I managed to finish nine books in November. What were they and what did I think of them?
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| Why I read it: | Having already read and enjoyed book 1, I picked this up from the library when I spotted it. |
| What is it about?: | A magical world-spanning ocean called the pirate stream once again touches the Earth and Marril, re-joins her friends once again this time in a bid to save the planet from getting torn apart. |
| Thoughts: | In the first book, we travelled to a few interesting and imaginative places and I left that book looking forward to visiting more places in this one. With that expectancy, I was a little disappointed that we only visited a couple. However, they were indeed interesting and imaginative with the titular city being the setting for most of the story. There was a lot of emphasis on want and need that drove many plot points and threats, which made for a different type of ‘engine’ running the story. Unlike most stories where this need is realised in the stealing of that gold or the murdering of that competition, this need is more of that unspent yearning which is spun into something tangible. It encompasses most of the characters and plot points as well as shines the first book in a more needy light. Fin’s need to be remembered, Marrill’s need for her mother’s recovery, the Naysayer’s need to look after the cat, Coll’s need to keep on sailing and Ardent’s need to find his lost love. In a bid to keep this world ‘fresh’ they Marrill’s teenage babysitter was dragged along too and she played the fish-out-of-water character. Beyond that, there wasn’t really anything she added to the story or the plot, which was a wasted opportunity. In some scenes she may as well not even be there and it’s only when she finally speaks or reacts to something that I’m reminded that she’s even in the story. As with book one, the story is accompanied by some fabulous pieces of artwork that feel like they’re stills from an animated TV series or film and accentuated the story beautifully. |
| Score: | Buy it |
| I’ve also read: | The Map To Everywhere. |
| What’s next? | I’d like to read book 3: Shadows Of A Lost Sun, but I’ll have to wait until I find it in the library. So will be kicking off the InCryptid series with Discount Armageddon, by Seanan McGuire which I spotted in the library and thought looked quite fun, not just because of the front cover. |
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| Why I read it: | I have so many graphic novels that I want to add to Goodreads. Rereading them and adding them as I go. Working my way through the Star Wars section chronologically. |
| What is it about?: | The Clone Wars are in full swing and Quinlan Vos is going deep, deep undercover while Aayla Secura joins a team of Jedi investigating goings on on the planet Devaron. |
| Thoughts: | Quinlan and Aayla are by far my favourite Jedi, so I really enjoyed rereading this. Quinlan’s dance with the dark side make him a really compelling character. In order to be convincing as a dark Jedi, he must do things a Jedi should never do and the effect it has on him and those who are close to him is dramatic. Aayla’s confrontation with the bounty hunter Aurra Sing is also a delight. Both having had some training from the vampirish Anzati and carrying a lot of pain and confusion from their Jedi masters. In a genre where there are lightsaber clashes aplenty, this is one of the more memorable and satisfying ones. The final story of Qunlan Vos’s assassination mission for Count Dooku is edgy and you’re left wondering if Quinlan is still succeeding with his internal battle against the dark side and is playing the part, or if he’s fallen to and merely deceiving himself. Throughout, the artwork is impeccable and is probably the reason why Aayla is as popular as she is. |
| Score: | Booktastic |
| I’ve also read: | A lot of Star Wars books |
| What’s next? | Star Wars: Clone Wars V: The Best Blades |
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| Why I read it: | For the last two books of the month I’ve read books 1 and 2 of this trilogy. It’s only fitting I finish the trilogy this month. |
| What is it about?: | Now that Amber’s turned the tables on her parents, she’s now hunting them. Unfortunately, her new job keeps getting in the way. |
