Quatermass
I believe the appropriate phrase is, 'Boo-yah'.
Joined: Apr 28, 2006
Posts: 21114
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 Posted: Tue Jun 05, 2012 2:12 am Post subject: The Quatermass Book Marathon Blog: Seventh Heaven |
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And now, once more, it's time for a new Quatermass Book Reading Marathon Blog.
Regulars to this part of the forum may remember my previous book-reading marathons. This has been around since 2009, with my first such review blog (link here) clocking up 22 books over 46 days. My second (here's a link) clocked up 76 books in 179 days, my third(a link here for the connosieur) clocked up 100 books in 177 days. The fourth (click here if you dare...) clocked up 30 books in 88 days, and the fifth (abandon all hope, ye who enter this link) clocked up 72 books in 139 days. The latest (and most disappointing, as you'll see here) clocked up only 11 books in 16 days.
The rules are self-imposed, and are as follows:
*The books can be fiction, non-fiction, or graphic novels. However, some non-fiction categories must be excluded, such as games guides and screenplays, unless the latter is within a book that also has other subject material (ie, a 'making of' book). Novelisations and other adaptations are allowed, regardless of whether I have watched the original program. In all cases, I must not have read it all the way through prior to this.
*In the case of graphic novels, it has to be a volume I haven't read in a series, or else a stand-alone graphic novel.
*In all cases, a book that I have started previous to this blog, if I finish it (for the first time) during this, will count. Also, just skimming a book and reading pages randomly doesn't count, actually reading it, even if speed-reading it, does.
*I must write a quick review.
*I must finish at least one book per week. It doesn't matter if I started it more than a week ago, as long as I finish it within a week of the last one finished.
*The blog and time limit will start when I finish my first book.
Keep in mind that this blog is self-imposed to help me expand my reading horizons. I choose the reading material, and I rarely, if at all, take suggestions.
The first review will be up very shortly...
_________________
Yami: Wait, did you just summon a bunch of monsters in one turn?
Kaiba: Yeah, so?
Yami: That's against the rules!
Seto Kaiba: Screw the Rules, I Have Money!!
-Yu-Gi-Oh The Abridged Series
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Quatermass
I believe the appropriate phrase is, 'Boo-yah'.
Joined: Apr 28, 2006
Posts: 21114
Location: Right behind you...
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| Posted: Tue Jun 05, 2012 2:43 am Post subject: |
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Book 1...
REVIEW: Batman: Year One by Frank Miller, David Mazzucchelli, and Richmond Lewis
Some time ago, I began reading graphic novels that were at the height of what the genre was supposed to offer, including Alan Moore's Watchmen and V for Vendetta, Neil Gaiman's The Sandman, and Frank Miller's work, like Sin City and 300. Miller also wrote two defining works in the Batman comic series: The Dark Knight Returns, telling the story of Batman coming out of retirement in the near future, and Batman: Year One, the story of Batman's beginnings. Although I read The Dark Knight Returns long ago, well before these book-reading blogs, I never got to finish Batman: Year One, due to the fact that some idiot ripped out the last dozen or so pages from the copy I got from the library. But now, I have a complete copy, and I can now complete reading the story I began years ago...
Gotham City: a metropolis whose name is synonymous with crime and corruption. But two men are arriving who will change the course of its destiny, forever. Lieutenant James Gordon, a man of undeniable integrity, has arrived with his wife, having been transferred from Chicago, to be part of Gotham's corrupt police force. And Bruce Wayne, after over a decade away from Gotham, has returned, preparing to put his own plans for the city into place. Both men's attempts at fighting the criminal elements within the city nearly get them killed. But while Gordon struggles to do good from within the system, Bruce Wayne receives inspiration on how he will continue his vigilantism in the form of a bat. At first Gordon believes Batman to be a dangerous vigilante, while the corrupt police and the gangs who control them believe Batman to be no threat. But when Batman threatens the gangs, this viewpoint soon switches around. Can both Gordon and Batman do any good in a city rotten to the core? Or will they fall?
Frank Miller is undeniably a man of strong views about the world, and this can affect the reading of many of his works. Batman: Year One, then, is undeniably one of his more accessible works in that it is a fairly straightforward, relatively apolitical story. It's no wonder it helped provide the inspiration behind Christopher Nolan's Batman Begins. It's a good story showing how flawed the heroes can be, but also how bad the villains they face are. It's also a damned sight more realistic than many superhero stories, and while I understand the argument that this is not the point of a superhero story (they are, after all, escapism), with Batman, a man with no superpowers, the realism helps enhance the story. It does leave one wanting for more a little too much, and I feel that Gordon wasn't threatened enough.
The story focuses on two characters, and surprisingly for something called Batman: Year One, the key character is not Bruce Wayne/Batman, but rather, James Gordon. While Gordon having more flaws than Batman appears to have may seem a little egregious, it still adds to the realism of the character. The other characters are fine enough, but the focus is on the viewpoint characters, and particularly Gordon. The artwork is quite excellent, with a noirish atmosphere, but it feels dated somewhat to one like me, spoiled by more...modern comic art.
In the end, Batman: Year One is a very good retelling of Batman's origins, and is Frank Miller's most accessible masterpiece. Not perfect by a long shot, but hey, who cares?
