Review - Temple - Matthew Reilly

Title Temple

Author - Matthew Reilly

Year 1999

Stand Alone or Series Stand Alone

Pages 763

Reading Time - 10 days August 2012

Synospsis

Deep in the jungles of Peru the contest of the century is underway. It's a race to locate a legendary Incan idol - one carved out of a strange kind of stone. But a stone which in the present century could be used for a terrifying new purpose.

Now rival groups are assembling their teams to hunt the idol down, at any cost.

The only clue to the idol's final resting place is to be found in a 400-year-old manuscript. Which introduces Professor William Race, a mild-mannered but brilliant young linguist who is unwillingly recruited to interpret the document that could lead to the idol itself.

So begins the mission that will lead Race and his companions to a mysterious temple hidden in the foothills of the Andes. There they find a carefully contrived sanctuary seething with menace and unexpected dangers. But it is not until the silence of the temple is breached that Race and his team discover they have broken a golden rule . . .

Some doors are meant to remain unopened.

Review

This was probably the longest book I've read and I read in a week or so. For me it's an achievement.

This is a thriller as it should be with a fast paced narrative with an interesting plot, albeit in the end being kind of funny. My number one question is: Who the heck is the bad guy? First were the Germans, then the Nazis (also germans eheh), then the rapas, then the other branches of USA and in the end the fundamentalists from America/Japanese... This book was written before 9/11 or else the writer should had the space to put the arabs there too. Strangely he didn't put any chinese or jews...

Pro et Contra 

Pros...

-The aforementioned diversity of adversaries.

-The story within the story. The story about the priest and the mayans is interesting abeith unrealistic because of the writing style (Of course I understand if it was written as a priest would had written would be boring to noawdays standard.

-The plot. Interesting even if the science was wrong.

-USA's Army against USAF. Interesting to see the rivarly that exists between the armed forces of USA.

Cons

-The Main character. Totally unbelievable character. He is like... Indiana Jones... BUT EVEN BETTER! 

-His companions. A couple of green berets exploded boats, helicopters and took care of 40 or more Nazis (previously being said that they were the best of the best with uber-machines guns).

There are other couple of things that were a little strenched but this is fiction and a thriller so I let it slide. Those two were pretty annoying.

Would I advice this book to anyone? Yes. Of course. The story it's fast paced and that's what you can expect from a thriller/adventure novel. The characters are a little 2sided but what a heck. It's about fun  6/10

Review: The Menstruating Mall - Carlton Mellick III

Title The Menstruating Mall

Author Carlton Mellick III 

Year 2005

Stand Alone or Series Stand Alone

Pages 212

Reading Time 27 August 0212

Synopsis

Ten ridiculously stereotypical consumer victims (a yuppie, a housewife, a retiree, a jock, a bible thumper, a cowboy, a preppy, a gamer, a goth, and a white suburban gangsta) find themselves unable to leave the mall one day. There is nothing stopping them. The doors are unlocked. Other shoppers are able to come and go as they please. But for some inexplicable reason, these ten people cannot pry themselves away from their shopping miasma. The mall closes, and they won't leave. Days pass, and they're still there, eating meals in the food court and sleeping in department store bedroom displays. Then they begin to die off, one by one, murdered by a mysterious killer, and they still won't allow themselves to escape. Carlton Mellick III's "The Menstruating Mall" is both a modernized take on Luis Bunuel's "The Exterminating Angel," and a parody of Agatha Christie's "And Then There Were None." Featuring mock mall advertisements by retard punk hero Food Fortunata and cover art by Skin242.

Review

This was an interesting read. Bizarro is not my favourite genre and it will never be. But it's a genre I enjoy reading about from time to time. Carlton Mellick III is one of those writers I read and enjoyed it. Never to the point of being a fan but nevertheless I have three books by him. I tried other two books in the Bizarro genre and I didn't enjoy them thinking they were too odd for me. 

This novel reminds me of Agatha Christie "And then there were none" (or the original title "Ten Little Niggers"). A group of persons are locked together in a place and they are dying one by one. Who is the killer? 

