow the empire was a bit simplistic and easily figured out. Still, I cannot wait to dive into the rest of the trilogy and the accompanying Cosmere universe that Sanderson has created....more
This is a different sort of book than I am used to reading when I pick up a James Patterson novel. It tells the story of Ben Corbett, an early 1900’s This is a different sort of book than I am used to reading when I pick up a James Patterson novel. It tells the story of Ben Corbett, an early 1900’s Washington lawyer from the South, who returns to his hometown in Mississippi to report on a spate of lynchings that have taken place there. Once back home, Corbett goes head to head with the KKK and the town’s overall prejudice against black people there while befriending an ancestor of Patterson’s typical protagonist, modern day detective Alex Cross. There are some intense scenes of violence (Corbett’s own lynching is particularly gruesome), but the novel falls short in true character development and sometimes seems to jump recklessly from one scene to another without properly filling in what should be important detail from in between....more
Finally! It seemed like it took forever to get through this book, and I am certainly left with mixed feelings. on the positive side, the history of theFinally! It seemed like it took forever to get through this book, and I am certainly left with mixed feelings. on the positive side, the history of the Targaryens and Westeros in general is oddly fascinating (given it is completely fictional) and learning of the twists and turns, betrayals and beheadings of the minions of the Seven Kingdoms is interesting in how it sometimes parallels our own world history. However, "Fire & Blood" is not written in the same style as "A Song of Ice and Fire" where each chapter is told by a particular character and the narrative winds its way to a conclusion where most of these perspectives gel together into a satisfying climax. Instead, "Fire & Blood" reads like a history book written by the maesters of the time who record what they see and speculate on the rest. As such, it drags at points, and becomes repetitive as Martin (the author) begins to separate the slightly different perspectives of the differing opinions of the growing number of amateur historians (including, at times, the King's Fool, the dwarf Mushroom). There are also so many characters that it is very easy to lose track of who is who, and Martin takes joy in sometimes writing off a handful of characters in a single paragraph (ie, and during the last month of the year, the kingdom lost Ser Soandso, Lady Whatshername and Lord Iforgotabouthim) It can be confusing and detracts from the story....more
Here is the mistake I made before reading the stories in this collection by Joe Hill: I read the introduction. In it, a Mr. Christopher Golden talks aHere is the mistake I made before reading the stories in this collection by Joe Hill: I read the introduction. In it, a Mr. Christopher Golden talks about Hill and the stories within the book, not in great detail, but enough that I got a certain feeling / impression about them before actual reading them. When certain stories (for me that included Pop Art & I Hear the Locust Sing) didn’t live up to their billing in the intro, I was disappointed. However, there are some really good ones too: Last Breath, Voluntary Committal and the weird but extremely creepy My Father’s Mask. Still, there were as many misses than hits for me, but a decent collection nonetheless....more
This book was more like a 3.5 stars, and largely because I didn’t care for the cliffhanger ending. I don’t mind when a novel from book series ends on This book was more like a 3.5 stars, and largely because I didn’t care for the cliffhanger ending. I don’t mind when a novel from book series ends on a low / high note, but this one just sort of seems…inevitable. I’m not sure how to describe it but I felt a bit cheated. Otherwise, I was mildly surprised at how much we got to learn about many of the characters (although some side characters get too much detail) and there were some creepy crawly moments as the voracious spiders started invading the populated areas of humanity. I’ll certainly look to find the remaking books and hope they answer some of the questions this book left us with....more
I haven’t read anything by Jack Higgins in some time and sort of forgot that while the plot and action moves along quite quickly, that is part of my pI haven’t read anything by Jack Higgins in some time and sort of forgot that while the plot and action moves along quite quickly, that is part of my problem. Things happen TOO quickly. I don’t need super long shootouts or battles, but I’d like more than “he entered the room and shot him twice in the heart”. Lots of dialogue propel the story which isn’t all bad, but there is very little description to give this novel any context. The differences between Washington, Baghdad and London are minimally discussed and are irrelevant to the plot to kill the president. Still, I was entertained enough and knew what I was getting into when I picked this up. Quick and dirty action!...more
What other glowing reviews can I offer that I haven’t already written about Michael Connelly and his hard nose detective, Heironymous Bosch. There areWhat other glowing reviews can I offer that I haven’t already written about Michael Connelly and his hard nose detective, Heironymous Bosch. There are a few different strands meshed together in this novel: Russian killers, missing women, a murdered son and father, and a prisoner who claims that Bosch had him framed for a crime he didn’t commit. Things roll along at a break neck speed and Bosch, well, I don’t want to ruin things, but you feel both frustrated and happy for the detective by the time the book ends....more
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