The Occultist by Mike Richardson

An interesting story.  Rob works in a book store and his day is not going all that well.  It gets worse when a secret book decides it likes him and offers him the sword which is a magical power.  Soon Rob’s life changes in ways he never imagined.  He can have whatever he wants with consequences he never imagined.

Soon he’s a hunted man.  He connects to Detective Melendez and the adventures go from there.  I enjoyed the story.  Rob’s a likeable guy. 

The animation is decent, a bit fuzzy in my e-copy but enjoyable.  I loved the monsters and the story lines have lots of potential.  Can’t wait to see more.

Battlepug Volume 1 by Mike Norton

I had the privilege of being introduced to Mike Norton’s work when I read The Curse (due out in October).  The work was so funny, over the top and featured a pug which made the story complete.  When I had the opportunity to read his Battlepug, I knew I had to.

I was not disappointed.  Mike Norton has a dark sense of humor.  Battlepug is sexy, funny and full of action.  No zombies in this one but it’s filled with man-eating oversized animals and a very evil Santa Claus.

I lied – I was disappointed.  The book ended far too soon.  I hate volumes.  I want to devour a story and not have to stop and wait just as it’s getting good.  Mike Norton is a name that will haunt me as I scour comic book stores.  I don’t want your basic superhero – I want Battlepug.

Bloody Chester by JT Petty

The end of this graphic novel left me feeling unfulfilled so it’s hard to write this review.

The story is of “Bloody” Chester who starts off as a scrawny loser locked in the jail of a wild west town.  He’s offered a job – burn down plague afflicted Whale so the railroad can pass through the area.  Not thinking much of it, Chester goes to Whale.  There are 2 survivors and 1 man dying of the plague left.  All he has to do is convince them to leave and burn the whole place down – not a problem especially since the survivors are basically kids.

However, nothing is as it seems and soon Chester begins to unravel the origin of the plague and finds his job a lot more difficult than he thought.  At first, this story has a supernatural feel but everything is explained in “normal” terms.  That’s not the problem, I actually liked that it turned out not to be supernatural.  To tell you why the ending bothers me would ruin the story.  That may not be necessarily true – I just felt that the story ended in a weird place.  I needed a tiny bit more.  There may be an upcoming sequel which would explain why the strange ending but I don’t know.

The art is pleasing, muted but still colorful.  It reminds me of manga in the style.  I felt the art painted a full picture and gave me a real feeling of the life they were living.  There’s slight humor that made this book really enjoyable.  There is a small amount of violence that might disturb a sensitive reader.  The language is slightly more adult with some swearing making it not appropriate for a young reader.  I do see this appealing to teens and anything that gets them reading is a good choice.

Silver Streak by Jack Cole

This is a reprint of several of the original Silver Streak comics.  It’s not my cup of tea.  The pages are far too busy as was common during the early days of comics.

However, it’s a nice piece of nostalgia.  If you love old comics or origins, this is the edition for you.  Not only does this volume have the original stories but also includes several original ads that were printed with the comics.  Nothing like catching a red rider set ad in between issues.

Severed by Scott Snyder

A good creepy tale about a young man who wants to find his real father.  Jack discovered he was adopted and decides to run away.  His dream is to be a fiddle player and travel with his father.  However, what he finds is a predator that feeds on children’s dreams.

Set in the early part of the 20^th century, Scott Snyder and Scott Tuft have put together a tale that will leave you breathless.  It’s frightening in ways that you don’t expect.  The monster is not overly original but the tale will still cause your heart to pound.

Not only does Jack have to deal with this man who wants to eat him for dinner, he’s battling those who would stop at nothing to take everything from him.  It’s a dirty and tough time.  Monsters lurk in the shadows and look a lot like humans.  Jack is far too innocent to be on this adventure and it’s hard to watch that be stripped away from him.

The art is fairly basic – nothing overly dynamic but it also doesn’t distract from the story line.  It moves smoothly from page to page carrying the reader away.

The Last of the Greats by Joshua Hale Fialkov

This was a weird one but I still enjoyed it.  I get the impression I’m missing part of the story and there’s definitely more to come but nothing indicated that this wasn’t a complete tale.

