Devin Swarens

Incredible but STILL unfinished

Revisado: 10-17-21

This is a review of the whole series not just Dance with Dragons. This goes without saying but this series is by far one of the greatest works of fiction ever, and I don’t feel that that is an overstatement. The characters are legendary, the world is as real as any fictional world can be, and the story is indescribably incredible. I cannot recommend this series enough.

My only comment would be about the performance. Mr. Dotrice does an amazing job giving life to this massive roster of characters but it is distracting how he pronounces certain names or places. If you have already watched HBO’s “Game of Thrones” then it’ll be pretty jarring when he pronounces Brienne of Tarth’a name as “Bri-EEnne” instead of “Bri-anne” or instead of “Da-vos” he pronounces it “Dav-is.” And he pronounces Catelyn Stark’s name every different way under the sun. Other than that he does a very commendable job.

And here’s to hoping George RR. Martin finishes “The Winds of Winter” sometime before hell freezes over.

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The Man. The Myth. The Legend.

Revisado: 04-17-21

This is one of the best autobiographies I’ve ever read. It highlights every aspect of his incredible life and how many different hats he wears. The immigrant, the world champion of bodybuilding, one of Hollywood’s greatest stars, the businessman, the Governor of California, a father, and an imperfect husband. What is most inspiring is how much the book highlights Arnold’s incredible drive and how once he sets his sights on something, it’s impossible for him to alter course or slow down.

The only significant drawback of this audiobook is that only the first and last chapters are actually narrated by Arnold. All of the other chapters are narrated by Stephen Lang and although he does an adequate job, it doesn’t come anywhere close to how good the audiobook would have been had Arnold narrated the entire time.

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A book every Marine and Historian should read

Revisado: 03-29-21

E.B. Sledge’s honest description of the horrors of war is the most poignant and impactful description of combat in World War II that you will find anywhere. His vivid description of every detail of the environment, events, and people will make any civilian who reads this that much more grateful to those who serve and have served in the armed forces and give every Marine one more reason to be proud of their history and fighting spirit.

This book also highlights the life of the average enlisted man amazingly. The struggles with superior officers and faulty equipment is something every service member can relate to. If you are at all interested in what combat was like in World War II, stripped of any and all glamour or censorship, and what those brave men went through to secure our freedoms, then I cannot recommend this book highly enough.

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If you love the video game, you’ll like the book

Revisado: 03-08-21

I wanted to check out this book after finishing the video game. And the two are more similar than they are different. The book is not action packed and there are only a few firefights. The book is much more focused on horror and suspense whereas the game is more action-horror.

That being said the book is not perfect. The author goes on very long tangents that are difficult to follow and then suddenly jumps back to the story. It’s shocking and it forces you to have to rewind more than once just to know what just happened. And for some reason the last chapter sounds like the narrator is talking through a pillow and the only way to understand him is to dial up the volume all the way.

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“That’s not how the Force works!”

Revisado: 01-19-21

The reign of Kathleen Kennedy is not over, as much as we want it to be. While the first book in the High Republic series isn’t terrible, it ignores so much of the amazing and vast pre-established lore in favor of creating their own nonsensical version of Star Wars.

The first serious issue is the Jedi themselves. They are not portrayed as the order of noble knights who protect peace and justice but more like Christ-like figures who do no wrong and have absolutely no flaws. This makes them unrelatable, boring, flat characters that you honestly don’t care about when they get hurt, put in danger, or even when they die. While their order and its rules do create noble knights, it is also a flawed order, these flaws obviously lead to their downfall that we see in Episode III. Those flaws are nonexistent in this book, making the order that much more boring. All I can say is that if the Jedi Order of this book came up against Palpatine, they would last all of seven seconds because they’d be too busy sacrificing themselves to save each other.

The second major issue is the Force itself. The author clearly said to himself before writing this, “What can a Jedi do with the Force? Oh I know! ANYTHING!” The Jedi in this book use the Force to fly multiple ships at once, move moon-sized debris, create a communication system akin to a walkie talkie, and countless other things that would probably give George Lucas an aneurysm. The Force is just used as this limitless power that is only limited by the author’s insanity. It is no longer this mystical power that is used sparingly like the original trilogy.

The third major issue is the villains. They sound cool on paper and in one scene are actually pretty threatening. But there is a big difference between what sounds good in theory and in practice. They are essentially space Vikings who figured out how to manipulate hyperspace. That’s it. No serious weapon or device that counters the Jedi’s abilities. Going through the book, you have this sense that if the Jedi ever actually comes into contact with these guys, the Jedi are just going to wipe them out like it’s nothing. They’re not threatening and only interesting on a surface level.

The final serious issue is with hyperspace. They explain it and manipulate it in ways that not make no sense and contradict everything that has come before, including Disney Star Wars. Again it’s clear the author is only familiar with Star Wars on the most basic level.

The only positive this book has going for it is the stellar performance from Mark Thompson. I am in the firm belief that Mr. Thompson should be the sole narrator for all Star Wars audiobooks. The casual Star Wars fan or those who loved the sequel trilogy will enjoy this but to all true Star Wars fans, I would recommend skipping this one and just waiting for the Book of Boba Fett or the Mandalorian Season 3. The Force is NOT strong with this one.

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An outstanding sci-fi and fantasy novel

Revisado: 12-29-20

This is a must read for anyone who considers themselves a sci-fi or fantasy enthusiast. The world built in this story feels lived in, with its own problems, complex history, and at times you can feel the pulse of this living world that Brooks has built. The protagonist of this story is nothing short of an amazing character that you understand but never truly root for. His complexity and humanity with his shame at his past crimes is something that should be commended as it has been a long time since I have come across a character with this much history and complexity. This is a redemption arc that no one should miss.

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Game of Thrones meets HIST 495

Revisado: 12-11-20

Fire and Blood is much more of an in depth history lesson than anything resembling an exciting page-turner. If you’re an avid history buff and also love George RR Martin’s “A Song of Ice and Fire” series, than this is a perfect read. It truly feels like the telling of a historical family lineage. That being said, the casual listener will find it exceedingly confusing as literally countless names are thrown about, many of which have almost no consequence or relevance. I’d recommend it to anyone who loves GOT and history but warn anyone else that it can be a bit boring at times.

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Essential for any aspiring swordsman

Revisado: 11-25-20

If you’re looking to become a master swordsman, than this book is for you. It goes into great detail about his style and tactics in the way of the sword and can get pretty dry at times. There are insights into who Musashi was as a man but they are few and far between. If you are training to become a fencer or other swordsman, than this is a must-read. For everyone else on the other hand, they will find some enjoyment in this book, just don’t be surprised if you find yourself waiting for it to be over rather than actually listening to it.

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A must for any Star Wars fan

Revisado: 11-15-20

An outstanding novel that is not to be missed by anyone that considers themselves a Star Wars fan. Probably a little derivative of other classic western stories but still amazing nonetheless. My only hope is that Disney’s Obi-Wan miniseries takes heavy inspiration from this.

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Avoid unless absolutely necessary

Revisado: 10-24-20

This is obviously a very well put together and comprehensive analysis of FDR and the internment of the Japanese-American people. However, the author’s logic is difficult to follow (to say the least) and the narrator is monotone beyond comprehension. Unless you’re like myself and need to read this for a paper, do yourself a favor and find another book on Japanese-American internment.

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