Search
David McK (3835 KP) rated A Dance of Cloaks (Shadowdance, #1) in Books
Jan 30, 2019
Hmmm ... I'm not really sure what to make of this one.
It is a fantasy novel, and so has your usual fantasy stereotypes of merchants, thieves (and assassins) and magical beings/clerics, with the main protagonists of this falling into the middle of those categories.
This is set primarily in and around one city, which has
been suffering under a clandestine war between the various thieves' guilds and the wealthy merchants of it, and mainly follows Aaron Felhorn, who has been groomed from birth to be the heir to his father Thren - the leader of one such thieves guild. It doesn't focus solely on him , also including the daughter of one such wealthy merchant: if I'm honest, at one stage I thought it was going to turn into a Romeo and Juliet scenario (it didn't).
I also wasn't aware until I read the authors note at the very end that this was actually the second edition of an earlier story: a 'tidied up' and improved version, as it were. I also wasn't aware that this was also meant to be the back-story to a character previously introduced in another series (kinda like the Star Wars prequels in that respect!), so perhaps suffers from having to create a story to explain how the character becomes who he becomes - kinda like the Star Wars prequels had to explain how Darth Vader came to be!
Based on this novel alone, I'm not sure if I would have picked up any of the sequels, but with that knowledge in mind I may yet change my mind.
It is a fantasy novel, and so has your usual fantasy stereotypes of merchants, thieves (and assassins) and magical beings/clerics, with the main protagonists of this falling into the middle of those categories.
This is set primarily in and around one city, which has
been suffering under a clandestine war between the various thieves' guilds and the wealthy merchants of it, and mainly follows Aaron Felhorn, who has been groomed from birth to be the heir to his father Thren - the leader of one such thieves guild. It doesn't focus solely on him , also including the daughter of one such wealthy merchant: if I'm honest, at one stage I thought it was going to turn into a Romeo and Juliet scenario (it didn't).
I also wasn't aware until I read the authors note at the very end that this was actually the second edition of an earlier story: a 'tidied up' and improved version, as it were. I also wasn't aware that this was also meant to be the back-story to a character previously introduced in another series (kinda like the Star Wars prequels in that respect!), so perhaps suffers from having to create a story to explain how the character becomes who he becomes - kinda like the Star Wars prequels had to explain how Darth Vader came to be!
Based on this novel alone, I'm not sure if I would have picked up any of the sequels, but with that knowledge in mind I may yet change my mind.
The third of Bernard Cornwell's 5 so-called 'Sailing Thrillers' (comprising 'Wildtrack', 'Sea Lord', this one, 'Stormchild' and 'Scoundrel'), none of which ever really resonated as much with me - or, presumably, the author himself since the last of these was written in 1992! - as his more famous Sharpe series about a British soldier during the Napoleonic Wars, or the Uhtred of Bebbanburg (also sometimes called The Saxon Stories) series, set in and around the time of Alfred the Great.
As with all the other sailing thrillers by the author, this is far more contemporaneous set: here, we're in the late 1980s, early 90s (I believe this was written in 1990), with this being set in and around the Bahamas where - like nearly all of Cornwell's other characters in just about any of his books - the main protagonist is an outcast of sorts: here, by their own choice, turning their back on their rich and famous father to spend their time sailing instead.
Hired by a rich senator for a convalescent cruise for said senator's drug-addict children, what starts out as a simple job soon turns anything but when Nick Breakspear and his small crew run foul of drug smugglers, leading to an action-packed finale - it's just a pity it took so long to actually get there, I felt!
As with all the other sailing thrillers by the author, this is far more contemporaneous set: here, we're in the late 1980s, early 90s (I believe this was written in 1990), with this being set in and around the Bahamas where - like nearly all of Cornwell's other characters in just about any of his books - the main protagonist is an outcast of sorts: here, by their own choice, turning their back on their rich and famous father to spend their time sailing instead.
Hired by a rich senator for a convalescent cruise for said senator's drug-addict children, what starts out as a simple job soon turns anything but when Nick Breakspear and his small crew run foul of drug smugglers, leading to an action-packed finale - it's just a pity it took so long to actually get there, I felt!
