Light of the Jedi
(Star Wars: The High Republic #1)
Charles Soule (2021)

When a shocking catastrophe in hyperspace tears a ship to pieces, the flurry of shrapnel emerging from the disaster threatens an entire system. The Jedi race to the scene.

This story is epic in scale, unfortunately the author doesn’t quite pull it off. There are just two many characters and plotlines. I finished it just to see where it was going. And yet again the Jedi are there to be the magicians and to provide the deus ex machina.

Track of the Beast
Brock Stone Adventure #2
David Wood (2021)

This time Brock is off chasing his girlfriend, a reporter who is chasing a story. So it’s off for a jaunt around America, through forests, a lumber camp and schools for girls.

As usual our square jawed hero fends off nasty creatures, mostly two legged in pursuit of big-foot, or is it a government conspiracy.

In the end he will get the girl (or two) and come out with barely a scratch.

Arena of Souls
(Brock Stone Adventure #1)
David Wood (2014)

David Wood takes us back to 1931 with an adventure in the genre of Doc Savage, gung-ho masculinity and feminine persistence.

Brock Stone can outwit any villain, evade traps and pitfalls and have some fun along the way. With a trio of sidekicks he takes on a mysterious island with prehistoric creatures and ancient tribes.

Great Stuff !

Red
(Fractured Fairy Tales #1)
J.E. Taylor (2018)

What happens when a werewolf hunter falls for her prey?

Red Locklear regularly hunts all manner of woodland prey, but her favorite kill is the beast that tore her parents apart when she was a little girl. The werewolf.

This random choice is well written, short and well paced. While proclaiming to be in the ‘fractured fairy tale’ genre, it’s more of a  standard fantasy fare.

While it does get a bit too much into the bodice ripping territory near the end, a good story with some surprising turns.

Androids and Aliens
(Star Runner Series Book 3)
by B. V. Larson (2022)

In the third part, it’s back on track for a better book than the previous one. This time rogue hero Gorman has made a deal with the androids to defeat the aliens. More fun and fast action.

Space Oddity
by Christopher Edge (2020)

This story is about a boy called Jake and his embarrassing dad who turns out to be an alien.

Despite being firmly aimed at children (with illustrations) it’s a fun read with some first class science.

Prince of Hazel and Oak
Shadowmagic #2
John Lenahan (2011)

Having returned to the real world from Tir Na Nog at the end of the last book, Conor finds himself arrested for the murder of his father. When he explains to the cops that his dad is safe they think he is a nutcase. But being rescued by Celtic warriors on horseback brings back the policeman with him.

This seems to be a device that isn’t needed. As a result the story gets bogged down introducing a new character, when it should be taking off. And after a third of the book it never takes off, so I did.

Shadowmagic
(Shadowmagic #1)
by John Lenahan (2008)

Conor thought he was an average teenager. Okay, so his father only had one hand, spoke to him in ancient languages, and was a bit on the eccentric side, but, other than that, life was fairly normal.

Until, two Celtic warriors on horseback appear at his front door and try to kill him.

This is another of those alternative worlds fantasy series. It get off to a great start with its first person narrative and immediate action.

The world building is standard medieval with magic tropes. Being out of the real world, Conor provides most of the humour with his modern references nobody gets.

The plot involves an runes and magic rings. Recruit an army,  overcome the evil brother and bring peace to the land. Pretty standard stuff, done well with unexpected plot twists and fun characters.

Although the advertising claims:
A Lord of the Rings for the 21st century. Only a lot shorter. And funnier. And completely different.

It’s nothing like LoTR, and while has a light tone, I would not describe this book as humourous.

Puckoon (1963) is Spike Milligan’s classic slapstick novel.

In 1924 the Boundary Commission is tasked with creating the new official division between Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic. Through incompetence, dereliction of duty and sheer perversity, the border ends up running through the middle of the small town of Puckoon.

Milligan seems more interested in writing character profiles with mini back-stories than creating a cohesive narrative. So it’s in his observational humour that his wit and comedy is found.

However everything seems to be barreling towards a catastrophe of Irish proportions as all the events cumulate in the final chapters.

Star Soldier
(Doom Star #1)
Vaughn Heppner (2010)

Marten Kluge lives like an ant in a kilometer-deep city. The Highborn are genetically engineered super soldiers, when they invade Marten lands in the military, fighting for the wrong side.

There is nothing wrong with the writing here. It’s to the point and the prose moves at a good pace. There are good battle scenes and the fighting is described clearly.

But when it comes to explaining the overall story and what is going on, there were multiple times when I was confused. This is largely due to the multiple plots and historical document style used. It would have been better to stick to the one man POV and tell everything through Marten, or just use a first person narrative.

Because of this there is little anticipation for the next book, so while I will try more of the authors books, this series ands here.