One of my pals recommended Fortune’s Pawn by Rachel Bach by describing it as, and I quote, “WTF science fiction.” She was then able to point to the precise (early) chapter where the WTFery begins, and that was all it took to sell me on this book. (Thanks, Carmanita!)
In Fortune’s Pawn, Devi Morris is the best mercenary in the Blackbirds, but she wants to be more. Her greatest ambition is to join the Devastators, the Sacred King’s own force of high-tech armored badasses, and the fastest way to do that is to survive one year working security on the supposedly cursed ship The Glorious Fool. But as adept a fighter as Devi is, she doesn’t know what’s in store for her…
Fortunately for readers, what’s in store for her is 320 pages of awesome power armor, sassily-named weapons, condescending bird people, killer lizard people, sweet space hippies, a hot dude with a polite accent who also happens to be a cook (and maybe something else), and several pesky mysteries that just won’t leave Devi alone.
Fortune’s Pawn wastes no time with its storytelling. By the end of Chapter One, not only do readers know what Devi’s after, but she’s already on The Glorious Fool, leaving the story to rocket forward at the pace one would expect of a book involving armored mercs. The basic plot is simple: There’s something weird about The Glorious Fool and Devi wants to figure out what it is (while still ensuring her shot at the Devastators). And while the action is spectacular – and reason enough to read this book – the characters are what make the story worth it. Though some get more page time than others, all are interesting – or at least intriguing – to read about, and though not all are explored very deeply, they’re written in such a way that one suspects the author has probably created a detailed backstory she just couldn’t fit in the book.
Devi, of course, is the most lovingly crafted, a capable lady merc whose love for her armor is second only to her love for kicking butts with it, but she’s far from a Michelle Rodriguez stereotype. Her ultimate motivator is her ambition, and while she’s not about to let anything get in the way of achieving it, she’s not so ruthless as to be heartless or single-minded about it to the exclusion of all else. It’s not every action novel that would see its armored merc become pals with her meditative space hippie roommate, nor that would allow the same merc a legit, respectful (i.e. not stupid) romance, but Fortune’s Pawn does.
Devi’s relationship with Rupert, The Glorious Fool‘s cook, is one of the best in the novel. When it comes to love, Devi’s not looking for swoon so much as a hot bod, but she finds that and more in Rupert, sometimes to the detriment of both (even if each wants the other). Theirs is a relationship fraught with will-they-won’t-theys that is made no less complex by the secrets surrounding Rupert himself, which Devi wants to solve and Rupert has no interest in disclosing, even after awesome sex. It’s a mature and balanced romance that, for once, contributes significant entertainment to the story and doesn’t distract from its sci-fi action bits at all.
Fortune’s Pawn is hands-down the most entertaining book I’ve read this year. If you love fast-paced sci-fi action, give it a try. You’re in for an explosive treat.
***
Note: Holo Writing is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program and, as such, may earn a small commission from any product purchased through an affiliate link on this blog.
Tender Wings of Desire – Book Review
Sometimes a book comes along that makes you drop everything to read it because it’s obviously the most profound piece of literature you’ll ever encounter. Other times that’s a book that looks like the most hilarious of disasters and it’s free and only 96 pages anyway, so why not? Such was the case with KFC’s Mother’s Day surprise Tender Wings of Desire, which has the distinction of being the only romance I have ever willingly picked up (mostly because, let’s face it, I expected hot, greasy foodporn).
I read this book for what it is, which is an obvious viral marketing stunt, so my standards were not as high as they’d be for books that expect to attract actual readers. I expected ridiculous, highly self-aware characterization, and the aforementioned hot, greasy food descriptions.
This is why I was astonished to read a sweet little regency romance that was far better than it had any right to be. It’s still a rather standard story as period romance goes – The protagonist, Madeline, is a gentry girl with a prettier sister and engaged to a man she doesn’t love, so she runs away to be the master of her own fate and ends up working at a tavern where she meets a charming seaman. I’ll stop here to avoid spoilers, but if you’re familiar with regency tropes and have even sort of glanced at the cover, you already know the spoilers.
Still, what’s predictable for some is familiar and cozy for others – and really, for people who like gentle romances, it’s a satisfying, undemanding read. Once you look past the ridiculous cover, you find that the story stands rather strongly on its own merits, with some unexpectedly insightful bits of writing (two of my favorites being “She remembered her father making jokes about the mysteries of women, but men simply did not know that they too carried mysteries” and “Madeline watched him as he went, feeling like every love song she had ever listened to was real to her now; they were all singing for her”). The romantic interest, of course, is Colonel Sanders, even if the story is slow to call him that, but change a select few details and he could be any other love interest in any other love story.