9/10
First words: January 4.
Last words: Should be here any minute.
_________________
Yami: Wait, did you just summon a bunch of monsters in one turn?
Kaiba: Yeah, so?
Yami: That's against the rules!
Seto Kaiba: Screw the Rules, I Have Money!!
-Yu-Gi-Oh The Abridged Series
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Quatermass
I believe the appropriate phrase is, 'Boo-yah'.
Joined: Apr 28, 2006
Posts: 21114
Location: Right behind you...
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| Posted: Fri Jun 08, 2012 11:26 pm Post subject: |
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Book 2...
REVIEW: 'Salem's Lot by Stephen King
In all my time writing, I am almost certain that I would never be able to match the prodigious output of Stephen King, and in reading books both outside and in these book-reading blogs, I probably have only scratched the surface. But even so, the time has come for me to go for another Stephen King novel, and this time, I chose his vampire work, 'Salem's Lot...
Jerusalem's Lot, Maine, known to locals as 'Salem's Lot. A quiet town, and no more strange than the average. Writer Ben Mears, who grew up there, returns to work on a novel about the town, and a creepy house with a history, the Marsten House, home of a long-dead hitman. But Mears is not the only new resident in town. Richard Straker has purchased the house on behalf of the mysterious Kurt Barlow, and soon, things start to go from bad to worse in 'Salem's Lot. Mutilation of a dog, the disappearance of one boy, and the death of another via anaemia. All the prelude to a vampire epidemic that sweeps the town...
Like many of King's other works, it is a sprawling work with lots of characters and a big build-up to the horror. In fact, I'm beginning to notice something of a formula. I mean, a town with a dark secret, lots of characters, with a writer as a pivotal character, sounds a lot like It or The Tommyknockers. And while the story is a good one, it's not quite up to the level I was expecting. It's certainly nothing fresh about vampires, although it's not as bad as Twilight. It's just that there's less payoff than I was expecting.
The characters are pretty decent, but not as notable as in King's later works. Ben Mears seems to be the standard writer insert character, albeit not one struggling with psychological issues bigger than memories of the Marsten House. Straker seems more menacing than his vampire boss, Barlow, which is a little disappointing. The other characters are fine enough, but don't exactly grab me much.
'Salem's Lot is one of King's earlier works, and to be frank, it does show somewhat. It's not a bad piece of work, in fact, it's quite good, but I have read better vampire fiction than this.
8.5/10
First words: Almost everyone thought the man and boy were father and son.
Last words: In the small clearing overlooking the power lines, the fire in the brush began to burn more strongly, urged by the autumn wind that blew from the west.
_________________
Yami: Wait, did you just summon a bunch of monsters in one turn?
Kaiba: Yeah, so?
Yami: That's against the rules!
Seto Kaiba: Screw the Rules, I Have Money!!
-Yu-Gi-Oh The Abridged Series
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Quatermass
I believe the appropriate phrase is, 'Boo-yah'.
Joined: Apr 28, 2006
Posts: 21114
Location: Right behind you...
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| Posted: Sat Jun 09, 2012 7:17 am Post subject: |
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Book 3...
REVIEW: The Hedge Knight II: Sworn Sword by Ben Avery and Mike S Miller, adapted from the novella by George RR Martin
George RR Martin's fantasy series A Song of Ice and Fire has certainly captured my imagination, and to date, I have read the first three books in the series, as well as a graphic novel adaptation of a prequel novella, The Hedge Knight. Now, I come to the next installment of the prequel series, albeit the graphic novel version. But will it continue the high standards of the stories so far?
Ser Duncan the Tall, aka Dunk the Hedge Knight, has been travelling Westeros with his squire, Egg, the incognito Price Aegon Targaryen, for over a year since the fateful tournament at Ashford Meadow. Now they have entered the service of Ser Eustace during a drought that has aggravated relations between Eustace, and his immediate neighbour, Lady Rohanne Webber, otherwise known as the Red Widow, infamous for her husbands dying. Webber has diverted a river that is supposedly Eustace's by right. But not everything is as it seems. Webber is not the hag of legend, but a young woman whose reputation is exaggerated, and who believes that she is in the right. Caught between conflicting loyalties, Dunk must make some hard choices...
While not a substantial story by any means, Sworn Sword does explore elements of the feudal system, as well as gender relations, within Westeros. It's not quite as straightforward a story as The Hedge Knight, nor is it quite as rich, but it is still quite excellent, with an intriguing solution, albeit one that leaves some elements up in the air. We have a rather more optimistic resolution of the conflict between honour and pragmatism than what usually goes on in the series.
The characters are varied and interesting, with Lady Rohanne being the most interesting of all. After all, she's a woman stuck in an at best patriarchal society, and will forfeit her lands if she doesn't marry. A strong woman who is at first presented as a scheming villainess, only to be revealed as someone trying to do what she can to survive. The artwork is quite good, and actually brings across the stifling heat that the story is set in.
Sworn Sword isn't any better or worse than its predecessor. It does some things better, and some things not so well, but it's still a good continuation of the story of Dunk and Egg...