Each character is a parody of a person Carlton Mellick met. There's a white boy who thinks he is black. There's a girl self-absorbed, a gothic who isn't really a gothic, a jockey who turns out to be gay or our main character who is an addicted to shopping and working. There is also a couple of other characters that get almost none cameo like the soccer mom, the cowboy or the fundamentalist. Interesting or not a black punk is also present and it's one of the main characters.

We get to know each character and it's story and they are almost all funny even if some are too 2dimensional. Of course I want to believe that it's done on purpose or Carlton is just a bad writer.

The book as almost 200 pages but each chapter has only one or two pages. There are also some drawings of publicity but I found them ridicolous and without any link to the story.

As the story progress I started reading faster and faster and I hope my train to Sintra had a delay (which usually has) so I could read a little more before arriving at home.

I really enjoy the first two parts. I don't know but I think Bentley Little could grab this book and make one heck of novel. The last part of the novel it's dry as a desert and I didn't enjoy at all. This is the second book by Carlton Mellick that I found the ending uninteresting.

Would I advice it to someone? To the Bizarro funs. Or to anyone who want's to try something new 6.5/10

Review: Uma Aventura na Casa Assombrada

Titulo Uma Aventura na Casa Assombrada

Escritor Ana Maria Magalhães, Isabel Alçada

Ano 1997

Series Uma Aventura #38

Paginas 212

Tempo de Leitura 7 e 8 Agosto 2012

Crónica

Ahh.. Uma aventura. Os livros que fizeram de mim o leitor que sou hoje. Foi aqui que tudo começou. Quando vi este livro pensei.. Why not? E lá o li. Não é literatura nem é uma lição de vida. Mas é o que tem de ser. É divertimento. É ficção para crianças. É um mistério. Dentro destes parâmetros distraiu-me. Foi um retorno a minha infância. Gostava que os meus filhos (futuros) lessem este(s) livros. São um bom começo para o mundo da leitura. 4/10

Review: Take the Long Way Home - Brian Keene

Title Take the Long Way Home

Author Brian Keene

Year 2006

Series Stand Alone (Part of Labyrinth Mythos)

Pages 104

Reading Time 08 August 2012

Synopsis

All across the world, people suddenly vanish in the blink of an eye. From their cars during the rush hour commute. From the shopping malls. Their homes. Their beds. Even from the arms of their loved ones. Airline pilots. World leaders. Teachers. Parents. Children.Gone.Steve, Charlie and Frank were just trying to get home when it happened. Now they find themselves left behind, and wishing they'd disappeared, too. Trapped in the ultimate traffic jam, they watch as civilization collapses, claiming the souls of those around them. God has called his faithful home, but the invitations for Steve, Charlie and Frank got lost. Now they must set off on foot through a nightmarish post-apocalyptic landscape in search of answers. In search of God. In search of their loved ones. And in search of home.Deadite Press is proud to make Brian Keene's long out-of-print critically-acclaimed Take The Long Way Home available to readers once again Includes an introduction by New York Times-bestselling author John Skipp

Review

Brian Keene has done it again. 

Yet another story that links to the Labyrinth Mythos. Deadite Press publish this novella that Keene wrote almost a half a dozen years before. And it was without time. It's a shame for the price. 6.99£ for a novella with only 80/90 pages it's kind of too much. I want to read two other novellas Deadite Press published but I don't know if I am going to pay a price for a novella without even 100 pages.

This was an interesting tale (vision) about the Christian myth of Rapture and Keene really knows how to give life to his characters. Unfortunally this novella ended in a clifhanger in such a way that I thought that this was the first part of a larger story (maybe another novella) but I don't think so. Well I have read most of the stories by him (some novellas excluded and short stories) and none was interlinked unless with small references like far-right movement "Sons of the Constituition" or the reference of the madmen Carlton to the Labyrinth that says that this is level 6. (Carlton as Carlton Mellick III)? 

The characters are a sort bunch: Steve the Jew, Charlie the Gay & Frank a Polack. 

