Thoughts (I a) 200 Posts - Now what?

This will be my 200 post. Hurray!!
100 of them were posted only this year. What does it mean? I've being reading more but also I've being trying hard to review every book I read for this couple of years. My goal is read around 100 pages per day. I don't think that's hard. I've got some serious problems with computers and TV. I am trying to work this out. And I am winning...

Only this year I've read as much as in 2009 or 2008. So I'm good.

So what's troubling me? I'm leaving some books to read later and even stop reading them. Until 2008 I've never left a book no matter how awful it was. In 2008 I left 7 books. In 2009 I left 15 books!! This year I left two books and I've 10 books that I stop but intented to return. Some of them are good books but I left them there in my table. I am preocupied. I have to many books and maybe because of that I subconscioulsly am lefting books to read later... and never returning. I return to Dune after 6 months later. The same happen to Black Angel by G. Masterton.

Doesn't happen to you as you read a novel becoming sleepy? Even if you are enjoying it? Why?  Anyone got any theories? Thank you in advance.

Small Reviews (5) : Passage at Arms , 2001 - A Space Odyssey, Old's Man War, City Machine & Second Game

Today I am going to review some books I've read in the Science Fiction genre in this couple of years. Some of them are still in my mind vividly and some... well... no.

Passage at Arms by Glen Cook

I read this book in 2008. I remember being a confusing book with strange fiction regarding the navigation of the vessels and other scientific terms. Well for start this novel is set in the same universe as the Starfishers Trilogy (but is a stand alone book). This story is set almost all book aboard a Climber... a ship capable of ascending beyond hyperspace and attacking enemy vessels. To be precise is a Submarine in space. Imagine de famous movie Das Boot but in SF. Well to set you in the universe is simple. Humanity is at war against the Ulant and Ulant is winnig but at least we've got the Climbers. The one thing of this novel as I mention reminds me of a Submarine is the tension that engulfs the crew. I must say that's the good part. The SF not so much. This particular story is told in a point of view of a journalist. Why should you like? Well if you want a Military SF book then this book is for you. If you want a book were the tension and all about the characters then go right ahead. If you want a SF book like Peter Hamilton and such don't bother. 7/10

2001 - A Space Odyssey by Arthur C Clarke (and Kubrick)

This book is a must have to anyone who loves SF. It's one of the classics and as you read you can figure it out. Of course the book is from 1968 and it's not so rich in terms of Hard Science as the books coming out today. Too much have happen in the world of Science and Science Fiction and this book must be read with an open mind because it was written almost 50 years ago. If you can do that then you are in for a ride. Excelent book. If you can read the book and then watch the film from Kubrick. This is one of the rare cases where the movie equals the book and each bring something different. I would advice reading both to enjoy it as I enjoy it. After all the book and the screenplay were written simultaneously. Clarke went for clearer explanations of the mysterious monolith and Star Gate and Kubrick kept the film mysterious and enigmatic with minimal dialogue in order to convey what many viewers have described as a powerful sence of sublime and munimous without specific explanations of events. There are some differences and I've found people who enjoy the book greater than the movie and vice-versa. I think they both complete themselves. Watch and Read. 9/10 (Together)

Old's Man War by John Scalzi

This writer was unknown to me. I've read some pretty good reviews and so I try the book. I am glad I did it. I remember reading Starship Troopers by Robert E Heinlein and loving it so I had to try this one. (I know this book also follows the structure of The Forever War by Joe Haldeman but I have yet to read it.) Well this book tells us the story of John Perry a 75 year old retired writer who joins the Colonial Defense Forces. When a person makes 65 years if wanted they must make an application to join the force. John and his wife Kathy join and after 10 years the application was accepted. Meanwhile his wife died. Perry as he joins the ranks of CDF is given a new body, based on his original DNA, has enhanced strenght and other carachertistics. This body also had a BraidPal - a neural interface that allows the user to communicate with other members of CDF. After receiving his training (some were taken from the United States Armed Forces Perry is shipped into a engagement with several sentient alien inteligent species. After several battles and as they confront another alien species called Rraey he is left for dead but saved by the Special Forces of the CDF called Ghosts Brigades led by Jane Sagan (look-alike from his dead wife Kathy). After being regenerated Perry tries to track down Jane and discover that she is using the DNA of his dead wife but Jane has no recolection of memories of why is doing it. Jane then enlists afterwards Perry and they battle Rraey again because they found that Rraey received a techonology from other species that give them great advantage. The end is quite good and leaves us wanting more. I must say that I enjoy this book greatly and I bought the next three books but I failed to read them yet. I will do it because I enjoy it. Unfortunaly I have 1300 books and so... Well let them be there. I will enjoy them. I know. This book receives a solid 9/10

City Machine by Louis Trimble

This book was a small book I read in a couple of days. I wanted a fast book and for that I use DAW yellow books. This one was not an exception. This book is set in a distant world colonized by humans aeons ago. They live in high cities like the Necromunda from Warhammer world. Big buildings that harbour thousands upon thousands of people. They are called City Machine. This technology has been lost through the ages because nobody can read the original language. Our main character Ryne a former Lower (from the lower part of the city) descended from the last persons who could read the old language and now he lives in the Middle. Higher you get, higher in the society you are. So the poor in the Lower parts and Higher the rich. Meanwhile he is contacted from a group of lowers led by Laszlo who locate the original City Machine and texts and wants a person who can read so he can build a new City Machine for the Lowers. But there is someone who doesn't want them to leave called the Coordinator (a bureacratic guy from the Middle city) Here the Coordinator have a plan to destroy Laszlo's. Ryne is undercover and blackmailed because the Coordinator have Ryne's girlfriend. The end was predictable and I didn't enjoy the book that much. Around 140 pages is to small a book to function that well. In my opinion the premises of this Hive Cities are great and he tried to give us a lesson of political about the unreachable Uppers, the bureacractic Middles that do the Uppers work and the poor Lowers who do all the dirty work. The writer has an opinion of Comunism and he's got no problem saying it. 7/10