My only genuine complaints about the book are that the cover is inaccurate – but let’s face it, that hilarious cover is what makes the whole campaign work, even if the illustrator does have a severely mistaken idea of what regency costume and hot sailors look like – and, most egregiously, that it doesn’t even approach being foodporn. 😐 In fact, the only character in the story who cooks isn’t even good at it, so foodie readers don’t even get to drool over delicious non-fried-chicken descriptions. 😐 😐 😐
If there is a sequel next Mother’s Day – and how could there not be, with a campaign as hilarious as this? – there better be some sinfully decadent descriptions of fried chicken.
Overall, Tender Wings of Desire is far from a must-read, and really, it’s not a book that’s meant to be read so much as to amuse the Internet and sell chicken, but readers who do try it will find an unexpectedly cozy, easy romance.
Banshee – Book Review
The world changed when dragons rose from their slumber beneath the earth, but dragons were not the only change to come.
They warned of demons—monsters that would emerge from the very pit of hell to wreak havoc on our world. The dragons had come to select riders who, with the dragons, would provide reinforcements against the coming carnage. But if it takes dragons to defeat those monsters, what hope does humanity have?
Not much, and soon, even with the dragons’ aid, civilization crumbles in the ashes of its former self, burned more with every Killing Moon.
Now only the city of New Madrid remains. It may soon face its own demise from underneath—but not if French Heavener has anything to say about it. With dragon rider Saavin, he’ll travel to the very cave where the demons hide. With her dragon Banshee and the last courageous band of humans, dragons, and riders, they’ll save New Madrid.
Or die trying.
I met author Terry Maggert at LibertyCon several years ago, snagged by the tagline for his then-latest book: “Come for the waffles. Stay for the magic.” Unfortunately, despite combining two of my favorite things in the world, Halfway Dead had not yet released, so instead I opted to try the next best thing, which was “the apocalypse but with dragons,” a.k.a. Banshee.
The reason why this is review is so late is 1) life, which required me to 2) read it twice, which I needed to do anyway because my first reaction was *excited pterodactyl noises.* This is the kind of reaction every author hopes to elicit, but unfortunately it does not make for an articulate review.
My now-articulate response: Banshee is a must-read for fans of dragons, apocalyptic fiction, vividly realized worlds, and competent, capable characters.
Of all the characters, Saavin is the most nondescript, but this is largely because she’s so defined by her role as a dragon rider who gets stuff done—because in this world, if you don’t get stuff done, you die, even if you have a dragon on your side. The more clearly-realized French is equally as competent as she is, though in a different way: A product of Appalachia, French knows how to survive in coarse conditions, especially in terms of gathering and organizing resources, but he’s far from the stereotypical hillbilly one might expect. He carries the novel and keeps most of the cast alive through sheer planning alone, and it was refreshing to read about a “hillbilly” who was not only more than a caricature, but an admirable leader. I’m not sure that I’d follow him into the hell cave, but I’d definitely follow him elsewhere.
Outside of Saavin and French, the cast is huge, but just as well characterized. None of the characters are the bombastic badasses one might expect of a novel like this, but many are badass in realistic ways, from the Paddy-Macs, a family of sharp-shooters, to Harriet Fleming, a New Madrid leader who knows she’s dying from terminal illness but still does her job, despite both internal and external odds. Of course, humans wouldn’t be human without some politics, which is where Colvin Watley and his lackeys come in. He’s a charismatic, folksy type well suited to the personality of his surroundings; he’s also a manipulative, useless a-hole who wants power and influence in New Madrid but doesn’t have the skills to merit it. Still, that hasn’t stopped him from gaining some traction against French, and the conflict there is nearly as intense as the conflict against the demons—perhaps more so, since a Watley victory implies the inevitable loss of the last human outpost, all because of local politics. The balance of apocalyptic conflicts and relatable conflicts are half of what make this novel work so well.
The other half is the world. While I love dragons in all situations, I especially like when authors place them in modern settings because there’s no way for a dragon to make a small impact. A creature as huge and epic as a dragon irrevocably changes the society around it, and it’s always fun to see how authors choose to express those changes. (Well, fun for the reader. In Banshee’s case, humans face so much hellacious* crap that, well, the apocalypse happens. But in their defense, the dragons were trying to stop that.)
That said, Banshee is primarily a world-building novel. The circumstances and history of the setting are as much a part of the novel as the characters attempting to survive it, and though the characters are interesting and the plot moves at a steady pace, it’s frequently interrupted by records from the Bulwark Archival Materials, which provide a look at what’s going in the world outside (or before) the main characters’. On my first read-through, I found these a little jarring, as they slow the momentum of the plot and sometimes don’t contribute to the narrative immediately surrounding them. However, on my second read, I actually enjoyed them quite a lot. They provide flesh to a world that would have been a mere skeleton had the novel dedicated itself to a straightforward storyline, and though not all are strictly necessary to the plot, they season it nicely, providing glimpses of the resources derived from the demons, the origins and personalities of the other dragons, etc.
