tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51244617677639649192024-02-24T09:36:58.099+00:00An Eclectic BookshelfA Book Review BlogKilliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10372768003008545407noreply@blogger.comBlogger460125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5124461767763964919.post-30809857054367006292018-10-21T12:02:00.003+01:002018-10-21T12:02:40.390+01:00LZR-1143: Within - Bryan James<script language="JavaScript" type="text/javascript">
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<strong>Title:</strong> LZR-1143: Within<br />
<strong>Author:</strong> Bryan James<br />
<strong>Genre:</strong> Horror<br />
<strong>Published:</strong> 2012<br />
<strong>Formats:</strong> Ebook<br />
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<strong>Available at: </strong><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B009XIQKMM/?tag=bookampthin-20" target="blank">Amazon</a><br />
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<strong>Review:</strong><br />
LZR-1143: Within is a Novella which introduces the reader to the LZR-1143 series of zombie novels which were written by Bryan James. It follows a group of people who are trapped in their place of employment as society collapses around them. This novella is quite short and is quite clearly published as a way to entice readers into delving into the full series. The issue I have is that it did not work for me at all and I can't say I have any burning desire to go and buy the rest of the novels.<br />
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Don't get me wrong the novella has some good points, as Bryan James does create some believable characters and the scene setting elements were well constructed. It just took too long to get into the action and whilst the characters were believable, they were lacking in depth. If the novella had been lacking in character depth but quicker into the action elements or vice versa then it may have worked better for me.<br />
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The biggest issue though is in the lack of originality, there is nothing here which hasn't been covered in many other zombie stories before. I appreciate that it gets harder to find something new in this sub-genre but without it I don't have a reason to read this over any of the other books out there. However, the novella is available for free on Amazon so there is no harm in giving it a go and perhaps you may find something there which I missed and decide to pick up the other stories.
Killiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10372768003008545407noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5124461767763964919.post-65777691528491365762018-07-01T13:33:00.001+01:002018-07-01T13:33:31.402+01:00Star Trek: How Much For Just The Planet? - John M. Ford<script language="JavaScript" type="text/javascript">
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<b>Title:</b> How Much For Just The Planet?<br />
<strong>Author:</strong> John M. Ford<br />
<strong>Genre: </strong>Science-Fiction<br />
<strong>Published:</strong> 1987<br />
<strong>Formats:</strong> Paperback/Ebook<br />
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<strong>Available at: </strong><br />
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<b>Review:</b><br />
“How Much for Just the Planet” is the second and final Star Trek novel penned by John M. Ford. After reading his other novel, “The Final Reflection” I was really looking forward to this as that novel was one of the best Trek novels I have read so far even if it did contradict what is now accepted as Trek Lore. Unfortunately, as you will discover from reading my review, I ended up being thoroughly disappointed.
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The plot follows Captain Kirk and some Klingons who arrive at the planet Direidi to try and secure the planet's dilithium supply. Due to the Organian Peace Treaty both the Federation and Klingon Empire most use diplomacy in order to persuade the rather eccentric colonists who live on the planet to let them have mining rights. The colonists however have their own plan on how to deal with these two antagonistic groups which leads to some rather absurd situations.
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The novel is quite simply a silly romp in the Trek Universe, there are people just bursting into song, moments of slapstick and multiple references to Gilbert & Sullivan or classic movies. I am sure if these references mean something to you and you like slapstick comedy like The Three Stooges etc. then you may find it enjoyable but I just found it to be ridiculous rather than funny.
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The other issue I had with the novel was that the plot was just too convoluted and there was too much going on for me to keep track of. Maybe I could have managed it if the novel also wasn’t full of absurdity but trying to keep on track of everything in amongst the singing, and chaos was very off putting.
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In summary I think that a more focused plot and maybe a level of restraint being put on the attempted comic moments would have probably helped me enjoy this novel much more. Don’t get me wrong, there are some funny moments which did have me smiling but overall it just didn’t work for me, probably because I am not really a fan the reference material which was being utilised. I still think that people should probably read this book however because it is so very different from a regular Trek novel and it is nice to see someone attempt a bit of originality.
Killiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10372768003008545407noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5124461767763964919.post-85710417031807882132018-06-16T11:26:00.003+01:002018-06-16T11:26:57.410+01:00The Stainless Steel Rat for President (The Stainless Steel Rat Book 5) - Harry Harrison<script language="JavaScript" type="text/javascript">
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<strong>Title:</strong> The Stainless Steel Rat for President (The Stainless Steel Rat Book 5)<br />
<strong>Author:</strong> Harry Harrison<br />
<strong>Genre:</strong> Science-Fiction<br />
<strong>Published:</strong> 1982<br />
<strong>Formats:</strong> Hardback/Paperback/Ebook<br />
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<strong>Available at: </strong><br />
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<strong>Review:</strong><br />
“The Stainless Steel Rat for President” is the fifth instalment in Harry Harrison’s amusing and at times quite ridiculous science-fiction series entitled “The Stainless Steel Rat”. This entertaining series has gotten more and more ridiculous and I can't think of anything more ridiculous that Slippery Jim DiGriz fighting for democracy! The plot follows Jim as he undertakes a mission to liberate a backward planet from the clutches of a dictator. Of course, Jim is willing to lie, cheat and steal in order to bring democracy and freedom to the world.<br />
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Harrison's writing is as sharp and witty as always and I found the satirical take on Democracy and Dictatorship to be rather amusing. This is probably because I am a bit of a political animal myself but I think this should also appeal to those of you out there who really do think politics is corrupt! Unfortunately, I still found myself becoming a little bit bored as Harrison utilised the same predictable plot-lines we have already seen many times before. I suppose as this is the fifth book in the series I shouldn't be surprised but it would be nice to see Harrison try and mix things up a bit.<br />
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The novel is of course still enjoyable and anyone who has read the previous novels in the series will be entertained but I find myself feeling like I should take more of a gap between each book now rather than wanting to jump straight into the next. This isn't really an issue as I have so many books to read but it does show that there is a little bit of series fatigue creeping in. Killiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10372768003008545407noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5124461767763964919.post-1758303040076325972018-05-11T14:06:00.002+01:002018-05-11T14:06:40.736+01:00Star Trek: Dreams of the Raven - Carmen Carter<script language="JavaScript" type="text/javascript">
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<b>Title:</b> Dreams of the Raven<br />
<strong>Author:</strong> Carmen Carter<br />
<strong>Genre: </strong>Science-Fiction<br />
<strong>Published:</strong> 1987<br />
<strong>Formats:</strong> Paperback/Ebook<br />
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<b>Review:</b><br />
“Dreams of the Raven” by Carmen Carter is an Original Series Star Trek novel which is primarily focused around the character of Dr. McCoy. The overall plot follows the crew of the USS Enterprise as they attempts to deal with a new and dangerous species who are seemingly able to take control of ships and their crews with relative ease. Unfortunately, the crew aren’t helped by a head injury to Dr. McCoy which has resulted in him losing all his memories from his time in Starfleet. Devoid of all his experiences, he is more of a hindrance than a help as the crew tries to battle the new foe!
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The first thing to mention about the plot is that the cause of McCoy’s amnesia is rather silly and quite unimaginative. The concept of his reversion to a younger self however was an interesting one which did keep me intrigued. It was particularly nice seeing how the effect of past experiences could change someone as was evident with McCoy and how he now acted without those experiences. However, I do think that the author maybe went a bit too far at times as some of McCoy’s core personality traits were altered beyond what I felt was realistic. Of course, it could be argued that this was potentially just another aspect of his head injury.
