It seems like just last week I was finishing Project Legion, trying to figure out how the hell Jeremy Robinson could top himself, could come up with yIt seems like just last week I was finishing Project Legion, trying to figure out how the hell Jeremy Robinson could top himself, could come up with yet another entirely original, insanely entertaining novel, and then, not even a month later, out comes The Distance which ended up kicking so much literary ass that it's hard to write a truly honest review without sounding like an insane fan-boy.
Seriously though, The Distance is easily one of the best books I have ever read. And I know that's saying a lot since it'll now reside among some of my favorite novels of all time like The Stand, It, the masterful classic, Crime & Punishment, and the epic sweeping The Passage trilogy. Honestly, it's that freaking good.
While the book does borrow from a lot of Robinson's previous ideas and a general theme that seems to be in each of his last 4 or 5 books, The Distancestill manages to feel totally original and totally new, something that Robinson can do with almost every new novel. Post apocalyptic setting? Been done before. Alien invasion? Also been done before. But when you combine all that with his unique storytelling and brand of fiction, along with a new voice, Robinson's own wife, it's almost an entirely new genre.
I suppose I could go on and on, highlighting just how perfect and awesome The Distance turned out to be (especially after its constant back and forth publication schedule) but in order for you to believe me, it'd probably be better if you just picked up the book and read it yourself.
50+ novels under his belt and still pumping out amazing fiction. Hats off Mr. Robinson, I applaud you! ...more
It seems like just yesterday that I was finishing Project Hyperion and even less time than that since Robinson first teased the ideas of his "RobinsonIt seems like just yesterday that I was finishing Project Hyperion and even less time than that since Robinson first teased the ideas of his "Robinsonverse" on his Facebook page. It did, however, feel like ages for Project Legion to come out. I know a lot of that is because I've spent a great portion of 2016 going back and reading through Robinson's back catalogue of novels (and I'm still only about 75% of the way through, even after 2 or so years of fandom), but also because Project Hyperion left us readers wanting more.
I will argue that while Project 731 will probably be my favorite of the whole series, and Project Hyperion was probably the most complex, Project Legion is, unsurprisingly, still a hell of a lot of fun and once again showcases the master storyteller that Robinson is. Just as we've seen in all the past Project books, there's a little something here for everyone. 300 foot tall, city destroying kaiju? Check. Giant robo-tech (and other futuristic) weapons and gizmos? Check. A race against time against an incoming alien invasion? Check. An enjoyable cast of characters gathered from across all of Robinson's novels? Check. And of course, a thrilling and actually satisfying conclusion to an already incredible series? Check once again. Seriously, it's all there and all mixed up together in a perfect mashup of multiple genres and it's pretty much some of the best stuff out there on the market today.
I only have 2 minor complaints with Project Legion...and beleive me, theyre pretty small. One, while the conclussion was satifying and Robinson did an amazing job of taking this story across the span of 5 novels, it seemed a little bit rushed. Again, I liked the ending and I thought it ended in a great spot (with a teaser for further adventures of Nemesis), it's just that there was so many things going on and such an epic buildup, that when it all finally happened, it seemed as if it all happened a bit too fast. Two, the constant back and forth from the "MirrorWorld". Obviously it's a continuation of the plot from the novel with the same name, and since a planned sequel was never green-lit, Robinson wanted to reexplore his fictional creation, but having already been a bit a tad disappointed with MirrorWorld myself, being plunged back into that plot kinda took me out of the rest of Project Legion
In all honesty though, Legion was still a great book, and, like the rest of the books in the Project series, is fully deserving of the five star rating and taking a place in my "best of 2016" list. Once again, I find myself totally miffed and confused as to why Robinson isn't among some of the more well-known authors of this genre because, if you asked me, I would say he's far superior than most of them. ...more
Having only read one previous work (an ARC rerelease of the novella White) I still don't it hard to believe that I, a self professed "horror" fan, andHaving only read one previous work (an ARC rerelease of the novella White) I still don't it hard to believe that I, a self professed "horror" fan, and a person who always tried to find new authors in the genre, have just barely discovered the amazing talent that is Tim Lebbon. White opened my eyes to the originality and creativity Lebbon possesses, but The Silence is a perfect showcase of how he can stretch his ideas into a full length story.
