Tag: Book blogger

Book Review – Doctor Who: Time Lord Victorious: The Knight, The Fool, And The Dead

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‘So,’ she said, ‘the trick is to spend our days trying to live instead of trying not to die?’

The Knight, The Fool, And The Dead, page 126

There is a lot to like in this short Doctor Who novel. The tenth doctor has traveled to the Dark Times shortly after declaring himself the Time Lord Victorious, a being who has the discretion to write the rules of time as he sees fit. He is also struggling and running away from his own impending demise after being told a prophecy of his impending death/regeneration. During his adventure to this time period, the Doctor quickly runs into the Kotturuh, a species who judges all creatures by their potential contribution to the universe by imposing life spans on them. This removes the immortality all species had at creation, and, in effect, begins the occurrence of ‘natural death.’ The tenth Doctor, along with an Ood assassin, a survivor of the Kotturuh, and a scientist, struggle to determine how to stop the Kotturuh from passing judgement on more planets before death sweeps across the entire universe.

I enjoyed the fast pace of the book, and it was an easy read. I was able to finish it in a couple hours. However, I do think the shortness of the novel detracted from its ability to tell an excellent story rather than just a good one. I loved learning more about the Kotturuh, and they truly are an interesting foe for the Doctor, especially at the stage of his life during this story. The physical description of them was eery and learning more about how they set lifespans was interesting, if not totally understandable or believable. I also really enjoyed the comedy of Brian, the assassin Ood, and was happy with his appearance in this book since I enjoyed him in previous outings as well. There were hints of depth and greatness sprinkled throughout the book, such as in my favorite quote shown above, but I would have liked more existential musings (especially from the Doctor) given the entire book is about death. The ending, however, sets the Doctor in an interesting place and role, and I’m looking forward to seeing what he does with it in future installments of this multimedia project.

Overall, the book is a good and enjoyable read that is somewhat constrained by its length, lack of depth in approaching a topic such as death, and confusing/unbelievable scientific explanations for the Kotturuh’s abilities. Therefore, I rate this book 3 out of 5 stars.

Update: 2021 Reading Challenge

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As part of starting this blog, I decided to increase my reading goal to 100 books for this year. For the past few years, I have typically averaged between 15 and 30 books per year. So, this new goal is a huge step up from my past reading habits. As of today, I have finished 25 books so far this year, which I consider to be a huge accomplishment. Overall, I’ve enjoyed reading them all, and I’m excited to recap some of my favorites from before I started reviewing my reads on the blog.

Wayward Son by Rainbow Rowell

⭐⭐⭐⭐

I really enjoyed this follow up book to Carry On. It was refreshing to see what happens after the hero wins the day, and I liked its exploration of what the ‘chosen one’ does after he is no longer so special. I also loved the LGBT representation in this book. It was a great read to start the year!

The Accursed Kings Series by Maurice Druon

This series is an historical fiction tale describing the fall of the Capetian French dynasty and the beginning of the Hundred Years War. It is a fantastic tale of kings, queens, and nobles filled with intrigue, murder, and political plotting. I started reading the series because I wanted to learn more about French history after learning some details about my own French ancestry. I enjoyed the series immensely as a whole, but some of the books were better than others. The writing style changed abruptly for the last book, and it was a struggle to get through it. It seemed almost superfluous to the story. However, the rest of the series was well done and told a very engaging story while providing interesting info about French history. The books in the series are

  • The Iron King ⭐⭐⭐⭐
  • The Strangled Queen ⭐⭐⭐⭐
  • The Poisoned Crown ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
  • The Royal Succession ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
  • The She Wolf ⭐⭐⭐⭐
  • The Lily and the Lion ⭐⭐⭐⭐
  • The King Without a Kingdom ⭐⭐⭐

Light of the Jedi by Charles Soule

⭐⭐⭐⭐

I think this was a good first entry to the High Republic crossover event. It set up many characters, and the disaster that starts the book off was interesting. I found the particulars of the disaster and hyperspace to be somewhat confusing, but it didn’t impact my enjoyment of the story. I enjoyed seeing the Jedi order and Republic in action during a different time period, and I am looking forward to seeing how this golden age turns into the corruption of the Senate and deterioration of the Jedi order seen in the prequel movies. The villains were intriguing but not up to par with the threat of the Sith. However, the book made it seemed as if there is still more to them than we know. Overall, I think it was a good introduction to this time period.