The cast of dragons is pretty huge, too, and I regret not being able to spend more time with them, especially Banshee. Despite his name being the title of the book, his significance never seems to be greater than that of the other main characters, and I spent the novel hoping for that special detail or scene that would make him stand out above the rest. It doesn’t happen, but then, all the characters are pretty epic anyway, so it’s not much of a loss.
My only other gripe has to do with the minor character Orontes, who pops up to catalyze the story, disappears to the background for most of the rest, and then pops up at the end again for an unexpected twist that I couldn’t justify even after my second reading. However, it is a twist that demands a sequel, to which I say PLZ TERRY MAGGERT I NEED MORE DRAGONS.
In the meantime, now I can start on Halfway Dead.
*Note: Though there are frequent references to hell and demons, the demons are called so less for religious reasons, more because they come from underground and look like the illegitimate love children of Satan and every animal that wants to kill you. It’s about as religious as Doom.
***
Note: Holo Writing is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program and, as such, may earn a small commission from any product purchased through an affiliate link on this blog.
The Empire of Corpses – Anime Review
In The Empire of Corpses, the dead walk the earth. In this reality, the famous reanimation research conducted by Viktor Frankenstein was not chased away with torches and pitchforks, but rather accepted and expanded to the point where corpse engineering is an accepted field of study and the dead are revived and repurposed for tasks the living would rather not do, from fighting wars to performing menial labor. However, these dead are not nearly as functional as The One perfect revival that Frankenstein was able to produce. Soon after perfecting this One, he disappeared, and his notes with him, leaving corpse engineers to conduct the same research themselves. Thus far they’ve only been able to manage shuffling, shambling reanimations with limited capacity for thought and no semblance of a soul.
John Watson aims to fix that. Obsessed with restoring a soul to his deceased (and reanimated) friend Friday, he accepts a mission from the British Secret Service to find Frankenstein’s original notes. But in the process, he uncovers many darker secrets…
WARNING: HERE BE SPOILERS.
When I first heard about The Empire of Corpses, I squealed in fangirlish glee because here was a whirlwind of things I love – Lavish animation! Steampunk! Creepy sci-fi! Anime! – wrapped up in one beautiful burst of a trailer. I mean look at this:
All this to say, I don’t know how you can take a film about steampunk science zombies and make it boring as hell, but this film did it with panache.
That panache is literally the only reason to watch The Empire of Corpses. The mechanical designs in the film, especially the analytical engines and Frankenstein’s book, are wonderfully complex, and the character designs are mostly fun, too, if sometimes distracting:
Literally everything else is a slow-burning mess.
The film had the basis for an interesting world. I really enjoyed how heavily the science relied on Charles Babbage’s analytical engine and variations to make Necroware – corpse technology – work. The very world of the movie also raises several interesting questions: How did people become so cool with the dead walking around and doing their chores? What about the living people that the dead put out of a job? Do the dead have basic human rights? What happens if the dead regain their souls and become sentient? What is the basis of a soul? Entire worlds of moral, economic, and spiritual questions are raised by the simple, wide presence of the reanimated dead.
Unfortunately the movie answers none of them in a satisfying way.
The first third of the movie, though the slowest part, is the best because it’s the part that presents the questions that it actually plans to address – namely those relating to the soul and how to reclaim it. (This is not a movie that is interested in socioeconomic world-building.)
However, the moment an isolated corpse engineer, Alexei Karamazov, kills one of Watson’s traveling companions to make a point about corpse engineering, the movie begins to tumble downhill fast. The deceased Nikolai Krasotkin is a character we’re supposed to like, but haven’t gotten time to know before his death, which is a problem that recurs in this movie. The death itself is also completely stupid and self-righteous. The reveal? In order to create a sentient, at least sort-of-ensouled corpse, one has to first lull and drug a living person, and then skewer their spinal cord with the Necroware so that they die (er, un-die?). Which kind of seems like the opposite of progress.
Nonetheless, Alexei skewers a still-living Nikolai to prove this point to Watson, then driven mad by this knowledge, skewers his own spinal cord with Necroware. Just before he proceeds to tell Watson where Frankenstein’s notes are, and that he must destroy them, all the while dying (or un-dying) all over the poor guy. Because obviously there was no easier way to relay this kind of information. 😐
The last time we see Alexei and Nikolai, they’re reanimated shells of their former selves, reenacting daily life with a creepy, soulless lack of direction. Because obviously the best way to carry out a madness-induced suicide is to do it with a machine that will bring you sort-of back to life. 😐 😐 😐
These egregious flaws-in-logic-for-the-sake-of-sort-of-horror-drama dominate and ruin the rest of the film. Nearly every time a new discovery is made, it raises a question that tears at the threads of the story’s world. Ooo, Lilith Hadaly has tech that can control corpses! Why was this not revealed like an hour ago? Why is it not in widespread use? Ooo, Thomas Edison created an automaton who is not only a babe but sentient enough that she can be sad about not having emotions? 😐 Screw light bulbs, why isn’t he making more of those? If complex automatons are even a thing that can happen, why bother reanimating smelly, stiff dead people at all? The very end of the movie shows Watson hooking himself up to his Necroware in hopes of reconnecting with Friday, which…ok how is that better than just staying alive and sentient and continuing research? I mean, as a viewer, I was glad for the implication that Watson was finally dead-ish (more on that later) because at least he wouldn’t be able to make any more stupid decisions that endanger the whole human race (like NOT BURNING THE FREAKING BOOK even after TWO DIFFERENT PEOPLE almost succeed at TURNING THE WHOLE WORLD INTO FREAKING ZOMBIES WITH IT OMG.)
