Year 2014

This year of 2014 was an interesting one in terms of personal life and book reading material.
First of all, I got married and we are expecting a child - to be born in the end of June. I am working hard as hell this couple of months, and my new mobile phone is not helping, so my reading dropped immensely from January to December. Nevertheless my goal of 80 books was surpassed to 91 books. I must confess that audiobooks were a part of my new reading habits. I truly hate them but since I can do it while working I can't complain to much.

Some of my favorite Books

Lost Fleet #1: Dauntless - Jack Campbell
Lost Fleet #2: Fearless - Jack Campbell
This sci-fi series are truly good. They are not boring as other hard-scifi books outhere and focus mainly in war in space plus there are some excelent characters and politics involved. My only complain is the lack of character of the bad guys. They are just there. Review to come.

Caves of Ice - Sandy Mitchell
Great book. A re-read and I was truly impressed the first time and the second time it was even better since my knowledge of 40K world is improving.

Lord of the Rings - Fellowship of the Ring -  JRR Tolkien
I had forgotten how beautiful this book is. See review here

The Book of Three (The Chronicles of Prydain #1)  Lloyd Alexander
Great YA fantasy book. The first of five. Review Here

The Last Days of Ector (Warhammer 40,000) - Guy Haley 
The best 40K book I read this year. One of my favorites. If you want a dark grim book - look no further. There is no happy ending. Review here

The Matrix by Jonathan Aycliffe
My favourite horror story this year. No doubt. - Review Here



Now my goals to 2015
Since my child is going to be born and my reading time will not be bigger I will aim for 66 books. One for each week plus one audiobook per month.

My goal in terms of books:

Read two (2) Vampire Hunter Book
Read eight (8) Herculae Poirot (since they are in portuguese should be easier)
Finish Lost Fleet six book saga (four to go)
Finish at least three trilogies already started
Read twelve (12) Black Library books (at least)
Read one (1) of the following authors
- Dan Simmons
- Kim Stanley Robinson
- James Rollins
- Terry Pratchett
- Stephen King
Finish two Dune novels (The rest will go to 2016)
Finish Harry Potter novels
In January/February read books prior 80's

Thought XXIII - Ebook is killing the authors?

Taken from Cuddlebuggery Book Blog

And as if the news today couldn't have gotten any crappier, we have new numbers out for author earnings.

·         In the UK, 2013 professional authors' typical annual income from writing: £11,000 ($18,800)

·         That's down from £12,333 ($21,800) in 2005

·         This puts the 2013 income at £5,850 ($10,000) below the Minimum Income Standard of £16,850 ($28,878) set by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation

·         Only 11.5% of professional writers surveyed for ALCS said they earned their income solely from writing in 2013

·         That's down sharply, from 40% of professional writers who said they earned their income solely from writing in 2005

We may never have been this close to actually seeing just how badly a writing career can pay.

For all our focus on the digital disruption of publishing, it seems we may need to stop, get out of our battle gear, have a seat, and start talking about not the newest but the oldest issue any professional creative endeavour can encounter: the money.

ACLS asks the right question in titling its survey "What Are Words Worth Now?"

So... what you're saying is, authors get paid less now than ever (oh, right, ebook royalties are abysmal), Amazon and Hachette are screwing authors over with their power grabbing, and less authors than ever are making a living at writing?  Do we want books to survive, people?  Because we have to actually PAY authors for their time, so they can keep writing them.  I think this tweet said it best:

Something has gone very wrong if we'll pay $5 for a greeting card, $3 for gift wrap, but resent paying more than $2.99 for a book.—
John Connolly (@jconnollybooks) July 04, 2014

I think the problem is the ebook market. As Jonh Connolly  (must be an interesting writer just for that quote) wrote  nowadays you expect a book for 2.99 or less. Or you can download for free in a torrent website. Long live paperbacks. 

Review: The Gunslinger by Stephen King

Title The Gunslinger

Author Stephen King

Year  1982

Stand Alone or Series The Dark Tower 1 of 7

Pages 234

Reading Time May 19 to 21, 2014

Synopsis

In the first book of this brilliant series, Stephen King introduces readers to one of his most enigmatic heroes, Roland of Gilead, The Last Gunslinger.

He is a haunting figure, a loner on a spellbinding journey into good and evil. In his desolate world, which frighteningly mirrors our own, Roland pursues The Man in Black, encounters an alluring woman named Alice, and begins a friendship with the Kid from Earth called Jake. Both grippingly realistic and eerily dreamlike, The Gunslinger leaves readers eagerly awaiting the next chapter.