A Test of Courage by Justina Ireland

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I loved this book, which was a pleasant surprise. I bought it so I wouldn’t miss out on parts of the High Republic story, but I didn’t expect much from it since it is a children’s book. However, the story was really good and tackled some deep themes well, especially coping with loss and grief. It ended up being my favorite of the first wave of High Republic books. If you were thinking of skipping it…don’t!

He Kills Me, He Kills Me Not by Carrie Thompson

⭐⭐⭐⭐

This is one of the first audio dramas in the Time Lord Victorious multimedia event. It is a Western story set on an alien planet. It was fun, and I enjoyed the introduction of Brian the Ood. I didn’t see how it would relate to the overall event at the time, but it sets up some things that become relevant in later stories.

I look forward to seeing what is in store in the next 75 books throughout this year. As always, I will keep you all posted. What are some of your favorite reads so far this year?

ARC Review – Thurmond’s Saga

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***Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a free copy of the book. My review contains my honest thoughts about my reading experience.***

Summary

This story is a fun coming of age adventure that is set in a medieval fantasy. Thurmond, a peasant boy from a village in the middle of nowhere, dreams of becoming an adventurer. Unfortunately, the Order of adventurers will not accept him because he lacks training and equipment, which leads to him working odd jobs in the city until he gets his big break. One fateful day, Thurmond is approached by a stranger with an opportunity to get the experience he needs, which sets him off on a series of life-changing adventures that give him the opportunity to (maybe) become a professional adventurer himself one day. He faces a series of obstacles, including trolls, goblins, and powerful witches, all of which test his mettle and ideals.

Things I Liked

There is so much to like about this book. The attention to detail about the medieval setting is very good. I learned a lot about the armor and weapons from this time period. Thanks to reading this on my Kindle, I learned a lot of new words, as well. I found the writing and story to be engaging throughout the book. It was easy to follow and full of action until the very end. The romance element was incorporated in a fun way and progressed naturally without overshadowing the rest of the story.

The characters were amusing. I particularly enjoyed the humor of the dwarf and the way Sarah was characterized and utilized in the story. She was just as much the hero as any of the male characters, and I liked that the author showed the internal struggle of the men to accept her as a vital part of the group despite the prevailing attitudes of the time toward women. Thurmond’s adventures also led to him learning important lessons and losing some of his naivete as the story progresses.

Things I Didn’t Like

There wasn’t much I didn’t like about this book. However, the characterization of many of the other characters in the book was a bit one-note, especially the villains. They were portrayed as pretty dumb and prone to having fits of rage or hysteria, which were a bit over the top and almost comical. While this was fun to read, it took away a lot of gravitas the book could have had otherwise.

Wrap-Up

All in all, Thurmond’s Saga is a fun, fast-paced fantasy adventure set in medieval times. It is a great coming of age story for both the main protagonist, Thurmond, and one of his companions, Sarah. The detail of the world-building and structure of the story are easy to follow and understand. While the main villains came off a bit flat, I definitely recommend this adventure to people who enjoy fantasy, magic, and the medieval world. Therefore, I rate this book 4 out of 5 stars.

Book Review – Solaris Seethes

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Goodreads Synopsis

A perfect blend of the epic space adventure made famous by Star Wars, to the fun and wit of Star Trek, and the gritty emotions of Battlestar Galactica. It’s also a perfect cure for those who are tired of sparkling vampires and “My inner goddess.” Every myth has a beginning.

After escaping the destruction of her home planet, Lanyr, with the help of the mysterious Solaris, Rynah must put her faith in an ancient legend. Never one to believe in stories and legends, she is forced to follow the ancient tales of her people: tales that also seem to predict her current situation.

Forced to unite with four unlikely heroes from an unknown planet (the philosopher, the warrior, the lover, the inventor) in order to save the Lanyran people, Rynah and Solaris embark on an adventure that will shatter everything Rynah once believed.

My Review

Solaris Seethes by Janet McNulty follows the adventure of Rynah as she flees the destruction of her world. During her escape, Rynah discovers Solaris, an old spaceship with artificial intelligence crafted by her grandfather. With the help of Solaris, Rynah recruits a crew of individuals from throughout Earth’s history who can help fulfill an ancient prophecy to keep other worlds from the destruction her home has experienced. In a race against a villain hell-bent on the destruction and subjugation of every sector of space, the crew must overcome a myriad of obstacles to find six ancient crystals before they can be brought together to create a superweapon of unimaginable destruction.