My whole review literally could have read as this:
With a heaping side of:
As if I didn’t ask why enough, the film is also peppered with more literary and scientific references than it had any reason to include. Frankenstein and Babbage were necessary to the plot, but Thomas Edison? John Watson? Both of those characters could have had different names without it having any effect on the story – except for an after-credits sequence, wherein John Watson (still somehow alive) is revealed to have befriended who else but Sherlock Holmes, and Lilith Hadaly is now going by the name of Irene Adler. This does give the movie the novelty of presenting the one Watson who is more insane than Holmes, but again:
That’s not even the end of it. The climax of the movie is the biggest mess, coming down to a corpse-control transmitter that can apparently transmit to the whole world at once, The One being interested in Frankenstein’s book because Bride of Frankenstein’s soul or something or other, both The One and a mysterious eyepatch dude agreeing that human emotions/souls cause all kind of problems and wouldn’t we all just be better off as lifeless zombie people anyway, and green soul magic wherein Friday regains a soul but it’s Frankenstein’s? Maybe? And then loses it? And then gains one again? And loses it, too? I didn’t even care by that point. The only thing I was really paying attention to was the admittedly badass organ that The One played while doing his soul science BS.
I’m in the minority with this review, most of the ones I read before watching being glowing reviews. To which I say: What secret, hidden version of the movie did you guys watch, and how do I get my hands on it?
The Empire of Corpses had the potential to be an excellent piece of steampunk horror sci-fi, but as is, it’s an example of every way not to be one.
The Reavers are back! (In your headphones.)
One of the most frequently-asked questions we hear at cons is “Do you have audio books?” We’re proud to announce that we can finally answer “YES!”
Earlier this month, we started production on the audio book adaptation of Time Reavers! We’ve been working with the immensely talented Tess Irondale to capture the time-twisting thrills and general mayhem of our favorite monster robot bugs and super-powered teen pest control.
The audiobook will be available for download Summer 2017 on Amazon, Audible, and iTunes. In the meantime, here’s a sneak peak at the first 10 minutes:
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vXKK9B5J5Mc&w=560&h=315]
Keep your eyes peeled for the cover reveal, coming soon! 😀
Cute High Earth Defense Club Love! (S1) – Anime Review
One of my favorite emerging genres in anime is Cute Boys Doing Stupid Things, so you can imagine my delight when I came across this commercial:
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GPPAyNY0DeA&w=560&h=315]
At this point, despite an uncharacteristically serious ending, Ouran High School Host Club is my gold standard for this genre, as it was not only entertaining but a truly intelligent play on the conventions of the genre (that is, an unexpectedly adroit combination of smart and ridiculous).
Cute High Earth Defense Club Love! is no Ouran, but it is a short, sweet confection that has the added appeal of being a glorious, glittery train wreck.
The show’s setup is a strange combination of ideas we’ve already seen and weird twists on those ideas. First, it fills all the bishounen slots – Yumoto Hakone is the cute little one with a big brother, Ryuu Zaou is the ladies’ man, En Yufuin is the handsome slacker, Io Naruko is rich and financially-obsessed, and I’m not sure what slot Atsushi Kinugawa is meant to fill except maybe the average guy with glasses.
The show’s “cute mascot” is actually an absurd pink alien wombat with a heart-shaped cutie mark who blends in by posing as the pet of the reanimated corpse of a teacher he accidentally killed. Also he has come to earth to protect it and fill it with love. Since the boys are already members of the “Earth Defense Club (lol)”—a.k.a. their BSed name for a BSed school club—he figures they fit the bill. And so, color-coded magical boys happen, complete with the best transformation sequence ever (or worst, depending upon how much pandering you can take).
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a2sk-XfiyOc&w=560&h=315]
Also Yumoto’s family owns a bathhouse, so literally every episode is a hot springs episode.
By this point, you already know if you’re part of the audience for this show.
As pure ridiculous fun, Cute High succeeds, primarily when it makes fun of itself. Episode 1 of the show clearly establishes that most of the group is not into this magical boy thing AT ALL, least of all because they transform into froofy costumes, shout “Love Making!” before each transformation, and as a group are known as the Battle Lovers. Yumoto becomes the leader by default since he’s the only one remotely excited about the power, and the others go along with him against the episode’s monster not out of a sense of love and duty, but because they literally just want to get it over with and get out of costume.