9/10
First words: When I squired for Ser Arlan, he used to say that no hedge knight need ever go thirsty.
Last words: Well, I hear it's tall.
_________________
Yami: Wait, did you just summon a bunch of monsters in one turn?
Kaiba: Yeah, so?
Yami: That's against the rules!
Seto Kaiba: Screw the Rules, I Have Money!!
-Yu-Gi-Oh The Abridged Series
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Quatermass
I believe the appropriate phrase is, 'Boo-yah'.
Joined: Apr 28, 2006
Posts: 21114
Location: Right behind you...
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| Posted: Sun Jun 10, 2012 8:40 pm Post subject: |
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Book 4...
REVIEW: Coraline by Neil Gaiman
Although I had read The Sandman graphic novels long before these book-reading blogs began, it's only recently that I have begun to read Neil Gaiman's other works. I consider his novel American Gods, as well as his script for Doctor Who, The Doctor's Wife, to be his masterpieces. But Gaiman did more than write fantasy with a horror edge for adults. He also wrote books for children, including a fantasy horror book called Coraline...
Coraline Jones, 11 years old, has recently moved into one of four flats in an old house with her loving, if somewhat inattentive parents. Bored and rebellious, Coraline eventually discovers an unusual door that, although it seems to lead to a bricked up wall, eventually reveals a passage. Despite being warned by some of the eccentric residents of the house, and given things for her protection, Coraline walks through, only to discover a different house, and a different set of parents. Her 'other' mother is doting and caring...and has black buttons for eyes. So too does every other resident of this strange world. But not everything is as it seems, and Coraline will soon begin a battle not just to save her soul, but those of her parents, the residents of the house, and those entrapped by the Other Mother before...
Neil Gaiman is a master at combining horror and fantasy, and if I were a child, I would probably lap this story up. But as an adult, while this is a good story, it's also far too short for my liking. This is not to say at all that Coraline is bad. It is actually a work of, if not genius, then at least excellent talent. It's just straightforward, short, and lacks substance for adult readers. But there is a good story in there, with good horror concepts that aren't too much for a child to handle. And adults could get some entertainment from it, and perhaps more horror than the kids. This is, after all, a story about child abduction, albeit by a supernatural entity than a paedophile.
The characters are interesting, for a children's book, although a little thin on the ground, due to the genre. Coraline is an interesting protagonist, though her parents are far from it (though given the story, maybe that's the point). The other residents of the house seem to be somewhere between Gaiman and Roald Dahl's characters. The Other Mother is the most interesting of the inhabitants of the other world, but considering that she's the main villain, that's not surprising.
Coraline, then, is an intriguing book. Written as it is for children, it may not really whet the appetites of adult readers, but it's still not a bad work from a master of horror and fantasy and generally weird things...
8.5/10
First words: Coraline discovered the door a little while after they moved into the house.
Last words: (Not recorded due to spoilers)
_________________
Yami: Wait, did you just summon a bunch of monsters in one turn?
Kaiba: Yeah, so?
Yami: That's against the rules!
Seto Kaiba: Screw the Rules, I Have Money!!
-Yu-Gi-Oh The Abridged Series
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Quatermass
I believe the appropriate phrase is, 'Boo-yah'.
Joined: Apr 28, 2006
Posts: 21114
Location: Right behind you...
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| Posted: Wed Jun 13, 2012 5:40 am Post subject: |
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Book 5...
REVIEW: Road to Nowhere: 23 years and 9 months in the Australian prison system by Mark Brandon Read, with Simone Ubaldi
It is a strange part of many cultures around the world that, at times, we idolise our criminals. In Australia, this in itself is quite prevalent, as the idolisation of Ned Kelly shows. Perhaps the best known modern celebrity of this perverse cultural tendency is Mark Brandon Read, otherwise known as Chopper. I have read many of his books, telling the time of his life both behind bars and out of jail, and my feelings towards the man are ambivalent. On the one hand, the man is a convicted criminal who stood over criminals, killed or assaulted many of them. On the other, his writing was affable in tone, engrossing in a perverse way (or a good yarn as we would put it), and he claims that his targets were all criminals themselves. Having read and reviewed one of his latest books, One Thing Led to Another in an earlier book-reading blog, it was inevitable that I would try his latest, and what could very well be his last book, the aptly titled Road to Nowhere.
Road to Nowhere is the tale of Chopper's journey through the prison system, whereas his previous work was more about his life on the outside. It tells the story of what happened in prisons and correctional facilities from the Turana Boys' Home, to Pentridge and its notorious H Division, all the way to Risdon Prison in Tasmania. It's a story of violence, factions, rivalries, and time wasted in prison.
If Chopper could ever be prevailed upon to write something remotely approaching a public service announcement (excluding the television ad he did for road safety), something to persuade people to stay on the right side of the law, this would be it. While previous books were crude but had a certain amount of casual writing and a jocular nature at times, here, the harsh realities of the prison system are thrown into stark relief. This is a brutal and confronting book, telling a tale of a brutal and confronting world. Many of the anecdotes will probably horrify, and even disgust, some people. But it is still an engrossing work, one that shows Chopper's increasing maturity as a writer, although I wonder how much of it is due to his cowriter, Simone Ubaldi. I honestly don't know.
