Book Review: The Dog Stars by Peter Heller (post apocalyptic)

I read this book in under four hours. I woke up at 6h30 started reading , then pause a bit around 8h00 to 9h00 and continue until 11h00.

366 pages in under 4h. That's amazing I would say. IT helps that the way it's written is very accessible and fast paced it does not help the way it was written \ chosen. Allow me to explain, this was written like a memoir of some sort where our main protagonist Hig is trying to survive an apocalpyse that killed 99% of the world population. It was a flu kind of disease and then some blood issue. Flu thing you would think - influenced by covid? Well, no as this book was written in 2011. IT was probably influenced of the Avian influenza that has been around for a number of years in our collected mind.

So, as I was saying, you've got this man (Hig) that is trying to live his live in this post apocalyptic scenario where humanity has perish. He is accompanied by a dog and another man called Bangley which is a survivalist (guess he stroke gold).

The first half of the book, the book is divided in several "books", is more about some backstory and is day to day life while flying the plane around his "base". We also meet the "families" which are a bunch of Mennonites (you have to search what it means, not going to tell you, this is what I most enjoy on books, the discover of new things). The second part of story comes after one pivotal incident - that may shocked people - and he starts investigating what exist behind is place. In there he finds a woman called Cima (35+/-) and her pop.

Not going to delve much more on the plot but suffice to say - and this my opinion on the book - it's... MEH!. I have seen it done better and worse, and this falls on the worse, just because on how it's written. You've got a phrase of 10 lines, you've got lines than end with "and." and other non-written rules. I mean I kind of understand as this how would it felt to be a talking memoir BUT it's written and so it felt weird and please don't get me started on the dialogue - what a bunch of... feces. It's bad, it's weird, it's confusion. Was the author trying to emulate José Saramago? He wrote a book , well worst than that as that one don't have any punctuation. This had but not to my enjoyment.

So having said that, I cannot remove the idea I read 366 pages in 4H but I cannot give more than 50/100. Again meh.

PS: Buy Coca-Cola. Wonder if he made a deal to say Coca-Cola a bunch of times.

PS2: Lividian Publication edition with the artwork of Vaillancourt is very good. It enhanced my enjoyment or else I would have given 40. I will sell it as it's not one of the most beautiful they made and it's not to my liking.

Book Review: She Courts Darkness (Bartram's Maw #2) - Morgan Stang

This is the second book on the series, or third if you consider the prequel but for the sake of coherence , this is the second book of the trilogy. 

The book follows several months after the first one and it follows Victoria & Samantha and while Samantha was the main protagonist of the first novel, here Victoria takes the great stage and  to me it felt better and read better than Samantha. Samantha was kind of straightforward do-gooder while Victoria is conflicted and right until the end you don't know what she is going to do.

So Punkin vanished and Victoria, Samantha & Kirby are tasked to finding her. They go to a strange city that basically  it's PAris or London with all the mix races and creeds - which is kind of odd. The author tries to hint that this works but you get the feeling that it does not. But among this vast city there is a cult which Punkin belong and they think she was captured by them. Victoria tries investigating one way while Sam & Kirby another. 

You can expect violence and sex. We kind understand Morgan Stang leans but it does not affect my reading enjoyment after all all the main characters are women and lesbian (kind of)  BUT again, it did not deter me of enjoying the book and you know me, so I can advise it if you enjoy grimdark stuff. So far everything she wrote was either 4 or 5 stars.  93/100

Book Review: Midnight Mass by F. Paul Wilson

This book took me over a month to read. To be fair I was on vacations for fifteen days and so I had a break and started a couple of other books, then return this after a month and finish it. IT's quite easy read.

In this tale we follow in the beginning three characters, a priest a rabi and fallen nurse. Each chapter is divided in several parts each with one of those characters or other less important characters.

The story begins with Europe, Asia and Africa fallen to vampires and now conquering several parts of the US. One of the most interesting things on the first half is the talks and discussions between the priest and the Rabi. So different but friends. It was very interesting to see a Rabi questioning his faith because it seems the cross deters the vampires while is Judaic faith does not. Using a cross means that his faith has been wrong all along and Catholicism correct which means that Christ was the Saviour. 

There are some other theological debates which enrich the tale either by the priest, rabi and even the nurse. One of the most interesting things, and please learn you woke authors, this is how you do a Lesbian character. Yes she is lesbian, yes there is debates and conversations but she is also a great character whom happens to be lesbian and not the other way around.

