Matthew Bartholemew has given up looking for the woman he loves, Mathilde, and returned to the college where he teaches and works. Michaelhouse is unexpectedly short of funds, which is strange because they recently took on an entire new group of students, complete with their tuitions. But the situation has gotten so bad that the food from the kitchens is barely edible, and worse than that, someone has stolen the pair of silver Chalices given to Michaelhouse by its founder.
But more than just money is wanting. After Matthew is summoned to side of a dying woman, he discovers that several medicines are missing from his stores, and one of them, Pennyroyal, is what killed his sister's friend, Dame Joan Elyan. He worries that one of his own students could have taken it from his stores, and given it to the woman- although for what reason he cannot say. Nobody but him seems to trust his students, and now he's wondering if he has been hasty in extending that trust.
Just before a weekly debate, Matthew is asked to attend upon the College's head, Langlee, and look through the college's books. What he discovers is startling. 30 Marks, a great deal of money, is missing from the college's books, and appears to have been spent on coal, pigs and wood- but the college never received the goods. Wynewyk, the Michaelhouse treasurer, seems to be to blame, but before anyone can question him, he dies at the college debate, apparently from laughing too long and loudly.
But his death means that Matthew and his colleague, Brother Michael, cannot question him to discover the truth about what happened to the College's money. It's no secret that Wynewyk was a scoundrel and a cheat, but Langlee hoped that Wynewyk would use his legendary powers of double-dealing and craftiness on behalf of the college, not use them to cheat the college. But Langlee, who once checked up often on Wynewyk's figures, had grown to trust him, and no longer kept so strict a watch on their colleague.
Now, the only solution is for Matthew and Brother Michael to go to Suffolk and retrieve the college's missing money. But there, they discover that the money is part of a dispute between two towns over a strange coal mine. And one of the men involved in the dispute is the husband of the pregnant woman who may have been killed with Matthew's Pennyroyal. She was pregnant, and had her child lived, it would have substantially altered the outcome of the matter, which also involves another college nearby.
But that's not all they'll discover on the road. For more is lurking in Suffolk than just the answers to the mysteries and problems besetting Matthew, Brother Michael, the rest of the scholars of Michaelhouse. Because another set of villains lurks, waiting to be exposed... but can Matthew stand for the truth to be shown?
I have always enjoyed the Matthew Bartholemew books, ever since I read my first, "A Plague on Both Your Houses", and the prediction I made when I read the last book in the series came true in this one, that as soon as Matthew stopped looking for Matilda, we'd probably see her turn up again. And yes, but for now, she is being kept a secret from him.
In a way, this book's title is very appropriate, more so than even most of the books in this series, as everything in the book is based on lies. The lies of different characters to each other, to themselves, and to those who love them twists and distorts the lives of everyone in the book, Matthew included. I loved how each piece of information eventually came to hold some importance to the plot, although I did twig to one important item immediately.
I also loved the continuity of the characters. Many secondary (and even tertiary) characters from past books return, whether they are indigent patients of Matthew, unable to pay for their medicines, so he gives them the medicine for free, his students, the scholars and teachers at Michaelhouse, Matthew's sister and other characters have all appeared before. But here, we see them begin to pay him back for his care of them with their own help. It was very nice to see, and heartwarming to read.
Read this book, and you will find a well-crafted medieval mystery with great characters who exhibit real human frailties and cunning insight. But these aren't just cardboard characters, but ones that will become close to your heart, who you can cheer on and root for, and that's what you have here. Recommended.
Friday, November 20, 2009
Monday, November 16, 2009
Shadowlight by Lynn Viehl
Jessa Bellamy is the adopted daughter of a rich man, but an incident in her past made her change her name and take on a different identity. Now, she has her own company where she and her employees probe the backgrounds of prospective employees for different companies. But whereas most rely on background checks, fingerprints and other high-tech devices to probe the prospective employees, Jessa Bellamy relies on a simple handshake.
A handshake, because when she touches someone's skin, she can see their worst moments play out in her mind, and she can tell if they are honest or dishonest. And sometimes, she can read the minds of someone that the person she is touching has had physical contact with.
What she sees in the latest woman she is checking out makes her very concerned. First of all, the woman is only applying to steal from the company. But she is working for a man, her lover, who is only using her. Once she has done the theft, he is going to kill her, then abscond with her ill-gotten gains. Jessa, knowing that she must do something, informs the FBI about her suspicions from a pay phone far from her office, but this time, she is not alone. Someone is following her.
That "someone" is Gaven Matthias, and he wants to save Jessa from a company called GenHance, a company who supposedly is all about finding cures for genetic diseases, but in reality is about finding a way to create perfect soldiers for anyone who can pay for them. They have found out about Jessa's talent, and want to extract her means of doing it from her DNA- and to do so, they will have to kill her. Gaven's seen it happen before, and he doesn't want it to happen to Jessa- because he's started to fall for her.
When Jessa is contacted by GenHance to do background checks on their employees for a new subsidiary of GenHance being built in the area, she immediately agrees, and a meeting is set for her at a French Restaurant named Cecile with a man named Dennis Lawson. Lawson plans to drug her and take her out during the meal, but before he can do so, Gaven rushes in, to find that she has been faking being drugged. She shoves her entree in Lawson's face and Gaven cuts him badly before they escape outside.
There, Gaven tells her that she must come with him before she is killed, and she reluctantly accompanies him. In his car, she attempts to use her power on Gaven to see what kind of man he is, but only gets an image of an avalanche and a snowstorm, which confuses her and puts her to sleep.
When she wakes, she is in Gaven's secret underground lair, along with his associate, Rowan, a peppery-tongued cook who takes an instant dislike to Jessa, calling her "Queenie". As Jessa fights her attraction to the man who kidnapped her, she discovers that many of the things he is telling her are true.
But back at GenHance, Dennis Lawson, terribly injured by Gaven's attack, is putting all the blame for it on Jessa, thinking she paid Gaven to attack him. Already out of his mind on Steroids and cocaine, injections he's been getting from his personal trainer, he's upset that the doctor's won't give him painkillers for the excruciating pain of his injuries, and resolves to go to GenHance and get the only thing that can heal him- the very serum that GenHance has been building from the members of the Takyn.
He lies and tricks his way back into the company, and injects himself with the serum, killing anyone who tries to stop him or who gets in his way. And it works on his injuries, but ramps up his anger at Jessa and need for revenge- as well as enabling him to track her. But his rampage hasn't gone unnoticed, and two of the Darkyn, Lucan and his sygkenis, Samantha, a cop, become determined to track down Dennis Lawson and find out where he got the powers he now has- powers that seem to be growing, changing and mutating all the time. But can even the Darkyn and Gaven keep Jessa safe from the man who so obviously wants to kill her?
I enjoyed Lynn Viehl's Stardoc series, and her Darkyn series, and this series is an offshoot of the second. The Kyndred, also known as the Takyn or Taken, were an experiment by the church to induce Darkyn-like powers in children. But the experiment was shut down, and the children dispersed into foster homes and adopted families. The Darkyn have been trying to track them, but too many of the records were destroyed.
This book does a good job at setting up the Kyndred's new adversary, the GenHance company and its owner, Jonah Gennaro, who is the last living descendant of the man who originally killed Gaven, who was a Roman soldier. Hints are dropped throughout the story that Jonah is attempting to keep his Ancestor's name unstained. So, anyone who discovers anything to his discredit is killed, and the information destroyed or discredited, all the while a team from his company is sent in to help clean up the damage.
The message is rammed through over and over that the people who work at the company, especially those in the higher executive levels of management, and the scientists are evil: people who don't give a damn about the source of the products they are testing so long as they work and make money. When Gennaro procures a brain dead man (a Takyn) to be a subject for the experiments with Transserum, nobody else seems to bat an eye. The only exception to this is a man named Alex, who actually works for Gaven, a deep mole planted inside the company. And in the end, he is forced to flee.
At the end, the Darkyn and Kyndred come very close to meeting, but don't quite, which is a shame, since the Darkyn have been seeking these children for a while now. But, of course, it also stretches out the story and the forces that the Kyndred must fight against.
I enjoyed this book, the villains were extremely villainous, even if that villainy rose out of reasons of making money and just not caring about anyone they hurt on the way to making that money. The character of Dennis Lawson is downright frightening, even before he injects himself with Transserum. His madness and sadism were actually disturbing to read, and made him a perfect villain. The love/attraction between Gaven and Jessa actually faded into the background compared to his insanity, but I'd still recommend this book in a heartbeat.
A handshake, because when she touches someone's skin, she can see their worst moments play out in her mind, and she can tell if they are honest or dishonest. And sometimes, she can read the minds of someone that the person she is touching has had physical contact with.
What she sees in the latest woman she is checking out makes her very concerned. First of all, the woman is only applying to steal from the company. But she is working for a man, her lover, who is only using her. Once she has done the theft, he is going to kill her, then abscond with her ill-gotten gains. Jessa, knowing that she must do something, informs the FBI about her suspicions from a pay phone far from her office, but this time, she is not alone. Someone is following her.
That "someone" is Gaven Matthias, and he wants to save Jessa from a company called GenHance, a company who supposedly is all about finding cures for genetic diseases, but in reality is about finding a way to create perfect soldiers for anyone who can pay for them. They have found out about Jessa's talent, and want to extract her means of doing it from her DNA- and to do so, they will have to kill her. Gaven's seen it happen before, and he doesn't want it to happen to Jessa- because he's started to fall for her.
When Jessa is contacted by GenHance to do background checks on their employees for a new subsidiary of GenHance being built in the area, she immediately agrees, and a meeting is set for her at a French Restaurant named Cecile with a man named Dennis Lawson. Lawson plans to drug her and take her out during the meal, but before he can do so, Gaven rushes in, to find that she has been faking being drugged. She shoves her entree in Lawson's face and Gaven cuts him badly before they escape outside.
There, Gaven tells her that she must come with him before she is killed, and she reluctantly accompanies him. In his car, she attempts to use her power on Gaven to see what kind of man he is, but only gets an image of an avalanche and a snowstorm, which confuses her and puts her to sleep.
When she wakes, she is in Gaven's secret underground lair, along with his associate, Rowan, a peppery-tongued cook who takes an instant dislike to Jessa, calling her "Queenie". As Jessa fights her attraction to the man who kidnapped her, she discovers that many of the things he is telling her are true.
But back at GenHance, Dennis Lawson, terribly injured by Gaven's attack, is putting all the blame for it on Jessa, thinking she paid Gaven to attack him. Already out of his mind on Steroids and cocaine, injections he's been getting from his personal trainer, he's upset that the doctor's won't give him painkillers for the excruciating pain of his injuries, and resolves to go to GenHance and get the only thing that can heal him- the very serum that GenHance has been building from the members of the Takyn.
He lies and tricks his way back into the company, and injects himself with the serum, killing anyone who tries to stop him or who gets in his way. And it works on his injuries, but ramps up his anger at Jessa and need for revenge- as well as enabling him to track her. But his rampage hasn't gone unnoticed, and two of the Darkyn, Lucan and his sygkenis, Samantha, a cop, become determined to track down Dennis Lawson and find out where he got the powers he now has- powers that seem to be growing, changing and mutating all the time. But can even the Darkyn and Gaven keep Jessa safe from the man who so obviously wants to kill her?
I enjoyed Lynn Viehl's Stardoc series, and her Darkyn series, and this series is an offshoot of the second. The Kyndred, also known as the Takyn or Taken, were an experiment by the church to induce Darkyn-like powers in children. But the experiment was shut down, and the children dispersed into foster homes and adopted families. The Darkyn have been trying to track them, but too many of the records were destroyed.
This book does a good job at setting up the Kyndred's new adversary, the GenHance company and its owner, Jonah Gennaro, who is the last living descendant of the man who originally killed Gaven, who was a Roman soldier. Hints are dropped throughout the story that Jonah is attempting to keep his Ancestor's name unstained. So, anyone who discovers anything to his discredit is killed, and the information destroyed or discredited, all the while a team from his company is sent in to help clean up the damage.
The message is rammed through over and over that the people who work at the company, especially those in the higher executive levels of management, and the scientists are evil: people who don't give a damn about the source of the products they are testing so long as they work and make money. When Gennaro procures a brain dead man (a Takyn) to be a subject for the experiments with Transserum, nobody else seems to bat an eye. The only exception to this is a man named Alex, who actually works for Gaven, a deep mole planted inside the company. And in the end, he is forced to flee.
At the end, the Darkyn and Kyndred come very close to meeting, but don't quite, which is a shame, since the Darkyn have been seeking these children for a while now. But, of course, it also stretches out the story and the forces that the Kyndred must fight against.
I enjoyed this book, the villains were extremely villainous, even if that villainy rose out of reasons of making money and just not caring about anyone they hurt on the way to making that money. The character of Dennis Lawson is downright frightening, even before he injects himself with Transserum. His madness and sadism were actually disturbing to read, and made him a perfect villain. The love/attraction between Gaven and Jessa actually faded into the background compared to his insanity, but I'd still recommend this book in a heartbeat.
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Skin Trade by Laurell K. Hamilton
Anita Blake is a Federal Marshal of the Supernatural Squad, and in her off-time, works for ReAnimators, Inc. But even with all the freaky things she's seen so far, she's never gotten mailed a decapitated head before.
The head is a present from a vampire named Vittorio, a vampire serial killer. Anita had tracked him, but he'd gotten away and fled. Now, Vittorio is in Las Vegas, and issuing a challenge to Anita to come, find him, and take care of him. But Anita's rep isn't all that good any longer- now that most of her allies know she's shacking up with the Supernaturals she should be policing, not many people want to work with her, afraid that she's gone soft or is selling out to "other side". But regardless, she has to do her job as a Federal Marshal and track down Vittorio.
But she knows Jean-Claude will argue with her over it, so she leaves during the day, while he is still asleep, and this will later cause tension between them. She also calls Edward, the former assassin, who is also a Federal Marshal, to help cover her back. But he's already been called in, along with two other marshals, and he tells her that he will meet her in Vegas, since he's likely to get there first.
Anita arrives, but Edward is nowhere to be seen, and the Local Undersheriff and the SWAT squad seem more interested in a "Whose got the biggest package" contest, because they think Anita can't hack it, being petite, pretty, and, of course, female. But she's much, much tougher than she looks, and even though many of them look down on her for shacking up with the monsters, eventually, they come to some sort of understanding, and she's taken to the main police building. Where, because of the great number of weapons she is carrying, she is treated as a possible suspect and interrogated- all because of her "connection" with the crime.
Anita knows this is crap, but holds tough through the questioning, and is finally released so she can meet the other marshals and get to the crime scene, where she is now several hours overdue. She finally meets Edward, and the two other Marshals, a native American named Bernardo Spotted Horse, and another Marshal that Anita is familliar with and wishes she wasn't a serial killer named Olaf. Anita's worked with Olaf before, and he creeps her out. She suspects that he wants her because of her physical similarity to his victims, and that he's seen her fear.
But she also has a job to do here, figuring out what exactly killed the cops that tried to take down Vittorio in Las Vegas. Several of the wounds say "Wereanimal" and "Weretiger" is high on the list, given that the Master of Las Vegas, Maximillian' s wife, Bibiana, is the head of a group of Weretigers. Two of his sons also share the weretiger gene.. But when Anita goes to see them about the killings, Marmee Noir does something to her shields, leaving her dangerously vulnerable to the Weretiger's influence, and Bibiana is almost able to use it to control Anita..
Even though she's fixated on finding Vittorio and the vampires and the creature who slaughtered the cops, Marmee Noir's influence over her is very strong, leading to Anita becoming Queen over several different colors of Weretiger, including the legendary Blue Tigers, through Bibiana's son, who is only 21. Marmee Noir wants Anita's body for her own. Failing that, she wants a baby of Anita's body to be hers, a baby from a weretiger mating. And with her defenses down, Anita has no way of resisting a weretiger orgy.
Worse, Vittorio is obsessed with Anita for a reason. Like Anita's lover Asher, he was tortured with Holy Water, so badly that he can no longer function sexually. And with Anita subject to the Ardeur, he wants to experience fulfillment and release. But can Anita give it to him? As Anita discovers that Vittorio has a longtime connection to Marmee Noir, she must deal with the demands of her ardeur, demands that are making her more and more convinced that she cannot do her job any longer. Anita is also a vampire, a psychic vampire, and luckily, the government has no conception of what she can do, so it doesn't legislate against her. But can Anita stand the strain of feeling she has become a monster, when only the monsters accept her? Only time can tell as this book counts down to the finish.
Wow. Just... wow. I really liked this book, which concentrated on the effects that Anita is feeling from her decisions to love the kind of people that others see as "monsters", vampires and wereanimals. And people can be very cruel to those who buck the established trends, whether because they are afraid that women will find the Monsters better in bed (as one character suggests) or just because they think it will make Anita soft, she's suffering the fallout.