The story itself is simple. A trumpet roars and most of the people on earth vanish. Of course there are car accidents, fires, plane crashes and such. After that incident the trio start heading to civilization so Steve can find his wife. As they went they meet other people with theories of what happenend and people who start behave like people would behave if chaos erupted in our mist. Everyone for themselve and the law of the jungle.

The ending itself it was as expected and as I said before I think a follow up would do nicely because I really wanted to know what happened to him and the world.

In the end it was a nice quick reading. To all who follow Brian Keene you should read it but if you want to read for the first time a Keene novel then try other novel like The Rising or City of the Dead (Well read them both because they are a duology) 8/10

Review: Survival Instinct - Andy Chambers

Title Survival Instinct

Author Andy Chambers

Series Stand Alone but part of Necromunda Series (I)

Year 2005

Pages 256

Reading Time 18 to 27 June 2012

Synopsis

In the far future towering hive of Necromunda talk and lives are both cheap. Rival factions vie for political control of the hive city's upper reaches whereas further down they just struggle to survive. Choosing to leave her life of luxury, Mad Donna Ulanti's past catches up with her as she descends into the city's anarchic underhive and a few familiar faces reappear to make her life hell.

Review

This novel was the first alongside CS Goto Salvation about Necromunda. The most famous Hive planet in the galaxy. It's here that the Imperial fists draw their recruits.

This tale is composed with 11 named chapters and each one divided with memories from our protagonist which added depth and history to her.

This tale we follow the adventures of Mad'Donna Ulanti, a hive noble living in the underhive to escape a past. From the beginning of our tale we begin to learn about the life in the Underhive and the schemes of the Hive City. We learn about the Houses and gangs and how are they related albeit superficially. We follow her as she tries to uncover who his after her and why. We visit plenty of sites in the Underhive as Glory Hole, Cliff Wall, Dust Falls, Two Tunnels and then Downtown. The end is near the Sump. There is plenty of confrontations, battles against ratskins, scavies and other strange beings. There is also a huge battle against scavies led by Mad'Donna with the help of all the gangs and enforcers. Quite interesting.

If you want to read about the Necromunda life or Mad'Donna, or the game itself then go ahead. Or if you want to read each and every book Black Library printed, as I, then go straight ahead. Andy Chambers wrote a interesting tale but at times it was a bit confusing. The characters besides the main characters are blank and weak. There are also some typos (Delaque, Delauqe and such) but nothing that make you wanna stop. 6.5/10

Review: The First Apostle - James Becker

Title - The First Apostle
Author - James Becker
Series - Chris Bronson #1
Pages - 576
 Year of publication - 2008 
Reading Time - 05 to 29 June 2012

Preview
An ancient inscription...
a dangerous secret?
An explosive debut thriller! Chris Bronson is devastated when his best friend?s wife? the woman he was secretly in love with?dies in a tragic accident. But when Bronson heads to Italy to console his friend, he finds the evidence of a break-in?and a strange Latin inscription on a stone above the fireplace.
To decipher the stone Bronson enlists the help of his ex-wife, an antiques expert, sending them on a treacherous path of clues across Europe leading to a truth so dangerous it could destroy the very foundations of the Christian faith?

Review
This is a fast paced thriller (aren't they all?) that really never let you take a deep breath of relief. It's a book that will leave you hooked until the very end. I enjoy it but it's not the best thriller out there about this theme but it's a new perspective/theory about Christ and Christianity.

You can tell that the writer researched lengthily about the theme and combines conspiracy theories already out there with a fresh new one.

Bronson & Angela (ex-married) try to uncover a 2000 year secret that already had kill their best friend. You've got Mafia and Mother Church conspiring so the secret remains hidden (or at least safe) and so on. The usual.

The secret itself is quite interesting  SPOILER ALERT - Nero had "Saint Peter and Saint Paul" to propagate a turn-the-other-cheek religion to suppress the Rebelling Jews in one of their provinces? New, but why should he do it? Nero is famous for the persecution of the first Christians and killer of Peter and Paul END SPOILER ALERT

I will read the second book but I really hope the next conspiracy theory is better... 6.5/10

Book Review: Words of Blood - Anthology

Title Words of Blood

Author Anthology

Year 2002

Stand Alone or Series Short Stories

Pages 288

Reading Time 11 days in July

Synopsis

In the dark universe of Warhammer 40,000, superhuman Space Marines, stubborn arbitrators, fearless pilots, secretive inquisitors and the massed ranks of the Imperial Guard stand side-by-side, each fighting their personal wars in the defence of a besieged humanity.