Second Game by Charles V de Vet & Katherine MacLeanI read this book when I was on the hospital. It's a small Daw book as City Machine. This book is also good but didn't excel in any point. The story passes on a alien planet called Velda that have been discover by humans. After a warning with no contact the Veldians destroy the fleet that Earth sent. The narrator a chess champion learns that Veldians base their society around proficiency on a game called... Game. Basicly is chess but more complicated. This narrator goes to that planet and learns to play the Game and challenge all corners. He then says to anyone challenging him that he Beats him in the Second Game (thus the title) and so as a chess player he loses on the first as he learns he opponents weakness and in the second win. In the end he draws the attention of a high official and a proficient Game player. After the most difficult Game the narrator prevails but the official perceives that he is human and arrests him. Trobt (the High official) places him under house arrest and tells him of the Last Third Game. Trobt and the Narrator becomes friends and the Narrator also learns about the society and even a love interest. The end was not that predictable but was plausible. I read somwehere that this Second Game by Daw is a revision from another novel/story called Cosmic Checkmate. There are some differences but I am not to buy it because I didn't enjoy the novel that much. I also learn that a second novelette with the Narrator's descended called Third Game. 7/10


 

Small Reviews (4): Fatherland, Angels and Demons, Eaters of the Dead & Batalhão de Choque & Vi-os Morrer

This is the fourth time I will do this. This novels I've read it and some of them are pretty good and others are just plain dull... I will make a small review of Fatherland -Robert Harris, Angels & Demons - Dan Brown, Eaters of the Dead - Michael Crichton and two novels by Sven Hassel.

Fatherland by Robert Harris. I remember reading this book when I got my new job back in 2005. I remember as well having afraid of showing this cover on the streets. At that time I was a bit touched by the Far Right so I read several novels with that thematic. Nowadays I'm still a Far Right supporter but I refuse to believe that violence is the way to power and I abhor anyone that says himself a Far Right supporter that worships (for lack of better term) the Nazism. You can be a Far Right supporter but don't believe in violence or support that some races are superior to others. That's bullshit. We are not equals. There are differences between each culture and every culture must perserv his own culture but never destroying or trying to convert others. Sorry for this thoughts... And for anyone who will write criticisms for my thoughts and not the reviews ... "Fvck Off I really don't care"

Now this book is about a detective in a dystopia where Nazism prevails after several dozen years. Hitler is meeting President Kennedy for a historic meeting. The dystopia novel is pretty good for a first time writer (yet he is a journalist). He shows us how history could have been so different with small changes... As March (our detective) tries to uncover the truth behind a murder of an important member of the nazi party he mets a american journalist and both travel far and wide to discover the truth. Gestapo is killing one by one the officials that planned the Holocaust (most population in general are unaware of the events). As they go to one place to another March is apreenhed by the Gestapo because his son ran him out. They torture him to reveal the location of the american journalist but March doesn't falter. Gestapo officers have an idea and stage a rescue but the inspector realizes what they intent and lead them to auschwitz to let the reporter arrive safe in the neutral swiss. The end was that kind of book that makes you wonder since in the end has March uncovers a brick that belong to the extermination camps so he pulls a gun and the story ends leaving us to think what happen (it's pretty obvious no?) There is a dozens upon dozens books in the "what if" universe that depicts Nazi victory. One way or another the writers depict the germans/nazis the same way. Even nazizm. It happens the same in the history of what if in the North vs South. This book deserves 8.5/10.

Angels & Demons by Dan Brown.

It was the only book I've read by Dan Brown after all the hype in his first book. It was a fast book that delivers a good detetive story. My only problem with this book is the informations that were plainly wrong. Because the rest of the book is not that bad. The characters are well represented. I will not dwell much more because everyone knows this book. If not go read Wikipedia or one of the thousand reviews in Amazon. I will give 5/10

Eaters of the Dead - Michael Crichton

This book as so much to say. I read this book because I love Thirtheen Warrior with Antonio Banderas. Probably the movie I've seen more times. This novel has got some differences from the movie. Besides giving us a detail information about the differences between the northman and the arabs and the byzantins it also tell us about a civilization in the eyes of a foreign. In this novel we follow Ahmad Ibn Fadlan as he sent to the King of the Volga Bulgars; now for a historic information. In the VII century some turkish people from Mongolia and Central Asia settle in nowadays Bulgaria/Romania and founded the Old Great Bulgaria. Then they devided and the Eastern Bulgars migrated near to the Volga and settle there. The first were conquered by the Byzantine Empire and then the Ottomans and the latter were conquered and annexed by the Golden Horde.... That's where this embassador went, 200 years before the Invasion of the Golden Horde... and so as I was saying... Well he never arrive there. He is capture by the Vikings (the movie something different happened) because he was their... lucky charm as the thirteen warrior. In the land of the northman they battle an odd looking tribe related to the neanderthals called Wendol. This novel is tell as a scientific with fictious and real documents. That made this novel so good... This book reminds me of Beowulf (it was partially inspired in that old story) and even to the mad writer of Necronomicon. Buy the book and watch the movie. They are worth it. Unless you hate history, fantasy, battles and Antonio Banderas. This book with the help of the movie deservs a solid 10/10

