Open Season - Linda Howard

Title: Open Season
Author: Linda Howard
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Published: 2001
Formats: Hardback/Paperback/Ebook

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“Open Season” by Linda Hamilton is the type of novel that I would normally never read. However, as part of the 2013 Eclectic Reader Challenge I needed to read a Romantic Suspense book. Therefore after several hours of scouring Goodreads and reviewing the local library stock I ended up deciding to read this book.

The plot follows a local librarian called Daisy who has an epiphany on her birthday and realises that she needs to make some drastic changes in her life in order to snare a man. Therefore with the help of her mother, aunt and a supposedly gay antiques dealer she slaps on the make-up, gets a haircut and changes her entire wardrobe. At the same time she meets the local police chief, Jack Russo who finds something attractive in Daisy even before her makeover. Unfortunately, Daisy can’t stand the man and isn’t afraid to let him know it. However, when she accidently witnesses a crime, she gets forced into spending even more time with him and a relationship begins to develop.

As I said above, I am not an expert in this type of novel but the entire plot seemed a little bit cliché. A woman having a makeover and then getting the guy really didn’t sound very original to be honest although maybe I am mistaken. However, this didn’t bother me that much because for me it was something different to the norm and therefore I just sat back and actually found myself enjoying it a little. It was a nice and light read that didn’t tax my mind and there was a good amount of humour present throughout. I even laughed out loud at one point during a sex scene involving a Party Pack that Daisy had picked up from a local pharmacist.

One of the biggest issues I had with the story was in regards to the lack of actual suspense. Howard’s decision to show the villain’s viewpoint throughout the novel meant that there were never any surprises and I never once did I feel that Daisy was actually in any danger as Jack had the threats identified very early on. To make it worse, towards the end one of the villains just hands himself in at the police station which ensures the police have to do pretty much no additional investigation work. As for the novel’s epilogue, the less said the better but I was left speechless by the ridiculousness and needlessness of it. Without doubt, this is a book that has been tailored to showing the development of a romantic relationship rather than providing a thrilling and suspenseful plot.

In regards to the characters in the story, I have to admit that I found Daisy to be rather irritating at times as she was quite a rude person. Jack Russo may have found her to be sassy, but to me she almost seemed downright bigoted at times, especially in regards to her feelings on him being a Yankee. In addition, when you look at society today I found it hard to accept how naive she was and couldn’t understand her outright desperation that she must have a husband. When I now consider how much of the book is dedicated to her relationship with Jack, I am shocked at times to realise that I did still enjoy the book. I think that some of my enjoyment sadistically enough came from the incredulous way in which I viewed Daisy and her antics.

Overall, this is a very quick and easy read that I did find reasonably enjoyable, mainly due to the lashings of humour that Linda Howard has seeded the book with. The mystery and suspense elements of the novel are rather weak so I think this would more likely appeal to people who are bigger fans of the romantic elements. Personally, reading this hasn’t ignited a burning desire to read more books in this genre but at least now I won’t just ignore them on principle if someone either suggest a novel to me or requests a review.

Starfleet Academy: The Assassination Game - Alan Gratz

Title: The Assassination Game
Author: Alan Gratz
Genre: Sci-Fi
Published: 2012
Formats: Hardback/Paperback/Ebook

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“The Assassination Game” by Alan Gratz is the fourth book in the Young Adult Starfleet Academy series set in the continuity of the JJ Abrams Star Trek movie. The novel’s title is a reference to a game played by some of the cadets in which they try and “assassinate” various other cadets via the use of Starfleet sporks. However, the game soon takes a backseat when someone attempts to assassinate various dignitaries for real during a medical conference. All evidence points to a hated alien species known as the Varkolak but Kirk who is acting as an escort to the leader of the Varkolak delegation doesn’t believe it and begins to investigate himself.

As with the other books in the series the story is rather predictable and I worked out who the “bad guy” was very quickly. This is made even worse due to the fact that out of the four books released so far in the series, some of the people involved in the various troubles that occur during the novels have been women that either Kirk or McCoy are interested in. Despite this I still found myself entertained as the story is fast paced, action packed and at times quite funny.

What I really do appreciate in this series is that they do try and provide some type of continuation between them even though there are different authors involved. It is nice to see some of the various minor characters popping up here and there to show at least a little bit of linkage between the novels in the series. In addition, Gratz has continued the good work seen in the previous novels in regards to the characters. They are all well-written and I could once again easily envision these characters being the same ones as seen in the Abrams movie.

