REVIEW: Three Parts Dead by Max Gladstone

Three Parts Dead by Max Gladstone
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

CAUTION: Long Review

Three Dead Parts defied my expectation. I took a risk on this seemingly boring book and it paid off!

I thought it was Urban Fantasy because of the blurb and cover.... Okay, mostly because of the cover. And technically it wouldn't be inaccurate to say it is because there were vampires and Craftsman (mages), a kick-ass heroine and a chain-smoking hero among many parts of the book.

However, the book was Fantasy. TDP was set in a completely different world where gods and godly Craftsman rule. From the world-building to the plot to the character, everything was intricately and deftly developed. This book wasn't a typical fantasy, it had layers enough to arguably proclaim it as epic.

Fantasy. Urban Fantasy. However you personally classify it, TDP was a damn good book.

Slow Beginning

The beginning was slow and sort of confusing; the book relied on action and dialogue for the world building. Truth be told, I would have liked some info-dumping even though that is lazy writing. Scenes didn't connect, their purpose wasn't revealed, till the characters met and gathered in one place, the city of Alt Coulumb, where the story took place.

Multiple PoVs

The multiple 3rd PoV was another big reason for the slow beginning. Just when things started getting interesting, the story switched to another PoV to another part of the plot. Fortunately, the switching ceased to be annoying once I grasped the plot and I warmed up to the characters.

The Characters

+++ the protagonists

Tara and Abelard’s PoV were the dominant PoVs, and I enjoyed reading their side. Tara was everything I want in a kickass heroine: confident but not conceited, courageous not foolish, smart but not a know-it-all. Tara had none of those negative traits so frequently inflicted on Urban Fantasy heroines to make them flawed and real. Not to say Tara was perfect, but she was refreshing to follow.

I expected Abelard to depress and annoy me because his god died at his watch. Talk about a crisis of faith, especially when Abelard is fresh into the priesthood as a novice. The man had all the wrapping of a self-tormented, emo hero thrust into a situation beyond his capability. In short, a typical Urban Fantasy hero. Yet Abelard took actions on his own initiative. He helped Tara; he learned about the world beyond and the things in his city he never noticed before; he fought the bad guys when the bad guys ambushed the good guys.

+++ the side characters

It wasn't just Abelard; everyone had the potential to be emo. There was the pirate dude who didn't became a vampire by choice, the junkie who was addicted to the rapturous bite of a vampire because she was supernatural police for a pale imitation of dead Goddess, the Cardinal whose God died and religious order was dying. Apparently, the loss of the connection to the divine messed up most of the characters in the book.

The one character I didn't care for was Shale. His PoV could have been done without because it was confusing and seemed to be mere filler. Not that his role in the plot wasn't important, but his part would have made the same impact if it was observed or discovered by one of the dominant PoVs.

My favorite character was Kevarian, Tara’s boss, because, beside being a powerful Craftsman, she was one of those people who plan many steps ahead and well.... Suffice to say I was very glad she was one of the good guys. She is not a person to trifle with. If you think you won against her, think again... that is if you even have the luxury of minutes to reflect on where you failed before you die a horrible horrible death.

+++ the bad guys

The book had two villains. One villain was unknown and our protagonists had to discover who it was. And it wasn't a big surprise when I found out at the end. That villain was a cliché.

The other villain was introduced in the middle of the story and he was scarier and more powerful than the unknown villain. He was a manipulative deceitful megalomaniac who wanted to be the ruler of everyone and everything he could grasp. No surprise that it was Kevarian’s ex-boyfriend and present nemesis.

The Writing

The writing was little too elaborate for my liking because sometimes the imagery was overwhelming and I skimmed to get to the action or dialogue part of the scene. Thankfully, the prose was pretty clear so I always knew what the characters were doing even if I didn't know why they were doing it.

+++ the pacing

The pacing eventually picked up by a third of the story. Once Tara and Abelard started their investigation, I had a good grip on the plot. The story picked up more speed once the Megalomaniac Mage (my nickname for him) came in and the characters were in a rush to solve the mystery before Megalomaniac Mage thoroughly trapped them in his schemes.

+++ the ending

The story didn't fail to give me a satisfactory ending after an awesome climax. No sireee. It was satisfactory. Very satisfactory. I especially loved what Kevarian did to the Megalomanic Mage in the end. Let’s just say there were no loose ends left to be resolved.

Smorgasbord of Genres

When Tara and Abelard examined the fire god’s body, they gave me the impression that the story was CSI, an American TV crime show. Then in the middle of the story, it became like a lawyer show, except everyone could use magic and play underhandedly. It was essentially a fight for survival.

