book review | Dracula’s Child by J.S. Barnes

Author: J.S. Barnes
Title: Dracula’s Child
Series: –
Genre: Dracula; Vampires
Pages: 576
Rate: 3/5 | Goodreads

I’m really craving some Dracula content these days. So when “Dracula’s Child” by J.S. Barned got into my feed, I had to read it. And I did. And it was okay.

About the Book: Upon chasing Dracula down and killing him, Mina and Jonathan Harker thought they rid their lives of the evil and can now begin the process of healing. Live their life, raise their son. But upon his death, Dracula swore revenge that’ll reach them across eons… And it seems the darkness is pooling up again.

My Opinion: The book is pretty well written, easy to read, entertaining. But at the same time it’s filled with characters and scene that add nothing, and yet are constantly there just to be there. You either end up forgetting their existence as soon as the scene is over, or try to connect them to anything at all for the rest of the story. But generally, I liked the idea, the way propaganda spreading is portrayed here, and whom it could possibly benefit. 

It’s not a bad book, there’s simply too many mediocre things to make it a good one. A firm 3 out of 5, mostly for the good writing itself.

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book review | The Great Martian War: Invasion by Scott Washburn | 1

Author: Scott Washburn
Title: The Great Martian War: Invasion
Series: The Great Martian War
Genre: Sci-fi; Alternative History
Pages: 325
Rate: 4/5 | Goodreads

Got through “The Great Martian War: Invasion” by Scott Washburn. It’s good for what it is, but probably not for me.

About the Book: The first alien invasion ended almost as soon as it began. Pathogens, sickness. Martians had to run or die. Some died even though they ran. But their position is too desperate, they must try again, and soon.

Humans are getting ready for it, at least those who know it’ll happen again, for you can’t convince the masses that neither saw nor heard anything other than tales about some weird aliens in Europe. First airplanes are being built, first tanks, for there’s not much you can do with a shotgun off a horse’s back.

My Opinion: It’s definitely a good book for what it is. But in general, I didn’t enjoy it much. Too much riding, walking, and thinking where to ride or walk next.

It’s worth the time, and so, worth the 4 out of 5.

book review | Darkly: Black History and America’s Gothic Soul by Leila Taylor

Author: Leila Taylor
Title: Darkly: Black History and America’s Gothic Soul
Series: –
Genre: History; Memoir
Pages: 207
Rate: 5/5 | Goodreads

Finally, a truly good book! “Darkly: Black History and America’s Gothic Soul” by Leila Taylor is a beautiful memoir that encompasses black history and it’s great part, contribution and fit with the gothic subculture.

About the Book: When people already look upon you as “other” due to sheer ignorance or lack of representation, such vile ideas as “goth is so white” only serve to deepen the rift between “them” and “us“. In short, but with plenty of details, this book weaves together America’s history, specifically the black history that is too often hushed and overlooked, and that of gothic subculture.

My Opinion: First of all, let me just gloat in the fact someone put it so well what a goth is and what it might entail, without any ridiculous elitism that many “elder goths” shun like they don’t do it with “it’s the music scene, you must at least enjoy the music” as if those dusty records matter any more than fanciful relics of a culture no one bothers to research deeper. This way some jackass eventually comes up with that saying above, and other morons repeat it, thinking it “trendy” or “cool” (you know whom I pointing at). And second of all, this is a damn good book. Author speaks in short, but there’s enough details to follow and remain interested from cover to cover, with witty, heartwarming, and scary, heartbreaking stories to emphasize the point. Truly, I cannot recommend it enough.

A very good book. 5 out of 5.

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book review | Brushfire by Craig Alanson | Expeditionary Force 11

Author: Craig Alanson
Title: Brushfire
Series: Expeditionary Force 11
Genre: Sci-fi; Aliens
Pages: 392
Rate: 5/5 | Goodreads

Is there anything better than a jigsaw puzzle with an audiobook on a snowy day? Nothing’s better if said book is also “Brushfire” by Craig Alanson, 11th in the Expeditionary Force series, and the puzzle is of Maelstrom (cyberpunk 2077).

