Mini-Comic-Review - Black Widow #1

Name - Black Widow #1
Published by - Marvel
Writer - Chris Samnee & Mark Waid
Artist - Chris Samnee
Coloring - Matthew Wilson
Letterer - Joe Caramagna

Comic is a medium that can convey so much enjoyment with so little words if it is in capable hands and this first issue of 'Black Widow' just showcases that. It only has minimal dialogue and barely any plot, yet it provides its entertainment through non-stop action and reminds readers of the opening of a masterfully done spy movie.

This issue does not provide any backstory or puzzle readers with status quo or world building. You don't have to worry about reading back issues or search the net for info, rather you can just sit tight and start to enjoy the ride. It effortlessly throws us into a chase and the thrill of it. Natasha has taken something from S.H.I.E.L.D. which turns her into an instant enemy and everyone starts chasing her to get it back. The story is very fast paced with top notch action sequences which just focus on the fact that despite having no real power Natasha is quite a formidable foe for any adversary. Throughout the issue Natasha battles her pursuers across various locations and the reason remains a mystery. 

Chris Samnee does an excellent job with drawing as his drawings sound way louder than any words and makes it so much more fun reading than a comic choke full of texts. The panels are executed perfectly conveying movement and urgency and the excellent coloring by Matthew Wilson adds much more to the overall mood as well.

This is one of the most promising new series by marvel without a doubt and I am quite sure most of the people who had the pleasure of reading it will pick up the series due to its uniqueness and simple and pure entertainment value.

A well deserved 4.5 out of 5 stars from me.

Mini-Game-Review - Tap Titans

Game Name - Tap Titans
Publisher & Developer - Game Hive Corporation
Platform - Android, iOS
Genre - Clicker / RPG

Tap Titans as a game is a total mixed bag. In terms of game play it is as simple as can be with being a mindless clicker, yet on the other hand it also features rpg elements in a very fun and easy way. You have level ups, skills, other heroes to recruit as well as a simplistic and often times quite boring method of grinding to make you fell like playing a rpg.

New Novella Review - The Devil You Know

Novella - The Devil You Know 
Writer - K. J. Parker       
Published By - Tor Books

No action or extravagant world building is necessary, only two characters can a make a story work if you know how to tell it. K. J. Parker proves that with this work of his. There are only two characters telling us their story in alternative first person narrative and the prose and setting are so skillfully engrossing that it is really hard to put down.

Promising Sci-fi, horror & Fantasy - March 2016

So it is that time again, another month has ended and it is time to talk about the most promising books of the month, wholeheartedly in my opinion.

'Borderline' by Mishell Baker
A year ago, Millie lost her legs and her filmmaking career in a failed suicide attempt. Just when she's sure the credits have rolled on her life story, she gets a second chance with the Arcadia Project: a secret organization that polices the traffic to and from a parallel reality filled with creatures straight out of myth and fairy tales.
For her first assignment, Millie is tasked with tracking down a missing movie star who also happens to be a nobleman of the Seelie Court. To find him, she'll have to smooth-talk Hollywood power players and uncover the surreal and sometimes terrifying truth behind the glamour of Tinseltown. But stronger forces than just her inner demons are sabotaging her progress, and if she fails to unravel the conspiracy behind the noble's disappearance, not only will she be out on the streets, but the shattering of a centuries-old peace could spark an all-out war between worlds.
No pressure.

[Ah, a promising new writer, the protagonist seems quite interesting and the setting as well. Hopefully it will deliver on the promises.]

'The Devil You Know' by K. J. Parker
The greatest philosopher of all time is offering to sell his soul to the Devil. All he wants is twenty more years to complete his life’s work. After that, he really doesn’t care.
But the assistant demon assigned to the case has his suspicions, because the philosopher is Saloninus–the greatest philosopher, yes, but also the greatest liar, trickster and cheat the world has yet known; the sort of man even the Father of Lies can’t trust.
He’s almost certainly up to something; but what?

