Mysterious Ailment
Illustration for Legend of the Five Rings collectible card game, Empire at War edition. This illustration features a Ninja silently slipping poison into a cup of tea
Tags: Ailment, Mysterious
US Cover: Crucible of Gold by Naomi Novik
Here is the US cover for Crucible of Gold by Naomi Novik, the seventh Temeraire novel!
In a word, I love it! More after the jump!
Suvudu » Science Fiction and Fantasy Books, Movies, Comics, and Games
Mantis Pirate
Conventions are a wonderful opportunity to “make new friends and keep the old” as the song says, networking with potential clients, artistic peers while meeting fans and making friends. One of the nice people I’ve had the pleasure to do con sketches for followed up and commissioned a private piece. This is based on a Legend of the Five Rings character he used to play. This was originally to be a color figure with no background, but there was too much potential in the early stages of the sketch to not add in the sails of a Japanese junk.
Review: The Well of Ascension by Brandon Sanderson
Book review of Brandon Sanderson’s Well of Ascension
Some of the best characters are back in The Well of Ascension, like Vin, Elend, and Sazed, and Sanderson adds a few new great characters to the mix, in the form of a Terris-woman named Tindwyl, the mistborn son of Straff Venture, Zane, and a shape-shifting kandra named OreSeur. Sanderson also brings back Kelsier’s crew from Mistborn. The cast of characters in The Well of Ascension is colorful, varied, and robust. The supporting characters are as believable as the central ones, and the way Sanderson weaves their stories together is nothing short of masterful.
The story in The Well of Ascension follows Elend, Vin and crew as they attempt to organize and maintain some form of organization and control on the capital dominance city of Luthadel. While Elend is busy preaching his politics, Vin is buys soaring the night skies. While this is going on, the city is threatened by not one, not two, but three separate external threats. The plot follows the movements and inner workings of these three armies, so we get to see military intrigue in The Well of Ascension. All the while there is this sense of impending doom manifested in the form of something Sanderson terms The Deepness. In short, the plot in The Well of Ascension moves, is deeply intertwined, and not for one single moment will you feel un-entertained.
In addition to fantastic characters, a complex plot that has some spunk, and the fantastic magic system we’ve come to love in Mistborn, The Well of Ascension ups the ante by taking on themes of leadership. Leadership is a recurring theme in The Well of Ascension, as we see Elend Venture develop from a young man into a man fit to lead an empire. Tindwyl is his guide, and a wonderful one at that:
“Arrogance, Your Majesty,” Tindwyl said. “Successful leaders all share one common trait-they believe that they can do a better job than the alternatives. Humility is fine when considering your responsibility and duty, but when it comes time to make a decision, you must not question yourself.”
We see Elend comment on Tindwyl’s teachings later in the novel:
“Clothing doesn’t really change a man,” Elend said. “But it changes how others react to him. Tindwyl’s words. I think…I think the trick is convincing yourself you deserve the reactions you get.”
And my favorite, which really drives home the principle of how leadership truly functions:
“It was his ability to trust,” she said. “It was the way that he made good people into better people, the way that he inspired them. His crew worked because he had confidence in them-because he respected them. And, in return, they respected each other. Men like Breeze and Clubs became heroes because Kelsier had faith in them”.
And of course, with any Sanderson novel, we get a healthy dose of introspection and contemplative character thought:
“At first glance, the key and the lock it fits may seem very different,” Sazed said. ” Different in shape, different in function, different in design. The man who looks at them without knowledge of their true nature might think them opposites, for one is meant to open, and the other to keep closed. Yet, upon closer examination, he might see that without one, the other becomes useless. The wise man then sees that both the lock and the key were created for the same purpose.”
For these reasons and more, I think I actually enjoyed The Well of Ascension more (if that’s possible) than the original Mistborn. They’re both fantastic reads, and I can’t wait to close out the trilogy, and also am thrilled to see Sanderson is continuing to write in this world with his latest release, The Alloy of Law.
You can purchase The Well of Ascension
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You Cast ‘Star Wars: Heir to the Empire’: The Winners Revealed!
After weeks of furious debate and fast action at the polls, I give to you your Star Wars: Heir to the Empire final cast! The journey has been long and hard but the people have spoken, and the results are in. Let’s take a look:
Gilaad Pellaeon
Sam Elliot
Most popular write-in: Gary Oldman
Although most people know Sam [...]
Suvudu » Science Fiction and Fantasy Books, Movies, Comics, and Games
“The Emperor’s Edge” by Lindsay Buroker (Reviewed by Mihir Wanchoo)
Order “The Emperor’s Edge” HERE
Read An Excerpt HERE
Read FBC’s Review of “Encrpted”
AUTHOR INFORMATION: Lindsay Buroker is a writer who was influenced by J.A. Konrath to become a self-published author. She has a B.A from the University of Washington and also served in the military. Nowadays she works as an independent Internet professional and lives in the greater Seattle area. She has written six books so far including Encrypted and Flash Gold.
