The Quatermass Book-Reading Blog 10: Tenpenny Dreadfuls...

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Book 15...

REVIEW: Fullmetal Alchemist 3-in-1: volumes 13-14-15 by Hiromu Arakawa

And now, I come to the second, and probably last, of the Fullmetal Alchemist 3 in 1 omnibus volumes that I will read and review. I certainly felt that reading the omnibus volume for the previous review helped bring things up a notch, but serial works are often fickle. So there was no guarantee for the next volume, omnibus or not...

Cornered by a revenge-obsessed Gluttony and the vicious Envy, the Elric brothers and Prince Lin Yao are in a fight to the death that ends with Edward, Lin and Envy inadvertently swallowed by Gluttony. But even after they manage to escape the strange dimension within Gluttony, they soon find themselves in deeper trouble. The Elrics confront the villain behind it all, the mysterious and powerful Father, who looks so much like their own father, Van Hohenheim, although he is not their father. With Lin forced to become the new host of the homunculus Greed, and threatened by King Bradley into staying in the military, with the lives of their loved ones at stake, the Elric brothers may not have much hope left. Neither does Roy Mustang and his allies, as Edward goes to Mustang's second, Riza Hawkeye, for answers. Why can Father affect the alchemy of Edward and Alphonse, but not that of Scar or May Chang? Is Scar willing to accept the truth about who started the war in Ishbal? And what actually transpired in Ishbal that scarred so many, physically and mentally?

It's perhaps just as well that I got the omnibus version. Certainly the first two volumes are amongst the most revelatory in the entire series so far, with the first clear look at the head villain Father, as well as the clarification that he isn't Van Hohenheim, though the reason for his resemblance is, so far, left unknown. In fact, the main thing that brings it down is the final volume of the omnibus, 15, which, while rather contemplative of the horrors of war, has more than a few faults. Namely, it doesn't quite give enough gravitas to the Ishbalan genocide, and it takes up an entire volume's equivalent in flashback, disrupting the flow of the story somewhat. Then again, it does discuss the horrors of war quite frankly, and it might have been impossible to do it even more justice and have the characters remain sympathetic.

Much of the character development is given to characters other than the Elrics, for the most part. We learn more about Father and his disdain for humans (although some of his behaviour when he meets the Elrics give him a creepy, but more human air), and we see Envy in its horrific true form. Lin gets taken over by Greed, although its ambiguous seeing how much of Lin is in the new hybrid (though it is made explicit by him verbally berating Bradley for underestimating humans, something both Greed and Bradley are somewhat impressed by). We also get an insight into the pasts of many of the military characters, as well as Scar and Winry's parents.

Marred only by an overly extended and mildly disatisfying flashback, this volume of Fullmetal Alchemist nonetheless does a good job of continuing the story. Here's hoping for more good stories to come...


9/10

First words: Hi!

Last words: (Not recorded due to spoilers.)

Book 16...

REVIEW: Doctor Who: A History of the Universe in 100 Objects by James Goss and Steve Tribe

History, and with it, continuity, in Doctor Who can be charitably described as a fluid thing, at best. Even so, that hasn't stopped some people from mapping out the history of the Whoniverse from before the Big Bang to the End of Time. In yet another tie-in book, James Goss and Steve Tribe attempt to do the virtually impossible, by illustrating history via objects from the Whoniverse...

Doctor Who: A History of the Universe in 100 Objects is a chronicle of the universe as shown in Doctor Who, rather like what it says on the tin. It does so via a selection of 100 objects, some mundane, some eldritch, and some even alive. From the urns of Krop Tor, to the Toclafane, we get an insight into the events that the Doctor and others get involved in...

This book certainly feels almost like a companion piece to the author's later work, which I reviewed earlier in this book-reading blog. While less of a fictional synthesis of various documents, this work takes a look at the history as shown in the classic series and the new series, as well as giving a wry and sly nod to not only continuity errors, but also how the programme was of its time. Pointing out, for example, the bubble wrap sheets on the beds in Warriors of the Deep, or some of the more gruesome deaths in the series, or how politics of the time influenced stories. It's glossy, and well-produced, as all books of this type are, and certainly would be a joy to any Whovian.

