Book Review - The Last Monument by Michael C. Grumley

I am so sick of stories that use World War II or Nazis in their plot that I've pretty much stopped reading or watching them. I'm not sure what possessed me to pick this book up, but I'm sure glad I did.

The Last Monument by Michael C. Grumley is a science fiction treasure hunt. It is available as an eBook, Audiobook, and those paper things your grandparents used to read.

The Good

Characters. The characters were really likable and each had a good personality while the group had great chemistry.

Story. While this is a pretty standard "quest for the McGuffin"-type story, the path it took and the interactions with the characters were different and really compelling.

Scifi Twist. While this wasn't the first time I had seen this particular scifi twist, it was handled really well with a great build up and a satisfying payoff.

The Bad

Cliches. With the amount of thought and care put into the rest of the story, I think the author is capable of coming up with a villain other than the Nazis and a past other than World War II.

What I Would Like to Have Seen

I was very satisfied.

Overall

The Last Monument by Michael C. Grumley is a science fiction treasure hunt. While this is a pretty standard "quest for the McGuffin"-type story, the path it took and the interactions with the characters were different and really compelling. The characters were really likable and each had a good personality while the group had great chemistry. The pacing was just right. While this wasn't the first time I had seen this particular scifi twist, it was handled really well with a great build up and a satisfying payoff. With the amount of thought and care put into the rest of the story, I think the author is capable of coming up with a villain other than the Nazis and a past other than World War II. I am so sick of stories that use World War II or Nazis in their plot that I've pretty much stopped reading or watching them. I'm not sure what possessed me to pick this book up, but I'm sure glad I did. I highly recommend this book and give it 4.5 out of 5 eReaders.

  

 

Book Review: Rip-Off! (scifi/fantasy anthology) aka Mash Up

I love short stories, because they focus on one story or one idea. Novels on the other hand tend to be three or more short stories that eventually meet at the end chopped up into chapter-sized bits. Each chapter ends with the obligatory cliffhanger before switching to the next part of a different story. When you finally return to the cliffhung story, you've lost a lot of interest, and the resolution is usually pretty quick and simple. I love short story anthologies, because there is usually a previously undiscovered gem or two in an otherwise unremarkable collection.

Rip-Off! is a science fiction and fantasy short story anthology with stories by John Scalzi and others. Each author was asked to take the opening line of some work of literature and write a story based on that. Each author describes why he or she chose the line they did. It's available as an audiobook from Audible and an eBook or paperback called Mash Up.

The Good

Muse of Fire by John Scalzi. A physicist is working on a forcefield made of plasma his company wants to sell for money, but he is secretly using it to free his muse of fire girlfriend trapped in Hell.

Begone by Daryl Gregory. A man sees his clone taking his place with his wife, child, and work and makes several attempts to kill him and take his life back. Involves witches.

Karin Coxswain or Death as She Is Truly Lived by Paul Di Filippo. A named Karin dies, goes to Hell, and because a riverboat captain who transports souls across the river Styx. One day her ex-husband dies and books passage on her boat.


The Lady Astronaut of Mars by Mary Robinette Kowal. An old woman who was the first female astronaut to Mars in her youth is now very old and caring for her ailing husband close to death when she is offered a chance to return to space, but it will mean abandoning her husband.

The Mediocre

Fireborn by Robert Charles Wilson. Two children from a rural community become involved with their mythological godlike figures which involves dancing and ascending to the moon. Both have their own plans, and loyalty is explored.

The Evening Line by Mike Resnick. A man comes into money and suddenly women line up to marry him. Mages are employed by all parties to affect the outcome.

The Big Whale by Allen M. Steele. Moby Dick told as a Maltese Falcon-style detective story.

Writer’s Block by Nancy Kress. Fighting writer's block, a man discovers the true cause revolves around his wife in a fantasy tale.

The Bad

No Decent Patrimony by Elizabeth Bear. A man deals with the death of his father.

