I'm back...

Between working on my newest novel, having a three day migraine and the off and on again heat I haven't remembered to post over here have I? Well I thought why not post today?

The fun of having a tablet leaves me with so many things to read. I of course have spent time reading a lot of the comics I have on my computer. So this week I will be reviewing Graphic novel adaptions of novels.

First lets start with more work by one of my all time favorite authors, Jim Butcher. While he has been doing graphic novels between his novels, he has also had a few of his books turned into a graphic novel series. This weekend I settled back and read Fool's Moon. I know the novel really well since of course I have read it a few times. While I don't totally like how they drew my favorite characters I will say this was a lot of fun to read. A different feel of course than reading just the written word. The full colors and the way they dealt with the magic was rich and eye catching. So I obviously think this should be read by all you comic book lovers.

Next I decided to settle back and read the Mercy Thompson four part series. This takes place as far as I can tell before the first book in her series. Very much in the same style as Fool's Moon the colors are dark but rich. And once more they give you a clear idea of what the characters look like. I really enjoyed this one and of course recommend you read it.

Hopefully next week I will have a whole bunch of D&D comics to read and review. Just need to get them onto my tablet. Enjoy the world of color and words friends and have a great summer.

Its June and time for more reviews

This week I have a few reviews for you. the amount of manga that is up for reading is quite amazing. As with any other form of fiction, there are good and bad examples. This week I have reviews that cover that range. Enjoy!

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 First up one of the mangas that is a little older and complete

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Yuraru no Tsuki by Chika Shiomi

This fun manga is a cross of the high school love triangle and the magical/mystical story types that are so popular in manga/anime.

Yuraru is a cute high school girl who is being followed by ghosts that no one else seems to be able to see. When the school year starts she finds herself set between two very popular boys in the school.

Both boys have special abilities and can see these ghosts. Both boys tease her, yet they both really like her. When a ghost needs help to move on something different happens. Yuraru's form changes from the cute and short girl to a much taller and sexier long haired woman.

and thus the fun begins. One boy Mei, is in love with Yuraru in her cute form and the other, Yako, is in love with her in her sexy adult form.

How they work out things and what we learn about the other form is what makes this story is interesting. the characters are rich and fun and the art is amazing.

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Next we have another completed manga. This one is a bit darker but quite a good read

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A Million Tear Drops by Yuana Kazumi

Another of the manga types I like to call mysterious. Filled with pretty boys and a touch of dark magic, this manga is a fun read for the older reader.

We start out with a teen boy who notices that members of his basketball team are disappearing, and worse, no one seems to remember that they exist.  A new boy shows up at the school and things get really interesting from there. It seems that Hiromu is not who he thinks he is and that is girlfriend is not the girl he thinks.

A completed story that gets dark in the second volume this story is rich and filled with some very Japanese themes. Understanding who you really are and dealing with things like pain, loss and even death, this I would not recommend for readers under puberty but it is will worth it for the more mature reader.

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Finally we have one that well....just read the review

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Wing by Kim Youn Jung

Well I tried reading this one but it just didn't catch me. The first issue has the typical silly unfocused young girl who really is more concerned about food than geting to school on time. She is a bit of a knockoff Of Usagi from Sailor Moon. I had hoped I would find it better by the end of the issue but I was not even interested in opening the other issues. As sometimes happens this one just is a dud for me.

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There you go, three reviews for the price of one....and as this is a free blog you are quite lucky! I have more reviews all ready written for other manga but I will only do so many each week. Go, read, and enjoy. There is a world of comic books, graphic novels and manga for you to enjoy.

More Manga that you should try to read

In my series of reviews I thought I can just pay attention to the manga that are out there for a bit. As I have all ready reviewed Black Bird, you have a clue of what i mean. This week I have been digging through older manga for some fun.

The first one is Eatman by Akihito Yoshitomi. This manga came out back in the late 90s and is one of the odder ones from that time. Bolt Crank is an adventurer. He goes about doing jobs for those who hire him. The biggest difference? He eats guns, bolts, nuts, pretty much anything metal. When he needs them he can then have whatever he ate pop out of his hand.

This manga series was made into an anime which is how I was first introduced into Bolt. The manga gives us more information into his back story than the series that I have seen so far. It looks like there is a fem fatale, Stella who wants to turn the world into androids. And that is part of twist to this series. Is Bolt a human or is he this Leon they keep referring to? You have to read the manga to find out.

The second one is A Fairytale for a Demon Lord. Now this is actually a Korean manga and each issue is short. The imagery is pretty striking but the tale can be confusing. Either the copies i had were not in order or the story jumps around a bit. I definitely enjoyed this one for the confusion though. I was surprised in the last couple of issues because of the twists that were thrown in. This one is great for those who like things that are not easy to understand.