But in a way, the other characters are right. Anita is already struggling with the consequences of what she does as a Marshal. She's close to suffering complete burnout, and whether it's as a result of who and what she sleeps with, or the fact that she's been at her job for too long, something has got to give. At this point, we can only hope that what gives isn't Anita. But she knows something isn't right, and she has a lot of scary issues to deal with- her increasing number of lovers, thanks to the Ardeur, is very scary to her, and not something she's proud of. She has to make some hard choices, and its getting to the point where the implication of the choices she makes is slowing her down.
But not everyone hates her. Sometimes, the other humans out there are just as confused as she is. Another psychic in SWAT, nicknamed "Cannibal" by his fellow SWAT guys, asks Anita how to prevent himself from becoming a monster, and what the definition of being a good guy is. Anita's answer is that a good guy knows he could use his powers to do bad things to people, and is even tempted to- but doesn't because the person knows they are wrong. That's quite a change from what Anita might have said earlier in the series.
It's also nice that this book heralds a change to the "Less about sex, more about paranormal mystery and horror" type book. No sex for about 3/4 of the book, and then Anita has to feed her ardeur, but when Marmee Noir forces her to try and have a baby by initiating an orgy between Anita and several flavors of Tiger, Anita doesn't even realize what's happened until she wakes up afterwards... and one of the participants was only 16, something that squicks Anita deeply.
My only real complaint is that the ending of the story with Vittorio was over so quickly. After hundreds of pages seeking him, the ending confrontation is only about 30... and that is Anti-Climactic. On the other hand, Anita does discover how to perhaps Heal Asher of his holy water burns, but nothing seems really resolved about Anita's burnout and dissatisfaction with her job. I guess we'll have to wait and see on that one.
In short, this book marks a return to the earlier Anita books in terms of story, with less sex overall and more of a horror/Mystery vibe. While Sex is not completely eliminated, we get to see the strain it's putting on all her relationships (even Jean-Claude seems to be tired of it- but wouldn't he know what the Ardeur is like, being subject to it himself?) It's not a perfect book- the ending is rushed, and we rehash what is already known about Anita, but I would recommend this to a friend still.
The head is a present from a vampire named Vittorio, a vampire serial killer. Anita had tracked him, but he'd gotten away and fled. Now, Vittorio is in Las Vegas, and issuing a challenge to Anita to come, find him, and take care of him. But Anita's rep isn't all that good any longer- now that most of her allies know she's shacking up with the Supernaturals she should be policing, not many people want to work with her, afraid that she's gone soft or is selling out to "other side". But regardless, she has to do her job as a Federal Marshal and track down Vittorio.
But she knows Jean-Claude will argue with her over it, so she leaves during the day, while he is still asleep, and this will later cause tension between them. She also calls Edward, the former assassin, who is also a Federal Marshal, to help cover her back. But he's already been called in, along with two other marshals, and he tells her that he will meet her in Vegas, since he's likely to get there first.
Anita arrives, but Edward is nowhere to be seen, and the Local Undersheriff and the SWAT squad seem more interested in a "Whose got the biggest package" contest, because they think Anita can't hack it, being petite, pretty, and, of course, female. But she's much, much tougher than she looks, and even though many of them look down on her for shacking up with the monsters, eventually, they come to some sort of understanding, and she's taken to the main police building. Where, because of the great number of weapons she is carrying, she is treated as a possible suspect and interrogated- all because of her "connection" with the crime.
Anita knows this is crap, but holds tough through the questioning, and is finally released so she can meet the other marshals and get to the crime scene, where she is now several hours overdue. She finally meets Edward, and the two other Marshals, a native American named Bernardo Spotted Horse, and another Marshal that Anita is familliar with and wishes she wasn't a serial killer named Olaf. Anita's worked with Olaf before, and he creeps her out. She suspects that he wants her because of her physical similarity to his victims, and that he's seen her fear.
But she also has a job to do here, figuring out what exactly killed the cops that tried to take down Vittorio in Las Vegas. Several of the wounds say "Wereanimal" and "Weretiger" is high on the list, given that the Master of Las Vegas, Maximillian' s wife, Bibiana, is the head of a group of Weretigers. Two of his sons also share the weretiger gene.. But when Anita goes to see them about the killings, Marmee Noir does something to her shields, leaving her dangerously vulnerable to the Weretiger's influence, and Bibiana is almost able to use it to control Anita..
Even though she's fixated on finding Vittorio and the vampires and the creature who slaughtered the cops, Marmee Noir's influence over her is very strong, leading to Anita becoming Queen over several different colors of Weretiger, including the legendary Blue Tigers, through Bibiana's son, who is only 21. Marmee Noir wants Anita's body for her own. Failing that, she wants a baby of Anita's body to be hers, a baby from a weretiger mating. And with her defenses down, Anita has no way of resisting a weretiger orgy.
Worse, Vittorio is obsessed with Anita for a reason. Like Anita's lover Asher, he was tortured with Holy Water, so badly that he can no longer function sexually. And with Anita subject to the Ardeur, he wants to experience fulfillment and release. But can Anita give it to him? As Anita discovers that Vittorio has a longtime connection to Marmee Noir, she must deal with the demands of her ardeur, demands that are making her more and more convinced that she cannot do her job any longer. Anita is also a vampire, a psychic vampire, and luckily, the government has no conception of what she can do, so it doesn't legislate against her. But can Anita stand the strain of feeling she has become a monster, when only the monsters accept her? Only time can tell as this book counts down to the finish.
Wow. Just... wow. I really liked this book, which concentrated on the effects that Anita is feeling from her decisions to love the kind of people that others see as "monsters", vampires and wereanimals. And people can be very cruel to those who buck the established trends, whether because they are afraid that women will find the Monsters better in bed (as one character suggests) or just because they think it will make Anita soft, she's suffering the fallout.
But in a way, the other characters are right. Anita is already struggling with the consequences of what she does as a Marshal. She's close to suffering complete burnout, and whether it's as a result of who and what she sleeps with, or the fact that she's been at her job for too long, something has got to give. At this point, we can only hope that what gives isn't Anita. But she knows something isn't right, and she has a lot of scary issues to deal with- her increasing number of lovers, thanks to the Ardeur, is very scary to her, and not something she's proud of. She has to make some hard choices, and its getting to the point where the implication of the choices she makes is slowing her down.
But not everyone hates her. Sometimes, the other humans out there are just as confused as she is. Another psychic in SWAT, nicknamed "Cannibal" by his fellow SWAT guys, asks Anita how to prevent himself from becoming a monster, and what the definition of being a good guy is. Anita's answer is that a good guy knows he could use his powers to do bad things to people, and is even tempted to- but doesn't because the person knows they are wrong. That's quite a change from what Anita might have said earlier in the series.
It's also nice that this book heralds a change to the "Less about sex, more about paranormal mystery and horror" type book. No sex for about 3/4 of the book, and then Anita has to feed her ardeur, but when Marmee Noir forces her to try and have a baby by initiating an orgy between Anita and several flavors of Tiger, Anita doesn't even realize what's happened until she wakes up afterwards... and one of the participants was only 16, something that squicks Anita deeply.
My only real complaint is that the ending of the story with Vittorio was over so quickly. After hundreds of pages seeking him, the ending confrontation is only about 30... and that is Anti-Climactic. On the other hand, Anita does discover how to perhaps Heal Asher of his holy water burns, but nothing seems really resolved about Anita's burnout and dissatisfaction with her job. I guess we'll have to wait and see on that one.
In short, this book marks a return to the earlier Anita books in terms of story, with less sex overall and more of a horror/Mystery vibe. While Sex is not completely eliminated, we get to see the strain it's putting on all her relationships (even Jean-Claude seems to be tired of it- but wouldn't he know what the Ardeur is like, being subject to it himself?) It's not a perfect book- the ending is rushed, and we rehash what is already known about Anita, but I would recommend this to a friend still.
Saturday, November 14, 2009
The Marvel Encyclopedia: The Definitive Guide to the Characters of the Marvel Universe by Dorling Kindersley Books
This is a encyclopedia of all the heroes, villains and important people in the Marvel universe. It comtains an entry on everyone from the Abomination to ZZaxx, and any character who has interacted in a significant way with any of the heroes of the Marvel Universe.
This means not only characters like The Hulk, Spiderman, Iron Man, Captain America, Hercules, Ant Man, Storm, Professor X and Thor, but Villains like the Mandarin, Abomination, Magneto, Mystique, Sandman, Vulture and Mephisto. It includes peripheral characters and sidekicks like Jarvis, Willy Lumpkin (Whose superpower is to be able to wiggle his ears. No joke) and Rick Jones.
Each character is given either a short bio and information on their powers for minor characters or villains, and a much longer writeup for fan favorites or more important characters who have been around for a while. Some of these can run several pages, and each entry is graced with one or more pictures of that character. The longer-lived characters are depicted with different entries showing changes in costume and hairstyle along with their writeup.
The real reason for this updated book is the character information. So much has gone on since the last volume was printed, including the Secret Invasion, World War Hulk, the Aftermath of that, Xavier's attempted assassination, the House of M, and so on, that much of the information on characters has changed. Not only is World War Hulk covered in the entry on the Hulk, but the appearance of the Red Hulk and the changing of Rick Jones into A-Bomb is discussed as well.
Several entries discuss the Ultimates Universe, as well as the Marvel Zombies Universe, and how they differ. Splash pages show important comics of different decades from the 1950's to today, and the back has a discussion of the Various "What If" comics as scenarios observed by Uatu the Watcher from his position in the Multiverse. But only one character from those stories rates her own entry among the others- Bloodstorm, aka Storm as a vampire.
This is a great encyclopedia of Marvel's characters and storylines- because there are so many of them, you'd have to read nothing but comics to keep up with them all, and even then, you wouldn't be able to remember it all. Here, all the characters and storylines- even those in which the character is only known to appear because his or her costume is spotted, is mentioned in the section on that character.
I was constantly surprised at how large the Marvel Universe has become, and how many characters it now holds. I was also pleased to see still represented Mandrill and Nekra, who I remembered from my first comic overview of the Marvel Universe, published by Marvel itself in the late 70's. Back then, you could fit all the characters in 12 30-page issues. But this isn't the case any more- this is a huge book that was almost a struggle to carry, and not quite comfortable to read except lying down on my stomach.
This is an excellent book, filled with art from some of Marvel's best artists and colorists. The information on each character is precise and well-realized, and it's a wonderful value for the money. Well worth the investment.
This means not only characters like The Hulk, Spiderman, Iron Man, Captain America, Hercules, Ant Man, Storm, Professor X and Thor, but Villains like the Mandarin, Abomination, Magneto, Mystique, Sandman, Vulture and Mephisto. It includes peripheral characters and sidekicks like Jarvis, Willy Lumpkin (Whose superpower is to be able to wiggle his ears. No joke) and Rick Jones.
Each character is given either a short bio and information on their powers for minor characters or villains, and a much longer writeup for fan favorites or more important characters who have been around for a while. Some of these can run several pages, and each entry is graced with one or more pictures of that character. The longer-lived characters are depicted with different entries showing changes in costume and hairstyle along with their writeup.
The real reason for this updated book is the character information. So much has gone on since the last volume was printed, including the Secret Invasion, World War Hulk, the Aftermath of that, Xavier's attempted assassination, the House of M, and so on, that much of the information on characters has changed. Not only is World War Hulk covered in the entry on the Hulk, but the appearance of the Red Hulk and the changing of Rick Jones into A-Bomb is discussed as well.
Several entries discuss the Ultimates Universe, as well as the Marvel Zombies Universe, and how they differ. Splash pages show important comics of different decades from the 1950's to today, and the back has a discussion of the Various "What If" comics as scenarios observed by Uatu the Watcher from his position in the Multiverse. But only one character from those stories rates her own entry among the others- Bloodstorm, aka Storm as a vampire.
This is a great encyclopedia of Marvel's characters and storylines- because there are so many of them, you'd have to read nothing but comics to keep up with them all, and even then, you wouldn't be able to remember it all. Here, all the characters and storylines- even those in which the character is only known to appear because his or her costume is spotted, is mentioned in the section on that character.
I was constantly surprised at how large the Marvel Universe has become, and how many characters it now holds. I was also pleased to see still represented Mandrill and Nekra, who I remembered from my first comic overview of the Marvel Universe, published by Marvel itself in the late 70's. Back then, you could fit all the characters in 12 30-page issues. But this isn't the case any more- this is a huge book that was almost a struggle to carry, and not quite comfortable to read except lying down on my stomach.
This is an excellent book, filled with art from some of Marvel's best artists and colorists. The information on each character is precise and well-realized, and it's a wonderful value for the money. Well worth the investment.
Immortal: Love Stories with Bite, edited by P.C. Cast
Vampires are hot again, thanks to Eclipse, The Vampire Diaries and TrueBlood, programs and movies about Vampires in all their seductive power.Here are eight stories of vampires and love, each from a different author.
"Haunted Love" by Cynthia Letitch-Smith has a vampiric teenager being chased by the daughter of the Town's new Mayor, and haunted by the ghost who lives in the old movie House he has decided to reopen. Each has their secrets, but who is the real monster among the three of them, and can the other two take care of the monster before it kills again?
"Amber Smoke" by Kristin Cast has a young girl being chased by the son of the Furies, the Greek punishers of the wicked. Monsters have escaped into her world, and unless she finds out how to use her new special abilities, someone close to her is going to suffer the consequences.
"Dead Man Stalking" by Rachel Caine returns to her Morganville Vampires Universe, where the son of the man who believed he was meant to slay all the vampires must deal with the return of his father, who has come home with an unsettling new power, and an undead companion who isn't a vampire at all. Can the son free his vampire friend before he's used as a sacrifice to raise another ghoul?
"Table Manners" by Tanith Lee has a young woman who meets a real vampire at a ball given in the country by the friends of her father and her family. But can she help the vampire, who is locked into a worldview of bad movie myths and believing himself to be unnatural, or will she end up being his dinner?
"Blue Moon" by Richelle Mead concerns a young vampire whose family wants to kill her and a human boy who helps her get away. She can't understand why humans hate vampires, and while he helps her understand, he also finds that she treats him better than any vampire he has ever encountered. But can they escape the vampires out after her without using her powers?
"Changed" by Nancy Holder, gives us Jilly, a young woman in love with her gay best friend, Eli. Setting off in search of him across a Manhattan changed by an invasion of Vampires, they end up looking for Eli's boyfriend, Sean. But Sean has been changed, and nothing can ever be the same...
"Binge" by Rachel Vincent introduces us to a girl who is friends with a Siren. She's jealous of her friend, who is a magnet of attention wherever she goes. But when she finally finds a boy who loves her for her own sake, can she find happiness, or will it all end in tragedy?
"Free" by Claudia Gray takes us into the life of a young woman whose mother is a part-black mistress to a rich white man. She loves Amos, a free black blacksmith who her mother would never approve of, and waits for the local ball to be introduced to the man who will be her lover and Sugar Daddy. But the man who takes an interest in her is nothing human, and when he goes to make her like himself, will she choose to be free, or live her life in slavery to someone else?
This was an unusual sort of book. Not all the stories are about happy endings, or even about romance, but more about love and attraction. Even the Morganville Vampires story was about love- a strange and twisted sort of love between father and son. Not all of the stories leave good feelings inside you after they are over, but all are compelling to read and leave you changed after you read them.
This is not the sort of book that you can read and blithely go on to do other things. The stories make you think, and make you feel- often quite different emotions after you are finished. The book starts out with fairly conventional love stories, but moves on to stories of other kinds of love. Before you know it, you are sucked in to each story, and they become too fascinating to put down the book. Even when some of the stories become uncomfortable to read, you aren't able to turn away.
I really liked this book, and I think that anyone who enjoys vampire stories will find this collection fascinating reading. It's definitely aimed at teens- all the protagonists are teenagers, but the stories you will find here go far beyond teenage love. Highly recommended.
"Haunted Love" by Cynthia Letitch-Smith has a vampiric teenager being chased by the daughter of the Town's new Mayor, and haunted by the ghost who lives in the old movie House he has decided to reopen. Each has their secrets, but who is the real monster among the three of them, and can the other two take care of the monster before it kills again?
"Amber Smoke" by Kristin Cast has a young girl being chased by the son of the Furies, the Greek punishers of the wicked. Monsters have escaped into her world, and unless she finds out how to use her new special abilities, someone close to her is going to suffer the consequences.
"Dead Man Stalking" by Rachel Caine returns to her Morganville Vampires Universe, where the son of the man who believed he was meant to slay all the vampires must deal with the return of his father, who has come home with an unsettling new power, and an undead companion who isn't a vampire at all. Can the son free his vampire friend before he's used as a sacrifice to raise another ghoul?