Seriously though, The Silence is an awesome novel. It's wholly originally, totally entertaining, and a book that once started, can't be put down. Lebbon's take on the apocalypse is something I haven't seen before (well, at least not in this particular form) and the way he goes about describing the helplessness and dire situations is pretty much the closest thing I've seen to literary perfection. There were moments that I found myself so wrapped up in the story and the characters that I, myself, felt their dread and the sense of desperation.
And speaking of characters, my God, were Lebbon's literary creations so spot on. I've read a lot of books over a wide spectrum of genres, and I can recall only a very few characters that felt so real, so nuanced and life like. I've also never read a book that did such an awesome job at describing the family dynamic, and the bond that holds them together in a time of crisis. Their motivations and actions and overall behavior were so incredibly realistic and believable that it's pretty damn obvious Lebbon writes from the heart and writes what he knows, clearly being a father and husband himself.
I would also be remiss if I failed to mention Lebbon's post apocalyptic vision. I mentioned before that it was original and a hell of a lot of fun, but I never explained just how well conceived and thought out it is. In a world where cheap horror is a dime a dozen, penned by below average authors who only care about cramming in gore, violence and sex, and ignore an original premise or plot, Lebbon shines through, working a great idea that was clearly conceived and well outlined even before he put pen to paper (or, let's be more realistic, keys to computer screen). Aside from one very minor loophole (which isn't even that big a deal in the grand scheme of things), there is never a moment in The Silence that feels cheap, rushed or given over to the dreaded dues ex machina trap that even great authors sometimes fall into.
Honestly, The Silence will definitely go down as one of the top 5 books of 2016 because it's really that good! ...more
Obviously, my love for Kevin O'Brien is no secret. In the last 2 and half years, I've read all but 2 of his books (although the reprint of Only Son inObviously, my love for Kevin O'Brien is no secret. In the last 2 and half years, I've read all but 2 of his books (although the reprint of Only Son in March 2017 will change that), and have enjoyed every single one, never giving any of them lower than a 4 star rating. The guy has grown tremendously from his earlier works and has written 5 straight novels that I gave 5-stars to, even if they are basically the same kind of story over and over again. I don't know how it does it, and to be perfectly honest, I don't even care, but somehow, O'Brien has kept me coming back time and time again.
Because of that, I've slowly been going backwards, picking up the few books that have seemed to fall through the cracks. One Last Scream was one of those books.
And I don't know how it managed to fly so low beneath my radar because of the earlier novels in his career (I would say anything pre-Vicious), One Last Scream is hands down the best.
Of course, it does the exact same things all his books do: set up a plot that revolves around multiple murders, throws in the same strong female lead, and usually another male who ends up helping her, a whole slew of red-herrings and ways to throw off the reader, and the big reveal that nobody saw coming. And yet, as he always does, O'Brien made it all seem original and new. I won't give away any details but I would wager that a lot of what makes Scream work is the way O'Brien goes about setting up the main story and eventual conclusion. The way he explains it might have also been done before, but I can't recall another book that makes everything come together in such a cohesive and actual believable way.
I'll end with saying this: so far, 2016 has definitely been the year of surprises for me. I know I tend to say that nearly every year, but this marks the third book in a row that ended up exceeding my expectations. A great thing when you realize what a generally boring year this has been for books.
Tell Me You're Sorry marks the 15th (well 16th if you count the January 2017 rerelease of Only Son) Kevin O'Brien novel and theShort review this time:
Tell Me You're Sorry marks the 15th (well 16th if you count the January 2017 rerelease of Only Son) Kevin O'Brien novel and the 5th in a row that earned the coveted 5-star rating and nab a spot on 2016's best list. Aside from Stephen King, I honestly don't know any other author who's work I've enjoyed so much and whom I've given such consistently high ratings to.
While You'll Miss Me When I'm Gone borrows all the same plot, character, and theme elements that inhabit all of O'Brien's works, it still manages to be one hell of a page turner. O'Brien keeps the story moving, and with the requisite red-herrings and twists and turns, he keeps the reader guessing, right up until the end.
