The cast and crew of The Walking Dead describe how the hospital scene in the mid-season finale was created.
A blog about geek stuff
Sunday, November 30, 2014
Inside Episode 507: The Walking Dead: Crossed (SPOILERS)
The group continues with the plan to save Beth and Carol, while Abraham struggles to cope with the loss of his mission.
Saturday, November 29, 2014
RaV reviews Star Wars - The Force Awakens teaser trailer
My thoughts on the recently released trailer bomb, Star Wars - The Force Awakens.
Cover Art Junkie: Batman - The Dark Knight Returns#1
The cover for Batman: The Dark Knight Returns #1 is a simple but powerful iconic image. It basically shows Batman in silhouette in front of a lightning bolt against a dark background. It is one favorite all time Batman images.
Artist: Frank Miller (1986)
Artist: Frank Miller (1986)
Friday, November 28, 2014
Star Wars - The Force Awakens - Official Teaser Trailer
It honestly gave me the chills and I am feeling giddy (also kinda light headed).
Book Review: The Calling
David Mack is jumping into the Urban
Fantasy genre with his novel The Calling. Mr. Mack has spent many years
writing quality Star Trek novels and television scripts. Will he be able
to make the transition into an already crowded field? Will his novel
break out from the pack? My answer would be a resounding yes! Mr. Mack
has enough experience as a novelist that he does not make the mistakes
that a typical new author does with a debut novel. I did have some
issues with parts of the book as they are alittle clichéd but overall I
really enjoyed this book completely devouring it in 2 days.
Tom Nash is your everyday guy who makes his living being a handyman. He is happily married and has a child on the way. He is content living in the small town of Sawyer, Pennsylvania. He drives a beater pick-up truck that he just bought. When John Mellencamp sang “Pink Houses” he was singing about somebody like Tom Nash.
Except that Tom Nash has one extraordinary ability, at times, when people are in deep trouble, he can hear their prayers for help and he is compelled to help them. At first it is simple tasks, such as helping a suicidal teacher fight alcoholism, etc. But one night a truly desperate prayer that hits him so hard that it wakes him from his sleep…”Please, God…don’t let them kill me.”
All Tom knows is that the prayer came from a little girl and she is somewhere in New York City. So Tom jumps into his truck and heads to New York on a mission to this unknown young girl.
We learn that Tom is Seeker. A Seeker is a person that hears other people’s prayers and tries to help them out. It is a very dangerous profession and many are killed. A Seeker also has one additional ability that is different and unique to that individual. Tom eventually learns his special ability and it comes in very handy during the story.
In the world created by David Mack there are essentially two factions fighting each other; the Called and the Scorned. The reasons for the conflict is never really explained exceptt it is the typical good vs. evil. The Called fight for the side of the good and the Scorned for the dark side. There are other ranks above the Seekers, for example the Sages are the people who are in charged; the Seers can distinguish between who are the Called and who are the Scorned; the Sentinels guard people, places and things. This may sound complicated at first but it becomes second nature as the story rolls on. Mr. Mack also does an interesting thing; he just gives the reader the mere basic outline and does not perform an info dump explaining every detail of his world. By the end of story you will have many more questions than answers as to the reason behind conflict, the individuals who fight in the conflict, etc. This piqued my curiosity for future novels to learn more about this world Mr. Mack has created.
By the story outline you would assume that the novel is overtly religious. In my opinion it is no more religious than your typical Urban Fantasy novel that involves angels and demons as a plot device. Heck, even one of the good Seekers question the existence of God.
I really enjoyed the plotting of this novel. It follows the investigation into child kidnapping with added supernatural elements. Tom Nash is kinda like the Patrick Kenzie (Casey Affleck) character in the movie Gone Baby Gone. He exists out the system of law which allows him to follow clues without worrying to much about police procedure. His only goal is to find the missing child and nothing will stop him. He is also not all powerful. Numerous times he gets kicked around suffering real world consequences and bruises. By the end of the novel I really came to like Tom Nash as a character.
Mr. Mack is a master of writing action sequences. He wrote some of the most memorable starship battles in his Star Trek novels. This ability also shines through in The Calling. There is one scene in a subway station that involves a running gunfight that is so well done that it honestly felt like I was watching movie. He is able to keep the tension at a high level for the entire sequence which is difficult chore in a novel.
The only real quibbles I have with the story were some of the clichéd elements. For example, there is a scene at the end that has been used way to often in novels and movies that it came as no surprise. I would have liked a smarter resolution to the ending.
