Joe Schreiber

I'm more and more convinced that what kept me hooked on Star Wars as a kid was the internal coherence of its universe. Yeah, the laser guns and big bangs and whizzy spaceships were massively exciting, but Battle Beyond the Stars had them and even as an eight-year-old I knew that was pap. But watching Luke and Vader duel their way through Cloud City , I believed every computer bank, vent and chasm had some purpose. In my mind, those corridor didn't lead to the edge of the set, they just kept show more going. Every one of those aliens crowded into the Mos Eisley cantina had some reason to be there. When I've returned to the franchise as an adult (I tend to get a rush of nostalgia every couple of years or so), it's been to explore the more distant corners of that galaxy far, far away.

Joe Schreiber's Blackwing novels are the perfect example of that. By throwing the series' elements into the horror blender, they gain a voice that goes beyond merely pastiching Lucas's films. It helps that Schreiber's prose has an eloquence that goes beyond that often expected of tie-in material, and he manages to make those elements that should be horrifying genuinely squirm-worthy. Red Harvest might not have the same impact as Death Troopers, but that's chiefly because it lacks the familiar elements of the earlier books: the vast, clinical spaces of Star Destroyers make a much less caring (and therefore more disquieting) environment for horror than the more consciously malevolent Sith Academy found here.

As on so many of the recent Star Wars releases, the sound design on the audiobook version is most impressive. No kid who's ever pretended to be Luke Skywalker or Han Solo has done so without doing their best to recreate the dew-dews, whuums and zwooshes, and if a story doesn't blast in with that John Williams fanfare, it's not really Star Wars. Mixed in with the screams, splats and ominous rumbles of survival horror, that audio landscape ties Red Harvest into the mythos while offering a disquieting contrast. Only on occasion does the sound not quite match the prose: the whispered voices that echo the chapter titles can be unintentionally hilarious if the last word isn't that chilling ("Box! Box box box box...").

The litmus test for tie-in fiction is whether it stands up regardless of the license, and, on that basis, Schreiber's books work brilliantly. Red Harvest might not be as red-blooded as Death Troopers, but it's still a terrific action-horror adventure in its own right – and one of the most imaginative uses of the Star Wars license I've encountered. This dark corner of the galaxy has plenty of guts. And it's not afraid to show them to you. show less

Woah! What a crazy ride! This is an amalgam of Pulp Fiction, Kill Bill and the Die Hard franchise. Funny, thrilling and totally engrossing, I thoroughly enjoyed the fast pace and the magnificently implausible scenarios, tied in with a semi-serious motive for such violence. I loved it!

I started this book thinking I was about to read a crime novel about a kidnapping, but before too many pages had slipped by I realized I was actually in for a supernatural thriller. At less than 200 pages this book moved quickly which was a good thing, I like my action non-stop.

A woman with a secret finds out that someone has her daughter and through a series of cell phone calls issues some bizarre instructions that she must follow if she wishes to get her baby daughter back alive. She show more follows along and as completes each step, another clue is revealed, until she knows what is going on and who the kidnapper is.

I found this a mildly interesting thriller. My disconnect with the book was probably the rather far fetched story that launched this woman’s nightmare. I never could quite take what was going on seriously and so never really bought into the terror and suspense.

I am afraid that Chasing the Dead will be one of those books that 3 months from now, I will have a hard time remembering. show less

For a small book, this story packs one helluva punch!

The plot of the book totally took me away! Seriously. The reader steps in Perry's shoes who is a nice guy. His family decides to do a foreign exchange program bringing a girl name Gobi to their home. Gobi is quiet and keeps to herself. She doesn't talk, were's crappy clothes and well is just...weird. Or so Perry thought. On the night of prom, Gobi takes Perry for an adventure of a life time. Dude, seriously Gobi is my kind of gal. Just show more when you think you know her...BAM! She's crazy. The plot is never boring and always kept my eyes on the paper. The more that Gobi told more of herself the more interested I became.

Gobi herself is one crazy gal. Hellbent on getting revenge, Gobi has a mission. She is fierce and strong in everything that she does. There are moments where she spoke words that left me speechless. There is this one part in particular where she spoke with Perry's dad and HOT DAMN! I could not stop giggling and giving this girl props. She knows everyone and everything SPOT ON! She doesn't play games and get down to business.

I'm may be a sadist when I say this but, despite what Gobi did to Perry, you can tell that there is an attraction. Gobi came to divide and conquer yet she didn't expect to see Perry bloom in one night. He went from a timid boy doing everything he is told to do, to someone who speaks his mind. Perry puts his foot down growing into a man right in front of your eyes. Perry, I'm proud of you dude!

Au Revoir, Crazy European Chick is an engrossing tell that you can not put down. Enthralling from the very first line, this is story will rocks your socks off. An unquestionably creative story, Au Revoir, Crazy European Chick is freaking SWEET! show less