In the end we've got two novels that I read in portuguese called Batalhão de Choque and Vi-os Morrer by Sven Hassel. I can't remember their english names but I bet the first was Legion of the Damned. Well this two books depict the adventures of the writer Sven Hassel as he writes his memories in this books. There is a lot of contorversy about the veridicity of this novels. I really don't care. The first book is excelent and that's good enough for me. If it wasn't Sven Hassel that had this experience he sure writers as he as being there. The second book was not that good comparing with the first. There are some books out there that try to depict the life of a german soldier in WW2 but most of them are not that good and are also by people who weren't there. This guy sure writers as being there. Well our main character was convicted and thrown into a penal legion along some interesting characters. I can still remember the death of some and how I cried as they died... I still remember the memorable cat drinking vodka... Oh my.. such memories... The first book would receive a 10/10 but the latter will receive 6.5/10.

Batalhões de Choque, Eaters of the Dead and Fatherland are books that I will read in the future. I have so many books and only a few of them receive this honor...

Book Review: Realms of Mystery - Several Writers

Title Realms of Mystery
Author Various
Publisher Wizards of the Coast
Year 1998
Stand Alone or series Collection of short stories
Pages 336
Rating 7/10

Summary
A murder victim is turned into a zombie, just long enough to cover up the circumstances of his own death . . .
A silent ghost with a friendly grin greets those about to meet their doom . . .
The only clue to who's killing a party of adventurers is the letter "H," written in the blood of one of the victims . . .
Stories of murder, suspense, and intrigue by Elaine Cunninham, Jeff Grubb, Ed Greenwood, and other favorite Forgotten Realms authors.

Review
“Speaking with the Dead” - Elaine Cunningham - 32pag - 6/10
This first tale she takes back to Arilyn Moonblade, Danilo Thann and Elaith Craulnober her heroes in Song and Swords quintet. For what I've search this short story takes place between Silver Shadows and Dream Spheres. In this story Elaith is accused of murdering a gnome illusionist, Danilo has the difficult (and ironic) task of proving Elaith's innocence. It wasn't the best short story in this book but not the worse. A bit confusing in my opinion. (First story that the dead is invoked)

“A Walk in the Snow” - Dave Gross - 21pag -6/10

This was my second adventure into a Gross tale. The first being Mistress of the Night last year. You can see the review here. In this tale a wizard is killed and the constable (also a innkeeper) is sent to investigate. There is no wounds so what happenend? They suspect a Northman and the innkeeper resolves with ease the solution. The solution was kind of odd and I wondered if that can even be possivel (Spoilers: If you kill a familiar does the wizar die? I seriously doubt it. Can any one confirm it?) The story was good but this thing upset me...

“Rose Window, The” - Monte Cook - 12pag - 4/10

This was the first tale I've read by this author. Unfortunally I didn't enjoy. It's got a good premise but it didn't fullfill me. Basicaly A priest/loremasters brings a rose window to his church from his old church. Other priest notice shadow in the panes. But unfortunally the end didn't conviced me.

“Club Rules, The” - James Lowder - 27 pag - 7/10

This writer has a lot of pseudonyms and a hand full of novels in the forgotten realms bibliography. Well now this story... cliché! A murder happens and the Buttler is accussed. Oh yeah. I enjoy a lot the Buttler personage but the mystery itself... meh.. not so much. The only thing good was the buttler.

“Thieves' Justice” - Mary H Herbert - 28 pag - 5/10

The only book I've read by this author was from another universe called Dragonlance. The book was Legacy of Steel. I've read 6 or 7 years ago. Pretty good... of what I remember. This book yet again the dead is invoked. While stealing a horse, a horse thief and her friend find a dead body. One is accussed of killing and another with the help of a witch tries to find the real killer. Spoilers: She is transformed into a dog to better search for clues. Funny how the other animals think like humans... Not that good this part. The rest of the story is okay. Nothing brillant.

“Ekhar Lorrent: Gnome Detective” - Steven "Stan!" Brown - 16pag - 6/10

This story is kind of odd. One gnome has a sixth sence about the murder and so he investigates the death of a cyclops. The ending was quite good. This story is one of the best.... the author in the end... who is he? Why the name?

“Devil and Tertius Wands, The” - Jeff Grubb - 32pag - 8/10

This was one of the best stories in this novel. A run-away adventurer and his genie set out to reover a stolen heirloon to a beautiful stranger. This story is quite good. The characters are funny and the ending was quite good and unpredicatable. I wish that this author had written a novel or something like that with this characters. This tale reminds me of Terry Prattchet. But better.

“H” - Richard Lee Byers - 21pag - 7.5/10

Like Jeff Grubb he is a prolifiric writer for Wizards of the Coast with many novels under their wing. This tale is quite good as well. A party of several adventurers find themselves with a crime on their hands with only one clue. As each character is killed in turn the question is who is a killer.. This story is quite good. But the killer well not that good and predictable (not the killer but the... being. This being is used in two tales)

“Strange Bedfellows” - Keith Francis Strohm - 28pag - 8/10

This tale is one of the crown jewels of this book. Here nothing is what it seems. A old captain is saved by a dark priest of Cyric and together they battle some rebels that are helped by a Lathander priest... Odd no? That's why is interesting... It's odd that is got two novels under his belt. I've got Bladesinger and I shall read it the next following months.