Review

This was one of the first anthologies published by black library. With 11 stories you've got Space Marines, Inquisitors, Imperial Guard, Tech-Priests, Hive Gangs. 

The first story is Words of Blood by Ben Counter. 

This tale we follow the Black Templars in a way we aren't used to see. The Black Templars are among the most pious of all chapters going on a crusade that lasts for 10.000 years. They are a No Retreat chapter. They are what we call the brute with force and without brains. Something like that... But Commander Athellenas as another thing in his mind and puts forward a plan that goes against everything their doctrine tells them. So he must cope not only with the foe they are battling but also against their own man who think he is a coward. Excellent tale. 8.5/10.

Raptor Down by Gav Thorpe. 

This tale is one of the few examples of an Imperial Air Squadron being portrayed in writing. It was written some years before Dan Abnett wrote Double Eagle. It's a good tale about a commander who must make a decision to follow the original plan or save the war effort. It's an excellent story because it reminds us of dozen of examples in real life that a person must choose to do what he was told or make a decision that probably will cost his life but at the same time save the war-effort. 8/10

Chains of Command by Graham McNeill

This is the first tale, in terms of chronology, of Uriel Ventris as he battles the Night Lords and the Chaos forces. In this tale he is still a Sergeant and follows a rather strange captain that doesn't follow the codex as the Ultramarines are known to follow. Strictly to the letter. It's probably where it all began. I am tempted to start reading his tales. 8/10

Loyalty's Reward by Simon Jowett

This was a good tale about an Hive Ganger that discovers the grim reality of faith. It's also a good tale about the inquisition and how they work. I really enjoyed the tale. It's strange that this written only wrote a couple of short stories. 9/10

Deus ex Mechanicus by Andy Chamber

We follow the Tech-Priests of Mars as they explore a Necrontyr tomb and somethnig goes wrong. It's quite good mystery tale. Andy Chambers really knows how to write. 8/10

Barathrum by Jonathan Curren

Two Inquisitions must cope with their different viewpoints to a common foe. It was a small tale but I didn't felt connected with plot or characters. 5/10

Missing in Action by Dan Abnett

I am only going to read this tale when I start reading the Eisenhorn trilogy.

Liberty by Gav Thorpe

This is a excellent tale about Kage of the Last Chancers. I probably should have read this tale after reading the first two books but it gave a good taste about him. 9/10

Ork Hunter by Dan Abnett

It was the first tale I read about Jopall Indentured Squadron as they are assigned to Armageddon Ork Hunters as "bait". It's a good tale about the full realization of war and growth. I really enjoy it. The names are not give but earned. 8/10

Business as Usual by Graham Mcneill

As I read this tale I didn't felt connected to it. I didn't enjoy it. Snowdog, a hive ganger, gets slightly more than he hoped for when a deal goes wrong in the depths of the Underhive. 5/10

Defixio by Ben Counter

Samiel is supposed to be a bad luck charm. The only survivor in a crew of a Leman Russ and his assigned to a new Exterminator tank and to a new squad who things he is jinked. Quite good tale and a good ending of a story and book. 8.5/10

Review: Carrie - Stephen King

Title - Carrie

Author - Stephen King

Year - 1974

Stand Alone or Series - Stand Alone

Pages - 272

Reading Time - 6 days in July

Synopsis

A modern classic, "Carrie" introduced a distinctive new voice in American fiction -- Stephen King. The story of misunderstood high school girl Carrie White, her extraordinary telekinetic powers, and her violent rampage of revenge, remains one of the most barrier-breaking and shocking novels of all time.

