#9 Durotan by Christie GoldenIn the world of Draenor, the strong and fiercely independent Frostwolf Clan are faced with increasingly harsh winters and thinning herds. When Gul’dan, a mysterious outsider, arrives in Frostfire Ridge offering word of new hunting lands, Durotan, the Clan’s chieftain, must make an impossible decision: abandon the territory, pride and traditions of his people, or lead them into the unknown.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. As a huge WoW fan and proud member of the Horde myself, it was fun to witness the first, tense meetings with Gul'dan, as well as the rejections he is given by both Durotan's father and Durotan himself. I really felt like the characters were perfectly captured and the reasoning behind Durotan's ultimate decision to follow Gul'dan into Azeroth was well thought out.
#10 Citizen Alex: Let Freedom Ring by Bruce CampbellAmericans love to claim that they are patriots. But, what exactly is a patriot? Someone willing to die for their country? Someone willing to criticize the country they love? Or is patriotism as simple as paying your taxes?My version of a patriot is Alexander Madison, direct descendant of James Madison, the Father of the US Constitution. By day, Alex is a proofreader, but his hobbies are varied and eclectic - each with an eye toward history - and one of them lands him in hot water. Part of a team of re-enactors, Alex becomes mistaken for a group of ant-government separatists with an eye toward succession on, of all days, the 4th of July.Alex is only a civilian, but the depth of his historical perspective helps him join forces with the FBI and foil a massive plot designed to re-write American history - and not in a good way. Fun, timely and a tad snarky, Citizen Alex: Let Freedom Ring might just make you a patriot!
I usually very much enjoy Bruce's writing, but this one (more of a short story than a true novel) just felt "off" for me. The pacing was awkward and far too fast - like it was written under a tight deadline with no time to flesh out characters, plot, or anything else, really. The sentence structure was often far too simplistic and bland, compared to the way he normally writes. Overall, I walked away feeling very "meh" about this one.
