(Magical Love Affair)
Genre: Fantasy
Will Laurence is the captain of the British warship, Reliant. They had just fought a one sided battle with a French ship and are now on board the vessel making sure the remaining French Naval personnel are secure and conducting a detailed search.
What they find is remarkable.
A dragons egg, that has hardened (meaning it will soon hatch). Not quite sure how to proceed, since the egg will hatch before they make land, Laurence selects a number of crew members with no attachments (wives, kids, etc) for the dragon to select as it’s soul-mate / rider (himself included). When the dragon makes it’s selection, the two of them will be transferred to aviation where they will help protect England from French invasion (Napoleon Bonaparte).
One bright sunny day about a week later, the egg hatches while everyone on board watched in awe. Mr. Carver was the selected soul-mate for the dragon. He stepped forward, but, the dragon ignored him. Once it was ready, the dragon moved around inspecting the ship and the people. Occasionally, it would stop and look a person in the eye….then move on.
Laurence was disappointed.
“Still exploring, the dragon came past him; it sat up on its haunches to look at him inquisitively, and Laurence gazed down at it in unconcealed sorrow and dismay.
It blinked at him; he noticed its eyes were a deep blue and slit-pupiled, and then it said, “Why are you frowning?”
Thus starts a remarkable love affair between the dragon and Laurence. Laurence, not knowing the conventions of the aviation world (to pick a Greek name), named the dragon: Temeraire and the dragon accepted that name……then declared he was hungry.
“His Majesty’s Dragon” is a magical read. Since England and France are at war, there is a lot of action on the ground, “dogfights” in the air, and, unfortunately, death. But, the love between Laurence and Temeraire conquers all.
This is the first in a series and I am definitely looking forward to reading the rest of the books.
Another year! Yikes….lots of books, not enough time.
Get busy!! :-)
Genre: Fantasy
(Epic)
“A Clash of Kings” is the second book of the “A Song of Ice and Fire” series, and is VERY long (nearly 1,000 pages). I started reading the book, then Christmas rolled around and Santa brought me a Nook Simple Reader. I downloaded (and paid for) the Nook version and finished “A Clash of Kings” on the Nook.
Continuing where “A Game of Thrones” left off there are now several Kings claiming to be the true ruler. Brothers Renly and Stannis Baratheon, young Robb Stark, and Joffrey Baratheon are the main contenders vying to take over rule (Joffrey is the currently recognized King).
The “Imp”, Tyrion Lannister, is now the Kings Hand and plans the defense of Kings Landing.
Renly and Stannis plan an attack on Kings Landing, but, must battle each other before they can attack. Robb is defending the North, while is bastard brother, Jon Snow, is taking care of his duties as a member of the Nights Watch guarding the Wall.
Robb’s little sister, Arya, has escaped Kings Landing only to be captured and put to work in Harrenhal castle. Sister Sansa is still planning to be married to Joffrey.
Daenerys Stormborn (Targaryen) is now the mother of three dragons, and is planning to enter the fray on the mainland to claim her rightful place as Queen.
There is no way I can summarize “A Clash of Kings” sufficiently well in this blog.
Brutal, gory battles, with the introduction of black magic, deceit, and dragons. A rousing epic that will keep you on the edge of your seat and firmly entrenched in the world of fantasy.
There is no ending, and interestingly since I was reading it on the Nook, I was surprised when it ended.
Enjoy.
A couple of years ago, I was DEAD set AGAINST e-readers. I thought the world was ending and I made it perfectly clear that I would NEVER stop reading a “real book”. The smell and feel of a good book….sorry I will never get an e-reader. NEVER!
Fast forward a year or so, and Lori bought me a Nook e-reader for Christmas or Birthday…I forget which (AH!! It was Father’s Day 2010). It was nice. I read my first book on it (“Prime” by Nate Kenyon, see my review). The book was great, but, so was the Nook. And I got a free coffee at B&N just by showing them my Nook. NEVER?
Fast forward to today (Dec 27, 2011), and I am debating visiting Galen at Barnes & Noble Tracy, CA to see how hard it would be to return all the books I got for Christmas and putting them on my NEW NOOK Simple Touch e-reader. Long live the NOOK!
Why the change?
Hmmmm, let me list a few reasons:
1. New books don’t smell the way they used to, or my nose ain’t as good as it used to be.
2. I have decided that it is the author’s writing that matters. And that won’t stop without books. Not only that…the author is free’er to express themselves. Read Barry Eisler’s e-short story “The Lost Coast” (my review) to see what it is like to read a freed up Eisler. WOW!
3. After reading the entire Harry Potter series (mostly in hardcover) and now the “Game of Thrones” paperbacks my arms, fingers, and hands are TIRED!
4. I can go to B&N, sit in my normal seat, chat with Galen, and use the Nook to read locally available books, buy a book, lend a book, or show a coupon for more coffee.
5. I am a geek after all….and these things are getting good!
Using it
The Nook is super easy to use. I can flip the pages just like I do in a book…I just swipe my finger on the screen and I am on a new page. I like the default font and size, but, that can be changed. The clarity is amazing! See the picture below (click to enlarge).