There was a religious element to the story but it wasn't overbearing. It was, however, a cliché that a big religious order was suffering corruption and opulence. But then again so was every big organization that existed in the story. From the magic school that didn't do expulsion so it graduated Tara and kicked her ass out literally from the sky, to the powerful firm of cutthroat Craftsman who handled cases of god-related matters. The book had themes of power, bureaucracy, and corruption.

In Conclusion

I rate Three Parts Dead 3-stars for I liked it. I’m glad I kept reading the book despite its slow and confusing beginning. The ending left me with a glow of joy. I would look forward reading a sequel if there was one.

Recommended for readers who want an urban fantasy to be heavy and epic on the fantasy side.

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REVIEW: Pressure Head by J.L. Merrow

Pressure Head by J.L. Merrow
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

The Characters

+++ The Protagonist

I liked Tom but I found it hard to keep liking him, because his people-pleasing personality tired me. Despite considering his personality, I was still flabbergasted at how quickly Tom agreed to help Phil, Tom’s teen crush turned bully. Phil nicknamed Tom Poofski (Tom’s last name is Patreski) and was one of the bullies who chased Tom into a car accident which gave him a lifelong hip injury. Tom’s personality didn’t meld perfectly with his past; he got along with Phil too quickly to be believable.

Another issue was how Tom jumped into the investigation with Phil without serious consideration that they were hunting a murderer, that what they were doing was dangerous. Not to mention that Tom had a job as a plumber with appointments, which he missed intermittently. Tom essentially put his life on hold and in risk for an ex-bully. Yes, the ex-bully was still handsome as ever... and gay... and single, but still. Tom needed to re-prioritize.

Tom may have a preternatural talent for finding things and the natural charisma for easing people, especially women which induced jealousy from Phil, but investigating a homicide was beyond his capabilities. He didn’t even bother to carry a weapon at the ending in his rescue attempt.

+++ The Love Interest

Phil suffered a severe lack of character development. His attitude was distant, but that was no excuse. I knew more about Tom’s flamboyant best friend, Gary, and his ex-porn star little person lover, Darren; Gary and Darren were not suspects whose background needed to be told and had around 4-6 scenes total in the story.

There’s something wrong when I know more about minor characters than a major character who is the main character’s love interest and appears all the time in the story. The story left me annoyed with a bunch of questions about Phil.

The Writing

+++ restrictive PoV

The story was told exclusively in 1st Pov from Tom’s side. I generally prefer 1st PoV from the protagonist’s side, but it felt restrictive in this story. Tom’s obliviousness to Phil’s romantic interest, among other things, was mind-numbing.

+++ slow mystery

The red herrings were great, but the mystery could have used some speed. To be fair, the mystery was one of the faster ones I have read, and I was thoroughly engaged. The pace eventually quickened, but it felt late to me.

+++ the ending

Since not much was said about Phil, the romance was sparse. The fact that Tom and Phil only had one date didn’t help, nor did the slightly abrupt ending. I wasn’t fully convinced in their HEA as I wanted.

In Conclusion

I rate Pressure Head 2-stars for it was okay. The book was fairly well-written and engaging; its British aspect was authentic and endearing. Nevertheless, the book had a couple issues that stopped me from liking it.

I recommend the book to readers looking for a good, British mystery with a small paranormal influence.

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REVIEW: Heads or Tails by Jenna Byrnes

Heads or Tails by Jenna Byrnes
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

CAUTION: Spoilers

I tolerated the closet case protagonist, the protagonist’s bitchy fiancé, and the M/F graphic sex scenes between the two, but when the book piled cheating on top? Hell no. I hate cheating in my Romance.

But! It wasn’t completely horrible as I expected.

The Sexual Content

The M/M sex scenes were hot; they, thankfully, overwhelmed the two M/F small sex scenes. The D/s aspect of Jeff and Kurt’s sexual relationship surprised and thrilled me.

The Characters

Kurt was kind and dominant; he was a complete hunk. Initially, I didn’t like how Kurt seduced Jeff into cheating and yielded to be Jeff’s other man. But when Kurt made a Big Romantic Gesture at the ending by crashing Jeff’s wedding and taking Jeff away on his motorcycle, I realized how much he loved Jeff. Kurt not only won Jeff’s heart, but he also won mine.

I think it was a good choice for the story to be told from Jeff’s side in 3rd PoV, because I was able to feel sorry for him. Next to cheating, protagonists with low self-esteem is another pet peeve of mine. I was very glad when Jeff ultimately chose Love.

Though Jeff’s co-workers had a very small role in the story, Cindy and Sarah made a huge impact on Jeff. Their supportive attitude balanced Lana’s bitchiness and made the story less offensive, changing the trope from All-Females-are-Bitches to All-Exes-are-Evil.

For a short story, the character development was substantial.

