Vic 6: Event, Jerry Gill, Ann Darrow Co., 2017
This book is sixth in a series about Victoria Custer, your average resident of the early 20th century. The difference is that Victoria has the avatar of Nat-ul, a 100,000-year-old cave woman inside her. Under the pen name Vic Challenger, Victoria has become a travel and adventure writer for her local newspaper. Actually, Victoria/Nat-ul travel to remote places of the world, looking for Nu, Nat-ul's lover from all those centuries ago. If she "survived" all these years, why can't he?
In this book, the search for Nu has taken a detour. O. the head of a secret government agency, asks Vic, and her friend, Lin, if they wouldn't mind taking a trip. Specifically, he would them to go the site of the Tunguska meteor explosion in Siberia. All they need to do is look around, take some photographs and ask some questions of any local natives. Simple, no? Vic is ambushed by unknown people before she leaves. The plane taking them to the site is almost shot down.
Once they arrive, they make the acquaintance of a local tribe of nomads. Joe, Vic and Lin's translator, married one of them; they have many stories about the night the meteor came to Earth. They also encounter very alien creatures. They look like a cross between a boulder and a giant clam that walks upright. The creatures track their prey by sound. A mouth tube shoots poisonous spines that paralyze the prey. Then the mouth tube attaches to the prey, people included, and somehow liquifies the prey from inside, allowing the aliens to suck out the bones, internal organs and skin, leaving little more than a puddle behind.
Vic and Lin discover a weakness of the aliens; they can't be allowed to survive. Can they, and a bunch of nomads, communicate with gestures and hand signals (Joe did not survive), and battle some very evil and carnivorous aliens?
This is an excellent novel. It has plenty of action, and does a very good job with the adventure and weird stuff. After six books, the quality of the writing has not diminished at all. This easily gets five stars.
Showing posts with label gill. Show all posts
Showing posts with label gill. Show all posts
Monday, September 18, 2017
Wednesday, February 10, 2016
Vic Challenger 5: Fast!
Vic Challenger 5: Fast!, Jerry Gill, Ann Darrow Co., 2016
This is the fifth story about Victoria Custer, who, using the pen name Vic Challenger, is an adventure and travel writer for her hometown newspaper. She happens to have the avatar of a 100,000-year-old cavewoman, named Nat-ul, living inside of her, which gives her the self-confidence to do things that even experienced male adventurers won't do.
Vic, and her friend, Lin Li, travel to the Australian Outback to visit Vic's relatives. During a party with some of the locals to celebrate their arrival, the group is robbed at gunpoint by unknown individuals (The word "treasure" has been used). Vic and Lin Li go after them, after appropriate preparations. A person can't just chase someone who is on horseback in the Outback without carrying food and water, at minimum.
They are not totally sure if they are following the bad guys, or a decoy. Eventually, they catch up to them at an abandoned cattle station. Vic and Lin Li can't just burst in with guns blazing; two of them against several bad guys are not good odds. Before that, they have to deal with some Tasmanian wolves called thylacines that are kept at the station. They are large and carnivorous, and have been beaten and starved into becoming killers.
As the chase continues, dehydration is a major concern for Vic and Lin Li. They manage to find just enough water and edible plants and animals to keep going. The chase leads to a small forest, at night, where unseen, but very carnivorous, creatures mow down the rest of the thylacines like they were nothing like they were nothing, and nearly do the same to Vic and Lin Li.
The "treasure" is found in a grotto, next to a pond that is guarded by a creature that sets new records for carnivorousness. Again, our heroes barely escape, this time with the leather chest. Finally, Vic runs into the leader of the bad guys. Who wins the draw? Is this the end of Vic/Nat-ul's quest to find Nu, her lover from all those centuries ago?
By the time a fiction series reaches Part 5, there is bound to be some lessening, however small, in the quality of the writing. That is not the case here. The writing is still really good, with plenty of action. Any of these novels would make a really good movie.
This is the fifth story about Victoria Custer, who, using the pen name Vic Challenger, is an adventure and travel writer for her hometown newspaper. She happens to have the avatar of a 100,000-year-old cavewoman, named Nat-ul, living inside of her, which gives her the self-confidence to do things that even experienced male adventurers won't do.
