This is the 6th book in the Nightside series. All I can say is "wow" this was a good book.
Lilith has returned to the Nightside and it is up to John Taylor to stop her from destroying first the Nightside and then the world. The only problem is John knows that a future exists in which the whole world is destroyed and that future is getting more and more certain by the day. How will John oppose Lilith without destroying the world in the process?
For such a slim novel, there was a lot in this book. As usual non-stop action, continuous creativity, and lots and lots of fighting. I couldn't put this book down and the whole time I was holding my breath trying to decide how and if the Nightside would be saved.
Dead Boy returns in this book along with the Oblivion brothers, Shotgun Suzie, Walker, and Eddie Razor. The Powers are out in force seeking to save their city. It was an awesome book and ends quite nicely. If I didn't own the next two books in the series I would be asking myself if this is the end of the series. Since it's not, I am very curious about what the next few books are about. I am glad that there was some closure for this book and I am excited to see what the next book will bring.
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Dark Nocturne by Hideyuki Kikuchi (3/5 stars)
This is the 10th novel in the Vampire Hunter D series. This novel is different from previous novels in that it is actually a collection of three novellas. I didn't realize this when I purchased the book. It was interesting to read short stories about D; I think this material lends itself to a short story type format.
The above being said this was probably the worst installment in the Vampire Hunter D series yet. The first story (after which the book is named) is just off. D had a flippant attitude that is very unlike his normal stoic demeanor. In fact the character of D didn't seem to be like D at all; for a second I thought Zorro had stepped in to take D's place. All of the characters in this story were a bit off; the whole story was out of context and out of place.
The remaining two stories were more in keeping with D's character; although D seemed to be a little more chatty than normal in the second story too. I was a bit disappointed overall because part of the reason I enjoy these books is the slow and reluctant unfolding of D's character. These stories undermined that by changing D's character willy-nilly and confusing me about who I was reading about.
The book was okay. The first story awful, the second two somewhat interesting. I am excited for the next book because that is supposed to go back to the original Hunter D format.
The above being said this was probably the worst installment in the Vampire Hunter D series yet. The first story (after which the book is named) is just off. D had a flippant attitude that is very unlike his normal stoic demeanor. In fact the character of D didn't seem to be like D at all; for a second I thought Zorro had stepped in to take D's place. All of the characters in this story were a bit off; the whole story was out of context and out of place.
The remaining two stories were more in keeping with D's character; although D seemed to be a little more chatty than normal in the second story too. I was a bit disappointed overall because part of the reason I enjoy these books is the slow and reluctant unfolding of D's character. These stories undermined that by changing D's character willy-nilly and confusing me about who I was reading about.
The book was okay. The first story awful, the second two somewhat interesting. I am excited for the next book because that is supposed to go back to the original Hunter D format.
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
The Becoming by Jeanne C. Stein (4/5 stars)
This is the first book in the Anna Strong Chronicles by Jeanne C. Stein.
Anna is a bounty hunter who is savagely attacked while hunting one of her bounties. When she wakes up from the attack she finds out that she is not quite human anymore. This book details the process of her discovering new found abilities and hunting the one who attacked her.
This book was well-written. Stein has a very straight-forward unembellished writing style. The plot was fast-paced and contained enough twists and turns to keep you interested. The vampire concepts she uses in this novel are pretty routine, at least up to the point where this novel leaves off.
Anna Strong is a strong straight-forward character. I like that she wasn't whiny, and that she accepted the changes in her life pretty well. I liked her independence as well. I also like that she was confident, without out being stupidly over confident. Dr. Avery's character didn't do much for me; I thought he was shallow and predictable. That part of the book ended exactly how I thought it would.
However, Anna's boyfriend Max seems like a very interesting character and I look forward to meeting him in more detail. Also the guy who took care of her partner in that hole of a place (I am forgetting his name) who was not human but not vampire could be very interesting.
I like that Stein put sex into the story without having to describe every moment of the act. Sometimes it is sexier to leave some of the sex to the imagination.
