Review: Slayer of the Storm God by Nathan Long

Title Slayer of the Storm God

Author Nathan Long

Year 2009

Stand Alone or Series Gotrek & Felix #10.5

Pages 80minutes (32 pages)

Reading Time 1day (20 October)

Synopsis

Gotrek and Felix are in the port city of Marienburg when they stumble across a mysterious golden bracelet. Little do they realise that this is the very trinket dedicated to Stromfels – the ancient and evil Storm God – and he wants it back!

Our two heroes are attacked by the god’s minions and the bracelet is taken from them, but a stubborn and determined Gotrek refuses to relinquish it without a fight. Venturing deep into the Marienburg marshes in pursuit of the thieves, Gotrek and Felix find themselves confronting the embodiment of the Storm God himself…

Review

eing the only Warhammer audiobook ever publish I thought it was a good story even if I don't appreciate audiobooks.

In this book we follow the duo through their adventures. This book should have been read after Elfslayer but if not there is no foul in it. There are references from the book and also minor characters. 

From the brawl in a tavern, to the war in the marshes and the dock of Marienburg it's full of fight. It was nice to see (hear) the increasing of reading of Danny Webb in the fight scenes. It was also nice to see a distinguish of Gotrek and Felix voices as well as other characters.

This novel we see Gotrek battle Cthullhu I mean the herald of Stromfels, the god of the hazards of the see. Well to be precise he is not a new god but an aspect of Manaan the god of the great rivers and seas. But revered as different deities. (Of course Stromfels cult it's prohibited due to dark side inherited).

I really enjoy the battles scenes and the plot. There is some elements of humor in it. Mainly from the people being sacrificied.

Nevertheless a solid reading and plot.

Reccommend to anyone who enjoys Gotrek and Felix or just wants to hear 90m of battles and black humor. 8.5/10

Review Deadfall Hotel - Steve Rasnic Tern

Title Deadfall Hotel

Author Steve Rasnic Tem

Year 2012

Stand Alone or Series Stand Alone

Pages 304

Reading Time 35 days September 25 through October 30

Review

This was (un)interesting book... it took me so much too read due to the lack of interest of the first two chapters... after that it was a ride but never an interesting. A duality of opinions within my being with no true wining. 

The story is simple.. the ordeal through which a man and its child must overcome the loss of a wife/mother. The man is recruited to take care of an odd hotel (deadfall hotel) and from that moment on nothing is at seems. The hotel changes its indoor appearence to suit each visitor. its a sentient being if you much.. of course each visitor/resident is unique as well. The book its divided in long named chapters, and in my opinion it could have succeeded better in a short story format. 

Each chapter, as I said its a story in its own but also follows the main plotline I told before. 

It was an accomplished tale overall but at the same time most of the chapters fail to capture my attention. The only one I can remenber vividly is The King of the Cats. 

I think i can understand all the chapters meanings and we could feel the husband passing from each stage of lose of someone, within each chapter.

A read with reservations. Reccommend to must people who like character centered novels. To people who like horror novels.. meh. 

To the ones who liked The Shining? Its psychological horror of a different kind. Its like in football. Barcelona playing style or english style? It depends on each person... 5/10

Book Review: Stargate Atlantis: Dead End - Chris Wraight

Title Stargate Atlantis: Dead End 

Author Chris Wraight

Year 2009

Stand Alone or Series 12 of Series

Pages 275

Reading Time 3 days (24 through 26 October)

Review

Another book about our favourite group of SG. Well for me anyway. I am a Stargate Atlantis guy... well was since it ended a couple of years back... unfortunally. 

In this tale our adventurous group goes to a planet undergonig an ice age (or the beginning of one) after discovering that something was being research there by the Ancients.

Plainly this hasn't a plot per se. They enter a world where they are rescued due to a problem in the stargate that makes the puddle jumper crash. 

As McKay and Shepperd try to resolve the problem with the puddle jumper, Ronon goes hunting and Teyla tries to mingle with the population.

As the story progress they find that some people are being kidnapped from time to time never to be seen again. The ones doing are called Banshes and are impossible to resist since they emit something that makes one run with fear.

This is a fast paced book with nothing new. I didn't enjoy the Shepperd/McKay relationship because it didn't felt right. In the show everyone trusted McKay and maily Shepperd is a friend of McKay despise his arrongance. But on this tale it seemed that they hated each other or didn't had respect for one another. Oh Well...

But in the end McKay saves the day.

