Category: Book Review Page 5 of 13

I am a big fan of Christie Golden‘s work; in the past it’s mostly been her Warcraft novels. I kept hearing a lot of good things about this book so I was excited to finally read it. Suffice it to say, I was not disappointed. If you are not familiar with the nefarious Sith-gone-bounty-hunter Asajj Ventress, then you’re not reading enough canon. You also, clearly, haven’t watched enough of the animated series Clone Wars. Ventress is one bad ass bounty hunter, Force sensitive chick.

The Jedi Council has devised a plan to take out Count Dooku. Obi-Wan knows a Jedi with the resources and talent for the mission, Quinlin Vos. Much to the Council’s chagrin, they must also work with Ventress, Dooku’s former apprentice. Now Quinlin must earn her trust, despite her rules to always work alone. Is her hatred for Dooku enough to convince her to work with the Jedi? Will Quinlin’s dedication to his mission compromise his Jedi teachings?

Ventress is one of my favorite bounty hunters so I was very excited to read a book with her among the protagonists. What I wasn’t expecting was seeing a completely different side of her. I am so used to the bald, ruthless Nightsister from Dathomir, the blonde hair threw me off. Then the love story is a very unexpected twist. I’ll admit that I am not much for love stories, but there are very few in Star Wars. Coincidentally the love stories always seem to involve Jedi thus challenging the Jedi mantra. I really enjoyed the book. The duels with Count Dooku are gripping! The end, however, I did not see coming!

Also, a quick post script, after you read the main story, you should check out the short story at the end. It’s just an extra 10 pages or so but it’s more Ventress ?

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“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.”
– Dr. Seuss

Olympus Union: Jovian Wars: Omnibus [Book Review]

By Biggs

On March 18, 2018

In Book Review, Science Fiction

Olympus Union: Jovian Wars: Omnibus by Gary Bloom
My rating: [rating=5]
(Click here to go to Goodreads)

This book is Science Fiction at its best. It’s an interesting blend of Tom Clancy and George R. R. Martin (GRRM). I feel like Bloom captures the essence of Clancy in that he brings the political depth and tumult to the science fiction genre. He also brings quite a cast of characters, like GRRM, (without murdering every character to which you have become endeared). Olympus Union Jovian Wars begins by describing the political landscape of Earth’s solar system. The Jovian Moons (aka Jupiter’s moons) have been populated by man and each has a minister, a ruling representative from the overall governing body, the Olympus Union. As robust as the system seems, rumors begin to circulate about a group wanting to secede.

War is Visceral

Conflicts involving emancipation inevitably lead to war. Those hidden members of the Jovian Free League emerge and announce their declaration of independence from the OU. Now the mercenaries of the JFL face off against the Ares Elite, the well-trained guerrillas of the Olympus Union.

The first half of the book sets up the conflict, so that is where you are going to get a lot of your politics. I know sometimes politics can feel like it slows a book down, but I did not feel that way. Besides, war is visceral and when you reach that half way point, you will become fully engaged. Bloom does well to keep you guessing whose side a character might be loyal to but there are a lot of characters to keep straight. The Olympus Union website is a great companion to help you keep characters sorted out (a lesson GRRM should have learned), so make good use of it.

I would definitely recommend this book especially to Sci-Fi fans and if you enjoy books similar to Tom Clancy. This is a book I will re-read, mostly so I can revisit the politics leading up to the conflict. I think this will be especially useful because I don’t think this is the end of the conflict between the OU and the JFL. I will also be adding more of Gary Bloom’s book to my “want-to-read” list.

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“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.”
– Dr. Seuss

Book Review: Thrawn

By Biggs

On February 21, 2018

In Book Review, Science Fiction

Thrawn by Timothy Zahn
My rating: [rating=5]
(Click here to see this review on Goodreads)

It has been a long since I have read a book written by Timothy Zahn; far too long in fact. The last books I read would have been the first time Grand Admiral Thrawn was introduced to the Star Wars Universe. Sadly those books are now considered “legends”, as they are part of the defunct post-Jedi canon. So it is quite the understatement to say I was excited to see a new Thrawn book by Timothy Zahn. What makes this book even more exciting is that it’s an origin story that also positions Thrawn to be apart of the new “Disney canon”.

Brief Synopsis

As I already mentioned, this book is an origin story of our favorite Chiss Imperial Grand Admiral. It’s the origin story of his rise to power, it does not take us through his childhood. It begins on a desolate Outer Rim planet where Mitth’raw’nuruodo has been exiled. He finds his way onto an Imperial Star Destroyer where he is taken to Coruscant and becomes the Emperor’s new pet. His military successes causes him to climb the ranks quickly.

Biggs’ Review

So this book has two big positives; it’s written by Timothy Zahn and its about Grand Admiral Thrawn. The Chiss is one of my favorite, under appreciated, species in the Star Wars universe. If you are looking for the classic confrontation with Jedi and the Rebellion, that is not in this book. The premise covers a lot more of military strategy and Imperial politics. Trust me, it is not as boring as it sounds. Zahn does an excellent job keeping you engaged. In fact you forget that you are reading about the “bad guys” of the Star Wars universe. You will become invested with characters of the Empire.

