Reviews: Mark of Chaos Concept Art & Insignium Astartes

Insignium Astartes is a good background book to Warhammer 40k fans specially the ones who paint miniatures space marines. In these book they take the example of Ultramarines and gives the various combinations possible of various companies, their history and accomplishment and even their armament. There is also a two dozen or more combinations of other chapters. Their collour schementics. This is a great add to anyone as I said. It's a big book format; A2 I believe. The Mark of Chaos Concept Art was a waste of money and space. There is nothing there that could be thought of useful. It's quite sad that I paid 15 pounds for it. At least the game was good...

Review: The Art of Warhammer

There are some phases on drawings. More cartonnish in the 80's. Some of them remind me of the ealry Fighting Fantasy books. There are some amazing covers in book covers that are represened here. Amazing artists: (in no specific order)

Karl Kopinski

Alex Boyd

Adrian Smith

John Blanche

Geoff Taylor

Clint Langley

Paul Dainton

David Gallagher

Les Edwards

Magestorm cover is one of them by Adrian Smith or Warhammer Armies: The Empire by David Gallagher. There are some black and white that are quite good. Knights and Panther in Warhammer Armies: The Empire in 1993 by John Blanche. One of the best are the covers in Konrad trilogy. Grim and not computer mixed. There are others quite good like one by David Gallacher in 2006. It depicts a Warrior Priest on top of several skulls and dozens of zealots around him. Zealots are always great to drawn. Plenty to discover and paint like nails on their flesh, burns, books and parchments on them and so on.

Emperor Boris's Tomb Barque (pag 61); The Thaumodivinator of the Colleges of Magic (Pag 62), The Soldier's Shiling (pag 63), Automorial of Middenheim Delivered from the Darkness (Pag 64) or Leon Brachwurster's Mechanical Menagerie (Pag 65), Hordes of Chaos (pag 116), Citadel of Chaos (117) are problably the best works on this book. All black and white.

One particular disgusting monster and probably one of the best Nurgle drawings is the cover of the Lost and the Damned. Those monsters with dozen eyes and mouths. Pure disgusting... Some skaven drawings are quite good Skaven Plague Monks (143) or Tomb Kings (151, 152 and 153). The Bretonnian Knights and Armies with their ornated helmets, armour and shields are quite interesting.  (174,175) beautiful. The knights charge in 176,177 is another quite good picture. I would like to have some drawings on my walls with these drawings...The Warhammer Armies: Wood Elves have some quite beautiful drawings. Their green and yellow clothes mixing with the surrounding nature gives them... mystical . One of my favourite drawings is from my favourite Warhammer Book. Gilead's Blood by Paul Dainton.

 

In the end we've got some spectacular draings with several parties fighting Humans VS Chaos, Orcs vs Dwarves and the last Elves vs Dark Elves. This last is something of something... The pale skin and clothes of the white elves against a stormy background and the full army of dark elves... On the top a dark elf riding a Cold One probably a cape of human or elf skin and in other a pure white horse pegasus's alike and a knight with a white shield and white armour. It's peace to my mind this beautiful painting by Paul Dainton.

Review: The Art of Clint Langley

This was an good vision to my weary eyes. Clint Langley can really portrait the hardships and reality of the 40k. (Most of his work is on that ground). He has made some interesting book covers and some of them are among my favourites. (This is a bigger review from one previews one)

Caves of Ice by Sandy Mitchell is one of my favourite. He could portrait the fighting man of the Valhallan Ice Warriors. But my favourite poster (for they are propaganda posters) is For the Emperor.

Eisenhorn is another interesting piece of work. He has done some Ultramarines and Inquisition book covers. All good. Rogue Star is one of my favourite. One of the best is the Imperial Guard comic book cover. In this one he portraits the Space Wolves immensly interesting beings. They are Space Vikings. Dan Abnett on this story gave them life and they are one of my favourite chapters. Words of Blood one of the first anthology had a dark crimson setting (it reminds me of Mark of Chaos duology (Mark of Heresy and Mark of Chaos). They are quite similiar setting and figurines. In these ones I see the motto "In the grim far future there is only war". Necromunda covers are average... not the best by him. Storm of Iron is one of the best. But what can I say with the Malus Darkblade book covers? All of them excelent.
I know that I am saying that I like them all but there are some not so good. They are better than Forgotten Realms of Dragonlane two others worlds.