A point of interest is the bridge that McKay and Carter built to link the Pegasus Galaxy to the Milky Way is related with this novel. Well it explains how they were able to built it and the idea for it.

Not recommend unless you are a diehard fan. 4/10

Review: Contest - Matthew Reilly

Title Contest

Author Matthew Reilly

Year 1996

Stand Alone or Series Stand Alone

Pages 448

Reading Time 8 days. From 17 a 23 October 2012

Review 

** spoiler alert ** 

This book was the first Reilly wrote but unfortunally wasn't able to sell it to a company. After the sucess of Area 7 and Temple he remade Contest and sold it... This is not unique, look at Dan Brown books. Two of them weren't published until the sucess he had with the Da Vinci Code.

In this fast paced thriller we accompany a human, Dr. Stephen Swain, with his daughter battle against 6 aliens species. Some more aliens than others I think. Unfortunally there are people that were already there and are trapped with them. Besides the 6 opponents there are another big scary monster who will kill any opponents.

So the rules are these...

7 aliens (including an human) accompanied by 7 guides (the creators of the game, a presence to help the contestant only) must battle and only one will survive.

The place? The New York State Library.

Of course opposing these are the NSA, altought they can't enter the Library due to a electric field surrounding the library.

Of course, and some Deus Ex Machina in the middle we are thrown alongside the main characters... And this is why I don't like about thrillers. Small chapters with an undending action/narrative where the goodguys almost always win, with no sequelae involved. Everything is fine when it's fine... something like that.

But if you like thrillers mixed with sci-fi then try this one. 7/10

Book Review: Dangerous Visions 2

Title - Dangerous Visions 2

Author - Several Authors

Year - 1967

Stand Alone or Series - Anthology Part of Series

Pages - 207

Reading Time - Read from September 05 to 06, 2012

Review

This was a collection of stories published in 1967 that were groundbreaking because it contain stories no-one wanted or dared to published. The term was called New-wave of Science Fiction and it included sex in their stories. Some of the stories are quite good others I didn't felt anything (maybe because I belong to a new generation and some issues are treated some other way nowadays).

The Man Who Went to the Moon — Twice by Howard Rodman

This story touched me and maybe in a different way of the writer. It reminds me of somthing that happens nowadays that didn't happen 10 or 15 years ago. In those days I went to the street and play with other children. We knew everyone on the building we used to live and most of the people we saw on that area. Nowadays people don't know anyone and the children don't go outside to play. They stay indoors. 7/10

Faith of Our Fathers by Philip K. Dick

An interesting tale about the use of drugs and a alternative history where communist rules everyone and the party leader is not entirely what people think.

The Jigsaw Man by Larry Niven

This novel deals with compulsatory donation by the criminals. With high demands the justice lowers the bar even more. Our "hero" is imprisioned and we don't know why. After he escapes because he thinks that his punish is unfair he goes on a rapage and damage the Organ harvesting facility. Caught he is not even charged because they know his first crime is sufficient. And the crime is as banal as Traffic Violation. The afterword by the author is quite interesting as well as he dwells about the all issue. 8/10

Gonna Roll the Bones by Fritz Leiber 

This tale is about a gambler and his troubled mind. I didn't felt connected. For me the worst story of the bunch... and it was voted for the Hugo and Nebula awards for Best Novelette). 3/10

Lord Randy, My Son by Joe L. Hensley

Eutopia by Poul Anderson

This story deals with an alternative history where the nations are divided in races. Our hero is trying to escape a realm because he is being acused of something and he just wants to get home to "Nikki". The last sentence we understand that our main character is a guy and "Nikki" is also a man. Good story with a trend on homoseuality. A theme not so usual in fiction at that time... 7/10

Incident in Moderan and The Escaping by David R. Bunch

This are two tales in no way connected but as we read the afterword we learn that they are connected but not in the strict sense. The first story is quite good. The second .. meh.

