book review | Woken Furies by Richard K. Morgan | Altered Carbon 3

Author: Richard K. Morgan
Title: Woken Furies
Series: Takeshi Kovacs 3
Genre: Cyberpunk; Sci-Fi
Pages: 464
Rate: 3/5 | Goodreads

Long books are rarely exciting cover to cover. Often they’re full of subplots that add nothing to the main idea. Or long voyages with unnecessary things happening, often poorly masquerading as development of sorts: world building, character development, character building. All while it’s so much empty words and sentences that if cut out of the book would take nothing away from the good story hidden in it. In fact, it might just very well help, making the book more approachable, unlike a wall of words, especially those that aren’t exactly necessary. Much like this text you so patiently read, disguised as an example, but really, pointless. So. I’ve finished the Takeshi Kovacs trilogy, the Altered Carbon trilogy with Richard K. Morgan’s book “Woken Furies“. And it was in equal parts good and bad.

About the Book: Harlan’s World. A land of unpredictable oceans and deadly skies filled with Orbitals – Martian technology that shoots down anything more complex in tech than a helicopter that dares rise above the clouds below. It’s called Angel Fire thus. And if that’s not enough danger for you, what land there is on this awful planet is ruled by the First Families, Yakuza, Corporations, new age perverted old religions that are ready to remind you what sinner you are, and so on. And on this native planet Takeshi begins his final voyage, and his final battle.

My Opinion: Depending on your perspective as you pick up this book, and possibly even your mood, it will either be the best thing you’ve ever read: cyberpunk genre with noir vibe to it, action-packed, hard to predict, full of sex, flying bullets, and crime; or the worst thing you’ve ever read: with lots of text that leads no where, mediocre written characters, sense of superiority in everyone you meet, fake bodies with too old minds in them that spew this axe body spray flavored pseudo-philosophy at you, and so on.

I’m glad I’ve read this trilogy. So while this book gets a 3 out of 5, the whole of it is worth 4 out of 5 for sure. Was worth the trip, no matter how long, dull, and splattered with T it sometimes got.

[IG | LT.IG]

book review | Barry Trotter and the Unauthorized Parody by Michael Gerber | Barry Trotter 1

Author: Michael Gerber
Title: Barry Trotter and the Unauthorized Parody
Series: Barry Trotter 1
Genre: Parody; Humor
Pages: 176
Rate: 3/5 | Goodreads 

While “Barry Trotter and the Unauthorized Parody” by Michael Gerber is not a good book per say, with all the shit coming from JKR, concerning both books and her views, it’s almost believable.

About the Book: The Dork Lord is plotting again, and this time he has a legitimate chance at it. Figuring people are growing too smart and clever for his schemes and tricks, he kidnaps the author of Barry Trotter (the OTHER author) and makes her write more books. Whilst he makes movies out of them. Full of marketing ploys and plots, scenarios engineered to dumb the viewer down, the Dork Lord will soon enslave everyone into his corporate scheme. And it’s up to Barry to stop him!

My Opinion: This feels like someone wrote a Wizarding World themed DLC for Saints Row game. The humor is around that level, and then down to Most Scary Movie level, holes in the brain and such. But the plot is easy to follow, generally the book is decently written too.

So if you feel like it, assess what humor you like, and don’t let anyone put you down if this is indeed what you enjoy. I’ll give it a 3 out of 5, wasn’t for me.

book review | Where the Devil says Goodnight by K.A. Merikan | Folk Lore 1

Author: K.A. Merikan
Title: Where the Devil Says Goodnight
Series: Folk Lore 1
Genre: Dark Fantasy; M/M Romance
Pages: 362
Rate: 3/5 | Goodreads

Sometimes even the best of annotations can trip you over. I thought “Where the Devil Says Goodnight” by K.A. Merikan will be just for me. Turns out it’s really not for me.

About the Book: As times move on, people abandon superstition and with it – old religions, old gods. Even to the most remote of places New Age eventually arrives. Such is this village looming in the middle of an ancient forest, where Father Adam was sent. Just barely touched by modern world, with wounds still raw, it’s full of little rituals meant to appease the pagan gods of nature. Strange lack of balanse among its people leaves Adam at unease. As if the land still remembers the dues and the debts.

My Opinion: Slavic lore, especially that coming from the Poland, is very similar to our own, Baltic lore. Interesting descriptions and curious magic was what got all three points in this book. Because the rest didn’t hold up. The story was very dragged, with the final day – far away, and the days in between – filled with nonsensical stuff that barely added to the plot. Romance was boring and even upsetting. And every side character presented this stereotypical good-guy / bad-guy portrait.