[I have read this one, a thought provoking and fun read with twists and turns to keep you interested despite having no real action, this guy is quite an skilled writer.]

'Black City Saint' by Richard A. Knaak
For more than sixteen hundred years, Nick Medea has followed and guarded the Gate that keeps the mortal realm and that of Feirie separate, seeking in vain absolution for the fatal errors he made when he slew the dragon. All that while, he has tried and failed to keep the woman he loves from dying over and over.
Yet in the fifty years since the Night the Dragon Breathed over the city of Chicago, the Gate has not only remained fixed, but open to the trespasses of the Wyld, the darkest of the Feiriefolk. Not only does that mean an evil resurrected from Nick’s own past, but the reincarnation of his lost Cleolinda, a reincarnation destined once more to die.
Nick must turn inward to that which he distrusts the most: the Dragon, the beast he slew when he was still only Saint George. He must turn to the monster residing in him, now a part of him…but ever seeking escape.
The gang war brewing between Prohibition bootleggers may be the least of his concerns. If Nick cannot prevent an old evil from opening the way between realms…then not only might Chicago face a fate worse than the Great Fire, but so will the rest of the mortal realm.

[This seems like my kind of Urban Fantasy from the cover and description.]

'The Last Mortal Bond' by Brian Staveley
 The climactic third and final novel in the Chronicle of the Unhewn Throne
The trilogy that began with The Emperor's Blades and continued in The Providence of Fire reaches its epic conclusion, as war engulfs the Annurian Empire.
The ancient csestriim are back to finish their purge of humanity; armies march against the capital; leaches, solitary beings who draw power from the natural world to fuel their extraordinary abilities, maneuver on all sides to affect the outcome of the war; and capricious gods walk the earth in human guise with agendas of their own.
But the three imperial siblings at the heart of it all--Valyn, Adare, and Kaden--come to understand that even if they survive the holocaust unleashed on their world, there may be no reconciling their conflicting visions of the future.  

[The final book of a much praised epic fantasy series, hopefully I do get on with reading the first two books so I can get on with this one.]

'The Winged Histories' by Sofia Samatar
Four women, soldier, scholar, poet, and socialite, are caught up on different sides of a violent rebellion. As war erupts and their families are torn apart, they fear they may disappear into the unwritten pages of history. Using the sword and the pen, the body and the voice, they struggle not just to survive, but to make history.

[The reviews bestow high praise, the setting should be entertaining, looking forward to find something unorthodox yet fun.]

 

 'The Paper Menagerie and Other Stories' by Ken Liu
A publishing event: Bestselling author Ken Liu selects his award-winning science fiction and fantasy tales for a groundbreaking collection—including a brand-new piece exclusive to this volume.
With his debut novel, The Grace of Kings, taking the literary world by storm, Ken Liu now shares his finest short fiction in The Paper Menagerie. This mesmerizing collection features all of Ken’s award-winning and award-finalist stories, including: “The Man Who Ended History: A Documentary” (Finalist for the Hugo, Nebula, and Theodore Sturgeon Awards), “Mono No Aware” (Hugo Award winner), “The Waves” (Nebula Award finalist), “The Bookmaking Habits of Select Species” (Nebula and Sturgeon award finalists), “All the Flavors” (Nebula award finalist), “The Litigation Master and the Monkey King” (Nebula Award finalist), and the most awarded story in the genre’s history, “The Paper Menagerie” (The only story to win the Hugo, Nebula, and World Fantasy awards).
A must-have for every science fiction and fantasy fan, this beautiful book is an anthology to savor.

[I have read the titular story previously, it had blown my mind, will the rest deliver? Can't wait to find out.]

