last reads

War God Rising by Tim Marquitz Publishing information: Kindle Publisher: Amazon Digital Services; 24 Jan 2016 ASIN: B01B1SL422 Standalone Copy: Provided by author Reviewer: Tyson Amazon Synopsis: "Monty Python meets Gladiator! Sand is destined for greatness. Or so a pair of two-bit criminals would have him believe. After rescuing him from certain doom, Bess and Kaede embark on a scheme to game the War God Tournament. It’d be easier if Sand wasn’t an alcohol-soaked twit with a disturbing interest in mutton. Pitted against monsters, magic swords, and murderers galore, they soon realize winning the tourney is the least of their worries." It is no secret that I enjoy a good Marquitz book and I am happy to report that War God Rising is another home run. This time Tim focus his attention on gladiator combat when a old gladiator and a witch join forces to find a young malleable man and hope to ride him to great fortune in the gladiator games that could crown a mortal the God of War,...

LIFE AMONG THE QALLUNAAT by Mini Aodla Freeman Winnipeg: University of Manitoba Press.   2015 Reviewed by Lawrence Millman Mini Aodla Freeman is the granddaughter of Weetalltuk, a legendary Inuit boat-builder, guide, and map-maker who remained a healthy member of his own culture despite hanging out for lengthy periods of time with qallunaat (white people). Whatever genes Weetalltuk possessed that allowed him to inhabit two dramatically different ways of life, he seems to have passed them along to his granddaughter.  Her book Life Among the Qallunaat could just as readily been called Life Among Both the Qallunaat and My Fellow Inuit. Mini, whose surname comes from her marriage to Canadian anthropologist Milton Freeman, was born in 1936 on Cape Hope Island in James Bay. She grew up thinking of qallunaat as being no less exotic than those qallunaat regarded the Inuit. The first portion of the book describes her experiences in Ottawa, where she’d been sent as a translator. A man s...

The Vagrant by Peter Newman Publishing information: Hardback; 400 pages Publisher: HarperCollins; 23 April 2015 ISBN: 9780007593071 Standalone Copy: Out of Pocket Reviewer: Tyson Book Depository Synopsis: "The Vagrant is his name. He has no other. Years have passed since humanity's destruction emerged from the Breach. Friendless and alone he walks across a desolate, war-torn landscape. As each day passes the world tumbles further into depravity, bent and twisted by the new order, corrupted by the Usurper, the enemy, and his infernal horde. His purpose is to reach the Shining City, last bastion of the human race, and deliver the only weapon that may make a difference in the ongoing war. What little hope remains is dying. Abandoned by its leader, The Seven, and its heroes, The Seraph Knights, the last defences of a once great civilisation are crumbling into dust. But the Shining City is far away and the world is a very dangerous place." Every since the cover was revealed fo...

Star Wars: The Force Awakens by Alan Dean Foster Publishing information: Hardback; Publisher: Random House Publishing Group; 1 Jan 2005 ISBN: 9781101885550 Series: Episode VII Copy: Out of pocket Reviewer: Tyson Barnes and Noble Synopsis: "More than thirty years ago, Star Wars burst onto the big screen and became a cultural phenomenon. Now the next adventures in this blockbuster saga are poised to captivate old and new fans alike—beginning with the highly anticipated Star Wars: The Force Awakens. And alongside the cinematic debut comes the thrilling novel adaptation by New York Times bestselling science fiction master Alan Dean Foster. Set years after Return of the Jedi, this stunning new action-packed adventure rockets us back into the world of Princess Leia, Han Solo, Chewbacca, C-3PO, R2-D2,and Luke Skywalker, while introducing a host of exciting new characters. Darth Vader may have been redeemed and the Emperor vanquished, but peace can be fleeting, and evil does not easily re...

