last reads

Assassin's Apprentice by Robin Hobb Publishing Information: Kindle; 464 pgs Publisher: Spectra; 5 Nov 2002 ASIN: B000FBFMG6 Series: The Farseer Trilogy #1 Copy: Out of Pocket Reviewer: Tyson Synopsis: "Young Fitz is the bastard son of the noble Prince Chivalry, raised in the shadow of the royal court by his father's gruff stableman. He is treated like an outcast by all the royalty except the devious King Shrewd, who has him sectetly tutored in the arts of the assassin. For in Fitz's blood runs the magic Skill--and the darker knowledge of a child raised with the stable hounds and rejected by his family. As barbarous raiders ravage the coasts, Fitz is growing to manhood. Soon he will face his first dangerous, soul-shattering mission. And though some regard him as a threat to the throne, he may just be the key to the survival of the kingdom." According to Amazon I purchased this book way back in April of 2009 and I am just finally getting around to reading it. There ...

Dead Reckoning: The Untold Story of the Northwest Passage By Ken McGoogan Toronto: HarperCollins, 2017 Reviewed by Kenn Harper Ken McGoogan has produced yet another worthy northern book. Dead Reckoning sets out to tell, as its sub-title proclaims, “The Untold Story of the Northwest Passage.” The book is peopled with the usual suspects in the history of Arctic exploration and the search for the elusive Northwest Passage. I needn’t name them here; if you are reading this, you already know who they are.  But this book introduces other names that will be unfamiliar to many readers, even some well-versed in northern history. Their stories are the “untold stories” of the sub-title. McGoogan points out in his Prologue that orthodox history only grudgingly acknowledges non-British explorers - he specifically mentions Amundsen, Kane and Hall - as well as “short-changing” fur-trade explorers - and here he mentions Hearne, Mackenzie and Rae. He has mentioned these explorers before, of course...

Lost Boy: The True Story of Captain Hook by Christina Henry Publishing Information: Paperback; 292 pgs Publisher: Berkley Books; 4 July 2017 ISBN: 9780399584022 Standalone Copy: Out of Pocket Reviewer: Tyson Synopsis: "From the national bestselling author of Alice comes a familiar story with a dark hook—a tale about Peter Pan and the friend who became his nemesis, a nemesis who may not be the blackhearted villain Peter says he is… There is one version of my story that everyone knows. And then there is the truth. This is how it happened. How I went from being Peter Pan’s first—and favorite—lost boy to his greatest enemy. Peter brought me to his island because there were no rules and no grownups to make us mind. He brought boys from the Other Place to join in the fun, but Peter's idea of fun is sharper than a pirate’s sword. Because it’s never been all fun and games on the island. Our neighbors are pirates and monsters. Our toys are knife and stick and rock—the kinds of playthin...

Star Wars: Battlefront II: Inferno Squad by Christie Golden Publishing Information: Hardback; 307 pgs Publisher: Del Ray; 25 July 2017 ISBN: 9781524796808 Series Copy: Out of Pocket Reviewer: Tyson Synopsis: "The Rebellion may have heroes like Jyn Erso and Luke Skywalker. But the Empire has Inferno Squad. After the humiliating theft of the Death Star plans and the resulting destruction of the battle station, the Empire is on the defensive. In response to this stunning defeat, the Imperial Navy has authorized the formation of an elite team of soldiers, known as Inferno Squad. Their mission: infiltrate and eliminate the remnants of Saw Gerrera’s Partisans. Following the death of their leader, the Partisans have carried on his extremist legacy, determined to thwart the Empire—no matter what the cost. Now, Inferno Squad must prove their status as the best of the best and take down the Partisans from within. But as the danger intensifies and the threat of discovery grows, how far will ...

Unfortunately I don't read as many comic books as I used to. So it's not surprising that I miss some great ones. Recently I came across Anomaly , which is a very interesting production, to say the least. It is the longest original full-color graphic novel ever published, and it is enhanced by an augmented reality mobile application. Here's how its official site describes Anomaly: "Anomaly is an epic tale of deception, redemption, and unity set on a strange alien world and the longest original full-color graphic novel ever published. With lush illustrations, action-packed storytelling, and awe-inspiring interactive features, Anomaly is a must-have multimedia experience for science-fiction, fantasy, and comic book fans alike. Immerse yourself in this groundbreaking space opera via a 370-page hardcover book and companion augmented reality app or through a standalone tablet app complete with cinematic voice acting and sound." Folks! Here, we're talking about a b...

Kings of the Wyld by Nicholas Eames Publishing Information: Kindle Publisher: Orbit; 21 Feb 2017 ASIN: B01KT7YTXW Copy: Provided by publisher Reviewer: Tyson Synopsis: "GLORY NEVER GETS OLD. Clay Cooper and his band were once the best of the best -- the meanest, dirtiest, most feared crew of mercenaries this side of the Heartwyld. Their glory days long past, the mercs have grown apart and grown old, fat, drunk - or a combination of the three. Then an ex-bandmate turns up at Clay's door with a plea for help. His daughter Rose is trapped in a city besieged by an enemy one hundred thousand strong and hungry for blood. Rescuing Rose is the kind of mission that only the very brave or the very stupid would sign up for. It's time to get the band back together for one last tour across the Wyld." Kings of the Wyld is getting a lot of word of mouth and all of it is positive for very good reason. The story is solid with some of the best dialogue I have read in a long time. Eames...

Spider-man: The Cosmic Adventures by Gerry Conway Publishing Information: Paperback; 192 Pages Publisher: Marvel Comics; 1993 ISBN: 9780871359636 Graphic Novel Copy: Out of pocket Reviewer: Tyson Synopsis: "Spider-Man's Gone Cosmic! If wit great power must come great responsibility - what in the world must come with power beyond imagination?! Enemies galore - that's what! When Magneto, Dr. Doom, the Kingpin and the Wizard mastermind a plan to defeat their enemies, Spider-Man's at the top of their hit list. As Earth's greatest villains set their acts of vengeance into motion, Spider-Man finds himself possessing powers of a truly cosmic nature. Now it's a fight against time as Spider-Man is attached by wave after wave of super-villains. Will he master his newfound powers in time to defend himself against the final onslaught?! Written by Spider-Man veterans Gerry Conway David Michelinie and illustrated by the top talents in the business: Sal Buscema, Alex Saviuk, ...