My honour is called loyalty!: June 2022

Author: Caitlin R Kiernan
Book: Agents of Dreamland; Black Helicopters; The Tindalos Asset
Year: 2015/2017/2020
Pages: 125 / 202 / 176
Part of Series: Tinfoil Dossier Trilogy
Reading Time: 7 days (5 & 6 September 2021; 16 to 18 October 2021 and 14 to 15 January 2022)
Rating: 4 & 2 & 1 stars

Agents of Dreamland

I may say that up front I didn't enjoy it. To weird for me. Discovery we follow the guy was trying to find something, discover, uncover something. Next chapter it's just other person and it's very confusing at times to understand what's happening or who's talking and so on. To be quite honest it didn't felt that felt like a complete novel which it isn't since there are two sequels. Maybe I am at fault but it seem two different writers.. some interesting thoughts on the fungus and the zombie ants and a different type of Cthulhu stories.. I will read the 2 and 3 without a doubt .

Black Helicopters

Well, what we have here it's the second novel in the Tinfoil series.

I've read the first a couple of months ago and I didn't enjoy it. But I know Caitlin is well received as a Lovecraftian horror master but alas, I just couldn't get into it. The book is 200 pages long and it's boring and pointless. First of all, I may be at fault here. Maybe I am not erudite to fully understand the novel but I couldn't. Of course I understood the plot - overall it follows the first but I guess you can read it without having read the first - although it makes zero sense to start at book 2 of a series.

So what is the story and why I didn't enjoy it. - first of all the constant changing of timelines every chapter. This confuse me. Then you've got the plot itself and I couldn't understand anything. You've got spies in Dublin, you've got ships, you've got the black and white queen stuff, you've got the future where the writing was even more incomprehensible (probably just saying that writing from the 1800 it's different from nowadays so probably the future will sound/read differently.

Bear in mind that by the descriptions I hope something more akin Lovecraftian but what I got was some weird stuff- probably Weird Fiction is all about? I didn't felt any kind of horror or fear - nada that I could say it's Lovecraftian. To mention Shoggoths and labelling as Lovecraftian it's like saying that anything has four tires it's a care. It doesn't work like that. It could be a wagon or anything in-between. The only connection is that a car and a wagon has four tires...

Then why the chapter with people speak in French? Damn... Those non-translated sentences... I thought okay they are talking in French and in-between someone will explain what it means... Well, nope.

Sucks to be you - who don't know French haha...

Overall I will read the third one but coming from the 1 and 2 maybe i will be disappointed... I hope not

The Tindalos Asset

Here it is the third instalment on the series.

How is this horror, lovecraftian horor for that matter?

It took Caitlin a couple of years to release this novel and it shows... it's convoluted, confusing timelines and very strange characters. I didn't enjoy at all, even comparing with the previous 2 (and bear in mind all are bad..)

I would love to say something good but I cannot.

Wednesday, June 15, 2022

Book Review: Open Season - C J Box

Author: C J Box
Book: Open Season
Year: 2001
Pages: 328
Part of Series: 1st of a series (21 so far)
Reading Time: 7 days (1 to 7 January 2022)
Rating: 8 stars

I will rate this book a 8.5 (so technically it's four stars but it's my ratings...)

I usually don't read this kind of novels of police procedure, mystery and crime. But after Brian Lee Durfee reviews I had to tried so I bought one and read it as the first novel of the year and I really enjoyed. First of all C J Box really know how to develop characters. You've got here Joe Pickett a perfect kind of guy, do gooder and a lovely father and husband. But as a story progress he meets adversities and although he sticks with his principles he knows that things have to change and he is willing to change to support his family. You really get to know him and his feelings.

Marybeth Pickett the lovely perfect wife - unfortunately didn't get much screen time but sure has her daemons - her mother being one and the two daughters Sheridan & Lucy while Lucy was just barely mentioned we get to know a lot of Sheridan 9 years of old and she was center piece to the story.

You are introduced to Wacey & Vern Dunnegan (the colleague and the mentor). There are a couple of more characters that I believe will be more develop in future books including April Keeley.

Why spoilers ahead?

Because I am going to talk about spoilers - this book was a criticism of American view on endangered species and control of them. So, you've got this endangered weasel and all of this novel is due to them. Basically the people who live there know if they find out that weasel (not a real one - although was based on really endangers ones) the law will do everything to protect it and people from the towns will lose jobs and even houses. To an extant I find that very interesting and hope is really true. Unfortunately there are so many intervenient within the govern that there isn't a centre of operations - you know the right hand is moving and the left one doesn't know (it's a saying in Portugal). MAybe it's the problem that USA is so vast that the rules that apply in one county/state don't make much sense in the other ? Like Portugal & Spain and latin brothers but we've got many differences and how we approach stuff - sorry I digress.

What I enjoy is that it's a solid novel with an end but I want to know more. How did the family recuperate the losing of an unborn child? I hope one future novel focus more on the couple. How did Sheridan overcome this tribulation after all, she was in the center and she blames herself for her mother taking a show and losing a child. And Pickett in the midst. Let us hope to see more of this. I will buy 2 & 3. If I love them I will continue, there are 22

Wednesday, June 08, 2022

Book Review:: Out are the Lights - Richard Laymon

Author: Richard Laymon
Book: Out are the Lights
Year: 1993
Pages: 344
Part of Series: Solo
Reading Time: 3 days (4 to 6 June 2022)
Rating: 7.5 stars

This is one novel with a bunch of short stories attach with it. I am currently reading one novel at a time by Laymon. I Started with some random books that I have and now I am going publication order.

