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trevert's reviews
295 reviews
Send a Gunboat: World War 2 Naval Fiction by Douglas Reeman
4.0
Rollicking naval adventure with a stiff upper lip. Loads of fun for those into this sort of thing, with interesting characters discovering strange sorts of bravery amid insane situations. Very, very British... For example:
Hero captain has been captured, tortured, swam miles through perilous seas, starved, had only a bit of raw fish to eat for days, thought he was going to die many times, baked on a rock sticking out of the reefs off-shore, etc, until he's finally back on his ship, bandaged and exhausted.
Captain: "Get the guns ready and bring up the boiler, we'll be making full speed to get past their destroyer, and I'll be on deck to give directions."
Number One: "Ehhh... Are you certain, sir? Scuse me for sayin' so, but you look all done in, right?"
Captain: "Hmm. Perhaps you're right, Number One. I'll have a shave. That should set me right!"
Highly recommended for anyone looking for a straightforward action-adventure full of intriguing characters and last-minute maneuvers. If you enjoyed Kirk's stratagems in "Wrath of Khan", you'll enjoy this.
Hero captain has been captured, tortured, swam miles through perilous seas, starved, had only a bit of raw fish to eat for days, thought he was going to die many times, baked on a rock sticking out of the reefs off-shore, etc, until he's finally back on his ship, bandaged and exhausted.
Captain: "Get the guns ready and bring up the boiler, we'll be making full speed to get past their destroyer, and I'll be on deck to give directions."
Number One: "Ehhh... Are you certain, sir? Scuse me for sayin' so, but you look all done in, right?"
Captain: "Hmm. Perhaps you're right, Number One. I'll have a shave. That should set me right!"
Highly recommended for anyone looking for a straightforward action-adventure full of intriguing characters and last-minute maneuvers. If you enjoyed Kirk's stratagems in "Wrath of Khan", you'll enjoy this.
You by Austin Grossman
3.0
A very odd book. I'm going to write a longer review for Kentucky Fried Popcorn if I have time, because there's a lot to say. I ended the book wondering what the hell I had just read - It is in all respects a wonderful, nostalgic trip down memory lane through the birth of the home computer and the computer gaming industry, but it's also an extended ramble in desperate need of a plot and characters. I was a big fan of "Soon I will be Invincible" so I was pretty disappointed, ultimately. It's being promoted as, "If you liked Ready Player One, you'll like this!" but that's very inaccurate - RPO was an action-heavy blast while this is more of a thoughtful meander. It meandered through a lot of topics I really liked, but it definitely has limited appeal to audiences beyond computer gaming geeks form the early days. If mention of Sierra Online and Mystery Mansion makes you happy, you'll enjoy this, but otherwise, steer clear.
172 Hours on the Moon by Johan Harstad
2.0
Ooooooooooooog.... Teens go to the moon. Reads like a really insane 80's direct-to-video "Alien" rip-off horror scifi film. Not... boring, but not exactly *good*, either.
The List by J.A. Konrath
4.0
Loads of fun. I'm starting to really like JA Konrath's writing style - He brings a lighthearted banter to even tech horror scenarios like this that make his books really enjoyable. The characters are likable and odd. The best non-spoilery nutshell description I can give is that the lead character is a detective who discovers that various other people, all apparently targeted by mystery killers, share his foot tattoo. As events unfold and the attacks escalate, he uncovers a national conspiracy centered around cloning and political power, and is forced to join forces with various unusual individuals cloned from historical figures to attempt to undo the baddie's plot. Not going to change your life, but an enjoyable and diverting summer read that will keep you turning pages.
The Summer Man by S.D. Perry
3.0
Tough to review. The characters were likable and the overall theme was engrossing. I did not mind at all the slow build-up that other reviewers have complained about, and I thought it was interesting to watch the gradual effects of the Summer Man's presence in the town as each character began to lose their inhibitions. But while I liked the characters and stayed engaged with them, there was really not a lot of story... Not much *happens* in anything like a sequential developing narrative. Various characters go crazy and do things, repeat. And the ending let the whole thing down very badly - I would probably have rated it higher if not for the last chapters. You're finally holding on tight as events seem to be gelling together into a cohesive mystery and then it's over with a whimper. The ultimate revelations were terribly disappointing to me, and diluted a lot of the enthusiasm I'd had up to that point. So, ultimately, I say, "Nice relaxing enjoyable beach read. Don't expect it to be a horror book or particularly gripping."
