Lenni Reviews: Lumberjanes: Beware the Kitten Holy by Nichole Stevenson and Grace Ellis

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In this graphic novel by Noelle Stevenson and Grace Ellis and illustrated by Brooke Allen; April, Jo, Mal, Molly and Ripley are attending camp ‘Miss Quinzella Thiskwin Penniquiqul Thistle Crumpet’s Camp for Hardcore Lady-Types (and that will be the last time I type that…) and have all promised each other they will have the most awesome summer ever. Luckily for these Lumberjanes scouts, there are talking three-eyed foxes, yetis, tombs to explore, and magical weapons to make sure they never have a chance to get bored.

Simply put, this comic is awesome. It’s Rat Queens for kids (if you haven’t read Rat Queens, GO DO IT). Each girl has a specific talent to add to the group, completely different races and body types (major kudos for that), and smart puzzles where each girl takes turns solving. The art is perfect for these wacky (yet thrilling) adventures. You can get all the fun of super-deformed expressions without it overtly being anime (I know some people who don’t like that style). It is also a story that demands to be told in full color and I’m grateful for it. Maarta Laiho did a fantastic job with the coloring.

To sum up, this comic is sweet, funny, empowering, and just darn fun! I freely admit to reading it several times before I begrudgingly handed it over to my kid (who is 8 and this book is recommended for 5 and up). We are both ready for volume 2!

Lenni Reviews: Soda Pop Soldier by Nick Cole

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In this dystopian future, companies hire gamers to battle it out for the rights to advertising space. After my initial hesitation and brief fit of hysteriucal laughter at the thought of eHarmony, Match.com, Christian Mingle, and Farmers Only battling out in a cage match for the right to inundate us with their insipid nonsense (Three-way battle between Papa Johns, Little Caesars, and Dominos? Would CiCi's buffet be an unexpected challenger? Man, I laughed for DAYS!), I started this book with a bit of guilt that I'm not a huge gamer and a healthy load of disbelief this concept would be pulled off in an enjoyable way.

The book is written well. You follow professional gamer PerfectQuestion as he struggles to win for his company, broke, cheating girlfriend, drinking a lot, and at the end of his rope; willing to join an illegal online gaming universe referred to as the Black. Things get out of hand and the online battle for his life spreads into the real world.

By no means is this a 'bad book.' Nick Cole has the writing chops to pull off the gaming action and PerfectQuestion's desperation, so the reading is nice and smooth. Cole's work reminds me of Jeff Somers' work (but Cole is MUCH less depressing). My only complaint perhaps would be it's 100+ pages in before PerfectQuestion is directly threatened. It was cool and all to see PerfectQuestion in action and get to know how his job works and how sick and twisted the Black is, but it seemed to me our protagonist should have met with the main conflict sooner.

Although, I certainly wasn't bored. I was pulled right into the world and loved every second. My hands were twiching for controller buttons and the descriptions left me fiending for some playtime with my consoles. I truly cared about PerfectQuestion, even without knowing his name. I clicked instantly with what Cole is saying about what the anonymity of being online does to people's behavior and how easily the consequences of that behavior can leak into your offline life. I had fun reading this; it was an unexpectedly enjoyable romp. If you're into tech heavy scifi, first person shooters, and the trials of just a normal guy trying to survive, I think you'll enjoy this book.

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Lenni Reviews: Manga Classics: Les Miserables and Pride and Prejudice

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In life, there are books commonly assumed as Must Reads. If you don't encounter them in high school, you might in college and if you haven't read them by then, you are greeted with a horrified gasp from anyone who finds out you haven't. Heck, books like this are usually on people's bucket lists. The problem is how dense the books are and many people find them confusing or boring. This is where UDON Entertainment's graphic classics come in.

If you are familiar with either of these stories, then nothing will surprise you. Nothing in the narrative is changed. Speaking as someone who couldn't get through Pride and Prejudice and hasn't picked up Les Miserables (yet), these two books are a fantastic way to get the story across. What is most helpful is having faces to go with the names. Sometimes having so many names thrown at you makes you forget who is who and why we care who they are. If they vanish for part of the book and return, you have to go back to remind yourself. (nerd note: I had this problem with Dostoevsky; where some of the characters names would straight up change mid story... UDON, make some manga of those please!)

