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 :)

Revierw: The Breach - Patrick Leee

Title  The Breach

Author Patrick Lee

Year 2009

Stand Alone or Series Travis Chase I

Pages 384

Reading Time 14 days

Synopsis

Travis Chase, a man putting his life back together after fifteen years in prison, takes a solo hike into the Alaskan Rockies. He's just looking for a quiet place to think about his future, but what he finds is trouble: a 747, downed in remote wilderness, the wreck impossibly undiscovered by authorities. Those aboard are dead, though not because of the crash. They've been shot.

This aircraft, along with the terrifying object it was transporting, is only the beginning for Travis. Within hours he finds himself at the center of a violent conflict that spans the globe, and a secret war that dates back three decades. A war for possession of radically advanced technology—that wasn't created by human hands.

Review

This is the first book of a trilogy and it starts beautifully. I really want to read the rest and being mere 350 pages I will read them shortly. Unfortunally I am changing home so my reading time as being spent elsewhere. This book starts in action and end in action. In between we learn what is the Breach and how all things are connected.
We follow throughout the book Travis Chase and he is an interesting character, ex-cop and ex-com, and inbetween we have a couple of chapters with other characters. We also are presented with flashbacks that share a bit more about the character and plot. The other main character is Paige Campbell, a strong female with some degree of vulnerability. This is a thriller so expect short chapters and all going action (with small information about the Breach every couple of chapters). One thing that made me read this novel was the likeness (or something that remind me of X-Files) and I am all for it. Increase action, terrorism a bit of romance and you've got a decent quick read.
The plot itself is full of "What if's" and "What?". We never get the full grasp of everything is happening until the last chapter which made me read even faster.

To resume a bit...
There is a Breach where everyday several objects arrive. Mostly are useless (or they thing) and others are quite dangerous. The Breach have been sending things for several decades and one of the main scientists has gone rogue and formed a agency that is trying to overthrown the agency that leads the exploration of the Breach.
For the first page on Travis gets involved and helps the agency even not knowing what it is against the mad scientist with a entity that knows everything. But what is Tangent (the rogue agency) goal?
As the pages turn we learn of the Breach, the persons that know of it and defend it and the main antagonists. As I said the ending is not at all predictable and quite good which leaves wanting for more.

Thumbs up for this author.

8.5/10

Review: The Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins

Title The Hunger Games

Author Suzanne Collins

Year 2008

Stand Alone or Series Book I The Hunger Games

Pages 454

Reading Time 6 days

Review

A nice YA with dystopia elements. A quick read but don't start reading if you are not expecting to read the second and third. The story ends in a cliffhanger.

This novel reminds me of Battle Royale and the Running Man by Stephen King but it's nice nevertheless. A dystopia world where a city called Capitol controls twelve areas and each are must pay tribute to it. Some gems, others mining material, others food or timber and so on. And most importantly, as a reminder of who rules each area must send two young teens to fight in the Hunger Games. And only one can survive. 

The main character is Katniss a 16yrs old girl who in my opinion is a weak character. It seems that everything happens to benefit her. In a way Peeta (another character who embarks on the games) helps her a lot. Even others from other cities help her. I think she is carried by some characters and that is a weak female role but the writer is a female so...

The Games themselves occupied half the book. The rest is divided between the life before the lottery and the Capitol training for each participant. It's like a reality show but it ends with death.

Peeta is a great character and in my opinion the only one with human feelings. Katniss is a suspicion as hell never giving much. Maybe the charactes will chance in the second and third book. 

If the writer killed Peeta in the latter books I will probably stop reading them. Because he is the main reason I love the books... 9/10

PS: I must see the movie.

PS2: You like dystopias novels? Then read this one. It's not wasted time but it's not the best out there but is not the worst

Review: Orcslayer - Nathan Long

Title - Orcslayer

Author - Nathan Long

Year - 2006

Stand Alone or Series - 8th Gotrek and Felix

Pages - 416

Reading Time - 10 days


Review
This was the eight book in the Gotrek and Felix Saga. The first was Trollslayer, followed by Skavenslayer, Daemonslayer, Dragonslayer, Beastslayer, Vampireslayer and Giantslayer. They were all written by William King but unfortunally he left and for four years there wasn't a Gotrek & Felix book. And so Nathan Long appeared and start writing them. I've already read BlackHeart trilogy and I really enjoy his writing style so I start reading this one with the same professionalism expected but of course I knew it wasn't William King (whom for me is one of the best writers on role in BL). Beastslayer, Daemonslayer and Skavenslayer are on the top five books published by Black Library and probably in the top ten of all time favourites.