The problem of these covers I mention is the computer side. I enjoy seeing a good picture but they seem more computer generated than anything else. I would like to see some pictures without computer (or so much computer). Forgotten Realms or Dragonlance as I said are simpler but... they gave more of the artist than these ones. I am not saying is not good believe me. But in my mind I see more work on not-computer ones.

Tell Tale Lore (VI): Dead Man Walking Paulo Gonçalves

I am sitting at my window and I see them walking out there. Tears drop freely upon my face. Why? I am killing just another one of them. One of hundred kills. My scope is on her head. My watery eyes do not let me focus. Why? I have a picture in my window... I can't shoot... I can't shoot another of them. Why? I put my rifle in position again and I see her face now. She has turn to me. Her mouth  is opening and closing... a remniescence of being alive. She looks upward to me. My eyes are focus on her eyes. She can't see me can she? Her posture says nothing but her eyes say "kill me"... I can't live without her....and I pull the trigger... on me!

Book Review: Into the Maelstrom - Warhammer 40k Anthology

Title - Into the Maelstrom (40K)

Author - Several

Year - 1999

Stand Alone or Series - Stand Alone (12 Short Stories) 

Pages - 288

Reading Time - 6 days (October 2010)

Rating - 8/10

Summary
In the nightmare future of Warhammer 40,000, mankind teeters on the brink of extinction. Into the Maelstrom is a storming collection of a dozen action-packed science fiction short stories set in this dark and brooding universe

Review

One of my limitations was not trying to read more science fiction. I always think it's complicated it. Apart from some warhammer 40k novels I've never dwelt much. This one was a challenge to me. I always thought that 40k literature was a bit different from the fantasy and some books that I try beggining I thought them complicated. Most of this writers are one timers in the universe and most of them didn't even get to right a full lenght novel.

Salvation - Jonathan Green (18 pages)  In this story we follow the life of a Ultramarine that was left forgotten after a tyranid cleansing. The ultramarine have no memory whatsoever and it's taken by some villagers that think he is a star god. Meanwhile the village is attacked and the marine tries to help the villagers that took care of him. In the end he remembers what he is and what he must do but the enemy is too powerful even for a ancient space marine. In the end he dies fulfilling his vows to protect humanity. I really like these story. 8.5/10

Into the Maelstrom - Chris Pramas (14 pages) This tale gives the name of the anthology so I expected much.This tale we follow the lifes of a space marine of the Astral Claws (now turned renegade) as he tries to bring justice to his chapter. After allying with White Scars they plot to overthrone Huron Blackheart, the leader of the now named Red Corsairs aka Astral Claws and bring justice to the chapter. This tale is full of betrayals upon betrayals and things never work out as they hoped. The ending was pure mallevolance to the betrayer of the betrayer chapter. Excelent 8.5/10

Emperor's Grace - Alex  Hammond (22 pages) This is the first story not featuring Space Marines. This tale we follow two imperial guard armies as they battle in different ways the Eldar. We get also into the head of a Commissar and the meaning of life. What are you able to do to survive. Would you turn evil or renegade to save yourself? Do you go against orders when they send you to your death? To die in glory or to "run" and fight another day? What is the correct answer? Very nice 8/10

The Raven's Claw - Jonathan Curran (20 pages) In this tale we follow a penal legion. This tale is quite good. A condemend human joins a penal legion but he's got no memory of his crime and why he is there. In the beginning other convicts try to help him out but as he remember who he was and what he must do things change... after all he is an Callidus Assassin and is bound to kill the one who gave that world to chaos. After the completion of the mission the reinforcements would arrive. It was excelent the dialogue and the reason of why he did what he did (even the memory loss). I really enjoyed this story. 7.5/10

Children of the Emperor - Barrington J Bayley (26 pages) This story was another stone on this jewel of a book. This tale is totally different from the others. As some space battle is brewing a trooper and a commissar fall to the planet in different escape pods. One is taken by a strange beings that venerate the emperor and the other is taken another village of the space beings that venerate the blood god. As they understand more the commissar have a exterminatus in mind and the trooper who fell into the "good" village doesn't want that to happened because he finds out that they are human but adapted to that High-Gravity world that want to travel to the stars and join the Star-Emperor but he knows that humanity will never accept them and will hunt them down as mutants. In the end as the commisar dies the trooper makes a difficult choice that could lead to his dead. He decides to use the commisar log to make his own request to the Imperium and forget this planet forever. 10/10

