Simon's Updates en-US Fri, 25 Apr 2025 13:18:20 -0700 60 Simon's Updates 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg Review7518435222 Fri, 25 Apr 2025 13:18:20 -0700 <![CDATA[Simon added 'The Scottish and Welsh Wars 1250-1400 (Men at Arms Series, 151)']]> /review/show/7518435222 The Scottish and Welsh Wars 1250-1400 (Men at Arms Series, 151) by Christopher Rothero Simon gave 3 stars to The Scottish and Welsh Wars 1250-1400 (Men at Arms Series, 151) (Men-at-Arms, 151) by Christopher Rothero
]]> Rating851091900 Fri, 25 Apr 2025 13:09:10 -0700 <![CDATA[Simon C-f liked a review]]> /
Simon liked Matthew's review of The Swords of Calth (Warhammer 40,000):
The Swords of Calth by Graham McNeill
"Feels more like product placement for the primaris and new necron models rather than an authentic Uriel story."
]]> Review7518415262 Fri, 25 Apr 2025 13:08:59 -0700 <![CDATA[Simon added 'Empire of the Deep: The Rise and Fall of the British Navy']]> /review/show/7518415262 Empire of the Deep by Ben Wilson Simon gave 5 stars to Empire of the Deep: The Rise and Fall of the British Navy (Hardcover) by Ben Wilson
Superlative narrative, maybe a little hefty? But answers every question you might have. ]]> Review7518407662 Fri, 25 Apr 2025 13:06:50 -0700 <![CDATA[Simon added 'The Swords of Calth']]> /review/show/7518407662 The Swords of Calth by Graham McNeill Simon gave 2 stars to The Swords of Calth (Warhammer 40,000) by Graham McNeill
This unfortunately is less of a story and more of a flat-out advertisement for the new Primaris models. ]]> Review7518407662 Fri, 25 Apr 2025 13:06:33 -0700 <![CDATA[Simon added 'The Swords of Calth']]> /review/show/7518407662 The Swords of Calth by Graham McNeill Simon gave 2 stars to The Swords of Calth (Warhammer 40,000) by Graham McNeill
This unfortunately is less of a story and more of a flat-out advertisement for the new Primaris models. ]]> Review7501669365 Sat, 19 Apr 2025 13:10:52 -0700 <![CDATA[Simon added 'Piranesi']]> /review/show/7501669365 Piranesi by Susanna Clarke Simon gave 3 stars to Piranesi (Hardcover) by Susanna Clarke
I would have liked this a lot more if it had been half the length and chopped out a lot of the very repetitive descriptions of this statue and that statue.

I liked that it was a vibe, but, I do think it would have been a much sharper experience with more editing. ]]> Review7422714179 Fri, 21 Mar 2025 12:12:58 -0700 <![CDATA[Simon added 'Valdor: Birth of the Imperium']]> /review/show/7422714179 Valdor by Chris Wraight Simon gave 1 star to Valdor: Birth of the Imperium (The Horus Heresy: Characters) by Chris Wraight
Unpopular fannish opinion perhaps, but while I've liked all the other Chris Wraight I've read, this one felt like it could have been an email.

It is perhaps best described as one of the Warhammer Wiki articles expanded. It is lacking story, plot, development, character, and Valdor isn't actually in it much.

The first half is tedious, but the fight scene at the end is at least mostly decently written. ]]> Rating835039320 Tue, 11 Mar 2025 11:29:45 -0700 <![CDATA[Simon C-f liked a review]]> /
Simon liked Andrea's review of Gladiatrix (Gladiatrix, #1):
Gladiatrix by Russell Whitfield
"I hated this book. Actually, I'm really surprised that so many other people gave such positive reviews! (No judgement, just very different from my own experience).

I found the book to be poorly written, the author told the reader what was happening rather than showed through dialogue and action. I found the characters to be stilted, unlikable, and unbelievable.

What most disturbed me was the detailed and graphic nature of several scenes of sexual violence and assault, none of which I found necessary to the overall plot or character developments. I feel that, if the author truly found it necessary for these events to occur, that he could have conveyed them without such detail, which I believe truly unnecessary.

Along with that, I found the other, non-violent sexual scenes to be unbelievable and more akin to some sexual fantasy than actual female experience.

All in all, this book left me with a very bad taste in my mouth and a desire to remove my copy from my house. I do not recommend it at all."
]]> Review7395002879 Tue, 11 Mar 2025 11:27:51 -0700 <![CDATA[Simon added 'Gladiatrix']]> /review/show/7395002879 Gladiatrix by Russell Whitfield Simon gave 1 star to Gladiatrix (Gladiatrix, #1) by Russell Whitfield
Had to stop reading this one, it has an absolutely appalling rape scene at the end of act 2, and... it's not well written.

Which is a shame because the rest of it was okay, but, yeah. It did not need a luridly detailed rape sequence inflicted on the heroine. ]]> Review7357197675 Wed, 26 Feb 2025 09:22:11 -0800 <![CDATA[Simon added 'Dune Messiah']]> /review/show/7357197675 Dune Messiah by Frank Herbert Simon gave 5 stars to Dune Messiah (Dune #2) by Frank Herbert
Still as good as I remember it, though I'll be fascinated as to how they adapt 200 pages of philosophical musings on the nature of political and religious power into a movie, but hey, maybe Dune 3 will maintain the tradition of being another of best movies in the world that will also send people to sleep. ]]>