kierano's reviews
23 reviews

You Like It Darker by Stephen King

4.0

Ranking All 12 Stories in Stephen King’s Latest Collection: ‘You Like It Darker’

I’m roughly nine months late with this, but new Stephen King books are precious things to me and I only dive into them when I’m good and ready. You Like It Darker is King’s most recent tome and is a collection of short stories and novellas that range from gruesome snapshots of grisly crimes to lengthy introspections on grief (complete with a ghost or two).

Even the ‘worst’ of these stories isn’t a complete waste of time, and the best serve as continued proof that King is one of the greatest writers who ever lived. Regardless, enjoy this numbered list. No spoilers, of course.

12. Finn

I don’t know what convinced Stephen King that he should write a story set in Ireland—I wonder if he even knows himself—but it just didn’t work. I’ll admit that much of what didn’t work was that King doesn’t know enough about the small idiosyncrasies of daily Irish life for his normally sharp characterisations to be worth anything. Every time he got something wrong—a speech pattern; the colour of our currency—it ruined my immersion in the story.

The concept itself isn’t that bad. It’s a zippy tale about a young man—Finn—cursed with a shocking case of bad luck that has followed him his entire life, culminating in a case of mistaken identity that might cost him his life. King is great at writing characters put in unjust situations (more on that later), and the story presented a tidy little arc for Finn…

But the character’s voice and the small details that King kept getting wrong simply ruined the experience for me. It’s likely that if you’re not Irish you won’t have as bad a time with this one as I did, but I’m still confident in placing this at the bottom of the pile. 

Full Review: 
https://www.kieran-obrien.com/post/ranking-all-12-stories-in-stephen-king-s-latest-collection-you-like-it-darker

The Raven Tower by Ann Leckie

adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

 Let Me Tell You About ‘The Raven Tower’ 

You don’t read many stories told in the second-person, do you? No, I didn’t think so. Most writers prefer either the first- or third-person perspective, and you probably think there’s something a little bit annoying or pretentious about a story that acknowledges the reader in such a direct way.

You might even think that the biggest issue with second-person stories is that it draws too much attention to the storyteller. After all, someone is speaking directly to you! Who are they, and why are they addressing you like this? Many second-person stories don’t provide solid answers on this front, which leaves you disappointed.

The Raven Tower by Ann Leckie is different, though. When you flip through your gifted copy for the first time, your eyes narrow when you notice the second-person perspective it’s written in. Oh, well. There’s nothing you can do about it, and you’ve heard that Leckie is a great science fiction writer, and even though this is a fantasy novel, you’re eager to give it a shot. 

Full Review:
https://kieran-obrien.com/post/let-me-tell-you-about-the-raven-tower-book-review

Kings of the Wyld by Nicholas Eames

4.0

 ‘Kings of the Wyld’ is a Rip-Roaring Fantasy Road Trip Novel That Gives Zero F*cks

 

The ‘Five Man Band’ is fantasy trope that’s been popping up regularly for decades, but it’s one that’s so effective that nobody seems to mind. The trope is easily recognisable; do you have five grouped characters in a fantasy setting? That’s probably a Five-Man Band.

Each member of the band usually embodies one specific role. There’s often a Brute of some kind—like the Hulk, or Michelle Rodriguez’s character in Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves. Another common role is The Lancer, a somewhat antagonistic rival to the Hero character who can usually fight pretty well, too—think Batman in any Justice League story, or Magneto in X-Men First Class.

There are more roles, of course—like The Leader, The Heart, The Smart One—and variations of all sorts to play with, but I’ve never seen a take on the trope quite like Nicholas Eames’ in Kings of the Wyld. In some ways, Eames plays it very straight in how he concocts his core Five-Man Band, but it’s the world that he’s built around the whole concept of ‘Fantasy Bands’ that makes Kings of the Wyld such a compelling read. 

Full review:
https://www.kieran-obrien.com/post/kings-of-the-wyld-is-a-rip-roaring-fantasy-road-trip-novel-that-gives-zero-f-cks-book-review

Ultimate Spider-Man, Vol. 1: Married with Children by Jonathan Hickman

adventurous emotional funny inspiring lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

‘Ultimate Spider-Man Vol.1: Married With Children’ is a Must-Read for Spider-Man Fans – Comic Book Review

Everybody knows Spider-Man’s origin story. Peter Parker, bitten by a radioactive spider, gets superpowers and decides to use them for good—something about great power and great responsibility. But what if he hadn’t been bitten by that spider? What if a malignant, time-travelling force robbed Peter of the heroic life he was supposed to live?

And what if, twenty years later, he was offered a chance to become the man he was always supposed to be?

Such is the premise of Ultimate Spider-Man. To cut to the chase, this is one of the best Spider-Man stories I have ever read. If you love Spider-Man, read this book. If somebody you love loves Spider-Man, get them this book.

But it’s been a long road to this point, so I’d like to provide some context for the story as I review it that will hopefully enlighten new readers and provide them with a solid footing to fully enjoy it.

