Book Reviews Archives - Page 26 of 30

Star Wars: Adventures In Wild Space: The Nest Book Review

SPOILER FREE

Star Wars Adventures In Wild Space: Book Two – The Nest is written by Tom Huddleston

That’s right, this is book two in the Star Wars young reader series! There is something I may have missed in my first review… these books do have an opening crawl. The story takes place during Palpatine’s rule over the galaxy.

Summary: The Graf children flee from Thune and the Empire! Captain Korda of the Empire came pretty close to capturing the two kids, but to his frustration, they escaped. Over the Graf’s ship comm, a signal peaks their interest, a call to revolt against the empire! If they can pinpoint the signal, it’s possible they may find refuge from the Empire!

Their ship Whisper Bird is having hyperdrive issues, so they make a pit stop. On some unknown planet in Wild Space. The kids land the ship and head out on foot to where they spotted a shipwreck not too far from them. They think maybe they can harvest some parts. They leave together, not wanting to split up after their recent run in with danger. They also just want to be sure they aren’t walking into some sort of a trap… it pays to be aware and cautious on unfamiliar turf.

Still, the kids run into trouble. Mercenaries already had dibs on the wrecked ship. Now the children are being held captive be this group. Chaos unfolds involving more than just the crazy mercenaries… there’s nasty creatures and a giant beast that are lurking around.

Characters: Usually I like to talk about two characters, but because there book is under 200 pages and the story isn’t crammed with characters, I’m just mentioning one. I’d have to say the most interesting character in book two was a new character, Gozetta. She is a cocky big game hunter, she’s not to kind to the kids or her own employees or crew. the other characters continuously misjudge the lady. Though I do find her interesting and wouldn’t mind reading a little more about this character.

Overall Thoughts: I liked this book better than the previous book, The Snare. We get a nice break from the empire to enjoy a new terror. The character traits of the children remained the same, no complaints there. However there was one small thing I noticed, a description of a creature changes only paragraphs apart. So the petty silly question is… which is canon, the red or the black eyes?

I like that the story is a continuation of the previous, with that break from the empire, but we still get that feeling they aren’t too far behind. Lina and Milo are still in trouble and we’re still routing for them to find their parents.

There are some really tacky parts, like every line of dialogue from the Graf’s droid CR-8R. Maybe I’m just too critical of droids in most of Star Wars books… does that make me a droidist? Who cares. Once again, I had fun with the book and look forward to the continued adventures in Book 3: The Heist! Oh, side note, there’s actually a Book 0: The Escape. It did not have wide release but it was printed in Europe. I’ve got my physical copy ordered on Amazon! However, it’s available as an ebook here in the US.

Rating: I give this book a 2.5 out of 5

Star Wars: Adventures In Wild Space: The Snare Book Review

by Matthew Wilson

SPOILER FREE

Star Wars Adventures In Wild Space: Book One – The Snare
The Snare is written by Cavan Scott

This Star Wars book is for young readers, but it’s canon and there are several more books in this series coming soon. I’m not sure where this book takes place in the timeline because it wasn’t made clear, but the empire is ruling the galaxy.
Summary: The empire has plans to explore and expand to the reaches of wild space – the unknown regions. Adventurist Auric and Rhyssa Graf were well known for their work on mapping out wild space, because it wasn’t an easy job. The Empire had sought out the Grafs and had taken them against their will to work for the Empire. The children of Auric and Rhyssa, Milo and Lina and trusty droid CR-8R, are on the run.

The children and droid pilot their ship, Whisper Bird, to the planet Thune. There, they have high hopes in gaining more information from an old family friend on how to retrieveretreive their parents. One problem leads to the next as the children do what they can to avoid imperial entanglementsentaglements and scummy individuals as they take on their personal mission to rescue theirthier parents. Traps are set and sprung as this wild adventure is just getting started.

Characters: Lina Graf is the oldest of the two children. She wants to protect her little brother the best she can, that’s what older siblings do! She puts the weight of responsibility on her shoulders to not just to care for him, but protect him from the wide range of dangerous situations they find themselves in. She’s a smart girl that wants the best for her family.