In Conclusion

I rate the Heads or Tails 2-stars for it was okay. Please take heed that 2-stars for a story that has cheating is a big compliment from me.

Recommended for readers wanting a challenged (due to the cheating) but short and HEA-inclusive read.

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REVIEW: Hell's Pawn by Jay Bell

Hell's Pawn by Jay Bell
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

CAUTION: Small Spoilers

This Is Not MM-Romance

First things first, this book isn't a paranormal romance; it's urban fantasy. There's a love interest and a few sex scenes but ultimately the dude is in unavailable because Rimmon is still in love with his ex-boyfriend. Or current boyfriend depending on your interpretation; since that interpretation would mean the love interest is cheating and John, the protagonist, is the "other man," I don't apply to this interpretation.

I thought the love interest deluded himself that he was still in a relationship with his ex-boyfriend. He deluded himself on other issues too, one of which was the fact that he's an incubus and because of that he claim he is compelled to have sex with strangers. Not to mention it's his job as one of Hell's minions. Uh huh, right. Rimmon had this self-tormented persona going on, and it annoyed me.

I felt bad for John. I thought the "romance" subplot with the love interest could have been done away. I didn't think it add anything to the story except dashing readers of Romance's expectation.

The Shining Part of the Book

The world building was great! I love how the book used mythology from many parts of the world, especially when it included Eastern Asia. I could easily tell the research was done by the accurate way the gods and the afterlife worlds were depicted. The book didn't "reinvent" a facet of the mythology; it didn't have to. The book deftly tied multiple mythologies into one cohesive world.

The other fantasy part of the book, the non-mythology based part, was also well done. Keen readers might foresee the twist about the bad guys — the strange mechanical beings birthed from humankind collective desire for order, think Matrix and Terminator — but the twist didn’t strongly impress me as a cliché.

Now For the Bad News

Why didn't I rate the book higher? The characters weren't flat, the pacing didn't drag, the plot had no holes (that I was aware of). The book was told in 1st PoV exclusively from the protagonist's side, a POV I most prefer. Except for the "romance," the book was a solid read. So why didn't I rate the book higher?

The reason was John. I cheered for him but I wasn't fully enamored with the protagonist as I could have been. He didn't annoyed me; he just didn't stand out to me. He was the kind of guy you see on the streets in a busy city, walk by him, and forget about him a second later.

There wasn't much character development for the protagonist. Once John became Hell's Pawn, he did whatever was demanded of him with little thought. Not to say he was mindless or stupid — far from it, John lacked a sense of resolve. This bogged down the book for me.

To be fair, John gained his sense of resolve and some needed character development in a scene near the end as part of the rising action. Unfortunately, it occurred too late and too little. I realized that missing piece of John's characterization was a deliberate part of the story, but that was no consolation.

In Conclusion

I rate the book 2-stars for it was okay. The book was plot-driven. While engaging and lacking any glaring flaw, the book simply didn't leave a lasting impression. I was happy to read the book, but it was kind of the book I read once and then not read it again.

Readers looking for a LGBT standalone urban fantasy with a tightly wrapped HEA will enjoy Hell’s Pawn. Readers looking for a paranormal romance should look elsewhere.

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REVIEW: Geisha for Hire by Shawn Bailey

Geisha for Hire by Shawn Bailey
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

CAUTION: Long Review

Reasons To Hate This Book

1. The female characters, Jayce’s best friend and mother, were pushy and hugely insensitive to his feelings. They forced Jayce to crossdress and pimped him out as the party entertainment for drunk dudes.

2. Jayce, the main character, was basically a dumb bottom. It took him late in the story and a couple sex scenes to realize he — the adult virgin who never once found a girl sexually attractive — liked dudes, that he especially liked his boss. He is completely unaware of how attractive he is to other men and cannot recognize flirting or sexual harassment until it gets physical. And even then...

3. Reuben and Jayce weren’t an official couple until late in the story but that didn't stop Reuben from claiming Jayce in the beginning of the story. Reuben acted possessive of and aggressive towards Jayce. The alpha dude detested the sexual attention Jayce unwittingly attracted and thus Reuben was prone to stabs of jealousy.

4. Genji liked the Jayce too so, yes, there was a love triangle. The issue wasn’t completely resolved as much as, near the end, sidestepped and overlooked in favor of Jayce’s Coming-Out-To-Family issue. There was never a rejection scene between Jayce and Genji.

5. There was an extreme lack of regard for rules at the Jayce’s workplace. Given the multiple romantic entanglements between bosses and their subordinates, professionals and their clients, and the noticeable absence of female workers, the workplace truthfully served as a convenient place for hot gay guys to gather and mingle. Not that there weren't business activities going on — there were, but it was apparent that realism was not a goal of the story.

