This book is the second entry of the “Tarzan” original prose novels.
TARZAN, LORD OF CONVENIENCES
This second entThe Lord of the Jungle returns!
This book is the second entry of the “Tarzan” original prose novels.
TARZAN, LORD OF CONVENIENCES
This second entry in the series of Tarzan is a lot better about the topic of racism that while Tarzan becoming king of an african people tribe, because obviously since he is white, he will be their king, I just don’t feel the strong racism sentiment of the first book, so I believe that Edgar Rice Burroughs was understanding that racism obviously wasn’t the smart path for the success of his character.
However, the first part of the novel isn’t what I expected since Tarzan is doing anything but being in the Africa. He began feeling out of place and avoiding getting married with Jane Porter, later he decided to travel to Europe and on the seaship’s trip, he got involved in troubles with a villain known as Nikolas Rokoff, later he arrived to France and ended becoming a special agent for the French Ministry of War in Algeria (because that was what a Tarzan’s fan want to see him doing, right? Wrong!)
After some adventures in Algeria, he’s on another boat traveling to Cape Town and onboard he meets Hazel Strong, who is nothing more than Jane’s best friend! Geez! Burroughs is the master of conveniences! Because, he finds again Rokoff and his henchman, and he is taken off the ship falling in the sea, where he manages to reach shore…
…to the precisely same African shore where everbody seems to arrive in the first book! Geez!
Well, the good thing is that finally Tarzan in on African soil again, and soon enough he saves a Waziri tribe member (see? Tarzan now saves them and not teasing them like in the first book) and even he saves the entire tribe from a hostile raid and due that he is named king of the tribe.
The Waziri tribe is rich on gold and Tarzan finds out that it’s due that they know the location of a mythical city known as Opar, and since he’s king now (it’s good to be king!) and orders them to take him there (maybe he’s not racist anymore but ambitious about gold is new hobbie).
Opar is inhabited by ape-like men and Tarzan is captured but since he knows to speak ape language, he manages to gain the trust of a priestess there, which bought him time to be able to escape.
Meanwhile Jane Porter, her father, Professor Porter, and her new fianceé William Clayton (Tarzan’s cousin), and along her best friend Hazel Strong (because obviously they were able to find each other) arrived to Africa (because once again, conveniently they are invited to travel to Africa. No good reason but it seems that anybody in the cast don’t know anything better than travelling to Africa once and again. I mean, Tarzan should be in Africa, but the rest of characters conveniently arrived to Africa by accident or intentionally but without a clear motive).
Nikolas Rokoff arrives to Africa too, but at least since he’s the villain, well, he needs to be where the hero is, right?
Tarzan is struggling all the book, since he doesn’t feel to belong to any place or any race, which makes the character a lot more interesting to read than in the first novel.
I won’t detail anything more, since I’d spoil the climax of the book, but I can tell you that while there are too much conveniences in this narrative, definitely is a better reading experience than the first entry in the series, and the novel has a very good ending.
This book is the first entry of the “Tarzan” original prose novels.
THIS ISN’T THE TARZAN THAT I REMEMBThe Lord of the Jungle began as a racist!
This book is the first entry of the “Tarzan” original prose novels.
THIS ISN’T THE TARZAN THAT I REMEMBERED
I am fan of Tarzan, maybe isn’t in my top list of favorite franchises but certainly I enjoyed several classic movies starring Johnny Weissmüller, also other live-action movie like Greystoke with Christopher Lambert, and while the TV series with Ron Ely wasn’t something that I was crazy about, I still remembered some good episodes like the one where Tarzan plays as arbiter in some kind of olympic gams between tribes in the jungle, but I think that I prefer (so far) the animated adaptations like the Filmation animated TV series (awesome series) but certainly if I have to pinpoint my most favorite Tarzan project would be the Disney animated adaptation.
He was a cool hero in every single mentioned project, therefore it was a real shock to me when I read this very first prose novel which gave origin to everything and founding out a character who isn’t heroic but even mean against the African tribes showing clear signs of racism, even in the story are moments almost like saying that there wasn’t much difference between apes and African people portraying them like violent and even raping tendencies.
Therefore the early film live-action adaptations (there were even silent movies way before the Weissmüller era) were a true blessing since I guess that in the original prose novels’ sequels, Tarzan rapidly turned to be the hero that we all remembered…
...I plan to read some other books from the original series but certainly trusting that Edgar Rice Burroughs indeed had understood that if he wanted to publish more Tarzan material, it should be showing a heroic Tarzan like we all prefer…
…well I do hope that it’s the case, until reading I’d be certain.
TARZAN, THE RACIST
Tarzan’s origin story is known by almost eveyone but due the films and TV series, which shows a very different Tarzan from this very first origin prose novel but many key elemets are here…
…Tarzan born as John Clayton II, Viscount of Greystoke, in the middle of the jungle, he is son of a British lord and lady that they were marooned in an African coast after suffering a mutiny in the boat that they were traveling. Both parents died (his father is killed by Kerchak, leader of an ape tribe) and he’s “adopted” by this ape tribe where Kala, a female ape plays as his new mother (and she had lost her own ape son after dropping it while being chased by Kerchak), in this tribe, the child is named “Tarzan” that in their language means “White-Skin”. This said tribe is an unknown species referred as “Mangani” (I guess that the author chose a new species to justify some humanistic behaviour that it was kinda complicated to believe in more regular ape races).
Tarzan grows up in the Mangani tribe knowing that he is different and years later he finds the cabin of his late parents and through books he learned to read English, but not speaking it since he hadn’t heard it yet (honestly not matter how smart could be Tarzan, I find quite farfetched that he was able to learn how to read English without any help of anybody else and having growing up in the middle of a jungle surrounded by apes). Tarzan finds the knife of his human father and owns it after killing a gorilla, but even later he challenges Kerchak and kills him too with the knife.
An African people tribe settles in a near region and Kala is killed by one of the tribemen. Tarzan avenged his adopted mother but after that Tarzan is no hero, not even an antihero, since he’s no longer seeking justice but started to make cruel pranks on the people of the African tribe, showing clear signs that he feels superior to the men in that tribe but also he now feels superior than any ape too.
When Tarzan is like 21 years old, another group of white people gets marooned in the African coast (how many white people can be marooned in the same dang coast?!) but that’s not all since between the group there is William Cecil Clayton, usurper of the British heritage of Tarzan (two groups of white people get marooned in the same dang coast…
…but also in both groups are there members of the same dang family?!! Geez!!!).
