Category Archives: Book Review

Review of BERSERK Volume 41

BERSERK 41 arrived at my house. I opened up the envelop from Amazon not realizing what it held. My stomach dropped at the sight. The last of BERSERK Mirua wrote and drew before his death last year.

I read it. I absorbed it.

The volume was full of many lighthearted scenes of the various characters in Gut’s band as they enjoy themselves on the elf island. Caska, still traumatized by what happened to her, is healing. We get answers on the Skull Knight and the Moon Child.

And those were some beautiful scenes with Guts and Caska interacting with the Moon Child. Their child that was stolen from them by Griffith to be his new body. And then… that final scene.

Mirua was at the finish line. What we had in 41 was the calm before the storm. The last breath before the confrontation between Guts, Caska, and Griffith.

Rest in peace Miura Kentaro.

Review of Heroes of Time Legends: Murdoch’s Shadow

Heroes of Time Legends: Murdoch’s Shadow

By Wayne Kramer

The Grimstone is at the bottom of the sea, and Captain Murdoch is returning to port. He doesn’t have the cargo he was paid to have. He’s lost the chance of obtaining the Master’s Bar from the guild. His crew is not getting paid.

Worse, the man who hired him and the Seadread (rival ship/pirate) is dogging his steps. They know about his ruse. They’ve already figured out he stole the Grimstone. Will they believe him when he’s dumped it into the sea.

Worse, his crew learns just what he did. They were fine with thinking the Seadread had robbed them. They were united by this misfortune, but when they learn the Captain threw their prize over the side for the sake of the world, well, there’s plenty angry.

He has a mutiny on his hands. How is Captain Murdoch supposed to put his sailing career back on track with all these odds against him?

And that’s just the start of this story as we also delve into his daughter Starlina. Last time, she had been forced into the adventure, in the wrong place at the wrong time, but this time, she’s charting her own course after things happen. It’s good stuff.

First off, I love the prologue. That’s a character that you want to hate as well as expanding more of what’s going on, but what I really appreciated is Captain Murdoch chose to make the right decision. He saw the evil the Grimstone could cause, and tossed it into the sea.

He did the right thing, and it’s costing him. The right thing isn’t the easy thing. Isn’t the safe thing. It isn’t the profitable thing. That’s a great thing to show in a story and I’m glad that Kramer went there.

Of course, he did the right thing but maybe not the right way, so there is more fallout he has to clean up.

The writing flows and builds on the consequences of the last book. Characters are developed, the action carries you along, a heart attack happens when someone gets stabbed in the chest, and the stakes have never been higher.

This is an amazing follow-up to the first book and both are well worth a read. Kramer knows what he’s doing in the crafting of this story!

You can read it here!

Review of The Sphere: Sector One: Emerging Light

The Sphere: Sector One: Emerging Light

by Sarah Jessica Curry

This esoteric book, a collection of essays and poems, is about the human journey.

A book about hope and compassion that asks us all to not fall prey to the darkness. No matter how bleak the night, the light will shine once more. We just have to remember that brilliance. Carry it with us into the dark places we must tread.

A book about Truth.

Lyrical poems to clever prose, it’s about a child trying to walk a road. The road is clear and bright, and yet the child has trouble following it. Distracted from the truth. The story resonated in me.

A powerful examination of the spiritual side of humans. However you want to describe it, there is something in our human brain that truly separates us from the other animals. We all feel that incompleteness in us that makes us yearn for something to fill it. Religion, philosophy, morality, politics. We all try to find it, but this book is about making sure you are embracing light.

Not darkness.

To remember love.

To overcome fear.

To step beyond the dread that leads us to cause so many problems in our lives. To harm others and ourselves.

It’s a short but profound read. I highly recommend it!

You can read The Sphere: Sector One: Emerging Light here!

Review: Chayna: A Black Diamond Origin Story

Chayna: A Black Diamond Origin Story

by P. Kuroki

 

Chayna is facing her execution for using purple smoke, an illegal narcotic. Trembling through withdrawals, she stares at the gallows.

But when a general rides up needing soldiers with the war, she finds a repreive. But is being a soldier any better? Especially when the general leads them weirdly into the mountains.

Cold. Hungry. Beset by rabid animals, Chayna and her fellow conscripts are taken deeper into the mountains. Is their general really interested in the war, or is he leading them to another fate?

