Book Review: The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas
5 Stars , Fiction , Latest Posts / December 5, 2012

Article first published as Book Review: The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas on Blogcritics. About: The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas is the author’s best known novel. The story was originally serialized between March and July of 1844 in Le Siècle magazine. 704 pages Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA Language: English ISBN-10: 0199538468 My rating for The Three Musketeers – 5 Buy this book in paper or elec­tronic format* More Books by Alexandre Dumas Thoughts: The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas is a fast paced adventure into French history which has cemented itself as a classic and refuses to let go. I have been a fan of this story for several decades, it is a silly fantasy riddled with intrigue and adventure crossing borders and nationalism. The story is difficult to read at first, the French names and seemingly high brow storytelling, but soon one can tell why this novel is one of the most popular of all times. Peculiar, memorable and quirky with adventures galore and an air of arrogance could define The Three Musketeers, but there is plenty more. Dumas peppered this book with historical figures, but not so much historical accuracy (to be generous). As with many other novels, the author took real figures…

Book Review: Farewell to Freedom by Sara Blædel
4 Stars , Fiction , Latest Posts / December 3, 2012

Article first published as Book Review: Farewell to Freedom by Sara Blaedel on Blogcritics. About: Farewell to Freedom by Sara Blædel is a fictional book in a series featuring Copenhagen detective Louise Rick and her friend Camilla Lind, a reporter. This is the third novel translated to English written by the best selling Danish author. The pub­lisher is giv­ing away one copy of this book –to enter fill out the Raf­fle­copt­ter form at the end of the post. 384 pages Publisher: Pegasus Language: English ISBN-10: 1605984531 My rating for Farewell to Freedom – 4 Buy this book in paper or electronic format* More Books by Sara Blædel Thoughts: Farewell to Freedom by Sara Blædel (web­site | Face­book | @sarablaedel) is darker than the previous books I read in the series. Previously Ms. Blædel explored drugs, honor killings, online dating and more. This time however the author turns her sights on prostitution and trafficking women. The book is very well written and it seemed to me that the author has upped a notch her research and storytelling. I was surprised that instead of writing fallacies and inaccuracies, as many others do, Ms. Blædel examined the issues objectively and inserted them into her novel. For example, the point that few prostitutes are…

Guest Review: The Courtship of Princess Leia (Star Wars) by Dave Wolverton
Fiction , Graphic Novels , Latest Posts / December 1, 2012

Buy this Star Wars Book in paper or elec­tronic copy* Andrew: Orig­i­nally pub­lished at: http://www.rancorslovetoread.com/2008/12/andrews-review-of-courtship-of-princess.html 3/5 Rancors – Dave Wolverton’s The Courtship of Princess Leiawas one of the first books published by Bantam Spectra after the resounding success of Timothy Zahn’s Thrawn Trilogy in the early 1990’s. As such, it has the exciting, adventurous, and sometimes plain wacky feeling that a lot of the early books had (especially before the advent of the prequel films and the onslaught of stories about Jedi, Sith, and clone troopers). It is an enjoyable romp of a story with some very puzzling characterizations. The setting is four years after the Battle of Endor in Return of the Jedi. Princess Leia and Han Solo have been involved over this period but are still not in a fully committed relationship. Han has spent the prior five months commanding a task force hunting Warlord Zsinj and his Super Star Destroyer Iron Fist: the tale of his search is ably documented by Aaron Allston in the fifth through seventh novels of the superb X-wing series. Leia has been attempting to kickstart diplomatic relations between the New Republic and the secretive Hapan Cluster, an alliance of sixty-three wealthy and…

Guest Review: The Jedi Academy Trilogy Vol. 1: Jedi Search by Kevin J. Anderson
Fiction , Guest Posts , Latest Posts / November 17, 2012

Buy this Star Wars Book in paper or electronic copy* Andrew: Originally published at: http://www.rancorslovetoread.com/2009/01/andrews-review-of-jedi-academy-trilogy.html 3/5 Rancors – Kevin J. Anderson played a prominent role in the Star Wars Expanded Universe for a few years in the mid-1990s. His projects included the Tales of the Jedi comics published by Dark Horse, the Illustrated Guide to the Star Wars Universe, editorial and authorial duties on three Tales collections, various youth-oriented fiction, and a few of the adult novels. Jedi Search was his first book in the Jedi Academy Trilogy, set after the pivotal events of Timothy Zahn’s Thrawn Trilogy and the Dark Empire comic series. This trilogy typifies many of the characteristics often associated with the 90s Bantam Spectra era of Star Wars publishing, following the main movie characters as they battle a newly emerged ex-Imperial leader and throwing a new super weapon or two into the mix. This first part of the trilogy opens with the New Republic in the process of re-claiming Coruscant after the recent Imperial reoccupation. It’s interesting how openly the book ties to the Dark Empire comics series in some of the early scenes. Readers who stick only to the books will be quite confused when…

Book Review: The Hollow Man by Oliver Harris
4 Stars , Fiction , Latest Posts / November 14, 2012

Article first published as Book Review: The Hollow Man by Oliver Harris on Blogcritics. About: The Hollow Man by Oliver Harris is a novel introduction a new character, cop Nick Belsey, in what seems to be the first of a series. Nick Belsey is an English policeman who seems to have no ethics and corrupt morals which constantly traps him in the lure of easy money. The pub­lisher is giv­ing away one copy of this book –to enter fill out the Raf­fle­copt­ter form at the end of the post. 480 pages Publisher: Harper Paperbacks Language: English ISBN-10: 0062136712 My rating for The Hollow Man – 4 Buy this book in paper or elec­tronic format* Thoughts: The Hollow Man by Oliver Harris (website | @oliharrisauthor) moves at a breakneck speed with a spectacular ending which plants destruction and bedlam in the English countryside. The book introduces anti-hero Nick Belsey, a Detective Constable in the Hampstead CID. Belsey has a serious drinking problem, is ethically challenged and is in personal debt up to his eyeballs. In fact, his paycheck no longer covers the minimum amount owed on his loans. Belsey breaks every rule he could find, from squatting in a house where a crime has happened, to taking money, identity theft and more. All…

Book Review: Princess Elizabeth’s Spy by Susan Elia MacNeal
4 Stars , Fiction , Latest Posts / November 7, 2012

Article first published as Book Review: Princess Elizabeth’s Spy by Susan Elia MacNeal on Blogcritics. About: Princess Elizabeth’s Spy by Susan Elia MacNeal is the second book in the author’s fictional series about Maggie Hope. As in the first book, Mr. Churchill’s Secretary, this book also takes place in London during World War II. The pub­lisher is giv­ing away one copy of this book –to enter fill out the Raf­fle­copt­ter form at the end of the post. 384 pages Publisher: Bantam Language: English ISBN-10: 0553593625 My rat­ing for Mr. Churchill’s Sec­re­tary — 4 Buy this book in paper or elec­tronic format* More Book by Susan Elia MacNeal Check out this & more World War II books on Man of la BookStore Thoughts: Princess Elizabeth’s Spy by Susan Elia MacNeal (web­site | Face­book | @SusanMacNeal) more personable and entertaining than the first novel, maybe because the first was an “origin story” with a series in mind while in this one the large cast of characters has already been introduced. The protagonist, Maggie Hope, grows more in this book, still feisty and strong, but also sensitive – fumbling her way through the castle. I liked the mystery and the story, but I think that the way Maggie Hope progressed as a character is the true success of this…

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