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!

Book Review: "The Lord of Lies" by Sam Bowring

The world is crumbling. Fissures crack the shaking ground, babes are born with twisted limbs and the taste of apples is just a memory. 

Rostigan and the Priestess Yalenna must face those Wardens who remain bent on steeping the land in ruin and, somehow, close the growing Wound in the Great Spell. Standing in their way is a pitiless army commanded by a madman, a sky full of silkjaws and, worst of all, an old friend, once betrayed, whom they must now convince to join them again. 

There is only one thing for it – Rostigan must break an ancient oath and use powers he has dared not touch, powers that could tip the balance in favour of the spreading corruption. Caught in a web of his own deceit, he struggles to live the lies he has spun, for if he cannot, Aorn itself may well be doomed. - taken from Amazon.com

Ths is the second (and final) book of this duology, and unfortunately, I could not bring myself to finish it. After the reading of the first book, I was just put off too much by the comparison between this story and the HIGHLANDER movie franchise. Even though I did try to read it, to find out the final ending. The story for me just dragged on a bit more. I made it through about a third of the book, and decided it was just worth the time it would take to finish. So, I give it some bonus since it was I that just couldn't continue, not the author's fault. A whopping 2 stars.

Book Review: "The Legacy of Lord Regret" by Sam Bowring

Book One of the STRANGE THREADS duology. Centuries have passed since the Wardens slew the tyrant Lord Regret, but while the Wound that he ripped in the sky remains open, the earth trembles and the sun vanishes without warning.

The great warrior Rostigan wanders Aorn, weary of battle and unwanted renown. With him travels his lover, the minstrel Tarzi, who hopes she may soon witness further deeds from him worthy of song and tale. Despite Rostigan s reluctance to re-enter the world, she may get what she wishes for . . .

When they travel to the once magnificent city of Silverstone they discover it has been wrenched out of existence. Journeying onwards, they come to learn the disturbing truth. The land has descended into chaos for the Wardens, now craving destruction, have returned from their ancient graves and Lord Regret s malicious legacy grows ever stronger, corrupting the very nature of reality. - from Goodreads.com

Not a bad story, if you liked the movie 'Highlander'. I felt like I was reading a similar type script, with a set number of characters, risen among the mundane, who could absorb another "power" if they were in close proximity when one of them were killed. Oh, and it seems only another with the "power" can kill them. Yeah, HIGHLANDER overkill. Overall though, the book wasn't terribly bad, and decently written. I started the next book (two-book series, as far as I know) just to find out how it all ends.

Book Review: "The Library of Shadows" by Mikkel Kirkegaard

Imagine that some people have the power to affect your thoughts and feelings through reading. They can seduce you with amazing stories, conjure up vividly imagined worlds, but also manipulate you into thinking exactly what they want you to.

When Luca Campelli dies a sudden and violent death, his son Jon inherits his second-hand bookshop, Libri di Luca, in Copenhagen. Jon has not seen his father for twenty years, since the mysterious death of his mother.

After Luca’s death is followed by an arson attempt on the shop, Jon is forced to explore his family’s past. Unbeknown to Jon, the bookshop has for years been hiding a remarkable secret. It is the meeting place of a society of booklovers and readers, who have maintained a tradition of immense power passed down from the days of the great library of ancient Alexandria. Now someone is trying to destroy them, and Jon finds he must fight to save himself and his new friends.

The Library of Shadows is an engrossing literary thriller of intrigue, conspiracy and the extraordinary power of reading. - taken from Goodreads.com

When I came across this story, and read the basic description, I was a bit excited to start it. The first half of the book kept my attention, and the story seemed to be going well. Then about half way through, I felt it stalled. All the things going on just slammed on the brakes, even though things were still be developed leading to the conclusion. Once I got about 3/4 way through, things picked back up. I wasn't overly impressed with the ending, and thought it dragged just a bit (after the climatic finale). Overall, I loved the idea of the story, of how books and reading books create 'energy'.