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The plot elements around the alien threat itself were rather standard and uninspiring. It wasn’t that long ago that I finished the book but I am already struggling to remember anything of note about these aspects of the plot. Overall, this is probably best described as another average Original Series novel. The amnesia plot is a bit trite in set-up and conclusion but it was nice to see a book dedicated to McCoy and the concept of how the memory loss affected him was interesting. The rest of the story isn’t really anything memorable but it isn’t the worst Star Trek novel I have read.Killiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10372768003008545407noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5124461767763964919.post-70212523922244372922018-05-08T19:34:00.001+01:002018-05-08T19:35:31.318+01:00Star Trek: Discovery: Drastic Measures - Dayton Ward<script language="JavaScript" type="text/javascript">
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<b>Title:</b> Drastic Measures<br />
<strong>Author:</strong> Dayton Ward<br />
<strong>Genre: </strong>Science-Fiction<br />
<strong>Published:</strong> 2018<br />
<strong>Formats:</strong> Paperback/Ebook<br />
<strong><br /></strong>
<strong>Available at: </strong><br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B076HB66Y8/?tag=salki-21" target="_blank">Amazon UK</a><br />
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<b>Review:</b><br />
“Drastic Measures” by Dayton Ward is the second Star Trek: Discovery novel that has been released. The story actually takes place many years prior to the Discovery series but does feature two of its main characters, Gabriel Lorca and Philippa Georgiou. These two Starfleet officers get involved in events as they unfold on the planet Tarsus IV which is suffering from a fungal plague that is ravaging the colony food supplies. Fans of Star Trek should of course be aware of what unfolds on Tarsus IV regarding the colony Governor, Kodos and his decision to murder 4000 colonists in a misguided attempt to save the rest. The novel shows us these events and the aftermath of how Starfleet attempts to hunt him down.
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Whilst the events on Tarsus IV have been covered various times in the past it was still interesting to read this latest attempt at taking what we know from the Original Series and bringing it all together. Of course, most readers will know how the overall plot ends but it was still a satisfying read with enough twists to keep me entertained. A particular point which I appreciated was the attempt which Ward makes to provide some insight into the thoughts of Kodos himself and how those around him came to rationalise what they were doing.
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In regards to the characters, the portrayals were generally acceptable. It is difficult to really compare Lorca to what we saw on the TV screen as this is the Prime Universe version which we don’t really know that much about. However, his rather stiff persona and stifled emotions, supported by loyalty to his colleagues did seem to work. In regards to Georgiou, well her heroism is quite clear but I didn’t see much of her humour or playfulness on show during the novel. The only other character to comment on is the young Jim Kirk who unsurprisingly makes an appearance and is just as brave as you would expect when you know who he grows up to be.
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Overall, I thought the story was well-written and undertook an interesting exploration of an important piece of Trek lore. In all honesty, I am not sure this was really a Discovery novel as it felt more like a prequel to the Original Series and the author has just used two Discovery characters in order to link the two. This isn’t really an issue but readers should be aware that due to this there isn’t any real expansion on what we know about the Discovery and its crew.Killiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10372768003008545407noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5124461767763964919.post-37106896109485170832018-02-17T21:15:00.003+00:002018-02-17T21:15:41.509+00:00The Zombie Generation - Drake Vaughn<script language="JavaScript" type="text/javascript">
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Title: The Zombie Generation<br />
Author: Drake Vaughn<br />
Genre: Horror<br />
Published: 2012<br />
Formats: Paperback/Ebook<br />
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<strong>Available at: </strong><br />
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<b>Review:</b><br />
"The Zombie Generation" by Drake Vaughn is an interesting take on the post-apocalyptic zombie genre. The story follows Warner, a survivor who is trying to stay alive in a world overrun by infected people whom he calls "Buggers". What makes things even worse for Warner is that he is quite clearly losing his grip on reality. He is tormented by hallucinations and is no longer sure what is actually real and what isn't.<br />
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This novel was anything but a standard zombie story, the zombies themselves were very unique with features such as an obese bodies, a love of alcohol, and the fact that they sleep in piles which can reach the height of a building. In addition, Warner's weak grasp of reality actually leads the reader on an intriguing psychological journey which I found to be just as unique as the zombies themselves. Warner's hallucinations result in him being the epitome of an unreliable narrator which kept me wondering if what was happening was actually real or not.<br />
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In regards to the characters, the book is centred around Warner and his life alone so unless you feel like an overweight, alcoholic zombie, I suspect he is the only characters that a reader can actually relate to. I felt that Vaughn has done a great job in bringing him to life as everything he does comes across as natural. His choices and actions were realistic, especially when you consider the world he has survived and how well his sanity is holding up. I actually gave a damn about him as the main characters which is something I always appreciate in a book.<br />
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My only real issue with the book is that the plot could be a little bit slow at times. This was exacerbated by some of the background information that Vaughn decided to include in the story. Don't get me wrong, I like to know about the history of a world but not when seemingly unrelated and overly detailed points cause the story to actually drag.<br />
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Overall, I did find this story entertaining enough with the rather different take on the zombie genre keeping me intrigued from start to finish. I can imagine that some people may dislike the unreliability of Warner's narrative but this is the very thing which helps give it a unique feeling.
Killiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10372768003008545407noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5124461767763964919.post-61150968741612922942018-01-12T17:15:00.001+00:002018-01-12T17:15:54.690+00:00Star Trek: Enterprise: Rise of the Federation: Patterns of Interference - Christopher L. Bennett<script language="JavaScript" type="text/javascript">
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<b>Title:</b> Rise of the Federation: Patterns of Interference<br />
<strong>Author:</strong> Christopher L. Bennett<br />
<strong>Genre: </strong>Science-Fiction<br />
<strong>Published:</strong> 2017<br />
<strong>Formats:</strong> Paperback/Ebook<br />
<strong><br /></strong>
<strong>Available at: </strong><br />
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<b>Review:</b><br />
“Patterns of Interference” by Christopher L. Bennett is the fifth novel in the “Birth of the Federation” series which continues the adventures of the crew from Star Trek Enterprise. This book was probably the weakest in this series which is a shame as up until now I had been finding the series to be incredibly enjoyable.
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The novel is set in the first few months of 2166 as the federation continues to deal with multiple issues. The main plot point however is in relation to the planet Sauria and the dictator, Maltuvis who is determined to undermine the Federation in order to cement his own power. Into this dangerous situation comes Tucker who is determined to undermine Maltuvis's authority in a manner which could also bring down Section 31 as well. This is supported by various other plotlines such as Hoshi and the crew of the Endeavor on the world Birnam who are dealing with what could be a sentient race of Dryads. In addition, we also get to see the growth in relationship between Malcolm Reed & Caroline Paris
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I suppose the reason why this book disappointed me in comparison to the earlier books is that it simply felt like a filler and it feels like Bennett is sometimes struggling to give some characters interesting things to do. I worry that the series appears to be turning into “The Adventures of Trip” rather than properly progressing all the characters and delving into some of the open plot points from the series.
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What Bennett does do well is that he once again showcases his understanding of the characters in the Enterprise universe and his skill at bringing them to the page. I just didn’t feel as entertained as I had with the previous entries in the series although this doesn’t make “Patterns of Interference” a bad book, it just makes it an average book.