The Last is the last of his kind.  They came to Earth like Gods with a plan that you just get glimpses of.  They cleaned up the environment, healed disease, feed the starving and housed the homeless.  They wanted the nations to give up their military defenses so the world replied by killing them off.  The Last hadn’t joined his siblings in society so when aliens come to attack the Earth, he is their only hope.

However, that’s just the tip of the iceberg in this story.  It’s so multi-layered that I’m left feeling like I haven’t gotten any answers.

It’s well drawn and not for children.  It’s violent and sexual and quite disturbing.  I did enjoy it but it’s bittersweet.  I’m puzzled and wondering if there’s more volumes coming.  Thankfully there’s www.thelastofthegreats.com which gave me the answer – this is volume one.  That’s all I learned from their site.  It’s got potential but it’s falling short.

The Eternity Code by Eoin Colfer

Artemis is at it again. This time he has taken the stolen fairy technology and turned it into a device that will revolutionize human technology. To make money quick, he shows the device to American business man Jon Spiro. Things go wrong quickly when Jon double crosses Artemis, steals the device and Butler is left dying on the floor.
Artemis must ask the fairies to help him clean up the mess but in return they ask that he allows them to remove his memories of their existence. It’s a turning point in the series, a place where the reader can see real changes in Artemis. It’s as if he’s teetering on the edge of good and evil. He’s struggling with his identity. Knowing the fairies has sure made him a better person – will removing his memory of them revert him back to being cold and calculating.
More importantly, will they get the device back from Jon Spiro who seems to stay one step ahead of them the whole way. Another great edition to the Artemis Fowl series. I skipped the e-book from NetGalley this time and listened to this in audio format. Nathaniel Parker lent an amazing depth to the story. His accents reminded me of the origin of the characters who all sound American in my head. If you haven’t picked up Artemis Fowl yet, what’s stopping you?

Gary Gianni’s Monstermen and Other Scary Stories by Gary Gianni

This was an interesting collection. The first half consisted of five graphic /comic stories by Gary Gianni. His Monstermen series was introduced as a companion to the Hellboy series. Lawrence St George is a film maker and hunter of the supernatural. Partnered with Benedict, an ancient knight who can’t die, they search out and stop a variety of demons from taking over the world. They are quick stories reminiscent of those from the early days of movies. St George looks a bit like Vincent Price. I would believe these are set in a time such as the 1930’s if it wasn’t for the occasional glimpse of a computer or other technology now and again. I rather enjoyed these. I do prefer color to black and white but the drawings gave it a spookier, old movie feel. There’s enough action to pull you through and enough character development that you feel like you know the characters towards the end. I look forward to more Monstermen stories. The second half of the book didn’t delight me as much as the first. It was stories but not told in graphic/comic form. Personally, I think it disrupted the flow of the book. Not that the stories were bad but they felt like they should be a separate book. The stories were illustrated by Gary Gianni but not written by him which made it feel more like a separate book. Had they been additional stories about Monstermen maybe I would have felt differently.

Hellboy Volume 12 by Mike Mignola

This volume co-incides with the BPRD Hell On Earth Volume 2. It’s a fairly complete story of Hellboy fighting a dragon that signals the end of the world. It’s entertaining enough and easy to read separate from the other volumes. I will say the ending makes me wonder if there will be Volume 13. I love Hellboy and this graphic novel did not disappoint. It’s mostly action but I did feel there was not enough Hellboy wit that is common in most Hellboy stories. I like that this story incorporated the King Arthur myth. It’s definitely a good volume to pick up.

The Cape by Joe Hill

The story of the cape was published in 20th Century Ghosts. It was such a popular and bizarre story of a grown man who rediscovers the power to fly using a cape. I was excited to hear that the story had been turning into a comic book mini-series (4 issues) but I wasn’t overly excited to read it since I had read it already. That didn’t mean I wasn’t curious so I accepted when the offer came to review the first issues. I was blown away. The illustrations are just creepy enough to give you the full impression of this character’s mental health. The story is just strange but more importantly this issue starts where the short story ends. Eric’s girlfriend has fallen to her death and the cops believe there’s something more going on here. However, it’s hard to understand how a woman fell to her death when there was nothing to fall from. We know what happened but will everyone else discover how Eric got his revenge and will they believe it. This issue is just as bizarre as the original story and you really don’t like Eric but you can understand him. His life is not all that great and he sees his problems as the fault of those around him. I can’t wait to pick up more issues to find out how Joe Hill resolves this story.