| Thoughts: | A satisfying conclusion to a fun trilogy. Deliciously graphic and violent, this book directly follows on from the conclusion to book two, so I can’t say much without spoiling the other books in the series. Needless to say, the stakes are higher, the monsters are tougher and Amber is still useless in combat. I consider this a good thing because too many times the perfectly ordinary loser suddenly gets some super power and then can not only wield them proficiently but they also suddenly know Kung-Fu. Amber’s still the Amber she was, there’s just a new aspect of her life she has to deal with. The story-arcs for the secondary characters are also satisfying or tragic. Again, no names can be mentioned here. This still has that X-Files feel, particularly when they’re up against the clown but that style of adventure features less here. In fact, the books in the trilogy have got progressively shorter. A lot of the first book was attributed to Amber bouncing from one encounter to the next, to the next, and again, and again. Book 2 was more of one all-encompassing encounter. This time the encounters are directly linked to the plot, with Amber finally having a goal to aim for. The only spoilerish thing I will reveal is that the ending does potentially have the set-up of further books in the series. I’m not saying there will be, but it’s left in a way that means there could be. I did enjoy this series that’s full of interesting monsters and gadgets. I can see that Amber’s ineptitude could irritate some readers. Particularly that, despite that, she keeps surviving her encounters and usually due to interventions by others. My only real gripe is that the plastic protective film has begun to unpeel from the covers making them look messy. I expect more from a brand new book that doesn’t give much change from a tenner. |
| Score: | Buy it |
| I’ve also read: | Demon Road; Demon Road: Desolation; Skulduggery Pleasant; Skulduggery Pleasant: Playing With Fire |
| What’s next? | I’m planning for this year’s last book of the month to match its first, with Ernest Cline and I’ll be reading Armada. |
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| Why I read it: | Before I joined Goodreads at the end of last year, I never added graphic novels to my books read list. Been rereading my graphic novels and adding them to the list that way. This was one I had out the library before and it’s the same battered copy this time. |
| What is it about?: | After the death of Prince Xixor, his custom-built assassin/sex bot seeks to remove her assassin programming. |
| Thoughts: | This is an interesting tale of how a programmed machine that can’t help but obey, seeks redemption for its actions. It seeks to overcome its obstacles with the single-minded determination of a terminator which is the irony in that it wishes to cease being that way. The story is interspersed with a near-farcical attempt by the surviving members of Black Sun to reacquire the dangerous droid to use for their own ends. That the heroes of the Rebellion and the New Republic are also thrown into the mix does perhaps feel a little over the top – particularly as they don’t really add anything further to the plot. This is perhaps tonally all over the place with the seriousness of what Guri is trying to do and the conniving within Black Sun to Han and Leia’s interesting relationship particularly in regards to Han interacting with any female that’s not Leia. Lando’s there too, for some reason. It’s an enjoyable read, though, with a satisfying conclusion. The artwork has that classic look about it making Guri particularly manikin-like in appearance, which disturbingly drives home her inhumanity despite her rather curvaceous figure. |
| Score: | Buy it |
| I’ve also read: | Lots of Star Wars! |
| What’s next? | Another library reread: Agent Of The Empire: Iron Eclipse. |
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| Why I read it: | I’m a big fan of the show and was able to pick up the novels when they were available. Giving them a reread. |
| What is it about?: | After a research facility is burnt down, a surviving scientist afflicted with a deadly contagion is in a race against time to find a cure. Special Agents Mulder and Scully are left picking up the pieces in his wake. |
| Thoughts: | You know this is an X-Files story because it has The X-Files on the front cover to remind you it is. The story itself was interesting enough with some thought-provoking aspects of medical research ethics and the conspiracy to control public access to medical breakthroughs. The level of threat from the ‘monster’ was pretty high with a nicely disturbing fate for his victims. The scene with the vet was a particular highlight. Of the books, I would say this one is probably the least “X-Filesy” in that the great mystery is definitively explained and doesn’t fall under either the paranormal or supernatural headings. It’s definitely along the lines of one of the “Monster-Of-The-Week” episodes in that there’s very little to do with the franchise outside of this story. If you were to change out Mulder and Scully with two other characters and the FBI for some other investigative organisation or group, the story would be exactly the same, or might even have benefitted from not having the story-telling restrictions of tying it into a franchise. |
