tobin_elliott's reviews
165 reviews
Ocean by Warren Ellis
adventurous
informative
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Okay, I know Warren Ellis is now persona non grata, and I understand and support the reason why.
But I'm also so far behind in my TBR that I've still got books of his to be read. And, while I hate what he's done, there's also no denying that Ellis is a superb author, and I have to say, while I had no true idea what this story was about (there was a point where, if it said "Warren Ellis" on the cover, I was buying it), I enjoyed the hell out of it.
Ellis has a way of tossing in technology that's complicated, yet fascinating, and he makes it understandable, and then he uses it to full effect.
But that, on its own, would be useless if he didn't have a solid story to back it up. And in this one? He really does. The elements he ties together, the mythology that he builds in such a short time...it's brilliant.
I've seen some complaints that it should have been longer, and maybe some of the stuff was slightly rushed, but not enough to hamper the sheer enjoyment of the story.
So, while I don't love the person, I love what he's written.
But hey, that can be said of a lot of creators, can't it?
But I'm also so far behind in my TBR that I've still got books of his to be read. And, while I hate what he's done, there's also no denying that Ellis is a superb author, and I have to say, while I had no true idea what this story was about (there was a point where, if it said "Warren Ellis" on the cover, I was buying it), I enjoyed the hell out of it.
Ellis has a way of tossing in technology that's complicated, yet fascinating, and he makes it understandable, and then he uses it to full effect.
But that, on its own, would be useless if he didn't have a solid story to back it up. And in this one? He really does. The elements he ties together, the mythology that he builds in such a short time...it's brilliant.
I've seen some complaints that it should have been longer, and maybe some of the stuff was slightly rushed, but not enough to hamper the sheer enjoyment of the story.
So, while I don't love the person, I love what he's written.
But hey, that can be said of a lot of creators, can't it?
Victor Lavalle's Destroyer, Volume 1 by Victor LaValle
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Hmmm...
While I enjoyed this one...especially the art...I will say I believe LaValle may have bitten off more than he'd realized with all the things going on in this story. There's racial tension. There's 3-D printing of living beings. There's nanobots. There's secret gov't agents. Oh, and there's Frankenstein's monster, who's suddenly a couple of hundred years old and superpowered as the Hulk.
I honestly believe LaValle could have left Mary Shelley's most famous creation right out of the mix and made it more about the NanoBoy and had a cleaner story.
I enjoy LaValle's writing, and I enjoy seeing things we see everyday...such as casual racism...dealt with in a strong way.
But overall, as a Frankenstein's monster story? No, I believe it was an abject failure. When you've got a piecemeal human—made solely from human parts—doing Hulk-style jumps and ripping apart huge metal robots with his bare hands? Nope. You've kinda left Mary Shelley's true creation on the cutting room floor.
While I enjoyed this one...especially the art...I will say I believe LaValle may have bitten off more than he'd realized with all the things going on in this story. There's racial tension. There's 3-D printing of living beings. There's nanobots. There's secret gov't agents. Oh, and there's Frankenstein's monster, who's suddenly a couple of hundred years old and superpowered as the Hulk.
I honestly believe LaValle could have left Mary Shelley's most famous creation right out of the mix and made it more about the NanoBoy and had a cleaner story.
I enjoy LaValle's writing, and I enjoy seeing things we see everyday...such as casual racism...dealt with in a strong way.
But overall, as a Frankenstein's monster story? No, I believe it was an abject failure. When you've got a piecemeal human—made solely from human parts—doing Hulk-style jumps and ripping apart huge metal robots with his bare hands? Nope. You've kinda left Mary Shelley's true creation on the cutting room floor.
The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This is easily one of my favourite so-called "classic" horror novels and yet, there I was, re-listening to the audio version this time around, in preparation for the sequel by Elizabeth Hand, A Haunting on the Hill ...a sequel I'm praying will hold up to the original, but after this re-read, I seriously have my doubts. This is one of those novels that I know I love, but every time I read it, I realize I've forgotten so much about what makes it so good.
I love that, aside from extremely minor events, virtually nothing horrible is seen, heard, or experienced, other than the nasty people, for the first half of this short novel. And yet, for all of that, Jackson uses such a precise economy of words to give the reader precisely what they need to know about each character, while deftly filling in their personalities. What should come across as trite, or fluffy, instead becomes endearing or, in the case of the less than likeable characters, aggravating in all the right ways.
