Paranormal Noise (Marco Santucci)

 This book is a unique view into the world on the other side.

Not the kind of book I usually pick up; this is the first time, actually. Last and this year, I explored books in genres I would never read before and was pleasantly surprised by many.

I have lived long enough to learn that there are many things out there that we don't know, and open-mindedness is the wisest way to live. I stayed and explored strange places. People I trust, including my Dad, had experienced unexplainable stuff. I like how the author offers his opinions as opinions, and even though there are mentions of religions and beliefs, there is no agenda.  

The book is an easy read, although sometimes I find the usage of 'he said I asked etc' very heavy, but I understand they are needed for the content. It feels honest and genuine as well.

My favourite quote is: The problem is that all the man-made religions that pit one against another, each trying to prove that they are the sole possessors of "the truth" and must be the only ones going to Heaven. In the end, none of those matters. Not all the good works, the millions of Watch Towers distributed, or all the Rosary Beads in the world, and the list goes on.

4.5

Watery Grave (Dave Saari)

 

Watery Grave is a book about a suspected murder investigation for a case that had been ruled out as an accident. A persistent family member of the deceased insists on finding out the truth when everyone else has given up.

This book has too many things besides the mystery itself. I wish for more suspects, more motives, and more natural investigations of the case. Still, instead, it focuses a lot on relationships and some unnecessary scenes and interactions that are distracting and bring down the story's primary focus. The characters and their interactions are unrealistic. In my opinion, they feel unnatural, and it's hard for me to root for them. The main characters are cheesy and horny most of the time, and it's confusing about which traits define them because they feel all over the place. Some mundane dialogues go on for a long time without getting anywhere or escalate out of nowhere. Even though there are enough backstories, they don't make me feel for the characters as they serve as mere backstories, and I don't feel the deeper story connections to them than grazing the surface.

A suspension of disbelief is needed for the case itself, and some information is contradictory. Is the case famous or not? Some scene mentions keeping it secret from the students but providing the place and time; some mention about eight thousand nosy reporters, but no one notices anything until the main character comes along.

The case itself is intriguing, and there are enough details as it is uncovered layer by layer. The effort to put in plausible, logical explanations is commendable, and I enjoyed the details. The early part of the book, when many supporting characters are introduced, could be much stronger if they played more significant parts and if there were more suspense. If only the story focused more on the case than other distracting things, it would have much more potential to be a strong mystery novel.

3 out of 5

Four Puppet Kings and A Fool (Seth Hobbs)

 

To be honest, I am not really sure how to review this book, as this is part of a series. It is laying down the foundation for more stories to come, introducing a lot of characters,  promising conflicts, and interaction as their paths start to cross.

Although there are a plethora of characters, in the beginning, the book spends more time on General Voxinus, an honorable veteran warrior whose main goal is to serve the realm with tons of family devotion. It helps to set the base and gives readers some familiarity. As the story progresses, what seems to be straightforward tale branches into various plots. Readers are introduced to many more characters, places, and cultures, with one main recurring antagonist that makes me do a double take on the genre.

Warning: Some readers could find offensive materials. It is alright with me, although, at times, it feels excessive. Thankfully, they don't linger.

To me, there are many significant distractions, as one of the characters in the book put it—informational lecture— that is heavy, especially because the book keeps on introducing new characters and their lengthy backstories. To make it more difficult to keep track, the new characters and settings also come with tons of nicknames. Throwing in unusual fantasy names, and some of them similar enough to the others, it's not really an easy task for readers to follow.

But that is one of the challenges of the first book. Although there are many things to remember, this one has at least enough amount of connections with the base characters. For me, the reading experience is rough, as explained above, and there are times when it feels heavy on certain agendas. I do not doubt that there are a lot of creativities in the story, and the world is rich with a good combination of imagination and reality. With significant polishing, this has the potential to become a grand tale.

Duplicity of Power (S. Lynn Helton)

 

Personally, there are two things that I am wary of in fantasy books: One, stories that are difficult to follow, and second, over-the-top language, especially early in the book when readers haven't had good impressions or attachments to the plot or characters.

That is why I like this book. The story follows a female protagonist who is thrown into a quest. The plot weaves easily when it introduces the characters. The world setting unveils layer by layer, and with everything new, explanations are given without them feeling like exposition.

The book starts strong with solid middle; however, to me, it goes down slightly on the climax because, for some reason, there are some scenes that I find pretty repetitive and requires my suspension of disbelief regarding the villain's action and character's luck in order to get the plot going.

Having said that, overall, it's a solid and enjoyable story. There are many distinguishable and root-able characters, and the world is full of imagination and creativity. Revelations of the character backgrounds are done well without them being stretched out for too long or dumped.

