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Acur81

Acur81

has 16 followers and is following 12 people

  • Dallas, TX, USA
  • member since July 11, 2008

Reviews

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Displaying 41-50 of 284 reviews
  • Delusion in Death
    • Rated 5 stars

    “I've read all 35 books(to date!) in this series, and it astounds me, that the author can continue to move me, in multiple ways, as much as she does. This is one of my all-time favorite series, and I'm in awe of such prolific authors(like Robb, Pratchett, Butcher, Cherryh, Stirling, & Stross-to name a few) who can create characters, and the worlds they live in, then keep turning out such copious quantities of Very Good, to Great novels around them.
    I really don't remember how I got started on this series. It was probably the science fiction aspect of it, being set in the future(roughly the late 2050's). This is one of those rare multi-genre series, as it has romance, along with murder mystery, and it could be classified under any of these. All in all, it's one of my most highly-recommended series. If you're not one of the millions who've read(and continue to read) it, you really don't know what you're missing.”

    Acur81 wrote this review Saturday, November 17, 2012. ( reply | permalink )
  • James Fenimore Cooper: The Leatherstocking Tales - Volume I
    • Rated 4 stars

    “I ran across the Library of America, 2 volume set, of Cooper's "The Leather Stocking Tales", at the library, while browsing. My Dad had always been enamored of "The Last of the Mohicans", so it piqued my curiosity. This first volume contains the first three novels, "The Pioneers", "The Last of the Mohicans", and "The Prairie". It took me a while to get used to the language, but once I did, it was smooth sailing. Natty Bumpo is as great a character who ever had his own series. Cooper's writing is well-paced, with very human characters, some thrilling action, and tells his stories very well. I'm looking forward to reading the second volume, which includes the novels, "The Pathfinder", and "The Deerslayer". This set presents the novels in chronological order. The first was written in 1823, and the last in 1842. ”

    Acur81 wrote this review Wednesday, November 14, 2012. ( reply | permalink )
  • The Blinding Knife
    • Rated 5 stars

    “A superlative follow-up to "The Black Prism", this second novel in "The Lightbringer" series, surpasses expectations. As one of the blurbs on the back cover says, "...has the potential to become one for the ages." Weeks has created a very unique epic fantasy, not at all your typical sword & sorcery series. The "magic" is very different, the characters are very human, the plot fast-paced, and spell-binding, despite each book being over 600 pages in length. You positively MUST read this series, and if you've never read Mr. Weeks, check out his "Night Angel" trilogy. Both series are excellent reads, whether you're a fantasy fan, or not.”

    Acur81 wrote this review Monday, November 12, 2012. ( reply | permalink )
  • Dying of the Light
    • Rated 3 stars

    “This is one of Martin's more obscure books(IMHO), possibly even his first novel(published in 1977), from what research I've done. The premise was interesting, but if this was a song, it would've been written in a minor key. It was, at turns, hopeful, and depressing. The ending left me wanting more, and it's not that every story has to have a happy ending, but this one was relentlessly unhappy.”

    Acur81 wrote this review Sunday, November 11, 2012. ( reply | permalink )
  • The Lost Stars: Tarnished Knight
    • Rated 5 stars

    “I absolutely love both of Campbell's "Lost Fleet" series, with the larger-than-life, resurrected from nearly a century in cold storage, "Black Jack" Geary. He was an officer on an "Alliance" space ship, who was able to reach an escape pod, when his ship was destroyed in a battle against the rival human "Syndicate Worlds". Geary ends up leading the Alliance Fleet, and eventually ends the war by defeating the Syndicate. For this book, Campbell tells the story of the Midway Star System, which has made itself independent of Syndicate control, and of the two former CEO's who team up to accomplish, and keep their independent status. This book is every bit as good, as any of the Lost Fleet books. Campbell(a pseudonym for a retired US Navy officer) has an excellent feel for military science fiction, as well as epic space opera. The book has great characters, a fast-paced plot, with plenty of action, and a tangible tension between the two main characters, which made it exceptionally enjoyable to me. Oh, and it also had a cliffhanger ending, which of course, begs for a sequel. Campbell appears to be working on the third book, of the second "Lost Fleet" series, which is currently due in May, 2013. So, it may be a while before we see the sequel. I'm going to have a hard time waiting. ”