As usual, though, this book, as with so many others of its type, is a triumph of style over substance. While perhaps more interesting in some regards compared to The Doctor: His Lives and Times, if only because of the larger amount of behind-the-scenes anecdotes, it's not as organised as that work. One familiar with the TV series could find information they wanted more quickly in that work, whereas here, sometimes tenuous connections to the object being discussed are used as justification for the connections.

Despite this, this is pretty damned good work and should entertain Whovians, and even newcomers to the series, who want a primer into the worlds of Doctor Who.


9/10

First words: What you're holding in your hands is probably wrong.

Last words: Goodbye.

I am taking a break from reading Fullmetal Alchemist, so who knows what's next on the review table? I'm hoping to read and review the first volume of the printed volume of Gunnerkrigg Court, though...

Book 17...

REVIEW: Gunnerkrigg Court volume 1: Orientation by Thomas Siddell

A number of webcomics have been published in hard media form, funnily enough. I have the first three volumes of Girl Genius, for example, in an omnibus edition, and I have read similar comics in paper media like PvP, or PhD: Piled Higher and Deeper. One series which had caught my eye during sojourns on TV Tropes was Gunnerkrigg Court, a strange fantasy series that I considered reading. And given that it's available in physical volumes at the library, I have now given it a shot...

After the death of her mother Surma, the stoic Antimony Carver attends school at the dark and mysterious Gunnerkrigg Court. Alongside fellow student Katerina 'Kat' Donlan, she attends classes that range from the mundane to the strange, where meeting a Minotaur or a ghost are all waiting around the corner, where shadows can have an existence of their own, and mysterious robotic birds watch over all. But there is more to the school than meets the eye. There is the vicious Reynardine, a body-snatching entity now trapped in Antimony's stuffed toy, and there is the abrasive Zimmy and her friend Gamma. And Antimony, inadvertently, is about to set into motion dangerous events that threaten not only her, but everyone at Gunnerkrigg Court...

Gunnerkrigg Court could be compared to Harry Potter in many ways. After all, it's a story set in a fantastical institution, and even at this early stage, Antimony seems destined to be part of Earth-shattering events. But this is very much its own beast, a strange and dark world that is more at ease in the minds of Tim Burton and Neil Gaiman than JK Rowling. Like with many serials, the main overarching storyline is only revealed in small doses during this volume, with only the last chapter of the volume truly getting into the swing of things, although many chapters before this lead into it. Not enough is explained yet, although I am sure Siddell is leaving things aside for later chapters.

Antimony is a rather strange protagonist, who could be called flat and two-dimensional with only a cursory glance, although she is actually more rounded, especially as the story continues. In fact, Kat is rather less interesting than Antimony, the latter being all the more interesting because of her stoicism and unfazed attitude to life at Gunnerkrigg Court. Reynardine makes a good foil for the girls, and Zimmy is one of those characters whom you grow to sympathise with after initially detesting her. The art takes a chapter or so to get to the optimum point, but is very distinctive, having the right mixture of darkness and colour for the style of story.

While not perfect by any means, the first volume of Gunnerkrigg Court was actually quite enjoyable, and I hope to read more of it as time goes by...

9.5/10

First words: My name is Antimony Carver.

Last words: (Not recorded due to spoilers.)

Book 18...

REVIEW: Now on the Big Screen: The Unofficial and Unauthorised Guide to Doctor Who at the Movies by Charles Norton

Long ago, I remember being fascinated by a Doctor Who book called The Nth Doctor. No novel was this, rather, an overview of the various movie projects that took place starting from the 80s, and moving all the way up to the television movie of 1996. Stupidly, I disposed of it long ago, but I found a book not unlike it in a store I frequent that might turn out to be a good replacement...

Now on the Big Screen tells the story of the various attempts, successful and (more frequently) unsuccessful to bring Doctor Who into a movie format. It tells the story of the two Aaru Dalek films of the 60s, of Tom Baker's abortive script of Doctor Who Meets Scratchman, of the various attempts during the 80s and 90s, and many more that may not even be known to the average Whovian.

