Death al Dente

[cornerofmadness]

Death al Dente by Peter King

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


I've had this on the shelf forever and having an Italian setting prompt made me pull it off the shelf. I had seen the Gourmet detective on some mystery channel or another and it was based on this. Apparently very loosely because this was...bad.

Okay so it was published in 1999 but even for that the misogyny in this was awful. It opens with the Gourmet Detective going to Italy to scout out locations and chefs for some celebrity back in the UK. He is met by an Italian guide and her boss told her to introduce herself as a prostitute and she does to prank him (shudders) and within a few pages, he's shocked that she, a woman, can work a computer (yeah he says that's bad of him to think that but my god....)

He is instantly annoyed that every chef he encounters knows why he's there but they're not supposed to (meanwhile he's in a luxury car rolling up like he owns the joint) and then murder attempts happen until one succeeds. And it just keeps going downhill, like a crop duster going after them.

Even the ending was a let down. It's all around disappointing.



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Lumine Volume One

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Lumine Volume One by Emma Krogell

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


A 3.5 read for me that I rounded up for the lovely artwork. Lumine is a homeless child, a were dog (wolf really but that's a plot point for later) that can only turn into an adorable puppy which is why he's not great at his body guard job. He's hired by a doting father to bodyguard his son, Kody, a witch.

You get the idea that Kody is being terribly bullied at school for reasons we don't yet know. Dad also appears to be part of a secret organization (who might have to put Lumine down) and he's the silly over the top kind of dad. He reminds me of Spirit from Soul Eater even in looks.

Lumine is sweet and adorable. On the other hand, Kody comes across so psychopathic I can't feel sorry for him getting bullied. He is brutal to Lumine, hurting him on purpose so yeah, I'm not sure how I'm going to feel about him going forward. I would like to see more though.



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Impure Blood Volume 1

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Impure Blood Volume 1 by Nadja Baer

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I picked the whole series up at a steampunk con because I liked the art (and the artist's panel at the con). In this world, there were those of Ancient blood, monsters by human standard and some still exist in the form of half breeds who are reviled and often hunted/imprisoned.

For reasons we don't know yet, a young woman Dara is hunting for the Ancients. With her is a mysterious gentleman who works for a cabal trying to protect humanity from the Impure Blood half breeds and a risque woman who works for Dara. Both women have powers of their own. Dara wants to rescue Roan "the Abomination" a gladiator half breed because he can lead her to the Ancients (which is news to him).

Rescuing him is only part one of the whole plan and as they try to stop some evil from happen, they pick up a steam engine mechanic/enthusiast, a young lady named Mac. I don't want to say more so not to spoil things.

The story is interesting and the art is fun. I'm looking forward to volume two.



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