As Urban Fantasy novel this is one of the better ones that I have read. The story has the no nonsense style of Jim Butcher’s Harry Dresden character and mixes it the mystery of a Dennis Lehane novel with a back drop set in a supernatural world.
Tom Nash is your everyday guy who makes his living being a handyman. He is happily married and has a child on the way. He is content living in the small town of Sawyer, Pennsylvania. He drives a beater pick-up truck that he just bought. When John Mellencamp sang “Pink Houses” he was singing about somebody like Tom Nash.
Except that Tom Nash has one extraordinary ability, at times, when people are in deep trouble, he can hear their prayers for help and he is compelled to help them. At first it is simple tasks, such as helping a suicidal teacher fight alcoholism, etc. But one night a truly desperate prayer that hits him so hard that it wakes him from his sleep…”Please, God…don’t let them kill me.”
All Tom knows is that the prayer came from a little girl and she is somewhere in New York City. So Tom jumps into his truck and heads to New York on a mission to this unknown young girl.
We learn that Tom is Seeker. A Seeker is a person that hears other people’s prayers and tries to help them out. It is a very dangerous profession and many are killed. A Seeker also has one additional ability that is different and unique to that individual. Tom eventually learns his special ability and it comes in very handy during the story.
In the world created by David Mack there are essentially two factions fighting each other; the Called and the Scorned. The reasons for the conflict is never really explained exceptt it is the typical good vs. evil. The Called fight for the side of the good and the Scorned for the dark side. There are other ranks above the Seekers, for example the Sages are the people who are in charged; the Seers can distinguish between who are the Called and who are the Scorned; the Sentinels guard people, places and things. This may sound complicated at first but it becomes second nature as the story rolls on. Mr. Mack also does an interesting thing; he just gives the reader the mere basic outline and does not perform an info dump explaining every detail of his world. By the end of story you will have many more questions than answers as to the reason behind conflict, the individuals who fight in the conflict, etc. This piqued my curiosity for future novels to learn more about this world Mr. Mack has created.
By the story outline you would assume that the novel is overtly religious. In my opinion it is no more religious than your typical Urban Fantasy novel that involves angels and demons as a plot device. Heck, even one of the good Seekers question the existence of God.
I really enjoyed the plotting of this novel. It follows the investigation into child kidnapping with added supernatural elements. Tom Nash is kinda like the Patrick Kenzie (Casey Affleck) character in the movie Gone Baby Gone. He exists out the system of law which allows him to follow clues without worrying to much about police procedure. His only goal is to find the missing child and nothing will stop him. He is also not all powerful. Numerous times he gets kicked around suffering real world consequences and bruises. By the end of the novel I really came to like Tom Nash as a character.
Mr. Mack is a master of writing action sequences. He wrote some of the most memorable starship battles in his Star Trek novels. This ability also shines through in The Calling. There is one scene in a subway station that involves a running gunfight that is so well done that it honestly felt like I was watching movie. He is able to keep the tension at a high level for the entire sequence which is difficult chore in a novel.
The only real quibbles I have with the story were some of the clichéd elements. For example, there is a scene at the end that has been used way to often in novels and movies that it came as no surprise. I would have liked a smarter resolution to the ending.
As Urban Fantasy novel this is one of the better ones that I have read. The story has the no nonsense style of Jim Butcher’s Harry Dresden character and mixes it the mystery of a Dennis Lehane novel with a back drop set in a supernatural world.
My Rating
Thursday, November 27, 2014
RaV reviews Star Wars Rebels - Gathering Forces (S1E07)
Hey Reb Heads, this week I am discussing Stars Wars Rebels episode 7, Gathering Forces. Hope you enjoy.
Wednesday, November 26, 2014
Rebels Recon #8: Inside "Gathering Forces"
In Rebels Recon #8, StarWars.com interviews the cast and creators of Star
Wars Rebels about the episode "Gathering Forces," features highlights
from a fan Q&A, and shows a special preview of “Path of the Jedi.”
At the Art and Science of
Lucasfilm panel in partnership with the San Francisco Film Society
Education, executive producer Dave Filoni discussed why his team created
the Star Wars Rebels series. “We all kind of felt pretty strongly that
in George [Lucas]’ absence,” he says, “as we were moving on with the
company and he wasn’t, that we shouldn’t make that story anymore about
Clone Wars without him…We thought we’d tell the story about rebels.” It
also allows them to put some humor into the series, with the heroes a
little more fun and on the run from the villains.
