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| Author | Message |
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virtuadept
  
 
| | #1 posted April 6, 2007 at 1:18pm (EST) |
What was the last book you read? Post about it here.
I just finished Shadowrun #4 - Drops of Corruption (from the recent line of SR novels). I really enjoyed #1-#3, but #4 is a bit harder pill to swallow. First of all, 1-3 were a trilogy and all involved mostly the same characters. #4 has a couple of cameos from a few of the characters I liked in 1-3, and one character that I didn't like so well in 1-3 plays a more central role in #4. So I guess it was a bit frustrating at first not having all my "friends" from the series in it.
The plot in #4 however, I thought was very well done, if a tad slow moving. I can see why he did it the way he did, however. It involves the mafia, and one character who was basically a good person slowly getting trapped into working for the mob and how they hooked him in. There are a lot of nasty characters in this book as one might expect from a book dealing with organized crime. Even the main character, who was as I said essentially good, was hard to like for other reasons I can't get into without spoilers. So having a cast of essentially unlikable characters didn't help my enjoyment of the story too much either.
But as I said the plot was well done, and in the end, a rewarding story that actually did have a "lesson" or whatever. There were some really cool scenes in the book, and overall I felt this was a book worth reading especially for Shadowrun enthusiasts like myself. Not my favorite in the series, but I did end up enjoying it, even though it was a slow read for me and I set it down several times before I finally got into it.
This is not a novel I can heartily recommend to anyone. If you enjoy books about organized crime, this book might be for you, with the caveat that it is completely fictional and not all that realistic, plus set in a fantasy future. If you like Shadowrun, this book is definitely worth picking up for a couple of reasons. First, it's a good in depth look at how the mafia in Seattle operates, and secondly it involves a bit of Tir Tairngire, which was interesting, and of a mage who has "burnt out" so you kind of get a feel for how that would work. This book is not a "fan fiction" work, the writing is good quality writing, but the subject matter is such that essentially it will appeal to a limited set of eyes.
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vDub
 
(frozen)
| | #841 posted March 3, 2009 at 1:59pm (EST) |
ya, they're publishing Burn Notice books much like they also publish books based on Psych and Monk.
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Jeffro
  
| | #842 posted March 3, 2009 at 2:21pm (EST) |
That's just weird
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vDub
(frozen)
| | #843 posted March 3, 2009 at 2:37pm (EST) |
not really. Not much different than publishing books based on movies.
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Candle_Jack
| | #844 posted March 3, 2009 at 2:48pm (EST) |
Vampire Hunter D Vol 1 |
sgtshaggy
 
| | #845 posted March 3, 2009 at 3:40pm (EST) |
vDub wrote:
> not really. Not much different than publishing books based on movies.
Those books generally suck. Are books based on shows any better?
shags
Street Fighter IV (360) Tourney--Sign Up! |
vDub
(frozen)
| | #846 posted March 3, 2009 at 3:50pm (EST) |
As long as the story is an original story and not something based off any particular episode, then it all depends on who the author is.
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vDub
(frozen)
| #847 posted March 3, 2009 at 3:51pm (EST)
edited March 3, 2009 at 3:55pm (EST) |
I enjoyed The Fix, and it seems to be getting some good reviews on Amazon.com. It has 22 reviews and a four-star rating.
Edit: I dunno if you've read anything by Mel Odom, but he reviewed the book and gave it a five-star rating. Said that Goldberg captured Michael Westen's voice perfectly and did a great job at keeping the humor, first person narrative and inside knowledge that Michael shares in his voiceovers in check.
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SmarmySir
| | #848 posted March 3, 2009 at 10:12pm (EST) |
Almost as a rule I despise books based on something else (movies, TV shows, videogames, etc). The other way around is cool, though.
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sgtshaggy
| | #849 posted March 3, 2009 at 10:19pm (EST) |
Generally, I agree. They stink, most of the time. I do, however, REALLY enjoy the Warhammer and Warhammer 40K novels from The Black Library. Good stuff, great universes.
shags
Street Fighter IV (360) Tourney--Sign Up! |
AlphakirA
 
