OYENTE

Michael G Kurilla

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Bob's back with the lesser of two evils

Total
5 out of 5 stars
Ejecución
5 out of 5 stars
Historia
5 out of 5 stars

Revisado: 07-21-25

Charles Stross’ The Delirium Brief is the eighth installment in his Laundry Files franchise. Bob is back front and center as an old nemesis, the televangelist from America is making a play to take over the UK government. The Laundry has been outed (due to event in the previous volume) and has been deactivated. The senior auditor has activated continuity operations with Bob, Mo, Cassie, and friends at-tacking Schiller, while the SA sets in motion a coup with old enemies.

Stross brings together multiple players, both good and bad, as England is facing potential Armageddon and there are no good choices left. There’s less bureaucratic humor, but the story feels more out of control until the very end.

The narration is superb with excellent character distinction. Pacing is a tad brisk.

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Historical fantasy set in pre-renaissance period

Total
4 out of 5 stars
Ejecución
5 out of 5 stars
Historia
4 out of 5 stars

Revisado: 07-20-25

Guy Kavriel Kay’s A Brightness Long Ago is an historical fantasy set in an Italian-like setting in the Mid-dle Ages, definitely pre-Renaissance. The lives of three main characters, a tailor’s son who was admit-ted to an elite educational institution, the tomboyish daughter of nobleman, and a woman healer, in-tersect against a backdrop of political intrigue. While starting with political assassination, the machina-tions eventually become labyrinthine.

Kay’s does a respectable job of creating three distinct characters, each of which is rather unique for the time period. The background political maneuverings are very Machiavellian.

The narration is well done with solid character distinction. Pacing is smooth.

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A vampire does something useful

Total
4 out of 5 stars
Ejecución
5 out of 5 stars
Historia
4 out of 5 stars

Revisado: 07-14-25

Charles Stross’ The Nightmare Stacks is the seventh installment in his Laundry Files franchise. This time out, rather than a focus on Bob or his wife, a vampire from fifth installment takes center stage. ‘Elves’ exist in a parallel universe version of Earth (and due to occasional visits are responsible for much of the folklore surrounding them). They plan on invading Earth and send a spy who assumes the identity of a human that Alex, the Laundry’s vampire, just happens to end up dating. The invasion occurs but is successfully repulsed and the spy ends up surrendering.

Stross continues to provide fresh content that nevertheless has a tongue in cheek attitude with a particular focus on government politics and bureaucracy. The juxtaposition of a blood sucking vampire who is innocent and naïve about dating makes for numerous humorous scenes. Pinky and Brain also receive some attention as comical versions of James Bond ‘Q.’

The narration is excellent with superb character distinction. Pacing is a tad brisk.

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Dystopic future where corporations incite wars

Total
4 out of 5 stars
Ejecución
5 out of 5 stars
Historia
3 out of 5 stars

Revisado: 07-13-25

Richard K Morgan’s Market Forces paints a dystopic future where corporations maintain a portfolio of conflict investment where they agree to back one side in a civil war in exchange for a percentage of that country’s future GDP. Companies vie for contracts against one another in a post-industrial version of gunslingers where drivers race each other in a deadly game of chicken. The story follows one particular player in this game who maintains a bizarre set of ethical principles that confuse everyone.

Morgan offers a unique dystopia where old fashioned western themes are merged with Wall Street greed. The only safe play here is to invest in arms manufacturers, since they win regardless of driver or corporate outcomes.

The narration is quite good with solid character distinction. Pacing is a tad brisk in line with the overall plot.

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Corum finish his quest to beat the cold

Total
3 out of 5 stars
Ejecución
4 out of 5 stars
Historia
3 out of 5 stars

Revisado: 07-07-25

Michael Moorcock’s The Sword and the Stallion completes his second Corum trilogy and brings closure to all the hints and prophecies that peppered the earlier installments. As the cold continues its relentless march across the human lands, Corum and the dwarf giant’s sibling venture to a strange island in search of aid for their battle with the cold creatures. What they find is more monsters not of this plane that can alter time and space. Corum eventually escapes and saves the day, but gradually all the prophecies come home to roost.

Moorcock relies on a bit of deux ex machina for resolving all the traps that Corum rushes headstrong into. In the end Corum is a transitional hero that does away with all the gods that get in the way of humans dominating their plane of existence.

The narration is of a dramatized type with lots of background sounds (horses clomping, music, and lots of grunting), as well as a clear theatrical style sometimes bordering on histrionic.