    Acur81 wrote this review Tuesday, November 6, 2012. ( reply | permalink )
  • Lethal Legacy
    • Rated 3 stars

    “This is my second "Alex Cooper" novel, and I must say I liked this one better than the first("Entombed"), though I still find the main characters too good to be true. The setting for this story is the New York Public Library, which as I learned is not really very "public", it's a repository for many rare, and valuable items. In this case, murder was committed in the pursuit of a rare map. Maps have always held a fascination for me, so I found this story very appealing. Ms Fairstein, despite her fairly unreal characters, has a good writing style, and while I won't go out of my way to do it, I may read more of this series.”

    Acur81 wrote this review Friday, October 26, 2012. ( reply | permalink )
  • Existence
    • Rated 4 stars

    “This book is one of those thought-provoking, seminal pieces of science-fiction. Epic in scope(and length), it covers decades of human existence, with the Earth's demise, potentially, hanging in the balance. Aliens have landed on Earth, but not in the way you think. They've come as virtual entities, encased in small crystal cartridges, by the millions, over centuries of Earth's history. There are many in orbit, and out in the asteroid belt. They bring varying messages of cataclysm, and the people of Earth, as diverse as they are, have to decide what to do about it. Brin, who is one of my favorite authors, has outdone himself with this one. If you read it, you WILL think about it, long after you finish the book.”

    Acur81 wrote this review Friday, October 12, 2012. ( reply | permalink )
  • Storm Born
    • Rated 4 stars

    “I had low expectations for this book, but was pleasantly surprised. I borrowed the e-pub edition, for my Nook, from the library. So far, I've been disappointed with the selection, and search engine that the library has for downloadable media. They seem to have a lot of material, but there's little organization in finding things. You have to know, specifically what you're looking for, and even then, you may end up scrolling for awhile to find it.
    Anyway, this is a "fairy" fantasy, with the "gentry", or "shining ones", banished to "The Otherworld", as opposed to the human world. Eugenie Markham, our heroine, is a shaman, with powers that allow her to banish the miscreant creatures trying to wreak havoc in our world, coming from the other. The story starts off a little slow(for me, anyway), but it soon picks up, and we find that Eugenie is actually half-human, half-gentry, and conflicted more than ever about her life. There appear to be a couple of books in the series, but the 2nd book, "The Thorn Queen", is unavailable in either e-book, or printed book, at the library. They do have book three, and another area library has book four, but I may have to hunt, and buy(gasp!) book two. ”

    Acur81 wrote this review Friday, October 5, 2012. ( reply | permalink )
  • The King's Blood
    • Rated 5 stars

    “Book 2, of the Dagger and Coin series, is a most excellent mix of characters, plot, and pace. Abraham is rapidly becoming one of my favorite fantasy authors. I won't go into detail, as I want you to read it for yourself. Start with book one, "The Dragon's Path", so you can follow this epic fantasy from the beginning. Book three, "The Tyrant's Law", isn't due out until May of 2013. I can't wait!”

    Acur81 wrote this review Friday, October 5, 2012. ( reply | permalink )
  • Founding Brothers
    • Rated 4 stars

    “Having recently finished Gore Vidal's "Burr", my daughter-in-law thought I might enjoy a non-fiction pass over the same era. Mr. Ellis' book not only is a best-seller, it won the Pulitzer Prize. While Vidal's fictional(though based on facts) account was primarily about Burr, Ellis' speaks to seven of the more significant players in the "revolutionary generation". I found this book fascinating, though he spent much more time with Washington, and in particular John Adams & Jefferson, and gave relatively little time to Franklin, Madison, Hamilton, & Burr. Ellis definitely spent some serious time researching this book, and it shows.”

    Acur81 wrote this review Friday, September 28, 2012. ( reply | permalink )
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Displaying 41-50 of 284 reviews

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