David McK (3835 KP) rated No Free Lunch (Hal Spacejock #4) in Books
Jan 27, 2023
No Free Lunch.
The fourth in Simon Haynes Hal Spacejock series (following A Robot Named Clunk, Second Course and Just Desserts), and the first where Harriet Walsh (from the author's other 'Peace Force' series) cross-overs with Hal.
As I knew that 'going in', I read the first three Hal Spacejock novels before the four Harriet Walsh novels (Peace Force, Alpha Minor, Sierra Bravo and Foxtrot Hotel) before reading this.
Which, unfortunately, proved to be a mistake as I spent a good portion of this novel - well over the first half! - wondering where Harriet's 'sister' Alice or even some of the other characters (with the notable exception of Bernie) had gone, or even why they weren't mentioned at all!
I only found out later that, whilst set beforehand, the Peace Force novels were actually prequels, written later than this one but set before (think like the Star Wars prequels, compared to the original trilogy).
Once I got past that, uhhh, 'disassociation' - once the action primarily moved off the planet of Dismolle to the neighbouring planet Forzen, things did pick up a tad, with Hal and Harriet (and a hint of romance between them) both getting caught up in a murder mystery whilst investigating the disappearance of a wealthy citizen of that planet.
I don't want to give anything away, but I could definitely see elements of the later seasons of Stargate SG-1 here. If you know, you know!
So, yeah, all-in-all, a pleasant enough read but not one that, for me, matched the earlier novels in the series or even the Peace Force novels.
I'll still probably read more of these.
The fourth in Simon Haynes Hal Spacejock series (following A Robot Named Clunk, Second Course and Just Desserts), and the first where Harriet Walsh (from the author's other 'Peace Force' series) cross-overs with Hal.
As I knew that 'going in', I read the first three Hal Spacejock novels before the four Harriet Walsh novels (Peace Force, Alpha Minor, Sierra Bravo and Foxtrot Hotel) before reading this.
Which, unfortunately, proved to be a mistake as I spent a good portion of this novel - well over the first half! - wondering where Harriet's 'sister' Alice or even some of the other characters (with the notable exception of Bernie) had gone, or even why they weren't mentioned at all!
I only found out later that, whilst set beforehand, the Peace Force novels were actually prequels, written later than this one but set before (think like the Star Wars prequels, compared to the original trilogy).
Once I got past that, uhhh, 'disassociation' - once the action primarily moved off the planet of Dismolle to the neighbouring planet Forzen, things did pick up a tad, with Hal and Harriet (and a hint of romance between them) both getting caught up in a murder mystery whilst investigating the disappearance of a wealthy citizen of that planet.
I don't want to give anything away, but I could definitely see elements of the later seasons of Stargate SG-1 here. If you know, you know!
So, yeah, all-in-all, a pleasant enough read but not one that, for me, matched the earlier novels in the series or even the Peace Force novels.
I'll still probably read more of these.
Cheats for GTA - for all GTA games (GTA 5 & GTA V)
Lifestyle
App
Cheats for GTA provides simple quick and easy access to every cheat code for every Grand Theft Auto...
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2603 KP) rated Fatal Fascinator in Books
Jan 4, 2023
Deadly Wedding of the Year
Cousins Scarlett and Viv have agreed to create the hats for the wedding of the season. Scarlett is mainly excited because it means they’ve scored an invitation, and the wedding is taking place in a castle in the country. Even their friend Andre is there as the wedding photographer. But joy turns to tragedy when Scarlett finds the dead body of the groom in the library. With no one allowed to leave while the police investigate, Scarlett can’t help but poked around. Will she figure out what happened?
Since author Jenn McKinlay is so busy writing, we don’t get quite as many entries in this series as in some of her others. That makes it nice to get to revisit these characters again. A few of the regulars have cameos than a real part, but it was still nice to see everyone and see how they are continuing to grow. The book is filled with suspects, but I never had a hard time keeping them all straight. The story was always moving forward, and the plot had a few nice surprises on the way to the climax. The pages just flew by. Meanwhile, there were plenty of moments that made me laugh or grin, including some pun wars, which I always enjoy. Whether you are a fan of the series or just checking it out, you’ll enjoy this book.
