Book Review: Last Stand of Dead Men

Summary: War has finally come.
 But it's not a war between good and evil, or light and dark – it's a war between Sanctuaries. For too long, the Irish Sanctuary has teetered on the brink of world-ending disaster, and the other Sanctuaries around the world have had enough. Allies turn to enemies, friends turn to foes, and Skulduggery and Valkyrie must team up with the rest of the Dead Men if they're going to have any chance at all of maintaining the balance of power and getting to the root of a vast conspiracy that has been years in the making.
 But while this war is only beginning, another war rages within Valkyrie herself. Her own dark side, the insanely powerful being known as Darquesse, is on the verge of rising to the surface. And if Valkyrie slips, even for a moment, then Darquesse will burn the world and everyone in it.

Thoughts: Ah! Everything went wrong! I mean, if it could go wrong, it did! So much happened! I don't even know where to begin! 
 Ok, deep breath; first off,  this is the eighth book in this series so if you haven' read the first seven books you'll be completely lost with this one, they're aren't stand-alone books. 
 On the other hand, if you're already up-to-date on the previous seven then this is a must read for any fan of this series. 
 The characters, old and new were great, just great. The dialogue was hilarious and had me laughing, sometimes even when the story had me crying. 
 The story was the best. So many twists and turns I never saw coming! It was awful and fabulous all at once!
 The writing never fails to hold my interest but the scenes of fighting and war were especially good. For being such a violent series, Landy never forgets to point out that violence, especially unnecessary violence, is never a good thing. He keeps a good perspective going throughout the entire book and usually left me fuming or crying. But, of course, only a good book can make you feel so much.

Content: Ok it's almost all there for language: D***, C***, and H*** are a few of the more noteworthy words used. There is a scene where many female witches are shown dressed like belly-dancers basically. In same scene same witches talk about 'breeding' with a male hostage of theirs. There are a few implications or rude comments made but these are usually let unclear as to whether or not anything inappropriate was intended. There is a lot of violence, natural and magical. Blood and gore in excess. There is also tons of magic being used and some of the more frowned upon magical creatures show up in here, vampires and witches mainly. SPOILER In the end, a female character attempts to save people by burning herself alive from the inside. This is attempted suicide (with heroic intentions but still) coupled with the fact that her clothes are burned off. There were some fairly graphic descriptions of her dying but EXTRA SPOILER she doesn't and is therefore left with nothing on for awhile.END ALL SPOILERS.
So, all in all, despite being marked as a children's book still (for reasons I will never understand or agree with) this is definitely one for the older crowd. It's not a clean read and I won't pretend that it is but it's not as horrible as the condensed Content has a tendency to make it sound. If you've enjoyed the last several books Last Stand of Dead Men will not disappoint!

Book Review: The Color of Magic

 Summary: On a world supported on the back of a giant turtle (sex unknown), a gleeful, explosive, wickedly eccentric expedition sets out. There's an avaricious but inept wizard, a naive tourist whose luggage moves on hundreds of dear little legs, dragons who only exist if you believe in them, and of course THE EDGE of the planet...

Thoughts: This was a hilarious little book that I read in my break time at work. I was really hard put not to burst out laughing in front of my coworkers every time I picked it up.
 The setting was...unique, to say the least. I still have a hard time imagining a world on the back of a turtle on the back of a...well elephants were mentioned and something about space. The 'laws' of magic and the rules of this strange world were equally hard to wrap my mind around but it all worked together to make a really fascinating story with an in depth look at how magic can be used to the utmost without ever even trying to make it realistic.
  The two main characters were what really kept me interested. Rincewind (the inept wizard) and Twoflower (the tourist) were such a pair of bumbling fools that I couldn't help but hope that they made it safely somewhere by the end of their story. Everyone else that came in was a little iffy. I didn't dislike them but for how short the book was it felt like other characters simply passed through and never really left a lasting impression. There were too many problem characters though, scantily clad men and women being a large portion of them.
 The writing style was great and had me easily immersed in the story.

Content: The biggest and worst was, unfortunately, the nudity. While one is already more than is appropriate, there were way too many descriptions of women with little-to-no clothing on. The descriptions weren't graphic but they carried the point across. There were a few D***'s in language but I don't recall anything worse. Lots of fantasy violence. And magic, tons and tons of magic. There were also 'gods' of this Discworld who's purpose was a little lost on me but they made interesting characters, even so be warned that shrines to these gods and worshiping them are mentioned. All in all, this might be acceptable for a mature reader but, despite my enthusiasm above, I really can't recommend it as a clean read at all.

