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vimcenzo's reviews
107 reviews
Blood Beast by Darren Shan
3.0
This is where the series started to make a return.
Of the three followups to Lord Loss, which was an amazing opening, Demon Thief was the least offensive. Kernel Fleck as a protagonist speaks really well to the experience of depressed, isolated, and bullied characters that readers might find comfort in relating to. Meanwhile, Slawter appears to be a bizarre what-if scenario that was born of whatever hell making the Cirque du Freak movie was, and Bec was just exhausting when you just wanted to get on with Grubbs fighting with Lord Loss again.
Of the three followups to Lord Loss, which was an amazing opening, Demon Thief was the least offensive. Kernel Fleck as a protagonist speaks really well to the experience of depressed, isolated, and bullied characters that readers might find comfort in relating to. Meanwhile, Slawter appears to be a bizarre what-if scenario that was born of whatever hell making the Cirque du Freak movie was, and Bec was just exhausting when you just wanted to get on with Grubbs fighting with Lord Loss again.
The Crystal Shard by R.A. Salvatore
3.0
This is a cynical product, designed to have readers fall in love with Dungeons and Dragons and get a session together, to try and have an adventure as good as this one.
And boy does it ever succeed.
We have a standard array of party members, with differing philosophies, coming together as an adventuring party to take down a tangible threat. There is a tricky halfling, a tamed barbarian, a gruff dwarf, and an aloof dark elf. They deal with a variety of prejudices, and work together to stop a mysterious crystal palace that has sprung up out of nowhere and threatens the lives of themselves and ungrateful townsfolk. It ends on a cliffhanger that leads into the next "campaign".
The book drags on a bit at times, as when it's not action, it's a lot of brooding angst on the dark elf's part at being completely ostracized. But the commentary never reaches a deeper level other than "boy, I sure am tired of being held accountable for all of drowkind when I've done nothing close to what they're accused of".
And boy does it ever succeed.
We have a standard array of party members, with differing philosophies, coming together as an adventuring party to take down a tangible threat. There is a tricky halfling, a tamed barbarian, a gruff dwarf, and an aloof dark elf. They deal with a variety of prejudices, and work together to stop a mysterious crystal palace that has sprung up out of nowhere and threatens the lives of themselves and ungrateful townsfolk. It ends on a cliffhanger that leads into the next "campaign".
The book drags on a bit at times, as when it's not action, it's a lot of brooding angst on the dark elf's part at being completely ostracized. But the commentary never reaches a deeper level other than "boy, I sure am tired of being held accountable for all of drowkind when I've done nothing close to what they're accused of".
Streams of Silver: The Legend of Drizzt, Book V by R.A. Salvatore
3.0
More of that classic D&D adventuring that instills in the reader a desire to pull together their friends and have adventures just like this one. The previous book, The Crystal Shard, tends to "split the party" a bit more; this honestly is more of an authentic representation, where the characters will go dungeon delving and to taverns. It's a lot cozier, for a cynical product made to sell more D&D products--but that's the point, isn't it? The characters and their interactions are enjoyable, and the places they find are whimsical in a way that a reader would want to be there or further roleplay that they are there. At its worst, it is inspiration for writing a better campaign; at its best, it is a pleasant romp with likeable characters seeking their fortunes and helping their friend reclaim his homeland.
Cirque du Freak: A Living Nightmare by Darren Shan
3.0
This review's only low because the series later would get much cooler. As it stands, its a good appetizer. This is honestly the hardest one to stomach just because it portrays child death a little too harrowingly realistically in order to backpedal and proclaim "just kidding, guys! It's all fun and vampires." Though as a kid it didn't really affect me, so maybe this is just the perspective you gain as an adult.
I wonder if the author was a fan of Vampire: The Masquerade growing up. The books the character has have plenty of stories about hell and monsters and demons, and I wonder if it's just the author gushing about those as he pens his tribute to the macabre things he enjoyed reading and engaging with.
I wonder if the author was a fan of Vampire: The Masquerade growing up. The books the character has have plenty of stories about hell and monsters and demons, and I wonder if it's just the author gushing about those as he pens his tribute to the macabre things he enjoyed reading and engaging with.
The Vampire's Assistant by Darren Shan
2.0
In hindsight, not the best one of the series. You just want Darren to embrace vampirism, even though his circumstances were more centered in protecting his friend, but we have to go through the whole boring denial phase throughout the entirety of the book. Thankfully, the side characters assuage any frustration in the meantime so it's not the worst read, it's just bad in relation to the rest of the series.
Tunnels of Blood by Darren Shan
4.0
One of the best books in the series. It has romance, a menacing villain, and it has vampires. Honestly, as far as the series goes, starting here would probably be best. Strangely, it's a great Christmas book. I can't count all the times I've read and re-read this over the years.
Vampire Mountain by Darren Shan
5.0
One of the best books of my childhood. If you like stories about braving the elements and making camps but also like vampires in general, this is one of the best books to pick up. (I think it was in some way formative of me liking such stories.) This was the first in the series I'd picked up, but this is from a day and age where most events of previous books get quickly summed up in a few paragraphs so it was never a hindrance.
Trials of Death by Darren Shan
4.0
Really takes you through the individual trials that Darren has to face on the way to becoming a vampire. The book follows a very solid pace--training montage, trial, recovery, training montage, trial, recovery. (Then sequel hook, of course.) Very Hunger Games, before it ever existed. There's good character building in between all this, and everything just flows together naturally. Darren Shan really hits his stride with this one and for all the books moving forward, by finally not shying away from character death.
The Vampire Prince by Darren Shan
4.0
After the initial fight, the trial scene and further onwards is just denouement from the last two books. But it feels well deserved--while the action isn't as intense as those two, it is something of a lull period. Shan divides his 12 books in this series into individual trilogies, and this really does feel like a conclusion to a saga that we've been invested in for that whole time so a bit of a "breather" in this book is not the worst thing in the world. It's very chill.
World of Warcraft, Before the Storm by Christie Golden
1.0
One of the worst books I've ever read and something that honestly turned me off to the idea of reading accompanying novels to video games or franchises that aren't explicitly books in the first place. Sylvanas Windrunner is one of my favorite characters in fiction and this just rubbed out all nuance to her character, and whatever butchering of the character there isn't is just a big flashing advertisement begging the reader to buy the next expansion with the goblin/gnome sections. Nothing changes over the course of this story; it's one great big excuse to give Anduin the vaguest reason to stop being a goody two-shoes and actually engage in a battle for Azeroth.