Since author Jenn McKinlay is so busy writing, we don’t get quite as many entries in this series as in some of her others. That makes it nice to get to revisit these characters again. A few of the regulars have cameos than a real part, but it was still nice to see everyone and see how they are continuing to grow. The book is filled with suspects, but I never had a hard time keeping them all straight. The story was always moving forward, and the plot had a few nice surprises on the way to the climax. The pages just flew by. Meanwhile, there were plenty of moments that made me laugh or grin, including some pun wars, which I always enjoy. Whether you are a fan of the series or just checking it out, you’ll enjoy this book.
Awix (3310 KP) rated Starcrash (1979) in Movies
Apr 25, 2019
Frankly astounding Star Wars rip-off featuring the likes of Christopher Plummer, Caroline Munro, and David Hasselhoff; none of them talk about it much these days, funnily enough. The plot concerns an oddly familiar mixture of inter-galactic royalty, space smugglers, evil space stations, vaguely-explained mysticism and laser-sword fights; none of it makes a great deal of sense, naturally.
Much to enjoy here, obviously: my favourite bit is possibly Elle the robot sheriff, who is basically a hillbilly with a bucket on his head, although Zarth Arn and his Doom Planet are also highly entertaining. Impossible to take remotely seriously, of course, but in a sensible world you would say the same thing about many film and TV series which people take very seriously indeed. When asked why he made this film, Christopher Plummer explained it was because the studio was in Rome - 'I'll do porno, as long as it's in Rome,' he said. I suppose making Starcrash was a reasonable silver medal if there was no porno available.
Much to enjoy here, obviously: my favourite bit is possibly Elle the robot sheriff, who is basically a hillbilly with a bucket on his head, although Zarth Arn and his Doom Planet are also highly entertaining. Impossible to take remotely seriously, of course, but in a sensible world you would say the same thing about many film and TV series which people take very seriously indeed. When asked why he made this film, Christopher Plummer explained it was because the studio was in Rome - 'I'll do porno, as long as it's in Rome,' he said. I suppose making Starcrash was a reasonable silver medal if there was no porno available.
Ellen Johnson Sirleaf
Book
In this timely addition to the Ohio Short Histories of Africa series, Pamela Scully takes us from...
The Adventures of Basil and Moebius: Volume 4: The Fate of All Fools
Ryan Schifrin and Richard Lee Byers
Book
This is it -- the culmination of dozens upon dozens of hair-raising, pulse-pounding, globe-trotting...
David McK (3835 KP) rated Death to the French in Books
Jul 26, 2021
A name that is probably more familiar - perhaps even all but synonymous - with his most famous literary creation, Horatio Hornblower.
Hornblower, however, is not the only of his creations that has their adventures set during the Napoleonic Wars: Rifleman Dodd is another.
He's also one that I was totally unfamiliar with, or with the fact that this creation (and story) inspired Bernard Cornwell's still-ongoing 'Sharpe' series - it's very easy, reading this, to see the similarities between the two creations!
This is set in Spain, round about the times of the Lines of Torres Vedras (1810 or thereabouts, I think), with Rifleman Dodd cut off from his company during a retreat and forced to spend several months behind enemy (French) lines as he tries to make his was back to his own company, sometimes with the (dubious) aid of Spanish (or was it Portuguese? ) Guerilla's and other times entirely on his own.
This also doesn't shy away from the full horrors of the war, with several of the passages and chapters told from the French point of view.
Hornblower, however, is not the only of his creations that has their adventures set during the Napoleonic Wars: Rifleman Dodd is another.
He's also one that I was totally unfamiliar with, or with the fact that this creation (and story) inspired Bernard Cornwell's still-ongoing 'Sharpe' series - it's very easy, reading this, to see the similarities between the two creations!
This is set in Spain, round about the times of the Lines of Torres Vedras (1810 or thereabouts, I think), with Rifleman Dodd cut off from his company during a retreat and forced to spend several months behind enemy (French) lines as he tries to make his was back to his own company, sometimes with the (dubious) aid of Spanish (or was it Portuguese? ) Guerilla's and other times entirely on his own.
This also doesn't shy away from the full horrors of the war, with several of the passages and chapters told from the French point of view.