One aspect to the story that made me either smile or groan was in regards to the various homages to other aspects of the Trek universe. Some of them were used brilliantly but others just irritated me and there is even one part of the novel that seems to be a blatant word for word copy of events that happened in the TOS episode, “The Trouble with Tribbles”. Sometimes I think the elements of homage within a Star Trek novel can be too much and this was definitely a prime example of this.

Overall this is an enjoyable novel that has been written by a fan of Star Trek who really knows his stuff. It isn’t the most complex of plots but this seems to quite standard for Young Adult Star Trek novels and seems to have been competently written.

The Lost Stories: A Series of Cosmic Adventures - Karl El-Koura

Title: The Lost Stories: A Series of Cosmic Adventures
Author: Karl El-Koura
Genre: Sci-Fi
Published: 2011
Formats: Paperback/Ebook

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“The Lost Stories” is an amusing collection of episodic short stories written by Karl El-Koura that all end in various witty puns. These stories were written over several years and it therefore provides the reader with an interesting look at way in which the author’s writing style changes as the collection progresses.

The overall plot of this collection is the on-going adventures of Captain James Kollins, the rather self-obsessed captain of a spaceship called Deville. Throughout the collection he spends most of his time obsessing about a weekly “holodrama” entitled Captain Courageous and the Women who love him and it is only due to his loyal XO that his ship appears to function in a decent manner. Unfortunately his XO can’t protect him from himself all the time and he constantly manages to cause all sorts of havoc throughout the galaxy.

My first comment on the stories is that there is a religious sub-text to them that I didn’t find very subtle. However, I will say that I didn’t find it preachy and what El-Koura does is try and use a Christian twist in this collection of humorous stories to try and get across some of the messages of his faith.

Outside of this Christian element to the stories, they are all quite amusing and there is a definite Star Trek parody vibe to the entire collection. The use of puns towards the end of each story was quite an enjoyable little quirk that ensured I was always looking forward to the reveal. I will admit that some of the puns did make me groan out load, but this was always done with a smile on my face.

Overall, this was an enjoyable collection of fun Science Fiction stories that showcase some of El-Koura’s talent as a writer. I will admit that I probably enjoyed another of his collections entitled “Ooter's Place and Other Stories of Fear, Faith, and Love“ more but there is no doubt that “The Lost Stories” is an entertaining and amusing collection that should appeal to most fans of Science fiction provided you are not bothered by the underlying Christian messages.

Starcaft II: Flashpoint - Christie Golden

Title: Flashpoint
Author: Christie Golden
Genre: Sci-Fi
Published: 2012
Formats: Hardback/Paperback/Ebook

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Back in the late 1990’s I discovered a PC game called Starcraft that I loved from the moment I installed it. Since then it has become a video game franchise that has continually entertained me although I never seemed to find the time to read any of the related novels. However, as the next game in the series was being released today I decided that I would read Christie Golden’s novel entitled “Flashpoint” which serves as a link between the newly released game and its predecessor. I probably did this mainly because I had to find some way to calm my anticipation that was running in overdrive.

The plot picks up directly from where the single player campaign in “Starcraft 2 – Wings of Liberty” concluded with Jim Raynor carrying Sarah Kerrigan out of a cave on Char following her transformation back into partly human form. From then on, the reader gets to follow Jim & Sarah as they attempt to firstly flee from Zerg infested Char and then escape the continued machinations of Emperor Arcturus Mengsk who is more determined than ever to ensure their deaths. Of course there are hidden dangers as well, especially as some of those who help them in their journey are after more than just simple gratitude.

The writing and pace seemed tidy and competent which I was happy to see in a video game tie in novel like this one but unfortunately I felt that the plot itself was a bit limited. For example, whilst there are some interesting developments and revelations in the book, they are all rather minor and I can’t say that any of them really surprised me. In addition, due to the book needing to tie in with the games there was no real sense of drama or risk as I knew that all the main characters were going to survive. I will add that Golden does try to deal with this by killing off a secondary character but this just felt a little forced and therefore it didn’t really work for me.