The Black Pearl - Chris Pramas (20 pages) This tale is about Dark Angels against Fallen Angels that they want to hunt them down to their last. It's their main shame. As the Dark Angels try to find a ancient relic they discover it in a maiden world of the eldar. As they fight the Eldar they are warned against that relic. Unfortunally the relic is not what it's suppossed to be. Instead of their primach swords it's the sword of the first heretic within Dark Angels Civil War. 7/10

Acceptable Losses - Gav Thorpe (34 pages) This tale was I think the premises for a Dan Abnett novel Double Eagle. If Double Eagle they fought on a planet this one was in space. This story was excelent. The bombers think they are just cannon fodder but in the end they realize the burden of command. It was an excelent story. tt reminds me of Aces High by Iron Maiden... Excelent. 8.5/10

Tenebrae - Mark Brendan (16 pages) What are thoughts of a governor as he loses his planet to chaos. What is in his mind. Does god forsaken him? Must he turns to Chaos since it seems it is stronger? This story is a psychological quest of the governor of a dying country. I must say I was please with this tale. Usually there is two ways to our problems. The right way or the wrong way. Sometimes we can choose a third choise. Give up. 8.5/10

Ancient Lances - Alex Hammond (22 pages) In this tale we follow the Sons of Attila or Atillan Rough Riders as they go on conquest for the Emperor. After one hundred battles Al'Kahan have two choices: either return home or be a governor on a conquered planet. As they are re-supplying horses in their home planet he return to his tribe to find it completed changed. From their he goes into revolt against the new lords. The ending was good and it gave me something to think. Sometimes " there is no place like home" doesn't work. And sometimes home can be real a alien place. Our costumes and traditions sometimes are alien to us. Good story. 8/10

Hell in a Bottle - Simon Jowett (20 pages) I couldn't underst this story. I really tried but it felt so alieneted to me. It was quite strange story. An not-space marine of the Iron Heart in a strange training planet with some odd "Mimesis" machine and a daemonic horde. Really strange and uncomprehensible.  4/10

Unthinking Justice - Andras Millward (22 pages) In this tale we follow the Black Consuls chapter as they help a world against a heretic rebellion. With the help of Inquisitor they batlle time and again against them. But it seems that not all things are what it seem. Their error is ammend in time and the world is saved. The Inquisitor on this tale as turn into Chaos. So what I learn from this? Well... two things. Things are not always what they seem. Never follow a blind man in a struggle. Inform yourself before choosing sides and most important of all.

In the belly of the Beast - William King (37 pages) The first story that william King made of Space Wolves then he went on writing four novels with them. Space Wolves and their motives and feelings. I really was into them. All of them William King is undoubtly one of the best writers in the game. 9/10

Thoughts (VI)

I'm over 100.000 pages in the last five years. It gives 379 books read.
Quite good I think.

Small Reviews (10) Eureka - Substituion Method & Alien

I've always enjoy the TV Series Eureka so when I heard that they were doing a tie-in novel I wanted to try. What a dissapointing it was. No character was portrayed as they should have. Even the story was quite weak. I thought of all the episodes I've watched and I think now that maybe these series don't belong on a printed book. Not like Stargate Atlantis novels or Star Wars. This novel we get to see Carter and all the gang as they try to undo another experiment gone wrong. A machine that substitute something from Eureka with something from the surrounding cities. First some persons are transfered then all buldings. The reason I didn't enjoy was that most of the chapters were some person or thing being transported to another place and Carter, his daughter or Jo going there and trying to contain the persons within. It's quite sad because they did one and then copy paste with different person to dozen chapters. As I said it felt weak even for a Eureka episode. Oh well I can't enjoy them all can I? Maybe the writer was not as good as I hoped. Maybe I will try the second novel but... I don't see myself trying.  I give these book 4/10