| Score: | Worth reading |
| I’ve also read: The X-Files: | Darkness Falls; Goblins; Ground Zero; The Host; Humbug; Ruins; Shapes; Skin; Squeeze; Tiger, Tiger; Whirlwind; X Marks The Spot |
| What’s next? | I’ll be rereading The X-Files: Skin |
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| Why I read it: | I’ve been adding graphic novels I’ve read to my reading lists, but I’m rereading them first. Happened to find this in the library. |
| What is it about?: | Agent Cross, of the Imperial Security Bureau is the man they send to investigate suspected traitors of the Empire. His latest mission to investigate stolen droid technology turns out to be far more dangerous than expected. |
| Thoughts: | So the Galactic Empire is full of evil xenophobic megalomaniacs who fill their days enslaving populations and crushing the weak underfoot, right? Well, no actually, at least no more so than any other civilization or governing body. This is a side to the Empire that Luke Skywalker never sees from the sands of Tatooine to the cockpit of his X-wing as he barrels down the Death Star trench. The Empire, like any other organisation, is run on rules and is reliant on may parts. If those rules are broken and those parts don’t do their job, Agent Cross is the man to fix the problem. If Cross is guilty of anything, it’s that he believes the lies the Empire has fed him about the Jedi orchestrating the civil war in a bid to seize power. He views corruption as an act of treachery against the Empire. This is a thrilling spy story with more than a subtle flavour of James Bond about it. The main plot of the story is entertaining enough, but is largely overshadowed by the charisma of Agent Cross. I actually had to go look up the main plot of the story just now, the telling was so enjoyable that what it was about didn’t matter. I loved that fact that if this were a traditions Star Wars story with Luke and co. Agent Cross would be the enemy (he would certainly view the rebellion with distaste) and one in which Luke would probably meet his match. Chronologically, this story is based when Luke’s still wanting to go to Toschi station to pick up power converters and other time-wasting activities with his friends. If you like spy stories fully of action and intrigue with a lead character that can carry a story, then definitely give this one a go. The artwork’s not bad either. |
| Score: | Booktastic! |
| I’ve also read: | 148 Star Wars books I’m not going to list here. |
| What’s next? | I’ve found book 7 of the Knights of the Old Republic in the library! Yay! |
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| Why I read it: | There’s a whole bookcase of Buffy books in my house. So… |
| What is it about?: | Buffy and the gang experience shared dreams of the Salem during the time of the witch trials. History is trying to repeat itself. |
| Thoughts: | Set during season 1 of the TV show, this stand-alone story sees Buffy and the gang dream a lot. For such a small story, there are a lot of characters and a convoluted plot. There are some interesting moments, particularly Xander’s possession by the ghost of a witch (and walking as used to a different set of hips), but there’s an awful lot of not much really happening. Giles is ill, Willow sits at a computer, Buffy can’t kill (the baddies are possessed, not evil), Angel’s off brooding somewhere and…oh wait, it’s season one, that’s that whole gang. Conversely, adding the Master as the main evil behind the shenanigans actually made what plot there was, nonsensical. As with Coyote Moon, the whole big evil bad thing that could threaten life as we know it is…suddenly defeated and that’s it, the end. This could almost be truncated to the sequence before the opening credits which would then lead into the real meat of the story. |
| Score: | Boring – just plain dull |
| I’ve also read: | Tales Of The Slayer (Volumes 1-3); Coyote Moon; Halloween Rain; Harvest; Spike & Dru: Pretty Maids All In A Row |
| What’s next? | Buffy The Vampire Slayer: The Angel Chronicles Volume I |
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| Why I read it: | I adore StarCraft and everything StarCrafty. Of course I’m going to read it. |
| What is it about?: | After the Guild Wars, Jim Raynor and Tychus Findley are living a life of crime. However, an enemy from their past has set out to destroy them. |