The Doll-House by James Cross (pseudonym)

This was probably my favourite story. A guy tries to get some money from his uncle but instead he gives him a dollhouse. A dollhouse with a seer in it. The uncle says that the seer will give him answers but he must beware because some are quite cryptic. I really enjoy this tale. My favourite tale of the lot. 9.5/10

Sex and/or Mr. Morrison by Carol Emshwiller

This was another good tale and the only one by a lady. Our narrator is a middle aged woman that stalks a man in his own house hiding as he arrives, reads or taking a bath. I enjoyed but I am sure I didn't fully understand what the writer was trying to say. Nevertheless it's a good story. 7/10

Shall the Dust Praise Thee? by Damon Knight

This story is in this anthology because it's a atheist story. Nowdays cmmmon but I believe that atheism was seen a different way in the 60's. God and His angels arrive for the Apocalypse just to find that there wasn't life on Earth. Everything had perish due to natural causes and a nuclear war. This tale ends with the phrase written in a rock "We were here. Where were You?" Quite good. 8/10

I found out that this collection is indeed good and I must read the others. I particulary enjoy reading the prefaces by Harlan and the afterword by the writer himself. Quite interesting 7/10

Review: Dark Apostle - Anthony Reynolds

Title Dark Apostle

Author Anthony Reynolds

Year 2007 

Stand Alone or Series First in Word Bearers Trilogy

Pages 416

Reading Time September 06 to 19, 2012

Synopsis

Driven on by dark visions, Dark Apostle Jarulek of the Word Bearers and his force lay waste to the Imperial planet of Tanakreg. After brutally enslaving the population, they set them to work building a monstrous, kilometres-high tower. What is the Word Bearers' vile purpose, and can they achieve it before the Imperial forces arrive to reclaim the planet?

Review

This is the second time I read this novel. I still remembered the main plot even if the characters names had eluded me. 

Dark Apostle follows the story of a Warband of Word Bearers, the most fanatical of the Chaos Space Marines Legion. As you know, they don't follow a single chaos god but the pantheon. This particular Warband is led by the Dark Apostle Jarulek as they attack the Imperial Planet of Tanakreg. There they must find the PDF and built an moumental tower called the Gehemahnet. Usually this towers are built as they let the fiends from the Warp go through the material world.

This warband is quite large with thousand space marines. They are led by Kor Badar the Coryphaus (symbolic title granted to the most trusted warrior). There is also Marduk the first Acolyte who was learning with Jarulek to form a warband of his own. Marduk's first warrior was Burias/Dark'Shal, the Icon Bearer. This space marine was part daemon part human. There is also the Dreadnought Warmonger who fell in Calth in HH. Of all dreadnought he is the most sane, even if he has lapses and still thinks he is fightining in the Horus Heresy alongside Lorgar.

On the other side of the war you've got Varnus who we witness his fall from the light of the emperor, through the construction of the damned tower and in the end fighting the imperial guard.

There are also other small characters from the Adeptus Mechanicus and the Elysians Imperial Guard. They are famous for fighting from the skies and not the imperial trenches.

I really enjoy this novel from the begining of the attack until the end when the necrons are awaked. 

Until the very end of the novel we don't know why the Word Bearers are striking the planet and building a Gehemahnet and why the Adeptus Mechanicus are so eager to defeat the Chaos Space Marines.

Criticisms

It seems that the Chaos Space Marines were dying in masses but their ranks were replenish from where? I thought there were only 2000 chaos space marines in that battle

What happened to all that gene-seed and armour? Dozens of Rhinos, Land Raiders, Dreadnoughts, Terminator armour were left in that planet. How are the Word Bearers replenish their ranks?

Praises

The fall of Varnus

The Conflicts within the Host

The images Reynolds gave us of the battle scenes, Gehemahnet and chaos description.

Notable Quotes

Dark Apostle & First Acolyte

"The way you appear to the Host is paramount, First Acolyte," he remember Jarulek lecturing him. "Always you must project an aura of authority and religious awe. We are beyond the warrior-brothers of the Legion, we are the chosen of the gods, exalted by Lorgar's eyes and raised beyond the morass of lower warrior. Our warriors must worship us. And Why? We must appear glorified and exalted so that always we can inspire uter devotion in the Host. A warrior fuelled with faith lights with twice the hatred and twice the strenght of one that does not, and he will fight past the point when he would otherwise give in to death. A dark apostle must always inspire such devotion in his flock" said Jarulke, his eyes filled with passion and belief. "That is the reason that we need a Coryphaus, Marduk. The Dark Apostle must be separate and aloof from the Host to maintain the utter devotion of the warrior brothers. He must not be one of them, he must be beyond them. The Coryphaus is the war leader of the Host. For once you take on the mantle of Dark Apostle, you must be one apart from the Legion. Always you must project a holy aura that will inspire utter, fanatical loyalty and devotion."

Mechanicus

(After The Mechanicus ask the General of the Elysians for their dead and wounded so they could fuel their own Skitarii troops)

"There really is not an ounce of humanity left in you is there, you wretched, base machine?" Said Havorn, his voice trembling with emotion.