Honestly, there's times where Jackson sets such a delicate balance, that this book should not work...and yet, it does. So well. Theodora and Eleanor are wonderful characters, and Montague is a relevation...especially once Mrs. Montague arrives.
But this entire thing wouldn't work if Jackson didn't bring the horror. And she does. Exceptionally well.
And then there's Hill House itself. Mad, insane, twisted, broken Hill House. When Jackson focuses on the house, this book is incandescent. And when she begins to tie Eleanor to it...
God, I love this book.
I love that, aside from extremely minor events, virtually nothing horrible is seen, heard, or experienced, other than the nasty people, for the first half of this short novel. And yet, for all of that, Jackson uses such a precise economy of words to give the reader precisely what they need to know about each character, while deftly filling in their personalities. What should come across as trite, or fluffy, instead becomes endearing or, in the case of the less than likeable characters, aggravating in all the right ways.
Honestly, there's times where Jackson sets such a delicate balance, that this book should not work...and yet, it does. So well. Theodora and Eleanor are wonderful characters, and Montague is a relevation...especially once Mrs. Montague arrives.
But this entire thing wouldn't work if Jackson didn't bring the horror. And she does. Exceptionally well.
And then there's Hill House itself. Mad, insane, twisted, broken Hill House. When Jackson focuses on the house, this book is incandescent. And when she begins to tie Eleanor to it...
God, I love this book.
The Theory of Crows by David A. Robertson
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I quite enjoyed this novel. It's pretty much a straightforward general fiction novel with an indigenous element to it that was never heavy-handed.
I can't give it a full five stars only because there's certain elements that felt a little too easy or too predictable. Matthew's relatively easy cessation of his emotional affair with a co-worker. His reparation of his relationship with both his wife and daughter.
And, while I loved the ending, it also felt a touch too obvious.
Having said that, none of this ever really intruded on my enjoyment of this novel. It's very good and, at times, though it's likely a cliché, his writing had hints of Wagamese, which is a good thing.
I can't give it a full five stars only because there's certain elements that felt a little too easy or too predictable. Matthew's relatively easy cessation of his emotional affair with a co-worker. His reparation of his relationship with both his wife and daughter.
And, while I loved the ending, it also felt a touch too obvious.
Having said that, none of this ever really intruded on my enjoyment of this novel. It's very good and, at times, though it's likely a cliché, his writing had hints of Wagamese, which is a good thing.
Black River Orchard by Chuck Wendig
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
I clearly need to not read anymore Chuck Wendig. I truly don't know what it is about his novels but, unlike his terribleminds blog which is highly entertaining, I find his books a bit of a slog. This one was no exception.
To start...was there anything necessarily wrong with this book? No. Not at all, in fact. Diverse group of characters (though, truth to tell, I've found that this one and THE WANDERERS seemed to really force a perfectly diverse group. I truly don't mind all various types of characters, but there's times I feel like the author may have a check box list that he's marking up). Interesting plot. Some really good scenes of horror.
Unfortunately, I found, as the book progressed, it started to get a bit overwrought. I don't want to spoil anything, but let's just say the more extreme effects of the apples on a couple of the characters took it too far for me, from a suspension of disbelief point of view.
Anyway, whatever the issue I have with Wendig (aside from his love of the word frisson) I just found the book trying too hard to be epic and, to me, it felt overlong and a little too much at the end.
Of course, I've seen the glowing reviews of this one, and I can absolutely see how others would adore the book.
But this apple was just not quite to my taste.
To start...was there anything necessarily wrong with this book? No. Not at all, in fact. Diverse group of characters (though, truth to tell, I've found that this one and THE WANDERERS seemed to really force a perfectly diverse group. I truly don't mind all various types of characters, but there's times I feel like the author may have a check box list that he's marking up). Interesting plot. Some really good scenes of horror.
Unfortunately, I found, as the book progressed, it started to get a bit overwrought. I don't want to spoil anything, but let's just say the more extreme effects of the apples on a couple of the characters took it too far for me, from a suspension of disbelief point of view.
Anyway, whatever the issue I have with Wendig (aside from his love of the word frisson) I just found the book trying too hard to be epic and, to me, it felt overlong and a little too much at the end.
Of course, I've seen the glowing reviews of this one, and I can absolutely see how others would adore the book.
But this apple was just not quite to my taste.
David Bowie All the Songs: The Story Behind Every Track by Benoît Clerc
informative
5.0
This is a monstrously large book (as was the Pink Floyd All The Songs book I read a few years back), but I absolutely loved it as, not only does it serve as a detailed biography of David Bowie, it's also an amazing trip through every single song the man ever did.