Captain Korda, a ranked imperial who is responsible for taking Auric and Rhyssa Graf. His jaw is made of steel, that’s not some euphemism for a strong fighter or a mouth filled with witty comebacks, he literally has a steel jaw. We don’t really get much on the character in this book. We just learn he’s desperate to capture the Graf children. He wants them alive, but comes pretty close to other options as he gets upset. I hope to learn more about Korda the deeper we get into this series.

Overall Thoughts: The one major complaint is not knowing where in the timeline this tale takes place. The dialogue was decent, the droid was the most annoying character. The humor was ok, of course it’s written for children but I still found some things humorous. Cavan did a great job introducing us to new characters. The actions scenes were written very well in this young readers book.
This story is not required reading to get a better grasp of any other tale in the Star Wars canon, at least not yet. I do hope that the deeper we get into the series, more events will tie into other major events we’ve either seen on screen or read in other books.

Rating: I give this book a 2.5 out of 5

Iron Man The Gauntlet Book Review

by Matthew Wilson

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

Star Wars Book Review: Rogue One Ultimate Visual Guide

by Matthew Wilson

Star Wars Rogue One: The Ultimate Visual Guide was written by Pablo Hidalgo with illustrations by Kemp Remillard and a foreword by John Knoll, the Executive Producer & Visual Effects Supervisor for Rogue One. The book was released by DK Publishing.

In the Forward, John Knoll expresses his praise for Star Wars, released in 1977. He was amazed at the design and high quality execution of the film. He admits that the film is what set him on the path to a career in entertainment.

Rogue One was an epic film! I could even argue that the novelization by Alexander Freed was even better! I have enjoyed all the extra material that surrounds Rogue One and can’t wait for more stories focused on the new characters we were introduced to.

This visual guide is pretty much an encyclopedia for the film. It has so much detail about every little thing. First thing I’d like to mention, is that it has the updated galaxy map with all the new planets from the film. I love maps, and it excites me that these books are staying up to date with the films.

On characters, we get some awesome details about the characters seen in Rogue One. One of my favorites is Admerial Raddus – we get to know more about where he came from, his personality, even his height! There is so much information with photos of characters I didn’t even notice in the film! The Death Troopers are intimidating warriors, we get close up visuals of the weaponry and armor with information on what the equipment is capable of.

This book is loaded with cool stuff! If you love Rogue One like I do, or just have to have all the details on pretty much every character that man an apperance in the film… get this book.

Warcraft: Durotan Book Review

by Matthew Wilson

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

Star Wars : The Art of Rogue One

by Matthew Wilson

Star Wars: The Art of Rogue One was written by Josh Kushin and released by Abrams Books.

The Art of Rogue one starts off with forwards by Doug Chiang, Neil Lamont, and Gareth Edwards. Doug Chiang is the Lucasfilm VP creative director and Co-production designer, Neil Lamont is a Co-producer, and Gareth Edwards is the Director.

When I first heard the news about Rogue One, I thought… why this story? why the Death Star? We’ve been there. they came, they saw, they blew it up! After seeing the film four times in theater, I can say it’s one of my top three Star Wars films. I believe the novel, Catalyst, enhanced the film even more so. Rogue One and tie in material, expanded on the Lore of Star Wars and the mythology of the force.

The creators of Rogue One had a daunting task, to design a film so close in the canon timeline of A New Hope, released in 1977. The look had to be familiar but it also had to be something fresh. To accomplish such a task, several concept artist would put their pen/paint/pencil to paper or canvas, and let there imaginations run wild… but not too wild. That “Star Wars look” is important.
The Art of Rogue One is gorgeous. It’s more than just beautiful pictures of the wonderful concept art. The written words beside the pictures are definitely worth reading, a wonderful look behind the scenes. It’s amazing how a design can change the story, or the story can change the design, how many variations a character would be drawn before the final product.

So much time and effort was spent on bringing the best, familiar, fresh design from paper to the screen. Bringing imaginary places and characters to life.