"Correction. There are exactly thirty-eight Imperial weight units of living flesh and tissue upon my frame, Brigadier-General Ishamel Havorn. I am neither wretched nor bas, althought their usage in such a context is a new piece of data memory to be stored. And I thank you for calling me "Machine", though I am not yet so fully esteemed within the priesthood of Mars as to become truly one with Omnissiah"

"You answer magos," said Havorn," is that you can go and burn in hell before I hand over any of my soldiers to you, dead or alive.

Seeing no immediate response forthcoming from the magos, he added,"That means no, tou cold hearted bastart".

Conclusion

Nice adition to the Chaos Space Marines and the first trilogy dedicated wholesome to them. Truly good. I really want to dig in the next two novels as we see how Marduk will handle the mantle of Dark Apostle and fighting between the host fanatic devotion to late Jarulek. 8/10

Review: Daemon World - Ben Counter

Title Daemon World

Author Ben Counter

Year 2003

Stand Alone or Series Stand Alone

Pages 288

Reading Time 20 days (August to September of 2012)

Review

This review contains massive spoilers. You have been warned :)

This was a refreshing reading and one of the most interesting novels I read this year. This book contains no goodie character at all. Which is always good.

Characters 

Golgoth - The main character. A barbarian of the Emerald Sword. With the help of Kron becomes a ferocious warrior that unites each tribe surrounding "the city/Capital" or "Charybdia Keep" to fight for him against Lady Charybdia.

Kron/Karmulon and later Argulon Veq - Helps Golgoth receiving a few gifts just enough to become a champion and led the armies against the Pleasure City of Charybida.

Tarn - Mercenary and one of few survivors of the invasion force. Quite interesting character. Even if he was tottaly evil (even more than Golgoth because Tarn fought for killing men and not for some misguided thing like revenge like Golgoth).

Lady Charybdia ruler of Torvendis for the Pleasure God Slaanesh

Ss'll Sh'Karr Daemon Prince of Khorne. Defeated long time ago and now released by Kron

Torvendis The World (why is it a character? You will understand later)

This tale is about Chaos. What it's Chaos and how does it work. In some ways this book resembles "Pawn of Chaos by Brian Craig. 

The plot is not that simple making a couple of switchs that makes you want to read more and more. That's what happenend to me. This book is about Arguleon Veq, there's no doubt about it but the main character is Golgoth as we follow him in his quest to fight Lady Charybdia. Kron who is Arguleon Veq helps him discover hidden magic within or understanding the way of the world. As I said the tribes unite to attack the keep (tribes before at war with themselves) but failed miserable because the Keep has milions of legionaries and even 400 violators chaos space marines. The Tribes are 150.000 and don't have any kind of weapons besides bows, swords and the such. As the daemon prince is free again by Kron the tide of the battle begins to change and the Keep falls. Lady Charybdia is killed by Ss'll Sh'Karr. After the battle with the lust not yet sated or something else (it's a daemon and we must not understand their reasons) he begins to kill his previously allies. Such is the way of Khorne and Chaos for that matter. Golgoth and Tarn are the only survivors (as far as they Know) and the go to ancient citadel led by a message of Kron. Kron is trying to escape a coven of Word Bearers just to find that Kron is indeed Veq. Of course, being Veq he soon dispatchs all the Word Bearers even if tries to "free" them from Chaos claws. As Golgoth arrives at the keep he discovers a sword. A sword that was used by Veq to imprisoned The Last. The Last being... Torvandis. Here some sentences of the book that will give us some insight.

Torvendis, last of the eldar maiden worlds, wanted revenge as much as Arguleon Veq. Revenge against Chaos, wich was such a vast and all-consuming power that only the grandest of gestures could hurt it's gods. Only the loss of a symbol like Torvendis would be enough for them to notice.

It is a story of how a once-beautiful eldar maiden world was defeated by a Champion of Chaos, who then turned against the dark powers. It tells of how he woke the maiden world 's spirit, now insane, and let it destroy itself so the daemon world would be lost to chaos forever.

And thus end this story. Quite excelent. And Ben Counter stated that he probably won't return to this book because..."Sadly a sequel is unlikely since everyone in the entire plot is dead including the daemon world itself, so Torvendisʹs story has conclusively finished. But Daemon World lives on every time I have a daemon turn into something unfathomably horrible, every time the warp wreaks madness in realspace or the rules or reality break down. Veq lives on, too, as a lesson about what Chaos truly is and what it can do the the most stalwart soul"

So what was about this book that made him so great?

