Mark Martinez
Ahsoka has become one of the most appealing characters in the Star Wars saga. This book helps cement her status.
Love the way Felicia tells her tale, whether it's a screenplay, a comic, or this memoir.
It's been a while since I last listened to an audio book on physical media. I started out listening to books-on-tape, but lately it's all been audio downloads. Which is why I had to scramble to find a CD player for this book. I wound up listening to most of it my car.
A couple of weeks before I received the audio book I met author Joe Abercrombie at Jean Cocteau Theater in Santa Fe, NM, where he was reading and signing with Cherie Priest, at an event hosted by George R.R. Martin. He's an amusing speaker, embracing his grimdarkness with a wink and a smile. He read a chapter from “Half a King”, providing a nice preview for the recorded book.
The audio book is narrated by John Keating, speaking with a wide variety of voices and accents, all of them sounding very British, but well-suited to Abercrombie's tale.
Young Yarvi, second son of the king, has been groomed for the ministry because he has a withered hand. He can't fight with sword and shield, but he's learned all his other lessons well, even though he isn't aware of his skills at the story's beginning. When his father and brother are ambushed and killed, he must take the throne. He rashly swears an oath to avenge his family and embarks on a journey of betrayal, suffering, and self-discovery. He survives by accepting his fate and learning from it.
In a sense, this is a coming-of-age novel, set in a harsh and occasionally bloody landscape. That's to be expected from Abercrombie, whose other books follow squarely in the grim footsteps of Martin's “Song of Ice and Fire” saga, but “Half a King” steers clear of sex and excessive violence, offering a more thoughtful narrative that focuses on the people Yarvi meets, how he learns from them, and learns about himself. I found this aspect of the book compelling, all the way through to the end.
There are more books to come in this world. Yarvi's story has just begun. I think it will be worth the effort to keep reading.
This audio book has 8 compact discs, 9.25 hours of audio, and tracks every 3 minutes for easy bookmarking.
My first time reading The Sandman, after watching the television adaptation on Netflix, which was terrific. Enjoying the comic book version too.
Mr. Older upped his game in the second book of the Bone Street Rumba series, fleshing out existing characters, introducing some fascinating new characters, and keeping an entertaining story rolling at a breakneck pace. Nice work!
Another terrific visit to the recent past with Opus, Bill and the rest of the gang. The folks at LOA are doing a great job bringing back classic newspaper comic strips.
Another terrific episode of the Peter Grant show, complete with plucky teenage sidekick and Toby the magical bloodhound, er, terrier.
Another very enjoyable tale by Mr. Ward. He weaves Trek and real world history into a fascinating tapestry and ties off the final knot with a nod to Trek future. Great job!
An exciting finish to a fascinating series. Oh wait! Is there an epilogue of some kind on the way?
Cornell manages to blend pop culture, the torments of Hell, and procedural policing in a very entertaining tale. Can't wait for the next book in the series.
I enjoyed this retro TOS novel by David Mack. Mack introduces a fleet of new characters for this story arc, all very intriguing, as is the mystery of the Taurus Reach. Of course, Kirk, Spock, and a few other familiar characters are there. I'm looking forward to the rest of the story.
Published in mass market paperback by Pocket Books.
A little ragged around the edges, but promising. I'm hoping that Cora gets over her grief in the followup story which is in my TBR pile.
Interesting characters, a fast moving plot, and lots of snark. A fun read. I'll be back for the next installment.
Still an engrossing story, but by the end of this volume, I was pretty tired of Freys and false Hounds.
I'm not sure what I was expecting, but this is a straightforward retelling of the film story.
This is Elmore Leonard at his best. Judge Maximum Bob Gibbs hands down tough sentences once too often and some of his customers would like a little revenge. Meanwhile, he has his eye on probation officer Kathy Baker, who wants to know where the Judge'a wife has gone and who put the alligator in his back yard.
The novel was spun into a summer replacement televison series several years ago. starring Beau Bridges. I don't think the series did justice to Leonard's characters, but it was still better than most shows.
Published in paperback by Dell.
World War II vet Joseph Burke is a man who doesn't care about anything. He agrees to be Jackie Robinson‘s bodyguard during his first year with the Brooklyn Dodgers. Protecting the ballplayer's life, brings Burke back to life. Robert B. Parker has crafted a moving historical novel that is part crime novel and part homage to the golden age of baseball. A nice read.
Published in mass-market paperback by Penguin.
Harry Holy, as the Aussies call him, is an interesting character. The story moves along at a fast pace, broken up by Harry's introspective examination of past events in his life. I'm not certain I like this fellow, but I don't know enough about him yet, so I'll move on to the next book in the series and learn more.
I've seen the movie several times, but this is my first read of the novel. Very interesting to compare the original with the choices made for telling the story on film.
Old friend Bubba is back, with his wife Felicia, and the usual suspects cheerfully kicking Bubba's ass until he finally puts all the pieces together. This book is a novella, published as an e-book. Nice to see him again.