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Iron Man The Gauntlet Book Review

Iron Man The Gauntlet Book Review

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Iron Man: The Gauntlet was written by New York Times Best Selling Author Eoin Colfer.

Summary: Tony Stark is on his way to an Eco Summit in Ireland, when his personal AI distracts him. The software pulls up a satellite image which displays across the Iron Man helmet visual scan. An out of place gunship on an abandoned island seemed a little too suspicious to Stark, it looked as though trouble was in the making. Well, trouble is exactly what unfolds. A trap, set up by his latest AI software, a.k.a Friday.

Tony springs the trap and loses the Iron Man suit. now Tony Stark must outwit the powerful villain, the Chef… in order to break free and ruin the Chefs evil plan for the Eco Summit.

Characters: Saoirse (Seer-sha), an intelligent young Irish gal who’s out for revenge. She blames Tony for events that led to her family being pulled apart. While she was intelligent, she wasnt smart enough to know what kind of crowd shed been mixed up with. Ally or enemy? I won’t spoil that reveal.

The primary antagonist goes by Chef. He’s a vicious man out to destroy his nemeses Iron Man, and bring terror to the world.

Tony Stark aka Iron Man… is Tony Stark. Witty, Funny, Rude, and Rich.

Overall Thoughts:  Iron Man: The Gauntlet was a decent book, it’s actually the first Marvel book that I’ve read. I could really tell that the book was aimed toward younger readers, which isn’t a problem at all. The cover clarifies that this if for grades between 3-7 or ages 8-12.  As an adult/man-child, I must be honest and admit, I  did some fun reading the book. Would I rather read an Iron Man book aimed toward a more mature audience? Yes, I would. I haven’t spent the time to research if such Marvel books exist.

The plot in this book was pretty simple and was loaded with action. Author Eoin Colfer did a great job describing the environment without overloading on pointless details. The dialogue wasn’t the greatest. There were many times in which I felt the sarcasm and “witty” comments were tiresome and eye rolling.  Maybe that’s just kid humor… I’m sure it is.

You like Iron Man? Want more literature with the rich fancy pants hero? Just a collector of Iron Man material? Then I suggest you pick up this book.

While Iron Man: The Gauntlet was some fun, I didn’t think it was an excellent read.

Rating: I give this book a 2  out of 5

Warcraft Book Review: Durotan

Warcraft Book Review: Durotan

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SPOILER FREE

Warcraft: Durotan was written by New York Times Best Selling Author Christie Golden. While the novel was written by Christie Golden, the story was created by Chris Metzen.

Summary: Warcraft: Durotan is a prequel novel to the the film Warcraft. Warcraft, is a film based on the popular game from Blizzard Entertainment. In this tale, we focus on the Orc clan from Frostfire Ridge, a Northern land in Draenor; the Frost-wolves. The Chieftain of the Frost-wolves receives an invitation from the mysterious Orc, Gul’dan, to join his Horde. He warns the Chieftain of the Frost-wolves that the world Draenor is dying. He presents seedless fruit as evidence. When the Chieftain declines, Gul’dan leaves with the offer still standing.

We learn how Durotan rises up to become Chieftain of the Frost-wolf clan. The world is quickly dying. The shortage of food and water are a serious issue. It is on Durotan to make the right decisions to save his people. As the world dies, the Frost-wolves hold on to their faith in the spirits and seek their direction.  Will the Frost-wolves survive the dying Draenor and the dreaded Red Walkers? Will Durotan lead his people to their death? I suggest you read this book to find out.

Characters:  Durotan is the Orc to rise up and take the responsibility of Chieftain of the Frost-wolves. He’s wise and he is humble, great traits to have as a leader. He faces a situation no other Orc from his clan has had to face. He must do what he can to keep his clan alive in a dying world.

Draka is a very powerful female Orc, she was banished from the clan long ago when she was young and weak. It is tradition for the weak to be cast out of the clan and face the elements alone. If they are to survive the wilderness and come back to the village, they may be welcomed back into the clan. Draka is a strong, patient, and supportive.

The dark and mysterious Gul’dan, the antagonist. I’m so glad we got to read about him in this book. We know from the film he’s a bad dude. His presense in the book made him even more mysterious. When he comes around, Golden’s writing will give you goosebumps with his creep factor.

Overall Thoughts: This prequel novel exceeded all expectations! I absolutely loved this novel! My only complaint is that it did not release in the hardcover format. Christie Golden did an outstanding job introducing us to the characters in this book. All interaction between the characters, be it the dialogue, the battle scenes, the tension… all incredible. I developed an attachment to all the characters, good and bad. The environment was described with great detail, I actually felt like I was there on Draenor with the Orcs, watching as  the world died. It’s a tragedy that was told like real mythology.

After this read, I wish we could have had this be the film. In the movie we knew very little about the characters backstory.  If we got to these events on the big screen, I think the film would have won many more people over. Although this is just a prequel novel to the Warcraft film, I can’t wait to read more of Christie Golden’s World of Warcraft books. I highly recommend you pick this book up and give it a read.

Rating: I give this book a 5 out of 5

World of Warcraft: Cycle of Hatred

World of Warcraft: Cycle of Hatred

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SPOILER FREE

World of Warcraft: Cycle of Hatred was written by USA Today Bestselling Author, Keith R.A. DeCandido. It’s a novel based on the fantasy game created by Blizzard Entertainment.

Summary: Cycle of Hatred takes place after the Burning Legion has been defeated. Though pease is loosely held in place by an Orc named Thrall – the War-chief of the Orcs and the human leader of Theramore – Jaina Proudmoore.  In this tale we focus on the Humans and Orcs living amongst each other in the land of Kalimdor.  In the shadows, a cult long thought destroyed has resurfaced with its members serving allegiance to the demon called Zmodlor.  The followers are a mixture of both Human and Orc, setting things in motion to crumble the already too fragile peace between the races.

Character:  The characters were all written well. I enjoy the accents some of the characters were give, some authors really can’t deliver on that, making it too confusing,,, but not DeCandido. Each character severed their equal part in the tale. I really look forward to further adventures with Thrall and Proudmoore.

Overall Review: The writing style is perfect for this story, it’s not deluded with too much action and it doesn’t fall short on the plot. Can Thrall and Jaina ease the tension and establish a lasting peace between their people? I suggest you get this book and find out! This book was great! It was a quick, exciting, and easy read. It has sparked a new addiction in collecting books in the World of Warcraft series. I didn’t feel like I needed to know anything about the World of Warcraft to understand anything in this book. It’s a great standalone book and left me wanting even more!

Rating: I give this book a 4 out of 5