Make a date with terror and live the nightmare that is..."Carrie"

Review

This was my eight book by Stephen King. Only the Long Walk had 5 stars. Why? Stephen King is an good writer with good characterization and excellent plots. There are a couple of things I don't enjoy on King books. First is the over extending characterization and other. The other things are not presented on this novel.

Being the first novel by King I expected a weaker novel but it wasn't. It was a good solid book about Carrie White, a girl with telekinesis. The novel is told from Carrie perspective and inbetweeen there are excerpts from newspapers, investigations and survivors from the chaos Carrie brought upon the small city.

King developed, not ad nausea as some other bigger books, the characters. Carrie was the main focus but also her mother, the fundamentalist christian as well. He made you enter the small world of Carrie, from the first menstruation, the mocking of her colleagues, the religious wrath of her Mother through the end which ended in blood.

Bullying, sex, Menstruation, mother-daughter relationship, beliefs, coming-of-age and Revenge are topics of this solid novel. I think this novel should be included in his pseudonym Richard Bachman. 8/10

Review: Deep Storm - Lincoln Child

Title Deep Storm

Author Lincoln Child

Year 2007

Stand Alone or Series Stand Alone

Pages 419

Reading Time 6 days (June)

Synopsis

In this explosive new thriller, one of the most incredible and frightening discoveries mankind has ever faced is about to surface.On an oil platform in the middle of the North Atlantic, a terrifying series of illnesses is spreading through the crew. When expert naval doctor Peter Crane is flown in, he finds his real destination is not the platform itself but Deep Storm: a top secret aquatic science facility, two miles below on the ocean floor. And as Crane soon learns, the covert operation he finds there is concealing something far more sinister than a medical mystery-and much more deadly.

Review

This was a good fast-paced book. With 62 chapters, a prologue and an epilogue you can expect a quick read. The setting is quite good. In the beginning you are led to believe that Atlantis has been found but the truth is quite grim. As the main character discovers the secrets of that station the pace of the book quickens.

It's a thriller and it got an hero, a medical hero, a saboteur inside the station, you've a traitor selling secrets and you've got the Goverment always shadowing the process and the characters. It's a thriller turn adventure in the likeness of Clive Cussler. There are a couple of things that were really inovative like the mathematics involved on this novel and also the plot itself. 

Spoiler Alert The place beneath Deep Storm is not the fabled Atlantis but it seems our earth was viable as a dumping ground for massive weapons of aliens. Haven't see that plot before. Quite good.

8.5/10

Review: Dead of Night - Jonathan Maberry

Title Dead of Night

Author Jonathan Maberry

Year 2011

Stand Alone or Series Dead of Night #1)

Pages 358

Reading Time 39 days (May and June)

Synopsis

A prison doctor injects a condemned serial killer with a formula designed to keep his consciousness awake while his body rots in the grave.  But all drugs have unforeseen side-effects.  Before he could be buried, the killer wakes up.  Hungry.  Infected.  Contagious.  This is the way the world ends.  Not with a bang…but a bite.

Review

Zombie books are one of my favourite genre. So when I got this novel I start planning to read it. Overall I am very satisfied with this experience. 

Plus Sides

- Multi viewpoints. We've got Dez Fox, the she-devil police officer. Billy Trout a reporter with a old crush with Dez. Doc Hartnup, the first person bitten by (and) Homer Gibbon - the first zombie. We've got also some viewpoints from the president, military man and other one-chapter characters. 

- Doc Hartnup - was the best innovation that this novel brought. A person bitten who remains sentient even if it lost all control of his actions. Truly a remarkable character who deserved more air time.SPOILER I was truly glad of his ending SPOILER END

- The Army, president and such - they were portrait as almost soulless bastards which do anything to hide their mistakes. Even if the end they repent themselves.

- Zombie Infection - The author gives a detailed information about the plague was created and even hinted on historical and factual events. Quite good.

- Pace of the book - The writer wrote the book so we could read it in a couple of sips. Quick but informative at times.

Down Sides

- Character Behavior - The characters sometimes behave as you expected. Stereotypes everywhere. From the main characters to the army and such. SPOILER JT death, boy saves girl, army behavior..  END SPOILER. Doc Hartnup was the truly inovation as I said before but, don't get me wrong. For people like me who wants to read about zombies and Romero films and such it is expected. That's a thing of this kind of novels.