Vic, and her friend, Lin Li, travel to the Australian Outback to visit Vic's relatives. During a party with some of the locals to celebrate their arrival, the group is robbed at gunpoint by unknown individuals (The word "treasure" has been used). Vic and Lin Li go after them, after appropriate preparations. A person can't just chase someone who is on horseback in the Outback without carrying food and water, at minimum.
They are not totally sure if they are following the bad guys, or a decoy. Eventually, they catch up to them at an abandoned cattle station. Vic and Lin Li can't just burst in with guns blazing; two of them against several bad guys are not good odds. Before that, they have to deal with some Tasmanian wolves called thylacines that are kept at the station. They are large and carnivorous, and have been beaten and starved into becoming killers.
As the chase continues, dehydration is a major concern for Vic and Lin Li. They manage to find just enough water and edible plants and animals to keep going. The chase leads to a small forest, at night, where unseen, but very carnivorous, creatures mow down the rest of the thylacines like they were nothing like they were nothing, and nearly do the same to Vic and Lin Li.
The "treasure" is found in a grotto, next to a pond that is guarded by a creature that sets new records for carnivorousness. Again, our heroes barely escape, this time with the leather chest. Finally, Vic runs into the leader of the bad guys. Who wins the draw? Is this the end of Vic/Nat-ul's quest to find Nu, her lover from all those centuries ago?
By the time a fiction series reaches Part 5, there is bound to be some lessening, however small, in the quality of the writing. That is not the case here. The writing is still really good, with plenty of action. Any of these novels would make a really good movie.
Monday, October 5, 2015
Vic 4: Terror Incognita
Vic 4: Terror Incognita, Jerry Gill, CreateSpace, 2015
This is the fourth adventure of Victoria Custer, your average resident of the early 20th century. Using the pen name Vic Challenger, Victoria, and her friend, Lin Li, travel to exotic places and write about them for their hometown newspaper. The unique part is that inside Vic is the avatar of a 100,000-year old cavewoman named Nat-ul (who is not afraid to call Vic an idiot when necessary). The two are engaged in a never-ending search for Nu, Nat-ul's lover from all those centuries ago. After all, Nat-ul is still alive (in a sense), so Nu must also be out there, somewhere.
In this volume, Vic and Lin Li plan to do some hiking and exploring in the Amazon rain forest. While in Brazil buying provisions, Vic meets Ech, and elderly woman who speaks the original language of the uprights; Nat-ul's language. Ech comes from the land of Goch, in an isolated area of the Amazon. Vic and Lin Li agree to go to Goch, if only to tell Ech's people that she has passed on.
After several days of traveling by boat upriver, and hacking through nearly solid vines and undergrowth, the two are taken prisoner and brought to a man, who speaks English, named Tis. They have found the land of Goch. Tis has a very effective means of keeping the people under control. Think of a cross between a large lizard and a Tyrannosaurus Rex, large enough to have a semi-human, but equally hideous looking, being riding it. They know how to deal with anyone who gets out of line. There are only two pairs at the moment, but Tis has hundreds of eggs ready to hatch, with which he will take over the world.
The two are separated for several days, but they make their escape. They are able to neutralize one of the dinosaur pairs, but even after reaching their boat, with the fuel line conveniently missing, the enters the river and comes after them. There is quite the pitched battle in the piranha-infested water, with some help from Nat-ul. Meantime, with Tis overthrown, do the people of Goch exact their revenge?
I really enjoyed this book. It has plenty of action, and exotic peoples and locations (exotic to the average American). I hope there are more tales of Vic/Nat-ul.
This is the fourth adventure of Victoria Custer, your average resident of the early 20th century. Using the pen name Vic Challenger, Victoria, and her friend, Lin Li, travel to exotic places and write about them for their hometown newspaper. The unique part is that inside Vic is the avatar of a 100,000-year old cavewoman named Nat-ul (who is not afraid to call Vic an idiot when necessary). The two are engaged in a never-ending search for Nu, Nat-ul's lover from all those centuries ago. After all, Nat-ul is still alive (in a sense), so Nu must also be out there, somewhere.
