Dark Shadows Audio Book 45 - Panic

Can one every truly get enough of Quentin Collins?  After sharing an adventure with Olivia Corey (Amanda Harris) in audio CD 44 - "The Darkest Shadow," Quentin comes right back for the 45th audio story, "Panic."  This time around, however, he shares the tale with none other than Susan Sullivan, who David Selby fans will remember worked with Selby for a number of years on the set of the nighttime soap, Falcon Crest.  It was actually kinda cool to hear the two of them together, although their characters here are a far cry from the Falcon Crest days.

In this tale, Quentin is talking to his great-great-grandson, Tom Cunningham (who fans of the audios will remember from the Bloodlust story, setting this tale after that saga.  Quentin is remembering a time when he traveled to London in an attempt to escape all the horrors and events that have plagued him through the years in Collinsport.  While there, he settled down into a "normal" life as the owner of an antique store.  Until the day Lela Quick comes in.

(Side note - clearly Lela Quick is clearly an homage to Lela Swift, who directed nearly half the episodes of the TV show)

The story follows Lela's fascination with a song that she can't get out of her head.  A song that one of her students tells her he overheard coming from the Pandemonium Antique shop.  The very shop that Quentin now owns, and over which Lela happens to reside.  The tune she can't seem to shake Lela finds on a record in the store.  She is prepared to make the purchase until Quentin stops her, and she leaves the shop rather perturbed.  Needless to say, she wakes to the tune that night, and discovers it is not just in her head.  Breaking into the shop, she finds the record playing - and ultimately finds herself wandering into the back of the store and into another realm entirely!  Lost in the woods, she comes face to face with Quentin Collins!

The author of this audio, Roy Gill, weaves a wonderful tale of mystery, secrets, and forgotten pasts, and he even integrates some long forgotten mythology involving the god, Pan.  There is some great references to the fact that gods of long ago can be completely unfamiliar with the technology and inventions of today, and he provides a rather ingenious means whereby Quentin helps Lela break the hold that Pan has over her.

And I'll hold off on revealing the rather surprising secret that comes to play at the end of this audio - a secret that I have no doubt will have repercussions in future stories of the Collins' family!

As I get closer to reaching the point where I am caught up with all of these audio stories, it is with mixed feelings - I'll be thrilled to have finally heard all the stories that are out there, but it will be disappointing to know that I have to wait right along with everyone else for however many months until the next ones come out!

RATING:  10 haunted phonographs out of 10 for keeping the tales of the Collins' clan fresh and exciting and just as new as they were back when the TV show first aired!

Resident Evil: The Marhawa Desire - Volume 04

As the series draws closer to its conclusion, the action and intensity increases.  Volume 4 of "The Marhawa Desire" picks up exactly where Volume 3 left off - with poor Ricky surrounded by zombie students who seem prepared to eat him.  Feeling he has no alternative, he points the gun at his head, preparing to end it all - - when suddenly, Chris Redfield appears and saves the day!

I am a huge Resident Evil fan, so any time one of the 'main' characters from the series shows up to do battle with the mindless zombies, it brings a smile to my face and reminds me why I enjoy the series so much.  Chris Redfield.  Claire Redfield.  Jill Valentine.  For me, Resident Evil just isn't Resident Evil without them (which is why I was so ecstatic when the RE films introduced all three of them into the movie franchise).  And with Chris on the scene, you know things are going to get really bad@$$!

At this point, the school is completely overrun with the infected students.  A small group of survivors is hiding out in the chapel, but when Bindi, who has become a bio-organic weapon herself, shows up, the number of survivors quickly whittles down to zero.  Leaving Ricky, along with Chris and his fellow B.S.A.A. members, Merah and Piers, to face a horde of zombie creatures all on their own (and with back-up a full 24 hours away...)

The author provides more insight into Ricky's character in this volume, as we see his dedication to his uncle, who took him in after his parents died - - and we see (SPOILERS AHEAD) how it affects him when Bindi turns his uncle into a mindless zombie.  Ricky does what he has to do ... what he knows his uncle would want him to do ... and he makes a vow to see it through to the end, not resting until he puts an end to the pandemic that has taken over the school.

The author also begins to give us a bit more of the cloaked figure - the one who gave Bindi the serum that brought her friend, Nanan, back to life (albeit a much more horrifically altered life) and has been working behind the scenes to keep the infection spreading.  While we don't see who he or she is, we do confirm that this person has a very definite agenda - - and when Ricky catches up to him (her?), Ricky suddenly finds himself on the wrong end of a very deadly syringe!  Talk about a cliffhanger!

