Robert Eric Koch

Starting to Become Repetitive

Revisado: 06-26-18

I'm four books into this series and it's becoming increasingly clear that all of these novels, at least so far, pretty much adhere to the same basic plot points. The setting is really the only thing that seems to change from book to book, that and McGill's rank, which seems to inexplicably go up one notch every book. I still find them enjoyable listening material - fun, easy reading/listening, perfect to sort of cleanse one's mental palate after listening to something heavier and deeper.

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Least Favorite Sanderson Book

Revisado: 01-26-17

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This is the first book by Brandon Sanderson that I've read that I didn't enjoy from start to finish. It's a somewhat dull police procedural, a sort of steampunk X-Files that I think focuses too much on establishing some greater story arc at the expense of an enjoyable story. I really loved Alloy of Law and the original Mistborn trilogy so this was a huge disappointment. Wax, Wayne, and Marasi are great characters, but the supporting cast, however, are cartoonish and one dimensional.

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Best Entry of the Series - Five BIG Stars

Revisado: 06-03-15

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First, yes, Jefferson Mays is back as narrator. While I didn't personally think the narration of Cibola Burn was all that horrible, it is nice to have Mays back. Second, I felt this series seriously running out of steam after Cibola Burn. The series felt artificially stretched and was starting to show definite signs of losing the punch that made the first three books so memorable. I am here to announce that Nemesis Games represents a massive right-turn for this series. For the first time the crew of the Rocinante is split up and scattered, each to tell their own story and give us some much needed background. These personal journeys are set against a backdrop of interstellar war that makes all the previous conflicts seem like minor skirmishes. As always, these stories are steeped in modern day social issues, racism and economic equality, etc. While a few familiar characters from previous novels return, there is no new cast guest stars here, which I found added a level of complexity to this novel, easily making it most personal of the series. Five big BIG stars for Nemesis Games.

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Goofy, Lite, and Fun

Revisado: 02-06-15

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I can drone on about plot holes and characters who ask none of the important questions an actual person in the real world would ask (think Neo's concerns about being in the Matrix...only not being all that concerned) but instead just having a good time doing wizardy stuff but this is one of those books you just gotta let all that go and enjoy it for what it is. Not written terribly well nor deeply developed, I have to say it held my interest, made me laugh out loud a number of times, and got me hooked to follow the further adventures of these quirky characters. You really can't ask for more out of a fantasy book.

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Excellent High Fantasy for Grown Ups

Revisado: 01-09-15

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Before They Are Hanged is top notch fantasy by one of today’s best and most under-appreciated writers. Here are characters that reek of substance and are grounded in real, believable world. And here, at last, is a story impossible to predict with its many twists and turns. I read a great many fantasy books, many (too many) in the form of trilogies or series. I can typically figure out where a series is going by the middle of the second book so that I’m rarely surprised by the time I get to book three and beyond. Here is one of the few exceptions, a story that does not follow Tolkien conventions or modern fantasy tropes. And here is a series written for grown-ups. While I wouldn’t put Abercrombie on the same level of sex and gratuitous violence that one would put George RR Martin, his books are certainly not for the YA crowd. Unlike the aforementioned Martin, who uses sex and violence to shock his readers, Abercrombie uses violence to do little more than advance his story and develop his characters. How else to describe scenes of torture that aren’t memorable for their shock value but for how mundane they seem in the context of the greater tale? Even the rare sex scenes, which are explicit despite lacking any eroticism, are written in advance of the story and nothing more. While this may put some readers off, I find it quite refreshing in an adult fantasy novel that is adult because it assumes its readers are mature enough to enjoy a story without the shock. Great series, well worth the credit.

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Non-Stop Action Start to Finish

Revisado: 01-08-15

Would you listen to The Legacy again? Why?

Already have

Who was your favorite character and why?

Drizzt, do you need to ask?

Which scene was your favorite?

A couple of bad guy deaths that were particularly satisfying.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Don't want to spoil it but we have our first major death of one of the core characters and it's a moving, fitting moment in the greater story that will resonate with you long after you finish the book.

Any additional comments?

Despite the three intervening Icewind Dale novels (if you go by timeline and not publication date), this novel is as much a direct sequel to the Dark Elf Trilogy as it is to the Icewind Dale Trilogy. While it picks up exactly where Streams of Silver, the final book of Icewind Dale, left off, it also picks up where Soujourn, the final book of Dark Elf, left off. Odd as this may sound, it not only works but works quite well and lends itself to reading the series in order of publication date (Icewind Dale Trilogy, Dark Elf Trilogy, Legacy of the Drow Trilogy) and not in order of timeline (Dark Elf First, Icewind Dale Second). The Legacy marks a clear transition in RA Salvatore’s writing as he begins to explore darker themes and not every story has the kind of happy endings we saw in his first few Forgotten Realms books. This is a tightly written action-heavy entry that doesn’t let up once it gets started. While I don’t hold Salvatore on par with some of today’s top fantasy authors, his Dark Elf stories are great fun, even when they take a turn for the dark and sinister.

