Rate the last book you read

[Ol Dirty Dastard]

Just finished Heat 2. Liked it better than Heat.

It was funny reading the written version of Chris, given Kilmer's performance is...I dunno...portraying someone who's a bit hapless. But in the book, he's this deeply profound, tortured soul.

Was also fun hearing McCauley and Hanna's dialogue as I read it, because (as much as Pacino's performance pisses me off) both characters are so indelibly acted with such iconic line delivery.

[OssMan]

hmm... "America for Beginners" by Leah Franqui

About this indian woman who goes to america "to kill herself"... it wasnt anything special... fine... a book that "liberals" would prolly like. i had to proctor the SAT last year and i was flipping through an extra test booklet when i saw this passage and decided to get the book. seemed better then but oh well

[Lock Jaw]

Have "regressed" and haven't ready a book in a long time..... just comic books....

[El Vaquero de Infierno]

I've finished God Emperor of Dune. I'm not really sure what to make of it.

I've started Patrick O'Brian's Master and Commander, and I'm loving the prose and the characters' manner of speaking. I'm getting a Hornblower/Sharpe vibe from it.

[El Vaquero de Infierno]

I have put Master and Commander aside, for now, as I haven't felt like reading it for the past month.

I have, however, started Chapter House of Dune. I'm digging it. We finally get to delve further into the Bene Tleilaxu.

[M-A-G]

The Dead Shall Rise - 5 out of 10.

This is one of the projects launched in order to get some interest going in the Legacy of Kain franchise. The remasters of the two Soul Reaver games and Legacy of Kain: Defiance, along with the new game, Legacy of Kain: Ascendance, go in this category as well. The campaign to get this book off the ground was met with a huge wave of support, as fans of the series had been starved for content for over twenty years.

Unfortunately, due to what was promised being paired with all of that hunger, I have to feel a sense of disappointment with the final product. This feels more like a set up to something else as opposed to the pitch that we were given.

I'll try giving a brief background to help with context for anyone unfamiliar. The Legacy of Kain series kicks off with the game Blood Omen. That game ends with the titular character Kain, a man who was killed and resurrected as a vampire, choosing to damn the world of Nosgoth by refusing to sacrifice his life for the good of the world. Instead, he goes on to raise a legion of vampires and basically declare himself ruler of the land, turning humans into little more than cattle and establishing an empire that lasts centuries, all while Nosgoth collapses into ruin. This leads to the events of Soul Reaver, where one of Kain's favorite "sons", Raziel, evolves to grow wings, something that triggers Kain to sentence Raziel to be cast into an abyss in a lake, where he suffers agony for centuries, until he, too, is somehow brought back.

Now, with all that said, the people behind this book offered to give us a glimpse of the time period in between those two major events. A time that has only been hinted at via dialogue, but never shown. This, arguably, is the area of the lore that fans of the series have wanted to see shown the most, because there are so many questions that have been raised. What was life like for Kain's sons? How did the clans interact with each other? What did humans do? When, exactly, did Kain start to believe putting his machinations in motion were necessary?

Virtually none of this is addressed here. Things are more about another character, one who was never talked about before, and her role in the proceedings. A new character isn't necessarily a bad thing in and of itself, but this is not the time, place, or method to do it. We get so little of what we were hoping for that it's not really a Kain or Raziel story, and I don't think it's what fans wanted.

Now, is the story itself bad? No, it's fine and enough to be able to digest. Struggling to care about it is another issue. The dialogue is spot on and you expect some of these lines to be spoken by these characters, Kain and Raziel in particular. They don't feel like completely different interpretations. You just wish they were doing things that were more compelling and actually leading somewhere. As it stands, it doesn't exactly end satisfactorily. I'm not really sure I'm glad I read it nor have an idea of what's to come in regards to the series. Maybe it might have been best to let things lie, but perhaps fate promises us more twists before this drama unfolds...completely.

[M-A-G]

Dungeon Crawler Carl (Book One), by Matt Dinniman - 8 out of 10.

I sometimes really hate my friend Madison. She's gotten me to go down a lot of rabbit holes thanks to her nudging. Animal Crossing would probably be a good example. Now I've got this motherfucker under my belt because of her suggestion.

Now, the plot and genre isn't necessarily my forte nor the strong suit of the book. It's how it's written. Think of the creative minds behind Borderlands trying their hand at the fantasy genre, doing what they can to stay within the young adult mold, but failing miserably at the latter. It's something I would probably write. Not the contents themselves, but the style.

The blend of dark humor and oppressive tones is done really well. It all comes out feeling unique and fresh and it's one hell of a start to a series. Now, I don't know if I'm going to get around to the rest of the books. Hell, I barely had the time to do this one, and even then it took some prodding by someone I know and like. Even if I don't, I certainly don't regret picking it up. It was a breeze to get through thanks to how it's put together and I am most pleased spending time with it.

[M-A-G]

Dungeon Crawler Carl (Book One), by Matt Dinniman - 8 out of 10.

I sometimes really hate my friend Madison. She's gotten me to go down a lot of rabbit holes thanks to her nudging. Animal Crossing would probably be a good example. Now I've got this motherfucker under my belt because of her suggestion.

Now, the plot and genre isn't necessarily my forte nor the strong suit of the book. It's how it's written. Think of the creative minds behind Borderlands trying their hand at the fantasy genre, doing what they can to stay within the young adult mold, but failing miserably at the latter. It's something I would probably write. Not the contents themselves, but the style.

The blend of dark humor and oppressive tones is done really well. It all comes out feeling unique and fresh and it's one hell of a start to a series. Now, I don't know if I'm going to get around to the rest of the books. Hell, I barely had the time to do this one, and even then it took some prodding by someone I know and like. Even if I don't, I certainly don't regret picking it up. It was a breeze to get through thanks to how it's put together and I am most pleased spending time with it.