Warsworn / Elizabeth Vaughn

Warsworn
by Elizabeth Vaughn
(Warprize 2)

romance, fantasy

copyright 2006
read in April 2013

rated 6: read to pass the time

The central romance of this book is based on a master-slave relationship. The girl is supposed to be feisty, clever, independent. It's borderline.

She is feisty... until she melts under the strict gaze of her man. She is clever... but kicks herself for not being perfect. She is... not at all independent.

Her role is as a captured queen who is to provide -- when asked -- new ideas for the tribe. She hesitates, hides important facts, threatens to stamp her foot until someone listens to her.

The tribe, meanwhile, do not ask and do not listen to her. Despite the supposed "new ideas" role, her master only wants her for sex. Which, of course, is also the most important matter in the mind of the queen.

Then there's the big "battle" which occupies the bulk of the book.

Actually... it's quite a clever idea for a battle... unusual, a new way of seeing an old problem. I was just surprised at how long it continued.

There is also a series of what I take to be hints, that there is a so-far-unknown cure for a new and deadly plague. Does anyone spot the hints? Nope... Ah well, perhaps in book three...

This is a light and easy to read story, set in a not too unusual fantasy world. An easy book to read if you have nothing better.

I just do not like books which portray a man and woman in a master-slave relationship as though it were such a positive situation.

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Problems ? Solved

Blood Spirits / Sherwood Smith

Blood Spirits
by Sherwood Smith

fantasy, romance
copyright 2011

rated 7: well worth reading

The adventure continues from Coronets and Steel... The fantasy element is more obvious. There's less of the beautiful woman being put-upon by handsome men. It's just as much fun :-)

The target audience is more obviously teenage girls... The heroine is a young woman of marriageable age but there is more involvement by the local schoolgirls: admire the heroine while you identify with the plucky young assistants.

The first book ended with the hero marrying the wrong woman. So how can a second book sort out that rather awkward problem?! It's too nice a book to assassinate "the wrong woman"! I rather liked the solution to that little problem... And it also provided an interesting new direction for the next book. Well done, the author :-)

Some threads on the last few chapters are, I think, somewhat unraveled. (Hmmm... poor analogy. I mean, I can't follow what happened.) I gave up trying to remember who was who amongst the many secondary characters. But who cares!?

This book is a lot of fun. Likeable characters. Not too much tension.

I enjoyed reading Blood Spirits. I look forward to reading more.

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Problems ? Solved

Blade Dancer / S.L.Viehl

Blade Dancer
by S.L.Viehl

science fiction, action, a touch of chick-lit romance

copyright 2003
read in March 2013

rated 8 out of 10: really quite good

Take a girl with street smarts and attitude. She's a seven foot tall half alien with retractable claws... What's not to like?!

Blade Dancer is action and attitude from page one. From being kicked off Earth, through fights on spaceships, snarling at the status quo on her alternative "home" planet, to fighting for her life in a school for assassins... This woman is tough.

Yet she is also supportive and loyal to her few friends. She refuses to take sides in a meaningless war. And she never gives in.

And I just re-rated Blade Dancer, from seven to eight :-)

This book is solid science fiction, with an emphasis on alien humanity rather than technology. Okay, the technology is there -- and almost indistinguishable from magic. But the story is about people. And action. And romance :-)

As the heroine begins to get to know her friends, I see a pattern emerging: a group of close friends, each with a special ability. In this book they will learn to work -- and fight -- as a team. Next book, they will battle evil across the known universe.

Well, maybe they will. But that is not how the book ends.

The ending is, perhaps, a little contrived. Just a bit too "nice" to be believed. A nice ending to match the chick-lit romance which is also a theme of this book.

The ending surprised me. It was unexpectedly happy, upbeat... nice.

I like it.

I like a happy ending.

I like this book.

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Problems ? Solved

Coronets and Steel / Sherwood Smith

Coronets and Steel
by Sherwood Smith

fantasy romance

copyright 2010
read in February 2013
rated 7 out of 10: well worth reading

Fantasy, sort of. Romance, definitely. Chick lit, absolutely... Rated seven out of ten? Depends on your point of view!

