Ambrose
9/1/2023
Overall: I was dissatisfied. I liked around half the stories and was okay/didn't like the other half of the stories. I didn't LOVE any of the stories. If you look at it like a grade, in school 50% would be an F. I wouldn't say it was that bad, but I'm slightly confused about why it has such good reviews. I think it was okay, but nothing better. The plots were kinda of shaky, everything was just mediocre. I did love that Middle Eastern culture aspect of it. I got to learn some stuff about that, maybe that's why people rave about this book? I don't know, because for me that doesn't make it stand up on its own. Great stories do, and I didn't see that.
Where Virtue Lives
This was the debut of the book, and it wasn't bad. It was told by switching between the perspectives of an old monster hunter and a young man wishing to be his apprentice. They go through an adventure and the old man takes him on in the end. It wasn't powerful in any way just a quick fun read with lots of world-building stacked atop that was impressively accessible. However, Ushra, a side character, wasn't very reliable. I don't think she was realistic but was more written to make a point. That means that taking someone's life should not be something taken lightly. I think she could have written better though. 3.5/5
Hooves and the Hovel of Abdel Jameela
This one read like a fairytale, there was a rising action. And then the shocking reveal that leads to an important decision being made. In this case, the main character made the right decision and lived happily ever after. After a grisly surgery was performed. The thing that put me off in this one was that god was mentioned in every other sentence. It was such a focus of this one it took away from the story for me. 3/5
Judgment of Swords and Souls
This was good actually. It was set in some sort of religious covenant that was called "The Lodge of God." Now I know I complained about God being too much a focus of the last story, but the reason it worked in this one was because it was a part of the story. It was essential to the plot and therefore didn't take away but just was. The story went over sticking to one's morals, religion (duh), revenge, and starting over. The climax was much better than I thought it would be and for that, I give this a 4/5 stars. My favorite story in the collection.
Doctor Diablo Goes Through the Motions
Weak as heck, I didn't like this one very much. It's about what a meeting of "Super-criminals" looks like and I guess it's trying to convey that you can get a bad roll of the dice and that there not so different from the "League of Justice". But it's just not ever justified like the author just doesn't explain why the main character and the other one who seem like normal people are part of the super-criminals. Not well made. 1.5/5 stars.
General Akmed's Revenge
This one tackled racism and the conflict between America and Middle Eastern countries. But not in the best way. More like it would be tacked in a juvenile book. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, it's just not interesting to what I think this book's target audience is. The ending held a genie who gave him one wish. It was open-ended between "princess," "DESTRRROY AMERRRICA," and "A NEEEEW CAR." You don't know which one happened because they slipped out of his mouth, I think it would have been better if America just got destroyed, that's an interesting ending. 2/5 stars.
Mister Hadj's Sunset Ride
This was better than the last two for sure. It's about a bounty hunter who learns some life lessons from an old man he travels with for a year. It still didn't knock me out of the park but I enjoyed the ending scene. The zombie was a nice add-in. The suspense wasn't built in until the very end so it didn't feel as unique--average at the end of the day. 3/5 stars.
The Faithful Soldier, Prompted
Another story that I just didn't like too much because of the execution. This one had the plot to make it interesting. It just had some parts that annoyed me enough to take away from what could have been there chiefly, 1: his "retscans" and "prompts" are never really explained. Are they in his head? Are they on a device? World-building without explanation only works when it's a novel.. and you get to learn why stuff is the way it is eventually. And 2: If he had this religious awakening to get out of prison, why does he not listen to the prompt at the end of the story? 2.5/5 stars.
Iron Eyes and the Watered Down World
Well, it ended on a pretty good note. This one is pretty good. The MC was pretty intolerable but besides that, it was a pretty good conclusion, action-packed with lots of death. A thief smashing giant and a toad-demon. 3.5/5 stars.