In this week’s
deep dive, Lucasfilm’s Andi Gutierrez talks to associate producer Carrie
Beck about creating villains, particularly the Inquisitor. “It’s
important to understand,” she says, “what their ideology is.” Filoni
says that the voice provided by Jason Isaacs for the Inquisitor is
essential. “Jason does such a fantastic job at being this guy,” he says,
“and bringing a calmness to his evil, an intellectual aspect to his
evil, that we haven’t really had before.” The Story Group’s Pablo
Hidalgo explains that there is a parallel between the Inquisitor in
Rebels and the villains of the old Star Wars role playing games.
Book Review: Magic in the Blood
Devon Monk is back with her second installment in her Allie Beckstrom
series. While I less than enthralled with the first novel, Magic to
Bone, I decided to pick up the next novel to see which way Ms. Monk was
going to go with this series. I am really glad I did as this novel is
head and shoulders above the first one. It somewhat reminds of Jim
Bucher’s The Dresden Files series. His first novel in the series, Storm
Front, was very average and I couldn’t see what the fuss was all about.
But the subsequent novels just got better and better turning it into a
top flight series. I had the same feeling with Magic in the Blood; this
is a far superior novel and I have very high hopes for continued
adventures of Allie Beckstrom.
The time frame covered in this novel takes place over several days. Allie is recovering from the events in Magic to the Bone. She is still missing most of her memory from her time with Zayvion but on the good side, she has moved into a new apartment. Her day starts off with a visit from Dad. The only problem is that her Dad died in the last book and now he appears to be a ghost. He whispers to her “Seek” and is gone in a blink of an eye. Really not a good way to start your day, especially before your morning coffee.
Allie is summoned to the police station to make a statement regarding the events from the first book. As she is riding on the bus she is accosted by recently a released hardened criminal, Trager, who injects a syringe into her thigh and extracts some blood. In the magic world blood is all important and can be used against you. Trager is looking to get revenge on the Hound who put him behind bars and is going to use Allie to help. Allie’s day just keeps getting worse.
At the police station Allie is hired by MERC (Magical Enforcement Response Corps) to hound a job for them. Several young women have disappeared by magical means and they want Allie to see if she can determine who the culprit is. There is only problem, Hounds used by MERC have a bad habit of getting killed. After leaving the police station a legendary Hounder, Martin Pike, meets up with Allie and explains that he is head of a group called the Pact. The Pact is an informal group that keeps watch over the city’s Hounders and they want to recruit Allie as a member.
Lastly, before lunchtime, Allie is attacked by the Watercolor People. Now, whenever Allie uses her magic the Watercolor People suddenly appear, like ghosts, and attack her. Not a good start to your day by any standards.
The above plot summary only covers about the first 50 pages of novel. As you can see this story is much more plot driven, therefore, in my opinion, is much more enjoyable. Zayvion does not even make his first appearance until after 100 pages and is essentially regulated to minor character. There is also a lot less of Allie’s internal dialogue that did not appeal to me in the fist novel.
The story moves a breakneck speed as Ms. Monk introduces so many threads that need to be tied by the end of the story. Overall, she did excellent job of keeping me engaged in the story and keeping the sense of “what is going to happen next?” flowing from chapter to chapter. The plotting is much improved over the last novel.
I also think that many of the new ideas introduced, such as MERC, the Authority and the Pact, are brilliant and will be an enjoyable thread to follow in the subsequent novels. Ms. Monk also introduced several new characters, especially Hounder Davy Silvers and Detective Paul Stotts, which are interesting and I look forward to seeing them also in subsequent novels. Plus there is a twist at the end of the book that will play havoc on Allie in the future.
I am very happy that I picked the second novel as I can see nothing but good urban fantasy entertainment coming Ms. Monk in the future. I suspect that the third novel, Magic in the Shadows, will be even stronger and the Allie Beckstrom series will also become a premier series that everyone will be reading. My advice is to start reading the series now instead of waiting and catching up later.
The time frame covered in this novel takes place over several days. Allie is recovering from the events in Magic to the Bone. She is still missing most of her memory from her time with Zayvion but on the good side, she has moved into a new apartment. Her day starts off with a visit from Dad. The only problem is that her Dad died in the last book and now he appears to be a ghost. He whispers to her “Seek” and is gone in a blink of an eye. Really not a good way to start your day, especially before your morning coffee.