"Table Manners" by Tanith Lee has a young woman who meets a real vampire at a ball given in the country by the friends of her father and her family. But can she help the vampire, who is locked into a worldview of bad movie myths and believing himself to be unnatural, or will she end up being his dinner?
"Blue Moon" by Richelle Mead concerns a young vampire whose family wants to kill her and a human boy who helps her get away. She can't understand why humans hate vampires, and while he helps her understand, he also finds that she treats him better than any vampire he has ever encountered. But can they escape the vampires out after her without using her powers?
"Changed" by Nancy Holder, gives us Jilly, a young woman in love with her gay best friend, Eli. Setting off in search of him across a Manhattan changed by an invasion of Vampires, they end up looking for Eli's boyfriend, Sean. But Sean has been changed, and nothing can ever be the same...
"Binge" by Rachel Vincent introduces us to a girl who is friends with a Siren. She's jealous of her friend, who is a magnet of attention wherever she goes. But when she finally finds a boy who loves her for her own sake, can she find happiness, or will it all end in tragedy?
"Free" by Claudia Gray takes us into the life of a young woman whose mother is a part-black mistress to a rich white man. She loves Amos, a free black blacksmith who her mother would never approve of, and waits for the local ball to be introduced to the man who will be her lover and Sugar Daddy. But the man who takes an interest in her is nothing human, and when he goes to make her like himself, will she choose to be free, or live her life in slavery to someone else?
This was an unusual sort of book. Not all the stories are about happy endings, or even about romance, but more about love and attraction. Even the Morganville Vampires story was about love- a strange and twisted sort of love between father and son. Not all of the stories leave good feelings inside you after they are over, but all are compelling to read and leave you changed after you read them.
This is not the sort of book that you can read and blithely go on to do other things. The stories make you think, and make you feel- often quite different emotions after you are finished. The book starts out with fairly conventional love stories, but moves on to stories of other kinds of love. Before you know it, you are sucked in to each story, and they become too fascinating to put down the book. Even when some of the stories become uncomfortable to read, you aren't able to turn away.
I really liked this book, and I think that anyone who enjoys vampire stories will find this collection fascinating reading. It's definitely aimed at teens- all the protagonists are teenagers, but the stories you will find here go far beyond teenage love. Highly recommended.
Friday, November 13, 2009
The Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree- The History and Lore of the World's Most Famous Evergreen by Nancy Armstrong
Christmas at Rockefeller Center is the standard by which all other Christmas Celebrations, and tree lightings, are judged. Every year, Rockefeller Center has a magnificent, stately evergreen standing front and center, lit with lights and decorated, and now with a magnificent Swarovski Crystal star atop the tree.
But where do those trees come from, and how are they selected? Are they bought, donated, grown or some combination of all three? How do they get from where they are grown to Rockefeller Center in New York? And how do they put all those lights and ornaments on the tree when the top of it is so high up? And what happens to all those trees when the holiday is over and it must come down? How do you dispose of a tree that big?
This small book answers all that and more, such as how the tradition started in Rockefeller Center, and the names of the men who decide which tree should grace the center, along with tales of the trees they have chosen. Suprisingly, perhaps, the tree is often donated to the Center, although a group of gardeners move in to make the removal site pretty- or to at least reduce the scars left by the removal of such a large tree. Sometimes, they plant another tree it its place. At least once, they have planted a number of trees, all gratis.
But the tree can't just be big, it must be stately and beautiful. It also must have that special "something" that sets it apart from other trees, even if that "something" can't be verbalized into exact words. Perhaps, the tree must have Character.
This small book is packed with the most fascinating facts about Christmas at Rockefeller Center. How the tradition started, and what decorations were added when (the angels date from 1952, The Swarovski Crystal star from 2004), and the locations the trees came from and the families or organizations that donated the tree(s) of that year, along with the size and variety of evergreen. (Most of the trees are Norway Spruces).
I was pleasantly surprised to see that some of the trees came from the county where I grew up (Rockland County, NY), and at least one from my old home town, Nanuet. You will slso learn a lot, like that the trees are recycled after being used (one was made into Lumber for houses constructed by Habitat for Humanity, but generally, they are wood-chipped and used as ground cover).
This is a great book, one that shouldn't be missed, filled with fascinating facts and plenty of pictures. You owe it to yourself to pick it up and read it, because once you start, you'll find it very hard to put down. Highly recommended.
But where do those trees come from, and how are they selected? Are they bought, donated, grown or some combination of all three? How do they get from where they are grown to Rockefeller Center in New York? And how do they put all those lights and ornaments on the tree when the top of it is so high up? And what happens to all those trees when the holiday is over and it must come down? How do you dispose of a tree that big?
This small book answers all that and more, such as how the tradition started in Rockefeller Center, and the names of the men who decide which tree should grace the center, along with tales of the trees they have chosen. Suprisingly, perhaps, the tree is often donated to the Center, although a group of gardeners move in to make the removal site pretty- or to at least reduce the scars left by the removal of such a large tree. Sometimes, they plant another tree it its place. At least once, they have planted a number of trees, all gratis.
But the tree can't just be big, it must be stately and beautiful. It also must have that special "something" that sets it apart from other trees, even if that "something" can't be verbalized into exact words. Perhaps, the tree must have Character.
This small book is packed with the most fascinating facts about Christmas at Rockefeller Center. How the tradition started, and what decorations were added when (the angels date from 1952, The Swarovski Crystal star from 2004), and the locations the trees came from and the families or organizations that donated the tree(s) of that year, along with the size and variety of evergreen. (Most of the trees are Norway Spruces).
I was pleasantly surprised to see that some of the trees came from the county where I grew up (Rockland County, NY), and at least one from my old home town, Nanuet. You will slso learn a lot, like that the trees are recycled after being used (one was made into Lumber for houses constructed by Habitat for Humanity, but generally, they are wood-chipped and used as ground cover).
This is a great book, one that shouldn't be missed, filled with fascinating facts and plenty of pictures. You owe it to yourself to pick it up and read it, because once you start, you'll find it very hard to put down. Highly recommended.
Friday, November 06, 2009
Dorothea, Volume 4 by Cuvie
Dorothea is an albino living in Germany. In most of the Germanic states, being one of the "White Children" is a death sentence, as they are thought to be witches. But in Dorothea's own small state, the daughter of the King is a "white child", and so they are protected. But Dorothea wasn't content to live in the "White House", a sanctuary for those white children. She wanted to fight for her kingdom.
When she was young, she trained with her friend, Gyurk. Even though Gyurk wanted to protect her, she was always a better swordsman than him. Now that the various kingdoms that make up Germany are at war, Gyurk returned, and Dorothea decided that she must fight, even though at any time she could be captured, imprisoned and burned at the stake as a witch. Gyurk wasn't happy with her decision- he'd rather be the one doing the fighting and protect her. He's in love with her, but he can't even admit it to her because he doesn't know if she feels the same- in case she rejects him and he loses her friendship.
Still at Ward with Ems, Dorothea and her force advance on a small fortress, only to find it guarded by ferocious mercenaries called the Swiss guards. Though Dorothea and Gyurk are at the forefront of the fighting, and do well, the rest of the army is not as lucky, and the army retreats, pursued by the mercenaries and the men of Ems.
With so many wounded, the army cannot move as swiftly, so Dorothea and Gyurk stay behind to delay the opposing troops near a river. There is another fight, and they are soon overwhelmed by the numbers of men against them. Gyurk takes a wound meant to hit Dorothea, and both fall into the river, where they are swept downstream. But she gets them out, and half-dragging, half-carrying her friend, finds them shelter in a farmer's barn.
When the farmer arrives, she is about to kill him to protect Gyurk when she realizes that he doesn't consider her a witch, and gives her shelter in his house as well as the injured Gyurk. There, Dorothea must come to terms with what she feels for Gyurk, as well as wondering what he feels for her. But it won't last long- because men are coming who fancy themselves witch hunters, who want to kill Dorothea and cleanse what they feel is her evil from the land. But can she and the wounded Gyurk survive?
I read this series, but as much as I want to really like it, I don't feel that enough goes on, character-wise, for me to get really into the characters. Each volume seems like it should be longer to be really satisfying to me. Don't get me wrong- the series is very well done. I like the art and character designs and the writing is good, but the story is divided into the fighting parts and the relationship parts, and I never feel I really get enough of either.
Perhaps that's my biggest problem with the story. each volume is slender and just doesn't feel long enough. We don't get enough emotional payoffs for the story to feel like it is actually going somewhere as opposed to in circles around and around. It got to the point where I wanted to smack both Dorothea and Gyurk with a big fat cluebat, because I found his "I love her! But I can't tell her!" and her "Where do I stand with him? Why is his protecting me?" to make me very annoyed. Yes, both characters are in their teens, but in that time, they'd be considered adults, both of them, and a lot less innocent about the world.
I'm willing to read more of this series, but I want something with meat in it, not so much pointless fluff where the relationship is concerned. I like reading romance, yes, but this just scratches at my nerves. You can't even really call it "romance" yet, but more like "pointless pining". I hope it gets resolved soon, because this isn't fun to read.
When she was young, she trained with her friend, Gyurk. Even though Gyurk wanted to protect her, she was always a better swordsman than him. Now that the various kingdoms that make up Germany are at war, Gyurk returned, and Dorothea decided that she must fight, even though at any time she could be captured, imprisoned and burned at the stake as a witch. Gyurk wasn't happy with her decision- he'd rather be the one doing the fighting and protect her. He's in love with her, but he can't even admit it to her because he doesn't know if she feels the same- in case she rejects him and he loses her friendship.
Still at Ward with Ems, Dorothea and her force advance on a small fortress, only to find it guarded by ferocious mercenaries called the Swiss guards. Though Dorothea and Gyurk are at the forefront of the fighting, and do well, the rest of the army is not as lucky, and the army retreats, pursued by the mercenaries and the men of Ems.
With so many wounded, the army cannot move as swiftly, so Dorothea and Gyurk stay behind to delay the opposing troops near a river. There is another fight, and they are soon overwhelmed by the numbers of men against them. Gyurk takes a wound meant to hit Dorothea, and both fall into the river, where they are swept downstream. But she gets them out, and half-dragging, half-carrying her friend, finds them shelter in a farmer's barn.
When the farmer arrives, she is about to kill him to protect Gyurk when she realizes that he doesn't consider her a witch, and gives her shelter in his house as well as the injured Gyurk. There, Dorothea must come to terms with what she feels for Gyurk, as well as wondering what he feels for her. But it won't last long- because men are coming who fancy themselves witch hunters, who want to kill Dorothea and cleanse what they feel is her evil from the land. But can she and the wounded Gyurk survive?
I read this series, but as much as I want to really like it, I don't feel that enough goes on, character-wise, for me to get really into the characters. Each volume seems like it should be longer to be really satisfying to me. Don't get me wrong- the series is very well done. I like the art and character designs and the writing is good, but the story is divided into the fighting parts and the relationship parts, and I never feel I really get enough of either.
Perhaps that's my biggest problem with the story. each volume is slender and just doesn't feel long enough. We don't get enough emotional payoffs for the story to feel like it is actually going somewhere as opposed to in circles around and around. It got to the point where I wanted to smack both Dorothea and Gyurk with a big fat cluebat, because I found his "I love her! But I can't tell her!" and her "Where do I stand with him? Why is his protecting me?" to make me very annoyed. Yes, both characters are in their teens, but in that time, they'd be considered adults, both of them, and a lot less innocent about the world.
I'm willing to read more of this series, but I want something with meat in it, not so much pointless fluff where the relationship is concerned. I like reading romance, yes, but this just scratches at my nerves. You can't even really call it "romance" yet, but more like "pointless pining". I hope it gets resolved soon, because this isn't fun to read.
Deadpool Classic by Various
This book reprints some of the early Marvel Comics stories of Deadpool, the "Merc with a Mouth"- another produce of the Weapon X development project, one that left him with a mutant healing ability similar to Wolverine, but a horribly scarred face and body.
The first story is the introduction of Deadpool in the pages of "The New Mutants", where he is sent by a man named Mr. Tolliver to kill Nathan Summers, better known as Cable. Neither is able to overcome the other, though Cable wins with the assistance of the New Mutants and a new female character known as Domino.
Next is a Deadpool stand-alone comic where Tolliver is dead, but has left behind the greatest weapon in the world. He also leaves behind clues to the location of the weapon on two floppy discs, which are sent to two of Tolliver's associates to keep safe. But Tolliver knew many mercs and employed them, and all of them, Deadpool inciuded, want to get their hands on this "ultimate weapon" before anyone else does.
So Deadpool, accompanied by his associate, Weasel, plays tag-team around the world, trying to recover the location of the weapon. On his tail are not only Black Tom Cassidy and Juggernaut, but a killing machine known as Slayback and Deadpool's former love Vanessa Carlyle, also known as Copycat. But when they track the weapon to a holding of Tolliver's in Nepal, the battle between Deadpool and Slayback inadvertantly powers up the weapon. But can Deadpool stop it before it kills them both?
The next story pairs Deadpool and Banshee's daughter, Siryn, on the trail of Black Tom Cassidy, who is dying of a strange disease that is turning him into something like a plant, with spines and bark growing on his skin. Juggernaut wants to save his partner from the Virus that is so obviously killing him, but the Doctor who says he can cure Black Tom, Killebrew, needs something of Deadpool's to save Black Tom. In a word, some of Deadpool's cells, whose healing factor might overcome the virus infecting Black Tom. And when Deadpool gets his hand chopped off, that seems to be the part of him that Killebrew will use. But can Black Tom be cured, and can Deadpool save Siryn from her Uncle's mercenaries?
Ending out the book is a tale of Deadpool sent to Antarctica to break into a secure facility down there. But the facility, headed by Dr. Walter LangKowski, better known as Sasquatch, a former friend and mental health provider to Deadpool. The facility is meant to drain off gamma radiation from the atmosphere and sequester it so it can't affect people on earth. But when Deadpool and Sasquatch's fight breaks the containment field, they have to work together before the entire southern hemisphere becomes irradiated, causing all the people living there to get cancer or die horribly. But can Deadpool, a mercenary, bring himself to work for free and help?
It was interesting to see how the early Deadpool stories differed from the later ones I have read. Deadpool now seems just this side of sane, breaking the fourth wall constantly and making asides to himself just about as often. But when he first appeared, he wasn't that way at all. In fact, he was quite menacing and not such a figure of fun. It's not until nearly the end of the graphic novel stories that he started to have those qualities at all. so reading the past stories might not satisfy as much if you are used to the current Deadpool.
But you can definitely see the progression starting in the story with Siryn, which is much more jokey and bantering than the stories that have come before. But even in the last story in the volume he isn't quite his usual schizophrenic self, though he does have his usual sense of humor. What is interesting is the picture we get of Wade back before his face turned into a mass of blisters, and he looks an awful lot like Cable. In fact, I wondered what Nathan was doing in that story, until I realized it was supposed to be Deadpool.
This graphic novel is interesting, even if, like me, you aren't all that in love with the character of Deadpool. It's an interesting journey into the origins of the character, although if you like him, you may have trouble recognizing the barely sane character you have come to know and love. I found it interesting, though hardly a must-read. Someone who is a real fan of the character may see things differently, of course, so YMMV.
The first story is the introduction of Deadpool in the pages of "The New Mutants", where he is sent by a man named Mr. Tolliver to kill Nathan Summers, better known as Cable. Neither is able to overcome the other, though Cable wins with the assistance of the New Mutants and a new female character known as Domino.
Next is a Deadpool stand-alone comic where Tolliver is dead, but has left behind the greatest weapon in the world. He also leaves behind clues to the location of the weapon on two floppy discs, which are sent to two of Tolliver's associates to keep safe. But Tolliver knew many mercs and employed them, and all of them, Deadpool inciuded, want to get their hands on this "ultimate weapon" before anyone else does.
So Deadpool, accompanied by his associate, Weasel, plays tag-team around the world, trying to recover the location of the weapon. On his tail are not only Black Tom Cassidy and Juggernaut, but a killing machine known as Slayback and Deadpool's former love Vanessa Carlyle, also known as Copycat. But when they track the weapon to a holding of Tolliver's in Nepal, the battle between Deadpool and Slayback inadvertantly powers up the weapon. But can Deadpool stop it before it kills them both?
The next story pairs Deadpool and Banshee's daughter, Siryn, on the trail of Black Tom Cassidy, who is dying of a strange disease that is turning him into something like a plant, with spines and bark growing on his skin. Juggernaut wants to save his partner from the Virus that is so obviously killing him, but the Doctor who says he can cure Black Tom, Killebrew, needs something of Deadpool's to save Black Tom. In a word, some of Deadpool's cells, whose healing factor might overcome the virus infecting Black Tom. And when Deadpool gets his hand chopped off, that seems to be the part of him that Killebrew will use. But can Black Tom be cured, and can Deadpool save Siryn from her Uncle's mercenaries?