The Artic Incident by Eoin Colfer

A wonderful sequel to Artemis Fowl, the second in the series. At the beginning of this book, we find that Artemis has been returned to school. He’s been ordered to meet with the school counselor. The thing about Artemis is he knows that no one is smarter than he is and the counselor is just another adult who doesn’t understand him. A call from Butler and an escape from the school, lead Artemis to discover his father’s whereabouts. For the first time in two years, Artemis has a real chance at bringing his father home. The rescue won’t be an easy one but he’s prepared. That is until the fairy people return. Artemis is the only human they know with the resources to open up a human/goblin smuggling ring. They bring him in for questioning. Artemis is innocent and they agree to help him retrieve his father. However, there is a villain amongst the LEP and a plot that will destroy everything. It’s up to Artemis, Butler, Holly Short and Captain Root to save the day. There’s a return of Munch Diggins who has been causing his own ruckus. I don’t want to share too much for those who have not read the first one. I think I like this book better than the first. Artemis is such a complex character and I love that the book is told from all sides at once. It’s not confusing at all and opens up the reader to all the character’s thoughts.

Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer

*Had a little computer problem yesterday so yesterday's post is up today along with today's post. I'll be scheduling posts for the remainder of the week since I'll be out of town so I hope they post without problem. I loved Artemis Fowl the first time I read it years ago. I still love it today. I’m glad I took the opportunity to re-read the first book. I’m thinking about reading them all again ending with the newest book this summer. Artemis Fowl, to me, is the anti-Harry Potter. In this first book, he is twelve years old. His father is missing and his mother is withdrawn. The family name and fortune are on the line and Artemis Fowl takes matters into his own hands. He’s going to steal fairy gold. What happens from there is a story about a boy who is stuck in two roles. He is only twelve but incredibly intelligent. He could use his gifts for good but that’s not who his family is – the Fowl’s come from a long line of men who make their money off the backs of others. He has been taught to be evil. However, you can’t help but empathize with this boy. You delight in his schemes but your heart breaks for him as well. In some ways, he’s doing this for his family. The story is funny and charming. It’s not the same comradery as Harry Potter but Artemis is not alone in these stories. This first one sets up a series of friendships that will be tested time and time again in future books.

Echo’s Revenge by Sean Austin

This book was fun. Probably not the best written book out there but I still enjoyed. I find it funny that so many books lately have been breaking the rules to what is considered good writing. I have found the rules were too stuffy anyway. I love the chaos of this book. There are so many characters but two main characters – Reggie and Jeremy. I love that you get perspective from multiple characters. I didn’t think it made it confusing but it definitely added to the chaos which was perfect for this book. Reggie lives with his mom, her boyfriend and his brother Jeremy. Life is just about surviving the day to day – his mom is a total flake and her boyfriend is an abusive jerk. Reggie and his brother escape into ECHO’s Revenge, an online interactive game. Reggie is a master at the game and is invited to be part of a focus group. He goes feeling like he’s got something positive in his life. The group is not the best experience but he still feels special. His mom’s boyfriend discovers his trip and the punishment is severe. Time for escape, Reggie and his brother run away. The boys don’t realize that their running away have saved their lives. ECHO is real and he is working his way through the gamers. (The book gets a little hooky here as the pictures of the missing gamers appear on milk cartons the next day but it’s just requires a little belief suspension.) The boys now have two things they are running from – their mom’s boyfriend and ECHO. They are not without support and with each new person, Reggie learns something new. It is this knowledge that helps him survive when ECHO finally catches up to him and his brother. It’s almost a coming of age book as we watch Reggie grow during this ordeal. It’s a fun and exciting book. The style is easy to read and engaging. I’m glad this is the first of a series and I get to watch it blossom as well. For more fun echohunt.com offers interactive play with the characters and books.