This was okay book but not his best. You can see difference between this and other of his novels. This more straightforward to the point whereas later novels are more focus on characters and such.

Basically we've got here a couple which are in a loveless stuff. He finds a woman which he starts cheating and escaping doing all kind of weird stuff his girlfriend don't. She in the beginning behaves like a offended woman but soon changes and starts doing the same stuff has him. The only difference is that she got the nerves to break it up.

This is a convoluted stuff and it shows and people behave rather oddly and out of character. From the woman who beats the crap out of some teens and burns the vehicle, to the plot that goes nowhere and we don't know what happen (spoilers ahead - <spoiler>basically the woman he is cheating with runover the new love for our female main character making her investigating and even found out it out who did it but nothing happens to that plotline.</spoiler> . I know why this happens - it's because inbetween this romance gone bad situation - you got our main plotline of a couple of people making indie films that are not that make-belief.

Some short stories are pretty good mainly mess hall basically a story about a woman being kidnap by some mass murder and things go a bit of supernatural.

Dinker's Pond was not that interesting

Madman Stan is a very cool short story in the vein of RL Steine

Bad News and finally one of the bests The TUB - hidden sexcapades gone wrong. I really enjoyed it.

Overall it's a nice book but nothing too out of the box for Laymon, some romance, some sex scenes that make you embarrassed and some gore - to be honest one of the goreless of his novels so far.

Tuesday, June 07, 2022

Book Review: Extinction - Ray Hammond

Author: Ray Hammond
Book: Extinction
Year: 2005
Pages: 600
Part of Series: Solo
Reading Time: 5 days (25 to 30 May of 2022)
Rating: 8.5 stars

Here we go. I started this novel on pure change. This novel was one of those schedule to read after I read the priority ones like 800 novels in the future - probably never.

I was rearranging my bookshelves and open this novel... On that page it talk about the demise of Azores which is in my country and there and then I decided I would read the novel. I was not mistaking. It took me 4 days to read 600 pages. Which is quite good for me.

Well so what this is about? Well if you have seen 2012 or the day after tomorrow you know the kind. Humanity in the future has been building weather stations and controlling the weather through a megacorporation.

This will have some spoilers...

They make rain and sun and all other type of weather to the highest bidder. So of course some people/countries suffer. Don't know how the world would accept that (united nations , china etc). Meanwhile the earth his suffering more eruptions, more strange behaviours from earth. People, some theory conspiracy guys, think it's due to the controlling stuff but they have no power for investigation. There is also a small plot dealing with people living on giant islands made of interconnected ships - they are the new refugees that no-one wants.

Meanwhile we meet our main protagonists. Michael a divorcee with two children and Emilia Knight a geologist. She encounters Michael son which is mathematic brain/astronomy and tell her about the changing stars. They find that the earth is moving - well the magnetic pole. Almost four hundred pages we deal with this investigation, some small cataclysms events, some thriller dealing with spies and so on.

The last 100 pages we are on the moon with USA president and now we see everything unfold - earth is completely destroyed but unfortunately the author doesn't dwell much on that. 20 pages to go and earth is lost or is it?

Of course the writter wanted to give us some pointers - first is the all man over nature stuff. We can't control weather or make companies do that lest we fall as humans. Then the all refugees stuff and plot. Remember The day after tomorrow? IS the same stuff. There is some sad stuff there (not the planet being destroyed) and some joy.

I enjoy the novel. Not going to my favourite list because everything here I've seen before. I believe this highly based on the the early 00's when a lot of movies like this were coming out.

I believe scientific speaking it sounds good but probably only a academic can say if everything here can happen. What I know is that the Chinese want to built something to make night turn day and to be honest that preocupies me. I can see the appeal but humanity and animals and plants live on a day/night cycle. They are not used to full day or night. Even in the nordic countries where that happen but can that explain the high suicide rate? Who knows...

What I can say it's a four stars but a weak 5. Like 8.5,

Recommended?

If you enjoy post apocalyptic novels go for it. If you want a more thriller stuff don't.

Saturday, June 18, 2022

Horimiya 10 Stars

Mushoku Tensei: Isekai Ittara Honki Dasu 10 Stars

Shingeki no Kyojin: The Final Season 10 Stars

Hataraku Saibou Black (TV) 9 Stars

Re:Zero kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu 2nd Season Part 2 8 Stars

Kaifuku Jutsushi no Yarinaoshi 8 Stars

Dr. Stone: Stone Wars 8 Stars

Hataraku Saibou!! 8 Stars

Tokyo Revengers 9 Stars

86 8 Stars

Ijiranaide, Nagatoro-san 8 Stars

Hige wo Soru. Soshite Joshikousei wo Hirou. 8 Stars

Meikyuu Black Company 9 Stars

Tensei shitara Slime Datta Ken 2nd Season Part 2 8 Stars

Shinigami Bocchan to Kuro Maid 8 Stars

Heion Sedai no Idaten-tachi 8 Stars

Genjitsu Shugi Yuusha no Oukoku Saikenki 8 Stars

Mushoku Tensei: Isekai Ittara Honki Dasu Part 2 9 Stars

Ousama Ranking 9 Stars

Komi-san wa, Comyushou desu. 8 Stars

Mieruko-chan 8 Stars

Sekai Saikou no Ansatsusha, Isekai Kizoku ni Tensei suru 8 Stars