Review: Cadre Lucifer by Robert O'Riordan (Cadre, Book Two)

Synopsis: Nobody’s safe when the most ruthless cop in the galaxy turns renegade. Meet Pol Tyrees. A member of the elite Cadre. He was the best of the best, and he was the law. Groomed since childhood for the job, Pol was merciless and cold efficient in stalking his prey – human vermin, criminals and traitors. Then, a mystical Seer on the distant planet Tercet shattered Pol’s faith in the galactic Regnum, and gave him warrior skills he never dreamed possible. Now he’s no longer hunting down criminals in the dark corners of the galaxy. He’s after bigger game – the corrupt government he once served blindly; that sacrificed his grandfather to its whims; the government that created him. No one is safe. For Pol Tyrees is still the best. (from the back of the book)

Review: This is the second in O’Riordan’s Cadre series and follows Pol Tyrees after his dramatic split from the Cadre. As I have remarked before regarding older science-fiction, there is less action and more sitting around, thinking. The characters spend much time discussing how best to accomplish their goals. The main idea centers on the necessity to kill innocents to accomplish these goals, and the mental and emotional fall-out from those actions. Tyrees, in particular, struggles with the idea that he must take life to bring freedom to the galaxy.

This isn’t to say there is no action in the story. There is plenty. Space battles and battles of wits, battles of desire and duty.  In particular, the battle that leads to the acquisition of the lone female character. Often older sci-fi have caricatures of women; whore, damsel in distress, warrior etc. But O’Riordan manages, roughly, to have a female character of some complexity and depth.

The ending seemed unique to me. I honestly had no idea what was going to happen. Our intrepid heroes found themselves in very dire straits, victory impossible, and defeat already at hand. I liked it. It had the potential to be trite and weak, but O’Riordan made it fitting and interesting.  Be aware, the novel ends of cliff-hanger, of sorts. Probably best to have the final book sitting next to you. 

Overall, this is a fine continuation of the series, and worth reading. 

Bookmarks: 7 of 10

Awards: None

ISBN: 0-441-09019-2

Year Published: 1987

Date Finished: 12-22-2016

Pages: 202

Review: Diary of an Old Soul by George MacDonald

Synopsis: In this new edition of a popular classic, George MacDonald offers a prayer for each day of the year, reflecting on some aspect of God’s relationship with us. These simple but deep prayers continue to reveal new meaning after many readings. Instrumental in the conversion of C. S. Lewis, MacDonald is a writer with a deep understanding of the personal relationship between God and the individual Christian. (from the back of the book)

Review: I started reading these one a night, but ended up reading them in several large chunks, mostly due to their nature. Often, several days or even months would feel like a long poem or train of thought. I would get caught up in their poignant beauty and palatable truth. Each prayer was short, only a few lines, but compact with ideas to ruminant upon. I had many that struck me hard, but my favorite prayers are as follows:

July 17

I cannot tell why this day I am ill;
But I well because it is they will –
Which is to make me pure and right like thee.
Not yet I need escape – ‘tis bearable
Because thou knowest. And when harder things
Shall rise and gather, and overshadow me,
I shall have comfort in thy strengthening

June 20

But now the Spirit and I are on in this –
My hunger now is after righteousness;
My spirit hopes in God to set me free
From the low self loathed of higher me
Great elder brother of my second birth
Dear  o’er all names but one, in heaven or earth
Teach me all day to love eternally

May 27

So bound in selfishness am I, so chained,
I know it must be glorious to be free
But know not what, full-fraught, the word doth mean;
By loss on loss I have several gained
Wisdom enough my slavery to see;
But liberty, pure, absolute, serene
No freest-visioned slave has ever seen.

February 2

The worst power of an evil mood is this –
It makes the bastard self seem in the right,
Self, self the end, the goal of human bliss.
But if the Christ-self in us be the might
Of saving God, why should I spend my force
With a dark thing to reason of the light  -
Not push it rough aside, and hold obedient course?

