Author Archives: sadie

Ice Planet Barbarians

Book Review of Ice Planet Barbarians, by Ruby Dixon

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Ice Planet BarbariansI picked up a copy of Ruby Dixon‘s Ice Planet Barbarians from Amazon when it was free.

Description from Goodreads:
You’d think being abducted by aliens would be the worst thing that could happen to me. And you’d be wrong. Because now, the aliens are having ship trouble, and they’ve left their cargo of human women – including me – on an ice planet.

And the only native inhabitant I’ve met? He’s big, horned, blue, and really, really has a thing for me…

Review:
You might not know this about me, but the Mars Needs Women trope is a guilty pleasure of mine. Kind of in the same vein as staying up late to watch cheesy, B-grade science fiction movies on the Sci-fi channel. Give me a bottle of red and a made for TV movie, at 2am and I’d be a happy camper. Laughing maniacally, but happily. You can’t take that shit seriously and the same goes for most well written Mars Needs Women themed books.

Ice Planet Barbarians is one such book. It is written with tongue firmly in cheek. It’s not that there aren’t serious bits, but the book doesn’t insist on taking itself seriously. Which always seems to feel like it gives me permission to laugh at it, as if I’m laughing with it. It’s freeing.

It’s not without missteps. The conversant computer is a little too conversationally chatty and well informed, not computer-like at all. The alien physique seemed a little too specialized to human female pleasure to be believable. Even without many females, I have a hard time believing every it’ll-feel-good practiced hadn’t been explored in some way. So, teaching him to kiss was eye-roll worthy and I don’t know that the rape in the beginning was necessary to make being kidnapped by aliens for an unknown purpose terrifying enough.

For the most part though, this was a fun space romp. You just have to remember what it’s meant to be (and not be) to enjoy it. It helps if you’re already familiar with the trope. I’d happily pick up more, just for the fun of it.

Book Review of The Buntline Special (Weird West Tales #1), by Mike Resnick

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The Buntline SpecialI borrowed The Buntline Special, by Mike Resnick, from my local library.

Description from Goodreads:
Welcome to a West like you’ve never seen before, where electric lights shine down on the streets of Tombstone, while horseless stagecoaches carry passengers to and fro, and where death is no obstacle to The Thing That Was Once Johnny Ringo. Think you know the story of the O.K. Corral? Think again, as five-time Hugo winner Mike Resnick takes on his first steampunk western tale, and the West will never be the same.

Review:
Ermahgerd, was that book ever dull. I mean boring to the boringth degree! The writing is fine, if stark, but simply nothing happens. It’s all talk, talk, talk—let me describe these anachronistic inventions to you, invitations to drinks and meals, greetings, threats and ‘I’m not afraid to die’ or ‘I’m already dying’ quips—talk, talk, talk and very little actual doing, even less actual narrative and/or development. I suppose Resnick figured we all know who Earp, Holliday and Ringo are so no need to develop their character. And the poor women, they aren’t even alive if you judge by their characterization, just faceless whores that range from wholly human, half-human or not human. But they’re all pretty interchangeably unimportant. Ugh. My library has two more of this series, but I won’t be bothering with them.

Shiv Crew

Book Review of Shiv Crew (Rune Alexander #1), by Laken Cane

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Shiv crewI picked up a copy of Laken Cane‘s Shiv Crew when it was free on Amazon.

Description from Goodreads:
Rune Alexander wants to get through her days doing her job, which is protecting the humans against the myriad of supernatural creatures, known as Others, who exist uneasily in a human’s world. 

But she is unstable and damaged. She realizes how broken she is even as she continues to submit to the unspeakable things her lover does to her, craving desperately the strange peace she finds in the aftermath.

When she discovers things are not as they seem and a faceless human is torturing the supernatural groups in her city, she and her crew must break the rules and begin to protect the Others from the humans. 

But as the darkness inside her becomes stronger and she ends up on the wrong side of a battle she must not lose, who will save Rune from herself?

Review:
This is one of those middle of the road books that has a decent plot idea and the writing isn’t bad, so it tricks some readers into thinking the book is good. It isn’t. Now, before anyone accuses me of cruelly trashing the book, I’ll reiterate, It’s not bad either. It’s just ok. But it could have been so much better.

My main issue is that the book is a bit of a one trick pony. Rune Alexander (not be to confused with Lex, which is so expected a nick name that it belonging to another character is confusing) is an angry woman…that’s about it. That anger makes her strong, makes her stupid, makes her friends, makes her enemies, makes her weak. It’s pretty much the core of what she is and that’s just not enough character development to make her relatable. And if she’s undeveloped, the others are paper cut outs. What’s more, it’s this anger that moves the plot and saves the day. That’s not really enough to carry a believable story either.

That plot too is thin. The villain is obvious from the very beginning and there are no real unexpected twists. Rune defeats enemies she really shouldn’t be able to. She intimidates others for no apparent reason. She is pathologically loyal to her assistant for a reason we’re never given. Followers of the enemy defect and come to her, with no explanation. There is some weird sadism/masochism thing going on that just felt like the author trying to give the book some edge. A romance of sorts sparks at the very end out of nowhere. There’s a bit of a deus ex machina ending.

The thing is, a lot of these same points have potential to make for interesting contributions, but instead they’re like dough balls falling to the floor. Just kind of landing with a resounding splat and laying there. Present and accounted for, but of no use. For example, big men being loyal to and taking orders from a woman they’re protective of is a sexy button for me. I love big dangerous men submitting to a woman. I just do. This book has several of them, one even literally presenting himself at her feet. I should be thrilled. But we get no history. We see no reason these men are so dedicated to Rune (and visa versa). It’s flat. Rune is basically the Trump of the book, talking a big game about how awesome she and her team is, but not really giving anything to back the statement up.

Again, not bad. It’s an enjoyable read. But it’s full of holes and doesn’t withstand scrutiny of any sort.