'Javelin Rain' by Myke Cole
The fast-paced, adrenaline-filled sequel to Gemini Cell, set in the same magical and militaristic world of the acclaimed Shadow Ops series.
Javelin: A code denoting the loss of a national security asset with strategic impact.
Rain: A code indicating a crisis of existential proportions.
Javelin Rain incidents must be resolved immediately, by any and all means necessary, no matter what the cost...
Being a US Navy SEAL was Jim Schweitzer’s life right up until the day he was killed. Now, his escape from the government who raised him from the dead has been coded "Javelin Rain." Schweitzer and his family are on the run from his former unit, the Gemini Cell, and while he may be immortal, his wife and son are not.
Jim must use all of his strength to keep his family safe, while convincing his wife he’s still the same man she once loved. Only what his former allies have planned to bring him down could mean disaster not only for Jim and his family, but for the entire nation...

[I have read the first two books of Myke Cole (review of  Control Point), they are among some of the best blend of genres in modern fiction in my opinion, need to get on with his later writings and fast.]

'The Mortal Tally' by Sam Sykes
Acclaimed author Sam Sykes returns with the second thrilling novel in his Bring Down Heaven series.
The heart of civilization bleeds.
Cier'Djaal, once the crowning glory of the civilized world, has gone from a city to a battlefield and a battlefield to a graveyard. Foreign armies clash relentlessly on streets laden with the bodies of innocents caught in the crossfire. Cultists and thieves wage shadow wars, tribal armies foment outside the city's walls, and haughty aristocrats watch the world burn from on high.
As his companions struggle to keep the city from destroying itself, Lenk travels to the Forbidden East in search of the demon who caused it all. But even as he pursues Khoth-Kapira, dark whispers plague his thoughts. Khoth-Kapira promises him a world free of war where Lenk can put down his sword at last. And Lenk finds it hard not to listen.
When gods are deaf, demons will speak.

[Sam Sykes is a fellow I am quite interested in, specially due to his sense of humor, I started on reading his first book a few days ago, and literally have trouble putting it down at times despite my busy life. And I read on the internet that he does keep getting better with each one. Need I say more?]

'Downfall of The Gods' by K. J. Parker
If you visit the Temple and ask nicely for forgiveness, you might get it—assuming you aren’t Lord Archias and you haven’t killed the Goddess’s favorite musician, Lysippus. But even goddesses are expected to follow certain rules, and as much as she wants to punish Lord Archias it seems her troublesome, all-powerful father forbids it. So the Goddess will just have to get around that by forgiving Lord Archias if he can manage some simple—or, rather, seemingly impossible—tasks. A Goddess has to do what a goddess has to do.
And in World Fantasy Award winner K.J. Parker’s sharply inventive new novella Downfall of the Gods that means everything from soothing supernatural egos to accompanying the argumentative Lord Archias on an epic quest to save his soul…and get her own way. As the Goddess and her mortal charge make their way across the world to the Land of the Dead, a host of divine surprises await them. Could what they find at the end be the downfall of the gods themselves? Only time will tell. This is a story Parker fans won’t want to miss.

[Second book by K. J. Parker on the list. Another promising setting, hopefully this is as good as the first.]

'The Winter Box' by Tim Waggoner
It’s Todd and Heather’s twenty-first anniversary. A blizzard rages outside their home, but it’s far colder inside. Their marriage is falling apart, the love they once shared gone, in its place only bitter resentment. As the night wears on, strange things start to happen in their house—bad things. If they can work together, they might find a way to survive until morning…but only if they don’t open the Winter Box.

[I have some fun memories regarding Tim Waggoner ( my review of Night Terrors). And this novella has such high praise on goodreads, should be a blast.] 







Wow, this month has some great releases to say the least. New books from Brain Staveley, Sam Sykes and Myke Cole from their well know series' to be interested about and also featuring some promising authors I have yet to read. Time to get busy on reading.

March 2016 New PC Games To Watch For

Unlike February, March has been a dull month for PC games, in my opinion. I can only find 5 games worthy of attention, 2 of which are re-release or expansion of old games. On the bright side that does give me more time to spend on Dota 2 and Street Fighter V.