Heroic Failure and the British by Stephanie Barczewski New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 2016 Reviewed by Russell A. Potter When it comes to 'heroic failure,' the phrase today seems somehow already associated with Britain -- or, at least, with popular notions about British history and attitudes. And yet the phrase rings American, and indeed among its earliest uses is in reference to John Brown's raid at Harper's Ferry. Since then, it's come to be used more in sarcasm than in seriousness, casting aspersions upon those who seem to fit its mold, as well as sealing off any consideration of what impulses or values might lie behind it. That is, until now. Stephanie Barczewski's new volume collects and considers many of the most iconic moments to which this seemingly oxymoronic phrase has been applied, and does so with gusto. In an age when we trade other peoples' "epic fail" moments on Facebook, and take shelter in schadenfreude , we are per...

Amazing cover by Richard Anderson I hope you are all having a great week, and you love what you're currently reading. If you're like me, one of the books that you're looking forward to reading this spring is Brian Staveley's The Last Mortal Bond , the third and the concluding installment of Staveley's Chronicle of the Unhewn Throne . I've already pre-ordered my copy - a signed and personalized copy. You see... I'm a sucker for signed books of the authors I like. A few days ago Brian announced that two of his local bookshops will have signed (and personalized if pre-ordered) copies of The Last Mortal Bond,  and I wanted to spread the word, in case some of you would not like to miss such an opportunity. Here's what Brian said about it: 2015 was an exciting year. The books are being translated into nine languages at this point.  The Emperor's Blades  won some awards and was shortlisted for others. The Providence of Fire  seems to be following in its foo...

The Art of Star Wars: The Force Awakens by Phil Szostak Publishing Information; 256pgs Publisher: Harry N. Abrams; 18 Dec 2015 ISBN: 978-1419717802 Standalone Copy: Out of pocket Reviewer: Tyson Amazon Synopsis: "Step inside the Lucasfilm art departments for the creation of fantastical worlds, unforgettable characters, and unimaginable creatures. The Art of Star Wars: The Force Awakens will take you there, from the earliest gathering of artists and production designers at Lucasfilm headquarters in San Francisco to the fever pitch of production at Pinewood Studios to the conclusion of post-production at Industrial Light & Magic—all with unprecedented access. Exclusive interviews with the entire creative team impart fascinating insights in bringing director J. J. Abrams’s vision to life; unused “blue sky” concept art offers glimpses into roads not traveled. Bursting with hundreds of stunning works of art, including production paintings, concept sketches, storyboards, blueprints,...

A knock. “Come in,” she says. The door opens, and Simon stands there in the hallway. He wears his usual Cleric uniform—a black button-up shirt, closed tight at the throat, and dark cargo pants above hiking boots. His handsome features are wrinkled by lines on his forehead as well as on either side of his thin mouth. His dark hair, always combed so carefully to the side, seems to have grayed more at the temples overnight. He looks at her with eyes very blue against the slate concrete, though there’s a softness to them that always reassures her no matter what’s happening at the moment. “Good morning, Zoey.” “Good morning, Simon.” “You rested well?” She nods. “Good. Are you ready for breakfast?” “Sure.” He holds the door open for her, letting it coast shut when she steps into the hall, the lock hidden in the frame snapping quietly. They walk slowly down the hallway, their steps nearly matched. How many times have we done this? She could do the math, she supposes, but what purpose would it...

Ballistic by Mark Greaney Publishing Information: Paperback 480pgs Publisher: Berkley; 4 October 2011 ISBN: 978-0425244081 Series The Gray Man #3 Copy: Out of Pocket Reviewer: Tyson Amazon Synopsis: "Ex-CIA assassin Court Gentry thought he could find refuge living in the Amazon rain forest. But his bloody past finds him when a vengeful Russian crime lord forces him to go on the run once again. Court makes his way to one of the only men in the world he can trust-and arrives too late. His friend is dead and buried. Years before, Eddie Gamboa had saved Court's life. Now, Eddie has been murdered by the notorious Mexican drug cartel he fought to take down. And Court soon finds himself drawn into a war he never wanted. But in this war, there are no sides- only survivors..." This is the third book in The Gray Man series (The Gray Man review here ) and (On Target review here ) and while I thought the last book, On Target, was a little bit of a miss. Ballistic really gets things b...