I finished reading Empire of Silence a little over a year ago, but it was one of those books that I enjoyed so much, my only reaction at the time was *excited pterodactyl noises.* (Admittedly, I don’t actually know what… Read More ›
Reviews
Men Hunting Things – Book Review
I picked up David Drake’s Men Hunting Things anthology for its amusingly frank title and, as has been a trend as of late, ended up finding a new favorite anthology. 😀 Its straightforward title belies a book of unexpected variety… Read More ›
Discarded – Book Review
Never underestimate the power of a good title, y’all. I read this entirely because its series name was Dumpstermancer – and ended up finding a surprise favorite. In Discarded (Dumpstermancer #1) by Michael J. Allen, talented spell architect Elias Graham… Read More ›
Love, Lies, and Hocus Pocus: Beginnings – Book Review
Um, bookish library wizards, snarky witch dudes, and talking cats? Sign me up! Actually, the talking cat doesn’t show up until Book 2, but that’s all the more reason to read Book 1 – to get to Book 2 faster…. Read More ›
The Kidnap Plot – Book Review
One of the benefits of having an overwhelmingly huge and ever-growing book pile is that sometimes, when you get bored, you can just dig to the bottom to see what’s been hiding there, and sometimes, you find little treasures you’d… Read More ›
Xenotech Rising – Book Review
If The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy meets The Office is a phrase that makes you want to fling all your money at whatever inspired it – well, grab your wallet. 😀 In Dave Schroeder’s Xenotech Rising (Xenotech Support #1),… Read More ›
Halfway Dead – Book Review
If the tagline “Come for the waffles. Stay for the magic.” doesn’t grab you by the throat and plunge your eyeballs straight into Terry Maggert’s Halfway Dead then you, my friend…well, probably haven’t met the right waffle. Which is all… Read More ›
Con Me Once – Book Review
Rauch and Frank are two down-on-their-luck roommates who just want better lives – Rauch for the two of them, Frank for other people. It’s why, when Frank isn’t working at the local comic shop, he prowls the streets as the… Read More ›
Redline – Anime Review
While watching Promare’s spectacular animation, I was reminded quite a bit of Redline, and then when writing my Promare review, I realized I’d never actually reviewed Redline. So I’m here to remedy that. Redline is a 2009 anime that follows… Read More ›
Promare – Anime Review
Pssh. Right, like a Trigger movie would come to our local theatre and it NOT be a Mandatory Date Night. Promare starts with a literal bang, as half the world’s population spontaneously bursts into flames, thus marking the Great World… Read More ›
A Flash of Red – Book Review
Jacob’s sister wrote a book, too, you guys! 😀 Psychological thrillers are a bit out of my wheelhouse, but thanks to this one, I may have found a new genre worth exploring. A Flash of Red by Sarah K. Stephens… Read More ›
Detective Pikachu – Movie Review
I showed up to an early preview of Detective Pikachu in my full-body Pikachu jammies, fueled by 20 years of Pokemon nostalgia and an insatiable love of bad movies, so there was no way I wasn’t going to like this… Read More ›
Suicidal Samurai – Book Review
Several years ago at Anime Weekend Atlanta, we had the pleasure to be table neighbors with Sarah G. Rothman, and when she described her book Suicidal Samurai as “a samurai-cowboy solves mysteries in Victorian Japan,” it was a natural insta-buy…. Read More ›
Easy to be a God – Book Review
In Robert J. Szmidt’s Easy to be a God, humanity has been expanding through the universe for 300 years, and not once has it encountered any other form of intelligent life – until a rough-and-tumble salvaging crew stumbles upon the… Read More ›
Food Wars (S1) – Anime Review
After subjecting Jacob to the emasculating experience that was Cute High Earth Defense Club LOVE!, I decided to have some mercy and suggest Food Wars, which has become famous (infamous?) for its fanservice. Food Wars (aka Shokugeki no Soma) follows… Read More ›
Mary Poppins Returns – Movie Review
In Mary Poppins Returns, there’s a song titled “A Cover is not the Book.” It’s about various whimsical figures who are not what they seem on the surface, but it might as well be about the movie itself: What looks… Read More ›
Dog Aliens #1: Raffle’s Name – Book Review
I spotted Dog Aliens #1: Raffle’s Name by Cherise Kelley on a Book Barbarian promo, and with my love of all things animal and sci-fi, how could I turn it down? In Dog Aliens, Clem is not a dog, but… Read More ›
Everything I Am I Owe to Bad Movies
The #1 question readers ask authors is “What inspires you to write?” Many authors have deep answers like “intellectual curiosity” or “the ability to create my own reality,” but mine’s nothing of the sort. My greatest inspiration is bad movies…. Read More ›
What to Read While You Wait for The Wizard’s Circus (or, a Gift Guide for Steampunk/Wizard/Magic Nerds)
Hey, wizard fans! It’s been a while since you’ve heard from me about The Wizard’s Circus, but rest assured, it’s still on its way! The first draft is over halfway finished, with plenty of bears and Pentalion (and if you… Read More ›
Akame Ga Kill – Anime Review
*Thanks to reader John B. for the recommendation! 😀 Akame Ga Kill is a deceptive series. Its colorful character designs and opening set up – Main character Tatsumi leaves home with two friends to join the Capital army and Be… Read More ›