Who among us has ever failed to see these amazing movie? I bet none. Everyone has saw at least one Alien movie. The first Alien was quite different from the other three. These one had only one Alien and it was a pure horror experience. This first book had some scary experiements. Who among us will fail to remember the part where the alien erupts from the ribcage of the contaminated human? Who among us will forget the battle between the humans and the android? Or even the sweet cat that went to the second movie? It was priceless movie and forever a icon of Science Fiction / Horror movie. When I bought these book (with the first three tie-in movies) I hope for something more... What a dissapointment. It didn't have anything more than the movie. Some tie-in will never work... Alan Dean Foster can writer a novel that is for sure but maybe not a tie-in. Oh well... What can I say more? 4/10

Book Review: Death & Dishonour - Various

Title - Death and Dishonour (Warhammer)
Author - Several
Year - 2010

Stand Alone or Series - Stand Alone

Pages - 320

Reading Time - 6 days (October 2010)

Rating - 8/10

Summary

The world of Warhammer is filled with stories of survival and bravery, and also with tales of death and dishonour. This collection explores those themes with stories from some of Black Library's leading authors including Nathan Long, Anthony Reynolds, CL Werner and many more.

Contents

First of all let me tell you that I've not read them all. Some of the stories are linked with some series. I want to fully enjoy them so I will read these stories as I read the novels. In the correct order I might say.

Red Snow’ – Nathan Long (Feature Gotrek and Felix)

‘The Assassin’s Dilemma’ – David Earle

‘Rest Eternal’ – Anthony Reynolds (Part of the Brettonian duology)

‘The Miracle at Berlau’ – Darius Hinks (small story linked with the novel Warrior Priest)

‘Noblesse Oblige’ – Robert Earl (Florin and Lorenzo story)

‘The Last Ride of Heiner Rothstein’ – Ross O’Brien

‘Broken Blood’ – Paul Kearney

‘The Judgement of Crows’ – Chris Wraight (One character appear in Masters of Magic)

‘Wolfshead’ – C.L. Werner (Brunner short story)

Review

Black Library books are always interesting. Maybe I just enjoy so much that I rarely see a bad book but I've yet to read 25% of all imput by them so... This was an interesting short story collection.

Starting with ‘The Assassin’s Dilemma’ – David Earle which suprises me. Since it's not a regular writer I always have some doubts but David Earle weaved a nice skaven story. Fully of betrayal and double edged missions you can't go very wrong. It's not the best of the bunch but It's sure is a nice one. Skaven at their best. Maybe Earle as a future in Black Library. I would like to read something more from him. (7.5/10)

 ‘The Miracle at Berlau’ – Darius Hinks - Knowing that this tale linked with Warrior Priest I was in doubt of reading it but I'm glad I did it. A tale of redemption and a tale that tells us that the past never leaves us if we don't confront it. It was a nice tale of back and forward on the like of the Jakobb. I felt wanting to read Warrior Priest. All priests are not zealots and can have a dark heart full of guilt and sadness. These priest was handled well and the ending was good. (8.5/10)

‘The Last Ride of Heiner Rothstein’ – Ross O’Brien - An interesting tale but at the same time difficult to understand and it felt.. odd?. The returning of the Rothstein is not what it seems. If in the beggining the writer gives us some impression in the end we are taken aback of the "illusion" that have befall the riders. As I said it's odd and it felt strange. Maybe a second read now that I know the end will work better. (6/10)

‘Broken Blood’ – Paul Kearney is a good tale. It reminds me of Dan Abnett's Rider of the Dead. Two brothers are on two sides of the war. One fights as a champion of a Chaos army and the other wants to kill him. This tale is quite good and I think I felt drawn with both brothers. The battles scenes are quite good. I can see Kearney writing more books on warhammer universe. It sure fells like he is writing for a long time. (9/10)

‘The Judgement of Crows’ – Chris Wraight - This was an interesting return of Katerina of the Amethysts Order. In the Masters of Magic book she was an important character and I said that she deserved a own book. Alas that didn't happen but at least a short story. I must say that I prefered the Katerina of the book. It had different ambitions and ideas. This one she didn't felt right. Almost too nice... (almost). In these tale an Amethyst Wizard is needed to help a besieged town from the undead. The tales tell of another wizard that help the town a century ago. The priests of the town are too frightening that they enlist the aid of a wizard (which they don't trust... and Amethyst for that matter). The ending was quite good even if predictable. Nice tale.  (7.5/10)

Thoughts (V)

Things never happen as we like them to happen.
I made a list of books that I wanted to read until the end of the year and I will not by any lenght comply with it. So from the 20 books I've read... well 1. Not so good nay? 
At least I am at my way to read 100 books and an average of 80 pages per day.
So far 87 books read and an average of 78 pages per day. Hurrah.

