Dark Age (Red Rising 5) by Pierce Brown

(Red Rising 5) Dark Age by Pierce Brown

My Rating:

Highly recommended 5 star novel. This is book 5 in the Red Rising Saga, a science fiction saga of social class casts of many colors..., and war. The wars of piddling slaves rebelling against the titan giant leaders, or so it was in the first trilogy.

In my mind, Dark Age is book #2 of the second trilogy of the Red Rising series. Officially Red Rising #5. If you're a fan of Red Rising, you don't need my review. I strongly recommend it to any Science Fiction fans, particularly if you love epic space opera/sagas. In this second trilogy it seems to me that Pierce Brown has abandoned the black and white of the fight between good and evil and has ventured in to the muddy marbled gray and white of reality.

Generally: Since this is the second book into the second trilogy of a complex epic space saga series there is no simple or generally.

The Cure by Douglas E. Richards

It started slow, that's a valid gripe - or slow for Douglas E. Richards. He usually starts with something like pulling the rip cord and the parachute lines tangle. The jumper fails to cut away the tangled parachute and in a panic deploys the back up which only tangles things up further. Petty intense.

This one does start with some traumatically cringe-worthy psychopathic brutality and only one surviving child, who is our protagonist. So my slow argument doesn't really hold up very well. But that's just shoving you in the door. Once you're in the book, you're waiting for grandma to make the tea… there's the fuss about Earl Grey or Cinnamon Apple… boring... metaphorically. Then Erin, our traumatic surviving child has grown up. She has overcome the massive trauma and is now studying psychopathy. It's about that time you think you've figured out where Mr. Richards is going with "The Cure".

You'll be wrong. He does some writer "magic tricks."

While you're looking at the "cure psychopathy" presumption, he changes where you're not looking. When you turn the page you're rubbing your chin thinking, well..., ok..., didn't think it would go that way.

Amped by Douglas E. Richards

I recommend Amped which is another 4-5 star Sci-fi thriller by Douglas E. Richards that reads so fast its 350+ pages seem like a short story. Mystery has been one of the factors Mr. Richards loves to weave into his action, adventure, Sci-fi thrillers. In that way he reminds me much of Isaac Asimov and his way to "teaching" through the dialogue of his characters reminds me of Robert Heinlein.

——————————SPOILERS——————————
Mr. Richards returns to Wired series and delightful co-protagonists Kira Miller and David Desh. By now they have assembled a collection of folks committed to their cause. Kira has found a way to enhance human intelligence for brief periods of time and her collection of brilliant scientists take her drug under strict conditions and while "enhanced" realize discoveries that are far more advanced than current technology.

Wired by Douglas E. Richards

What I probably liked best about his 4-5 star science fiction story is that it hints of golden age Heinlein or Asimov while skipping the golden age's glaring foibles. In those days, science fiction writers were often like having teachers of future science telling you an exciting story about how it will be, THEN. That, and I think Mr. Richards wants to test the idea of how long he can get a reader to hold their breath.

The author, or editor, knows commercial fiction rules, like… something has to be happening at least every other page. This makes the book an extremely fast and exciting read. This is the case with Wired.

In retrospect, the prologue seems odd at best. Introduce one of you main characters with a false name being betrayed by one of the bodyguards she hired to guard her. No doubt that turned out to be a solid hook dragging you quickly into the book, but looking back, it seems irrelevant, except for the mighty fact it does drag you over lumps and bumps well into the story.

The story starts proper with another of our main characters, David Desh, an ex-special forces soldier, being asked by a top tier black ops officer, Col. Jim Connely to come in and consult on an operation their black operatives have already failed more than once. This alerts us that David is extraordinary, and he's being asked to do a job his fellow special ops buddies have already failed. It tells us just by the meeting that the Colonel in charge believes David Desh is uniquely qualified to do the job. Then we learn rather quickly that the mission is a higher priority than trying to stop UFOs from messing with our nuclear arsenal.

The Steel Queen by Karen Azinger

This is a magical mystical fantasy of the medieval "sword and sorcery" genre with multiple viewpoint characters. It feels OLD Disney like, but the darkness in this story feels evil right down to your bones.