My original rating was six, read to pass the time. A fun book but not great. Then I thought, what is the point of my rating?

My rating reflects my own opinion of the book. Sometimes I am impressed by how well -- or how poorly -- a book is written. I may notice that characters are well fleshed out -- or as two dimensional as cheap cardboard. Some of my "quality of writing" opinions affect my enjoyment of a book.

My rating is an overall impression of how much I *enjoyed* the book.

I thoroughly *enjoyed* Coronets and Steel!

A feisty heroine, a dashing prince, the amoral and dashing cousin. Set in a country which -- by an amazing set of circumstances -- has maintained the best parts of Scarlet Pimpernel-style courtly behavior. With enough modern conveniences to maintain good health and entertainment.

I read Coronets as a pick-me-up after the tedium of The Wise Man's Fear. Found that Coronets has much of the same descriptive space-filling as Fear. Found that Coronets does it much better... I was skipping lightly through the flowering fields of Coronets verbosity. Where I needed Wellington boots for the swamps of extraneous sludge in Fear.

Coronets is light. It's fun. And you know that the story is progressing towards a satisfying conclusion.

A line from the back-cover blurb is worth quoting, if only in the hope that fantasy writers will take note: "Smith dares to resolve several plot lines, in defiance of fantasy sequel conventions..." Message to other fantasy authors: If you don't know how your story will end -- please do not publish.

Back to Coronets.

There are plenty of references to other books and poems. They do more than show off the author's knowledge... Smith provides enough detail to allow me to Google the work and understand the reference. Thank you! Though one reference did give me a huge hint as to how Coronets was going to end...

On the negative side... I suspect that Smith did not check the meaning of "droit de seigneur"... Or perhaps it's just me... I may be too innocent to accept the heroine's imaginings in this chick lit fantasy of a romantic age adventure...

Great fun, easy reading, an enjoyable novel.

====
Problems ? Solved

Demon Mistress / Yasmine Galenhorn

Demon Mistress

by Yasmine Galenhorn

Otherworld (6)

published: 2009

Fantasy, Romance, Horror?

read in September 2012

rated 6 out of 10... read to pass the time

In the library catalogue this book is classified as both fantasy and horror. Horror?! Well, okay, there's supernatural stuff. And violence. But nothing that would lead to feelings of horror...

The story is based on three sisters, half human and half fairy. (Let's be clear about this. Each sister is half and half.) The sisters are based on Earth, battling against the Otherworld demons who (which?) would like to invade Earth.

To get the flavour of the book:

One sister has magic fire powers which tend to backfire. She also has three husbands and they all like sex at the same time. Sister two can turn into a vicious puma, to fight the demons with tooth and claw... and intelligent sword. She also, when over-excited, can't prevent herself turning into a cute and cuddly kitten. This sister has two lovers. She keeps them separate and worries over which one she will finally choose.

Sister three is a vampire. She is faithful to her lover, that is, she has promised to not sleep with any other woman. Both lovers are pleased that vampire sister is sleeping with a male demon, while lining up another male demon as a future lover. Will she, wonders vampire sister, Ever get true love?

The sex is of the style where his male organ is thrust into the warmth of her golden centre of pleasure, followed by waves of delirious rapture and, She awoke with memories of unforgettable pleasure... The violence may involve disembowelment but, it just happens. It may upset but will not offend.

When the sisters are called to help the police deal with ghouls in the park, they pause only to pick up car keys and purses... If they had also paused by the mirror to touch up their makeup -- I would not have been surprised... It's that sort of book: fun, light, romantic, girly. Very hard not to like it.

Sure, the sisters -- and their friends, and their lovers -- are fighting to save the world from unspeakable evil. Yet their concerns are much more everyday. The war is a major issue, good versus evil. The battles are at the human level and interpersonal concerns are still important.

It's a bunch of very human... supernatural... young women. Being very girly. While risking their lives to save the world.

Not a "great" book. But very easy to enjoy.

Vicky Cristina Barcelona / Woody Allen

Vicky Cristina Barcelona

category: romance, director & writer:

Woody Allen

original copyright 2008

watched in August 2012

Agamedes' opinion: 5 out of 10, watchable but only if there's nothing else

Woody Allen: loathe him or... well, loathe him.