If this book has faults, and it does, it's that this book is rather too confronting. The same anecdotes that should serve as a reminder that prison is not a nice place to be are also the same things that might repel potential readers. You would have to be a fairly specialised reader to get any kind of enjoyment out of it, and even then, there will be parts where you will either wince, or else be disgusted. That being said, I don't doubt that it would appeal to Chopper's established fans.
Road to Nowhere may not be at all for everyone, but this is certainly a good book to scare people onto the straight and narrow, as well as an insight into the prison system from the point of view of one of Australia's most notorious criminals. It does hold a certain entertainment value, but this is more a book to read if you have strong sensibilities.
9/10
First words: In my last book, One Thing Led to Another, I told the true story of my life.
Last words: Took long enough, though, didn't it?
_________________
Yami: Wait, did you just summon a bunch of monsters in one turn?
Kaiba: Yeah, so?
Yami: That's against the rules!
Seto Kaiba: Screw the Rules, I Have Money!!
-Yu-Gi-Oh The Abridged Series
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Quatermass
I believe the appropriate phrase is, 'Boo-yah'.
Joined: Apr 28, 2006
Posts: 21114
Location: Right behind you...
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| Posted: Thu Jun 14, 2012 4:34 am Post subject: |
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Book 6...
REVIEW: A Game of Thrones: The Graphic Novel, Volume One by Daniel Abraham and Tommy Patterson, adapted from the novel by George RR Martin
Late last year, I came to read the first book in George RR Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire fantasy series. A Game of Thrones captured my imagination with the complex story in a fantasy setting, and I have since gone on to read the second and third books in the series, as well as the first two graphic novel adaptations of a related novella series called The Hedge Knight, not to mention watching the first series of the now famous TV adaptation. Now, while I begin A Feast for Crows, the fourth in the series, I also go for the adaptation of A Game of Thrones, done for a comic book series. The TV series was good, but could the comic series even match that?
Eddard 'Ned' Stark is the Lord of the North of Westeros, and considered by King Robert Baratheon to be his most honourable, if not loyal subject. So when the Hand of the King, Jon Arryn, dies of a swift and mysterious illness, Robert decides on Ned as Arryn's successor, naming him on a great procession to Stark's castle, Winterfell. Stark and his large family have mixed feelings about this, especially when Stark's wife, Catelyn, receives word from her sister, Arryn's widow, that Arryn was murdered by the Lannisters, a powerful family who includes Robert's wife, Cersei. One of Ned's children falls from a tower in suspicious circumstances, and Ned is about to enter a vipers' nest in the capital of Westeros, King's Landing. Meanwhile, Ned's bastard son, Jon Snow, heads north to the Wall and the Night's Watch, sworn to defend Westeros against legendary adversaries called the Others, who may very well be rising again. And across the sea, the last remnants of the brutal dynasty Robert Baratheon overthrew are making steps to get back into power. Young princess Daenerys Targaryen is put into an arranged marriage with Dothraki warlord Khal Drogo, all so her older brother, the power-obsessed Viserys, can take back the throne he believes is rightfully his. But she is beginning to realise that she holds the power. A deadly game of thrones is about to erupt, and Westeros will not survive unscathed...
What can I say about A Game of Thrones that I already haven't? It's an excellent and engrossing story, and while doing it as a TV series may be the best way to adapt the series in an audiovisual manner, it is not the only way. The graphic novel adapts only the first quarter or so of the story, up to and including Ned's first day in King's Landing, but it does it well, with many scenes omitted from the series brought to life here. Of course, this means that many other scenes made for the TV series are omitted here, but nonetheless, this is a good book. It is still very confronting, as Martin transplants the truth of medieval life (such as arranged marriages involving people we would consider underaged) into a medieval fantasy setting, and the adapters have been as faithful as possible, but it's good nonetheless.
I have heard of criticisms of the art and character design in the series, but I personally have no objection to it. It's fairly different to what was done for the TV show, and while the characters do look like they are in a typical fantasy setting (long hair and the like), it also still fits the world of A Song of Ice and Fire. Certainly, it gives an alternate and perfectly valid version of the events in A Game of Thrones. I can't really find any fault with it.
The first volume of A Game of Thrones: The Graphic Novel is an excellent adaptation of an excellent book. I'm giving it a perfect score, like the book it was adapted from.
10/10
First words: We should start back.
Last words: I know.
_________________
Yami: Wait, did you just summon a bunch of monsters in one turn?
Kaiba: Yeah, so?
Yami: That's against the rules!
Seto Kaiba: Screw the Rules, I Have Money!!
-Yu-Gi-Oh The Abridged Series
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Quatermass
I believe the appropriate phrase is, 'Boo-yah'.
Joined: Apr 28, 2006
Posts: 21114
Location: Right behind you...
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| Posted: Thu Jun 14, 2012 8:23 am Post subject: |
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A little caveat I should add to the above: the graphic novel adaptation of A Game of Thrones would probably be most enjoyed by fans of the books and/or TV series, or fantasy.
_________________
Yami: Wait, did you just summon a bunch of monsters in one turn?
Kaiba: Yeah, so?
