New ongoing book-reading blog

[Quatermass]

BOOK 20

Spy x Family volume 3, by Tatsuya Endo.

After a promising beginning in the first volume, the second volume of Spy x Family disappointed me a little. But how would the third volume fare? Let’s find out…

Yor’s younger brother Yuri has made a surprise visit to her and the rest of the Forger family. He intends to find any dirt on them so that he can use his position in Ostania’s secret police to punish them, forcing Loid ‘Twilight’ Forger to match him in a battle of wits. Meanwhile, Anya is struggling to make any headway at school, putting the operation at stake…

There’s not much actual plot, just the odd day to day lives of the Forgers. Sometimes, the comedy is miss more than hit. And to be frank, the dodgeball interlude and other efforts by Anya to get a Stella is a bit cringy.

That being said, it feels like a slight upturn in quality from the last volume. The tense farce filtered through espionage fiction of Loid and Yuri’s confrontation doesn’t overstay its welcome. And the final omake chapter is immensely enjoyable too.

Overall, this volume marked a return to form for the series. Here’s hoping that continues…

****

 

[Quatermass]

BOOK 21

Doctor Who: The Ghosts of N-Space, by Barry Letts.

In the 90s, a pair of Doctor Who radio dramas reuniting the cast of the final season of Jon Pertwee’s time as the Doctor were broadcast. They would turn out to be Jon Pertwee’s last times playing the Doctor. But how would this novelisation of the second of these dramas fare?

It seems coincidental for Sarah Jane Smith and her colleague Jeremy Fitzoliver to end up in Sicily on holiday at the same time as the Brigadier is arriving for personal business. For the Brigadier’s relative Mario is asking for help from a belligerent American gangster called Max Vilmio. Soon, the Doctor is brought into matters, especially as Mario is in charge of an ancient castle that is haunted. But what is N-Space? What links does Max have with an alchemist who lived several centuries before? And can the Doctor stop a deranged mastermind of gaining control not only of Earth, but the world beyond?

I have to admit, in places, this story is a bit of a mess. The Doctor seems a bit too detached in a way that seems out of character, some of the attitudes and characters are more dated than the setting should have, and Jeremy Fitzoliver, bluntly, is an annoying and aggravating character. Plus, some parts come out of nowhere in a way Russell T Davies would be proud of.

However, there is no denying that Barry Letts knows, for the most part, how to write his characters, something made clear when he wrote for the TV show (albeit anonymously). The story is an engrossing and thrilling one with intriguing concepts, there’s an examination of the consequences of time travel, and Max is one of the nastiest villains in the franchise. It was an enjoyable romp from start to finish.

Overall, while not perfect, The Ghosts of N-Space was still an entertaining story written by one who knew the era well. A nice bit of nostalgia breathing new life into the era…


****

 

[Quatermass]

BOOK 22

Spy x Family volume 4, by Tatsuya Endo.

So, here I am with the fourth volume of Spy x Family, marking the arrival of another regular character. But how would it fare? Let’s find out…

In order to reward her for gaining her first Stella, Anya is being taken by her adoptive parents to get a dog. However, unwittingly, this will draw the Forgers into a violent plot. A group of Ostanian university students, led by the ruthless Keith Kepler, intend to use a bunch of trained dogs to engage in a bombing plot against Westalis officials trying to engage in diplomacy, hoping to plunge the region into war once more. But their greatest threat may not just be from the Forger family, but from one of the very dogs they were hoping to use…

I have to admit, much of this volume is little but action, with little actual plot. In addition, I feel that Loid isn’t given quite enough to do, despite being, nominally, the main character of the series. The two omake chapters aren’t anything to write home about.

However, the arc filling much of this volume is an enjoyable romp from start to finish despite its flaws. Both Anya and Yor are given their chances to shine, and we finally have some character development from Loid’s rather demanding handler. And the newcomer, the dog named Bond, kicks things off with a bang, while his erstwhile user, Kepler, is a wonderful, if somewhat one-note, antagonist.

Overall, this was a good volume. It left me satisfied if nothing else…

****