Each episode’s monster is amusing, too, if not very complex. Each is a student with some negative trait amplified by the series’ antagonists, the all-powerful student council (a.k.a. Earth Conquest Club), led by Lord Zundar, a green alien hedgehog from Planet Evil who seeks to conquer earth. Often the traits translate in ridiculous ways—a shut-in turns into a giant kotatsu, a rejected ballerino turns into a giant swan with the ability to shoot love feathers, etc.
Underneath the flashy absurdities, though, the series is a little lackluster. Each episode is basically a Monster of the Week story and the climaxes generally follow the exact same formula—The whole group transforms to fight; only Yumoto actually does anything; the monster is hit with a Love Attack and Love Shower and all is solved without any real meaning at all. The characters also have only one defining trait each, and though they play off of each other well, this only works for one particular character, whose personality is literally a joke making fun of one-dimensional characters. Unfortunately, in a show full of one-dimensional characters, the joke doesn’t play as well as it could, and though some do gain some complexity later on, it’s not even enough to round them up to two complete dimensions.
It’s good that this show was only twelve episodes long because I didn’t think it could have sustained anything longer. (Yet somehow it got a second season, so maybe I missed something?)
Really, the only thing this show does better than Ouran is its ending, which is much more tonally appropriate. Its twist—yes, there’s a twist—comes totally out of left field, but really this whole show comes out of left field, so that’s not out of place. And while I wouldn’t call it a completely satisfactory ending, it definitely takes the series to new heights. The last three episodes are easily the most fun in the series, though ultimately I can’t think of an episode I didn’t like.
All this said, if you enjoy colorful, flamboyant, absolutely absurd anime, Cute High Earth Defense Club Love! is a fun watch. It’s nothing more than that, but really, it isn’t meant to be.
The Wizard’s Way Playlist – Part 3
Welcome to the last entry in The Wizard’s Way Playlist series!
If you’re late to the party, you can find Part 1 and Part 2 here, and, of course, the YouTube playlist below.
Now, without further ado, read on for Part 3!
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WqPPaxDp0Wc?list=PLo3lKhIPo_aTUVVxNmjCM-KIROSf5dYqt&w=560&h=315]
Part 3: Ambristar
“Booty Swing”
by Parov Stelar (The Paris Swing Box)
When Milon Artur’s not being a whimsical sociopath, he’s actually a pretty fun guy who, I imagine, would listen to a lot of electro swing in his hot air balloon. So, Milon’s theme in Chapter 26. xP
“You’ll be Back”
by Jonathan Groff (Hamilton)
The lyrics have little to do with anything in Chapter 26, but the spirit of the song is definitely in keeping with how Milon handles diplomatic relations – or at least his negotiations with Chaucey in this scene. xD
“Discombobulate”
by Hans Zimmer (Sherlock Holmes)
If a whole street of inventors is going to equip for a disaster (in Chapter 28), this is the kind of music it does so to.
“Jim Saves the Crew”
by James Newton Howard (Treasure Planet)
Or rather, “Chaucey Tries to Save Everything But Ends Up Crashing Spectacularly Again,” as he does in Chapter 29.
“Song of Elune”
by Jason Hayes (World of Warcraft)
The grace and ethereal wonder of this song provided perfect inspiration for for scenes in Chapters 29-30 where the characters are exploring the mysterious Ambrist.
“Lights (Remix)”
by Ellie Goulding and Bassnectar (Divergent Spectrum)
I have no idea why this song lodged itself in my head as the “craziness is happening on Ambrist” theme for Chapter 31, but there it is.
“Collapse and Rescue”
by Steve Jablonsky (Steamboy)
If “Lights” is the “Ambrist is Sorta Awesome” theme, this is the “Ambrist Sucks and We’re All Going to Die” theme for Chapters 32-33.
“Manners Maketh Man”
by Henry Jackman and Matthew Margeson (Kingsman: The Secret Service)
Also, pug. Pentalion’s theme, for reasons I assume are obvious if you’ve seen Kingsman: The Secret Service and read Chapter 33.
“Many Mothers”
by Junkie XL (Mad Max: Fury Road)
For Chapter 35. No mothers involved, but the funereal sound and raw emotion is perfect for a chapter titled One and a Half Funerals.
“Little Lion Man”
by Mumford & Sons (Sigh No More)
Basically, Chaucey’s theme song for the series as a whole. While not all of the lyrics suit him, most of them highlight the themes and struggles that follow him through The Wizard’s Quartet. Plus there’s the lion motif. (BTW, though I think the original version’s more relevant to the character, I’ve included the clean version on the YouTube list so you can listen without getting a scandalized glare from your mom.)
That’s all for this list! 😀
As a parting question, what music did you imagine when you read The Wizard’s Way?
The Wizard’s Way Playlist – Part 2
Welcome back for Part 2 of The Wizard’s Way Playlist series!