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The Reckoners are Back!

Revisado: 10-31-14

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I’m not sure what some of my fellow reviewers were expecting from an hour long short story but for my money this short, transitional tale packed a ton of foreshadowing and did a great deal to setup to the upcoming second novel, Firefight. It was also great fun to immerse myself once again in the world of Calamity, Epics, and Reckoners. What do we learn? For one, the war with the Epics is not even close to being over. Even the war for Newcago will continue to rage. As for our hero, his days of reckless, impulsiveness are likely coming to an end. He will definitely bear the mental and physical scars of his brief battle with Mitosis for a long, long time. This a great story with great characters set in a completely unique future world. Brandon Sanderson is the master world builder in the world of fantasy, and now Science Fiction. Can’t wait for Firefight!

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Move Over Game of Thrones!!!

Revisado: 10-17-14

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I read a ton of fantasy and it’s rare that I come across a debut novel as impressive as Blood Song. Anthony Ryan’s epic, coming of age fantasy is as deep, as dark, and nearly as complex as George RR Martin, Patrick Rothfuss, or Brandon Sanderson. I honestly think Blood Song is better than Game of Thrones or Name of the Wind (two of the best beginnings to epic fantasy series’ you will read). This novel was self-published before being picked up by a publisher, which in my mind makes it all the more impressive. The world Ryan creates is rich and textured, full of history and dark magic and inhabited by characters that leap off the page and are so well developed you will feel like you’ve been reading them your whole life by novel’s end. The layered plot works so well in this book. I love the way that Ryan slowly pulls back the complex layers through the eyes of Valin as he grows to become the greatest warrior in the realm. It would have been both easy and tempting to make this into another Harry Potter, off to magic/battle school story and it partially is but it is also much, much more. The pacing, the action, the way the story is framed, all are spot on perfect. I can’t recall the last time I picked up a novel on a whim and enjoyed it so much. On top of all this, the audiobook narration is first rate. This is just a great, great book and Anthony Ryan needs to get the accolades he deserves. With so much cut-rate fantasy being put on the shelves these days, this formerly self-published epic fantasy is a welcomed surprise.

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Is It Real or Is It My Imagination?

Revisado: 08-28-14

If you could sum up The Haunting of Hill House in three words, what would they be?

What the heck?

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Haunting of Hill House?

The ending blew me away.

What does Bernadette Dunne bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Top notch narration. She does an excellent job fleshing out the different players.

If you could take any character from The Haunting of Hill House out to dinner, who would it be and why?

Elanor with her cup of stars.

Any additional comments?

Horror novels, particular those written in the 20th century or beyond, are not my cup of tea. Despite my undying (see what I did there?) devotion to Edgar Allen Poe and H.P. Lovecraft and a smattering respect for Mary Shelly and Bram Stoker, I’ve never enjoyed anything that could be considered modern horror. So, I’m not entirely sure what prompted me to spend a few bucks on The Haunting of Hill House except perhaps that I’m a sucker for haunted houses (just not novels about haunted houses). This novel blew me away. This is how real horror should be done. True terror, after all, is about what you can’t see and the anticipation of what is just beyond the scope of your perception. The Haunting of Hill House is not only a frightening read, it delves deep into character, into history, and into numerous literary and psychological themes (such as the fine line between reality and imagination). Shirley Jackson is a master at building suspense and delivering the payoff without resolving the underlying and overarching mysteries. By novel’s end you too might find yourself lost somewhere between reality and fantasy. The audiobook presentation is top notch. Great book. Sad Shirley Jackson didn’t write more.

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Just Plain Awesome

Revisado: 08-14-14

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I never write reviews of audiobooks before I finish listening to the entire book, even if I’ve read the book many times before. I will make an exception here since a) it’s free; b) it’s just plain awesome; and c) it’s free. R.A. Salvatore is what I would call average fantasy, a tick or two below Terry Brooks but nothing, in essence, like or at the level of, say, George RR Martin, Joe Abercrombe, or Robert Jordan. His books are basically novelizations of Dungeons and Dragon game scenarios complete with towns, villages, monsters, and character classes. All that’s missing are the die rolls when his characters get into combat. His books are lite and fun, sometime a little on the corny side, especially his earlier stuff. And yet, I’ve happily read everything the man has written and call myself a fan. That said, I rarely recommend Salvatore to readers who are not at least casually familiar with D&D or Forgotten Realms. Here is an exception. The narrators thus far have turned this average fantasy world into a real gem. For the price you can’t go wrong and I have no qualms about calling this the greatest deal in Audible history. I would have happily paid a credit for 10 hours of pure, fantasy joy. Get this today!

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