Review: Tamer 7

Title: Tamer:  King of the Dinosaurs - book 7

Tamer: King of Dinosaurs - book.7
 

Author: Michael Scott- Earle

Rating: 3.8/5

Comments:  Ok, I used to really like Tamer.  It was (is?) a fun series with some decent characters, and dinosaurs.  That being said, after 7 books I'm not really sure if there's an over-arching story arc, or if it's just a perpetual serial like the Hardy Boys, Nancy Drew, or Tom Swift.

Anyway, it doesn't suck, but I'm not sure I'm going to give him more money for book 8.

Bedroom Activities: Explicit

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Review: Monster Hunter Bloodlines

Title:Monster Hunter Bloodlines (Monster Hunters International Book 8)

https://www.amazon.com/Monster-Hunter-Bloodlines-Hunters-International-ebook/dp/B09BRC4M48
 

 

Author: Larry Corriea

Rating: 5/5+

Comments:  I am a huge fan of the Monster Hunter International series, it being one of the few traditional published series I read, and buy in hard copy.  This one does not disappoint.  Larry has managed to blend humor, action, and heart into a series that started as a "What would happen in a monster movie if the humans were actually competent and armed?" writing idea.

If you haven't read it, I highly recommend the series, and the first book is free as an e-book.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00APAH7PQ

Bedroom Activities: None

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Review: Silver Fox & The Western Hero book 6

Title: Silver Fox & The Western Hero: Warrior's Path

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09C45GQNG/
 

 

Author: M.H. Johnson

Rating: 5/5

Comments:

At the end of book 5 Our Hero had beaten most of the obstacles thrown in his path and things looked like they might be taking a turn for the better.

Book 6 throws some new wrinkles at Alex, and some old ones, but overall he's starting to kick ass and take names, which is what we've been rooting for for the previous 5 books.

All in all, a great sequel, and probably the best story of the series so far.

Bedroom Activities: none

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Review: Oh Great! I was Reincarnated as a Farmer

Title:Oh Great! I was Reincarnated as a Farmer: A LitRPG Adventure : (Unorthodox Farming: Book 1)

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B094CSB51K/

 

Author: Benjamin Kerei

Rating:3.8/5

Comments: Ok, I read this because I needed something I thought would be pretty light and easy.  It was that.  Pretty decent story, had some definite laugh-out-loud parts which is always a great thing.  Ultimately I don't know if I'll read the next one, but I did enjoy this one.  

Honestly, I'm glad I read it just for the ghost.  That's what took it from a "It didn't suck" to "Pretty fun"

Bedroom Activities: None

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Review: TAP 3: Kill

Title: TAP 3: K.I.L.L.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09BB8LF8L/

Author: Cebelius

Rating: 5/5+

Comments:Not going to lie, I think this was better than book 2 and might actually be better than book 1.  

Not really much to quibble about, this is a fun and highly entertaining book.  I can't really think of any instances of "ok get on with it".  Lots of funny bits, and nods to other authors.  Just go read it.

Bedroom Activities: FTB

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Review: Fight Town: Inspiration

Title: Fight Town: Inspiration

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B099MN1GNR/

Author: Hondo Jinx

Rating: 4.9/5

Comments:

As previously established, I like Hondo's work.  He typically has a certain persona for his protagonists that was consistent.  I say was because in Fight Town he breaks out of his well trodden paths and breaks new ground for his protagonist character development.  I'm pleased to report it works well and the overall story is very strong.  There are some points on the meta-story I'm not in love with, but hey it's not a deal killer and it's not like he's the first author to use that plot device so I'm only docking him .1 point.  

Oh and if you are a boxing fan, you'll really appreciate all the time he put on the boxing details.  He might have gotten some things wrong, but as a non-boxing-fan, I couldn't tell.

