Graphic Novel Review - The Books of Magic by Neil Gaiman (4.5/5 stars)

Reading Level: Adult
Genre: Graphic Novel/Superhero
Size: 200 pages
Publisher: DC Comics
Release Date: April 14, 1993
ISBN: 978-1563890826
Stand Alone or Series: Stand Alone
Source: Bought
Rating: 4.5/5 stars


I have had this book on my shelf to read for a while. I finally got around to reading it. It was a very very good read. It ties into the story of some of the top magic users in super hero history, has cameos from the Endless, and discusses the repercussions of using magic.

Timothy Hunter has been identified as having a great capacity for magic should he choose to use it. He is identified by the Trenchcoat Brigade (consisting of John Constantine, the Phantom Stranger, Dr. Occult and Mister E) and offered a choice to explore magic or not. Each of these practitioners of magic takes on him on a different type of tour. Timothy visits the past, the present, and the future and also the fairylands.

This graphic novel takes an interesting look at the history of magic (both in general and in the DC universe), the future of magic, and realms of magic. Each magic practitioner takes Tim on a different journey and each journey emcompasses one of four “books of magic”.

We meet a wide variety of magical characters throughout this story from more classical magical characters (Baba Yaga, Titania) to a number of magical characters that pepper DC comic history (including Gaiman’s own Endless).

The books of magic get more abstract as they continue, with the final book (the one looking at the future of magic) being the most abstract. The illustration throughout follows this trend. Each book has a very distinctive artistic style. Charles Vess (my favoorite illustrator of the bunch) illustrates the fairy land journey and this was a perfect match for his style. The final book which journeys into the future had a very abstract style that was my least favorite of the bunch, but still matched the story very well.

I will be honest in saying that a lot of the DC comic references were lost on me since I haven’t read a ton in this universe. I still really enjoyed the story of Timothy exploring all these different avenues of magic and learning about them. The story is written in a way that even comic ignorant people like me will really enjoy it.

There is a fun twist at the end of the novel as well that had me chuckling. I love how the whole thing was wrapped up.

Overall I really really enjoyed this graphic novel. It was well written and provided a good story about the dangers of power and magic. It should be appropriate for YA and older. I also enjoyed all the wonderfully different illustration styles as well. Highly recommended to fans of fantasy graphic novels and to fans of the magical side of the DC universe.

This book goes towards the following reading challenges:
- Graphic Novel Reading Challenge
- 150+ Reading Challenge
- TBR Pile Reading Challenge

Review - Empire State by Adam Christopher (2/5 stars)

Reading Level: Adult
Genre: Steampunk
Size: 448 pages
Publisher: Angry Robot
Release Date: December 27, 2011
ISBN: 978-0857661937
Stand Alone or Series: 1st book in the Empire State series
Source: ARC from Amazon Vine
Rating: 2/5 stars

I got a copy of this book through the Amazon Vine program to review. The second book in this series will be titled The Age Atomic and is scheduled for a March 2013 release. This sounded like an awesome premise for a story and I was excited to read this book. I started this book two or three times and just couldn't get into it. I finally was determined to read it over Christmas break. I again had a lot of trouble getting through the first 30 pages or so, but the story improved a bit after that.

The story follows Rex and Rad. Rad is a PI who ends up investigating the disappearance of a young woman in the Empire State. Rex is a mobster who ends up in the Empire State (originally from New York city) and is disoriented and confused by his presence there.

The style is kind of a blend of crime, urban fantasy, and steampunk. The story is incredibly original; involving parallel worlds, super heroes, steam driven power, and rifts in time. It kind of reminds of a Doctor Who episode, the movie Dark City also comes to mind.

Rex is a mobster type character that is very unlikable and very hard to relate to. I had a lot of trouble reading through the parts where he featured.

Rad was a much more interesting character that was easier to engage with. The portions where he features in the story were a lot more interesting. Despite the fact that he is a heavy drinker and always on the edge of self-destruction, Rad is determined to do his job and solve the mystery set in front of him. I admired his determination.

There are a variety of other characters, all of them fairly forgettable since they are in and out of the story quite rapidly.

As the story continues and things get more and more complex (with double of the same characters but from different parallel areas) things got very ambiguous and hard to follow. The story became a burden to read and I had a lot of trouble picturing the story and characters. I struggled through it and I understood what was going on, but I really didn’t enjoy it.

This book is not an easy or pleasant read. The characters are hard to relate to. The story is especially fractured towards the second half of the book as it rapidly switches between a number of different POVs. It becomes hard to follow and boring. The ending felt rushed and forced.

