Category: Reviews

Book Review: The Shepherd’s Crown (Discworld #41)

On By cherylmahoneyIn Fantasy, Reviews, Young AdultLeave a comment

The world grew less funny last March with the death of Terry Pratchett, creator of Discworld, my go-to author during blue times, and the reigning king of my “funniest book read this year” category every year.  Honestly, it makes me want to reach for a Pratchett book–which I did near the end of 2015, when I realized that Pratchett’s final Discworld book had somehow come out without my noticing!  That was The Shepherd’s Crown, fifth book in the Tiffany Aching subseries.

This was an unusually fraught read, because the previous book, Raising Steam, just…wasn’t very good.  And it made me really, really sad.  So I am doubly pleased by how much I liked The Shepherd’s Crown!

As to the story here (there’s no way to soften this so I have to just say it) it begins with the death of Granny Weatherwax, who is not the leader of the witches (witches don’t have a leader–Granny wouldn’t allow it).  Tiffany, somewhat to her own dismay, finds herself as Granny’s successor.  She struggles with what it means to walk, not in Granny’s footsteps but in her own.  The Nac Mac Feegle also careen through at times; Tiffany has to make a decision about Geoffrey, a boy who wants to be a witch; and the witches have to deal with an incursion by the fairies (far more scary than you might think). Continue reading “Book Review: The Shepherd’s Crown (Discworld #41)” →

Book Review: Star Wars – Survivor’s Quest

On By cherylmahoneyIn Reviews, Science Fiction1 Comment

I enjoyed the new Star Wars movie quite a bit, but I still had to chant “alternate universe” a lot—because I like the Expanded Universe of the novels. As I mentioned in my movie review, the movie sent me running to read a Timothy Zahn book, just to bring some balance back. So I pretty quickly read Survivor’s Quest (and took a while to post the review…), the chronologically-last Zahn Star Wars books, after already having read the previous five he wrote. And it really did feel so nice!

By this book we’ve reached some twenty years beyond the original trilogy (not that you can tell from Luke’s face on the cover…) This one focuses exclusively on Luke and Mara Jade, now married for three years. They join an expedition to find the remains of Outbound Flight, a colony ship sent 50 years ago in an (unsuccessful) effort to reach another galaxy. It swiftly becomes clear a saboteur is aboard the expeditionary ship, with a whole host of possible suspects.

Reading this book definitely fulfilled my goal—it just felt so comfortable to read a story about Mara Jade (probably the break-out star original character of the Expanded Universe), where Luke is training up a new generation of Jedi. We didn’t get to see Han and Leia, but we know they’re out there. I loved that. Continue reading “Book Review: Star Wars – Survivor’s Quest” →

Book Review: The Blood of Olympus (Heroes of Olympus series)

On By cherylmahoneyIn Fantasy, Reviews, Young AdultLeave a comment

I finished out my read of Rick Riordan’s Heroes of Olympus series just before the end of the year with The Blood of Olympus, fifth and final book. It was dramatic and exciting and a good conclusion to the series…if not quite everything I might have hoped for.

The waking of Gaea, the terrifying Mother Earth, has been drawing closer and closer throughout the series and now is only days away. Most of our (several) heroes are aboard the flying Argo II, heading towards the Parthenon, site of Gaea’s waking, fighting monsters and questing for the ingredients of the Physician’s Cure along the way. Meanwhile, the motley band of Reyna (Roman praetor), Nico (antisocial son of Hades) and Coach Hedge (war-mongering satyr) are trying to deliver a giant, ancient statue of Athena to Camp Half-Blood in time to prevent a war between the Greek and Roman demigods.

Everything that was here was good, and my biggest disappointment was what wasn’t here. Namely, anything from Percy or Annabeth’s point of view, because they’re my favorites. I actually flipped through when I was somewhere near the beginning to see what the POVs were going to be—and it turns out to be Jason, Piper, Nico, Reyna and Leo. To be fair, Percy and Annabeth got a lot of play in the last three books, especially 2 and 4, and there is a certain appropriateness to returning to Jason, Piper and Leo in the final book, when they were the focus of book 1…but I like Percy and Annabeth. And don’t get me wrong, they are here…but not the primary focus this time around. Continue reading “Book Review: The Blood of Olympus (Heroes of Olympus series)” →

Book Review: Winter (The Lunar Chronicles)

On By cherylmahoneyIn Reviews, Science FictionLeave a comment

I’ve been eagerly awaiting the final book in Marissa Meyer’s Lunar Chronicles ever since May, 2014…when I read the previous book!  Happily, Winter did not disappoint in the slightest.

The story has grown complicated and the cast has grown large by this fourth book…catch up on my earlier reviews of Cinder, Scarlet, Cress (and Fairest, a prequel).  Spoilers to follow for the earlier books!

In a more-or-less distant future, Earth is on the brink of war with Luna, whose wicked Queen Levana is bent on world-domination, and she has an army of mutant soldiers, a plague virus and some nasty mind-control to back her up.  The one hope is Cinder and her rag-tag collection of allies.  Cinder is both the long-lost heir to the Lunar throne and a cyborg…who once left her mechanical foot behind at a ball.  Her allies include Scarlet, a pilot with a fondness for a red hoodie sweater and a certain Lunar soldier named Wolf; Cress, a brilliant but naive hacker who was held captive in a satellite by Levana until rescued by Cinder and co.; Carswell Thorne, a dashing captain who will tell you just how wonderful he is…while secretly doubting that he’s as good as Cress thinks he is; and Emperor Kai, who was abducted in Book Three but isn’t very sorry about it, considering he and Cinder have a romance that is (slowly) heating up.

Book Three also saw Scarlet carried off to captivity on Luna, but she’s fallen under the (doubtfully effective) protection of mad Princess Winter, and by extension her one loyal guard, Jacin.  The only chance of rescuing Scarlet, defeating Levana and reclaiming the Lunar throne is for Cinder and co. to somehow make it to Luna, probably under cover of plans for the royal wedding between Kai and Levana.

Are we all caught up now?  🙂  Continue reading “Book Review: Winter (The Lunar Chronicles)” →

Movie Review: Star Wars – The Force Awakens

On By cherylmahoneyIn Reviews, Science Fiction6 Comments

star_wars_poster_full.0.0If your friends are like my friends, then you will understand why many of the conversations I’ve had recently began with a variation of, “So have you seen it yet?”  And by “it” we all understood that we meant Star Wars.  We’ve been comparing excitement and concerns for a good two years now, so we all have a good grounding of discussion.  I’m not getting this review up immediately, but I went to see the movie on Saturday of opening weekend.  I was clinging to caution right up until the lights dimmed (and maybe for an hour after that…) but the final verdict?  I liked it!

And from here on out, spoilers abound.  I warned you!

The story is set thirty years after Return of the Jedi.  The politics are slightly confusing, but the Rebel Alliance has evolved into/been replaced by the Resistance, who are fighting the First Order, heir apparent of the Empire.  And there’s a New Republic, but we’re not sure how powerful they are.  Much more importantly, Luke has disappeared, General Leia Organa is heading the Resistance and hoping to find her brother, a renegade Stormtrooper named Finn gets mixed up in galactic complications, then drags Rey, a scavenger on a desert world (but not Tattooine) into the mix too.  And there are battles and uses of the Force and funny droids.  Of course.

That is not a good summary, but you’ve probably seen it by now, so it doesn’t matter that much.  We know what I’m talking about, right? Continue reading “Movie Review: Star Wars – The Force Awakens” →