Far Cry Primal
Far Cry Primal is an action-adventure video game developed and published by Ubisoft. The game is set in the Stone Age, and revolves around the story of Takkar, who starts off as an unarmed hunter and rises to become the leader of a tribe. It was released for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One on February 23, 2016, and it was also released for Microsoft Windows on March 1, 2016.

BlazBlue: Chrono Phantasma Extend
BlazBlue: Chrono Phantasma Extend was announced on September 22, 2014 for arcade release and later announced on December 16, 2014 for consoles (as Chrono Phantasma Extend). Chrono Phantasma Extend adds two additional characters: Lambda-11 (who was introduced in Continuum Shift and originally a normal mode palette swap for Nu-13's Unlimited Mode only) and Celica A. Mercury. BlazBlue Chrono Phantasma Extend was released for PC through Steam on March 2, 2016.

Tom Clancy's The Division
Tom Clancy's The Division is a third-person shooter video game developed and published by Ubisoft, with assistance from Red Storm Entertainment, for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. The Division is set in a dystopian New York City in the aftermath of a smallpox pandemic; the player, who is an agent of the titular Strategic Homeland Division, commonly referred to as simply "The Division", is tasked with helping to rebuild the Division's operations in Manhattan, investigating the nature of the outbreak and combating criminal activity in its wake. The Division is structured with elements of role-playing games, as well as collaborative and player versus player online multiplayer. It was announced during Ubisoft's E3 2013 press conference, and was released worldwide on 8 March 2016.

Samorost 3
Samorost 3 is a puzzle point-and-click adventure game developed by Amanita Design. It is the third video game title in the Samorost series and the sequel to Samorost 2. It is the first game in series that is full-length and with full HD graphics. The story will take place across five planets and 4 moons. The game was originally scheduled for 2015, but was later released on 24th March 2016.

Killer Instinct: Season 3
Killer Instinct is a fighting video game, the third in the Killer Instinct series, developed by Double Helix Games, Iron Galaxy Studios, Rare and Microsoft Studios under supervision of Ken Lobb, and released as a free-to-play launch game for the Xbox One in 2013. The game is a reboot of the series, though some plot elements from Killer Instinct and Killer Instinct 2 have been retained. Development of the game involves individuals with histories in fighting games on both the developmental and competitive sides. It received positive reviews for its mechanics and engine, but was criticized for its initial lack of content. A second season of characters was released between 2014 and 2015. A third season, along with a port of the game for Windows 10, was released on March 29, 2016.

[ Yes, March has been a dull month. 'Deponia Doomsday' and 'Hitman' could be added to this list but they don't really make the cut into it for me.]

Guest Post - David Annandale

On Monsters and Wolves

One of the things I love about the Warhammer 40,000 universe is the question of monstrosity. There are many monsters in 40K, which is – for me – cool in and of itself. I’ve always loved monsters, so getting to write about them regularly, and get paid for doing so, is beyond delightful. But the question arises: what exactly is a monster? This is one of the issues that runs through Curse of the Wulfen. It is also one that I have wrestled with in the academic side of my life, and that recurs in a lot of my writing, whether for Black Library or elsewhere.

The most useful definition of monster, for me, comes from Noël Carroll’s The Philosophy of Horror: Or, Paradoxes of the Heart. Carroll defines the monsters as an interstitial being, or a category violation. It is neither one thing nor another, but falls somewhere between the two. Consider the term “undead” for example: the very word is a category violation, suggesting something that is somehow the opposite of dead without being alive. It seems the me that the monster as category violation strikes at the heart of the Imperium’s obsession with purity, and yet, paradoxically, even Space Marines fit this definition to some degree. They derive from the human, but are also beyond it, and that’s before we get into Chapters that have the unfortunate habit of drinking blood…

Along these lines, then, the Space Wolves are already on the edge of things, but in the case of the Wulfen, here is something that forces even them to confront the question of monstrosity. The Wulfen would obviously be perceived as monstrous by others, and the Space Wolves themselves are torn. Are the Wulfen a curse or a blessing? Does their return mean Russ too will come back, or has the Wolftime come? Is the answer itself monstrous in a way, falling between these extremes or incorporating both? The question finds physical expression in the wars that engulf the Space Wolves with the return of the Wulfen.