Review

I hoped for a different kind of book. I have a confession to make. I really like the stories Stephen King makes up but at times he loses himself. It's like he enjoy so much talking(writing) that he doesn't know how to stop. And this book had only 238 pages. I bet I will be bored by the last book with 500 pages or more. Let us see. I really hope I am wrong.

First of all, this book links 5 novellas. They all have a feeling of the old west but at the same time a parallel universe. The strange part of this novel is that most of it consist of memories and telling someone about some event. It's a bit strange.

The Gunslinger is the first tale and it started the way a story should start. "The man in black fled across the desert, and the gunslinger followed." In this tale Roland comes across a house in the desert owned by Brown and his pet raven Zoltan. There he tell the tale of what happened in the village of Tull. The first reference to the word 19 is there and the Crimson King. I enjoy this tale most of all, with the exception of the last. They were the best. 

The Way Station is the second tale and where Roland meets Jake Chambers. In this one Roland perspective of Jake changes as he talks to a demon that tells him that Jake will be a asset against him. In this tale another memory. This time a training session with his teacher Cort, the falcon David and his good friend Cuthbert Allgood.

The Oracle and the Mountains is the third part of the story. Roland and Jake are out of the desert into a greener ambient. They come about a Speaking Ring where Roland has some LSD experience and he makes sex with the oracle as she tells him about Susannah and Eddie Dean. This story is a vision about the second book - The Drawing of the Three. After leaving the oracle, he briefly meets the man in black that says to him that they will meet briefly. Before leaving Gunslinger askes if Jack wants to come long or separate. Jake agrees knowing his role on the struggle between him and the man in black and probably he will be only a pawn.

The Slow Mutants again a memory of his past life. Roland, 14, because his of the magician Broadcloak and his relation to her mother, is set to take the trials to a gunslinger 2 years before of the youngest of gunslingers. Here we see Roland sacrificing David, his old falcon to achieve victory of Cort. (I was a bit upset and probably here we have an indication of Roland personality). Near the end of his journey Jake slips and Roland catches him but the man in black comes and says to Roland that he has a choice. Either he let the boy die or never catch him. Roland lets Jake fall to his death and he exits following his nemesis.

The Gunslinger and the Dark Man is the last tale where he meets the man in black. Probably the most important of ones. It sets the mood for the rest of the series (it's my belief). First Man in black shows him some Tarot Cards including "the hanged man" (Roland) "the sailor" (jake); "the prisoner" (a man) and "lady of shadows" (a two faced woman), "death" (but not for Roland), and the Tower itself. After showing him the cards The man in black tells him that he just a pawn to his true enemy, the one who controls the dark power. After a brief confrontation he has a visionary hallucination and the man in black tells him a tale about our cosmos. (it was like reading Cosmos by Carl Sagan again). As he awakes he sees that he had age ten years and he takes the jawbone of a skeleton near him. The book ends as it had started.

My honest opinion is that this book is an introduction of a majestic, huge series. I can understand King setting all his books here, since the The Dark Tower has layers and layers of realities. I understand now why several books are hinted to be read at the same time as this seven books. Probably that's what I am going to do.  8.5/10

Heirs of the Demon King: Uprising by Sarah Cawkwell

Title Heirs of the Demon King: Uprising

Author Sarah Cawkwell

Year 2014

Stand Alone or Series Series probably

Pages 380

Reading Time   May 09 to 18, 2014 

Synopsis
Epic fantasy meets alternate history in a sweeping saga that crosses the medieval world. Matthias Eynon must escape the clutches the Witchhunters and locate the masters of the four magic arts to overthrow the tyrannical Demon King, descendant of the twisted Richard III.

Mathias Eynon"s dreams were small. A dabbler in magic, and son of a magician, he expected to live in obscurity in his home in the Welsh hills, quietly conducting his experiments and hoping not to draw too much attention to himself.

But fate has other plans for him. It is the Year of Our Lord Fifteen-Ninety, and a revolution is quietly brewing, here and further abroad. Richard V has overstayed his rule, some say; others whisper that the whole line of Demon Kings must be burned out. Mathias son of a man executed for the practice of magic, forbidden by the paranoid king is set to become a symbol, and a leader.

And to do that, he needs champions. A wise woman sends him to the corners of the known world to the frozen lands of the Danes, to the pirate-haunted ports of Spain, to the mountains of the German Empire, to the burning sands of the Holy Land to bring back masters of the four magic arts. With the best and brightest of Richard's Witch Hunters on his heels, he sets out to gather his allies.

Review
This was the first book I ever receive to review it. I will not go astray with my review with a prospect of receiving other books. 
Sarah Cawkwell is a great writer. I say this because I’ve read several short stories by her, set on the 40K world, and they were quite good. So in we go to a new adventure. 