“Whence the Song of Steel” - J. Robert King - 16pag - 8/10

Excelent story. A bodyguard is set to protect two opera singers but one of them kills the other... but nothing is what it seems. This is an excelent story with several twists. The sword Ranjir is quite interesting. Very good tale.

“An Unusual Suspect” - Brian Thomsen - 16pag - 4/10

Well, another story with dopelgangers. This story is not that good. Neither the characters nor the plot. Quite boring

“Darkly, Through a Glass of Ale” - Peter Archer - 20pag - 4/10

Strange story. Not that good for that matter. A merchant sells wine to a inn but then something happens. This story is a bit confusing and I didn't underestant what a heck was happening.

“Lynaelle” - Thomas M. Reid - 25pag - 5/10
Thomas Reid has written several novels in the forgotten realms world. This was one of the first stories he wrote. This story if anything is a bit long. I really hope Reid is better writing novels because I have several of them here. This tale tells us Lynaelle an half-elf orphan that is accused of murdering her own mentor.

“Grinning Ghost of Taverton Hall, The” - Ed Greenwood - 29pag - 7.5/10

Set as the novel he wrote several years before in Cormyr. This novel tells us the tale of a haunted estate by a ghost. This tale has some interesting characters but the plot was simple. The end was good. In the end I was suprised. I've never read any book by Greenwood but I've read some pretty bad reviews with his name. This one was good addition to this novel.

So what do I have to say? It was a good anthology of stories with some quite good but others failing miseraly. In some of them I didn't felt that this was Forgotten Realms. Some of the writers here are quite good and I really hope that some are better in writing full-lenghted novels than writing short stories. Should I read this anthology if new to forgotten realms? Nah. Should I read this novel hoping good mysteries? Maybe. And If I like Forgotten realms? Then yes. You will lose 4 or 5 hours of your life but in the end you will not feel cheated.

Review: Zaragoz - Brian Craig

Title Zaragoz (Orfeu I)
Author Brian Craig (pen name for Brian Stableford)
Publisher Black Library
Year 1989
Stand Alone or series First Book in a Trilogy
Pages 256
Rating 7.5/10

Review
I've being delaying this book for some time. Now that I've read it I've got mix feelings. First of all let me say that I've got two versions of this book. First published by Baxtree books and another version by Brian Craig. The differences? There are some. I've read the Baxtree because of the paintings inside.. and fortunally I've done that because I also learn something that differs from the old books by Baxtree to this ones. I wonder all those books republished by Black Library and what did they took off. Why I Say this? Well there is a part in this novel that depicts the act of lovemaking. As I read that and after reading dozens of Black Library books I felt that something was different so I went to the Black Library book and read the same paragraphe... The ideia of lovemaking was there but they took out some parts. It's nothing that will change your impression of the novel but it's something. Of course I didn't checked everything so I wonder how much did they changed. Well I wonder all those books published by Baxtree and then republished.. how much did they lose? What information they took and didn't print on this new edition.

Now speaking of the novel itself. Well this book is different from other books. This book is a character based novel but also the plot is totally different what Black Library publish nowadays. Chaos is not Chaos in beasts or man. Evil is not defined. If this book was written outside black library it would fit and you would understand. There is no knowledge needed reading this book.
This particular tale is narrated by Orfeo, a travelling player who tells of his tale in the little-known Estalian province of Zaragoz. Needless to say, he becomes entangled in a web of intrigue there. I must say that this part was a bit confusing with all the names, but nothing we couldn't understand in a long run. On the plus side a novel that depicts the life in Estalia is a rarity. Almost all novels with few exceptions have the Empire lands as the background. This was something that I observed and I am angered. I know the fundamental is the Empire. But why not a book with stories set in Estalia, Kislev or Tilea? Why not Albion or far Cathay? Or even far away to Nippon. Or even to the chaos dwarves land... There is so much yet to discover that I believe Black Library will only stop producing books if Games Workshop goes bankrupt... I don't play the miniatures games but I have all books because I like the world they created in Warhammer Fantasy and 40k Setting. They are far richer than other worlds like Forgotten Realms... Well I've talk so much not about the book... Sorry.

This was the first tale... Let us see if the second is better. I have plain confidence in Brian Craig.

Book Review: Gathering of Bones - Short Story Collection

Title Gathering of Bones

Author Several

Year 2003
Stand Alone or series Stand Alonne

Pages 560

Reading Time 4 days
Rating 2/10

I've never felt so cheated reading a book. I've never have failed to finish so many stories in my entire life. I hated this book with the exception of a couple of ones.

But even those I've ended they felt not that scary or even horror alike. If ths is the best that the masters of horror have to offer I piety them.

The Hanged Man of Oz -- Steve Nagy
The Bone Ship -- Terry Dowling
Li'l Miss Ultrasound -- Robert Devereaux
The Intervention -- Kim Newman 
Blake's Angel -- Janeen Webb
The Obedient Child -- George Clayton Johnson
Sounds Like -- Mike O'Driscoll
The Wind Sall Blow For Ever Mair -- Stephen Dedman
"The Mezzotint" -- Lisa Tuttle
The Lords of Zero -- Tony Richards
Smoke City -- Russell Blackford
Moments of Change -- Thomas Tessier
The Big Green Grin -- Gahan Wilson
Both And -- Gary Fry
Love Is a Stone -- Simon Brown
Memento Mori -- Ray Bradbury
The Mistress of Marwood Hagg -- Sara Douglass
The Right Men -- Michael Marshall Smith
The Raptures of the Deep -- Rosaleen Love
Out Late In the Park -- Steve Rasnic Tem