According to the blurb, parts of this are, "so ferociously funny." Well, no. The video shop has it marked as, "drama". Not really.

There are these two young women. One is ditsy, unsettled, promiscuous and, naturally, blonde. The boring, unadventurous one is, naturally, brunette. And by "naturally" I mean "cliched". The hair itself may have been from a bottle.

They spend a couple of months in Barcelona. And in some other Spanish city. There are some interesting backdrops, with no real feel for being there.

Interesting point: In all of Barcelona there are only two Spaniards, both artists. Everyone else -- everyone in camera range, everyone who gets a speaking or even nodding part -- is American. A fine example of how travel can narrow the mind.

There is also no atmosphere. No excitement. Do you imagine Barcelona to be a vibrant city? A noisy, exciting city, a full-of-life sort of place, bustling with hot-blooded Mediterranean machismo? Well... not in this movie's sanitised version of Barcelona...

No matter where they go, no matter where they eat -- there is no background noise. No traffic. No conversation. No signs of other life. The characters may as well have never left the Hollywood studio.

Finally, the movie ends. It does not "conclude", it simply "ends".

The two Spanish artists are left to their mutually destructive ways. The blonde tart goes off on her self-destructive way. The boring brunette accepts that her life is and ever will be, boring. Nothing has changed.

Perhaps there are lessons to be learnt. Perhaps the characters note those lessons. They then continue, having ignored all possibilities of learning from the lessons.

A couple of American chicks get screwed in Barcelona. Then put it all behind them. The end.

..o0o..

These reviews are provided by Agamedes Consulting. For an independent and thoughtful review of your processes, problems or documents, email nickleth at gmail dot com.

PissWeakly: the Index

Vicious Circle / Linda Robertson

Vicious Circle

category: romance, fantasy, author:

Linda Robertson

original copyright 2009

read in January 2012

Agamedes' opinion: 6 out of 10: read to pass the time

The library has this book as "horror, romance"... Horror ? Nooo...

Sure, the characters are supernatural: werewolves (sorry, waerwolves), witches and vampires, with mention of various other supernatural beings. But "horror" ? No way !

This book is romance.

With supernatural.

Like Twilight: it's just too nice to be "horror".

I don't like to compare books; each book should be judged alone -- according to my Pissweakly standards. But the thought is too strong to ignore: Vicious Circle is a cross between Twilight and a Dresden Files novel. The romance of Twilight but for an older (female) reader. A simpler version of the right-all-wrongs Dresden hero... Simpler, cleaner and prettier !

I scored Circle as six out of ten but really, it's worth a seven, well worth reading. Except that this is my opinion. I enjoyed the read but would have liked something a bit... stronger... ?

There's action and romance. Magic and potential mayhem. Great fun but just a little bit light -- for my liking. Supernatural-lite. I do like a happy ending. But before that, I prefer a bit more bite from my werewolf.

That said, I would happily read any more books with these characters... Even "Nana" became bearable (not quite likable) as the book progressed.

An enjoyable book. Even more enjoyable for readers who like more teeth but less bite in their fantasy romances.

The author's first novel ? An excellent effort !

..o0o..

These reviews are provided by Agamedes Consulting. For an independent and thoughtful review of your processes, problems or documents, email nickleth at gmail dot com.

PissWeakly: the Index

Blue Diablo / Ann Aguirre

Blue Diablo

category: fantasy, romance, author:

Ann Aguirre

book 1 of Corine Solomon
original copyright 2009,
read in Sep 2011

Agamedes' opinion:7 out of 10

Now that's interesting... I selected the categories for this book: fantasy, romance. Then had second thoughts.

Is this really fantasy?

Is Blue Diablo fantasy? Or is it horror...

I changed the categories. "Fantasy, romance" became "horror, romance". Then I changed my mind again... back to, "fantasy, romance". The fantasy is fantastic -- but perhaps a bit too brutal. Is it slipping into horror? Time to check Wikipedia...