| | #850 posted March 3, 2009 at 10:32pm (EST) |
SmarmySir wrote:
> Almost as a rule I despise books based on something else (movies,
> TV shows, videogames, etc). The other way around is cool, though.
>
Will you say this when they release Dante's The Inferno? |
Feeb
 
| | #851 posted March 5, 2009 at 10:24am (EST) |
SmarmySir wrote:
> Oh, come now, Shags. Storm of Swords has more "GASP" moments than
> the previous two books COMBINED. I'm a little over 3/4 of the way
> through.
>
Just you wait! |
DirtyMarco
| | #852 posted March 6, 2009 at 5:47am (EST) |
Batman: Death and the Maidens. |
SmarmySir
| | #853 posted March 6, 2009 at 8:53am (EST) |
Feeb wrote:
> SmarmySir wrote:
>> Oh, come now, Shags. Storm of Swords has more "GASP" moments than
>> the previous two books COMBINED. I'm a little over 3/4 of the
> way
>> through.
>>
>
>
> Just you wait!
Oh, I finished it. My body is a quivering mess of nerves right now.
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SmarmySir
| | #854 posted March 6, 2009 at 8:53am (EST) |
AlphakirA wrote:
> SmarmySir wrote:
>> Almost as a rule I despise books based on something else (movies,
>> TV shows, videogames, etc). The other way around is cool, though.
>>
>
> Will you say this when they release Dante's The Inferno?
What do you mean? Are they releasing a movie?
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AlphakirA
| | #855 posted March 6, 2009 at 9:20am (EST) |
Even worse, a game. |
mmm40x
(frozen)
| | #856 posted March 6, 2009 at 2:39pm (EST) |
Ahh jeez. They'll screw that up royally.  |
SmarmySir
| | #857 posted March 6, 2009 at 5:46pm (EST) |
AlphakirA wrote:
> Even worse, a game.
Mebbe I should rephrase. Games based on books and/or movies are cooler.
I can't really see how they'd turn Dante's Inferno into a game without heavily bastardizing it.
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AlphakirA
| #858 posted March 7, 2009 at 5:23am (EST)
edited March 7, 2009 at 5:23am (EST) |
From what I understand, it's going to be a God of War like clone with a beefed up main character (i.e. not like Dante's Inferno at all). |
sgtshaggy
| | #859 posted March 7, 2009 at 6:57am (EST) |
It really could be great, even if they take great liberties with the source material. I'm interested to see how it turns out.
shags
Street Fighter IV (360) Tourney--Sign Up! |
Feeb
| | #860 posted March 7, 2009 at 7:29am (EST) |
Well, Dante's Inferno could be lots of things... it's got really cool symbols etc... very open to interpretation and originally written in Italian. I've read a few translations... no idea WTF is going on, so the game could work? |
sgtshaggy
| #861 posted March 7, 2009 at 2:48pm (EST)
edited March 7, 2009 at 2:49pm (EST) |
Exactly. It could be a really awful game too  .
shags
Street Fighter IV (360) Tourney--Sign Up! |
AlphakirA
| | #862 posted March 8, 2009 at 8:22am (EST) |
I'll put money on the latter opinion  |
Feeb
| | #863 posted March 8, 2009 at 1:05pm (EST) |
If anyone would actually like to gain an informed opinion... read the new Play magazine, there's a big spread in there. |
SmarmySir
| | #864 posted March 8, 2009 at 8:17pm (EST) |
I'm getting to where I don't care about video game news anymore, and I rarely get excited about a new release. The only game in the forseeable future that I can see myself becoming motivated enough to buy is Halo ODST. I may like to acquire SFIV at some point, too.
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sgtshaggy
| | #865 posted March 8, 2009 at 9:37pm (EST) |
Yes, you should definitely pick up SFIV. 360. Come play.
ODST looks great.
shags
Street Fighter IV (360) Tourney--Sign Up! |
SmarmySir
| | #866 posted March 8, 2009 at 11:26pm (EST) |
We'll see, SHAYUGS.
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sgtshaggy
| | #867 posted March 8, 2009 at 11:35pm (EST) |
Fudge that. COME PLAYS. TIMothEE.
shayugs
Street Fighter IV (360) Tourney--Sign Up! |
mmm40x
(frozen)
| | #868 posted March 9, 2009 at 12:36am (EST) |