Whilst the story itself may have been a little bit lacking I found that the characters themselves were captured perfectly. Golden has done a great job in making it feel like all the major and minor characters have stepped out of the game and onto the page. The main character element of the book however is probably the relationship between Raynor and Kerrigan and how both of them react to Kerrigan’s return to humanity. I specifically appreciated seeing how Kerrigan was no longer the same woman she had been before infestation as she was now troubled by desperation, guilt and rage. These elements have all combined to create a highly damaged persona which is very understandable considering the billions of lives she has on her conscience.

Overall, I found this to be an enjoyable appetiser for the new Starcraft game that captures the characters perfectly. However the plot itself was probably a little bit limited in scope which I suspect this may be due to the constraints enforced by the games it is linking. Without doubt, this book’s appeal is limited to fans of the Starcraft franchise only and I couldn’t imagine someone enjoying it without any of the background that playing the games can provide. However, even for fans I am not sure if it will add much now that the latest game has actually been released which will probably cover most of the limited points revealed in this book anyway.

Starfleet Academy: The Gemini Agent - Rick Barba

Title: The Gemini Agent
Author: Rick Barba
Genre: Sci-Fi
Published: 2011
Formats: Hardback/Paperback/Ebook

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“The Gemini Agent” is Rick Barba’s 2nd novel set within JJ Abrams’ alternative version of Star Trek. The plot once again is mainly set within Starfleet Academy itself as the cadets begin their preparations for the Zeta mission, an opportunity for them to go out into space on a starship and take on various officer roles in a fictional assignment. Kirk, as expected is hoping to take on a captain’s role, but his chances are dealt a blow when he suffers from a health scare involving blacking out for several hours. Before long Kirk is accused of committing various inappropriate and illegal acts during the blackout period and his very place at the Academy becomes under threat. So together with McCoy, Uhura and the usual gang of friends he tries to find a way to prove his innocence.

As with the other Starfleet Academy novels this book is aimed at the Young Adult market so the plot does move along at quite a fast pace and isn’t the most complex of plot lines. It was very obvious who the “villain” is and therefore there wasn’t any real sense of surprise or curiosity as I read the book. I still found it to be a fun and enjoyable adventure but it was probably the most simplistic mystery story out of all the books in this series so far.

The characters came across in a manner that did tie in with how they appeared within the movie which is one of the continually good aspects of this series. In addition, I appreciated how Barba has tried to use the book to further develop the characters beyond what we have seen on the screen and in other books. For example, whilst the interactions between Spock and Uhura weren’t critical to the plotline they did enable Barba to show the way in which their relationship was continuing to grow and develop.

Overall, this was another solidly enjoyable Star Trek novel aimed at the teenage fans of the JJ Abrams movie. Whilst it was rather an obvious plot, fans of the series will probably appreciate the way in which the book focused on developing the characters and their various relationships.

Ally (The Wess'har Wars Book 5) - Karen Traviss

Title: Ally (The Wess'har Wars Book 5)
Author: Karen Traviss
Genre: Sci-Fi
Published: 2007
Formats: Paperback/Ebook

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“Ally” is the fifth and penultimate book in Karen Traviss’ science fiction series known as the “The Wess'har Wars”. As with my previous reviews of the books in this series I once against advise people to avoid reading this review unless you have read the previous books. This is because most of my commentary on the plot will in all likelihood spoil some aspects of the previous books. If you are interested in giving this series a try however, then feel free to read my review of the first novel which is entitled “City of Pearl” and can be found here.

The story basically continues the events unveiled in the previous novel, “Matriarch” with the Eqbas continuing to prepare for their future journey to Earth alongside trying to rebalance the Isenj home world. As a civil war between the Isenj drags on the Eqbas soon realise that unless something different is done, they may be stuck dealing with the Isenj for the long term when their main goal was to get to Earth. Therefore, a new alien species known as the Skavu are called in to help deal with Isenj and free up the Eqbas so that they may start the journey to Earth. These fanatical ecological warriors soon cause more issues and before long the Wess’har and Isenj realise that they may need to set aside some of their differences and come to an agreement on the future to ensure that the Skavu can be removed from the picture. Meanwhile Lindsey Neville has unleashed the C’naatat virus into the remaining Bezari population which causes a whole new range of issues for the various alien species to deal with.

