Review: ABC Murder by Agatha Christie

Title ABC Murders

Author Agatha Christie

Year 1934

Stand Alone or Series Herculae Poirot

Pages 256

Reading Time November 2011

Synopsis

Alice Ascher, a shopkeeper in Andover, is bludgeoned to death at her place of work. Next to die is Miss Bernard in Bexhill, then Mr. Clarke in Churston. More disturbing than the alphabetic sequence of the killings or the ABC Railway guide that the killer leaves at the crime scenes are the taunting notes warning Hercule Poirot before each murder.

Small Review

The are crimes being committed and the only common thing is a book of ABC (The names of Train Lanes in England) and every character name begins first with A, then B and so on. 

Poirot is played from the beginning with letters but after the first murders he gets the job. Interesting reading but not Agatha's best. 7/10

Review: Blood Bowl by Matt Forbeck

Title Blood Bowl

Author Matt Forbeck

Year 2005

Stand Alone or Series Blood Bowl 1

Pages 416

Reading Time  March 2011

Synopsis

In a fantasy kingdom where violence is a way of life the number one sport is Blood Bowl - Gridiron where anything goes. Dirk 'Dunk' Hoffnung, once a barbarian swordsman, is now a rookie quarterback in the toughest football league you've ever seen. Follow his career as he goes from Most Promising Newcomer to MVP!

Review

The world of warhammer is one of the most ingenious and interesting out there. It got history and a different feeling from other shared worlds like forgotten realms or dragonlance. This world is grim/dark to the core. But not this one.

This is Blood Bowl. It's set in the warhammer world but in a paralel world (kind of) where divergences are set in a game of American Football but with brutality that would put to the shame some world wars.

Here there are no rules, you've got a pig bladder and must put it in the other side of the field. That's it. Unfortunally there are really hungry dudes in the other side that will do anything (and I mean anything) to stop you.

In this tale we follow Dirk 'Dunk' Hoffnung rise from a swordsman to the quarterback of a team. Quite interesting reading. I really must read the following three books. 8/10

Review: The Long Walk by Stephen King

Title The Long Walk

Author  Stephen King (Richard Bachman)

Year 1979

Stand Alone or Series Stand Alone

Pages 370

Reading Time February 2011

Synopsis

On the first day of May, 100 teenage boys meet for a race known as "The Long Walk". If you break the rules, you get three warnings. If you exceed your limit, what happens is absolutely terrifying...

Review

When I read this book my impression of Stephen King was not good. Having enjoyed more of Richard Bachman books than the "Real Deal" I entered with high hopes and I was not dissapointed.

With this book, as you read and follow Garraty quest you will feel his pain. No doubt about it.

The setting is dystopia world where we know almost nothing with the sole exception of the "Major" who is in charge of a race between 100 boys where the last one standing (sole survivor) is a winner and will have everything he wants (he and his family). Why must this race exist? What's its purpose? I would enjoy if King had dwelt more on this new world. 

In the race we met the main character Garraty, the friendly McVries, the loud-mouth Barkovitch or the enigmatic Stebbins. We learn that even stressful situations we can find hope. It is one heck of a journey. Undoubtably It is one of the best book written by Stephen King, even if written by his pseudonym.

I guess this is one of those books that I will read again in the future having enjoyed greatly. 9.5/10

Movies: Mark Gregory and Hayden Christensen --- Family??

Aren't they a bit look alike?

The first actor dissappear around 89 doing only a couple of movies. The only one that's worth remember is 1990 Bronx Warriors (1982).

The other one... well you know it.

Review: Space Marine - Ian Watson

Title - Space Marine

Author - Ian Watson

Year - 1996

Stand Alone or Series - Stand Alone

Pages - 255

Reading Time Oct 2010 to Jan 2011

Synopsis

First published in 1993 – though completed some years earlier – at a time when the background to the Warhammer 40,000 universe was still in a state of flux and not yet fully coalesced, the book follows three young Imperial Fist recruits from their formative years in the underhive gangs of Necromunda through to fighting as part of the First Company within the bowels (literally!) of a Tyranid bioship.

Not only will you find squats in this novel –Tzeentch-worshiping squats at that – but also Space Marines controlling Titans, Space Marines with lasguns, the Pain Glove and more than a small amount of toilet humour. Oh, and a Zoat. How could we forget the Zoat?

Although the temptation was great to rewrite significant portions of this book to make it conform to current background, as a curiosity piece, an historical snapshot of the Warhammer 40,000 universe circa the early 1990s, this book is invaluable. It also serves as a shining example of what can happen when a respected genre author at the height of his powers is let loose on an established shared universe.