My favourite book so far were Vampire Hunter D: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire; Grey Seer; Dune; Hater; Ring; Flu; The Daemons Gate Trilogy ( first, second and third ) Mark of Damnation; The Reaper are the Angels and Darth Bane: Path of Destruction.

There were others that I just wanted to gorge my eyes out after reading them...
Vampire Hunter D (the manga books) ; When the wind blows by James Patterson; Read by Dawn vol 3; Green Phoenix by Thomas Burnett Swann; Gathering the Bones; Rising by Sally Malcolm and Eureka: Substituition Method.

Review: Lord Edgware Dies - Agatha Christie

Title - Lord Edgware Dies
Author - Agatha Christie

Year - 1933

Stand Alone or Series - Stand Alone (per se)

Pages - 256

Reading Time - 7 days (September 2010)

Rating - 6.5/10

Summary

Sure, actress Jane Wilkinson wants out of a miserable marriage, but is she guilty of stabbing her way out of it? She claims she's innocent. Hercule Poirot wonders if she's giving the performance of a lifetime.

Review

This was the twelfth book I've read by Agatha Christie. After enjoying some of them and not so much other ones I will continue reading them... This was one of my least favourite novels by Agatha Christie.  The story is simple. Jane Wilkinson wants to get rid of his husband so she tries to enlists Poirot to help her. Poirot tries to help her getting a divorce. Meanwhile her husband is killed and she is the number one suspect but she's got an alibi confirmed by twelve persons. So how did she kill his husband or what happenend? I found it hard to detect how she had done it. After reading the novel I saw the tv series and it was a little different. Either way it did not appeal to me. The book was not as good as some of her earlier works. But it wasn't all that bad.

Book Review: Rising - Sally Malcolm

Title - Rising (Stargate Atlantis)

Author - Sally Malcolm

Year - 2004

Stand Alone or Series - Series (SGA1)

Pages - 207

Reading Time - 2 days (October 2010)

Rating - 2/10

Review

This is was the first book in the Stargate Atlantis series. It's call Rising like the first episodes on the Stargate Atlantis TV series. I thought that by reading this novel I would gain something more. But movies's tie in (in these case series's tie in) are a two way street. They either give something new or do not. The other books on these series are not base in any tv series so they give us something new. This one did not. It gave nothing new. And I mean nothing. The lines on the series are there. The emotions there. There isn't anything new with the few exception. Bah. I read it in two days but I didn't felt nothing in reading it.  Waste of time.

Book Review: Casualties of War - Elizabeth Christensen

Title - Casualties of War

Author - Elizabeth Christensen

Year - 350

Stand Alone or Series - Series (SG7)

Pages - 350

Reading Time - 5 days (September 2010)

Rating - 7/10

Summary

Lt. Col. John Sheppard submits his resignation following a mission in which two of his team members were lost, while Elizabeth Weir negotiates with two warring tribes who have traces of the Ancient ATA gene

Review

This book was another try to never leave the Stargate Atlantis universe. Like the predecessors I felt something by reading it but at the same It felt incomplete. The one thing the author could do is get inside the heads of our main characters mainly McKay and Sheppard. With Sheppard we get to know more that the series didn't present like his constant battles with the burder of command. Everytime someone under his command dies he crumbles a little more. This book he just reach the top of his capacity and he wants to quit. This of course he thinks that he has lost both Teyla and Ronnon.

Now for the main plot. After discovering an ancient battleground of the Wraith vs Ancient they find it inhabitted by two querelling tribes.. With ancient facilities came the possibilty of finding new weapons to battle against the Replicators.After a brief encounter with one of the tribes they find something that could use but that material comes with a price. They must help them destroy the other tribe. After some ill encounter with salvagers Teyla and Ronnon are considered dead but the peace mission between both tribes continue with the help of Weir. We also get glimpses of Lorne and Zelenka both secondary chapters. I would like to know more of Zelenka. I think he could have given a bigger part on the series. Not a major character because he couldn't defeat McKay role but nevertheless a bigger part. The end was quite good and end up the story nicely. I think it is a good addition to the main series. 