The world as we know change a bit. After the crusades magic was introduced to Europe nobility. As the time passed the peasants got hold of it. Of course the nobility didn’t want that to happen and neither did the King so the Inquisition was formed and magic purged. The reason was beyond the jealousy or fear. There is a secret that only the house of Plantagenet knows that will doom the country. 

As the story progress we get to know Richard V, his Inquisition Lord Charles Weaver, our Main character Mathias and his bethroned Tagan. There are also some other characters like the Pirate King, Shapeshifter, She who Sees and a engineer that developed some steam boats and a battle tank. There are a lot of characters and in my opinion none were that developed. In the end besides the King none seemed to changed. Ok Tagan and Mathias had to make some sacrifices but only in their last chapters. The engineer had some parts of a chapter but that was it. Why was he included? He had no purposed besides building those machines. He had some motivation but no purpose or interest. He was just there. The shapeshifter had some internal problems that didn’t resolve until the end of the book. Even Charles Weaver, probably the character that had more word count not counting with Mathias didn’t have a closure. 

I know this seems to be a lot of bad things but there were some interesting points. There is a feel of alternate history, fantasy and steampunk in each chapter that made me know more. The magic and it’s role was quite interesting, but at the same I felt that I didn’t know nothing about it. The story tells us about those characters and England but I didn’t know nothing of the rest of Europe besides that there were really good magus in the Vatican. So the church embraced magic? Why? How? This were answers I would like to see answered. Along with the purpose of our characters and allies in the coming struggle against the demons from the aetherworld.

I really thing this book can be a beginning a series that will enjoy alternate history, steampunk and fantasy enthusiasts. 6.5/10

Review. The House by Bentley Little

Title The House

Author Bentley Little

Year 1999

Stand Alone 

Pages 368

Reading Time April 05 to 15, 2014

Synopsis

Five complete strangers from across America are about to come together and open the door to a place of evil that they all call home. Inexplicably, four men and one woman are having heart-stopping nightmares revolving around the dark and forbidding houses where each of them were born. When recent terrifying events occur, they are each drawn to their identical childhood homes, only to confront a sinister supernatural presence which has pursued them all their lives, and is now closer than ever to capturing their souls...

Review

This is my second review for this novel. It was one of those books that didn't work for me globally. It was really interesting the prologue, which unfortunally didn't led anywhere. The book itself had five characters and each chapter was dedicated to one character. Some characters had really interesting stories but others were almost identical (maybe that was the point). 

Each character was connected to a House they lived and each one had some connection to a caretaker and to a girl. This girl in one point or another seduced the inhabittants of the house and I must say that some parts where Little depicts a thirteen year old girl saying "F*** my a**, like your dad likes to do" was kind too much but I understood the point. 

I think the book tried to hard. So many characters, with so many stories were a bit too much to me. Only in the end I get to know which one was which. 

Is it a good book by Little? No. I am sorry but I don't think it's his best or nearer. But it has some good points. The overlapping Houses and the war between the shadowlnand and our reality was interesting (but not that developed in my humble opinion). The girl was also an important part but I think that she was not that developed as well. It was a bit vague. I mean I really want to know more of her. Of what was her/it intentions. The ending itself was a bit weak. Vague and in my opinion didn't brought a closure.

But if you are a fan of Bentley Little read it. If you are a new, then I advice to read The Store; The Association or even The Mailman. They are way better. 6.5/10

ARC's - Demon King: Uprising by Sarah Cawkwell

I am currently reading Heirs of the Demon King: Uprising by Sarah Cawkwell. So far the premises look great. Magic was given to nobility and then commoners had access. Of course, the nobility didn't like that everyone could have the same access. Persecution followed. Ahh the Dark Ages. What a delight.




Epic fantasy meets alternate history in a sweeping saga that crosses the medieval world. Matthias Eynon must escape the clutches the Witchhunters and locate the masters of the four magic arts to overthrow the tyrannical Demon King, descendant of the twisted Richard III.

Mathias Eynon"s dreams were small. A dabbler in magic, and son of a magician, he expected to live in obscurity in his home in the Welsh hills, quietly conducting his experiments and hoping not to draw too much attention to himself.

But fate has other plans for him. It is the Year of Our Lord Fifteen-Ninety, and a revolution is quietly brewing, here and further abroad. Richard V has overstayed his rule, some say; others whisper that the whole line of Demon Kings must be burned out. Mathias son of a man executed for the practice of magic, forbidden by the paranoid king is set to become a symbol, and a leader.