Review

So this how everything began. Interesting read, oudated and somewhat interesting. But by today standards it fails to achieve the epic porportions or in terms of vast scale of other current novels.

Here we find how one turns a space marine -Imperial Fists. The IF takes his men from the Necromunda world. And in this particular case they took three hivers each from a different part of the hive city. It was interesting to read about the differences between them and how they try to bond beneath the IF.

Being an outdated book, from the first or second codex time, we have Squats and Zoats; both written out from the annal histories of Games Workshop.

You've got Space Marines eating enemies to know more about several situations and even to control a Titan!! 

But don't get me wrong. This is a book where you will find a grim dark reality of the warhammer 40k world. People abducted, through painful treatments (with druges involved) turn into fanatic space marines.

Good story and I advice anyone into Warhammer40k to read it, or if you like Starship Troopers from Heinlein  7.5/10

Book Review: Fading Light by Several Authors

Title Fading Light

Author Anthology

Year 2012

Stand Alone or Series Short Stories

Pages 380

Reading Time Abril 2013

Synopsis

The light has failed: the era of man is at its end.

Born of darkness, the creatures of myth, legend, and nightmare have long called the shadows home. Now, with the cruel touch of the sun fading into memory, they've returned to claim their rightful place amidst humanity; as its masters.

Fading Light collects 30 monstrous stories by authors new and experienced, in the genres of horror, science fiction, and fantasy, each bringing their own interpretation of what lurks in the dark.

Review

So, this one heck of a ride. A interesting compilation of short stories that deal with Monstrous beings that would wipe out Earth. Some were pretty good that even made me look for other stories from those writers, others I didn't felt that they capture the monstrous bit and even if a good story it didn't belong here. And fortunally small ones weren't that interesting. Overall thumbs up.

Note: Interesting or not some writers wrote the title of this anthology in their works... Fading Light. A bit of coincidences don't you think?

Parasitic Embrace by Adam Millard What a way to start. In my opinion probably one of the best tales in this anthology. A volcano A volcanic eruption in Spain draws a cloud of ash to Great Britan but not everything is at it seems. A good horror story that ends suddenly to make you wonder. This story is also a "Dust" variant as you underestant what I say 9/10 

The Equivalence Principle by Nick Cato A man believes that the gravitational force is going to dissapears so he walks around with a rope in his waist. Even at work. There is small paragraphes about a being talking. Who was it? Too much unknown and even if in my opinion is a good story it was to vague to be included in the monstrous anthology. 7/10

A Withering of Sorts by Stephen McQuiggan This tale in my opinion didn't fit here even if it is a nice horror story. A family arrives at a small city where they don't like strangers and so the barkeeper explains why. 7/10

Goldilocks Zone by Gary W. Olson This is one of the most bizarre stories in this anthology. As the stars begin to dissapear people are transformed into odd beings (everyone is different type of beings). I enjoyed the conversation between the being and our main character but at the same time I must say that it was a bit too bizarre but nevertheless it belongs here 6/10

They Wait Below by Tom Olbert This tale remind me of a mix between "The Thing" and some odd creature from a lovecraft story. A inspector is working on a oil-ring when he starts to see transformation of some of the workers. As he tries to uncover what its going on he understands that not all things are as they seem. Very nice story. 7.5/10

Blessed Be the Shadowchildren by Malon Edwards This story is somewhat a bizarre tale. I really couldn't get into the tale even if I am to say it was well written unfortunally I coulnd't get into it. The characters didn't appeal to me (even I enjoyed the second part of the story) 5/10

The Beastly Ninthby Carl Barker A historial fiction with a twist of occult fantasy. It depicts a battle in the napoleonic wars between the french and the english. The author brought those vivid images we have of those battles but with occult beings like werewolves. Quite good book. There is some fiction out there with the same premises (Dragons in this case) 8/10

Late Night Customer by David Dalglish This tale remind me of one of those tales in the Twilight Zone. I really thing there was one where a man arrives in a diner trying to escape his nightmares (which in that case was the vietnam war) and everything goes downhill from that. In this case the man is running from a odd nightmarish being and everyone who sees it must start running also. And he really wants to talk to someone. 8/10

Rurik’s Frozen Bones by Jake ElliotThis tale is another tavern/inkeeper/barman tale. It's an historic tale about a man who went finish and lost most of his crew to a kraken and now he is scarred. A berserker hears the tale before setting sail. Good story. 6.5/10

