An Unwelcome Quest (Magic 2.0 #3), by Scott Meyer, 2015

An Unwelcome Quest (Magic 2.0 #3), by Scott Meyer, 2015

It's been at least three weeks since I've finished the book, and I'm only now getting the motivation to write a few short notes of my thoughts of it.  I'm not quite sure why but I do know it's given me some time to percolate in my thoughts.

This installment to the series lacks the humor and wittiness its predecessor shined in. In addition, less magic and wizardry in the story made for less material to be subjected to snark and comedy.

Other reviewers have also said that it's not necessary to read the first two books and that this story is fairly self-contained. I can only somewhat agree to that. I agree that the story moved the plot along and can be clearly understood without the help of the previous books. But I also firmly think knowing the back-stories of all the major characters added to the richness and fullness of it all and reading the prior two books gave that background.

So if asked if I would read the next installment in this series were it to become available, my answer would be yes.  I think there is enough magic to go around for another book.

My rating: ★★★☆☆ (3 out of 5 stars) - I liked it.

Book description as described by the author:

Ever since Martin Banks and his fellow computer geeks discovered that reality is just a computer program to be happily hacked, they’ve been jaunting back and forth through time, posing as medieval wizards and having the epic adventures that other nerds can only dream of having. But even in their wildest fantasies, they never expected to end up at the mercy of the former apprentice whom they sent to prison for gross misuse of magic and all-around evil behavior.

Who knew that the vengeful Todd would escape, then conjure a computer game packed with wolves, wenches, wastelands, and assorted harrowing hazards—and trap his hapless former friends inside it? Stripped of their magic powers, the would-be wizards must brave terrifying dangers, technical glitches, and one another’s company if they want to see Medieval England—and their favorite sci-fi movies on VHS—ever again. Can our heroes survive this magical mystery torture? Or will it only lead them and their pointy hats into more peril?

The Android's Dream (The Android's Dream #1) by John Scalzi, 2006

The Android's Dream (The Android's Dream #1) by John Scalzi, 2006

Not entirely what I expected from John Scalzi after reading much, if not all, of his books.

The book, story, characters, descriptions, scenarios, etc., were all super packed- there was just a lot of information compressed in this story. Specifically in the first half.

The latter half of the book was fast-paced and action oriented and really made up for the former.

The ridiculousness of the circumstances and situations was nothing short of brilliant in the way it all worked together.  I have to admit, I had a couple of chuckle out loud moments.

I would have liked this book a lot better if the whole book were as good as the last quarter of the book.  I found myself trudging though some parts during the first half, and not really knowing where all of it was headed. It wasn't until towards the end when all the threads wove together a great story.

My rating: ★★★☆☆ (3 out of 5 stars) - I liked it.

Here is the author's description of the book:

A human diplomat kills his alien counterpart. Earth is on the verge of war with a vastly superior alien race. A lone man races against time and a host of enemies to find the one object that can save our planet and our people from alien enslavement...

A sheep.

That's right, a sheep. And if you think that's the most surprising thing about this book, wait until you read Chapter One. Welcome to The Android's Dream.

For Harry Creek, it's quickly becoming a nightmare. All he wants is to do his uncomplicated mid-level diplomatic job with Earth's State Department. But his past training and skills get him tapped to save the planet--and to protect pet store owner Robin Baker, whose own past holds the key to the whereabouts of that lost sheep. Doing both will take him from lava-strewn battlefields to alien halls of power. All in a day's work. Maybe it's time for a raise.

Throw in two-timing freelance mercenaries, political lobbyists with megalomaniac tendencies, aliens on a religious quest, and an artificial intelligence with unusual backstory, and you've got more than just your usual science fiction adventure story. You've got The Android's Dream.

The Valiant (Star Trek: The Next Generation), by Michael Jan Friedman, 2000

The Valiant (Star Trek: The Next Generation), by Michael Jan Friedman, 2000

USS Stargazer’s latest tour of duty, second officer Lt Commander Jean-Luc Picard, is ordered to investigate the rumors of an alien species, the Nuyyad, that is reportedly planning to invade the Federation.