And to do that, he needs champions. A wise woman sends him to the corners of the known world to the frozen lands of the Danes, to the pirate-haunted ports of Spain, to the mountains of the German Empire, to the burning sands of the Holy Land to bring back masters of the four magic arts. With the best and brightest of Richard's Witch Hunters on his heels, he sets out to gather his allies.

http://www.abaddonbooks.com/

Review: Cypher Lord of the Fallen

Title  Cypher Lord of the Fallen
Year 2013
Reading Time May 07,2014

I read this small tale because Cypher is probably my favourite character in 40K. Unfortunally there isn't much information about it. Besides the audiobook Malediction and Easy Prey ( I have yet to read Angels of Darkness) I think the only thing I read was in some websites. This was the first time I read a book dedicated to him. And I think he is AWESOME 

So, after the dark angels have a secret, and to that secret remains one they have no bars or limits to where they go. They are dedicated to the Imperium and the Emperor but for that remain, they must not be connected to the Fallen. The fallen are Dark Angels who sided with Luther in t

heir civil wars. Some turn to chaos, some still fight for the Imperium but not with the Dark Angels and some have hidden agendas. But no matter what, they are Fallen Angels. Therefore they must be captured and repent. 

The Dark Angels (and their successor chapters) have so much shame that: The Dark Angels would willingly perform any act, no matter how vile, in order to capture Cypher.

Cypher: 

After their very first few encounters, the Dark Angels began to realise that this Fallen might be different. Because of his unknowable motives, and because of his supernatural ability to escape time and again from their clutches, the Sons of the Lion began to regard Cypher with growing wariness. 

It is likely the Dark Angels experienced their first run-ins with the Fallen identified as Cypher during their quest to discover new recruiting worlds. There are over a dozen entries recorded citing mysterious circumstances, acts of sabotage and casualties amongst both the Dark Angels and their potential recruits. These attacks influenced which worlds were originally chosen (or not chosen, as the case often turned out to be). 

 A few of those in the Inner Circle – not the Interrogator Chaplains, but those of more open minds – consider another possibility. Perhaps Cypher is trying to repent, trying to redeem his Fallen brethren’s deeds, or to steer Humanity away from some predestined course known only to himself? Those who feel this way are silent, for this is actually a more frightening thought – it would mean the Dark Angels are on the wrong side once again… 

 At times, Cypher has been linked with demagogues, those who rise up to agitate the masses, while at others he has been associated with military commanders. With unnerving regularity, Cypher will arrive at some critical flashpoint, his presence kicking off a violent chain of events time and again.

Among his confirmed kills (according to Dark Angels records) have been planetary governors, Chaos Space Marine Warlords, Space Marine Chapter Masters, sorcerous covens, cult leaders and high ranking Inquisitors. It is a paradox how, within a span of only fifty years, Cypher’s deeds could result in the slaying of the evil and corrupt Warlord Favian the Golden of the Flawless Host, as well as the stout and loyal Bartholomew Loxlor, Supreme Grand Master of the Angels of Absolution. 

The Imperium had sent fleets, armies and assassins to end the rule of Overfiend Tyrannex, Scourge of the Drakeburn Sector, and all efforts failed with lives in the hundreds of thousands lost. Yet Cypher alone was able to locate the Overfiend’s fortress, penetrate its defences and gun the miscreant down – instantaneously freeing billions from Tyrannex’s unnatural subjugations. Because of all this: Of all the Fallen, none is as hated, or indeed feared, by the Dark Angels, as the enigmatic individual known as Cypher. 

 Some interventions of Cypher; 
822.M33 Battle of Vermilac Prime 
Cypher’s timely intervention prevents the Orks from looting the Lion Helm and the Sword of Secrets from the slain body of the fallen Supreme Grand Master Alloken.

997.M33 Saviour of Praxus 
The Angels of Redemption find sedition upon one of their own recruiting worlds. Cypher, under the guise of the Saviour of Praxus, has been manipulating recruiting practices, handselecting and training the feral warriors to increase their chances of being chosen. He escapes before he can be apprehended. 

200-500.M39 Within The Eye 
Although it is unknown to the Unforgiven, Cypher spends this period inside the Eye. There, for a time much greater than the years that pass in realspace, he makes contact with various groups of Fallen. It is during this time that he makes further alliances with the Legions, in particular the Alpha Legion. Reports of Cypher continue to haunt the galaxy, with the Dark Angels and their successor Chapters chasing false rumours – some planted long ago by Cypher himself.

976.M41 Liberation of Amadis The events of the audiodrama Malecdition 
Cypher makes an appearance during the final battle of the liberation of Amadis, arriving in time to rally the last few defenders in the face of Chaos Cultist wave assaults. Only a single trooper from the planetary defence force survives and he swears an oath to the mysterious robed stranger never to reveal the truth of what has happened, never to mention the rogue Space Marine’s presence. When the lone survivor greets the Dark Angels as they arrive to mop up the remaining foes, he does not mention his mysterious saviour. 