But what can you expect from this book? Gotrek and Felix return from travelling to Ind, Cathay and Araby and are back to the Olde World. I really wanted to read about their adventures on that distant lands but that won't happen. They arrive in a Dwarf port and there they find out that the Empire, Dwarves and Elves are fighting Archon so Gotrek want's to travel north but due to the invasion of the Orcs and Goblins they can't leave the port of Barak Varr. There they met Hammir, a long friend (now feud) of Gotrek. Gotrek treats Hammir as an Oathbreaker (the worst name you can give a Dwarf) but Hammir enlists Gotrek help due to an old pledge made by him. With the help of several hundred dwarves they travel to Karak Hirn to take back the hold from the Orcs.

From this moment on we are present with several tries made by the duo and several other characters to open the gates to let the main army in but the Orcs are behaving almost un-orcish style giving the dwarves trouble after trouble.

I think for a being (Gotrek) that defeated Daemos or Dragons - orcs aren't that hard but Nathan Long brought an ancient being to life. This being remind me of HP Lovecraft deity but maybe I am wrong.

With this novel we don't get the humour William King gave us with each book but there is a change to the grim world Warhammer is and we get to see a lot more interaction from Gotrek with Felix. We also learn more about Gotrek past before Felix. 

The ending was good, the main evil character, as I said was in my opinion not has hard as other beings and Gotrek is still invicible and I wonder if anyone can defeated him because he already survived a single combat with a Bloodthirster of Khorne, being hit by a stone hurled by a trebuchet, being catapulted into an orc ship and falling three hundred feet off a cliff (these last ones were on this book).

Would I recommend it? Yes. Of course. It's not William King but Nathan Long is quite a good writer 8.5/10

Thoughts XX - Desire Lyrics

Probably the best written lyrics... Cada vez que as leio sinto-me em casa... Such sorrow...My Heart is torn apart, consumed in silence by pain - Shedding in tears and elegies for it's love

Ah, sentimento funebre! Oh, lutuosa melancolia!

Deusa da negra escuridão do sentimento que me esfria

Celeste e divina é a lembrança, a memória do teu beijo

A arder-me no peito, esse céu amplo de desejo...

Ah, gloomy feeling! Oh, mournful melancholy!

Goddess of black darkness of the sentiment that freezes me

Heavenly and divine is the remembrance, the memory of your kiss

(Oh sorrow, embrace me... In your arms I wish to die)

Burning in my chest, that wide sky of desire...

Here, just me and you and my shadowy sadness

With my soul already fed up of sighing and moaning

What I want is to take to death

My being overflowing of suffering, perish to suffer

And in deeply sad agony, my eyes ripped off by tears

With which my soul relieves the pain

Are fainting like the sky at daylight

Oh, what outermost of pain! Oh, what tragic misanthropy!

When sorrow embraces my heart, it dies alone!

True love never dies...

Love is suicide...

Thoughts XIX - Pain is my father... Hate is my only friend...

The vast eternity touches my soul,
As the light that haunt me fades away....
Tears of Blood feeding my Hate
To that place of pain, that once was my fate...

Review: Pariah by Bob Fingerman

Title - Pariah

Author - Bob Fingerman

Year - 2010

Stand Alone or Series - Stand Alone

Pages - 317

Reading Time - 9 days in November

Synopsis

A global plague has nearly vanquished mankind; the citizenry of New York City is no exception. Eight million zombies. Shoulder to shoulder. Walking the streets, looking for their next meal of human flesh. The residents of an Upper East Side walkup have joined forces to keep themselves safe, the pageant of walking rot outside their windows a constant reminder of the their foreseeable fate. Trapped in the safety of their building, the tenants find themselves at each others’ throats. When they spy a lone teenage girl who walks unharmed among the undead, impervious, their world opens up.

Review

As you all know, I love a good zombie book and I grab one I read it in a flash. This novel premise is good but the ending not so good. 