Chayna is another origin story for one of the Black Diamond assassins. This one was an interesting one. They’ve all been different, exploring different parts of the world.

I really liked how the flute was used. This is a short fantasy story, but Kuroki does a fantastic job of making you care for the supporting cast. Like Sammick and Pevrel.

Another great offering from Kuroki and leaves me salivating for more.

If you’re looking for something to read that’s quick, you’re going to find a lot of depths in this fantasy story.

Review: Rhoda: A Black Diamond Origin Story

Rhoda: A Black Diamond Origin Story

by Poppy Kuroki

Reviewed by JMD Reid

Before she was one of the Black Diamond Assassins, Rhoda was a young woman about to marry Lord Drew Fiscal. An arranged marriage, but one she’s eager for. A handsome and dashing man who will give her a beautiful daughter to be the next empress.

But her dream marriage is about to become a nightmare.

A drunk and abuser, her first night and all those after are not what she expected. A thing sold to him by her parents, she drowns in despair. Her only victory is every month when her period comes, denying her husband his heir.

But that isn’t an escape from her pain. That can only come from one place.

Rhoda is a sad story of a young woman locked in abuse and her journey to escape it. Her steps into a world of darkness. As always, Kuroki peers into the darkness and takes you on a journey with her characters.

The world-building continues, standing on what Oaths created. If you haven’t read Oaths, you don’t need to have because this story, though short, takes you on a journey. You will cheer on Rhonda as she seeks to escape the prison of her life.

The prose is fantastic, the imagery clear, and the story pulls you along. A great afternoon read.

You can buy Rhoda from Amazon.

Review of The One Who Could Not Fly

The One Who Could Not Fly (The Wing Cycle 1)

by E.G. Stone

Reviewed by JMD Reid

Ravenna is born different from all the other sylphs. Not only does she not have the same skin or wing coloring, but her wings are stunted. She’ll never fly like the others. She’ll have no place in their society, always looked down on as an outsider.

Try as she might, she just can’t overcome her birth defect. All she can do is help her people in other ways. By being a scholar. When she’s sent out on a mapping mission, she comes across something out of legends: Humans.

Thinking her an angel, they capture Ravenna and haul her across the sea to their lands to sell her as a slave. Thus starts the cruel journey of Ravenna as she learns just what she is capable of as she has to use all her wits to survive.

As she suffers as a slave, Prince Davorin has just murdered his brother, heir to the Empire. A bid for power, he thinks he is the only one that can save it. But he’ll have to face the machinations of a power-hungry sister and the uncaring apathy of a father who loved only one of his sons.

And that one is now dead.

Stone’s book was a great read. From the question of how Prince Davorin’s scheming would connect to Ravenna’s capture and enslavement, the book keeps you reading. It flows well, making for a fast and engaging flow. It’s well-paced and Ravenna is a charming character.

She has quite the journey from naïve outcast to slave survivor. She’s put into the crucible and has to use all her knowledge to survive. The story has some great suspense and well-done action. All in all, it was a great read and left me hungry for more.

If you’re looking for a fantasy book with a great female character who strives and struggles for everything, then check out The One Who Could Not Fly!

You can buy Oath from Amazon.

Review: Oath: A Black Diamond Novel

Oath: A Black Diamond Novel

by Poppy Kuroki

Reviewed by JMD Reid

Colette, growing up on the streets, wants something different. She needs to get away. Travel the world. Find a better life.

She finds that with a group of assassins. Colette has found a home. A place. A skill to develop. But she’s not universally loved. Jealousy simmers, and her new life may not be as peaceful as she hoped.

Oath is a phenomenal book. I had trouble putting it down when I read it. Colette is an endearing character that you can’t help root for. From her time on the streets to her journey to find a new life to her yearning to have a family and home.

Kuroki has created a rich and wonderful world. Her characters are vibrant and you can’t help but root for them. There are some shocking twists and some powerful moments. This is a book willing to punch you in the guts when needed.

This is a story that comes from passion! It shows!

Kuroki does a masterful job of telling Colette’s story. This is a must-read fantasy novel!

You can buy Oath from Amazon.

Review: A Bard’s Lament by Poppy Kuroki

A Bard’s Lament

by Poppy Kuroki

Reviewed by JMD Reid

Ella and her sister Lucinda are trapped by crushing debt, forced to earn coin to pay off their dead mother’s bills. Luckily for Ella, she has a talent. She’s a bard.

