DOC-209

• Rated 5 stars

“This aptly titled book, the third installment in Harry Turtledove's 'The War That Came Early Series', is a game changer in terms of plot and the overall series. The last two installments seemed to drift, not really advancing events. Here, however, Turtledove lets his imagination go wild and allows Rudolph Hess's 'peace' mission to England to succeed, thanks largely to the fact that Chamberlain is still Prime Minister. In a shocking turn of events, the only vocal critic of an Anglo-German alliance--Winston Churchill--suffers an unfortunate 'accident' and soon thereafter Hitler's greatest diplomatic dream is realized--the Western powers ie, England and France agree to end their war against Germany and aid her in her war against the Soviet Union. Meanwhile, Japan, having seized Vladivostok, ends their war with the Soviet Union and prepares to engage the United States. While the Japanese do attack Pearl Harbor (sinking an aircraft carrier in the process), it is the Philippines where the hammer blow strikes hardest, and in the end there can be no doubt that the sleeping giant has finally been awakened. But the Japanese are preparing to unleash an insidious weapon against the US, a weapon developed by a special research unit based in Manchukuo called Unit 731. As with the previous two titles, Turtledove tells his story through a large cast of characters, even managing to expand his cast by elevating a few secondary ones to POV characters. And while no major POV characters are killed in this book, those familiar with Turtledove will know that not all of them will make through the series (I could even hazard a guess as to who the potential cannon fodder will be). In any event, this is a superb book in a series that just keeps getting better and better. It will be interesting to see how events further diverge from history but have no doubt that we are witnessing the vision of a true master. Highly recommended!!! ”

DOC-209 wrote this review 9 days ago. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 5 stars

“This book, the second in Scott Westerfeld's Leviathan trilogy, finds Prince Alek and 'Dylan' Sharp journeying the Ottoman Empire, ostensibly on a mission of peace. Unfortunately, there are two complications facing the crew of the Leviathan--for one, First Lord of the Admiralty Winston Churchill has seized a warship and it's accompanying behemoth bought and paid for by the Ottomans, fearing it will be used against Britain should the Empire go to war. Worse still, the Germans have a massive presence in the Empire's capital of Istanbul--two of their ironclad ships have been inducted wholesale into the Ottoman Navy and the Germans are hard at work constructing a massive Tesla Cannon, a lightening based super weapon that could spell doom for Britain's fleet of hydrogen breathers. Should the Ottomans enter the war on Germany's side, they could close up the Dardanelles effectively starving the Russian's Southern army and are ideally situated to to threaten Britain's Far East possessions. Fortunately for our heroes, the Empire is being wracked by internal strife--while the sultan still rules, his power in tenuous at best and he is forced to depend on the Germans to keep him in power. Meanwhile, a anarchist group calling itself the Committee for Union and Progress is organizing a rebellion to overthrow the sultan and oust his hated German allies. Against this backdrop of plotting and intrigue, Alek makes good his escape from the Leviathan, hoping to use the political chaos to disappear into the far reaches of the Empire. In the meantime, Dylan is tasked with a secret mission--to sabotage the massive anti-kraken nets the Turks have constructed at the mouth of the Dardanelles. Within a month, the Levithan will lead the behemoth--a massive creature capable of destroying a dreadnought--up the straits and unleash it upon the unsuspecting German ironclads. What no one knows is that the German's Tesla cannon will also be operational within a month...More ambitious in scope than it's predecessor, 'Behemoth' moves along at a good pace and features some great action. More importantly, it moves the burgeoning love story between Alek and 'Dylan' along quite well (even if it is decidedly one sided) even managing to mudding the waters a bit by having the waifish anarchist Lilith have an intense crush on 'Dylan' (though in the end it is strongly implied she knows all about Dylan's little secret after giving 'him' a passionate kiss). Alek unfortunately is given short shrift here--with everyone around him having deduced 'Dylan's' little secret (from Volger to Barlow to Lilith and even the little beastie Bovril), the prince comes off as a bit clueless. I suspect he is in for a shock in the next book but that is another story. As before, the highlight of the book is the imaginative and fanciful illustrations by Keith Thompson. His illustrations showing the Turks various walkers are very well done, imparting them with a flavor and character all their own. Three particular standouts are the German propaganda poster image at the beginning of the book, the Sahmeran walker (based on a legendary mythic goddess) and the titular Behemoth as it attacks the Goeben--truly spectacular! All in all, a great read and one that makes me look forward to the final volume! Highly recommended!”