Ending out the book is a tale of Deadpool sent to Antarctica to break into a secure facility down there. But the facility, headed by Dr. Walter LangKowski, better known as Sasquatch, a former friend and mental health provider to Deadpool. The facility is meant to drain off gamma radiation from the atmosphere and sequester it so it can't affect people on earth. But when Deadpool and Sasquatch's fight breaks the containment field, they have to work together before the entire southern hemisphere becomes irradiated, causing all the people living there to get cancer or die horribly. But can Deadpool, a mercenary, bring himself to work for free and help?
It was interesting to see how the early Deadpool stories differed from the later ones I have read. Deadpool now seems just this side of sane, breaking the fourth wall constantly and making asides to himself just about as often. But when he first appeared, he wasn't that way at all. In fact, he was quite menacing and not such a figure of fun. It's not until nearly the end of the graphic novel stories that he started to have those qualities at all. so reading the past stories might not satisfy as much if you are used to the current Deadpool.
But you can definitely see the progression starting in the story with Siryn, which is much more jokey and bantering than the stories that have come before. But even in the last story in the volume he isn't quite his usual schizophrenic self, though he does have his usual sense of humor. What is interesting is the picture we get of Wade back before his face turned into a mass of blisters, and he looks an awful lot like Cable. In fact, I wondered what Nathan was doing in that story, until I realized it was supposed to be Deadpool.
This graphic novel is interesting, even if, like me, you aren't all that in love with the character of Deadpool. It's an interesting journey into the origins of the character, although if you like him, you may have trouble recognizing the barely sane character you have come to know and love. I found it interesting, though hardly a must-read. Someone who is a real fan of the character may see things differently, of course, so YMMV.
Tuesday, November 03, 2009
From Baghdad, With Love by Lt. Colonel Jay Kopelman with Melinda Roth
A marine company known as the Lava Dogs was clearing out a house in Baghdad when they heard a strange clicking and snuffling noise. But when they found out the source, they were ready to shoot, until they discovered that it was merely a puppy.
Marine regs say that Marines are not to make pets of animals they discover on the job. If they find a starving puppy or donkey, or any other animal, they are supposed to dispose of it on sight. And yes, that means shoot it. But these marines couldn't bring themselves to shoot an otherwise innocent puppy, and instead took the dog back with them to their base, naming him, rather unimaginatively, Lava.
That was where Jay Kopelman first encountered Lava, living with the other members of the Lava Dogs. Lava was annoying. He chewed up gear, made noise when they were supposed to be sleeping, and urinated and defecated on just about anything, too. But very quickly, he came to see Lava as less of an annoyance and more as something that would keep him sane doing a job that could easily turn deadly in the blink of an eye.
But Jay knew he wouldn't be in Baghdad forever, and if no one else helped the puppy, he would be killed by the brass, or another soldier who wouldn't want to, but would have to do so. And so began the search- a search for someone to vaccinate the puppy, to get him some kind of papers, to get him out of Iraq and into another country from which he'd be allowed entry to the US. It took many people working on both sides of the world, from NPR journalist Anne Garrels, who lived with the puppy for months in the Red Zone of Baghdad- where just to be American is seen as a deadly crime, and to be seen speaking with one can get you killed.
Kopelman wasn't alone in saving an animal and wanting it to survive the war zone. He recounts the stories of other soldiers who saved animals and underwent the same sorts of trials that he went through to save Lava. He tells of one soldier who fought hard to save his dog, and just before the dog went onto the plane, was shot by a civilian contractor, practically in his arms. Of another set of puppies, trapped in a sewer, being fed by marines, until the puppies were found by a higher-up, and buried under a load of dirt, meant to suffocate. The marines dug them out by hand and saved them from death right then, but were unable to keep the puppies alive forever.
I loved this book, but Kopelman definitely doesn't pull his punches. He tells us the reason for the order not to save animals. It's because the armed forces have taken away your moral clarity in order to make you be able to kill. Anything that allows you to have compassion, to try and save people you are supposed to be fighting, or to have any kind of human feeling for them, can quickly get you killed if your foes take advantage of that. Modern American military forces are trained to shoot when ordered, and if you can't do that, well, you're pretty much useless.
But they can't see that these soldiers have to have some kind of life when they come home, because, hopefully, they will be coming home. Reading about how these soldiers are trained felt almost like being punched in the gut. It's a real visceral pain to read about how the army takes away all of their moral compass to enable them to kill. Even the k-9 units used in war are almost regarded more as tools. When they get too old to serve (about 10 years old), a military review board judges their cases, and in most of them, the dogs are deemed non-adoptable and Euthanized. Why? Because the dogs, who served their handlers well, are trained to attack, and kill, and it takes very little to set them off- not the kind of dog most people would be able to handle. And yet, this is how the army trained them to be.
Reading this book made me sad and angry about how soldiers were being treated, and animals as well. But unlike many others, Jay Kopelman was able to save Lava, and lives with him today in Southern California. Happy endings remain elusive for both of them. As he says in his book, Lava has taken many obedience courses, but has yet to pass any of them. But just like his new owner, Lava is still working on his life. We can only hold out hope for both of them to have some kind of normal life. I highly recommend this book for showing what the war in Iraq ia really like, and the cost on the humans and animals who have to fight it and those who get caught up in it. It's amazing, and will have a strong effect on anyone who reads it.
Marine regs say that Marines are not to make pets of animals they discover on the job. If they find a starving puppy or donkey, or any other animal, they are supposed to dispose of it on sight. And yes, that means shoot it. But these marines couldn't bring themselves to shoot an otherwise innocent puppy, and instead took the dog back with them to their base, naming him, rather unimaginatively, Lava.
That was where Jay Kopelman first encountered Lava, living with the other members of the Lava Dogs. Lava was annoying. He chewed up gear, made noise when they were supposed to be sleeping, and urinated and defecated on just about anything, too. But very quickly, he came to see Lava as less of an annoyance and more as something that would keep him sane doing a job that could easily turn deadly in the blink of an eye.
But Jay knew he wouldn't be in Baghdad forever, and if no one else helped the puppy, he would be killed by the brass, or another soldier who wouldn't want to, but would have to do so. And so began the search- a search for someone to vaccinate the puppy, to get him some kind of papers, to get him out of Iraq and into another country from which he'd be allowed entry to the US. It took many people working on both sides of the world, from NPR journalist Anne Garrels, who lived with the puppy for months in the Red Zone of Baghdad- where just to be American is seen as a deadly crime, and to be seen speaking with one can get you killed.
Kopelman wasn't alone in saving an animal and wanting it to survive the war zone. He recounts the stories of other soldiers who saved animals and underwent the same sorts of trials that he went through to save Lava. He tells of one soldier who fought hard to save his dog, and just before the dog went onto the plane, was shot by a civilian contractor, practically in his arms. Of another set of puppies, trapped in a sewer, being fed by marines, until the puppies were found by a higher-up, and buried under a load of dirt, meant to suffocate. The marines dug them out by hand and saved them from death right then, but were unable to keep the puppies alive forever.
I loved this book, but Kopelman definitely doesn't pull his punches. He tells us the reason for the order not to save animals. It's because the armed forces have taken away your moral clarity in order to make you be able to kill. Anything that allows you to have compassion, to try and save people you are supposed to be fighting, or to have any kind of human feeling for them, can quickly get you killed if your foes take advantage of that. Modern American military forces are trained to shoot when ordered, and if you can't do that, well, you're pretty much useless.
But they can't see that these soldiers have to have some kind of life when they come home, because, hopefully, they will be coming home. Reading about how these soldiers are trained felt almost like being punched in the gut. It's a real visceral pain to read about how the army takes away all of their moral compass to enable them to kill. Even the k-9 units used in war are almost regarded more as tools. When they get too old to serve (about 10 years old), a military review board judges their cases, and in most of them, the dogs are deemed non-adoptable and Euthanized. Why? Because the dogs, who served their handlers well, are trained to attack, and kill, and it takes very little to set them off- not the kind of dog most people would be able to handle. And yet, this is how the army trained them to be.
Reading this book made me sad and angry about how soldiers were being treated, and animals as well. But unlike many others, Jay Kopelman was able to save Lava, and lives with him today in Southern California. Happy endings remain elusive for both of them. As he says in his book, Lava has taken many obedience courses, but has yet to pass any of them. But just like his new owner, Lava is still working on his life. We can only hold out hope for both of them to have some kind of normal life. I highly recommend this book for showing what the war in Iraq ia really like, and the cost on the humans and animals who have to fight it and those who get caught up in it. It's amazing, and will have a strong effect on anyone who reads it.
Monday, November 02, 2009
More than a Mistress by Mary Balogh
Jocelyn Dudley is Duke of Tresham, and in the middle of a duel when a young woman runs onto the field, shouting at the participants to stop. This causes him to hold his fire, but not his opponent, who fires and wounds Jocelyn in the leg. Jocelyn lets his opponent sweat for a bit, then fires in the air, but the leg wound is a bad one, and he lays the blame at the feet of the young woman who distracted him at a critical moment
She is Jane Ingleby, and she tried to stop the duel because she was saddened at the thought of two men throwing their lives away on something so pointless as a duel, especially one over a woman. But when she receives the sharp side of Jocelyn's tongue, she doesn't shrink back, she answers him in a like fashion, despite the fact that she is a mere shopgirl and not a Duke. But when she finally makes her way to work in the milliner's shop in which she toils, the proprietress will not accept her excuse and wants a note from the Duke before she will believe Jane.
Jane tracks down the Duke to his home, where the surgeon is removing the ball from his leg. He declines to give her the note, mainly because he blames her for his injury, and partly because he is drunk from the liquor that was pressed on him to dull the pain from his injury while the ball is excised. But he decides to have his revenge on her by making her play the part of his nursemaid while he recovers. Ordinarily, he's a trial to deal with. But injured? He's a thousand times worse. He views it as only fair to make her pay in that way.
And so she goes to work for him, hired for a period of a mere three weeks, by which time he should be mostly recovered. But Jocelyn is a man always on the go and chafes at inactivity. He's angry at Jane, angry with her ugly dress and the hideous caps she hides under. Perceptively, he realizes that she is very pretty, and figures she must have a good reason to hide her beauty. But he doesn't want her to hide it from him.
Jane is not just the orphan she pretends to be, and someone is hot on her trail. He is Mick Boden, a Bow Street Runner hired by the Earl of Durbury, who claims that a certain young blonde-haired woman attacked his son and robbed his house. He wants Mick Boden to apprehend her.
That young woman, of course, turns out to be Jane Ingleby- but that isn't her real name. And Jane is terrified of being dragged back to him, especially when she hears the rumors being bandied about concerning her and the attack- that she burst in with a pistol in each hand and shot the Earl's son when he didn't move fast enough, and made off with a fortune in jewels.
All of this is a lie, of course, but Jane keeps herself hidden, thinking-knowing that no one will listen to a penniless woman when placed against an earl. But Jocelyn has discovered that his nurse has unexpected depths. She sings like an Angel, but doesn't want to do it professionally. At his wit'e end, wanting her like he's wanted no woman before but unable to marry her because she is so far beneath him,he approaches her about setting her up as his mistress.
And she, wanting to hide, agrees. But first, she will redecorate the house, which she feels makes the inside look like a brothel. A really tacky brothel. But when Jocelyn takes her virginity in the newly remodeled house, something special happens. He doesn't treat her like a man with a mistress, but as a man with his lover. And he begins telling her things, things he's kept locked inside him for his entire life.
He's alarmed by this tendency, but he finds that he can't stay away from her, even if he does treat her coldly and arrogantly after he unexpectedly lets loose with one of his recollections. But when Mick Boden comes to Jocelyn's house looking for Jane, who is actually a lady named Sara Illingsworth, Jocelyn suddenly finds himself absolutely furious. Suddenly, everything changes. Suddenly, the world is different- he doesn't have to make her his mistress- he can have her as his wife. But will she have him after the way he's treated her? And what about the Earl's son? Is he really near death, and can Jocelyn save Sara from the hangman's noose?
I liked this book. I liked how Jane stood up for herself, and how she had spine and backbone despite being reduced to near-penury and having to support herself with work. I also liked the real reason that the Duke's son was injured and how, and the comeuppance that not only the Duke, but her supposed fiance got at the end of the book.
However, I didn't think that Jocelyn really groveled enough for the way he'd treated her. And I know it was hard for him to apologize or even admit any softer feelings after the way he'd been raised and what his father had done that brutalized his feelings. But I do feel he got off a little too easily. He should have suffered a bit more before he won the heroine.
I also liked the way the hero and heroine came together. Not necessarily the sex part, although that was fine, but the way they came together as people and as a couple. She is able to pull out of him deep emotions that he's repressed for far too long, and even though he hates looking and feeling weak, he feels better in her company than anyone else.
I found this an altogether charming book that made me care when I was sure I never would care about the hero and heroine at the start of the story. Each character is damaged in some way, but Jocelyn's is by far the worse, and he's adopted a cold, unfeelingly arrogant mask to hide the damage. But with Sara/Jane, you feel that in the end, he might actually be all right, and become a deeper, richer person, while Sara was already rich and seasoned, but untried as well. Recommended.
She is Jane Ingleby, and she tried to stop the duel because she was saddened at the thought of two men throwing their lives away on something so pointless as a duel, especially one over a woman. But when she receives the sharp side of Jocelyn's tongue, she doesn't shrink back, she answers him in a like fashion, despite the fact that she is a mere shopgirl and not a Duke. But when she finally makes her way to work in the milliner's shop in which she toils, the proprietress will not accept her excuse and wants a note from the Duke before she will believe Jane.
Jane tracks down the Duke to his home, where the surgeon is removing the ball from his leg. He declines to give her the note, mainly because he blames her for his injury, and partly because he is drunk from the liquor that was pressed on him to dull the pain from his injury while the ball is excised. But he decides to have his revenge on her by making her play the part of his nursemaid while he recovers. Ordinarily, he's a trial to deal with. But injured? He's a thousand times worse. He views it as only fair to make her pay in that way.
And so she goes to work for him, hired for a period of a mere three weeks, by which time he should be mostly recovered. But Jocelyn is a man always on the go and chafes at inactivity. He's angry at Jane, angry with her ugly dress and the hideous caps she hides under. Perceptively, he realizes that she is very pretty, and figures she must have a good reason to hide her beauty. But he doesn't want her to hide it from him.
Jane is not just the orphan she pretends to be, and someone is hot on her trail. He is Mick Boden, a Bow Street Runner hired by the Earl of Durbury, who claims that a certain young blonde-haired woman attacked his son and robbed his house. He wants Mick Boden to apprehend her.
That young woman, of course, turns out to be Jane Ingleby- but that isn't her real name. And Jane is terrified of being dragged back to him, especially when she hears the rumors being bandied about concerning her and the attack- that she burst in with a pistol in each hand and shot the Earl's son when he didn't move fast enough, and made off with a fortune in jewels.
All of this is a lie, of course, but Jane keeps herself hidden, thinking-knowing that no one will listen to a penniless woman when placed against an earl. But Jocelyn has discovered that his nurse has unexpected depths. She sings like an Angel, but doesn't want to do it professionally. At his wit'e end, wanting her like he's wanted no woman before but unable to marry her because she is so far beneath him,he approaches her about setting her up as his mistress.
And she, wanting to hide, agrees. But first, she will redecorate the house, which she feels makes the inside look like a brothel. A really tacky brothel. But when Jocelyn takes her virginity in the newly remodeled house, something special happens. He doesn't treat her like a man with a mistress, but as a man with his lover. And he begins telling her things, things he's kept locked inside him for his entire life.
He's alarmed by this tendency, but he finds that he can't stay away from her, even if he does treat her coldly and arrogantly after he unexpectedly lets loose with one of his recollections. But when Mick Boden comes to Jocelyn's house looking for Jane, who is actually a lady named Sara Illingsworth, Jocelyn suddenly finds himself absolutely furious. Suddenly, everything changes. Suddenly, the world is different- he doesn't have to make her his mistress- he can have her as his wife. But will she have him after the way he's treated her? And what about the Earl's son? Is he really near death, and can Jocelyn save Sara from the hangman's noose?
I liked this book. I liked how Jane stood up for herself, and how she had spine and backbone despite being reduced to near-penury and having to support herself with work. I also liked the real reason that the Duke's son was injured and how, and the comeuppance that not only the Duke, but her supposed fiance got at the end of the book.
However, I didn't think that Jocelyn really groveled enough for the way he'd treated her. And I know it was hard for him to apologize or even admit any softer feelings after the way he'd been raised and what his father had done that brutalized his feelings. But I do feel he got off a little too easily. He should have suffered a bit more before he won the heroine.
