@WJLongIII

As always, E.M. Kkoulla finds the magic. This world she has created is endlessly fascinating and as it spirals toward war, I find the momentum this book adds unstoppable.

In previous installments I have felt the story drifting away from Maia and her supporting cast to follow new characters on their adventures. That remains true here, but the balance in this book is stronger.

I have no doubt that in the finale to come this desperate threads will tie together wonderfully and I'm looking forward to seeing how it closes out and what perils await the Ships of Brittania.

I found this graphic novel at Ollie's for a stellar price and as I read through Part 1 of the story I wondered how it could have possibly been on the shelf of a close out store in such numbers. By the time I finished Part 2, that question was answered loud and clear.

The opening salvo is a mystery where a group of scientists are summoned to a new underwater base that has been the US's best kept secret for untold years only to discover that Mer-people exist and are a terrifying and dangerous as any deep sea creature could ever be. Part horror, part tense chase, the first half moves quickly providing sparse answers and keeping you from taking a deep meaningful breath until it ends.

Part 2, however, lets its foot off the gas. It is the rare story that has two beginnings and the even rarer one where pacing is not affected (I speak from experience). This introduces a world after and does a solid job in it's limited page count to root the reader in the wo...

Cold Silver for Souls is my first introduction to Tori Tecken (which I really hope is pronounced Tekken for the geek in me) and what an introduction it proved to be. This fantasy western is as appealing as it is curious, in all the right ways to stick with me.

It revolves around the various challenges and personal hangups of a bounty hunter aptly named Hunter. She's a prickly one, largely due to the way the world has treated her for being what they refer to as a Soulless, read necromancer, and that is the first real brush we have with the magic of this world Tori had created.

To my great joy the book leans heavier on the western part over the fantasy and it shows a level of confidence and restraint that makes the lands we travel and the people we meet more real. I have no doubt that as the story grows and evolves that the magic will take a greater hold on it, but for this novel that is not the case. It stays rooted with Hunter and the troubles that ...

I was in the mood for something of a lighter read, but got what I needed instead. I really enjoyed the story, world building and characters here. I won't go into much detail, but I do think there are some details and character beats that stick out like jagged edges in an otherwise well polished story.

Let me be clear, 'The Witches of Willow Cove' is middle grade fiction and as such it excels, however, some of the ideas here are oddly placed. For example, there are some actions that preclude redemption and the story does not seem to hold with that idea. I get wanting to put a little light in even the darkest corners, but in context, it feels false and strangely manipulative.

In the scheme of things, it is a small thing, but it really stuck in my craw after I finished the book. That said, I do thoroughly enjoy the character dynamics and the split protagonist angle employed. I thoroughly look forward to reading the second book in the series and seeing how Josh Roberts evolves his world, character and story.

I had high hopes for this book when I got it for Christmas, but what a let down. To be fair, the central concept of something strange in the neighborhood that has the local felines growing larger and smarter is intriguing.

The prose gets the job done even if it never rises beyond functional and the gags fall flat. Where the true disappointment comes in is with our characters. Everyone of them is pancake flat with the protagonist being the worst of all.

I have never read a character as weak and rudderless as Dan Dixon. I may never forget his name, for he is a cautionary tale to writers, and that troubles me. I try to stay positive on book reviews especially for those from indie writer's because I know the struggle, but I have limits and this rode the raggedy edge of them.

Overall it's okay I guess, just don't expect to be wowed by anything more than your own imagination while reading the blurb.

While this is the definition of a slow burn, the character/world building is spectacular and one the plot threads are constructed, the book runs a Mach 7 toward a conclusion that makes you eager for Book 2.

As excited as I was for Exodus just knowing it is a property created by many former Mass Effect creators, this novel expands that tenfold.

Definitely worth the read.

So it ends.

We all know the doom that befell the colony on LV-426. The ending has been predetermined since 1986, but the hows and whys have been largely a mystery, at least to me. One of the things I really enjoyed about this book was the ease with which Christopher Golden populated this fated locale with personable characters. All that is to come begins slowly with stir-crazy marines, troubled couples, unscrupulous Company servants, and a new commanding officer.

Into that mix, he throws the titular Aliens that we know and dread, and we are off to the races. Blood, gore, and death ensue. All of that works exceptionally well. This wasn't my first Alien book. In my youth I read the Earth War series and knew about what was in store. New elements arise here that allow for curveballs that you may not see coming.

So, what's with the low score? I want to assume 20th Century Fox placed a mandate on this book. There is a preposterous need ...

About halfway through, I had no idea what all the hype was about. Hyperion is mentioned in the same breath as Dune and Lord of the Rings; a formative work in the field of Scifi. I couldn't see it. the individual stories were compelling, but not particularly special in my eyes. 

The benefits of its Canterbury Tales motif can't be over stated. the format provides a deeper, more involved understanding of the world through the varied and vastly different aspects given by the characters on this shared journey.

Everything clicks as more of the page count rolls past, until finally the last traveller tells their story. The Consul's tale alone brings so much more value of the rest of the novel, I found myself I grossed at last. This tale works almost as a reveal, a Rosetta's stone that unlocks deeper meaning to everything else that has come before, making the setting and plot brighter, more inevitable and more unbearable in their implications all at the same time.

In short, Hyperion is brilliant and validates all of the praise you may have heard about it.

bought this graphic novel forever ago, but only recently has the time felt right. First, let me say this book is every bit a gorgeous as the cover suggests. Mirika Andolfo's art is already legendary, but marrying it to a classic Victorian-esque setting and body horror elements that would make Cronenberg proud was genius.

I initially thought the story would go further with some very evident Haves vs. Have-nots elements and it does, while choosing to twist that on it head amidst a truly monstrous series of events.

I do have to say that some of the creature designs are so detailed and elaborate that on occasion panels can become difficult to read visually. In the end, that doesn't really wind up mattering as it's never something that lasts long and the overall action is easy to understand.

There was word of a spinoff, which I would buy instantly, but can't find. Hopefully, it materializes at some point.

4.5/5 stars

In this third installment of the Ships of Britannia series, we finally reach the point Maia had aimed for since Book 1. She becomes a Ship. Most of this novel feels like setup, very engaging setup, but all the same. At this point, the novel focuses more on the journey and characters' reactions vs. the plot's mechanisms.

I actually enjoyed this, though there were long periods where we covered POV characters that seemed largely superfluous until the final chapters. By the end, everything comes together rather perfectly in a climax that comes as a surprise but reaches back to the earliest parts of Book 1. It is an excellent twist and it couldn't have been executed without the intensive character work.

Needless to say, I am strapped in for the final two books in this series and I can't wait to see what role, Maia, Raven, and the others play in the uncertain future that is to come.