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Overall, this is still a reasonably solid Trek novel but it just didn’t capture my attention to the same extent as the previous novels. I am hoping that in the next book we will see some of these plots get closed down and maybe give less page time to Trip!Killiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10372768003008545407noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5124461767763964919.post-66486843119716338652018-01-06T13:43:00.004+00:002018-01-06T13:43:51.726+00:00Star Trek: Discovery: Desperate Hours - David Mack<script language="JavaScript" type="text/javascript">
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<b>Title:</b> Desperate Hours<br />
<strong>Author:</strong> David Mack<br />
<strong>Genre: </strong>Science-Fiction<br />
<strong>Published:</strong> 2017<br />
<strong>Formats:</strong> Paperback/Ebook<br />
<strong><br /></strong>
<strong>Available at: </strong><br />
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<b><br /></b>
<b>Review:</b><br />
“Desperate Hours” by David Mack is the first novel written as a tie-in to the new Star Trek: Discovery TV series. The story is set a year prior to the event’s which occurred during the Star Trek: Discovery pilot episode and follows the crew of the USS Shenzhou who have to assist the people of a colony who have awoken some rather dangerous technology which was hidden in the ocean. This mission is further complicated when the USS Enterprise under the command of Captain Pike also arrives with orders to destroy this technology no matter the cost.
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The plot is quite standard for Star Trek in that it explores the moral dilemma of duty versus ethics. One thing to note is that there is plenty of action present to keep the pace moving but unfortunately there is no tension involved as the reader knows there is no real threat to characters. Therefore some elements of action, especially those involving Burnham and Spock on the alien spacecraft did begin to feel a bit repetitive at times.
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One thing Mack has done well however is capture the characters from the new series quite well. Despite the lack of data so far available, the characters did seem to fit with what has been shown on the TV screen so far. In addition, the background provided into Burnham and Saru was very interesting to follow and has helped me actually appreciate both characters much better. It is this type of thing I like in my Trek novels, the chance to actually expand and enhance what we know from the series.
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The bit I am particularly intrigued about from the book however is the relationship between Spock and Burnham. Some of the interactions between the two of them were quite interesting to see and it was nice seeing Spock and Burnham both realise through each other that the relationships with Amanda and Sarek were more complicated than they had first assumed. I am curious to see if anything shown here is expanded upon in future novels or alluded to on the TV Series.
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Overall, this was a very competent first tie-in novel for the new series although the plot itself was pretty standard stuff. The main reason to read this book is to enhance your understanding of the characters and learn more about the relationships between them all.Killiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10372768003008545407noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5124461767763964919.post-59599571277480394062017-11-30T20:03:00.001+00:002017-11-30T20:03:57.667+00:00Ethersay - Sarah L King<script language="JavaScript" type="text/javascript">
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<b>Title:</b> Ethersay<br />
<b>Author:</b> Sarah L King<br />
<b>Genre:</b> Contemporary Fiction<br />
<b>Published:</b> 2017<br />
<b>Formats: </b>Paperback/Ebook<br />
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<strong>Available at: </strong><br />
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<b>Review:</b><br />
I had the privilege of reading an advance copy of "Ethersay" by Sarah L King prior to its release and was thoroughly entertained from start to finish. The book uses a dual narrative, to explore two periods in the life of Rebecca, a young political activist from Glasgow. The first follows her recovery on the mysterious island of Ethersay after a car accident strands her there. Whilst there she realises that there is something being hidden from her by the islanders and she is determined to find out what the secret is. The second narrative follows Rebecca's involvement in the Scottish Independence Referendum which results in the very accident which leaves her on Ethersay.
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The pacing of this novel is spot on as the initial burst of action get the reader hooked before it slows down a notch as King builds the suspense and mystery up concurrently in both narratives. I found myself really looking forward to finding out what the secret of Ethersay was and how Rebecca would come to be there. It is quite hard to say much more without spoiling some of the plot but I suspect a few people will be surprised by the reveal at the end.
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One thing I have to add in my review is that the depiction of the Scottish Referendum was spot on and whilst I didn't live in Glasgow, most of what Rebecca saw and experienced as a Yes activist was recognisable to me from my own involvement. I have seen a lot of non-fiction books charting the referendum from various high profile people but it was great seeing something written here which captured the hope and hard work of the regular activist even if the character themselves was fictional.
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The best bit about this book from my point of view is that it was the first novel by King in which I have actually liked the main protagonist. Yes, Rebecca has her flaws as any realistic character would do but in this book those flaws didn't affect my ability to feel empathy for her. Rebecca being a Yes activist probably made it easy for me but I was actually quite happy to find that this time it was the main character I was supporting rather than one of the secondary ones.
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Overall, this is a great first attempt at contemporary fiction from King. I can see this book really appealing to people who enjoy a good non-crime based mystery, but it should also appeal quite strongly to those people who were involved in the Scottish Independence Referendum. I can't sing it's praises enough as it entertained me but also brought back the memories of the referendum both good and bad.Killiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10372768003008545407noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5124461767763964919.post-50512484731132854152017-09-30T09:52:00.004+01:002017-09-30T09:52:58.548+01:00Star Trek 12 - James Blish & J.A. Lawrence<script language="JavaScript" type="text/javascript">
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<b>Title:</b> Star Trek 12<br />
<strong>Author:</strong> James Blish & J.A. Lawrence<br />
<strong>Genre: </strong>Science-Fiction<br />
<strong>Published:</strong> 1977<br />
<strong>Formats:</strong> Paperback<br />
<strong><br /></strong>
<strong>Available at: </strong><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/0553113828/?tag=bookampthin-20" target="blank">Amazon</a><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/055210759X/?tag=salki-21" target="_blank">Amazon UK</a><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Review:</b><br />
“Star Trek 12” was the final collection of Star Trek Original Series episode novelizations written by James Blish as he passed away whilst writing it. The collection was therefore completed by his wife, J.A. Lawrence who would go on to adapt the only remaining episodes in "Mudd's Angels". The five episodes included in this collection are cover all three seasons and are as follows:
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Patterns of Force (Season 2)<br />
The Gamesters of Triskelion (Season 2)<br />
And the Children Shall Lead (Season 3)<br />
The Corbomite Maneuver (Season 1)<br />
Shore Leave (Season 1)
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So I am at the point where I just want to copy my reviews from previous Blish novelisations as most of the commentary is the same. Basically, if you enjoyed the TV episode then you will enjoy the novelisation and if you didn't like the episode then you won't like the novelisation. Blish and Lawrence are competent in their job of converting the episodes into written form but they don't really add anything new to change the underlying strengths or weaknesses of the individual stories.
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As I suspect most people considering this book will have seen these episodes already I won't bother summarising them here. The writing itself is good but I would only really recommend this collection to a Trek lit completionist at it doesn't offer anything new and if you don't know the stories then you would be better off actually watching the TV show episodes.Killiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10372768003008545407noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5124461767763964919.post-69850958442642146082017-08-30T12:23:00.001+01:002017-08-30T12:25:25.242+01:00Star Trek: Double, Double - Michael Jan Friedman <script language="JavaScript" type="text/javascript">
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<b>Title:</b> Double, Double<br />
<strong>Author:</strong> Michael Jan Friedman <br />
<strong>Genre: </strong>Science-Fiction<br />
<strong>Published:</strong> 1989<br />
<strong>Formats:</strong> Paperback/Ebook<br />
<strong><br /></strong>
<strong>Available at: </strong><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003YCOU1G/?tag=bookampthin-20" target="blank">Amazon</a><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B003YCOU1G/?tag=salki-21" target="_blank">Amazon UK</a><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Review:</b><br />
“Double, Double” was Michael Jan Friedman’s first ever Star Trek novel and acts as a sequel to the Original Series episode "What Are Little Girls Made Of?”. The story is based on the premise that Kirk has decides to gloss over the events which occurred on Exo III and doesn’t carry out a full investigation in order to protect Nurse Chapel. However, another android returns to the planet and when it finds its creator dead, it decides to continue his work. The android finds the template of Kirk still in the machine and creates another android using it. This android Kirk is full of confidence and ventures forth to takeover a starship and then to control the galaxy.