DOC-209 wrote this review 2 weeks ago. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 5 stars

“This book, the first in a series of four, collects artwork and text that first appeared in Sabertooth's CCG game. As Alan Merrett writes in the forward, the CCG itself was based on a few lines of text in a previously published game supplement which stated that the Heresy was one of the greatest disasters ever faced by the Imperium--a star spanning civil war that pitted Battle Brother against Battle Brother. Merritt's narrative, combined with select images from the card game, gives a broad 'pictorial history' of the formative days of the Imperium and explores the orgins of the Horus Heresy. Although the narrative is somewhat choppy and disjointed, it is of little consequence for it is the artwork that is the true standout of this title, particularly the pieces done by Adrian Smith--they have a level of detail and composition that would rival museum art pieces (the cover image being a prime example). Also appearing are concept sketches by John Blanche--these are fascinating in that they provide a behind the scenes look at the creative process. While the new series of novels from Black Library have expanded (and even contradicted) some of the information here, there is still a lot to like here and Warhammer 40k fans should add this title to their bookshelves. Highly Recommended. ”

DOC-209 wrote this review 2 weeks ago. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 3 stars

“Taking Wing, the first of the Titan series, focuses on the post-Nemisis adventures of the newly promoted Captain Riker and the crew of the starship Titan. While the Titan is intended to resume Starfleet's goal peaceful exploration, Riker and company suddenly find themselves spearheading a Federation relief mission to the Romulan Star Empire. Shinzon's destruction of the Romulan Senate has left a vast political vacuum, with various factions--from Spock's Vulcan Unification Movement to the dreaded Tal Shiar to the regular Romulan military--vying for control. To further complicate matters, the Remans are in total rebellion against their Romulan masters and seek to establish their own place within the Empire--with the aide of their new Klingon allies. No surprise then that Riker and company soon find themselves in the midst of a situation that threatens to explode into open war. Although the writing is well done and the plot moves along at a brisk pace, there were several flaws with the book. Firstly, as another reviewer pointed out, there is a preachy undertone to the book's emphasis of the diversity of the crew, although thankfully this only concerns a few chapters here and there (whether this foreshadows future books in the series remains to be seen). Secondly, on a more personal level, it was sad to see the Romulans laid low here. The Romulans have always been my favorite Star Trek aliens (and villains) and seeing them here prostrate and weak before their two greatest enemies was disheartening. I can't shake the feeling that the writers were sowing the seeds of the Empire's destruction that was hinted at in the TNG episode "All Good Things..." Thirdly, the biggest flaw of the book was Riker himself. I was never a fan of Riker--there was always a certain arrogance and cockiness to him that just made him unappealing as a character. Although the two traits have been toned down here, Riker is still able to pull off the deus ex machina in the final act leading to a very anti-climatic (and unsatisfying) ending. Overall, this a good Star Trek read and given the emphasis on continuity in post-series Trek fiction these days, probably a necessary read as well. ”

DOC-209 wrote this review 3 weeks ago. ( reply | permalink )

0 of 1 members found this review helpful.