| Thoughts: | This is the continuation of the origin story nobody asked for as started in Heaven’s Devils. However, even though it was something that I never even considered as something worth finding out about, this was a very entertaining and fulfilling read. Here is the opportunity to get to know the real James Raynor and how deep his friendship with Tychus really was. The threat from the bounty hunter chasing them was palpable as was the feeling of loss when the other Devils fell into his hands. The action was exciting and well realised (no shaky cam here). Raynor’s return to the homestead was a little by the numbers, but still tugged the heartstrings effectively. Raynor’s final confrontation was actually quite moving. The story ended as expected, all ready for the original game to kick off. It also makes Raynor’s action at the end of Wings of Liberty all the more heart-breaking. These may have had the glaring omission of Protoss or Zerg, but the larger than life characters, the action and adventure as well as a good dose of heart, made it so that I hardly noticed. |
| Score: | Booktastic! |
| I’ve also read: | Liberty’s Crusade; Shadow Of The Xel’Naga; Speed Of Darkness; I, Mengsk; The Dark Templar Saga (Firstborn; Shadow Hunters; Twilight); Heaven’s Devils. |
| What’s next? | StarCraft: Evolution |
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| Why I read it: | I really enjoy this particular series but only have the first few volumes and read up to volume 6. Spotted this one in the library. |
| What is it about?: | Now that Zayne has been cleared of murder he is now embarking on a life of opportunities. This volume contains 3 stories: Profit Motive: The team try to scam an illegal stock exchange in planets. It doesn’t go as planned. Execution: The team encounter a derelict ship, crew murdered and one Bimm survivor. Duelling Ambitions: Zayne enters a dangerous swoop competition only to find that under the exciting facade is a conspiracy of cruelty. |
| Thoughts: | Now that the original story arc has concluded, the storyline has lost quite a bit of focus and has fallen into a more episodic format. The minor overarching theme of Jareal’s past and potential future barely gives enough to make a hook for more. Also, as before with this series, the artwork fluctuates wildly between each ‘episode’. The quality is pretty good, it’s just inconsistent. Profit Motive featured a Chevin crime-boss and introduced the Chev slaves. I always found the Chevin a fascinating species and enjoyed seeing a bit more about them. The story itself was a little convoluted but was more amusing because of it. It features a pivotal scene with Jarael. Score: Worth reading Faithful Execution had what I would call a ‘messy’ art style that detracted initially, but as the chilling story unfolded, actually fit quite well. It made me think of the Firefly episode Bushwhacked. Score: Buy the book for this story Duelling Ambitions was also a little convoluted, but with a more serious plot, it didn’t work quite as well as in Profit Motive. Still, the action was exciting enough, but the whole thing did feel a bit of a set-up story for the next story-arc as revelations about Jarael’s past finally come to the surface. Score: Worth reading |
| Score: | Worth reading |
| I’ve also read: | Many, many Star Wars books. |
| What’s next? | Volume 8 as and when (and if) I ever get my hands on a copy. |
So, that was November.
What’s up for December?
Here’s my TBR:
Read Completely:
1. Armada by Ernest Cline (my book of the month)
2-5. Star Wars: Clone Wars x4 graphic novels
6. Star Wars: Shadow Games by Michael Reaves and Maya Kaathryn Bohnhoff
7. Star Wars: I, Jedi by Michael A. Stackpole
8. Star Wars: Children Of The Jedi by Barbara Hambley
9-10. 2 Goosebumps Books
Finish:
11. Star Wars: Clone Wars V: The Best Blades (graphic novel)
12. Skulduggery Pleasant III: The Faceless Ones by Derek Landy(reading to my wife)
13. W.A.R.P.: The Forever Man by Eoin Coiffer (reading to my oldest).
14. InCryptid I: Discount Armageddon by Seanan McGuire (my library book)
15. Left Behind IV: Soul Harvest by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins
16. Manifold IV: Phase Space by Stephen Baxter (short stories)
17. Temperance Brennan II: Death Du Jour by Kathy Reichs
50 Pages of:
Star Wars: The Old Republic Encyclopaedia
Incompetence by Rob Grant
Shadowmancer II: The Curse Of Salamander Street by G.P. Taylor
The Living Dead edited by John Joseph Adams (short stories).
As much as I can of:
The Stainless Steel Rat Saves The World by Harry Harrison
Robin Hood According To Spike Milligan
Doctor Who: Dead Of Winter by James Goss
Dragon Orb I: Firestorm by Mark Robson (reading to my youngest)
A Song Of Ice And Fire: A Dance With Dragons I: Dreams And Dust by George R. R. Martin
To see all the books I’m currently reading check out my Currently Reading page.
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