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This is one of the better written Trek novels with a well-paced story and a decent amount of detail. In addition, the story itself was rather engaging with Friedman doing an excellent job of continuing the established story from the TV series. The characters are also handled well although I did have an initial issue with Kirk which is detailed below.
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Basically, the issue with Kirk I had was due to him not telling Starfleet everything that happened on Exo III. The reason given that he is protecting Nurse Chapel just seemed very inconsistent and flimsy. I found it hard to believe that Kirk would risk not telling Starfleet about everything considering the risk posed by the machine. It doesn’t spoil the overall telling of the story but me feeling rather incredulous at the set up wasn’t the best way to start a novel.
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Overall, I did enjoy the novel although I will admit that I do have a soft spot for stories which continue threads started via the original show so maybe I would have enjoyed it even if it was terrible! Thankfully it isn’t and despite the weak initial premise, the writing and pacing are more than adequate and the story is entertaining.Killiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10372768003008545407noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5124461767763964919.post-12940533734681648072017-08-26T11:09:00.000+01:002017-08-26T11:09:00.612+01:00Sovereign (Matthew Shardlake Book 3) - C.J. Sansom<script language="JavaScript" type="text/javascript">
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Title: Sovereign (Matthew Shardlake Book 3)<br />
Author: C.J. Sansom<br />
Genre: Historical Mystery<br />
Published: 2007<br />
Formats: Hardback/Paperback/Ebook<br />
<br />
<strong>Available at: </strong><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/0143113178/?tag=bookampthin-20" target="blank">Amazon</a><br />
<a href="https://www.bookdepository.com/Sovereign/9781447285854/?a_aid=booksandthings81" target="_blank">The Book Depository</a><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1447285859/?tag=salki-21" target="_blank">Amazon UK</a>
<br />
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<b>Review:</b><br />
“Sovereign” by C.J. Sansom is the 3rd novel in his “Matthew Shardlake” series of historical mystery novels. In this novel, it is now 1541 and King Henry is making a “Great Progress” to York in an attempt to both impress the northerners and meet the King of Scotland. Matthew Shardlake, our hero lawyer is asked by Archbishop Cranmer to also head to York so that he chaperone a political prisoner back to London. His trip to York is complicated by the mysterious murder of a glazier which draws him into a treasonous plot which endangers his own life.
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Sansom’s writing continues to be intelligent, well-structured and engaging with a myriad of interesting sub-plots and intrigues that kept me hooked. You can’t help but keep turning the pages to find out what Shardlake is going to uncover next or what new unexpected challenge he is going to face. The novel isn’t for the faint hearted however, as the Tudor world is shown in all its ugly brutality which can be rather disconcerting.
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The characterization is superb, the people really feel like they belong in the time period. Sansom doesn’t try and re-align morals to a modern view point; viewpoints which may be unacceptable now are on show without any attempt to soften them. In fact some of the heroes of the piece think and do things which would probably be left for the villains if this was a contemporary novel. Don’t get me wrong however; these characters are still likeable, but you need to accept that they are products of their time.
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Overall, this is another brilliant entry in his series of Shardlake novels. Sansom is skilled at providing the reader with both an engaging and exciting mystery plot as well as detailed portrayal of the Tudor world. If you have read the previous novels then you are going to love this book, if you haven’t then I can only advise you to pick up the first novel in the series as it is quite simply, superb. Killiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10372768003008545407noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5124461767763964919.post-8076332822093019742017-08-22T22:46:00.000+01:002017-08-22T22:46:10.205+01:00Star Trek 7 - James Blish<script language="JavaScript" type="text/javascript">
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<b>Title:</b> Star Trek 7<br />
<strong>Author:</strong> James Blish<br />
<strong>Genre: </strong>Science-Fiction<br />
<strong>Published:</strong> 1972<br />
<strong>Formats:</strong> Paperback<br />
<strong><br /></strong>
<strong>Available at: </strong><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/0553138731/?tag=bookampthin-20" target="blank">Amazon</a><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0553138731/?tag=salki-21" target="_blank">Amazon UK</a><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Review:</b><br />
“Star Trek 7” by James Blish is the seventh collection of Star Trek Original Series episode novelizations. The six episodes included in this collection are from both Season Two and Season Three and are as follows:
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Who Mourns for Adonais? (Season 2)<br />
The Changeling (Season 2)<br />
The Paradise (Season 3)<br />
Metamorphosis (Season 2)<br />
The Deadly Years (Season 2)<br />
Elaan of Troyius (Season 3)
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Unsurprisingly, I found that the stories based around the Season 2 episodes were better than the ones from Season 3. This is because the standard of Blish’s adaptations tend to scale in relation to source material which began to deteriorate by Season 3. Other than that, it is all very by the book with Blish continuing his competent work in converting the scripts into short stories.
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The stories included in this collection are on the average side in comparison with some other episodes from the Original Series but there are a couple of interesting inclusions that I want to highlight. Firstly, there is the story “Metamorphosis” which introduces the character Zefram Cochrane into Trek Lore. Secondly there is “The Changeling” which is basically the basis for Star Trek: The Motion Picture.
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Overall, there isn’t much else for me to say unless I wanted to summarise all the stories which I think is probably a waste of time as most people who are thinking of reading this collection will know them anyway. The writing itself is competent although the stories themselves aren’t anything that special, but this isn’t the fault of Blish. I probably would only recommend this collection to a completionist which is probably what I will be doing for all my future reviews of these collections.Killiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10372768003008545407noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5124461767763964919.post-22538960730469262052017-07-23T16:59:00.001+01:002017-07-23T16:59:54.126+01:00Turnabout - Carmen Webster Buxton<script language="JavaScript" type="text/javascript">
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<strong>Title:</strong> Turnabout<br />
<strong>Author:</strong> Carmen Webster Buxton<br />
<strong>Genre:</strong> Science-Fiction<br />
<strong>Published:</strong> 2017<br />
<strong>Formats:</strong> Paperback/Ebook<br />
<br />
<strong>Available at: </strong><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B071VVMX3Y?tag=bookampthin-20" target="blank">Amazon</a><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B071VVMX3Y/?tag=salki-21" target="_blank">Amazon UK</a>
<br />
<br />
<strong>Review:</strong><br />
If anyone reads through my reviews they will find quite a few for novels written by Carmen Webster Buxton. She was one of the first Indie Authors I ever read and I have consistently found her books to be well written, enjoyable and entertaining. So when she offered me the chance to read her latest novel, a young adult Sci-Fi adventure called "Turnabout" I couldn't say no.<br />
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The story follows Jason, a young teenager who discovers that he can teleport himself, although it seems to only happen under very specific circumstances. Luckily for Jason, it turns out that one of his teachers also has this ability and explains to him how the process works. What Jason is basically doing is travelling to a parallel Universe and then travelling back to our own but in a different location. His teacher explains however that if he is not thinking clearly when he makes a jump then the process will not work completely and he could find himself stranded in this other Universe. Unfortunately, this is exactly what happens which results in Jason trying to survive in a place where men are outnumbered by women to such an extent that they have no rights and are treated almost like stud bulls. Whilst his teenage brain thinks that a constant supply of sex must be a good thing, he soon realises that this comes at a price of his own freedom and he then embarks on an adventure with the aim of getting home.