I have mixed feelings about this book. The story is interesting and intriguing, but the execution is pretty poor. The first half of the book is full of writing plagued by parenthetical explanations (random parentheses filled with descriptions or facts about the worlds or characters…like this). It was distracting and took me out of the story. A more organic approach to world-building would have been preferred. The writing did improve in the second half of the book if you are able to stick with it for that long. The plot was very repetitive, as well, with the characters constantly running from place to place. Many of the main accomplishments of the characters also fell flat for me because they seemed to come a bit too easy.

The best thing about the book was the character moments that happened in the few lulls in the action. I enjoyed the growth of Brie the most and think her arc was fun to read. Solaris was a star of the book, as well, with her witty and sarcastic personality. I also liked the overall set up of the story and the use of prophecy and mystery throughout the book. However, I don’t think there was enough payoff for the book’s mysteries before it’s end. It felt like this was the first of many books without a story of its own to tell. I prefer each book to have at least some sort of discrete story even if it is part of larger over-arching series plot.

Overall, this story was fun, fast-paced, and intriguing. However, it was plagued by an annoying writing style, repetitive plot, unearned accomplishments for the characters, and an inability to stand on its own. Therefore, I rate it 2 out of 5 stars. Unfortunately, I will not be reading the rest of this series, but I really did want to like it and found the premise interesting.

Comic Book Review – Doctor Who: Time Lord Victorious: Monstrous Beauty

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Monstrous Beauty is a three-part comic that was published in the Doctor Who Magazine as part of the Time Lord Victorious multimedia project. In this comic, we find the 9th doctor and Rose after they accidentally venture into the dark times at the very beginning of creation. Throughout this adventure they face multiple obstacles and encounter new, but ancient, species that seem to have a taste for blood.

I don’t hate this story, but I don’t love it either. The premise is interesting, and we get to see a little more of the dark times and some of the monsters that are supposed to make it so scary. It also did a great job of portraying the 9th doctor and Rose. The dialogue really made me feel like I was watching an episode with the two of them in it. The story also provided a glimpse into what the Gallifreyans were up to at this point in history, which was interesting but also confusingly contradictory to the current canon as outlined in the Timeless Children. For example, the Gallifreyan people we see in this comic clearly have mastered space travel, but their genetics are different from that of the doctor, which I assume means they cannot regenerate yet. However, one the most recent episodes of the show indicated that the first space traveler, Tecteun, was also the person who granted the Time Lords regeneration abilities. So, how can they have advanced space travel but not regeneration? Maybe I just missed some detail that explains this, but I still find it very confusing. Most importantly, the ending of this story was rushed and did not make sense to me at all. I think the story would have been better if it had more issues to flesh out the conflicts and resolutions.

Overall, I came away from this comic feeling underwhelmed and somewhat confused. While certain aspects of it were fun to see (it truly was a delight to see nine and Rose back together), this was clearly a forgettable, filler story to explain how the ninth doctor shows up in other parts of the Time Lord Victorious story. Therefore, I rate it 2 out of 5 stars.

March 2021 Reading List

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Now that March is halfway finished, I’ve decided to set some reading goals for the second half of the month. I’m trying to read more, and I’ve found setting concrete goals helps me consistently increase or maintain the amount of reading I do. So, here goes… By March 31, I plan to read the following titles:

  • Genex of Halcyon by Joshua Stelling (ebook)
  • Thurmond’s Saga by Robert John Mackenzie (ebook)
  • The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune (physical copy)
  • Doctor Who: Time Lord Victorious: All Flesh is Grass by Una McCormack (physical copy)
  • Star Wars: Shadow Fall by Alexander Freed (physical copy)
  • Star Wars: Victory’s Price by Alexander Freed (physical copy)
  • Doctor Who: Time Lord Victorious: The Minds of Magnox by Darren Jones (audiobook)

In case you haven’t noticed, I love Doctor Who and Star Wars. 🙂 Needless to say, I have a pretty busy couple of weeks ahead of me, but I am looking forward to all of these books. Now I just need to make it happen!

How do you make sure you meet your reading goals? I’d love to hear some suggestions!