I finally got a chance to read & finish The Eyes of the Dragon by Stephen King
It was very good. I highly recommend it. |
sgtshaggy
| | #869 posted March 9, 2009 at 8:20am (EST) |
That's a great book, I need to reread it one day  .
shags
Street Fighter IV (360) Tourney--Sign Up! |
SmarmySir
| | #870 posted March 9, 2009 at 9:48am (EST) |
I've been meaning to pick it up, if nothing else but to see how The Dark Tower plays into it.
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ndrake
| | #871 posted March 9, 2009 at 11:00am (EST) |
+1 for Eyes of the Dragon |
mmm40x
(frozen)
| | #872 posted March 9, 2009 at 11:27am (EST) |
SmarmySir wrote:
> I've been meaning to pick it up, if nothing
> else but to see how The Dark Tower plays
> into it.
>
Well, if you click on the link in my post it will take you to the Paper Back Swap site. If you list 8 (or maybe it's 10) books you will get two free credits. Ordering a book requires 1 credit. No shipping fees. No hidden costs. If they have any copies of this book available in the system you can get it free. You'll also have that other credit to get another book. All books are 1 credit each. Audio books are two credits. I really like the site. If you go to the forums and click on Book Bazaar you will see there are people offering 5 books for 2 credits. 4 books for one credit, BOGO etc. You can get some very good deals reading that forum.
Oh, and the link in that post isn't my referral link. It just takes you to the listing for that book. |
SmarmySir
| | #873 posted March 9, 2009 at 8:33pm (EST) |
Oh, I'm a member of Paperback Swap already, been so for about a year or more. Gotten a bunch of books from that site (like twenty or so)!
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mmm40x
(frozen)
| | #874 posted March 9, 2009 at 10:12pm (EST) |
Ahhh, good. Everyone here should join if they haven't already. Yeah, I really love it. I had 6 books go out this week that I thought would never go. I've had 8 come in. I'm reading them as fast as I get them. I can't wait to get more next week. I just wish someone that posts good deals in the Book Bazaar would actually have stuff listed I like. I'd love to get 5 or 6 books for one or two credits. At the rate I am going through books lately I need that many as inexpensively as possible. What name is your shelf listed under? I'm BookBinge. I don't have much up there now. Soon though. |
SmarmySir
| | #875 posted March 9, 2009 at 10:57pm (EST) |
Shoot, I don't remember my name. Probably HighFiveYEAH or something. I actually haven't been keeping up with PBS much lately. I keep getting requests for books that I don't get around to accepting or declining. Very unmotivated around here. I'd rather just go buy the book I want rather than wait a week or more for it to get shipped (within reason though).
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sgtshaggy
| | #876 posted March 11, 2009 at 1:00am (EST) |
Finished both Deus Encarmine and Deus Sanquinius by James Swallow. Very good. Not sure what I'm reading next.
shags
Street Fighter IV (360) Tourney--Sign Up! |
vDub
(frozen)
| | #877 posted March 11, 2009 at 3:51am (EST) |
Star Trek: Titan: Over a Torrent Sea by Christopher L. Bennett
Now I'm reading Psych: A Mind is a Terrible Thing to Read by William Rabkin
and yes, it's based on the TV show.
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SmarmySir
| | #878 posted March 11, 2009 at 12:10pm (EST) |
Finished reading the sixth Dark Tower book, Song of Susannah, last night. Lots of people don't like it, but I thought it was pretty good. |
mmm40x
(frozen)
| #879 posted March 14, 2009 at 8:45pm (EST)
edited March 14, 2009 at 8:48pm (EST) |
Finished reading And Then You Die by Iris Johansen today. Pretty good book. |
pneumatic
| | #880 posted March 17, 2009 at 12:08pm (EST) |
Sin City Book 7: Hell and Back
Really great read. The ending seemed a little rushed though. |
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