"Neon Pray" Is Pretty Good But A Bit Of A Chase Novel

 

“Neon Prey” isn’t bad but it’s a bit of a chase novel. You know right away who the criminal is, and it’s up to John Sandford’s reoccurring hero, Lucas Devenport, to track him and his criminal friends down. It’s not all that different than other Devenport novels, except for the new location: Las Vegas. Most of Sandford’s novels take place in his hometown of Minneapolis, Minnesota.

In this one, the gang of criminals are basically robbers, going around wealthy parts of Las Angles, threatening and robbing anyone unlucky enough to encounter them. What makes this group more sinister however, is a nasty twist. One of them is a cannibal, who has killed and eaten multiple people, including children. While the novel does spear us the graphic details of exactly how this cannibal committed his crimes, it does tell us what he did. He could be facing the death penalty if he is caught, and the other in the group face charges, but lesser ones.

This book is, like all Sandford thrillers, a solid page turner. If I was a little more critical, I would say Sandford introduces a ton of new cops and investigators in the new setting of Las Vegas, and it tends to feel like too many characters. I lost track, between the new good guys and the group of bad guys, who is who.

However, it’s still a good read. Sandford is one of our accessible thriller and mystery writers, and he will keep you turning those pages. I’ve been reading Sandford for a lot of years, and I still find his work a thrilling ride worth reading.

"Dragon Flight" Takes Flight

 

“Dragon Flight” by Anne McCaffrey is considered a classic of science fiction but reads more like a fantasy novel. It was originally a couple of novellas published in Analog, a classic award-winning science fiction magazine. “Dragon Flight” was compiled into a novel in 1968. I can see why McCaffrey is the first female author to win a Hugo and Nebula award. Her book is a strong epic science fiction with a strong female lead.

The book is very well written, but you should read it closely. It can be hard to follow at times, because of the large number of characters and situations going on. At under 300 pages, it’s not a long read. However, I found at times I had to go back and read previous pages.

McCaffrey does a good job juggling all the genres of this book. Dragons aren’t traditionally a science fiction element, but this book is technically science fiction. I was a bit reminded of Terry Brooks’s “Shannara” series, which is technically fantasy but has elements of science fiction at times, due to its futuristic setting. While I like the "Shannara” series, McCaffrey has more interesting prose than Brooks. Her writing can be lush and has been compared to the writing of Frank Herbert of “Dune” fame.

It’s been a while since I read an epic book like this, and though it’s not a long book, it is indeed epic. She wrote a bunch of sequels to this book, and I can see why. She sets up a lot of her world building in this novel. The planet, Pern, where this novel takes place, is a very complex world and has a whole society that is based on dragon riders, gender roles, and the protection dragons give to the planet.

I sometimes had to remind myself that the dragons weren’t human characters because we were hearing the dragon’s thoughts. However, as cool as the dragons were, the human characters are still the focus of the novel, as they try to make this society work, and make its protection work. I’m a big fan of the fantasy/scifi novels from the 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s and that old fashioned epic storytelling. This was a good read and I look forward to reading the many squeals.

"I Was A Teenage Doorknocker" Is A Good Read

 

Following the rules of a religion can be a difficult thing. I guess it can be even more difficult when you’re a teenager trying to make your way in the world. In Jonathan Burger’s novel “I Was A Teenage Door Knocker”, he takes you into his teenage years consumed by being a Jehovah’s Witness and trying to balance his religious life with his emerging social one. Together with his friend, Dylan, and Jonathan's brother, they engage in many of the hallmarks of adolescence.

I learned a lot about Jehovah’s Witnesses in reading this book. It seems like a strict religion with many rules and regulations about how to live your life. Even when Jonathan tries to go on a first date with a girl at the mall, he is caught by an elder of his church who scolds him for not having an adult escort accompany them.

Jonathan narrates the story in an almost diary like way. You don’t just have stories of a religious upbring, but many stories anyone who has been a teen can relate to. Of course, this is a bit tougher for Jonathan, as he tries to do this all under the nose of his strict mom, who is very committed to her religion and dad, who believes his kids rebellion can be easily cured by a summer job.

Trying to be a normal teenager, while adhering to this religion, can be tough. With all religions, there comes a time, as Jonathan experienced, when you have to decide if you continue with the religion you were born with or strike out on your own. Through an unfortunate event towards the end of the book, Jonathan must make that decision.

This is a good read that gives people insight into growing up as a Jehovah’s Witness, and the difficulties of living in modern society while following all the rules and regulations of a strict religion.