Allie is summoned to the police station to make a statement regarding the events from the first book. As she is riding on the bus she is accosted by recently a released hardened criminal, Trager, who injects a syringe into her thigh and extracts some blood. In the magic world blood is all important and can be used against you. Trager is looking to get revenge on the Hound who put him behind bars and is going to use Allie to help. Allie’s day just keeps getting worse.
At the police station Allie is hired by MERC (Magical Enforcement Response Corps) to hound a job for them. Several young women have disappeared by magical means and they want Allie to see if she can determine who the culprit is. There is only problem, Hounds used by MERC have a bad habit of getting killed. After leaving the police station a legendary Hounder, Martin Pike, meets up with Allie and explains that he is head of a group called the Pact. The Pact is an informal group that keeps watch over the city’s Hounders and they want to recruit Allie as a member.
Lastly, before lunchtime, Allie is attacked by the Watercolor People. Now, whenever Allie uses her magic the Watercolor People suddenly appear, like ghosts, and attack her. Not a good start to your day by any standards.
The above plot summary only covers about the first 50 pages of novel. As you can see this story is much more plot driven, therefore, in my opinion, is much more enjoyable. Zayvion does not even make his first appearance until after 100 pages and is essentially regulated to minor character. There is also a lot less of Allie’s internal dialogue that did not appeal to me in the fist novel.
The story moves a breakneck speed as Ms. Monk introduces so many threads that need to be tied by the end of the story. Overall, she did excellent job of keeping me engaged in the story and keeping the sense of “what is going to happen next?” flowing from chapter to chapter. The plotting is much improved over the last novel.
I also think that many of the new ideas introduced, such as MERC, the Authority and the Pact, are brilliant and will be an enjoyable thread to follow in the subsequent novels. Ms. Monk also introduced several new characters, especially Hounder Davy Silvers and Detective Paul Stotts, which are interesting and I look forward to seeing them also in subsequent novels. Plus there is a twist at the end of the book that will play havoc on Allie in the future.
I am very happy that I picked the second novel as I can see nothing but good urban fantasy entertainment coming Ms. Monk in the future. I suspect that the third novel, Magic in the Shadows, will be even stronger and the Allie Beckstrom series will also become a premier series that everyone will be reading. My advice is to start reading the series now instead of waiting and catching up later.
My Rating
Tuesday, November 25, 2014
12 Monkeys: Extended Preview on Syfy
Premieres Friday, January 16 at 9pm|8c
About: 12 Monkeys follows the journey of a time traveler, Cole, from the post-apocalyptic future. Using a dangerous and untested method of time travel, Cole arrives in the present day on a mission to locate and eradicate the source of a deadly plague that will eventually decimate 93.6% of the human race. Will Cole be able to save the fate of mankind or is mankind bound by fate? Taking place in the ravaged future of 2043 and the present day (2015), 12 Monkeys explores themes of destiny, fate, love and the possibility of second chances.
About: 12 Monkeys follows the journey of a time traveler, Cole, from the post-apocalyptic future. Using a dangerous and untested method of time travel, Cole arrives in the present day on a mission to locate and eradicate the source of a deadly plague that will eventually decimate 93.6% of the human race. Will Cole be able to save the fate of mankind or is mankind bound by fate? Taking place in the ravaged future of 2043 and the present day (2015), 12 Monkeys explores themes of destiny, fate, love and the possibility of second chances.
Monday, November 24, 2014
Book Review: You Suck
Reviewed by Christel
Here we are back again, right where
we left off with Tommy & Jody. Except now Tommy is a
vampire! Jody was lonely and just wanted to have someone around that would
understand what she is going through (Elijah is still….detained) so she changed
him. So now that they are both creatures of the night, they need to find
a new minion. Meet Abby Normal.
A young goth-type whose always dreamed of meeting a vampire.
Meanwhile The Animals have spent
all of their money from the sale of Elijah’s priceless art, in Las Vegas on a call girl named
Blue. Upon their return to San
Francisco, they learn that Tommy has been changed.
Under the influence of Blue, they set out to hunt down their friend.
Steve is still trying to get Jody
to let him try and change her back to a human, Detectives Rivera and Cavuto are
still after Tommy, Jody, and Elijah, and the Emperor, Bummer and Lazarus are
still patrolling the streets for vampires.
What I liked: As you all know
I like these books a lot. It rarely happens that a sequel is better than
its predecessor, but in this case, it is. Bloodsucking Fiends is good, but You
Suck is even better. The funniest parts of this book are the intermittent
chapters that are entries in Abby Normal’s diary. They are just
hilarious!
