Category: Book Reviews

The Garden of Stones

Review by Travis Starnes The first book in the Echoes of Empire series, The Garden of Stones is an epic story of a civil war, a madman’s vicious path to power and the noble warrior that stands in his way. The description of the book made me eager to get a copy and start reading. I have to say from the outset you can tell how intent Mark Barnes is to build this world. It is obvious on every page how much care and detail he put into the world, the politics, the people and the language. Generally I admire when an author really builds out the world the story is set in. For me it is what elevates The Lord of the Rings from a good read to an amazing novel and the keystone all fantasy books should follow. Unfortunately, Barnes does not successfully pull of the world building the way Tolkien did. … Read more »

Abominable Science!

Review by Travis Starnes Abominable Science is a look at several major staples of cryptozoology (read that as the study of Bigfoot, Loche Ness and the like) by two experts, one a scientist the other a professional skeptic. The authors tag team throughout the book with one author taking up Bigfoot for example while the other looking at the Loche Ness Monster. I find the area of cryptozoology infinitely fascinating. Although I am a non-believer in such things, the myths, history and legends behind the seemingly endless search for these creatures is like the very best Saturday afternoon television. While one is a scientist and the other is clearly versed in the science behind these claims, this is more of a historic and anthropological examination and debunking of the myths. They spend a lot of time talking about how the claims came about, the morphing of the legends and the… Read more »

Lincoln in the World

Review by Travis Starnes Lincoln in the World looks at an area generally ignored by most of the books on one of the US’s most famous presidents. The book examines Lincoln’s foreign policy and his place in global diplomacy; specifically how his actions on the world stage kept foreign governments from recognizing the Confederacy or stepping in on the side of the south. When I heard about this book I was intrigued. There have been a lot of books written about President Lincoln and I feel like I have read most of them. So I was happy to hear about an angle on the president I had not read before. Getting into the book it became clear Peraino certainly did his research. The world of international diplomacy can get pretty convoluted real fast and he manages to steer the reader through that world effectively. I particularly liked how he decided to… Read more »

Undead Chaos

Review by Travis Starnes Undead Chaos is set in a world where the mystical and supernatural are real and live side by side with the “normal” world. It follows the wayward son of one of the great magical houses as he gets pulled into a mystery that will rock the entire supernatural community. I will start by saying I generally am not a fan of the urban fantasy genre. I have been talked into reading several of the major works in the genre and almost universally disliked all of them. Thankfully this book broke that streak, although maybe that is because it didn’t step on the same landmines that so many of the books in this genre hit. Most importantly this isn’t a romance novel dressed up to be science fiction or fantasy. It is closer to a fantasy novel dressed up as a mystery, a fusion of two genres… Read more »

Parasite

Review by Travis Starnes Parasite really took me off guard. It is the story of a future where humans have purposely made themselves hosts to a genetically modified species of Tapeworm. Everything seems great until the parasites start getting restless, then things get interesting. I was really unsure what to make of this book. Even after reading the back of the book I wasn’t sure if it was a mystery, sci-fi or horror story. Turns out it is a little of all three. Something I didn’t know going in, but I think most readers should be warned about before reading it, is this is part one of a larger story. The book ends on a solid cliff hanger, which honestly killed me. By the end of the book I was totally invested in what was going on and when I flipped the page and found the afterward and a “to… Read more »

Fire Base Illingworth

Review by Travis Starnes Fire Base Illingworth looks at one small area of the Vietnam conflict, focusing on an assault on an American Firebase near the Cambodian border. The book is a straight up history but told in a very narrative style that I have always felt works for this narrowly focused type of history. The author clearly has an affinity for this area of the war and this is not his first history about it. He previously wrote a book about a small conflict just days before the events in Fire Base Illingworth and involving some of the same men. If anything this book is a continuation of that previous work, although he does a good job recapping the events of his previous book for readers not familiar with it. Keith’s writing is excellent and he clearly has talent as a military historian, a very specific skill set to… Read more »

Combat Doctor

Review by Travis Starnes Combat Doctor was written by a Canadian doctor who served in one of the field hospitals in Afghanistan and details his experiences. I will say up front that I am really impressed by what these guys do and was really looking forward to reading this book. I have read several war memoirs from both support (medical, etc.) and front line soldiers and generally always enjoy these types of books. This is essentially Dauphin’s thoughts on the war told in a series of events and anecdotes. There are some scenes that you can’t help but be affected by, such as the story near the beginning of the book about the guy trying to save his kids arm. As far as it being a glimpse into the world of the military field hospital, the book is brutally honest about what really happens to soldiers. While the events can… Read more »

The Heavens Rise

Review by Travis Starnes With how direct and clear they make story synopsis these days it is rare I am surprised with the direction a book takes, but The Heavens Rise took some turns I didn’t see coming. I did noticed when I started reading this book it was tagged by the author as both a Mystery and Science Fiction, yet by the time I was half way through I was pretty sure it was just a mystery. It is the tale of a small group of contemporaries, I won’t say friends since they aren’t all so friendly, and a tragedy that affects their lives. This book is written very well. Christopher Rice manages to create tension and suspense expertly, even in situations that aren’t themselves very suspenseful. This isn’t a horror story and there isn’t a killer lurking around the corner but Rice creates the same tension that you… Read more »

Ancillary Justice

Review by Travis Starnes Ancillary Justice follows a ship’s AI, or at least a portion of it, stuck in a single body as it tries seeks out revenge on the near-immortal Lord of the Radch. I read a lot of science fiction and this book had some interesting stuff in it that I haven’t seen much in other sci-fi. The way Leckie has dealt with artificial intelligence and how one system can see and interact through multiple vantage points is fascinating. When I first saw how this book was going to play out I thought jumping from one view point to another, yet staying with the same character in those different points of view, would be confusing (just writing that sentence was a bit confusing). What surprises me is how well Leckie pulls it off and how it doesn’t come off as confusing at all. That isn’t to say it… Read more »

Diner Impossible

Review by Travis Starnes Diner Impossible is the third book in the Rose Strickland series about a diner waitress who through happenstance ends up investigating and solving crimes for her friends. I will be honest; I had never heard of the Rose Strickland series before reading this book and was not familiar with the character, her exploits, or her friends. In fact when I got this book I didn’t even know it was a series at first, although the fact that it is becomes readily apparent while reading it. I will say I am happy I found this series and I plan on going back and picking up the first two books. I might know how those end, because they are both mentioned in this installment, but I am sure I will enjoy them all the same. This book falls squarely in the “madcap non-investigator mystery” style book that I… Read more »