I believe the last confrontation was not well done as it seems the author just wanted to get the book done.  And some things are kind of odd. The book action scenes were not to my liking. IT felt rushed.

You get a ending , or if the author needed he could have written a sequel - which he didn't. There is also an interesting introduction by the author. 80/100

Book Review: Black Mouth by Ronald Malfi (Horror)

I started this book last month, stop for weeks and then finish the last two hundred spaces this week.

First of all, this is a slow pacing book. Don't expect the thriller part to be fast.

in this story we follow Jamie a recovering alcoholic which is returning home after his mother died. With a disabled (mentality) sibling he must return home to help him out. We are then introduced to two other characters (Carl & Mia) and we start to have glimpses of life back when they were teens and why they are what they are.

When they were child, they met a magician which brings a cat to lifee. They become so ensorcelled by it they became his appendices. You , as an adult kind of know something is off but the children being children, they capture everything the magician shares or tells. Until one fateful day where he asks something of Jamie and Jamie does not comply and a fire brakes out.

This tale is a tale of uncovering this magician which is still ongoing (with a new crime just a month prior) and at the same time a self-discovery journey.

There are several themes here and we kind understand the dramas, damage adults vs what the children had to go through. The abusive alcoholic father, Mia the tomboy girl that uses the trauma and experiences into film and Clay that becomes a social worker to help other children from what he had to go through.

The Magician is an evil character. He is a predator (not sexual) that make children do things preying on their vulnerabilities and fears - interesting or not, the only one he did help was Clay by giving him confidence with his condition - (he had a skin disease that while he was black he had white patches all over his body).

Then we've got Dennis which has special needs, not all good on the brain as they say, but he kind of the heart of the group and by the end he also changes - he doesn't become "normal" but we see changes in all of them.

The way Malfi writes kids is quite good and it draws you in. IT feels nostalgic although you were not really there, it's a kind of magic....

If you know Stephen King's IT, this book draws a lot comparisons. Grown ups going back to their old town to face their teenage demon while mysteries unfold. IT's the same premise. The difference is that Malfi does not lose himself like Stephen King does. Although I understand the value Stephen King had in horror, like Lovecraft, my main issue with him is the length of the books. What he can write in 400 pages he turn to 800. If you edit "It" you would see that you only needed 400/450 pages to tell the story.

Now, why the 1 stars on goodreads - well after reading I kind of understand them, mostly is that they are either waiting to be a pure horror spooky fest and it isn't it. It's a slow burn slice of life with a sprinkle of horror. Also the comparisons of IT are all over the place. Some people consider IT the best King book or one of the best horror books every written - well though luck. In my mind you should enter this with open mind and this is more a Slice of Life Mystery book. BUT BUT, saying this is DULL and enjoying IT is a bit of contradiction in my mind opinion. 92/100

Book Review: Sisters of Mercy by Yuval Kordov (Novella linked to Dark Legacies) - Horror & Sci-Fi

I read this novella in one day and this was my first foray into Yuval Kordov work. I've bought all of his books after reading a interview and what he believes.

This is a novella as I've said that is set on the same universe as the the trilogy "Dark Legacies" he wrote a couple of years ago. In the end he explains the reason behind the interest on writing it.

First of all, let me take two cats out of the back. This feels 40K universe - a bit less dark with the mix between human-machines symbiose & the all machine spirit feel. The praying itself remind of Catholicism mantras.

We are thrown into the action right from the bat and not much explanation is provided - probably dark legacies should be read BEFORE this , although I didn't felt lost or that some spoilers existed.

So the world is at war with some demons and some young girls are bonded with robots called god-engines (the parallelism with 40K). They go in pairs to patrol and kill those demons.

The prayers and lithurigies are very good and they give an interesting vibe to this world. It's does not feel like the author is hinting of something or educating you on religion. It's part of this characters but is well so done.

The conversations between the two characters are scarce but give them both personalities within a 80 page book. The most developed part of the novel is the world itself. It's bleak, you've got people trying to survice (that unfortunately don't get much screen time), you've got Rachel-3 which has been alive for 300+ days and can have still have faith yet piety on the people in the wasteland which turns Hannah off.

I would say that probably the 3 and 9 are version and that may hint something, because they "reincarnate" in some sort so maybe being hopeful (that's the feeling I got from Rachel) vs Hannah which has a more pessimistic view on the world - although they love one another and do anything for the other.