Once again, the art is absolutely beautiful.  Naoki Serizawa (who is also writing the series) provides some fantastically rendered fight scenes (and some pretty graphic ones, too!), and is able to move the story visually in some instances without any words at all necessary.  That takes a very talented artists (as I have seen a lot of artists in comics today who know how to draw splash pages, but can't really tell a story in art without the words).  It's a shame this creator isn't going to be doing more Resident Evil stories - I'd love to see Serizawa doing a regular, ongoing series of graphic novels set in the RE world!

With only one book remaining the series, I'll be curious to see how the story ends - who survives and who dies - and who exactly is that cloaked figure?

RATING:  9 emergency helicopters out of 10 for upping the ante, putting our heroes in a nearly impossible situation, and leaving off with a cliffhanger that demands resolution!

SpacePop, Volume One - Not Your Average Princesses

The Dark Empress of Evil has taken over your galaxy.  She controls all modes of communication, regulates all modes of travel, and incites separation and fighting among the once united planets.  She has kidnapped the ruling leaders and destroyed their palaces.  Who are you going to call?

Ghostbusters?  No, this isn't supernatural in nature.
Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys?  No, there's no mystery here.

No, in this world, the citizens of the Pentangle galaxy must pin all their hopes on the five princesses who have gone into hiding ... who have decided they can't just sit back and what as Geela, the Dark Empress of Evil, destroys their home worlds.  Enter: Athena, Hera, Juno, Luna, and Rhea - the hottest new girl band in outer space - SPACEPOP!

Yes, folks, I couldn't make this up even if I tried...

While I've been raving recently on how fortunate I've been in picking up new series where the introductory book to the series has been absolutely astounding, garnering my interest in future books, once in a while I'm not quite so lucky.  This would be one of those cases.

Not Your Average Princesses is a Jem and the Holograms wannabe that doesn't quite cut it.  The five princesses turned rock-stars are too cliche - the stuck-on-herself diva, the earth-loving peace maker, the rambunctious tomboy, the determined genius, and the sly schemer and planner.  Their dialogue and actions continually thrive off of these characteristics, as if these are the only things that define the five girls.  And, yes, while I realize these books are written for a young audience, marketed pretty much solely for girls, I'd like to think that the young girls would want the characters in the books they read to be a bit more three-dimensional.  And we won't even begin to talk about the girls' pets that seem to go with them wherever they go...

The underlying plot to the story isn't truly bad.  An evil empress has taken over the galaxy, and the girls decide to do what they can to spread the word of rebellion.  When they are contacted by a member of an underground resistance, they decide to join, further proving their desire to free the Pentangle from the cruel and vicious rule of Geela.  The story moves fairly quickly (not only do the girls form a band, but they begin a tour and go on three ever-increasingly dangerous missions by the end of this first book), and it's pretty straightforward and simple in the storytelling.

The one saving grace for me in this book were the comic pages within the tale.  Chapters Six, Fifteen, and Sixteen are all told in comic format, with art by Jen Bartel (who, interestingly enough, is not given credit for the art on the cover or the title page).  She actually brings the characters to life on the page in full color, and while the comic chapters are pretty short, it gave me pause to think - this would have probably been much better told as a full comic, rather than prose with only a few pages of comic.

Ah, well, I suppose you can't win them all when trying new series.  I have the second book in the series, and one day I'll get around to reading that - but I've got plenty of other books that I know will be good to read before it.

RATING:  3 lipstick and compact communicators out of 10 simply for the comic book pages within the story that kept the book from being a total fail.

Greetings from Somewhere, Book 6 - The Mystery of the Suspicious Spices

Ethan and Ella Briar return in their sixth globe-trotting adventure, this time in the exotic land of India. In The Mystery of the Suspicious Spices, author Harper Paris takes her mystery-seeking siblings to the markets in Mumbai, where they stumble upon their latest mystery at the spice shop of their grandfather's friend, Deepak Singh.

This story has a bit more "mystery" to it than the previous two books, which makes for a nice change (since this is supposed to be a mystery series for young readers).  It seems that something strange is happening to Deepak's spices - - until just recently, his spices were known throughout the area as being the best there was. Lately, though, customers are returning with complaints that the spices they purchased are not just bad; they are ruining recipes and taste absolutely awful! On a fateful visit to the store, Ethan and Ella witness first hand the unhappy customers, who scare off future customers - - all of whom decide to take their spice-shopping to the new shop, Spice Palace, which just so happens to be owned by Deepak's brother (who was mighty upset when their father left Deepak the family business on his death).

Obviously, any reader over the age of 8 is going to see exactly where this is going (particularly readers of the recent Nancy Drew series, which seems to focus solely on sabotage as the premise for every mystery). I do have to give Paris credit, though - she manages to provide a rather creative mystery, and while older readers will find it somewhat simple, I think it hits the age mark of its intended readers rather nicely. Using color-dyed salt to change-up the spices in order to sabotage Deepak's business was pretty unique, I think, but not something so complicated that children Ethan and Ella's age would never be able to figure out.

