Tuesday, September 04, 2012

Recent Reads: Capsule Reviews:



1. Charade You Are, by Reagan Pheasant:  OK, this was very weird, but definitely interesting. It kept me reading. As near as I can figure we've got Dan Quayle as the hero here, perhaps the "Pheasant" part of the author name. I recognize Bill and Hillary Clinton, and Arnold Schwarzenegger, and the two Bush presidents. There are other folks I don't recognize although it seems like they are supposed to be political or TV figures. Maybe I don't pay enough attention to politics. It's very graphic, definitely adults only. Is this what is called Bizarro fiction?

2. The Battle for Eden, by Mark E. Burgess:  The story of the Human versus Knacker war began with Ardath Mayhar, who wrote a book called Slaughterhouse World. Later, Robert Reginald wrote a story set in the same universe called Knack Attack. The Battle for Eden is a third book set in the same universe. Although related to each other in that they take place in the same universe, each book explores a different, and stand-alone, element of the human war against the spider/crab like Knacker, who ultimately enjoy using humans for food. In The Battle for Eden, the human space force puts up a desperate defense of a planet called Eden as the Knacker fleet arrives. A human pilot named Simon Roy is shot down over the planet after he takes a toll on the attackers. He manages a controlled crash and is found by the daughter of a local farmer. Roy joins this family as they dig in against the legions of Knacker now pouring onto the planet from the aliens' landing craft.

Very interesting characters in an interesting setting. The characters have backgrounds that get gradually unveiled throughout the book, and all is set against the deadly threat posed by the Knacker invasion. Good action sequences throughout keep the threat front and center. I enjoyed it a lot.

3.  Rancho Diablo – Shooter’s Cross, by Colby Jackson: Excellent book. Although this is a western and has plenty of gunplay, it's also about how men and women built the west and the struggles they went through to make homes for themselves and their children. Wonderful characters. I liked it so well that as soon as it was done I immediately started on book two of this series.

4.  Rancho Diablo – Dead Man’s Revenge, by Colby Jackson: Really good. The Rancho Diablo series continues to run strong. This is book 3, though when I started reading it I thought it was book 2 because it picks up the plot lines left unresolved from book 1. I haven't gotten number 2 yet but will.

18 comments:

Greg said...

The Battle for Eden sounds like a good read. I'd never heard of those Knacker books, but thanks for mentioning them, I'll check them out.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Battle for Eden sounds interesting.

Charles Gramlich said...

Greg, no prob!

Alex, yeah, down your alley, perhaps.

Oscar Case said...

Rancho Diablo books sound interesting.

Erik Donald France said...

Good takes on fun reads ~ the first one sounds bizarro, indeed. But does it outwit conversatin' with an Empty Chair?

Golden Eagle said...

I like the sound of the premise of The Battle for Eden.

Thanks for the reviews!

laughingwolf said...

more for the tbr list...

Cloudia said...

Delighted that Lana's car started! Sounds like, all in all, a 'win' for Team Gramlich.

So glad


Aloha, Friend
from Honolulu
Comfort Spiral
=^..^=

> < } } ( ° >

Charles Gramlich said...

Oscar, definitely, and they've already produced a couple more in the series. I have to get them.

Erik, that would be hard to top.

Golden Eagle, good book for sure.

Laughingwolf, there are plenty out there. :)

Cloudia, yes, thinks be looking up.

Prashant C. Trikannad said...

Charles, I have been meaning to read Rancho Diablo for a while now. I'll look out for all the three books. Many thanks...

Charles Gramlich said...

Prashant, worth the effort, I think.

SQT said...

I wouldn't have guessed "Charade You Are" would be interesting to me, but it sounds just bizarre enough to give it a whirl.

X. Dell said...

(1) The first two sound as though they should go on my reading list.

(2) Any significance to the change in font?

eric1313 said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
eric1313 said...

I re-read Starship Troopers the other day. Heinlein stands the test of time quite well.

Battle for Eden sounds good. One thing though - how many Sci Fi settings have a planet called Eden?

---
When Lana feels a little better, encourage her to talk a bit each day. Using her throat and vocal chords will aid the healing process in the long run, though it may not feel like that's the case at the time. Right now is different, the course of meds is rough, but later she'll be better.

Glad your house didn't wash away. The carnage of this latest storm is grisly! If Katrina had moved so slow, imagine how bad that would have been.

Travis Cody said...

I love it when I finish a book in a series and I immediately want to continue. Kindle makes that so easy.

I've been wanting to revisit the Terry Brooks world of Shannara. I started with Running with the Demon. Finished it last night and had to download A Knight of the Word right away.

That's good stuff.

nephite blood spartan heart said...

I've still got to order The Battle for Eden/Under and Ember Star. Love it when a series grabs you like you're saying Rancho Diablo does.

Charles Gramlich said...

SQT, it's very graphic, in a satirical way.

X-dell, no, I wrote the post on my office computer so it's probably just the default there.

eric1313, Starship troopers is great. Ever read Star Guard by Andre Norton? Pretty much in the same vein. True about "eden." I actually hadn't thought of that. I bet if humans ever settle other planets there'll be at least one called Eden.

Travis Cody, I have not explored that series. I will have to give one a try at some point.

David J., good solid westerns, those.