Reading List: Hollow City

Six kills in six years.

Super powered cop Adam Song has dedicated his life to the law. In the military and the police force, Adam ruthlessly protects the innocent.

But this time he’s killed the wrong bad guy. Now the local drug lord’s son is dead, and the boss is out for Adam’s blood. Even his secret identity won’t keep him safe. The police department hangs him out to dry, his years of exemplary service forgotten. Adam must take justice into his own hands to keep his family safe.

Because Adam is a Song. And Songs take care of their own. No matter the cost.

When does justice become murder? And just how far will he go to protect his clan?

Dragon and Hugo Award nominated author Kai Wai Cheah steps onto the superhero scene with his debut Heroes Unleashed novel. His characteristic fast-paced action and attention to detail brings Adam Song and the Chinatown of Hollow City vividly to life.

For those of you late to this game, Kai Wai Chea is a stellar author with a gift for gritty, in-your-face violence. His first Heroes Unleashed outing has action movie written into its DNA. Hollow City is one part Daredevil, two parts Punisher, all wrapped up in one taut action-thriller package. 

Fans of the above comic franchises or the Bourne movies are going to love this ride. Do yourselves a favor and mark Chea down as a must-follow author.

And don't forget the Silver Empire Book Club, where you can snap up the latest from Heroes Unleashed before the public!  

Lost in a Series of Unfortunate Events- Episode 3: Infestation

Netflix re-imagines the legendary 60's sci-fi series of the same name.

Rather than deluge you with a rapid-fire reconnaissance flight take on the show, I thought I'd try  something a little different and take things episode by episode.

This level of detail will involve heavy spoilers for each episode. [Danger Pun Goes Here].

Lost in A Series of Unfortunate Event- Episode 2: Diamonds in the Sky

This time in our episode-by-episode synopsis/reviews: Han Solo and This Planet is Cursed!

This level of detail will involve heavy spoilers for each episode. [Danger Pun Goes Here].

Lost In A Series of Unfortunate Events- Episode 1: Impact

Netflix re-imagines the legendary 60's sci-fi series of the same name. 

Rather than deluge you with a rapid-fire reconnaissance flight take on the show, I thought I'd try  something a little different and take things episode by episode.

This level of detail will involve heavy spoilers for each episode. [Danger Pun Goes Here].

Star Wars: The Last Jedi

Star Wars as a brand is either dead or getting much better, depending on who you ask about this movie. The halls of the internet echo with the clamor of battle as entrenched armies lob verbal artillery at one another.

I'm going to try to discuss both the good and the bad in the film. Obviously, this will involve spoilers so if you haven't yet seen the movie you may want to wait before reading the rest of the review.

Dreamwork's Trollhunters

Frequent readers of the blog will know that I enjoy shows that hit the sweet spot where kids and adults can both enjoy them. Animated or not, if they give me a good, fun story of Good vs Evil with character development and interesting visuals, I'm in.

Dreamworks and Netflix have hit one out of the park with Trollhunters.

Reading List: Vigil by Russell Newquist

I was honored to receive an Advance Review Copy of Russell Newquist's newest book, Vigil.

I was pretty excited for this one. I greatly enjoyed his debut novel, War Demons, earlier this year, so my expectations were high.

I mean, how do you top spec ops, demons, car chases, a warlock, and a dragon vs helicopter fight?

Mr. Newquist's answer is to give you a modern day paladin who must take on said dragon by himself, on the dragon's home turf, and throw in a hostage and a time limit.

Vigil is superior to War Demons  in several ways. Mr. Newquist keeps the frenetic pacing and high octane action from the first book, but ups his game when it comes to the dialogue and the characterization. The plot was tighter and if the scale is smaller the stakes feel more personal and thus the payoff more rewarding.

Mr. Newquist continues to improve his craft while losing none of the things that made his debut novel enjoyable. I highly recommend Vigil to fans of urban fantasy and am looking forward to more stories in this world.

You can purchase your copy on Amazon.

You can keep up with Mr. Newquist on his blog.

Marvel's Punisher

One of Marvel's best known anti-heroes hit the small screen with a bang in Season 2 of Daredevil.

Now that Frank Castle has finished his Death Wish To Do List, what's in store for the one man assault team?

Spoilers ahead.

Thor: Ragnarok

The god of thunder is back in his third stand-alone film. We've seen him face family strife and his own arrogance. We've seen him crush two alien invasions and a robot horde alongside Earth's mightiest heroes.

This time, he faces the goddess of Death, the Norse version of the end of days, and Jeff Goldblum as a pompous windbag.

(Some spoilers)

Reading List: Treasures of Dodrazeb: The Origin Key by S. D. McPhail

[This review is long, long overdue. I received a copy of S. D. McPhail's debut novel some time ago and I hope she'll accept my abject apologies for not delivering this review sooner.]

Treasures of Dodrazeb: The Origin Key is a science-fantasy set in ancient Persia. It follows prince Rasteem, on the trail of a mysterious warlord called The Viper. He follows the trail of this rebel to the city of Dodrazeb, a hidden land full of wondrous art and knowledge. Now Rasteem must uncover the secrets of Dodrazeb and defend both the hidden city and the Persian Empire against The Viper's plots.

