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Review Date: 1/9/2022
It's a pretty good read. The premise is a little silly. It's a person with a mix of human and cat DNA and a grumpy wizard traveling from world to world through the multiverse. They have ended up on a world with not that much magic and discover that all Hell is about to break loose, literally. They need to either stop it or get off the world.
Myhr, "rhymes with purr", is an interesting character, flamboyant and randy as a cat. Myhr makes a living as an entertainer singing old Beatle's songs and telling stories from books and shows he's read and seen. The picture on the cover of Myhr pretty much sums up his personality. Terrin is the wizard and is constantly in a bad mood. The author does well at presenting a smooth story with believable challenges and interesting twists. There is little fluff in the story and it is a fast read with lots of humor.
One aspect of the book that may be offputting for some is a very heavy reliance on knowledge of American pop culture. For example, you have to be familiar with the Beverly Hillbilies to get one of the jokes. The show premiered in 1962 in black and white and ended in 1971, 50 years ago. I watched it live (no DVD recorders back then) so I didn't have a problem with the ancient pop culture references and enjoyed them.
Myhr, "rhymes with purr", is an interesting character, flamboyant and randy as a cat. Myhr makes a living as an entertainer singing old Beatle's songs and telling stories from books and shows he's read and seen. The picture on the cover of Myhr pretty much sums up his personality. Terrin is the wizard and is constantly in a bad mood. The author does well at presenting a smooth story with believable challenges and interesting twists. There is little fluff in the story and it is a fast read with lots of humor.
One aspect of the book that may be offputting for some is a very heavy reliance on knowledge of American pop culture. For example, you have to be familiar with the Beverly Hillbilies to get one of the jokes. The show premiered in 1962 in black and white and ended in 1971, 50 years ago. I watched it live (no DVD recorders back then) so I didn't have a problem with the ancient pop culture references and enjoyed them.
Review Date: 11/1/2020
This is a good read with good character development and a well-written storyline. The series is based on humans being the universe's toughest warriors, which I hope isn't true. Anyway, the series is really good and is strong all the way through. It does need to be read in order since much of the character development is with the aliens. I highly recommend it.
Review Date: 11/1/2020
The book has very good character development and unexpected story twists. The story is lively and well written. The Cole/Bunch duo does excellent work. This series is promising to be as good as their Sten series.
The only problem with the book, at least for me, is that it is a memoir. As with all memoirs, you don't have to guess whether the protagonist makes it out alive, it's just a matter of how many parts they still have. You can usually sort of forget after some pages that it is a memoir. Unless you are reminded ... regularly (sigh). Still, I can recommend this book without reservation. It's a good read.
The only problem with the book, at least for me, is that it is a memoir. As with all memoirs, you don't have to guess whether the protagonist makes it out alive, it's just a matter of how many parts they still have. You can usually sort of forget after some pages that it is a memoir. Unless you are reminded ... regularly (sigh). Still, I can recommend this book without reservation. It's a good read.
Review Date: 11/1/2020
The book holds your interest with a series of fairly well written military action sequences. Though you do have to turn a blind eye to the less than stellar military tactics of the Commonwealth troops.
The trouble with the book is a weak ending. I read the book twice because I could not remember the ending. And I knew I had read the whole thing before.
While writing this review, I arrived at a conclusion that the Federation was there just to tear the place up while avoiding the Commonwealth troops and then withdraw. A few pages stating this, or something as plausible, would have made a world of difference. Since there were not, the reader is left with the impression that there was no ending, thus nothing to remember.
The trouble with the book is a weak ending. I read the book twice because I could not remember the ending. And I knew I had read the whole thing before.
While writing this review, I arrived at a conclusion that the Federation was there just to tear the place up while avoiding the Commonwealth troops and then withdraw. A few pages stating this, or something as plausible, would have made a world of difference. Since there were not, the reader is left with the impression that there was no ending, thus nothing to remember.