What I didn’t like: Not much, I
have actually read this book twice now and enjoyed it both times. I found
the hardback version of this book in the bargain bin. So I picked it up and
read it before I knew about Bloodsucking Fiends. Of course it is better to
read them in order, but if you wanted to read just one, this book can stand on
its own.
Last word: You are all aware
of my fondness for Christopher Moore books, and I recommend his books to
everyone. If you are into the supernatural and like to laugh, these books
are for you. They are easy to read and very entertaining. I should
give one disclaimer so parents everywhere don’t hunt me down. There is
some language and adult situations that make these books appropriate for ages
17 & up.
Her Rating
Sunday, November 23, 2014
(SPOILERS) The Walking Dead: Making of Episode 507 - Crossed
The cast and crew of The Walking Dead describe how the grisly scene with the napalmed zombies was created.
Saturday, November 22, 2014
Book Review: The Innocent Mage
The Innocent Mage is written by Australian author Karen Miller and is
the first book of a two part series called Kingmaker, Kingbreaker. It
seems that her novels have a clear dividing line, either you really like
them or you don’t. At least according to the other reviews that I have
read. This is third book I have by Ms. Miller and I am most definitely
in the like camp. She has a writing style that is just so darn easy to
read and the dialogue is top notch.
The story begins with an Olken fisherman named Asher leaving his home for the bright lights and easy money of the big city. Asher is the youngest of several siblings therefore his standing is set so low that he is considered to be an indentured servant. His plan is to sneak off to the city of Dorana for a year in which he plans to earn enough money to buy his own boat for his father and himself. Well, life does not always work as planned.
Dorana is city in which two different races of people coexist, the Doranen and the Olken. The Doranens are the rulers and are the only ones who are allowed to practice magic. They are responsible for keeping the city and the entire Kingdom of Lur safe from the evil Doranens from the North. Olkens are the common folks and had practiced magic at one time but it is now strictly forbidden to do so, punishable by death.
About 600 years ago a number of Doranens fled their homeland in desperation from an evil tyrant known as Morgan, now known as Morg. The leader of the fleeing Doranens was a legendary magician known as Barl. Barl was able to form a mutual partnership with the Olken people. In return, Barl, through his magic, was able to erect a great barrier wall that is powered by magic called Waetherworking. Only Doranen royalty are allowed to learn the secrets of Weatherworking. This has allowed the Doranen’s and Olkens to live in peace from the evil northern Doranens for the last 600 years.
Asher enters Dorana looking for a job, any job. By luck or fate, Asher is at the right place at the right when a horse throws off a rider and runs through the city. Asher is able to bring the horse under control. He then learns that the horse belongs to none other than the prince of the royal family, Gar. Asher is quickly given a job at the royal stables and friends Gar. Gar discovers that Asher is not impressed by royalty and will always say what is on his mind. So Gar hits upon an idea, he decides to promote Asher to his assistant in dealing with the Olken population. We learn that even though Gar is a Doranen, he has no magical ability, therefore, he is unable to learn Weatherworking and take his rightful place as his father’s heir. He is regulated to Olken ambassador while his younger sister, Fane, is to become the Queen and the future Weatherworker.
We also learn that Dathne, also a Olken, is a follower of the prophecy. She dreams that one day the Innocent Mage will arrive in Dorona, bring on the Final Days but save them from the Usurper. When Dathne first sees Asher she realizes that this is the person she saw in her dreams and comprehends that the prophecy of Final Days is fast upon them.
I believe that The Innocent Mage was Ms. Miller’s first novel and it somewhat shows. The pacing of the novel is very uneven but not a deal breaker. The first three-quarters of the novel is spent building the relationship between Asher and Gar. They learn to tolerate one another and eventually become as close as brothers. Some may consider these parts to be slow, I highly enjoyed the story of how these two men from the opposite sides of the tracks came to respect one another and form a tight bond.
But at the three-quarter mark the story takes a noticeable turn and picks up at a furious pace. It’s almost as if Ms. Miller decided that she running out of room and stuffed a lot of story in the last quarter of the novel. In my opinion, she could have moved certain events up earlier in the novel and allowed tension to build naturally right up to the cliffhanger ending.
This is possibly one of the easiest reads I have had in long time. Ms. Miller’s prose flows better than most writers making it trouble-free for the reader. I said before, she also writes some the best dialogue in the business. If she could have smoothed out the plotting a little bit then this would have been a great novel.