The Red Menace by Lavie Tidhar. Communism meets fantasy.

Highland Reel by Jack Campbell. This tale takes place in Scotland and explores characters from a Scottish myth.

Every Fuzzy Beast of the Earth, Every Pink Fowl of the Air by Tad Williams. This book is a new spin on the Creation story from The Bible with a girl who claims to be God's daughter who wants to rearrange His creations.

Declaration by James Patrick Kelly. A group of people who spend their lives online in a virtual world decide to declare their independence from reality, but life isn't that simple.

What I Would Like to Have Seen

I wish there had been more good stories, and that the authors hadn't been so self-indulgent.

Overall

Like most short story anthologies, Rip-Off! has a few pretty good stories and a few really disappointing tales. None are gems, and a couple are bombs that I didn't even bother finishing, but overall it is a collection of well-written tales in the science fiction and fantasy genres. I give it 3 out of 5 eReaders.

     

Book Review: Orphan X by Gregg Hurwitz

I've enjoyed spy thriller stories and action adventures since I first saw them parodied on Saturday Morning cartoons. I saw my first James Bond flick at a younger age than I probably should have. In the last few years I've become a voracious reader of crime comic books like Criminal, Sin City, and Whiteout: Melt and crime/spy thriller novels such as The Dispatcher, The Wheelman, and Johnathan Quinn. So when I saw Orphan X was on sale and and was narrated by Scott Brick, I got pretty excited expecting to discover another great writer.

Orphan X is an adventure spy thriller written by Gregg Hurwitz. It's available in all formats: eBooks, Audiobooks, and those paper things your grandparents used to read.

Overview

Orphan X is the story of an ex-government-trained assassin who left because of moral objections and personal loss. He now spends his time and uses his skills to help those who have no one else to turn to. But the government is not content to just "let him go".

The Good

Writing. The writing is good. The author does an excellent job of painting each scene in the readers' minds and making the action come alive. He also spends sufficient time developing each character so the readers understand who they are and what motivates them.

Cover story. This book contains a minor subplot which is basically the protagonist's cover as an ordinary man so his enemies can't find him. The characters and minor conflicts from bullies at school to an assistant DA who is targeted by organized crime to the home owners' association and their bizarre rules are probably the most entertaining and interesting parts of the novel.

The Bad

Characters. The main characters are well developed, but none of them are interesting. The minor characters who are part of the protagonist's cover are the most compelling, but unfortunately they have little page time. The main character, the villains, the victims, are all shallow and one-dimensional. They look like the author saw a crime triller or read a spy novel and said, "That was cool! I want to write that." And did.

Motivation. The motivation for the characters is pretty prosaic and tired. The main character is pretty bland and generic and sounds like dozens of other action heroes. The victims are all minorities with the stereotypical problems of minorities from domestic disputes to immigration concerns and debt. Not a single one is memorable. The villains are little more than the mustached bad guy of mellow dramas tying someone to the train, only they have much better and cooler tech than a steam-powered locomotive. Again, this feels like a bad remake of shows and books I've seen and read before.

Twist. This novel is supposed to have a twist at the climax, but it's something that a reader with even half a brain saw coming from before the middle of the book. In fact, it's the only answer that actually makes sense, because the author neglected to offer any even semi-likely alternatives.

Surprise Ending. I think the end was meant to be a shocker and a twist with the unexpected reveal, but the character involved wasn't interesting enough for me to care, and having a character fake his death only to reappear happens in almost every spy or crime thriller if it lasts very long.

What I Would Like to Have Seen

I wish the author would have done something original and interesting with the main story. He tries to make Orphan X seem all powerful and clever, but nothing he does is different than what every other version of this character does. The story itself is supposed to be intense and filled with intrigue and twists, but instead it's the same ride I've taken many, many times with each twist an expected and overused turn. Which is a shame, because the author is a good writer with talent, just not much imagination or originality.