Cemetery Club by JG Faherty

This was supposed to be yesterday's post but I fell behind and didn't get it written. Cemetery Club started off rather slow. I did not like the beginning. The first few segments were snapshots of the history of Rocky Pointe but I wasn't connecting to the town. The modern day story started with Todd. Todd had just been released from Wood Hill Sanitarium after serving 20 years for killing several people in his teens. Todd is looking forward to spending his time reconnecting with his mother and continuing his research on what really happened to those people. He suspects he raised a demon. Meanwhile, whatever it was has risen again. John Boyd witnesses the aliens take over a cemetery maintenance man who kills another man before dragging his body into a neighboring crypt. Todd is beaten by police before they even explain why they are arresting him. It's at this point that I am convinced I can no longer read this book. I was so angry. So far the book had failed to grasp my attention and here, in this modern day, this man was completely violated by the men who are sworn to protect. I nearly quit. I nearly wrote a terrible review because I had had it. But I wanted to give the book a chance and I'm glad I did. Once Cody Miles, Todd's lawyer, entered the scene the story took on a completely different feel for me. I was sucked in and I couldn't stop. The fun thing about this book was the debate about what exactly had invaded the community - was it demons or was it aliens? There were good arguments for both and I wasn't disappointed when I learned what the truth was. The beings turn their victims into zombies and that was fun. I hadn't read a zombie book yet so it was great. I loved the characters. I loved how they were real and how they were really struggling with what was the right thing to do. There was even a human villain who I thought could have been used a little better but I could totally picture him in the movie. I didn't like the ending but then I liked the characters a lot and the ending hurt. I won't spoil it for you but I was disappointed. I wanted them to be my heroes and I wanted a happily ever after. The fact that the ending made me feel made it a great ending. I could completely see this movie. It's a small book so it may never happen but I would love to see that movie. There were some editing issues with the book - I won't lie. One character's name changed from Hank to Frank for a few pages and then back to Hank. It was a little off putting but I didn't care. I chalked it up to the quaintness of the publishing. It wasn't well formatted for a nook so there was some fun font issues but I ignored them and stuck with the story. If you like horror, especially Stephen King, I recommend this book. It reminded me a bit of IT but with zombies instead of clowns.

Dollhouse Volume 1 by Andrew Chambliss

A post-series story following the characters of Dollhouse, this graphic novel is a must have for fans. Those not familiar with the show may find some of the plot confusing but the writer’s did a good job of introducing characters and the Dollhouse. The story begins with a phone call. This is not your normal call but one that threatens to take away all that makes you you. For some, they turned into mindless killers. Others turned into makers of mindless killers. Those who avoided the call are trying to survive in this apocalyptic world. Being this is volume one, there is no tight ending, no wrap up to the story but there was enough of a conclusion that made the story feel whole while still encouraging the reader to see out volume 2. This book makes me want to watch the show all over again – guess what I’m watching on Netflix tonight?

Alienation by Jon Lewis

To start with, I got this as an e-ARC so I wasn’t able to tell whether this was the first book of the series. Part way through the book, I looked it up to find it was the second book. There were some things that felt awkward reading this out of order but for the most part I was able to connect to the characters and follow the plot of the book. This wasn’t a favorite of mine but that’s not the books fault. I’m not real big on military action sort of stories. This is a book about aliens but it’s more about the young men who have been enlisted into a special military organization to combat the aliens. For those who likes those sorts of stories, this one is for you. There was too much detail in the weaponry for my taste. I don’t care how many different types of assault rifles and the numbers that are associated with them. For me, the book had too much of that. It pulled me out of the story. And there was a lot of it. There’s amazing technology in this book for those who like it. There’s realistic holographs for training (and if you get hurt in the holograph room, you really get hurt), robots for training and as servants, and hoverboards. It’s a thrilling young adult novel perfect for those who love military and espionage. In this story, Colt is heading off to CHAOS training. (I can’t remember what the acronym stands for but it’s something like covert – alien - something.) While trying to get there he discovers someone is trying to kill him. The head of CHAOS has ordered the murder of several government officials and it appears that he wants to get rid of Colt too. Colt is the grandson of the great CHAOS legend Phantom Rider. He’s left not sure of who to trust especially since his best friend is the son of the CHAOS leader. It did keep me guessing and I have to say I didn’t see the twist that came. I enjoyed the action and all the alien descriptions. This was similar in tone to comic books in the 40’s and 50’s – Captain America and the like. I think it makes for a great read for young men who love all that sort of stuff.

