Do Some Damage: Echoes of the Past: Mark Stevens turns a one-shot into a trilogy

 Do Some Damage: Echoes of the Past: Mark Stevens turns a one-shot into a trilogy

Scott's Take: Spider-Man's Bad Connection by Preeti Chhibber

Spider-Man's Bad Connection by Preeti Chhibber is the second book in the series that began with Spider-Man’s Social Dilemma. This review contains at least one spoiler as there is no way to get around the problem. You are warned.

 

Now that Mary Jane knows Peter is Spider-Man, she is playing in active role in being his partner to help protect the city. The Faithless have selected a new ally to help them conqueror the Earth. Their new ally is the teleporting villain, Spot, able to rip teleporting disks off his skin and then to use them to teleport anything to anywhere. This makes him very dangerous. The ability is made more of a threat because he is an emotionally immature former scientist turned villain. His severe emotional issues contrast against Spider-Man’s rather adult perspective despite being a teenager. All this and more is going on in this action packed second novel.

 

Overall, I enjoyed this novel, but once again events are being setup for the third novel instead of being wrapped up here. So, this reader was again annoyed that the book ended abruptly.

 

Additionally, the Mary Jane subplot causes two issues. First, it drags the read as it is designed to help explore Mary Jane and Peter’s relationship since he is a superhero and not a normal boyfriend. They have unique challenges facing the couple. The subplot also does a major portion of the setup for the next book in the series.

 

Despite the aforementioned negatives, the humor, action, and character development is present in this second book in the series that is also a pretty good read. The third book in the series does not have a title or a release date yet.

Amazon Associate Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/49syiTG

My reading copy came from the Dallas West Branch of the Dallas Public Library System.

 

Scott A. Tipple © 2023

Scott's Take: Spider-Man’s Social Dilemma by Preeti Chhibber

Spider-Man’s Social Dilemma by Preeti Chhibber is the first book in a trilogy of books focused on Spider-Man as a teenager. This read has multiple plotlines and includes one where Sandman is trying to steal a lamp powered by alien matter. He is also balancing a school project with MJ, his feelings for her, his other Spider-Man activities, working for The Daily Bugle, and more.

 

The novel is told through multiple perspectives so the reader is seeing story from multiple points of view. The read features action, humor and plenty of character relationship building. I enjoyed these versions of Spider-Man and Mary Jane. I really enjoyed the novel even if it ends on cliff hanger for the next novel in the series. That book, Spider-Man's Bad Connection, was released last September and is on my hold list at the library.

https://amzn.to/3S8dIkt 

 

My reading copy came from my branch, Lochwood, of the Dallas Public Library System.

 

Scott A. Tipple © 2024

Bookblog of the Bristol Library: A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness

Bookblog of the Bristol Library: A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness:   Reviewed by Jeanne Historian Diana Bishop is researching a collection of manuscripts in the Bodleian Library in Oxford when one of the...

Scott's Take: The Autumn Republic: Powder Mage Trilogy Book Three by Brian McClellan

The Autumn Republic is the third and final book in the Powder Mage Trilogy by Brian McClellan. The book continues the multiple perspectives of the first two books in the series with the main characters being Inspector Admat, Field Marshal Tamas, and Taniel. Field Marshal Tamas finds the capital Adro has been conquered by a foreign army, his son is missing, and he has no idea who he can trust. Inspector Admat finds himself drawn into another investigation to figure out who the traitors are in Adran Army in exchange for finding his kidnapped son taken by the Kez. Taniel finds himself behind enemy lines while being hunted by the Adran Army who has declared him a traitor while only he and his girlfriend know the identity of the real traitor.

If you liked the first two books you will enjoy this final book in the series. The third book ends the series with plenty of action, humor, magic, and mystery. My only complaint is the book reads to me as if it was really supposed to be a book three and a book four and the two books were forced together into one read. But, that is a minor complaint since the book was so good. This book ends the series while also setting up The Gods of Blood and Powder Series with book one being titled Sins of Empire. 

Scott A. Tipple ©2020

Scott's Take: The Crimson Campaign: Powder Mage Trilogy Book Two by Brian McClellan

The Crimson Campaign: Powder Mage Trilogy Book Two by Brian McClellan continues the epic series. As noted in the jacket copy of the book, it was presumed that the Mad God Kresimir was dead because he was shot through the eye with a musket ball. However, he is not dead. He seeks revenge on the person who shot him. That was Taniel who, as a result of their brutal battle, has been living in a drug induced haze due to his injuries and mental health issues. Kresimir does not know who did it, but he wants that person dead as well as to seek vengeance on everyone in Adro for trying to kill him. 

Taniel, who believes Kresimir is dead, is forced to return back to the front lines with his companion Ka-Pole (his quasi-girlfriend who is a witch from another country) after Tamas’ (Taniel’s Father) invasion of Kez fails leaving Adro vulnerable to a counter attack by the Kez Army. Tamas and his men are cut off behind enemy lines with dwindling supplies and enemy forces closing in on them. They must evade capture and work their way back to the front line and their own people.  Meanwhile, Taniel must not only work against the Kez, but deal with the problem of the surviving Generals of the Adro Army who seem determined to lose the war for whatever reason.

The third main story line is the continued investigations by Inspector Admant. His children and wife remain in the clutches of the Evil Lord Vetas. They were taken as part of an elaborate blackmail scheme and Admant is still trying to find them and rescue them as well as identify all involved.

