Rogue, Rachel Vincent

Rogue

The Shifters #2

by Rachel Vincent

chicklit, fantasy

copyright 2008

part read in May 2022

rated 5/10: readable but only if there's nothing else

Some chicklit I enjoy. I mean... I enjoyed Twilight. Good grief :-)

This book...chicklit... I just do not enjoy.

"The claws are out" really?! There are two themes -- as far as I read: (1) Wouldn't it be great to be an independent, strong... cat. Though some of the attitudes are more dog-like. Anyway: (2) Wouldn't it be great to act as an oh so independent female while being ruled by an exceedingly macho male. With hints of violence and rape still to come.

(1) is harmless fun. (2) is bad.

Family fantasy chicklit. I don't like the subservience.

Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper

...        Agamedes Consulting / Problems ? Solved

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"The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page." ... Saint Augustine

Dying for you to read my blog, at https://notdotdeaddotyet.blogspot.com/ :-)

Sos the Rope, Piers Anthony

Sos the Rope

(Battle Circle #1 of 3)

science fiction

by Piers Anthony

copyright 1968

read in March 2022

rated 6/10: read to pass the time

The story is set post nuclear holocaust. With surviving pockets of technology users... so science fiction. Crossed with fantasy.

The more primitive remnants of humanity live as savages, the necessities of life being provided by the technologists. Life is easy, with formalised fighting to add challenge.

In this peaceful idyll, what is the obvious aim of the primitives? Why, to build an empire of course. Why enjoy a life with physical challenge, relatively peaceful wilderness, all needs catered for... why enjoy life when you could fight to be an emperor. What a miserable idea.

The book is an entertaining romp with a miserable central theme. The book is also embarrassingly dated. With some embarrassing ignorance. Even I know that alcohol and water are infinitely miscible: that is, they mix easily in any relative quantities... whisky and water, anyone? Yet this author thinks that alcohol will float on water.

Then there is his attitude to women.

The hero meets a woman, expects her to make dinner, accepts that there will be sex. She's an idiot, an inferior person.

Then she demonstrates brains. The hero is impressed by her intelligence... so he expects her to cook, clean and be absolutely subservient to him, the (male) hero.

The book is somewhat embarrassing. What is more embarrassing is that I read it and... mostly... enjoyed it.

I've read these books before, years ago. (Even then, there was some embarrassment.) One of the books has a brilliant scene: How can the virile hero save the naked girl from a monster who only eats virgins :-? Even for that scene, I won't re-read the next two books in this trilogy.

Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper

...        Agamedes Consulting / Problems ? Solved

===

"The measure of love is to love without measure" ... St Augustine

Dying for you to read my blog, at https://notdotdeaddotyet.blogspot.com/ :-)

The Last Drop of Blood, Graham Masterton

The Last Drop of Blood

(Katie Maguire #11)

by Graham Masterton

thriller

copyright 2020

not read in May 2022

rated 3/10: so bad it's embarrassing

To be fair, this is a book which I would normally not even open. I read f&sf. I was sucked in by the author's past record of horror. As far as I read this book has no horror. Just awful embarrassment.

You know the way it's possible to get confused by multiple characters. Is Smith the policeman? Is Jones the criminal? That sort of thing. Not in this book... There is Garda O'Smith, Garda O'Jones, Crime Scene Chief Investigator O'Hanlon... full titles all the way -- with a heavy emphasis on pushing the Irishness of it all. They don't drive on roads, they drive on bodeens... or some such Irish sounding word, I can't bear to look back at the book to remind myself of the exact word.

Oh, and the police drive at 100 along those country roads. I've seen Irish country roads. Unless the word really means highway, any speed above 20 would be suicidal.

A few deaths and we're into what passes for plot. The heroine discusses a current court case with the judge, who happily forgets all rules of confidentiality and tells what should be kept quiet. Because it's a court case if not because the judge is gossiping about a person who has just been killed. A person that this judge was sleeping with, by the way. Before the killing, that is (it's not horror).

Then we have a quick precis of the heroine's past life. In the last ten books she has had affairs, been married and divorced, had her boyfriend kill himself... wow.

Back to the dead judge (another ex-lover of the heroine). Was he killed by the O'Flynns or by the O'Riordans or by the O'MGs? I find I'm not really interested

Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper

...        Agamedes Consulting / Problems ? Solved

===

"The measure of love is to love without measure" ... St Augustine

Dying for you to read my blog, at https://notdotdeaddotyet.blogspot.com/ :-)

American Gods, Neil Gaiman

American Gods

by Neil Gaiman

fantasy

copyright 2004

part re-read May 2022

rated 5/10: readable, but only if there's nothing else

I read this book years ago. I remember being disappointed: a well-known author writing such rubbish. I found it lying round the house and thought, maybe it's not as bad as I remember. Fat chance.

The book, my copy, begins with an introduction by the author. He tells us that his book is terrific. He brags about all the awards that the book has won. Which just goes to show that you can't judge a book by its awards.

Science fiction and fantasy awards are given to books which are rubbish. This is because the judges want sf&f to be seen as "mainstream". Forget the challenge of what-if. Forget the excitement of fantastic adventure. Just try for nasty realism.

Yes, this book is nasty. The gods are the sort that should be excommunicated rather than worshipped. Power-mad, inhuman, insensitive. Nasty.

The human protagonist is -- in the few chapters that I suffered through on this reading -- he is nothing. Nothing interesting. A low-level loser. no-one I want to read about. There is no human interest.

And then -- from my memories of the time that I read the entire book -- the central theme is plagiarised.

In Small Gods, Terry Pratchett wrote about gods who gained power in proportion to the number of their believers. That was in 1992. More than a decade later, Gaiman steals the idea.

Yes, this book is readable. But it's rubbish.

Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper

...        Agamedes Consulting / Problems ? Solved

===

"The measure of love is to love without measure" ... St Augustine

Dying for you to read my blog, at https://notdotdeaddotyet.blogspot.com/ :-)

the last dog on earth, Adrian j walker

the last dog on earth

by Adrian j walker

science fiction?

copyright 2017

read in April 2022

rated 6/10: read to pass the time

It's post-apocalypse but not settled enough to be dystopia.

It's a story of the end of civilisation -- not the end of the entire world. Possibly.

What has actually happened? We are not told.

Sure, there were bombs in London. Who set them off? no idea. Nuclear bombs? no idea, though no-one seems to worry about radiation.

Who are the two sides in the post-bombs battles? No idea, though we are given a glimpse at the possibility that one side may want to control everyone... well, so what, nothing new there.

I wonder if the author is hinting at internal revolution, with a strong influencer drumming up fake divisions and hatred. Certainly the them-and-us division is clearly shown to be fake.

So the story may be a fable to show the way in which people may be influenced, divided, driven to hatred... for no apparent reason.

Half of the book is from the last dog's point of view. That's fun.

The other half is by the dog's master, that is more an exploration of his various psychological problems. Not as bad as it sounds.

The overall approach is similar to Triffids: exploring a major disaster through a small number of "ordinary" survivors. With some action and adventure and fights to survive. Though with far less explanation of the disaster.

I did enjoy the book. It's quite clever. Sympathetic characters but not particularly likeable. If I see the other book by this author, I will read it. But I won't search for it. I suspect that I am currently looking for books with less depth and more fun.

Nick Lethbridge    /    Consulting Dexitroboper
Agamedes Consulting    /   Problems? Solved.
   ===


As Conan says: What does not kill you
does not kill you