Introduction
As you will come to see, I love books and I love coffee, and great deal of other things besides, but mostly books and coffee. At least that’s what my bank account tells me. I also have very specific tastes when it comes to books, as you will undoubtedly bear witness to in my reviews. Because of this, I have been finding it more and more difficult to find books even of passable quality in the sub-genres that I enjoy. So I decided to share what I do know about with others who may also have this problem.
Of course, I will attempt to branch out a little for this blog, and I am willing to take suggestions. That doesn’t mean I will like your suggestion and write disgusting love mush about it, but I will read it.
Here’s a brief list of what is most likely to be found amongst these cyber pages:
-Urban fantasy
-Sci-fi
-Fantasy
-I am particularly fond of the thief sub-genre in sci-fi/fantasy
-A dash of other fiction
-Memoirs
-The occasional non-fiction science book
It should be noted that with all of these, I look specifically for lgbtq books; that is why there is a page devoted only to lgbtq. If you’re browsing through the other pages, lgbtq will clearly be marked with a pride stamp which was most kindly created by QueenNocturne on deviantart. Now if you don’t like it, then don’t read it, and don’t bother me with how much you don’t like it; obviously you will get no sympathy from me.
Of course, I will attempt to branch out a little for this blog, and I am willing to take suggestions. That doesn’t mean I will like your suggestion and write disgusting love mush about it, but I will read it.
Here’s a brief list of what is most likely to be found amongst these cyber pages:
-Urban fantasy
-Sci-fi
-Fantasy
-I am particularly fond of the thief sub-genre in sci-fi/fantasy
-A dash of other fiction
-Memoirs
-The occasional non-fiction science book
It should be noted that with all of these, I look specifically for lgbtq books; that is why there is a page devoted only to lgbtq. If you’re browsing through the other pages, lgbtq will clearly be marked with a pride stamp which was most kindly created by QueenNocturne on deviantart. Now if you don’t like it, then don’t read it, and don’t bother me with how much you don’t like it; obviously you will get no sympathy from me.
What's New
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Overall Rating: Someone Agreed To Publish This?
In all honesty, I'd rate this book just a shade above crap, that is if you're considering it within the realm of a published novel with even a hint of literary merit. If, by chance, you're interested in sub-par porn with an needlessly and poorly executed elaborate plot, then this is the book for you!
Seriously, I'm disappointed. The first book wasn't exactly a mind-blowing pieces of literature either, Alexander is certainly not a Dickens, but it was fun and entertaining. The main character was a strong woman, mildly promiscuous, but not slutty, and then Moonshifted happened.
The interesting werewolf/vampire dynamic, though elaborated upon in the next book, did not draw me further into the book's universe. I had wrongfully predicted after reading the first book, that I would be interested in the following two, but as it turns out, I no longer have plans to read the third installment. The main character was a total slut in this story, and practically owned up to it. I can assure you, I am no prude, but books like this, where the protagonist seems to have an implicit goal to have kinky sex with a member of every present species in the series before it ends, is part of the reason that the Urban Fantasy genre gets a bad rap. It is becoming a stereotype that I abhor.
Also, if an author is going to obviously add a character into the story in order for them to conveniently save the main character, it needs to be done tactfully. It must also not be overused. This is the second time that Alexander has done this. The first instance was Asher, who then played a similar role in the second book as the first, and then the second example was the bear-shapeshifting boyfriend, who had only a tentative attachment to the main character. No doubt Alexander employed this method so that the reader "wouldn't see it coming".
My intelligence has been insulted.
This kind of writing is painfully formulaic and reminiscent of -shudder- Stephanie Meyer. And yet even Meyer employed strategic symbolism. Moonshifted reeks of amateur mimicry, to the point that I've read fanfiction more original than this.
My advice, don't read this book, and if you don't believe me, that's fine, go rad it and then afterwards regret having wasted precious moments of your life.
Overall Rating: Someone Agreed To Publish This?
In all honesty, I'd rate this book just a shade above crap, that is if you're considering it within the realm of a published novel with even a hint of literary merit. If, by chance, you're interested in sub-par porn with an needlessly and poorly executed elaborate plot, then this is the book for you!
Seriously, I'm disappointed. The first book wasn't exactly a mind-blowing pieces of literature either, Alexander is certainly not a Dickens, but it was fun and entertaining. The main character was a strong woman, mildly promiscuous, but not slutty, and then Moonshifted happened.
The interesting werewolf/vampire dynamic, though elaborated upon in the next book, did not draw me further into the book's universe. I had wrongfully predicted after reading the first book, that I would be interested in the following two, but as it turns out, I no longer have plans to read the third installment. The main character was a total slut in this story, and practically owned up to it. I can assure you, I am no prude, but books like this, where the protagonist seems to have an implicit goal to have kinky sex with a member of every present species in the series before it ends, is part of the reason that the Urban Fantasy genre gets a bad rap. It is becoming a stereotype that I abhor.
Also, if an author is going to obviously add a character into the story in order for them to conveniently save the main character, it needs to be done tactfully. It must also not be overused. This is the second time that Alexander has done this. The first instance was Asher, who then played a similar role in the second book as the first, and then the second example was the bear-shapeshifting boyfriend, who had only a tentative attachment to the main character. No doubt Alexander employed this method so that the reader "wouldn't see it coming".
My intelligence has been insulted.
This kind of writing is painfully formulaic and reminiscent of -shudder- Stephanie Meyer. And yet even Meyer employed strategic symbolism. Moonshifted reeks of amateur mimicry, to the point that I've read fanfiction more original than this.
My advice, don't read this book, and if you don't believe me, that's fine, go rad it and then afterwards regret having wasted precious moments of your life.