I can buy a book, subscribe to a magazine or newspaper, and if I really wanted to, connect to FB, Twitter, and / or my Google email (but…I will NOT do any of those).
I can press the screen in the middle of the page and get the time, the battery usage, the title of the book, and more.
When I am writing a book review, I can search!
It is light, easy to hold, and very easy to read.
Why did I pick the non-color Nook Simple Touch?
While sitting here at AltamontCowork…I surf the Internet, check my email, hit Facebook, Google+, etc. etc. on my computer. At home, I surf the Internet, check my email, hit Facebook, Google+, etc. etc. on my computer or cell phone.
The Color Nook (or similar Amazon Fire and other “Tablets”) are good at doing what I already am damn tired of doing all day long, and not very good at letting me READ by the pool in the bright California sunshine.
When I read…I want to READ. The object is to get away from reality and into my own fantasy world (mind out of the gutter!!!), I don’t want my book to bing me when an email arrives, and I damn sure don’t want to surf the Internet before Harry fights Voldemort, or Mich Rapp kicks some ass, or heads fly at Winterfell.
The Nook Simple Reader is just that….a Simple Reader. I can read anywhere (I have a light I used with books in the dark or in daylight by the pool) and all I want to do with it is: READ (and the e-ink is awesome).
As long as it stays reliable (my old Nook needed frequent re-booting) I am happy.
STILL reading George R.R. Martin! Wow….a BIG book! But loving it….
There are 20 new Thrillers for your reading pleasure! Enjoy and Merry Christmas to all!
Rating: 5 WaterTowers
Readers: This is my first “Guest” book reviewer! Tom Alexander is a lifelong (truly he has known me ALL of my life) friend. After high school Tom was accepted to, and attended, the United States Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point, NY. While there he met….R.E. McDermott. I thought Tom’s expertise in all things merchant marine would be best suited for a review of “Deadly Straits”….and he accepted the challenge!
Thank you, Tom, awesome review!!! And thank you, Robert for writing such a great book!
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Review by Tom Alexander, The Lightship Group, LLC
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Don’t you just love to find something new? Be in at the start of something? Uncover a true gem hidden amongst your surroundings?
Well, with new author R.E. McDermott’s first book, “Deadly Straits”, here is an opportunity.
McDermott is one of those guys who had a career that, early on as a merchant mariner, gave him ample opportunity to read other peoples’ works; then later as a marine technical manager, required him to travel the waterfronts of the world, living and working, observing and experiencing…….one of those ”Someday, I’m gonna’ write a book” careers. And then he did.
The result is nothing short of phenomenal.
A techno-thriller with all the juice…..well-defined characters hop-scotching through real-life exotic locales, experienced ship operations and technology, and moments hanging in the balance; all masterly blended into a believable plot of world-wide terror, guiltless killers with nefarious goals, suspense, untenable situations and ……..(read it!).
The main character of the book, Tom Dugan, is a marine engineer who operates, surveys, and repairs ships around the world. He is unique in that he is a highly skilled and educated professional, but is not afraid to get his clothes and hands dirty….maybe even a little grease in his hair. He is the type of person who can be relied upon for everything: from cajoling a pompous, sniffy bureaucrat, to organizing and supervising a shipyard’s work around the clock, and doing it himself if necessary. Unlike many heroes of fiction, he is not a trained killer, or even black-ops. His fortes are his knowledge, perception and guile; his ability to take action when and how he sees fit; and his capacity to absorb just about any abuse that comes his way.
The victims all have their own well-developed and unique personalities, adding depth and richness to the book; and the villains comprise a variety of fanatical no-gooders with no use for anyone or thing that does not promote their scheme, and ruthless acts for anyone who is in the way.
The plot is entirely possible and realistic, and it is here that McDermott’s background and knowledge shines through. We already know that terrorists have used aircraft as weapons of destruction, and we must only assume that they have studied the use of ocean going vessels similarly. We also know that the hi-jacking of unarmed merchant ships has become a commonplace occurrence nowadays.
As the name of the book implies, the “Deadly Straits” story is built around the very real scenario of terrorists gaining control of loaded ocean tankers and using them as weapons in straits, the pinch points in the world flow of ocean traffic. McDermott uses his knowledge of ship operations and design to devise terrorist plans that anyone familiar with ships knows are plausible….the scariest aspect of this book is that it is only fiction because it has not occurred yet, not because it is a fictitious premise.
Go out and get this book, and discover a brand new and thoroughly enjoyable talent on the literary scene! Read it, and if you are like me, you will find yourself anxiously awaiting the next appearance of Tom Dugan and company!
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Highest bidder wins a character name in the next Kelli Stanley, Miranda Corbie, mystery!
THANK YOU Kelli!!!! Readers: Please keep Kelli in your hearts and prayers this holiday season. Both of her parents are very ill and she needs our support.
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Drive Safe! Never Forget.
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