Book Review: Dragons of the Dwarven Depths - Margaret Weis & Tracy Hickman

 A weak novel in all regards.

This is a story between two novels that were release back in the 80's. Dragonlance was my gateway to fantasy to be honest and due to it I've now got more than 3000 books. So, it has a special place in my heart. Raistlin my favourite character of all times. Everyone I encounter I compare to him.

So returning to this world was interesting BUT as you are setting a novel between existent world you cannot be too ambitious because there a plotline and development.

I believe the creation of this three additional novels were not that smart - they were milking the cow. Oh well, about the novel. The Dragon General was killed and the first novel end. The second started with all the fuzz about what to do with the people who escape the dragon general mines and how they come to have the Hammer of Kharas.

Overall a nice view on Flint and the Dwarves. Raistlin has some spotlight as Tas. The rest are just there. Of course Raistlin & Taz are the favourite of all so...

Will I be reading the second and third? Yep. Nostalogia... 

Book Review: Vampire Hunter D Volume 06: Pilgrimage of the Sacred and the Profane - Hideyuki Kikuchi

 I don't know why I enjoy this series but I do. Unfortunately only twice I've managed to give a rating better than 3. This was not one of them. You've got D which is enigmatic as ever and he is travelling from one place to another while traversing a desert. Meanwhile they are joined by a old crone who is leading a young girl to her family after saving from some nobles. They are join by two mercenary brothers.

They've encountered several people along the way - all of them died.

With only 175 pages I think it felt longer like all other novels before it. The writing (the translating) at times felt a bit dense and as I said it felt longer novel. Since I don't read Japanese I don't know if it's the writing or the translator fault.

There are some information about D and what it means to be a Dhampir (half vampire, half human). I enjoyed that introduction. I will continue to read more novels from Vampire Hunter D. This don't detain me. If you have read the first five then you will like this one. Don't start here.

Book Review: Taken by the Flood - Agatha Christie

 

Another story where Poirot is absent for 60% of the novel. Not that good of a story to be honest. Nothing to say. The story revolves around several family members trying to get into a family inheritance after their benefactor died and his young wife inheritance everything.

With an assassination of a person who says he knows everything - not once but twice. There isn't anything moments and sincerely I would say this was one of the worst books by Christie.

I've said it before and I will say it again... Agatha Christie reasoning of not putting Poirot in the front row it's very upsetting. I know she later on didn't seem to enjoy writing books about Poirot - so it's a bit weird she still did it. Maybe for the money?

Oh well, only 10 or so books about Poirot.

Book Review: The Ritual - Adam Nevill

 

I am afraid that this is not a everybody horror-novel and it has some flaws that make it particularly boring. It has some uninteresting pages (with that awesome premises) but it failed short in the end.

You can watch the movie in netflix and be content. I think 1h30 of a movie or more than 400 pages seal the deal (althought I read before I watched) I think this book could be slice down to 250 or so - or if he wants it 400 pages then please develp more the supernatural stuff and terror factor.

Nevertheless, its not without merit - but In my opinion it should stand with 3 stars

Book Review: Imperial Glory - Richard Williams (Black Library)

 

Now this was a very gush of fresh air. Very interesting take on 40K Imperial Guard. With dozen of characters you could get a bit lost but overall a very interesting take. Basically the Brimlock Eleventh are on their last campaign after twenty years. From ten million soldiers only 1000 or so remain. One last campaign and they could settle in this new world. Their enemies are some feral orks.

the beginning of the novel we learn a bit of Brimlock characters and some of their history. As the story progress we follow four or five characters and each one was very interesting. As other people have stated you can divide the book in two. The first part, around 250 pages or so, it's very interesting. Cool setting, fluid action scenes and so on. The last third of the novel it's very fast ... Too much fast to my opinion. Made me wonder if he needed more 100 pages to make a more interesting tale. The ending made me wonder what it happened.

Nevertheless I would advise to anyone who enjoys 40K and imperial guard.

Book Review: Book of Skulls - Joshua Reynolds (Black Library)

Finally a novel that makes Gotrek justice.

First of all it develops Gotrek while not going against the timeline already in place. But we also learn a lot about Gotrek grudge that surprised me. Felix was really interesting character here. More bold. More akin a remembrancer while elfslayer or zombieslayer was more boring duo. It didn't really gone anywhere. Although here we see battles, we see dwarves, we see history, we see a glimpse of all.