Horror fiction is a genre of literature, which is intended to, or has the capacity to frighten its readers, inducing feelings of horror and terror. (Wikipedia, 29 Sep 2011)

Yes, Blue Diablo could frighten its readers. If the readers were sweet innocents who had not grown up on graphic computer games and violence in tv news. If the readers could believe that evil could possibly conquer a heroine who worries that her arse is too big, or a hero who could probably crack walnuts on his abs. If the readers would have feelings of horror and terror when it's revealed that the villain is the person who has very shifty eyes and an evil sneer...

Yes, it's that obvious!

To be more accurate I should say that this book is "romance, fantasy/horror". It is a romance. With a plot based on fantasy or horror themes, take your pick. In the genre of Twilight and True Blood. With the be-still-my-beating-heart feel of Twilight. The beautiful yet insecure southern heroine of True Blood but without the tie-me-up-and-whip-me-please approach to "love".

Corine Solomon -- the heroine of Diablo -- is sweet and uncertain but with a tough and independent centre. She's a slave to her hyperactive hormones -- but attempts to fight back with realism and logic. Of course, her hormones will win -- and be right :-)

. . .

Perhaps I just haven't noticed it before... Perhaps a heavy back-story has been used for many years. Perhaps it's just that I have only noticed it in relatively recent books: Blue Diablo -- apparently the first Corine Solomon novel -- is written as though it is book two. At least, for the first half.

The heroine is constantly referring to past adventures. I began to wonder, Have I missed book one? Yet by the end of the book, all is clear. The back-story is merged into the current action; merged in smaller chunks than I am used to.

I have struck that before, in just five or six other novels: a back-story which is referred to as though it were an already-published prequel. Diablo makes it all clear by the end. Of the others, perhaps half left me wondering. And for one, there was an already-published prequel...

So this book is a heavy breathing, should I shouldn't I, which incredible hunk is my true love, sort of book. Set in a fantasy world of modern America with warlocks and other magic.

The body count rises rapidly at the end. The blood flows, flesh is splattered. The evil warlock uses magic to support the modern evil of sex slavery. The violence is cartoonish but it is not kids' stuff.

Yet the key conflict remains unsettled, waiting on book two, or three, or... The key conflict? Will the heroine ever get back with her one true love...

Ah shucks :-)

btw: I passed this book to a young woman who needed a light book to fill an idle hour. She commented, Yes, it's good. Very tight.

So Blue Diablo may, in fact, be a tightly written novel. But I don't worry about that.

I enjoyed the book. That's what PissWeakly reviews are all about: Did I enjoy it?

I enjoyed reading Blue Diablo. You may, too.

..o0o..

These reviews are provided by Agamedes Consulting. For an independent and thoughtful review of your processes, problems or documents, email nickleth at gmail dot com.

Nimisha's Ship / Anne McCaffrey

Nimisha's Ship

category: science fiction, romance, author:

Anne McCaffrey

original copyright 1998, read in September 2011

Agamedes' opinion: 6 out of 10

McCaffrey at her sweetest...

It's an easy book to read... as long as you can stand saccharine! Well, no, not that bad. But really:

A wormhole in space is swallowing spaceships. The ships get damaged in transit and -- at best -- land heavily. On unknown and highly dangerous planets. Crew and passengers die horribly as they learn the dangers of their new home...

Until Nimisha arrives.

Nimisha has a brand new spaceship which she designed and (almost) built by herself. So Nimisha and Nimisha's ship arrived undamaged and introduce themselves to the earlier castaways... And no-one else dies. Well, they can't die, because everyone is so nice.

Out of Time / Samantha Graves

Out of Time

category: romance, author:

Samantha Graves

follows on from Sight Unseen
original copyright 2008,
read in Jul 2011

Agamedes' opinion: 7 out of 10

If you like romance -- this is romance. Add some paranormal powers, bad guys who won't hesitate to kill. Love, lovers and betrayal. And a hero and heroine who fall in bed and then fall in love -- despite their own best efforts.

Yes, it's a romance :-) And very enjoyable.

The hero is so macho that every right-thinking girl will swoon. All he needs is the softening influence of "the right woman" to help him understand that yes, there is good in the world.

The heroine is beautiful, strict and boring. With the ability to kick butt, thanks to a short course in self defence. All she needs is a macho hero, to help her realise that she is as good as anyone else in the world. And possibly better.