It’s okay. A 3 out of 5.

book review | Broken Angels by Richard K. Morgan | Takeshi Kovacs 2

Author: Richard K. Morgan
Title: Broken Angels
Series: Takeshi Kovacs 2
Genre: Sci-Fi; Cyberpunk
Pages: 366
Rate: 3/5 | Goodreads

With second book in Richard K. Morgan trilogy Takeshi Kovacs (Altered Carbon), called “Broken Angels“, we move away from the story told in the series, so it can be safely read at any time, I think.

About the Book: In a far away planet there’s a martian spaceship discovered. Everyone would be curious to see it. Some would even love to own it. Especially once it turns out that the spacecraft is a warship. In the war-ravaged territories this ship could mean the tipping point. And so, naturally, Takeshi Kovacs, in a new sleeve, now a soldier for hire, goes onto expedition to see that ship, and possibly help obtain rights to it for one or another bidder. His envoy intuition and training didn’t prepare him for the amount of myths, fears, superstitions, mysteries, and questions that entangle the damned thing…

My Opinion: More than the whole first half of the book is tedious and slow work. In fact, so slow, I almost missed a few important details due to zoning out. But once it picks up, it shoots and bolts and flies. Martian spaceship, seemingly abandoned, unclear why though. Strange sense of premonition and danger always in the air. And a wake-up call for all of the humanity – what if Martians ran from someone else, some other big bad aliens? It would’ve been a great book were it not for the trudge through strange philosophies,  mediocre attempts to seem edgy, and a weird fixation on male hormones. With poems about it, no joke.

If you’re willing to put in a little work, the book is good. A 3 out of 5 from me, for I could’ve done just fine without the dicksaber competitions and ego booster dialogues of “oh yeah, well…“

book review | The Necromancer’s Dance by S.J. Himes | The Beacon Hill Sorcerer 1

Author: S.J. Himes
Title: The Necromancer’s Dance
Series: The Beacon Hill Sorcerer 1
Genre: Paranormal Romance; LGBT Literature
Pages: 284
Rating: 3/5 | Goodreads

I’m determined to make a dent in my TBR, so here goes the quarantine reads. Finished “The Necromancer’s Dance” by S.J. Himes, first book in the series. A book that fell in my lap during my sudden fascination with Necromancers. For which I blame Elder Scrolls Online.

About the Book: Angelus and his brother Isaac are the only Salvatores who survived the attack of vampire army. Brothers then took different paths in life. Isaac chose to abandon magic. While Angelus had to pick it up for two, to protect himself and his brother. Because during the war Angelus killed dozens of vampires, a feat unheard of. Many would like to have a weapon like that. And many more would like it gone forever.

My Opinion: This is a semi-interesting book with good world building, great magic system, and a superbly woven plot against the protagonist. The story itself is mediocre, with little to no new to offer, but it’s still readable and is entertaining.

It’s alright, definitely not bad. 3 out of 5.

book review | The Vampire’s Club by X. Aratare | 5

Author: X. Aratare
Title: The Vampire’s Club
Series: The Vampire’s Club 5
Genre: Vampires; M/M Romance
Pages: 151
Rate: 3/5 | Goodreads

Finished fifth “The Vampire’s Club” book by X. Aratare. It still reads like chapters, but at least it’s easy to read.

About the Book: Lucas is trying to settle in Club Dyavol as his new home. All would be great and easy were it not for unfinished business outside the club. It seems he only needs to take a step through the door and trouble comes running. All the while Konstantin is trying to resist the perfect temptation to turn Lucas into a vampire. Truly, all the pros, and not a single con against it. But due to witches constantly trying to get in through Club Dyavol’s doors, his suspicions are up, and so he must resist.

My Opinion: Witches are coming in rows, and I don’t really get why they started doing that. It’s clear why they’re doing it now though. But there’s apparent and growing gaps in logic scattered through the plot, filled with angry, stupid, and ever plotting characters. Which isn’t a bad thing until they start acting completely irrationally, to a point where you can’t even write it down as natural behavior. And yet… The books are easy to read, and are entertaining enough in a gay vampires telenovella kind of way. So, I remain.

These aren’t bad books, really. 3 out of 5. Might be easier to real all as one big book though.

book review | The Vampire’s Club by X. Aratare | 4

Author: X. Aratare
Title: The Vampire’s Club
Series: The Vampire’s Club 4
Genre: Paranormal Romance; Vampires
Pages: 151
Rate: 3/5 | Goodreads

I’m not having much luck with the books this week. Finished “The Vampire’s Club“, fourth in the series of the same name, by X. Aratare. And it was… Mild.