Just an incredible fan. Bowie's my second favourite musician to read about, second only to the Beatles, and this is probably my favourite Bowie book to date.
Just an incredible fan. Bowie's my second favourite musician to read about, second only to the Beatles, and this is probably my favourite Bowie book to date.
Sentient by Jeff Lemire
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
While there wasn't anything really wrong with this story—in fact, I will say, on reading it, I quite enjoyed it—there also wasn't anything really new or original about it, either. It's going to go down as a fun, but forgettable read, and that's actually a surprise from Lemire, to be honest.
As others have pointed out, there's some serious WTF moments here, such as a ship AI with total command of the vessel, and a single mission to keep the crew safe, yet they can't stop one child from leaving when they shouldn't be...and so on.
Yet, if you can disconnect your logic centres for a few moments, overall it's a fun, if mostly unoriginal story.
The art is very good, but again, Lemire doesn't really give Walta a lot to work with. It's almost exclusively ship interiors. Walta did a good job, but not a great one.
So, there's nothing really wrong with it, but there's nothing really great about it either. You'll consume it, you'll likely mostly enjoy it, and you'll move to your next read and likely never think about it again.
As others have pointed out, there's some serious WTF moments here, such as a ship AI with total command of the vessel, and a single mission to keep the crew safe, yet they can't stop one child from leaving when they shouldn't be...and so on.
Yet, if you can disconnect your logic centres for a few moments, overall it's a fun, if mostly unoriginal story.
The art is very good, but again, Lemire doesn't really give Walta a lot to work with. It's almost exclusively ship interiors. Walta did a good job, but not a great one.
So, there's nothing really wrong with it, but there's nothing really great about it either. You'll consume it, you'll likely mostly enjoy it, and you'll move to your next read and likely never think about it again.
Limbus, Inc. by Jonathan Maberry, Joseph Nassise
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Interesting experiment. Various authors with various characters all tied together through the titular Limbus, Inc.
Limbus, Inc. is both the good guy and the bad guy in a lot of these stories, which is also a fun take. Leaves the reader guessing.
Unfortunately, most of the stories are fairly run of the mill. There's a couple that I quite liked, but there were also a couple that really stretched credibility. But hey, a multi-author collection is always going to have higher highs and lower lows.
Overall, the standout was the one that was held until the very end. Maberry's easy narrative voice, and the addition of one of his known characters, Sam Hunter, makes it more fun. The fact that it kind of went to a similar place as one of the other stories didn't bother me, as it was the superior one of the two.
I've got the next two in the series, so it'll be interesting where Limbus, Inc. takes me next.
Limbus, Inc. is both the good guy and the bad guy in a lot of these stories, which is also a fun take. Leaves the reader guessing.
Unfortunately, most of the stories are fairly run of the mill. There's a couple that I quite liked, but there were also a couple that really stretched credibility. But hey, a multi-author collection is always going to have higher highs and lower lows.
Overall, the standout was the one that was held until the very end. Maberry's easy narrative voice, and the addition of one of his known characters, Sam Hunter, makes it more fun. The fact that it kind of went to a similar place as one of the other stories didn't bother me, as it was the superior one of the two.
I've got the next two in the series, so it'll be interesting where Limbus, Inc. takes me next.
Deathlok: The Souls of Cyber-Folk by Dwayne McDuffie, Gregory Wright, Brad Vancata
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I grew up with the original, first appearance, Luther Manning version of Deathlok that was, at least at the start, not connected to any Marvel continuity. And, though it was often disappointing, I loved the character.
I managed to get my hands on the entire run of the 1991 series. Call it another reboot (god knows Marvel's rejigged this character a few times), but it wasn't horrible. In fact, at times, it could be better than the original. But only on rare occasions.
Let's talk about the writing first. Dwayne McDuffie is a good writer who seems to get bogged down in certain plot points. I love that he took a more active stance on Michael Collins's race, and that of his family, and there are times when he scores some serious points for Deathlok's observations of the world we live in, in relation to the colour of one's skin.
There are also times, however, where it comes across a little heavy handed. Same with the "no killing" parameter that Collins establishes with his onboard computer. The computer seems to challenge it with every single battle Deathlok engages in, and it's like, okay, Dwayne, we get it, he doesn't want to kill anyone.