Genre: Crime/Historical Thriller
Overall Rating: Culturally Interesting
I am a longstanding fan of Burdett’s work, so let’s acknowledge my positive bias before I delve into the details. The immediate aspect that strikes me as a Western inhabitant in Burdett’s books is the reflection of Western culture as seen and occasionally adapted by the East. Personally, I have little love for Western culture, but it is always intriguing to see how others see/are affected by it in both positive and negative ways. Burdett, for what he lacks occasionally in grammar and word choice, makes up for in the elaborate, yet also strikingly simple, plot. He is very talented at poignancy and knowing what points in the story to underplay or leave hanging for the reader to assign a vast chasm of interpretation. In The Last Six Million Seconds, Burdett exceeds my own expectations, based on his Royal Thai Detective series, of which I am fond. Upon picking up this book, readers may initially find the title intriguing, thinking perhaps that the plot of the novel is indeed on strict time restraints which may enhance the plot by building drama. Also, it is an unconventional use of time units, really why would you measure time in seconds when months are more efficient? This alone is eye catching, and also befuddling as you begin to read the novel and are introduced into a political conflict and not a hostage situation. Then Burdett gives us a bread crumb, revealing as he does so his own genius, about the last million seconds representing the six million people in Hong Kong. Now as readers we know that this is a book about the entire fate of Hong Kong, which is at times easy to forget when we get caught up in the whodunit layer of the novel. Burdett has brilliantly wrapped a story around a historical event which then has implications for events happening now. He is offering his own fictional account about a man facing inevitable hopelessness of losing, of the corrosive qualities of communist China. Of course this interpretation is from a typical Western viewpoint, and is not what is actually presented to the reader. Burdett makes it clear that the people of Hong Kong are made of sterner stuff, that see the stormy political climate as a part of life rather than an apocalyptic event, as no doubt Westerners would react if put in the same situation. Perseverance is an Eastern quality heavily incorporated into this story, not coupled by outraged indignation as it would be in a novel written by Western arrogance and entitlement.
Though I am not a fan of the mechanics of John Burdett’s writing, I acknowledge that his own unique voice is firmly there in his manner of understatement. This does, however, make it difficult to ever really form bonds with his characters, though I get the distinct impression that Burdett doesn’t write for his characters, but rather so he can write novels where West and East meet, indeed all of his novels have a sort of trickster at the cultural crossroads he designs. If, as a reader, you are interested in having that deep connection of truly understanding a character, perhaps Burdett’s writing isn’t for you, though I would still recommend it as a chance to expand horizons.
Overall, this is a book which is more impressive upon reflection as opposed to when you read it. It is not full of cliff hanger drama, or even personal drama, though there is a sense of imminent political doom from even the very beginning of the story. I greatly enjoyed it, though there were some parts of the book that were slow moving and a tad difficult to move through. It may not be my favorite book, or even my preferred genre, however it is a book with immense merit woven together by a talented craftsman.
Overall Rating: Culturally Interesting
I am a longstanding fan of Burdett’s work, so let’s acknowledge my positive bias before I delve into the details. The immediate aspect that strikes me as a Western inhabitant in Burdett’s books is the reflection of Western culture as seen and occasionally adapted by the East. Personally, I have little love for Western culture, but it is always intriguing to see how others see/are affected by it in both positive and negative ways. Burdett, for what he lacks occasionally in grammar and word choice, makes up for in the elaborate, yet also strikingly simple, plot. He is very talented at poignancy and knowing what points in the story to underplay or leave hanging for the reader to assign a vast chasm of interpretation. In The Last Six Million Seconds, Burdett exceeds my own expectations, based on his Royal Thai Detective series, of which I am fond. Upon picking up this book, readers may initially find the title intriguing, thinking perhaps that the plot of the novel is indeed on strict time restraints which may enhance the plot by building drama. Also, it is an unconventional use of time units, really why would you measure time in seconds when months are more efficient? This alone is eye catching, and also befuddling as you begin to read the novel and are introduced into a political conflict and not a hostage situation. Then Burdett gives us a bread crumb, revealing as he does so his own genius, about the last million seconds representing the six million people in Hong Kong. Now as readers we know that this is a book about the entire fate of Hong Kong, which is at times easy to forget when we get caught up in the whodunit layer of the novel. Burdett has brilliantly wrapped a story around a historical event which then has implications for events happening now. He is offering his own fictional account about a man facing inevitable hopelessness of losing, of the corrosive qualities of communist China. Of course this interpretation is from a typical Western viewpoint, and is not what is actually presented to the reader. Burdett makes it clear that the people of Hong Kong are made of sterner stuff, that see the stormy political climate as a part of life rather than an apocalyptic event, as no doubt Westerners would react if put in the same situation. Perseverance is an Eastern quality heavily incorporated into this story, not coupled by outraged indignation as it would be in a novel written by Western arrogance and entitlement.
Though I am not a fan of the mechanics of John Burdett’s writing, I acknowledge that his own unique voice is firmly there in his manner of understatement. This does, however, make it difficult to ever really form bonds with his characters, though I get the distinct impression that Burdett doesn’t write for his characters, but rather so he can write novels where West and East meet, indeed all of his novels have a sort of trickster at the cultural crossroads he designs. If, as a reader, you are interested in having that deep connection of truly understanding a character, perhaps Burdett’s writing isn’t for you, though I would still recommend it as a chance to expand horizons.
Overall, this is a book which is more impressive upon reflection as opposed to when you read it. It is not full of cliff hanger drama, or even personal drama, though there is a sense of imminent political doom from even the very beginning of the story. I greatly enjoyed it, though there were some parts of the book that were slow moving and a tad difficult to move through. It may not be my favorite book, or even my preferred genre, however it is a book with immense merit woven together by a talented craftsman.