Overall not a great read. I really really wanted to like this book. The premise is pretty neat and you have super heroes, steampunk, and investigative elements...all things I enjoy. Unfortunately, the characters were hard to relate to or engage with. Also as you approach the end of the story it becomes very fractured switching rapidly between numerous points of view, all in all it makes for a difficult and unpleasant read. By the end of this book I was just happy to be finished with it. I won’t be reading any more books in this series which is a pity because it sounds so cool.

This book goes towards the following reading challenges:
- Get Steampunk’d Reading Challenge
- 150+ Reading Challenge
- TBR Pile Reading Challenge

Graphic Novel Review - Batman and Robin: Dark Knight, White Knight (3/5 stars)

Reading level: Adult
Genre: Graphic Novel/Super Hero
Size: 208 pages
Publisher: DC Comics
Release Date: January 31, 2012
ISBN: 978-1401233730
Stand Alone or Series: 1st book in the Bloodlines series
Source: Review Copy through Goodreads First Reads
Rating: 4/5 stars


I got a copy of this from the publisher for review through Goodreads First Reads program. I haven't read any of the more recent Batman comics, so I wasn't sure what to expect. This was an interesting collection of stories; it features Dick Grayson as Batman and Damian Wayne as Robin. The stories range from good to kind of confusing.

The first story is "The Sum of Her Parts" I though this story was hard to follow and confusing. It was about an old flame of Bruce Wayne's who went a bit crazy and is trying to kill, but not kill, Batman. I didn't enjoy it all that much and was happy when I was done. The illustration was so-so, at times it was tough to tell exactly what was going on.

The second story is "Tree of Blood" this was about a crazy light-wielding villain who is bent on destroying all the surviving family members of anyone who has been or is in Arkham Asylum. I enjoyed this story a lot more; a great villain, some great action, and wonderful illustration. It was much darker in tone and had some really beautiful detail in the illustration.

The third story is called "The Streets Run Red" and is about the return of the Red Hood. I also enjoyed this story a lot; there was some great action, some wonderful characters, and a very fun story. The illustration was more stylized than the previous two stories, but still very well done and it matched the tone of the story nicely. This is another lighter story.

The stories in general have a more jaunty feel to them then some of the previous Batman comics I have read; Dick Grayson even jokes that he is a comic Batman in the first story. I like the dark aspect to Batman and so I missed that in these stories. Definitely recommended for older readers; lots of torture/murder/violence etc.

Overall an interesting collection of stories. I thought the first story was by far the weakest. The other two were entertaining reads. I am not sure how much I missed because I am not an avid Batman reader. So just an FYI, this is a review form a casual Batman followers point of view. I didn't enjoy the lighter feel to some of the stories, but the last two stories were entertaining and interesting. Not the best collection I've read but okay. I guess if you are a diehard Batman fan go ahead and pick it up. I can't recommend it as a stellar collection though.

This book goes towards the following reading challenges:
- Graphic Novel Challenge
- 150+ Books Reading Challenge

Graphic Novel Review - Scarlet by Brian Michael Bendis and Alex Maleev (4/5 stars)

Reading level: Adult
Genre: Graphic Novel/Superhero
Size: 184 pages
Publisher: Marvel
Release Date: July 20, 2011
ISBN: 978-0785152514
Stand Alone or Series: 1st in a series
Source: Gift for Xmas
Rating: 4/5 stars


I got a copy of this graphic novel for Christmas. It was a good read, it is dark and gritty. Full of lots of action with a great anti-hero type of heroine that you can't help but root for.

Scarlet fell in love once; then her boyfriend was brutally murdered by a cop gone wrong. Now Scarlet has a vendetta...to eliminate all of the dirty cops in the Portland and to destroy the system that lets them get away with their evil deeds. All she needs is a huge ass sniper rifle and a little support in the form of a flash mob...

This was an interesting read. The illustration is very dark with muted colors and a sketched out look to it. It matches the tone of the story perfectly; dark, gritty, and a bit rough looking. I enjoyed it.

I also enjoyed that Scarlet talks directly to the reader at a number of points; this was creative and was very well done. Scarlet as a character has a great background and draws the reader into the story. Parts of the book, for instance where you get Scarlet's whole life history in a series of still pictures with minimal caption, were incredibly well done and told a lot of story in a unique way.

The story itself was pretty typical of superhero stories in general. Scarlet has been hurt by the evil authority and has nothing to lose and will take them all out. I did like that a woman is featured as the butt-kicker in this series and I enjoyed her sniper skills as well as how ballsy she was.