Bedfordshire -- Peter Crowther
Mr Sly Stops For a Cup of Joe -- Scott Emerson Bull
Finishing School -- Cherry Wilder
Jennifer's Turn -- Fruma Klass
Mother's Milk -- Adam L.G. Nevill
No Man's Land -- Chris Lawson and Simon BrownThe Watcher At the Window -- Donald R. Burleson
Coming of Age -- Joel Lane
Picking Up Courtney -- Tim Waggoner
Watchmen -- Aaron Sterns
Gardens -- Melanie Tem
Under the Bright and Hollow Sky -- Andrew J. Wilson
The Dove Game -- Isobelle Carmody
Tiger Moth -- Graham Joyce

Apart from the ones in Bold I didn't like it. Some of them I didn't finish and others I hated them. Some of them I've heard before and enjoy some other stories or novels. Unfortunally or not this stories didn't work. I think the Horror Genre is a lot different of what it was a couple of years before. It's very disturbing.. This is not the only book that I've checked this out. Many stories are too weird too follow or even to understand. If I had a word for this collection would be Surreal Fiction ( well two words...) Bah.

The only story that delivers what I want it was a short story set in World War I in the trenches and a new definition of Dead's Man Land.

Review: Elric Melniboné - Michael Moorcock

Title Elric Melniboné
Author Michael Moorcock
Year 1961
Stand Alone or series 1/6 (and several short stories inbetween)
Pages 192

Rating 10/10

Title The Sailors on the Seas of Fate
Author Michael Moorcock
Year 1976
Stand Alone or series 2/6 (and several short stories inbetween)
Pages 160

Rating 9/10

Title The Weird of White Wolf
Author Michael Moorcock
Year 1977
Stand Alone or series 3/6 (and several short stories inbetween)
Pages 160

Rating 9/10

Summary

Elric of Melniboné was the last emperor of the stagnating island civilization of Melniboné. Physically weak and frail, the albino Elric must take drugs - later retconned to mean special herbs - in order to maintain his health. Elric turns as well an accomplished sorcerer and summoner, able to summon powerful, supernatural allies by dint of his royal Melnibonéan bloodline. Unlike most others of his race, Elric possesses something of a conscience; he sees the decadence of his culture, and worries about the rise of the Young Kingdoms, populated by humans (as Melniboneans do not consider themselves such) and the threat they pose to his empire. Because of his introspective self-loathing of Melnibonéan traditions, his subjects find him odd and unfathomable, and his cousin Yyrkoon (next in the line of succession, as Elric has no heirs) interprets his behavior as weakness and plots Elric's death.
As emperor of Melniboné, Elric wears the Ring of Kings, Elric is able to call for aid upon the traditional patron of the Melniboné emperors, Arioch, a Lord of Chaos and Duke of Hell. From the first story onwards, Elric is shown using ancient pacts and agreements with not only Arioch but various other beings - some gods, some demons - to assist him in accomplishing his tasks.
Elric's finding of the sword Stormbringer serves as both his greatest asset and greatest disadvantage. Forged in the distant past, the sword confers upon Elric strength, health and fighting prowess but must be fed the souls of those struck with the black blade. In the end, the blade takes everyone close to Elric and eventually Elric's own soul as well. Most of Moorcock's stories about Elric feature this relationship with Stormbringer, and how it - despite Elric's best intentions - brings doom to everything the Melnibonéan holds dear.

Review
The First Book tells us the epic saga of Elric, the albino emperor of the Dragon Isle. Elric rules the island empire of Melniboné, the homeland of his strange semi-human race, from the Ruby Throne in dreaming Imrryr. The Melniboneans ruled the world with massive battle fleets, fighting dragons, and sorcery from the pits of hell. Now they are confined to their island, living in decayed splendor. Elric seeks to revitalize Melniboné but with his frail body is not strong enough to change. He has the love of Cymoril but also the hate of Cymorils Brother Yrkoon (his cousin) who thinks that Elric abhorrence of needless sociopathic violence as a most un-Melnibonéan deviation. Thus the stage is set. As Elric grapples with foreign invaders and Yrkoon’s hostility he finds support in the most unlikely places. He forges an alliance with Arioch, the most bloodthirsty of the Chaos gods/demons and the ancient patron of Elric’s race. The Albino emperor also finds the black Runesword, Stormbringer. A weapon of awesome potential, it literally steals the soul of its victims and feeds them to its wielder.

The Second Book Elric who wants to revitalize the kingdom he rules venture forth to visit the human kingdoms who have freed themselves from the hated despotism of Melniboné. The books opens with Elric alone and hunted on the shore of a human kingdom whither he has gone to learn new things, but has found only hatred and violence. First he is recruited into an all-star cast of Michael Moorcock heroes sailing on a ship of the damned to save the many universes from a terrible doom. Next he’s on an island of the damned, presided over by an insane black sorcerer who might just be kin. Finally he’s a hired sword for a band of merchant adventurers on a trek that may reveal the origins of Elric’s people.

The White Wolf (the third book) is the part of the Elric sage where things begin to turn. Elric has his final, fateful confrontation with Yrkoon, in a hellishly dramatic battle that wrenches the story loose from all your comfortable assumptions. It’s also the part where Elric is free to be a picaresque hero, albeit a doomed and tormented one, His sidekick, Moonglum, appears. Moonglum plays a knowing Sancho Panza to Elric’s Knight of the Sorrowful Countenance, perhaps deliberately, for Moorcock’s heroes are echoes of all the other heroes that have lived. Free (as in having nothing left to lose), Elric journeys on a quest for a mystic tome of great power and skirmishes with an arrogant sorcerer and a renegade deity on behalf of a lovely human princess (never forget, Elric is not human).