There are a lot of aspects I like about this series. One prominent aspect I like is how both the good guys and the bad guys have well thought out reasons for doing what they are doing. Both sides have believable characters who engage in intelligent plans and make reasonable decisions. These characters are complex and utterly believable.

I like a plot point that might annoy some readers which I would describe as “the fog of war.” Several characters do not know things because of the war going on and the limited technology of the time means they only have access to out of date information. Tamas assumes his son for all intents and purposes is dead since, as far as Tamas knows, his son is still in a coma after his fight with Kresimir. At the same time, Taniel assumes Tamas is dead after his army is presumed killed after being cut off during the failed invasion.

Both father and son have to work through their estranged relationship while dealing with the grief of their assumed loss. I could see how some readers would be annoyed by this plot point since neither is actually dead.  I also liked one minor subplot of Tamas is still hurting after breaking his leg last book. Most of the time in fantasy series and even more so in television or movies, the injury a character sustains has zero impact on them long term. In this case, the leg injury he suffered is still very realistically causing issues.

This sequel to Promise of Blood is just as good as the first book. The Crimson Campaign continues the mix of action, drama, mystery and magic that was done so well in the first book. I very much enjoyed the sequel. There is a lot of character development, death, and interesting developments as this book builds people and events to the final book in the series,  The Autumn Republic. 

Because the library did carry a print copy, I used Libby through the Dallas Public Library System to borrow the eBook edition.

Scott A. Tipple ©2020

Bookblog of the Bristol Library: Before the Devil Breaks You by Libba Bray

Bookblog of the Bristol Library: Before the Devil Breaks You by Libba Bray:             Reviewed by Christy After battling a sleeping sickness in the Lair of Dreams , the Diviners are back in the third insta...

The Scorch Trials (A Trilogy)--A Bookseller Recommends Blog

 The Scorch Trials (A Trilogy)--A Bookseller Recommends Blog

Sample Sunday Elsewhere-- Marian Allen

Marian Allen posted a sample from The Fall of Onagros (Book 1 of SAGE) titled "Karol In Hiding." "In it, the kinninger (ruler) of the realm, Karol, escapes from the men her husband has sent to kill her. She takes refuge with Moder Zglaria, on an island in the woods."  You can read more here.

Reviewing: "McKettricks of Texas: Austin" by Linda Lael Miller

 

Austin McKettrick probably rode his last bull that October night.  A year ago the bull “Buzzsaw” tore him up so bad it took a team of surgeons and lot of rehab to get him going again. This year at the event in San Antonio he got back up on the two thousand pound bull “Buzzsaw” and stayed on it. Now, a short time later while sitting at a bar he is suddenly feeling the high price his body paid. Something is very wrong and he needs to see a doctor.

 

A trip to the emergency room, thanks to his brothers Tate and Garrett, confirms his back has been seriously injured and his days of riding bulls are over. It is time to go home to the ranch in Blue River, Texas and heal. Before long it becomes clear that he needs help and Paige Remington, a nurse, is going to be back in his life full time.

She was going to be anyway since her sisters are marrying his brothers on New Year’s Eve.  Of course, there is a huge backstory between Paige and Austin. While they verbally snipe at each other now, ten years ago Paige and Austin were a couple and madly in love. Until, Austin did something amazingly stupid and Paige has never forgiven him for it. Nor has Austin who had his reasons at the time and now would do things very differently. Forced together because of the coming weddings on New Year’s Eve and Austin’s need for nursing care, Austin and Paige begin to slowly rekindle their romance while outside parties begin a series of events designed to punish and destroy the McKettrick clan.

The final installment of the trilogy is a romance that is occasionally sexually graphic and also contains elements of a good mystery. The realistic characters are interesting and the dialogue between them as well as the family dynamic flows naturally and unforced. There are a number of amusing points thought out the book as Austin takes great delight in messing with others.

But, there are also negatives to the book.  A major negative to the read is the constant rehashing and telling again and again and again the backstory behind the breakup of Austin and Paige ten years ago. In addition to being told again and again how handsome/beautiful and sexy everyone is including Austin and Paige no matter what he or she has been doing from mucking hay to fighting fires to whatever (yes, my ankle is broken—lets have sex), key details of their past are told over and over again throughout the book.  One wishes an editor would have pointed out that some of the repetitive details that could have and should have easily been cut.

A decent editor might have also caught the numerous errors with the chronological history of the characters, the idea that in Texas we call pickup trucks “RIGS” (we don’t and nearly any native Texan will tell you that), errors with the oil wells storyline including errors about how oil is found, how it is pumped out of the ground, capping wells, etc., and the whole back injury deal which will strike any reader who has lived it or something very similar as incredibly wrong.

If you can ignore all the factual flaws in the book, of which there are many, the occasionally graphic (depends on the eye of the beholder) romance is enjoyable though predictable. The mystery angle is less predictable though more flawed due to the factual errors noted above. Not only is there deliberate humor by what the characters say and do, there are also the errors that can cause amusement for the reader.

The result is a read that is a mixed bag at best and should have been a much better book.

McKettricks of Texas: Austin

Linda Lael Miller

http://www.lindalaelmiller.com

HQN Romance

http://www.HQNBooks.com

July 2010

ISBN# 978-0-373-77446-3

Paperback

384 Pages (6 pages of ads)

$7.99

Material supplied by the Amazon Vine program.

Kevin R. Tipple © 2011