989.M41 Escovan Campaign 
Little is known about this series of events, except that following several bloody battles the Red Corsairs vowed to slay Cypher. 

998.M41 Black Templars Incident 
A Black Templars Strike Cruiser, Ophidium Gulf, assists a Dark Angels force in pursuit of the individual known as ‘The Voice of the Emperor’. After hard fighting, the Black Templars succeed in capturing him – although are later embroiled in a dispute with the Dark Angels, during which both Chapters briefly engage in battle. Although ultimately taken into custody by the Dark Angels, the robed captive mysteriously escapes and the Ophidium Gulf is lost. At the behest of the Black Templars, the Inquisition is called upon to investigate – results are pending after the disappearance of Inquisitor Archibald. 

786999.M41 Who Hunts the Hunters? While observing the Ravenwing and Deathwing work in conjunction to capture a prisoner, Inquisitor Rasputin believes he has, at last, solved the riddle of the Dark Angels. As he turns to leave the battlefield, only his lightning-fast reflexes and a nigh-impenetrable force field allow him to survive the flurry of shots that would have slain him. Even as a hooded figure advances upon his position, a new conflict breaks out. Ravenwing troops on bikes have picked up Cypher’s trail and pursue him as he attempts to gun down the Inquisitor before escaping. Rasputin never makes his final report, and once again, the Ravenwing return empty handed from chasing Cypher. 

So the question remains. What's up with him? Is he a friend or a foe? Is he loyal to the Emperor or the Imperium or only to himself? No doubt that he is trying to do something. But the question remains. It's interesting that one of the few allies he has are imperium troopers and he frequently allies himself with the Alpha Legion - probably the most underrated of all legions. As Cyher, the Alpha Legion, true allegiance are mysterious. It's my belief, and my only, that they both have only the good intentions for the Imperium even if they hate the governing body. 

 Taken from another book... 
"Despite its seeming allegiance to Chaos, a closer scrutiny of the Alpha Legion's known history indicates that their seeming service to Chaos Undivided might actually be the greatest deception they have played upon the Imperium." 


 Note: The dataslate and countless information for the game I skipped ahead because I don't play the game.

Review: The Worm That Wasn't by Mike Maddox

Title  The Worm That Wasn't

Author Mike Maddox

Year 2007

Stand Alone or Series Stand Alone but book 3 of 3 in Dreams of Inan

Pages 224

Reading Time April 20 to 26, 2014

Synopsis

Leah is a simple gardener, tending the psychic plants that can create chemical and psychological weapons of immense magical power.

But she dreams of so much more, hoping for a better life within the walls of the Great Castle. Her calm ordered existence is tainted by sickness and plague, a contagion that picks its victims, possessing something very like intelligence. In a world where science and magic willingly embrace each other, Leah discovers a terrifying secret that may tip her world into madness and chaos worse than any mere war. With no one to help her, and no one willing to believe her, Leah is forced to confront her worst fears alone if she hopes to save the lives of the people she loves. Out there in the dark, the worm is waiting.

And the worm is so very hungry...

Review

I read this book for two reasons. First I wanted to read a light reading and then I wanted to read a book with few ratings. In this case it had one rating and zero reviews.

First of all, I can understand why this book had few ratings. It's a shareworld with two previous unsucesseful books, by a relative unknown writer.

I did enjoy the book. Not so much as to try reading the previous ones. I like the mix between magic and science. A kind of steampunk. Unfortunally it wasn't that explored in my opinion. Since, nobody is going to read the book, I am going to give a spoiler. The ending was my favourite part. Basically some sage stole the magic from all mages and if he died, magic died with him. Everything that was magical, in the world, would fall. So they ponder of what to do.

It was interesting to see Leah and her two friends that look like Beavis and Butthead.

"The thing about magic, is that once everyone knows how it's done, it's not magic anymore. It's just science. And I Like science."

"For millennia magic and science have woven themselves around each other on Inan, like creepers twining around a tree. Like... serpents. But no more. Today we are left with science and nothing else. And who knows where that will take us?"

Now if you substitute magic with religion you get the same thing. All this book has some information on how religion magic is not that good.

The characters were not that developed. They were there. Leah our main character was also the only one who evolved. A light-hearted girl who never took anything serious had now the responsabilities to take over the work and have person beneath her. 

"The library was theoretically avaiable via wrist-port to everyone. And yet Grefno preferred to use the books themselves. The crispness of the dry paperr, to smell the musty spines of the leather-bound volumes..." 5/10  

Book Review: Opera Vita Aeterna by Vox Day

Title Opera Vita Aeterna

Author Vox Day

Year 2013

Stand Alone or Series Short Story

Pages 20

Reading Time 05 May 2014

This short story was quite good. I know this author, made some particular comments that inflamed some authors and readers alike. Well, I am not going to debate about that. 