"Somewhere Beyond The Sea" Isn't Bad But A Bit Aimless

“Somewhere Beyond The Sea” by TJ Klune is charming, and I agree with the basic agenda the book is trying to present. The magic community is an obvious metaphor for the LGBTQ+ community. TJ Klune himself is gay, and he includes in his author biography that he writes stories to present the queer characters in a more positive light. It is true that while there are straight characters in his books, the main relationships presented in a TJ Klune book are gay and lesbian couples, and I have zero problem with that.

“Somewhere Beyond The Sea” is the sequel to Klune’s bestselling “The House On The Cerulean Sea” and follows up with our main characters, Arthur and Linus. I suggest you read the first book to enjoy the second. Linus was originally an inspector in the last book, looking into Linus’s orphanage on the island of Marsyas. While the first book had it's metaphors for prejudices and people not understanding differences, the book didn’t say it outright. Klune in this sequel is much more forthright in his politics, having characters directly address it in the dialogue, which while relevant to the plot, can feel a bit awkward. Lines about generational trauma and racism stick out a bit like a sore thumb, as most people don’t talk this directly about these issues like these characters do. This is more awkward with the young characters because I don’t think children this age would say these lines. Maybe I’m wrong? I don’t know.

While that is a criticism, these lines about social justice did take me out of the book’s story. However much I did agree with the general ideas. Things get more political as Linus and Arthur travel outside of the island in this book to stand in front of a government hearing about abuse Arthur had at the hands of the Department for Management of Magical Youth. A conservative congress woman grills him during the hearing. After the hearing which is broadcast on the radio and covered by all the newspapers, a bigger problem is afoot as the federal government sends a new inspector to look into the orphanage’s handling of the magical youth. However, the hearing isn’t the only reason Linus and Arthur leave the island. They also want to take in a new child, David, a young Yati.

Miss  Marblemaw, comes to the island to inspect the orphanage, and while at first, the magic orphans and Linus and Arthur try to make the best of it, things quickly go south. Miss Marblemaw is an obvious stereotype of conservatives, and to be honest, it isn’t that far off base. At one point, she even says she has God on her side. Her main target is Lucy, a young boy she believes is the antiChrist, and because this is a world where magical kids exist, this actually could be the case. However, Lucy is only a 10 year old boy and Arthur and Linus see him as simply a kid. At one point, Lucy even calls Arthur dad which touches him greatly. This is an interesting flip on classic horror novels like “The Omen” or “Rosemary’s Baby” where in this case, it’s a misunderstood child.

TJ Klune does a good job presenting fantasy elements in a world we can recognize. It’s not overpowering, and Klune’s version of fantasy is more cozy than epic. However, towards the end of the book, which I won’t spoil, things do get epic with one of the inhabitants of the island revealing a supernatural twist.

Klune is still a wonderfully good writer. However, out of all the books I’ve read by him, this was probably the weakest. Like the last review I wrote of a Stephen King book, I will say the same about Klune. None of the books I’ve read by him are truly bad. In some ways, though, I feel Klune is trying to also make up for the controversy surrounding the first book in this series. Klune said in an interview that his book was inspired by the indigenous scoop by the Canadian government. From the 1950s to the 1980s, the Canadian government took indigenous children and placed them for adoption to white families. That interview caused some problems among his readers, asking the question: is TJ Klune using a terrible injustice by a government to make a cute fantasy novel? I’m not really sure. His writing is still really charming, but the inspiration can be troubling. People accused him of cultural asportation, despite the fact the book was a straight metaphor for misplaced communities. Magical children, of course, don’t exist. It’s like if Harry Potter was placed in a foster home instead of Hogwarts. It does make me wonder if a novel about magical children adopted by humans in a positive light would be an interesting take, but I digress. TJ Klune has said his new book was inspired as an answer to J.K. Rowling’s anti trans activism, which I can see. Rowling becoming a right wing bigot was a twist I didn’t see coming years ago.

I liked this book, but I felt it was a bit all over the place, and often felt like it was spending more time with these characters without a real direct reason why. The first book was better, but this one wasn’t bad. 