In the marrooned group there is also certain American girl named Jane Porter and if you knew a bit about Tarzan’s history, you can bet that this is hugely relevant.
Also, in the marooned group there is a French naval officer, Paul D’Arnott (since it seems that this second group was like the United White Nations, with Britsh, American and even French people, all together in the same merry marrooned party). This man is quite important since he's the one who teaches Tarzan how to speak English and "civilized" him.
I won’t get into further details since I’d be spoiling everything. I don’t regret having read the novel, but certainly wasn’t the initial portrait of the character that I was expecting. But I do hope of finding a true heroic man in the following novel when I’d have the time to engage them.
This is the first volume of “Radiant Black” comic book series. This TPB edition collects “Radiant Black” #1-6. This comiAwesome comic book series!
This is the first volume of “Radiant Black” comic book series. This TPB edition collects “Radiant Black” #1-6. This comic book series is the flag title of Image’s Massive-verse.
Creative Team
Writer: Kyle Higgins (1-5) Cherish Chen (6)
Illustrator: Marcelo Costa
GO GO RADIANT BLACK
This comic book series is ideal for any fan of Power Ranger but also for fans of Invincible or even Spider-Man, since while the design of the suits it’s clearly inspire don Power Rangers, the narrative is quite similar to Invincible or Spider-Man where the main characters are struggling not only with the factor of having super-powers but their personal lives is totally merged with their super-powered experiences, specially since like Peter Parker (aka Spider-Man), they are always struggling with having enough money to survive.
Our story begins with Nathan Burnett, an unpublished writer living in L.A. that after falling in too much debts, he has to return to home, Lockport, Illinois, and living again in his parents’ house. No money, no job, no inspiration to write, Nathan’s vision of his future is quite grim, but suddenly he finds an alien artifact merging with his body and he gets an armor and superpowers. His best friend, Marshall Ward was witness of Nathan’s transformation, and he’s helping him to understand his new superpowered status quo.
They think that Nathan’s situation is unique but soon enough they discover that there are at least another individual with similar suit but a different set of powers, but clearly both coming from the same alien source.
I won’t detail more, since there are several surprises and twists in these first six issues enough to please any comic book fan. Definitely, this is an awesome comic book series. I bought the first four TPBs recently, since in Black Friday, my local comic book store had 50% of discount in all titles, so I took a leap of faith and bought the four TPBs trusting that the title would be worthy, and I can assure that at least this first volume was more than worhty and an awesome reading experience.
There are several adaptations of this timeless classic novel, beginning with the A tragedy as only in a book you find!
THE BOOK VS THE MOVIE(S)
There are several adaptations of this timeless classic novel, beginning with the famous 1923 silent film starring the make-up legend Lon Chaney, but the movie that made a mark in my memory when I was still a kid was the 1939 adaptation now with sound and having Charles Laughton which make-up job provokes me nightmare back then, and obviously I have fond memories of the Disney’s animated adaptation that certainly isn’t faithful but it’s quite entertained and a great movie to watch.
While in each movie adaptation has its own share of tragedy, they still have the north of keeping a nice sentiment in the audience (not surprising, specialy the Disney’s one) but I can assure that the book is one of the most tragic books that I’ve ever read, astonishing writing work but certainly if you try to count the good moments in the books, you can use one hand and still have plenty of fingers to spare.
Oh boy! So much tragedy! Brilliantly written, but certainly this book isn’t for the faint of heart. The first thing that shocked me is that Esmeralda is a 16-years old girl! I believe that in each movie adaptation, Esmeralda is easily in her twenties, and since she is the lustful desire of almost any main male characters in the story, it’s no wonder why the movie productions opted to change that big detail, since in the book that it’s quite polemic that almost all any main male character (with the key exception of Quasimodo), they are adults having improper sexual attraction for a underage minor girl! Yikes!
Other major change (but I haven’t seen or rememring many adaptations) is the character of Pierre Gringoire, a poet, that honestly I don’t remember being included in the films (but I can be mistaken), but it’s no wonder if he had been excluded from film adaptations, since his role isn’t that relevant and if you take him out, the main story can work almost the same as good (or as tragic actually!).
THE SILENT MAIN CHARACTER
The Notre-Dame de Paris (actually the original French title is just that, the name of the cathedral, changed to The Hunchback of Notre-Dame in English versions) is without a doubt the silent main character of the story, very much like Casablanca or Titanic where the name of the setting/place where the events happened is the title for the narrative.
The story happened in 1482 (ten years before of America’s discovery) in Paris, France, under the reign of King Louis XI.
This outstanding novel helped to make the cathedral, one of the most important (if not the most important one) cultural elements of the France, and a building that almost anybody in the world knows about of its existence (and that luckily it was recently (December 2024) finished its restauration after a terrible fire happened like 5 years ago). Denoting its impressive Gothic architecture which is really a world patrimony to keep.
FOR WHOM THE (LUSTFUL) BELLS TOLL
The story is moving around a 16-years old Gipsy girl, street dancer, named Esmeralda (I still can’t digest that Esmeralda is an underage minor in the original book!) which is the object for improper sexual desires by…
…Pierre Gringoire, a poet that unluckily ends in the middle of the “Court of Miracles” (a secret place where the Paris’ beggar community) and to avoid being killed, Esmeralda agrees to marry him (Dammit!) but at least, Pierre while attracted to her, Esmeralda made him to understand that it won’t be any physical between them.
…Quasimodo, a hunchback working as bell-ringers of the Notre-Dame. Due some revelations, it’s understood that he’s underage minor, he’s deformed and not quite mentally sane. He was left at the gates of Notre-Dame and since then, he was under the care of the cathedral’s archdeacon, therefore, Quasimodo obeys him in everything the archdeacon tells him to do. Usually, every year, on January 6th, he participates in a people’s festivity called “The Festival of Fools” where he is named “the Pope of Fools”.
…Archdeacon Claude Frollo, religious regent of the Notre-Dame cathedral, hated by the people of Paris due his embittered attitude and his insidious alchemy practices. He became obssessed for Esmeralda, so he orders Quasimodo to kidnapp her!