• Rated 4 stars

“A rollicking and fun adventure from the get-go, Fragment is, like the creatures that appear within, an amalgamation of that which has appeared before it--part King Kong, part Lost World, and part X-Isle. The plot revoles around a little known speck of dirt in the South Pacific called Hender's Island and the fantastical (and horrific) animals that inhabit it. Hender's Island is all that remains of a Pre-Cambrian super continent and thanks largely to its isolation the fauna and flora have evolved in a separate direction all together from the world at large. Most of its inhabitants are hellish combinations of crustaceans, insects, and mammals in equal parts and thanks to their island ecology have evolved a sort 'hyper-competitiveness' where everyone and everything is a potential next meal (even the babies emerge fully formed and eager to devour their parents!) The scientists who accidentally discovered the island realize that the island's ecology represents a bio-hazard of the first order to world (they estimate that if any of Hender's species made back to the mainland, they could overrun the globe in a few decades.) Eventually they come to the conclusion that the island must be sterilized with nuclear fire and thus they make plans to evacuate the island. But on an island that has proven lethal to humans and with seemingly no intelligent life of its own, one question looms large--who sent the distress signal that attracted the scientists to the island in the first place? The main protagonists are fairly unremarkable--Nell Duckworth is your average by-the-numbers female scientist type that always seems to pop up in stories like this, while Geoffrey Binswanger is a Ian Malcolm-clone who's pet theory (procreation rates and species longevity as a driving force of evolutionary development) is given full flowering on Hender's Island. The main antagonist, however, is a deliciously written villain--Thatcher Redmond, a scientist who is seemingly an environmental crusader (and author) who argues that mankind's free-will and reason will eventually destroy the planet; a perfectly balanced ecosystem like Hender's Island will never produce intelligent life. He is ultimately self serving (going so far as to arrange a drowning accident for his love child he fathered with a former student of his) and he rightly gets his comeuppance in the end. Overall, Fragment was a great read that had a few flaws--Fahy's almost obsessive attention to detail (particularly when it came to characters choice of clothing--probably a consequence of being born in Hollywood) and the minute by minute paragraphs in the last third of the book (do we really need to keep switching from character to character every sixty seconds?!) Never the less, fans of sci-fi thrillers will find a lot to like here.”

DOC-209 wrote this review Monday, January 2, 2012. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 5 stars

“"I chose...Rapture! A city where the artist would not fear the censor. Where the scientist would not be bound by petty morality. Where the Great would not be constrained by the small. And with the sweat of your brow, Rapture can become your city as well." Thus this opening monologue by Andrew Ryan sets the stage for his grand undersea utopia Rapture. But over the course of two games, the player found that utopia had become purgatory. How and why did this happen? This book answers that question and more. The story begins in 1945, days after the end of the Second World War. Andrew Ryan is a man increasingly unsettled by the world around him. The rise of secret government agencies, the emerging cold war between the Allies, the New Deal policies of FDR and Truman, and looming over all, the the threat of total annihilation that has ushered in the Atomic Age--all of this leaves Ryan paranoid and looking for some means of escape. Thus, in 1946, he begins construction of Rapture, an experimental undersea city that will be governed by the Objectivist philosophy of Ayn Rand, with a llaissez-faire capitalist economy and a secular-humanist culture. Ryan invites like minded individuals from around the world to share his 'dream'. Sinclair, Tannenbaum, Suchong, Cohen, Lamb, even Fontaine--all are invited by Ryan to come to Rapture and fullfill their true potential. Over the years, however, Ryan's increasing paranoia turns Rapture into a police state--the introduction of plasmids and tonics by Fontaine merely hasten the process. Soon Ryan and Fontaine are engaged in a full scale civil war, with Ryan emerging as the victor only to face a new foe Atlas. Lurking in the wings, Lamb begins to build her own little fiefdom within the halls of Persephone, while Tannenbaum flees to a forgotten corner of Rapture with the Little Sisters; Cohen, Suchong and Sinclair, acting out of enlighten self interest, aid Ryan in maintaining his iron grip on Rapture. By the end, Ryan's great experiment has become a charnel house filled with rogue splicers, their victims being plundered by roving teams of Little Sisters and Big Daddies, with the survivors barricading themselves in the far corners of Rapture, huddling in the dark as the ocean begins to seep in. Ultimately, the story of Rapture is one of tragedy, where a man attempted to create a world of his own design and live by his own rules and in the end, violated everything he held dear trying to hold on to that dream. The dream of Rapture was destroyed not by gods or kings, only men. ”