And that's probably why I still continue to enjoy each and every one of O'Brien's books. Despite the recycled ideas and basic themes, there's always something new, something that makes the reader totally addicted and entertained. And for that, this one deserves all of those 5 stars....more
Though I am a big Jeremy Robinson fan (probably reading something like 80% of his published work...and still finding stuff of his I haven't gotten theThough I am a big Jeremy Robinson fan (probably reading something like 80% of his published work...and still finding stuff of his I haven't gotten the opportunity to read), and though Robinson usually manages to hit it out of the proverbial park with each new release, I'll be man enough to admit that I had my fears about Unity. I know part of that lack of excitement falls on the last 2 disappointing Robinson novels I read(Ragnarok and MirrorWorld respectively), but also because when you cut right down to the quick of it, Unity and all its various plot elements have been done hundreds of times before.
Think about it: Kaiju? Done in Godzilla and Robinson's own (fantastic) Nemesis series. Giant robot tech? We've seen that in such various works as Gundam, Titanfall, and even Power Rangers. Kaiju vs. Giant Mech? Already accomplished in Del Toro's epic (and, I think, unfairly treated) "Pacific Rim" and once again covered in the 4th Nemesis book, Project Hyperion. Teens and kids stuck in some fictional setting, left to fend for themselves? Hunger Games already accomplished that, which was a copy of Battle Royale which was clearly influenced by William Golding's perennial classic Lord of the Flies. Hell, even malevolent entities from outer space, intent on destroying humanity has been done to death in nearly every damn sci-fi film since "The Day the Earth Stood Still". Add all that up with a distinctive YA feel, and a feminine protagonist who has a massively cliched chip on her shoulder and I was seriously afraid that Unity had that very great potential to be Robinson's third strike in a row.
I think it's pretty safe to say that from my obvious 5 star rating, Unity was, instead, one of Robinson's best books in years. Well ok, maybe it's not quite as great as Apocalypse Machine (another Kaiju book, BTW), or as crazy as SecondWorld (then again, that one was my very first Robinson novels and will always be one of my favorites), but dammit, Robinson somehow does what he always seems to do: take 5,000 crazy and competing ideas, churn them all up in the literary blender that is his brain, and write a story that is an exciting amalgamation of genres and is, at its essence, an absolute joy to read.
Unity, while borrowing all the aforementioned plot devices and ideas still manages to be completely original, once again, not really a surprise, considering who wrote the thing. Robinson takes everything and makes it his own, from psy-controlled robots to a 500 foot tall species of aliens, hellbent on devouring all life on Earth. This in and of itself was already done well, but throw that in with page after page of non-stop action, and the constant thought of what in the hell Robinson can do to top himself was flat out perfect. Give this kind of story to any other author (even ones more well-known and more successful) and it'd be a recipe for disaster. In the hands of Robinson, this book (and eventual trilogy, if rumors are to be believed) should go down as one of the best of all time. ...more
Basically, The Bone Labyrinth is Rollins blazing back to form. Previous novels in the Sigma Team books suffered from a lack page-turing action and chaBasically, The Bone Labyrinth is Rollins blazing back to form. Previous novels in the Sigma Team books suffered from a lack page-turing action and character development, leaving the series feeling somewhat stagnant and unoriginal. And watching Rollins stoop to the rock bottom level he did in all those stupid Order of the Sanguine series was almost heartbreaking. I would like to believe he simply tried his best to embellish on Rebecca Cantrell's imagination, but still, after I somehow managed to get through the dismal Blood Infernal, I was seriously worried the Rollins of Ice Hunt and Amazonia had gone instinct. I think it goes without saying that I definitely had my doubts that Rollins's newest Sigma novel would be as great as it turned out to be.
It's not "Rollins's best thriller ever" as Brad Thor would have you believe (and I believe that honor still is ties between the previously mentioned Ice Hunt and Amazonia) but I agree that it's his best in the last 2 or 3 years. I can't exactly pin-point where the book really excels above the last couple of novels, but I can tell you it's better in pretty much every aspect. The boringness of plot and characters has been fixed and the cookie cutter actions of the Sigma team are mostly gone. Yes, there's still the cheesy one-liners and impossible escapes from certain death, however aren't those the tropes we expect in a novel from the action/thriller genre? There's a bit more humanness to Grey and Seichan, and Rollins finally gave Kowalski a lot more of the limelight (in both this and the included short story The Midnight Watch...which, just so you know, was probably my favorite short that Rollins has ever written). And unlike The Eye of God and The Sixth Extinction, which, I think, focused too much on difficult science, and not enough of the action he was famous for, Rollins manages to make both aspects work flawlessly in tandem with each other. There are some passages of history and/or science that I would have liked to have seen trimmed down a bit, yet those are definitely made up for by the long scenes of stuff blowing up and wild hybrid monkeys trying to attack.