…Captain Phoebus de Chateaupers, captain of King’s archers, and while she saves Esmeralda from the kidnapping attempt, he’s only interested of having sex with Esmeralda (Damnit! Underage minor for Christ’s sakes!) and of course (since this is a tragedy), Esmeralda is infatuated by Phoebus (she even teaches to her pet goat, Djali, to “spell” the name Phoebus for public shows).
Since the kidnapping didn’t work out, Quasimodo is arrested and having a public torture, during that happening, Esmeralda comes close to him and offers him water that that very well save his life, and obviously Quasimodo falls in love for Esmeralda.
Frollo doesn’t tolerate that Esmeralda is having a crush for Captain Phoebus and he tries to kill him but while Phoebus gets badly hurt, he didn’t die, but Esmeralda is accused of the attempted murder…
…but Quasimodo saves her and takes her to the Notre-Dame cathedral and he invoques sanctuary to avoid that authorities would be able to enter and arrest Esmeralda, and since Frollo realizes that Quasimodo isn't that obedient anymore, he asked for the assistance in his insidious machinations to Sister Gudule, but that will provoke unforeseen implications!
Therefore, I can’t detail more since I’d enter into the major spoils and twists of the story, but so far it’s the part of the story that everybody has a general knowledge of the timeless tale…
…and I can assure that this is one of the most tragic stories that I’ve ever read but without a doubt it was masterfully crafted and everything is there for a reason and astonishing connections are made between events and characters. Highly recommended!
The adventures of Yumeko Jabami continue in Hyakkaou PrivThe bets got higher!
This is the 2nd volume featuring chapters 5-9.
THE GAMES CONTINUE
The adventures of Yumeko Jabami continue in Hyakkaou Private Academy, so far she is now in debt of 310 millions of Yens (no less!) and it seems that it’s easily one of the largest debts in the whole school but the insidious Student Council isn’t interested that Yumeko would pay off but it presents her with a “Life Plan” where it’s written down the rest of her life, when to graduate, where to go to university, which career, who to marry, how many children, etc…
This “Life Plan” is presented too to Mary Saotome, which exploded in fury and demande an explanation to the Student Council, and I can assure that that didn’t go well.
Yumeko isn’t worry since she lost on purpose since she is thrilled with the gambling system of the school and she wants a challenge against to the Student Council President, so all this is good for her own personal plans.
However, the Student Council presents a new challenge where deptors (specially those in the category of “pets”) can do a “switch” of their debts with others, if the new debt is lower than the previous one, it’s declared as paid, BUT if the new debt is larger, the debtors can be in more trouble than before…
…but here in Hyakkaou Private Academy, if there’s no risk, there’s no gain.
Yumeko is thrilled about the whole proposal and got into it, and the new challenge is on groups, and while Mary Saotome would prefer to be with other partner (since Yumeko’s debt is too big and there’s a risk to get it instead), you can bet that Mary is selected to be in the same group of four than Yumeko…
…along with two new characters: Jun Kiwatari (a jerk and bully that he doesn’t have a debt but he asked for a loan just to be able to play since he has his own strategy to get his debt paid off) and Nanami Tsubomi (a sweet girl that she’s been bullied by Kiwatari and his pals).
They have to play in the first game of the challenge a variation of “Indian Poker” having Sayka Igarashi (Student Council’s secretary) as the game dealer, where cheats are allowed but not physical violence.
Yumeko and Mary made a strategic alliance to be able to get out of their own "life plans" and ruining the plans of the insidious Student Council.
I can’t get into details since that it would be spoiling the outcome of this volume, but I can assure that if you enjoyed the first volume of this manga, you’ll love this second one....more
In my country, Costa Rica, (as in many others too) when the Anime TV series of Heidi was shown, cause a social impactIconic tale!
ANIME VS BOOK
In my country, Costa Rica, (as in many others too) when the Anime TV series of Heidi was shown, cause a social impact without parallel, where still today is considered one of the most beloved adaptations of the original book.
One of the best things about the anime is that it adapts quite faithfully the whole prose novel, just adding extra moments, but the book is there, just expanded, and the main events ocurred as in the book.
One of the cool things in the book is that you find extra information about Heidi’s Grandfather backstory, how he had a brother that ruined the family money with gambling and drinking, and Heidi’s Granfather was a soldier in Naples, from where he returned with Heidi’s dad still a baby. The book also explained how Heidi’s dad met Heidi’s mom, and how they both died.
The book also has a Christianity elements absent from the Anime, like Heidi at Frankfurt she learned to read and pray with a Religious stories collected in a book that Clara’s Grandmother gave to Heidi, and also thanks to this book i show Heidi accomplished to take her grandfather again to believe in God, since he had lost faith due his son’s death.
The book is excellent, and certainly is a great choice to read to any fan of Heidi but certainly the 1974’s Anime TV series (that came to Costa Rica in the early 80s) is still the best option to experience a timeless great story.
…or this novel is one of the most visionary sci-fi stories ever written…
…OR…
…Farfetched Sci-Fi Thriller!
GENETIC MANIPULATION
One of two things…
…or this novel is one of the most visionary sci-fi stories ever written…
…OR…
…is the one most farfetched ever written.
The topic is really good and clever elected. It’s the way that it’s developed that I had serious troubles to assimilate, since some stuff is like resolved too easily or just too quick. One injection and immediate results. Maybe those things could be overwatched in a comic book where science is quite quick to happen, but in a prose sci-fi thriller novel, I don’t know, I just could accept it so easily.
Also, there is a whole lot of legal themes that since I’m not lawyer, I don’t know if those are able to happen in US Legal Courts.
There is a company BioGen, and they are after the genes of Frank Burnet that it seems that he was able to get healthy from an aggressive form of leukemia, and most of the book, he is on the run avoiding to be captured by BioGen. No problem with that.
Where I have problems is about a chimpanzee and a parrot that they are genetically manipulated and suddenly they can think and talk, even the chimpanzee is able to go to school and people truly believed that he is a human with some false genetic disease!
And those are like the main cases, since another problem with the novel is that there are just too many micro-stories, truly disturbing being able to appreciate the main story.
It’s well written since it has a good narrative form, but I think that the sci-fi elements are too quick and too farfetched presented, along with some questionable legal issues (that maybe are real and possible, but I had serious issues to accept).
It wasn't easy for me, giving so low rating, since Michael Crichton is one of my favorite authors, but honestly I just couldn't assimilate this story.