The Captain of the ship dies during a battle, while his first in command enters a coma, leaving Jean-Luc Picard acting captain. After a subset of the crew fails to mutiny, Picard solidifies his role as the leader of the and captain of the ship. They finally head off across to the Galactic Barrier to investigate the Nuyyad, Magnians, and Kelvans.

Once they arrive at the destination, Picard deals with a human race capable of telepathy, like Mitchell from TOS, some saboteurs, and an all out battle with an alien star base. In the end, Picards proves triumphant and earns the permanent commendation of Captain of the USS Stargazer.

This book is not what I expected. I went into this book thinking I can get through it fairly leisurely and without much attention to the details. This book read much like other Star Trek books in such that it read like a tv episode. What made this a bit different is the amount of backstory and subplots compressed into such a small amount of space. I  found myself frequently backtracking and examining how the current events relate to the previous ones and how they would be relevant to the upcoming  ones.

I think the story could be expanded and layered; building a stronger connection from one plot to the next. It might also be easier to follow.

My rating: ★★☆☆☆ (2 out of 5 stars) - It was okay.

http://memory-beta.wikia.com/wiki/The_Valiant

The 34th Rule (Star Trek Deep Space Nine #23), by Armin Shimmerman, 1999

The 34th Rule (Star Trek Deep Space Nine #23), by Armin Shimmerman, 1999

The Ferengi declare war on Bajor and Starfleet evacuates DS9. All for what?  All for that religious belief relating to the Orb (the 9th one).

The war comes about when the Grand Nagus decides to exclude the Bajorans from the line of authorized bidders of the 9th Orb of Celestial some sort of other blah blah blah.

The Bajorans, as usual, come off as terroristic, and Major Kira especially cunty. Yes, cunty, to a point where her character is just plain despicable.

As it turns out, the Ferengi engineered the entire turn of events to maximize their profits by manipulating purchases and capitulations of all species involved.

This novel is one of the few I know about that depicts the Ferengi as a non-comedic relief. The Ferengi in this book had substance and might and taken seriously by the Federation and Bajor.

Personally, I could have done without the internment camp sub-plot. I mean, it has some small role that contributed to the twist and added to the allure of a "strong Ferengi Empire". It was cheesy as far as I'm concerned.

My rating: ★★★☆☆ (3 out of 5 stars) - I liked it.

Spell or High Water (Magic 2.0 #2), by Scott Meyer, 2014

Spell or High Water (Magic 2.0 #2), by Scott Meyer, 2014

What a fantastically entertaining story. It was full of humor from start to finish. Although classified for and said to appeal to fantasy/sci-fi gamer geeks, the comedy is sure to appeal to just about anyone.

In this installment, Martin Banks a Philip travel back even further in time to Atlantis and help solve an attempted murder mystery. We also get the resolution to Jimmy's story as left from the previous book. The Jimmy subplot was entertaining enough that I didn't mind that it was barely connected to the Brit-the-Younger/Brit-the-Elder plot twist at the end of the book.

While some may recommend reading the first book prior to reading this,  I don't find it necessary. Any character and their backstory carried over from the first book is quickly and succinctly explained as they make their opening in this book.

What I found to be a nice surprise was how much of the story was driven by time travel. It was also great to see Martin's character grown up a little more since the last book. The whole two Brits was just plain clever.

It would have been interesting to have read more about the new wizard Martin greeted in Leadchurch really didn't much story time. Also, giving Agents Miller and Agent Murphy a less abrupt ending would have been nice. We spend almost more than the first half of the book with them, and it feels like they just fizzled out of the story.

As with the first book, I loved the humor, and there were lots of laugh out loud moments and witty banter.  If you can avoid the time travel aspects of the story and just accept it for what it is, then you are bound for a great ride.

My rating: ★★★★★ (5 out of 5 stars)  It was amazing!