I also liked the way the hero and heroine came together. Not necessarily the sex part, although that was fine, but the way they came together as people and as a couple. She is able to pull out of him deep emotions that he's repressed for far too long, and even though he hates looking and feeling weak, he feels better in her company than anyone else.
I found this an altogether charming book that made me care when I was sure I never would care about the hero and heroine at the start of the story. Each character is damaged in some way, but Jocelyn's is by far the worse, and he's adopted a cold, unfeelingly arrogant mask to hide the damage. But with Sara/Jane, you feel that in the end, he might actually be all right, and become a deeper, richer person, while Sara was already rich and seasoned, but untried as well. Recommended.
Royal Blood: A Vampire Kisses Novel by Ellen Schreiber
Ever since the return of Alexander and Raven to the town she calls Dullsville, Raven's been in a starry swoon on cloud nine. It's summer vacation, and she's been spending lots more time with Alexander, simply enjoying being in his presence, kissing and caressing under the light of the moon and stars. But now summer is over, and it's time to get back to school.
Ugh, school. Raven isn't looking forward to waking up early or to encountering her preppy Nemesis Trevor Mitchell again any time soon, but when Alexander receives a strange letter, he wants to avoid opening it for as long as possible. Raven, however, is desperate to know what is going on and who sent the letter. Eventually, at her urging, he opens it.
The letter is from Alexander's parents, and they have news for him. They are coming back to Dullsville. Raven thinks this is awesome, but Alexander is downcast at the news. Obviously, once his parents arrive, they aren't going to be able to spend as much time together. Raven hopes to be introduced to them. She wants to be a worthy love for Alexander, and hopes that his parents will like her as much as hers love him.
But once they arrive, she hardly sees him at all, and he certainly not rushing to introduce Raven to them. In fact, several other people see them around town before Raven does. Even Trevor sees them before Raven does! But when she finally does get to meet Raven, as Alexander's "Friend", she finds out the most startling fact of all- Alexander's parents are selling the house and moving back to Transylvania... with Alexander! Raven is shocked and heartbroken, but Alexander hasn't been able to tell his parents that he doesn't want to move. He wants to stay- with Raven.
But what choice do they have? Alexander finds it hard to stand up to his parents, especially his father, who he doesn't even call Dad or Father, but by his given name. Raven and Alexander decide they can keep anyone from buying the house by spreading rumors about it being just this side of falling down. And that seems to work... at first. But when Trevor Mitchell's father decides to make an offer so that he can bulldoze the house and build a mall, Raven and Alexander know they have failed.
Now, the only way for them to win the house is for them to raise money and make an offer on it themselves. But how can they do that? Raven's not rich, and has barely any money, and even if her family had money, they wouldn't lend it to her to help her buy the house, no matter how much she and Alexander are in love. So, how can they raise the money? And even if they do raise the money, will Alexander's parents agree to sell him the house and leave him in America while they return to Europe? And will Jameson return with Alexander?
I liked this volume, which finally gives Raven and Alexander a problem to deal with besides something exclusively vampire-related. Yes, his parents are vampires, and they are responsible for deciding to sell the house, but it's not an exclusively vampire problem. Who hasn't lost a friend whose parents moved away? In this case, it just happens to be Raven's Boyfriend, and she doesn't want a long-distance relationship at all.
Raven and Alexander are ready to move heaven and earth to stay together- everything except talk to his parents. Raven is hesitant because she's afraid that Alexander's parents won't think she's good enough for him, and Alexander because even though his parents love him, they aren't really close. He hasn't even told them that Raven is his girlfriend! And he's also afraid that his parents would reject her for being merely human.
In the end, it takes a spectacular display of talent for Alexander to realize his wish and stay with Raven. Hopefully, at the same time, he grows a bit closer with his parents and might find it a bit easier to confide in them the next time. But once again, we see how Raven does care for Trevor and he for her, which worries me, if Raven and Alexander are going to find a way to somehow stay together. If Raven and Alexander do break up and she ends up with Trevor, nobody will be able to say that Ellen Schreiber didn't lay the groundwork for that long ago. Recommended
Ugh, school. Raven isn't looking forward to waking up early or to encountering her preppy Nemesis Trevor Mitchell again any time soon, but when Alexander receives a strange letter, he wants to avoid opening it for as long as possible. Raven, however, is desperate to know what is going on and who sent the letter. Eventually, at her urging, he opens it.
The letter is from Alexander's parents, and they have news for him. They are coming back to Dullsville. Raven thinks this is awesome, but Alexander is downcast at the news. Obviously, once his parents arrive, they aren't going to be able to spend as much time together. Raven hopes to be introduced to them. She wants to be a worthy love for Alexander, and hopes that his parents will like her as much as hers love him.
But once they arrive, she hardly sees him at all, and he certainly not rushing to introduce Raven to them. In fact, several other people see them around town before Raven does. Even Trevor sees them before Raven does! But when she finally does get to meet Raven, as Alexander's "Friend", she finds out the most startling fact of all- Alexander's parents are selling the house and moving back to Transylvania... with Alexander! Raven is shocked and heartbroken, but Alexander hasn't been able to tell his parents that he doesn't want to move. He wants to stay- with Raven.
But what choice do they have? Alexander finds it hard to stand up to his parents, especially his father, who he doesn't even call Dad or Father, but by his given name. Raven and Alexander decide they can keep anyone from buying the house by spreading rumors about it being just this side of falling down. And that seems to work... at first. But when Trevor Mitchell's father decides to make an offer so that he can bulldoze the house and build a mall, Raven and Alexander know they have failed.
Now, the only way for them to win the house is for them to raise money and make an offer on it themselves. But how can they do that? Raven's not rich, and has barely any money, and even if her family had money, they wouldn't lend it to her to help her buy the house, no matter how much she and Alexander are in love. So, how can they raise the money? And even if they do raise the money, will Alexander's parents agree to sell him the house and leave him in America while they return to Europe? And will Jameson return with Alexander?
I liked this volume, which finally gives Raven and Alexander a problem to deal with besides something exclusively vampire-related. Yes, his parents are vampires, and they are responsible for deciding to sell the house, but it's not an exclusively vampire problem. Who hasn't lost a friend whose parents moved away? In this case, it just happens to be Raven's Boyfriend, and she doesn't want a long-distance relationship at all.
Raven and Alexander are ready to move heaven and earth to stay together- everything except talk to his parents. Raven is hesitant because she's afraid that Alexander's parents won't think she's good enough for him, and Alexander because even though his parents love him, they aren't really close. He hasn't even told them that Raven is his girlfriend! And he's also afraid that his parents would reject her for being merely human.
In the end, it takes a spectacular display of talent for Alexander to realize his wish and stay with Raven. Hopefully, at the same time, he grows a bit closer with his parents and might find it a bit easier to confide in them the next time. But once again, we see how Raven does care for Trevor and he for her, which worries me, if Raven and Alexander are going to find a way to somehow stay together. If Raven and Alexander do break up and she ends up with Trevor, nobody will be able to say that Ellen Schreiber didn't lay the groundwork for that long ago. Recommended
Sunday, November 01, 2009
Vampire Kisses 5: The Coffin Club by Ellen Schreiber
After Raven and Alexander had captured Valentine, their vampire nemesis from the last book, Alexander left town to return Valentine to his siblings. He had to leave town, but he promised Raven that he would soon return for her.
Now, even though he left in February, it's the end of the school year, and Alexander isn't back yet. So Raven calls up the Coffin Club in nearby Hipsterville, where her aunt lives, and finds out that Jaeger is living there, in the apartment above the Coffin Club, a hangout for Goth hipsters like Raven.
So she goes to visit her aunt, and finds that things have changed. Her aunt now has a job in real estate, and wears a blazer on the job. But luckily, she's still the same hipster aunt underneath that Raven knows and loves. And it's because of her aunt that she finds out where Alexander is staying in Hipsterville- though not why.
With her aunt, she attends a teen party at the Coffin Club, although she's already visited on her own and found a secret club beneath the Coffin Club. This one caters only to Vampires, and Raven finds herself being just as accepted in this club as she is in the regular Coffin Club above, making friends with two girls, Onyx and Scarlet.
But trouble is brewing. The Coffin Club is undergoing a difference in leadership. Under Jaeger, the club would be used as the Headquarters for a new kind of play, one with humans as prey. However, a vampire known simply as Phoenix wants the club to remain as it is, a place for vampires to hang out. But what do the other vampires want: Humans as prey, or a place where humans like Raven might just end up being their friends?
Meanwhile, Raven finds out that her aunt has a boyfriend, and he seems pretty cool, though at first, Raven isn't sure if he's a vampire or not.But there's a greater surprise when Raven finds out that Alexander has entered some of his paintings in an art show in Hipsterville. And he wins the show. Could this mean greater things for Alexander? He reveals to Raven that his father is an art dealer, but he's never showed his father his art- he's content to remain a dabbler, even if Raven (and now, others) think his art is completely amazing.
But what will happen to Hipsterville if the Vampires from the Coffin Club decide to take humans as prey. And what will happen when they find out that Raven is a human? Will they kill her for infiltrating their club? When she's chased by some of them, she has to rely on Phoenix for help. But can she trust this vampire she doesn't know? And why does she feel strangely attracted to him?
Another excellent book in the series. Here, after some early problems, we finally get to see Alexander and Raven spending some time together. But the question remains- why has he stayed away from her for so long? He acknowledges fairly early on that he sent Valentine home, so why is he staying in Hipsterville? Raven isn't sure, because Alexander isn't supplying many answers. When the art show comes up, she wonders if that is why Alexander stayed. But what's the real reason.
I also liked that this book gave us an alternate explanation for crop circles- vampires make them to let other vampires know that they are there. It was a very cute idea, but I didn't really find it believable, even in the context of the story. Wouldn't there be better ways to communicate, especially now, with the internet? And why are there no records of this sort of thing in the past? Maybe I was over-analyzing it, but it didn't seem feasible to me- and it kicked me out of the story pretty hard.
But it was a minor point, and I did enjoy the book anyhow. I enjoy this series a lot, even though I have a feeling that Raven will actually be ending up with Trevor at the end of it, and not Alexander. I hope I'm wrong, but I feel conflicted by what Raven feels and how she seems to be warming to Trevor a bit with every book. And I have to say that maybe that's where she should be looking. We still have no idea how vampires age or if they are immortal- and if they don't age, Raven is going to have a problem staying with Alexander as she out-ages him. And with Alexander refusing to bite her, well... that might not end well. But I'm sufficiently intrigued to want to keep reading. Recommended.
Now, even though he left in February, it's the end of the school year, and Alexander isn't back yet. So Raven calls up the Coffin Club in nearby Hipsterville, where her aunt lives, and finds out that Jaeger is living there, in the apartment above the Coffin Club, a hangout for Goth hipsters like Raven.
So she goes to visit her aunt, and finds that things have changed. Her aunt now has a job in real estate, and wears a blazer on the job. But luckily, she's still the same hipster aunt underneath that Raven knows and loves. And it's because of her aunt that she finds out where Alexander is staying in Hipsterville- though not why.
With her aunt, she attends a teen party at the Coffin Club, although she's already visited on her own and found a secret club beneath the Coffin Club. This one caters only to Vampires, and Raven finds herself being just as accepted in this club as she is in the regular Coffin Club above, making friends with two girls, Onyx and Scarlet.
But trouble is brewing. The Coffin Club is undergoing a difference in leadership. Under Jaeger, the club would be used as the Headquarters for a new kind of play, one with humans as prey. However, a vampire known simply as Phoenix wants the club to remain as it is, a place for vampires to hang out. But what do the other vampires want: Humans as prey, or a place where humans like Raven might just end up being their friends?
Meanwhile, Raven finds out that her aunt has a boyfriend, and he seems pretty cool, though at first, Raven isn't sure if he's a vampire or not.But there's a greater surprise when Raven finds out that Alexander has entered some of his paintings in an art show in Hipsterville. And he wins the show. Could this mean greater things for Alexander? He reveals to Raven that his father is an art dealer, but he's never showed his father his art- he's content to remain a dabbler, even if Raven (and now, others) think his art is completely amazing.
But what will happen to Hipsterville if the Vampires from the Coffin Club decide to take humans as prey. And what will happen when they find out that Raven is a human? Will they kill her for infiltrating their club? When she's chased by some of them, she has to rely on Phoenix for help. But can she trust this vampire she doesn't know? And why does she feel strangely attracted to him?
Another excellent book in the series. Here, after some early problems, we finally get to see Alexander and Raven spending some time together. But the question remains- why has he stayed away from her for so long? He acknowledges fairly early on that he sent Valentine home, so why is he staying in Hipsterville? Raven isn't sure, because Alexander isn't supplying many answers. When the art show comes up, she wonders if that is why Alexander stayed. But what's the real reason.
I also liked that this book gave us an alternate explanation for crop circles- vampires make them to let other vampires know that they are there. It was a very cute idea, but I didn't really find it believable, even in the context of the story. Wouldn't there be better ways to communicate, especially now, with the internet? And why are there no records of this sort of thing in the past? Maybe I was over-analyzing it, but it didn't seem feasible to me- and it kicked me out of the story pretty hard.
But it was a minor point, and I did enjoy the book anyhow. I enjoy this series a lot, even though I have a feeling that Raven will actually be ending up with Trevor at the end of it, and not Alexander. I hope I'm wrong, but I feel conflicted by what Raven feels and how she seems to be warming to Trevor a bit with every book. And I have to say that maybe that's where she should be looking. We still have no idea how vampires age or if they are immortal- and if they don't age, Raven is going to have a problem staying with Alexander as she out-ages him. And with Alexander refusing to bite her, well... that might not end well. But I'm sufficiently intrigued to want to keep reading. Recommended.
Vampire Kisses 4: Dance With A Vampire by Ellen Schreiber
Having finally gotten rid of Jaeger and Luna, Raven finally hopes she can rest and spend some quality time with her vampire beaux, Alexander Sterling. But, it is not to be, for no sooner does she begin to relax that another of Jaeger and Luna's siblings, Valentine, enters the picture.
Valentine is much younger than his siblings, only 11 years old. But Raven is afraid that he wants more revenge on her for what happened with his sister, Luna. But it's not herself she has to worry about this time: it's her younger brother, Billy. Billy and his close friend, Henry, have decided that vampires are real, and they decide to do a school report about them. But they are also making friends with Valentine, and helping him on his own quest, to find the grave of one of his missing relatives.
So once again, Raven and Alexander must search for Valentine through the town. But Raven can't bear to be parted from Alexander for long, and he doesn't want to endanger her by taking her with him on his search. However, on the one night that Raven stays home with her brother to be safe, she finds out exactly where Valentine is- he's in her brother's room with him, studying!
She's dumbfounded, but even more when that night, Valentine puts her hands on her brother's neck. From Alexander, she finds out that Valentine can read the minds of people and other vampires simply by laying his hands on their necks. From Raven, he's found out that she's actually apprehensive about being bitten, no matter how much she wants it. And from Alexander, he finds out how much he wants to possess Raven, body, blood and soul. But he uses the knowledge to try and drive a wedge between them, to break them apart.
He also taunts Raven with the knowledge that Trevor really *is* attracted to her. He just wanted Luna to make Raven jealous- because he's laid his hand on Trevor, too. Since Raven already knows she felt a bit jealous at Luna's attention to Trevor, could she actually have some kind of feelings for Trevor. No, Raven loves Alexander too much.
But Prom is coming, and Raven wants Alexander to ask her. But can she risk approaching him when her feelings about becoming a vampire are so unsettled? And when Trevor plans a prank that makes Raven Queen of the Prom to Trevor's King, will the dance she must share with Trevor finally cause Alexander to break it off with her? And with all this going through her mind, can she and Alexander deal with Valentine before he imperils her brother's life? Or her Mom and Dad?
I really like this series. But it seems that more and more obstacles are piling up in front of Raven and Alexander with each book. Just when she should finally be able to relax and spent more time with Alexander, more of her love's family nemeses seem determined to bring them down and tear them apart. But we're finding out that the family isn't all that menacing. None of them really wants to kill or hurt Raven- they just want her out of the way.
Basically, we're finding out that vampires really aren't that much different for humans. While they may spend lots of time drinking blood, partying and hanging out in the shadows, they have family ties just like humans do. And like most human families, they love each other and have sibling rivalries, and the younger siblings look up to the older sibs.
This series has a lot of teen angst, but I find myself liking it for its not too serious approach to the whole vampire relationship thing. It has all the best parts of teen romance and vampire stories together in one volume. Readers who loved Twilight may find these series a bit shallower, but at the same time. it's light-hearted and a lot more fun. Recommended.