The writing style is fast paced and with lot of information about the world and each character. Even minor characters have their own story and Counter could give them life. As a daemon world there is no peace or forgiveness or even honour. That was interesting. Another thing that made me want to read more chaos novels was the war between the Dark Gods. Khorne is an enemy of the Imperium as he enemy of other major chaos god. But particular against Slaanesh. I found the characters that worship to Slaanesh quite good as we read about their pleasures and how they tried to work for their god. Even Death to them is a bless to Slaanesh. The ultimate pleasure. I found out the city created by Counter as belieable (in this set of course). There are also hints all about the book about Veq, Torvendis and their part on the story.

Memorable passages from the book

Unfortunally I only start writing them down later in the book...

"The gods are laughing at you. They own your body and soul, and what can you do? You can never live a normal life. You are filled with hate."-"Think about it, Word Bearer. What is Chaos? Chaos is a lie."

"They (Chaos) know how you will react in every situation.Nothing you do is your own."-"The power you have isn't power at all.You could run a milion klm and the gods would still own you.You could fight until everything in the galaxy was dead, and they would still find a war to chew you up."-"Is that power? No. That is addiction.Power is something you can use to win your own victories.But nothing you have ever done is your own."

"Daemons are afraid? "No mortal could ever understand what thoughts run through the mind of a daemon. But if Ss'll Sh'Karr could ever be capable of feeling fear, perhaps it was then, when the Blood God's chose was confronted with a foe that even he could not best." (The beast is called The Last)"...huge circular maw a thousand kilometers across."

"Arguleon Veq is probably the most badass/hero/anti-hero of the galaxy no? "Veq swatted away a score of bullets from the obliterator and caught three more with his free hand, throwing them back down to the floor of the bridge with a curse." - " The star-sword cut through the air as Veq met every bullet, sending a sparkling fan of deflected fire in every direction."

"Torvendis can never be fully mapped. The deserts change to forest, the glaciers to rivers of lava... Trying to chart it seems to make the landscape change even faster as if Torvendis takes exception to any attempt to unravel it's secrets with compass and map."

"Many sages and prophets had tried to divide the planet's history into neat slices of time, and all died insane."

10/10

Review - Temple - Matthew Reilly

Title Temple

Author - Matthew Reilly

Year 1999

Stand Alone or Series Stand Alone

Pages 763

Reading Time - 10 days August 2012

Synospsis

Deep in the jungles of Peru the contest of the century is underway. It's a race to locate a legendary Incan idol - one carved out of a strange kind of stone. But a stone which in the present century could be used for a terrifying new purpose.

Now rival groups are assembling their teams to hunt the idol down, at any cost.

The only clue to the idol's final resting place is to be found in a 400-year-old manuscript. Which introduces Professor William Race, a mild-mannered but brilliant young linguist who is unwillingly recruited to interpret the document that could lead to the idol itself.

So begins the mission that will lead Race and his companions to a mysterious temple hidden in the foothills of the Andes. There they find a carefully contrived sanctuary seething with menace and unexpected dangers. But it is not until the silence of the temple is breached that Race and his team discover they have broken a golden rule . . .

Some doors are meant to remain unopened.

Review

This was probably the longest book I've read and I read in a week or so. For me it's an achievement.

This is a thriller as it should be with a fast paced narrative with an interesting plot, albeit in the end being kind of funny. My number one question is: Who the heck is the bad guy? First were the Germans, then the Nazis (also germans eheh), then the rapas, then the other branches of USA and in the end the fundamentalists from America/Japanese... This book was written before 9/11 or else the writer should had the space to put the arabs there too. Strangely he didn't put any chinese or jews...

Pro et Contra 

Pros...

-The aforementioned diversity of adversaries.

-The story within the story. The story about the priest and the mayans is interesting abeith unrealistic because of the writing style (Of course I understand if it was written as a priest would had written would be boring to noawdays standard.

-The plot. Interesting even if the science was wrong.

-USA's Army against USAF. Interesting to see the rivarly that exists between the armed forces of USA.

Cons

-The Main character. Totally unbelievable character. He is like... Indiana Jones... BUT EVEN BETTER! 

-His companions. A couple of green berets exploded boats, helicopters and took care of 40 or more Nazis (previously being said that they were the best of the best with uber-machines guns).

There are other couple of things that were a little strenched but this is fiction and a thriller so I let it slide. Those two were pretty annoying.