6. Speaking of realism, the Japanese characters and actions were depicted in a rather exaggerated manner.

7. A few scenes could have stand to be rewritten because they were a tad confusing. I had to reread one non-smutty scene to comprehend.

But This Is A Positive Review

In spite of all these reasons, any one of them enough on their own for me to dislike the book, I enjoyed it. No, seriously, I really did.

Reasons Why I Liked This Book

1. The female characters didn't annoyed me. I actually enjoyed the shenanigans they forced upon Jayce. In spite of their teasing, I saw that they truly loved him. I liked how they gradually made him aware that he wasn’t straight and that the guy he loved was the guy he loved.

2. Jayce was endearing and wasn't totally dumb and passive as I thought. I liked how he stood up and came out to his father near the end. I wholly expected the plot to sidestep the Coming-Out-To-Family issue and, honestly, I would have preferred it, because I wanted the story to stay silly and smutty. However, I’m glad Jayce didn’t have to hide who he was and who his lover was. It was nice bow to the HEA present.

3. Reuben didn't push or near the line that separates Alphas and Abusive Assholes. I enjoyed his reactions towards Jayce. It made for some hot smut; those pages definitely encouraged some leering and rereading from me.

4. The story was written in alternating 3rd PoV between Jayce and Reuben, with Jayce’s PoV as the dominant PoV. With a few other reasons, the story made it really obvious who Jayce was going to end up with so I wasn’t bothered much by the Love Triangle issue fizzling out at the end.

5. Once the book mentioned yaoi early in the story, I knew immediately what the book's intention was: to indulge the readers with a smutty, silly story. I adjusted my expectation and so the lack of realism barely bothered me. This book was actually a lot more realistic, beyond my low expectation, than many of the yaoi-wannabe stories I have read.

6. I thought the American characters and actions were also depicted in a rather exaggerated manner. For the most part, I thought the story did a pretty accurate and considerate job portraying culture differences. Best of all, I liked the depiction that drunk gropey men will be drunk gropey men regardless of their nationality.

7. The book compensated in other ways: the writing was decent, the pacing was fast, and the smut was ample.

In Conclusion

I rate the wannabe-yaoi book 4-stars for I really liked it, because I really did like it. So much in fact that I reread it multiple times after I finished the book.

Honestly, the high rating might have been due to my good mood at the time and the fact that it has been a long while since I read a decent smut. Nonetheless, the story left a very good impression on, and it would be definitely be one of those stories I would reread whenever I need a pick-me-up.

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REVIEW: The Wrong Goodbye by Chris F. Holm

The Wrong Goodbye by Chris F. Holm
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

CAUTION: long review, slight spoilers

Book 2 began ten months after the events of book 1. The effect of those events resonated throughout book 2 where the series' arc continued to hint at a nearing apocalypse.

Book 2 did a pretty good job rehashing the events of book 1 because I felt like I just read book 1. However that might annoy readers who literally did just read book 1.

The Characters

+ Sam
He continued to work that lone wolf, anti-hero persona. Intermittently throughout the story, Sam bugged me because he wasn't using his Collector power to its fullest extent and kept underestimating himself. Sam didn't show me he learned his lessons in book 1. I began to feel indifferent towards Sam by the end of book 2.

+ Lilith
She is Sam's handler. I really wished he took the help she offered, because it would have made things much easier. If he wouldn't fight using his full Collector power, then he should have deferred to Lilith.

Lilith was a compelling character; I wanted more scenes with her. Seeing her throw bodies would have been a true delight.

+ Giordano
I expected that Gio, the temporarily revived mob enforcer, was going to cause unnecessary and exasperating problems for Sam. I thought Gio was going to run away at the first opportunity and resist helping Sam throughout the story. Color me surprised and happy when the musclehead turned out to be actually helpful, truly loyal, and not totally dopey. For a mob enforcer, he was nice.

+ Theresa
The best of thing about Gio was his girlfriend, Theresa. "Lady Theresa" was a sassy, blind, seven feet tall, transsexual, bogus psychic living in Las Vegas. The romance between the couple was sweet... and tragic when I thought about it longer. I had mixed feelings about how very late Theresa was introduced in the story.

On one hand, it was a shame because she was an awesome character and she spiced up the story. If Theresa was there earlier, I believe the story would have been way less dull. Not to mention she would have more time with Gio before he returned to being dead-dead.

On the other hand, I was glad because the series doesn't hesitate maiming or killing off characters based on the casualties in book 1. I didn't want Theresa to get hurt at all.

+ Roscoe
The Texan oil-businessman was minor character but he stood out for me because the story was rather clumsy for making him a comic relief and really clumsy for using him to forward the plot. The guy didn't believe in the supernatural but then he suddenly did during his final appearance — just in time to help Sam find Gio. That scene disconnected me from the story for a few minutes.