Valentine is much younger than his siblings, only 11 years old. But Raven is afraid that he wants more revenge on her for what happened with his sister, Luna. But it's not herself she has to worry about this time: it's her younger brother, Billy. Billy and his close friend, Henry, have decided that vampires are real, and they decide to do a school report about them. But they are also making friends with Valentine, and helping him on his own quest, to find the grave of one of his missing relatives.
So once again, Raven and Alexander must search for Valentine through the town. But Raven can't bear to be parted from Alexander for long, and he doesn't want to endanger her by taking her with him on his search. However, on the one night that Raven stays home with her brother to be safe, she finds out exactly where Valentine is- he's in her brother's room with him, studying!
She's dumbfounded, but even more when that night, Valentine puts her hands on her brother's neck. From Alexander, she finds out that Valentine can read the minds of people and other vampires simply by laying his hands on their necks. From Raven, he's found out that she's actually apprehensive about being bitten, no matter how much she wants it. And from Alexander, he finds out how much he wants to possess Raven, body, blood and soul. But he uses the knowledge to try and drive a wedge between them, to break them apart.
He also taunts Raven with the knowledge that Trevor really *is* attracted to her. He just wanted Luna to make Raven jealous- because he's laid his hand on Trevor, too. Since Raven already knows she felt a bit jealous at Luna's attention to Trevor, could she actually have some kind of feelings for Trevor. No, Raven loves Alexander too much.
But Prom is coming, and Raven wants Alexander to ask her. But can she risk approaching him when her feelings about becoming a vampire are so unsettled? And when Trevor plans a prank that makes Raven Queen of the Prom to Trevor's King, will the dance she must share with Trevor finally cause Alexander to break it off with her? And with all this going through her mind, can she and Alexander deal with Valentine before he imperils her brother's life? Or her Mom and Dad?
I really like this series. But it seems that more and more obstacles are piling up in front of Raven and Alexander with each book. Just when she should finally be able to relax and spent more time with Alexander, more of her love's family nemeses seem determined to bring them down and tear them apart. But we're finding out that the family isn't all that menacing. None of them really wants to kill or hurt Raven- they just want her out of the way.
Basically, we're finding out that vampires really aren't that much different for humans. While they may spend lots of time drinking blood, partying and hanging out in the shadows, they have family ties just like humans do. And like most human families, they love each other and have sibling rivalries, and the younger siblings look up to the older sibs.
This series has a lot of teen angst, but I find myself liking it for its not too serious approach to the whole vampire relationship thing. It has all the best parts of teen romance and vampire stories together in one volume. Readers who loved Twilight may find these series a bit shallower, but at the same time. it's light-hearted and a lot more fun. Recommended.
Vampire Kisses 3: Vampireville by Ellen Schreiber
Goth girl extraordinaire Raven has found love with Alexander Stirling, a real vampire who moved to town and proceeded to rock her world. But Alexander didn't come alone. He was followed to American by Jaeger, a fellow vampire of a different family who was angry at Alexander for not marrying his sister, Luna.
Luna was born a human, and Alexander was supposed to bring her over and make her a vampire, joining their families forever, but since he shared no real connection with Luna, he thought it was better to let her be and find someone he could love. But Jaeger couldn't forgive Alexander, and came to find him with the thought of taking away whatever Alexander loved in return. That meant Raven. He wanted to turn Raven in a graveyard, because that meant they'd be joined forever, but Raven made him think that Alexander had bitten her.
Now, Jaeger has been joined by Luna, his sister. And she's fixated on the single worst person to turn into a vampire: Raven's longtime nemesis, Trevor. And Trevor, despite having accused Alexander and his family of being real vampires, has no idea of what he's really getting into when he starts going out with Luna.
Raven knows that if Trevor gets turned into a vampire, no one in town is safe. Because of Trevor's bullying characteristics, she thinks he'd take them out on the other kids. She and Alexander search the town to see where Luna and Jaeger are hiding their coffins. They find evidence to make them believe that he's hiding out in an old factory, and they find a garage door controller. But whose garage does it open?
Raven assumes that Luna is like her brother, a ravening, bloodthirsty, angry vampire, but when Luna tries to go after her to warn her away from Trevor, unexpectedly, she and Luna connect over both being the outcasts of their families. Luna believes, like Jaeger, that Raven is truly a vampire, and she asks Raven how it felt to become a vampire. Raven manages to bluff her, but she feels like she and Luna could actually be friends... if they were both vampires. She also reveals that Jaeger has long wanted to play soccer, which is big in Europe where they both came from.
But Raven finds out that they plan to turn Trevor in a massive party they are throwing in the graveyard- and she's not invited. But both Raven and Alexander are certain that this is where Luna and Jaeger are going to turn Trevor into a vampire, and pair him with Luna for all time. Raven understands Luna's wish to have a love that lasts forever, but who does she really want? Trevor, or Alexander? Because Raven will get only one chance to stop them...
I enjoyed this book, the third in the series. Raven is an outcast, but even though she holds most of the people in the town in contempt, the same as they hold her, she doesn't want to unleash Trevor on the town as a vampire- or on her family. She's the one who wants to be the vampire, but she and Alexander, though they are in love, don't exactly see eye to eye on the issue. Raven wants to be a vampire, but Alexander would rather be human.
They are both trying to live life vicariously through each other, and, well, it's only working because they really do love each other. But it seems that Raven is always barking her shins against what vampires are really like, and because Alexander doesn't want to talk about it, she'll continue making missteps when encountering Vampire culture. In fact, the readers are as much in the dark about that as Raven is.
I want Raven and Alexander to have some sort of happy ending, but I am also afraid that there are a lot of obstacles in the way of them really being together. Alexander seems like a nice guy, but there is so much he's not telling her. Do vampires age? Born vampires seem to. But what about made vampires? Is Raven going to get old while Alexander ages very slowly? I'm interested in learning more, but its doled out in pipette drops compared to the cauldron we want to know. I fear for the relationship between the two. But I'll keep on reading, and hope there's an ending that's happy for both of them. Recommended.
Luna was born a human, and Alexander was supposed to bring her over and make her a vampire, joining their families forever, but since he shared no real connection with Luna, he thought it was better to let her be and find someone he could love. But Jaeger couldn't forgive Alexander, and came to find him with the thought of taking away whatever Alexander loved in return. That meant Raven. He wanted to turn Raven in a graveyard, because that meant they'd be joined forever, but Raven made him think that Alexander had bitten her.
Now, Jaeger has been joined by Luna, his sister. And she's fixated on the single worst person to turn into a vampire: Raven's longtime nemesis, Trevor. And Trevor, despite having accused Alexander and his family of being real vampires, has no idea of what he's really getting into when he starts going out with Luna.
Raven knows that if Trevor gets turned into a vampire, no one in town is safe. Because of Trevor's bullying characteristics, she thinks he'd take them out on the other kids. She and Alexander search the town to see where Luna and Jaeger are hiding their coffins. They find evidence to make them believe that he's hiding out in an old factory, and they find a garage door controller. But whose garage does it open?
Raven assumes that Luna is like her brother, a ravening, bloodthirsty, angry vampire, but when Luna tries to go after her to warn her away from Trevor, unexpectedly, she and Luna connect over both being the outcasts of their families. Luna believes, like Jaeger, that Raven is truly a vampire, and she asks Raven how it felt to become a vampire. Raven manages to bluff her, but she feels like she and Luna could actually be friends... if they were both vampires. She also reveals that Jaeger has long wanted to play soccer, which is big in Europe where they both came from.
But Raven finds out that they plan to turn Trevor in a massive party they are throwing in the graveyard- and she's not invited. But both Raven and Alexander are certain that this is where Luna and Jaeger are going to turn Trevor into a vampire, and pair him with Luna for all time. Raven understands Luna's wish to have a love that lasts forever, but who does she really want? Trevor, or Alexander? Because Raven will get only one chance to stop them...
I enjoyed this book, the third in the series. Raven is an outcast, but even though she holds most of the people in the town in contempt, the same as they hold her, she doesn't want to unleash Trevor on the town as a vampire- or on her family. She's the one who wants to be the vampire, but she and Alexander, though they are in love, don't exactly see eye to eye on the issue. Raven wants to be a vampire, but Alexander would rather be human.
They are both trying to live life vicariously through each other, and, well, it's only working because they really do love each other. But it seems that Raven is always barking her shins against what vampires are really like, and because Alexander doesn't want to talk about it, she'll continue making missteps when encountering Vampire culture. In fact, the readers are as much in the dark about that as Raven is.
I want Raven and Alexander to have some sort of happy ending, but I am also afraid that there are a lot of obstacles in the way of them really being together. Alexander seems like a nice guy, but there is so much he's not telling her. Do vampires age? Born vampires seem to. But what about made vampires? Is Raven going to get old while Alexander ages very slowly? I'm interested in learning more, but its doled out in pipette drops compared to the cauldron we want to know. I fear for the relationship between the two. But I'll keep on reading, and hope there's an ending that's happy for both of them. Recommended.
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Jumper Cable by Piers Anthony
Jumper is a Spider who is plucked from his normal Frame and brought to Xanth by a plot hook. He wants nothing more than to get home, but immediately upon his arrival in Xanth proper, he rescues a maiden from an amorous lout, and she helps him by feeding him tongues so that they can communicate.
The girl is Wenda Woodwife, and she is, as her name says she is, a Woodwife, looking girl-like and beautiful from the front, but from behind, she is a hollow construct of wood. She wishes to become a real woman, and is looking to head for the Magician Humphrey for information on how to do just that. She invites Jumper to come with her so he can solve his own dilemma: how to get home. But he discovers a note on his back, a prophecy that he was brought to Xanth to fulfill.
But what does it all mean? Banding together, they come upon another woman, Maeve Maenad, who was seduced by a scoundrel and is desperate to avoid the stork, who they inadvertantly signalled. She wishes to find Magician Humphrey to find out how to keep it away forever. They also encounter Haughty Harpy, who has a second personalty, Hottie Harpy, that only emerges after dark and spends her time seducing men. She finds this problematic and wants to be rid of her second personality, or at least be able to keep her under control.
They also find Olive Hue, who has the ability to summon imaginary friends with a wide variety of magic talents- but she wants to be able to keep them and Phanta, a maid who can turn into a ghost in the dark. She's running from Gheorge Ghost, who has designs on her body. All of them want answers- or at least to be able to control their talents. But they join together to go to the Good Magician's Castle to find their answers.
One they make it there and through the tests the Magician has laid out for them, he tells them that they can have what they wish, but to do so they must undertake a mission with Jumper. A cable that connects the Mundanian Internet with the Xanthian Outernet snapped when the Demon Pluto was demoted to being a Dwarf. He threw a tantrum that snapped the cable, which was in his interests because he wished to keep knowledge of his becoming a dwarf from both Realms.
Jumper is the only person who can reconnect the cables because half of his legs are negatively charged, and the other half are positively charged, making him able to touch both sides at once without being harmed. And to get him to where he needs to go, he and his companions must be joined by two more, the Princesses Dawn and Eve, who have been banished for fighting over the same man. But if any one of them refuses to help, the mission will not be able to succeed, and none of them will have the answers they have been searching for.
All the women agree to help Jumper, and the Magician gives them potions that will temporarily give them the solution to the problems that they seek. In addition, he gives Jumper potions that will allow him to assume the form of a man or return him to the form of a spider. The girls find Jumper's human form handsome and well-formed and each in her own way forms an attatchment to him. With human form, however, comes the weaknesses of a human man, like being freaked out by the sight of bras and panties.
So, one of Olive's imaginary friends, Angie Ina gives him lessons in love as a human and also enough knowledge to make him less than innocent, and keep him from freaking out. By the time they leave the Magician's Castle, he's fairly well inured to the sight of female panties. Their first stop is the home of Smash Ogre, who Jumper must emulate to fulfill the prophecy. But what part of Smash's personality must he emulate? And even here, Pluto has prepared a less than nice welcome for Jumper and the others.
Their next foray is inside the gourd, where they must follow the Lost Path to the Found Cabin and return the items they find there to their owners. Each woman finds something lost, and Jumper helps them return it to the man who lost it. But they find out that each of the men they made a romantic and intimate connection with is actually a demon. One demon. Pluto. And Sharon, who appeared as the sister or daughter of each man (or something similar) is also a demon, who has apparently fallen in love with Jumper. She, too, has shared intimate relations with him. She is working for Pluto, and hopes that they can seduce one of Jumpers companions, or Jumper himself, into abandoning the mission. But even if they stay true to the mission, can they stay true to each other? Can Jumper fulfill the mission, or will he be the one who abandons it?
So many people who have read Piers Anthony in the past are getting a little... uncomfortable with the direction of his Xanth novels in recent years. So many of them have revolved around panties sex with women who are actually little girls magically made experienced and adult via magic and other such topics that they have come out and accused him of being a perverted dirty old man. Well, this volume isn't likely to change their minds much, if at all.
In his own defense, Piers Anthony points out that he never intended for his series to be read as a children's work. It's always been adult, and there have always been parents and others who squawked over the least mention of panties. I agree with that, but I also must say that I can see the point of those who criticize his latest works. Yes, Panties and love have always been in his works, but his latest do skirt the edge of what I think is acceptable. I mean the whole "Two to the Fifth" was fairly distasteful for me to read, and this has a lot of the same kind of stuff, but all the characters are nominally adults (Jumper is 2 in Spider age, which translates to his 20's in human terms). It's just that all the women are interested in sex and love, and they use Jumper to experiment with and on, which hardly seemed fair to him.
In the end, everyone finds the love they are searching for, but this seems to be one of the most adult Xanth stories I have yet read. Personally, I liked them a bit better when they were more innocent, and the innocence is going fast. Be aware that these new books may share the puns of the earlier books, but the sexual content will not be the same as the earlier books. It's ramped up and very much in your face, whereas I had to wonder if anyone in Xanth actually had sex in some of the earlier novels, where cuddling close was enough to summon the stork. For some, this will be a very unwelcome change. Don't think that low humor and comedy automatically means kid's book, because in this instance, it doesn't at all. YMMV.
The girl is Wenda Woodwife, and she is, as her name says she is, a Woodwife, looking girl-like and beautiful from the front, but from behind, she is a hollow construct of wood. She wishes to become a real woman, and is looking to head for the Magician Humphrey for information on how to do just that. She invites Jumper to come with her so he can solve his own dilemma: how to get home. But he discovers a note on his back, a prophecy that he was brought to Xanth to fulfill.
But what does it all mean? Banding together, they come upon another woman, Maeve Maenad, who was seduced by a scoundrel and is desperate to avoid the stork, who they inadvertantly signalled. She wishes to find Magician Humphrey to find out how to keep it away forever. They also encounter Haughty Harpy, who has a second personalty, Hottie Harpy, that only emerges after dark and spends her time seducing men. She finds this problematic and wants to be rid of her second personality, or at least be able to keep her under control.
They also find Olive Hue, who has the ability to summon imaginary friends with a wide variety of magic talents- but she wants to be able to keep them and Phanta, a maid who can turn into a ghost in the dark. She's running from Gheorge Ghost, who has designs on her body. All of them want answers- or at least to be able to control their talents. But they join together to go to the Good Magician's Castle to find their answers.
One they make it there and through the tests the Magician has laid out for them, he tells them that they can have what they wish, but to do so they must undertake a mission with Jumper. A cable that connects the Mundanian Internet with the Xanthian Outernet snapped when the Demon Pluto was demoted to being a Dwarf. He threw a tantrum that snapped the cable, which was in his interests because he wished to keep knowledge of his becoming a dwarf from both Realms.
Jumper is the only person who can reconnect the cables because half of his legs are negatively charged, and the other half are positively charged, making him able to touch both sides at once without being harmed. And to get him to where he needs to go, he and his companions must be joined by two more, the Princesses Dawn and Eve, who have been banished for fighting over the same man. But if any one of them refuses to help, the mission will not be able to succeed, and none of them will have the answers they have been searching for.
All the women agree to help Jumper, and the Magician gives them potions that will temporarily give them the solution to the problems that they seek. In addition, he gives Jumper potions that will allow him to assume the form of a man or return him to the form of a spider. The girls find Jumper's human form handsome and well-formed and each in her own way forms an attatchment to him. With human form, however, comes the weaknesses of a human man, like being freaked out by the sight of bras and panties.
So, one of Olive's imaginary friends, Angie Ina gives him lessons in love as a human and also enough knowledge to make him less than innocent, and keep him from freaking out. By the time they leave the Magician's Castle, he's fairly well inured to the sight of female panties. Their first stop is the home of Smash Ogre, who Jumper must emulate to fulfill the prophecy. But what part of Smash's personality must he emulate? And even here, Pluto has prepared a less than nice welcome for Jumper and the others.
