'Transmetropolitan' by Warren Ellis and Darick Robertson, 1997-2002

See here for plot outline etc.

As I've said previously I am not that au fait with the graphic novel. This series was recommended to me by friends and then name-dropped in an interview with Joss Whedon, so I thought i'd give it a go.

Although set in a dystopian future the story clearly echoes US politics of the Nixon era. Spider Jerusalem is clearly a homage to Hunter S Thompson and 'gonzo' journalists.

The art work is superb and the story is gripping and unfolds logically. It is quite a biting satire that has a go at religion, social values, morality and largely, consumerism.

However, it has made little lasting impression on me. It is quite an accurate parody of real events but doesn't feel to make much of a point about anything. The story didn't really hit me on an emotional level, mainly because I just couldn't bond with Spider.

At times it felt like the writer was trying too hard and it felt forced and pretentious. I am left with the simple question "what was the point?". The references will be lost on those not familiar with that era in US politics and those who are won't get anything much new from this interpretation.

Still, good artwork and a good story.

'Predator' by Patricia Cornwell, 2005

See here for a plot outline and links to reviews.

I enjoyed this considerably more than 'Trace'. The relationships between the characters are essentially breaking down so everyone is on edge and jumpy. Although one narrative strand is from the killers point of view you don't really get into their head until the very end when a major revelation forces you to re-evaluate all that went before. The plot is more concrete than in 'Trace' and there is considerably less ambiguity. The pacing works better as well. The characters still seem a bit 2-dimensional and the dialogue is at its best during arguments! The only loose ends left untied are the relationships within what was previously a closeknit group..... things seem to be unravelling and trust has been shattered all around. the follow up could be interesting!

Worth reading if youi like crime/forensic thrillers, otherwise don't bother.

'Trace' by Patricia Cornwell, 2004

See here for plot outline and links to reviews.

I only read this because I enjoyed some of Kathy Reich's novels and thought they might be similar. Wrong.

I found this meandering and disjointed. The mixed perspective narrative was clumsy and awkward. Much was implied rather than made explicit which I found increasingly infuriating. The character read like cardboard cut outs and fail to be engaging or sympathetic.

Forensic science works better on TV for me I think!

'Eragon' and 'Eldest' by Christopher Paolini, 2003 and 2005

See here and here for plot outlines and links to reviews.

I really wanted to like these books. The first was written by a guy in his teens and made into a movie... surely it can't be that bad. Well, they certainly aren't great. The writing style isn't as noticeably pretentious as I expected; there are some passages that have been written thesaurus in hand however. A lot of the dialogue is worse than Star Wars and does not sound real at all.

The story, characters, events all feel very familiar. In fact it borrows heavily from Star Wars and LOTR and falls into all the cliches of "epic fantasy". Its even going to be a trilogy - the biggest cliche of all! To be fair I found it compelling reading at times and I often wanted to find out what would happen next, even though I had a pretty good idea. The idea of using magic instead of shaing I found original (and rather sensible) but that was the one original idea. As usual the books are filled with made up names for people and places.... apart from Angela, whose name sticks out like a sore thumb!

I suppose I will read the final installment at some point but I won't be too disappointed if I forget.

If you like your epic-fantasy cliched and unoriginal then you may enjoy this. Otherwise, see the movie - it will be over quicker.