I am curious to see where this series goes. Basically Scarlet is able to get support from the general populace but is going against authority in general. This opening collection didn't have anything super creative and super out of the box. The story was generally well done as was the artwork, so I do see a lot of potential for something amazing here.

Overall a great read with great illustration. This is a well done story and it is unique to have Scarlet talk directly to the reader. I enjoyed it overall, although the plot doesn't seem to be anything all that special. Still, there is a lot of potential here and I am interested to see where the next installment in this graphic novel series takes us.

Graphic Novel Review - Sidekicks by Dan Santat (4.5/5 stars)

Reading level: Middle Grade/Children's
Genre: Action/Graphic Novel
Size: 224 pages
Publisher: Arthur A. Levine Books
Release Date: July 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-0439298193
Stand Alone or Series: Stand Alone
Source: Borrowed from library
Rating: 4.5/5 stars


I originally saw this book listed on the Amazon Vine program, I ended up not being able to get it through there...but still really wanted to read it. Then I saw it at the library last weekend and decided to borrow it. This was a fun super hero comic that even younger kids can enjoy.

This book is about Captain Amazing and his faithful pets. Captain Amazing is looking for a new sidekick and all of his pets (a gerbil, a dog, and a lizard) want to be the one to be picked. Each of them has a special superpower and they try to enlist the help of Captain Amazing's former sidekick (a cat with some anger issues) in getting all ready and trained for the sidekick tryouts.

The illustrations through this graphic novel are excellent. They are well done and, for the most part, pretty easy to follow. They are in full color and beautiful.

The story is great and easy to understand on multiple levels. Beyond the superhero training and the funny parts where the pets are doing crazy superhero things, there are some great messages. The story addresses loyalty, teamwork, forgiveness, and the value of thinking before you act.

The story moves quickly and is very entertaining. There is a bit of cartoon violence but it should be appropriate for kids of most ages, even young kids. My son is four years old and he was entraced by the story because it had a superhero cat, dog, and hamster!

The only thing I noticed that could have been done better are a couple of parts where the drawing and story get a little confusing. I had to look back and forth a few times to figure out what was going on and my son didn't get it at all until I explained it to him.

Overall this is a great graphic novel. It is one of those few that both adults and kids can really enjoy. The pictures are in full color and very nicely done. The story is entertaining yet sends a variety of good messages as well. Definitely a must read for super hero fans, especially super hero fans of the younger age set.

This book goes towards the following reading challenges:
- 100+ Reading Challenge
- Graphic Novels Challenge List

Graphic Novel Review - Arkham Asylum by Grant Morrison and Dave McKean (4.5/5 stars)

Reading level: Adult

Genre: Graphic Novel/Horror
Size: 216 pages
Publisher:  DC Comics
Release Date: November 1, 2005
ISBN:  978-1401204259
Stand Alone or Series: Stand Alone
Source: Swapped through Paperbackswap.com
Rating: 4.5/5 stars

I have been wanting to read this graphic novel for awhile and was excited to get it through paperbackswap.  This is a very dark horror that was wonderful, but a bit disturbing.

I think pretty much everyone is familiar with this story.  Batman is called to Arkham Asylum to face down the Joker and all the other depraved inmates there.  As he goes through the asylum Batman is forced to consider his similarities and differences to the crazy lunatics of Arkham asylum.

This is definitely an adults only book; it is disturbing, depraved, violent, scary and overall just plain creepy.  The artwork is a very dark style of Dave McKean's typical.  I love McKean's artwork it is always interesting to look at and has elements that are unpredictable and surprising.  The tone of the artwork matches the story well and gives it even more depth.  McKean's artwork is perfect for this creepy crazy story about Batman's trip through Arkham Asylum.  Absolutely beautiful, haunting, and did I say creepy enough yet?!

Morrison's story is excellent as well.  The story has predictable elements of creepiness that one would expect from an asylum full of criminally insane people.  It also has unexpected depth to it and a lot of darkly clever elements.  At points it gets a bit confusing, but the script notes at the end help to clarify some of that.

Batman is forced to face his similarities to some of the insane folks and questions of what it means to be insane versus sane are raised.  This is a Batman story that emphasizes the rather disturbing elements you'd have to have as part of your personality if you wanted to run around dressed like a giant bat.

Additionally there are some wonderful scenes; for example where the psychiatrist has weened Two Face from a coin to a set of tarot cards to make his decisions just so his decisions won't be so black and white.  Of course there are seriously disturbing scenes...like Arkham himself parading through the halls wearing his mother's blood covered wedding dress.