In this volume, Vic and Lin Li plan to do some hiking and exploring in the Amazon rain forest. While in Brazil buying provisions, Vic meets Ech, and elderly woman who speaks the original language of the uprights; Nat-ul's language. Ech comes from the land of Goch, in an isolated area of the Amazon. Vic and Lin Li agree to go to Goch, if only to tell Ech's people that she has passed on.
After several days of traveling by boat upriver, and hacking through nearly solid vines and undergrowth, the two are taken prisoner and brought to a man, who speaks English, named Tis. They have found the land of Goch. Tis has a very effective means of keeping the people under control. Think of a cross between a large lizard and a Tyrannosaurus Rex, large enough to have a semi-human, but equally hideous looking, being riding it. They know how to deal with anyone who gets out of line. There are only two pairs at the moment, but Tis has hundreds of eggs ready to hatch, with which he will take over the world.
The two are separated for several days, but they make their escape. They are able to neutralize one of the dinosaur pairs, but even after reaching their boat, with the fuel line conveniently missing, the enters the river and comes after them. There is quite the pitched battle in the piranha-infested water, with some help from Nat-ul. Meantime, with Tis overthrown, do the people of Goch exact their revenge?
I really enjoyed this book. It has plenty of action, and exotic peoples and locations (exotic to the average American). I hope there are more tales of Vic/Nat-ul.
Thursday, August 7, 2014
Vic: Never Give Up
Vic: Never Give Up, Jerry Gill, Ann Darrow Co., 2014
This is the third in a series of novels about your average female resident of the early 20th century who isn't really so average.
Victoria Custer's "day job" is as a travel and adventure writer for her local, Nebraska, newspaper. Using the pen name Vic Challenger, she travels to places that even experienced, male adventurers would hesitate to visit. Vic has a very good reason; she has inside of her an avatar of a 100,000-year-old cavewoman named Nat-ul. She came from an era where violent death could come at any moment. If Nat-ul has survived all these centuries, then Nu, her lover, must also be alive. That search is the real reason for Vic's adventures.
Vic and her friend, Lin Li, are booked on a very fancy ship for a trip to England in a couple of weeks, so they make a quick trip to the Grand Canyon for some camping. They will take some photos, write some articles; it will be fun, right? They are taken prisoner by some Native American warriors who accuse them of being human slavers targeting Native American children, they are later taken prisoner by actual human slavers, and they come across a bottomless cavern full of what looks like ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics. They manage to reach their ship for England with minutes to spare.
Once in Britain, they head for Scotland, intending to camp in the ruins of a Scottish castle on the shore of Loch Ness (home of the famous Monster). The local inhabitants are tormented by the mysterious disappearances of animals, and people. Some say that the Loch is inhabited by a number of "beasties." Other tales are about a family of human cannibals. Vic and Lin learn, to their horror, that both stories are true. Amid all this Vic just misses meeting an artist named Stu James, who she is sure is the reincarnation of Nu, her lover.
I totally enjoyed this book (and this series). It's got a strong female main character, it's got plenty of action and brushes with death, and it would make a really good movie. This is very much worth reading.
This is the third in a series of novels about your average female resident of the early 20th century who isn't really so average.
Victoria Custer's "day job" is as a travel and adventure writer for her local, Nebraska, newspaper. Using the pen name Vic Challenger, she travels to places that even experienced, male adventurers would hesitate to visit. Vic has a very good reason; she has inside of her an avatar of a 100,000-year-old cavewoman named Nat-ul. She came from an era where violent death could come at any moment. If Nat-ul has survived all these centuries, then Nu, her lover, must also be alive. That search is the real reason for Vic's adventures.
Vic and her friend, Lin Li, are booked on a very fancy ship for a trip to England in a couple of weeks, so they make a quick trip to the Grand Canyon for some camping. They will take some photos, write some articles; it will be fun, right? They are taken prisoner by some Native American warriors who accuse them of being human slavers targeting Native American children, they are later taken prisoner by actual human slavers, and they come across a bottomless cavern full of what looks like ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics. They manage to reach their ship for England with minutes to spare.
Once in Britain, they head for Scotland, intending to camp in the ruins of a Scottish castle on the shore of Loch Ness (home of the famous Monster). The local inhabitants are tormented by the mysterious disappearances of animals, and people. Some say that the Loch is inhabited by a number of "beasties." Other tales are about a family of human cannibals. Vic and Lin learn, to their horror, that both stories are true. Amid all this Vic just misses meeting an artist named Stu James, who she is sure is the reincarnation of Nu, her lover.
