Book Review: "The Steel Remains" by Richard K. Morgan

A dark lord will rise. Such is the prophecy that dogs Ringil Eskiath—Gil, for short—a washed-up mercenary and onetime war hero whose cynicism is surpassed only by the speed of his sword. Gil is estranged from his aristocratic family, but when his mother enlists his help in freeing a cousin sold into slavery, Gil sets out to track her down. But it soon becomes apparent that more is at stake than the fate of one young woman. Grim sorceries are awakening in the land. Some speak in whispers of the return of the Aldrain, a race of widely feared, cruel yet beautiful demons. Now Gil and two old comrades are all that stand in the way of a prophecy whose fulfillment will drown an entire world in blood. But with heroes like these, the cure is likely to be worse than the disease. - from Amazon.com

I am not sure where to start about this book. The story synopsis sounded interesting, which lead me to start reading this one. At the time, I did not know there was a second book, though this is a good stand-alone novel.

The writing style Morgan uses was very interesting for me to read. I found the descriptive battles a bit energizing to me as the reader. The characters introduced had depth, though the secondaries were not as intense as the main. Some of the content Morgan used was a bit offensive to me, but was definitely required to understand the portrayal he wished to show. Morgan's writing style is descriptive though dark and gritty, with a 'no-holds-barred' approach.

This story was definitely not what I thought I was getting, as it had so much more to offer. I have definitely become a fan of this author, and look forward to not only the next novel based on this main character, but his other works as well. His fantasy story-telling skills are superb!

Book Review: "The Hum and the Shiver" by Alex Bledsoe

No one knows where the Tufa came from, or how they ended up in the Smoky Mountains of East Tennessee, yet when the first Europeans arrived, they were already there. Dark-haired, enigmatic, and suspicious of outsiders, the Tufa live quiet lives in the hills and valleys of Cloud County. While their origins may be lost to history, there are clues in their music—hints of their true nature buried in the songs they have passed down for generations.

Private Bronwyn Hyatt returns from Iraq wounded in body and in spirit, only to face the very things that drove her away in the first place: her family, her obligations to the Tufa, and her dangerous ex-boyfriend. But more trouble lurks in the mountains and hollows of her childhood home. Cryptic omens warn of impending tragedy, and a restless “haint” lurks nearby, waiting to reveal Bronwyn’s darkest secrets. Worst of all, Bronwyn has lost touch with the music that was once a vital part of her identity.

With death stalking her family, Bronwyn will need to summon the strength to take her place among the true Tufa and once again fly on the night winds. . . .

The Hum and the Shiver is a Kirkus Reviews Best of 2011 Science Fiction & Fantasy title. - from Amazon.com

The thought passed my mind as I began to read this story, that maybe I had picked up a sequel. However, the story took off, and the that idea quickly disappeared. Bledsoe did a wonderful job in building up a character that is easy to relate to (even if I am not a female). I really enjoyed the story concept (don't want to give spoilers). After finishing, I do wonder about the need for some characters, as I didn't see, or recall at least, their importance in the story itself. But I see that there is another book to follow this one, and perhaps Bledsoe introduced them here, to help build them up for a portion that is in the next book. Either way I enjoyed reading this one, and read it straight through in one afternoon. Looking forward to the next one!

Book Review: "Deeply Odd" by Dean Koontz

The pistol appeared in his hand the way a dove appears in the hand of a good magician, as if it materialized out of thin air. “You think I won’t do it right here in the open. But you’d be surprised. . . . You’ll drop before you get the breath to scream.”  

The truck driver is decked out like a rhinestone cowboy, only instead of a guitar he’s slinging a gun—and Odd Thomas is on the wrong end of the barrel. Though he narrowly dodges a bullet, Odd can’t outrun the shocking vision burned into his mind . . . or the destiny that will drive him into a harrowing showdown with absolute evil.