If I did not know from hearing the author discuss it herself, there is no way I would have known that this is a debut effort. The characters start as archetypes, but she keeps coloring them in with details until they finally come to life. Her writing is clear, the pacing brisk, and the dialogue very believable.

The best part is the setting. Many historical settings are modeled on Medieval, Greek, Roman, or even Egyptian civilizations, but very few have dealt with Ancient Persia. The very unfamiliarity lends an air of mystery to the tale. You can tell both from the book and from the author's other writings that she is very well versed in the history of this era.

Add to this fantastical elements that would feel at home in H.G. Wells or Jules Verne and you get an even more heightened sense of wonder.

The Origin Key is an excellent blend of action-adventure, palace intrigue, and mythic legend. I enjoyed reading it tremendously and look forward to future installments.

You can keep up with Susan at her blog.

Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell

I started watching this series on the recommendation of a friend. The first episode was so good, I backed up and got my wife to start watching it with me.

Set in the Napoleonic Wars in an alternate history Britain, the story follows two gentleman magicians (older recluse Gilbert Norrell and his young protege Jonathan Strange) as they preside over the return of English magic 300 years after it mysteriously faded from the island.

Netflix's Stranger Things Season 2

If you haven't watched the fan letter to 80s movies that is Stranger Things, I don't know where you've been, but you've been missing out. 

Stranger Things is a sci-fi horror movie stitched together from various 80s influences. It's John Hughes meets Steven Spielberg wrapped in Stephen King. The thing that makes it stand out is the love its creators obviously have for the time period, the horror genre, and the medium of film.

The plot follows a group of nerdy middle school friends, their families, and the town sheriff as they discover, investigate, and combat otherworldly forces unleashed by a secret CIA experiment.

Season 2 deals directly with the fallout of Season 1, picking up just short of one year after the events of the first season.

Here are some thoughts on Season 2. Spoilers ahead.

Farscape

And now for something completely different...

Netflix's Death Note

Back in the late '00s, I watched a Japanese anime that was recommended to me by friends. The title was Death Note and it was fantastic in execution, though the premise is a little off the wall. The pitch that sold me, and that I think rightly describes the action, was this: "Moriarty vs Holmes as Japanese high school students engaged in a battle of wits over the perfect murder, told from Moriarty's perspective."

Now, Netflix has attempted to provide us with a feature length, live-action adaptation of the popular anime.

How well did they manage that feat?

(Spoilers after the break)

SyFy's Dark Matter

 Do our memories make us who we are? What if they were taken? What if you woke up one day and your past had disappeared? Could you find yourself again? Or would you choose to be different?

And what if you forgot your sins, but they didn't forget you?

(Spoilers throughout)

Reading List: War Demons by Russell Newquist

I was honored recently to receive an advance copy of my friend Russell Newquist's debut novel, War Demons

It's the story of Sergeant Michael Alexander who comes home from war in Afghanistan with more than the usual figurative demons. As he tries to piece together exactly what happened over there, he's drawn into the web of a supernatural conspiracy that hits much closer to home.

This was an incredibly fast read. The author slams the action pedal to the floor and duct tapes it there. Despite the frenetic pacing, the major characters all have a lot of color and life in them. Even some of the minor characters, like a maybe-crazy prophet, are interesting and memorable.

There are some rough edges in a couple characters and some of the plot points may strike you as bit improbable, but the ride is so much fun you won't care.

Mr. Newquist has delivered a solid debut work in the vein of early Larry Correia or Jim Butcher. Fans of the latter two authors will devour War Demons.

You can find more of Russell's work, along with a growing list of excellent authors, at Silver Empire Publishing and keep up with his latest news at russellnewquist.com .

Marvel's The Defenders

Here it is, the show Marvel has been building toward for years with their four Netflix series.

Given that those four shows range from amazing to almost-fell-asleep, how did this one fair?

Beware spoilers.

The CW Superfriends: Legends of Tomorrow

Time travel.

It's a fun concept and can be a great peg to hang a plot on. It comes in several flavors:

And they didn't even mention the kind with holograms and Knight Rider sensibilities.

Sadly, it is very easy to do time travel badly. How bad? Let's take a look.

Reading List: Stand Still, Stay Silent

I've spent the last couple of days bulling through the archives for fantasy-horror web comic Stand Still, Stay Silent.

 Set in the near future after the outbreak of a pandemic, the comic catalogs the adventure of a team of misfits sent into the desolation of the Silent World outside the small hubs of civilization to recover lost knowledge.

Written and drawn by Minna Sundberg, it draws deeply on the mythology of Sweden and Finnland. Sundberg's art is beautiful and atmospheric.

Her writing is also great, with a slow steady build of tension and empathy, punctuated by moments of incredible action. Her characters are interesting and her world building is incredibly detailed.

I highly recommend adding this to your reading list. I'm going to have a hard time waiting on the newest episode.

My thanks to Daddy Warpig, who's archival post pointed me to this gem.

The CW Superfriends: Flash

Next up on our trip through the CW Superfriends, the Fastest Man Alive gets his own show.

Don't blink.

Wait. Now I want to see Flash vs the Weeping Angels.

That does not happen in this show. So what does?