Lastly, The Bone Labyrinth managed to do something that very few books have done: it gave me the feels! Rollins has always had an innate talent in writing the non-human characters he employs in his books, yet its Bakko, the genetically modified gorilla that is hands down his best creation yet. He was a fictional monkey, I get it, but why did the epilogue have me getting all mushy inside and damn near crying? Seriously!
I suppose Rollins could have cut down on some of the repetitiveness and constant reminders of things that had just happened, although honestly, that's such a minor complaint against the grand scheme of the greatness this book is, that I pretty much forgot all about it by the time I was done reading it.
After giving my somewhat disappointed review of The Sixth Extinction I remember hoping that in the future Rollins would come back and prove why he is still one of my all time favorite authors. The fact that he managed to do that with the very next book is all the proof I need. Welcome back Mr. Rollins! ...more
I have no problem admitting that my reviews on books have sucked lately (and I really shouldn't care since hardly anyone reads the new, more recent reI have no problem admitting that my reviews on books have sucked lately (and I really shouldn't care since hardly anyone reads the new, more recent reviews) so if this review of End of Watch lacks the punch my reviews used to, well, I guess that's pretty much par the course these days.
That being said (and actually, now that I think about it, I probably shouldn't have said that, since now whoever reads this will automatically think this commentary is lackluster), Stephen King's latest and (sadly) last book in his so called "Bill Hodges" trilogy is fantastic. That should come as a surprise to absolutely no one as King has been on an all out juggernaut brigade of writing great books lately. Seriously, aside from Joyland (which was supposed to have a noir feeling anyways), I can't think of a single King novel in the last 10 years that failed to impress me. I have to go all the way back to 2006's Lisey's Story to find a dud in King's illustrious catalogue of novels.
But back to End of Watch. Like I said, this one was fantastic. I had my doubts about the whole thing when Mr. Mercedes was first announced, but damn, all my fears were quickly proven wrong. As he has continued to do for the past decade, King is at the top of his game. Sure, he was always a great short story thriller author, and under the Bachman pseudonym he wrote both The Regulators and The Running Man (2 of my all time favorite thriller novels) it's just that I never thought it was possible for the master of horror to slide his way into this more contemporary genre. Once again, I was wrong. End of Watch, along with Finders Keepers and the just mentioned Mr. Mercedes, are the perfect example of King moving forward into the twilight of his career, yet staying just as relevant (hell, if not more so than) before. I said in my review of Finders Keepers that this series doesn't have"haunted hotels and cars, vampires, killer clowns, and space aliens" and that that might piss off all the old grumpy readers who refuse to change with the times, and that statement still stays true here, however, I like to think that King moving away from the things that once made him famous and setting a new path just shows how smart of an author he really is. Then again, you don't get to be one of the world's most recognized authors of all time by making stupid decisions...
If you've read any of my other reviews, you'll see that I always refer to this new Stephen King, the one of 11/22/63 and Dr. Sleep as King 3.0. Now, well into his 4th decade of writing, and previous iterations of his work, there is no doubt in my mind that this King is hands-down my favorite of all. ...more
I don't even know how to describe The Fireman without going into a long and super wordy review so I'm going to make a long story short and say this: TI don't even know how to describe The Fireman without going into a long and super wordy review so I'm going to make a long story short and say this: The Fireman is absolute definitive proof that Joe Hill is one hell of an author. Sure, this is only his 4th full length novel, but damn, every single book he writes is amazing, and worth every single one of those 5 stars.