This softcover TPB recollects “Stray Dogs” Free Comic Book Day Prologue plus “Stray Dogs: Dog Days” #1-2.
Creative TeaA worthy companion anthology.
This softcover TPB recollects “Stray Dogs” Free Comic Book Day Prologue plus “Stray Dogs: Dog Days” #1-2.
Creative Team:
Creator & Writer: Toni Fleecs
Creator & Illustrator: Trish Forstner
Colorist: Brad Simpson
UNTOLD TALES
Due the huge success of Stray Dogs, it was only logical trying to capitalize in some way a little more of that success, and definitely it was wise and worthy to publish this two-parter comic book (along with the prologue promoted during the Free Comic Book Day), and in that way, telling short tales (each can be of a couple of pages, maybe four at best) but quit enough to tell how the most of th dogs in the original story came in possession of the terrible man.
It’s interesting that at least sometimes, the man wasn’t successful in his insidious attacks, or having to choose a different victim since the originally planned was able to repel the attack.
It’s not that solid as the first TPB, since it’s a recollection of very short separated stories, but still it’s a fair and relevant companion book to any reader that reads the first TPB and wanting to know how was the lives of the dogs before meeting the awful man…
…even there is a story telling events after the ending to the original story, so it’s quite important to read too.
Creator & Illustrator: TrisShocking modern masterpiece!
This softcover TPB recollects “Stray Dogs” #1-5.
Creative Team:
Creator & Writer: Toni Fleecs
Creator & Illustrator: Trish Forstner
Colorist: Brad Simpson
NOT FOR THE FAINT OF HEART
This can be easily, one of the darkest stories that I ever read, specially in a comic book, while I’ve read several graphic novels oriented for adults, definitely this is one that it’s not for everybody since it can be totally understandable that it can shock the sensibility of many people, even I was shocked in several moments.
The story is cleverly showing most of the most popular breeds of dogs, obviously choosing several iconic breeds used in dogs from popular media like movies and TV, therefore even if you haven’t dogs of your own, it’s impossible that you won’t click with at least one of two of the canine characters in the story, totally fitting described like…
…Silence of the Lambs meets All Dogs go to Heaven.
Warning has been made.
MEMENTO FUGIT
I don’t know how scientific supported is the element developed here that dogs have problems with the short-term memory, therefore, they depend of routine to keep in mind what is happening around, but if something dramatically changed, they can soon enough to forget who was their previous owner and accepted the new owner as the only owner that they ever had.
However, it’s something that you have to accept in this story since it’s the key of how the narrative works.
MAN ISN’T DOG’S BEST FRIEND
This very dark story, drawn with a very cute style (giving even more shocking impact to the darkness of events here), a man has a lot of dogs, and they thought that they been rescued from streets and therefore they are grateful with their owner, since he always is giving them food and shelter.
Sophie, a new dog is trying to get used to the new environment, and she doesn’t have recollection of her previous life before being in the man’s house. Rusty, one of the many dogs in the house is self-appointed to tell her how things works in the house. Eveything is working until…
…Sophie finds a red scarf that she at once remembers as property of her true female owner…
…therefore, since that moment, you know that something really bad happened…
…and the worst of all is that Sophie’s past isn’t unique…
…but an insidous serial pattern to be feared…
…and brace yourself since not everybody will survive this story!
Don’t be confused due the cuteness of the artwork, this is without a doubt a horror story, and definitely something not easily to digest.
But definitely a daring and bold masterpiece of modern graphic novels.
This is the first novel of “The Light-Whisperers of Kalevala” book series
SPECIAL BOOK
This is a Once you get to Pohjola, you won’t wanna leave!
This is the first novel of “The Light-Whisperers of Kalevala” book series
SPECIAL BOOK
This is a very special book to me, since it’s the first published novel by author Grace E. Robinson, and certainly I was thrilled to read it and even more of having it in my hands, since I ordered the paperback edition.
You can find this wonderful book in Amazon in its paperback form, but also you can buy it as e-book on several sites: Kindle, Apple, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Everand, Thalia, Smashwords, Angus & Robertson, Vivlio and Palace Marketplace.
You can contact her (here on Goodreads or in Facebook as “Grace E. Robinson – StorytellerGirl” and she’ll be delighted to tell you the options and links to buy the book.
You will enjoy the reading experience, I can assure you.
This novel is an outstanding epic adventure using the Finnish and Sami cultures, that they are wonderful and rich cultures, but not much known outside of Finland, so, this is a great opportunity of having an epic adventure that it doesn’t have anything to envy to popular sagas like Narnia or Lord of the Rings.
Another cool thing is that while the book is part of a series, the story in this novel is self-contained having a proper closure, in that way you can read it and later to decide if you wish to continue with the series.
The book includes maps of Finland and the magical land of Pohjola, along with an appendix explaining terms of Finnish and Sami cultures, including pronunciation (and I recommend to read the appendix before engaging with the story).
AWESOME ADVENTURE
In this adventure, you’ll travel not only to the farthest frozen regions of Finland, but also to the magical land of Pohjola, meeting wonderful characters, honorable heroes and ruthless villains.
One hundred and thirty of reindeer have dissappeared and the local authorities have no clue, therefore, they call for help of capital police, where Detective Lyylia Niiranen will manage the case, once there contacting American scientist Shaun Abernathy, part of a research post studying the northern lights, and also the owner of the missing herd of reindeer, Ávgos Heikkilä…
…but they never imagined that a police investigation will take them to a magical land, full of mythical creatures, good and evil…
…where Lyylia’s sister and Ávgos’ cousing will follow their trail, finding themselves in dangerous regions of Pohjola…
…but they won’t be exactly totally strangers to Pohjola’s people, since Earth is known there as Kalevala, and they will find out that magic isn’t totally strange to them!
Meet wise Queen Kuu, sorceress ruler of the good lands of Pohjola, populated by the noble Menninkäinen and the Gentle Beasts…
…opposite to the vicious King Hiisi-Hiisi, regent of Ice-Dark, the evil regions full of hissi and Näkki…
…but you will meet a lot of more great characters in thie epic aventure…
...where you will sing and dance along with the lights and...
…where the greatest mystery is what happened to the reindeer and why....more
This is a tie-in novel of the numbered books from “Star Trek: The Next Generation” prose novel seriesThe first steps to develop a great character!
