Review: Battlefield Reclaimer and Aster Fall

Title:  Battlefield Reclaimer (Guardian of Aster Fall Book 1)

 https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B09CLKKF48

Aster Fall (Guardian of Aster Fall Book 2

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B09HJF498B/

Author: David North

Rating: 4.7/5 and 5/5

Comments: This book was biggest surprise I've had since War Vixen Bride.  It just kept popping up on my recommended list and I kept skipping over it until I didn't.  And I'm glad I didn't.

There are two things that really kept me with this book and its sequel.  The first is that creative ways that the protagonist finds to explore and innovate ways of using his magic.  Since he's the only one that has it, pretty much everything he does is based on "let's try this".  The second is the exceedingly rare way the author uses the protagonists family.  Rather than just being plot flags to attract misfortune, they are fully realized and useful characters the family dynamic is downright heartwarming.

These have my unreserved recommendation.  If there was one thing I would change it would be to make them not Litrpg, but even that mechanic has been folded into the narrative in an almost useful way.  Far better than most treatments of it.

I was rather surprised that I had reviewed another of North's books and didn't like it after reading these two.  I guess he learned something about pacing.

Bedroom Activities: None

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FTB/Explicit/None – Fade to black bedroom activities vs “Onscreen” vs No activities

Review: Battleborne Book 2

Title: Battleborne Book 2: Wrack and Ruin

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B09CNTQNV2/

Author: Dave Willmarth

Rating: 4.1/5

Comments:  Ok, so I read book 1 of this series so long ago I'd forgotten that I'd read it, but I sort of had an impression that I liked it, so when it came up as a "Continue a series you started" suggestion, I threw it on the "maybe" pile.  I picked it up when I had a lull, and I'm glad I did.  It's a pretty decent story and it kept my interest sufficient that I read it without getting distracted by another book.  Good characters and a large variety of them.  Plus dwarves, got to love that.

Bedroom Activities: None

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FTB/Explicit/None – Fade to black bedroom activities vs “Onscreen” vs No activities

Review: The Last Stand of Fox Company

Title: The Last Stand of Fox Company: A True Story of U.S. Marines in Combat

https://smile.amazon.com/Last-Stand-Fox-Company-Marines-ebook/dp/B008V43OBO/

Author: Bob Drury

Rating: 5/5

Comments:  This is my first non-fiction book review.  I do enjoy military history so this may become a semi-regular occurrence.

So this is the story of part of the Battle of the Chosin Reservoir.  It details the company that is tasked with holding a key chokepoint on the main supply route between Hagaru-ri and the Chosin.  Over a week the company held off attacks from 5 Chinese battalions in unbelievably brutal conditions.  The personal accounts border on unbelievable.  If you have any interest in military history, Marines, the Korean War, or just real life valor, I can't recommend this book enough.

Bedroom Activities: N/A

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FTB/Explicit/None – Fade to black bedroom activities vs “Onscreen” vs No activities