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I was glad that the novel was mainly based about surviving in the alternate universe as I was worried initially that the novel was going to end up being another standard teenager teleport story. Luckily this wasn't the case and I found the book thoroughly enjoyable to the point that I pretty much read it all in one day. Buxton's writing was also excellent as always, with the action and adventure being well supplemented by the exploration of the matriarchal culture which exists in the other Universe. The various well developed characters helped to enhance this cultural exploration and assisted the reader in understanding what it would be like to live there as a local rather than just as someone new to the society like Jason.
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I suppose my only issue was with the ending as Jason's return home was a little bit to easy and neatly tidied up for my liking. Basically, Jason returns to his own Universe and manages to get back to his family in the space of only one chapter even though he has been missing for quite a while. This is only a minor problem but I do wish that there had been a few more chapters used to extend his return and create a more structured ending.
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Overall, this was an entertaining read with a creative and engrossing story which had me hooked very early on. Don't be fooled by the initial chapters on teleportation, this novel is much more than that and I think it would specifically appeal to those who like Sci-Fi novels which explore dystopian alternative societies. Personally, I really hope that there is a sequel in the future as I want to know more about the interaction between our own world and the alternative one.
Killiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10372768003008545407noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5124461767763964919.post-27503889250856631282017-06-28T22:32:00.004+01:002017-06-28T22:32:58.066+01:00Star Trek: Uhura's Song - Janet Kagan<script language="JavaScript" type="text/javascript">
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<b>Title:</b> Uhura's Song<br />
<strong>Author:</strong> Janet Kagan<br />
<strong>Genre:</strong> Science-Fiction<br />
<strong>Published:</strong> 1985<br />
<strong>Formats:</strong> Hardback/Paperback/Ebook<br />
<strong><br /></strong>
<strong>Available at: </strong><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000FC0W0G/?tag=bookampthin-20" target="blank">Amazon</a><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B003YCP9YI/?tag=salki-21" target="_blank">Amazon UK</a><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Review:</b><br />
"Uhura's Song" by Janet Kagan is an Original Series novel set on the planet Eeiauo where the Enteprise is attempting to help the planet’s feline inhabitants battle a plague. Things soon become worse however when the disease jumps the species barrier and begins to spread to other planets. Before long it becomes clear that a song Uhura learnt from an Eeiauoan diplomat in her early career may hold the secrets needed to stopping the disease as it hints at a cure in the Eeiauoan past. The Enterprise’s crew therefore work hard to try and unravel the truths hidden in the song.
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Kagan’s writing and pacing are spot on and I have to say that the standard is much higher than quite a few other Trek novels I have read. Her excellent writing is supplemented by the creation of a wonderfully complicated new alien culture. I thoroughly enjoyed seeing how the cultural differences affected how the Federation and the Eeiauoans interacted with each other. The ability to properly develop a one off alien species is without doubt one of the real advantages that the novels can have over the TV series and this is a prime example.
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It was also great to see Uhura use her linguistic skills and emotional intellect to make a significant impact on the outcome of the story. I suppose, the title of the book should have given away her importance but it was still good to see her get some proper character development. Her interactions with Spock were particularly wonderful to see and really helped showcase her character.
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Whilst it was good to see Uhura get an important role in the story, she was overshadowed by another character which annoyed me. Namely the far too perfect, Dr. Evan Wilson. Seriously… she is beautiful and feisty enough to entice Kirk, smart and intellectual so she can challenge Spock, able to compete with Sulu at swordplay and is a wizard with the computer. It was all too much for me, especially when I am not sure was even needed as everything she did could have been handled by various different crew members.
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Overall, this is a thoroughly enjoyable novel and much better than the previous two Trek novels I read by Robert E. Vardeman. It really was a pleasure to read this and if it wasn’t for my annoyance with Dr. Evan Wilson it probably would have been up there as one of my favourite Trek novels to date. In the end though, I would advise any Trek fan to go give this book a read, just for the joy of seeing Uhura in all her glory.
Killiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10372768003008545407noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5124461767763964919.post-9369568584783115182017-04-24T13:00:00.001+01:002017-04-24T13:02:11.026+01:00Click Date Repeat Again - K J Farnham (Guest Review)So, my wife is a big fan of K J Farnham and when she read her latest novel "Click Date Repeat Again" she basically bullied me into letting her post a Guest Review on my blog. <br />
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Anyway, I am pleased to be able to share this review that she wrote which was also published on her blog (<a href="http://www.sarahlking.com/">http://www.sarahlking.com</a>).<br />
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<b>Title:</b> Click Date Repeat Again<br />
<strong>Author:</strong> K J Farnham<br />
<strong>Genre:</strong> Contemporary Romance<br />
<strong>Published:</strong> 2017<br />
<strong>Formats:</strong> Paperback/Ebook<br />
<strong><br /></strong>
<strong>Available at: </strong><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00MXSLAJC/?tag=bookampthin-20" target="blank">Amazon</a><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00MXSLAJC/?tag=salki-21" target="_blank">Amazon UK</a><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Review:</b><br />
Click Date Repeat Again is the second novel in the series by K J Farnham. It can be read and enjoyed as a novel in its own right; however, as a huge fan of Click Date Repeat I would recommend reading that one first as it hugely enhances the reader’s enjoyment of the second story.
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In Click Date Repeat Again we meet Jess Mason, a twenty-something who has just come out of a bad relationship and who has a pretty poor track record with the opposite sex. Her friend, Chloe, who we met and got to know in the first book, has bought Jess a subscription to a dating website. Sceptical but nonetheless keen to break the habit of a lifetime and find a nice guy, Jess jumps feet first into the world of online dating, with some unexpected and amusing results!
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In short, I absolutely adored this book. Stylistically it is flawless, and the story flows at a perfect pace. I found myself completely absorbed and unable to put it down, desperate to know whether Jess was going to get her happy ending. Farnham does an amazing job in creating some memorable characters: Jess is complex, a little vulnerable and hugely sympathetic, and I found myself really cheering her on towards the end, hoping that she was going to end up in the arms of one guy in particular. If you want to know which guy and whether she does….well, you’ll just have to read it to find out.
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Five stars. An amazing read; highly recommended for fans of women’s fiction, contemporary fiction and romance.
Killiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10372768003008545407noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5124461767763964919.post-41798618221029618802017-03-22T12:33:00.000+00:002017-03-22T12:36:02.621+00:00Star Trek: Mutiny on the Enterprise - Robert E. Vardeman <script language="JavaScript" type="text/javascript">
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<b>Title:</b> Mutiny on the Enterprise<br />
<strong>Author:</strong> Robert E. Vardeman <br />
<strong>Genre:</strong> Science-Fiction<br />
<strong>Published:</strong> 1983<br />
<strong>Formats:</strong> Hardback/Paperback/Ebook<br />
<strong><br /></strong>
<strong>Available at: </strong><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003YCOTHQ/?tag=bookampthin-20" target="blank">Amazon</a><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B003YCOTHQ/?tag=salki-21" target="_blank">Amazon UK</a><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Review:</b><br />
“Mutiny on the Enterprise” by Robert E. Vardeman is one of the early Star Trek Original Series novels published by Pocket Books. The story follows the Enterprise which is sent on a mission to deliver a diplomatic team in the hope of halting hostilities between two worlds despite being long overdue a break for some maintenance actions. However, when Kirk rescues a stranded space-traveller called Lorelei on the way, he gets more than he bargained for as she appears to cast a spell of pacifism over the crew, risking both the mission and Kirk’s control of the Enterprise.