Undoubtly one of the most invitive and interesting epic stories of fantasy out there. I will read them again because I have three hardbacks with all the tales and plus a later trilogy published in the 00's. If Tolkien was inexistent in a paralel universe I can see these tales being the center of all fantasy. The only problem is the published tales. There are so many out there that it's difficult to own them all. And do not forget that Moorcock sometimes wrote others stories in another universes where these characters meets and such...A sad tale for all people. Don't expect happy endings... As I said I will read them in a near future with a better review.

Notable Quotes/ Parts

It is the color of a bleached skull, his flesh; and the long hair which flows below his shoulders is milk-white. From the tapering, beautiful head stare two slanting eyes, crimson and moody, and from the loose sleeves of his yellow gown emerge two slender hands, also the color of bone. (From the first book Elric of Melniboné)

Review: Far North - Marcel Theroux

Title Far North
Author Marcel Theourx
Year 2009
Stand Alone or series I read in some site that this would be a trilogy.
Pages 288
Rating 7/10

Summary
Makepeace calls himself sheriff of his hardscrabble town, but he is also its only resident - the last of a group of settlers who have fled the poisoned cities of the West. The miraculous appearance of a refugee from the vast emptiness of the forest awakens this loner to a longing for life among others, but when he takes to the road, Makepeace finds a world unraveling: deserted cities with trees shooting up through the asphalt; stockaded villages enforcing a rough and uncertain justice; mysterious slave camps laboring to harness the little-understood technologies of an expired civilization. On his side, Makepeace has resilience, a sense of humor that comes to life at the diciest moments, and a well-concealed core of humanity: a resource that will be his salvation.

Far North leads the reader on a quest through an unforgettable arctic landscape. Suffused with an ecstatic awareness of the fragility of the world, and its sometimes unexpected ability to recover from our worst trespasses, Far North is a muscular, visionary novel of retribution and forgiveness.

Review

I bought this novel because I enjoy reading the various interpretations and creations of an post-apocalyptic world. I noticed in other blogs/websites that the reviews were mixed. My opinion of the novel is also a mixed of ideas... Unfortunaly this novel came out at the same time at the movie "The Road". Having read the novel in question I can see why people says that they are similar. But this post apocalyptic novel has nothing new. There are hundreds of books with this theme. Of course one of them has taken some ideas from others. Unfortunally the Road got a great review because of Oprah. Which is very unfortunatly. This genre has always released a dozen books per year. Now because of that many more were released. And most of them followed the same path of the Road. Please. Has if it was the first. Who has read the Jack London novel called Scarlet Plague? That was one of the first novels. The book the Road copy some of the ideas from that book. Well... now for the real review...

Makepeace is a loner, an outsider who is trying to surive the apocalypse that befallen the Far North (Siberia). During the novel she mets some interesting characters that makes her change her ways. This novel also takes some influence from some westerns. I remember reading some small books with westerns and the writing style reminds of that.

The visions of our present (her past) are very interesting as she steps throught tundras and cold artic wind as she visits some relics from our own time.

This novel is not as bleak as other post-apocalpytic novels and our heroine is a strong woman that doesn't let men take her. It's a good dark novel mind me but not as dark as others I have read in the past. Neverthless is a great story of self discovery. My discovery was that all life is unreal. The world continues even after a disaster. There is no minute, hour or year. The world will exist even after us...

If I have a complain is the lack of a plot. There isn't a plot per se. This novel is a character work. The book being in the first person perspective contribuies even more to that. Makepeace travels and as soon as she arrives at a place another journey began... So the book never had an ending. Maybe that's why I read somewhere that it should have a sequel. I will read it if it comes out.

In the end I was satisfied with the ride even if I felt that the lack of plot was a little bit of disapointment. I read a review of this book and I became aware of so much that people get from this book. I felt sad that I couldn't connect as well as that reviewer did. Check his review here. Maybe I can't read a novel...

Notable Quotes

I lay down t sleep thinking that as much as I missed what was gone, maybe this was the best thing: for the world to lie fallow for a couple of hundred years or more, for the rain to wash her clean. We'd become another layer of her history, a little higher in the soil than the Romans and the people that built the pyramids. Yes, Makepeace, I thought, maybe one day your mandible will show up under glass in a museum. Female of European origin. Note the worn incisors and the evidence of mineral deficiency from a poor and unvaried diet. Warlike and savage. And beside it some potsherds."

"The cranes lurch south each fall. Each year the wilderness reclaims a little more. Each year taiga riots on another tract of the city. Each month that goes brings closer the time of your departure."

Review: Dragonslayer - William King

Title Dragonslayer
Author William King
Publisher Black Library
Year 2000
Stand Alone or series Series (4 book in 12 books so far)
Pages 288
Rating 10/10
Reading Time 16 days (October/November 2007)

Summary
Dragonslayer is the latest epic instalment in the death-seeking saga of Gotrek and Felix. After the daring exploits of Daemonslayer, the fearless duo find themselves pursued by the insidious and ruthless skaven-lord, Grey Seer Thanquol. Dragonslayer sees the fearless Slayer and his sworn companion back aboard an arcane Dwarf airship in a search for a golden hoard and its deadly guardian.

Review / VerdictWilliam King is indeed one of the best writers I had the pleasure of reading. All his books were done greatly. Great plots. Great characters. Great situations. Great evil doers. It was excelent. This great series began in Trollslayer, then Skavenslayer and Daemonslyer. I also reviewed the fifth book Beastslayer. As you can see all books have a rating of 9 or 10. So this tells us something no?