Yami: That's against the rules!
Seto Kaiba: Screw the Rules, I Have Money!!
-Yu-Gi-Oh The Abridged Series
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Quatermass
I believe the appropriate phrase is, 'Boo-yah'.
Joined: Apr 28, 2006
Posts: 21114
Location: Right behind you...
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| Posted: Fri Jun 15, 2012 4:36 am Post subject: |
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Book 7...
REVIEW: Doctor Who: The Dark Path by David A McIntee
When I scour second-hand bookshops nowadays, or go to the Lifeline Bookfest, I look for many Doctor Who books that are fairly rare nowadays, including many of the New Adventures and Missing Adventures published by Virgin Books. Finally, last Saturday, I hit paydirt: a Doctor Who Missing Adventure called The Dark Path. After all, it was this story that, long before the new series began, purported to tell the story of the origins of one of the Doctor's oldest enemies...
This is the story of Darkheart, a desolate planet orbiting a neutron star. Colonised by the Earth Empire in the Empire's dying days, it has become insular and xenophobic. So when a ship from the Galactic Federation, crewed by humans and aliens, comes to reassimilate the colony, it seems that things will go badly. Two time machines are drawn by temporal anomalies to Darkheart. Two TARDISes. Two Time Lords. One is the Doctor, travelling with Jamie and Victoria, the latter of whom is finding that, although the death of her father haunts her less, the death and destruction they encounter haunts her even more. The other is Koschei, a Time Lord agent accompanied by a human called Ailla from the 28th Century, over half a milennium previously, investigating Darkheart. As the xenophobic colonists of Darkheart make their move, questions remain. What is the monster haunting Darkheart? What does it have to do with a Veltrochni fleet destroyed by Darkheart's colonists some time before, and another fleet coming to avenge them? What is the terrible secret of Darkheart, and what does it have to do with Federation aliens either vanishing, or apparently turning into humans? This is the story of how one Time Lord started on the dark path that would consume his life. This is the story of the genesis of the Master...
The Dark Path is interesting for many reasons. It attempts to tie up many threads of continuity in the classic series, like how the xenophobic Earth Empire (mostly seen throughout The Mutants) ended up joining the Galactic Federation (seen in The Curse of Peladon and The Monster of Peladon), as well as the beginning of Victoria's discontent with travelling with the Doctor, and the fact that the Doctor is being noticed in his travels (the Earth Empire colonists have records of the events of The Ice Warriors). The villains, other than the Master (who only becomes a villain towards the end), have an extremely chilling plan: to replace all aliens with humans via a kind of time-rewriting pseudo-genocide. As an origin story for the Master, it could have been a little better, but is otherwise handled fairly well, with an interesting twist.
The regular characters of the Doctor, Jamie, and Victoria are all as they are on TV, with Victoria getting a substantial amount of page time as she considers the nature of her time travelling with the Doctor, as well as the morality. Koschei, the Master before he became known by the name, sounds very much like Roger Delgado's Master (and is even given Delgado's appearance on the cover), something of an anomaly, but it is possible that his regenerations, which he was implied to run through thanks to the ending, simply came full circle. Koschei's character is rather like a more anti-heroic Doctor, more willing to kill than the Doctor, and on the edge, though not actually evil. Knowing what will happen is rather heartbreaking, to tell the truth. The other characters aren't as developed, but still interesting, from the xenophobic Terrell to the Master's companion Ailla, and more.
While not the best possible origin story for the Master, The Dark Path is still quite an excellent work in of itself. And just because it isn't the best origin story doesn't mean it's not a better possible one. If you are a Doctor Who fan, this is one story you shouldn't pass up...
9/10
First words: There was rarely any traffic through the starless gap between the great spiral arms of the Galaxy.
Last words: It seemed to take a lifetime to get there.
_________________
Yami: Wait, did you just summon a bunch of monsters in one turn?
Kaiba: Yeah, so?
Yami: That's against the rules!
Seto Kaiba: Screw the Rules, I Have Money!!
-Yu-Gi-Oh The Abridged Series
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Quatermass
I believe the appropriate phrase is, 'Boo-yah'.
Joined: Apr 28, 2006
Posts: 21114
Location: Right behind you...
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| Posted: Fri Jun 15, 2012 7:23 am Post subject: |
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Book 8...
REVIEW: The Unwritten volume 2: Inside Man by Mike Carey and Peter Gross
Last book-reading blog, I decided to try a new graphic novel series: The Unwritten. Created by the creators of Lucifer, the first volume showed promising beginnings of a clash between reality and fiction, all centred around a character like Christopher Robin Milne, who was infamous for detesting his fictional namesake from the Winnie the Pooh books (believing that his childhood was stolen by father and author AA Milne). So what of the second installment?