In fact, many Whovians would like this book because it actually divulges some information that may not be known. For example, that Mervyn Haisman tried to produce a movie based on the serial he and Henry Lincoln wrote, The Abominable Snowmen. And then, there's the fascinating process by which Douglas Adams' script for Doctor Who and the Krikketmen turned from a TV script to a film screenplay, and then into the Hitch-Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy novel Life, the Universe, and Everything. It also gives a synopsis of each film effort, whether it was made or not, as well as a fairly well-done look at behind the scenes of the various projects and their development. It's fascinating, and also a bit heart-rending to see some good projects go to waste, although one project you might be relieved never got off the ground was the surreal and almost plotless Tom Baker and Ian Marter-authored Doctor Who Meets Scratchman.

I think that if this book has a major fault, it concentrates a tad too much on the Aaru Dalek films (not that the content is by any means bad or dragging), and less on the more fascinating projects that never quite got off the ground. I also feel that concentrating on the movies, rather than on any TV projects or direct-to-video is to this book's detriment, unfortunately. Which is a shame, really.

Overall, Now on the Big Screen is a pretty damn good look, if not quite comprehensive enough for my liking, at Doctor Who at the movies.


9/10

First words: In November 2011, David Yates, the director best known for his work on the Harry Potter fanchise, told Variety magazine that he was developing a Doctor Who movie for BBC Worldwide.

Last words: After half a century of failed attempts to take Doctor Who to the movies, perhaps television is simply the best place to be.

Book 19...

REVIEW: Monty Python's Tunisian Holiday: My Life with Brian, A Memoir by Kim 'Howard' Johnson

Being enamoured of Monty Python's Flying Circus and the later projects of Monty Python, it should come as little surprise that I should read another Python book for my book-reading blogs. This book, I stumbled across quite by chance in a library. And considering what it promised, I snatched it up...

In this set of journals, Kim 'Howard' Johnson, a fan with a long connection to Monty Python, details the filming of Life of Brian. Brought in to play a few roles, this fan got a ringside view into the making of this seminal comedy film. Both disasters and elation are recorded in this tome.

Any making-of book is a treat, even from the point of view of a fan. Certainly, we get an insight into both the trials and the triumphs of the making of this film, and Johnson's unique relationship with the Pythons help give a fairly candid view. While it doesn't cover all of the filming, it covers enough, and has some interesting details, as well as a coda dealing with the impact Life of Brian had. It'd certainly appeal to any fan.

And yet...it didn't quite appeal to me as much as it should have. Maybe it's because I'm growing bored of Monty Python. Maybe it's because Kim Johnson writes a bit too dryly in this book for my liking, lacking a certain spark to make it come alive. Or maybe it's because I've heard a good chunk of what is in here via other sources. I don't know exactly what it is, only that it brought down my enjoyment of this book a notch.

Overall, Monty Python's Tunisian Holiday was enjoyable enough, but lacked a certain je ne sais quoi to bring it to that next level. A shame, really.


8.5/10

First words: It has long been a tradition for American boys to dream of running away and joining the circus.

Last words: With the publication of this journal I hope to offer a firsthand view into the creative process of the Pythons, a part of comedy history that will never be repeated.

Book 20...

REVIEW: Comic-Con and the Business of Pop Culture: What the World's Wildest Trade Show Can Tells Us About the Future of Entertainment by Rob Salkowitz

I am...well, you could say a nerd and a geek in many regards. One who has, of late, attended Supanova and sundry conventions. So reading a book about the most famous convention of all, Comic-Con, seems right up my alley, right? Well, let's see, shall we?

Comic-Con and the Business of Pop Culture is the tale of Rob Salkowitz and his wife heading to Comic-Con, the famous San Diego pop culture convention. As he mingles with attendees and guests, Salkowitz observes what the state of pop culture in general, and the comics industry in particular, is like. And he applies those observations, and the state of the industry, to a look at the potential future of the industry...