I don't think a person personal opinions should define if I read or not their books. I am not a person that enjoys communist/lefists ideals but that doesn't make me try reading some popular lefist writers like Ian Banks, Ken MacLeod, China Mieville or others. One or two of my favourite books are leftwinger writers.

I may have a personal opinion, albeit right or wrong in your view, but that don't transcribes into the writing therefore I should not be judge upon it. Said that, I really enjoy this short story. For what I read here, I know this story belongs into the series he is writing.

When I read this book it reminded me of some interesting debates that could have happen between a dark ages priest and a pagan. For a christian, the pagans had no soul. Therefore they were savages.... barbarians. But after some time together how could you think of them as subhumans? If they thought, live as he lived, ate as he ate how could you think as no better than animals? Maybe that how Romans view other cultures.

“I met a man. A monk not unlike yourself. He was brave. He came to the college uninvited. And he had power, power of a sort neither I nor my colleagues had ever seen before. His name was Herwaldus. I want to find the source of his power. I want to find his god.” 

Waleran blinked, wondering if he had heard the other correctly. A soulless elf seeking God? - "And you are seeking this Herwaldus?"

“Oh, no,” the elf said, shaking his head. “He is dead. I killed him ten years ago.”

There was a long moment of silence. Waleran had no idea what to say. He didn’t even know if he could rightly condemn the elf. One did not condemn the bear or the wolf that slew a man, and prior to the last bell, if asked, he would have denied the possibility that a creature such as Bessarias might possess a soul. Even now, the blithe ease with which the elf admitted to killing this Herwaldus struck him as a troubling sign that, for all its gracious and easy manners, what sat before him now might not only be inhuman but soulless and entirely without conscience."

(After ten years of co-existense)

His soul. The abbot didn’t even hesitate to permit himself to think of the elf in those terms anymore. He found it impossible to imagine that any creature as intelligent and civilized as the elf did not possess one.

Said that, this story is about an elf as he meets some pseudo-christian monastery and tries to understand more about that religion. In the end there is a nice twist that gave a nice touch to the story. The only problem with this story, in my opinion, is that it seems that it was rushed. I really wanted to know more about this elf and this world. But the price of the first book €34 is too much 7/10

Review: Epos the Flame Bird - Adam Blade

Title Epos the Phoenix Flame Bird 

Author Adam Blade 

Year 2008 

Stand Alone or Series (Beast Quest, #6) 

Pages 124 

Reading Time 06 May 2014 

Synopsis

Tom and Elenna must journey on to face the last of the Beasts enslaved by the evil wizard Malvel: the Winged Flame, a phoenix of terrible power. It has been been slowly awakening a long-dead volcano. If Tom and Elenna cannot stop the Beast in time, it could mean a deadly eruption.

Review

Wow, this book was... well... hmm... the same as the last four. The review, should be a copy paste with some differences. Maybe this one was a little better than the last four. At least Elenna didn't get into trouble. 

This book focus more on his father whereabouts, on the Beast and the Evil Wizard. In the end he met King Hugo who thank him because he had done what no grown man could have accomplished. 

This book, as I said before, was better than the last four. If you are going to start this series, just read the first and the sixth. Everything inbetween it's the same old same old. I get that this series are to boys and girls with seven or eight years old. I Think they will fill their minds with adventures and that's good but are two or three things that upset me. 

First The boy almost every time saves the girl. 

Second It follows the same plot every time (with the exception of the sixth book). 

  1 Unimportant boy gets lost and meets beast (but nothing happens). 

  2 Tom and Company meets some villagers who have some problems that they solve. 

  3 Tom meets Beast. Elenna gets into trouble. Tom saves Elenna. 

  4 Tom defeats (without harming) beast. Beast gives reward (that will be useful in the next book). 

Third In the second book, Tom and Elenna steal a boat because it was the right thing to do. I say, a seven year old can understand the difference between a white lie and a lie? Of what is wrong or bad? Can a seven year old understand the concept behind Robin Hood? I think not. This situation could lead into a boy dwelling on stealing or lying because he thinks he's right. But maybe that's me. 

Notwithstanding, I think these books are good books to children. I have more twelve books to read. But not now. Maybe in a couple of months. 4/10

Book Review: Nanook The Snow Monster by Adam Blade

Title Nanook The Snow Monster 
Author Adam Blade
Year 2007
Stand Alone or Series Beast Quest #5
Pages 120
Reading Time May 04 to 05, 2014

Synopsis
The magical beasts of Avantia are under the power of an evil wizard. Tom journeys to the wilds of the frozen north, searching for Nanook the snow monster. Can he survive the ice and snow, and set the beast free?