This is a tie-in novel of the numbered books from “Star Trek: The Next Generation” prose novel series.
Captain’s Log:
The USS Enterprise-D is ordered to send First Officer Commander William Riker to an away mission to the planet known as “Paradise” due his familiarity with a scientist family assigned there and that they need assistance with a problem of dangerous animals. This coincides with the ordered posting of Commander Quintin Stone as temporary first officer, since he is a loose cannon, with disrespect to authority and no other starship captain is willing to take him.
Senior Staff:
Capt. Jean-Luc Picard (Commanding Officer)
Cmdr. Quintin Stone (Temporary First Officer)
Cmdr. William Riker (away on a mission)
Lt. Cmdr. Data (Operations Manager & Second Officer)
Lt. Worf (Chief Security Officer)
Lt. Cmdr. Geordi La Forge (Chief Engineering Officer)
Dr. Beverly Crusher (Chief Medical Officer)
Wesley Crusher (Acting Ensign & Helmsman)
BEFORE MACKENZIE, THERE WAS QUINTIN
I wanted to read this novel since I was curious about the character of Quintin Stone since it’s clear that he was a prototype of the eventual Captain Mackenzie Calhoun of Star Trek: New Frontier, also created by Peter David.
And without a doubt, Quintin Stone was the first draft to the better defined and better developed Mackenzie Calhoun, even both have facial scars!
But, thankfully, Peter David did a better job with Calhoun, since Stone is interesting to read, I like better Calhoun.
FAIR ADVENTURE BUT NOT A GREAT MISSION
The book is a fair reading but nothing too awesome.
You have the Enterprise-D dealing with the reckless personality of Quintin Stone, and even sometimes I feel odd that the crew was so hostile to him keeping saying him in his face how good is Riker and how he would do the things better than Stone. I don’t think that the civilized and respectful crew of The Next Generation would act like that.
The other part of the story is Riker travelling to “Paradise” planet where a scientist family that he knows from his home at Alaska, and discovering that they were experimenting creating wild animals that become a menace to the research lab.
So, it’s well written (Peter David is my favorite Star Trek authot) but in this novel, there isn’t much exciting or epic challenges, resulting in a fair reading but nothing much spectacular.
Still, definitely it’s a relevant book, since it’s obvious that it was key to Peter David to play with the idea of the character and making the right adjustments for making it to work perfectly as Mackenzie Calhoun.
First of all, this book is called “light novel” since it’s a Fame can be deathly!
This is a prose Japanese “light novel”.
NOT SO LIGHT AFTER ALL
First of all, this book is called “light novel” since it’s a common format used on Japan to prose novels under 300 pages even can be under 200 pages in some cases, usually portraiting manga-style drawn covers but with very few illustrations inside, therefore they must not be confused with a manga book, and they are normally targeting young audiences.
However, in this particular case, it’s a light novel using very a adult tone, appearing elements of sexual relationships and gore violence.
Therefore, this “light novel” isn’t for the faint of heart.
FROM A GOOD BOOK TO A PERFECT MOVIE
While I am fan of the anime movie since many years, until recently I found out that the film was based on a prose light novel, so I became interested to read it, and while the book is really good, the anime movie still is a superior product, showing more imagination and depth to the story.
Perfect Blue, directed by the late Satoshi Kon (Tokyo Godfathers, Paprika, Millenium Actress), is easily my personal number one favorite Japanese anime film (even above of the awesome Studio Ghibli films) since it’s quite adult and shocking and it shouldn’t be a surprise about it, since I found out that the movie was supposed to be a live-action project but due limitations of budget, it was transformed into an anime product, definitely the movie isn’t for the faint of heart either, since it shows too graphic sexual abuse and gore violence…
…BUT…
…if you see beyond of those polemic elements, you’ll be able to appreciate an astonishing artistic story, using psychological images where not always is easy to know what it’s real and what is imagined by some of the characters in the story.
Also, the anime script has an amazing twist at the climax (no, I won’t spoil it) that makes more interesting and powerful the anime version than the book where is very straight-forward about how the narrative is developed.
The director Satoshi Kon was given green light to change the original book as much as he’d wanted as long he’d keep the basic concepts of a young adult Idol being stalked by a psychopath, and thankfully Satoshi Kon did an awesome job turning an already good prose book into a perfect anime movie.
Perfect Blue, the Japanese anime movie made in 1997 cause such impact that it’s not wonder that it was the inspiration for various following American live-action films such as Requiem for a Dream and Black Swan, but even you can find recent inspired projects such as the way popular new Japanese anime series Oshi No Ko.
IT’S NOT EASY TO BE AN IDOL
Mima Kirigoe is a Japanese young adult woman that she was being a popular idol in Japan, which in said country is a female role, in the entertainment industry, given to teenagers able to sing and dance using colorful costumes where it’s common that even adult people are fans of mentioned idols. It’s common practice by the talent agencies managing those idols to prohibit them of having boyfriends to keep a public image of virginity and innocence (along with very bad paid salaries) but it’s very often that Japanese girls wanting to be idols as an easy way to gain fame and a first step to a possible career in acting once become adults (while it’s common knowledge that very few idols are casted as serious actresses by filming companies).
It’s not easy to be an idol.
In the book, it seems that Mima is a single idol (while in the movie was part of a trio (which is more normal for idols of being part of a group (usually two, three, even five or seven members but there are exceptional cases like AKB48 having 48 active members all the time (“graduating” the members that became adults and recruiting new teenagers continuously)). One difference in the book is that Mima has an idol rival (not appearing in the movie) that she’s trying to ruin Mima’s career.
Mima wanted to leave behind her idol image of innocence and looking for acting jobs, but first she accepted to make a photo book (a booklet with original pictures) with a very sexy tone. (In the book it’s managed kinda less impactful but in the movie, Mima suffered of serious shocking incidents while doing that provocking intense psychological trauma).
There is a fan that he doesn’t like this change in Mima’s career and he decides that he will do anything to keep Mima Kirigoe as the innocent idol girl that he admires (that is kinda similar in the movie, the character exists and while he isn’t as dangerous psychotic in the movie, there is a lot more happening beyond that in the movie making more shocking and interesting).
