Jason Waltz > Recent Status Updates

I decided to start with Robert Asprin's essay at the close, "The Making of Thieves' World," after his opening Editor's Note. It was a good idea, as he relays the wonderful and terrible joys and fears of anthology building. I empathize. I've always postponed reading this series as I'm not terribly thrilled by reading slapstick s&s, which has been my impression of this. Here goes.

Finally some meat, the pathos of a warrior treading water in a peacetime Marine Corps. Prior to this a whole lot of whining and moping meandering; I've been waiting for the protagonist to grow some balls and for something important to happen. Had to find a tertiary character for some meaning and a possible reason to even keep this book on the USMC shelves.

Gene Wolfe is beyond me. I can recognize his elegance and majesty, but that's about all. Like awakening mesmerized by a beautiful voice on a beautiful beach in a beautiful day and blinking into a cold, dreary silent reality. I can ache for something I think is supposed to be wonderful, right? I keep trying his work, but every short seems incomplete, and when I find myself flipping pages to learn how much further...

Read the sections 'Other Places' and 'Ancient History' - enjoyed the history verse.

I only read poetry in bits and pieces, sometimes in the order presented, sometimes not. I've actually read the poems in these first 50 pages over a bit of time. The collection opens well, enjoyable, though not all of Howard's choices appeal to me. I truly love "The Outgoing of Sigurd the Jerusalem-Farer" (and would definitely like to know the story behind it) and "Crusade."

Intensity racks upward. If you enjoy WW2 or espionage thrillers with deep, desperate plots and layers of characterization, read this--it's pretty darn good.

What with all the downtime due to other responsibilities at this time I've really gotten to jump into this book, which is good, because it's worthy of jumping into. Tense and intense WW2 thriller, well-written.

"Lorelei of the Red Mist" is finally some grand storytelling once again! Contrary to the promises, I find Brackett's opening half better by far than Bradbury's closing contribution. I find her style much more enjoyable. Regardless, Starke-Called-Conan is a mighty character I'd read more of. Who is the Lorelei of the title though?

I will finish this book. I won't be keeping it, but I will read it all.

OMG. Thank Sweet Baby Jesus C.L. Moore's 'Werewoman' is over. This anthology is decidedly not living up to expectations or title for that matter. I've had my fill of Northwest Smith -- please give me Howard and Conan back.

I'd never read the "Autobiographical Sketch of C. L. Moore" before - that was delightful!

I've always loved REH's "Frost-Giants Daughter" (it was fun to read the 2 versions side-by-side. It's one of the most powerfully passionate short stories I've read, and coming from a powerful, passionate short storytelling King that's saying something. I think this story is often given short shrift simply because readers want to avoid talking rape. This story isn't about rape, it's about the Cimmerian's force of will

well, as evidenced by the lack of my speed in completing this, the story is coming in for a lame landing. I've raced through all the other volumes in this 7-book story. Books 1-6.75 told a great story, and enthralling ride of dramatic loss and the quest to answer it and then the search to save a relationship. I've enjoyed some volumes better than others, though much of the art is meh, but I really don't enjoy goofy.

Interesting observation in discussing God as a shepherd looking out for His flock. One character asked another "What does a shepherd eat?" Answer: "His flock, one by one."

Interesting and very personal look inside the life, mind, and heart of Chip Gaines. Chpt 14, "Team of Rivals," is a favorite .

"I learned a long time ago that if you ever consider quitting, it’s already too late. When things get tough—and I mean really tough—you’ve already quit even if you don’t know it yet." Chip speaks in print just like he does on the show. Good stuff.

All these years I'd thought I had read "Raven’s Eyrie"...come to learn I had not. What a gem of a tale! Such vivid language, KEW excels in his description here, plunges us into his world, Kane's world. And Kane! Magnificent, raging bastard that he is, delivers a performance worthy remembrance.

"Dark Muse" has always struck me as an incomplete tale; rather, a story with much invested and very little return. Kane is magnificent, I think, here, a powerful presence that overflows the confines of each page. But this isn't his story. There's action and intrigue and philosophy, dark and dangerous and deadly the lot of them. There are a lot of words spent in pursuit of a terrific premise that ends in a ho-hum.

after the 64 page setting up of the pieces, the game's been afoot ever since, quite fun for the majority of it. There's a few questionable bits lately (authorial or character I haven't determined yet), but the story challenge is delightful.

60+ pages of history and minimal showing. I'll persevere, but this far only mildly interesting. Reading at friends' suggestion finally.

Well, not what I expected. Very Gene Wolfeian as indicated, trying overly hard to be Shakespearean. Main character is desperately trying to be a good knight, and he has his appeal, along with some exciting magical creatures/systems. I'm enjoying the secondary characters more so far though.

Kane - always deadly, always good to spend time with.

Good read, though at times a bit heavy on the repetitive homespun advice. This is a good truth though: "Nobody remembers if you cross the finish line bruised and bloody. They just remember that you stayed the course...In the end, all that matters is that you finish."

Who cares, and who cares about any of that in the face of monsters?! This has irritated me from the start, and ya know what else? Calling Geralt an 'assassin'! That's the antithesis to his creed, his reason to be, so it's really wrong for the author to be labeling him that yet offering no proof of it. My irritations are starting to outweigh my fascinations with this story.

So I can't take it anymore. One book down and a couple stories into this one and it just doesn't make a lick of sense: why the hell do humans hate witchers and why'd they destroy Kaer Morhen? It makes no freaking sense, there's been no compelling reason offered, that they should hate the folks who save the world from monsters. So the witchers are scary, so they're like Frankenstein monsters, so they're different??!

This is a bit odd in that, outside the first story, I really feel like I've read these stories before. Two of them seem so certain, but I cannot place when/where.

Regardless, enjoying this Witcher character. Good stories sometimes told in a bit of an odd to this reader way, but a compelling protagonist put into challenging situations requiring exiting with a sword. Can't get much better.

That's weird: never had the page numbering reflected inaccurately in Goodreads. This claims the book is 400 pages, my copy is 541. I am on page 448 but it won't let me enter it...

"A Witch shall be Born" is a terrific story, powerful and passionate. However I've never and still don't like section 3, the mega-long letter Howard uses to give us a backstory info-dump. I think less would have been far more & far better.

Ah, "Queen of the Black Coast," my most favorite of Conan tales. Never fails to rouse my blood and make my passions burn.

Interesting beginning to this series. Strong character, mysterious backstory, promising challenge.