+ the antagonists
Charon was convincingly scary. The revelation about him was epic, and the accompanying revelation about the Collectors was an eye-opener

The bad Collectors in book 2 had great characterization. They weren't as scary as Charon or that insane Collector in book 1 but they were powerful and definitely difficult to defeat. Like that insane Collector in book 1, the bad Collectors in book 2 showed the great power Collectors can wield. Collectors may be grunts in Hell's hierarchy, but that doesn’t mean they can’t do serious damage.

When I compare these Collectors to Sam, Sam seems like an idiot for refusing to use his full power and gather some weapons. How can you fight bad guys if you don’t use everything at your disposal? Sam relied too heavily on his sidekicks and spontaneous sparks of wit.

The Plot

+ the beginning
It started off slow. The long flashback, while engaging, didn't help. Took a couple of chapters for things to set up and the core conflict to get going.

+ the middle
It had some slow moments. I thought things could stand to happen quicker.

The book doesn't do suspenseful scenes well. One such scene was when Sam sneaked into the abandoned hospital. Not to mention that the scene displayed his ineptitude in volumes for not bringing backup, i.e. Lilith.

To be fair, the book did partly compensate by how skillfully the horror element was crafted. The description of "Abby" seriously freaked me out.

+ the ending
Things ramped up once the story introduced Theresa. However, the car chase scene that followed was seriously contrived and served as another example of how poorly the book crafted suspense.

The worst part of the book was the last chapter. I didn't like how the bittersweet ending was done. Sam summarized his goodbye with Gio and Theresa. My HEA-loving side want to believe the couple will have their HEA but my cynical side say I'm just kidding myself. I didn't like the couple's uncertain ending which greatly promised tragedy. I thought the plot took a lazy way out by making the last chapter take place a few weeks after the previous chapter when the group had already parted ways. The last chapter left me raw with emotions and without a decent closure which I loathe.

Then I loathed some more when the ending unnecessary extended itself a few pages for a small cliffhanger.

In Conclusion

I rate book 2 of the series 2-stars for it was okay. I would have rounded it up to 3 stars from the preliminary 2.5 stars were it not for the ending and lack of character growth in the protagonist.

Goodreads | Amazon

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REVIEW: Guttersnipe by Isa K.

Guttersnipe by Isa K.
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

CAUTION: Long Review

Guttersnipe is a speculative master-slave M/M fiction about a rebel turned sex slave named Derek who learns that he has been a pawn between feuding masters.To make matters worse, he learns that the feud has risen to a conspiracy which threatens the foundation of a society where sex is heavily regulated. With twists and turns and mind games, I expected the book to be full of excitement.

That expectation was not met.

The Characters

+++ Derek

He was the protagonist. Barring 1 or 2 instances, the story was told from his side in 1st PoV.

I didn't like Derek from the start. His cockiness annoyed me, and his sexcapades disturbed me. Only after Derek got captured and raped that he then endeared himself to me.

Unwilling to accept his enslavement, Derek remained calm, kept his wits, and — this is the most important part — attempted escapes. Not one escape, but multiple escapes. Derek was defiant, confident, and resilient. His perseverance impressed me.

Unfortunately, Derek was the about the only character I liked.

+++ Marco

He was the guy who captured and raped Derek and became Derek's master. I didn't care much for him. I found his backstory contemptible and the reason for his fear of love absurd. I had a hard time believing he was a great schemer because he acted so glum and seemed like he moped all day long.

+++ Zach

Marco's servant was annoying. His cliché sob story of a past as an abused ex-sex slave got eyerolls from me. When Derek tricked and punched Zach to escape from Marco again, I had a hard time feeling pity for Zach.

+++ Evelyn

Marco's evil rival was exasperating. His characterization as this maniacal sexual sadist was shallow and devoid of imagination.

+++ Nick

I found Evelyn's sex slave almost as exasperating as Evelyn. I really wished Nick remained a forgettable side character instead of having an important role as Derek's love interest.

+++ Helios

He was the Derek's shadow sponsor, the master/society-elite who wanted to throw the city into turmoil. He had great potential to be an awesome villain but the plot botched it. The revelation of Helios's identity was anticlimactic, disappointing, and too predictable to be believed.

The Plot

+++ the plot forgot

The confrontation at the sex club between Marco and Evelyn baffled me. I didn't understand why Derek was forced into non-con sex with Nick. I thought trip to the sex club was to discover the identity of Helios, not to get sidetracked with Evelyn.