Marcos Calo continues to provide his amazing illustrations on if not every page, then at least every other page (although I do admit that I noticed for the first time in this book - perhaps it was like this in previous books and I just didn't pay it any attention - but Ethan and Ella's heads are quite large, and their necks rather lengthy - no one else is drawn this way, so unsure why these two have these characteristics, unless it's simply to make them stand out).

RATING:  7 salty spices out of 10 for giving the young readers a taste of what fun mystery stories can be to read!

Jackaby, the First Novel

"R.F. Jackby Investigative Services.  Assistant Wanted. Must be literate and possess a keen intellect and open mind.  Strong stomach preferred.  Inquire at 926 Augur Lane.  Do not stare at the frog."

The tagline on the back of the book had me hooked. That, and the tagline on the front that compared the book with "Sherlock Holmes crossed with Buffy the Vampire Slayer." I love a good mystery, and I'm a sucker for the supernatural element, so combine the two, and you can pretty much guarantee I'll give it a try.  I'm certainly glad I did!

I've been extremely fortunate recently with the number of new series I've tried out.  The Lilly Long mysteries.  The Change of Fortune mysteries.  And now the Jackaby mysteries.  Interestingly enough, all three are set in the late 19th or early 20th centuries, leaving me to wonder if perhaps we have become so modern with our technology and ability to find things and learn information about people that a mystery is much better when it is set prior to any of that. Whatever the case, I thoroughly enjoyed Jackaby, and I'd have to add just one thing to the front cover tagline - "Sherlock Holmes crossed with Buffy the Vampire Slayer with a bit of Doctor Who thrown in for fun!"

While the title may be Jackaby, the main character is actually Abigail Rook, a young English woman from a well-to-do British family. Only, she is less than satisfied with her mother's desire for her to attend balls and seek out an upper class husband; she would much rather be off with her father on archaeological adventures. The only problem is, while he supports her desire for higher education, he refuses to allow her to join his expeditions. Determined to make her own adventure, Abigail absconds with the funds her parents left her for her higher education and spends a year with a paleontologist, only to find that months and months of digging is not all it's cracked up to be.  With little money left, she sets sail for America and ends up in New Fiddleton, New England.

And that's where her true desires for adventure come true - - only not in any way she could have ever expected.

Jackaby is a quirky, distracted private detective that "sees" things in the world that others don't.  Things that every day men and women would probably not want to see if they could.  At first, Abigail thinks he may be just a bit off his rocker - - but when she follows him to a crime scene and sees how quickly he is able to discern things the police do not...sees how he is able to calm a disturbed witness's complaints of cries that no one else hears...and sees how much he truly cares about helping others with little thought to himself - - well, she knows she has to work for him.

Then, of course, there's the ghost that lives in his house and the duck named Douglas that lives in the pond that is impossibly in the third floor of the house - - a duck who used to be human when he first began working for Jackaby, but who now prefers his life as a duck. And we can't forget Hatun, the seer (of sorts) who lives in the forest outside of town, just on the other side of the bridge, under which lives a troll.

Jackaby is a whirlwind tale that takes its reader on a roller coaster ride from the very first page until the very last.  The reader sometimes feels just as overwhelmed, in awe, and as excited as Abigail does as she learns something new every time she turns around.  Jackaby is an oddity, and like Doctor Who, he seems to do his best when he has a companion (or in this case, an assistant detective) who helps keep him grounded.  Also like Doctor Who, while he never comes right out and says it, he  values his companion (assistant detective) and will do anything to protect them from harm (although sometimes, harm finds them anyway).

The mystery itself in this first novel involves a murderer who kills his victims, rips open their chest and soaks up their blood.  Jackaby quickly discerns that this first murder is not truly the first, but rather the latest in a series of murders in surrounding towns and cities.  The victim was a reporter who happened to discover the link between the murders, so the murderer killed him.  And then kills his neighbor.  And then kills the old woman upstairs (who also happens to be a banshee, but we won't go into that here).  And while Jackaby and Abigail are at first considered suspects, they are soon released when the rather unbelieving, terse inspector of police realizes the only way he's going to catch this killer is by trusting in the most unconventional methods of all - those of R.F. Jackaby.

This is another definite must read for fans of the mystery genre, the supernatural genre, and the "just plain good ol' storytelling" genre!  I can't recommend this book highly enough!

RATING:  10 black leather notebooks out of 10 for a rip-roaring good mystery with a cross-genre tale of murder, supernatural, and suspense!

Star Power - TBP Vol 2 - Star Power and the Search for Black Hole Bill

Last year at DragonCon, I picked up the first volume in the Star Power graphic novel series.  This year at DragonCon, the creators were back and they had volume two of this series out.  Since I enjoyed the first volume so much, it didn't take much arm-twisting for me to pick up this second book.