Their next foray is inside the gourd, where they must follow the Lost Path to the Found Cabin and return the items they find there to their owners. Each woman finds something lost, and Jumper helps them return it to the man who lost it. But they find out that each of the men they made a romantic and intimate connection with is actually a demon. One demon. Pluto. And Sharon, who appeared as the sister or daughter of each man (or something similar) is also a demon, who has apparently fallen in love with Jumper. She, too, has shared intimate relations with him. She is working for Pluto, and hopes that they can seduce one of Jumpers companions, or Jumper himself, into abandoning the mission. But even if they stay true to the mission, can they stay true to each other? Can Jumper fulfill the mission, or will he be the one who abandons it?
So many people who have read Piers Anthony in the past are getting a little... uncomfortable with the direction of his Xanth novels in recent years. So many of them have revolved around panties sex with women who are actually little girls magically made experienced and adult via magic and other such topics that they have come out and accused him of being a perverted dirty old man. Well, this volume isn't likely to change their minds much, if at all.
In his own defense, Piers Anthony points out that he never intended for his series to be read as a children's work. It's always been adult, and there have always been parents and others who squawked over the least mention of panties. I agree with that, but I also must say that I can see the point of those who criticize his latest works. Yes, Panties and love have always been in his works, but his latest do skirt the edge of what I think is acceptable. I mean the whole "Two to the Fifth" was fairly distasteful for me to read, and this has a lot of the same kind of stuff, but all the characters are nominally adults (Jumper is 2 in Spider age, which translates to his 20's in human terms). It's just that all the women are interested in sex and love, and they use Jumper to experiment with and on, which hardly seemed fair to him.
In the end, everyone finds the love they are searching for, but this seems to be one of the most adult Xanth stories I have yet read. Personally, I liked them a bit better when they were more innocent, and the innocence is going fast. Be aware that these new books may share the puns of the earlier books, but the sexual content will not be the same as the earlier books. It's ramped up and very much in your face, whereas I had to wonder if anyone in Xanth actually had sex in some of the earlier novels, where cuddling close was enough to summon the stork. For some, this will be a very unwelcome change. Don't think that low humor and comedy automatically means kid's book, because in this instance, it doesn't at all. YMMV.
Gwenhwyfar: The White Spirit By Mercedes Lackey
Gwenhwyfar is one of the four daughters of a Celtic king named Ogrfan Gawr. For the most part, Gwenhwyfar's childhood is happy, with loving parents and two older sisters who may be a little distant, but her younger sister, a near-twin named Gwenhwyfach who is unbearably jealous, and is the one blotch on a childhood that is otherwise wonderful.
As much as Gwen idolizes her father, her true hero is a female charioteer named Braith, the vassal of one of her father's fellow lords. Gwen loves watching Braith race, and one day, Braith notices her and allows her to walk her chariot-team's horses after winning a race.
Gwen does so well with the horses that Braith tells her father that it is time for him to give her a real horse and let her learn to ride... and to fight as well. Gwen is delighted, and not even the fact that her little sister immediately demands the same training and privileges can dim her joy. Especially not when her sister immediately demands to be put on a stallion.
The head groom indulges her, and she immediately attempts to gallop and falls from the horse. Neither her father nor the groom comfort her, and she reacts with a massive tantrum, but gets no sympathy from either of them. Immediately, Gwen knows her sister will be in a foul temper, but Gwenhwyfach runs off, and Gwen is too busy getting on her own horse to follow.
She works the rest of the day at riding, and when she joins her mother and father for dinner, she learns that her little sister has been busy ruining and destroying the things that her sisters love best, Gwen included. Her sister gives her eldest sister's best dancing shoes to the dogs, grinds her second sister's best embroidered belt into the dirt, and completely destroys Gwen's doll.
But this time she has gone much too far, and her parents punish her severely, until she can learn better manners. But Gwen fears that even when her sister finally repents and is welcomed back into their family by her parents, that Gwenhwyfach hasn't really changed.
While Gwen's father is a King, there is a greater King over him, Arthur, the High King, son of Uther. Arthur is marrying a woman named Gwehwyfar, one he reportedly loves as much as Gwen's father loves his mother, and before he does so, his advisor, Merlin, goes on a tour of the Kingdom, sounding out the Lords to see how they truly feel about Arthur. While there, he observes Gwen and her sisters, and speaks with Gwen and Gwenhwyfach. With Gwenhwyfach, he leaves a sealed box to keep for him. He also discusses their Power with their parents. Gwen has power from the Goddess, while her sister has something more akin to Glamour.
But Gwen doesn't want to be a lady of Magical Power. She wants to be a warrior and Charioteer like Braith. In addition, her mother is pregnant again, this time with a son. But something happens, and she and Gwen's brother die in the birth. Her father is devastated, as are Gwen and her elder sister. But her youngest sister doesn't seem to care.
Her eldest sister by this time has left for training as a Lady, a wielder of magic, and her second eldest must take over as Lady of the House, while Gwen becomes a scout and her father's military advisor. Gwenhwyfach goes with Morgause and her sister, Morgan, to be fostered in their house. A problem for Gwen is Morgause's son, Medraut, who wants her in a highly disturbing way.
But as Arthur takes a second wife after the death of the first, also named Gwenhwyfar, Gwen gets closer to him when she is part of the army who helps rescue Gwenhwyfar the White Christian from her captor and lover. But when she dies and Arthur is once more looking for a wife, he turns to Gwen, who reluctantly does her duty. She has no feelings for Arthur, but for his Companion, Lancelin.
As Queen, Gwen feels stifled. But can she convince her husband to let her out of the hothouse that is the Queen's court and give her a role in defending his kingdom in time to prevent Medraut, now married to her sister Gwenhwyfach, from carrying out his sinister plot and seizing all- not only Arthur's throne and Kingdom, but Gwen as well?
This was such an unusual novel about Arthur, with him having three wives with the same name, and used them to explain all the varied legends about Gwenhwyfar, from the number of children she had (or didn't have), who abducted her and why, if she was guilty of betraying her marriage vows or not, and with who.
This Gwenhwyfar is a scrappy fighter, beloved of the Goddess Epona, and gifted with visions, from the death of Britha to visions of the fair folk, who she later treats with and gives a home to in the form of a bog on her father's lands. And yet, she remains an outsider to the main story of Arthur pretty much all of that time- never a part of his court or his group of companions. This Gwenhwyfar is someone who spends much of her life denying parts of herself- the woman when she is fighting with her father's men, and the valiant fighter when she becomes Arthur's Queen. It's only in the brief time she spends with Lancelin after she escapes Medraut that she is able to be both- and that time is very brief indeed.
It's rather a saddening story. She survives to the end and gets her freedom, but she's spent all her life fighting for other people. Once she really has her freedom, she is almost paralyzed and unable to act or choose a path on her own. It made me sad that even when she chose to fight for someone at the end, it came off to me as a retreat from the freedom she had briefly enjoyed. She could have done anything, but she chose to retreat into a role that she was comfortable and safe in.
I enjoyed the book, but the ending did make me more than a bit sad. I didn't feel that she had used her freedom well, and the fact that she's been on the edges of the story rather than in the middle was also somewhat disappointing. Still, it's a good story, and I would recommend it.
As much as Gwen idolizes her father, her true hero is a female charioteer named Braith, the vassal of one of her father's fellow lords. Gwen loves watching Braith race, and one day, Braith notices her and allows her to walk her chariot-team's horses after winning a race.
Gwen does so well with the horses that Braith tells her father that it is time for him to give her a real horse and let her learn to ride... and to fight as well. Gwen is delighted, and not even the fact that her little sister immediately demands the same training and privileges can dim her joy. Especially not when her sister immediately demands to be put on a stallion.
The head groom indulges her, and she immediately attempts to gallop and falls from the horse. Neither her father nor the groom comfort her, and she reacts with a massive tantrum, but gets no sympathy from either of them. Immediately, Gwen knows her sister will be in a foul temper, but Gwenhwyfach runs off, and Gwen is too busy getting on her own horse to follow.
She works the rest of the day at riding, and when she joins her mother and father for dinner, she learns that her little sister has been busy ruining and destroying the things that her sisters love best, Gwen included. Her sister gives her eldest sister's best dancing shoes to the dogs, grinds her second sister's best embroidered belt into the dirt, and completely destroys Gwen's doll.
But this time she has gone much too far, and her parents punish her severely, until she can learn better manners. But Gwen fears that even when her sister finally repents and is welcomed back into their family by her parents, that Gwenhwyfach hasn't really changed.
While Gwen's father is a King, there is a greater King over him, Arthur, the High King, son of Uther. Arthur is marrying a woman named Gwehwyfar, one he reportedly loves as much as Gwen's father loves his mother, and before he does so, his advisor, Merlin, goes on a tour of the Kingdom, sounding out the Lords to see how they truly feel about Arthur. While there, he observes Gwen and her sisters, and speaks with Gwen and Gwenhwyfach. With Gwenhwyfach, he leaves a sealed box to keep for him. He also discusses their Power with their parents. Gwen has power from the Goddess, while her sister has something more akin to Glamour.
But Gwen doesn't want to be a lady of Magical Power. She wants to be a warrior and Charioteer like Braith. In addition, her mother is pregnant again, this time with a son. But something happens, and she and Gwen's brother die in the birth. Her father is devastated, as are Gwen and her elder sister. But her youngest sister doesn't seem to care.
Her eldest sister by this time has left for training as a Lady, a wielder of magic, and her second eldest must take over as Lady of the House, while Gwen becomes a scout and her father's military advisor. Gwenhwyfach goes with Morgause and her sister, Morgan, to be fostered in their house. A problem for Gwen is Morgause's son, Medraut, who wants her in a highly disturbing way.
But as Arthur takes a second wife after the death of the first, also named Gwenhwyfar, Gwen gets closer to him when she is part of the army who helps rescue Gwenhwyfar the White Christian from her captor and lover. But when she dies and Arthur is once more looking for a wife, he turns to Gwen, who reluctantly does her duty. She has no feelings for Arthur, but for his Companion, Lancelin.
As Queen, Gwen feels stifled. But can she convince her husband to let her out of the hothouse that is the Queen's court and give her a role in defending his kingdom in time to prevent Medraut, now married to her sister Gwenhwyfach, from carrying out his sinister plot and seizing all- not only Arthur's throne and Kingdom, but Gwen as well?
This was such an unusual novel about Arthur, with him having three wives with the same name, and used them to explain all the varied legends about Gwenhwyfar, from the number of children she had (or didn't have), who abducted her and why, if she was guilty of betraying her marriage vows or not, and with who.
This Gwenhwyfar is a scrappy fighter, beloved of the Goddess Epona, and gifted with visions, from the death of Britha to visions of the fair folk, who she later treats with and gives a home to in the form of a bog on her father's lands. And yet, she remains an outsider to the main story of Arthur pretty much all of that time- never a part of his court or his group of companions. This Gwenhwyfar is someone who spends much of her life denying parts of herself- the woman when she is fighting with her father's men, and the valiant fighter when she becomes Arthur's Queen. It's only in the brief time she spends with Lancelin after she escapes Medraut that she is able to be both- and that time is very brief indeed.
It's rather a saddening story. She survives to the end and gets her freedom, but she's spent all her life fighting for other people. Once she really has her freedom, she is almost paralyzed and unable to act or choose a path on her own. It made me sad that even when she chose to fight for someone at the end, it came off to me as a retreat from the freedom she had briefly enjoyed. She could have done anything, but she chose to retreat into a role that she was comfortable and safe in.
I enjoyed the book, but the ending did make me more than a bit sad. I didn't feel that she had used her freedom well, and the fact that she's been on the edges of the story rather than in the middle was also somewhat disappointing. Still, it's a good story, and I would recommend it.
501 Bento Box Lunches: 501 Unique Recipes for Brilliant Bento
When lunchtime comes around in Japan, people don't generally pull out brown bags with sandwiches. Instead, they eat Bento- Boxed lunches of rice, veggies, and various other treats. If you can't make your own, you can buy them from Bento Box Vendors just about everywhere.
Bento boxes can be one-tier, two tier, or three tier, and are generally beautifully arranged, because in Japan, a beautiful presentation is just as important as what is being served. Japanese Mama-sans will make their children's lunches resemble pigs or pandas, bears or a beautiful garden. But older people will sometimes also make their lunches look like something, and its this tradition that this book plays to.
Here, you can thrill your senses with a day-spa Bento, or a Geisha Bento, or go for the cute Pirate Bento, Peeping Mice Bento or Pac-Man Bento (with a yellow tomato with a wedge cut out of it as Pac-Man, and red, orange and green bell peppers for the ghosts. Or a Ducky Bento, with two Nori (black Seaweed) ducks on a lake of rice with a second tier that resembles the "water" at a duck-shooting gallery. Or a beef stew bento with a carrot flower and Nori Stars on rice.
And these recipies don't just use japanese ingredients, though many of them do. You can make them with everything from morning sausage, eggs, hotdogs, Chicken fingers, mashed potatoes, pancakes and more. The recipes are separated into six different categories: Art Bento, Cute Bento, Colorful Bento, Traditional Bento, Stylish Bento, and Holiday Bento, with a small section at the front devoted to Bento Basics. But even the ones put into other categories end up being cute.
I love this book, and the Bento presented in these pages. While most of these Bento will appeal to kids (eating a meal that looks cute or cool could be the way to get them to eat their vegetables or try things they might never have tried on their own. And it can enliven anyone's lunch, even yours!
With 501 recipes, you could have a different Bento every single day for almost two years and not eat the same thing twice. Tired of the same, boring old lunch? You don't have to be with Bento- a feast for the eyes and the stomach! Nor are you limited to the recipies you see here- many more abound on the internet. And while many use traditional Japanese ingredients like Edaname, Gyoza, rice and so on, many more use western ingredients.
I honestly loved this book. Yes, making these things take time, but the cuteness factor and wow factor greatly overwhelm the annoyance of having to make up these dishes every day. If you are looking for something cute and different, and don't mind people exclaiming over what you are eating, this is the one to try. Highly recommended.
Bento boxes can be one-tier, two tier, or three tier, and are generally beautifully arranged, because in Japan, a beautiful presentation is just as important as what is being served. Japanese Mama-sans will make their children's lunches resemble pigs or pandas, bears or a beautiful garden. But older people will sometimes also make their lunches look like something, and its this tradition that this book plays to.
Here, you can thrill your senses with a day-spa Bento, or a Geisha Bento, or go for the cute Pirate Bento, Peeping Mice Bento or Pac-Man Bento (with a yellow tomato with a wedge cut out of it as Pac-Man, and red, orange and green bell peppers for the ghosts. Or a Ducky Bento, with two Nori (black Seaweed) ducks on a lake of rice with a second tier that resembles the "water" at a duck-shooting gallery. Or a beef stew bento with a carrot flower and Nori Stars on rice.
And these recipies don't just use japanese ingredients, though many of them do. You can make them with everything from morning sausage, eggs, hotdogs, Chicken fingers, mashed potatoes, pancakes and more. The recipes are separated into six different categories: Art Bento, Cute Bento, Colorful Bento, Traditional Bento, Stylish Bento, and Holiday Bento, with a small section at the front devoted to Bento Basics. But even the ones put into other categories end up being cute.
I love this book, and the Bento presented in these pages. While most of these Bento will appeal to kids (eating a meal that looks cute or cool could be the way to get them to eat their vegetables or try things they might never have tried on their own. And it can enliven anyone's lunch, even yours!
With 501 recipes, you could have a different Bento every single day for almost two years and not eat the same thing twice. Tired of the same, boring old lunch? You don't have to be with Bento- a feast for the eyes and the stomach! Nor are you limited to the recipies you see here- many more abound on the internet. And while many use traditional Japanese ingredients like Edaname, Gyoza, rice and so on, many more use western ingredients.
I honestly loved this book. Yes, making these things take time, but the cuteness factor and wow factor greatly overwhelm the annoyance of having to make up these dishes every day. If you are looking for something cute and different, and don't mind people exclaiming over what you are eating, this is the one to try. Highly recommended.
Friday, October 30, 2009
Repeat Engagement
Today I re-read "Victory Conditions" by Elizabeth Moon. You can find my earlier review of it here.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Black Jack, Volume Seven by Osamu Tezuka
Another tale about Black Jack, the unlicensed surgeon who is usually the only chance to save his patient's life.
"Guys and Birds" has Blackjack being summoned to a small house on the edge of a tideland to look at a man's son who has been injured. It turns out that it's not that the boy can't be saved by anyone else, but that no other doctor has the courage to stand up to the crimelord who wants the land, Tonio, the boy Black Jack came here to help, understands the birds of the tidelands, who love him. But when his father is shot, can Blackjack get Tonio to safety, or will the birds give him away?