Would I advice this book to anyone? Yes. Of course. The story it's fast paced and that's what you can expect from a thriller/adventure novel. The characters are a little 2sided but what a heck. It's about fun  6/10

Review: The Menstruating Mall - Carlton Mellick III

Title The Menstruating Mall

Author Carlton Mellick III 

Year 2005

Stand Alone or Series Stand Alone

Pages 212

Reading Time 27 August 0212

Synopsis

Ten ridiculously stereotypical consumer victims (a yuppie, a housewife, a retiree, a jock, a bible thumper, a cowboy, a preppy, a gamer, a goth, and a white suburban gangsta) find themselves unable to leave the mall one day. There is nothing stopping them. The doors are unlocked. Other shoppers are able to come and go as they please. But for some inexplicable reason, these ten people cannot pry themselves away from their shopping miasma. The mall closes, and they won't leave. Days pass, and they're still there, eating meals in the food court and sleeping in department store bedroom displays. Then they begin to die off, one by one, murdered by a mysterious killer, and they still won't allow themselves to escape. Carlton Mellick III's "The Menstruating Mall" is both a modernized take on Luis Bunuel's "The Exterminating Angel," and a parody of Agatha Christie's "And Then There Were None." Featuring mock mall advertisements by retard punk hero Food Fortunata and cover art by Skin242.

Review

This was an interesting read. Bizarro is not my favourite genre and it will never be. But it's a genre I enjoy reading about from time to time. Carlton Mellick III is one of those writers I read and enjoyed it. Never to the point of being a fan but nevertheless I have three books by him. I tried other two books in the Bizarro genre and I didn't enjoy them thinking they were too odd for me. 

This novel reminds me of Agatha Christie "And then there were none" (or the original title "Ten Little Niggers"). A group of persons are locked together in a place and they are dying one by one. Who is the killer? 

Each character is a parody of a person Carlton Mellick met. There's a white boy who thinks he is black. There's a girl self-absorbed, a gothic who isn't really a gothic, a jockey who turns out to be gay or our main character who is an addicted to shopping and working. There is also a couple of other characters that get almost none cameo like the soccer mom, the cowboy or the fundamentalist. Interesting or not a black punk is also present and it's one of the main characters.

We get to know each character and it's story and they are almost all funny even if some are too 2dimensional. Of course I want to believe that it's done on purpose or Carlton is just a bad writer.

The book as almost 200 pages but each chapter has only one or two pages. There are also some drawings of publicity but I found them ridicolous and without any link to the story.

As the story progress I started reading faster and faster and I hope my train to Sintra had a delay (which usually has) so I could read a little more before arriving at home.

I really enjoy the first two parts. I don't know but I think Bentley Little could grab this book and make one heck of novel. The last part of the novel it's dry as a desert and I didn't enjoy at all. This is the second book by Carlton Mellick that I found the ending uninteresting.

Would I advice it to someone? To the Bizarro funs. Or to anyone who want's to try something new 6.5/10

Review: Uma Aventura na Casa Assombrada

Titulo Uma Aventura na Casa Assombrada

Escritor Ana Maria Magalhães, Isabel Alçada

Ano 1997

Series Uma Aventura #38

Paginas 212

Tempo de Leitura 7 e 8 Agosto 2012

Crónica

Ahh.. Uma aventura. Os livros que fizeram de mim o leitor que sou hoje. Foi aqui que tudo começou. Quando vi este livro pensei.. Why not? E lá o li. Não é literatura nem é uma lição de vida. Mas é o que tem de ser. É divertimento. É ficção para crianças. É um mistério. Dentro destes parâmetros distraiu-me. Foi um retorno a minha infância. Gostava que os meus filhos (futuros) lessem este(s) livros. São um bom começo para o mundo da leitura. 4/10

Review: Take the Long Way Home - Brian Keene

Title Take the Long Way Home

Author Brian Keene

Year 2006

Series Stand Alone (Part of Labyrinth Mythos)

Pages 104

Reading Time 08 August 2012

Synopsis

All across the world, people suddenly vanish in the blink of an eye. From their cars during the rush hour commute. From the shopping malls. Their homes. Their beds. Even from the arms of their loved ones. Airline pilots. World leaders. Teachers. Parents. Children.Gone.Steve, Charlie and Frank were just trying to get home when it happened. Now they find themselves left behind, and wishing they'd disappeared, too. Trapped in the ultimate traffic jam, they watch as civilization collapses, claiming the souls of those around them. God has called his faithful home, but the invitations for Steve, Charlie and Frank got lost. Now they must set off on foot through a nightmarish post-apocalyptic landscape in search of answers. In search of God. In search of their loved ones. And in search of home.Deadite Press is proud to make Brian Keene's long out-of-print critically-acclaimed Take The Long Way Home available to readers once again Includes an introduction by New York Times-bestselling author John Skipp

Review

Brian Keene has done it again. 