Slayer Gotrek Gurnisson is a dwarf on a death quest. He roams the land searching for the mightiest of evils to fight and slay until he is finally rewarded with a glorious death that will long be remembered and talked about for generations to come. Felix Jaegor is sworn to accompany the Slayer, however long it takes, even though it could end in his own death. Should he survive, it will be Felix's job to record and report the heroic dwarf's many battles, as well as how Gotrek fell in combat. This book continues just after Daemonslayer. It's not imperative you read it but you will only enjoy reading it.

This tale they are after mighty dragon Skjalandir that has awaken after centuries of sleep. Being a novel of Gotrek of course the dragon was not the only enemy. Orcs are massing and attacking the olde world by the hand of the orc leader Ugrek Manflayer and of course Grey Seer Thanquol, skaven) and Lurk want revenge against their arch enemies. This novel brings not only several battles and comic situations with the dwarves there is as well a love situation between Ulrika, Felix and Max the magician. The ending is pretty darn interesting... The one who kill the dragon was not Gotrek but Felix. The sword he carries has some interesting qualitites. If this was dungeons and dragons the sword would be something like Dragonslayer +5 or something like that.

In the end I enjoy the book. This one along with Daemonslayer and Skavenslayer are the best books in the warhammer universe. View the covers. Go read it. NOW!

Review: Hellbrandt Grimm (Graphic Novel) - Mitchel Scanlon & The Sharp Brothers

Title Hellbrandt Grimm
Author Mitchel Scanlon & The Sharp Brothers
Publisher Black Library
Year 2005
Stand Alone or series Stand Alone
Pages 256

Rating 6.5/10

Summary
Hellbrandt Grimm is the story of a mysterious rogue who travels throughout the dark and gothic Warhammer world. Grimm is a ruthless bounty hunter, in some cases far worse than those he hunts. Continuing Black Library's series of great value, pocket-sized graphic novels, Hellbrandt Grimm further expands the rich background of the world-renowned Warhammer universe.
Review / Verdict

I read this graphic novel a way back but as I made my ... well, summer cleanings I re-founded again. As I am a great fan of Scanlon books I tried this one. Unfortunally this book not as good as the others I reviewed first. I think the main fault were the drawings. They didn't appeal to me. Which is a bit sad since I enjoyed the character. When is going to be a Grimm novel? That would be an interesting reading.... Most of the stories are tell by a narrator that met Grimm. This book also introduces us Luciana Falcone. I think that she is better than him. There is one interesting story where Grimm is an inquisitor in the warhammer 40k universe. Very good. Would I suggest the reading to anyone outside the warhammer universe? No. To anyone who likes comics and warhammer I think they will enjoy it. Well at least not hate. There are many phrases that remind me of Aesop Tales or Grimm Fairy Tales.
Notable Quotes/ Parts

The foolish may seek advantage claiming unearned honours whilst in the company of strangers. But the wise know better, holding their tongue until all others have spoken.

When you sup with a Devil be sure to use a long-handled spoon.

Review: Bloodquest (Graphic Novel) - Gordon Rennie & Colin MacNeil

Title Blooquest (Eye of Terror Trilogy)
Author Gordon Rennie & Colin MacNeil
Publisher Black Library
Year 2005
Stand Alone or series Stand Alone
Pages 256
Rating 9/10

Summary
Captain Leonatos loses the fabled Blade Encarmine -- a sword of great power and reverence to the Blood Angles Chapter of Space Marines on the field of battle. Exiled from the chapter, he must lead his troops deep into enemy territory to retrieve this icon of the Blood Angels and redeem himself and his troops.

Review / VeridictWhen I bought the complete collection of Graphic Novels that the Black Library published in 2005 this was one of the books that entered my mind and I didn't forget it. Why? Because the drawings are excelent and most of them are not at all confusing. The letters are not confusing as well. Daemonifuge failed in that part. The images are spectacular. Some of them didn't left my mind and when I read a Black Library book depicting Chaos I usually imagine them from this book. As the Summary says Leonatos is tasked to find the sword or else he won't redeem himself. Some other space marines go with him. In this tale they fight Orks and all kinds of Chaos Scum from the lowest caste to daemons. The first two novels are that retrival of the sword and battle throughtout the world full of chaos soldiers. They encounter some interesting allies and in the end they are able to retrieve the sword with a lot of pain. After the retrival the survivors return to the world to search for Leonatos. This last part is probably my favourite. Very good read. The book is of course out of print but you can buy this book instead. It compiled these three graphic novels, Space Hulk (a novella), four short stories and Heart of Rage a prose version of a audio drama. The price is very small compared what would you pay for each indiviual piece. You can buy it here

Review: Daemonifuge (Graphic Novel) - Gordon Rennie

Title Daemonifuge - Heretic Saint
Author Gordon Rennie, Kev Walker and Others
Publisher Black Library
Year 2005
Stand Alone or series Stand Alone
Pages 256

Rating 8/10

SummaryEphrael Stern - Sister of Battle - Daemonifuge! Tainted soul or living weapon against the dark forces of Chaos? Under investigation by the Inquisition, Ephrael Stern and Inquisitor Silas Hand must place their trust in each other as they embark on a dangerous quest to discover the origins of her power!
Review
This was a very interesting read. A good graphic novel with an interesting story about a Battle Sister. In this book she gets all kind of trouble because of her past, powers. In fact, Ephrael was all these things even before she had been born human. She did her duty and she did it well...until she died. When she is resurrected, things change. Ephrael is chosen to be the "Keeper of Secrets" by the "Screaming Cage" on Parnis. Inquisitor Silas Hand gave everything, including his life, to keep Ephrael alive so she could do her duty by delivering the secrets to the Black Library. The knowledge within her is transforming her. She is slowly learning what she has become and what she can do. Until the transformation is completed, she must simply survive and wait for "The Pariah" to find her. The Pariah is to guide her through the secret paths between worlds. Surviving is not easy. Besides Ordo Malleus and the Grey Knights, also the Dark Eldar, Thousand Sons and others will battle her...
Notable Quotes/ Parts

* Prayer May Cleanse the Soul. But Pain Cleanses the Body. Both are necessary for the survival of humanity.