Therefore, I already mentioned some of this, but I want to say again that I find quite entertaining the book, and even quite shocking in some scenes, however the narrative is quite straight-forward where there are few surprises of how the story is developing, and that’s why I highly recommend the movie over the book, but definitely both formats aren’t for the faint of heart....more
This softcover TPB edition collects “Alice Ever After” #1-5.
Creative Team:
Writer: Dan Panosian
Illustrators:
Dan PanosiA too dark tale about Alice!
This softcover TPB edition collects “Alice Ever After” #1-5.
Creative Team:
Writer: Dan Panosian
Illustrators:
Dan Panosian (Wonderland scenes)
Giorgio Spalletta with Cyril Glerum (London scenes)
Colors: Fabiana Mascolo
Lettering: Jeff Eckleberry
CURIOUSER AND CURIOUSER
I found out about this comic book miniseries too late, so instead of getting it in single issues, I got the TPB edition but luckily I was able to get the issue #1 with variant art by J. Scott Campbell.
This graphic novel is a sequel to the events of the original book where Alice is already a grown-up woman in her twenties (I believe). She is addicted to drugs (some pills and liquid heroine) that she employs to go back to Wonderland, and once she is back to a very dark and grimm reality you can find that several “real life” characters have their Wonderland counterparts. That’s not that inspired since this is like taking Wizard of Oz and the sequel film Back to Oz merging those mentioned elements to the story of Alice in Wonderland, even you can think about Bridge to Terabithia since here Wonderland isn’t real and the story have a very sad ending.
Alice is addicted to drugs but you’ll find out that she isn’t guitly by herself for her condition since there is a very dark family secret that Alice was unlucky to find out and now she is suffering because of that.
All that said, I enjoyed the development since it was quite creative how all those new elements were used to tell this extension of the story of Alice, however I didn’t like at all how the story ends (no, I won’t spoil it, but be warned).
Maybe the ending isn’t that sad taking in account the inner desires of Alice, but if the graphic novel would have a different closure, certainly I’d give it 5 stars without thinking, but since it wasn’t the case, I thought that the fairest thing to do was taking out a star, even I was considering to give it only 3 stars, but at the end I decided not to punish it that much since only the ending was what I didn't enjoy, the rest of the story is quite an interesting experience.
I want to mention (that I think it can be considered as part of my problems with the ending) that I don’t like that taking in account that the story have a lot of villains, not single one pays for their crimes, and I don’t find that fair, maybe real life isn’t fair but this isn’t a real life story, this is a book (actually a comic book) therefore I would like to see the criminals to be accountable for their sins and the victims to find justice.
Still, the comic book is quite well written and wonderfully illustrated, so if you’re fan of Wonderland stuff, you might find worthy to take a look to this graphic novel.
I read the Jane Austen novels in separate books but I choose this editiLove is in the air, dear fellow readers!
JANE AUSTEN, SYNONYM OF ROMANCE
I read the Jane Austen novels in separate books but I choose this edition to have a focused item to show in my “favorites” shelf, since I didn’t want to leave some of her core six finished novels out of the selection. I could choose Sense and Sensibility as my option to show in the “favorites” shelf, but I still wasn’t comfortable leaving out the other five books, since I believe that each one of her core six completed works is a relevant and significant part of her soul and each one is as worthy to be read as the rest.
Jane Austen’s work is key in the genre of romance, but also in the field of Victorian novels since she lived there and she was brave to show without any regard how was life at England in that particular age of history, how men behave and how women was treated by society.
Therefore, I felt that it was relevant to put them in my “favorites” shelf that I didn’t want to expand more of ten books or series, since obviously I have loved many more books, but I think that it was useful to reduce to ten my options there, selecting like the best examples of each of my favorite book genres.
I watched the anime and live-action adaptations of Kakegurui before ofLet’s gamble like crazy!
This 1st volume covers chapters 1-4.
ADAPTATIONS
I watched the anime and live-action adaptations of Kakegurui before of engaging with the manga, and since I already watched all anime and live-action entries, including tv series, movies and the spin-off Kakegurui Twin that have been made so far, surely it will continue in the near future, but meanwhile I’ll read the manga.
The anime is really good BUT I got hooked to the series with the live-action adaptation that while it’s quite similar to the anime, they add a certain degree of humor that helps to accept the reality of the series without affecting the intensity of the story.
So, in my humble opinion if you are curious about the adaptations of this manga, while the anime is quite enjoyable, I highly recommend to engage the live-action adaptation that so far (February 2023) is two seasons of Kakegurui main series, a couple of theatrical movies and one season of the spin-off Kakegurui Twin (set one year before of the events of the main series).
A SCHOOL LIKE NO OTHER
Kakegurui isn’t a real Japanese word but a combination of two words and usually is accepted to be translated as “Compulsive Gambler”, since the series revolves around gambling in a high school for rich people.
Hyakkaou Private Academy is a respected high school where the children of powerful and influential business people assist and where everything is dealt with some kind of gambling, it can be cards or dice invented games but even some can use dangerous items like guns and blades. Every gambing den is supervised by the Student Council and each gambling den pays a tribute to be able of operating, and students who lose their gambles and they aren’t able to cover the money loses, they became “pets” losing all respect as human beings and having to endure all kind of humiliations.
The President of the fearsome Student Council is Kirari Momobami, a female student that got her position as president in a gambling game against the previous president.
ENTER: YUMEKO JABAMI
Yumeko Jabami, a female student, enters into the Hyakkaou Private Academy and at once she became of person of interest to the Student Council.
Yumeko became fast friend of Ryota Suzui, a male student who is suffering the status of “pet” at the beginning of story due losing a gamble to the influential gambler Mary Saotome (she will be the main character in the spin-off Kakegurui Twn).
Yumeko plays a rock-paper-scissor card type game with Mary.
Later she will be challenged by a junior member of the Student Council, First Year female student, Itsuki Sumeragi, in a double memory card type game.
And so far in this volume, Yumeko engages in a “life or death” game using a casino roulette, by the Traditional Research Club President Yuriko Nishinotoin, a female student well respected and member of the Student Council.
Sometimes winning, sometimes losing, but Yumeko always sees through the cheating practices of her challengers, becoming a shattering element to the status quo of the so far fearsome Student Council.
This review is bilingual. You will find first the review in English and after that, you will find the review in Spanish.
Esta críGotta read it all!
This review is bilingual. You will find first the review in English and after that, you will find the review in Spanish.