I have to say, it's at least an intriguing enough look into Comic-Con. I certainly got a bit more of an insight not only into the trials and travails of the attendees, but also into the state that the entertainment industry in general, and comics in particular, is in. There's some intriguing and interesting anecdotes, as well as some perspective on the history of comics that I lapped up.

However, this is written as a business case study to a degree, especially by the end, whereas I had hoped for something a bit more informal and interesting. Unfortunately, I don't get as much of that as I want, and I feel that Salkowitz has a mildly depressing tone throughout this work that belies the joie de vivre I often see at Supanova. A shame, really.

I was hoping for something more from Comic-Con and the Business of Pop Culture. But I didn't get it. Even so, it's still a good enough work for what it intends.


8.5/10

First words: "You're a futurist, and you love comics- why don't you write a book about the future of comics?"

Last words: The panel lines are ruled on the pages; it is still up to us to fill in the pictures and finish the story.

Book 21...

REVIEW: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles volume 1: Change is Constant by Kevin Eastman et al

One of my first ever obsessions was with the animated series Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. However, I didn't learn until at least some years later that they originated in a rather more adult, or at least darker work, a comic series created by Peter Laird and Kevin Eastman. While this work isn't the first volume in that original series, it is the first volume in Kevin Eastman's reboot of the series, and this ain't no cartoon...

A nightly battle is waged between Old Hob, a mutant cat, and his foes, a trio of mutant turtles and their mutant rat teacher, Splinter. Leonardo, Michelangelo, and Donatello fight against Hob's army of the night, a gang of humans he has gathered to his cause. But they are also searching for a fourth turtle. While their origins within the StockGen company are explained, Raphael meets abused college student Casey Jones, the two hitting it off. But their new friendship will have consequences, as Old Hob is determined to have his revenge on the turtles and Splinter...

This is definitely a darker work than the cartoons most people will be familiar with, but this isn't a bad thing. On the contrary, it actually draws me to it, and while the origin of the turtles and Splinter is a little contrived, it still promises much for the future. We have the hints of things to come, the relationship between the turtles isn't at full strength yet, promising later development, and the friendship between Raphael and Casey is quite good.

Even so, the story for this volume is a bit thin. It's divided between the origin of the turtles, and the ongoing vendetta against Old Hob. I have to confess to being somewhat dissatisfied by it, unfortunately, if only because it felt a little thinner than it should. Then again, given that this collected volume only had 4 issues, that might be part of the problem.

Nonetheless, this IDW reboot of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles did grab my interest somewhat, and I may continue with the series later on down the track. Here's hoping...


8.5/10

First words: And so it begins.

Last words: At last, we can truly begin.

Book 22...

REVIEW: Hell's Angels by Hunter S Thompson

In a previous book-reading blog, I had my first encounter with Hunter S Thompson. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas was certainly an experience, and the book has grown on me since. So I decided to try another Hunter S Thompson work, an earlier work that had him delving into an obscure world...

Hell's Angels was the story of how, during the 60s, Hunter S Thompson rode with the Hell's Angels, trying to understand the famous motorcyle outlaw gang. Wild rides, conflicts with townsfolk, and battles with other gangs, Thompson peels back a filthy veil on a misunderstood, but dangerous world. He also shows how the Hell's Angels are part of the changing American landscape of the Sixties, like it or not...

I have to confess, Hell's Angels, much like Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, has both an attractive and a repulsive quality to it, partially because of the subject matter. It's certainly written more clearly than Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, making things easier to read. Not only that, but Thompson also strives to clear up any misconceptions about the Hell's Angels, although he is also brutally frank about their faults as well. It makes for perversely interesting reading all the same.

And yet, in many other respects, while Hell's Angels lacks the chaotic nature of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, it also lacks something of the entertainment value. This is a more serious work, and while Thompson does give some intriguing insights, it also feels a little overly long. It overstays its welcome just a tad, and while this is by no means a bad book, it just doesn't quite hit the mark as much as I had hoped. I also hoped for more linking to the counterculture at the time, which isn't done much until the end of the book, unfortunately.