DEEPLY ODD

How do you make sure a crime that hasn’t happened yet, never does? That’s the critical question facing Odd Thomas, the young man with a unique ability to commune with restless spirits and help them find justice and peace. But this time, it’s the living who desperately need Odd on their side. Three helpless innocents will be brutally executed unless Odd can intervene in time. Who the potential victims are and where they can be found remain a mystery. The only thing Odd knows for sure is who the killer will be: the homicidal stranger who tried to shoot him dead in a small-town parking lot.  

With the ghost of Alfred Hitchcock riding shotgun and a network of unlikely allies providing help along the way, Odd embarks on an interstate game of cat and mouse with his sinister quarry. He will soon learn that his adversary possesses abilities that may surpass his own and operates in service to infinitely more formidable foes, with murder a mere prelude to much deeper designs. Traveling across a landscape haunted by portents of impending catastrophe, Odd will do what he must and go where his path leads him, drawing ever closer to the dark heart of his long journey—and, perhaps, to the bright light beyond. - from Amazon.com

Being the 6th book in a series, I can see how sometimes it can start to feel a bit 'dried out'. As the story continues Odd's journey to whatever, Koontz does get a bit depressing. There were a couple parts that I felt just bogged down the reading, and though may have shown a bit of Odd's internal turmoils & thoughts, seemed a tad bit much. I sloughed through those sections and the action part of the story was fine. Overall it wasn't a bad read considering how much I have enjoyed the other books in the series, but I feel that the direction this one seemed to lead towards is getting a bit too much "out there". I am still interested in how all this ties together at and end at some point, and will have to wait again for a future installment.

Book Review: "The Roswell Conspiracy" by Boyd Morrison

After the 1908 Tunguska blast levels a Siberian forest the size of London, a Russian scientist makes an amazing discovery amongst the debris. In 1947, ten-year-old Fay Allen of Roswell, New Mexico, witnesses the fiery crash of an extraordinary craft unlike anything she's ever seen. More than sixty years later, former Army combat engineer Tyler Locke rescues Fay from gunmen who are after a piece of wreckage she claims is from the Roswell incident. Incredulous of her tale, Tyler believes the attack on Fay is nothing more than a burglary gone wrong. But when he finds himself locked in the back of a truck carrying a hundred tons of explosives and heading for a top secret American base, Tyler knows that he has stumbled onto the opening gambit of something more sinister than he ever imagined. Because disgraced Russian spy Vladimir Colchev is after an Air Force prototype code-named Killswitch, an electromagnetic pulse weapon of unprecedented power. Although Tyler is able to avert catastrophe at the US facility, Colchev gets away with the bomb and plans to turn it on America itself. To complete his mission, he needs only one other key component, a mysterious object recovered from the Roswell crash. In a desperate race against time, Tyler must unmask a conspiracy a century in the making to rescue the United States from electronic Armageddon. - from Amazon.com

What another great read written by Boyd Morrison in his series of books regarding Tyler Locke! This is the third book in said series, and after reading the first two, there was no way I was not reading this one!

Tyler Locke, a former Army combat engineer, and his best friend Grant Westfield, former Army Ranger and current electronic and bomb expert, both work for Gordion, a company Locke started, that helps companies world-wide with extreme testing of products from innovative vehicles to electronics and beyond. Both happen to be in Australia when they decide to meet Fay for an appointment at her request. Walking into a shoot-out at her place, the story unfolds leaving them chasing a former Russian spy Vladmir Colchez, who has stolen a U.S.-Australian test weapon that is able to cause an EMP that can take out the U.S. The required unknown element called xenobium is the best trigger for the device, called Killswitch. With Fay's piece of the wreckage from her younger days in Roswell, N.M., they travel from Australia to Easter Island to  South America in an attempt to stop Colchev from obtaining the extraterrestial xenobium that has been hidden.

Once again, Morrison has kept my attention with the action involved in this story. With a bit of slapstick comedy relief, and even if the eventual climax is a bit predictable (good guys always win in the end) I found the read very interesting and relaxing. I look forward to any other books in this series Morrison may write, and plan to check out some of his other novels as well. Definitely a five star book!