Tom Taylor's childhood was already ruined by his father, Wilson Taylor, writing him as the protagonist of the famous Tommy Taylor children's books. But now, thanks to the actions of a mysterious cabal his father opposed, the rest of Tom's life has been ruined as well. Accused of murder, his reputation, and that of his fictional namesake, is going down the toilet, poisoning the psyches of fans around the world. Sent to a French prison, Tom has to deal with brutal prisoners, the cabal targeting him again, and the warden, Chadron, whose children idolised Tommy Taylor, and Tom's imprisonment, in Chadron's eyes, may ruin his children. But Tom has allies, even if he may not trust them. Lizzie Hexam, the young woman responsible for the events leading up to this point, and Richard Savoy, a blogger dedicated to finding out the truth, both get themselves imprisoned. But escape has its costs, and the place they escape may be an even worse place than prison: the world of Jud Suss, a novel perverted by the Nazis to their own, anti-Semitic ends as a vicious propaganda film...
The second volume of The Unwritten continues the trend of the original in being an intelligent look at the nature of fiction and how it affects the world. Unfortunately, while we are given more and more hints about what is going on (the most substantial being that Lizzie is in the employ of Wilson Taylor, and that the characters can actually enter fictional worlds), there isn't much substance given. This is also a confronting book, with the first part discussing the effects Tom Taylor's arrest has on Tommy Taylor fans, and the second part discussing the infamous Nazi film Jud Suss, as well as the book it was adapted from. The final chapter of the graphic novel appears to be a side story, detailing a sort of literary prison where the prisoners are condemned to become cheery woodland animals, and is darkly funny.
Tom Taylor begins his path to becoming the hero (so to speak) of the series, distinct from the fictional Tommy Taylor, and while angry at many people, he is starting to become less jerky. Lizzie Hexam is also becoming more sympathetic, although Wilson Taylor, who was already dubious, seems to be becoming, if not a villain, then a rather dark anti-hero, manipulating others. Savoy is an intriguing sidekick, but a little flat, while Chadron is a sympathetic character who nonetheless does some very bad things for what may be the right reasons from his point of view. After all, his children become too enamored of Tommy Taylor for their own good, and their deaths are heart-wrenching.
The Unwritten is a (so far) consistently good story that is thought-provoking. While not without faults, I still hope to read more of it as time goes by...
9/10
First words: To France's borders the columns came: To a high pass, Roncevaux its name.
Last words: And Dogling agreed that it very probably was.
_________________
Yami: Wait, did you just summon a bunch of monsters in one turn?
Kaiba: Yeah, so?
Yami: That's against the rules!
Seto Kaiba: Screw the Rules, I Have Money!!
-Yu-Gi-Oh The Abridged Series
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Quatermass
I believe the appropriate phrase is, 'Boo-yah'.
Joined: Apr 28, 2006
Posts: 21114
Location: Right behind you...
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| Posted: Sat Jun 16, 2012 6:11 am Post subject: |
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Book 9...
REVIEW: G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra by Max Allan Collins, from the story by Michael Gordon, Stuart Beattie, and Stephen Sommers, and the screenplay by Stuart Neattie, David Elliot, and Paul Lovett
I have to confess, I wasn't that much of a G.I. Joe fan, not of the toys, nor of the TV series. I did watch some of the TV show, but I remember liking the Transformers series and toys much better. So I didn't go to watch the movie adaptation that was made only relatively recently. In the event, I have come to read the novelization, as filler while I work on other books. So was it any good?
James Cullen, arms dealer and leader of the MARS weapons company, has developed a new kind of weapon, using nanotechnology. So when he sells it to NATO, and the convoy is ambushed, there is strong concern from various quarters. The survivors from the ambush, Conrad 'Duke' Hauser and Wallace 'Ripcord' Weems, are startled to be rescued by a special forces unit known as G.I. Joe, an international military force, but Duke is also concerned that one of the ambushers was a former flame, Ana Lewis, now Baroness Anastascia DeCobray. And it soon transpires that the purpose of the ambush was for Cullen to cover his tracks in thieving the nanoweapon warheads, all for the purpose of world domination. Duke and Ripcord are thrown into the tough world of G.I. Joe, but that may not be enough to save the world from Cullen, and his mysterious underling, the sinister Doctor...
Okay, to be perfectly frank, the story is an enjoyable but rather thin bit of technothriller fantasy w**k. It would be hard to get a deep and meaningful storyline from something based on a toy line, but I do feel that there was a lot more that the author could have done to add some more texture to the story. Instead, it feels more like a straightforward adaptation of the movie. This is by no means a bad thing, and it is very readable and entertaining, but it lacks substance badly, getting along on a kind of pseudo-American jingoism.
The characters are fine enough for the land of cartoon and toys, but here, while not bad, are lacking a certain amount of depth. There are pasts to each character, to be sure, but again, they could have been elaborated upon far more than they were in the film. As it was, we just get the bare basics, and the slightest of elaborations. Nothing more.
This novelisation is far from bad. It is entertaining enough in its own right. But if you're looking for something more meaty or substantial, then you will be disappointed. It may not be "No Joe" rather than "Yo Joe!", and it is still a good novelisation, but it's not something you'd read just cause.
8/10
First words: The moon could not break through the cold, misty fog that swirlded around the imposing walls of the Bastille like smoke from the aftermath of some great conflagration.
Last words: (Not recorded due to spoilers.)
_________________
Yami: Wait, did you just summon a bunch of monsters in one turn?
Kaiba: Yeah, so?
Yami: That's against the rules!
Seto Kaiba: Screw the Rules, I Have Money!!