The Search for Black Hole Bill picks up shortly after the end of the first volume.  Our heroine, Danica Maris (a/k/a Star Power) is unable to call upon the star power any more.  Her friends - Grex, Kaylo, and Shi Lalis - remain by her said, determined to help her figure out how to reboot her star power.  But all hell breaks loose when the space station's prisoner, Black Hole Bill, escapes during a transport to a prison, and the two escorts are gravely injured - one of them being Grex!  Danica finally makes contact with "Mitch" (her name for the star power) and finds the only way to reboot her power is to remain in close proximity to a star for a one-month period.  They find what they feel to be a relatively quiet, backwood star system where they won't be bothered for her recoup period - but unbeknownst to them, Black Hole Bill has teamed up with the vigilante Supernova Dragon Lords, and they are headed to the very same system.  Throw in a void angel bent on revenge and you've got the makings of another big battle brewing!

While the first book was pretty much action from the get-go and non-stop throughout the entire story, Terracciano (author) and Graham (artist) set a different pace in this book. We get to see a lot more character interaction and development as we learn not only more about Danica and her past, but also about the lives of Grex, Kaylo, and Shi Lalis.  Heck, when Grex is attacked and left for dead in the first chapter, I admit to feeling a bit shocked and angry, thinking, "How could they kill her off like that?"  And, as soon as I thought it, I realized how much Terracciano had made me feel for the character that I would even get angry at the thought of her being dead.  That is truly the mark of a great writer (and artist), when he or she can make you feel so passionate about a character that you are reading.

This is not to say there is no action in the book.  Sure, we get the contemplative moments when Danica is recharging near the star and during the times she is trying to communicate with Mitch to reactivate the star power; but, we also get the moments when she and her friends are facing off against Black Hole Bill and the Supernova Dragon Lords.  In fact, the final battle of this book is quite fast-past and action-packed, and it even has its humorous moments with Grex's attempts at revenge on Black Hole Bill for having killed her compatriot.  And Danica learns something surprising (and fortuitous) during the battle that will likely have an impact on future stories.

All-in-all, a very satisfying read, one that will definitely have me coming back for more. Here's hoping they have volume three ready by next DragonCon!

RATING:  10 renzalon junior telescopes out of 10 for breathing more life into these characters and driving them forward, even though the craziness of Black Hole Bill.

A Haunted Mystery, Book Four - The Black Heart Crypt

Chris Grabenstein's last foray into the world of Zack Jennings and his haunted mysteries is definitely the best in the series.  The Black Heart Crypt is everything a young adult supernatural mystery should be.  It takes everything that has come before, builds on it story-wise and character-wise, and crafts a fast-moving, page-turning mystery that reveals more about Zack's family and leaves readers feeling utterly satisfied by the end of the tale.

This fourth and final Haunted Mystery finds Zack facing a whole new slew of ghosts, probably the deadliest and most vile villains to date.  It's Halloween, and as everyone knows, the veil between the living and the dead is at its weakest on All Hallow's Eve.  So to be safe, Zack and his friends, Malik and Azalea, plan to attend the festivities in downtown Main Street, figuring Zack will be safest among crowds of living people.

Of course, nothing ever goes quite as planned...

First, Zack's adventure into the local cemetery awakens some long-dead ghosts who are hungry for revenge...

Second, a local young woman who fancies herself a witch falls into an evil trap set by the ghosts to lure one of their descendants to the cemetery...

Third, Zack's three great aunts come to town to help him cope with his newfound "gift" of seeing and communicating with ghosts...

Fourth, Zack's friend, Malik, unwittingly solves a 3-D puzzle that actually breaks the curse that was holding those thirteen ghosts in their crypt in the cemetery...

And that's just the beginning!  This doesn't even include the appearances by his real mother's sister, his grandfather's ghost, a number of the ghosts from the previous three mysteries popping in to say hi, and of course, the very unexpected visit by Zack's deceased mother - you know, the one who hated him and basically blamed him for killing her?  Well, she's back, and Zack fears she may be coming back to seek her own revenge.  You'd think it was enough that the Ickleby clan of ghosts seeking revenge on the Jennings generations for what his three great aunts did to him years ago was enough - but now his mother, too?

All of this, plus Jack the Lantern is back from the dead to wreak havoc on the Connecticut community.  Just how in the world can Zack, his friends, his great aunts, and his step-mom (not to mention Zipper, his dog) put an end to all of these ghouls and save the day?  Well, Grabenstein manages to wrap everything up nicely in the end, although there it is certainly open-ended so if he ever gets the gumption to tell more stories about Zack and his haunting mysteries, the opportunity is there.

Personally, I think there are plenty more stories to tell...it's just a matter of getting Grabenstein to write them!

RATING:  10 big black ravens out of 10 for providing some much needed Jennings family history before ending this magnificent series.