I am big Karen Miller fan and with a few quibbles aside, I really did enjoy this novel. I am looking forward to reading the second half of the story, The Awakened Mage.
The story begins with an Olken fisherman named Asher leaving his home for the bright lights and easy money of the big city. Asher is the youngest of several siblings therefore his standing is set so low that he is considered to be an indentured servant. His plan is to sneak off to the city of Dorana for a year in which he plans to earn enough money to buy his own boat for his father and himself. Well, life does not always work as planned.
Dorana is city in which two different races of people coexist, the Doranen and the Olken. The Doranens are the rulers and are the only ones who are allowed to practice magic. They are responsible for keeping the city and the entire Kingdom of Lur safe from the evil Doranens from the North. Olkens are the common folks and had practiced magic at one time but it is now strictly forbidden to do so, punishable by death.
About 600 years ago a number of Doranens fled their homeland in desperation from an evil tyrant known as Morgan, now known as Morg. The leader of the fleeing Doranens was a legendary magician known as Barl. Barl was able to form a mutual partnership with the Olken people. In return, Barl, through his magic, was able to erect a great barrier wall that is powered by magic called Waetherworking. Only Doranen royalty are allowed to learn the secrets of Weatherworking. This has allowed the Doranen’s and Olkens to live in peace from the evil northern Doranens for the last 600 years.
Asher enters Dorana looking for a job, any job. By luck or fate, Asher is at the right place at the right when a horse throws off a rider and runs through the city. Asher is able to bring the horse under control. He then learns that the horse belongs to none other than the prince of the royal family, Gar. Asher is quickly given a job at the royal stables and friends Gar. Gar discovers that Asher is not impressed by royalty and will always say what is on his mind. So Gar hits upon an idea, he decides to promote Asher to his assistant in dealing with the Olken population. We learn that even though Gar is a Doranen, he has no magical ability, therefore, he is unable to learn Weatherworking and take his rightful place as his father’s heir. He is regulated to Olken ambassador while his younger sister, Fane, is to become the Queen and the future Weatherworker.
We also learn that Dathne, also a Olken, is a follower of the prophecy. She dreams that one day the Innocent Mage will arrive in Dorona, bring on the Final Days but save them from the Usurper. When Dathne first sees Asher she realizes that this is the person she saw in her dreams and comprehends that the prophecy of Final Days is fast upon them.
I believe that The Innocent Mage was Ms. Miller’s first novel and it somewhat shows. The pacing of the novel is very uneven but not a deal breaker. The first three-quarters of the novel is spent building the relationship between Asher and Gar. They learn to tolerate one another and eventually become as close as brothers. Some may consider these parts to be slow, I highly enjoyed the story of how these two men from the opposite sides of the tracks came to respect one another and form a tight bond.
But at the three-quarter mark the story takes a noticeable turn and picks up at a furious pace. It’s almost as if Ms. Miller decided that she running out of room and stuffed a lot of story in the last quarter of the novel. In my opinion, she could have moved certain events up earlier in the novel and allowed tension to build naturally right up to the cliffhanger ending.
This is possibly one of the easiest reads I have had in long time. Ms. Miller’s prose flows better than most writers making it trouble-free for the reader. I said before, she also writes some the best dialogue in the business. If she could have smoothed out the plotting a little bit then this would have been a great novel.
I am big Karen Miller fan and with a few quibbles aside, I really did enjoy this novel. I am looking forward to reading the second half of the story, The Awakened Mage.
My Rating
Friday, November 21, 2014
Book Review: Blood Blade
Reviewed by Christel
I will start out by stating that this is a “boy book” What
do I mean by that? Well if the
paranormal romance or urban fantasy books I read are considered “girl books”,
this is definitely the “boy book” version.
Cole Warnecki is what every geeky guy wants to be. By trade he is a video game designer (hello,
this is any geeky guys dream job!) who goes on what he thinks is a hunting
vacation in Canada (man vacation) and gets wrapped up with something
unbelievable. A strange monster attacks
his cabin. When the dust settles, Cole
finds himself as the lone survivor. A
man named Gerald gives Cole a satellite phone and phone number to call for
rescue just before he dies. And he tells
him to ask for Paige.
Cole travels to Chicago
to meet up with Paige, and finds himself in the midst of a whole new world of
creatures he didn’t even know existed.