* ... all is chaos andd unreason ... the absence of faith... the absence of faith is the mark of damnation.

* Chaos is devious, subtle... the way of shadows.

* A single man with faith can triumph over a legion of the faithless. Untold billions of the faithful can never be opposed.

*The righteous shall Fear no Evil, for we act in the divine light of the Emperor. May our deeds be noble in his sight and pleasing to his heart. We pray that in pleasing him, his divine will brings us courage in life and honour in death. All hail the Emperor.

* I'll not suffer a witch to live!!

* Blessed are they that reap the sinners from the sight of the emperor...

* The daemon has many forms. You must know them all. You must tell the daemon from his disguise and roothim out from the hidden places. Trust no-one. Trust not even yourself. It is better to die vain that to live in abomination. The zealous martyr is praised for his valour. The craven and the unready are justly abhorred.

* There is no place for the weak-willed or hesitant. Only by firm action and resolute faith will mankind survive. No sacrifice is too great. No tragedy too small.

Verdict
I really enjoy this graphic novel. It made me want read the Einshorn & Ravenor or the Inquisitor Trilogy or Grey Knights Trilogy or even Faith and Fire. Maybe it will be the October Reading Fest (I just invented it...) My only complain is that it felt uncompleted and some ballons with the letters were not that well printed. Mainly the Italic ones.

Review: Fiends of the Eastern Front & Fiends of the Rising Sun - David Bishop

Title Operation Vampyr (I), The Blood Red Army (II), Twilight of the Dead (III) & Fiends of the Rising Sun
Author David Bishop
Publisher Black Flame (now extinct)
Year 2005/2006/2007
Stand Alone or series 4 books in Fiends of Eastern Front series
Pages 256/256/256/416

Reading Time March and April 2007

Summary

Operation Vampyr

RUSSIA, 1941. THE mighty German army is smashing its way through the crippled Russian defences. Idealistic young German soldier Hans Vollmer joins the front on the eve of the invasion of Russia, unaware that darker things than the enemy stalk the battlefields. When he is saved from a Russian attack by a Rumanian platoon, led by the mysterious Lord Constanta, his relief is short-lived. Why do they never see the Rumanians during the day? Why do the Russian dead wear expressions of complete terror? Why are their bodies drained of blood? What unholy bargains has the Fuhrer made in order to win this war?

Blood Red Army
Leningrad 1942. Winter has halted the Nazi invasion of Russia, but the city is still besieged by German troops. Red Army soldiers and civilians are starving to death, but they refuse to surrender. As night falls on Leningrad, the Russians are horrified to see their comrades rising from the dead to join the attack against them. One of the bloodiest conflicts in World War II is the backdrop for all-out zombie war as Lord Constanta and his elite cadre of Rumanian vampyr warriors continue to sow unholy terror among the allies.

Twilight of the Dead
APRIL, 1945: Retreating German troops mount a valiant rearguard action against the mighty Red Army. It is only a matter of time before Berlin falls, especially as the Rumanian vampyr have switched sides to be allies with the Russian forces. German soldiers Hans and Rolf Vollmer know the war is lost, but they believe something more important is at stake. Unless Lord Constanta and his undead army are stopped, the vampyr plan to enslave all humans will succeed. Soldiers from each side must put aside their mutual hatred to target the true enemy: Constanta and his vampyr.



ReviewHans, Klaus and Ralf are all brothers fighting the Russians on the Eastern Front for Hitler during World War II. Hans, the youngest, is the most dedicated. Hitler and the Third Reich enthralls him. His other brothers have seen enough of war to know it's not all it's cut out to be. Klaus is a pilot and wonders why Rumanian pilots canopies are black. Ralf in the Panzer finds dead with bite marks on their necks and Hans is an infantry man and sees also strange things while attacking russian soldiers. Klaus ends up in an hospital and sees strange horrific things. The three brothers get together for some times with their companions and conspire against the Rumanians. The end is not final and it continues on book two. This one is on a point of view of a Russian. The other side of the story. Both books are in the same timeline (this second a bit later) but in the different factions of the War. The third book is the reunion and union against a commom evil.

Fiends of the Rising Sun deals with the vampires fighting in the Eastern Front against americans. This book was to be also a trilogy but unfortunaly Black Flame was closed and so they had to short it to a bigger book. That didn't work out...

VerdictIn my opinion the first three books are very entertaining and anyone who likes II World War books should read it. Vampire and zombies admirers as well. David Bishop is a good writer and made interesting characters and plotline. The end was completly awful and I felt cheated. It was truly awful It made me wait two months before grabing Fiends of Rising Sun which was not good maybe because it was shortened. It felt uncompleted.

Rating

Trilogy 8/10 (without last book ending)

(6/10 with last book ending)

Fiends of Rising Sun 6.5/10