Psych: A Mind is a Terrible Thing to Read Review

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(More customer reviews)It helps a mystery novelization if the person writing it has actually written mystery scripts for the series.
In the case of William Rabkin, he's not only penned an episode for "Psych," but also episodes for "Monk," "Diagnosis Murder" and "Nero Wolfe." That said, "Psych: A Mind is a Terrible Thing to Read" is a fun if imperfect little read -- it preserves the wacky, mildly lawless flavour of the TV series, but one of the subplots overstretches credibility.
After Shawn publicly saves a wealthy widow in court, he and Gus earn the wrath of the hate-spewing district attorney, Coules. He takes his revenge by having Gus's car impounded -- and when the boys try to get it back, Shawn's observations prompt the attendant to start shooting. Then poor Gus gets hit with a Mercedes, driven by a sexy, obviously-insane woman named Tara.
Things have not improved when he wakes up: the attendant has been found dead, and Tara has vowed to serve Shawn in all things, because she says he's beaming commands into her head. As the final dose of weirdness, their megamogul ex-classmate Dallas Steele gets back in touch, and reveals that he wants Shawn to invest a bunch of money for him.
Unfortunately Shawn and Gus are quickly implicated in the murders (thanks to Coules) and Dallas reveals a bizarre revenge scheme to publicly discredit Shawn. Worst of all, it turns out that Tara won't hesitate to beat or taser those she thinks Shawn is upset with (including Shawn's dad). And when another body crops up, Shawn must prove that he had nothing to do with it... or else.
"Psych: A Mind Is A Terrible Thing To Read" basically reads like an overlong episode of the TV series, complete with a "little Shawn and Gus" flashback, verbal sparring with Lassiter and some lectures from Henry (who has taken up scrapbooking). All it's missing is the obligatory pineapple cameo -- come on, where is Shawn's favorite spiky citrus?
And Rabkin correctly captures the wacky tone of the series, from Shawn's disguises ("Since there was only one cassock, and Gus refused to wear the matching nun's habit") to his theatrical crime-solving methods and bantering dialogue ("You're a medium?" "I used to be, but I think I've put on a few pounds"). Not easy to take that from screen to novel.
And he spins up a series of enjoyably interconnected murders, where it's never quite clear who did what muder and why. The biggest problem is that the whole Dallas Steele subplot is forced. Very forced. Despite Rabkin's best efforts, Steele's vendetta and the subsequent press conference seem far too cartoonish.
Fortunately he does a fair job capturing the personalities of wild, charming Shawn and down-to-earth, steadfast Gus, as well as Lassiter and Henry (who gets tasered). Rabkin misses the mark with a few -- Coules is a 2-D baddie whose vendetta against Shawn gets tiring, Juliet spends the whole book sulking, and Tara is lovingly described as a supersexy, utterly deranged woman who tends to break necks.
"Psych: A Mind Is A Terrible Thing To Waste" has some flaws, but it's still a fun light read that maintains the flavour of the TV series. Here's hoping that Rabkin's next "Psych" novel hits a higher mark.

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Based on the hit usa network TELEVISION series A tie-in readers will be totally "psyched" about... Shawn Spencer has convinced everyone he's psychic. Now, HE HAS TO either clean up— or be found out...After the PSYCH detective agency gets some top-notch publicity, Shawn's high-school nemesis, Dallas Steele, hires him to help choose his investments. Naturally, their predictions turn out to be total busts. And the deceptive Dallas is thrilled that he has completely discredited and humiliated Shawn once and for all—until he's found murdered. But the police have a suspect—found at the scene with a smoking gun. And she says Shawn took control of her mind and forced her to do it. After all, he is a psychic...

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Prince of Thorns (The Broken Empire) Review