The couple chapters spanning that clumsy confrontation scene were dreadful. The plot forgot about Helios, a character who played such a huge role in the story that it was just mind-boggling how he could be forgotten. The plot also forgot that Derek was supposed to continue planning his escape, which put a dent in Derek's characterization.

+++ twists and turns

The story didn't consistently deliver twists and turns. Most of them were crammed near the end, and they were hardly good. The worst twist was the quasi-Romeo and Juliet one; I felt the urge to gag.

+++ the mind games

There were very few of them. The mind games between Derek and Marco were amusing, but sputtered after the middle of the story.

The mind games against Helios never happened, but instead was a simple contention. The story drove the expectation of cloak and dagger off the cliff. Worse, the core conflict (the Helios issue) wasn't steadily maintained but was pushed in uneven bursts. It made me questioned whether some scenes were necessary to the story.

The Romance

Derek fell in love with Nick after meeting him two times, qualifying the romance as insta-love. The romance with Nick was utterly passionless and senseless, most noticeable in their sex scenes. Marco raping Derek was somehow more love-filled than Derek making love to Nick.

I get that Derek was developing into the sex slave with a heart of gold but the story pushed that act too far. Honestly, every time Derek had a scene with Nick I skimmed.

In Conclusion

The world building was believable. The writing was good. The non-con sex scenes between Derek and Marco were hot. But these few good things about the story were barely half way enough to save the story from mediocrity.

I rate the book 1 star for I didn't like it. The half-hearted happy ending ultimately kicked the preliminary rating of 1.5 star down to a 1-star level. There were still a few issues left unresolved. The story tried to be something different but failed on many levels, at least for me.

I do not recommend this book for readers looking for a master-slave romance because Derek does not end up with Marco, for readers looking for erotica because the story does not have many sex scenes and some are dreadful, or for readers looking for a dystopian fiction because the story does not deeply dissect the social issues and the society does not change.

I probably recommend this book for readers who are tired of the same old BDSM story and want something new and challenging, even if it is simply to get out the rut.

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REVIEW: Goldrush by Steven Lochran

Goldrush by Steven Lochran
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

CAUTION: Long Review

The book was unexpectedly campy. There were parts that I liked and parts I didn't like.

Parts I Liked

+ good writing

The writing was in present tense so the action felt closer to me as if I sat in the front seat of a movie theater. As a matter of fact, the plot read like a typical action movie which I liked.

I quickly got comfortable with the writing after a few pages. I liked how straightforward the writing was; I tend to glaze over imagery but I didn't in this book. It was easy to imagine what the book wanted me to imagine.

The writing felt clean.

+ strong female characters

Gaia is one of the senior superheroes. I liked that the book didn't diminish her role in the deference to other male senior superheroes who had a more drama-filled backstory, that given a different circumstance she could have been the leader of the superhero team instead of Agent Alpha. I got the impression that she could match Agent Alpha power for power. The thing I liked most about her was her strange sense of humor. I wished she had more scenes in the book.

Machina is the other female superhero. She was the youngest superhero before Sam came along. In a different book, she would be your typical YA heroine: she got a family who is largely absent from her life, she's sort of an outcast but she desire to belong, and she's rebellious at times. However, unlike a typical YA heroine she doesn't let her life issues get to her. Machine was, dare I say it, a well-adjusted teenage girl. How utterly refreshing! I love how assertive she was. Her goal to prove herself sometime gets her in troubles but she always seem to prevail. For these reasons, Machina became my favorite character in the book.

Major Blackthorne is the military liaison to the superhero team. Despite having no power, she was still a force on her own. In the battle scenes at the end, she took care of herself and didn't hesitate to fight the supervillains. And I didn't doubt she could actually win either.

Parts I Didn't Like

+ mopey protagonist

The book was mostly in 1st POV from Sam's side. His origin story was ludicrous. He was running a race when his power spontaneously activated for the first time in his life and he accidentally hurt people, particularly his father, in the process. I pitied him and the people he injured but he really needed to get over himself. I didn't like how the story revealed Sam's origin story as if it was some sort of hidden tragic past because it wasn't.

Because of his past, Sam was too mopey for my liking. I didn't start liking him till 2/3 into the book when Machina's constant pep talks finally put a stop to his pity party. However, the change was so sudden that it was ridiculous because after Machina's last pep talk a few pages later Sam gave a pep talk to someone else.

Machina was more patient and nice to Sam than I could have been because I itched to smack him out of annoyance. I mostly put up with Sam because the book designated him as the chosen one and I have a soft spot for that trope no matter how ridiculous the trope is.

+ cardboard male superheroes

They were cliché and a little bit annoying. You got your Captain America/Superman hybrid in Alpha Agent and the Batman/Spiderman hybrid in The Knight of Wands. I eyerolled at Agent Alpha with his pristine good guy persona and The Knight of Wands with his mysterious stoic loner persona.