Book Review: Kingdom of Souls

Summary: Magic is a disease.
 Across the land, normal people are suddenly developing wild and unstable powers. Infected by a rare strain of magic, they are unwittingly endangering their own lives and the lives of the people around them. Terrified and confused, their only hope lies with the Sanctuary. Skulduggery Pleasant and Valkyrie Cain are needed now more than ever.
  And then there's the small matter of Kitana. A normal teenage girl who, along with her normal teenage friends, becomes infected. Becomes powerful. Becomes corrupted. Wielding the magic of gods, they're set to tear the city apart unless someone stands up against them.
 Looks like it's going to be another one of those days…

Thoughts: This was one of the few books in this series that actually seemed to touch on some more serious notes than normal. There's the concept of bad and good and good that's twisted into bad. Nice people are introduced and many are hurt. Valkyrie actually questions the way she and her partner do things and thinks about other people for a bit. I appreciated the new look in this otherwise dark and funny story. 
 The plot is, at its basic form, save the world again. But this time, the main villain isn't trying to destroy it. He's trying to make it a better place. The problem comes when bad people twist that intention and then you've got several highly powered psychos running around.  
 I will always love the main cast for this series. The side characters and the new ones are good but can sometimes feel like the last bunch of extra characters. Even so, it's hard to not enjoy the good ones when the bad guys are tearing up the place.
 The writing is still great. The back and forth between all the cast is usually quick, witty and absolutely hilarious! And the action is well written, it keeps tings interesting but is easy to keep up with. 

Content: My least favorite part of these books (posting about them and reading them). 
 Language is bad; D***, C***, H*** Bloody H***, and several others of the same level are present in here. There are also a few inappropriate comments on some female characters because of their lack of modest clothing. Kissing. Magic, lots of magic. And lots of dark creatures such as vampires and werewolves. Also plenty of frightening and violent scenes, the plot lines get really dark and mature. All in all, I would not suggest this book to anyone under sixteen to be honest and really can't recommend it to anyone sensitive to anything listed above. But it is still another fun and thrilling edition to this dark and hilarious series.

Book Revew: Library of Lost Souls

 

 Summary: A boy with extraordinary powers. An army of deadly monsters. An epic battle for the future of peculiardom. 
 The adventure that began with Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children and continued in Hollow City comes to a thrilling conclusion with Library of Souls. As the story opens, sixteen-year-old Jacob discovers a powerful new ability, and soon he’s diving through history to rescue his peculiar companions from a heavily guarded fortress. Accompanying Jacob on his journey are Emma Bloom, a girl with fire at her fingertips, and Addison MacHenry, a dog with a nose for sniffing out lost children.
 They’ll travel from modern-day London to the labyrinthine alleys of Devil’s Acre, the most wretched slum in all of Victorian England. It’s a place where the fate of peculiar children everywhere will be decided once and for all. 

Thoughts: I've finally gotten around to reading it! And it was so good!
 Okay, actually it dragged a little in the beginning. The majority of the series has a large group of children in it but the beginning of this book only has three of the cast for almost half the story. It therefore lacked some of the fun dynamics and quirks that I enjoyed seeing in the group. Even so, it was amazing and the end had me on the edge of my seat, gripping the book and holding my breath.
 The writing fir these stories is amazing. It's almost poetic and yet somehow remains a realistic-sounding point of view from a modern-day teenage boy.
 The cast were fabulous. New, old, and familiar; everyone was great. I love the kids in these books!

Content: Ok, well this might have the biggest list yet. In language we have D***, C***, and even one of two F***'s. There is a scene where a young couple sleep together but literally they just fall asleep while holding each other, they are fully clothed and there are other people in the room. And then there's the violence. They have just about every type from war, to child abuse, to things with needles and knives. Not pretty. There's also a bit more of a magical thread to this story than in the previous books though they all have supernatural trends (like the peculiar traits). 
 All in all, a great conclusion to the series but not suggested for readers of all ages.

Book Review: The Girl Who Could Fly

 Summary: When homeschooled farm girl Piper McCloud reveals her ability to fly, she is quickly taken to a secret government facility to be trained with other exceptional children, but she soon realizes that something is very wrong and begins working with brilliant and wealthy Conrad to escape.
 "Piper decided to jump off the roof. It wasn't a rash decision on her part. This was her plan: Climb to the top of the roof, pick up speed by running from one end all the way to the other. Jump off. Finally, and most importantly, don't fall. She didn't make plans in the event she did fall, because if you jump off the roof of your house and land on your head, you really don't need any plans from that point on. Even Piper knew that. So that's what she did. She jumped clean off her roof. But before we get to what happens next, you'll probably need to know a thing or two about a thing or two..."

Thoughts: I absolutely loved this book! This was one of my impulse buys while wandering around the bookstore one day. I loved the cover and it was less expensive than any other book I was looking at so I grabbed it.
From the first page they had my attention; I was interested in the sweet, simple setting of Piper's home life and then the government showed up and things really got interesting! It starts out really slow paced but picks up with a gradual pace and the next thing I knew I was deeply involved in the story. Every twist and turn held me captive and the ending really had me in a mess of emotions.
 The characters were all amazing. Piper especially is a lovable example of a great heroine. She's human and flawed but still perfect in her own unique way. And as for the rest of the kids...well, without spoiling anything I'll let you know I loved them all too. As for the adults of the book, I felt that they were well done. Piper's parents were especially great. They truly loved her and were good parents in their own, rough way.
 The writing is really nice and has this clean feeling to it. Everything is clearly explained and flipping character perspectives is fluent and obvious. I never felt confused or lost in the story and the gradual build of plot and excitement was really well handled.