Breaking Dawn / Stephenie Meyer

Breaking Dawn

category: romance, author:

Stephenie Meyer

book 4 of Twilight
original copyright 2008,
read in May 2011

Agamedes' opinion: 8 out of 10

At last (for me) the final chapter in the Twilight saga! And what a saga it has been... Oh! the suffering! Oh! the drama! Oh! the romance...!

Yes, I have enjoyed Breaking Dawn just as much as I enjoyed books one, two and three in the Twilight series. There is, however, one major strength which is also a weakness, in this final book of the series.

Typically enough -- as the fourth book -- you expect that the weakness is to do with unfamiliarity with the characters. Unfamiliarity for the reader who starts at book four, that is. Well, no...

Aside: Category: romance? Yes, definitely. Romance is the main theme of the entire series. Fantasy? Yes, there are plenty of fantasy elements. And I don't just mean that true love is a fantasy! Horror? Hardly! Still... there are vampires, there are werewolves, there is sudden death and threat of sudden death. So, okay, add the horror label... Really, though, this is pure romance set in a world of fantasy.

This book is a conclusion. A wrap-up. In fact, I only started reading the Twilight series because of a book review which said that this book was a good conclusion... So I started reading only because I had been promised a satisfactory ending. (In general I tend to avoid books which become instant cult fiction. On the unsubstantiated grounds that cult means rubbish and that a cult series means never-ending rubbish.)

So, this book is definitely a conclusion.

Book of Dreams / Traci Harding

Book of Dreams

category: fantasy, subadult, romance, author:

Traci Harding

original copyright 2003,
read in March 2011

Agamedes' opinion: 5 out of 10

I just can't make up my mind about Harding's books. They are generally girly, sweet, new-age-mystic and cheerful. They target young teen girls who like a happy ending in every chapter. I should, by rights, absolutely loathe them all. (The books, not the girls.) Yet I rather enjoyed each of the first two Harding books that I have read...

btw: To see my reviews for other Harding books, click on the "author:harding" link at the bottom of this review.

Now we come to Book of Dreams...

And Harding has gone just a bit too far... For me.

Gene of Isis / Traci Harding

Gene of Isis

category: fantasy, author:

Traci Harding

book 1 of Mystique
original copyright 2005,
read in March 2011

Agamedes' opinion: 7 out of 10

Actually... this book is a bit silly! But I enjoyed it :-)

King of Sword and Sky / C.L. Wilson

King of Sword and Sky

category: fantasy, romance, author:

C.L. Wilson

book 2 of Tairen Soul
original copyright 2008,
read in December 2010

Agamedes' opinion: 6 out of 10

There's a reasonable story here. Heavily overlaid with longing looks, deep sighs and heavy breathing... It's a romance, in the sense of true love, jealousy and do-anything-for-the-partner heroics. Sigh...

But it's not a great romance. I have nothing against lovers who will give their lives for each other. But come on! Lovers who fly into a jealous rage when someone else just holds the partners hand? Oh well, just a bit too heartfelt heavy-handed for me... The Twilight books are ridiculously good fun. King is just a bit ridiculous.

It's also a bit, well, nasty. There's the couple who have been prisoners for one thousand years. The villain will torture them mercilessly, bring them screaming to death's door -- and then... eventually... heal them. To start the torture again. For the last thousand years. Sure, the prisoners are immortal. But still... Yukk!

I just have a thing against people being held completely at the mercy of a villain. It's only the fact that these two are still resisting -- even a tiny bit -- that allows me to enjoy other aspects of the book.

Another problem is with the number of characters. All with the standard, complex, fantasy names. After half a book, I was getting to grips with them all -- then I went away for a couple of weeks. Read other books. Came back for the last few chapters of King. And found myself very confused, trying to remember who was who.

Okay, it's also a problem with reading the second of a trilogy without having read the first. The confusion of characters is largely my own problem. Bear that in mind when you consider my rating of this book!

If you like to mix your true love romance with torture and slaughter, this book is for you. For me, I may read other books by Wilson. But I won't go looking for them.

..o0o..

