The Case of the Spellbound Child by Mercedes Lackey
My rating: 1 of 5 stars
I’ve loved Ms. Lackey’s Elemental Masters series from The Fire Rose – which is probably why I continue to pick up every new addition, despite the fact I drag through all of the “Sherlock” volumes, hoping for a return to the delight I found with the first handful of books. Maybe they’re a treat for devotees of the master sleuth, but I’ve yet to find a single one I didn’t want to beat my head with. The presence of Sherlock provides an unwanted deus ex machina that turns the story from a rewritten fairy tale to a bumbling farce. Except, this time, you got the addition of the struggle to even READ a good portion! I appreciate wanting to remain true to a regional dialect. Still, so much of the Dartmoor dialogue left me reading, re-reading, and RE-READING, struggling to parse the meaning. Nothing throws you out of a story faster than a lack of comprehension! You need to find a middle ground between respecting an area’s manner of speaking and allowing a reader to immerse themselves in the story – AND understand what’s happening.
Even worse, the editing was deplorable. While I understand you pay slightly less for a Kindle version of a book, that shouldn’t translate to less care with the final product. Section breaks disappeared in a couple places, leading to sudden shifts in POV. Spelling and grammar errors show up EVERYWHERE, and you even have simple indents missing. It created a sloppy document any writer would cringe to submit for publication. That you expect a reader to accept such a thing? That’s unacceptable.
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Tag: Read or Die
The reviews from my Goodreads Reading Challenges each year
Black Cat: On the Run
Black Cat, Vol. 2: On The Run by Jed Mackay
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I’ll give Mr. MacKay some credit – this volume read better than the first (an important lesson on continuing when you have the slightest pique of interest when reading). Toning back some of the absurd humor made the biggest difference and tying in a coherent plot. Felicia feels more like a coherent character rather than a random person in a series of vignettes. Black Fox has yet to step out of his cardboard shell, but he’s getting there. And the weaving together of so many other Marvel worlds feels strange but believable at the same time. (I suppose DC does the same thing, but it feels more evident in Black Cat). It’s enough of an improvement – and a greater enjoyment – to encourage me to stick with the series.
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Harley Quinn and Power Girl
Harley Quinn and Power Girl by Amanda Conner
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Ms. Conner and Mr. Palmiotti remain in rare form. And who didn’t have a burning desire to know what happened in those few panels back in volume 2 (Power Outage)? It’s the perfect tongue-in-cheek humor you’d expect from Harley in space. And while it probably helps to have some knowledge of Power Girl (something I lack completely), you can get through the plot without a problem if you’re clueless. The team provides enough background and clues to help you limp along through her backstory – something they’ve always managed to do with all of their volumes. Any true fan will appreciate the diversion.
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Harley Quinn: The Final Trial
Harley Quinn, Vol. 4: The Final Trial by Sam Humphries
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
How do you cope with heavy emotional states in a character like Harley Quinn? It’s a complicated question – one that plenty of writers have explored (at least, as far as I’ve read). And Mr. Humphries and Mr. Russell tackled it in one of the best ways I’ve encountered to date. While I wanted to throttle them for the opening of the volume (they went there; they actually went there), the handling of the final trial proceeded better than I imagined. And instead of cycling down a whirlpool of half-choked laughter the way other writers have, they launched into Meredith’s comic on comic book events. Which was so perfect and accurate, you can’t help but laugh and feel at ease. They nailed the average reader’s perception so perfectly, too. Because I HATE those stupid notes encouraging you to buy fifty different comics to comprehend a single plotline (and I don’t do it – often leaving me with a vague idea of what’s going on). Everything tied together perfectly. Well done, fellas.
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Harley Quinn: The Trials of Harley Quinn
Harley Quinn, Vol. 3: The Trials of Harley Quinn by Sam Humphries
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Who says comics don’t kick you in the teeth with serious issues? (And, no, I’m not referring to the destruction of worlds) I mean, how brutal can you get, Mr. Humphries? You didn’t feel Harley had enough to deal with in her life? You had to up and give her mom cancer? It undercuts the best of the humor within the Trials of Harley Quinn – though Mirand’r is fantastic, don’t get me wrong. And putting Batman in a judgmental light of leaping to conclusions was nice to see – though that might be my personal bias coming out. You also can’t deny the hilarity of Meredith’s inserts of the Villain of the Year excerpts. They’re a pure joy to read and (for anyone familiar with Apex Lex) likely a fresh change to see a supervillain scrambling to recruit someone else to their cause.
