The Wicked + The Divine, Vol. 1: The Faust Act

author: Kieron Gillen

name: Wayne

average rating: 4.21

book published: 2014

rating: 4

read at: 2014/11/29

date added: 2014/11/29

shelves: graphic-novels

review:

'The Wicked + The Divine, Vol. 1: The Faust Act' shows that being a god may not be all it's cracked up to be, especially when someone is out to kill you. It's a good looking book and I liked the story well enough.



Every 90 years, twelve gods incarnate into humans. Two years later, the humans are dead. If you are chosen, you get all the godlike powers, but you also get the limited lifespan. This time around they are appearing as pop stars. A young girl named Laura wants in on it, and she is our guide as she tries to make a deal. Before that can happen, one of the gods is set up for murder. Laura decides to try to find out what happened which leads her further into the dysfunctional worlds of the all powerful.



When you consider that this is the same team that has worked on Young Avengers, you realize how different this book is. The story is strange and dark. Ultimate power seems sad with an imposed 2 year expiration date. The art is really good with crisp clean lines and lots of effective space. It was strange, but I liked it and I want to know what happens next.



I was given a review copy of this graphic novel by Diamond Book Distributors, Image Comics and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this interesting graphic novel.





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Nightmare in Burgundy

author: Jean-Pierre Alaux

name: Wayne

average rating: 3.48

book published: 2004

rating: 3

read at: 2014/11/29

date added: 2014/11/29

shelves:

review:

'Nightmare in Burgundy' is another cozy mystery set in France in the world of wine. It's the third book in the series and the second one I've read.



Benjamin Cooker finds himself in the Burgundy region to accept an honor. While he's there, he stumbles on some strange graffiti which seems to be from another era. Fragments of Latin from the Bible are found in different places in the region. He calls in his assistant Virgile to assist with the mystery and to tour the region. There are wine tastings and fancy meals. There is some flirtation on Virgile's behalf. There is also an aging monk who helps with the translations. When it's all said and done, it's not a bad mystery, and so far, not a bad series.



The authors Jean-Pierre Alaux and Noel Balen have experience in the wine world, so those facts bear out well. For those of us not familiar with France, it serves as an interesting look at a country and it's different regions.



I received a review copy of this ebook from Le French Book and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.





via Wayne's bookshelf: read http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1117955325?utm_medium=api&utm_source=rss

Saving the Sun Dragon (Dragon Masters #2)

author: Tracey West

name: Wayne

average rating: 3.50

book published: 2014

rating: 4

read at: 2014/11/26

date added: 2014/11/26

shelves: children-s

review:

'Saving the Sun Dragon' is the second book in the Scholastic Dragon Masters series. It's part of their chapter book line called Branches and every page has an illustration. It's a fun book with a young group of dragon trainers (excuse me, masters) as the stars.



A group of young children are all assigned a particular dragon. Some can fly, some can not. When Ana's sun dragon Kepri becomes ill, they are at a loss to figure out how to save her. Even the castle wizard Griffith can't seem to figure it out, but they better think of something. King Roland is none too happy that the dragon is sick and he wants to blame Griffith if Kepri doesn't get better. The young dragon masters go on an exotic adventure to try to save Kepri. They make new friends along the way, learn new things about themselves and their dragons, and make some tough choices.



The story by Tracey West is fun. So are the illustrations by Graham Howells. I think young readers will like the dragons and like imagining what it would be like to be a dragon master. King Roland comes across as mean, and their are some other threatening grownups, but the wizard Griffiths is a helpful adult. The book is aimed at about the 3rd grade level.



I received a review copy of this ebook from Scholastic and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this fun independent reader chapter book.





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Shutter, Vol. 1: Wanderlost

author: Joe Keatinge

name: Wayne

average rating: 3.60

book published: 2014

rating: 3

read at: 2014/11/26

date added: 2014/11/26

shelves: graphic-novels

review:

'Shutter, Vol. 1: Wanderlost' is kind of a glorious mess. It's like a bunch of stuff got thrown against the wall (including the title) to see what would stick.



Kate Kristopher is a famous explorer for trips she used to take with her father. They would go to exotic places like the moon, and we're not sure where else. Now many years later, Kate is a grown up who would rather forget her father and her childhood. She lives in a strange world filled with anthropomorphic animals, some of which have decided to kill her. Along the way, she discovers a family secret that could threaten her, but can it threaten her more than weird talking animals that are shooting rockets at her?



