Review: Crossing Midnight: Cut Here by Mike Carey, Jim Fern. (Volume 1)

Synopsis: Set in present-day Nagasaki, Japan, a fantasy/horror series begins when two extraordinary twins are born--one before and one after midnight-- and one of them has access to a world filled with supernatural beings who can enter, and impact, the world as the commonly know it. (from the online description)

Review: Set in modern Japan, this story follows twins, a brother and sister, born on opposite sides of midnight. The daughter is born with a particular talent, bestowed on her by a mercurial and cruel spirit. When she comes of age, the spirit takes her, leaving behind on blood and sorrow for her family. Her brother becomes determined to find her and release her from the prison of the cruel spirits.

The art has a mange-quality, no surprise given that the story takes place in Japan. With bold colors and dynamic lines, the story moves quickly across the pages.

The plot itself is striking in its depth. In the classic Japanese style, the spirits represent protection and danger, horror and strength, a common theme in their horror-genre stories.

I recommend this for anyone who enjoys Japanese-style horror, or stories about spirits and blood and mysteries. I myself am eager to acquire volumes two and three, to see where the story goes. 

Bookmarks: 3.5 of 5

Awards: None

ISBN: 978-1-4012-1341-1
Year Published: 2007
Date Finished: 10-16-2018
Pages: 90

Review: S.O.S. from Three Worlds: Super-Medic for Interstellar Catastrophes by Murray Leinster

Synopsis: Scattered through the galaxy are thousands of worlds colonized by humans. Many have native microbes dangerous to the human immigrants. Others have diseases brought to them accidentally -- or on purpose -- by visiting ships. When millions of lives are threatened, it's a job for the Interstellar Medical Service, and a Med Ship is sent to solve the problem. Calhoun is the best the Med Service has, and hard experience has taught him that often the major obstacle to curing the sick is... the sick. And removing that kind of obstacle may take very strong medicine. (from the Goodreads Description)

Review: I found this in a bargain bin at a used book shop, and immediately snapped it up! While a doctor and scientist, Calhoun feels more like a Space EMT - and being an EMT myself, and as die-hard sci-fi fan, I wasn't going to pass this up. With plenty of pulpy action, Leinster takes the reader through three adventures of Calhoun - from strange plagues to deadly planets, we travel with him as he rights medical wrongs and solves science problems with just his med-ship and brain. Perfect for fans of pulp sci-fi and medical mysteries. Worth reading!

Bookmarks: 4 of 5

Awards: None

ISBN: N/A
Year Published: 1959
Date Finished: 10-14-2018
Pages: 140

Review: Reborn by Mark Millar, Greg Capullo, Jonathan Glapion (L)

Synopsis: The MILLAR-CAPULLO smash-hit, sell-out REBORN is here. Where do you go when you die? Not heaven or hell--somewhere else. Somewhere you have to fight to survive. Somewhere the people from the past are waiting for you--the good and the bad. (from the online description)

Review: This comic is a speculative story about what happens after we die. In this world, those who die go on to a world of magic - and evil. It’s almost as if people are “reincarnated’ as other characters in this new world. Where you go and your powers there are based on your life on earth, good and bad.

While the premise is intriguing and the art was bold and dynamic, the plot was too fast to explain or explore the concept with any real meaning. Events seemed to happen too quickly to feel real, characters got over huge emotional events with a blink of an eye, and big problems resolved with no explanation.  But my main qualm is that who decides who is good and bad is never explained. It seems arbitrary and manipulated to make the plot easier.

Not a bad read, and short, so if you are just looking for something to fill time, this would work. And the art is excellent. 

Bookmarks: 3 of 5

Awards: None

ISBN: 978-1-5343-0158-0
Year Published: 2017
Date Finished: 10-12-18
Pages: 110

Review: Hollow City by Ransom Riggs (Peculiar Children, Book 2)

Synopsis: September 3, 1940. Ten peculiar children flee an army of deadly monsters. And only one person can help them—but she’s trapped in the body of a bird. The extraordinary journey that began in Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children continues as Jacob Portman and his newfound friends journey to London, the peculiar capital of the world. There, they hope to find a cure for their beloved headmistress, Miss Peregrine. But in this war-torn city, hideous surprises lurk around every corner. And before Jacob can deliver the peculiar children to safety, he must make an important decision about his love for Emma Bloom. (from the online description)

Review: As with the previous book, this is a slightly dark and gothic tale, with a touch of the freak and the peculiar. Again filled with creepy black and white photo illustrations, the story weaves around war-torn England, as our frightening group of peculiars race against time to get Miss Peregrine help. But betrayal and danger snap at their heels and things go from bad to worse to deadly quickly.

Fast-paced, with new and intriguing characters, the reader learns more about the history and workings of the peculiar world. The darkness is closing in on not just our heroes, but all peculiars, and this gives the book a pleasing tension and gloom.