I enjoyed it and gives me hope to read his books in the next few months. I am really enjoying incense punk. So far , so good. 87/100

Book Review: The Housemates (Damienverse, #4) - Iain Rob Wright (Horror)

I read this book in one day, I've read 270 pages in one day! That means anything right?

In this story we follow 12 characters as they are sent to a remote location to win one or two million pounds. We are introduce to our main character which is Damien and in the first 30 or 40 pages he introduce us to other characters like Jules, Alex, Jade, Richard or Danni. After the first game, pretty innocuous two characters are sent to a elimination chamber and things start going wrong as one of the character dies.

After this it's a full pace horror \ thriller novel where everyone wants to survive. The interesting part? Each one is not a good person. One is Murderer, Whore, Traitor, Crusader, Peddler, Trickster among others so alliances are quite thin and change.

In my opinion some of the revenge stories were pretty much deserved and you kind of root for them to be killed others were a bit meh. But that's revenge I would say.

There were some characters that were really cardboard - like the racist or the womanizer. That was their trait. I pretty much smiled when I thought that the kid who was drug addict say people change and all of that but a racist changing? Well, no.

Another thing I noticed is that the only black person crime was pretty mundane and probably the one least deservable of death. I wonder if the author was afraid of making a black person racist or child molester. Maybe I am overthinking this but - maybe I am not. Either way it didn't made not enjoy the book. Just a parenthesis.

Overall it was lovely horrible book - I saw one youtuber that said this was one of the most horrible books- it was not. but it's probably one of the best horror thrillers I've read. But I've read far better on horror front and thriller front.

OVerall, I will read more. I jsut got Witch which is another series BUT the author confirmed and we kind of know there are other books that follow (other series, because this is book 4 but the ending says one thing that made me think there are more books.. Since I don't want people to get spoilers - this was his info (view spoiler)

93/100

Book Review: The Gone World Tom Sweterlitsch (Horror)

This book is weird and good. The problem is that in some parts it drag on. Allow me to explain, This is a sci-fi novel disguised as a mystery thriller. On this tale we follow Shannon Moss which is part of secret NCIS service and she is investigating the killing of a fellow colleague plus his missing daughter. Since there were no clues, she uses her ship to time jump to the future and try to uncover her trail. Yes, they can time travel on this future.

We get around 100 pages of this investigation with some hints about this time travel stuff. Later on we learn that humanity (well part of it since it's hidden) discovered deep space & deep time. One allows to travel far beyond our planet, while the second allows to go to the future, this future is not something that will definitely happen. Probably some stuff will, others will not. So that bitcoin trick or betting on a football game may end up having weird repercussions. The "correct" timeframe is what they call Terra Firma whilst everything else, they think will disappear as soon as someone from terra firma leaves that timeframe.

"Only the Present is real, only the Present is terra firma. We were warned that no time passes in terra firma while we lived lives in IFTs––and yet IFTs weren’t real, not “objectively” so. We were told that we affected IFTs even as we observed them––that they would bend around our psyches in subtle ways, but as surely as intense gravity bends light. The effect was called lensing, the sensation bizarre, our instructor saying that IFTs could feel like dreams within dreams."

So what makes this book weird fiction or horror, well horror there is none. Weird is because one of the ships that went to a distant place\time found life and a strange thing and that thing is getting near Terra Firma. First in 2666, then 2300, then 2100 and so on.

So you've got two points that intercede, the killing and disappearance of the girl and this thing is all connected. And what is this thing, well nobody knows but as the ships encounter they see humanity killed in a weirdly manner like suicide, crucification or even more weird stuff.

"There is no design. The universe isn’t kind or cruel. The universe is vast and indifferent to our desires. "

The book is not bad per se, but it didn't wow me as I expected from all the reviews and the reddit group #weirdlit.

The ending in case you didn't understood or want my opinion is this everything we read was a "memory" and not the real time frame. Basically the real Terra Firma was the one of the Libra Spaceship discovering that entity. So basically their belief that Terra Firma was the real earth and when the person who travel forward in time return- everything disappear was just wrong. I believe we every visit put us in one of a billion different possibilities of future earths. There is a earth that I wrote this review and a earth were a I didn't. There is a earth I enjoyed more the book and another less and so on...

