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jjwilbourne's reviews
239 reviews
Skeleton Crew by Gre7g Luterman
4.0
There are a lot of people looking for good alien sci fi that doesn't really involve humans and this one really does a good job of creating characters that are both alien and relatable. The writing is very clear and it makes for an easy read. I LOVE the extra artwork included in the book! It really adds value!
I'd definitely recommend this to anyone who is looking for a well paced, alien and star ship sci fi with splashes of romance. If the blurb looks interesting to you at all, definitely grab this!
I'd definitely recommend this to anyone who is looking for a well paced, alien and star ship sci fi with splashes of romance. If the blurb looks interesting to you at all, definitely grab this!
Traction: A Startup Guide to Getting Customers by Justin Mares, Gabriel Weinberg
5.0
This is one of those books where I read it in full but will have to re-read it in pieces as a desk reference. Due to the age of this book, some of the tactics are a little dated, but the underlying strategies are still sound and will likely continue to be for another dozen years (at which point) there may be a second or third edition (which would be nice).
Pick this up if you're just starting a business (especially if it's a digital or tech startup). It'll help you get started and move to profitability.
Pick this up if you're just starting a business (especially if it's a digital or tech startup). It'll help you get started and move to profitability.
Mystic by Garrett Robinson
3.0
It’s time for Nightblade pt. 2 as I continue to spiral deeper into Garrett Robinson’s Underrealm.
Mystic continues where Nightblade left off. Now escaped from the perils of the city, Loren continues her journey to become a famous thief of legend—the Nightblade. But war is brewing in the nine lands, and a conflict to span the ages has risen once again. Together with her companions, Gem and Annis, Loren continues her flight from her enemies on her way to make a fortune if she can find a buyer for her precious cargo.
While Nightblade hinted at a larger world, Mystic begins to dive into it. The story expands the lore and magic. We learn about the order of the Mystics, get a more complete view of the magic systems within Underrealm, and explore new regions of Robinson’s secondary world. The voice of the series is consistent and is reminiscent of the classic fantasy style. And the story is paced with the appropriate amount of action and adventure.
While Loren isn’t my favorite protagonist, I warmed to her a bit in this story, but not without several dozen “No! Why would you do that?!” moments. But Gem is becoming a more interesting character, and grumpy-due-to-withdrawals Xain is far more interesting than the normal Xain we meet in book one.
When I talked about the previous installment, I mentioned that book one felt incomplete with such a hard cliffhanger. I think the story is meant to feel episodic, but making one story out of Nightblade and Mystic would have satisfied me more. The second book answers many of the questions I expected the first novel to answer, and it feels like Loren really becomes the Nightblade at the end of Mystic. But since the first book is technically free, it’s easy to forgive.
Because this book feels more like a continuation of the previous story than its own story, my opinion of the Nightblade saga remains unchanged: while not a personal home run, it’s a fun adventure, worth diving into if you’re looking for a story with a Salvatore, Weis & Hickman, or Goodkind tone. And you can read book one for free by going here: https://underrealm.net/).
Mystic continues where Nightblade left off. Now escaped from the perils of the city, Loren continues her journey to become a famous thief of legend—the Nightblade. But war is brewing in the nine lands, and a conflict to span the ages has risen once again. Together with her companions, Gem and Annis, Loren continues her flight from her enemies on her way to make a fortune if she can find a buyer for her precious cargo.
While Nightblade hinted at a larger world, Mystic begins to dive into it. The story expands the lore and magic. We learn about the order of the Mystics, get a more complete view of the magic systems within Underrealm, and explore new regions of Robinson’s secondary world. The voice of the series is consistent and is reminiscent of the classic fantasy style. And the story is paced with the appropriate amount of action and adventure.
While Loren isn’t my favorite protagonist, I warmed to her a bit in this story, but not without several dozen “No! Why would you do that?!” moments. But Gem is becoming a more interesting character, and grumpy-due-to-withdrawals Xain is far more interesting than the normal Xain we meet in book one.
When I talked about the previous installment, I mentioned that book one felt incomplete with such a hard cliffhanger. I think the story is meant to feel episodic, but making one story out of Nightblade and Mystic would have satisfied me more. The second book answers many of the questions I expected the first novel to answer, and it feels like Loren really becomes the Nightblade at the end of Mystic. But since the first book is technically free, it’s easy to forgive.
Because this book feels more like a continuation of the previous story than its own story, my opinion of the Nightblade saga remains unchanged: while not a personal home run, it’s a fun adventure, worth diving into if you’re looking for a story with a Salvatore, Weis & Hickman, or Goodkind tone. And you can read book one for free by going here: https://underrealm.net/).
Manipulation Techniques: An Effective Guide On How To Persuade And Influence People by Leonard Bell
2.0