Wrath by Lee MatherThis tale was a christian apocalpyse of some sorts. Quite interesting. The main character really well developed (within a short story possibility). A nice twisted tale. 8/10

Friends of a Forgotten Man by Gord Rollo - Well this is it. This is a tale that you will want to forget because it's creepy as hell. Imagine a man imprisioned in a subterrean basement who is losing his sanity. Every day leeches are coming to suck his blood and they are their only friends who whisper things to him. Nice ending. Gord Rollo really nailed it. 9.5/10

Altus by Georgina Kamsika This tale depicts something like Meg or something like that. An oceanographer goes where nobody has went. There she finds some begins that nobody knew they existed. Interesting but rather bland story. 6/10

Angela’s Garden by Dorian Dawes This was one of those stories or you love it or hated it. It's a story about a woman that thinks that she has the power to keep at bay some nocturnal evil beings. A nice interesting tale with a great main character. There arent' many out there where the main character is a female grandmother. 8/10

The Long Death of Day by Timothy Baker Skyline & Day Earth Stood remix. 6/10

Out of the Black by William MeikleThis tale was one of the most interesting. This is set in the future where humanity as gone underneath our soil because the sun stop shining. A man goes to the surface for the first time in several generations and what he finds almost kills him. Nice tale. 8/10

Degenerates by DL SeymourThis is one of the biggest tales in here. It's a tale set in the lovecraft mythos but thirty or forty years after his stories. How can you not like it? A woman teacher goes to work in Dunwich where people are starting to dissapear. Nice twist. 7,5/10

Dust by Wayne Ligon - I enjoyed this one. It has something of a pseudo-scientific explanation about it. Really interesting. Migration patters in space. What a idea...New. 8.5/10

Der Teufel Sie Wissen by TSP Sweeney - This tale is set in the WWII where a group of nazi soldiers are trying to kill some man. But this is more that a man. Quite good story and ending. 7/10

Born of Darkness by Stacey Turner - This tale is another about the christian mythology. Something happens and only a handful survive. A man, his woman and his mother survive and are trying to survive in their isolated house until a little girl arrives. Nice tale and nice characterization. 8/10

Lottery by Gene O’Neill - This tale is a remake of Lottery by Shirley Jackson and I really didn't enjoyed because I didn't know where was going. Weak ending. 5/10

Where Coyotes Fear to Tread by Gef Fox - Nice story that has some other reviewers said it's missing a larger novel behind it (or in front of it). I enjoyed the tale and the mythology behind. 8/10

The Theophany of Nyx by Edward M. Erdelac - This one is set on the moon where the first colony base was built. But the base dissappears in a explosion and a dust is coming to earth. But it seems it's more than Dust (like the first tale). Quite good story (and dialogue) 7,5/10

Double Walker by Henry P. Gravelle This story is a nice psychological tale but it doesn't fit here in my opinion. A man thinks his shadow is more than it seems. And you know what? It really is. 7/10

Light Save Us by Ryan Lawler -  A man is encharged of keeping the generator working but when he goes to get some more oil something happens. Someone says that he is a victim of homophilia but I don't think so, because you can't really understand what is happening. My belief is that he was a some sort of mutant. 7/10

Dark Tide by Mark Lawrence - This tale is by a famous author and almost all other tales end badly but this one doesn't. Something liquid/slime is coming from beneath the earth and is engulfing people. A man tries to keep his family far from risk. It's has a brighter ending leaving you thinking that sometimes good triumph (even at the expense of sacrificies). I really don't think this should be the last tale because I expected "bad endings from it". That's my opinion but I cannot argue that is a bad story because it isn't. 8,5/10

Overal, it was a nice anthology with good stories and only a couple bad ones. My only question is.

I pay more from this paper book than those people buying e-books. Why are they favoured? It shouldn't be the other way around? Damn e-books. I really hate them 

My global note would be 8 Overall they are good stories.

Review: Ice Guards by Steve Lyons

Title Ice Guards

Author Steve Lyons

Year 2009

Stand Alone or Series Imperial Guard Series (unconnected stories)

Pages 288

Reading Time December 2008

Synopsis

In the same series of Imperial Guard novels Fifteen Hours and Rebel Winter, Ice Guard features the Valhallan Ice Warriors. In a race against time they travel into a Chaos-held city on a desperate rescue mission to save a captured Imperial dignitary.

Review

I didn't thought much of this book as I read it, truth be said. Almost five years of reading it I can't remember most of the plot so I am bit dissapointed because usually when I love the books I still can remember most parts with a vividy image.

