Sunday, June 24, 2012

Dark Tidings - Ken Magee

What happens when ancient magic meets the internet? One thing is certain, modern life will never be the same again.

A thousand years ago, a young thief, Tung, and a disgraced wizard, Madrick, are thrust together in an executioner’s dungeon.

In the darkness, Madrick reveals an incredible secret about a legendary spell. The great spell helps them escape their prison cell... and eventually their century.

Catapulted into the present day, their lives collide with Michael, a computer hacker who plans to destroy the world’s largest bank. But sinister people are tracking their every move and they will stop at nothing to steal their spell.

How refreshing! Light and fun, but it keeps you hooked from page one until the very end.

This is definitely a perfect book for this time of year: a beach read. It doesn't take itself too seriously, which is exactly what the summer calls for.

The "alien-ness" of being thrust into an new century was described perfectly. I enjoyed watching the development of the time travellers as they slowly came to grasp some "basic" concepts, including some of our stranger phrases.

Magee's writing style could initially be seen as slightly repetitive. However, the further the plot progressed, the more you realise that this repetition actually adds to the story and the characters. It makes you realise just how connected they are.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I can't wait for the sequel!

Sunday, June 17, 2012

Currently Reading...

I'm about a third of the way through Dark Tidings by Ken Magee. After struggling to get through Contra-ODESSA, this book is such a relief. I'm thoroughly enjoying it.

After this book, I have to make a big decision: what to read next. I've recently been flooded with books to review and it is a bit overwhelming.

I'm really leaning towards starting A Clash of Kings by George R.R. Martin; it's been calling to me for over a month now, and since the second season has finished the desire to read the book has only become more insistent.

However, I might start either Pedophilia: A Cause and A Cure by Steve A. Mizera or The Watch by Joydeep Roy-Bhattacharya instead. We shall see.

Friday, June 8, 2012

Contra-ODESSA - Alex Markman

Inspired by actual events, Contra-ODESSA brings the reader back to 1960s Latin America.

Needing money to fund their activities, Soviets send a team of KGB operatives to track down Swiss bank account numbers from Nazis who stashed fortunes obtained from prior looting. Young American secret service agents seek the source of funding for Latin American radical groups.

Utilizing all their training and hiding behind secret identities, agents of both teams push through physical, ethical, personal, and moral challenges in order to help their team succeed.

An inevitable clash of the two spy networks and the former SS organization ODESSA that follows is violent and brutal. Its casualties are not only people but also morality and law.

What a struggle to read! So many times I just wanted to give up and quit the book, but I was determined to finish it for this review.

The story seems like an interesting idea, but, I'm sad to say, it was not well written. The main story arc got lost for many pages at a time, making it very hard to follow. Many times, an entire chapter (or the majority of it), felt completely irrelevant to the storyline.

I enjoyed the characters; they were intriguingly dynamic. However, they seemed to have a hard time conversing. A lot of the dialogue seemed forced, awkward. A lot of the story, in general, was forced and awkward.

I would not recommend reading this book. I struggled to get through it and did not enjoy reading it.