Unlucky for Lucinda, she has only her body.

As Ella sings her songs, she struggles to take care of her sister while plotting their escape from their plight. But every day things grow worse and worse and worse.

Will all Ella have left is a lament?

Kuroki’s return to fantasy is amazing. This novelette is a powerful, emotional, and tragic tale of two sisters trapped in a prison of an uncaring society. Crushed beneath inequity, they are doing what they can to survive.

The prose is lyrical and moving. Kuroki slowly ratchets up the tension until you’re desperately tapping on the side of your eReader to read what happens next. With such a short space, she brings Ella and Lucinda to life, makes you care for them, and takes you on the journey of their lives.

Though a short read, it’s an impactful one!

You can buy A Bard’s Lament from Amazon.

Review: Someday I’ll Be Redeemed (The Chronicles of Lorrek 1)

Someday I’ll Be Redeemed (The Chronicles of Lorrek 1)

by Kelly Blanchard

Reviewed by JMD Reid

The Chronicles of Lorrek is a fantasy/sci-fi epic (yes, it is both). Ten years ago, Prince Lorrek vanished defeating a technological monstrosity attacking his kingdom with his magic. His brother, wracked by guilt, has given up inheriting the throne to search for him.

Then one night, Lorrek appears at the castle of another kingdom, a place where magic is frowned upon. That’s a problem for Lorrek since he’s one of the most skilled mages in the world. How has he survived? Where has he been? And what does he need?

Beneath a snarky and abrasive exterior, Lorrek is a man searching for redemption. He has made mistakes that wrack him with guilt. Now he seeks to do what he can to undo it, but is there ever enough to make up for his mistakes.

Lorrek’s story begins.

Someday I’ll Be Redeemed is all about loss. Each of the characters is dealing with someone missing in their lives. Whether it’s Lorrek brothers believing he’s dead, or other characters missing their dead sister, mother, or husband. They are all grieving in their own way. They are all trying to find their own way.

This story is an epic. Multiple kingdoms and royal families that all interact and conflict. Multiple wars threaten to erupt and those who seek to take advantage to seize power. The book moves fast, using magic to transport the characters across the world in heartbeats.

It also mixes in science fiction with one kingdom having advanced tech. It’s an interesting series. The characters are endearing. And once you’ve finished reading it, Blanchard has you aching to read the next book.

You can buy Someday I’ll Be Redeemed from Amazon.

REVIEW: Midnight Tides (Malazan Book of the Fallen 5)

Midnight Tides (Malazan Book of the Fallen 5)

by Steven Erikson

Reviewed by JMD Reid

At the end of Book Four, Trull Sengar began to tell the story of how he became chained to the wall in the drowned pocket of Kurald Emurlan.

As the events of Deadhouse Gates and Memory of Ice was happening (sort of, since the Silanah stuff really throws off the timeline) on the other side of the world, the Tiste Edur tribes have been united by the Warlock King. They are facing annexation by the greedy Lether to the south, a nation merchants who want the natural resources in Edur lands. They have destroyed other tribes through shady treaties and deliberate betrayals.

The Warlock King has a new ally. He plans to send the Sengar Brothers (Fear, Trull, Binadas, and young Rulad) on a quest to receive a gift in the arctic wastes north of their lands. Will it prove the salvation of their people or their ruination.

Another set of brothers, Beddicts, have their own goals. Tehol Beddict appears impoverished after his financial collapse, but he had actually discovered the secret to destroying his people’s economy and flinched. However, when those whose people were destroyed by the Lethers want him to try again, will he accept? In the palace, Brice Beddict is the king’s champion. Emroiled in the complex politics of Lether, he vows to protect his king even if the man isn’t worthy of his devotion. Last, Hull Beddict plots his people’s destruction in another way. He wants to save the Edur from the fate of other tribes, weighed down by guilt.

A large cast of characters, both mortal, undead, and immortal, clash and swirl. This is one of Erikson’s best books in the series. Tehol and Bug number among my favorite duo and it was great to read them again. Tragedy and misfortune swirl as no one’s plans quite work out right. The darkest parts of humanity are exposed once more.

This fantasy series continues to be unique and amazing. If you haven’t read any of Malazan Book of the Fallen, you need to. It is worth the journey.

You can buy Midnight Tides from Amazon.