It took Hill almost 4 years to write The Fireman. By comparison, his father, the illustrious Stephen King put out 6 (or maybe 7) novels. 4 years is a long time for anything to be published, especially when you're chomping at the bit for new stuff, however, the time and effort Hill took writing this one is clearly evident. Like his father, Hill is a master of telling a story, combining so many different elements of fiction into his books that they are impossible to put down and The Fireman is no different with horror elements, mixed in with sci-fi, thriller, action, and a thoroughly original take on the post- apocalyptic/plague genre. It all flows together so perfectly that the immense length of this book (760ish pages) flies by. The middle section is a tad bit slow, i'll admit (though it does a tremendous job of setting up the concluding 200 pages or so) but I found myself reading 150-200 pages at a time, so engrossed and caught up was I in this story.
Is it over? Is this masterpiece of modern day fiction truly and thoroughly over?
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But first, a brief summary of events that led us to this eagerlIs it over? Is this masterpiece of modern day fiction truly and thoroughly over?
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But first, a brief summary of events that led us to this eagerly anticipated, yet still emotional conclusion…
Like a lot of people probably did back in 2010, I picked up The Passage on a whim, only knowing about it from a small Facebook ad and a quote by Stephen King, encouraging people to read it. I knew next to nothing about the plot, and even less about Justin Cronin so call it fate or just one of those rare moments of pure randomness, but whatever the reason, giving The Passage a chance was probably one of the best decisions I ever made. I instantly fell in love with the book. The plot was amazing. The writing even more so. I can still remember the excitement and sheer enjoyment of that fateful summer, staying up into the wee hours of the morning, totally engrossed in the story, even going as far as bringing the book into work, sneaking glances at its pages when there were far more pressing matters at hand. The Passage was so awesome and such a damned perfect novel in every single facet and I made it well known, loaning out (GASP!) my beloved copy to multiple family and friends. Yes, my first edition is now worn, pages creased and corners bent in, but it was totally worth it in my eyes since nearly everyone who borrowed it felt exactly the same as I did.
When The Twelve was announced, I was like a kid being told he’s going to Disneyland for his birthday; I could hardly contain my excitement. I might not have been the very first person to pre-order it, but I’m pretty sure I was somewhere up there on that list. It had been a long 2 years and now for 3 months I eagerly awaited its release, counting down the 100+ days until the novel was finally in my hands. Now to say that The Twelve had a lot, and I mean a lot, riding on it, pretty much goes without saying. Maybe that’s why, the first time through, I was somewhat disappointed. The book was great, don’t get me wrong, but having to follow up The Passage was no easy feat, plus I had squandered those 2 long years, not going back to read the previous novel. It would make sense, then, that I was lost, a little confused, and hardly able to remember any of the basic structure. In going back to re-read The Twelve in anticipation for Mirrors, however, it became pretty apparent that Twelve was, in fact, a fantastic follow up. Questions were answered, new ones were posed, the story of Amy and Peter and Michael was continued practically flawlessly and brought even more depth and originality to Cronin’s post-apocalyptic universe. Plus, and probably best of all, it left the reader in suspense and wanting more.
Well, we wanted more for FOUR FREAKING YEARS. That’s a year longer than your average auto lease. Or like reaching into George R.R. Martin status! I know that doesn’t equate to a long time for some people, but for book lovers, and lovers of this series, it might as well have been an eternity, particularly when you consider the release date continuing to be pushed back, or being simply, wrong all together. Cronin’s own cryptic red herrings and purposefully teasing announcements didn’t help much either, only leading to more impatience and constant fear that the final book in the trilogy would continued to be delayed, or, horror of all horrors, never be published altogether.
So I guess the question is: was the frustratingly long wait of nearly 1,460 days really worth it?
The answer?
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And a resounding “Hell Yes” at that!
The City of Mirrors holds that rare distinction of a near perfect conclusion to an already near perfect trilogy, joining the ranks of other distinguished series like Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter (and even Harry Potter had 2 clunkers in it’s canon (Order of the Phoenix and Half Blood Prince just in case you wanted to know). Seriously though, the final book in The Passage trilogy exceeded even my highest expectations…and I set the bar pretty stinking high.
[image] It’s just that Cronin does a freaking fantastic job of tying everything together, bringing to a close, the story he started so many years ago. It never once feels like so much time passed between books because he is seriously that good of an writer. Much as he did in his previous works, Cronin pens a depressing story, one with little hope or joy, yet still manages to be beautifully descriptive, bringing forth truly vivid scenes and details, as well as a bunch of different emotions, and you can’t help but to root for humanity’s survival and applaud their constant tenacity against the Virals and Zero.