White Trash Zombie Apocalypse by Diana Rowland
3.0
Entertaining as always, but maybe not quite as much as the first two books... For one, we don't get as much personal progress for Angel (the highlight of the first book). Also, the concept of the town filming a zombie movie had a lot more potential for both comedy and surprises than was utilized, IMO. Finally, the conclusion basically drops a lot of good things on Angel that really blow her "struggling poor hick girl" status and the relatablity thereof. It's the Spiderman problem - Everyone loves him when he's the struggling, bullied high school geek, but we start to lose sympathy for his troubles when he becomes a professional, recognized photographer married to a gorgeous supermodel :D
*However*, those criticism aside, it was still a lot of fun. Angel remains enjoyable and "real" in feel, and is still easily my favorite female lead character in modern urban fantasy/horror fiction. The book rocks along and never gets dull, and the description of the flood that hits Angels' town is particularly vivid and harrowing. The zombie mythology is getting really complicated really fast, and teeters on the edge of being overcooked, but it's still fun to see Angel planning out her brain consumption and making brain "zombelettes" for breakfast.
My wish list for future books? Less focus on the zombie mafia and evil corporate machinations, and more on smaller scale mysteries as they impact Angel's zombie life and her attempts to better herself.
*However*, those criticism aside, it was still a lot of fun. Angel remains enjoyable and "real" in feel, and is still easily my favorite female lead character in modern urban fantasy/horror fiction. The book rocks along and never gets dull, and the description of the flood that hits Angels' town is particularly vivid and harrowing. The zombie mythology is getting really complicated really fast, and teeters on the edge of being overcooked, but it's still fun to see Angel planning out her brain consumption and making brain "zombelettes" for breakfast.
My wish list for future books? Less focus on the zombie mafia and evil corporate machinations, and more on smaller scale mysteries as they impact Angel's zombie life and her attempts to better herself.
Whiskey Sour by J.A. Konrath
4.0
Tremendously enjoyable. Great led character, hissable villain, funny dialog, and in general just an all-around good book, like most of Konrath's other books that I've read.
Stalking Sapphire by Mia Thompson
4.0
A ball of fun that left me really looking forward to the next book. I assumed it would be a completely generic entry in yet another new crime series, as it seems nothing gets published these days unless it comes with a 10 book series commitment. Instead, I got a fun combination of Buffy, Batman, Dexter, and Ellery Queen. Sapphire is a rich socialite who moonlights as a stalker of serial killers, handily using herself as bait. She's an enjoyable character - part Beverly Hills girl, part sociopath, part Buffy-esque conflicted heroine. Her life of sneaking out by night to stalk killers on their own territory turns upside down when one particular killer learns her identity and what she is doing, leading him to turn the tables on her to "punish" her for her messing with the "natural order of serial killer and victim".
Sapphire is a tough and sneaky heroine, but realistically so, which means she isn't regularly beating up 220 lb men and instead has to use her brains and set traps, despite her self defense training. The "invincible 120 lb heroine" has become such a cliche that it was nice to see this dealt with more believably. Her cunning usually more than makes up for her lack of punching power.
We also get an entertaining male lead who is the antithesis of the usual romantic interest in these sorts of books - He's not handsome and withdrawn and emotionally conflicted, he's just an asshole... A pick-up artist cop who is a lot of fun to read. And the story is involving because the mystery is laid out almost Ellery Queen style - That is, we get a cast of characters and one of them is the killer and the book covers Sapphire's attempts to investigate each one in turn, letting readers debate for themselves as to who the killer is, up to the final reveal.
Great summer fun.
Sapphire is a tough and sneaky heroine, but realistically so, which means she isn't regularly beating up 220 lb men and instead has to use her brains and set traps, despite her self defense training. The "invincible 120 lb heroine" has become such a cliche that it was nice to see this dealt with more believably. Her cunning usually more than makes up for her lack of punching power.
We also get an entertaining male lead who is the antithesis of the usual romantic interest in these sorts of books - He's not handsome and withdrawn and emotionally conflicted, he's just an asshole... A pick-up artist cop who is a lot of fun to read. And the story is involving because the mystery is laid out almost Ellery Queen style - That is, we get a cast of characters and one of them is the killer and the book covers Sapphire's attempts to investigate each one in turn, letting readers debate for themselves as to who the killer is, up to the final reveal.
Great summer fun.