And the answer?

Well, we’ll just have to see. And here we touch on another reason why I find writing 40K so rewarding: the ability to explore questions in the form of gigantic space opera spectacle. Currently, I’m getting the chance to do more of that as I write Warden of the Blade, the first of three novels about Castellan Crowe of the Grey Knights. A bit of a contrast with the Space Wolves, to be sure, but Crowe is someone who must wrestle with the unequivocally monstrous every moment of his existence.

Which is great fun for me, and I hope for the reader as well.

About David Annandale -
David Annandale is the author of the Yarrick series, consisting of the novella Chains of Golgotha and the novel Imperial Creed, as well as the Horus Heresy novel The Damnation of Pythos. For the Space Marine Battles series he has written The Death of Antagonis and Overfiend. He is a prolific writer of short fiction, including the novella Mephiston: Lord of Death and numerous short stories set in the Horus Heresy and Warhammer 40,000 universes. David lectures at a Canadian university, on subjects ranging from English literature to horror films and video games.

Links - Website, Twitter 

About 'Curse of The Wulfen' - 

The Space Wolves' greatest secret is revealed! The mysterious 13th Company emerge from the warp, and the future of the Chapter is imperilled. Can the sons of Fenris survive the revelation of the Wulfen?

The Wulfen of the 13th Company have not been seen since the days Leman Russ sailed the Sea of Stars at the head of his Legion. Now, amid daemon incursions of alarming size, they return to the Space Wolves to fight by their side. As Logan Grimnar’s Great Companies scour the stars to rally their returning ancestors, ever more battle-brothers begin to fall prey to mysterious changes. Is the Wulfen’s reappearance really a blessing of Russ, or will the dark omens that plague Harald Deathwolf spell doom for the warriors of Fenris?

This is the biggest, most galaxy-changing event the Warhammer 40,000 universe has seen for years. The truth about the Wulfen is out, and things for the Space Wolves will never be the same again. Will they be hunted as heretics or hailed as heroes? You're gonna have to read it to find out, and the twists and turns will leave you truly gobsmacked. 

[PS: You can also check out my 'first interview of him' and '2nd interview'; as well as reviews of his works - 'Yarrick: Chains of Golgotha', 'Yarrick: A Plague of Saints', 'Yarrick: The Gallows Saint', 'Yarrick: Imperial Creed' on this blog.]  

Author Interview - James A. Moore

Haven't done an interview in a long time, but finally I am back on business. James A. Moore was previously on my blog doing a guest post promoting the second book in his 'Seven Forges' series, and he is back with an interview regarding the fourth and possible the final book in the series named 'The Silent Army'.
Here it goes -

1) First of all welcome back to the blog and start by telling us a bit about yourself.

Thanks for having me back! I thought after that last time with the coffee pot and the four kittens, well, I'd have understood if I were never invited back in this lifetime. There's not much to tell, really. I'm a writer of fantasy and horror, and my latest series SEVEN FORGES is about to wrap up for the present time.

2) Will you please tell us some information about your new novel 'The Silent Army' that is not on the book blurb?

Well, it's book four in the SEVEN FORGES series, and though there is already talk about more books in the series later, THE SILENT ARMY is the end of the first story arc. That is, if I do more books, it will be an entirely different tale that takes place after the dust has settled. It is my hope that I've wrapped things up in end. The world map has certainly changed a great deal.