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As with Vardeman’s other early Trek novel, “The Klingon Gambit” this book really wasn’t one of my favourites. Basically, the main characters don’t feel right and the story is at times overly complicated with far too much going on. The only passing marks the novel gets is that the premise of the story itself is quite interesting and Vardeman’s writing is acceptable enough but this wasn’t enough to make this an enjoyable read. <br />
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Another issue I had with the story is the way in which Lorelei is attempting to stop the Enterprise’s mission on the premise of pacifism. In my head, it was quite clear that if the Enterprise did not get involved there would be a war so whilst I appreciate there was the chance that violence could result from the Enterprise getting involved; it seemed there was more chance of this happening if the mission was abandoned. Therefore, sabotaging the mission to me was a form of passive aggression and therefore not pacifist.
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Overall, this is a rather weak Star Trek novel which an interesting premise which is badly executed in a clumsy and overly contrived way. I would only recommend this novel for those of you out there like me who want to read every Trek novel.Killiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10372768003008545407noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5124461767763964919.post-75662929683495705712017-02-26T16:34:00.001+00:002017-02-26T16:34:23.389+00:00A Woman Named Sellers (Witches of Pendle Book 2) - Sarah L King<script language="JavaScript" type="text/javascript">
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Title: A Woman Named Sellers (Witches of Pendle Book 2)<br />
Author: Sarah L King<br />
Genre: Historical-Fiction<br />
Published: 2016<br />
Formats: Paperback/Ebook<br />
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<strong>Available at: </strong><br />
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<br />
<b>Review:</b><br />
“A Woman Named Sellers” is the 2nd novel in Sarah L King’s historical fiction series entitled “The Witches of Pendle” although it can quite easily be enjoyed as a standalone novel. As with my review of the previous novel, I shall start by informing you all that the author is my wife and I was involved in some of the initial edits of the book. Of course, I am still trying to be fair and honest in this review but I think it is only right that people know about my relationship with the author.
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The story is set 22 years after the infamous 1612 Pendle Witch trials and the events of the previous novel, “The Gisburn Witch”. The main protagonist is a young woman named Jennet Sellers who is forced to move in with relatives in the village of Barley, Lancashire after the death of her father. Jennet harbours a dark secret which has left her guilt-ridden and unable to accept any form of real happiness in her life. Despite this, she soon finds herself falling in love with William, a stonemason from Cumberland. Yet, just as she begins to accept the chance of a real future with William, her secret is revealed to the world and a series of events unfold which leaves her facing a very familiar and dangerous situation from her childhood which may result in her losing her life.
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The pacing seems exactly right here, with the story starting off at a much better pace than the previous novel with this pacing then ramping up along with the tension as the story progresses. In addition, this novel covers a shorter time period which meant there was both a better flow and a greater opportunity to grow the characters. Simply put, whilst I felt King did a great job with her structure of “The Gisburn Witch”, I felt it was even better this time.
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In regards to the characters, well they all felt genuine and this time around I actually felt some real sympathy for the main protagonist. At times her constant self-recrimination could get a little bit irritating but I could understand why she ended up like that considering every bit of happiness seemed to be followed by disaster which she would blame herself for. I ended up feeling some real empathy for Jennet and William, the man she falls in love with. In all honesty, it got to the point that the various forms of suffering they endured left me in tears.
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Overall, this is another excellent Historical Fiction novel and I think it is better than the previous novel, “The Gisburn Witch”. Whilst you don’t need to have read that previous novel, there are quite a few little Easter eggs related to it around the novel which did leave me smiling when I noticed them. If you have read the first novel, then you should pick this one up as well. If you haven’t read either then I would recommend you give them a go if you are looking for some engaging, Historical Fiction novels.Killiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10372768003008545407noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5124461767763964919.post-15963719527850962592017-02-14T12:18:00.002+00:002017-02-14T12:18:32.379+00:00Star Trek: The Klingon Gambit - Robert E. Vardeman <script language="JavaScript" type="text/javascript">
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<b>Title:</b> The Klingon Gambit<br />
<strong>Author:</strong> Robert E. Vardeman <br />
<strong>Genre:</strong> Science-Fiction<br />
<strong>Published:</strong> 1981<br />
<strong>Formats:</strong> Hardback/Paperback/Ebook<br />
<strong><br /></strong>
<strong>Available at: </strong><br />
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<b><br /></b>
<b>Review:</b><br />
“The Klingon Gambit” by Robert E. Vardeman is an Original Series Star Trek novel which is set firmly during the first 5 year mission period. The story follows the Enterprise as it is ordered to Alnath II where a Klingon ship is suspected of murdering the crew of a Vulcan science ship. Meanwhile an Archaeological team down on the planet refuse to leave despite the continued threat of the Klingons. Before long both the crews of the Enterprise and Klingons being to act irrationally and the risk of a major interstellar incident looms.<br />
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The first thing I noted was how short this novel is, at only around 160 pages long it isn’t the most in-depth or extravagant story. It feels more like one of the Bantam Star Trek novels which isn’t surprising when you realise that this was only the third Star Trek story released by Pocket Books. The issue with the short length however means that the book doesn’t always flow very well and issues with the passage of time abound. An example of this is that when Kirk asks for a Security Team to be assembled it seems to happen almost instantly. The author is basically racing through the story and not thinking about how to show at least some level of passing time.<br />
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Another problem with the book is that the characters are all over the place. I will admit that part of this is due to the interference of an outside force but the various out-of-character actions are still rather irritating. Unless, the plot of a Trek novel is clever, well-crafted and paced correctly, I think removing that ability to understand and appreciate the characters we all know well diminishes the book. In the case of “The Klingon Gambit” I didn’t think the story was good enough and therefore losing the characters I know reduced my enjoyment quite substantially.<br />
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The next issue I had with the novel relates to the time in which it was written. The Klingon’s themselves are missing a lot of the nuances and enhancements which were introduced in later series and novels. They are basically all brutes, who only operate for their on self-gain and are clearly just bad! In addition to this issue, some of the writing itself feels rather racist, sexist and xenophobic. It isn’t always the most comfortable of reads for a modern reader but as long as you can understand the context of when it was written, it can be ignored.<br />
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My review has been very negative so far and in simple terms I have to say that this wasn’t a very good Trek novel. However, in an attempt to highlight some positives I will say that there is a decent idea within the plot which I did find interesting at times and I still managed to finish it. Unless you are desperate to read every Trek novel I wouldn’t necessarily bother with this one.Killiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10372768003008545407noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5124461767763964919.post-71062859210182965842017-01-20T12:25:00.001+00:002017-01-20T12:25:31.596+00:00On Basilisk Station (Honor Harrington Book 1) - David Weber<script language="JavaScript" type="text/javascript">
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Title: On Basilisk Station (Honor Harrington Book 1) <br />
Author: David Weber<br />
Genre: Science-Fictiony<br />
Published: 1992<br />
Formats: Hardback/Paperback/Ebook<br />
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<br />
<b>Review:</b><br />
“On Basilisk Station” by David Weber is the first book in the Honor Harrington series. This series is in the military science-fiction genre, although it does probably fit the space opera mould as well. I have to admit that I only actually read the book because it was being given away for free on Amazon and the series as a whole did seem to be reasonably well respected.
