News and Review

News flash: Cammy's the coolest character EVER!

As you probably know, I love characters and storylines. I not only follow great characters in games, but also in books. I love to read. I spend almost as much time in bed reading as I do sleeping. And if you ever see me, 9 times out of 10, I bet I'll be carrying a book with me. I take every little chance I can to get some reading done.

Anyhow, this page is for reviews of books I've read recently. If you're looking for some good books, I hope you find my reviews useful and interesting.

BTW, don't forget that you can probably order any of these books from Amazon.com, BN.com, or some other online book seller. Oh, and if you want to see a better picture of the book's cover, just click on the picture.

News flash: Cammy's the coolest character

These 3 books take place in the DragonLance world, but it's a total side story that anybody can read. So if you're new to the world, you can pick 'em right up and understand everything. But if you already know the world, these books fill in an interesting part of Krynn's history (before the 1st Cataclysm).

The Icewall Trilogy consists of 3 books: The Messenger, The Golden Orb, and Winterheim. It's a story about an exiled elf who finds his way to the remote region called Icewall, which is basically the Antarctic of their world. Icewall is settled by an ogre empire, and a few small human kingdoms & tribes. The arrival of the elf sets a series of events into motion that will ultimately determine the fate of the humans and the ogres who live in Icewall.

One of the things I liked most about the books was that you really get all sides of the story. Of course you get to know all about the heroes, but you also get to know all about the bad guys too, and there are definitely times where you kinda feel sympathetic for them. That aspect alone makes these books something special.

The books are all very interesting, and it's got one of the most amazing endings ever! To be honest, I saw it all coming, but I never imagined that it could actually happen! The epilogue takes it further and does a perfect job of bringing the whole storyline to a close.

PS - Amazon.com has the 1st 23 pages of book one available for you to read. Click here to check it out. The first 13 pages of book 2 is also available for you to read, and it's got a great introduction that sums up the world of Icewall, so click here to check that out... that'll give you a great idea of what you're gonna get. If you're at all interested in these kinda books, I'd definitely recommend you check the Icewall Trilogy out.

This is definitely one of the most amazing biographies I've ever read. It's really hard to imagine the life Mineko Iwasaki lived as a Geisha. I can only describe it as 1/2 princess, and 1/2 slave. I think the life she lived was at the same time a great blessing and a terrible nightmare.

This is probably a book that girls would enjoy much more than guys. I liked it because I'm fascinated by Japanese culture, I've been to a Geisha, and I've also been the the Gion Kobu in Kyoto. But for a regular guy with no special ties, I don't know how much you'll be able to relate to it. Nevertheless, I think anybody who reads this book will learn a lot, and you'll definitely be amazed!

There's really no way to simply summarize the life Mrs. Iwasaki lived. Sorry. But I will tell you my 2 favorite things about this book. One, it really gave me a lot of insight on Japanese culture. The Geisha life is kinda like all aspects of Japanese life & culture to the very extreme! And two it shows you that Japanese women are not the shy and subservient people most foreigners think they are. At the beginning of the book, she describes Japanese women as being strong like a willow branch... basically meaning that they are very flexible, but they don't break. I thought that was perfect. Read the book, and you'll see how true that is.

Anyhow, although I kinda felt she kinda rushed through some stories and details, I couldn't help but totally fascinated from start to finish. I think it's impossible not to be. Please check it out and you'll see exactly what I mean...

Quite simply, this is the best book I've ever read that didn't involve Cammy! Wow, I've got so many good things to tell you about that I don't even know where to start...

Well, how about a quick explanation. Delta Force is America's most elite counterterrorist special forces unit. Just like Delta Red (Cammy's team) is England's most elite anti-terrorist assault force. However, if you ask anybody in the US government, they'll tell you that Delta Force doesn't exist. They're supposed to be Top Secret. However, this is a book by one of Delta Force's founding members, and it's absolutely amazing!

About a week ago I heard Eric Haney talking about his book on the radio, and it reminded me A LOT of Cammy. It is a lot like Cammy & Delta Red, but it's the real thing. I went out and bought the book and started reading it right away. I couldn't put it down, and once I finished, I started re-reading it because I loved it so much!

Inside Delta Force is basically the story of how Delta Force was created, how they were trained, what they were trained for, and then what they did while Eric Haney was a member. It's basically a biography of Eric Haney and Delta Force. It's written more like a story (with comedy, tragedy, action, etc.) than a stuffy old history book, but it's got as much information as any history book. The things you learn are really gonna excite and amaze you. And although it's a book about a Top Secret team that the government say doesn't exist, it's not a scandalous tell-all book. It's written with the utmost respect for the team and its members.