In "The Gray Mansion", a woman hires BlackJack to rebuild her brother's face and body after he was horribly injured and scarred in a fire. But something about the two seems strange. Can BlackJack penetrate to the heart of the mystery and prevent another tragedy from occurring?
"A Cat and Shozo" brings BlackJack together with a man who lost his entire family, and now sees them in the cat he took in and her kittens. One of the cats is hurt, but can BlackJack heal the man's shattered mind? Or does he get something out of his strange family that is too deep to be gotten rid of?
"The Two Pinokos" bring BlackJack into contact with a girl named Romi, the same girl he modeled Pinoko's appearance on, from a picture in a magazine article. But she is dying of sickness caused by contact with Pollution. Can BlackJack save her, or appeal to the Doctor who is monitoring her case about the importance of being truthful? Or will the other Doctor allow the businessmen to buy him off with money to lie about the cause of Romi's death?
"Unexploded Bomb" brings BlackJack together with a fat-cat who allowed homes to be built on an island filled with unexploded bombs and other ordinance. Landing together on the island in a balloon, he allows the fat-cat to escape. But can the man escape the other bombs left on the island. And why is BlackJack doing this?
"Younger Brother" tells the story of two sons of a man dying of cancer. Both agree to become surgeons, and if either falls ill, will save the other. But the older son is needed to run their father's company, and the younger son is too stupid to be a surgeon. When the elder brother falls ill, the brother brings in Black Jack to be a "ringer" for his own son, who is studying medicine in America. But will the older brother fall for the ruse?
"High and Low" brings together an executive who needs a blood transfusion and a construction Worker who has the same rare blood type to save him. Black Jack performs the operation for 50 million yen. But when the construction worker also needs an operation, will the executive repay the favor or will he save his company instead?
"Goribei of Senjogahara" gives us a Gorilla who attacks women on the sacred mountain, and steals milk and vegetables. BlackJack is helping the latest victim when a famous hunter shows up to track down and kill Goribei. But can BlackJack stop the attacks in his own way?
"The Kuroshio: A Memoir" shows the lengths BlackJack will go to for justice, as hounds a famous actor who is attempting to escape apologizing to a couple for the death of their xon. Who will crack first? BlackJack, or the actor?
In "Black and White", a surgeon named Shirabyoshi (Or "White") meets a man with a brain tumor. But when he hears that the man is going to BlackJack, he begs the man's wife to let him perform the surgery. But can he deal with the aftermath of a patient who is a criminal on the run from a rival organization?
"A Hill for One" has BlackJack denying to make a contribution to the reforestation of a hill that was partially denuded by the Winter Olympics. But when BlackJack is injured and saved by a bear, will he return the favor when he is well? And what else will he do for the animal that saved him?
"Cloudy, Later Fair" brings together a young boy, his injured father, and BlackJack when the father's life is endangered by an employee strike at the hotel they are in. But when they are trapped on the mountain during a lightning storm, can BlackJack save his life through surgery?
In "Hurricane", BlackJack is brought to a small island by a man determined to save his father- or so he says. In reality, he is the lover of his father's beautiful young wife, and when a hurricane threatens, he attempts to strand BlackJack and the old man on the island so he can inherit his father's company, money and holdings, and his father's wife as well. Can BlackJack keep the old man alive and survive the storm?
"Timeout" has BlackJack at the scene of an accident with a young boy trapped under metal pipes that rolled off the back of a truck. Assured by the owners of the trucking company that they will pay his fees, BlackJack works tirelessly to free him and reattatch the limbs he had to remove to free the child. But will the company pay up in the end?
I liked these stories, which really covered all sorts of medical conditions and people. And some of those "people" weren't exactly "people" at all, like Goribei the Gorilla and the bear who saves BlackJack's life. Pinoko appears hardly at all in this volume, which I thought was all to the good. I find her too much of a one-note character, a gag whose time has long since passed.
This book was very full of stories about BlackJack's sense of justice, and why he is needed. After all, even criminals need medical care, And being outside the law himself, he can deal with thema manner befitting their behavior. But we also get to see some of the experiences that shaped BlackJack into the man he is today, In "Unexploded Bomb" we see a side of him that is cruel and ruthless- much more so than he usually is. And its a shock to see, how far he'll go to wreak vengeance on the wronged. Perhaps he's got reason to be so harsh when you see the hand that life dealt him.
I still love this series. It makes medical operations taut and gripping, and shows the genius of Osamu Tezuka, that you can care so much about the characters in a very few pages. Modern manga are generally all about long, involved stories, but they need many pages to achieve the same effect that Tezuka does in just a few. This is genius at work, and I love reading these stories. Highly recommended.
"Guys and Birds" has Blackjack being summoned to a small house on the edge of a tideland to look at a man's son who has been injured. It turns out that it's not that the boy can't be saved by anyone else, but that no other doctor has the courage to stand up to the crimelord who wants the land, Tonio, the boy Black Jack came here to help, understands the birds of the tidelands, who love him. But when his father is shot, can Blackjack get Tonio to safety, or will the birds give him away?
In "The Gray Mansion", a woman hires BlackJack to rebuild her brother's face and body after he was horribly injured and scarred in a fire. But something about the two seems strange. Can BlackJack penetrate to the heart of the mystery and prevent another tragedy from occurring?
"A Cat and Shozo" brings BlackJack together with a man who lost his entire family, and now sees them in the cat he took in and her kittens. One of the cats is hurt, but can BlackJack heal the man's shattered mind? Or does he get something out of his strange family that is too deep to be gotten rid of?
"The Two Pinokos" bring BlackJack into contact with a girl named Romi, the same girl he modeled Pinoko's appearance on, from a picture in a magazine article. But she is dying of sickness caused by contact with Pollution. Can BlackJack save her, or appeal to the Doctor who is monitoring her case about the importance of being truthful? Or will the other Doctor allow the businessmen to buy him off with money to lie about the cause of Romi's death?
"Unexploded Bomb" brings BlackJack together with a fat-cat who allowed homes to be built on an island filled with unexploded bombs and other ordinance. Landing together on the island in a balloon, he allows the fat-cat to escape. But can the man escape the other bombs left on the island. And why is BlackJack doing this?
"Younger Brother" tells the story of two sons of a man dying of cancer. Both agree to become surgeons, and if either falls ill, will save the other. But the older son is needed to run their father's company, and the younger son is too stupid to be a surgeon. When the elder brother falls ill, the brother brings in Black Jack to be a "ringer" for his own son, who is studying medicine in America. But will the older brother fall for the ruse?
"High and Low" brings together an executive who needs a blood transfusion and a construction Worker who has the same rare blood type to save him. Black Jack performs the operation for 50 million yen. But when the construction worker also needs an operation, will the executive repay the favor or will he save his company instead?
"Goribei of Senjogahara" gives us a Gorilla who attacks women on the sacred mountain, and steals milk and vegetables. BlackJack is helping the latest victim when a famous hunter shows up to track down and kill Goribei. But can BlackJack stop the attacks in his own way?
"The Kuroshio: A Memoir" shows the lengths BlackJack will go to for justice, as hounds a famous actor who is attempting to escape apologizing to a couple for the death of their xon. Who will crack first? BlackJack, or the actor?
In "Black and White", a surgeon named Shirabyoshi (Or "White") meets a man with a brain tumor. But when he hears that the man is going to BlackJack, he begs the man's wife to let him perform the surgery. But can he deal with the aftermath of a patient who is a criminal on the run from a rival organization?
"A Hill for One" has BlackJack denying to make a contribution to the reforestation of a hill that was partially denuded by the Winter Olympics. But when BlackJack is injured and saved by a bear, will he return the favor when he is well? And what else will he do for the animal that saved him?
"Cloudy, Later Fair" brings together a young boy, his injured father, and BlackJack when the father's life is endangered by an employee strike at the hotel they are in. But when they are trapped on the mountain during a lightning storm, can BlackJack save his life through surgery?
In "Hurricane", BlackJack is brought to a small island by a man determined to save his father- or so he says. In reality, he is the lover of his father's beautiful young wife, and when a hurricane threatens, he attempts to strand BlackJack and the old man on the island so he can inherit his father's company, money and holdings, and his father's wife as well. Can BlackJack keep the old man alive and survive the storm?
"Timeout" has BlackJack at the scene of an accident with a young boy trapped under metal pipes that rolled off the back of a truck. Assured by the owners of the trucking company that they will pay his fees, BlackJack works tirelessly to free him and reattatch the limbs he had to remove to free the child. But will the company pay up in the end?
I liked these stories, which really covered all sorts of medical conditions and people. And some of those "people" weren't exactly "people" at all, like Goribei the Gorilla and the bear who saves BlackJack's life. Pinoko appears hardly at all in this volume, which I thought was all to the good. I find her too much of a one-note character, a gag whose time has long since passed.
This book was very full of stories about BlackJack's sense of justice, and why he is needed. After all, even criminals need medical care, And being outside the law himself, he can deal with thema manner befitting their behavior. But we also get to see some of the experiences that shaped BlackJack into the man he is today, In "Unexploded Bomb" we see a side of him that is cruel and ruthless- much more so than he usually is. And its a shock to see, how far he'll go to wreak vengeance on the wronged. Perhaps he's got reason to be so harsh when you see the hand that life dealt him.
I still love this series. It makes medical operations taut and gripping, and shows the genius of Osamu Tezuka, that you can care so much about the characters in a very few pages. Modern manga are generally all about long, involved stories, but they need many pages to achieve the same effect that Tezuka does in just a few. This is genius at work, and I love reading these stories. Highly recommended.
The Tale of Applebeck Orchard by Susan Wittig Albert
Beatrice Potter, beloved Children's Author, returns to Lake Country to find the villagers up in arms over the closing of what everyone considers a public path through Applebeck Orchard. And not just closing, but enclosing, with wire and wood and tar.
The Owner of the Orchard, Adam Harmsworth, is angry over someone having torched one of his haystacks in the night, and believes it is the fault of the Claife Heights Ramblers, a group of walkers based in the Sawrey Villages. He thinks that one of them set the fire for fun, and has decided to close the path running through the orchard to prevent anything like it from happening again. And if they aren't responsible, perhaps it's Auld Beechie, who used to work for Adam Harmsworth, but was turned off, like that, and now must subsist on a rather dodgy way of making a living.
But the Animals of the Land between the lakes know the truth- the fire was started by a woman, and maybe a Ghost, a woman who haunts Applebeck Orchard looking for her daughter who drowned in the small pond there. Bosworth Badger, the Badger who runs the animal hostel known as the Brockery, knows the tale- though he's beset with a problem of his own. He's getting on in years, and is looking for someone to pass on the Badge of the Brockery to. At first he was considering passing it onto Thorn, the son of his Badger Housekeeper and Cook, Primrose, but he's been missing since he left on a trip in January.
The only remaining candidate for the job is Primrose's daughter, Hyacinth, and while she's smart, intelligent and courageois, she'd also be the first female to ever hold the job. Can Bosworth trust her enough to give her the job, and does she have the intelligence to keep up the standards of Bosworth's family?
Another unusual career is in the offing in the village, with Caroline Longford wanting to attend the Royal Academy as a student composer. She has the talent, the drive, and the ambition, but can Beatrice and her music teacher persuade her tight-fisted grandmother to support her in her schooling instead of saving Caroline's inheritance as a dowry to be used when she marries?
Beatrice is also a bit upset. After having been in mourning for her fiancé of one month for five long years, she has fallen in love with Will Heelis, a local solicitor. But she cannot marry him for the same reason that she could not marry her former suitor. He is in trade- he is beneath her- and more to the point, her parents view her as attempting to be anything other than a put-upon nursemaid for them to be sheer folly. And Beatrice knows she doesn't have the will to gainsay them or put up with their unpleasantness on the subject of her marrying.
Meanwhile, Miles Woodcock is also turning his attention to marriage, and when he unexpectedly finds himself falling for Margaret Nash, the village Schoolteacher, she unexpectedly finds herself agreeing to marry him, for she has loved him ever since he spoke up on her behalf and got her the job with the school.
But as the problem of the closing of the Applebeck Orchard footpath consumes the village, shots are fired, and another building goes up in flames. Tempers on both sides run high. But can Beatrice discover the true culprit and set matters to rights in the short time she will be staying on her farms?
I like this book, but this mystery really wasn't much of one. Much of the story seemed to be pairing characters off or setting up small bits of business to distract from how small this mystery was. I figured out who had done it fairly early in, so it all becomes wondering when the other characters were going to catch on and how the culprit would be caught. Essentially, it doesn't have the dripping pull of someone being killed or otherwise menaced. It seemed that more time was spent on other storylines than the mystery itself.
But mainly, its the characters here who attract, and this book has them aplenty. Following the lives of the villagers of both near and Far Sawrey (named for their distance to a market town) allows you to see how their attitudes towards Beatrice, and each other, change over time. And it's not just the humans who are characters, but the animals of the region as well, from the local cats and dogs to the Badgers, ferrets and other animals who call the village home- and Beatrice seems to be the only one who understands them.
It's a cute series, but the series itself is changing, becoming slightly different. Beatrice Potter is entering a less creative period in her life. From now on, she will only make books to support her farms. And the stories are less about her own animals, and more the wild animals of the village and surrounding farms. It will be interesting to see where the series heads from here, and yeah, I'll be there to read it. Recommended.
The Owner of the Orchard, Adam Harmsworth, is angry over someone having torched one of his haystacks in the night, and believes it is the fault of the Claife Heights Ramblers, a group of walkers based in the Sawrey Villages. He thinks that one of them set the fire for fun, and has decided to close the path running through the orchard to prevent anything like it from happening again. And if they aren't responsible, perhaps it's Auld Beechie, who used to work for Adam Harmsworth, but was turned off, like that, and now must subsist on a rather dodgy way of making a living.
But the Animals of the Land between the lakes know the truth- the fire was started by a woman, and maybe a Ghost, a woman who haunts Applebeck Orchard looking for her daughter who drowned in the small pond there. Bosworth Badger, the Badger who runs the animal hostel known as the Brockery, knows the tale- though he's beset with a problem of his own. He's getting on in years, and is looking for someone to pass on the Badge of the Brockery to. At first he was considering passing it onto Thorn, the son of his Badger Housekeeper and Cook, Primrose, but he's been missing since he left on a trip in January.
The only remaining candidate for the job is Primrose's daughter, Hyacinth, and while she's smart, intelligent and courageois, she'd also be the first female to ever hold the job. Can Bosworth trust her enough to give her the job, and does she have the intelligence to keep up the standards of Bosworth's family?
Another unusual career is in the offing in the village, with Caroline Longford wanting to attend the Royal Academy as a student composer. She has the talent, the drive, and the ambition, but can Beatrice and her music teacher persuade her tight-fisted grandmother to support her in her schooling instead of saving Caroline's inheritance as a dowry to be used when she marries?
Beatrice is also a bit upset. After having been in mourning for her fiancé of one month for five long years, she has fallen in love with Will Heelis, a local solicitor. But she cannot marry him for the same reason that she could not marry her former suitor. He is in trade- he is beneath her- and more to the point, her parents view her as attempting to be anything other than a put-upon nursemaid for them to be sheer folly. And Beatrice knows she doesn't have the will to gainsay them or put up with their unpleasantness on the subject of her marrying.
Meanwhile, Miles Woodcock is also turning his attention to marriage, and when he unexpectedly finds himself falling for Margaret Nash, the village Schoolteacher, she unexpectedly finds herself agreeing to marry him, for she has loved him ever since he spoke up on her behalf and got her the job with the school.
But as the problem of the closing of the Applebeck Orchard footpath consumes the village, shots are fired, and another building goes up in flames. Tempers on both sides run high. But can Beatrice discover the true culprit and set matters to rights in the short time she will be staying on her farms?
I like this book, but this mystery really wasn't much of one. Much of the story seemed to be pairing characters off or setting up small bits of business to distract from how small this mystery was. I figured out who had done it fairly early in, so it all becomes wondering when the other characters were going to catch on and how the culprit would be caught. Essentially, it doesn't have the dripping pull of someone being killed or otherwise menaced. It seemed that more time was spent on other storylines than the mystery itself.
But mainly, its the characters here who attract, and this book has them aplenty. Following the lives of the villagers of both near and Far Sawrey (named for their distance to a market town) allows you to see how their attitudes towards Beatrice, and each other, change over time. And it's not just the humans who are characters, but the animals of the region as well, from the local cats and dogs to the Badgers, ferrets and other animals who call the village home- and Beatrice seems to be the only one who understands them.
It's a cute series, but the series itself is changing, becoming slightly different. Beatrice Potter is entering a less creative period in her life. From now on, she will only make books to support her farms. And the stories are less about her own animals, and more the wild animals of the village and surrounding farms. It will be interesting to see where the series heads from here, and yeah, I'll be there to read it. Recommended.
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