4 stars out of 5

The Darkness That Slept (Tristen Kozinsky & Keegan Konzinsky)

I needed a very long time to get on this book, and I devoured all the available series of The Song of Ice and Fire in a small fragment of that time.

Too many things and different parts are happening from the beginning that I have difficulty following what is happening. This wouldn't be much of a problem if I was reading something I am familiar with. But in fantasy settings, they are wholly different animals with their own rules and words. What are the tasks, what is going on, why is the background of this event, what worlds and eras are we focusing on this page now, etc.

The elaborate writing style adds up to the pages, some readers enjoy the world buildings, and they are done well, but it's a bit too much for me. It takes me out of focus and diminishes my curiosity to find the connection between stories and their purposes. It may not be accurate to compare it with the chicken and egg situation about which part is more important at the beginning of a book. In books, I prefer to feel connections with the characters as a priority so that their quests are easier to root for because when the book prioritizes the intricate world-building at the beginning when readers barely understand anything and anyone, there is an avalanche of words before I care about the characters and how they will cross paths. At some point, it would be too late for me to get the connections. It's easier to be visual in a movie, but that is me. I am sorry I didn't enjoy the book for those reasons.

Having said that, I believe fans of Fantasy books would like this. The writing is rich, entertaining, and imaginative. The writers set little boundaries to uncomfortable plots but do so in a style that I can appreciate. Set aside a good chunk of time and an adventurous fantasy mood and enjoy the ride.

3 out of 5 stars

Rise of the AI

With the rise of AI in the creative world (no Skynet yet, sorry to disappoint you), there are discussions about how AI will affect artists, writers, and other creative fields in the near future. The majority is worried that AI will replace them because it is fast, has unlimited sources, and is most likely more manageable and cheaper. No author block and no books in series that take longer than a decade (I am looking at you, George!)

Personally, am I worried? Strangely, no. Not always for good reasons, though.

I am very aware of the struggles in the writing world. Even without the threat of AI, it's extremely difficult to make it; that is what I have learned so far. Everybody can write, but not everyone can market or has a plethora of connections to throw their works out there. I am already at the extreme end. I don't write in my first language, but in the language I'm more comfortable expressing myself with, which obviously comes with very significant challenges. I'm not too fond of social media, barely have friends, and can't market to save my life. So, another threat? It's not to say that I don't see it as a threat, but when you have to fight against a vast amount of odds, another one doesn't feel as bad. I think.

On another better reason, somehow, I believe there are still genuine readers out there who seek out original works. Hopefully, they will never go extinct. To me, writing is very personal and very intimate. Most writers pour their hearts and souls into their characters and plots. For some, writing helps with personal journeys and struggles. Writing actually helps make me feel better when real life is getting shitty. It's probably some kind of powerful therapy. Mostly, it's a labor of love. Can AI ever replace something that personal? It's possible. At that time, competing with AI to write books should be the last thing one would worry about, I guess, in between fighting the liquid terminator that tries to fool me by morphing into—gaps—my dog! Maybe I wouldn't be this relaxed then. Die, AI, die!

P.S. After hearing all the fuss, I tried ChatGPT, not for writing, because I will never contaminate my imperfect writing away, but I tried to converse with it about anything. Nerdy things that my friends are running away from. But that is the story for another day because I have rambled enough today.

As always, thanks for being here. And as readers, it's your choice, don't feel pressured by anything. If you enjoy works done by AI, there is nothing wrong with it. Reading is subjective and should be fun.

Another Zombie Apocalypse: Volume 1 (Joshua Grant)

 

What can I say about this Zombie Apocalypse comic?

I am pleasantly surprised about how much I like it. I have watched my fair share of zombie and apocalyptic shows, but this is my first time reading a zombie comic book.

There are five chapters in the comic. The book is very well-illustrated; for some reason, it gives me the classic feeling of comic books I loved as a child. I can't remember which comic, something that came in two colors only, orange and white. I am not even sure if it exists somewhere else. The illustration style reminds me of those; they are simple but high quality and expressive.

When I watch a zombie movie, I don't really care about how many times those infected appear, the jump scares, or how gross they look (but it's a bonus point). They are there, which they should be if it's a zombie movie or show, but I don't need them excessively. I am more interested in the stories; how did it start, what the impacts are, what does it bring to humanity, how people react to them, and what the apocalyptic world is like. In short, I'm more interested in the biggest mystery of all: the human elements.

And this is a comic with depth; there are more thought-provoking stories here than many books out there. There are depth and humanity, the good and the bad. There are sad stories, desperations, twists, rootable characters, and awesome zombies. Warning, it's gory, but if you are wary about gore in zombie stories, there is something weird in your art choice.

5 gross zombies out of 5 apocalypse