Matthew T. Davenport

World Shattering Truths!

Revisado: 05-20-24 El oyente recibió este título gratis

Cthulhu Armageddon is a series that takes the pulp pastiche normally sewn directly into the fabric of the Cthulhu Mythos and shoves it firmly into the post-apocalypse. A series that merges the genres of horror, pulp adventure, and western heroes into a conglomerate study in the ways to torture a protagonist.
Given the novels and the anthology stories tied to this universe, it's easy to lose track of where our hero, John Henry Booth, is on his journey. Last that we knew, he was trying to find a method to save humanity from completely dying off. An impressive feat if it could be pulled off, but we realize very early into book 3, Tree of Azathoth, that it can't be pulled off. Humanity is over, at least in this reality, and that's where we get caught up with our would-be hero. He makes a deal, the closest thing to death that this 'abomination' can conjure for himself, and decides to shift to the nexus of the multiverse, the Dreamlands.
It is a move that both allows our Sherlock to also become our Watson, as he's as unfamiliar with the Dreamlands as we are, and acts as our guide as he discovers the odd nature of this 'reality.'
To sum it up for this review, this is the last refuge for humanity (and everything that once claimed to be humanity) and it has been developing over the centuries into a pulp 30's world that has collected the better (and some worse) parts of every time period that its denizens have every dreamed of. It's a writer's dream. We get Booth diving fully into the role of Cthulhu RPG investigator, but the nature of the environment is entirely alien and literally made of the stuff of dreams (and nightmares). This means that long dead characters can return, Jim-Bob from accounting is actually an eldritch god, and cats can talk.
Not only is it an entirely new world with mostly the same characters and all of the same problems, but our former cowboy of the Wastelands turned detective is hunting murderers along with family as he discovers this is where his children, ex-wife, and ex-lovers have all sought refuge in the same place. Where are they and were they responsible for the very personal assassination that Booth finds himself mired in the very moment he arrives.
I'm a long-time fan of Phipp's writings and appreciate Mythos stories more than anything. This story is great, just under those descriptors, but it levers itself above the writer with the Lovecraft Wiki tab open with the deep-cut references, the inclusion of characters and references from a myriad of other artistic endeavors and artists, and the great pulp adventure that gives off Dick Tracy vibes, if Dick Tracy was more self-reflective and was able to dream up his love interests.
I received my copy when I went on a trip overseas and I burned through it like it was a match covered in gasoline. It was the kind of good that only that first cup of coffee overlooking a lake in the fall. It felt right, and, as this trilogy has taken a few years to release, long overdue.
11 out of 5 stars. I look forward for what other unpredictable adventures befall our hero and his team next.

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Has Everything

Revisado: 01-07-20

The problem with Lovecraft Mythos stories, and the same thing that I tend to love about them, is that they are known to dive deeply into the mythos and alienate readers who haven't spent their lifetimes obsessing about some obscure author from the 1920's. It makes the stories excellent for those types of readers and keeps everyone else from even picking up the title.
That's not the case with Winter Tide by Ruthanna Emrys. The story uses the magic, race, and creatures of Lovecraft's mythos to tell a story that doesn't require foreknowledge. To that point, though, having that foreknowledge is rewarded with small nods and subtle hints as the story progresses
This book uses the Sherlock/Watson method of telling the story, but does it almost better than even Doyle's heroes in that it allows the reader to decide if they are the Sherlock or the Watson. The Sherlocks all know what's coming when the protagonist, Aphra, heads home or discusses the Yith, but the Watsons aren't left in the dark, as they are pulled along in the adventure and explained what's going on as they see it for the first time. And none of those explanations come across as heavy-handed narration or as treating the reader as an idiot. Their just seeing it all for the first time, and get to experience the excitement, fear, and dread as if they were actually there.
Aphra's story is one of race, subjugation, and legacy as she tries to decide what's to come for her and her people after the Americans destroyed most of Innsmouth and threw the survivors in prison camps. Their story purposefully mirrors that of Asian-Americans during the second World War while also adding an element of the supernatural. While mirroring that horrible tragedy that the government placed on its own people, it also illustrates it by Aphra's finding family in some of the imprisoned through mutual hardships while also pairing them all up with the very government that sought to ruin them.

Winter Tide has everything, and I thoroughly enjoyed it as both a fan of history and a fan of Lovecraft. 5 out of 5 stars!

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Great Story for All Ages!

Revisado: 08-06-15

What made the experience of listening to Saving Mim the most enjoyable?

The writing was amazing and well done. The narrator was also very good.

What did you like best about this story?

The sense of epic fantasy on a scale for children's books, but without dumbing it down. It was very well done.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Harry Potter meets Peter Pan in this tale of magic and self-discovery!

Any additional comments?

Wonderful job. What a fun book!

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Definitely worth a listen/read

Revisado: 05-27-15

Any additional comments?

It was great not only hearing, in detail, better ways using the tools that I already use, but also in learning of other methods that I can implement. The whole thing was very short, I was able to get through it with two car-rides, but it was an invaluable nugget of information. Definitely worth keeping in my toolbox for later uses.

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