Bunch, Chris Books

The Last Battle: Dragonmaster, Book Three (Dragonmaster)

Chris Bunch

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 2 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

great Military strategy 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

the military strategy was outstanding and throwing dragons into the mix made it more interesting.

As exciting as a last battle can be 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

As I liked the previous installations of this series I like this one. It feels both exciting and realistic to me, which is rare. It has a different tone than the previous books because the machinery of war and politics isn't there (much). There is none of the sense of a nearly inevitable horror, where there isn't really any side which seems to be right or wrong, but only people doing their jobs and people trying to be good or people being "bad".
This book is about the "good" things of war: trying to take care of your mates be they men, women or dragons and trying to do the right thing without caring too much about how much does it cost to you.

Editorial Review:

The thrilling conclusion to the dragonmaster trilogy from the national bestselling author

With his loyal comrades, battle- hardened Hal Kailas must turn back the enemies who threaten dragonmasters and the magnificent beasts they once flew in one last, ultimate battle for survival.

Sten

Chris Bunch, Allan Cole

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 11 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

The Sten submachine gun 4 out of 5 stars.
2 of 3 people found this review helpful.

The Sten submachine gun was introduced in June, 1941 - An interesting name for a military SciFi protagonist. My husband and I enjoyed this book a great deal, particularly the quirky characters (i.e., the emperor) and their smart-alec dialogue (We tried to read out loud Alex's dialogue - couldn't do it, but never-the-less we liked it - a bit like Scotty on Star Trek, but with more pepper).

Sci-fi fun 3 out of 5 stars.
1 of 4 people found this review helpful.

A buddy of mine highly recommended this book to me, and so I was very much hoping to enjoy it. On some levels I did, but on others it was a miss.

Basically, this is just fun little sci-fi book. It doesn't look like the author was interested in building too much support for his universe, or else he is hoping that you will buy the rest of the series. It felt like he didn't do much planning with the setting...he just picked out one or two ideas that he liked and let the rest build itself.

The characters were simple, but still fun. I liked Sten, and didn't really care about much of his motivation. Again, it didn't look like the author gave much thought to the cast, but in this case, I wasn't really bothered by it.

The action was amusing, if the reader goes in with the mindset of having fun. If you are looking for literary genius, you'll lose.

BTW...I've never seen a scottish accent put down in print before! It was hard to follow!

Editorial Review:

This is the first book in the action-packed science fiction series, Sten. Vulcan is a factory planet, centuries old, company-run, ugly as sin, and unfeeling as death. Vulcan breeds just two types of native—complacent or tough. Sten is tough. When his family is killed in a mysterious accident, Sten rebels, harassing the Company from the metal world’s endless mazelike warrens. He could end up just another burnt-out Delinquent, but people like Sten never give up.

The Warrior King

Chris Bunch

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 5 Average rating: 3.0 of 5

Still seems interested in his characters - amazing... 4 out of 5 stars.
9 of 9 people found this review helpful.

A surprisingly decent end to the series, going against the standard law of fantasy trilogies (in which the author has generally stopped caring by halfway through the second book) as well as the less-than-promising "hang on, it's not over after all" last page of The Demon King.

Probably the book's greatest strength lies in the fact that it charts one long drawn-out battle campaign from start to finish, always the strongest aspect of the series. All the other strengths (and weaknesses - though thankfully the sex scenes haven't gotten any worse since last time out) are here too, so you can expect to see some of the major players killed off without a second thought, more emphasis on characters and relationships than a tedious parade of ugly monsters from the fantasy gene pool, and even a fair old helping of allegory (Russian inflections of the word 'Tovieti' aren't likely to be coincidental). Maybe the final confrontation between Damastes and Tenedos is a bit perfunctory after the enormous build-up, but it's nowhere near disappointing enough to sabotage the entire book, let alone the whole trilogy. Credit due for the interestingly ambiguous (and realistic) ending, too, where it would have been easy to paste in the usual happy-ever-after inanities and leave it at that...

Not entirely without its faults, then, but it's not often you come across a trilogy so consistent, thorough and downright entertaining which also has something to say beyond "kill the nasty wizard".

Editorial Review:

The wizard Tenedos transformed decaying Numantia into a mighty empire, but his lust for conquest destroyed his land. Only General Damastes, imprisoned and exiled, knows Tenedos well enough to predict his schemes. And only Damastes can forge an army to challenge Tenedos and save a ravaged and hopeless land.

The Seer King

Chris Bunch

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 19 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Hey Reviewers! You say... 5 out of 5 stars.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.