Another comic review....Black Bird...wait that is a manga!

Welcome back readers. As I said before I now have a tablet which I can read comics on. What a joy this is for sure. Moving all the ecomics I have over has been a trial for sure. Thank goddess for having a computer guru hubby. I just am not used to the android OS.

Now as the title says I am reviewing manga this week. One of the joys of the world wide web is the easy access to titles from around the world. Back in my more paper filled world I had discovered this sweetly dark magic filled series called Black Bird. In this series we have the typical cute young girl who is more than she seems. Misao seems like a slightly off young woman. She falls down a lot and cries at odd times. In reality this young woman is being swarmed by creatures that no one else can see. Mushi (remember those from Mushishi?) find her irristable.

In comes a handsome young man who also can see those 'demons' and offers to help her. Only problem is he is not what he seems. He gets her out of the open and then proceeds to attack her, claiming that he wants her blood! No he isn't a vampire. He is a demon and it turns out that Misao is something called a Senka. A once in a hundred years human girl who is born special. Demons who drink her blood will live longer and grow stronger, those that eat her flesh will become immortal and the one who 'embraces' her will become the head of their clan.

Yup another magic filled series. This one is at heart a romance though. Kyou comes to her rescue, fighting and chasing off the other demon. He is a tall and handsome young man who explains things to her. Though of course he is more than he seems. You see Kyou is a Tengu, a Japanese shapeshifting Crow spirit. very cool of course. It turns out he was Misao's closest friend when they were little and he went away ten years ago. He is back to claim her to be his bride and the story goes on from there.

So far I have read through to chapter 46 (issue 13) and I am thoroughly hooked on this one. The art is amazing, the characters are rich in the way that only Japanese myth characters can be and the love story has a sweetness that is quite often over looked. It does from time to time descend into cliche but for the most part this is a fabulous series. One well worth spending the time to pick up and read.

This week how about comics?

I received the gift of a tablet and I have been enjoying reading e copies of comics with it. One of the current trends in fantasy is authors doing short stories as graphic novels. From Jim Butcher to Sherrilyn Kenyon we get fill in stories that are richer in their own ways than the novels that bookmark them.

So far I have been reading what I can get my hands on. From Jim Butcher I have been enjoying reading War Cry, a short tale set after Harry was first drafted into being a warden. The images are dark and the story is like watching a serious action film. There are all the punches you want to see in good Urban fantasy. While I only have four issues so far this is really good. The first three issues are from Harry's POV and the fourth switches to his brother, Thomas' POV. Lots of fun is found inside the pages of this series and I can't wait to pick up the rest of this series as it comes out.

Another Butcher graphic novel is Ghoul Goblin. This one is set a lot earlier in Harry's career and deals with a contest between a ghoul and a goblin for who will kill the most members of a designated family. Again I have read the whole thing yet but another great tale from the pen of one of my all time favorite authors.

The first in the graphic novels done by Jim Butcher was Welcome to the Jungle. A four part graphic novel that was set very early in this universe. If you can pick up this one and start the world here. Like Mr Butcher's various short stories it really does add to your enjoyment to the world that he created.

I am working on picking up manga now to read on my tablet. Having a wee bit of trouble but soon it should work.

Now for something different...a comic book review

Yup I know I have been doing short story reviews and images over here but this week I got the gift of my very own tablet. So of course the first thing I did...access digital comics! The hubby is a tech guru and has managed to set me up so I can read comics. The first thing I did was go and get the newest Elfquest series. The Final Quest. I am happily reading through these as fast as I can (okay only the first time and yes i will read it over and over)

The first story brought me right back into why I adore this series. The issue brought me all the way back to the first issue I read way back in 1982. The sights and stories...wow. The Pinis are some of the most amazing creators I have read over the years.

Yes i call them creators. They write, draw and edit the whole thing and that makes them creators.

This first issue is bringing the elves of this scattered world back together with new characters, new relationships and new troubles. It is supposed to tie up all the various dangling threads that exist in the older world of Elfquest and I think I spotted a note that they will be gathering together the strings from Future Quest and completing that too!

As a fan I have been waiting oh so many years for these stories to be completed. And I will be breathlessly waiting for each and every issue.

My take on mysteries

Okay lately if you have been following my book reviews over on booklikes you can see that I have been reading a lot of mysteries. I like the ones that have a touch of fun in them. Be it a witch using her wonky magic to figure out who committed the crime, or a talented older gentleman with a twitchy mustache and a cat with 60 whiskers or a young woman who runs a vintage clothing store. All of these tales have a bit of fun and a lot of mystery.