The other writer on the book, Gregory Wright, isn't bad, but he gets bogged down in the computer gobbledygook, as well as characters who talk weirdly. Honestly, it makes for a fairly displeasurable reading experience (I'm really looking at you, Annual #1).
And then there's the art. Denys Cowan. Sorry, not a fan. Way too sketchy, way too loose, and Deathlok's head looks different in latter issues. And the action scenes? Nope, they're mostly confusing.
Overall, the first fifteen issues score some hits, but mostly, like the original, but in different ways, it simply doesn't hit the mark all the time.
I managed to get my hands on the entire run of the 1991 series. Call it another reboot (god knows Marvel's rejigged this character a few times), but it wasn't horrible. In fact, at times, it could be better than the original. But only on rare occasions.
Let's talk about the writing first. Dwayne McDuffie is a good writer who seems to get bogged down in certain plot points. I love that he took a more active stance on Michael Collins's race, and that of his family, and there are times when he scores some serious points for Deathlok's observations of the world we live in, in relation to the colour of one's skin.
There are also times, however, where it comes across a little heavy handed. Same with the "no killing" parameter that Collins establishes with his onboard computer. The computer seems to challenge it with every single battle Deathlok engages in, and it's like, okay, Dwayne, we get it, he doesn't want to kill anyone.
The other writer on the book, Gregory Wright, isn't bad, but he gets bogged down in the computer gobbledygook, as well as characters who talk weirdly. Honestly, it makes for a fairly displeasurable reading experience (I'm really looking at you, Annual #1).
And then there's the art. Denys Cowan. Sorry, not a fan. Way too sketchy, way too loose, and Deathlok's head looks different in latter issues. And the action scenes? Nope, they're mostly confusing.
Overall, the first fifteen issues score some hits, but mostly, like the original, but in different ways, it simply doesn't hit the mark all the time.
Melinda West: Monster Gunslinger by K.C. Grifant, K.C. Grifant
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I was in the mood for something different, and this one? Hell yes, it scratched that itch.
This is a solid western, with just a small hint of some tech, and a lot of...well...monsters. Hey, she's a monster gunslinger, right?
Overall, a straightforward story, with enough twists and turns to keep me satisfied. If I have any complaints, they're minor. The first is, I would have liked to have seen a bit more romantic entanglement between Melinda and Lance up front. They felt more like friends and partners, and it took me a few pages to cotton to the fact that they were a couple.
The second is, most of the monsters felt buglike. I will say, there were absolutely non-insectile monsters, but I would have liked to have seen Grifant go a little wilder with the monsters.
That being said, when Melinda crosses over the Edge? This is where Grifant's writing and imagination just soar. The Edge is painted as a very strange and otherworldly reality. Aside from that, there's a fantastic cast of characters, great settings, and it checks all the right boxes for anyone who loves westerns, horror, or especially both.
God, I love a good western horror.
I will say, I would not want to be the editor highlighted at the beginning of the book. While a solid 98% of the book is very good, when it goes off the rails, it really does. There's a stretch, for example of two pages (pgs 145-146) where the Irvin character, in the span of a few paragraphs, is referred to as "Irvin" and "Irvine" and "Irwin"...which is just bad attention to detail.
But aside from that? Honestly, I really loved this novel, and I'll absolutely read more from this author.
This is a solid western, with just a small hint of some tech, and a lot of...well...monsters. Hey, she's a monster gunslinger, right?
Overall, a straightforward story, with enough twists and turns to keep me satisfied. If I have any complaints, they're minor. The first is, I would have liked to have seen a bit more romantic entanglement between Melinda and Lance up front. They felt more like friends and partners, and it took me a few pages to cotton to the fact that they were a couple.
The second is, most of the monsters felt buglike. I will say, there were absolutely non-insectile monsters, but I would have liked to have seen Grifant go a little wilder with the monsters.
That being said, when Melinda crosses over the Edge? This is where Grifant's writing and imagination just soar. The Edge is painted as a very strange and otherworldly reality. Aside from that, there's a fantastic cast of characters, great settings, and it checks all the right boxes for anyone who loves westerns, horror, or especially both.
God, I love a good western horror.
I will say, I would not want to be the editor highlighted at the beginning of the book. While a solid 98% of the book is very good, when it goes off the rails, it really does. There's a stretch, for example of two pages (pgs 145-146) where the Irvin character, in the span of a few paragraphs, is referred to as "Irvin" and "Irvine" and "Irwin"...which is just bad attention to detail.
But aside from that? Honestly, I really loved this novel, and I'll absolutely read more from this author.