Bloody Tourists (Destroyer Series, No. 134)

Rating:
Summary: If you liked the Remo Williams movie, you'll like this book
Review: Anytime a series stretches 134 volumes there are bound to be some books that are better than others. Such is the case with Bloody Tourists the latest installment of the venerable Destroyer series, which chronicles the adventures of cop-turned-assassin Remo Williams and his adopted father and teacher, Chiun. Remo works for a super-secret organization, CURE, that fights villains that are outside the reach of law enforcement. CURE, therefore, enforces the Constitution by bypassing it. Big time.

I have been a casual fan of this series for quite some time. I am drawn in by the political/social satire, the relationship between Remo and Chiun, and the over-the-top violence. Bloody Tourist is a worthy entry into the series, just not one I would consider a stellar example. It has all the things I look for in a Destroyer novel, they're just not delivered as effortlessly as I've grown accustomed to. The mythos of the series, long established, is honored here. As to achieving his goals, Remo does nothing in this book that I haven't seen him do in earlier works.

Admittedly, I don't keep up with who is ghost writing for whom. I could really care less. Recently, it seems the Destroyer was being written for a broader audience. This edition seems to pull the series back to its target audience, men. It is after all, a MEN's adventure series. I like that; I think it is more in the spirit of the early adventures. I would recommend this book to friends looking a quick and entertaining read. I just wouldn't recommend it to any hard core Destroyer fans.

Rating:
Summary: If you liked the Remo Williams movie, you'll like this book
Review: Anytime a series stretches 134 volumes there are bound to be some books that are better than others. Such is the case with Bloody Tourists the latest installment of the venerable Destroyer series, which chronicles the adventures of cop-turned-assassin Remo Williams and his adopted father and teacher, Chiun. Remo works for a super-secret organization, CURE, that fights villains that are outside the reach of law enforcement. CURE, therefore, enforces the Constitution by bypassing it. Big time.

I have been a casual fan of this series for quite some time. I am drawn in by the political/social satire, the relationship between Remo and Chiun, and the over-the-top violence. Bloody Tourist is a worthy entry into the series, just not one I would consider a stellar example. It has all the things I look for in a Destroyer novel, they're just not delivered as effortlessly as I've grown accustomed to. The mythos of the series, long established, is honored here. As to achieving his goals, Remo does nothing in this book that I haven't seen him do in earlier works.

Admittedly, I don't keep up with who is ghost writing for whom. I could really care less. Recently, it seems the Destroyer was being written for a broader audience. This edition seems to pull the series back to its target audience, men. It is after all, a MEN's adventure series. I like that; I think it is more in the spirit of the early adventures. I would recommend this book to friends looking a quick and entertaining read. I just wouldn't recommend it to any hard core Destroyer fans.

Rating:
Summary: off the tracks in a ditch and burning
Review: Having suffered through these three books( and I use that term lightly) it is now time to start rereading from #1( there is an idea, maybe the new writer should read some of the old (good) books to get a clue of the characters and where the story line is going. The series is going to die if this continues.

Rating:
Summary: A Bit Different...but going in the right direction.
Review: I can't give this book 5 stars, but for the new author, it's certainly a good start. The characters aren't quite the same as the first 80 books or so (I've read and own ALL of the series!), but then again, those first two or three books from the very beginning of the series aren't quite in step either. (We won't mention certain books in the early 100's at all!!)
The Destroyer has always walked the thin line between the believable and the unbelievable--certainly Sinanju's Masters are in the super hero department, but for many of the books, the abilites demonstrated were in keeping with the groundwork that developed within the first 20 books or so. Remo and Chiun aren't doing anything out of keeping with their abilities in this book.
Also, the essential relationships between Remo, Chiun, and Dr Smith have developed over many years. These relationships are a bit harder to capture. This particular book does not do as badly as some... but there's stil quite a bit of work to be done as I felt, like another reviewer, that the dialog was a bit too harsh.
It's a good read if you don't know the series, and it's okay if you do. Certainly not 5 stars, but how many are? It's certainly not a one star effort either!