DOC-209 wrote this review Tuesday, December 27, 2011. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 4 stars

“This book, the fourth in Steve Alten's MEG series, is a fun if somewhat disjointed action-adventure read. Set four years after the events of the previous novel, we find that Angel and her litter of "pups" (all female) have been put on public display at the Tanaka Institute. Jonas Taylor finds himself at a crossroads--the institute has recently suffered a tragic accident involving the adult Meg Angel and a couple of 'lucky' spectators; far more ominous is the pressure from a radical animal rights group demanding the release three of the runts into the wild. Taylor believes he has found a solution--a Dubai prince is currently constructing the world's largest aquarium and has agreed to purchase two of the runts from the Tanaka Institute. The only catch--he wants to hire Jonas's son David to be their handler. Jonas reluctantly agrees but he warns David not to trust the prince--he suspects that the prince is after much bigger game for his aquarium and will try to recruit David to lead an expedition to land "The Big One"--an adult liopleurodon! Naturally, it isn't long before David is leading the prince's expedition in the fictional Panthalassa Sea, an abyssal 'Land that Time Forgot' harboring some of the most dangers creatures ever to swim the seven seas. While the scientific underpinnings of Alten's story are tenuous at best, he does spin a good yarn, with some great action scenes and a few twists and turns. Highly recommended. ”

DOC-209 wrote this review Sunday, December 4, 2011. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 2 stars

“Lavie Tidhar's "The Bookman" is a work of steampunk fiction gone tragically wrong. Set in Victorian England, the story centers around a young poet named Orphan who works at a second hand bookstore, rubbing shoulders with historical and literary figures both real--Jules Verne, Lord Byron, Karl Marx--and imagined--Captian Nemo, Professor Moriarty, Irene Adler. In this world, the British Empire is ruled by 'Les Lizards' a repitilian race that crashed on Earth centuries ago and have made the best of a bad situation. Still there is trouble affoot in the Empire--the nefarious anarchist and terrorist known only as "The Bookman" is waging a campaign of terror against the Lizards and their human collaborators. Orphan pays little heed to the Bookman (he regards him as little more than a political boogeyman created by the toffs in Whitehall) until one day his lover Lucy is killed in one of the Bookman's bomb attacks on the eve of the Martian space probe launch. Thereafter, Orphan embarks on a journey to avenge his Lucy but eventually finds himself being used as a pawn in one of the Bookman's plots. While all of this may sound exciting, the sad truth is that it's not. Although Tidhar does some wonderful things combining history and literature--Professor Moriarty being Prime Minister for instance--the novelty soon wears off in the face of Tidhar's tedious prose. Tidhar reveals little information on 'Les Lizards' and indeed they are quickly relagated to a mere plot device (despite being presented as possible antagonists early on). He also has a habit of having the main character recount events that occurred mere moments ago in his head with the reader never actually 'seeing' the events unfold as they happened--the literary equivalent of having some action occur off camera with the viewer seeing it only in flashbacks. This little trope gets old quickly and makes for slow reading. Overall, there are some really great ideas presented in "The Bookman" but they never seem to gel into a coherent plot. Those looking for a great work of steam punk fiction are advised to look elsewhere. ”

DOC-209 wrote this review Thursday, October 20, 2011. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 4 stars

