The Reviews for June and July

Books
Doctor Who: History 101
Mags. L. HallIiday
***

It is Spain 1937, and some how the Doctor and his assistants are now walking around in pre-war era. Enjoying the sights and learning all they can about it. that is until someone decides to make them the enemy of the world, which doesn't make much sense with how this works out.

Reading this book, I was lost at first, considering that I did not know who the assistants were until I realized some of the knowledge came from the Radio dramas out of the BBC, if you haven't listened, then you don't know what is going on. Hence why I gave this book a 3 star rating.

Most of the Doctor Who books that came out in the 1990s were all like this, some taking place in between episodes and also gave new fresh look at the Eight Doctors, minus the three new ones.

If you are a true blue Whovian, I would say pick up as many of the books you can dare find and read them. Personally, it is a great way to catch up and also get introduce with a Doctor who got little to no screen time, like the Eighth. Unless you count the movie.

Movies
A Good Day to Die Hard
****

McClane is back with his son who is now heading up a shooting up of Moscow. It ends up that without much knowledge of the situation, McClane heads to rescue his son from a Russian court, only to find out later that this is all part of a CIA mission his son is part of. Not to give away much more, you have stolen documents, Charnobal and other great locations that either are in the path of destruction or more.

Personally, I love action movies, at first I was more, ANOTHER ONE, now I'm hoping that father and son get to be in more movies. I'm pretty much saying it now, please see the movie.

Manga
Rurouni Kenshin: Restoration  Vol 1.
Nobuhiro Watsuki
*****

A retelling of the story in an update that makes more action, giving Kenshin a multiple personality disorder, a kind nature to boot. Can we say, leads up to the movie? NOPE! Just a plain brawl in Meiji Tokyo with Kenshin not taking lives, but definitely adding to the injured by making it evident that he doesn't want to kill, but not many people are happy with his decision.

I really thought reading this was going to be a retelling, but it felt more like the creator just having a bit of fun with Good Ole Kenshin who needed some fun and comic time. There really is no story, just action, and more fun then you can shake a stick at. Kenshin's personality is there, and so is his Hitokiri Battosai self who seems very much wanting to have a fight to defend people he loves and cares about.

Let's start the Summer Right

May Reading

Books

The Book of Atrix Wolfe
Patricia A McKillip
****
A mage who has believed he committed a terrible crime turns into a wolf, he has to live with what he does. He soon finds out the people he has grown to care about are seeking him out with the help against his own creation, a Hunter who was used to kill and destroy the enemies of his king. Can he destroy what he created before it goes wild?

Its a good story, but ran a little long and didn't have much detail. I do enjoy the fact that Atrix was a great writer. The writer does have a great bit of work on artwork in painting the images of the characters and the story itself.

I would say yes, read it if you want something that has some interesting action scenes, and also some connections to nature.


The Tower at Stony Wood
Patricia A McKillip
****
During a time of a royal wedding a knight decides that maybe his bride isn't all what she seems, he hears a tale from a Bard that sends him into shock. He decides that going on the quest to rescue a princess in a tower and find out the terrible truth.

The story dos have action, it is pretty weaving of characters and more. I would say read it when you can, and work with it. The story can be a little long and yes, you do have to muscle your way through it it if you're not used to the read. Her style is a little odd.


Manga

(Check with me in June)

Movies

(Check back in June)

Been awhile...So sorry for the absentence

Apologies, my dear readers, I haven't been on since I'm not sure how to speak on the matter, but I"m going to be posting in the next few months some book reviews.

Manga

Natsume's Book of Friends

***** Stars

Imagine growing up being able to see spirits and ghosts, not having the ability to turn it off and having everyone you are supposed to trust think you're crazy. That's the problem that poor Natsume Takashi has, after the death of his parents, he's bounced from one relative to another, until he's a teen and moves to his grandmother's village. There he finds out that his gift has a terrible price, his grandmother had the same gift and she used it to beat up the local spirits, and make a book a friends, which is wanted by nearly all in the area, now Takashi must have the task to return the names and also deal with his gifts.

This story started out slowly,  I began trying to read this and started to fall in love with the tale, it spun into a magical world where the modern and the old Japanese beliefs seemed to conflict a bit. Takashi has to deal with respecting the old and having to act as the in between for some spirits. He learns that some of his gifts have an advantage and he isn't a freak after all, because he finds others like himself. 

I would say go with reading it, and watching the anime if you can, but the manga is WAY better than the series. The artwork is beautiful, the characters are really compelling and you kind of relate to Takashi and his friends in many different levels.

Books

Magic's Pawn

Mercedes Lackey

***** Stars

Vanyel has grown up being very lonely life, misunderstood and soon sent to live with his aunt in Haven. His aunt is a famous herald and teacher to many great mages and Herald's in training. Vanyel at first believes he's hated by all who come in contact, which isn't the case, he learns something about himself and about who he is from a rather friendly Herald named Tylendel. When a terrible price is paid and Vanyel learns the truth of some of his actions and the actions of someone he cares for, he finds out he is something more than what he appears.

This is one of my favorite books, truth is I love the characters and I love how the story takes place, it starts out with a character who is famous in the first book of the series written in the late 1980s called Arrows of the Queen. This gives you a historical prospective, and if you have never read any of her books before, this gives you a good place to start out if you're new to the series.