The art is crisp and lovely. Po Tse's dramatic and flowing style is perfect for a Victorian romance like Pride and Prejudice. Even the comical super-deformed moments are beautiful. SunNeko Lee's art is also great but at some points it was odd to be reading such a dark story with such adorable, classic manga art. But you get over it because you're too busy reading.

Both manga cut huge chunks of exposition out (of course) so don't go thinking you can read these instead of doing your homework. I wouldn't say these are nothing more than illustrated cliff notes; you get much more story than that. These manga give you the experience of the main story so you can hold a conversation about whether or not Mr. Darcy is a jerk* or what the heck is the deal with Inspector Javert's obsession with ONE guy who stole bread as opposed to a murderer, or the horrible people who took in Cosette only to neglect and abuse the little girl.

And not to badmouth the movie or the play but; no singing. You can avoid the singing by reading this.

I would love to see more classic works from UDON if for nothing but to get the stories available to a wider audience of people. The art is great, the story is clear, and I was never bored reading them.

*He did come off as a jerk.

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Lenni Reviews: Thorn Jack by Katherine Harbour

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More dark fantasy! And with a heroine that I didn't get annoyed with! YAY!

*achem* Sorry about that. I think publishers know my weakness now.

Thorn Jack  by Katherine Harbour is a sad YA fantasy romance starring Serafina Sullivan - adorably called 'Finn' - who has relocated to her father's hometown of Fair Hollow after her sister kills herself. Right from the start, the town is surreal, populated by people who love to dress in gothic clothing and have memorized more poetry than I've probably read in my whole life. Right away, Finn catches the eye of a boy from the town's most powerful family - The Fantas -  Jack; who is of course much more than he seems.

I enjoy this story because the mystical creatures are tricky and dangerous. I have not read the old Scottish tale called Tam Lin, upon which this novel is based and I still haven't to make sure my review is about the book itself; which I can say I did very much enjoy. The characters are sharply built, the story is deep for a YA novel (I don't normally read those, as you may recall from my other reviews), and I can see Harbour took care with the pacing and development of the story. I can see where her talent will continue to grow as this series goes on if it does because the ending does imply more story to be told. There are some strange sentences, sometimes the story meanders a little; but once it's back on track the narrative doesn't disappoint. 

I do have to take a moment to talk about Serafina. It is gratifying to see a loyal strong woman in a YA novel who knows when to fight, knows when to retreat, and stands by her friends even at her own peril. She's still reeling from her sister's suicide but she squares her shoulders, even if they're shaking in fear, and does what needs doing.

Despite the small growing pains Harbour's writing has yet to go through (and don't take this as a harsh criticism, every writer goes through this. Including myself) I enjoyed this book. If you're into dark fantasy with a sweet love story where you're hip deep in Scottish mythology, I say give this book a try. If anything, the ending was completely satisfying and worth every page getting there.

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Lenni Reviews: The Stolen: An American Faerie Tale by Bishop O'Connell

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Caitlin comes home to a parent's worst nightmare, her child being kidnapped. What's worse, it's by fairies. A chance encounter at an art gallery brings the one person best suited to help get her daughter back; a berzerker warrior named Brendon. With him, a wizard named Eddie, and the magister of the Rogue Court, Dante; they embark on a multi-world mission to rescue Caitlin's daughter, Fiona, from the dark fae.

Again, another author spots my weakness; dark fantasy. There's a bit of a ramble getting the adventure started and small dragging moments in the narrative, but not a character is wasted here. You feel for all of them; Brendon's heartache, Caitlin's panic, Eddie's resolve, and Dante's sense of responsibility and loyalty. Learning and interacting with all the different kinds of fae as they journey to save Fiona, is handled in context and quickly. There isn't any long exposition or chapter breaks to describe each type of creature. You learn what you need to know at the time and the rest of the time is spent on the adventure itself. I don't personally mind such things but some do.