Additionally this version has the full script notes from Morrison.  These are a great read and clarify some parts where it is a bit unclear what is going on in the story.  There are also thumbnail sketches of the story Morrison wrote up.  All of this is a great addition to the graphic novel.

Overall just an excellent read.  This is a story that is disturbing and dark, definitely creepy...but it also takes a deep look at some societal issues like what it means to be sane vs. insane.  It also dives into Batman's mind and takes a look at what made Batman the dark character he is.  Highly recommended for fans of dark fantasy, horror, and the darker side of Batman.

This goes towards the following reading challenges:

- Horror and Urban Fantasy Challenge
- 100+ Reading Challenge
- Graphic Novels Challenge List

Review - Confessions of a D-List Supervillain by Jim Bernheimer (4/5 stars)

Reading level: Adult
Genre: Science Fiction/Fantasy
Size: 164 pages
Publisher: CreateSpace 
Release Date: April 10, 2011
ISBN-13: 978-1461084747
Stand Alone or Series: Stand Alone
Source: Copy from author for review
Rating: 4/5 stars
 
I got an e-copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.  This book is an expansion of a novella included in Horror, Humor, and Heroes by Jim Bernheimer.  The first part of the book is that same story, but it is expanded to look at events that take place after the end of the original novella.

MechaniCAL was a bottom of the barrel supervillain until evil mind-controlling bugs took over the world.  Now he seems to be one of the only people with uncontrolled thoughts and is stuck living in his supersuit to stop the evil bugs from attaching to his neck and controlling his thoughts.  A group of superheroes called The Olympians have also been taken over by the bugs.  MechaniCAL is going to do his best to try and win over the Olympians so he has some sort of help in turning back the buggy invasion.

This story is a lot of fun to read, very tongue in cheek, and well-written.  If you liked the novella you will enjoy this version; finally we get to read about the aftermath of the bug invasion.  There is a lot of action in this book and the scenes are very well-done.  The characters are very human, they all have their flaws.  They are also a bit over-characterized at point; but that only serves to add to the humor of the story.  The book manages to be very funny and light, yet still touches on some deep issues.

You can't help but love the main hero/villain MechaniCAL.  He is intriguing and finds himself in an incredibly unique situation.  The superheroes are also interesting; although the majority of them are not as filled out as characters as Cal is.  The book is very creative and Bernheimer thinks of scenarios and superpowers that are both creative and laugh-out-loud funny.

Overall this was a fun and engaging read.  If you like reading about superheroes, supervillains turned superheroes, and enjoy humor in your story then you will definitely enjoy this book.  It was a fun and easy read and was very entertaining.

This book goes towards the following reading challenges:
- E-book Reading Challenge
- 100+ Reading Challenge

 

Early Review - The Girl in the Steel Corset (Steampunk Chronicles, Book 1) by Kady Cross (4/5 stars)

Reading level: Young Adult
Genre: Steampunk
Size: 480 pages 
Publisher: Harlequin
Release Date: May 24, 2011
ISBN-13: 978-0373210336
Stand Alone or Series: 1st book in the Steampunk Chronicles
Source: eGalley from NetGalley.com
Rating: 4/5 stars

 I got an eGalley of this book through NetGalley(dot)com.  I loved the cover, the premise, and the fact that it was steampunk.  I was a little leery after reading some reviews on it, but I shouldn't have been.  This was a fun steampunk read propelled by a sweet love story and an intriguing mystery.

Finley is working as a lady's maid when one of the young lords of the house accosts her.  Finley is forced to call on her darker side to defend herself and ends up fleeing the house only to be smacked by a cycle.  The young lord Griffin, who hit her, feels horrible and takes her back to his house to help her recuperate.  Griffin can sense Finley is different.  Finley is grateful for Griffin's help but is finding it increasingly hard to suppress her dark side.  Then she ends up leaving at night to talk to the cities top criminal Jack Dandy...and when she gets back she can't remember what happened.  Griffin has his own problems to deal with, he is trying to stop a murderer known only as the Machinist.  Of course Finley gets drawn into the mystery.  Will Finley be able to suppress or at least come to terms with her darker side?  Will they catch the Machinist?  Who will Finley choose Jack Dandy or Griffin?

This book was a lot of fun.  It reads kind of like an adult romance, but with a lot of steampunk and with a PG-13 rating.  The writing style just constantly made me forget I was reading a YA novel and I keep thinking it was an adult steampunk romance of sorts.  Finley is a fascinating character, she very much like Jekyl and Hyde in that she has two personalities that emerge.  Some people have complained of her "good" persona being too vanilla, well it is...but that is kind of the point.  Her bad personality has all the fun!  I thought Cross did an excellent job going back and forth between her personalities and I loved how they began to merge as the book went on.