Bedroom Activities: Explicit

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Review: Noble Solutions (Binding Words 7)

Title: Noble Solutions (Binding Words 7)

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B099NV89F6/  

Author: Daniel J. Schinhofen

Rating: 5/5

Comments:

This felt like the end of an arc, and upon checking with Mr. Schinhofen it is indeed the end of the first arc of the Binding Words epic, and it was a very good finale.  Epic crafting, duels, dastardly betrayals, and of course True Love.  I suppose if you didn't like the first 6 books you might not want to read this, but if you're just on the fence, you owe it to yourself to see how things turn out. Sean didn't start the fight, but he's going to end it.

Bedroom Activities: Explicit

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Review: Lightfoot 2

Title:  Lightfoot 2

https://www.amazon.com/Lightfoot-2-Joe-Kuster-ebook/dp/B099HVXC3V

Author: Joe Kuster

Rating: 5/5

Comments:

This is the cleverly titled sequel to Lightfoot  https://curmudgeon-book-reviews.blogspot.com/2020/11/review-lightfoot.html

This is a great sequel.  The characters stayed true to their established personas but still grew in an understandable way.  There were new arrivals, and plenty of "fun with Faith."

Joe really sets up a lot of future plot hooks in this one which is great to see.  This is really a must read unless you hated the first one, in which case I have no idea why you're reading this review.

Wait a sec old fart, why isn't this one a 5+?  Is it as good as the original?  Objectively, probably.  Was it as surprising and fresh as the first?  Subjectively, no; because, to be honest, Joe's a victim of his own success.  I expect his books to be good.  Going into book one I had no idea what I was getting into since I had avoided reading his preview chapters, it was all fresh and exciting.  So it boils down to, reviews are all subjective.

Bedroom Activities: Explicit (marked)

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Review: Oathbound: A Progression Fantasy

Title: Oathbound: A Progression Fantasy (Surgecaller Book 1)

https://www.amazon.com/Oathbound-Progression-Fantasy-Surgecaller-Book-ebook/dp/B091YJXX4P/

Author: Todd Herzman

Rating: 3.8/5

Comments:

This was a decent story, for most of the book.  To be honest, by the end I skipped a good chunk of the "action" sequences because I they just weren't holding my interest.  There was a twist at the end which may lead me to eventually pick up book 2, but I'm on the fence about it.

Bedroom Activities: none

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Review: War's Edge: Blood & Steel

Title: War's Edge: Blood & Steel 

https://www.amazon.com/Wars-Edge-Ryan-W-Aslesen-ebook/dp/B096T7371W/

 

Author: Ryan Aslesen

Rating: 4/5

Comments:

This is the sequel to Dead Heroes.  https://curmudgeon-book-reviews.blogspot.com/2021/05/review-wars-edge-dead-heroes.html

This is my third review of a Ryan Aslesen book, and it's another good mil-sf read, I guess I'm a fan.  The war is heating up and the action is good. 

If I had one quibble it's that his space combat sequences are way too close to wet navy narratives.  There's references to "listing" and such where I had Newton in the back of my mind going "it doesn't work like that."

Other than that, you've got the POV shifts to other characters who are there for some reason I haven't fathomed yet.

Bedroom Activities: none

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CBR update

Apologies to everyone, my reading pace fell off a bit over the last few weeks, and I haven't had much content to put up.  I have a stack of about 5-6 books that I have started and haven't finished, but haven't given up on yet either.  I have 3 reviews to do and I hope to get them done today.

Review: Between Worlds Two

Title: Between Worlds Two (The Occupation Saga Book 2)

Amazon.com: Between Worlds Two (The Occupation Saga Book 2) eBook: Williams, J.L.: Kindle Store

Author: J.L. Williams 

Rating: 4.5/5

Comments:

I really enjoyed book 1 of this series, and book 2 is also good. I have some quibbles with the story and some character actions but they are quibbles.  

The author writes and posts this on Reddit and Patreon as he goes.  I think this method allows some anomalies to sneak in that a good pass with a story/content editor would catch.

Even with my quibbles, I'll be reading it as he posts it because it is a lot of fun.

