https://youtu.be/mdM4S80F-7c Published by: Ace Genre: FantasyPages: 416 pagesFormat: hardcover Endings are damnably hard to nail—especially when the kind we’re talking about is the culmination not just of a trilogy but of disparate elements woven throughout an entire fifteen-book oeuvre. I cannot judge too well on the latter, having read only half of Mark Lawrence’s novels; but... Continue Reading →
The Summer of Sequels Is Here!
Hullo, everyone! Did you miss me? You didn't, did you? Ah, that's fine! Listen, I've been away for a wee while, but that's all about to change because, drumrolls please...The Summer of Sequels is here! "But, my lord..." I hear you ask. "Is that legal?" To this I say, https://i.redd.it/7arw2k9hetty.gif This absolutely made-up non-event has... Continue Reading →
Saturday Star Wars The High Republic: The Edge of Balance
A Star Wars manga! Now I can happily retire and say to myself, I've seen it all. It would be funny, wouldn't it, if the thing to finally get me into manga was a Star Wars product? What a shame it isn't so; that said, I had a fun enough time with The Edge of... Continue Reading →
The Hunger of the Gods by John Gwynne (The Bloodsworn Saga #2) – Book Review
Published by: OrbitGenre: Epic FantasyPages: 656Format: ebookReceived free arc copy from NetGalley in return for an honest review https://youtu.be/3-UcuXBPRiI All sequels should accomplish what John Gwynne’s Hunger of the Gods has. That’s to say, Gwynne’s latest expands the world and characters in such a way as to make The Shadow of the Gods appear a... Continue Reading →
Starship Troopers by Robert A. Heinlein – Book Review
https://youtu.be/B7nV20cD6ec This book has got me in a bind. It’s easy to relegate it to one of two neat classifications: either a straight-faced satire that takes the piss out of the military-industrial complex; or else, a fully realised celebration of the serving man’s fraternity, of the sacrifice of the individual for the collective’s greater good,... Continue Reading →
Lucy Snowe’s Dignity as Key to Class and Gender Roles in Victorian England (An Essay on Villette by Charlotte Brontë)
Rather than review a classic that has been spoken about time and again, I thought I'd share with you a response paper I wrote for my class in Victorian Literature a few weeks ago - let me know if you'd like to see more pieces like this on the blog! In Villette (1853), Charlotte Brontë... Continue Reading →
Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree – Book Review
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j4FZcNA62LQ Published by: Self-Published, recently acquired by TORGenre: Slice of Life FantasyPages: 318Format: ebookPurchased Copy for my Kindle from Amazon The blogosphere has been abuzz with talk of Travis Baldree’s debut, Legends & Lattes, and for good reason. Slice of life stories are character-driven to their core—no wonder, then, that Baldree’s novel is such a... Continue Reading →
Only Three Weeks Until Wyrd & Wonder Begins!
Wyrd & Wonder, the month-long celebration of all things fantasy, is starting in just three weeks! This is the first time I'll ever take a direct part in the event--I hope to bring to it a discussion of fantastic fantasy games and novels, as well as some humorous pieces in the vein of my Mordor... Continue Reading →
Three Great Optional Rules To Spice Up Your D&D Campaign
As I prepare to jumpstart an ambitious new campaign with my RPG group of six years, I'm excited to explore several optional rules to enrich my players' experience--let's jump into them! 1. Dael Kingsmill's Major Injuries Magical healing can really lower the stakes for your adventuring party. Have a good enough healer, every cut, bruise,... Continue Reading →
Revival, Vol. 01: You’re Among Friends by Tim Seeley and Mike Norton
Supernatural rural noir has been forever ruined for me by the impossibly high standards of ridiculously fun Stephen King read…but y’know what? Tim Seeley’s Revival promises to scratch that same itch. This first volume, You’re Among Friends, tells the story of twenty-something people coming back to life in a small rural American town. This throws... Continue Reading →