I totally enjoyed this book (and this series). It's got a strong female main character, it's got plenty of action and brushes with death, and it would make a really good movie. This is very much worth reading.
Wednesday, September 4, 2013
Vic: Time Doesn't Matter
Vic: Time Doesn't Matter, Jerry Gill and Edgar Rice Burroughs, CreateSpace, 2013
This is the story of a love that really does span the ages.
The first two parts of this book are actually abridged versions of a pair of Edgar Rice Burroughs novels (that is why he is listed as a co-author). They tell the story of Victoria Custer, your average resident of the early 20th century. She likes candy, her favorite color is pink, and she is very interested in hats and barrettes. She is also deathly afraid of earthquakes, and she is very troubled by dreams and visions of a handsome young man whose name, she learns, is Nu.
A millenia ago, Nu was part of a tribe living in an earthquake-prone part of Africa. It was a time when death could come anywhere and anytime, whether from a snake bite, or being devoured by a large, carnivorous beast. Nu is very interested in taking Nat-ul as his mate. Her "price" is the head of Oo, a very large lion who has caused their group many problems in the past. While off on his solo hunt, an earthquake knocks out Nu, and seals him in a cave, for 100,000 years. Another earthquake opens his cave, and he awakens in the 1920's. For Nu, it's a very boring place, except for meeting Victoria, who is there on a vacation. She could be Nat-ul's identical twin sister. The attraction is immediate, and mutual.
The third part (the part written by Gill) takes Victoria from the family farm in Nebraska to the Yucatan Peninsula, in Mexico. By now, she has embraced her inner cave woman (Nat-ul is now a part of her), and she is planning to visit the Mayan ruins at Chichen Itza. Her brother, Barney, goes with her, knowing that Vic is quite prepared to go by herself. While there, Vic has many adventures, including helping to release several young children from being sold into slavery, killing a jaguar single-handedly, and falling into an underground river, which leads to her almost being devoured by a hideous flying beast. Of course, Vic has a bigger reason for her trip than simply becoming an adventure addict.
I really enjoyed this book. Gill does a very credible continuation of the story of Victoria/Nat-ul. Nearly anything written by ERB will have good writing, and lots of action; so does the third part. This is very much worth the reader's time.
This is the story of a love that really does span the ages.
The first two parts of this book are actually abridged versions of a pair of Edgar Rice Burroughs novels (that is why he is listed as a co-author). They tell the story of Victoria Custer, your average resident of the early 20th century. She likes candy, her favorite color is pink, and she is very interested in hats and barrettes. She is also deathly afraid of earthquakes, and she is very troubled by dreams and visions of a handsome young man whose name, she learns, is Nu.
A millenia ago, Nu was part of a tribe living in an earthquake-prone part of Africa. It was a time when death could come anywhere and anytime, whether from a snake bite, or being devoured by a large, carnivorous beast. Nu is very interested in taking Nat-ul as his mate. Her "price" is the head of Oo, a very large lion who has caused their group many problems in the past. While off on his solo hunt, an earthquake knocks out Nu, and seals him in a cave, for 100,000 years. Another earthquake opens his cave, and he awakens in the 1920's. For Nu, it's a very boring place, except for meeting Victoria, who is there on a vacation. She could be Nat-ul's identical twin sister. The attraction is immediate, and mutual.
The third part (the part written by Gill) takes Victoria from the family farm in Nebraska to the Yucatan Peninsula, in Mexico. By now, she has embraced her inner cave woman (Nat-ul is now a part of her), and she is planning to visit the Mayan ruins at Chichen Itza. Her brother, Barney, goes with her, knowing that Vic is quite prepared to go by herself. While there, Vic has many adventures, including helping to release several young children from being sold into slavery, killing a jaguar single-handedly, and falling into an underground river, which leads to her almost being devoured by a hideous flying beast. Of course, Vic has a bigger reason for her trip than simply becoming an adventure addict.
I really enjoyed this book. Gill does a very credible continuation of the story of Victoria/Nat-ul. Nearly anything written by ERB will have good writing, and lots of action; so does the third part. This is very much worth the reader's time.
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