-Yu-Gi-Oh The Abridged Series
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Quatermass
I believe the appropriate phrase is, 'Boo-yah'.
Joined: Apr 28, 2006
Posts: 21114
Location: Right behind you...
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| Posted: Sat Jun 16, 2012 7:56 am Post subject: |
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Book 10...
REVIEW: The Unwritten volume 3: Dead Man's Knock by Mike Carey, Peter Gross and Ryan Kelly
With the first two volumes of The Unwritten read as part of my book-reading blogs, I now come to the third. I hoped that there would be some answers at the very least in this volume. After all, we had reality and fiction colliding, and the beginning of an intriguing story, and while it would be too much to expect a lot of answers, I hoped for some...
The fourteenth Tommy Taylor novel, Tommy Taylor and the Emerald Telescope, is due to be released. The real Tom Taylor, son of author Wilson Taylor, along with his allies blogger Richard Savoy and the enigmatic Lizzie Hexam, have emerged from a fictional realm where they had escaped prison, into London. But not all is as it seems. The fourteenth book is a fake, created by the mysterious Cabal who want to see Tom Taylor discredited, and Wilson Taylor dead, and the fake book, cliched and crappy, is sure to lure Wilson out of hiding. While Lizzie Hexam suffers an identity crisis of monumental proportions, and Richard Savoy shows where his allegiance lies, Tom receives instructions that will lead to a meeting with his long-vanished father, who has been manipulating him all this time. But the reunion may be a short one, for not only the Cabal are after the Taylors, but also Tommy Taylor's nemesis, Count Ambrosio, inhabiting the body of former warden Chadron...
The story seems to be maintaining the high standard for The Unwritten, neither really going down in quality, or improving itself. However, this is not to say that it isn't interesting. On the contrary, we get a few answers, albeit not enough (of course, given the ongoing storyline), with one of the issues being devoted to a highly original way of delivering the story of Lizzie Hexam's life, as a sort of multiple-choice story. And we have a few more hints as to how the mysterious Cabal works, although their tactic of using a cliched, low-quality Tommy Taylor novel is countered by Wilson Taylor publishing his own fourteenth novel, a cliched, but filled with messanic archetypes, story.
Tom Taylor and Savoy get some character development, with Tom finally accepting his two fellow adventurers as friends. But it is Lizzie and Wilson who get the most character development, with Wilson being a cold, manipulative pragmatist who nonetheless may have had the best intentions. Indeed, a substantial amount of his character is informed by the aforementioned choose-a-backstory for Lizzie Hexam, which also reveals, regardless of other choices, that Lizzie was once a young girl called Jane Waxman. Pullman, who was a villain in the first volume working for the Cabal, and seen briefly in the second volume, makes a comeback, and he is shown to be even more dangerous than ever.
The Unwritten is a series that may yet continue to hold me. While not perfect, it is of consistently high quality, high concept, and quite enjoyable. Here's hoping that it stays that way for future volumes.
9/10
First words: It's still two days to the official launch of the fourteenth Tommy Taylor novel, and despite heavy rains, the line at Foley's in Charing Cross Road is three-quarters of a mile long...Sarah?
Last words: To catch a whale.
_________________
Yami: Wait, did you just summon a bunch of monsters in one turn?
Kaiba: Yeah, so?
Yami: That's against the rules!
Seto Kaiba: Screw the Rules, I Have Money!!
-Yu-Gi-Oh The Abridged Series
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Quatermass
I believe the appropriate phrase is, 'Boo-yah'.
Joined: Apr 28, 2006
Posts: 21114
Location: Right behind you...
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| Posted: Tue Jun 19, 2012 3:02 am Post subject: |
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The next book will, in all likelihood, be the next installment in the A Song of Ice and Fire series: A Feast for Crows. Watch this space...
_________________
Yami: Wait, did you just summon a bunch of monsters in one turn?
Kaiba: Yeah, so?
Yami: That's against the rules!
Seto Kaiba: Screw the Rules, I Have Money!!
-Yu-Gi-Oh The Abridged Series
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Quatermass
I believe the appropriate phrase is, 'Boo-yah'.
Joined: Apr 28, 2006
Posts: 21114
Location: Right behind you...
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| Posted: Tue Jun 19, 2012 6:16 am Post subject: |
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Book 11...
REVIEW: A Feast for Crows by George RR Martin
Having been continually impressed with the A Song of Ice and Fire series up to this point, along with the adaptations of the Tales of Dunk and Egg novellas set in the same universe, it was with a mixture of trepidation and enthusiasm that I approached A Feast for Crows. After all, many fans and reviewers didn't think much of the fourth book in the series. So would I like it at all?