Worth reading, if you enjoyed the first one. Be sure to read the book, not the listen to the audiobook, as the pictures are very important to the story. Note: This might be a bit intense for young children, as there is death and blood and horror. 

Bookmarks: 3 of 5

Awards: None

ISBN: 978-1-59474-612-3
Year Published: 2014
Date Finished: 10-10-18
Pages: 396

Review: Mangoes, Mischief, and Tales of Friendship: Stories from India by Chitra Soundar

Synopsis: Can Prince Veera and his best friend outsmart the king’s trickiest subjects? Inspired by traditional Indian folktales, these stories are sure to delight. Being a wise and just ruler is no easy task. That’s what Prince Veera discovers when he and his best friend, Suku, are given the opportunity to preside over the court of his father, King Bheema. Some of the subjects’ complaints are easily addressed, but others are much more challenging. How should they handle the case of the greedy merchant who wishes to charge people for enjoying the smells of his sweets? And can they prove that an innocent man cannot possibly spread bad luck? Will Prince Veera and Suku be able to settle the dispute between a man and his neighbor to whom he sells a well — but not the water in it? Or solve the mystery of the jewels that have turned into pickles? Illustrated throughout by Uma Krishnaswamy, these eight original tales by Chitra Soundar task Veera and Suku with outwitting the kingdom’s greediest, wiliest subjects. Are the two clever boys up to the challenge? (from the online description)

Review: Told in a similar style to A Thousand and One Arabian Nights and Aesop’s Fables, this charming collection follows Prince Veera and his friend Suka, as they solve problems around the kingdom of Veera’s Father. They encounter everything from greedy merchants to evil Uncles, and each time they must use their wits to solve the riddle.

Told in a simply style, these stories have no great depth and tend to be moralistic – meaning, the good and evil are always clear, and the right way is easy to see. The two boys face no great obstacles and are often supported by adults (other than the “bad” guy in the story) who approve and assist with whatever scheme they devise. After the first few stories, this grows a bit tiresome. The stories lack real depth or challenge.

However, one of the more charming aspects is the frequent mention of Indian foods and customs. For Western readers, this is a delightful flavor, and encourages exploration and appreciation of another culture.

Over all, this collection, while shallow, is still fun, and will delight younger readers (ages 4-6) without boring parents. 

Note: I received this free through LibraryThing's Early Review Program, in exchange for my fair and honest opinion

Bookmarks: 3 of 5

Awards: None

ISBN:978-1-5362-0067-6
Year Published: 2019
Date Finished: 10-6-2018
Pages: 179

Review: Mama, Do You Love Me by Barbara M. Joosse, ill. by Barbara Lavallee

Synopsis: A young girl asks her Mother "Do you love me" and gives increasingly wild situations in which she might test her mothers love

Review: The characters and story use the Inuit Culture as a basis, and the art is done in a stylize way. The story is sweet and cute, and answers a big question children often have. Perfect for young children (2-5), the pictures are colorful and well done and the story is both silly and sweet.

Bookmarks: 4 of 5

Awards: None

ISBN: 978-0-8118-2131-5
Year Published: 1991
Date Finished: 10-5-18
Pages: 7

Review: The Fires of Heaven by Robert Jordan (The Wheel of Time, Book Five)

Synopsis: In this sequel to the phenomenal New York Times best seller The Shadow Rising, Robert Jordan again plunges us into his extraordinarily rich, totally unforgettable world:
...Into the forbidden city of Rhuidean, where Rand al'Thor, now the Dragon Reborn, must conceal his present endeavor from all about him, even Egwene and Moiraine.
...Into the Amyrlin's study in the White Tower, where Amyrlin, Flaida do Avriny a 'Roihan, is weaving new plans.
...Into the luxurious hidden chamber where the Forsaken Rahvin is meeting with three of his fellows to ensure their ultimate victory over the Dragon.
...Into the Queen's court in Caemlyn, where Morgase is curiously in thrall to the handsome Lord Gaebril.
For once the Dragon walks the land, the fires of Heaven fall where they will, until all men's lives are ablaze. And in Shayol Ghul, the Dark One stirs. (from the online description)

Review: This is where the series begins to wear a bit thin. This book dragged, and probably could have been condensed with Book 6 to no ill-effect. Instead, we get 900+ pages where very little actually happens. The beginning, as we explore the Wastes with Rand and Co, and watch Nynaeve and Co, travel – but after a while, the story stagnates and it because tedious to read. You just want someone to DO something.

Jordan is known for his detail – and it really shows in this book. The story suffers as paragraph after paragraph is given over to minutiae. Trim the fat, please!

Despite this, the story does move forward (eventually) and we leave the characters in more danger than ever. I am eager to see what happens, although I hope the next novel does not plod like this one. 

Bookmarks: 3.5 of 5

Awards: None

ISBN: 0-812-55030-7
Year Published: 1993
Date Finished: 10-4-2018
Pages: 968