Paige is a Skinner (translation: butt kicking, supernatural creature
hunting, attractive woman who likes her weapons). Skinners keep the supernatural creatures in
line. They are the only ones who know
how to kill them. Since Cole is still
being tracked by that thing in Canada,
he opts to stick with Paige and learn to be a Skinner. But something sinister is happening in Chicago. There is a Nymar (vampire) named Misonyk on
the loose. He has been attacking other
Nymar and suddenly Cole’s training becomes more “hands on” as together they set
off to track him down.
What I liked: I
liked different take on supernatural creatures that Mr. Pelegrimas has written. There are vampires, werewolves and
shape-shifters, but they are called by different names and the explanation for
how they are made or exist is quite interesting. The imagery in this book is great, I felt
like I was watching a movie. I think
this would actually make a great movie, loads of action and special effects
opportunities. Unlike most books I read,
this one kind of scared me.
What I didn’t like: Like
I said the imagery was good, so many times I was watching ladies round, but
firm buttocks’ walk away (obviously a man thing).
Last word: I liked this book. Even with all of the man things Cole made me
endure. Gentleman, if you are looking for a horror/urban fantasy without all of
the female emotional stuff, this is your book. Cole even gets to stop in a
strip club on his journey and meets a very sexy nymph. But ladies, don’t skip this book just because
it is a “boy book”. It is a great read
and a nice departure from the Paranormal Romance (“girl books”) we are used
to. I am looking forward to reading the
next book in this series Howling Legion (Skinners, book 2) which comes out on October 27, 2009. Sounds like I have found my Halloween book
for this year!
Her Rating
Thursday, November 20, 2014
RaV Reviews Star Wars Rebels - Empire Day (S1E06)
Hey Reb Heads, this week I am discussing Stars Wars Rebels episode 6, Empire Day. Hope you enjoy.
Wednesday, November 19, 2014
Book Review: Time Machines Repaired While-U-Wait
This happens to be one of my all time favorite titles for a novel, Time
Machines Repaired While-U-Wait. It is a mouthful but does make one
wonder what this is all about. K.A. Bedford is a writer from Perth,
Western Australia, which also happens to be the setting for his novel.
The novel was originally published by Edge Science Fiction and Fantasy
Publishing in August 2008. According to Mr. Bedford’s blog the novel
will be re-released by Fremantle Press this October and it will have a
new cover with some minor changes. That is partially good news because I
really really like the original cover.
The novel begins with Senior Time Machine Technician Aloysius “Spider” Webb on a service a call to repair a broken time machine. The company he works for is Time Machines Repaired While-U-Wait which is owned by a man known as Dickhead McMahon. He soon runs into a big time problem when it is discovered that the Temporal Positioning System reading is flying off the chart and cannot be located in any time line. This could cause a potential deadly explosion so it must be taken back to the shop for repairs.
In the world that Mr. Bedford has created, time machines are common-place as cars. People are constantly traveling back in history and sometimes into the future. Any major historical event is given a DOTAS Historical Rating of more than 2.0 can only be visited in ghost mode. This is to prevent major shifts in history. Other than that people are allowed to travel back in time and can effect the past. Mr. Bedford dodges the whole paradox issue by allowing countless number of separate time-lines to exist. In essence, if you change something in the past then it creates a new time line along side the existing one. My advice is to just go with the flow or you could hurt yourself.
Anyway, the time machine is taken back to the workshop and promptly explodes. No harm done as it was placed inside a protection container called the Bat Cave. The only problem is that a second time machine was discovered along with a dead body. Someone had overlaid the second time machine on top of the first in an attempt to hide the body.
It gets even worse for Spider when he is visited by his future self and discovers that he just spent the last fifteen years in prison for murdering his wife. He is desperate to avoid this particular future. So he heeds the advice from his future self and begins to investigate the cause of these strange happenings. Only something worse occurs, his future self is violently murdered in his own bed. Eventually, Spider even gets involved in the battle at the end of time.
This was a fun Sci-Fi novel if you do not take the whole time travel thing seriously. The plot is more your standard murder mystery with a time travel angle. Mr. Bedford is able to successfully balance both through out the life of the story. He does not just introduce the sci-fi elements then abandon it later in the novel once the mystery elements heat up as a lot writers tend to do. The time travel aspect is an important part of story right up to the bitter end.
At times, the story seemed over the top, especially with the conflict created at the end of time. But the only real disappointment I had with the story was the ending. It built up to the climax, which arrived and then the story continued in a whole different direction. It was as if there was an original ending but Mr. Bedford decided to change it so the story could continue on subsequent novels. Don’t get me wrong, I like this novel very much and would love reading a sequel but I just wish there wasn’t the false ending.