Review Date: 7/29/2023
I was pretty disappointed with the book. The book is extremely slow-paced and nothing like previous Vokosigan novels. It's a romance, but nothing like A Civil Campaign. The description makes it much more exciting than it really is.
Jole was Count Vorkosigian, Miles' father Aral's lover. So the first part of the book goes into Aral being bisexual, which is something I didn't expect but I think was hinted at in previous novels. This segues into Jole getting the hots for Cordelia and Jole's desire to father a child with Aral's gametes while getting a relationship with Cordelia. I just did not find this terribly exciting.
I got a couple of hundred pages into the book and there was no Miles, no lopping off of heads, and no interstellar intrigue. Jole and Cordelia had finally made it into the canoe, a running storyline in the book, which could have happened a hundred pages earlier for my taste (call me impatient).
At this point, I gave it up and posted the book. Perhaps I missed out on some good parts. The writing is well done, if a bit over-descriptive and there were some good reviews on Amazon, so I figure someone else will really like the book.
Jole was Count Vorkosigian, Miles' father Aral's lover. So the first part of the book goes into Aral being bisexual, which is something I didn't expect but I think was hinted at in previous novels. This segues into Jole getting the hots for Cordelia and Jole's desire to father a child with Aral's gametes while getting a relationship with Cordelia. I just did not find this terribly exciting.
I got a couple of hundred pages into the book and there was no Miles, no lopping off of heads, and no interstellar intrigue. Jole and Cordelia had finally made it into the canoe, a running storyline in the book, which could have happened a hundred pages earlier for my taste (call me impatient).
At this point, I gave it up and posted the book. Perhaps I missed out on some good parts. The writing is well done, if a bit over-descriptive and there were some good reviews on Amazon, so I figure someone else will really like the book.
Review Date: 11/8/2020
The story is pretty good for most of the book. The storyline is good and the writing is quite professional. But most of the end of the book is a platform for the author's philosophizing, which some readers might like. I, personally, was left wondering what the author was going to do with the rest of the pages. But I was interested enough in the characters to stick it out to the end, which gives credit to the book. So, the book is an okay read, but not one of Heinlein's best.
Review Date: 5/18/2021
This series is a hoot! The book is well written with excellent character development and description. The humor is well presented with a chuckle on just about every other page. The story is highly entertaining with many plot twists and turns. You can get really involved with the characters; Jig is really likable. The rest of the trilogy is just as good and I can highly recommend all of them.
Review Date: 3/19/2009
It's a good read, fast paced and it holds your interest.
Review Date: 11/1/2020
This is a children's book. I would put it at the upper elementary school level, which is about the age of the main characters. It is a good read for the audience. If you want to give the book as a present to a youngster, I think it would be well received.
Review Date: 11/1/2020
Good strong characters and a good story to match. Very well written with good character development and a story that will keep you guessing. A quick read and a good ending. I can highly recommend this one.
Review Date: 12/25/2022
You need to have all three books. The story is basically spread across all three books. It starts off rather slow, but then you realize that the story is really about gradually discovering what all of the inhabitants of Midnight, TX really are, and it's definitely not normal folks. It's a really good story, incredibly well-written, with interlacing storylines. And it does have its moments of action that are pretty amazing, especially the grand finale.
It's set in the universe of Sookie Stackhouse and Sookie is referenced at one point. Some have complained about it, but I thought it was rather cool and a good addition to the Stackhouse universe.
It's set in the universe of Sookie Stackhouse and Sookie is referenced at one point. Some have complained about it, but I thought it was rather cool and a good addition to the Stackhouse universe.
Review Date: 3/13/2022
This is an okay read, one of Heinlein's poorer efforts (a "bad" book by Heinlein is a better book than most other authors). The book is part of the Future History line and is a collection of three stories: "If this goes on...", "Coventry," and "Misfit". However, the first one, detailing the actual Second American Revolution, uses up 140 of the 187 pages while the other two are in the nature of small vignettes that look at a couple of details after the 'revolt' of the title, they use new themes and characters with no reference to the ones from the first story. "Coventry" occurs a fair period of time after the Revolution and describes post-Revolution America. "Misfit" is Heinlein's idea of what it would be like to travel in space to an asteroid, interesting but pretty far off the mark with slide rules and smoking on the ship while in transit. (in the 1950s everyone smoked and there were no calculators, much less computers.) But it does reveal the discovery of Andrew Jackson Libby, a character in later novels.
