The Librarians and the Pot of Gold by Greg Cox

Many thanks go to NetGalley and to the publisher, Macmillan-Tor/Forge, for allowing me to read an advance readers copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A few years back, I watched three TV movies all about The Librarian, a swashbuckling treasure seeker somewhere between Indiana Jones and George of the Jungle. He was a clumsy, funny, and yet strangely engaging character who wanted to rescue relics and return them to The Library. I enjoyed all of them and was disappointed at there only being the three. I later discovered a series that was made following three new Librarians, which kept the same charm of the books but added new dimensions to character as everyone was different. Again, this was an excellent series. This book, The Librarians and the Pot of Gold, is based on the TV series, and is the third such book to be published.

The basic premise is the the Serpent Brotherhood are back and this time they are seeking for the mythical Pot of Gold at the end of a rainbow, the Leprechauns pot that has unlimited gold. After a series of Irish-related mysteries come knocking at the Library annex in Portland, Oregon, it's up to the Librarians to put the pieces of the mysteries together and, of course, to stop the Brotherhood getting the pot first.

I could rally picture the characters from the series in the book. They way of speech and their mannerisms were perfectly clear to me which is very important in a book based on a TV show...imagine reading a Star Trek book where Spock has emotions, and you'll understand the importance! The plot is lively, there is humour in the conversations and the writing style makes for a fast paced book which is sure to hold the attention of most readers.

On the negative side, the plot is a little predictable in places, and would also not be a good place to start for new comers to the world of the Library. Once you've watched the TV movies and the series, you'll appreciate the charm this book has to offer a whole lot more.

Star rating: 4/5

This book is available now

The Book of Humans

Many thanks go to NetGalley and to the publisher, The Experiment, for kindly allowing me to read an advance readers copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion.

All my life, I've had a love for animals and all the ingenious ways they have of surviving and fighting for the future. Yet, I've never had the opportunity to fully compare their behaviour to our own, and also to find out about us as a species. Well, The Book of Humans, by the British biologist Dr Adam Rutherford, was a great book for finding out more.

The book is divided into a few simple parts: Tools; Sex; and The Paragon of Animals. The first part compares our use of tools with those of differing species of animal. I knew about chimpanzees using tools to get termites or ants out of holes, but I didn't realise that some birds even use fire to help them hunt, and will start fires to do so! It was fascinating!

The second part was also interesting, especially when it talked about different aspects of sexuality in animals...for example bears performing fellatio, and the ever promiscuous bonobos! This is the chapter where Rutherford's humour most stood out for me.

The final part is more about the genetics and evolution of our species and, from that perspective helped to understand how we evolved art and speech, among our many attributes.

We our not as unique as you think, that's the overall message of this book, and I would return that this book, although itself not unique, is a very good popular science book. It is well written, easy to read and very engaging. Rutherford's humour shines brightly throughout, yet doesn't outshine the very nature of...well, nature!

Star rating: 5/5

This book will be published on 19th March 2019

Scoundrels

Many thanks go to NetGalley and to the publisher, Farrago, for allowing me to read these books in exchange for honest reviews.

This double review is all about Scoundrels, an exclusive gentlemen's club where even King George was the barman, and they follow the memoirs of two or the members, Major Victor Cornwall and Major St. John Trevelyan. Both books were sold to me as being funny and historically inaccurate fiction. What's not to love?

Scoundrels

Meet Major Cornwall and Major Trevelyan, two British ex-spies whose exploits are legendary...or are they? This book tells their history in their own words, and often they have very different memories of the same event. They exaggerate everything and argue all the time. Constantly trying to out-do each other, they tell the reader about their WWII, their pranks and about their sexual exploits. This is definitely a book for adults!

I really enjoyed this book. The humour is quite infantile at times, but also brilliantly clever, and pieced together like a jigsaw puzzle. The Major's differing views on events lead to some clearly embarrassing moments, and it all worked well together. The characters are believable in a Bertie Wooster kind of way, if he were a lecherous spy without Jeeves to help him. I'm not saying this is on a par with Wodehouse, because it's not, but I can see a very tenuous connection between the characters.

On the downside, perhaps the unpredictable nature of the book makes it almost too predictable. The writing itself isn't the most amazing, but I still really, really enjoyed this read.

Star rating: 4/5

 

This book is out now

Scoundrels: The Hunt For Hansclapp

Following straight on from the events in the first volume, the Majors find that their nemesis, Hansclapp, is at large and is after a very slow, very serious revenge. With the help of Anais, Trevelyan's newly adopted daughter, and Titan, Cornwall's son/gorilla, they travel all over the world in their quest to bring him to justice...but their club has a rat, and they constantly find themselves one step behind.

I'm actually in two minds about this second volume. Overall, I think it is much better than the first, with better plotting and new, believable characters. However, it seems that the Majors writing became too focused on something they would lose, and on their problems, rather on the mission and the pranks. For me, this distracted me from the pleasure the story generally brought to me.

That said, this is still an excellent read, and well worth a go. I can't wait for part three!

Star Rating: 4/5

This book is out now

A Graphic Double

Many thanks go to NetGalley and the publishers, Diamond Book Distributors and Udon Entertainment, for allowing me to read advance readers copies of these books in exchange for honest reviews.