Flawed but made up with it's intensity. I read this two years ago and have yet to find a book with the same great combo of sword, sorcery, passion and yes, sex scenes. Hey if I am going to fantasize about swordsmanship and battles, I may as well have the fantasy sex along for the ride as well. Bunch scores big in my book. My only complaint is that his next two books fall short maybe due to my "high" expectations. If you are a guy that can enjoy Maxim magazine for a few laughs without apology, but also have rudimentary reading skills (that eliminates 50% of their subscribers), you'll enjoy this book.

Editorial Review:

Hotheaded young cavalry officer Damastes and the radical wizard Tenedos were expected to die in a mountain ambush. But their enemies underestimated the amazing power of the seer and the bravery of the soldier. As this unlikely team begins to outwit usurpers and necromancers, word spreads that theirs is a path of destiny. Military adventure, magic, and romance mix in this exciting fantasy adventure.

The Demon King

Chris Bunch

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 18 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

A Unique, Atypical Fantasy/Military Book 5 out of 5 stars.
4 of 4 people found this review helpful.

I am an avid military history and fantasy reader. Often the two genres don't mix, so I was pleasantly surprised when I read the series. It is doesn't follow the typical prosaic path of the average fantasy and it is able to suspend reality a bit more than the typical military history book. The book was much more gritty and graphic than a typical fantasy- which is nice considering that much of fantasy is written for a teen crowd, and as I am older now, I desire a bit more. The book took me through the gamut of emotions - I thouroughly enjoyed the book, and just reread it for the second time in 3 years. It was just as enjoyable the second time. The only other book I have read recently that goes into the darker parts of fantasy as does this series is Mathew Woodring Stover's "Heroes Die". If you liked that, you will definately like this as well.

Editorial Review:

The thrilling sequel to the critically acclaimed "The Seer King". Ten years ago, General Damastes pledged eternal loyalty to the wizard Tenedos, and to the Seer's vision of a unified, peaceful Numantia. But after Tenedos became emperor, the provinces were conquered and peace never came. Now the emperor has amassed an army for war, and Damastes uncovers dark, horrifying secrets about the man he's sworn to serve.

Homefall (The Last Legion, Book 4)

Chris Bunch

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 6 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Lets get a little realism in here shall we? 2 out of 5 stars.
5 of 8 people found this review helpful.

Having bought and read all four of the Lost Legion books, I think I'd like to apply for a refund. These books, especially this last one, are simply a warmed over mishmash of plots and escapades stolen right out of Cole's and Bunch's Sten books. In fact, once or twice, I almost expected to see Sten and whats-his-face and the rest of the Mantis crunchies pop up to topple a government or three, blow up a battleship or six and outsmart every government official and hostile intelligence officer in the galaxy WITHOUT working up a sweat! I especially like the way our two heroes manage to talk their hardbitten, tough as nails, regular officer commanding general in to authorizing this ridiculous "circus" recce mission in about half an hour. The middle of this book is the toppling govts, etc, as they try to find out what happened to the Confederation and the conclusion is a ridicuolous all-out firefight as the Circus (elephants, tigers, horses, midgets, clowns and all) fights its way through a huge bloodthirsty mob--killing about 5,000 people while taking about 10 casualties of their own--to their spaceship and takes off for home and safety. Oh yes, on their way, they blow up another gigantic battleship and a few patrol-craft and blow away a few hundred (thousand?) more morons blocking their path.

This book is the weakest of a weak series by the author. I suggest you save your money. If you want to, pick it up (cheap)at a used book store as its not the worst thing out there. The first two books aren't too bad though if you can find them used. Pick them up for a lazy day at the beach.

I would suggest sticking to the first three or four of the Sten books if you want to read about govts overthrown, battleships blown up, and all sorts of other nasty special ops stuff that is somewhat more plausibly done than this book.

The Court of a Thousand Suns (Sten)

Chris Bunch, Allan Cole

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 4 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Sci-fi skullduggery 5 out of 5 stars.
5 of 5 people found this review helpful.

After the first two books of the series set the tone for Cole & Bunch's military/spy space opera, this novel sets the broader themes rolling. Sten, now head of the Eternal Emperor's bodyguard, must deal with traitors within the palace and without, trying to find out who's trying to kill the emperor -- and how to avert interstellar war. Cole & Bunch are endlessly entertaining, mixing blood, puns, action, politics and philosophy into a fast-paced mix. The whole series is great fun and entertainment.