Neutral

- Sequel? - The last chapter gives the writer opportunity to enter once again the town of Stebbins, Dez, Trout and Homer Gibbon. 

Should I advice this book? Yes. To anyone who likes Zombies. A must have. 8.5/10

Book Review: M for Magic - Neil Gaiman

Title M For Magic

Author Neil Gaiman

Year 2007

Stand Alone or Series Anthology

Pages 250

Reading Time 21 days (March 2012)

Neil Gaiman is a wonderful writer and at last I read this anthology that had been given to me almost three years ago.

Gaiman is a master story-teller and a couple of this stories are printed on my mind. 

October in the chair is a tale where the twelve months are sitting on by a fire and telling stories. They each acts as we know the months "act" if you get my meaning. 

Chivalry in which the a parallel world a tea-lady (Mrs. Whittaker) have the holy grail and Galahad want's it. WHAT A STORY. A Must read I must say. To anyone!

The Price is another good horror tale. This was one of the best tales around. Even so because it has a cat. A short-story but Gaiman can really make you worry about the cat.

The Witch's Headstone is the prequel of The Graveyard Book . What a great story. Now I want to read it.

The other stories are okay but easily forgotten.

Review - Ancient Blood Robert Earl

Title Ancient Blood

Author Robert Earl

Year 2008

Stand Alone or Series Stand Alone

Pages 416

Reading Time 40 days

Review

Another great tale by Robert Earl. That's the main point.

First in went to Lustria now we learn about about the Striganny and the Strigoi. For what I know, the other Lorenzo books he goes to Brettonia and Ogre Kingdoms. The Corrupted (which I have already read) is set on a empire city and The Chaos Wastes. 

If you like to learn about the Olde World inhabittants and beasts then this is a book for you. If you like Striganny and Strigoi then this is the book for you. Here you will learn about their life, their problems, the relation with the Strigoi (Old Fathers) and their god Ushoran. You will also learn more about Their past and future.

The book sets as the elector count of Averland and Stirland want to rid the Olde World of the Striganny. For that he enlists other powerful lords and amass a huge army of mercenaries led by a ruthless commander. The Striganny in the other hand just want to continue their life but are pushed together to Flintmar where they are told they will be safe. There they must join, instead of fighting independently, because each caravan is led by a Domnu (leader) and a Petru (a magic person) and renew old pacts. The Strigoi which we learn are the protectors of the Striganny people (pay attention to chapter 13, to me one of the best fluff scenes in any warhammer books) aid them from the shadows. Here Ushoran the leader of the Strigoi and God of the Strigany make a decision to reinstate the old court of Morkhai, destroyed by Orcs several millenia before. The Striganny also make the decision if they go to Morkhai or stay and be hunted in the Empire. The ending is good and leaves the author with the possibility of another book but I don't think he will do it because the ending is quite good this way.

The characters are solid and remind me of Gypsies (of course) of old times. Not the nowadays gypsies but the gypsies of europe that travel between cities in circus and traders. Averland and the commander of the mercenary army are quite good as well but Ushoran is undoubtly the best character there. I didn't knew about him and now... I do. 

The battle scenes are fast and good, never dwelling much on independent fights but as a whole. 

Conclusion

I recommend as I said to anyone who wants to learn more about the Vampire Strigoi, Ushoran, Strigany, Dogs of War and the Empire in the time of the Three Emperors. 8/10

Objectives II

How is my objectives so far?

1. Read 100 books (34)
2. Watch at least one movie a week (Not by a long shot)
3. Go to the movie theater at least once a month  (Not by a long shot)
4. Read at least seven books with at least 500 pages (0)
5. Read at least one book with at least 1000 pages (0)
6. Read at least three trilogies (Started three trilogies)
7. Read at least 15 books published by Black Library (4)
8. Read at least 5 classics (0)

So as you can see I am going poorly on my objectives... At least I start dating again which is quite good :)