About the Book: Joe Bishop used the elder weapons card on the hostile aliens that would wipe out any life in the universe, this way everyone loses, so everyone has incentive to behave. Doing so he assumed Earth would be safe. Well… Safe-ish. They’re still going with the beta site plan, just in case. And… Well, he he, you’re not going to like where this is going.

My Opinion: Of course it’s good. By now, does anyone expect any less? The book is packed with tension, explosions, more tension, some hope to keep you reading, great humor, and utter dread for every character ever.

Damn, I dread the day there is no more. A 5 out of 5.

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book review | Haunted Honeymoon by Marta Acosta | Casa Dracula 4

Author: Marta Acosta
Title: Haunted Honeymoon
Series: Casa Dracula 4
Genre: Paranormal Romance; Vampires
Pages: 320
Rate: 5/5 | Goodreads

Ah, here we go. Finished “Haunted Honeymoon” by Marta Acosta. Last book in the Casa Dracula series. It ended well, so I’m happy.

About the Book: Never has Milagro been in this much trouble. After an argument with her man, she stormed off to let some steam off and figure where things go from there. But a series of impossible events has landed her here. In some weird lab, with a crazy evil scientist who dreams a dream of an undead army…

My Opinion: At first I thought this was going to be one of those boring old stories about getting kidnapped, evil scientists, clones, zombies, memory loss and eventual re-falling in love with douchebag ex. But this was not that, far from it. I made a right call comparing Milagro with Sookie: an underestimated woman who thinks on her feet.

Lots of good endings, since the story ended not just for Milagro. A firm 5 out of 5.

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book review | Midnight Brunch by Marta Acosta | 2

Author: Marta Acosta
Title: Midnight Brunch
Series: Casa Dracula 2
Genre: Vampires; Paranormal Romance
Pages: 336
Rate: 4/5 | Goodreads

These days, with so much snow outside, it’s a bit hard to keep attention in the book pages. All I want to do is walk through fresh snow and play Cyberpunk 2077 upon getting home. But I did manage to sit down and read “Midnight Brunch” by Marta Acosta.

About the Book: If Milagro thought Grans the vampires are a tad strange and hostile, then her beloved’s parents need a whole new name to define. And even then, it’s but the tip of the iceberg. Dark cabal of evil greedy vampires are putting together a sticky web to capture the young woman with such magical blood…

My Opinion: Strange. First half of the book was very amusing and captivating. Then it lost the charm. Unusual for the second book in the series, and for second half of the book too. But I’ll definitely read another book, the warm humor really works for winter evenings.

Remains adorably humorous, but sadly not as captivating. 4 out of 5.

book review | Among the Living by Jordan Castillo Price | PsyCop 1

Author: Jordan Castillo Price
Title: Among the Living
Series: PsyCop 1
Genre: Paranormal Romance; LGBT Literature
Pages: 156
Rate: 4/5 | Goodreads

Since there’s less time to read before the holidays hit, I’m on a hunt for shorter books. The first one I found that required some virtual dusting is “Among The Living” by Jordan Castillo Price. Pretty good for the paranormal mystery detective that’s this short.

About the Book: To solve crimes police force uses teams of two. A psychic detective, someone able to communicate with the dead on scene. And regular, someone able to keep cool and match unheard testimonies to evidence. But the new cases leave even someone as strong as Victor – baffled. There’s just no one on the scene to talk to. As if the soul moved on or…

My Opinion: Simple but good, easy to read, with pretty good protagonists. Though I somehow ended up liking the side characters better. They just had more dynamic to them, more story, more substance. Detective itself was nice, a little bit scary, a little bit twisty, just enough to keep you interested in what’s next.

Pretty good, will read more, 4 out of 5.

