drallapaul

Sibylla is destined to become the wife of the Black Bull of Norroway and this series depicts her journey and the characters and dilemma that she encounters. The story does not end here and there is more to come.

The artwork is nicely executed, colourful and clear but the dialogue can be stilted which spoils things a bit. It’s good but nothing particularly special.

Eragon continues to develop as a Dragon Rider as the confrontation between the Varden and Galbatorix moves further along. Characters are interesting and developed and the plot is interesting even if it's a long book. There's a fair amount of fighting and bloodshed. It's good and I look forward to reading the final volume

The interestingly-named Oddly Normal finds herself in a magical world full of strange and colourful characters but she hasn’t necessarily landed on her feet.

This is a cartoony fun comic collection probably more suited to a younger readership with an easy plot and clear colourful illustrations. Nicely done.

 A part of Philadelphia has been shifted into a dimension full of monsters and strange creatures. Nathan travels between there and Earth bringing people back but do they want to come back? With only a few key characters on both sides, the story is interesting and original while the artwork is clear and, in the case of the creatures, boggling and exciting. A worthwhile first volume.

Dom returns after two years to re-acquaint herself with friends, lovers, rivals and the world that she left. Lots of action and a certain finality to the plot.

I found this more entertaining than Volume 1 but I’m not too enthusiastic about the cartoony artwork.

Kevin teams up with Joe and later Kirby (Heracles) to take out the nasties and many more warriors (those with abilities) join in. A whole new batch of characters, supernatural beings and principal villain are introduced. It’s not the most engaging of plot lines but the artwork is reasonably done.

Ending on a cliffhanger, there are more volumes to come as Kevin must confront his nemesis.

I totally enjoyed this Volume which raises some interesting issues such as abortion while being captivating and exciting. Loads of interesting characters feature and the whole effect is of fun and clever plotting. I can’t recommend this series enough as the writing, originality and artwork make the whole experience worthwhile. Now onto Volume 9!

Eddie Flynn is an ex-con man and now works as a lawyer, hired to help out in a kidnapping case. The story takes all sorts of twists and turns and the whole thing is quite a ride. There's a fair amount of violence and a body count but also a lot of courtroom scenes. The characters are well-defined and interesting and our narrator makes for an odd combination of con man and lawyer. It's a riveting read, possibly with too many twists and revelations but still well worth the journey.

Luvander, an Urden. (dragon), gets involved in various stories concluding with how and why she was cast out of her Urden community. I enjoyed this more than the first volume probably because it wasn’t trying too hard. The artwork is still simple and not particularly detailed. It’s more fun than I remember and worth a little look.

Princess Pyppenia's father has died, leaving her vulnerable in the court of Harbeny. She is accompanied by Cyrenic, a Sleepless Knight, pledged not to sleep so as to protect her. Court rivalries and conspiracies lead the story as the plot develops and characters are introduced and described. Desperate times mean desperate means and the story is well-told. The artwork is nicely coloured and detailed. An enjoyable experience - and more to come.

This second part of the series develops the plot further, taking Eragon on long journeys, training and bloody confrontations with the enemy, making allies along the way and being reunited with those left behind in the first part of this series.
Perhaps overlong (over 600 pages), it's still an absorbing story with plenty of new characters - and a map! No point in reading it if you haven't read "Eragon" but it's a class fantasy series. Brisingr (the next part) next!

Bartlett and his adopted family are redneck vampires living out of town and getting along as best they can. Mistakes are made and rivalries are played out, resulting in death and destruction.

The characters are developed and interesting and the plot moves along at a fair pace. The artwork is reasonably clear and the series is original and worth a look if you’re after something a little different. Volume 2 to come.

I abandoned this after Part Two. This is a bit of a vanity project, mysterious and magical but disjointed and not particularly clear. Maybe I missed the point but, although the artwork is good enough, I wasn't enjoying it.

I'm no great fan of the genre but this novel, the first in a series, is quite entertaining although it contains the sort of convoluted plot typical of spy novels. River Cartwright has been "exiled" to Slough House along with other MI5 members and a plot involving the kidnapping of a Muslim youth find them all involved in unexpected ways. Characters are well-defined and the story evolves at a good pace. Quite good - and different.

Cassie gets involved with zombie attacks near a children’s camp, reviving her killing skills. Other significant characters appear on both sides of the conflict. With a lot of zombies destroyed and some sexual content, this collection is fairly basic and the artwork could be more interesting. Only for true fans of the genre.

Eragon is a young man who finds himself embroiled in a struggle between the Empire in which he lives and those resisting it. A long journey ensues, full of adventure, magic, fighting and discovery. Many interesting and different characters appear, all with an important part to play.

The writing is nicely balanced between description and plot and the whole experience is entertaining, enjoyable and engaging. Highly recommended.