I think this series shows promise. Hopefully the coming books develop this world into something more. I would hate for this to be just another vampire series with a female lead. Unfortunately with the book market saturated with these types of books right now; I think Stein is going to have to have something that makes these books really special to keep readers interesting.
It's a promising debut and I will read the next one to see what happens.
Anna is a bounty hunter who is savagely attacked while hunting one of her bounties. When she wakes up from the attack she finds out that she is not quite human anymore. This book details the process of her discovering new found abilities and hunting the one who attacked her.
This book was well-written. Stein has a very straight-forward unembellished writing style. The plot was fast-paced and contained enough twists and turns to keep you interested. The vampire concepts she uses in this novel are pretty routine, at least up to the point where this novel leaves off.
Anna Strong is a strong straight-forward character. I like that she wasn't whiny, and that she accepted the changes in her life pretty well. I liked her independence as well. I also like that she was confident, without out being stupidly over confident. Dr. Avery's character didn't do much for me; I thought he was shallow and predictable. That part of the book ended exactly how I thought it would.
However, Anna's boyfriend Max seems like a very interesting character and I look forward to meeting him in more detail. Also the guy who took care of her partner in that hole of a place (I am forgetting his name) who was not human but not vampire could be very interesting.
I like that Stein put sex into the story without having to describe every moment of the act. Sometimes it is sexier to leave some of the sex to the imagination.
I think this series shows promise. Hopefully the coming books develop this world into something more. I would hate for this to be just another vampire series with a female lead. Unfortunately with the book market saturated with these types of books right now; I think Stein is going to have to have something that makes these books really special to keep readers interesting.
It's a promising debut and I will read the next one to see what happens.
Monday, August 18, 2008
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (5/5 stars)
I wasn't really sure what to expect when I got this book. Needless to say I was very happy and pleasantly surprised at what a great book this was.
Katniss is a 16 year old girl who has been breaking the law to keep her mother and younger sister Prim fed. Katniss regularly hunts in a forbidden area of District 12, but since the locals enjoy her game as much as her family does they leave her alone. Everything is going fairly well until it is again time for the Hunger Games. The Capitol requires two children from each District to fight in a game to the death. When Prim's name is randomly drawn Katniss offers herself in her sister's place and partakes on an amazing and grueling adventure.
I really loved this book. I just couldn't put it down. The world created is intriguing and believable. The characters are very heartfelt and interesting. It was very well-written, action packed, and I just absolutely loved it.
Then only thing that disappointed me was that I thought the ending was left a bit too wide open. I understand that their will be another book; but this one could have been tied up a bit better.
I am really looking forward to the next book.
Katniss is a 16 year old girl who has been breaking the law to keep her mother and younger sister Prim fed. Katniss regularly hunts in a forbidden area of District 12, but since the locals enjoy her game as much as her family does they leave her alone. Everything is going fairly well until it is again time for the Hunger Games. The Capitol requires two children from each District to fight in a game to the death. When Prim's name is randomly drawn Katniss offers herself in her sister's place and partakes on an amazing and grueling adventure.
I really loved this book. I just couldn't put it down. The world created is intriguing and believable. The characters are very heartfelt and interesting. It was very well-written, action packed, and I just absolutely loved it.
Then only thing that disappointed me was that I thought the ending was left a bit too wide open. I understand that their will be another book; but this one could have been tied up a bit better.
I am really looking forward to the next book.
Betrayed by PC and Kristin Cast (3/5 stars)
This is the 2nd book in the House of Night series by the Casts. It follows in the same vein as the 1st book. The writing is mediocre but the plot is fairly engrossing.
Zoey has only been at the House of Night for a little while yet she is taking over the most prestigious group in the school; the Dark Daughters and Sons. While she struggles to figure out how to make this group a positive one, she is still being haunted by vampire ghosts. She is starting to think things are not what they seem and something deeper and darker may be happening at school. Then there is her ex-boyfriend Heath to deal with and a super-hottie vampire that seems to have an attraction to Zoey; of course she is supposedly dating the drop-dead fledgling Erik, but how is Zoey to deal with all the love problems and the more life threatening ones?