The world, Cressido, is lost but before leaving the world they must find a Imperial Confessor. They have 48h to do it because afterwards the world is going to be virus bomb (meaning that everyone will die. Well, everything will die. Stanislav Steele and a small squad of Valhallan Ice Warriors must find it.

One way to building the tense is the time left that greet us everytime we begin a new chapter.

Interesting novel but In my opion weaker than the previous by the author's "Death World". In this book the Valhalla imperial guards are not what I expect. They didn't felt Valhallan. You could change the name and still get away from it. For Valhallan regiments I prefer the Commissar Cain's novels.

Unfortunally the Imperial Guard novels stopped being published and now a Space Marines series is coming out and of course they are more popular (don't ask me why). 8.5/10

TV Series Review: Revolution - An ode to Tracy Spiridakos

Well, here we go.

Nice story so far. 5 episodes seen and I think it's a mix of Hunger Games girlie in a Lost kind of series. What happenend to the power? What happened to all those characters and who are they. 

I am interested in almost all of them. Major Tom Neville, Miles Matheson and Sebastian Monroe. Even little Danny. And you know I don't like? Our main character. Why is she always crying? I guess 50% of the time we see her face she is crying.... Don't get me wrong. A beautiful face, with expressive eyes but.. and a bit dumb..bah And her love partner Jason Neville bleargh.

Coming again to our main character... in these five chapters I've seen if she wasn't there the plot would move forward as it has so far. The only thing she has done so far was get Miles. And even that... Then we've got the stupid things she do... I am an ashmatic. I sure would want to explore muddy dusty places but that's me... She trusts everyone! EVERYONE! So gullible.

WHY KEEP WATCHING HER? WELL.....

 Beautiful isn't? 

Review: Emperor by Stephen Baxter

Title Emperor (Time's Tapestry #1)

Author Stephen Baxter

Year 2006

Stand Alone or Series (Time's Tapestry #1 of 4)

Pages 320

Reading Time

Synopsis

Inscribed in Latin, The Prophecy has resided in the hands of a single family for generations, revealing secrets about the world that is to come, and guiding them to wealth and power... 

It begins when a Celtic noble betrays his people at the behest of his mother's belief in The Prophecy and sides with the conquering Roman legions. For the next 400 years, Britannia thrives-as does the family that contributed to Rome's reign over the island with the construction of Emperor Hadrian's Wall and the protection of Emperor Constantine from a coup d'etat. 

And even when the sun begins to set on the Roman Empire, The Prophecy remains. For those capable of deciphering its signs and portents, the future of Earth is in their hands

Review

This book is the first of a quartet. Each one deadling with a timeline but all connected at some point. Each chapter or group of chapters advance the plot in decades detailing Roman Britain. It is a good history book but it didn't grab me. I have the four books but I don't know if I am grabbing the second and the rest of them. 6/10

Review - Dark Apostle by Anthony Reynolds

Title Dark Apostle

Author Anthony Reynolds

Year 2007

Stand Alone or Series First on the Word Bearers Trilogy

Pages 416

Reading Time Two times. First Nov/Dec of 2007 and then Set of 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. 9/10

Review: Revelation by Bentley Little

Title Revelation

Author Bentley Little

Year 1989

Stand Alone

Pages 327

Reading Time December 2010 (8 days)

Synopsis

Strange things are happening in the small town of Randall, Arizona. And as darkness falls, an itinerant preacher has arrived to spread a gospel of cataclysmic fury...And stranger things are yet to come...

Review

Another tale set in Arizona. As all other books by Little are creepy as hell. As other books there is a certain Good vs Evil idea behind. What' is what sort of thing.  Churches vs churches vs Satan coming. A preacher that arrives to "save" the day. The characters Gordon Lewis and Marina are expecting a child in a town where several womens are losing their babies. It's like seeing a B movie with a religion theme and gore elements. Good tale. But not the first story if you are starting to read Bentley Little. Check The Association or The Store       6.5/10

Movie: Mad Max

Great movies. That's the only thing I can say. They are what they are. One of the first tries on post apocalpytic fiction in movies. And what movies they are.

Mad Max also has done something great for me. Max was anti-hero and that was the first times I watch one. Nowadays my favourite kind of heroes are anti-heroes. That says it all...

The first movie was a precedent of two even better movies. Let us see if the fourth one (WITHOUT THE REAL MAX) can fuck it up.

This was one of those trilogies (or series if you want) that the first was not better than the second. (to me my favourite).

And another thing... That was the first time I saw Virginia Hey... Why were you killed in a so stupidly way... snif snif