Here’s Part 1 if you missed it (or if you have no idea what you’ve just stumbled upon), and the YouTube playlist if you’d like to listen:
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5IpLV7PB5aY?list=PLo3lKhIPo_aTUVVxNmjCM-KIROSf5dYqt&w=560&h=315]
Part 2: Wizard
“The Gravel Road”
by James Newton Howard (The Village)
The “Chaucey is Sad, but also Analyzing and Overanalyzing Things” theme for Chapters 11-12. After all, how else is one to handle murders and shop fires and general wizard stress?
“Tightrope”
by Janelle Monae (The ArchAndroid)
While it’s not specifically relevant to her appearance Chapter 13, the ideas and enthusiasm of the song match Elsa well, so it seemed appropriate for her general theme.
“The Goose and the Abbot”
by Bruno Coulais (Brendan et le Secret de Kells)
Many of the scenes in the High Districts and Underoaks were written to the lovely music from The Secret of Kells, and this track in particular had a curious, investigative sound appropriate for Chaucey and Pentalion’s activities in Chapters 15- 16. Also, in my repeated listens, the quirky tune around the 2 minute mark slowly became Farwude’s theme.
“Milo’s Turned Down”
by James Newton Howard (Atlantis: The Lost Empire)
This one’s frequent switching between disappointment and determined jauntiness made it perfect for the investigation that goes on in Chapters 17-18.
“What Are You Doing in My Forest?”
by Bruno Coulais (Brendan et le Secret de Kells)
INVESTIGATION INTENSIFIES (in Chapter 19).
“Dragonborn”
by Jeremy Soule (The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim)
While it wasn’t the inspiration for Chapter 20‘s Brunl Library, I can’t listen to this song without thinking of the bearmen.
“Bay Side Slider”
by Try Force (Heat Guy J: Burn)
The “Lysa Kicks Butt” theme, especially for Chapter 21.
“Bedding Down”
by James Newton Howard (Atlantis: The Lost Empire)
Eew, not like that. xP Still, it’s appropriate mood music for what happens between Chaucey and Elsa in Chapter 22.
“Prologue”
by David Newman (Anastasia)
Inspiration for the Arling Ball in Chapter 23. Before it goes all crazy, anyway.
“Didn’t Your Mother Tell You Not to Play With Your Food”
by Hans Zimmer (The Lion King: The Legacy Collection)
Theme for when the Arling Ball goes all crazy. The ominous whimsy suits antagonist Milon Artur to a T, so naturally it’s his entrance music for Chapter 23.
“Nui Harime’s Theme”
by Hiroyuki Sawano (Kill la Kill)
The glassy-sounding menace in this theme makes it an excellent match for a certain spoilery reveal and associated battle in Chapters 24-25.
“Satsuki Kiryuin’s Theme”
by Hiroyuki Sawano (Kill la Kill)
The Steelgore’s theme. Any time the Steelgore does its fiery thing – but particularly at the end of Chapter 25 – it’s to this.
Part 3 coming soon!
Until then, what music do you like to read to?
The Wizard’s Way Playlist – Part 1
Music is as essential to my writing process as coffee and procrastination. While Jacob generally writes to the sound of earplugs, I have playlist upon playlist of carefully curated songs that evoke the perfect soundtrack to my novels and their characters.
So, for the similarly inclined, here’s my playlist for The Wizard’s Way! For those who haven’t read the novel, I’ve written the descriptions to be spoiler-free. On the other hand, if you’re bewildered by said descriptions, here’s your reason to read the book! 😀
Here’s the list on YouTube if you’d like to listen while you read:
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WqPPaxDp0Wc?list=PLo3lKhIPo_aTUVVxNmjCM-KIROSf5dYqt&w=560&h=315]
Part 1: Calderling
Overture
by George Bruns (The Jungle Book)
For the Prologue. It doesn’t necessarily scream “Ellid wrestling a dragon,” but it does establish the sultry, mysterious jungles of the island of Leray.
Anniversary Medley
by Koji Kondo (The Legend of Zelda 25th Anniversary Symphony)
I wrote much of Chapters 1-3 to this, particularly the first 4ish minutes, because of its fun sense of derring-do. This was a mood I hoped to capture in those chapters and in the novel as a whole.
Gerudo Valley
by Koji Kondo (The Legend of Zelda 25th Anniversary Symphony)
Epic music for an epic glider crash in Chapter 4.
Off to the Races
by Lana Del Rey (Born to Die)
The lyrics don’t suit them exactly, but when I listened to it ironically, the decadent, dangerous relationship in the song matched Chapter 5‘s Cider and Lysa well. After all, they are quite an ironic pairing (though not romantic at all).
Also, in my head, Lysa speaks with Lana Del Rey’s voice, so I wrote a lot of her scenes to said artist’s music.