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Returning the king to launch the attack

Total
3 out of 5 stars
Ejecución
4 out of 5 stars
Historia
3 out of 5 stars

Revisado: 07-06-25

Michael Moorcock’s The Oak and the Ram is the second volume in his follow-on Corum trilogy. The monsters that bring winter to the land are gaining more and more power and ground. The humans need to unite to respond, but the uber king of the humans has been ensorcelled and believes himself to be a sheep. Corum commits to bringing the king back. With the aid of an invisibility cloak, he manages to retrieve the king. Fortunately, his dwarf giant friend can carry the king off.

Moorcock continues to have Corum play the ‘white knight’ role to humans who seem ambivalent about fighting extinction. He also drops hints that Corum’s time is running out or rather that his time is passing as humanity takes the reins.

The narration is of a dramatized type with lots of background sounds (horses clomping, music, and lots of grunting), as well as a clear theatrical style sometimes bordering on histrionic.

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Start fo a new adventure for Corum

Total
3 out of 5 stars
Ejecución
4 out of 5 stars
Historia
3 out of 5 stars

Revisado: 07-06-25

Michael Moorcock’s The Bull and the Spear is the start of a new trilogy for Corum. This takes place many years after his prior adventures. While immortal himself, his wife and other companions have passed away. He has fashioned a silver hand to replace his lost left hand. He responds to a call from humans on another plane which is the future. This plane is plagued by monsters, including demonic dogs that create a constant winter. Corum meets a non-human who can make weapons. He obtains a spear and calls on a bull to defeat one of the seven monsters to earn some respite.

Moorcock introduces a number of prophecies that will play out in later installments. Corum, ever the reluctant hero, nevertheless always attempts to do right by the humans he allies himself with. As with the first trilogy, another love interest begins.

The narration is of a dramatized type with lots of background sounds (horses clomping, music, and lots of grunting), as well as a clear theatrical style sometimes bordering on histrionic.

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Time relieve the last five planes of Chaos

Total
3 out of 5 stars
Ejecución
4 out of 5 stars
Historia
3 out of 5 stars

Revisado: 07-05-25

Michael Moorcock’s The King of the Swords is the final installment in his Swords of Corum trilogy. After his last battles that eliminated Chaos from five more planes, and with only five planes left to free, a spell falls over the land making all humans overly aggressive and fighting with one another. Corum sets out for the final five planes. He encounters variations of himself as eternal champions. He also runs into the god from whom his hand was taken (the eye belonged to the god’s brother). Corum engages him in his battle against the Chaos king. Finally, Corum gets his revenge against the human who took his hand and eye back in the beginning.

Moorcock adds some interesting settings, including the vanishing tower that travels between planes. There is some explanation regarding the gods of law and chaos, but for the most part, they all appear to be rather arbitrary and whimsical begins the question of why they even bother with humans.

The narration is of a dramatized type with lots of background sounds (horses clomping, music, and lots of grunting), as well as a clear theatrical style sometimes bordering on histrionic.

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Working his way up the chain

Total
3 out of 5 stars
Ejecución
3 out of 5 stars
Historia
4 out of 5 stars

Revisado: 07-04-25

Michael Moorcock’s The Queen of the Swords is the second installment in his Corum series. Corum now proceed to the second set of five planes overseen by a queen. This requires lots of traveling with places to go and people to meet. Corum picks up a sidekick who is a ‘professional’ attendant to champions. He brings with him a cat that can fly and he always wears a hat. Corum also continues to accu-mulate enemies that he cannot seem to get rid of permanently.

Moorcock maintains his style, but manages to come up with creative geographies, interesting allies of Chaos, and complicated, but clever solutions to saving the day (or at least five planes worth).

The narration is of a dramatized type with lots of background sounds (horses clomping, music, and lots of grunting), as well as a clear theatrical style sometimes bordering on histrionic.

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Traditional sword and sorcery fantasy

Total
4 out of 5 stars
Ejecución
3 out of 5 stars
Historia
4 out of 5 stars

Revisado: 07-03-25

Michael Moorcock’s The Knight of the Swords is the initial volume in his Corum series and the first of the Swords trilogy. Humans are becoming abundant in the lands and the gods of Chaos have become ascendant. Corum’s people are wiped out by a band of marauding humans, and he barely escapes af-ter losing an eye and a hand. From there a series of adventures takes place where he gets replacement parts and must take on the Knight of the Swords to free the first five of fifteen planes from the clutches of Chaos.

Moorcock offers a reluctant hero, forced to become a vicious killer in between lamentations for his lost people. There is a good mixture of swords and sorcery with nearly nonstop action. Humans are presented in a conflicted light with Corum developing a special bond with some and loathing others.

The narration is of a dramatized type with lots of background sounds (horses clomping, music, and lots of grunting), as well as a clear theatrical style sometimes bordering on histrionic.

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