These reviews are provided by Agamedes Consulting. For an independent and thoughtful review of your processes, problems or documents, email nickleth at gmail dot com.

Eclipse / Stephenie Meyer

Eclipse

category: romance, fantasy, author:

Stephenie Meyer

book 3 of Twilight
original copyright 2007,
read in October 2010

Agamedes' opinion: 9 out of 10

Okay, I'm just a sucker for a great romance! And by "great" I mean, where the girl is kissing the guy -- so she forgets to breathe... Aaaaaahhhhh shucks :-)

I had delayed reading Eclipse for a couple of months. I had the book, just didn't pick it up. The feeling was, How much sap could I handle in one year?

I picked up Eclipse. Started reading... And just could not stop. I finished the book in a day. And enjoyed every minute of it!

About half-way through you realise, there is going to be a big battle, very soon, with vampires, werewolves and one human in the middle...

Another 200 pages of breaking hearts, anguished romantic suffering, despair, guilt and forgiveness -- and the battle is still to come...

More pages of love and (controlled) lust and longing, then one very individual battle... The heroine prepares to sacrifice herself for the cause of good (and the hero is heard to give yet another exasperated sigh at the heroine's silliness -- truly!)... Oh, and the big battle just happened, off-screen...

And all that's left is unresolved heartbreak for the odd member of the romantic triangle. "All"?! The ghastliness of the loser's fate is an entire, heart-wrenching epilogue!

Absolutely brilliant! I am really, really looking forward to reading the final book of Twilight!

Sigh...

The overall Twilight plot has also gained some depth.

Why don't they just stop sighing, get married, get vampired and enjoy life? Now I have a better understanding of why not. Where did all those werewolves come from, just at the right time? Now we know. Is "cuddling" just a euphemism for what is really going on? Well...

This book really hits the deep patches of teenage sexuality. "Don't worry Dad," says our heroine, "I'm still a... [mutter] virgin ... and I [blush] intend to remain that way until ... married." And that's it. Just for those who did not really follow the story...

This is a book for "young adults". I am not "young". (There are those who would say I am not "adult", either, but that's by the bye.) No mixed messages, no forcing adult ideas onto unwilling or too-willing teenagers.

A great book, for all ages. Just be prepared for a lot of heart-wrenching angst and anguish.

..o0o..

These reviews are provided by Agamedes Consulting. For an independent and thoughtful review of your processes, problems or documents, email nickleth at gmail dot com.

Sex and the Single Vampire / Katie MacAlister

Sex and the Single Vampire

category: fantasy, author:

Katie MacAlister

book 2 of Dark Ones
published by Hodder,
original copyright 2004, read in July 2010

Agamedes' opinion: 7 out of 10

Take the wide-eyed, forgetting-to-breath-while-kissing love of Twilight, replace that "love" with "lust", add the magic from the Harry Dresden books but without the underlying urge to do right. Make the heroine a lovable drip and add lots of humour. That's the essence of Sex and the Single Vampire.

Oh, and if you like all that, let me remind you of The Hunted, with its vampires, humans, cross-cultural love -- and heavy sex. Nothing to do with Single Vampire -- just a less famous but good book to read :-)

Another story which does have relevance, is the movie, The Frighteneres. Sure, the movie has no vampires. But it does have ghosts. And the Frighteners ghosts are very similar -- in their fluffy, friendly style -- to the ghosts of Single Vampire.

What I seem to be saying is, there is an awful lot of derivative material in Single Vampire. The truth of it is -- I have not read many contemporary vampire stories and am only now realising the overlaps and similarities in the genre... Unless, of course, I have read so few that I am completely mistaken!

If there really are overlaps, I make no pretense to claim that one is a copy of the other... Any book is a combination of ideas, some old, some new. What makes a good book is the way in which those ideas are used.

Sex and the Single Vampire takes a combination of ideas, some of which are definitely original, others may not be. The author... ummm...

The author. The author is "Katie MacAlister". So it says on the cover. On the inside, though, "The right of Marthe Alends to be identified as the Author of the work has been asserted by her..." Marthe Alends?!