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The story follows Honor Harrington who has recently been made captain of the spaceship HMS Fearless, a light cruiser in the Manticoran Navy. Honor faces some resentment issues with her crew however which is only exacerbated when a new weapons policy from the admiralty doesn’t work consistently and they are “punished” for this failure by sending them to Basilisk Station, a well-known dead end assignment. However with a threat to Manticore looming in the form of the People’s Republic of Haven, Basilisk Station could be much more important than anyone could ever have imagined.
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This was an enjoyable space adventure with an interesting and engaging plot which takes the reader on a bit of a thrill ride. In addition, the lack of any gender bias was quite impressive to see, it really didn’t matter if someone was female or male in this world as there was no difference between them when it came to their role, be that military or civilian. The world in which Weber has created is superbly detailed, with corrupt officers, interest laden politicians, and incompetent leaders aplenty. He has clearly thought through all the various political situations and technologies which would be utilised in this far off future.
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Honor Harrington herself is an interesting enough character and I do like how Weber has created a female lead but has avoided sexualising her or bogging her done in a romantic sub-plot. Instead, we get a ship captain, who is resourceful, determined, well skilled in tactics and just so happens to be female. However, she is a little bit too perfect for my liking. The way in which she seems to succeed at everything and has pretty much no character flaws resulted in my eyes rolling a few times throughout the novel. It doesn’t help that everyone seems to fawn over her and the characters who quite clearly dislike her are also quite clearly “bad” people.
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The main issue with the novel however is in regards to the various info dumps that Weber likes to drop. He just seems to enjoy dropping lots of technical information on the reader and this resulted in me skimming over multiple pages of missile ranges and physics explanations. It basically got a little bit dry and boring at times to the point were in sections it felt like a text book. I would much rather have seen this information dropped on the reader in slower time via the characters themselves. It doesn’t help that some of the pacing in the battle sections which should be the most exciting part of the novel is affected by these info dumps.
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A final comment of mine is in regards to the treecats, an aboriginal lifeform who come from Sphinx, one of the planets of the Manticore system. Basically, Honor has one with her called “Nimitz” who seems to be some form of companion. I really do have no idea what the point in this creature was though. Honestly, it just felt like it was just some way to differentiate Honor from everyone else.
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Overall, despite my issues with the tendency to info dump and the fact that Honor is a bit too perfect; the book was still an enjoyable experience. If you are looking for some fun military based Space Opera then you should probably consider picking up this book, especially as I think you can still get it for free from the publisher.Killiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10372768003008545407noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5124461767763964919.post-35111535232630274112016-12-19T19:39:00.000+00:002016-12-19T19:40:13.087+00:00Star Trek: The Rings of Tautee - Dean Wesley Smith & Kristine Kathryn Rusch<script language="JavaScript" type="text/javascript">
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<b>Title:</b> The Rings of Tautee<br />
<strong>Author:</strong> Dean Wesley Smith & Kristine Kathryn Rusch<br />
<strong>Genre:</strong> Science-Fiction<br />
<strong>Published:</strong> 1996<br />
<strong>Formats:</strong> Paperback/Ebook<br />
<strong><br /></strong>
<strong>Available at: </strong><br />
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<b><br /></b>
<b>Review:</b><br />
“The Rings of Tautee” is an original series Star Trek novel written by Dean Wesley Smith and Kristine Kathryn Rusch. The story follows the crew of the USS Enterprise as it investigates a Solar System which appears to be disintegrating. Whilst the crew suspect this may be a new Klingon super weapon they are also focused on a pre-warp civilisation which will soon be wiped out. The Prime Directive limits their ability to assist this alien race, but if they don’t do something then this species and potentially the entire galaxy will be destroyed by an ever increasing wave of destruction.<br />
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This is a reasonably interesting novel which does a good job in its characterisations of the various original series characters. Considering the authors involved, I am not surprised by this as they are experienced Trek writers so know the characters well. The plot itself is entertaining enough and there are a few engaging emotional moments included, mainly related to the Tauteeans themselves.. However, I have to admit there were a few times that I rolled my eyes in disbelief at the number of issues which kept coming along.<br />
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My biggest issue though, was in regards to the way in which the novel interprets the Prime Directive. I have always hated the way in which Star Trek sometimes uses the Prime Directive as an excuse for not helping a doomed civilisation which is how it has been depicted here. In my mind, the Prime Directive should be used to ensure the Federation does not influence the growth or development of a civilisation. It shouldn’t be an excuse to stand back and allow an alien species to go extinct. As I said, Star Trek has used the Prime Directive in this way before but it always annoys me as it never feels right to me and I can’t believe that this really would be the aim.<br />
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Overall, this was an interesting enough story although nothing out right special. The application of the Prime Directive irritated me a bit but I could probably say the same about many other novels and episodes. It stands quite firmly in that middle of the road area of Star Trek novels so most readers should find it reasonably enjoyable.Killiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10372768003008545407noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5124461767763964919.post-15568988931115270122016-11-19T08:15:00.002+00:002016-11-19T08:15:42.167+00:00Tehanu (Earthsea Book 4) - Ursula K. Le Guin<script language="JavaScript" type="text/javascript">
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<b>Title:</b> Tehanu (Earthsea Book 4) <br />
<b>Author:</b> Ursula K. Le Guin<br />
<b>Genre:</b> Fantasy<br />
<b>Published:</b> 1990<br />
<b>Formats:</b> Hardback/Paperback/Ebook<br />
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<b>Review:</b><br />
“Tehanu” by Ursula K. Le Guin is the fourth book in the Earthsea fantasy series. The story is returns the reader to the island of Gont and the woman Tenar who had been brought to the Island by Ged after he had rescued her in the previous novel “The Tombs of Atuan”. Years have passed since then and she is ow as a widow with her own grown-up children. However, her seemingly ordinary life soon changes when she opts to take in a severely abused child as a foster daughter.
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The book was written several years after the original trilogy and it is therefore quite different from the previous books, in both style and substance. Le Guin has quite clearly picked up a stronger feminist viewpoint since the original trilogy and has used “Tehanu” as a novel in which she can call out the inequity between the sexes in both the fantasy genre and the world in general. Fundamentally, I don’t have an issue with this except for the fact that I think she takes it too far. Perhaps this is just a defensive viewpoint from a man, but at times it almost felt like every female character was somehow worthy and important whilst the men were portrayed as weak and flawed. In fact, the way in which Ged has been reduced to depressed individual who mopes around feeling sorry for himself felt rather inconsistent with the man we had come to know in the other novels.
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Her writing of course is as skilful as always and overall plot itself was rather intriguing if not brimming with action or a fast pace. But to be honest, anyone who has read any of Le Guin’s other Earthsea books should be used to that by now. The ending itself was left a little bit open for my liking but I think this is intentional as it is being used to set up future books in the series.