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(More customer reviews)All I can say about this book is "wow". Actually, that's a lie; I have a lot more to say. These kind of grim, ultra-harsh fantasies with anti-hero leads are really hard to write well. Getting the right mix of believability and twisted viciousness in the protagonist, while not making the reader totally hate him, is tough. Before reading this, KJ Parker (Fencer trilogy, Scavenger trilogy) was the undisputed king in this area; now Lawrence (the author) joins him as one of the great masters of dark fantasy.
The plot is solid: in a Jack Vance "Dying Earth"-ish future, scores of petty kings and nobles compete to reclaim an empire, while in the shadows magicians and necromancers manipulate and control events for their own agendas. The protagonist, Prince Jorg, has been on the road with the roughest band of killers for four years, forging himself into a weapon after his mother and brother were killed in front of him. Having taken control of this brotherhood of brigands, he decides to return home and attempt to take his birthright, sparking further trials and conquests.
The writing style was very good, the pacing was great, and flashbacks filled in the backstory in nicely digestible pieces. As a note, I'm normally not such a fan of flashbacks, but Lawrence managed to keep them germane, where each one helped further the main storyline, rather than distracting from it. Lawrence, like Parker, really excels in his character portrayal of Jorg, and captures his semi-psychotic nature. I liked the combat writing too; typically fast, vicious, and clever, it avoided pitfalls of unbelievable actions or lengthy, technically complicated duels, while still included more than enough blood and bodies.
Overall a great effort, and possibly the best dark fantasy I've read since the Fencer trilogy. Recommended to anyone that likes a dark fantasy, and particularly to those that like KJ Parker (and vice versa).

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A stunning fantasy debut from a major new talent! When he was nine, he watched his mother and brother killed before him. By the time he was thirteen, he was the leader of a band of bloodthirsty thugs. By fifteen, he intends to be king... It's time for Prince Honorous Jorg Ancrath to return to the castle he turned his back on, to take what's rightfully his. Since the day he was hung on the thorns of a briar patch and forced to watch Count Renar's men slaughter his mother and young brother, Jorg has been driven to vent his rage. Life and death are no more than a game to him-and he has nothing left to lose. But treachery awaits him in his father's castle. Treachery and dark magic. No matter how fierce, can the will of one young man conquer enemies with power beyond his imagining?

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Ready Player One Review

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(More customer reviews)Brief summary and review, no spoilers.
The year is 2044 and the world is an unpleasant and grim place. Famine and poverty are rampant, and to escape the bleakness of real life most people choose to instead enter the world of OASIS.
Let me explain OASIS - this is a virtual world that is very elaborate and realistic,and it contains multiple planets and landscapes. It was created in main part by a man named James Halliday, the ultimate lonely computer geek, who was obsessed with the 1980's. Halliday died some time before the start of this story but had stated in his will that his vast fortune would go to the person who could find three magical keys hidden in OASIS, pass the portals associated with them, and then find the ultimate prize - the hidden egg. Over the years many people have searched for these magic keys and gates but none have prevailed. Those who search call themselves gunters. Also at play is a villainess corporation called IOI led by a man named Sorrento - who's agents searching for the egg are called Sixers.
The main protagonist of this story is an 18 year old named Wade Watts. Wade lives in abject poverty with his uncaring and cruel aunt. Because Wade's life is so grim, like so many others he spends almost all of his time in OASIS. It's where he goes to school and it's in OASIS where he meets his friends - avatars named Aech and Art3mis. Because everyone he meets via OASIS is an avatar, it's hard for anyone to distinguish friend from foe.
Because of his real world lack of money and help, Wade has few powers and weapons for his avatar (which he named Parzival, a takeoff of Percival the Knight which was already taken.) Even with this disadvantage, because of his intelligence and his obsession with anything Halliday or 80's related he is able to figure out how to find the first key - the copper one, and figures out how to pass that first gate. The race is on, with other gunters and the Sixers in hot pursuit. The future of OASIS is at risk because Sorrento intends to start charging money for the use of OASIS, which would keep so many offline and unable to access it. And this competition poses real life dangers for the players as well.
This is really a quest novel in the grand tradition of great fantasy literature. We have obstacles to overcome and evil-doers to defeat, and "magic," albeit computer generated, along the way.. There is plenty of action in this book and you will be turning the pages eagerly to read what happens next.
One of the (many) things that makes this book so wonderful are all the 80's references, especially to the video games and music and movies that so many of us fondly remember.
Note - don't worry if you weren't or aren't a big video game player or don't remember a lot about the 80's - if you are it might only add to your enjoyment of this novel but anyone can follow along. The story is both innovative and old-fashioned and it should appeal to anyone who loves to lose themselves inside a good novel.
At heart, this is a book for anyone who has ever felt like an outsider or a geek, and for those of us who love to read. I haven't fallen in love with a book like this in a long time and I hope it gets the recognition and readership that it deserves. As an added plus, and without giving away any spoilers, there is an interesting twist of sorts at the end, that poses an ethical dilemma for anyone wielding power over OASIS.
Highly recommended. Just a magical book with a cast of characters that you will really care about. Even though this takes place in the year 2044, the sense of nostalgia and the world created will take you back in time to the way you felt when you were 18. I promise.

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