Metalmark Contract by David Batchelor

A spaceship approaches Earth and offers leaders advanced technology for Earth’s resources.  That ship is Metalmark.
One thing I didn’t like about the writing style was the abbreviate of some words e.g. Gen.  for General, title of a character.  This didn’t feel right to me when reading a story. I felt a better use of wording would of to drop the Titles and just use the last name of the characters in question throughout the dialogue
There is plenty of technical sci-fi elements to this story, however, I would of liked a stronger character to lead me through the plot.  There are a lot of characters introduced in this book, far too many I felt to give any one of them real substance.  I appreciate that an alien visitor would affect the whole world and the author has tried to give hints as to how this affects various people in different countries. But I felt this stretch the story too thinly between the many characters.  Hence I  focused on Metalmark as at least one main character, an artificial intelligence.  I did feel his strangeness did reflect is none humanoid origins and has a character, Metalmark does seem to grow as the story unfolds and the advanced technology and futuristic ideas were interesting and imagnative.
Some of the descriptions of the affect of Metalmark’s arrival reads a bit like a list.  I would of liked smoother storytelling, little less blunt facts and more character driven approach.  Seeing this situation through the eyes of a main character would have been more interesting to read.  The whole story is written this way, which was a shame as it felt more like a transcript of facts rather than an interesting story.
Rating 2.5/5

The Walking Dead - Season 2 Trailers

Did enjoy this first video trailer of Season 2 of The Walking Dead.  Looks just as tense and scary as the first season

The DVD comes out August 2012, very much looking forward to getting this. Hope there are lots of extras on it

First Trailer of Season 2 Walking Dead

And this 2nd one having Rick Grimes bashing heads is good too -

2nd Trailer of Season 2 Walking Dead

I have a review of Walking Dead Season 2 DVD Review up now

Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr

Book 1 of Wicked Lovely Series

Aislin can see Fae, but she's not suppose to let on she can. The rules are to keep it a secret not only from people but especially from the Fae. However the Summer King, Keenan,  has his eye on her becoming his new queen. That is if she can survive the Winter Queens test that had destroyed all others trying for the position prior.  But Aislin doesn’t want to be Fae, her heart is given to Seth and she wont give him up.  This book takes it's time getting the final conclusion.  The Winter Queen, I felt, could have been better utilised.  She's a cold dark character that we seen only briefly as most of the storyline focuses on Keenan's attempt to woe Aislin.  I did like the descriptions of the various Fae, they were very colourfull.

Rating - 3.5/5

Dead Beat by Jim Butcher

Book 7 of Dresden Files Series

Harry has to make a deal with Mavra to save Karrin Murphy's career, a deal that could make life very difficult for him with the White Council.  He must find the Word of Kemmler, and stop 6 necromancer's from getting the Word first.  Unfortuantely he doesn’t know what the Word is, but has he investigates, he learns that Halloween in Chicago is going to be a bigger affair than usual.  As the Word gives someone the power to be a God, and the necromancers are fighting each other and hell bent on killing Harry to get the Word first.  If things weren't bad enough, he's also got the fallen angel to deal with, as it invades his dreams, in an effort to seduce him into using the coin.  A quick paced storyline, that finds Harry fighting with zombies, powerful wizards and having to deal with the Fae and the White Council to try thwarting the necromancers.  As always the characters dry humour eases the dark theme of the story and the magic is used in interesting ways.
Rating 4/5

Blood Rites by Jim Butcher

Book 6 of Dresden Files Series
Harry is hired by Thomas of the White Vampire Court to guard a porno movie boss  who has a deadly entropy curse to avoid.  Whilst guarding the porno boss he also has to find away to take out the local Black Court Vampires, before they take him out.  Harry's dry humour runs wildly through this book and the first chapter, with him dodging demon monkey poo, was hilarious.  The battle with the Black Court read well, plenty of tension and mean magic.  However, I found the problems Harry faced whilst guarding the porno boss not as well written, these scenes weren't as dramatic as I have come to expect from the Dresden Series.  Though not as colourful, or tense as the previous books, this is still an enjoyable read.
Rating - 3.5/5

Roots Run Deep by A.J Walker

Kip is a goblin, living in the Goblin Reservation. Kip is an apprentice for a Mage after leaving behind a life of crime in the Reservation. But when her Cousin is captured by Human’s, she is dragged back into her past life and once again betrayed, this time by a close friend.

Unfortunately work is hard to find and eventually she gets drawn back into a life of crime.

Kip and her friends are escorting a strange group of human’s when they are attacked by elves.  Kip is forced to use more of her magical abilities to near exhaustion and eventually the goblins are coaxed into travelling further with the human - whom they learn are protecting royalty

Kip’s help impresses the King Roderick and eventually he turns to her and her fellow goblins for help to stand against his brother.

During exile and training with the soldiers under Roderick, Kip takes up leadership of the Goblin army and learns of a forgotten tribe of Goblin’s. She goes on a journey to find this tribe and ask for their assistance.  Eventually the combined army go into battle.

What attracted me to this story was that it focused on a Goblin character, which was nice for a change. I really liked the descriptive passages of the Kip’s world.  Vibrant scenes that build a dark and realistic world. Kip is a good strong character. She takes the reader through the story and I found her an engaging believable character. I did feel the plot shot forward a bit fast at times, this left me feeling a little disorientated.

Rating 3.5/5

Death Masks by Jim Butcher

Book 5 of Harry Dresden Series
This instalment into Harry Dresden's life is quite gritty compared to the other books.  His trouble with powerful enimies hasn't slowed down and is both caught up in  a duel with a powerful Red Court Vampire and facing the Fallen demons whilst searching for the Shroud of Turin.  It was good to see Susan again, she brought a nice sexual tension and love interest back into the plot for the main character.  As always Butcher includes some interesting magic, with a dash of Harry's dry humour, but this book felt more serious that the previous ones, giving the story a tense fast pace feel.  As always I am surprised at the amount of information that is squeezed into the books in this series, and it's a pleasure to see important detail blended in well with the story without slowing down the pace.
Rating - 4/5

Witches Incorporated by K.E. Mills

Book 2 of Rogue Wizard Series
Gerald is now a Janitor and after getting through his training, starts on his first assignment. Still struggling with this rogue abilities he finds it difficult to be remote from his much needed friends.
Princess Mel, Bibbie (Monks Sister) and Reg have started their own investigation computer - Witches Incorporated.  They get hired to find someone who is stealing within an Air Ship manufactory and accidentally cross paths with Gerald and the saboteur he is tracking.
This instalment has two storylines. Geralds investigation as a Janitor and Mels and Bibbies investigation of theft. Eventually the two storylines converge and that is when I felt the book was much more interesting. Reg and Mel bring most of the humour, which lightens the darker elements.  Plenty of interesting magical practice and action to draw a reader into the storyline.  Gerald's newfound abilities are growing, which developes his character.  This story also touches on how woman are treat within this magical world. Mel and Bibbie are fighting to break the strong hold men have in their world and find a footing in the higher use of magic for women.  Very interesting story, loved the humour and did like how the various characters develop

Rating - 4/5