Ok, let me start off by saying this is a very unfair review. I have been so busy with books/etc recently that I haven't had time to kick back and read for my own enjoyment.
That being said I had an ARC of The Devil in Green that had been staring at me a bit to intently and I decided I deserved to have some "me time".
1st off, I really like the cover, it has a cool devils head highlighted in (you guessed it) green, the back cover blurb gave me very high hopes since it sounded very much like a book I would want to read.
I cracked it open and started reading. Right off the get go I had a weird "been there done that" feeling, something about it brought to mind Reign of Fire, maybe because the story starts of in modern England and after all hell has broken lose. It is an interesting look at the world after magic and some really unpleasant critters come back with
Now here is the hard part, the book has many areas that Im interested to see what happens in. So far the 2 main characters do not interest me in the least. To much ... I really wish I could explain it, they just bore me. The writing style seems to be a bit geared to the YA market though I cant be sure since it isnt listed for Adult or YA as of yet. The world is something that sounds very interesting since it is our world, but changed, drastically. I am looking forward to exploring it more and discovering if the hope I had upon reading the back-cover along with the glimpse of some major supernatural badness is realized.
As of now though, I have to put it down since I need a book that GRABS me and I can get lost in.
 If you are an animal lover you really should pick up a copy of this book, or for that matter any book by James Herriot.
He was a vet in England who wrote several books about his experiences. These stories are heart-warming and at times saddening. They deal with all aspects of life and really are stories that anybody who has a pulse should take time to read.
He rates a very rare 9.5/10
 Steven Brust has been one of my favorite authors for several years now. I have followed the adventures of Vlad and picked up a few other books by Brust.
I stumbled upon a very nice 1st edition hardcover of “The Lord of Castle Black” the other day at one of the nicest used bookstores I’ve had the pleasure to peruse and just had to snag it. Of course I have the paperback version for awhile now, but I do have a hardcover fetish.
Castle Black is part of Bursts’ “The Khaavren Romances” and is of course a good read (is there anything by Brust that isn’t?). For fans of Vlad the writing style in the Romances can be a bit of a shock. At my 1st go I actually had to dig out a copy of Dragon to confirm that the author was in fact the same!
Brust meets Dumas and decides to toss the Three Musketeers on their heads. Great fun and good action makes this a book you really should give a go.
7/10
 For those of you that haven’t started the Malazan Book of the Fallen by Steven Erikson, you really had better get busy.
In this 9th installment of the epic (9th not counting the books by Ian Cameron Esselmont, and the several novellas), Erikson once again rocks the readers world.
Massive magic, stellar dialog, interesting and disturbing characters along with an awesome world continue to make this series one of my all time favorites.
When some authors have issues with getting books finished SE puts them out like clock-work. Where some authors suffer a decrease in quality the farther into a series, once again SE keeps putting out quality work.
For those of you that like a more “adult” fantasy read, you really need to pick up this series. It can be confusing at times and at other just plain frustrating but the work is well worth it!
8.5/10
 Now this was a blast to read! I found Bridge of Birds to be extremely engrossing and a good jump from the more normal fantasy I had been ready.
Hughart calls it "A Novel of an Ancient China That Never Was", and thats about says it all. This story takes place in ancient China which is a bit on the fantastic just for the average westerner to wrap ones head around.
Its a great read for somebody looking to freshen up their reading material. I cant really say enough good things about this book.
8/10
 Joe has been one of the more exciting new authors to come along over the last couple of years. His prior 3 books rocked and rolled and so does this one.
Best Served Cold has references to characters you may have already met in Joes 1st trilogy, along with the main character of Shivers. However this book does do well on a standalone basis.
It has a fairly standard world,and its chock full of not so nice people that do some not so nice things. It’s a good ride, and I think for those that like a low magic world with some real bad asses running around in it, then this is right up your alley.
7/10
From Joes site (though I can’t decided if George R.R. Martin is correct on his view of this being Joes best book yet)
“"Joe Abercrombie's BEST SERVED COLD is a bloody and relentless epic of vengeance and obsession in the grand tradition, a kind of splatterpunk sword 'n sorcery COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO, Dumas by way of Moorcock. His cast features tyrants and torturers, a pair of poisoners, a serial killer, a treacherous drunk, a red-handed warrior and a blood-soaked mercenary captain. And those are the good guys ... The battles are vivid and visceral, the action brutal, the pace headlong, and Abercrombie piles the betrayals, reversals, and plot twists one atop another to keep us guessing how it will all come out. This is his best book yet."
—George RR Martin, author of A Game of Thrones
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 Ok, now I have to admit the cover art for this book created a reaction in me akin to running for the hill like the hounds of hell were chasing me. However, having read several of Anne's books I was willing to give it a chance.
I can only say it was a risk well worth taking. I found it to be an exceptionally enjoyable read. It had an interesting premise, enough unique aspects and a really interesting leading guy that really made the book work well for me. Don’t let the cover art fool you, Sebastian might be a ladies’ man, but he is really damn cool and lives in an amazing world.
It gets a 7.5 out of 10.
From Anne's site:
"
“Let your heart travel lightly. Because what you bring with you becomes part of the landscape.”
Long ago, to stop the onslaught of the Eater of the World, Ephemera was split into a dizzying number of strange and magical lands connected only by bridges—which may take you where you truly belong, rather than where you had intended to go.
Now, with the Eater contained and virtually forgotten, the shifting worlds of Ephemera have been kept stable by the magic of the Landscapers. In one such land, where night reigns and demons dwell, the half–incubus Sebastian revels in dark delights. But then in dreams she calls to him: a woman who wants only to be safe and loved—a woman he hungers for while knowing he may destroy her.
But a more devastating destiny awaits Sebastian, for in the quiet gardens of the Landscapers' school, evil is stirring. The prison of the Eater of the World has weakened—and Sebastian's realm may be the first to fall...
Intoxicating, erotic, and intensely romantic, Sebastian is for those who know on which side of the heart—Light or Dark—their passions lie. "
 As many of you no doubt know, ICE and Steven Erikson "co-created" the Malazan world which SE has written several books set in.
Now Erikson has a certain flair with his dialog and characters. ICE on the other hand hasn't come as far as an author. His people seem to be a bit cookie cutter and his dialog at times seems either nonsensical or forced.
That being said, its still a read that anybody who enjoys SEs work really should read. It ties up some loose ends and helps increase the view of what all is going on in the world. For whatever it lacks in quality ICE sure makes up in quantity, its a fairly thick read, chock full of action and characters new and old and not only that, but it "feels" right.
The last 1/4 of the story was (imo) the best part. ICE seemed to pull things together well, the action was, though not the best, solidly in the top levels.
I very much feel this book is worthy of being the the Malazan world and is a solid addition to the series.
Rating: 6.0
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