"The Invisible Life Of Addie Larue" I Won't Forget

 

V.E. Schward’s novel “The Immortal Life of Addie Lurie” is something of a historical novel with a modern twist. It’s a novel about the theme of time itself, and an unexpected novel. Twenty something Addie Lurie, in 1714, makes a deal with a God named Luc to escape a marriage she doesn’t want. However, there’s a catch to this deal . Not only will she never age and live forever, but she also will be forgotten by everyone she ever met or meets going forward. They’ll remember her maybe for one day, and then forget she ever existed the next day. It’s a struggle to say the least. Her life becomes literally invisible. Even her parents deny her existence when she runs back to them, saying they never had kids. The novel jumps between many different time periods, from the 1700s to the 2000s. Though, this doesn’t stop Addie from living. She goes to different cities and countries and even has romances, though short lived ones that won’t be remembered the next day. She also inspires various pieces of artwork and literature, though while those pieces are left behind, her memory isn’t.

This is a well written book. Schward’s writing is lush yet precise, and the chapters are short. You get glimpses of various parts of Addie’s life, and while I sometimes wondered what this book would be like in the first person, instead of the third person, the twist at the end of this book makes this point of view this novel make sense. I really liked the twist at the end of the book. This book also works as something of a romance, because everything changes when Addie meets a guy named Henry. After she steals a book from a store in Brooklyn, she comes back the next day to return it. She wants to make a book exchange with Henry, but Henry tells her she’s banned from the store because he remembers her. The book then becomes something of a mystery as to why Addie is remembered by Henry, and something of a romance story too. Yet, it’s an unusual romance story, and it ties the two together through the character of the God, Luc.

Luc reminded me a bit of an Anne Rice character, as he is immortal, cruel and obsessive. He is also suave, sophisticated and attractive. Every couple years, he shows up to visit Addie, and while he did grant her immortal life, she refuses to give him the one thing he wanted in exchange, which was her soul.

Addie is a strong character and refuses to be what women where in the 1700s. She doesn’t want to be a simple wife, and feel she belongs to someone. She wants to be free, but by being free, she gives up being remembered by anyone. The idea of not being remembered by anyone is an interesting one. As Henry and her begin a romance, Henry’s family and friends must be constantly reintroduced to her.

However, Henry is an interesting character too. He was turned down by the women he wanted to marry, and he is a neurotic bookworm of a character. The book dives into his life a bit, outside of Addie, and early on I was wondering why we were spending time away from the main character. However, it ties his life to her very well as you go on reading the book. Like Addie, he is constantly trying to understand her place in the world, and even if he can do something special. Addie doesn’t have that luxury, besides being a muse for various artists and writers who will forget they ever met her beyond their work.

This book is a solid piece of magical realism, and an excellent and emotional journey that makes you think about time passing, and the people you meet along the way. Also, the ending is excellent and one of the best endings I have read in a long time. “The Invisible Life of Addie Lurie” is one of the best novels I read this year, and I know I won’t forget it any time soon.  

A Tribute to Peter David

 

Peter David, who passed away this week, famously called himself “writer of stuff”. He was a legendary comic book writer, known for his famous 12-year run writing the “Incredible Hulk” comic book series. He also famously created Linda Danvers, his take on “Supergirl” and “Spider-Man 2099”, which is an alternative universe “Spider-Man” in the future. “Spider-Man 2099” would have a re-introduction to a new generation of fans in the “SpiderVerse” series of movies. David also wrote many novels and screenplays including “Knightlife” where King Arthur and Merlin the Magician time travel to New York City and King Arthur decide to run for mayor. He wrote dozens of other novels and screenplays, a famous column for the Comic Buyers Guide, co-created the 90s Nickelodeon show “Space Cases” with Billy Mumy and was one of the first bloggers.

David was an author many would have nostalgia for. I have a “Star Trek” novel signed by him when I met him at ICON, a comic book convention in New York. In the book, he signed it to me and drew the “Star Trek” logo over his signature. I remember handing him the book I got for free because it was discarded from the local library, and him going “great” when he saw the discarded copy. However, he signed everyone’s stuff for free, a rarity at comic cons.

He was great at giving new edges to existing comic book characters, like “The Incredible Hulk” or “Supergirl”. One of his “Incredible Hulk” issues had one of the most famous covers of any Marvel Comic, with Wolverine yelling and a reflection of the Hulk seen through his metal blade claws. One of my favorite things David wrote was his “Supergirl” series which gave Supergirl an edge in Linda Danvers, a new version of the character. A fusion of two people, a troubled teenager and the original Supergirl, she starts to fight crime going back and forth between the two forms. There was something great about reading this more angsty Supergirl, instead of the more clean-cut versions we have gotten in the past of her.  David, often at comic book conventions, would tell the audience that he felt his version of “Supergirl” was way too short lived, and if it had continued, he would have loved to see her team up with other female superheroes, in a “Birds of Prey” kind of crime fighting team.