About the Book: Time for revelations has come, it seems. Lucas step-father makes a hard pass on him, raving about a man he once knew, who looked so very much like Lucas. Konstantin tries to “fix” this situation, but only manages to find out there’s great magic surrounding not just Lucas, but his home too. Soon after this a couple of witches, out of all people, show up at the Club’s door, and too claim Lucas looks like someone they knew. The tangled web of magic and blood is finally getting loose around the knots. Yet Konstantin and Lucas can only hope they won’t get strangled in it.

My Opinion: Most plot revolved around asking Lucas to tell Konstantin things, and asking Konstantin to do something about Lucas. And while Lucas seems to not grasp the situation just yet, Konstantin is in denial about it. Plot ended up being a bit mild, with characters not acknowledging repetitiveness, or them only serving to propel the plot onto the next tile. But all in all, there were good moments, and secrets were presented in such a form that I am, absolutely, interested to read more.

Definitely readable. 3 out of 5 so far.

book review | The 5th Gender by G.L. Carriger | Tinkered Stars 1

Author: G.L. Carriger
Title: The 5th Gender
Series: Tinkered Stars 1
Genre: Sci-Fi; LGBT romance
Pages: 236
Rate: 3/5 | Goodreads

Ah, well, okay. A couple of authors I enjoy have positively reviewed “The 5th Gender” by G.L. Carriger. Sadly it wasn’t my cup of tea.

About the Book: Tristol, an alien with lavender skin and sunshine personality, always helpful, always smiling, has chosen the life of an exile. His inner sadness and hurt buried under the layer of freedom, and the loneliness suddenly relieved by a handsome human detective aboard the ship. But happy little moment barely had the time to spark a flame as work pulled them both into an unthinkable. A galoi ship, Tristol’s natives, requests help of the detective, for there has been a murder aboard. It comes as a shock requiring this unprecedented need of human assistance, for galoi don’t even have a word for “murder“…

My Opinion: The detective, while simple, was well woven and I definitely enjoyed it. It was the romance that fell flat, with everything going smooth and perfect. It’s fine if you like that sort of thing. But I, personally, hoped for a tad more depth.

All in all, author seems promising, and I’d gladly read other works. This one, though, gets 3 out of 5 from me.

book review | The Last Astronaut by David Wellington

Author: David Wellington
Title: The Last Astronaut
Series: –
Genre: Sci-fi; Horror
Pages: 400
Rate: 3/5 | Goodreads

The very first book to properly get me into reading was “Reckoning Infinity” by John E. Stith. It was strange to read a tale so very similar, as “The Last Astronaut” by David Wellington. And a bit sad I didn’t like it all that much.

About the Book: First contact. An alien object entered the solar system and started moving towards Earth. With no communications coming from it, NASA did what they could. They sent out a handful of their best to investigate the now parked object, so terrifyingly close to Earth. But in space as on Earth, astronauts got only silence, and nothing on the looming surface, definitely alien, answered any questions either. So they made a call to go knock on the neighbor’s doors before they, the aliens, battered Earth to oblivion for this or that resource.

My Opinion: The story is sensible, but neither very interesting, not captivating. Horror aspects fell short, for anything in pitch black, with only a light on an astronaut suit, could look scary and alien. And so we got a lot of ascending, descending, walking through corridors without any clear sense to it, just the idea from observed gravity. And while characters each were unique, serving their own purpose in the story, the latter one got really predictable real fast, and you knew exactly who’s going to go mad, and who’s going to be a hero.

It’s an okay book. Not great, not bad either. If you enjoy long walks in pitch black alien things with writhing stuff left, right, and one with teeth behind you, it might be for you. I give it a solid 3 out of 5.

book review | Milk Run by Nathan Lowell | Smuggler’s Tales 1

Author: Nathan Lowell
Title: Milk Run
Series: Smuggler’s Tales 1
Genre: Sci-fi; Space Opera
Pages: 378
Rate: 3/5 | Goodreads

Eh. In my search for good Space Opera or Sci-fi, preferably with androids, robots, and/or AI, I ran into “Milk Run” by Nathan Lowell that had none of the three things to it. And in general, wasn’t very entertaining.

About the Book: After being framed for murder, Natalya and her friend made a run for it. The only safe place to survive outside the legal jurisdiction for them was in smuggler ships, where they got jobs that mostly fit their actual education. But it turns out joining a smugglers crew is much easier than, say, surviving on deck of one such ship. From the lack of educated people running it, to the lack of honor among thieves…

My Opinion: From one great event that’s left in the dust by the story, to the next. Characters were mediocre, with little effort put in to change their whole course, and not too much depth. The captain was mister-right, agreeing with all things he had to agree, and disagreeing with all things he had to disagree with, thus propelling the plot without any events greater than the final attempt at a hold-up.

This wasn’t very entertaining, and I don’t think I want to read any more in the series. Book gets a 3 out of 5 from me.