Esta crítica es bilingüe. Usted encontrará primero la crítica en Inglés y luego de esta, usted encontrará la crítica en Español.
REVIEW IN ENGLISH
I've watched all the Pokemon movies but I haven't managed to watch all the seasons of the TV series, so I found this guide to be a great option to learn details about the TV series that I hadn't been able to watch.
The encyclopedia is totally full color illustrated and printed in prestige paper, it covers from the beginning of the TV series in the Kanto region to the Galar region, which is the season that was broadcast in 2021 (according to the United States), so only the season known as "Ultimate Journeys" would be missing (2022), of course without counting the present miniseries "Aim to Become a Pokemon Master" that is currently starting in Japan (2023) to cover the entire saga of Ash Ketchum and his pokemon friend Pikachu. However, it is the most updated option that you will be able to find at the moment and although I thought about waiting for another update of the book covering the rest of Ash Ketchum’s journey, I did not want to risk that it wouldn’t be another updated edition and being left with nothing.
The encyclopedia shows you the visual evolution of Ash Ketchum's character, from how he looked like in the first seasons to the most recent ones, all the pokemon he managed to catch, and a tour that takes you from region to region, showing the friends he met, the duels he did, as well as which pokemon are seen in each region, including legendary pokemon that were only seen in movies, but they do not go into detail about the events of the films, but for me that is not a problem, since it is the TV series from which I require the most information and the book manages to give it in plenty.
I think the only detail to mention is that since it is a book translated in Spain, it turns out that in that country, the first three seasons of the series kept the names of the characters as they were named in the American version (and that is how they were used in Latin America too) but from the fourth season they started to change some names (including one region) which is a bit confusing.
But overall, definitely, this "encyclopedia" is easily the most comprehensive option you can find on the "Pokemon" TV series.
CRITICA EN ESPAÑOL
He visto todas las películas de Pokemon pero no he logrado ver todas las temporadas de la serie de televisión, por lo que encontré que esta guía era una excelente opción para enterarme de detalles sobre la serie de televisión que no había logrado ver.
La enciclopedia es totalmente ilustrada a color e impresa en papel prestige, la cual cubre desde el inicio de la serie en la región de Kanto hasta la región de Galar, que es la temporada que se transmitió en 2021 (de acuerdo a Estados Unidos), por lo que solo faltaría la temporada conocida como “Ultimate Journeys” (2022), claro sin contar la presente miniserie “Aim to Become a Pokemon Master” que actualmente está iniciando en Japón (2023) para cubrir toda la saga de Ash Ketchum y su amigo pokemón Pikachu. Sin embargo es lo más actualizado que van a poder encontrar en estos momentos y aunque medité en esperarme a una actualización del libro cubriendo el resto del viaje de Ash Ketchum, no quise arriesgarme que no sacaron una nueva edición actualizada y quedarme sin nada.
La enciclopedia te muestra la evolución visual del personaje de Ash Ketchum, de cómo lucía en las primeras temporadas hasta las más recientes, todos los pokemón que logró atrapar, y un recorrido que te lleva de región en región, mostrando los amigos que fue conociendo, los duelos que hizo, así como cuales pokemón son vistos en cada región, incluyendo pokemón legendarios que sólo se vieron en películas, pero no profundizan en detalle sobre los eventos de los filmes, pero para mí eso no es problema, ya que es la serie de televisión de la que requiero la mayor información y el libro logra darla en amplitud.
Creo que el único detalle a mencionar es que como es un libro traducido en España, resulta que en dicho país, las primeras tres temporadas de la serie mantuvieron los nombres de los personajes como fueron nombrados en la versión Estadounidense (y es como en Latinoamérica se hizo también) pero a partir de la cuarta temporada empezaron a cambiar algunos nombres (incluyendo una región) lo cual resulta un poco confuso.
Pero en general, definitivamente, esta “enciclopedia” es fácilmente la opción más completa que pueden encontrar sobre la serie de televisión de “Pokemón”....more
This is the screenplay of the film of the same title, which is the third entry in the saga.
TO BUY OR NOT TO BUY THE BOOK
I willCould be better!
This is the screenplay of the film of the same title, which is the third entry in the saga.
TO BUY OR NOT TO BUY THE BOOK
I will saying kinda several elements from the movie since after all, this isn’t a novelization of the story but basically the screenplay of the film.
I wasn’t sure to buy the book since the movie didn’t impress me much but since it isn’t clear if Fantastic Beasts will continue as film saga and this could be the last entry of it, well, I already had all the previous books of Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts, it could be odd to miss the very last book. I really do hope that the saga would go on, but if not, at least I have all the books so far.
I had to wait quite a bit to buy it since at least in my country, Costa Rica, the book didn’t arrive until several months after its release, and even so, the Spanish translated edition arrived first, and I had to wait a lot that the English edition would be available here (since I have on English all the previous books).
I am grateful that at least this screeplay includes some additional value having several sketches of costumes, scenarios and props of the movie, along with insight comments from key people of the production like David Heyman, David Yates, Eddie Redmayne, Jude Law, Mads Mikkelsen, etc…
...therefore I am not just reading the dialogues of a movie that I already watched but having interesting information giving some extra context to the story and characters.
ELECTED BY AN ANIMAL?
I think that something that mainly bothers me about the story was that while there is an election with votes by people, at the end, the preference of an animal would be recognized to appoint the new leader of the whole wizarding world community.
It’s illogical that a race that even practice slavery (domestic elves) would respect that an animal would know the kind of leader that he or she would rule over them.
I understand that since this second saga of the Wizarding World is about Fantastic Beasts, J.K. Rowling need to include animals on relevants roles in the story, but having one “electing” the leader of all the magical world is indeed absurd.
Even more absurd if you think that that animal almost “elected” a character that he’s one of the most popular characters in the whole franchise, but hardly I’d think that he is pure of heart, since he has done questionable things here and there, maybe for the good reasons but still I don’t think that he is pure of heart, but…
…I do think that he could be a great world leader, so that helps me to question if a person pure of heart can be the best choice to be a leader, since obviously can’t be a malignant character but the leader of many people will have to make hard choices here and there, so I don’t know if a person of true pure of heart would be able to make those hard choices.
In any case, that “electing system” of the wizarding world doesn’t work, at least from my point of view.