Speaking of Zero, the backstory really knocked my socks off. Sure, Fanning moaning about love like a 7th grade emo kid got a little old, and his descriptions of cars and technology that Alicia and anyone listening wouldn’t understand were a little out of place (though I think this was more for the readers themselves), but for 100+ pages, I was 100% hooked. Giving humanity to the most lethal viral of all, and showing the reasons for who he is/was, made for a compelling section, and someone readers could identify with, much as we had already done with Carter.
And my God, what an ending! I gotta admit, while it wasn’t exactly how i would have chosen to finish this story had I written it, I must say, damn, was it good. Somehow, in the sure genius that is Justin Cronin’s mind, he made me actually feel something, some form of emotion beyond just enjoyment. Both happiness and heartache, as well as this weird bittersweet response of completion.
And there it is, The Passage has been completed. 6 years, 2,000 pages or so, and countless hours of sleep and now my literary journey is finished. Like I said, it’s such a weird feeling, being both happy with the outcome, but still kind of bummed out that the ride is over. I feel like I’m losing friends and family, since, afterall, we readers followed them for years (both literally and fictionally). And knowing that we won’t (most likely) see them again is definitely a melancholy feeling. Then again, to know Cronin was able to write 3 fantastic novels that kept me on the edge of my seat and will remain, all of them, some of my all time favorite books, is an accomplishment many hope to achieve but few actually do.
When I first read this back in October 2012, I'll admit, I was aa little upset at its conclusion. It just failed to grab me and I found myself lost thWhen I first read this back in October 2012, I'll admit, I was aa little upset at its conclusion. It just failed to grab me and I found myself lost throughout the entire book, failing to remember who was who, and what had happened before. Of course, I have nobody to blame but myself since It had been over 2 years since The Passage and dying with anticipation, I failed to go back and reeducate myself with Cronin's post apocalyptic universe. Now though, just as it was with my second reading of The Passage, going back and rereading The Twelve, in anticipation for the final volume in the series, was enjoyable and rewarding.
Simply put, The Twelve is a perfect follow up to an already perfect book. Ok, so maybe Cronin's writing has been edited down a bit, and some of the sequences weren't quite as long as they were in The Passage, but really, that's ok. Everything that needed to be explained already was so there was no purpose in Cronin adding another 100 pages to this. While The Passagedid bog down in some parts, The Twelve never really lets up. There's slow parts, sure, but what great novels don't have a few moments that are put in for readers to catch their breath? And even these "slow" (yes, slow being a relative term here) work well, explaining things and giving more depth and emption to characters. (Though I would have liked a bit more explanation on why Amy changed with Carter).
And now, onward to The City of Mirrors. I'm gonna wager a hefty sum of money that it's just as good, if not better than The Twelve. ...more
If I have learned anything about the wonderful world of fiction in the last few years, it's that Craig Davidson must be the most woefully underrated aIf I have learned anything about the wonderful world of fiction in the last few years, it's that Craig Davidson must be the most woefully underrated and unknown author of this generation. Being on a literary kick lately has definitely broadened my horizons and introduced me to some new authors, but none have had the ability to grab me and keep my attention the same way that Davidson has.
While The Fighter is his first novel under his real name (discounting the Cutter and Lestewka pseudonyms), it has so far been the best (although Cataract City seems to garner even more favorable reviews). The subject matter isn't exactly new, but unlike the overrated and far less talented Palahniuk who covered the same basic material in Fight Club, what Davidson writes is raw, brutal, and gritty, yet still told in a flowery, literary language that very few have managed to achieve.
For example:
"People were jogging and dog-walking along the canal. He thought how easy it would be to skip the curb, accelerate across the greenbelt, slam into one of them. He pictured bodies crunpling over the hood or ruptering under the tires with red goo spewing from mouths and ears and assholes; he saw smashed headlights embedded in faces, saw windshield wipers fliying at murderous velocity to sever arms and legs"
Or perhaps this jaunty little description is more your style...
"His target was riding one of those idiotic recumbent bicycles. He wore a shiny metal-flake helmet, royal purple, like the paint job on a custom roadster. Paul figured he'd hit him broadside and crush him against a dock pillar, or else clip his wheel and launch him into the ice-cold sky, a flailing purple mortar crashing through the canal ice [. . .] The cyclist caught sight of the car barreling down on him and pumped his pedals as if to outrun it. Paul had a heart laugh- what bravado!".