I neither recommend or discourage reading this book. It's a good book, 3± stars.

That's all the important stuff.

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My tale of writing this review.
I wrote a review having 5 unread chapters to go. It was very a long and detailed draft. I included many of the characters: It mentions if they are Disney like heroes or heroines. I mention my pet nicknames of the darker characters: "The rat-mouse" and "The Ghoul", aka Danly and Steffan. Both those characters are quite dark and evil, something like — Clockwork Orange comes to mind..., but that's not quite right, — more like something from the dark corners of Stephen King or Edgar Allan Poe's mind, but with dark ages flare. Maybe both actually, Danly out of Clockwork Orange, and Steffan out of Poe's twisted darkness.

I stopped writing the draft review after around 500 words on characters and other details. It was just a draft so I figured I should finish reading before doing more.

I deleted that review after reading chapter 82 where my notes mention WTF? two or three times -- along with mention of exploding a reader's trust and dissolution of my suspension of disbelief which had been in question since the prologue.

Forged in Blood by K. F. Breene

Forged in Fire by K. F. Breene is a short story prequel to the Warrior Chronicles series.

I recommend you skip this prequel, but then pick it up after you've read Invasion. It was Okay. I'm not sure I would have benefited from it much if I read it as a prequel. Perhaps that is a memory issue with me. Most of the characters in the prequel except Shanti aren't significant at least until Hunted.

The Goodreads blurb says:

Before Shanti was the most wanted woman in the land, she had yet to master her sword and the potent Gift with which she was both blessed and cursed. But the threat won't rest, and her people may pay the price.

The short story takes place when Shanti was still a child. A time after a Graygaul attack which devastated their village but before the time Shanti and her people are entirely decimated by the Graygual.

I think the joy of this book isn't as a prequel. It is actually kind of a dud as prequel. But it is a jewel if you've read Chosen and Hunted, and perhaps even after Shadow Lands and Invasion.

I think if you wait and read it after Invasion, it serves better as a flashback that gives some insight into why Shanti's childhood peers were so precious to her. I suspect I would have forgotten anything significant in the prequel by the time the characters are mentioned in the prequel show up in the series.

Read on Friday, September 13, 2019.

See my Goodreads reviews here.

Siege by K. F. Breene

Siege by K. F. Breene is book number five in her Warrior Chronicles series. Loved it. 5 stars. Highly recommended for fantasy fans and woman warrior lovers. The Warrior Chronicles is not a Young Adult series. ^#suspense ^#adventure ^#thriller ^#quest ^#medieval war fantasy ^#supernatural ^#explicate sex ^#violence

The Sales Blurb from Goodreads:

The land has become unnaturally quiet. It’s as if everyone is waiting for some sign that Xandre can be beaten. That someone will stand up to him, and win.

With Shanti calling the shots, and Cayan’s battle know-how, it seems certain that the Chosen can be the catalyst. That they can lead the oppressed to freedom.

But Xandre didn’t become the Being Supreme by chance, and he doesn’t intend for his rule to be stripped away so easily. He has already started to gather his forces, and with the entire land under his control, gaining a foothold against him seems impossible.
The final battle is brewing, and the winner is anything but decided…

So far in this fantasy of medieval myth and magic we've been treated to four parts of a six part story, the story arc reaching one of its zenith points of increasing crescendo in Siege, our fifth book of the series.

At the beginning of the book we are in the quiet time of uneventful activity after having...

Invasion by K. F. Breene

Invasion by K. F. Breene is book number four in her Warrior Chronicles series. Loved it. 5 stars. Highly recommended for fantasy fans and woman warrior lovers. If you loved Terry Goodkind's Sword of Truth Series, odds are good you'll like this one.

If you've been following my reviews on this series, I've mentioned both Dean Koontz and Terry Goodkind in my reviews. If you have read either of those authors you know what I'm saying about K. F. Breene. If you haven't read those authors, I'm giving Ms. Breene the blue ribbon of excellence and hope they win some prestigious prize for their writing.