As far as I can tell (from a brief search of the internet) Alends has written one historical, romantic novel and several textbooks on genealogy. Search for her name and you get Katie MacAlister, with no visible link. So, I guess, the author is Alends, publishing as MacAlister. And why not... So, to continue:

The author has combined ideas old and new, original and copied -- and written a vampire romance with humour and sex. A very enjoyable book.

..o0o..

These reviews are provided by Agamedes Consulting. For an independent and thoughtful review of your processes, problems or documents, email nickleth at gmail dot com.

New Moon / Stephenie Meyer

New Moon

(category: fantasy, romance)
book 2 of Twilight by

Stephenie Meyer

published by Atom in 2006
Nick read a new book, in March 2010

Nick's rating: 8 out of 10

Nick's opinion:

Another great romance! Okay, I've also labelled it as a fantasy but romance is the main theme: Bella still has to remind herself to breathe when she is kissing Edward. There are hints that this love may be even more; that Bella and Edward are linked at some mystic level of conjoined souls; that there is some physical requirement for proximity, that the two will physically collapse if their love is not requited.

Still, any reader of romances knows that that is all true of any pair of true lovers.

I did feel that New Moon was shading into "horror" but it's a relatively light touch. It is, however, definitely "fantasy". Twilight could almost have been pure romance: tweak here, minor rewrite there, make Edward an innocent member of a Mafia family, the fantasy could have been downplayed even further. New Moon depends on the fantasy element: if Jacob was able to put on a suit and tie and become an FBI agent, the book would just not be the same.

You could almost see these first two Twilight volumes as being chapters one through four of a single novel: first, introduce Bella and Edward, then introduce Jacob and the Volturi. Next volume will -- I hope -- build up the conflict, to be resolved in volume four. I look forward to it!

An aside on the Volturi: They live in a castle, in the walled Italian town of Volterra. Top of a mountain, cramped town with narrow streets, car park outside... Is this the same town that was visited -- at great peril -- by the hero of The Genesis Code? Or is Italy just littered with these closed-in, closed-off towns of mystery...

I was surprised, in New Moon, at how small a role was played by vampires. My mistake: I had understood the books to be about vampires but the fantasy scope is much broader than that. I enjoyed meeting Jacob and his friends; I appreciated the heartbreak of his one-sided love -- with no expectation (for the reader) that Bella would ever love him in return. His brave acceptance that he is suddenly no good for Bella -- then he is dropped, without ceremony, when Edward returns to Bella's life. Ah! young love! Oh! the pain!

New Moon is every bit as good as Twilight. Perhaps even better... I had been wondering just where the author could go with the human/vampire love story. My wondering has been more than satisfied. I look forward to reading books three and four... but not immediately. There is, after all, a limit -- be still, my beating heart! -- to the level of tormented romance which I can handle at any one time.

..o0o..

These reviews are provided by Agamedes Consulting. For an independent and thoughtful review of your processes & documents, email nick leth at gmail dot com.

movie: A Day at the Oasis

A Day at the Oasis

(category: movie: Comedy Romance?)
by

Beckett (writer) & Lethbridge (director)

Produced by Caffeine Pills Productions in 2010
Nick was invited to the movie premiere, in March 2010

Nick's rating: 7 out of 10

Nick's opinion:

It's difficult to know what to think, when your own son directs a movie. Sure, it'll be "okay" -- we trust Tim's judgement, and he seems satisfied that the movie is okay. But what will we say, if there are major flaws? More important: it's neither science fiction nor fantasy, so will I be interested at all?!

Yet even as the titles roll, I am reassured. This will be, a good movie!

Here's this dweeb, fussing about, preparing for a speed dating session. Interspersed with titles written with chalk on a blackboard -- no expense spared:-) There are a few good chuckles, right from the start.

The other characters appear, in dribs and drabs: it's clear that this speed dating will not be a huge success. Dorks, dweebs, drongos. Miserable or shy or stupid or rude or loud... or all of the above. But -- as we find out -- all are lonely. Not at all people you would be afraid to meet in a dark alley. Just people who you would cross the road to avoid, to avoid the prospect of uncomfortable conversation. And the movie brings us to understand, sympathise with, almost like, all of them.