I don't know about you, but those paragraphs, from only one short section of the book are so well-written, so damned distinct and detailed and perfectly executed that I just can't get enough of them. Aside from that, it depicts roid-rage in a stark, unflinching clarity, with no apologies given...or even warranted. I'd add the graphic prose of Davidson's portrayal of rough sex, but I think it'd be far better if you read it yourself cuz damn son, it's amazing!
It's the brutality and nakedness of the sport, the various aspirations and desires of the fighters, the heartbreak and pride and emotions of the characters and the unflinching look that propelled The Fighter to the top of my 2016 list. I also know that the sweat and blood that Davidson himself went through when writing it has a huge part to play.
As everyone knows, Davidson must really love the sport (or idea at the very least) of boxing and bareknuckle fighting since he's had some aspect of it in every single one of books. That being said, the execution and plot of The Fighter were far and away the best he's done. I mean, I guess when your entire novel is based on the subject and when you take steroids and competed in a honest-to-goodness match in promotion of this novel yourself, it's gotta be, right? Right!
Though I've loved Joe Hill since I accidentally started reading his books in reverse order (yes, I started with NOS4A2 and unintentionally worked my wThough I've loved Joe Hill since I accidentally started reading his books in reverse order (yes, I started with NOS4A2 and unintentionally worked my way backwards through his bibliography), 20th Century Ghosts kept slipping through the cracks. It took my reintroduction to the art of the short story and the promise of Hill's new book later this month (May 2016) and it took me to finally get myself around to reading it.
And waiting this long was a huge mistake on my part. Usually a "good" collection of short stories (either from a single author or in an anthology collection) will have at least 1 or 2 shorts that aren't very good or fail to catch my attention. Not so the case with Ghosts. Unlike the vast majority of books in this same vein, there is not one single story here that I couldn't get into or failed to enjoy. Of course there were one of 2 that just didn't measure up in the grand scheme of things (the weird and nonsensical "My Father's Mask" and the essay length "Deadwood" being the 2) but when there are like 15 other amazing tales here, you tend to forget about the ones you didn't find all that appealing.
The real struggle is actually naming my favorite(s) of the bunch. I say that because it's a challenge since all of Hill's short fiction is freakin fantastic. "Pop Art" was sentimental and heartfelt and actually gave me a bad case of the feels in regards to a boy and his balloon friend. "The Black Phone" was gritty and exciting and had a lot of King-esque undertones (which makes perfect sense when you think about Hill's father). "The Widow's Breakfast" was a great homage to Steinbeck and Hemingway (even right down to the time period). And I would be remiss I didn't mention "Voluntary Committal" which was the longest story in the whole collection, yet was oddly the quickest. I could have kept reading that story for hours.
Obviously when your Stephen King's son, you are already under a great deal of pressure to perform and the comparisons will never cease. I'm here to tell you that after 3 novels (well 4 pretty soon) and this absolutely amazing collection of shorts, Hill is even better than his famous father. It's crazy to think the grand master of horror is being unseated by his son kin but it's impossible to miss. I can't even explain it but There's a nuance and uniqueness about Hill that sets him apart from his dad and 20th Century Ghosts is the perfect showcase for all that talent...more
Those are perhaps the quintessential words that come to mind when trying to describe Jeremy Robinson's newest novel. Of course,Bigger. Badder. Better.
Those are perhaps the quintessential words that come to mind when trying to describe Jeremy Robinson's newest novel. Of course, I am already a huge fan of this author, so most everything he writes, I am going to enjoy, but in Apocalypse Machine, he ups the ante to a new heights.
I can't really go into too much depth without ruining this amazing book, but basically take all of Robinson's previous forays into the kaiju mythos, throw in the much discussed, debated, and described 6th great extinction, and mix it all up with Robinson's amazing talent and writing style and you have what I think is his best novel to date. And that is saying a lot since this is the same guy who wrote Secondworld, the awesome Nemesis series, and the sadly cut short series that was Jenna Flood. Seriously, Apocalypse Machine tops even those!