With multiple book series, good writers usually develop several minor characters. You know some or all of them are going to be fodder -- sacrificed to the reader's emotional roller coaster ride, but you hope it won't be one of your favorites like Shanti's Westwoods Honor Guard when the next one has to be sacrificed for the reader's emotional entrapment.

Ms. Breene has certainly taken lessons from the Star Trek writers as there often appears an appreciated supporter who makes a difference… but are wearing the proverbial doomed red shirt, so to speak. While that IS an emotional train wreck, Scotty and the Doctor remain live. Still, when the rookie character catches a Hail Mary to win a battle, you don't want to see them cut from the team before the next outing.

Ok, enough babble, time to spoil the book. Those of you wise enough to walk away, now's the time to move along. Those who have read the book. What do you care? You already know. And if you've just checking to see if I have it right, you need a hobby. Read the next book instead.

Shadow Lands by K. F. Breene

Shadow Lands by K. F. Breene is book number three in her Warrior Chronicles series. Loved it. 5 stars. Highly recommended for fantasy fans and woman warrior lovers.

The Sales Blurb from Goodreads:

***Book three in the bestselling series.***

In order to finally claim her title of Chosen and lead the Shadow People out of the Land of Mist, Shanti must make it through a century's old system to test her battle awareness, her fighting skill, and her ability to stay alive. She's about to enter The Trials, and she must do it alone.

Separated from Shanti on a dangerous island, Cayan must learn to use his mental skill while keeping his men safe from the people set out to kill them. But as more Inkna and Graygual flood the island, Cayan hears of a sinister force deep in the woods, rigging The Trials and killing any who venture too close.

It is now a race against time. The battle to become the Chosen has begun, and the victor is anything but decided.

It seems it has all been sprinting to this point from the beginning. They have arrived in the Shadow Lands. I had more than a few tense moments reading this one.

Well, if the blurb hasn't spoiled it, maybe I can!. Those of you wise enough to walk away, now's the time to move along. Those who have read the book. What do you care? You already know. And if you've just checking to see if I have it right, you need a hobby. Read the next book instead.

Hunted by K. F. Breene

It has been a long time since I've been very clear on 98% of the characters. Most stories get really deep in their Persona Dramatica, leaving my Swiss Cheese memory challenged.

Well let's do this.  4.5 Stars & highly recommended for fantasy fans and adventure lovers who are are excited to watch a high-octane, indefatigable women heroine. Shanti is not an Amazon Wonder Woman, more like the Hayden Panettiere/Claire of Heroes kind of maelstrom.

This mythic fantasy is set in some middle ages type setting. The anticipation and excitement make putting it down difficult at best. It reminds me quite a bit of Sword of Truth series as there are a number of similarities. The Graygual are analogous to the Imperial Order of the Old World and the Being Supreme sound's Jajang-like, with the Hunter being similar to some Jajang minion who Richard and Kahlan struggle with. The length of the "Warrior's Chronicles" would equal maybe one and a half — of the Sword of Truth books -- say the Blood of the Fold through Naked Empire books, tops.

I suspect if you liked Terry Goodkind's Richard and Kahlan you're going to like Shanti and Cayan, as long as you aren't expecting the series to be anything other than similar. Which reminds me. I have a couple of the Nicki Chronicles I haven't tasted yet - and just now learned Mr. Goodkind has returned to the Sword of Truth series with "Children of D'hara" series.

Now, if you prefer to skip the unavoidable spoilers, go pick up your copy of "Chosen" the first of the "Warrior Chronicles" and start enjoying the fun. I've loved these type stories since I first read The Swordswoman by Jessica Amanda Salmonson.

Chosen by K.F. Breene

I completely enjoyed "Chosen". 3.6 Stars. I recommend it to fantasy fans who love female protagonist and like books with a good dose of sexual tension. It's PG13 for language, violence, and sexual innuendo.

Shanti, our protagonist, is a clone of Millicent in Fate of Perfection in Ms. Breen's Finding Paradise series and the sexual tension is the same as well. I thought Millicent was fun, but Shanti, not so much in the romantic push-pull Ms. Breene likes to write. She did a lovely job of having Shanti speak a foreign language and pick up the local language quickly. I would recommend the book on that alone if you're a blooming writer. It was the kind of humor that deeply amuses me.