Yet another story that links to the Labyrinth Mythos. Deadite Press publish this novella that Keene wrote almost a half a dozen years before. And it was without time. It's a shame for the price. 6.99£ for a novella with only 80/90 pages it's kind of too much. I want to read two other novellas Deadite Press published but I don't know if I am going to pay a price for a novella without even 100 pages.

This was an interesting tale (vision) about the Christian myth of Rapture and Keene really knows how to give life to his characters. Unfortunally this novella ended in a clifhanger in such a way that I thought that this was the first part of a larger story (maybe another novella) but I don't think so. Well I have read most of the stories by him (some novellas excluded and short stories) and none was interlinked unless with small references like far-right movement "Sons of the Constituition" or the reference of the madmen Carlton to the Labyrinth that says that this is level 6. (Carlton as Carlton Mellick III)? 

The characters are a sort bunch: Steve the Jew, Charlie the Gay & Frank a Polack. 

The story itself is simple. A trumpet roars and most of the people on earth vanish. Of course there are car accidents, fires, plane crashes and such. After that incident the trio start heading to civilization so Steve can find his wife. As they went they meet other people with theories of what happenend and people who start behave like people would behave if chaos erupted in our mist. Everyone for themselve and the law of the jungle.

The ending itself it was as expected and as I said before I think a follow up would do nicely because I really wanted to know what happened to him and the world.

In the end it was a nice quick reading. To all who follow Brian Keene you should read it but if you want to read for the first time a Keene novel then try other novel like The Rising or City of the Dead (Well read them both because they are a duology) 8/10

Review: Survival Instinct - Andy Chambers

Title Survival Instinct

Author Andy Chambers

Series Stand Alone but part of Necromunda Series (I)

Year 2005

Pages 256

Reading Time 18 to 27 June 2012

Synopsis

In the far future towering hive of Necromunda talk and lives are both cheap. Rival factions vie for political control of the hive city's upper reaches whereas further down they just struggle to survive. Choosing to leave her life of luxury, Mad Donna Ulanti's past catches up with her as she descends into the city's anarchic underhive and a few familiar faces reappear to make her life hell.

Review

This novel was the first alongside CS Goto Salvation about Necromunda. The most famous Hive planet in the galaxy. It's here that the Imperial fists draw their recruits.

This tale is composed with 11 named chapters and each one divided with memories from our protagonist which added depth and history to her.

This tale we follow the adventures of Mad'Donna Ulanti, a hive noble living in the underhive to escape a past. From the beginning of our tale we begin to learn about the life in the Underhive and the schemes of the Hive City. We learn about the Houses and gangs and how are they related albeit superficially. We follow her as she tries to uncover who his after her and why. We visit plenty of sites in the Underhive as Glory Hole, Cliff Wall, Dust Falls, Two Tunnels and then Downtown. The end is near the Sump. There is plenty of confrontations, battles against ratskins, scavies and other strange beings. There is also a huge battle against scavies led by Mad'Donna with the help of all the gangs and enforcers. Quite interesting.

If you want to read about the Necromunda life or Mad'Donna, or the game itself then go ahead. Or if you want to read each and every book Black Library printed, as I, then go straight ahead. Andy Chambers wrote a interesting tale but at times it was a bit confusing. The characters besides the main characters are blank and weak. There are also some typos (Delaque, Delauqe and such) but nothing that make you wanna stop. 6.5/10

Review: The First Apostle - James Becker

Title - The First Apostle
Author - James Becker
Series - Chris Bronson #1
Pages - 576
 Year of publication - 2008 
Reading Time - 05 to 29 June 2012

Preview
An ancient inscription...
a dangerous secret?
An explosive debut thriller! Chris Bronson is devastated when his best friend?s wife? the woman he was secretly in love with?dies in a tragic accident. But when Bronson heads to Italy to console his friend, he finds the evidence of a break-in?and a strange Latin inscription on a stone above the fireplace.
To decipher the stone Bronson enlists the help of his ex-wife, an antiques expert, sending them on a treacherous path of clues across Europe leading to a truth so dangerous it could destroy the very foundations of the Christian faith?