This is our son's second movie. The first was made by friends and family, purely amateur involvement. It came from a statement, after watching a "professional" movie, that, "We could do better than that!" And they did! This second movie began with a friend with a script. As far as I know, the writer, producer, director, editor... all have "real", other jobs. Actors, film crew, various others, are a mix of professional, semi-professional and amateur.

The actors do great work, bringing their characters to life. At first I am embarrassed, particularly by the man in charge, as he fails to bring life to the meeting. Then I am brought to understand and appreciate: at least he is trying. Others come out of their shells, or let us know that they really are okay human beings, still inside their shells.

Technically... I am not qualified to judge. It looks good, it sounds good, it all flows well. The movie is a straightforward story of a group of possibly ordinary people, learning and growing. A strength of the movie is that we grow to understand, possibly even like, these ordinary people. (Even if we would still cross the road to avoid speaking with them!)

Best of all -- to my way of thinking -- there is a happy ending!

I was going to rate this movie as eight out of ten. But wondered if I was perhaps biased. And finally decided, a rating of seven leaves room for the next movie... to be even better!

Movie Update

June 2010: A Day at The Oasis has been accepted for a film festival: Revelations Film Festival. There is also an written interview by FTI, the Film and Television Institute -- and an interview with the Director on ABC TV News.

Read, watch, listen, enjoy. And -- if you can -- see Oasis at its Festival screening!

..o0o..

These reviews are provided by Agamedes Consulting. For an independent and thoughtful review of your own documents, email nick leth at gmail dot com.

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies / Jane Austen & Seth Grahame-Smith

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies

(category: horror)
by

Jane Austen & Seth Grahame-Smith

published by Quirk Books in 2009
Nick read a new book, in January 2010

Nick's rating: 7 out of 10

Nick's opinion:

What a ripper! Pride & Prejudice with -- you guessed it! -- added zombies! I love P&P and have read it several times. This "extended" version is almost as good. It claims to be P&P word for word, with zombies added and just enough changes to make sense. The plot certainly matches my own memory of the original. Though that is also a weakness in the new book... The zombies do not at all add to the plot. For a short while I hoped that there would be a "zombie solution" but no. This is simply P&P with added zombies. The P&P plot is as enjoyable as ever. The zombie environment is written well, humorously tongue in cheek, a "realistic" background to the main story. But that's it: the zombies are just background -- or decorative -- material. I would really have liked to see some zombie story-line. Still, I guess that that's as pointless as wondering how the war went (what war was it?!) for the soldiers in the original P&P. Ah well. Zombies added, to encourage modern readers to read a classic novel. As good as the original, with more. Afterthoughts: Was P&P&Z easier to follow than P&P? Has there been some updating of ideas that are no longer common knowledge? If so... if it had been done without zombies... I would have complained. If there have been changes for a modern audience then -- strangely enough -- I am glad, because it gives extra life to P&P. But only because the zombies make it, in effect, a totally different book... What a strange reason to accept the modernisation of a classic!

..o0o..

These reviews are provided by Agamedes Consulting. For an independent and thoughtful review of your own documents, email nick leth at gmail dot com.

The Hunted / L.A. (Leslie Esdaile) Banks

The Hunted

(category: fantasy, romance)
book 2 of A vampire huntress legend by

L.A. (Leslie Esdaile) Banks

published by St Martins Press in 2004, read in August 2009

Agamedes' rating: 7 out of 10

Agamedes' opinion:

An over-the-top, hip hop, Latino & African American, vampire novel... at least, that’s what I thought... I was more than half way through when I thought, hang on, no-one has died yet! And I realised: this is Twilight with heavy sex instead of heavy sighs. For example: The hero -- a vampire -- and the heroine -- a vampire killer -- have sex for almost twenty pages. Then she is too exhausted to kill and he is too exhausted to defend himself. Good grief :-) Likeable characters who spend a lot of time worried that their love for each other is doomed due to “cultural” differences. Oh, and there’s also the great bit where the hero is deeply affected by the lyrics of Get Low (sung by Lil Joe but attributed in the book to Choppa Style): Ya skit skit, mo’fucker, Yaw skit skit, got’damn (sic). I mean, how much more relevant could a song be?!