If the initial sentence in the above description of plot sounds rather similar to what occurred in “Matriarch” then this would be because the first half of the novel doesn’t actually progress the story much. The first few chapters mainly seem dedicated to discussions, inaction and contemplation to the point that the whole thing could drag a little bit and it didn’t offer anything new. Luckily, though as the novel progresses the storyline does pick up and I began to feel like there was some development in both the main plot lines and the rather interesting sub-plots. I am now much more confident that in the next novel I will finally get to see the Eqbas arrive at Earth which I have been looking forward to throughout the previous two novels.

The characters and their development continue to be one of the most interesting and engaging aspect of the series with Aras’ internal struggle against his guilt and other personal demons being a particular plus point in the novel. However, I do have to add that some of the character interactions do appear to have become a little bit repetitive. For example, I don’t know how many more times I can stand reading about Shan’s outright hatred for Rayat or her firm belief that Lindsey Neville is quite simply an idiot. It just means that whilst I got to see some interesting progress in the development of some characters such as Ade, Eddie and Aras there are others like Shan & Lindsey that seem stuck in a rut.

Overall, whilst a lot of this review does come across as being slightly negative, I still enjoyed the novel and was happy to see that there is some real progress being made in the plot by the finale. It really is a book of two halves, both in relation to the initial slow plot progress and in how some characters are developed well whilst others have become quite stagnant in relation to their growth. Personally, I enjoyed the book and am now looking forward to the final book in the series although I have no idea how it is going to conclude as I am finding it hard to envision any sort of happy ending.

Dissolution (Matthew Shardlake Book 1) - C.J. Sansom

Title: Dissolution (Matthew Shardlake Book 1)
Author: C.J. Sansom
Genre: Historical Mystery
Published: 2003
Formats: Hardback/Paperback/Ebook

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“Dissolution” by C.J. Sansom is a book that my wife read a couple of years ago and really enjoyed. So when I found out that I needed to read a Historical Mystery novel as part of the 2013 Eclectic Reader Challenge I decided that it was about time I found out if the book was a good as she had implied.

The plot itself follows Mathew Shardlake, a lawyer in Tudor England and a strong believer in the religious reforms that have spread throughout the country. As one of Thomas Cromwell’s trusted followers, Shardlake is sent to the fictional abbey of Scarnsea to investigate the murder of a commissioner who had been sent there to try and find a manner in which to persuade the monastery surrender its properties and dissolve itself. Whilst there he unveils many other secrets and mysteries but continues with great determination to both find the murderer and ensure the monastery is closed for good.

I found this book to be a well-crafted and entertaining Tudor mystery, full of enjoyable twists and turns that kept me guessing right until the end. As someone who doesn’t read a huge amount of Historical Fiction, I was more than happy to see that Sansom strikes a good balance between the historical setting and entertaining fiction. Basically, he doesn’t get bogged down in trying to showcase various elements of Tudor England; at its heart the novel is an enjoyable mystery with a historical element that is used to add extra depth to the plot.

In regards to the historical setting, I found that the world created by Sansom seemed to pulse with life; there is brutality, despair, fear and turmoil aplenty as the society tries to survive the great sweeping changes that King Henry has unleashed. In addition I found Shardlake himself to be a character who consistently acts like a man of his time period, full of bigotry, prejudice and a belief in the different levels of society. At times this can make him a little bit hard to like, but as long as you accept the fact he has been shaped by his society and he is zealous in his belief that he is helping to build a better future then you should be able to accept him for who he is.

I found the world he has written about pulsed with life, the brutality and degradation, the despair and fear, the struggles and unrest all whirled round in a great turmoil of a society being changed irrevocably. The reign of Henry resulted in far more changes than just a wife or two and this rumbling underground, gradually heading towards the surface is well captured by the prose and plot of 'Dissolution'.

In regards to the language, I did note that whilst there were a few nods to the period in question overall the writing all felt relatively modern. I wish to highlight this as I know that some readers dislike this less authentic feeling when reading a period novel. Personally however, I would much rather be able to easily jump into the story than get bogged down trying to work my way through the language as it may have been used during that period in our history.

Overall, I found this to be a really enjoyable and interesting mystery novel that does a good job in trying to capture the world and characters of the Tudor period. As someone who doesn’t normally read this genre of book, I can’t honestly say if regular readers will enjoy the book. However, if you are someone wanting to try out the genre then I can’t recommend this book highly enough as an entertaining introduction to Historical Mysteries.