How’s you with time for books as holidays creep in?

book review | Auxiliary: London 2039 by Jon Richter

Author: Jon Richter
Title: Auxiliary: London 2039
Series: –
Genre: Cyberpunk; Detective; Horror
Pages: 224
Rate: 5/5 | Goodreads | Amazon | TCK

Let me tell you of one of the best cyberpunk genre books I’ve read this year. Like many others, I’ve spent this year awaiting Cyberpunk 2077 somewhere in the back of my head, with very high highs when release date got close and slight irritation, quickly turning to fervor to consume something else of this genre, when it got postponed again. And I am very grateful to the most patient company I ever worked with, TCK, for offering me “Auxiliary: London 2039” by Jon Richter, for this was exactly what I needed

About the Book: London, near future. Everything’s taken care of or is controlled by an AI in short known as TIM. All you need to do is put on the specs, and TIM will make sure you’re on the right track to everything. In this future humans don’t really need to work, they get a basic income, and most jobs can be done by robots. Much like robots making robots. In this future it is illegal for humans to drive, for TIM is just more efficient and safe. And, in this future, a hysterical man calls the police, claiming his robotic arm has crushed his love’s head.

TIM is a godlike omnipotent presence, it is unhackable. For if someone could hack god… This is where the classic, depression and alcoholism impaired, but very good at his job, noir vibes galore detective in a long coat, Carl Dremmler, walks in. There are many parties in this awful cabal who want case solved fast and quiet. And even more who’d be mighty glad to see this cybernetic empire – crumble.

My Opinion: Cyberpunk is often a difficult genre to consume, follow, understand, and it tends to scare people away. This here book, the only con I have would be the very detailed and long descriptions. The rest was everything I could’ve possibly wanted and more. Like a cold grimy web in which the protagonist and you, the reader, struggle, just to get a glimpse of hope, sunlight, and then realize the grimy stuff is machine oil, and the light is someone setting fire to it. It’s a very dark story in a form of a detective, with several evil plots intertwined. Familiar sights, even familiar people, fitted together so good I can only mourn this is not a series. From sobering fear as killer robots scale the walls, to dead bodies still connected to the AltWorld, VR, to mindfuck that altworld really is and how it works, to a crushing ending that I didn’t except for a minute, even when I saw the pages dwindle to nothing.

If you’re not a fan of hefty and difficult CP genre books, but enjoy good gory horror, this is a great book. 5 out of 5, and I still regret it’s just one, standalone book.

book review | The Origin of Dracula by Irving Belateche

Author: Irving Belateche
Title: The Origin of Dracula
Series: –
Genre: Horror Literature; Paranormal
Pages: 367
Rate: 2/5 | Goodreads

“The Origin of Dracula” by Irving Belateche might just be the most boring Dracula-origin mystery I’ve ever read.

About the Book: John and his friends managed to get their parents to let them go camping alone in the woods. They didn’t expect that night to become a living nightmare waiting for dawn to break. Nor did they expect it to return decades later, for the old evil they disturbed lives for his psychotic games with deadly ultimatums…

My Opinion: At no point did it get better. The mystery is poor, the game is boring, the characters are so-so. You know that recipe of old horror movies and books: group goes camping, someone dies, then the dead come back to mess with them? Well, this is that but bad.

No. 2 out of 5 is the best I can do.

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book review | Sherlock Holmes and Count Dracula by Christian Klaver | 1

Author: Christian Klaver
Title: Sherlock Holmes and Count Dracula
Series: The Supernatural Case Files of Sherlock Holmes 1
Genre: Urban Fantasy; Mystery
Pages: 61
Rate: 4/5 | Goodreads

“Sherlock Holmes and Count Dracula: The Adventure of the Solitary Grave” by Christian Klaver isn’t the first Sherlock meets Dracula book that I’ve read, but it’s definitely among the better ones.

About the Book: Someone has taken Mina and Count Dracula is prepared to tear London apart to get her back. Luckily, his first step was to visit the famous detective, Sherlock Holmes. Apparently the count and the detective have common enemies…

My Opinion: It’s a messy book. Tracks are easy to lose, others are purposefully hidden in not the best kind of way. But as I said many times before, a well written character can save it all. Dracula is strange and interesting, Mina – even more so. Sherlock and Watson are more or less fitting the appropriate characters from my point of view.

It’s short enough to take the risk. A wobbly 4 out of 5.

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