Nonetheless, this book was an intriguing insight into the Hell's Angels of the time. It's the sort of book that only someone as daring as Thompson could write.


8.5/10

First words: California, Labour Day weekend...early, with ocean fog still in the streets, outlaw motorcyclists wearing chains, shades and greasy Levis roll out from damp garages, all-night diners and cast-off one-night pads in Frisco, Hollywood, Berdoo and East Oakland, heading for the Monterey peninsula, nort of Big Sur...

Last words: It seemed appropriate, if not entirely just...but after getting such a concentrated jolt of reality I was not much concerned about justice.

Book 23...

REVIEW: Of Dice and Men: The Story of Dungeons & Dragons and the People Who Play It by David M Ewalt

I've come to tabletop RPGs relatively late in life, which is weird, considering that I am fairly nerdy. Until recently, my interest in Dungeons & Dragons was a brief moment in my childhood when I watched the SatAM cartoon. Even so, I have come to it, albeit as an intrigued outsider, and when I found Of Dice and Men, I thought it might be intriguing to read...

Of Dice and Men is a look not only into the history of Dungeons & Dragons, but also the players. Some stereotypes are dispelled, others are maintained. With this book, a glimpse is given into one of the more misunderstood games of all time, and how it has slotted into gaming history...

David Ewalt alternates between a history of how Dungeons & Dragons came to be, and his own experiences with the game, as well as its antecedents (like chess and wargaming) and spinoffs derived from Dungeons & Dragons. The history he gives is enjoyable enough, and will certainly act as a stepping stone for anyone interested in reading further. He also does a lot to try and dispel many of the stereotypes, as well as some of the controversies that have sprung up around it. We also have descriptions of intriguing campaigns that Ewalt has played.

Enjoyable though it was, I am left with a nagging sensation for more. It seems like Ewalt bolstered the book with his own campaigns because he couldn't write more about the subject. Or maybe he felt he was in danger of losing his audience if he went too indepth into his subject matter. This isn't a truly bad thing, as the book was certainly more novel than the similar Super Mario: How Nintendo Conquered America by Jeff Ryan, if only because I was more familiar with Nintendo than Dungeons & Dragons, but I am still left a little dissatisfied, knowing that there was more history to tell, especially with the disputes between Gary Gygax and others.

Even so, I have to admit that this was a good and, to me, a Dungeons & Dragons outsider, novel work. I just wish it had a bit more meat to it, but I still enjoyed it.

9/10

First words: Before we begin, I'd like to take a moment to address the hardcore fantasy role-playing gamers in the audience.

Last words: "You have all gathered at a tavern," I said, "in search of adventure and glory."

Book 24...

REVIEW: The Midwich Cuckoos by John Wyndham

Having read at least two of John Wyndham's novels in previous book-reading blogs (Chocky and The Kraken Wakes), I felt it was well past time that I examine another of his works. Given a choice of The Midwich Cuckoos and The Day of the Triffids, I decided on the former. But how would this seminal work of British science fiction and horror stand up today?

One day in September, the entire village of Midwich suffers from a state of induced unconsciousness for the entire day. Anyone attempting to enter the village suffers from a similar effect. Then, just as swiftly as it came, the effect leaves with a mysterious object spotted by aerial photography. But some time after this visitation, every woman of child-bearing age in Midwich falls pregnant, causing disruption and concern both inside Midwich and out. But the 61 children thus born are far from average, cuckoos of a most unusual sort...

The story is perhaps an unusual one, when you think about it. This is a rather subtle and insidious kind of alien invasion, as noted instory, and there are many discussions about why the children are such a threat. The horror of the situation is more cerebral than most, and the ending, while coming somewhat out of nowhere, is nonetheless a satisfying one.

Even so, the story feels, in specifics and writing style more than anything else, somewhat dated. It was written and published in the 1950s, and feels every inch of it. The storyline itself, despite the copying of the concept, is still fresh, but many elements are stale and feels like mucking around while the apocalypse threatens. The children lack a more immediate, visceral threat, although this does not diminish from their more cerebral threat. And parts of the ending do feel a bit rushed.