THE SAGA IS ON FREE FALLING
It doesn’t help to the story that Newt Scamander doesn’t have at hand his case, therefore, he only has two fantastic beasts with him (already too exposed in the two previous movies) during the most of the plot.
The first movie was really good but it’s clear that it was like a stand-alone experiment without expecting to be expanded into a multiple entries saga, and while the second one wasn’t that good, at least I was entertained a lot and even I understood that J.K. Rowling needed that second movie to make the foundation to be developed in the rest of the second saga, but here, when I was expecting more content, more evolution, the story is quite simple and even absurd, where…
…isn’t helping the big loss of Tina Goldstein in the story (I don’t know if there was some agenda problem with the actress but I don’t care, I needed Tina in the movie) for not saying the change of casting in Grindelwald (don’t get me wrong, I like Mads Mikkelsen and he did a good job but I didn’t like the re-cast was only because Warner was afraid that the legal problems at the moment with Johnny Depp would alienate the audience (that at the end resulted in positive light to him) (even more illogical since it seems that Warner still plans to premiere The Flash with Ezra Miller who is still a lot more polemic).
However, not matter the recast of someone and the missing of another, still the story isn’t that good and the saga seems to be drowing at the point that there isn’t any clear plans to make a fourth entry, which I found sad and losing the opportunity of watching the wizarding world involved in WWII and the rise of Voldemort, just to mention a couple of cool things to explore…
…for not saying that I was hoping that Jacob Kowalski and Queenie Goldstein could be resulting past relatives of some character of the original saga.
BUT…
…in a positive light I can say that new characters like Lally and having more exposition of Bunty was something that I enjoyed a lot, since certainly J.K. Rowling knows how to create charming characters that helps to balance the lack of a better solid story.
This is a charming book by J.K. Rowling that it’s kinda mix of Alice in Wonderland and the Island of Misfit Toys fromMerry Xmas!
SAVING DUR PIG
This is a charming book by J.K. Rowling that it’s kinda mix of Alice in Wonderland and the Island of Misfit Toys from Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer.
Jack is a child that while dealing with a new combined family, specially a new stepsister who is having troubles to accept the new family, he meets a magical pig who will help him to find his old pig toy in a magical realms made of several places where all lost things went.
I liked it a lot, since it’s told from the perspective of the kid and it’s quite realistic his way of analizing things and seeing life.
I believe that this story could make a wonderful stop-motion xmas TV special like those of 70s, even a movie since you got a lot of strange and cool places inside of the magical realm, therefore there is enough material to make a whole film, and while CGI is kinda the most usual way to make animated movies nowadays, I still think that a stop-motion option could be a wonderful way to present it.
I think that we, readers, have at least one of those books…
…those books that we found in a shelf of a bookIt was about time!
ONE OF THOSE BOOKS
I think that we, readers, have at least one of those books…
…those books that we found in a shelf of a bookstore, we had it in the hands, we considered to buy it…
…but…
…for some reason, we didn’t buy it…
…BUT…
…that book stuck in our minds since then, we remember the cover, we remember the title, we never forget the book and we kinda regret not getting it and wonder if it was any good.
Well…
…this book was my example of those books. I had it in my hands and considered to buy it but at the end I didn’t and since then I never forget it.
And since 1993, this book stuck in my mind.
Luckily, I was able to get it recently and since Quantum Leap is trending again thanks to the sequel TV series, I thought that it was a perfect…
…time…
…to leap and vanish into reading it.
QUANTUM READ
In this story, Dr. Sam Beckett leaps into a person too close for confort of a little younger version of Admiral Al Calavicci, before of his involvement in the Quantum Leap project and the interaction with this Al can be put into danger the very project causing a paradox of grave consequences.
The mission of the leap isn’t that exciting since it didn’t involve the “past” Al but a person around that Sam needs to avoid her participation in a robbery.
Still, it was a cool reading since you get a lot of conversations of Sam and Al (the “present” Al) and Al and Ziggy (the Quantum Leap project computer) analyzing and explaining how the Quantum Leap project works and its implications in the flux of time, and everything discussed is consistent to the exposed along the run of the original TV series.
So, I am glad of finally “un-stuck” this book from my mind and being able to read it.
I didn’t realize until I had the book in my hands…
…that I had it once before!
I think and think where I watched An engaging reading
FATE READING
I didn’t realize until I had the book in my hands…
…that I had it once before!
I think and think where I watched that cover before and…
…back then, in 1994, I visited some magazine store, where besides, obviously selling magazines, you could find pocket novels of recent release, there I bought Star Wars: The Courtship of Princess Leia (my very first Star Wars novel) and it was published in 1994, the same year of the release of The Midnight Club…
…so I am convinced that I had that very pocket novel in my hands but I opted to buy the Star Wars novel (since I hadn’t money for both!) and later I forget about it.
However, due the Netflix premiere of the TV adaptation of the novel, I chose to read the book, without knowing that I almost read it back then.
But it seems that it was fate for me to read this novel.
ARE YOU AFRAID OR HAVING GOOSEBUMPS TO READ THIS NOVEL?
In this novel, you have a group of teenagers, all having terminal illnesses, that as a type of support therapy, they decided to share spooky stories at night, calling themselves “The Midnight Club”.
Christopher Pike admited that he was inspired with the TV series Are You Afraid of the Dark? where there is a “Midnight Society” doing the same, a group of teenagers sharing spooky stories late at night, but without the element of terminal illnesses.
Moreover, I found curious that some months later of the publication of The Midnight Club, the author R.L. Stine published The Thrill Club where a group of teenagers are involved with spooky stories ((only I think that only one girl there is telling the stories but later they became real) I am planning to read real soon that book too), that I guess that Stine wasn’t too thrilled about competition in the genre of young adult horror literature, and he wanted to keep clear who was boss in the genre.
Without reading it, I believe that I will enjoy a lot more The Thrill Club than this novel, not because it was bad written, actually it possess a great narrative style and interesting characters with flaws, but because at the end, I was expecting a horror novel (just like the TV adaptation is giving me) and it wasn’t the case.
But, don’t get me mistaken, the book is really good, the stories are compelling (curiously, there is one very much like City of Angels movie released 4 years later BUT there is a German film from 1987 with the same storyline so…) and the whole deal of terminal illnesses is managed in a powerful way, making a good drama novel.
I just wasn’t prepared for this kind of book, while expecting a horror novel, but definitely I recommend it....more
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