December Park is a dark, moody, atmospheric novel that is more psychological thriller and mystery than it is a horror novel. It takes place in the nineties in suburban Maryland. Angelo Mazzone and his group of outcasts obsess over a series of missing children in their area involving a potential serial killer called The Piper. Even though Angelo’s father is a detective investigating the case, he and his friends believe they can accomplish what the cops cannot, which is to find the killer and bring him to justice.
What I liked most about this novel was the quality of the writing. As I mentioned, it created a dark, brooding atmosphere that really added to the novel. I thought the characterization was also quite strong. Angelo and his friends were well done, not to mention Angelo’s father, who was a sympathetic and relatable character. The novel had a strong mystery component to it and a nice build-up. What I didn’t like was the ending, in particular the reveal of the Piper. That didn’t make much sense to me and I didn’t feel it was adequately explained. It did bring the novel down a bit but overall, it was still a strong read.
When I read the back cover of The Shards of Heaven, I found the concept tantalizing. I’m a big reader of both fantasy and historical fiction. The combination sounded fascinating, especially when setting it at the time of the Roman Empire with Mark Antony and Cleopatra.
I tend to be pretty critical in my reviews, but I can’t find much to criticize. The writing is exceptional. The pace was just right, with almost no slow spots to be found. I also enjoyed the characterization. The novel is chock full of memorable characters, especially Titus Pullo and Lucius Vorenus, who found themselves in the show Rome as well despite not being particularly well known historical figures. On both the Roman and Egyptian side, the characters are well-drawn from the main protagonists and antagonists to the side characters.
I also really enjoyed the fusion of history and fantasy. It was so well done that it was often hard to keep track of what may have historically happened and where the fantastical elements were inserted. I like the concept of the Shards of Heaven and how they were part of the staff of Moses/trident of Poseidon and the Ark of the Covenant. The novel started strong, finished strong, and didn’t sag anywhere in between. This novel was a winner and I look forward to reading the next book in the series.
The bar was raised quite high for me after reading The Shards of Heaven, the first installment in this trilogy. I thought the novel was absolutely brilliant. When my expectations are that high, the sequel generally doesn’t live up to my expectations. Not so with The Gates of Hell. I can’t decide if I liked it better than the first novel, but it’s a terrific and enjoyable book.
Part of it is the writing style. Michael Livingston is a terrific writer, a master of prose. His character development is truly something. An example of this is the character Octavian or Caesar Augustus, who was quite villainous in the first novel but becomes more sympathetic and likable in this book. Even the more loathsome characters like Tiberius and Thrasyllus are well done. But it’s also the way he blends fantasy with history in such a seamless fashion that sets this novel apart.
There are two separate storylines in this novel and they alternate from chapter to chapter. One storyline follows Juba and Selene as they journey with Augustus in Northern Spain, where they encounter a guerilla leader who controls another of the shards. The second storyline takes place in Egypt with the Ark of the Covenant. They are both compelling storylines with lots of drama and tension. I expected the two stories to eventually converge, but it never happened. My guess is that it will in the final installment of the trilogy.
This novel is well worth the read. It’s a winner and I can only hope that the final book in the trilogy can live up to the first two.
Eragon is a YA epic fantasy novel featuring a boy and his dragon. It’s a familiar story, so no major new ground is broken here. Eragon as a character is not overly compelling. He’s a bit whiny at times, and things come a bit too easy for him, and some of his fighting skills are more advanced than they should be given his age of fifteen. Where I thought the novel was strong was in the world-building. There was a fairly complex and well-developed governmental structure, whose power comes from the emperor who is also a powerful wizard. There was also a strong mythos with the dragon riders of old, who along with their dragons possess great power. They had all been wiped out, that is until Eragon’s discovery of the dragon egg and the hatching of Saphira.
Under the mentorship of an old dragon rider, Eragon goes on the customary journey that is almost a requirement in epic fiction, trying to escape from the clutches of the empire while simultaneously trying to hunt down agents of the Empire who are simultaneously trying to hunt him down, setting up a game of cat and mouse. Being a dragon rider he now finds himself in the middle of a struggle between the Empire and a rival faction of humans, elves, and dwarves. This all sets up for a major battle at the end of the novel.
The story was written at a good pace. There was both action and intrigue. There were certain things I didn’t like about this novel, but on balance, the good outweighed the bad, and I will continue to read more in this series.
The first Jumanji movie told the story in its entirety, and there was no real reason to make this movie other than the first movie was surprisingly successful and the studio behind it wanted to capitalize on that success. Given that caveat, this was basically a fun, popcorn movie that didn’t require much deep thought. It was much like the first movie, except this go around the returning characters started off knowing about their avatars and the game they were in with the exception of two new characters, played by Danny Devito and Danny Glover. An odd choice bringing in two older, veteran actors, but it worked. They gave the movie a new element by mixing up the avatars from the first movie. I especially enjoyed the Rock trying to portray the Danny Devito character and Kevin Hart trying to portray his older character as well. The actors seemed to have fun with it and overall put in strong performances.
Otherwise, the plot of the sequel was similar to the original. They once again had to travel through dangerous lands with an ultimate objective and trying to avoid getting killed three times in the process, a difficult task given that the two older characters seemed clueless about the game. There were fun and silly moments in this movie, certainly nothing deep or thought-provoking, but if you liked the first movie, you will like this one as well.