The Chaos part were really interesting as well. We learn more about how a horde of chaos works. the politics, the champions, the mistrust - the lack of honor or good traits.

Enfin, really interesting. Josh Reynolds really surprised me here. Not since William King I enjoy more a Gotrek novel. 

Book Review: The Oubliette - J. C. Stearns (Black Library)

 A 2 sounds bad - but out of 10 I would rate 4. But since they don't have half stars I give a 2 because I gave 3 stars to The Colonel's Monograph (Black Library Novella Series 2 #10) or The House of Night and Chain and I liked those more.

This story is not horrifying per se. The politics are interesting (not as good as House of Night and Chain). It didn't felt like 250 pages - which is rather unfortunately because the last 50 to 75 pages were a rush. Ashielle transformation happens quickly and it looks like we missed some chapters. One page she is questioning her actions and the next she is full blown Machiavelli persona.

Overall the climax should have been better. A finale revelation mayhaps?

I would think the author was going one way and then went another. Ashielle felt flat in the end you know? But with 240 pages more or less you will not fail trying...

Btw, why the hardback editions? Damn it... They are expensive and books are way smaller in terms of pages.... 

Book Review: Invocantions - Anthology (Black Library)

Lora Gray - He Feasts Forever

Ray Cluley - Flesh and Blood
Richard Strachan - The Growing Seasons
David Annandale - The Hunt
Steven Sheil - The Healer
Nick Kyme - Stitches
Peter McLean - Blood Sacrifice
Jake Ozga - Supplication
David Annandale - The Summons of Shadows
C. L. Werner - A Sending from the Grave
David Annandale - From the Halls, the Silence
Justin D. Hill - The Confession of Convict Kline

I don't think this was the best short story compilation Black Library published. But some were really good.

David Annandale the Summon of Shadows is the most depressing of the bunch. Really grimdark pointless realization of a common life in 40K world. Then he wrote more two stories both attached to The house of Night and Chain. Interesting to read but not really outstanding.

Blood sacrifice by grimdark writer Peter McLean was the best overall. Unfortunately it connects to other stories and this was the "last" I think. I will have to read them all. I hope he writes a full length story in 40K (horror or not).

Peter Sheil - The Healer is another good piece of Sigmar world. to a person who doesn't know that much about that world some stories can be really disconnected but this one was very good. I cannot say the same for Richard Strachan story. Wish I knew more...

Supplication is a very good story as well.

Flesh and Blood & A Sending from the Grave were not to my liking as Stitches by Nick Kyme. The weakest in mind opinion was Lora's He Feasts Forever.

Overall, is solid intake. Not that spooky or horroful (is this a word?) but good. Maledictions rating I think.

Book Review: Steel Daemon - Ian St Martin (Black Library)

If this was a 10 star review I would give it a seven. Since this is 5 star rating system I will give it

The story is set in the 13th Black Crusade. Cadia is fighting and burns and other chaos forces go to neighbour systems. In this case The Crimson Slaughter goes to Regallus planet and lay siege to it.

In this story we follow Heit after his Marauder being shot down. He is then "saved" by several Cadian Leman Russ tanks led by a Cadian woman that people call "Crown". We are introduced to some others plus some interesting Cadian rituals I didn't knew it existed. Maybe because Cadian has burn? Interesting.

The story is fast and dark - as I like them. I don't even tag as Grimdark because I expect almost all stories being dark. Here again, we understand that to a million worlds within the Imperium and the trillions of trillions of men and woman, a planet is nothing; millions dying are nothing but a comma in history. Yet as we are told these stories in a person POV it's messy and understading there are millions or billions of men and woman fighting and dying it's unmeasurable; unthinkable. It's like saying that there are more stars than all the grains of sand of all beaches in Earth. We can't even begin to comprehend.

One interesting thing here is that, people who are not accustomed to 40K don't really understand the way this works. I've read people complaining in a novel (not 40K) that the author had the audacity to kill several gay men in his story. People complain when the last female pov was dead in Game of Thrones. Well.. here everyone dies. Is that simple.

I will not be drawn into politics but thank the Lords of the Imperium.

But Leman Russ Transports... They exist? NEver heard but I don't play a lot 40K so..