The story is told from a bit of a unique perspective: a young and pious John Lyle is a private in the guard turned aide in the revolution, not your normal hero. The device allows the story to be told from the perspective of those that are not making the decisions but are the ones carrying them out.
The base storyline is that as the 21st century comes to a close, Nehemiah Scudder became First Prophet. Once a low IQ itinerant backwoods preacher, he rose to the pinnacle of a fundamentalist Christian theocracy, became president, and overturned the Constitution. Succeeding Prophets are named to power in a "Miracle" where the First Prophet appears and empowers the new Prophet. The theocracy rules the former USA from New Jerusalem, the seat of an oppressive, right-wing government that punishes sin, heresy, blasphemy, or even any openly expressed lapses of a doubting faith with all of the awesome power of modern technology, science, and even applied psychology or psychotherapy.
John Lyle, a young man proud of his recent appointment to the Prophet's corps of bodyguards, believes himself to be happy, devout and confirmed in his faith. But when he commits the âcrimeâ of falling in love with one member of the Prophet's brigade of âvirginsâ, held in thrall for sexual services, he is forced to seek out the help of The Cabal, an undercover resistance movement called the Cabal (with Masonic overtones) that is dedicated to overthrowing the theocracy.
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But don't expect that Heinlein's writing in Revolt in 2100 is as polished as Stranger in a Strange Land. It's blunt, ham-handed, and melodramatic, the dialogue is stilted and trite, the romance is juvenile, and the manner in which the otherwise poignant ideas are expressed is in-your-face and over-the-top with nary a single subtle moment in sight.
The importance of the book is Heinlein's thoughts on organized religion, government, power, and revolution that are memorably thought-provoking and, if they were relevant in the 1950s, then they are even more important and relevant to the events of today. Jeff Sessions' obnoxious establishment of a Religious Liberty Task Force (with the openly stated goal of combating "dangerous secularism") in response to the unrelenting pressure exerted by evangelical Christians in the halls of power in Washington and Trump's attempted coup, make the message more important than ever.
If a reader is paying any attention to the current events that are unfolding in the world around him, they will realize that Heinlein was nothing if not prescient when he penned Revolt in 2100. The Author's Note is pretty scary in that it appears that Heinlein looked into a crystal ball and viewed the 2020 and 2024 elections. Yikes!!!
The story is told from a bit of a unique perspective: a young and pious John Lyle is a private in the guard turned aide in the revolution, not your normal hero. The device allows the story to be told from the perspective of those that are not making the decisions but are the ones carrying them out.
The base storyline is that as the 21st century comes to a close, Nehemiah Scudder became First Prophet. Once a low IQ itinerant backwoods preacher, he rose to the pinnacle of a fundamentalist Christian theocracy, became president, and overturned the Constitution. Succeeding Prophets are named to power in a "Miracle" where the First Prophet appears and empowers the new Prophet. The theocracy rules the former USA from New Jerusalem, the seat of an oppressive, right-wing government that punishes sin, heresy, blasphemy, or even any openly expressed lapses of a doubting faith with all of the awesome power of modern technology, science, and even applied psychology or psychotherapy.
John Lyle, a young man proud of his recent appointment to the Prophet's corps of bodyguards, believes himself to be happy, devout and confirmed in his faith. But when he commits the âcrimeâ of falling in love with one member of the Prophet's brigade of âvirginsâ, held in thrall for sexual services, he is forced to seek out the help of The Cabal, an undercover resistance movement called the Cabal (with Masonic overtones) that is dedicated to overthrowing the theocracy.