Review
This is a fast paced thriller (aren't they all?) that really never let you take a deep breath of relief. It's a book that will leave you hooked until the very end. I enjoy it but it's not the best thriller out there about this theme but it's a new perspective/theory about Christ and Christianity.

You can tell that the writer researched lengthily about the theme and combines conspiracy theories already out there with a fresh new one.

Bronson & Angela (ex-married) try to uncover a 2000 year secret that already had kill their best friend. You've got Mafia and Mother Church conspiring so the secret remains hidden (or at least safe) and so on. The usual.

The secret itself is quite interesting  SPOILER ALERT - Nero had "Saint Peter and Saint Paul" to propagate a turn-the-other-cheek religion to suppress the Rebelling Jews in one of their provinces? New, but why should he do it? Nero is famous for the persecution of the first Christians and killer of Peter and Paul END SPOILER ALERT

I will read the second book but I really hope the next conspiracy theory is better... 6.5/10

Book Review: Words of Blood - Anthology

Title Words of Blood

Author Anthology

Year 2002

Stand Alone or Series Short Stories

Pages 288

Reading Time 11 days in July

Synopsis

In the dark universe of Warhammer 40,000, superhuman Space Marines, stubborn arbitrators, fearless pilots, secretive inquisitors and the massed ranks of the Imperial Guard stand side-by-side, each fighting their personal wars in the defence of a besieged humanity.

Review

This was one of the first anthologies published by black library. With 11 stories you've got Space Marines, Inquisitors, Imperial Guard, Tech-Priests, Hive Gangs. 

The first story is Words of Blood by Ben Counter. 

This tale we follow the Black Templars in a way we aren't used to see. The Black Templars are among the most pious of all chapters going on a crusade that lasts for 10.000 years. They are a No Retreat chapter. They are what we call the brute with force and without brains. Something like that... But Commander Athellenas as another thing in his mind and puts forward a plan that goes against everything their doctrine tells them. So he must cope not only with the foe they are battling but also against their own man who think he is a coward. Excellent tale. 8.5/10.

Raptor Down by Gav Thorpe. 

This tale is one of the few examples of an Imperial Air Squadron being portrayed in writing. It was written some years before Dan Abnett wrote Double Eagle. It's a good tale about a commander who must make a decision to follow the original plan or save the war effort. It's an excellent story because it reminds us of dozen of examples in real life that a person must choose to do what he was told or make a decision that probably will cost his life but at the same time save the war-effort. 8/10

Chains of Command by Graham McNeill

This is the first tale, in terms of chronology, of Uriel Ventris as he battles the Night Lords and the Chaos forces. In this tale he is still a Sergeant and follows a rather strange captain that doesn't follow the codex as the Ultramarines are known to follow. Strictly to the letter. It's probably where it all began. I am tempted to start reading his tales. 8/10

Loyalty's Reward by Simon Jowett

This was a good tale about an Hive Ganger that discovers the grim reality of faith. It's also a good tale about the inquisition and how they work. I really enjoyed the tale. It's strange that this written only wrote a couple of short stories. 9/10

Deus ex Mechanicus by Andy Chamber

We follow the Tech-Priests of Mars as they explore a Necrontyr tomb and somethnig goes wrong. It's quite good mystery tale. Andy Chambers really knows how to write. 8/10

Barathrum by Jonathan Curren

Two Inquisitions must cope with their different viewpoints to a common foe. It was a small tale but I didn't felt connected with plot or characters. 5/10

Missing in Action by Dan Abnett

I am only going to read this tale when I start reading the Eisenhorn trilogy.

Liberty by Gav Thorpe

This is a excellent tale about Kage of the Last Chancers. I probably should have read this tale after reading the first two books but it gave a good taste about him. 9/10

Ork Hunter by Dan Abnett

It was the first tale I read about Jopall Indentured Squadron as they are assigned to Armageddon Ork Hunters as "bait". It's a good tale about the full realization of war and growth. I really enjoy it. The names are not give but earned. 8/10

Business as Usual by Graham Mcneill

As I read this tale I didn't felt connected to it. I didn't enjoy it. Snowdog, a hive ganger, gets slightly more than he hoped for when a deal goes wrong in the depths of the Underhive. 5/10

Defixio by Ben Counter

Samiel is supposed to be a bad luck charm. The only survivor in a crew of a Leman Russ and his assigned to a new Exterminator tank and to a new squad who things he is jinked. Quite good tale and a good ending of a story and book. 8.5/10