What Are You Asking Me?
by James Newton Howard (The Village)
I also write to a lot of James Newton Howard, as he’s my favorite composer. This track in particular quickly became the “Chaucey is Sad” theme for Chapters 6-7. The juxtaposition of hyperactive violin over otherwise soothing music makes for a good representation of what’s going on inside Chaucey’s head in these scenes (and really, at any given time).
Manchester 1866
by Steve Jablonsky (Steamboy)
The Inventors’ Way theme for Chapters 8-9. It expresses the industrious and dangerous mischief that’s characteristic of a whole street full of inventors. For similar reasons, it was also the music for Elsa and Ellid’s hijinks in Chapters 13-14.
Ryuko Matoi’s Theme
by Hiroyuki Sawano (Kill la Kill)
The “Yer a Wizard, Chaucey” theme for Chapter 10. Truly, I wrote most of the book to Kill la Kill, even when the scenes didn’t suit it, simply because the bombast of the whole soundtrack complements the book so well. (Basically every chapter not specified in this list = written to Kill la Kill).
Part 2 to follow soon!
In the meantime, what music inspires you to write? 😀
Harmonia – Book Review
From book cover: At the heart of the city-state of Harmonia lies the castle for which the city was named. It is the fabled home of the four goddesses who formed the world of Elan and then guided its people to enlightenment. For centuries, the castle has been a landmark and tourist attraction, drawing in citizens from the neighboring countries daily. Most consider it a tourist attraction, doubting the legend of its divine origin, though a few still see it as place of holy significance.
It has been a time of peace and prosperity for the city and its people.
That time is over. The castle is no longer empty. The goddesses have returned.
And they are not alone.
Mixing epic fantasy, fable, and a bit of esoteric anachronism, Harmonia challenges the concepts of gods, religion, faith, society, life, good, evil, and humanity in a fast-paced and fun adventure, with a hint of darkness.
Brett Brooks’ Harmonia (The Champions of Elan #1) is one of the more interesting books I’ve read this year, but its appeal to other readers will be determined by whether that reader is a member of a very specific niche audience.
Though the description doesn’t immediately suggest it, Harmonia is definitely a title for the furry crowd. Though many of its main characters are human, its most iconic characters are an anthropomorphic fox, snake, eagle, and bear, and though these character types usually bring to mind children’s tales, this tale is anything but. Not that this is a surprise—the back of the book plainly declares “Parental guidance is advised”—but even this is a bit misleading. “Parental guidance advised” suggests that the ideal reader for this book still looks to parents for input on what they read.
There’s a hot lesbian sex scene between a fox woman and a snake woman in the first chapter of this book, y’all.
I do not recommend it for middle schoolers.
However, older readers who enjoy unique fantasies and furry fandom will find a lot to enjoy in it.
Harmonia has a fascinating world setup. When the goddesses return, the people are naturally surprised by it (being unbelievers), but I was interested to find that the goddesses’ representatives—the aforementioned anthropomorphic animals—are just as surprised. They know as little about their representative goddesses as the people. They know very little about the people, too, and a large part of their conflict is simply figuring out this new world and convincing people that, despite all appearances, they’re not dangerous. Granted, this means that the first half of the book is basically the people and the champions being all “Well now what?” but the unique world-building keeps it from being slow. There are also some truly amusing scenes within, the most notable being one in which Renarde (the fox woman) discovers whiskey for the first time and ends up leading half the city on a drunken chase through the streets.
The true conflict of the story doesn’t emerge until the last third of the book, but when it does, it comes from a truly unexpected place, and it dashes along at a slam-bang pace with plenty of twists and a truly cool villain.
The characters are what drive the story, more so than a particular problem. The champions’ personalities are quite opposite, but play well off each other. Some are stereotyped—I kept picturing Altair as Sam Eagle without much effort, and Renarde is as mischievous and sexy as one might expect a fox-based character to be—but others were pleasant surprises. Rather than being the brash tank that I expected, Porter the bear is shy and socially awkward, and the snake woman Thibann, rather than the slippery deceiver, is the regal voice of reason for the four. Each is also well-characterized through dialogue, with each having a notable verbal quirk or habit. Some flow more naturally than others—Altair’s clipped syllables felt a bit awkward at first, and Renarde’s nonstop giggly babble can become grating at times—but all provide a vivid picture of what the characters sound like, which is something I enjoyed. (After all, how often do authors evoke specific voices in readers’ heads?)
Also, though not a champion character, High Priestess Vera Foiya was one of my favorites, for reasons I’ll leave you to discover for yourself.
Finally, one perpetual concern with indie books is production quality; outside of some (albeit prominent) interior layout quirks, Harmonia ranks among the better-looking self-published books that I’ve seen.
The cover in particular is lovely to look at and can hold its own against other graphical covers of its type. The interior suffers a bit, with enough typos to notice, but few grammatical and punctuation errors. Most noticeably, the paragraphs are inexplicably un-indented, which was slightly distracting for me, but the text itself is easy to read and I really liked the bold design of the chapter-starter pages.