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Overall, I did enjoy this latest book in the Earthsea series but it wasn’t a favourite of mine. I found the stripping back of Ged’s dignity a bit sore to take and the in your face feminist slant just came across to strongly.Killiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10372768003008545407noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5124461767763964919.post-75347520034551259932016-11-08T12:38:00.000+00:002016-11-08T12:45:50.146+00:00Star Trek: Purgatory's Key (Legacies Book 3) - Dayton Ward & Kevin Dilmore<script language="JavaScript" type="text/javascript">
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<b>Title:</b> Purgatory's Key<br />
<strong>Author:</strong> Dayton Ward & Kevin Dilmore<br />
<strong>Genre:</strong> Science-Fiction<br />
<strong>Published:</strong> 2016<br />
<strong>Formats:</strong> Paperback/Ebook<strong><br /></strong><br />
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<b><br /></b><br />
<b>Review:</b><br />
"Purgatory's Key" by Dayton Ward & Kevin Dilmore is the final book in the “Legacies” trilogy of novels which were written to mark the 50th anniversary of Star Trek. It picks up directly from the events that occurred at the end of the previous novel, Best Defense” with the Enterprise heading to the planet Usilde to see if they can actually rescue the various people now trapped in an alternate universe. Of course with the Klingon’s already holding the planet, it is not going to be an easy task. Meanwhile, in the alternate universe, Captain Una along with the recently arrived Sarek, Joanna McCoy & the Klingon Gorkon are trying to work out themselves if there is any chance to get home.
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The authors have crafted a well-written novel that wraps up all the various loose ends. The writing is competent and the plot itself is enjoyable enough with some entertaining action sequences interspersed amongst the other more cerebral sections of the novel. In addition, the various main characters acted exactly as I would have expected, but considering the Treklit experience of the authors involved this didn’t surprise me.
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However, the story did have various issues which detracted from my overall enjoyment. I suspect most of them however were related to the quantity of plot lines the authors had to get completed. Basically, we just seemed to skim the surface of the various story elements and there was pretty much zero development of the characters. The authors just didn’t seem to have the time to get deeper down into the plot lines and characters. This lack of depth was really highlighted to me in relation to the strange intermediate “ether” realm that existed between the two Universes. I have to admit that I got a little bit confused here as I couldn’t understand why or how this strange realm existed or how it actually worked. It almost felt more like Fantasy than Science-Fiction although I know the differences between these two genre can be rather blurred.
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Overall, this is a competent enough conclusion to the series and if you have read the other novels then you will at least get some closure by reading "Purgatory's Key". I think in the end the best way to describe this book and the series as a whole is that they are reasonably enjoyable standard Star Trek novels. They aren’t bad but I just don’t think they lived up the 50th Anniversary hype. Killiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10372768003008545407noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5124461767763964919.post-91346108284709298262016-09-29T19:31:00.001+01:002016-09-29T19:31:55.930+01:00Star Trek: Best Defense (Legacies Book 2) - David Mack<script language="JavaScript" type="text/javascript">
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<b>Title:</b> Best Defense<br />
<strong>Author:</strong> David Mack<br />
<strong>Genre:</strong> Science-Fiction<br />
<strong>Published:</strong> 2016<br />
<strong>Formats:</strong> Paperback/Ebook<br />
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<br />
<b>Review:</b><br />
“Best Defense” is the second book in the “Legacies” series of novels which are being written to mark the 50th anniversary of Star Trek. The story picks up several weeks after the previous book ended with the reveal that Captain Kirk's yeoman was a Romulan spy who had now stolen and alien artefact known as the Transfer Key. Whilst the crew of the Enterprise are trying to deal with this situation, Ambassador Sarek reaches out to the Enterprise to come to his aid in the peace talks which are taking place between the Federation and the Klingon Empire. If these peace talks fail that the Klingon Empire and Federation may both be doomed and therefore Kirk has no choice but to try and help Ambassador Sarek. In parallel to this, the reader also gets to follow Captain Una who is now in the Jatohr universe where she is determined to find her lost colleagues.
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David Mack has done a decent job in building on the elements introduced in the first book, creating a fast paced adventure which nicely balances elements of intrigue, diplomacy and action. I quite simply struggled to put the book down and would probably say that I enjoyed it more than the first novel, “Captain to Captain”. There is also some decent progress being made in the storyline which was nice to see as 2nd novels in a trilogy can sometimes fall into the trap of being nothing more than filler which thankfully isn’t the case here.
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The only real issue I have is in relation to the sections of the novel dedicated to Captain Una. Whilst in the previous novel I was surprised at how central she was to the story, this time it feels like she has been shunted off to the side with her sequences in the Jatohr universe coming across as being rather dull. I actually think that Mack has reduced her role a little bit too much and some more expansion of what was going on the Jatohr universe may have actually made these sequences more entertaining.
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Overall this was a very satisfying and entertaining story which follows on neatly from the events seen in “Captain to Captain”. There may be a little bit too much included in the novel which does limit some sections such as those set in the Jatohr universe but this is a minor quibble. If you read the first book, then I really do recommend you pick up this novel as well. For myself, I am now looking forward to getting stuck into the finale of this entertaining trilogy.Killiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10372768003008545407noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5124461767763964919.post-55180793805796467112016-08-29T22:23:00.004+01:002017-08-26T11:06:03.692+01:00Dark Fire (Matthew Shardlake Book 2) - C.J. Sansom<script language="JavaScript" type="text/javascript">
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Title: Dark Fire (Matthew Shardlake Book 2)<br />
Author: C.J. Sansom<br />
Genre: Historical Mystery<br />
Published: 2004<br />
Formats: Hardback/Paperback/Ebook<br />
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<strong>Available at: </strong><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003O86FLI/?tag=bookampthin-20" target="blank">Amazon</a><br />
<a href="http://www.bookdepository.com/Dark-Fire-C-J-Sansom/9781447285847/?a_aid=booksandthings81" target="_blank">The Book Depository</a><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B003O86FLI/?tag=salki-21" target="_blank">Amazon UK</a>
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<b>Review:</b><br />
“Dark Fire” by C.J. Sansom is the 2nd novel in his “Matthew Shardlake” series of historical mystery novels. In this novel, the hunchback lawyer, Matthew Shardlake is asked to defend a young lady who is accused of murdering her cousin. The case is difficult enough but his client is also refusing to speak and if she doesn’t make a plea at court, she will be forced to face the “Press” which is a rather unpleasant torture device. However, he is soon offered a reprieve and is given two weeks to investigate the case on the proviso that he carries out a job for Lord Cromwell. Unfortunately, no job for Cromwell is without its own risks.
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As with “Dissolution”, the previous book in the series I found this novel to be written in an intelligent and competent manner. The pace starts off quite slowly but as the story progresses the pacing picks up and it becomes harder and harder to put the book down. The description of 16th century London is also exquisite and I could easily envisage the Tudor world, both in look and culture. But what really worked here is that Sansom manages to showcase this period without getting distracted from the actual art of storytelling. It never feels dry or boring; I was quite simply entertained from start to finish.
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The characters themselves are realistic and varied, with a level of depth that it is quite impressive. Shardlake himself has mellowed somewhat since the events of the first novel and despite some of his viewpoints still being outside the norm for a contemporary person, his intelligence, modesty and honesty will still endear him to the reader, especially when you consider the world in which he inhabits appears to be lacking in these values. I also loved his new acquaintance, John Barak, a brash young man who works for Cromwell and provides a wonderful partner for Shardlake. I really hope to see more of Barak in future novels as I look forward to seeing how his relationship with Shardlake develops.
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Overall, I found this to be another enjoyable and interesting mystery novel that provides both an entertaining plotline and a vivid image of Tudor London. I can’t wait to read the next book in the series as I expect it to be just as entertaining as the previous two novels, but also because I am beginning to really love the characters of Shardlake and Barak and want to see how they further develop.Killiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10372768003008545407noreply@blogger.com0