I have heard a number of people who seem to have trouble with this. Like that a lighter mystery should not be written, that they should all be dark procedural type stories. Well I disagree of course. I totally enjoy reading things that are just off the beaten path, so to speak. In a world that is rather dark lately i is nice ot be able to read something a wee bit lighter.

If you are wondering what I am talking about well go over to my book review blog

http://sutekowriter.booklikes.com/

I have reviewed both new and old books, traditionally published and indie, paperback/hardcover and ebooks. It is a bit of a cross section of what I read obviously. We, as readers, need to try to read lots of different types of books and in today's world we have so many choices. Don't decide something isn't worth reading just because it is not in your favorite genres or is not trad or indie. You need to keep an open mind.

I don't have a short story review for you this week so I will do a few pics. With all the trouble lately with people posting images I think maybe I should stick to posting images of my own

Okay these are oldies for me. I drew them a long time ago and they are characters from my stories...mostly...that blonde one I am not sure who she is yet. Next week I will probably just toss up a few images of critters, who knows right?

And just for a bit of fun how about a nice drabble to end this blog?

Giving a lift to a friend.

I gave a lift to my slow friend yet all he did was tell me to slow down. He needed to be at the altar by the time the sun was lowering to the ground, but still he thought I was moving too fast. Really? Me, going too fast? A tortoise I am and proud of it. Just because he is a snail doesn’t mean he can tell me I am going too fast. I mean come on! His brother raced past us just this morning. I told him that I would get him there on time, and I will. 

(Yeah I know it isn't mine but it is funny!)

More pretty images to make your day

It might be cold enough that I am wearing hand warmers, three pairs of socks and three sweaters (thanks so much roommate for leaving your window open when it is freezing outside) but there is nothing as nice as looking at lovely images and sharing them with you!

Art worth looking at

Yup more fun art. I don't have a short story review for you this time but i do have more art after all.

Gotta love fantasy images right? Each week I will do more of them

A Different Drabble for St Patrick's Day

Thought I would write something quick for the day...here you go!

Wear Your Green

Come sit with me, my friend. The grass is still hidden by white, but listen to closely and you will hear a pipe on the wind. Spring is nearly here and the small folk are getting ready. Put on your green and look for them. If you are lucky you just might see a leprechaun, but don’t try and trick them. Those legendary pots of gold are not for you and you will just make them angry. Instead offer them a drink, a bit to eat and listen to their tales of days gone by. Just don’t mention Saint Patrick!

A review and art, what else?

Today I thought I would comment on a short story from Bitten by Cupid. This anthology only had three tales in it but they were good ones.

The story I am reviewing from this collection is Vampire Valentine by Lynsay Sands. Another story in her Argeneau stories. In this one we meet Mirabeau and Tiny. Mirabeau is a female hunter who lost her family at the tender of of 17 and Tiny is a human who works for the family. Together they are in charge of taking Stephanie to safety. This story is almost up her usual well written tales. As always she gives us rich characters with back stories that make you want lots more. In fact that problem is is that she did not quite finish the story. Two or three more pages would have made this novella go from great to amazing. It is obvious to me that Ms Sands is not quite used to writing in the shorter form. As a writer of short stories I can understand how hard it is to work in that form. She is a really great author and I plan on reading as many of those books as I can.

Now how about some lovely fantasy art from the past?

Another blast from the past or art that I think is amazing

This week I don't have a review for you. I have been busy doing so much else that I just didn't remember I needed to do one. So instead I thought  I would put up a bunch of lovely images that are hiding inside of my hard drive. The past forty years have given us some amazing book covers and just plain art.

These pieces are some of the most interesting I have. I have them listed as Bell but if you look on the images you will see Valient at the bottom corner and Julie. I believe the artist is Julie Bell, who was married to one of my all time favorites, Boris Valejo. These are almost photo realistic pieces of art. You can almost hear the movement of these people and creatures.

A short story review and of course art again

Well this week I decided I needed to review one of the tales from the anthology, The Solaris book of New Fantasy. Now just so you know I did review the whole book over on Booklikes and this is not one of my favorite anthologies because it tries to be something it is not. But having said that there was one tale that touched my heart and made it worth the money I had paid for the book.

That tale is The Song Her Heart Sang by Steven Savile. This tale is a type of love story written in fantasy. As someone who has done a few fantasy romances in the past year, I have come to really understand how hard it is to mix the two genres. .