Review

That's decided. If I have a baby girl (not that my girlfriend is pregnant) I shall not read this book or the last three. Why? Because this book shall teach her that women are frail and cannot take care of themselves and boys/men have to take care of them. By Týr's wooden arm. This book has women as a cliche. Is like I write four books and all of them Jews would be good at money, black people would win a physical contest, an asian good at math or a white guy... well never exceeding at nothing but neither sucking it. 

Let me explain, in this novel the gang are back to the north, this time to defeat Nanook, their fiercest adversary (another cliche - why the last one is always thought as the most difficult?). This time is Nanook the Yeti Snow Monster. In Inuit mythology he is the master of the bears. 

Yet again, our main character is on a secret mission because nobody should know that this mythical beasts exist but it seems that everyone do. Part of the novel is the journey to meet the Beast but only the last 20 or 30 pages are dedicated to that. 

My main problem with novel is the same of the last four. It falls into cliche and they are all very much alike. Boy, the son of Hero, is on a Quest given by an Wizard that no grown man with years of war and training could have accomplished. As always Girl gets into Trouble and Boy saves the Girl and defeats the Beast. Villagers are Happy and can go on their ignorant Lives. I have eighteen of these books (It was quite a catch). Let us see if the last one of this series makes the same mistakes. 2/10

Book Review: Cold Earth by Sarah Moss

Title Cold Earth

Author  Sarah Moss 

Year 2009

Stand Alone or Series Stand Alone (Thank the gods)

Pages 280

Reading Time April 29 to May 03, 2014

Synopsis

A darkly atmospheric, intelligent novel about a team of young archaeologists in Greenland, unearthing the remains of an extinct Norse community while a plague rages in the outside world.

Review

This book was a waste of time. Why did I read it until the end? Don't know. This book is a failure in everything it stands off. First of all, I put in Horror section but what's the horror here? I put it apocalyptic fiction but... the only thing that says that is when they receive news of a virus or plague is ravaging USA and then UK and the rest of the world but we know this with only a few words of a shepherd. 

So, they are in Greenland digging some viking burial ground. OK.

We have 6 archaeologists, each different from the other and that's good. But each one boring as the other. Each chapter, there are 7, one for each character and Nina our main character if you like gets two. 

I mean, after reading 10 pages of the book I wanted to kill Nina. And each page that I painfull read I really wanted the vikings rising from their graves and kill them, or maybe the sheep could have killed them. Enfin...

There is nothing interesting besides some occasional hint about the Viking culture. That's the only reason I give one star. I don't even understood how this book ended. Some books end with a nice tone, others with a bad tone. And for that's even great. I like an unhappy ending. But this ending was absurd. It didn't give nothing good or bad. Nina starts rambling about things that she was doing. There is no ambiguity that some endings give us. No the ending is absurd. For what I see in other reviews they agree with me. Don't read the novel but if you really, really, really want start reading after page 10 and end in the 6 chapter. Don't read Nina last chapter. It adds nothing. 2/10

TV Series Review: Helix (Season One)

 Helix is an intense thriller about a team of scientists from the Centers for Disease Control who travel to the high-tech research facility, Arctic BioSystems to investigate a possible disease outbreak, only to find themselves pulled into a terrifying life-and-death struggle that may hold the key to mankind’s salvation or total annihilation. However, the lethal threat is just the tip of the iceberg, and as the virus evolves, the chilling truth begins to unravel

Original Title: Helix

Genres: Sci-Fi, Thriller

Creator: Cameron Porsandeh

Cast: Billy Campbell as Dr. Alan Farragut, Hiroyuki Sanada as Dr. Hiroshi Hatake, Kyra Zagorsky as Dr. Julia Walker, Mark Ghanimé as Major Sergio Balleseros, Jordan Hayes as Dr. Sarah Jordan, Meegwun Fairbrother as Daniel Aerov, Catherine Lemieux as Dr. Doreen Boyle, Neil Napier as Dr. Peter Farragut 

 After seeing 6 episodes I think this series are getting better and better. The characters are complex and at any time one of them could popup dead. I like the intrigues between the different factions and the way the action change between characters. 

I really enjoy the experiences of Drª Julia Walker, in the fifth and sixth episodes. After seeing both episodes it was a bit mindblowing to know that she is hallucinating and most characters we see her with are only a fabrication of her mind. Each character also are not bad or good, with the exception of the Dr Alan that is a white knight. They are gray. They have some bad intentions (or so we think) but each one is develop so we can start feeling something for them. 