:
But don't expect that Heinlein's writing in Revolt in 2100 is as polished as Stranger in a Strange Land. It's blunt, ham-handed, and melodramatic, the dialogue is stilted and trite, the romance is juvenile, and the manner in which the otherwise poignant ideas are expressed is in-your-face and over-the-top with nary a single subtle moment in sight.
The importance of the book is Heinlein's thoughts on organized religion, government, power, and revolution that are memorably thought-provoking and, if they were relevant in the 1950s, then they are even more important and relevant to the events of today. Jeff Sessions' obnoxious establishment of a Religious Liberty Task Force (with the openly stated goal of combating "dangerous secularism") in response to the unrelenting pressure exerted by evangelical Christians in the halls of power in Washington and Trump's attempted coup, make the message more important than ever.
If a reader is paying any attention to the current events that are unfolding in the world around him, they will realize that Heinlein was nothing if not prescient when he penned Revolt in 2100. The Author's Note is pretty scary in that it appears that Heinlein looked into a crystal ball and viewed the 2020 and 2024 elections. Yikes!!!
Review Date: 11/1/2020
The main characters in the book are supporting characters from the first in this series. I did not find them strong enough to carry the story. But it is a good story and I would have found the book more compelling if the first in this series had not set such a high mark. Unfortunately, you have to read the series in order to understand the backstory.
Review Date: 6/9/2021
The Pip & Flinx storyline is stalling out with this one. It is an okay book, but does nothing to further the story. You can skip this one and not miss a thing. Personally, I'm getting impatient with the series.
If you do read it, be aware the next book in the chronological time is Bloodhype, a book that was written 30 years prior. Otherwise, this book ends with Flinx headed to Replar and Trouble Magnet starting with him leaving Replar. Go figure.
If you do read it, be aware the next book in the chronological time is Bloodhype, a book that was written 30 years prior. Otherwise, this book ends with Flinx headed to Replar and Trouble Magnet starting with him leaving Replar. Go figure.
The Sand Wars, Volume One: Solar Kill, Lasertown Blues and Celestial Hit List (Sand Wars omnibus)
Author:
Book Type: Paperback
13
Author:
Book Type: Paperback
13
Review Date: 6/28/2021
This is a good omnibus since the stories really blend together. It's a solid read with a great storyline and excellent character development. Amber, Jack Storm, Bogie, and St. Colin are all engaging characters that you actually start to care about a great deal, though Bogie doesn't come into his own until the third book. The story shifts points of view among the various factions in a way that is smooth and contributes to the enjoyment of the story. You will look forward to seeing how things turn out and will not be disappointed.
Review Date: 11/1/2020
A very good read. Nice character interplay with an interesting and well-written story. I found the ending superb and it gave me a good chuckle. I highly recommend this one.
Review Date: 11/1/2020
A very nice story. It is a feel-good novel with a delightful ending that expresses the true meaning of Christmas. I highly recommend this one.
Review Date: 6/28/2021
A really good read. It combines urban fantasy with a PI detective story. The main character is truly likable with a great supporting cast. There is a wonderful amount of humor that is spread evenly throughout the book. Some things, such as the Nevernever, are detailed just enough to look forward to learning more about them in a future book of the series. On the other hand, there are no slow trudges through backstory either. It's a fast read with no slow parts. Be warned, there aren't really any stopping points. I got to watch the sun come up as I finished the book in a single read. LOL
Review Date: 8/3/2021
Pratchett takes the Discworld from fantasy to SciFi. The book delves into the question "If I was going to build an actual Disc World, how would I do it?" The book was actually written prior to the Discworld series.
It is a good read with likable characters. It has, of course, Pratchett's biting satire on religion and human nature in general. The addition of two aliens is a good vehicle for injecting comments on humans from an alien perspective. The humor is up to Pratchett's standards and the book will give quite a few good chuckles.
It is a good read with likable characters. It has, of course, Pratchett's biting satire on religion and human nature in general. The addition of two aliens is a good vehicle for injecting comments on humans from an alien perspective. The humor is up to Pratchett's standards and the book will give quite a few good chuckles.