Neverthless I enjoyed and I will probably read more of the author 82/100

Book Review: The Sound of Midnight (Oxrun Station #2) - Charles L Grant (Horror)

 

I just finished the second book on the oxrun station and interestingly I thought about getting into the third book, even if can consider I enjoyed this book but it's not perfect or very good - allow me to explain.

This book follows two main characters Dale a female owner of a toy store ( I am saying she is a female because to me Dale it's a men's name) and Vic who is a professor.

Charles L Grant writes slow pace horror. Nowadays there is a name for it, quiet horror. I've read the book in two days so I Can't consider it slow although nothing really happens for pages at end.

First is just a child being killed, Dale is in the mist of it as she tried to save the boy from drowning - without success. Then there is a car explosion of the father of the child. Dale feels something is off but she can't understand what. After selling a chess piece made by the person who died on an explosion she starts to connects the dot.

One thing I will say is that Vic, although the man he is there to help Dale on her quest, never really overshadowing her or take her protagonist. She needs to man. This is how you write a good female character without being a girl boss. She has problems and can't handle everything but she is still fighting.

The love interest of them both is so cute and it reeks of 1970's so expect conservatism behaviour and not hippies. By the end it changed and we see them getting in love which was as I've said - cute.

My first complain is the pace of the novel and some parts were a bit confusing. I mean that at times they start talking about things and I thought , what a heck? When did that happen. The first time it happen was with the explosion and then the fire and the arrows. I thought what? I had to reread.

The ending is also a bit anti-climatic as it was over so soon. You may enjoy it, btw. Me I hoped for more.

If you enjoy quite horror, folk horror with celtic background I believe you enjoy it. Don't worry is not the first oxrun station because it's not connected - although there are some cameos from characters of the first book at least - BUT believe if you didn't knew you wouldn't lose anything. 77/100 or 3.5/100

Book Review: The God of the Razor - Joe R Landsdale (Horror)

 

The Nightrunners within this novel is probably one of the best horror novels I've seen. I've made a couple of reviews on youtube and I will say I Really enjoyed it. We follow a woman who has been abuse and her husband as they try to overcome the issue one year prior. Landsdale touches some topcis here like sexual intimacy after the act and husband\wife support.

In other hand we follow a young boy part of the gang who abused her (he was not directly involved) and then we have a flashback about the fall of this boy and this deals with other interesting topics like child crimes, where does it come from and how can children be used (or use themselves) as minors to escape crime sentences. I know that this is not the main focus but it's there for you to think about it.

The novels it's gory when it needs to be, slice of life (kinda) when it needs to be. There is no description of violence just for the sake of it. There is animal cruelty , but with a book with r*pe, death, mutilation - this is where people draw the line? OK.

Throughout the book you get the feeling is this supernatural or mind psychology only - it's very cool. The short stories probably hint to the supernatural.

There are some interesting good illustrations by Glenn Chadbourne that really enhance the tale.

There are also some short stories, some connected to that world, some not - at least one and half. I really enjoy the Not from Detroit short story.

Overall it's a very good book with 93/100 for the novel itself and 73/100 for the remaining short stories. 90/100 is my final rating.

Book Review: Steel on Target (The Buzzer War #1) - Kevin Ikenberry - Military Sci-Fi

I enjoyed so much of this book that I want to read the next two at least to fully commit.

This story is not easy in the beginning. There is a lot militarist jargon thrown and sometimes you get the feeling you are not understanding. As I've read the last 200 pages in a couple of days, the terminology became easier and that's why I Want to read the next two in the next few months so I don't lose myself.

In this book humanity has expanded throughout space and colonized other worlds. One of these worlds is invaded by an alien beings - sure look like Tyranids in some way or Zerg. Unfortunately that's something I was not very glad which was the lack of information we had on them. Maybe that's conscious but I didn't enjoy as I love to hear more about the factions and where we are. Aliens invaded and humanity throw some of our infantry against it - and they were massacred. Our main protagonist (Sandhurst) is saved by a tank regiment and taken back. Of course top dogs in the military want a spacescapegoat and so the solution is going into armour. He returns Earth where he quickly (a bit too quickly as we never really know if it took one day or three months) learn the art of tanks.

At the same time our other main protagonist Llewelyn is switching up as well. She is pilot and she understand that the air force needs to help more the infantry with CAS and having a good connection (via direct line) with them.