The War of the Five Kings may be all but over, with all hopeful kings bar Stannis Baratheon dead, and he himself is at the Wall in the North, but the game of thrones continues. In King's Landing, Cersei Lannister, in the wake of her father's death at the hands of her dwarf brother Tyrion, tries to consolidate her power through her only remaining son, Tommen, only to find that while she is good at gaining power, she is not good at wielding it. And her attempts to do so may end up alienating the very people who wish to help her. Her twin brother Jaime must consider whether his loyalties lie with his sister, or with the realm. Brienne of Tarth continues the mission to find Sansa Stark, but in her way stand various lawmakers and lawbreakers, including someone she thought dead. In the lands of Dorne, Prince Doran Martell seems slow to take revenge for the death of his brother at the hands of those in King's Landing, but he has a different plan in mind, while Samwell Tarly, sent from the Wall by Jon Snow, now Commander of the Night's Watch to learn how to be a maester, suffers the trials of travel. Sansa Stark must deal with the machinations at the court of the Vale, with its child Lord Robert manipulated by the devious Littlefinger, while Arya begins the first steps of a new life, training under the Faceless Men, an order of assassins.
I have to say that even if A Feast for Crows is not Martin at his best, it is still a good book, well above the norm. Unfortunately, like A Clash of Kings before it, it is a story in transition, and certainly with no battle scenes to liven it up. It does meander a lot, going very few places in the plot, and certainly not writing from the point of view of the more popular characters like Jon, Tyrion, or Daenerys doesn't help matters. But to say this book is not good at all because of that is to do it a grave disservice. Martin is laying the groundwork for so much more, and we have a number of intriguing plotlines that help keep interest. Indeed, two of the better storylines are those about Cersei and Jaime, showing Cersei about to get her comeuppance (finally!), and Jaime's increasing humanity.
I have to admit, the Sam chapters, as well as those set in Dorne, are for the most part not as interesting as they should be, and Sansa's and Brienne's chapters are not brilliant, though all of the above do have some intriguing revelations in store. The Greyjoy chapters are a little better, though. As mentioned above, Jaime's chapters are good in that they show his increasing humanity, as much as Jaime Lannister can become more humane, while Cersei's show her to be an idiot when it comes to wielding power, and it is satisfying to see her fall (albeit not far enough) in her last chapter. However, most of all, I enjoyed Arya's chapters most, despite the fact that she is becoming a rather ruthless little girl. Her training under the Faceless Men is intriguing, and it will be interesting to see where her story goes.
A Feast for Crows may not be Martin's best work in the series, but it is still a good book for the fans of A Song of Ice and Fire. Slow and plodding, it nonetheless is clearly setting things up for what is to follow...
9/10
First words: "Dragons," said Mollander.
Last words: (Not recorded due to spoilers)
_________________
Yami: Wait, did you just summon a bunch of monsters in one turn?
Kaiba: Yeah, so?
Yami: That's against the rules!
Seto Kaiba: Screw the Rules, I Have Money!!
-Yu-Gi-Oh The Abridged Series
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Quatermass
I believe the appropriate phrase is, 'Boo-yah'.
Joined: Apr 28, 2006
Posts: 21114
Location: Right behind you...
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| Posted: Wed Jun 20, 2012 3:02 am Post subject: |
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Book 12...
REVIEW: Hack/Slash volume 1: First Cut by Tim Seeley et al
As I have mentioned before, these book-reading blogs are a means to try and force myself to read something new. I certainly branched out into some good graphic novel series, like Transmetropolitan, Monster, and The Unwritten. But others, like The Boys, Genshiken, and others were not so good. I decided, having heard of it enough times, to have a go at a new graphic novel series, Hack/Slash...
Meet Cassie Hack. In high school, she was an outcast whose mother became a serial killer, murdering any of Cassie's bullies and cooking them in the cafeteria. When confronted, Cassie's mother committed suicide, but came back to life as an undead serial killer called a 'Slasher' and terrorised Cassie's new high school. After defeating her mother, Cassie resolved to hunt down all the Slashers she could find. Teaming up with the freakish, hulking but good-natured Vlad, Cassie travels across the US, tracking down and killing Slashers. From a simple veterinary assistant bent on revenge to a fundamentalist preacher with major issues, and the deadliest infant in the world, Cassie and Vlad sure have their hands full...
I'm not sure what to make of Hack/Slash. It was entertaining, but rather shallow, and seems to be a takeoff of a number of horror movies, which is probably the point. They do name Cassie a 'last girl' on the graphic novel, a character who survives to the end of the film. But while the stories are a little entertaining, and certainly, in at least one case, doesn't have things black and white, it's about as deep as a puddle (although it also comments on things like comic book fans and spring break parties), and seems to fetishize horror. There's no continuing storyline, or none that I can see so far.
The plot is perhaps weaker than the characters. Cassie, at least, has a past and a history, and while Vlad seems like the stereotypical gentle, misunderstood freakish giant, he is still quite good for that. Of the other characters to appear, the first Slasher, Bobby, is of course the most sympathetic and interesting, despite the horror he perpetrates. However, the rest of them aren't as interesting. I thought that the art was good enough for this series, if a bit too grotesque at times.
Hack/Slash was not bad, but it wasn't really up to my standards for entertainment. Give it some time, and it may be enjoyable for me, but I personally think this will appeal more to slasher-film fans.
7.5/10
First words: Camp Baker...
Last words: Young Buck is back, baby!
_________________
Yami: Wait, did you just summon a bunch of monsters in one turn?
Kaiba: Yeah, so?
Yami: That's against the rules!
Seto Kaiba: Screw the Rules, I Have Money!!
-Yu-Gi-Oh The Abridged Series
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