The sales pitch is Shanti is The "Chosen" one, who, via prophecy, will bring powerful warriors out of some mystery place and conquer raiding hordes of Tolkienesk dark and evil foes.

I think that sales pitch will eventually be accurate for the entire series. That isn't what happened in this book. I admit I can forget what I read yesterday and read it today like I'd never read it before, but I was paying attention as this is good book with interesting characters.

Ok, I believe it is time to tell you as much as the sales blurb spoilers, so if you like going in blind, get the book and move along. If spoilers whet your appetite for more, dig in.

Out of the Dark

Gregg Hurwitz only gets better. I really liked, "Out of the Dark". 4.4 stars. I recommend you start your Evan Smoak journey with "Orphan X", which made Mr. Hurwitz one of my favorite authors. Then get through "The Nowhere Man", then put on your seat belt for "Hellbent" and "Out of the Dark".

Four books into a series even the official sales blurbs are spoilers, so if you want to enjoy this book without preconceived impressions from this review, it's time to move along. If spoilers only encourage you, lets get with it.

Hellbent

Hellbent by Gregg Hurwitz

Hellbent is the 3rd Orphan X novel. I really liked this one. 4.2 of 5 stars. I recommend it. Yes, you can read it alone, I think that would be a horrible idea and may spoil the 6 book experience (as of Jan 2020).

Evan Smoak has become one of my favorite characters. I think the molding of Mr. Hurwitz's character, Evan Smoak, is being done with a hammer on an anvil — and I'm confident Mr. Hurwitz has been required to routinely open a vein and pour some of his writing heart and soul into the character. He didn't pour the Orphan X books into the genre mold, tweak it here and there, and then put some extra meat or bones into the plots. By the end of Hellbent, if you're a seasoned reader, you know that our author has spent countless hours with Evan Smoak, and he knew what Evan was going to do in book six before he was half finished writing book one. I may be wrong…

What would it take for you to become "hellbent"?

Movie goers may recall when Jason Bourne's girlfriend is murdered. Bourne was hellbent! Similar excitement junkies clearly understand "Hellbent" when John Wick's dog is killed and his car stolen.

The Nowhere Man by Gregg Hurwitz

I liked The Nowhere Man by Gregg Hurwitz: 3 Stars. Recommend 👍.

I thought book #1, Orphan X, and book #3, Hellbent, were better. This book seemed to lag and become tedious several chapters before the climax.

The Nowhere Man is the 2nd "Orphan X" novel. The novels are "Secret Agent" type of action thrillers. In these novels orphans vanish into the "Orphan Program"-a CIA type of agency where these select orphans are trained from childhood to be invisible and extraordinarily dangerous. Orphans are one person Mission Impossible agents. Evan Smoke is Orphan X a designation similar to 007. For reasons established in the first book, he has gone rogue. As our protagonist he becomes a John Wick type of Ray Donovan except he fixes the nightmares of desperate folks who have nowhere to turn for help.

She stops sleeping. She starts plucking out her hair in patches. She cuts herself at school, hoping the pain will wake her from this nightmare.

Father of one of her classmates see the signs. He finds her sobbing in a 7-Eleven bathroom when she should be in homeroom. With a cane and fresh limp he goes and gives her a phone number: 1-855-2-NOWHERE. "He'll answer. He'll help," the injured friend's father says. She dials.

Wuthering Heights

Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë 

My Rating: 3 of 5 [I liked it]

This review is of the Amazon Classics ebook edition and the companion audiobook. For the folks who might read this review and have not read Wuthering Heights but plan to, I'll try to save you some likely frustration. 

The first three chapters are from Mr. Lockwood's point of view, which is read by Michael Page in the audiobook. Mr. Lockwood rents Thrushcross Grange and visits the landlord at Wuthering Heights to be sociable. He becomes bewildered by how he is mistreated.  Despite being informed his visit was not appreciated, Mr. Lockwood vows to return the next day.  Upon returning the next day he is stranded there by weather and discovers his earlier horrible treatment is not unusual.  I suspect he felt it similar to an undesired visit to Newgate Prison or The Tower of London Prison.