Overall

Orphan X is a competent book that is entertaining but nothing special. This is the first in a series I have no desire to read. One was enough. I don't regret reading it, but I'm not going to waste my time or money reading anymore. I give it a 3.5 out of 5 eReaders.

    

Book Review: Jonathan Quinn Series

I don't read a lot of spy thriller-type novels, but I do watch a lot of that genre of movies. They tend to work better as movies than books, because it's more interesting to see exotic locals than to read about them, and it's more fun to watch action and fight scenes than read about them. 

The Johnathan Quinn series is a series of action, spy thriller, drama, novels and short stories written by Brett Battles. It features a cleaner (someone hired to bury the body after a government or other entity assassination) who finds himself involved in a lot more than he ever signed up for. It's available as eBooks, Audiobooks, and those old-fashioned paper book things.

The Good

Main Characters. Most of the characters are interesting and developed enough that I care about them, but only the main three characters are developed enough that I feel I really know them and are fully fleshed out. There is a whole slew of secondary major characters that feel a little generic and undeveloped, but that's okay because character development isn't the main focus of this type of story.

Writing. The writing is clean, crisp, and precise. Brett Battles could easily write for radio with his uncanny ability to paint such vivid and precise pictures of both settings and action. I can literally see the book as a movie in my mind without even trying.

Exotic Locals. The adventures of Quinn and crew take them all of the world to places I've heard of and some I never have. The author spends sufficient time describing each location in enough detail that you understand the context but not so much that you feel like you're reading a travelogue. He also describes the locations from the point of view of the man on the street and not a travel channel, so you feel like you are there observing the scene in person and not like you're watching it on tv from a helicopter.

Same but Different. There is a definite formula to these books that makes each one immediate feel familiar and comfortable and you aren't surprised at what you're getting. But the stories and characters evolve from book to book enough that each story feels new and different and not like a remake of a previous one. 

Understands this is a Novel and Plays to those Strengths. The author understands that these are novels to be read, not a movie to be watched. He understands that we can't see the locals or the action--we have to read it. So he does an excellent job focusing on the parts that work best in prose--discussions between characters, internal monologues, and suspense--and keeps the action to a minimum with vivid descriptions of fights that tend to end quickly. 

Audiobook Narration. Most of the novels are read by Scott Brick, who I really enjoy. (The official second novel of the series has someone else reading that does a terrible job, so I haven't bothered to read it. The short stories are not yet available as audiobooks.) He has a very measured, serious tone that works well for this type of story. I know a lot of people don't his style, and if you are looking for a more dramatic style with lots of variation, this isn't it. His voice never changes for different characters so you do have to pay attention to who is speaking. But for this type of story his style works well. I pick up a lot of titles because of his reading and have enjoyed all of them.

The Bad

Formula = Predictability. Each book in the series follows a very similar formula, which is typical of a lot of series. The problem with the formula in these books is it makes it too easy to predict what is going to happen and when. Suspense, twists, wondering what is going to happen next are all essential elements of the spy thriller genre and the reason people read them. When you follow a strict formula, the reader can easily predict what will happen next and how situations will turn out which is counterproductive to the genre. The author also has a bad habit of regularly killing off major secondary characters at the end of his books, so when the deaths come, they lose a lot of impact because you knew it was coming.

What I Would Like to Have Seen

I wish the author would stop killing secondary major killers in such a predictable way. It cheapens their deaths. And I wish he'd mix up the formula a little more so the action wasn't so predictable. There is a lot of suspense, and I enjoy it, but there could be more.

Overall

The Johnathan Quinn series is one of the best spy thriller series I've ever read (or watched if we include all formats of entertainment). The books are well written with interesting characters, and the series is constantly evolving to keep the stories fresh but never straying far from the roots of the original novel losing the magic that hooked me from the beginning. I give it a solid 4.5 out of 5 eReaders.