I didn't really care for these superheroes.

+ lame bad guys

The bad guys were lame. The split-personality guy was all "save me from myself" because one of his two personalities was a supervillain while the other personality was a superhero. The other bad guy, the one who was the main supervillain for book 1, was all "I am the strongest and therefore everyone should bow down to me because I say so."

All the supervillains in book 1 were simply crazy and maniacal; there was no depth in their characterization.

+ plot-holes

The biggest part of the story I didn't like was why didn't the good guys didn't just kill the bad guys outright from the start. Why defeat them only to imprison them? Moreover, why imprison them at the superhero team's headquarter where they could use the place to nuke the entire world?

I realize the book didn't take itself seriously, that it was campy, but I don't believe that excuses the plot-holes. I would have been mollified with a flimsy explanation of a few sentences.

In Conclusion

I rate Goldrush 3-stars for I like it. In spite of the parts I didn't like, the book was entertaining. There were humorous scenes sprinkled in. The last 1/3 of the book with its heavy action scenes was what firmly pushed the book into 3-stars land.

It should be noted that ebook version has bonus content. It's the profile of all five superheroes — Goldrush (Sam), Machina, Gaia, Agent Alpha, The Knight of Wands — and Major Blackthorne. There was nothing new in their stats that readers didn't know from reading the book. You can see the characters' illustration presented in the cover-art here.

Goodreads | Amazon

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REVIEW: The Corpse-Rat King by Lee Battersby

The Corpse-Rat King by Lee Battersby
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

CAUTION: Spoilers

This book bored me. It was off to a good start, exactly as how the blurb described, but then it got kinda confusing and then boring. By 1/3 of the book, I skimmed because the plot was going nowhere. By 1/2 of the book, I skimmed some more and faster with the goal to reach the end as fast possible while still getting the gist of the plot. That's how boring the book was.

When all the protagonist does is run and run futilely far away from his problems (in both the figurative and literal sense of the phrase), what interest in the plot is there to be had?

The Characters

+++ the protagonist

Marius is an admitted coward, which wasn't a big problem for me. A problem but not a big problem. No, the big problem was that he had no redeemable trait. He wasn't clever as he thought. His past wasn't tragic as he thought; if anything he was a spoiled rich kid in that flashback. There wasn't anything that made me like Marius, pity Marius, or really give a shit about Marius.

The character growth he showed late in the book was just that, too late. Too late and too small for me to give a shit. In any other book, Marius would be that side character whose purpose is to be killed off.

+++ the sidekick

Gerd was Marius's slow-witted apprentice. The blurb did directly say Gerd would die and I thought was well prepared to handle it. I wasn't. I got upset at how Gerd died at the beginning. As if that wasn't bad enough, I got more upset when I learned how he got pulled into Marius's crapfest. I felt more for Gerd the sidekick than I ever did for Marius the protagonist.

I got upset at Marius and the book and this dampened any little enjoyment I may have derived from reading the book. I felt emotionally manipulated in a bad way. Gerd may have a dull life, but at least he had a life in every definition of the word.

I did not like how things were resolved at the end with Gerd. Gerd may have forgiven Marius, but I sure didn't. This was the bumbling sidekick trope at its worst and a classic example of an abusive relationship.

The World Building

It was heavily lacking. Heavily. I couldn't tell if magic was something everyone is aware of or only those superstitious and real magicians are aware of. I couldn't tell if dead people walking around was normal or not either.

Places were thrown at me and I couldn't get a grasp on the geography.

The Writing

It dragged. Too much superfluous details that confounded me, too little relevant details that starved me of elucidation. I saw passages here and there that could be tightened. The prose encourages skimming.

The Plot Holes

As I mentioned before, I skimmed but I did get the gist of the plot. Got enough that I spotted plot holes.

+++ the love interest

Middle of the story, Bob realized Keth's unrequited love for him and promised himself that he'll return to resolve the matter.

He had a real mission now, one that sank into his bones with an urgency he had never before experienced. Getting back to the dead was only the first part. After that, he had to get to Keth.
—chapter 17

Yeaaaaah, he never did. In the last third of the book, Keth was completely forgotten about.

+++ alive again

At the end when Marius completed the dead people's demand for a king, we learned they couldn't returned him back to life. Turns out he was never dead to begin with and that he had the magic of disguise (or something like that, the book wasn't clear). Marius deluded into thinking he was dead because the dead people tricked him into thinking he was dead which made no sense at all.

Basically, the book's resolution of Marius's dead-state problem was a deus ex machina.

In Conclusion

The premise of the book was attractive, but its execution was awful. I was detached from the protagonist, detached from the prose, and detached from the plot. I may have skim a lot but I didn't need to read every passage to see that the plot didn't make much sense. I believed if I did read every passage, I would have spotted more plot holes.