“Part Victorian mystery, part two-fisted pulp action adventure, "Phoenix Rising" is a stellar addition to the steam-punk genre. Set in Victorian England near the turn of the century, the novel's plot revolves around two agents in the employ of Her Majesty's Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences, a Victorian-era 'Fringe Division' or 'X Files' department charged with investigating all manner of strange and mysterious events that threaten the realm and empire. Agent Eliza Braun is a field agent of the Ministry--a beautiful but deadly pepperpot of a woman with a penchant for firearms and explosives who hails from New Zealand. Agent Wellington Thornhill Books, Esquire, is the Ministry Archivist, a dapper intellectual who is the very image of a English gentleman and regards field work as beneath him. Naturally, it isn't long until this proverbial odd couple are paired up and sent out to defend Her Majesty's government. The two soon stumble upon a secret society that is responsible for a series of gruesome murders in London that is but a small part of some nefarious plot to topple Her Majesty and create a new order. Naturally, our intrepid duo cannot allow this to stand and make plans to infiltrate the society, thwart their vile scheme, and expose these cads to the rest of world. Writers Pip Ballantine and Tee Morris impart a feeling of fun throughout the book--one gets the sense that they truly enjoyed creating this book and it's characters. Of particular note are the chapter titles, often flowery and verbose phrases that belie the base or comical events contained in the chapter. For example: Chapter 20 "In Which Eliza Braun Is Introduced To Britian's Upper Class and Find Herself Beyond Words" see's Barun and Books infiltrating the secret society only to discover that part of iniation involves a hedonistic orgy (rest assured, our heroes make it through with both their honor--and clothes--intact.) What truly gives the novel some gravitas is the small contradictions that are revealed about Braun and Books. Braun is initially presented as something of a gunslinger, a hell-bent-for-leather devil-may-care type that shoots first and asks questions later. However, she is eventually revealed to be a vulnerable young lady often unsure of herself who has a great deal of heart underneath her bullet-proof corset. The dour and somber Mr. Books isn't your average Archivist either--beneath that refined and dandified exterior is a complicated man who has his own reasons for everything he does and who harbors some talents and skills that belies his air of cultured gentility. The book is not without its faults however--being the first of a series of novels, several plot threads are left dangling at the end, to be taken up in the next novel in the series. Nevertheless, this is a great collaborative effort by Ballantine and Morris and I look forward to the further adventures of Braun and Books in the next novel! Highly recommended!”

DOC-209 wrote this review Sunday, September 25, 2011. ( reply | permalink )

1 of 1 members found this review helpful.

• Rated 5 stars

“Scott Westerfield, the noted creator of the much lauded 'Uglies' series, now turns his attention from the dystopian future to the fantastical world of steam punk with this the first in a trilogy of novels. Set in the opening days of the Great War (ie, World War One), Westerfeld's universe features elements at once familiar and utterly strange. As in real history, Europe is divided into two vast alliance blocs, however, these blocs are separated not only by political and cultural differences but also by the type of technology they employ in war. The Darwinsts, named after famed naturalist Charlse Darwin and include the nations of Britian, France, and Russia, wield the power of 'life-stand' science (what we might call biotechnology) to create living breathing war machines, such as the titular Leviathan airship. In contrast, the Clankers which includes Germany, Austria-Hungary, and the Ottoman Empire, view Darwinst creatures as abominations and instead rely on mechanized war machines such as multi-legged walkers and zepplin airships. The plot revolves around two teenagers--Prince Aleksander of Hapsburg heir to Austro-Hungarian throne and midshipman Deryn "Dylan" Sharp a young girl masquerading as a young man in the British Air Service. Although the two start their journeys separately, by the end of the book, they find themselves thrown together aboard the Levithan. There is a bit of Romeo and Juliet in the characters of Alek and Dylan, as though they are destined to be star-crossed lovers. While Westerfeld's prose is good, moving along at a brisk pace, it is the detailed black and white illustrations by Keith Thompson appearing throughout the book that truly make Leviathan a great read. Particularly memorable is Thompson's illustrations of Austrian and German walkers, with their intricately designed cogs, gears, and pistons--great great stuff! Although this book is written for a teenage audience, this book comes highly recommended to everyone, particularly scifi and steam punk aficionados--they will find a lot to like here!”

DOC-209 wrote this review Saturday, September 17, 2011. ( reply | permalink )