Bedroom Activities: Explicit

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Review: Microbrewer Alchemist: Book 1

Title: Microbrewer Alchemist: Book 1 

Amazon.com: Microbrewer Alchemist: Book 1 eBook: Svenson, Jon: Kindle Store

Author: Jon Svenson  

Rating: 4.25/5

Comments:

This book is, in my opinion, incorrectly categorized as a children's book on Amazon.  I absolutely would not let children read it.   Drug use, alcohol, marital infidelity, and violence are not what I consider "kid friendly" but maybe that's just me.

Now, for an adult, it's a pretty good story.  If you are a fan of brewing and beer, even more so as he goes into a lot of brewing detail.

It's slice of life, so if you don't want to hear about what they have for dinner, or driving to work, it will probably drive you nuts.  Honestly I think people who like Schinhofen books would like it, although there's no explicit bedroom times.

I'll be curious to see what book 2 brings as the end of book 1 had some big bombs.

Bedroom Activities: FTB

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Review: War God for Hire Book 2

Title: War God for Hire- Adventurer: A Reincarnation, Cultivation Adventure

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B094ZC881G/
 

Author: David Burke

Rating: 4.5/5

Comments:

This is a pretty strong sequel to book 1.  Admittedly I was in the mood for a book where I could somewhat check out when I read it, but I enjoyed the ride.

This book gave a good bit more meat to the main story and you find out that some things were not as they first appeared, so there's some growth for the protagonist.

Bedroom Activities: Explicit

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Review: Courts and Cabals 3

Title: Courts and Cabals 3

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B096MPR1TZ/

Author: G.S. D'Moore

Rating: 3.9/5

Comments:

Well first off, I think this was a better book than book 2  The narrative flow seemed better despite the jumping around.  

Story-wise there are some plot points that seem to be directly in response to some of the more vocal subgroups of the genre, which are fine, but it seemed incongruous as it changed some basic assumptions from book 1.

There is some decent character growth for the protagonist, and we get some new characters.

All in all, a serviceable sequel and an improvement over book 2.  There are some very definite time bombs in the story arc and it will be interesting to see what happens when they start going off.

Bedroom Activities: Explicit

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Review: The First Course

Title: The First Course: Book One of The Omegas Series

https://www.amazon.com/First-Course-Omegas-SuperHarem-Adventure-ebook/dp/B082Z4JXF9/

Author: Ashus Evinco

Rating: 4.2/5

Comments:

Honestly with the blurb I didn't expect a lot from this story, it was just too odd of a premise, but it was recommended by Cebelius, so I thought I would check it out.  I was pleasantly surprised to find the story flow was good, the characters were varied, and there was good development through the story.  At one point I was starting to wonder if I was delving into another "story" where it was just a loose collection of ideas connecting a string of sex scenes, but that turned out to not be the case.

A pretty solid first book, I will watch for book 2.

Bedroom Activities: Explicit (frequent)

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Review: Luck's Voice 3

Title:Breaking the Bank (Luck's Voice Book 3)

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B096X82K1X/

Author:Daniel Schinhofen

Rating:4/5

Comments: 

 Slice of life, Weird West, and Schinhofen, I think fans of the mix will like this installment a lot.    Amazon currently has a 5 star rating with 334 reviews.  I think this one had fewer "Wow" moments than the first two, which is why I brought it down a little.  

I think DJ must have had a conundrum as he was writing it, which is when to end it.  The ending snuck up on me and I was surprised to find myself there.  We were on the cusp of important events!   I'm sure he wanted to keep going, but was coming up against his size target, and perhaps a little wariness about ending on a cliffhanger based on previous experiences.

Bedroom Activities: Explicit

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Review: Heretic Peacekeeper

Title: The Heretic Peacekeeper: Chinese Cultivation Fantasy in a Cyberpunk Future China (The Nine Heavens and Ten Earths Book 1)

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08TLV5N3W

Author: Jeremy Bai

Rating:4/5

Comments: This setting has some interesting twists, and is still a little mysterious even at the end of the first book, which honestly is good because it leaves more to be discovered later plus it means that the author didn't beat us over the head with infodumps in book 1.

Overall, pretty decent book.  There's not a lot of cultivation in it, but the story introduces the why of that, and it sets up more in book 2.  The cultivation system seems pretty unique too.

Bedroom Activities: None

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