Book Review: Whiteout - Ken Follett

 
 So lets us review this novel...

I've read it wo "waves". First back in April (around 120 pages) and then I finish it in only 4 or 5 days.
Did I enjoy it? No and Yes.
I believe it's a book that's reads fast. Probably due to being all set in a couple of days..

So why did I hate it? And I hate it for several reasons
- Toni is an unrealistic character and Ken Follet created Toni to be his desired women since he is around the same age as the boss of Toni. Oh that paragraph were Toni is embraced and she becomes wet was rather... interesting? but at the same time unrealistic.

The confrontation was a bit boring and anti-climatic.
The last scene - the conclusion - was a bit even worse... the sex part, of a 60'ish vigorous man and his 38th where she even asks him if she can keep up with him. Oh my.. He is like the Ronaldo of bed... sex.

IT's boring, predictable like other thrillers. I didn't enjoy it overall. It's like that movie you see when you are 12 in a saturday afternoon and no NET exists... (probably youngers don't understand this but this happen a lot..) 3/10

Book Review: Blackout (Tim Curran)

Not the best work by Curran. Again, like Worm I expect a not so happy ending and Tim Curran deceived me. Rather ambiguous.

There were several characters and we follow on in particular as he is searching for his wife. One by one they died.

What it didn't click for me was the pace (quite fast -but at the same time it seems nothing happen and it was going nowhere). At the same time, it was the characters themselves. He tried to make them different but unfortunately they felt rather flat (but with a 90 page novella - what could you expect).

Then it was the plot itself, they escape going house to house, then they were swallowed and then the enemy was defeated. Not good at all.

Book Review: Songs of a Dead Dreamer (Thomas Ligotti)

 Maybe I am not erudite enough but I could not enjoy this more than I enjoy Teatro Grotesco or My Work is still not done.

This tales range for some terrifying to others that are conventional. One thing is for sure he sure can write eloquently.

The frolic was an interesting tale.. One of the most interesting things was that I didn't know what "Frolic" meant after all I am not a english native. So I search and learn and the

day after I am watching a TV series and there you go... the word frolic.

"Dream of Manikin" was very enjoyable to read although just for the title I discover the all story.
Another of my favourite were "The Nyctalops Trilogy". All stories different yet very interesting.

But the best one was something that was meant to be a thesis (?) but also work as a horror story entitled as "Notes on the Writing of Horror: A Story".

This is not the same level as Teatro but bear in mind that this was among the first stories he wrote so there's that.

Book Review: Between two Fires (Christopher Buehlman)

Between Two Fires by Christopher Buehlman
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I didn't enjoy as much as other people it seems.
First of all it's flagged as horror but it is really not. It's not horror. Maybe Dark Fantasy? If I had to make a genre it's a pseudo-historical fantasy.

This is set in the hundred years war where the black plague was striking mixing with war between angels vs demons (interestingly it's almost the same vibe as Time of Legends: Joan of Arc. True be told that was the main reason I start reading the novel. I had the novel but never really got the time and availability to read it. Then I back the game and so it was a pretext. I started reading in January of 2018 and finish August of 2020. (Almost as the same time to deliver the kickstarter haha). Sorry for the joke... true and sad.

In this novel we follow Thomas (a knight) which founds a young girl who says that all this plague and war is part of something more divinal. They soon depart and met a priest and together go to fulfil the girl dream (delirium). Most of the novel it's about this journey - very reminiscent of Joan D' Arc).

This novel it's easy to read but at times the pace, scenario, talk change so much that was hard to say without a doubt what was real or not. Sincerely at times was confusing.

In terms of story and landscape the author really know how to create atmosphere. The plot could have been more elaborated and I believe they've spent much time on the travel and less on the final confrontation. There were times I asked myself why x or y character did the thing they did.

The travels at times, remind me of deadly sins , I could name it at least 4 but probably the remaining I wasn't paying attention. I will not read it again (so much books to read). Maybe in several decades. I will not dispose of the book that for sure.

With all mysticism and angels vs demons we really didn't get the conclusion I hoped. I hope more epic conclusion but alas...

All in all, it was a enjoyable read, the scenes are truly good, the characters have flaws and still we root for them. As I said, my mine gripe was the flow of the tale.

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