The story begins after the "end of the world" and zombies are infesting the city of NY. The residents of a building are starving when a girl arrives walking freely amidst the zombies. She arrives as a saviour and start doing chores for them. But this girl is different. 
Some residents start wondering why can't she do what she can and not they. After months in isolation the mind of the residents is completly destroyed, paranoid so the interaction between them and the girl and the zombies is one of the highlight of the novel. 

The ending was quite different from what I expected and that was dissapointed. I think it was against the setting of the book or the mood. 

Review: The Sandman: The Dream Hunter - Neil Gaiman

Title - The Sandman: The Dream Hunter

Author - Neil Gaiman

Year - 1999

Stand Alone or Series - Part of Series

Pages - 128

Reading Time - November 2011

Synopsis

A humble young monk and a magical, shape-changing fox find themselves romantically drawn together. As their love blooms, the fox learns of a devilish plot by a group of demons and a Japanese emperor to steal the monk's life. With the aid of Morpheus, the fox must use all of her cunning and creative thinking to foil this evil scheme and save the man that she loves.

Review

 This was a great novella to read. What a story and most important and beautiful... the drawings. Simply magnific. I really love them. Amano is one of my favourite artists, being a reader of Vampire Hunter D and having a couple of Art books by him. 

Everyone knows The Sandman right? So I am not going to dwell on that. This is a tale that could be a fable from the old ancient Japan. 

The King of All Night's Dreaming was my favourite character and it really made me dream. The story is quite beautiful and one that everyone should read about it. Love & Revenge. Bittersweetness is the keyword. 

It all begins with a wager between two animals. The winner would take a monk's temple. But the monk is not fooled and the fox become in love with him. Then the fox goes to great lenghts to protect the monk and vice versa; going even to Morpheu's dreamland. 

This is one of those tales that you could read it all in one sipping before going yourself to Morpheus's realm. The book is worth having just for the drawings. 9/10

Review: Drachenfels - Jack Yeovil

Title - Drachenfels

Author - Jack Yeovil (aka Kim Newman)

Year - 283

Stand Alone or Series - 1st of 4 book series

Pages - 2001

Reading Time - 5 days on August

Synopsis

Detlef Sierck, the self-proclaimed greatest playwright in the world, has declared that his next production will be a recreation of the end of the Great Enchanter Drachenfels - to be staged at the very site of his death, the Fortress of Drachenfels itself. But the castle's dark walls still hide a terrible secret which may make the opening night an evening to remember! Storming dark fantasy with the vampire femme-fatale Genevieve!

Review

This is the first book by Jack Yeovil (aka Kim Newman) and what a read it was. In the beginning of the novel we see Genevieve, Prince Oswald and her band of adventures fighting the Great Enchanter Drachenfels. The novel is devided in acts like a play which gave the feeling of reading a script of one. 

After the demise of Drachenfels and several years later Detlef Sierck, a playwright, wants to make a play about that event. The first couple of chapters is about Detlef joining the right persons to enact the protagonists including the surviving members of the real battle to teach the actors. And from this moment on nothing happens according to plan and it was a nice tale of mystery in gothic scenery. The ending is quite good and I couldn't see it coming. 

If you want to read about vampires in Warhammer I would advice you to buy this book (there is a omnibus with all novels). I would also advice to anyone who wants to read a nice book of fantasy, gothic/vampire novel. 9.5/10

Review: Dreadfleet - Phil Kelly

Title - Dreadfleet 

Author - Phil Kelly

Year - 2011

Stand Alone or Series - Stand Alone

Pages - 200

Reading Time - 13 days in October 2011

Dreadfleet is the first novel (to my knowledge) by Phil Kelly. He also have some rulebooks in the Warhammer/40k. 

This is a novella not a full lenghted book but I think it was the right size. Here we follow the aventures of Captain Roth and his crew with other pirate lords as they try to defeat the scourge of the sea; Count Noctilus. 

Of course reading this novel one must compare to Fell Cargo because is the other novel set in warhammer world with a naval theme. I must say I enjoy this one better. First the pirate lords are a interesting bunch then the battle scenes are also better. Even te image the writer gives us of the pirate lords cities feel like we are there. 

I would advice to anyone who is interesting in playing the tabletop game or anyone who likes Warhammer 7/10