Review Date: 1/15/2023
I found this to be an absolutely delightful book. The main character, Jane True, is extremely likable and you will find yourself caring and rooting for her from the first few pages. It is a first-person account and the dialogues with herself are a real chuckle and some real belly laughs. It is a story of self-discovery and growth as an individual.
There are some rather explicit sex scenes, but nothing over the top and they do play into the story and are told in a very humorous way. The book does stress safe sex (The book is definitely not YA). The humor in the book is first-class and is consistent throughout the book. The book also has good stopping points (a plus for me) but is also a good read from start to end. I am definitely looking forward to the next book in the series.
From the Internet (with some editing):
Tempest Rising is the first book in Jane True series by Nicole Peeler. We are introduced to the heroine of the story, a woman named Jane True. She's half selkie and half-human and is unaware of it and her actual origins, but she knows that she always feels the urge to swim in the sea regardless of how the weather is and doesn't feel cold at all.
Jane is a resident of a small town in Maine known as Rockabill. She's been haunted since her mother left her and her father when she was only six years old. There is also trauma caused by the drowning of her first love in an accident that she blames herself for. Janes comes to learn about her true self when the small town of Rockabill becomes the center of supernatural attention after the murders of two supernaturals and a halfing.
Nicole Peeler does a fantastic job in world-building, creating a world that's so large that encompasses every single mystical creature you could ever think of. However, what's truly surprising and amazing at the same time is the fact that each of these mystical creatures mentioned in this story is slightly altered from the true mythos surrounding them.
For example, while vampires need blood to survive, they can function during the day and can be fed off of emotion, and the genies do have something for you to rub, and it is definitely not their lamp. Throughout the story, we get to learn that just about every mythical creature that humans have ever written or talked about is alive and living around us.
Even though Jane has dread about the world that she is introduced to, she embraces it with vigor and mostly because she is in a relationship with Ryu, a vampire. Even though the romance between Jane and Ryu plays a major role in the story, it's also not the reason for the story. One thing you will love about the book is the fact that Jane isn't ashamed of her sexuality, and she engages freely with Ryu. You will also like the idea that Peeler made sure that Jane and Ryu engage in safe sex. Ryu promises our heroine that he can't get her pregnant and that he doesn't carry any diseases, but despite his frequent reassurances, she demands that he wears a condom.
You will agree that there are many books in this genre that talk about safe sex, but the fact that Peeler chose to include it in this story should be appreciated. Jane always takes time to think about her safety, despite her lust, and that's a message that all young women and men need to hear.
In the first few pages of Tempest Rising, we are introduced to a lesbian couple who own a bookstore where Jane works and acts as both her friend and boss. It's not always easy to find marginalized folks appearing in books because they often fall into stereotypes.
Male and female couples often exist, but the issue here is that they are often stereotyped whenever lesbian couples are featured in the media. And unlike most stories, the fact that the story is set in a small town in Maine helps explain the deletion of people of color. Instead of including racial diversity, the author ventured into the diversity of the supernatural world, which helps make sense geographically. Far too often in urban fantasy books, people of color are either completely erased or simply reduced to minor figures within the story.
Jane is also a caregiver to her aging father. Their relationship is intricate as her father is in complete denial of the true nature of his wife/Jane's mother, a selkie. At one point in the story, Jane recounts her being institutionalized, and the facility is described as horrible. That's an important discussion, but the author simplifies it, assuring the reader that her heroine didn't belong there as she isn't crazy. It is also part of one of the back stories of interactions with supes.
In most urban fantasy stories, the female protagonist has to survive unspeakable horrors but remains untouched by them. However, that doesn't happen in this case; we see Jane fight depression after the death of her first love, which was real and saddening. The depression and her institutionalization resulted in people stigmatizing her identity, which showcases the ableism that we also experience in our social circles.
Tempest Rising is a fantastic series debut novel. It's the story where Peeler introduces us to this new world and her heroine. We get to know more about the character and how she interacts with the world and the people around her, perfectly setting us up for more. The plot is a murder mystery, but the investigation of the murder mystery takes a back seat to the introduction of the new world and Jane's learning of this new world and of herself.