Editorial Review:

Sten had fought his way up from slave labor on a factory world to commander of the Eternal Emperor’s bodyguard, the Imperial Gurkhas. But during his first three months on Prime World, the most dangerous weapons Sten had encountered were the well-phrased lies of Court politicians. It seemed no place for an honest fighting man. But when a bomb destroys a local bar, Sten discovers the danger and corruption behind Court intrigue. Only quick work by Sten, Alex Kilgour, and a tough female detective can keep the Empire together and the Emperor alive.

Darkness of God (Shadow Warrior, No 3)

Chris Bunch

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 3 Average rating: 2.5 of 5

Sex, Sex, Sex. Doesn't it get tired after a while? 3 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

I've recently read the shadow warrior series and the last legion. I've come to one conclusion. Sex get's to be a tired plot point. EVERY single book of Chris Bunch's i've read has at least one sex scene in it. Ok i'm good for a sex scene or two, but come on! Are the characters fighting their way around the galaxy or sleeping their way around it? It's no wonder humans are on so many worlds in these books, they procreate like rabbits! I give it 3 out of 5 stars. I liked the violence, the plot, and the characters, but there is just too much sex to be believable in this series.

Lame Ending to the Shadow Warrior Series 2 out of 5 stars.
0 of 1 people found this review helpful.

"The Darkness of God" is the limp ending to Shadow Warrior trilogy.

In "Darkness" Joshua Wolfe wraps up the three long-term plot lines of the trilogy: The Chitra, the Space Eater, and the sociopath shipping magnate.

The Shadow Warrior series is pulp sf. Buying into the series meant accepting a formula Space Opera: Space-ninja Joshua Wolfe gambles, fights, and fornicates his way across the galaxy. "Wind After Time" and "Hunt the Heavens" held true to this formula, and were actually pretty good space battle, ray blaster, and bodice-ripper sf.

"Darkness" was a disappointment. I can only imagine Bunch had a three book contract, and either ran out of story by the end of the second book or had too much to put in the third. This final book picks up where the second book left-off. It then mindlessly recycles the plot of the first book in the series, with the names changed. Finally, it wraps-up the series in the last 50 pages. If I'd known the series was going to end that abruptly and unsatisfactorily, I'd never have started it.

"The Darkness of God" is the lame ending to a Space Opera that had potential. I don't recommend starting the series knowing this is how it ends.

Editorial Review:

The stunning sequel to "The Wind After Time" and "Hunt the Heavens" that completes the thrilling science fiction trilogy by the coauthor of the bestselling "Sten" series! "The Darkness of God" concludes Bunch's Shadow Warrior saga with a bang, as Joshua Wolfe--bounty hunter and spy--battles a host of powerful enemies in a race to save the known universe. Ads in "Locus" and "SF Age".

The Wolf Worlds (Sten)

Chris Bunch, Allan Cole

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 1 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

I loved this book. 5 out of 5 stars.
4 of 4 people found this review helpful.

This is the second "Sten" Book I read, ("Fleet of the Damned" being first), and I thouroughly enjoyed it. Sten, Alex, and the rest of Mantis Team 13 show off their stuff in the Lupus Cluster. Read it, you'll like it. If not, we'll have you brainscaned!

Editorial Review:

Raised on the factory planet of Vulcan, Sten soon learns about the survival of the toughest. The Eternal Emperor rules countless worlds across the galaxy. Vast armies and huge fleets await his command. But when the Emperor needs to pacify the Wolf Worlds, the planets of an insignificant cluster that have raised space piracy to a low art, he turns to Mantis Team and its small band of militant problem-solvers. Sten’s destiny is in his own hands.

Kingdoms of the Night

Allan Cole, Chris Bunch

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Total reviews: 3 Average rating: 2.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

KINGDOMS OF THE NIGHT
Ever since Amalric Antero returned from the legendary Far Kingdoms, bringing with him magic and riches, the people of Orissa believed they lived in a golden age. Even Amalric did not suspect the truth: that dark forces from another world threatened his beloved city.
Then a beautiful stranger arrived claiming to be the great-granddaughter of Janos Greycloak, master-wizard and betrayer of Amalric's youth. And Amalric learned that the idyllic lands he had thought were the Far Kingdoms were not--and that the real Far Kingdoms, the Kingdoms of the Night, were all that stood between civilization and unimaginably evil powers from another world.
But now the strength of the Kingdoms was flagging. Only someone with a stout heart and a legacy of magic flowing through his veins--someone like Amalric Antero--could hope to unravel the secrets of the Old Ones and lock the door between realities once and for all. And so Amalric set out, with little more than his wits and the magic of another Greycloak, to find the Kingdoms of the Night...