This double bill is focused on a graphic novel about a world famous fictional spy, and a manga version of one of the most famous plays Shakespeare wrote. We're talking James Bond and Macbeth,,,a very unusual combination, I must admit!

James Bond The Body

This is really a collection of short stories that eventually interweave into one, all focusing on different body parts that are either injured or used metaphorically. It follows 007 through several different dangerous missions, stopping assassins, being chased down and attacked, and generally saving the world on a daily basis.

Artistically, I found it refreshing. The drawings are sharp and you can tell easily who is who, a problem I've had with some graphic novels in the past. It is very clear what is happening and the stories are very easy to follow. The action is typically fast paced, as with all James Bond stories.

However, I expected something with more pizzazz, more strength to the story. It seemed to be purely about the action with very little build up time. I understand that it is always a problem with short stories of any kind, but I think it was too rushed in places. Otherwise, no complaints!

Star rating: 3.5/5

This book is available now

Macbeth

Do I need to describe to you what happens in Macbeth? Ok, here goes! After being given a prediction by three witches that he would be king, Macbeth and his wife decide to kill the king so the prediction should become real. However not everyone believes their version of events and, plagued by the past, the couple slowly slip towards madness and destruction.

I really found this to be a great way to get into the story. I read the play in school when I was a ot younger and the lines follow exactly. The most important thing, for me, was being able to see the story unfolding, not just trying to decipher what Shakespeare wanted his actors to do. In my opinion, his plays are meant to be seen and not just read, and this is one of the formats that a lot of people who don't like going to the theatre will be able to enjoy the story more.

On a negative, well, maybe the sheer number of different characters got confusing in the manga format for me, with similar faces etc, but it is a personal thing, not a real criticism of the book as a whole.

Star rating: 4/5

This book is also available now

A Murder Mystery Medley

Many thanks go to NetGalley and to the publisher, Poisoned Pen Press, for letting me read advance readers' copies of these books in exchange for honest reviews.

It's time for another dose of murder most foul and diligent detectives as we once again dive into the British Library Crime Classics collection. This time, they are three rather different books...

The Arsenal Stadium Mystery by Leonard Gribble.

When an amateur football player collapses and dies during a match against Arsenal, it's up to Inspector Slade, who has his work cut out, to try to find the murderer among the players and coaching staff of the amateur team, The Trojans.

I liked this book, even though it was nothing special. The writing is really engaging, especially when describing the match at the beginning. The suspects are a typically mixed bunch but are quite believable. Several of them were real people at and around Arsenal FC in the late 1930s, when the book was written.

However, I found the resolution to be a little too forced for my liking. It seemed to come out of the blue, as it were, and let the rest of the book down.

Star rating:3.5/5

This book will be released on 4th December 2018

The Division Bell Mystery by Ellen Wilkinson

When an American financier is found dead with his gun at his side, suicide is the first thought of everyone, including Robert West, parliamentary private secretary. But when the American's granddaughter claims it wasn't murder, West sets out to try to get to the truth, before it spells doom for the government.

This was a really good read. The details of the workings in the Houses of Parliament are really interesting, especially as the writer was an MP herself. The plot is fast paced, the characters believable and the style of writing is easy to read while keeping the reader engaged.

On the negative side, although the reveal was simply brilliant, what came after did let the book down a bit. It seemed too cheap a way to end.

Star rating: 4/5

This book will be available from 4th December 2018

The Belting Inheritance by Julian Symons

Lady Wainwright's health is failing. Her two surviving sons and her great nephew are slightly at odds over the inheritance that could be coming their way. But then a letter arrived, claiming to be from David, one of Lady Wainwright's sons, believed dead in the second world war. Nobody, except Lady Wainwright herself, believes him so it is up to the family to discover the truth about the mysterious stranger when he turns up at their home.

So, obviously this was not a murder mystery, but was a truly enjoyable read nonetheless. The plot was clever, apparently based on a real life Victorian case from many years previously. The solution is brilliant and the characters were very much alive.

Any negatives? Maybe simply the later style made it read a bit strangely this time. It didn't do quite enough to get 5 stars, but was still well worth a read and I would recommend it maybe as an entry point for people new to the genre.

Star rating: 4/5

This book will be released on 8th January 2019

Becoming The Dragon

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, Lithunters, for allowing me to read an advance readers copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

When I read the description of Becoming The Dragon by Alex Sapegin, I was intrigued. It sounded just my cup of tea - a YA fantasy novel about a teenage boy who finds himself on another planet where elves and dragons exist. Alex, the main character, is changed into some kind of beast man and then hunted. After capture, he forms a connection with a dragon who helps him to become one himself...what's not to like

Well, for one thing, the writing is not particularly engaging. It's ok in it's style for maybe younger YA readers, but some of the themes that occur are aimed at older readers so it's incredibly difficult to place in an age range. Also, the characters are rather two dimensional and left me not really caring if they lived or died. The novel is saved only by the general storyline and the good connection between the plot-points, in my opinion.

However, I'm sure some teenagers would love it more than people 25+, as it is easy to follow the plot and they might connect with Alex on a more personal level. This is by no means the worst book I have ever read...but it really wasn't for me.

Star rating: 2/5