Bookmarks: 8 of 10

Awards: None

ISBN: 0-8066-2734-4

Year Published: Late 1800s (This Edition 1994)

Date Finished: 12-18-2016

Pages: 128

Review: The Power of the Blood of Christ by Andrew Murray

Synopsis: In this classic exploration of the Scriptures, Andrew Murray leads the reader to a complete understanding of the significance and reality of the power of the shed blood of Christ. Astounding results can take place in your life once you have learned about the power of the blood of Jesus and how to use it in coping with life's difficult situations. This mighty weapon of spiritual warfare holds the secret to a victorious life. (from the back of the book)

Review: Andrew Murray is one of my go-to authors for sound, Bible-based, Spirit-lead, hard-hitting instruction, admonition, and exposition. So it is with a disappointed mind that I give this book such a low rating. To be clear, there is nothing theological questionable in this book. Far from it. His explanation on the power of the Blood of Christ is solid and true. It is the prose that I found difficult. Circular and repetitive, his prose, will true, seem to spend most of the time saying the same idea over and over, just using slightly different words.  He doesn’t use large word or complex vocabulary, preferring simple words and sentences, so the ideas he puts forth as accessible to anyone of average understanding. But his passion for his topic overshadows his literary abilities and his ideas often get lost in a tangle of repetitive jargon.

Andrew Murray is always worth the time to read, but be mindful that this particular work may take more patience. 

Bookmarks: 6 of 10

Awards: None

ISBN: 978-1-60374-238-2
Year Published: Late 1800s (This Edition 1993)
Date Finished: 12-18-2016
Pages: 169

Review: The Gothic Tradition in Supernatural: Essays on the Television Series by Melissa Edmundson

Synopsis: The CW's long-running series Supernatural follows the adventures of brothers Sam and Dean Winchester as they pursue the "family business" of hunting supernatural beings. Blending monster-of-the-week storylines with the unfolding saga of the brothers' often troubled relationship, the show represents Gothic concerns of anxiety, the monstrous, family trauma and, of course, the supernatural. The lines between human and monster, good and evil, are blurred and individual identities and motivations resist easy categorization. This collection of new essays examines how the series both incorporates and complicates Gothic elements related to traditional tropes, storytelling, women and gender issues and monstrosity. (from the back of the book)

Review: How could I resist a book about two of my favorite things: Gothic Literature and Dean Winchest….er…. I mean, Supernatural. Melissa Edmundson gathered a fine collection of scholars noted for their research on horror, popular culture, the gothic trope, and gender. From that group comes an anthology of essays that explore these issues in the popular television show Supernatural. Known for its revision of the horror trope, the homosexual undertones, the multiple deaths of the main characters, and its wide-spread and ardent fandom, Supernatural practically begs to be the subject of a collection of essays on the gothic in television.  The essays are divided into four groups: Gothic Tropes and Traditions, Gothic Storytelling, Gothic Women: Heroes and Victims, and Gothic Other: Monstrous Selves. Ranging in subject from the Chicana Ghost to the Impala as Castle, these essays explore, in depth, some of the great Gothic traditions as they appear in Supernatural – both in perfection and in their difference. The scholarship is hit or miss, some excellent essays, some just long strings of pycho-babble. But most of the essays are composed of accessible prose and logical points, if a little heavy on the literary jargon. For anyone who enjoys intellectual analysis of pop culture, horror and gothic literature, or Dean Winchesters fine, fine ass-ets, this is the book for you.
Note: I rece

Note: I received this book free as part of LibraryThing’s Early Review Program, in exchange for my fair and honest opinion.

Bookmarks: 7 of 10

Awards: None

ISBN: 978-0-7864-9976-2
Year Published: 2016
Date Finished:  12-16-2016
Pages: 193

Review: Live Reflectively: Lessons from the Watershed Moments of Moses by Lenya Heitzig

Synopsis: Twenty minutes a day to a deeper understanding of God's presence in your life. He was saved from death on the Nile and raised as an Egyptian prince. He met his wife at a Midianite well, witnessed the birth of a nation as the Red Sea parted, and watched water gush from a rock with one touch of his rod. He died overlooking the Jordan River. In fact, Moses’s entire life can be viewed through the water that redirected him. In this engaging study, Bible teacher Lenya Heitzig encourages you to consider the “watershed” moments in your own spiritual journey. Each day’s lesson is structured in five parts: Lift up (prayer), Look at (God’s Word) , Learn about (new insights), Live out (application), Listen to (quotes from other believers). The Fresh Life series was created by women, for women—women who crave a profound experience of God’s Word without an overwhelming commitment of time. With each lesson, you will come to a deeper understanding of the truths of the Bible and develop a deeper intimacy with God. (from the online description)