The other interesting part of this series is the pace  and the music. The music tie-in with this series are quite interesting choice because they are not that typical - Bossa Nova methinks, and music you would expect hearing when on an elevator.

It depends on what is the Virus and it's intentions behind the corporate controling the facility are I think this series can go far. 

Series: What am I watching?

Series I am accompanying:

I've only watch the first episode of Defiance, Dracula, Last Resort, The 100, The After, The Musketeers and Utopia but I will surely going to watch them.

Defiance - The plot of the TV series tells the story of a world where humans and aliens live together on a planet ravaged by a decade of war and terraformed by alien technology. Forced to coexist, versatile group struggles to build a new society among devastation. Main characters: Jeb Nolan – Chief Lawkeeper in the bustling border town, one of the few oases new world civilization. Amanda Rosewater – the newly elected mayor, who utmost to maintain peace in the community. The TV show comes with a multi-platform video TRION’s game.

So far I am enjoying it. I watch the first two episodes (one big episode) and it felt something new, with a Eureka feel. Let us see if this don't get me bored. So far the first season with 13 episodes and there is a plan to a second season.

 Dracula - The legend is reborn and tells about Dracula when he arrives in London, posing as an American entrepreneur Alexander Grayson, developing modern science in Victorian society. In fact, he wants revenge on those who ruined his life several centuries earlier. However, there is one factor that could derail his plan: Dracula hopelessly in love with a woman who seems to him the reincarnation of his dead wife. LOVE is his obsession. REVENGE is in his blood. Some things NEVER die…

With only one episode I really enjoy this episode. Our main character sure is a great actor and I enjoy the way the characters grab their new roles. Lucy, Mina, Jonathan and Van Helsing. I don't know why but I got a feeling of steampunk in the middle...

 Last Resort - At a depth of 500 feet below the ocean surface, an American nuclear submarine, “Colorado” is ordered by radio intended for use only in the event that their homeland is under threat of destruction. They were ordered to launch a nuclear strike on Pakistan. Captain Marcus Chaplin requires confirmation of the order in the hope that the White House to remove him from duties. Executive Officer Sam Kendall suddenly becomes responsible for the submarine and is faced with the fact that he needs to take a tough decision. When he refuses to shoot without confirmation of the order, the submarine is an attacked, and it gets a hole. “Colorado” and it’s crew are on the ocean floor, recognized by the enemies of the country. And at this moment, when closed all the way back, Chaplin and Kendall decide to get to the island. Here they will find refuge and a chance for new life, even when they try to clear their names and return home.

This series felt like reading a Tom Clancy novel. The first episode lead to great possibilities. For what I know  this series were canceled. But I can watch it the full 13 episodes.

 The 100 - 97 years ago, nuclear Armageddon decimated planet Earth, destroying civilization. The only survivors were the 400 inhabitants of 12 international space stations that were in orbit at the time. Three generations have been born in space, the survivors now number 4,000, and resources are running out on their dying “Ark” the 12 stations now linked together and repurposed to keep the survivors alive. Draconian measures including capital punishment and population control are the order of the day, as the leaders of the Ark take ruthless steps to ensure their future, including secretly exiling a group of 100 juvenile prisoners to the Earth’s surface to test whether it’s habitable. For the first time in nearly a century, humans have returned to planet Earth. Among the 100 exiles are Clarke, the bright teenage daughter of the Ark’s chief medical officer; Wells, son of the Ark’s Chancellor; the daredevil Finn; and the brother/sister duo Bellamy and Octavia, whose illegal sibling status has always led them to flaunt the rules.

The 100 is a teen dystopia series with a lot of bad critics. The first episode was nice but I hoped for more. It felt like a rewashed series based on lord of the flies. Let us see the second if I am not mistaked.

 The Musketeers - TV show is set on the streets of seventeenth century Paris, where law and order is more an idea than reality. More than King Louis XIII’s personal bodyguards, Athos, Aramis and Porthos stand resolutely for social justice, for honor, for valor, for love – and for the thrill of it. D’Artagnan, a skilled fighter from rural Gascony, meets the three Musketeers while on a mission to right the wrong of his father’s death. Although he meets the men in unfortunate circumstances, he finds kindred spirits in the other soldiers.


I have great hopes for this series. Only 10 episodes. Why the series nowadays only have 10 or 13 episodes per season?

Utopia - The story follows a small group of people who find themselves in possession of a manuscript of a cult graphic novel called “The Utopia Experiments”, which is rumoured to have predicted the worst disasters of the last century. This leads them to be targeted by a government organisation known only as ‘The Network’, which they must avoid to survive.

This series are fvcked up. That's what I say to you. A bit of strange story/plot. A bit of psychadelic elements in it.