This book just isn't written that well, and neither was the previous one. There is lots of teenage drama and a fair amount of action. Despite the poor writing the story is engaging and interesting to read. I really find myself wondering what will happen to Zoey next. Some of the drama with her boyfriends gets bit old and some of the plot is pretty predictable. Still, it kept my attention so I guess it must be an okay book.
Will I read the next one? Again, maybe if I can find it somewhere for cheap, used.
Zoey has only been at the House of Night for a little while yet she is taking over the most prestigious group in the school; the Dark Daughters and Sons. While she struggles to figure out how to make this group a positive one, she is still being haunted by vampire ghosts. She is starting to think things are not what they seem and something deeper and darker may be happening at school. Then there is her ex-boyfriend Heath to deal with and a super-hottie vampire that seems to have an attraction to Zoey; of course she is supposedly dating the drop-dead fledgling Erik, but how is Zoey to deal with all the love problems and the more life threatening ones?
This book just isn't written that well, and neither was the previous one. There is lots of teenage drama and a fair amount of action. Despite the poor writing the story is engaging and interesting to read. I really find myself wondering what will happen to Zoey next. Some of the drama with her boyfriends gets bit old and some of the plot is pretty predictable. Still, it kept my attention so I guess it must be an okay book.
Will I read the next one? Again, maybe if I can find it somewhere for cheap, used.
Peter and the Starcatchers by Dave Berry and Ridley Pearson (5/5 stars)
What happened before Peter Pan met Wendy? That's what Berry and Pearson try to address in this book. And it's a lot of fun to read about. This book is the first in a trilogy about the orphan Peter and the Starcatchers.
Peter and his orphan buddies are shipped off on a rickety old boat called the Neverland. They are going to be slaves to the king of far off country. Peter befriends a girl on the boat named Molly, who is a starcatcher. When Peter bumps into Molly near a mysterious trunk on the Neverland, things start to get crazy.
This book had lots of things that young children will love. Lots of action, pirates, falling stars, magic, and danger. It was a great book and a fun read. Some parts might be a bit scary for little kids. There is some walking the plank and people held at gunpoint; but it's all part of the wild adventure to obtain the magic trunk.
I look forward to reading the next book in this series!
Peter and his orphan buddies are shipped off on a rickety old boat called the Neverland. They are going to be slaves to the king of far off country. Peter befriends a girl on the boat named Molly, who is a starcatcher. When Peter bumps into Molly near a mysterious trunk on the Neverland, things start to get crazy.
This book had lots of things that young children will love. Lots of action, pirates, falling stars, magic, and danger. It was a great book and a fun read. Some parts might be a bit scary for little kids. There is some walking the plank and people held at gunpoint; but it's all part of the wild adventure to obtain the magic trunk.
I look forward to reading the next book in this series!
Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer (5/5 stars)
This is the conclusion to the Twilight series by Stephanie Meyer. I thought that the conclusion was wonderful, it was all I could have hoped for.
The book starts out with Bella and Edward preparing for their wedding, immediately afterward they are whisked off to their honeymoon. Bella has decided that she wants to stay human for their honeymoon, since after turning into a vampire she will be a fledgling and have a period of time where she can't control her bloodlust.
It's hard to review this book without giving away spoilers; but I will do my best! Overall the book was beautifully written and very engrossing. There wasn't as much action as in previous books; in fact the book was distinctive in the peaceful approach taken to things. I thought this was a perfect decision for this book since this sense of peacefulness embodies what the Cullen family stands for. It was a long book and a lot happened, but I never found myself bored. There was a lot of character development which kept things very interesting.
Okay now for the spoilers...
SPOILERS AHEAD!!!!