Still with me? I mentioned that it was a bit of a mess. Including the title. Why is it called Shutter? or subtitled Wanderlost? Neither of those things fits what happens in this volume, but perhaps they do in future volumes. I liked Leila del Duca's art and Joe Keatinge's story, but the whole thing is kind of all over the place and by the time the cliffhanger ending hit, I just wasn't sure what I'd read. It's hit and miss for me.



I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Diamond Book Distributors, Image Comics and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.





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The Book of Strange New Things

author: Michel Faber

name: Wayne

average rating: 3.89

book published: 2014

rating: 0

read at: 2014/11/24

date added: 2014/11/24

shelves:

review:

'The Book of Strange New Things' by Michel Faber will be viewed as some as an SF book, but it's only got those trappings to tell an older type of story, the missionary journey far from home. It's a good story and written very well.



Peter is married to Bea and they have a church in England. Peter has been accepted by USIC as a pastor on one of their missions. The mission is far away from home in another galaxy with a group on aliens. He can communicate with his wife over the distance, but it can take time. This plays into the story. Peter meets the aliens who are very receptive to him and his ideas. They call his Bible "The Book of Strange New Things" and before long, he's decided to live among them, which will make communications with home even tougher since there is none among the aliens.



Meanwhile, at home, Peter's wife Bea is reporting things in a steady decline. Her messages to Peter are more desperate. As Peter's faith seems better than ever, Bea's seems to be in decline.



Then there are the strangely passive people Peter meets on the base. They seem picked for their ingenuity and blandness.



There are other mysteries, but I'll leave them for the reader to discover. It's a well written book, with a good main character stuck in a strange new situation. If you're expecting a hardcore SF, look elsewhere, but if the premise intrigues, you're in for an interesting ride.



I received a review copy of this ebook from Crown-Publishing and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.





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Hopeless, Maine Volume 2: Inheritance

author: Nimue Brown

name: Wayne

average rating: 4.10

book published: 2013

rating: 3

read at: 2013/12/27

date added: 2014/11/24

shelves: graphic-novels

review:

As a disclaimer, I did not read the first volume of Hopeless, Maine, so I found myself foundering at first. All that I needed to understand the series is actually found at the end of the volume where background of the city and it's inhabitants is detailed. I recommend that new readers who are unable to obtain the first volume begin at the end, then dive into this story.



Hopeless, Maine is a town inhabited by the living and dead. The living tend toward the magical side of things. The story concerns a girl named Salamandra who is seeking relatives and answers to mysteries in the town. She is joined by a boy named Owen who just wants to escape town. Can Salamandra find the answers she's looking for and can anyone actually leave Hopeless, Maine?



The story is very Victorian gothic (perhaps earlier, but that's the feel I got from it), the art is dark and moody. I wish I'd read the back of the book first to have a better feel for what I was reading, or perhaps having a short synopsis up front, but that's what I get for diving into Volume 2. There are some nice full page illustrations and creepy characters and monsters.



I was given a copy of this graphic novel by Diamond Book Distributors and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for letting me review this graphic novel.





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Kinski

author: Gabriel Hardman

name: Wayne

average rating: 4.00

book published: 2014

rating: 4

read at: 2014/11/23

date added: 2014/11/23

shelves: graphic-novels

review:

'Kinski' is about a man obsessed with a lost dog, and the lengths he'll go to in order to possess the dog. It's a dark, quirky tale that works as long as you don't think about it too hard.



A travelling salesman named Joe finds a lost dog with no markings and is instantly taken with it. He names it Kinski, after one of his favorite actors. When the dog is picked up by the pound, he decides to impersonate the actual owners in order to take ownership of the dog. It all escalates from there when he runs into the real owners. There are accidents and mayhem. Joe risks everything for a dog that's not his. How far will he really go for something that isn't his?



Right. So Joe is from out of town and falls for this dog. He has to figure out how to get it home. The story goes in strange directions and most normal folks would quit pursuing this dog long before Joe does. To say he acts unreasonable about this whole thing is an understatement. Perhaps that's the point, like how we yell at dumb decisions in horror films.



The art is black and white and really quite good. I probably enjoyed Gabriel Hardman's art more than his story, but it was a quirky, dark story and I'm glad I read it.



I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Diamond Book Distributors, Image Comics and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.





via Wayne's bookshelf: read http://ift.tt/1rgftHJ