Honestly, I can't even find a single place in this entire novel where I had an issue, or something I didn't like. The characters were prefect, the pacing and non stop action were incredible. The destruction and resulting desperation were the best I've seen since Stephen Baxter's Flood/Ark books. And speaking of destroying everything, the "machine" was quite possibly one of the biggest monsters in literary history and was damn near perfect. Hell, even the allegory to the biblical Abraham was well done and thought out, not to mention original and actually quite believable.
If there was any doubt before that Robinson is woefully underrated, let Apocalypse Machine be the proof you need. ...more
Greg Iles's previous novel, Natchez Burning was probably the biggest surprise of 2015. Though I had only heard of Iles but never read any of his novelGreg Iles's previous novel, Natchez Burning was probably the biggest surprise of 2015. Though I had only heard of Iles but never read any of his novels, and since I was in the mood for a lengthy story, I picked up a copy and immediately fell in love with it.
Obviously my excitement was high with this one. It would stand to reason, then, that the next book in the series, The Bone Tree would be just as good, if not better than its predecessor. After all, it continues the story that was laid out and picks up almost the exact second Natchez Burning left off.
While 2nd books in trilogies tend to be the weakest of the bunch, thankfully The Bone Tree doesn't have that problem. I'll go ahead and say right out that it's not quite as good as Natchez, but it still is a well written follow up and held my interest through its lengthy 860 pages. Yes, taking a month to read a novel is entirely too long (thank you work and the rest of the aspects of my life), but I enjoyed the story.
Iles has an uncanny ability to write a novel that interweaves numerous plots together, along with believable characters a reader will actually care about. Both good and bad. So yeah, maybe the villains in this series are a bit on the cliched, over-exaggerated side, and the characters do make some pretty asinine decisions that no person in real life would probably make, but I don't care. The comic book style bad guys just made me hate them even more and when some of them get their due, it was justice well served. And as far as the bad decisions go, sometimes people do make hasty choices that in retrospect seem stupid and ill-conceived. Plus, one of the character's horrible choices led to what was one of the most heart wrenching moments in modern literature, and ushered in a whole slew of emotions that I haven't felt in a book in a long time.
My only minor complaint (which seems to be par the course for the rest of the readers of this book) is the length. As I've said in multiple reviews, I love long novels. Since I tend to fly through books (well, maybe not lately in 2016) there's nothing better than being invested in a book that you want to read for more than a few days. And while the long formula worked well in Natchez Burning, it didn't seem to here. It made sense that the first book in this series would be a bit on the wordy side, since it was setting up the heavy scope of the story; history, backstory, etc., etc. I was totally fine with that. The problem though is that The Bone Tree returns to that same blueprint, often times repeating itself over and over, or, simply, dragging on prose that would do much better being cut here and there. I'm not necessarily complaining that it was boring, but cutting the page count down 100 or so pages would have made this book a tad bit quicker to read through.
Still though, this book was an entertaining and enjoyable read, fully worth all 5 stars it received. Now comes the long wait until 2017 for Mississippi Blood :(...more
I honestly can't even begin to write a review that would be able to sum up the awesomeness and pure amazingness that Oryx and Crake really is.
I've reaI honestly can't even begin to write a review that would be able to sum up the awesomeness and pure amazingness that Oryx and Crake really is.
I've read a lot of books in my life, and while there are crappy ones, and mediocre ones aplenty, every once in a while a book comes along that may not exactly change the reader's life, but it sure gets pretty close to being one that sticks with the reader for a long time. Oryx and Crake is just that kind of novel.
While it's true I tend to eschew female writers --not because I think they can't write, but more because they typically don't write in any genres I prefer--, I must give credit where credit is due: Margaret Atwood is an insanely gifted author, and clearly the reason this book was so freaking fantastic falls squarely on her talented shoulders. Yes, I read The Handmaid's Tale and was blown away by Atwood's story-telling ability in that, but here, in O&C, she has taken the entire dystopian/speculative future genre and made it her own. Her word choice, mixed in with science that is not only probably, but going on right this very second in real life, is like no other, and her flowery language, descriptive prose and her skill of weaving past and present together makes this book oddly beautiful. I seriously don't think I've ever used such words in describing this genre of book, but then again, I haven't ever had the opportunity to read something so succinct and honed down to an art form.
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