Full review:
https://www.kieran-obrien.com/post/ultimate-spider-man-vol-1-married-with-children-is-a-must-read-for-spider-man-fans-comic-book-r

Knight of Gaelgara by Gary J. Martin

adventurous dark inspiring mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

  ‘Knight of Gaelgara’: One Bad Day in a World of Epic Fantasy – Book Review

 

I’m only a little ashamed to admit that, over time, I have developed a small bias against novel writers from my own nation. Ireland has a proud literary tradition—one that continues strong to this day. Note the word ‘literary’. As someone who studied Creative Writing at both an Undergraduate and Masters level in Ireland, let me tell you it is hard out here for a genre writer.

Capital L ‘literary’ fiction is what is prioritised by our nation’s culture. Even my own mentors and lecturers struggled to engage with my fantasy writing. They just didn’t know what to do with me. And as I struggled to keep my eyes open through Important Irish Fiction Novel after Important Irish Fiction Novel, it was ‘peace out’ from me.

I turned my reading attention firmly abroad, where the genre fiction I enjoyed could be found in abundance—not somewhat shamefully shunted off to the side (if you ever meet me in person, ask me about an Irish zombie book for an infuriating anecdote).

It took me joining a fantasy book club turn my eyes back to the writing being published on my own island. Knight of Gaelgara is written by Irishman Gary J. Martin, and published by the Irish press, Temple Dark Books. And it is, miraculously, pure epic fantasy for adults. Not ‘speculative fiction’ or ‘genre-bending’ or whatever fancy people call books they read with ghosts in them.

Still, I did experience some trepidation before reading the novel. I was worried that the story would be overly ‘Irish’; the cover features a lady with red hair, and the title has the syllable ‘gael’ in it. It brought to mind American stereotypes of Irishness that had me wondering if Martin’s book was really going to be for me.

Thankfully, it very much was. 

Full review:
https://www.kieran-obrien.com/post/knight-of-gaelgara-one-bad-day-in-a-world-of-epic-fantasy-book-review

Daredevil by Saladin Ahmed, Vol. 2: Hell To Pay by Aaron Kuder, Saladin Ahmed, Juann Cabal, Jesus Aburtov

3.75

 Matt Murdock Continues to be Haunted by His Sins in ‘Daredevil: Hell To Pay’ – Comic Book Review

 

Daredevil has been one of the luckiest superheroes to ever exist... in terms of creatives, anyway. The character has been consistently blessed with great writers and artists over the years, but especially since the early 2000s. In this way, Saladin Ahmed inherited an extremely tough job. No matter what he does, his writing is going to be compared to some of the best in superhero history.

The most obvious trap Ahmed could’ve fallen into was to try to match the tone, scale, and style of the most lauded Daredevil runs; to ‘give the fans what they wanted.’ Instead, he managed to swerve into totally new territory, delivering unto us a new version of Matt Murdock that we had never seen before.

‘Father Matt’ running a home for orphaned children while doing a bit of Daredevilling on the side is a wonderful new status quo for Matt, and it left readers with a lot of questions, namely: HOW did Matt return from hell and HOW did he become a priest? Ahmed continues to be tight-lipped on these issues in Hell to Pay but does progress some of the conflicts that have been plaguing Matt since his return.

Full Review (spoiler-free):
https://www.kieran-obrien.com/post/matt-murdock-continues-to-be-haunted-by-his-sins-in-daredevil-hell-to-pay-comic-book-review

All-Star Superman: DC Compact Comics Edition by Grant Morrison

adventurous emotional funny inspiring medium-paced

4.0

Reading ‘All-Star Superman’ for the First Time as a Superman Newbie – Comic Book Review

 

I have nothing but respect for Superman, but my attempts to become a fan of the character have always failed. I think it might’ve just been bad luck, but when I was a teenager first getting into comics, the handful of Superman graphic novels I read just didn’t stick. Pretty quickly, I decided that Superman stories weren’t for me, and I didn’t touch another one for over a decade.

Pretty egregious for a self-proclaimed comic-book fan, right? For years, my taste and reading attention in comics were directly influenced by the release of superhero movies, though. Can you really blame me for not being excited about Superman comics given the mess DC made of his big-screen presence across the last ten years?

So, I won’t lie: James Gunn helming next year’s Superman movie is the reason I gave All-Star Superman a shot. Gunn has been consistently delivering top-quality superhero stories for both Marvel and DC, and so, for the first time ever, I’m intrigued by the idea of a Superman story. I want to be a Superman fan, and I want to be excited for James Gunn’s next project.

So, when DC released All-Star Superman as part of their low-cost Compact Comics line, it felt time to give the story a try.

Full Review: https://www.kieran-obrien.com/post/reading-all-star-superman-for-the-first-time-as-a-superman-newbie-comic-book-review

Daredevil : Black Armor by D. G. Chichester

adventurous medium-paced

2.5

 ‘Daredevil: Black Armor’ Carves Out A Niche Space For Daredevil Fans – Comic Collection Review

  

The 90’s were a weird time for comics. The domino effect of Frank Miller’s work on Batman and Alan Moore’s Watchmen resulted in an industry-wide rush to make comics ‘mature’. Apparently, the medium wasn’t for kids anymore, which meant revamping every popular comic book character or superhero team to fit a singular tone and aesthetic that, for the most part, really didn’t suit the source material.

