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.

Paragons is Really Good!

I finished reading my copy last week and there are some excellent stories in this anthology!

Nightstick by Kai Wai Cheah is wall to wall action-thriller. It is begging to be put to film. Any fan of Jason Borrne, Taken, or Batman is going to love it.

Someone is Aiming for You by JD Cowan is an ode to The Shadow. The mysterious Seeker brings evildoers face to face with their secrets. Great action with some horror elements thrown in.

Blackout by Morgon Newquist is Justice League style heroic action with ::GASP:: an intelligent villain! Fun story and a most intriguing set-up for future stories.

All three stories do a great job with world building and fans of comic book action will be left wanting more. I know I was.

You can find these stories and more for less than $3 on Amazon.

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.