Content: Ok, to be honest I went way too long between reading it and reviewing but if I remember correctly there might be one or two D***'s for language. Otherwise, clean there. On the other hand there is some serious child abuse SPOILER and torture SPOILER END that happens in here. It gets fairly violent and someone dies in the end. It's all written in a way that it shouldn't be very frightening or obvious to smaller children and really kept me turning the pages eagerly waiting for resolution. All in all a fairly clean and exciting read for almost any age.

Book Review: The Overlord Protocol

Summary: HOW FAR WILL OTTO GO TO PROTECT HIS FRIENDS?  
 Otto Malpense and his friends thought their first year at the Higher Institute of Villainous Education was the most adventurous and exciting that they would ever encounter. They were dead wrong. 
 When Otto and Wing are allowed off campus to attend Wing's father's funeral, they have no idea it's a trap, all part of a lethal plan organized by Cypher, the most ruthless supervillain any of them have ever known. He intends to use them to retrieve the Overlord Protocol, a device that has the capacity to help him take over the world. But when things go terribly wrong, Otto will stop at nothing to hunt him down and make him pay. 
 With the help of Laura, Shelby, Raven, and his former nemesis, Dr. Nero, Otto must find a way to defeat an enemy that has overcome some of the planet's most infamous villains without even breaking a sweat. Because if he doesn't, the world as they know it will be changed forever.

Thoughts: This was a fun sequel and really good way to dive into the series. 
 The story begins with a plot, an attack, and the death of a character. And it just gets better from there! Everything is all topsy-turvy with loads of edge-of-your-seat moments. Even though I kinda guessed at what was happening overall, the surprise at the end still caught me unawares.
 The writing is really easy, despite having something of a heavy story to tell it keeps everything light and easy to read. These books are pretty quick to get through because of that but no less enjoyable.
 The characters are loads of fun. As I mentioned in a previous post, I liked them all more than Epic did so there is the chance that they may come off as boring or childish to some readers. It all depends on your type of characters, what kinds you can put up with and how often you like your Main to actually be right. But this cast appealed to me and even though I feel that the girls don't have much presence (or character) yet, I don't dislike them and really look forward to seeing them flesh out later.

Content: An occasional D***, it's been a few weeks since I read it but I think there was a C*** used at least once possibly twice. Lots of violence but not much in the way of blood and gore, it really balances on a PG to PG-13 line. All in all, a fairly clean read and fun for the whole family if the language is edited out!

Book Review: The Hero's Guide To Being An Outlaw

Summary: Prince Liam. Prince Frederic. Prince Duncan. Prince Gustav. You think you know those guys pretty well by now, don't you? Well, think again. Posters plastered across the thirteen kingdoms are saying that Briar Rose has been murdered—and the four Princes Charming are the prime suspects. Now they're on the run in a desperate attempt to clear their names. Along the way, however, they discover that Briar's murder is just one part of a nefarious plot to take control of all thirteen kingdoms—a plot that will lead to the doorstep of an eerily familiar fortress for a final showdown with an eerily familiar enemy.

Thoughts: First off, my apologies for being absent for so long. Have I been reading? Yes. Have I been reviewing? Unfortunately no. Do I have a good excuse? Nope. Life got busy, I was tired, lazy and very wrapped up in a game and, well, one thing led to another and I abandoned our poor little blog. 
 But! No longer! I am back and here to dish out some major reviews! 
      And here we get to the part you all are really waiting for.
   Okay, I snubbed my nose at this series for so long because of the covers. They just looked like some over-hyped, Dreamworks-rip-off, full of crude humor and bad jokes. So it took me forever to get around to picking them up. But then someone recommended this very book (despite it being the last in the series) to me on Goodreads. And then I found them at the library. And I thought "Hey, it's free, why not? If I don't like it maybe my brothers will. Or at least I'll know I was right to avoid them."
 So I picked up the first one...and promptly fell in love.
 Quirky characters, hilariously ridiculous adventures, great writing; all woven together to create a truly fantastic series. And, once I knew what it was all about, I really started to love those weird covers. 
 The first two books were great reads and this, the final installment, is no exception. 
 The plot gets pretty tangled and twisted so that I had absolutely no idea what was going on in the beginning but this quickly gets folded out and all things are made clear by the end. It's full of surprises, plenty of laughs, and fun for everyone!
 The writing is great and easy to follow. Readers of just about any age will find it easy to understand, funny, and enjoyable.
 The characters (always my favorite part to write about) are the stars. From their bumbling mishaps to the moments when things accidentally go perfectly to those in between moments when nothing really happens, they are a delightful bunch. Old and new alike, they were fun to revisit, meet, and adventure with. 
 All in all, this was a great ending to an exciting series and I'm sorry to see it go!

Content: A bit of magic, fantasy violence, and SPOILER a ghost END SPOILER, but all in all a pretty clean read and highly suggested for any age looking for some side-splitting fun!