Each chapter begins with Thrawn sharing some of his military philosophy, which is a really cool story mechanic; easily one of my favorite things about this book. The only caveat I would have to provide to the reader is that the book does often jump forward in time. The leaps in time are not always immediately obvious so pay attention to each chapter to better understand how much time has passed. For a book that never includes a single Jedi or Force moment, it’s a really fun read. I’m excited for the next book in the series!

“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.”
– Dr. Seuss

Book Review: Shatterpoint

By Biggs

On December 31, 2017

In Book Review, Science Fiction, Star Wars

Shatterpoint by Matthew Woodring Stover
My rating: [rating=4]
(Click here to check out this review on Goodreads)

Even the strongest of gems have that one spot where they are weakest. The one spot that creates a cascading effect which causes it to shatter. Everything has a shatterpoint, including Jedi. This is Jedi Master Mace Windu’s talent, he can find a person’s shatterpoint. The one thing where they are weakest and thus use it to claim an advantage. He will need this ability when he has to return to his home world of Haruun Kal to find out what has become of his former padawan, Depa Billaba. What he finds when he gets there, is far worse than he expects.

I’ve had this book sitting on my bookshelf for so many years I don’t even remember where or when I bought it. I probably picked it up at a Star Wars Celebration event or Comic-Con. I’ve been saying, for a while, that I need to get back into reading more Star Wars books and this is the book I picked. It turned out to be an excellent pick!

I think it helps to have Samuel L. Jackson in my mind while reading this book. It really gives me a whole new appreciation for Mace Windu. I was really surprised how much I enjoyed this book and found it difficult to put down at times. I’ll admit, it had its slow spots but overall it was pretty good. Whether your opinion of the prequels is vulgar or compassion, I would recommend reading this book.

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“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.”
– Dr. Seuss

Book Review: Isle of Dragons

By Biggs

On November 22, 2017

In Book Review, Fantasy

Isle of Dragons by C. Greenwood
My rating: [rating=4]
(Click here to read on Goodreads.)

This book is another solid start by C. Greenwood. She is beginning to remind me of other great fantasy authors like R. A. Salvatore and Robert Jordan. It didn’t occur to me until I finished this book is that the name of the main character is rarely mentioned.

In fact it may have only happened twice, three times at most. I know its peculiar to mention that fact but you become so invested with the story and what will happen that the name of the main character becomes irrelevant. You know she is a humanoid race of dragonkind (this makes sense when you read the story), whose wings have been clipped because of her rank in society. Her curiosity causes a terrible tragedy and now she’s on a quest to try to reverse what has happened.

Isle of Dragons is a good read. There were a couple of parts where I became so lost in the adventure I hadn’t realized people were talking to me. As a final note, I really like the art design for the book covers; again its very Robert Jordan-esque. It’s a quick read, like most of her books, so one could easily read it in a weekend.

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“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.”
– Dr. Seuss

Book Review: Magic of Dimmingwood Trilogy

By Biggs

On June 1, 2017

In Book Review, Fantasy

Thief’s Curse by C. Greenwood
My rating: [rating=4]
(Read this review on Goodreads instead)

All three books were gifted to me by the author and, while I wanted to write a review upon completion of each book, I decided to defer until the end. I did this for a couple of reasons. 1) I was enjoying the books so much I didn’t want to hesitate between each book. 2) All three books are very cohesive so writing individual reviews would begin to feel redundant. It feels more beneficial to write a review that encompasses the entire Magic of Dimmingwood trilogy.

If you are familiar with the Legends of Dimmingwood series, written by the same author, then this trilogy is a prequel to those books. It will tell the story of Ilan’s parents (perhaps even where she got her name). The mystery of that amazing runed bow. It starts with the story of two boys of affluent birth whose family was betrayed by nefarious politicians. After their father’s execution, Luka and Ferran escape the tower and flee to Selibus. They take on new identities while befriending a magicker girl who will help them reach the Dimmingwood forest. However a guild of thieves, and their ruthless leader, also stand in their way and will change their lives forever.

A Cohesive Story and Very Well Written

One thing I have noticed about the author, C. Greenwood, is that she pumps out books quickly. Sometimes that can be detrimental, especially if the books are part of a series. However, that is not the case here. The books are so cohesive you would think she released them all at the same time. The tone between each book never changes; it feels more like starting a new chapter than starting the next book. All the relevant characters are well written and endearing. You will care what happens to all of them.

If you haven’t read the Legends of Dimmingwood books yet then I would recommend starting here first. I have only read the first book (Magic of Thieves) and Ilan was the only name I remembered. I have read quite a few fantasy novels since reading Magic of Thieves so it’s difficult for me to keep all the characters sorted out in my head. This worked to my benefit; not remembering who her parents were preserved the mystery of the story’s conclusion. Thus why I recommend reading the Magic of Dimmingwood trilogy first.

As I already mentioned, I have only read the first book in the Legends of Dimmingwood series but reading the rest of the books has definitely moved farther in on my radar.

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“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.”
– Dr. Seuss

A Geek's Cogitations, Conjectures and other Cortical Experiences

Category: Book Review Page 5 of 13

Book Review: Dark Disciple