Jack Dandy and Griffin are both swoon worthy.  Yeah they are a bit stereotypical, Griffin the noble do-gooder and Dandy the dangerous rogue, but they are still absolutely lovable and I truly enjoyed reading about them.  Griffin's friends Emily and Sam are just as engaging.  All of the characters have neat "super powers" and histories that make them easy to engage with and interesting to read about.  At the end the author says she was trying to write "The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen" meets "X-Men" and I would say that she definitely succeeded at that.

The plot moved along at a good clip.  It got a little distracted on the way a few times, but the distractions were interesting and fun so I didn't mind too much.  There is a lot of steampunk worked into the novel; neat little machines, automatons, aether, etc. that I really enjoyed.  Nothing really creative and unique to the steampunk genre but it was fun to read about. 

The name of the book doesn't really have much to do with the book itself.  It is a catchy name and references a couple small scenes in the book; the book is more about Finley's fight to meld her two selves and about trying to catch the murdering Machinist.  The book ends well but is definitely the opener to a series.

Overall I enjoyed this book.  It was fun and light, a good escapist read.  Yes it is not historically accurate, yes the male leads are a bit stereotypical...but the characters are lovable, the plot moves quickly, the romance is sweet, and action scenes loads of fun.  I will definitely be reading more books in this series.  It is a romance heavy steampunk, so if you are anti-romance you might want to check out something else.  The tone of the writing is older, so it is probably most appropriate for older teens and up (although I don't remember any questionable content that would make it bad for younger teens).  The characters are in their upper-teens and twenties.  If you are a fan of steampunk and don't mind some romance check this out; I had a seriously good time reading this book.  I am also going to check out the novella that was just released The Strange Case of Finely Jayne.

This book goes towards the following reading challenges:

- 100+ Reading Challenge
- The Debut Author Challenge
- Get Steampunked!
- E-book Reading Challenge

 

Early Review - The Neon Graveyard (Signs of the Zodiac, Book 6) by Vicki Pettersson (4/5 stars)

Reading level: Adult

Genre: Urban Fantasy
Size:  384 pages
Publisher:  Harper Voyager
Release Date: May 31, 2011
ISBN-13: 978-0061456794
Stand Alone or Series: 6th Sign of the Zodiac
Source: E-Galley from NetGalley.com
Rating: 4/5 stars

This is the sixth and final book in the Sign of the Zodiac series by Pettersson.  This book did an excellent job of wrapping up the series.  It was fairly predictable but moved at a good clip and wrapped things up nicely.  You definitely need to read the previous books to know what is happening in this book.

 Joanna Archer is in hiding with the grey rogue agents.  As a unit they have two goals: get access to Midheaven and destroy the Tulpa.  Joanna is also set on rescuing Hunter from Midheaven's ruler, Solange.  It will take all of Joanna's wits and cunning to do all she needs to do to survive and to protect herself and her unborn child.

This book was a fitting conclusion to the series.  It moves at a fast clip and a lot happens throughout.  I did think it was a bit predictable; but that being said it should give readers of the series the type of ending that they will enjoy.

It was nice to see that things that happened earlier in the series (for example Joanna loosing some of her power in Midheaven) finally make sense in this book.  There are a number of little things that come together in this book, showing that Pettersson really had things well thought out when she started this series.

In this book basically all the agents are here.  We learn more about the grey agents and see significantly more of the Light Agents.  Of course the Shadow Agents join into the fun too.  Some significant people are killed and things really comes to a head with Warren, the leader of the Light Agents.  And, yes, Hunter is in this book.

Overall I enjoyed this book.  It was paced well and did an excellent job of wrapping up this series.  Fans of the series should be pleased with how it ends, even if it is a bit predictable.

This book goes towards the following reading challenges:
- Horror and Urban Fantasy Challenge
- 100+ Reading Challenge
- E-book Reading Challenge

Early Review - After the Golden Age by Carrie Vaughn (4/5 stars)

Reading level: Adult
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Size: 304 pages
Publisher: Tor Books
Release Date: April 12, 2011
ISBN-13: 978-0765325556
Stand Alone or Series: Stand Alone
Source: From Amazon Vine
Rating: 4/5 stars


I am a fan of Carrie Vaughn's Kitty Norville series and have read all of the other books that she has written and enjoyed them.  When I heard that she had written a new book, with super heroes I was stoked.  I got an advanced reading copy of this book through the Amazon Vine program.  This was an interesting and very solid book, I enjoyed reading it.