I rate TCRK 1-star for I didn't like it. I do not recommend this book for readers who best prefer urban fantasy and occasionally venture into traditional fantasy. Readers who like traditional fantasy, I suggest giving TCRK a try but to borrow from library.

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REVIEW: Dark Frost by Jennifer Estep

Dark Frost by Jennifer Estep
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

CAUTION: Long Review, Spoilers

It's official. This series suck. I have read book 1-3 and the prequel "First Frost"; I believe I can make this judgement now.

It would take a major effort to turn this series around. It's doable, but unfortunately I don't see that happening any time soon.

The Writing

The beginning was repetitive. I don't mind rehash; I actually appreciate it a lot given the countless series I juggle. However, this series goes overboard with it and Dark Frost is one of the worst examples. Case in point: the book rehashed about Loki and the Helheim Dagger 3-4 times in the first few chapters. Enough already. I get it.

The bright side was the book was slightly fast-paced, faster than book 1 and 2, and had more actions.

The World Building

The world building is still as shallow as book 1. The series said there were Samurais, Ninjas, and Romans but these characters haven't made a presence in the series yet. The series also said there was a plethora of gods but only 4-5 gods have been mentioned so far and they have only been from the Norse and Greek pantheons. It's disappointing to see that the magical world contain Asian influences but there hasn't been anything or anyone Asian in the series.

We are still not given any detail as to how the gods, their champions, and their followers from various pantheon cooperates. It is still a mystery as how the magical world in this series function and by book 3 it shouldn't be. For a series that supposed to be epic and full of magical diversity, it has been a big letdown.

The Characters

+++ Gwen

In book 2, Gwen finally showed some character growth which thrilled me. So it was a goddammit moment when she took couple major steps back in book 3.

The thing that I liked most about Gwen (and possibly the only good trait she had going on for her) was that she embraced her psychometry magic. No matter how little Gwen thought of her magic, if she would realized her potential and set her mind to it her magic could be the most powerful of them all. Too bad Gwen went and sabotaged that hope of her being a competent heroine when she got her ass handed to her multiple times throughout the book. Use your goddamn magic!

And the worst part was that late in the book when boy trouble arose Gwen was willing to give up her magic just so she can make out with Logan. Really!

No, wait. There were at least two other scenes that showed how more infuriating can Gwen get.

One was when she finally learned where the Helheim Dagger was with a clue that was under her nose all along, instead of gathering the professors and guards to come help her collect the dagger like a smart person would Gwen pulled a TSTL act. She went to the hiding place by herself... at night... in the dark... a place where Reapers have infiltrated. Absolutely no surprise what happened next the minute Gwen had her hands on the dagger.

The second scene, also late in the book, was when she had a mental breakdown after using her magic to save herself (finally!) at the cost of a villain's life. What the fuck? The villain died. It was good thing. Despicable dude was going to torture you — some more — and you're having an attack of conscience?!

Does this girl have any ounce of self-preservation instinct?

+++ Logan

In book 1-2, Logan was described as this cool self-assured guy with a player's reputation. In book 3, he was emo. The dude had a classic case of transference. He doesn't know what he want and to deal with his tragic past so pitiful Gwen becomes the target for his frustration.

Note to Logan! Every student in that school you're going to has a tragic past, including Gwen. You're not the only one whose family were killed by reapers.

I cannot see what Gwen see in Logan. The dude is hot, but so is every other boy in that magical world.

+++ Vivian

Vivian revealed as the Loki's Champion was predictable. It was either her, the girl who is suddenly introduced in book 3 and is soooo nice to everyone, or Logan's bitchy ex who everyone knows hates Gwen since the prequel.

Vivian barely had character development. All her family and friends were killed by Reaper, so how did she became a Reaper? The book didn't explain.

But really, the issue I had with Vivian was actually the issue I had with Gwen. Vivian showed how incompetent Gwen was as the series' protagonist. How could Gwen lose to Vivian? Vivian had telepathy, but Gwen's magic was more powerful. Gwen is capable of doing the same sort of mind-warping thing as Vivian. Had Gwen been magic-trained as much she was weapon-trained, she wouldn't have been easily fooled by.

Speaking of which, why isn't Gwen magically-trained? Isn't the magical school suppose to give magic lessons? What a big plot-hole.

In Conclusion

I rate DF 2-stars for it was okay.

At this point, this series has become one of those series where I'm continuing it because I want to know how it ends and not because I care about Gwen. I kinda wish she did died near the end and the series would pick up from another Mythos Academy student's POV. Maybe Oliver the gay Spartan, Gwen's new friend.

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