“Spider-Man 2099” was similar in some ways to his new version of “Supergirl”, in the fact it was a new version of an existing comic book character. Taking place in 2099, this futuristic version of Spider-Man was an Irish Mexican geneticist living in Neuva York (a futuristic New York City), who re-writes his DNA code to become the new Spider Man. Reading these comics are cool, with the flying cars, and different types of beings, including aliens and hologram people. Reading “Spider-Man 2099” felt like a more adult version of “The Jetsons”, which was cool, with flying cars and buildings in the sky. Seeing a Spiderman in this futuristic type of environment was a blast to read. “Spiderman 2099” #1 was also the highest selling comic book issue David ever wrote.

David had a great sense of humor in his novels “Knight Life” and its squeals, poking fun at New York politics and New York City while keeping the supernatural theme going with his fun time travel plot. David would travel more into the world of books outside of comics, by infusing comics and books into one. He wrote the graphic novel adaption of Stephen King’s “Dark Tower” series, and the novelizations of the “Spide-Man” and “Batman” movies.

A whole generation of comic book readers and anyone who picked up a paperback “Star Trek” novel owe a great debt to Peter David.  He was one of the best comic book writers around.

"Bloody Brilliant" Is A Solid Enough Sandford Mystery

 

John Sandford is known for his thrillers and mysteries, and has been writing the same characters since “Rules of Prey” in 1989, introducing his best known character, Lucas Devenport. In his universe of detective running around Minnesota, however in 2007, he gave a series to a supporting character who sometimes worked with Devenport to solve his cases, Virgil Flowers. These have also spawned a successful series of mystery novels. In his 12^th novel featuring Flowers, “Bloody Brilliant”, Flowers is called to investigate the murder of a professor and surgeon at the University of Minnesota named Barthelemy Quill. The novel opens in the usual Sandford style. Quill is being imitate with a woman in the University library after hours, when a mysterious figure hits him on the head with a heavy laptop, causing his death.

Flowers finds that Quill had made many enemies during his life as a professor and surgeon at the University. A wealthy man, he has several ex wives, a college aged daughter he hardly speaks to, and a professor from the Department of Cultural Science he was caught on camera arguing with during a lecture. Flowers, along with some other local detectives, interviews a bunch of these suspects. Like your usual Sandford novel, the novel focuses mostly on interviewing people and Flowers running around Sandford’s usual setting of Minnesota.

One of the things that Sandford does well is set up many leads. At different points in the novel, Flowers suspects that Quill’s computer had a file that was stolen by a corporate spy, and at another point in the novel, he suspects it has to do with a messy operation at the University hospital that had to do with a man who has a spaniel injury. All of these are solid leads, and then add on top a angsty college aged daughter, an prostitute Quill was sleeping with, drugs found in his house and the generally prickly politically correct environment of academia that Quill didn’t like very much, and you have a lot going on.

Sandford uses the fictional Department of Cultural Science to poke fun at politically correct culture on college campuses. The professor that Quill fought with during her lecture is a woman who sees everything as male privilege. When Flowers clearly just wants information for the case, she keeps suggesting studies she could use to look into a culture problem. All in all, she’s pretentious. She, though, does come off hypocritical as some points, when one of her older grad students says he felt she was flirting with him, despite being close in age.

Sandford doesn’t spend too much time on Flower’s personal life, though the little glimpses of it are nice. Flowers dotes on his now pregnant girlfriend, is considering writing a novel to add to his side career freelance writing magazine articles and even has a barbecue with his friend, Lucas Devenport, his wife and kids. All of this is pleasant enough, and connects the universe of detectives Sandford has created.

The copy I had of this novel lists it as a “Virgil Flowers Thriller” on the cover, but this one came off more as a old fashioned mystery novel. There’s not a ton of action in this one, as most of it is just Flowers interviewing possible suspects and trying to put together the pieces. The real action doesn’t happen until the last few chapters with a big car chase.

The usual things that happen in a Sandford novel happen like Flowers meeting sketchy characters, and other cops and detectives who all pretty colorful types. Sandford, to me, is a writer like James Patterson, Lee Child and Robert B. Parker. However I should add John Sandford is better at the twists and turns than James Patterson is, who tends to throw a twist into his novels without a proper set up.