Celia West is the daughter of two very famous super heroes but doesn't have any super powers herself.  As such, she is frequently kidnapped (to the point where is it almost boring) to be used against her parents.  She has tried very hard to lead a life of her own and has been fairly successful at it.  When an old foe of her parents', The Destructor, is up for trial she gets pulled into the whole mess again as she is called both to help with the trial through her work and to testify.  Celia did something when she was younger, something that was wrong, and she has been atoning for it her whole life.  Now with crime on the rise again and the Destructor's trial coming up; it looks like Celia will be in the thick of it all again...no matter how hard she tries to stay out of it.

This was a very well done book.  The characters are likable and easy to relate too.  Celia is very down to earth, yet determined to do what's right.  I was impressed with her determination and steadfastness.  The side characters in the book are well done, if not exceptional, and make for a good story.

The plot of the book was well done and has some great twists in it.  This ends up being more of a mystery than anything.  I did like how the plot has some focus around what happens to super heroes as they decline and I liked how there was also focus around how you can be a super hero without powers.

The story gets a bit cliched at points, for example using the old "radiation gave us our powers" plot device, but for this story it works. My only other issue is that at times the writing style comes across as a bit too straight-forward and simplistic for me; but that is a small quip since I still thoroughly enjoyed this book.

The story wraps up nicely and I doubt we will see more books featuring Celia; although I wouldn't rule out more books set in this world.  I have been finding that Vaughn always writes very solid books that are enjoyable reads.  They are never exceptional and never blow me away; but they are always a solid read and I am always glad I took the time to read them.

Overall an excellent read.  Loved the super hero plot elements and how Celia deals with everything even though she is powerless (so to speak).  Some nice plot twists, the characters are well done and likable.  If you like super heroes, or like reading about a normal person struggling in a world of powerful people this is the book for you.  I will definitely be reading Vaughn's future books.

This book goes towards the following reading challenges:
- 100+ Reading Challenge

 

Review - Double Cross (The Disillusionists, Book 2) by Carolyn Crane (4/5 stars)

Reading level: Adult
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Size: 336 pages
Publisher: Spectra
Release Date: September 28, 2010
ISBN-13: 978-0553592627
Stand Alone or Series: 2nd book in Disillusionists Trilogy
Source: Borrowed from Library
Rating: 4/5 stars

This was the second book in the Disillusionists trilogy.  I really enjoyed the first book, Mind Games, because of how creative it was.  This second book was also very enjoyable but it ends on a horrible negative cliffhanger that will have the most forgiving reader angrily pulling out their hair and cursing this book.

This book starts out basically where the last one left off.  Justine is dating Otto, Otto is mayor of the city, and Packard is running the Disillusionists to help Otto enforce order in the city.  Unfortunately another killer (or killers) are loose in Midcity; this time the group of killers (called the Dorks) are targeting highcaps.  Justine (as a non-highcap) is drawn into the investigation to track down the Dorks identity and find out how they are able to combat and weed-out the highcaps.  Justine is also using her power to work over a dream controlling highcap and, after a mistake, her and Packard are linked via their dreams.  So in midst of everything going on Justine is slowly finding out more about the history between Otto and Packard.

Unlike the first book this book focuses mainly on Justine, Otto, and Packard. It was great to finally learn about the history between Otto and Packard.  There are a lot of plot threads in this book and they come together nicely.  The pacing of the book is great, making it a hard book to put down and a fast read.  The writing is well done and easy to read.  This is more of a drama type urban fantasy (kind of like Kitty Norville series) and there isn't much action.

Again I liked the creative ideas behind this book (characters using their psychosis to fight crime) and enjoyed how the complicated plot was woven together so well.  I thought characterization was a bit inconsistent though.  Packard is a great character and his growth throughout the novel is wonderful, I wish he had been in the story even more than he was.  Otto as a character remains kind of stagnant throughout, he is predictable and doesn't change his view much.  Justine's character is kind of all over the place.  The other characters talk about how giving she is, yet she makes a lot of selfish decisions.  Then at one point she suddenly becomes all mature and realizes a bunch of things; which realistically should have been a more gradual and consistent process.

Despite enjoying the book overall I had a couple other quibbles.  The first is that this book is full of evilness, none of these characters are good.  They are all manipulative, confused, and only venture from the blackness to shades of grey...there really aren't any moments of real happiness in this book.  The whole thing is kind of bleak and depressing. 