Many superheroes started to be depicted as grotesquely buff. There was lots of brooding. It was the era that spawned Deadpool (and Spawn). Superman died. Peter Parker got a dark and angsty clone. Even my favourite superhero, Daredevil, wasn’t immune to the industry’s changes.

Gone was his timeless red costume, replaced by a black suit with armoured shoulder pads and spikes on his elbows. Putting my thoughts on the ugliness of this costume aside, I find many of the storylines of this era to be borderline unreadable. I know it has its fans, but the ‘Fall From Grace’ story arc that dropped this new costume on us (and brought Elektra back into the fold after a decade-long absence), is an overwritten slog.

I personally have no nostalgia for this time in comics, but there’s obviously a market for it, because Marvel brought writer D.G. Chichester out of seeming retirement in 2023 for a four-issue run set during Daredevil’s ‘Black Armor’ era, which Chichester himself helmed. The graphic novel collecting these comics is out now, and even though I’m not a fan of the Black Armor era, I couldn’t deny that I was curious about how it would be depicted now that we’ve left that style in the past.

Full Review: https://www.kieran-obrien.com/post/daredevil-black-armor-carves-out-a-niche-space-for-daredevil-fans-comic-collection-review

Batman: Hush (DC Compact Comics) by Jeph Loeb

adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-paced

4.0

 ‘Batman: Hush’ (DC Compact Comics) – Comic Collection Review

  

Note on this collection:

‘DC Compact Comics’ is a new line of collections from DC spotlighting some of their most popular, new-reader-friendly stories with a smaller page-size—a similar size to manga collections—at a cheaper price than regular ‘full-size’ collections. 

 

Batman: Hush has been on my ‘To Be Read’ list for a long, long time. Given the story arc’s critical reception, it’s ability to remain in print for so long, and the general consensus that this is one of the most important Batman stories you can read, it’s actually a bit embarrassing that I’ve managed to avoid it for so long.

First published from October 2002 to September 2003, legendary writer Jeph Loeb and equally legendary penciller Jim Lee (not to mention inker Scott Williams, colourist Alex Sinclair, and letterer Richard Starkings) crafted a Batman mystery over twelve issues (#608 to #619) that has endured for decades and is often recommended to new Batman fans looking to start reading the comics.

 I took a different route to get into Batman comics (nearly fifteen years ago… hold on a sec, just trying not to think about the passage of time… okay, back to it) which meant I managed to neatly side-step Batman: Hush, but when DC announced that they were reprinting it as part of their new ‘DC Compact Comics’ line, I knew I’d be picking it up.

 

Hush, Little Baby

On the hunt for a new behind-the-scenes threat that’s causing his foes to act out of character, Batman suffers a catastrophic injury. Saved by an old childhood friend, Bruce resumes the hunt for a villain that’s always one step ahead—one with intimate knowledge of who he is behind the mask…

Something that I really like about this new line of DC Compact Comics is that they highlight the genre of the story right on the front cover, e.g. Horror, Thriller, Adventure. Hush is a Mystery—and who doesn’t like a good mystery? Batman as The Detective is where many people find him to be the most interesting (as opposed to Batman as The Infallible, Indestructible Action Hero—a territory writers sometimes veer him into).

Indeed, Batman is on the backfoot for much of this story. That doesn’t mean he’s passive or boring—it’s just that in striving to solve this mystery, he’s reacting exactly as the villain expects him to, leading him into greater danger. Smart antagonists are fun and having one that can predict how someone like Batman will react has the extra effect of undermining one of Bruce’s defining traits: his intelligence.

Full Review:
https://www.kieran-obrien.com/post/batman-hush-dc-compact-comics-comic-collection-review

The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern

3.25

 ‘The Starless Sea’ by Erin Morgenstern is a Wandering Tale About Wandering Tales 

 

Everybody’s different when it comes to taste in stories. For some, this can get as hyper-specific as only enjoying certain tropes in very particular subgenres. Fantasy is by far my genre of choice, but if I were to narrow it down, I’d have to say I prefer fantasy with a bit of grit. Give me battles and strong outer conflicts and plot and books no shorter than six-hundred pages. Of course, I enjoy other stories too, but those tend to be my favourite.

With The Starless Sea, I tried to keep an open mind. It’s a fantasy story, so I knew I’d probably find something to enjoy in its pages, but I could tell from the title alone that this wasn’t the kind of book I usually enjoy. There’s something about stories described as ‘spellbinding’ or ‘enchanting’ that usually fall short for me.

I was determined to give it a go, though—this was the novel my fantasy book club chose for the month, and I wasn’t showing up without anything to say. So, I accepted that The Starless Sea would perhaps be a lighter story than what I was used to and dove in. 

Full Review:
https://www.kieran-obrien.com/post/the-starless-sea-by-erin-morgenstern-is-a-wandering-tale-about-wandering-tales-book-review