With some issues aside, I really enjoyed this time travel mystery and recommend it highly to anyone who appreciates a well crafted sci-fi story.
The novel begins with Senior Time Machine Technician Aloysius “Spider” Webb on a service a call to repair a broken time machine. The company he works for is Time Machines Repaired While-U-Wait which is owned by a man known as Dickhead McMahon. He soon runs into a big time problem when it is discovered that the Temporal Positioning System reading is flying off the chart and cannot be located in any time line. This could cause a potential deadly explosion so it must be taken back to the shop for repairs.
In the world that Mr. Bedford has created, time machines are common-place as cars. People are constantly traveling back in history and sometimes into the future. Any major historical event is given a DOTAS Historical Rating of more than 2.0 can only be visited in ghost mode. This is to prevent major shifts in history. Other than that people are allowed to travel back in time and can effect the past. Mr. Bedford dodges the whole paradox issue by allowing countless number of separate time-lines to exist. In essence, if you change something in the past then it creates a new time line along side the existing one. My advice is to just go with the flow or you could hurt yourself.
Anyway, the time machine is taken back to the workshop and promptly explodes. No harm done as it was placed inside a protection container called the Bat Cave. The only problem is that a second time machine was discovered along with a dead body. Someone had overlaid the second time machine on top of the first in an attempt to hide the body.
It gets even worse for Spider when he is visited by his future self and discovers that he just spent the last fifteen years in prison for murdering his wife. He is desperate to avoid this particular future. So he heeds the advice from his future self and begins to investigate the cause of these strange happenings. Only something worse occurs, his future self is violently murdered in his own bed. Eventually, Spider even gets involved in the battle at the end of time.
This was a fun Sci-Fi novel if you do not take the whole time travel thing seriously. The plot is more your standard murder mystery with a time travel angle. Mr. Bedford is able to successfully balance both through out the life of the story. He does not just introduce the sci-fi elements then abandon it later in the novel once the mystery elements heat up as a lot writers tend to do. The time travel aspect is an important part of story right up to the bitter end.
At times, the story seemed over the top, especially with the conflict created at the end of time. But the only real disappointment I had with the story was the ending. It built up to the climax, which arrived and then the story continued in a whole different direction. It was as if there was an original ending but Mr. Bedford decided to change it so the story could continue on subsequent novels. Don’t get me wrong, I like this novel very much and would love reading a sequel but I just wish there wasn’t the false ending.
With some issues aside, I really enjoyed this time travel mystery and recommend it highly to anyone who appreciates a well crafted sci-fi story.
My Rating
Tuesday, November 18, 2014
Audio Book Review: A Dirty Job
Reviewed by Christel
Narrator: Fisher Stevens
Audio Length: 11 hours and 49 minutes
I will warn you now, I LOVE Christopher Moore! This is gonna sound like one big Chris Moore love fest.
A Dirty Job is one of the funniest, most disturbing, imaginative books I have ever read/heard. In an effort to absorb as many stories as I can, I will occasionally go to the library and check out an audio book. Listening to audio books makes my 1 hour drive to work a little bit more bearable. This book was a delight to listen to. Of course, it was well written by Mr. Moore, but it was also masterfully read by Fisher Stevens (Number 5 is alive!).
Charlie Asher is about to become a father. As if this momentous life change isn’t enough for our neurotic hero, his life is about to undergo a change larger than he could have imagined. After loosing his wife in childbirth, he is left to raise his newborn daughter alone. Worse, Charlie will soon find out that he is a Death Merchant. In addition to raising a daughter and collecting souls, he taunts and battles with the Orcus and the Morrigan who live in the storm sewers. And this is only the beginning…
What I liked: Mr. Moore is a master at writing humorous horror. A Dirty Job is extremely funny, unique, and insightful all at the same time. The characters are all fantastically written. I enjoyed every minute of my time spent in my car with Asher, Sophie, Minty Fresh, the Emperor, Lily, Ray, the Morrigan and countless other characters that make up this wonderful story. I liked it so much I am going to buy this book just so I can have my own copy to read again.
What I didn’t like: It ended…. No really, there isn’t anything that I didn’t like.
Last Word: A dirty Job is extremely entertaining and hilariously funny. But at the heart of it all, this book is about death and how we deal with it. Broaching such a serious subject with humor and wit takes serious talent. I am fairly new to reading Mr. Moore’s books, as I have only read 2 so far, but I plan to read them all. Up next, I will be reading the Stupidest Angel. I can’t wait!
Her Rating
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