My other big quibble is the predictability and the ending.  Half way through the book I figured out what was probably going to happen, but I really didn't want it to happen.  Guess what it happened.  The fact that I was able to predict this sad and disturbing ending just made me sadder.  The end of the book left me feeling angry, disturbed, and just let down.  I understand that Crane wants to keep her readers engaged, but this wasn't the way to do it.  If the book had ended two chapters earlier then the next book could have started off with this huge horrible twist.  As a reader I would have been left with a marginally upbeat and happy ending.  The twist would have surprised me in the beginning of the next book and then I would have had a chance to read its conclusion and not been left so...sad.

Overall this was a good installment in this series.   Some of the characterization is a bit inconsistent, but the plot is well done and it is very creative.  This is a bleak book and there is nothing here that leaves the reader feeling good.  My recommendation would be to hold off on reading this book until the third one is released; otherwise at the end of this book you will just be left feeling angry, depressed and downtrodden.  Fans of urban fantasy should enjoy this creative take on super heroes.

This book goes towards the following reading challenges:

- Horror and Urban Fantasy Challenge
- 100+ Reading Challenge

 

Review - Mind Games (The Disillusionist Trilogy, Book 1) by Carolyn Crane (4/5 stars)

Reading level: Adult

Genre: Urban Fantasy
Size: 384 pages
Publisher: Spectra
Release Date: March 23, 2010

ISBN-13:  978-0553592610
Stand Alone or Series: 1st book in a trilogy
Source: Borrowed from Library
Rating: 4/5 stars

This is the first book in The Disillusionist Trilogy by Carolyn Crane.  The premise to this book just sounded so interesting I had to give it a read.  I am glad I did, there are some very creative and interesting things in this book and it is looking to be an interesting series.

Justine is a hypochondriac, and she has it bad.  She is constantly convinced she is dying, constantly in the emergency room, and constantly driving her loved ones away because of her fears.  She has a great boyfriend named Cubby and she is trying to make this work...the problem is that her hypochondria is getting worse and if it keeps getting worse then she may be institutionalized.  Enter Packard, he is a redcap that can detect people's psychic compatibility.  He can "see" Justine's problem and has a solution for her; she can get rid of her fears by using it as a weapon.  She can thrust her medical fears into criminals, causing them to destabilize and become disillusioned.  Packard's got a team of Disillusionists set up and he wants Justine to be part of it; after trying it out and being fear free Justine is tempted to take Packard up on the offer...the problem is there is a lot more going on with Packard and his Disllusionists than Justine is originally led to believe.

The big thing this book has going for it is creativity.  This is an absolutely unbelievably creative idea and the storyline is unlike anything I have ever read about before.  I mean the idea of using phobias, obsessions, etc as a weapon by thrusting them into criminals is interesting and clever.  Crane does an excellent job bringing this idea into play.  What is really masterful is that beyond the Disillusioning that the characters do to criminals, Justine finds herself wrapped up in a Mind game of a different type.  This book ends up with a plot that is layers over layers of mind games and it is very clever.

The characters are interesting too.  All of them have weird psychosis they are dealing with, so the conversations between the Disllusionists are pretty darn funny.  I mean when you get a hypochondriac, an obsessive gambler, a person cursed with ennui, someone convinced that world conspiracies are always in play, and someone chronically depressed together in a room...it sounds like a bad joke...and to be honest it is hilarious at times.  All of the characters have some depth and are in general interesting and pretty likable.

The book was easy to read and well-written.  There wasn't anything spectacular about the writing style, but it sounded natural and was a good, quick read.  The main story presented in this story is wrapped up well and some threads left open for the next installment.

There were a couple things that I didn't like about the book.  For one none of the characters really grabbed me as a reader, I had trouble relating with them and really getting involved with them.  Justine was a bit...well...skanky for my tastes.  She immediately thought every guy she meet was delicious and yummy and she wasn't shy about giving the guys a piece of the action.  Then she complained a lot about trying to be faithful to her boyfriend.  I personally like my heroines a bit more honest...I mean if they are skanks that's fine but at least don't make them complain about how they can't help being skanky all of the time. 

Overall this was a great new series.  It is incredibly interesting and creative, the plot was masterfully woven.  I thought the characters left something to be desired and had trouble relating to Justine's character.  Given that I will still definitely be reading the next book in the series because it was just too interesting of a book...I have to see what happens next.