Overall, this was an enjoyable enough work. Shame it shows its age, as it's a pretty good work.


8.5/10

First words: One of the luckiest accidents in my wife's life is that she happened to marry a man who was born on the 26th of September.

Last words: (Not recorded due to spoilers)

Book 25...

REVIEW: Ninja Attack! True Tales of Assassins, Samurai, and Outlaws by Hiroko Yoda and Matt Alt, with illustrations by Yutaka Kondo

So, ninja. Ninja, ninja, ninja. I hope you're paying attention. Anyway, ninja, the spies, assassins, and special forces groups of historic Japan have captured the imagination not only of Japanese society, but also Western society. So one day, I decided to read a book about them...

Ninja Attack! relates a series of historical and even mythological anecdotes about ninja. From the first 'shinobi' founded under Prince Shotaku to the fictional ninja of today, the book looks at fact, fiction, and the blurring between the two. In short, a primer to everything ninja, and the reality behind the myths.

I have to admit, reading this book was at least entertaining. The book is almost set out like a kid's fact book, although the reading material is far more adult than anything kids would or should read, even Horrible Histories. And it goes into some detail into many interesting facts and anecdotes, attempting to demystify the ninja, while presenting anecdotes either from historical fact, or from the myths and stories that have sprung up around them.

Even so, the layout of the book is a double-edged sword, and while entertaining, it also feels rather childish for the subject matter, especially as significant sections are given to the carnal techniques of the kunoichi (female ninja), or the executions of many ninja. Also...I feel that only a token effort is made to tie in the ninja into the pop-culture image we have of them today, which is a shame. And the book was certainly a fast-food form of information, quickly read and digested, but not always satisfying.

Overall, though, Ninja Attack! was entertaining enough with interesting anecdotes about one of the more mystified elements of Japanese pop-culture. I'm just left a touch hungry for more...


8.5/10

First words: You know your ninja.

Last words: Fictional ninja have a job to do that's every bit as important as that of their real-life counterparts: entertaining us!

Thanks for the blogs which I didn't check out yet, but will.

Last edited by klausnrooster on 05 Jan 2014, 8:45 pm, edited 1 time in total.

I don't take suggestions. Sorry.

Anyway, onto book 26...

REVIEW: The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, Official Movie Guide by Brian Sibley

Late in 2012, I read the official movie guide to the first part of Peter Jackson's The Hobbit trilogy, An Unexpected Journey. Now, I do enjoy reading movie guides in general, but I often find myself mildly dissatisfied by their general emphasis on gloss and style over substance. Would the movie guide for the second installment, The Desolation of Smaug, be any different?

This movie guide is, fairly obviously, a guide to the making of The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug. Within are interviews with cast and crew, about how they brought the JRR Tolkien story to life. And there's a surprising amount of linkage back to the first part of The Hobbit, and the DVD extended edition...

As usual, this book is an enjoyable and informative one. We get more than a few interesting anecdotes, as well as some insights into the story and the characters that may not be noticeable on the screen. Overall, it's a pretty good example of the movie making-of books genre.

And yet, I find myself actually a bit disappointed. Not majorly, not as much as I could have been, but I feel just a touch too much is given to restating stuff already dealt with in the previous movie guide, and not enough to the new stuff. In addition, I have to confess to being disappointed to the amount of coverage (or lack thereof) of how Smaug was conceived and realised on screen. There's a good interview with Benedict Cumberbatch, sure, but there was a missed opportunity there, possibly because the makers wanted to keep Smaug's look a surprise. A wasted opportunity, and a disappointment.

Overall, though, this book was a decent one. I just wished it had somewhat more.


8.5/10

First words: Just three paragraphs into writing The Hobbit, J.R.R. Tolkien, having described Bag End, introduces his readers to the Baggins family who have lived theres 'for time out of mind'.

Last words: But it's too late now: East is East, Bilbo is there and the adventure is far from over...

This may be the end of this particular book-reading blog. I'm struggling with the motivation to read.