There are some rather explicit sex scenes, but nothing over the top and they do play into the story and are told in a very humorous way. The book does stress safe sex (The book is definitely not YA). The humor in the book is first-class and is consistent throughout the book. The book also has good stopping points (a plus for me) but is also a good read from start to end. I am definitely looking forward to the next book in the series.
From the Internet (with some editing):
Tempest Rising is the first book in Jane True series by Nicole Peeler. We are introduced to the heroine of the story, a woman named Jane True. She's half selkie and half-human and is unaware of it and her actual origins, but she knows that she always feels the urge to swim in the sea regardless of how the weather is and doesn't feel cold at all.
Jane is a resident of a small town in Maine known as Rockabill. She's been haunted since her mother left her and her father when she was only six years old. There is also trauma caused by the drowning of her first love in an accident that she blames herself for. Janes comes to learn about her true self when the small town of Rockabill becomes the center of supernatural attention after the murders of two supernaturals and a halfing.
Nicole Peeler does a fantastic job in world-building, creating a world that's so large that encompasses every single mystical creature you could ever think of. However, what's truly surprising and amazing at the same time is the fact that each of these mystical creatures mentioned in this story is slightly altered from the true mythos surrounding them.
For example, while vampires need blood to survive, they can function during the day and can be fed off of emotion, and the genies do have something for you to rub, and it is definitely not their lamp. Throughout the story, we get to learn that just about every mythical creature that humans have ever written or talked about is alive and living around us.
Even though Jane has dread about the world that she is introduced to, she embraces it with vigor and mostly because she is in a relationship with Ryu, a vampire. Even though the romance between Jane and Ryu plays a major role in the story, it's also not the reason for the story. One thing you will love about the book is the fact that Jane isn't ashamed of her sexuality, and she engages freely with Ryu. You will also like the idea that Peeler made sure that Jane and Ryu engage in safe sex. Ryu promises our heroine that he can't get her pregnant and that he doesn't carry any diseases, but despite his frequent reassurances, she demands that he wears a condom.
You will agree that there are many books in this genre that talk about safe sex, but the fact that Peeler chose to include it in this story should be appreciated. Jane always takes time to think about her safety, despite her lust, and that's a message that all young women and men need to hear.
In the first few pages of Tempest Rising, we are introduced to a lesbian couple who own a bookstore where Jane works and acts as both her friend and boss. It's not always easy to find marginalized folks appearing in books because they often fall into stereotypes.
Male and female couples often exist, but the issue here is that they are often stereotyped whenever lesbian couples are featured in the media. And unlike most stories, the fact that the story is set in a small town in Maine helps explain the deletion of people of color. Instead of including racial diversity, the author ventured into the diversity of the supernatural world, which helps make sense geographically. Far too often in urban fantasy books, people of color are either completely erased or simply reduced to minor figures within the story.
Jane is also a caregiver to her aging father. Their relationship is intricate as her father is in complete denial of the true nature of his wife/Jane's mother, a selkie. At one point in the story, Jane recounts her being institutionalized, and the facility is described as horrible. That's an important discussion, but the author simplifies it, assuring the reader that her heroine didn't belong there as she isn't crazy. It is also part of one of the back stories of interactions with supes.
In most urban fantasy stories, the female protagonist has to survive unspeakable horrors but remains untouched by them. However, that doesn't happen in this case; we see Jane fight depression after the death of her first love, which was real and saddening. The depression and her institutionalization resulted in people stigmatizing her identity, which showcases the ableism that we also experience in our social circles.
Tempest Rising is a fantastic series debut novel. It's the story where Peeler introduces us to this new world and her heroine. We get to know more about the character and how she interacts with the world and the people around her, perfectly setting us up for more. The plot is a murder mystery, but the investigation of the murder mystery takes a back seat to the introduction of the new world and Jane's learning of this new world and of herself.
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