REVIEW SUMMARY: A mesmerizing ride through thick deceit as Martin compels you through every incredible page.

MY RATING:

BRIEF SYNOPSIS: The land of Westeros is held together by tenuous peace, while turmoil shifts and boils beneath the surface. The powerful houses of old plot and scheme, a threat rises across the ocean, and an old evil stirs from its icy domain.

MY REVIEW:

PROS: Prose; characterization; gripping politics; a world that lives and breathes; heart wrenching.

CONS: Not for the faint of heart.

BOTTOM LINE: A must-read, you will be awed by the intrigue, gripped by the passion, and amazed at the realism in this magical, epic tome.

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REVIEW SUMMARY: Vivid, compelling, and destructive, this book still manages to perplex; as it sometimes meanders aimlessly, like a drunk–unsure where home, or that next drink is.

MY RATING:

BRIEF SYNOPSIS: Kell is a retired warrior of legend, suffering from arthritis and the sluggishness of age, until a bloodthirsty army descends upon his town to lay destruction.

MY REVIEW:

PROS: Vivid descriptions; imaginative monsters.

CONS: A plot that seems to meander; inconsistent characters.

BOTTOM LINE: If you like war, monsters and conflict and can handle a healthy dose of blood, guts and sex–covering the whole thing in a viscous mess–then this book is for you.

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REVIEW SUMMARY: Scalzi takes you on a speculative ride that is fast and rewarding.

MY RATING:

BRIEF SYNOPSIS: The far future: Man has colonized the stars. And they’re hostile. Our solution: Fight back and fight first. Our recruits: Grandma and Grandpa. But not how you knew them. New and improved, like you’ve never seen or imagined.

MY REVIEW:

PROS: Dialogue, humor, imaginative and well-used technology.

CONS: Lack of detail and jumps in time

BOTTOM LINE: Scalzi’s imagination and military prowess are superb, while working in a touching story that leaves you satisfied. And don’t worry…there is no Viagra.

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