Review: Deus Irae - Philip K Dick & Roger Zelazny

Title - Deus Irae

Author - Philip K Dick & Roger Zelazny

Year - 1976

Stand Alone or Series - Stand Alone

Pages - 220

Reading Time - 9 days (September 2010)

Rating - 7/10

Review

This book was a changelled to me and my girlfriend. She wanted to read the book and since she is away I complied. It was an intriguing reading but not all that good. What did I like? The general rambling about Christianity and the new church dedicated of the God of Wrath. It was interesting to see the character development but the plot itself was not that good. The chapters in the middle were boring and in my opinion didn't brought anything new besides the physical and psycological trials.

And the story? The story begins some time after the fallout of a nuclear war. There were outspreaded mutations both to animals and humans. This incident led to new messianic religion (Servants of Wrath) who worship the creator of the war's ultimate weapon. This man was called Carleton Lufteufel. In a town, charlotteville, the servants enlisted Tibor McMasters to paint a mural of the god of wrath. (this town is the example of others towns where the God of Wrath is surpassing the Christians survivors. (In my opinion this reference to the God of Wrath makes me thing of the early mentions of God, where he would punish the unbelivers. An anger-driven religion. As Tibor is going to search for Carleton he has some doubts and recured to the christians but after some arguing he makes himself do what he has being paint to do. Did I mention tibor war an armless, legless cyborg phocomelus artist? Then he went about and meet some meaningless beings like lizards, birds, insencts (all sentient beings) and even some artificial inteligence. Meanwhile we get in two or three chapters another point of view of Alice, the intellectually challenged adopted daughter. Alice as she is trying to help Lufteufel to remove a shrapnel (akin to the crown of spines of christ) she gets blood on her shirt. Alice keeps the shirt as it is because it is the only likeness of her father face (akin to Shroud of Turin and Saint Veronica). Alice in the end is visited by Lufteufel spirit after his death but she things he is at peace. In return he removes her disability. Before helping her the "God of Wrath" also helps two persons. First Tibor giving him arms and legs and after removing them and another survivor the palm tree garden (akin to the Garden of Eden). In this we learn that he was an evil earthbound deity. Meanwhile McMasters is not aware of "His" death and is tricked by Pete Sands (a christian) to take a picture of a dying alcholic homeless person. He then draws the picture and it's in many murals on the Wrath of God churches. The end was quite fine with a christian priest thinking of that major event and with a critic image about the religious belief is ofted based on mythological accretions, which may not be valid interpretations of decisive events in the history of faith.

There are some interesting moments with characters thinking what this pilg means to each one. First to the servants of Wrath, then to the catholic priest, to the painter and the one who tricked the painter. This was pretty good. There are some good sentences in the book. I transcribed some of the later ones. A good novel and to anyone who loves a religion/character centerbased novel it should look this way and pick this book. Excelent.

"I wanted to depict that which may not be shown, that which cannot be understood. It is an impossible job. Pride. There is nothing else to me other than my skill. I know that I am good. It is all that I have, though, and I have made too much of it. I had felt, somehow, that it was more that sufficient, not just to make me the equal of a whole man, but to surpass other men, to surpass even the human. I wanted all the future generations of worshippers to look at that work and to see this. It was not the God of Wrath I wanted to look upon with awe, but the skil of Tibor McMasters. I wanted that awe, their wonder, their admiration - their worship. I wanted deification through my art, I see that now." (Tibor McMasters)

"As Milton wrote once, "out of evil comes good". Notice, he said to himself, the relative disparity of the two terms; evil is the most powerful term for what is bad, and good - it barely surpasses the opposite. The Fall of Satan, The fall of Man, the cruxifixion of Christ... out of those dreadful, evil acts came good; out of the Fall of Man and the expulsion from the Garden; man learned love. From a trinity of Evil emerged at last Trinity of Good! It is a balanced thing. (The Catholic Priest)