I think that anybody who has even a slight interest in the subject (war, spies, etc.) should read this book. If you're a fanfic writer, this book is an absolute must-have because you're gonna learn how they train, how they conduct assaults, how espionage agents work, and then you'll read all about all kinds of real missions. There's A LOT of interesting stuff that you'll be able to use in your stories. It'll be a great way to prepare you for writing a fanfic about Delta Red Cammy ^_^

Everything about this book fascinated me, and it reminded me of Cammy (always a good thing). What really interested most was reading about how the most kick-ass guys in the world think (it fits Cammy's profile & personality perfectly). The way Delta Force operators approach problems is incredible. Their training and experiences really give them a special outlook on life, and anybody who reads this book is gonna learn a lot from their experiences.

Anyhow, I know $25 is a lot of money for a book, but please trust me when I tell you that it is absolutely worth it! Please, please, please go out and get a copy!! Check Amazon.com for more reviews and even an excerpt.

PS - One interesting thing Eric Haney said on the radio show I listened to was that no matter how much we listen to the news about our current war on terrorism, we don't even know about half the stuff that's REALLY going on. I'm sure Delta Force is operating on all cylinders right now. I hope we'll get to hear all about it someday, but if not, I'm happy (and proud) to know that we've got such a fine bunch of men fighting for our freedom!

PPS - I'm sorry, but I don't think my review has done justice for Inside Delta Force. I've never been all that great at writing out all my thoughts and feelings. I know what I think, but sometimes I get a little too excited and it all just comes out as a babbling mess... and I'm afraid that's what this was. But I did mean it when I said that this is a book that everybody should check out!

News flash: Cammy's the coolest character

Elaine Cunningham has become one of my very favorite authors, so I'll pick up almost any of her books without a second thought. I was especially excited about this series because it's all about the mysterious nation of Halruaa. I've never really had much experience with that part of the Forgotten Realms, but from the little I'd heard, it sounded interesting. Halruaa is a land where almost everything revolves around magic... unless you're a jordain. Jordains have no magic within them, and are almost totally resistant to magic. They're trained to become special guardians and counselors to the mages who rule Halruaa.

This trilogy is all about the jordain Matteo, and a mysterious girl named Tzigone. Once things get rolling, dark secrets about Halruaa are revealed, and the whole nation's future is put in jeopardy. Behind it all is the mysterious cabal that supposedly rules Halruaa, and a necromancer trapped in the elemental plane of water. It's a great epic tale that follows some very personal stories.

Overall, it was a great story. I liked learning all about Halruaa, and Tzigone is a great character that really makes things happen. The one complaint that I have is that there were too many times that I found myself thinking... "Wait a damn minute... what's going on? what happened? why? how? who?!" Mrs. Cunningham is a great author, but her writing at times was a bit confusing. Or, I gotta be honest... maybe my head just wasn't quite into it. Admittedly, I had a lot of things going on while I was reading these books, so maybe it was a little hard for me to concentrate. Nevertheless, if what I've said so far has piqued your interest in the series, please check out this page at Amazon.com because it's got 34 sample pages for you to preview!

News flash: Cammy's the coolest character

This is a comic by the greatest comic book artist/writer I've ever known (and I think I know almost all of them). Yukito Kishiro is as smart, talented, and creative as I could imagine anyone to be. You probably know his most famous work, Battle Angel Alita (aka "Gunnm" in Japan). All of Yukito Kishiro's work gets the absolute highest recommendation from me, and Aqua Knight as good as anything he's ever done!

First, lemme warn you that Aqua Knight is nothing at all like Battle Angel Alita. The art is totally different, and so is the whole mood of the book... it's a sunny, fantastic, funny, and all that. There's a quote on the back of the comic from the "Comic Buyer's Guide" that really is perfect:
"There's literally no comparison between Yukito Kishito's complex, dark cyberpunk Battle Angle Alita and the simple (like an angel) heroic fairytale that's Aqua Knight. Except, of course, that both are equally great in every aspect."

Aqua Knight takes place in an oceanic world called "Marmundo". It's full of sea monsters, tropical islands, crazy people, and of course "Aqua Knights". Ruliya is the Aqua Knight we follow through the 3 comics (along with a strange little boy named "Ashika" who serves as her squire). It's a wonderfully fun and fantastic tale that's impossible not like.

I don't really wanna start telling you about the storyline because I'll get excited and give too much away. ^_^ Just trust me... buy the comic and experience it all for yourself!

There are lots of places to go get this comic..
Online, you can go to Amazon.com or www.Viz.com
Or, you can have your local Barnes & Noble or comic book store order if for you.

News flash: Cammy's the coolest character

	I've been reading comics for almost 15 years, and I've read thousands. Battle Angel Alita is hands down the best I've ever read, and I honestly can't imagine anything better. Sure personal taste plays a big role, but this is one of those comics that seems to appeal to everybody in one way or another (just like Cammy).
	Anyhow, after 9 books, the original series ended. But thanks to huge fan support, Yukito Kishiro brought it back, and now the first of 3 new books has started running in English. For all the details, please check out this special page:
	All About - Battle Angel Alita: Last Order