This book goes towards the following reading challenges:
- Speculative Fiction Reading Challenge Book List
- The 100+ Book Reading Challenge

 

Review - Hero by Mike Lupica (2/5 stars)

I got an advanced reading copy of this book through Librarything's Early Reviewer program.  It sounded pretty neat, a boy finds out he's a super hero and saves the world.  I love super hero books and was excited to read it.  The reality wasn't as awesome.  This book is part sports commentary and part politics; there is very little wonder and awe in the story.

Billy's dad is some sort of top secret agent for the government and is killed in the line of duty.  Billy believes that his dad's death wasn't an accident (as stated) and is determined to prove this.  During his investigation Billy finds himself developing super powers.  He realizes that his dad was part of a world that has remained a secret to him.  With his dad gone it may be up to Billy to save the world.

I am trying to think if there is anything I liked about his book.  I guess it has super heroes in it; even if they were lame.  Also it was a pretty short book and was over quickly.

As for what I didn't like...well let's start with the basics and work from there.  The dialogue was stilted and fake sounding, not to mention it was written using the vocabulary of a young child.  I understand it was a children's book; but it is pretty dumbed down even for that.  The plot was transparent and painfully simple.  The book wasn't engaging and the characters were paper thin and cliched.

There are a ton of sports references throughout this book, lots of name throwing.  It confused me at first until I found out Lupica used to be a sports commentator and that his previous novels were about sports.  I personally don't really follow many sports and found the constant references irritating.  Also there are a lot of politics in here.   Billy's mom is big into supporting political parties.  I am also not a bit politics fan, so I found the inclusion of all of this to be boring and irritating.  If you like sports and politics this may be the book for you.

Now let's move on to the superhero aspect of the novel.  Billy gains his powers inconsistently and they change with no rhyme or reason...also they really aren't all that super.  He can run faster, jump higher, heal faster...yawn.  There is nothing creative here.  Billy's enemies are just as boring and predictable.  There just isn't anything fantastic here or anything interesting.  Seriously my three year old son comes up with more creative and interesting super hero scenarios than those that are explored in this book.

Overall this book was poorly written, had an over-simplified plot, was boring, and not at all fantastical.  It would be more for fans of sports and simplistic politics.  Honestly I am not sure what group the author is aiming at with this novel.   There isn't enough action and adventure to interest me (an adult female) and I can't imagine any young adult boys finding this much more interesting.  Technically the writing was correct and there weren't a lot of spelling errors or anything so that's why it gets two stars versus one.

This book goes towards the following reading challenge:
- The 100+ Book Reading Challenge

 

Review - Cheat the Grave (Fifth Sign of the Zodiac) by Vicki Pettersson (4/5 stars)

After the last book in this series "City of Souls" we were all wondering where Pettersson was going to take the story of her power-stripped heroine.  Well in this book she takes us in a new direction; it was pretty well done and made for a good addition to the series.

Joanna Archer gave up all of her superpowers to save a child and her home city of Las Vegas.  She's been abandoned by the Agents of Light and the only ones who have stood beside her are her (Olivia's) best friend Cher and Cher's mother.  Now Cher's mother is getting married to an Indian Price and Olivia/Joanna Archer has a huge event to plan.  Unfortunately Joanna/Olivia is being chased by an assassin from Midheaven not to mention the Tulpa may have figured out her identity as well.  Joanna needs help if she is going to survive as a mere mortal.  Enter the Grey Agents; neither Light nor Dark, they are the conglomeration of rogue agents.  They may be just what Joanna needs if she is going to stay alive and get Cher's mother safely through her wedding.

This was a pretty good installment in this series.  Joanna's life as Olivia take center space for the first half of the book.  Now the heir to the Archer businesses Joanna must attend meetings, etc, while still keeping up Olivia's social life.  Given this I found the beginning of the book to drag a little bit.  Joanna spends a lot of time talking about how alone she is and how no one will help her; she has a point, but I kind of felt that we could have moved through this part a bit faster.  Joanna does seem to have matured some in this book, so that was good to see.  Some of the new characters introduced with the Grey Agents are interesting and should add some fun to the book.

Once Joanna meets up with the Grey Agents things pick up pace a lot.  There are numerous fight scenes and we begin to discern the direction that Pettersson is planning to take the story in future novels.  There are a couple of wonderful surprises in the second half of the story.  Joanna takes a few trips to Midheaven and even Hunter pops into the story a bit more.

Overall I thought the book started slow but really picked up in the second half and ended up being an enjoyable read.  Definitely a transition book in this series but a good one.  I enjoyed it in the end.  Now I am eager to read what happens next.

This book goes towards the following reading challenge:
- The 100+ Book Reading Challenge