Everything I am saying here takes hundreds of page due to the politics in-between the armed forces and battle scenes.

I am not going to delve much more or else I would enter the spoiler territory but I enjoy they fighting back and how the new combination worked - to be fair reminds me of Hearts of Iron IV where everyone says CAS is king. And here in this world is the same thing. Without CAS the infantry suffers a lot.

Looking forward for the second one.

End of the Year 2025

 I've been neglecting my blog for some months now - almost a year and it's a shame but it was due to choices. I wanted to start something on youtube and I will continue but probably less than today. Like a video every two weeks. Here I am going to try to return to this  a bit more.

This year is almost done but let me just tell you about my year. 

I've been reading a lot , I read around 160 novels - 154 to be precise but the year is not over and so without further ado let's go with some numbers

1. Necropolis by Dan Abnett was my favourite book with 98/100
2. Never Die by Rob J Hayes with 96/100
3. The Other (Book 1) by Troy Young with 95/100
4. Psycho - Robert Bloch 94/100
5. Vernis, Lost Dungeons and Forbidden Woods - Plastibook 93/100

And then with 92 closing the top ten you've got

Black Tide Rising by Chuck Dickson (Comic)
Night in the Lonesome October by Richard Laymon~
Sex Slaves of the Dragon Tong: a Yellow Peril Triptych by F Paul Wilson
The Book of Zog by Alec Hutson
The Keep by F Paul Wilson

The worst book I've read were the below ones:

By Author:

By Genre

Now in terms of Television I don't have much to say since it has been a slow year, in terms of games I still focus a lot on Hearts of Iron IV and music, without any suprise I've been hearing a lot of Trhã.

TBR February 2025

 Month of February is the month of the self-published. My goal is to read as much of self-publish novels  as I can. I Will put here 20 novels but my goal is to read at least 10/12. Is it possible? I guess so.. but I will have to read more than 150 pages per day. 

1. Murder on the Lamplight Express Morgan Stang 262
2. The Book of Zog Alec Hutson 233
3. Norylska Groans Michael R Fletcher & Clayton W. Snyder 391
4. Never Die Rob J. Hayes 301
5. City of Hunger Jon Athan 211
6. The Angel of Vengeance Wade H Garrett 416
7. Night of the Blood Sky Jeremy Robinson 106
8. Darkness Falls Jeremy Robinson 140
9. Lost in the Echo Jeremy Robinson 129
10. Ashes and Dust Jeremy Robinson 109
11. Bonefires Burning Bright Jeremy Robinson 134
12. 3zekiel Peter CawDron 312
13. The Crimson Queen Alec Hutson 419
14. Dark Oak Jacob Sannox 305
15. The Enceladus Mission Brandon Q. Morris 432
16. Under Darkness Jasper T. Scott 457
17. After Arrival Massimo Paradiso 445
18. The Other Book One Troy Young 216
19. Kenai Dave Dobson 396
20. Contagion Michael McBride 418

TBR January 2025 Analysis

 Hello,

This month was a very good month. I read almost 4000 pages this month. More than 100 pages per day. I focus as you know on smaller books and some audiobooks and in total I've read 18 books.

1. Ashfall Mike Mullin 466
2. Murder at Holly House Denzil Meyrick 359
3. Strange Fruit James Cooper 71
4. Conan The Barbarian L Sprague de Camp & Lin Carter 219
5. Descent of Angels Mitchel Scanlon 412
6. The Once Yellow House Gemma Amor 215
7. Psycho Robert Bloch 165
8. Missile Gap Charles Stross 99
9. Camp Concentration Thomas M Disch 158
10. Old Moon Quarterly: Issue 1; Summer 2022 Anthology 49
11. Them W H Chizmar 297
12. Doctor Who: The First Doctor Adventures 1,1 Anthology 128
13. Goblins Charles L Grant 277
14. The Last Astronaut David Wellington 361
15. Black Tide Rising Chuck Dickson 64
16. Doctor Who: The First Doctor Adventures 1,2 Anthology 128
17. The Howling Ghost Christopher Pike 144
18. The Haunted Cave Christopher Pike 144

My favourite novel this month was Psycho with 94 points, Black Tide Rising with 90 points and Conan the Barbarian with 85 points. My least favourite were Missile Gap with 40, Camp Concentration 40 & Strange Fruit with 45.

Overall it was very good month. I will try to put here the reviews that I made. Of course everything is within goodreads.