********************************
I partially agree with some of the reviews on amazon that complained about Edward's over-reaction to Bella becoming pregnant. Although I think maybe some of the reviewers talking about this have never been pregnant. It would be very scary for a mother to lose her child and even scarier for the father to think about losing the mother and the child. Especially considering how important Bella and Edward are to each other. All in all I don't think this was over done. I think it was appropriate given that neither Bella or Edward knew what their child was going to be, much less what would happen to Bella throughout the pregnancy.
I thought that Bella not having any trouble with transitioning to a vampire was also appropriate. Bella was surrounding by so much preparation and love, I think it is good that she was able to forgo the fledgling bloodlust. This is part of who Bella is.
I really enjoyed meeting all the other vampires from around the world. They all had interesting personalities and characteristics even though they were only in the book for a short time.
I think the issue with Jacob was resolved elegantly, although that wasn't a surprise. I figured out that Jacob was going to imprint on Bella's daughter pretty darn fast. I also loved Bella and Edward's daughter, she was very interesting.
I loved that the whole conflict with the vampire council was resolved peacefully, even though Bella forced the peace.
Peace and love, as corny as it sounds, seemed to be the theme of this book. So many issues were resolved without violence and the ending was as picture perfect and wonderful as any of the readers could have hoped for. I suppose I could complain about the ending being too perfect; but I mean, let's face it, these characters went through a lot in this book and I personally think that they deserved the perfect ending that they got!
*********************************
SPOLIERS ENDED
Maybe we will see some additional books or short stories about some of the other vampires we meet in this book. There are definitely a lot of untold stories introduced.
In conclusion I think Meyer did an excellent job wrapping up this series. It didn't seem rushed or contrived; it was just perfect.
The book starts out with Bella and Edward preparing for their wedding, immediately afterward they are whisked off to their honeymoon. Bella has decided that she wants to stay human for their honeymoon, since after turning into a vampire she will be a fledgling and have a period of time where she can't control her bloodlust.
It's hard to review this book without giving away spoilers; but I will do my best! Overall the book was beautifully written and very engrossing. There wasn't as much action as in previous books; in fact the book was distinctive in the peaceful approach taken to things. I thought this was a perfect decision for this book since this sense of peacefulness embodies what the Cullen family stands for. It was a long book and a lot happened, but I never found myself bored. There was a lot of character development which kept things very interesting.
Okay now for the spoilers...
SPOILERS AHEAD!!!!
********************************
I partially agree with some of the reviews on amazon that complained about Edward's over-reaction to Bella becoming pregnant. Although I think maybe some of the reviewers talking about this have never been pregnant. It would be very scary for a mother to lose her child and even scarier for the father to think about losing the mother and the child. Especially considering how important Bella and Edward are to each other. All in all I don't think this was over done. I think it was appropriate given that neither Bella or Edward knew what their child was going to be, much less what would happen to Bella throughout the pregnancy.
I thought that Bella not having any trouble with transitioning to a vampire was also appropriate. Bella was surrounding by so much preparation and love, I think it is good that she was able to forgo the fledgling bloodlust. This is part of who Bella is.
I really enjoyed meeting all the other vampires from around the world. They all had interesting personalities and characteristics even though they were only in the book for a short time.
I think the issue with Jacob was resolved elegantly, although that wasn't a surprise. I figured out that Jacob was going to imprint on Bella's daughter pretty darn fast. I also loved Bella and Edward's daughter, she was very interesting.
I loved that the whole conflict with the vampire council was resolved peacefully, even though Bella forced the peace.
Peace and love, as corny as it sounds, seemed to be the theme of this book. So many issues were resolved without violence and the ending was as picture perfect and wonderful as any of the readers could have hoped for. I suppose I could complain about the ending being too perfect; but I mean, let's face it, these characters went through a lot in this book and I personally think that they deserved the perfect ending that they got!
*********************************
SPOLIERS ENDED
Maybe we will see some additional books or short stories about some of the other vampires we meet in this book. There are definitely a lot of untold stories introduced.
In conclusion I think Meyer did an excellent job wrapping up this series. It didn't seem rushed or contrived; it was just perfect.
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