Rating:
Summary: On Track and Blazing with Promise
Review: I have been a huge fan of the Destroyer series from the mid-1980s after seeing "Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins," and I've read many (admittedly, not all) books in the series. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, the irst of Tim Sonheil's efforts for this series. I honestly was flabbergasted when I saw the average rating of 1 star, and can only shrug in confusion. I think I must have read a different book. I was quite impressed that the characters remained as faithfully-written as they were, and you couldn't even tell the writer had changed, except perhaps fora slightly darker, grittier tone--something which I find a welcomed change. Sure, the threat wasn't nearly as challenging as Mr. Gordons or Nuihc, but let's face it, if Superman encountered Kryptonite in every story, the series would never have lasted nearly 70 years.

Much as I loved the work of the previous author, James Mullaney, I found this book much better than Mullaney's first effort (#111 "Prophet of Doom"), wherein a deus ex machina was employed to climax the story.

I didn't find Remo and Chiun's verbal sniping mean-spirited at all. To me, they've always been like an old married couple--griping at each other, but with a love and warmth beneath the surface. In this story, they tackle issues which are pretty serious--the future of Sinanju's written history--so the arguing is a bit more intense than it might otherwise have been, but it made sense to me in the context of the story. It certainly didn't leave me with the impression other reviews have given--that these two people don't like each other at all.

Another reviewer comment which I dispute is the idea that things happen in this book and the read is left wondering why. I didn't have that problem in the slightest; furthermore, I found in some past Destroyer books a preponderance of that phenomenon. I'd have to flip a few pages back and see if I could figure out why thus-and-so took place, and find one little line of text that explained things, so inocuous as to be overlooked. Not so with this book. My main reason for taking time to point that out here is that it stuck out in my mind when reading the book, well before reading Amazon reviews. I loved the fact that this author was able to keep things moving briskly, but not so briskly as to cause me to lose track of the story's threads.

I was so impressed by this book that I took the time to write the author a letter of appreciation, somethig I've only done once before in my life. I highly recommend this book to anybody who's a fan of the Destroyer series, particularly someone who enjoyed the early books. I feel this book hearkens back to those early Destroyer novels.

Rating:
Summary: New Author/Bad book
Review: The new author takes over and almost kills the series..Every author trys to put his or her new spin on a character..How many times has Batman been redone??However,the vibrant father/son dynamic of Remo and Chiun is gone..The Destroyer has fallen down to just another detective novel..The characters no longer resemble the ones the fans have known and loved for over 30 years..For granted you want to update and expand the storyline,not destroy it altogether..Theses no villan worthy of the Master of Sinanju and the plot is a dud..Emergancy surgery is needed,before the series gose the way of the Death Merchant or Nick Carter/Killmaster...

Rating:
Summary: Great first book
Review: The only thing I want to say is that this is Tim Sonheil's first book in the Destroyer series and it's a good start for him. If this book is any indication then the series is back on track.

Here's a side peice of info: the last two books (132 and 133) I believe were orignally written but not published when the series first came out years ago. Then they were rewritten to fill the gap between Mullany and Sonheil.

Recommened authors/series: Jim Butcher (Dresden Files), George R. R. Martin (A Song of Ice and Fire), and Steven Brust(Vlad Taltos)

Rating:
Summary: Oh my this is bad
Review: Theres a new auther writing trhe Destroyer novels..And he needs to reread the other 133 books..Remo is now Master of Sinanju and hasn't a clue of whay to do withit..The writing is teadious with no real central bad guy..The old magical carping back and forth is forced,Chiun is dimminished as Remo struggles to find clues to the case..Clues??? Remo is the Destroyer not Sherlock Holmes...Hopefully the new guy will get the point and liven things up..This franchise is struggling to get to #150..the Executioner is past #300,hmmmmm.

Rating:
Summary: off the tracks in a ditch and burning
Review: Well it took me two weeks to read it. I can usually read one of these in a day or two, so that gives you an idea how much a chore this was. That I bought it at all is all my own fault for being suckered again, but with the promise that a new author might get things straight, I let the one positive review sway me (again!) I should of known better. I do not understand how anyone could give this "train wreck" five stars. That would make it a perfect Destroyer something it is NOT! It is as far from perfect as can be. AS for the most recent five star review, I understand authors sometimes review their own books
(although I am not saying that is the case here. ;-) especially after the bad reviews this one has received, but come on! Five stars??! In light of all the one star reviews, I would have suggested a more plausable four. No, let's go for the gusto! This should give an idea of the subtle nature of the book.

To sum up, the only thing "blazing" is the copy of this book that I threw on the fire. (To the guy who wrote to the author, Please let all of us know his address. I want my money back!) I am done with this series.