Okay, so my saying that this round of the book-reading blog was ending was a bit premature...

Book 27...

REVIEW: The New Adventures: Dragons' Wrath by Justin Richards

I have decided to return to a series that I only dipped into last time. Although I have read many of the New Adventures that featured the Doctor, I have, to date, only read the first of the New Adventures featuring Bernice Summerfield as the main character, Oh No It Isn't! But I now come to the second in the series, Dragons' Wrath...

On the university world of Dellah, Bernice Summerfield bumps into Newark Rappare, a man who specialised in reproductions of artwork. Having accidentally taken one of his works, a statue of a dragon, when he fled from an unknown assailant, Benny is disturbed when she hears of his murder. Teaming up with Irving Braxiatel and historian Nicholas Clyde, Benny is joining an archaeological expedition funded by the dictatorial Romolo Nusek, to investigate the planet of Stanturus 3 for remnants of a colony founded by Nusek's ancestor, the famous warlord Gamaliel. Linked to Gamaliel is a dragon statue that Nusek owns, and whose reproduction Benny carries. Is Gamaliel truly a hero of legend, vanquisher of the Knights of Jeneve, or is his past hiding a dark secret? How far will Nusek go to prove his legitimacy? And who is the assassin Mastrov, who is intent on murdering Benny when she pokes her nose into Nusek's business?

The Bernice Summerfield stories are different in many ways to Doctor Who, despite being written by the same authors. However, this story should be enjoyed on its own merits. And enjoy it I do, as it's a decent enough story with enough twists and turns to satisfy me. Where Oh No It Isn't! was a strange and farcical fantasy, this is a more straightforward science fiction thriller with some intriguing perspectives on history.

However, the story is rather simple and straightforward. This is by no means a bad thing, but it does lack a certain complexity that I enjoy. The characters are okay, but I feel that Nusek and Mastrov could have been fleshed out just a touch more.

Even so, Dragons' Wrath was an enjoyable enough story, and certainly better than the norm of late. I just feel a touch dissatisfied...


9/10

First words: Extract from Nicholas Clyde's doctoral thesis:

Last words: (Not recorded due to spoilers.)

Book 28...

REVIEW: Gunnerkrigg Court volume 2: Research by Thomas Siddell

Having started on the first printed volume of Gunnerkrigg Court, I found myself sufficiently impressed to start on the next volume. Other commitments stopped me from reading it sooner, but I eventually took the plunge into the printed version of the famous webcomic. But would it be as good as it was in the beginning? Let's find out...

Antimony Carver and her friend Kat undergo their second year at Gunnerkrigg Court, a mysterious academy which seems to straddle the worlds of magic and science. Being a potential medium between the Court and the Gillitie Forest means that Annie may have to undergo additional training, but even so, there is more to her life, and that of the Court, than that. She'll have to survive an evening of entertainment by mercurial trickster Coyote, the dark realms of unstable student Zimmy, whose mind threatens to pull all into a dark dimension, and a look into the Court's past, as well as her own...

It seems like most of the overarching story arc have been abandoned in this particular volume. Although a lot of time is spent exploring Antimony's past and that of the Court, only two chapters deal with Annie's dealing with the denizens of the Gillitie Forest. This doesn't mean that the volume is bad, just a step down from the high quality of the first volume.

Annie's past is perhaps the most developed here, but we also begin to get a glimpse into the lives of other characters, like the mysterious Jones, or Reynardine, or Ysengrin. Some of it is a bit disappointing, but there is the promise of more to come. The art retains its distinctive nature, balancing dark shades and vivid contrasts of colour, and is utterly beautiful.

Overall, while a step down from the previous volume, the second volume of Gunnerkrigg Court does manage to hit the right notes. Here's hoping for the next volume, then...


9/10

First words: Throughout the summer I realised the similarities between Gunnerkrigg Court and Good Hope, the hospital in which I used to live.

Last words: But that guy is our games teacher.

The next book may very well be Geek Tragedy, the first in the Mervyn Stone Mysteries series by Nev Fountain.