How it all worked out was unexpected and I was very pleased with that. The way everything was connected at the end wasn't so much as a surprise but it seemed fitting. It wasn't neat, it wasn't pretty, it wasn't happily ever after; but it fit. This counts for a lot in these days of cookie cutter paranormal romances flooding the market. An ending in a fantasy grounded in reality (somewhat) is a breath of fresh air.

I certainly hope this book has a sequel. The writing is efficient and crisp; I dived right into this world and I'm curious to see where things go from here. I would love to see this expanded and with such efficient writing, it leaves me wondering what O'Connell could do with this world next. 

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Lenni Reviews: "Queen of Dark Things" by C. Robert Cargill

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If you recall my review of the first book, I kinda fangirled all over the place. I'll try to control myself this time.

That being said? Holy CRAP, I love this book! I haven't fallen this deep in love with a morally ambiguous character of unknown potential since Cal Leandros! Queen of Dark Things has everything I love about dark urban fantasy; sorcerers, spirits, demons, magic, and STRATEGY! The character having a stratagem that, while not bringing a Lord of the Rings-esque conquering of evil, shows cunning and forethought by both the character and the author.

This book picks up where the first book left off, with Colby Stevens still dealing with the loss of his friend, Ewan. He's a drunken mess, bouncing from drink to drink til his fame comes around to kick him square in the ass. An old friend from the past shows up with world ending trouble in tow leaving Colby no choice but to face down his mistakes and deal with creatures of such darkness, they're even scared of one another.

Colby is shaping up to be one heck of a character. His growth (or lack there of) from the first to the second book is believable and holds frightening implications within the world of this series. As with the first book, the narrative is broken up with excerpts from Dr. Thaddeus Ray and the Pseudomonarchia Daemonum which kept me leaping from chapter to chapter wondering how the heck Colby was going to deal with the entities being described.

While the whole book feels more rushed than the first outing, Dark Things is a completely satisfying continuation. I look forward to seeing Colby reach even further heights. My only complaint is having to wait for the next one.

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Lenni Reviews: The Walking Dead Fall of the Governor Part Two

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In the continuing saga of some heretofore unknown desire to torture myself, it was with a heaving sigh that I picked up the fourth and final book in this "trilogy."

If you are just joining us, here is one, two, and three.

This last installment is the assault on the prison from the Woodbury resident's perspective. If you've read the previous books and/or the comics, it's pretty clear how The Governor has a stranglehold on the town and can get them to do whatever he wants so reading about how he got people from the prison, tortures Michonne, and Michonne getting her revenge but how The Governor manages to survive Michonne's attack is interesting. You get some more insights into Bob Stookey and Lilly Caul but even then, the whole thing falls flat. I still can't reconcile Lilly's transformation into The Governor's perfect soldier but this book does provide some back info as to why Lilly freaked out after (this should NOT be spoilers by now!) killing Lori and Judith. Personally, shooting unarmed women with babies is just wrong in and of itself but yeah, the back story is nice to know.

I don't want to give too much away but I will say the book does not end with the assault on the prison. You do get to find out what happens to Lilly and Woodbury in the aftermath of The Governor's death. It should not have taken four books to say what could have been said in a wicked cool side comic ("Re-Rise of Woodbury" perhaps?) and that is in the last 50 pages or so of just... Meh. All of it just feels like a deflated balloon. Things are wrapped up and explained but there's little punch to it. I will say, the writing stays on the level of Part One; to the point with plenty of gory zombie killin and 'splodin brains. If you don't like gore (then you're reading the wrong franchise) you may be turned off by all the muck here.

If I were to sum up all four, I would say the average fan could totally skip these and be just fine. If you're dying to know what happens to Lilly after the prison? Borrow book four and start at chapter seventeen. The books are jerky and boring. I didn't hate this one, I didn't roll my eyes, I'm even short on my usual biting sarcasm here; I just yawned a lot. Save your money for the comics.

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