Abe Sapien Volume 2 by Mike Mignola

One of the things I love about BPRD character books, includes Hellboy and Abe Sapien, is that they are collections of short stories not a continuing story. That means I can pick them up as I find them and enjoy them. There are some characters that come and go but overall I can easily figure out who everyone is what they are doing. Much of that knowledge comes from the Hellboy movies – I’m not ashamed, I love Hellboy. I would beg them to make more and would even love Hellboy spin offs. I’m not picky. I loved this collection. Just three short tales starring Abe Sapien. I was slightly disappointed that he wasn’t more dynamic in these. He could kick butt but I wanted the more intellectual Abe. I think he’s a good counterweight to the brute of Hellboy. Maybe I miss their balance but that didn’t take away my enjoyment of these stories. Not too bad for a younger audience but a bit on the violent side. The violence was always directed towards monsters but for a young’in that might be too much. These are great for middle grade boys to read and should suck them right in and have them begging for more. This volume has ghosts, zombies, ships and an appearance by Hellboy.

BPRD Hell On Earth Volume 2 by Mike Mignola

Ack – what a ride. Hell on Earth is an accurate description of this apocalyptic story from BPRD. I was slightly off kilter not having read volume 1 but this volume let me catch up and enjoy the story. I can’t wait for volume 3. Looks like I’m going to have to do some serious graphic novel shopping. So many good tales lately. This one focused on Abe and Liz. Abe is hunting a teenager who seems to be one step ahead of the disasters while Liz is in hiding and discovers no matter how much you try to stay away, it will always find you. I like Liz but I wish she was a more sure character. If you are a Hellboy or BPRD fan – this is a great story line. It’s filled with possessed humans, huge monsters and a secret race that may prove powerful enough to destroy the world.

Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers

I wasn’t sure how to feel about this book when I first started. The story is Ismae’s – as she is rescued from a life filled with pain and hatred. She is taught to be an assassin for the convent of St Mortain as she was conceived from Mortain himself. Sent out to find a traitor to her duchess, Anne of Brittany, Ismae soon discovers that nothing is as it seems. The story is part adventure and part romance. I enjoyed both aspects of it. Robin LaFevers wove together an amazing tale, leaving me longing for more. It was a little slow to start with but soon I couldn’t put it down. I now have a long year’s wait for the sequel and I’m not sure I can wait. I want it now. Especially, knowing that the sequel will explain what is happening with Sybella, another member of the convent and dear friend to Ismae.

The Unbidden Magic Series

With the final book coming out this summer, Netgalley had an offer for their reviewers – all four of the current books of the Unbidden Magic Series as one long e-book. The number of pages was daunting but that didn’t stop me from burning through the books in a matter of days. Allie is just a normal girl trying to survive what life has offered her. She lives with her mother in a travel trailer on a piece of her mother’s step-brother’s land. Her mother was suffering from a mysterious illness that prevented her from working. Poor didn’t even begin to express how they lived. That was until Allie fell off the porch and something strange happened. Her life would never be the same. Allie was meant for greater things that involved magic, demons, fairies and an upcoming war between the light and the dark. The stories are witty and entertaining. Maybe a little over the top but I think that’s what I loved about them. It’s tough to talk about a series without giving away too much information but I will say the thing that tickled me the most was Allie’s boy trouble. She’s awkward and brash but that doesn’t stop the boys from lining up and threatening her reputation. They compare this series to Sookie Stackhouse, not sure I agree but I will say these are a fun read and I’m not all that excited that I now have to wait for the 5th book. Especially since the fourth ended with such a cliffhanger.