Overall, Harmonia’s not a read for everyone, but if you’re in the furry fandom, or if you enjoy quirky, original fantasy, it’s definitely worth a try. And if you enjoy it, there’s a sequel, Child of Shadows!
***
Disclosure: Holo Writing may be compensated for sales of products linked in this review.
$.99 eBook Deal – Time Reavers
Hey, everyone!
Just in time for the holidays, we’re running an eBook deal on Time Reavers!
Now through Wednesday, December 28th, you can download Time Reavers for just $.99 on Amazon, so if you’ve been pondering dipping your toe into our weird, weird world of super-powered teens and giant time-ripping robot insects, now’s the perfect chance. 😀
Happy Holidays!
Charlotte – Anime Review
Jacob and I reached a point last month where we couldn’t take Crunchyroll‘s repetitive commercials anymore, so we sprung for a Premium membership. Since then, I’ve been using that as an excuse to fall asleep to the sweet, sweet sounds of anime.
My most recent binge has been Charlotte, which I watched primarily because I was curious what the title had to do with its premise of “teens with superpowers at a superpower school.”
In the series, Yu Otosaka has the ability to take over other people’s consciousnesses. The catch? He can only do it for a few seconds at a time, and his own body loses consciousness while he’s out of it. Even so, it’s useful for things like cheating on tests and rising through the ranks of his school…which catches the attention of Nao Tomori. She’s the student council president of a school for students with similar abilities, and if he doesn’t come with her, there’s a significant chance he might be captured by another organization that has plans for people with superpowers – and they’re not good ones. With a threat like that – and a little sister to take care of – how could Otosaka turn her down?
The unique twist in the series’ premise is that all the teens’ powers will disappear after adolescence, and as powerful as they are, all their powers come with some pretty significant drawbacks. One character can turn invisible, but only to one person at a time; another can move at super fast speeds, but can’t control his stops – all of which, in a way, make the characters’ situations more unfortunate, not because of the inconvenience, but because people with torturous intents are hunting them for abilities that won’t even last.
That said, if you’re into superpowers and uncontrollable crying, Charlotte is a show for you.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gB5qUxR6ch4&w=560&h=315]
As evidenced by the opening titles alone, the production value of the series is quite high. The studios that collaborated on it – Key, P.A. Works, and Aniplex – were also responsible for Angel Beats, which was gorgeous to watch, if a bit boring in spots. The animation and music are on par with that (even if the accent on the English singing is a little heavy), and are so infectious to experience that I’d have probably finished the series even if it was otherwise mediocre. Fortunately, it’s not.
Charlotte is a more character-driven show than one might expect, with the superpowers being a vehicle for a surprisingly emotional story. All the main characters are complex and flawed: Yu loves his little sis but isn’t very grateful for her own expressions of love; Nao is clever and determined to save teens like her, but also comes across as self-centered and self-righteous to the point where some other students beat her up for it. The first several episodes are fairly light, even goofy examinations of these relationships as these characters seek out a superpower-of-the-episode. Then comes Episode 6, where the plot takes an almost Madoka Magica-like turn, rips your heart out, and then sends it careening through the next seven episodes to the end. I was in no hurry to watch the first half of the series, but the last half I finished in a single, voracious sitting.
Strong characterizations aside, Charlotte‘s greatest strength is its sheer unpredictability. Sometimes this results in weird tonal conflicts: It’s hard to believe that the first episodes and intense last episodes are even part of the same series. Some of the humor even in the early part comes across as over the top, and some episodes (8 and 9 in particular) rely on an enormously convenient coincidence. However, the good parts are structured so well that those don’t diminish the entertainment value.
The only exception to this is the very end, which is so stupid that I sincerely wish I’d skipped the last episode. SPOILER ALERT: Without giving too much away, the characters decide that the best way to prevent anti-powers atrocities from happening is to remove superpowers from every teen in the world indiscriminately, which is an enormous waste of a rare and awesome resource – not to mention hugely unethical. Despite his righteous intent, one main character becomes famous in the international powered community as a power-stealing terror – and yet is still depicted as a good guy, complete with uplifting inspirational music and his own happy(ish) ending. I understand what the story was going for; after all, a lot of the kids were genuinely suffering because of their powers, often imprisoned in labs or camps specifically intended to exploit those powers. But when he took healing powers from an un-oppressed girl in a rural village – without her consent, all for the sake of completeness – the story lost its credibility.
TL;DR: You will do yourself a huge favor by ignoring the last episode entirely. The main arc wraps up in the previous episode, anyway, so you’ll literally miss nothing.
Final episode aside, Charlotte‘s still a pretty entertaining show. It’s not the best series I’ve watched this year, but it definitely deserves a watch if you enjoy both emotions and superpowers in your anime. Just skip the end – I mean it – unless you want to exercise your eye-rolling muscles.