3) Where did you come up with the idea of writing the series? Can you tell us a bit more about your inspirations?

For me every story comes down to what if. I got an idea in my head about how it would play out if the biggest empire on the planet went soft, and what would happen if they ran across soldiers who absolutely refused to stop or negotiate. What would happen if an empire came across an army of religious fanatics who could back up their belief that they were doing the work of their gods? You have Spartans who were considered nearly unstoppable. You have Vikings who raided and took on nations that were bigger and badder and kept taking them on. Those are really the thoughts that were going through my head. Now, think on this: How different would your world be if you gods spoke directly to you? It was a notion that would not leave me alone. So I decided I should write it down.

4) So what makes the characters of these books and their world unique and interesting in your opinion?

I aimed to make them as real as possible, with human flaws and constantly changing perspectives. We are, in my opinion, all changing as we live our lives. In this case, however, one of the biggest differences as I'm concerned is that the gods actually get involved in the daily lives of some of the characters and shape them regularly.

5) Tell us a bit about the research you did for writing this book?

WellI guess you can call it research. I did a lot of reading of fantasy novels because I hadn't read ANY in fifteen years. I wanted to make sure I wasn't doing anything that was already being done.

6) Read any good book lately? Do share with us some of your favorite books from this year?

A pleasant discovery for me is that there really are some fresh voices in the genre. I am addicted to Joe Abercrombie's writing and can't recommend his SHATTERED SEA series enough. I'm a huge fan of Stephen King and one of those who absolutely loved his DARK TOWER series.

7) Can you divulge a bit more information about your upcoming projects? And may we ask what is the future for the 'Seven Forges' series?

My Next series is called TIDES OF WAR and the first book is called THE LAST SACRIFICE. In that story a mercenary named Brogan McTyre is forced to go after his family when they are taken by a religious sect that is allowed to take whomever they want by the five kingdoms. His actions are a violation of every law in the land and he goes after his family with every intention of getting them back at any cost.  His actions trigger Armageddon, and that in turn leads him on a quest to stop the world from ending.

When I'm done with that series there's a very real chance that I'm going to revisit Fellein and the Seven Forges and catch up on how different the world is when the seven different tribes of the Sa'ba Taalor are broken apart. I can't say too much but I meant it when I said there are massive changes in story for the people of those novels.

About the Author -

James A. Moore is the award winning author of over twenty novels, thrillers, dark fantasy and horror alike, including the critically acclaimed Fireworks, Under The Overtree, Blood Red, the Serenity Falls trilogy (featuring his recurring anti-hero, Jonathan Crowley) and his most recent novels, Blind Shadows, Homestead and the soon to be released Seven Forges. He has also recently ventured into the realm of Young Adult novels, with his new series Subject Seven. In addition to writing multiple short stories, he has also edited, with Christopher Golden and Tim Lebbon, the British Invasion anthology for Cemetery Dance Publications.
His Site - http://www.jamesamoorebooks.com/ 
His Twitt https://twitter.com/JamesAMoore 

About 'The Silent Army' -

The City of Wonders has been saved by nearly miraculous forces and the Silent Army is risen, ready to defend the Fellein Empire and Empress Nachia at any cost.
The power that was hidden in the Mounds is on the move, seeking a final confrontation with the very entities that kept it locked away since the Cataclysm. Andover Lashk has finally come to accept his destiny and prepares to journey back to Fellein. The Sa’ba Taalor continue their domination over each country and people they encounter, but the final conflict is coming: The Great Wave of the Sa’ba Taalor stands to destroy an empire and the Silent Army prepares to stop them in their tracks.
Caught in the middle is the Fellein Empire and the people who have gathered together on the final battlefield. The faithful and the godless, the soldiers and killers alike all stand or fall as old gods and new bring their war to a world-changing end. Some struggles are eternal. Some conflicts never cease. The Gods of War are here and they are determined to win.