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Harley Quinn: Harley Destroys the Universe
Harley Quinn, Vol. 2: Harley Destroys the Universe by Sam Humphries
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
You have to appreciate writers willing to poke humor at the system they work for. And what’s a bigger issue with comics than continuity? So I have to applaud Mr. Humphries and Mr. Russell for allowing Harley (or, rather, Meredith) to run rampant with continuity among the DC universe and turn everything on its head. Even without a complete understanding of the various characters and their stories, you get the mayhem. (Please – the dinosaurs?) And Johnni DC is the perfect blend of exasperation and sass. You can almost see DC having a division where she’s employed on the side. The humor helps soften the blow you feel coming in the background with Harley’s mother. And, as a devoted animal-lover (and a woman), the final installment with the cats was sheer perfection. As comics frequently decide to undercut the female gender, I tip my hat to these gentlemen.
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Harley Quinn vs. Apokolips
Harley Quinn, Vol. 1: Harley vs. Apokolips by Sam Humphries
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Mr. Humphries and Mr. Sebela take Harley to a completely different level – literally. And while you might need some background in other DC comics to have your footing (or, you know, watch the Harley Quinn animated series), it doesn’t take long to puzzle out what’s happening with Granny Goodness on Apokolips. And the poor endless struggle to meet finances. The team pulls off the routine theme in a new way that doesn’t make it feel tired or repetitive. And the same goes for the ever-present question of Harley’s sanity (the lack thereof?). It’s the perfect tongue-in-cheek plot that any genuine fan will rally behind and cheer.
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Harley Quinn’s Villain of the Year
(Okay, it’s short enough I shouldn’t count it towards my reading goal. However, I bought it and sat up after finishing Lodestar, so I figure it’s worth mentioning)
Harley Quinn: Year of the Villain (2019-) #1 by Mark Russell
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Mr. Russell is an absolute genius. Harley hosting an award ceremony for the DC villains? Is there anything better than that? Not to mention ripping off some of the most iconic dresses from the red carpet. I have no idea how it figures into the bigger event – and, admittedly, no desire to find out – but it works on its own. It’s the perfect little break for anyone who needs a quick laugh and enjoys the darker side of the comic world.
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Shannon Messenger’s Keeper of the Lost Cities: Lodestar
Lodestar by Shannon Messenger
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Ms. Messenger heeded the request of readers everywhere and picked up the pacing of Sophie’s adventures with this volume. And while there’s still plenty of teenage angst to contend with, the crumbling layers of the Elvin world start to show themselves. And, I, at least, appreciate getting to peel back the diamonds and pearls and see the mold and rot lying underneath. All of the opulence present gets cloying at times (is there a need for it?). The skulking, hiding, and lies beneath the lavish shell help cut the treacle. Though it’d be nice if Sophie caught on to the parallels between her new world and the human world she spent most of her existence within. Thus far, she seems oblivious to the similarities. It’s an annoyance, considering she’s the expert there. Perhaps, with the revelation of the final chapters, things will change in that direction with the next volume.
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Suicide Squad Vol 1.: Kicked in the Teeth
Suicide Squad, Volume 1: Kicked in the Teeth by Adam Glass
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This is a situation I prefer: I’ve seen the movie before picking up the book. (So I don’t spend the entire film screaming at the screen that they screwed things up) But, to Mr. Glass’s credit, it’s not terribly far afield. Oh, the plot’s not the same, but the underlying characters are there. And so is the twisted logic of the operation of Task Force X. This comic just presents everything in a more twisted light that’s appropriate for comic readers and fans of the various characters featured. (Okay, so-so: I reserve my judgment on his treatment of Harley given how the final half of the volume proceeds) Unfortunately, if you DON’T know the characters that aren’t given an introduction – or some form of context – you’re left grasping for details to figure out who they are and why they’ve landed in Belle Reve. And while DC has plenty of villains (and vigilantes) to choose from to populate the prison, that can get irritating. Reading with a scorecard is never an enjoyable experience (coughSpider-Verse or Game of Thrones cough). Overall, though, it’s an interesting change from the comics I’ve currently delved into – I’ll give Mr. Glass that much credit.
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