Review: This is the third Lenya Heitzig Bible Study I have participated in. In comparison to others, these studies tend to be better than most. However, like most Bible Studies written for women, it lacks depth and promotes a Jesus-is-my-therapist approach to the Christian Life. She quotes great Christian authors like Mathew Henry and Martin Luther, but the hard truth those authors often spoke of does appear in the general prose or questions. Chapters begin with trivial anecdotes that pull things from the text that are a stretch. The questions do not dig deep and often focus on self and what Jesus can do for us. There is little talk about repentance, sin, or sacrifice.
The study of scripture is important and the fellowship that comes from doing it together is vital. I encourage every Christian women to be involved in a Bible Study. And Heitzig’s studies are not bad. But there is more out there, more depth, more soul-searching, harder truths to be found.

Bookmarks: 6 of 10

Awards: None

ISBN: 978-0-7814-0593-5
Year Published: 2011
Date Finished: 12-4-2016
Pages: 286

Review: The Intellectual Devotional: Health - Revive Your Mind, Complete Your Education, and Digest a Daily Dose of Wellness Wisdom by David S. Kidder and Noah D. Oppenheim

Synopsis: In this fourth installment of the New York Times best-selling Intellectual Devotional series, authors Noah Oppenheim and David Kidder have partnered with Bruce K. Young, MD, to offer a year's worth of medical knowledge and wellness wisdom. Each daily dose in this infectious volume offers insight into the mysterious terrain of the human body and the factors that impact its constitution.

Drawn from seven diverse categories, including lifestyle and preventive medicine; the mind; medical milestones; drugs and alternative treatments; sexuality and reproduction; diseases and ailments; and children and adolescents, these 365 entries are as informative as they are functional. From aspirin to the x-ray, headaches to Hippocrates, Viagra to influenza, The Intellectual Devotional: Health will revive the mind and rejuvenate the body. Sure to please devoted intellectuals and newcomers alike, this timely volume sheds new light on an endlessly fascinating subject: ourselves. (from the online description)

Review: I enjoyed this format and concept. But perhaps it is because the information is almost a decade old, but some of it was out-of-date and other, just wrong. Particularly the nutrition advice. Other than that, this covers a wide range health and wellness topics - history of medicine and procedures, anatomy, medicines, treatments, and famous doctors. It is interesting, and uses clear prose, without a lot of jargon. Excellent book to read in the line at the grocery store or while waiting for the clerk at the post-office.

Bookmarks: 6 of 10

Awards: None

ISBN: 978-1-60529-949-5
Year Published: 2009
Date Finished: 12-04-2016
Pages: 374

Review: Cadre One by Robert O'Riordan (Cadre, Book One)

Synopsis: The Galactic Killer Elite: Since his childhood, Pol Tyrees was groomed for the Cadre, the intergalactic super-police force. And as a cadre officer, he carried out each task emotionlessly ad efficiently, whether it was investigating shady deals, interrogating prisoners, or killing traitors. But during an assignment on remote Tercet, one of that planet’s mystic Seers taught him a whole new way of thinking. And Pol began to ask questions – questions that brought him into direct conflict with the Cadre. (from the back of the book)

Review: I found this, and its sequel buried at the bottom of a shelf in the back of a small shop in Mount Vernon, Washington. It could tell it was just my sort of fluff: cheesy military science fiction published in 1986. And it did not disappoint. Conspiracies and traitors, assassins and intrigue, bouncy-boobed blondes and brooding officials, physical violence and men in black. It even had the required fight in which the combatants worn only loincloths! I can see it in my mind in all its 80s glory! 

The cheese aside, the story is fast-paced and well-told. The character of Pol Tyrees is sufficiently complex to carry the plot. There is a bit more telling than showing of what the characters are thinking and doing, but it do not detract from the story.

This is a fun, science fiction read, entertaining and even thought provoking at times. Particularly when they start getting into the use of the media in a galactic conspiracy…

Bookmarks: 7 of 10

Awards: None

ISBN: 0-441-09022-2

Year Published: 1986

Date Finished: 11-26-2016

Pages: 263