Score:
5 - buy in hardcover
4 - buy in paperback
3 - buy used
2 - get from library
1.5 - not sure if I'll read the next one
1 - okay, but not worth seeking out
0 - bounce (started, but I couldn't get into it)
-1 - disappointing
-2 - flawed
-3 - couldn't finish
-4 - couldn't even begin
-5 - I can't believe I read the whole thing
3-07-08
Carole Nelson Douglas, _Dancing With Werewolves_
Juno (2007) ISBN: 978-0-8095-7203-8
Score: -1
Start of the Delilah Street, Paranormal Investigator urban fantasy
series, set about 10 years after the Millennium Revelation (all the
supernaturals stopped hiding on January 1, 2000). I never got a good
feel for what is or is not possible when dealing with the supernatural
stuff, and found it odd that none of the characters showed any
curiosity about how and why the heroine gets her new powers (and even
with them she needs to be rescued frequently). This is more romance
than fantasy in tone, and the mystery the plot revolves around isn't
fully resolved. It seems that the only character that overlaps with
her other Las Vegas series is the coroner, and he has a very minor
part in both.
3-12-08
Carla Speed McNeil, _Finder vol. 1: Sin-Eater_
Lightspeed (2007) ISBN: 978-09673691-9-8
Score: 1
This is the first collection (or maybe an omnibus of the first two) of
the post-apocalypse urban fantasy comic Finder, specifically issues
1-14 and 22 (including an additional 9 pages that weren't in that
issue) and some author commentary. The setting is fairly deep and
complex (perhaps too complex) but not really relevant to this story,
which is mainly a psychological drama. I didn't really like any of
the characters, and thought both the hero and villain were far too
trusting and admiring of each other, especially since they both suffer
from violent hallucinations. Also, part of the premise is that the
ruling clans have strict rules concerning how much their members can
vary in physical appearance, which is plausible in context (and useful
to the plot), but makes the characters hard to tell apart, especially
in a black and white comic.
3-27-08
Carol Berg, _Breath and Bone_
Roc (2008) ISBN: 978-0-451-46186-5
Score: 2
Second half of the Lighthouse duology, in which everything is
revealed and resolved. While I liked the characters and plotting and
the writing was very good, I never reached the point where I needed
to find out what happens next (which is why it took 2 weeks to read).
--
Konrad Gaertner - - - - - - - - - - - - - email: kgaertner@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
"If I let myself get hung up on only doing things that had any actual
chance of success, I'd never do *anything*!" Elan, Order of the Stick
|