This tale has a man who goes to a lost city to find something to help his love see for the first time. His travails are what you would expect of a man who is not an adventurer heading into danger but his motivation is what makes this tale both heartwarming and strong. Of all the tales in this book, this one is the best.

Now for some pretty pictures right?

This week I didn't go for a specific artist because I just wanted something pretty and of course faeries, dragons and unicorns are some of the prettiest things I have.

Blasts from the past or story reviews and art images

Well a new thing I planned on for this blog was to showcase both art from the past masters from my personal image collection and reviews of the stories that stick out to me in an anthology.

Anthologies are of course a collection of short stories. The difference between say the collection I am putting out this week, Mythos of Love, and the anthology Space Opera is a very basic one. A collection is just that, a collection of tales written by the SAME author. An anthology is a collection of short stories written by many authors.

The anthology, Space Opera is in fact a collection of twenty stories written by twenty different authors. This collection from 1996 has some of the very best authors from science fiction and fantasy. Masters of the genres who, in some cases, have already passed over the rainbow bridge to the next life. From Anne McCaffrey to Marion Zimmer Bradley these tales are what I want in an anthology. Unlike the book I just reviewed over on my Booklikes.com blog, this collection is well worth the read.

Now as to the story that touched me the most.Calling them Home by Jody Lynn Nye just stuck with me. A fifteen page tale, yet it had everything I love in fiction. A character who is different, for a science fiction character that is.

The story is about a woman who works alone at a beacon station. Basically like a lighthouse in space, she runs the place and helps keep traffic moving in the great deepness of space. When systems go down she has to figure out some way to help those out there who might get lost and damaged by a space storm (okay there was a better name for it but I don't remember that part) She uses her own voice and the songs she has collected to guide ships home. A truly interesting take on the lighthouse keeper in my mind and one that rests inside my memory.

It doesn't look like she has released any of her short stories as singles but if you are interested in getting some of her work, she is on Amazon just like me!

Jody Lynn Nye Amazon author page

And like last week I thought I would put up some art from my massive collection of images. All rights of course belong to the original artist and not me. This week I thought I would put up some of Wayne Andersoon's work. This amazing artist has a very unearthly flair to the pieces I have seen. With faeries what else could a fan of fantasy want?

ARrrrggghhhhhhhh lets try this one more time

Some days you just can't get your post to take. Today is one of those days.

So how about I just put up some fabulous art from the 70s and 80s that graced science fiction and fantasy novels?

Fine art from the great Boris Valejo. Look for more soon.

A look back at how I read and review

Well with 2014 finished up I thought I would actually do a big look back. As I have commented in other blogs I have been reviewing what books I read as I can. See as a writer I know how important it is to have honest reviews of your work out there. I don't trash talk in my reviews and I certainly don't just give pollyanna high level reviews.I rank things from two stars to five stars on a scale that can be confusing to a lot of people but makes total sense to me.

I look at the overall story, the flow from scene to scene, if the dialog seems real to the characters, if the characters have some little bit in them that makes them relatelbe and most importantly was it a good story.

Now I looked back to my first reviews back in 2006 till now. 756 titles that I have either reviewed or ranked since 2006 in many different genres. I have read mysteries, fantasy, science fiction, westerns and romances, just to name a few.

Of the reviews only twenty of the books ended up with two star reviews. I have done 87 three stars, 157 four stars, 16 with 4.5 stars and 472 five stars....looks like I have been a very very lucky reader in that most of the books I have had to pleasure of reading have been worth five stars.

So why did I spend two whole days going back over all the reviews and rankings I did over four different sites? Let me tell you, to reaffirm what I know as a reader and a writer, that there is all kinds of amazing stories out there. That you need but pick up a book, an ereader, turn on your computer and read. There is a world of good fiction out there. Not just Traditionally published books or indie published, hard copy or ebooks, it is fiction, fiction of all kinds that makes it worth reading.

See I saw an news blurb about Zuckerberg, the creator of Facebook putting together his own page for books and a reading challenge of one book every two weeks and what does he pick for people to read? A nonfiction book about how to be a rich man? Really...with the power he has he could be opening people up to realms of imagination and he does a book about how you can be a successful enterpener...that is so typical and expected. I had hoped a young man who founded something pretty much like science fiction all those years ago would have more imagination.  Sadly nope.

So if you read my blog, do this. Pick up a fiction tale. I don't care what genre, don't care what length, what format but do it. Read something that is out of the imagination of a writer. Wrap yourself in the story, stretch the muscles that you let atrophy from your childhood and imagine. Then review that book, that short story and let the world know just how amazing that story was and how it made you feel.