PLOT SUMMARY: Imperial law enforcer Amaranthe Lokdon is good at her job: she can deter thieves and pacify thugs, if not with a blade, then by toppling an eight-foot pile of coffee canisters onto their heads. But when ravaged bodies show up on the waterfront, an arson covers up human sacrifices, and a powerful business coalition plots to kill the emperor, she feels a tad overwhelmed.
Worse, Sicarius, the empire’s most notorious assassin is in town. He’s tied in with the chaos somehow, but Amaranthe would be a fool to cross his path. Unfortunately, her superiors order her to hunt him down. Either they have an unprecedented belief in her skills . . . or someone wants her dead.
FORMAT/INFO: The Kindle edition 318 pages long divided over twenty-one chapters and an Epilogue. Narration is evenly divided in the third-person omniscient chapters between Amaranthe Lokdon and Emperor Sespian Savarsin. The plot is completely self-contained, but is the first book of the Emperor’s Edge series.
ANALYSIS: Liviu Suciu previously reviewed Lindsay Buroker’s novel Encrypted on FBC, which is how I became interested in the author’s work. So when I heard about The Emperor’s Edge, a fantasy-steampunk hybrid, I immediately bought a copy on Amazon.
The Emperor’s Edge is set in the capital city of the Turgonian Empire, which is ruled by science and refutes magic as an unworthy practice. It is also facing tension across its borders from the country of Nuria where magic is given free rein. Into this backdrop, reader are immediately introduced to Amaranthe Lokdon, a lowly corporal stuck on patrol duty with her lazy partner Wholt. Readers are also introduced to Emperor Sespian Savarsin, who is trying to get back on his feet, while Commander Hollowcrest helps him rule the empire. During a routine patrol, Amaranthe and Wholt discover a suspicious fire that spirals out of control. Soon after, events occur which pull Amaranthe from her normal duties as an imperial enforcer to hunting down Sicarius, the most dangerous assassin in the world. And thus the plot to this fantastical story begins…
Instead of going for an all-original idea, Lindsay Buroker has taken an oft-used concept and presented it with her own additions. So even though The Emperor’s Edge is described as a “high fantasy novel in the era of steam”, the book comes across as a campy fantasy adventure hybrid . In fact, what I liked most about the novel was its campy feel, which includes characters and situations often cropping up to delude the protagonists of their well thought-out but slightly improper plans. This kept me chuckling constantly as the humor quotient is kept at a remarkably steady level. Granted, the story sometimes takes silly turns, but the plot twists and Lindsay Buroker’s writing make these moments entertaining rather than overtly stupid.
Another important factor for me was the great characterization. Even though there are only two POVs in The Emperor’s Edge, there are several supporting characters involved in the main plot and the author makes sure each one is unique, if not a bit stereotypical, but I think that was more for comedic effect. Amaranthe though is the most well-rounded character in the book, as readers are shown a close look at her down-to-earth, hard working personality; her thoughts; and using her tenacity and gift of persuasion to overcome the challenges in her life. Not only that, but Amaranthe is the emotional core of the book. Be it her interactions with Sicarius, Books, Maldynado, etc.; her calm nature; or her deductive ability; Amaranthe comes across as a heroic persona.
Sicarius is another intriguing character, but not many details are revealed about him. Hopefully the author will rectify this in the sequel. World-building is also very impressive with the world of The Emperor’s Edge brought to life through vivid descriptions. Lastly, there’s no quasi-European feel to this novel. So instead of the usual medieval routine, Lindsay Buroker offers readers a more tropical setting highlighted by racial diversity.
Not everything about The Emperor’s Edge is rosy however. The plot for instance, is very linear, not to mention predictable, while secondary characters possess clear-cut agendas and are pretty much black and white.
CONCLUSION: After reading just one book—the very fun and entertaining fantasy adventure hybrid that is The Emperor’s Edge—I’ve become a Lindsay Buroker fan and can’t wait to read the rest of her series. For anyone who loves David Eddings, Terry Brooks and Rachel Aaron, The Emperor’s Edge is a book I heartily recommend to you…
Tags: “The, Buroker, Edge”, Emperor's, Lindsay, Mihir, Reviewed, Wanchoo
“Eyes To See” by Joseph Nassise (Reviewed by Robert Thompson)
Order “Eyes To See” HERE
Read An Excerpt HERE
AUTHOR INFORMATION: Joseph Nassise is the author of more than a dozen novels, including the internationally bestselling Templar Chronicles and several books in the Rogue Angel action/adventure series from Gold Eagle. He’s also a former president of the Horror Writers Association, and a two-time Bram Stoker Award and International Horror Guild Award nominee. He currently lives with his family in Phoenix, Arizona.
PLOT SUMMARY: Jeremiah Hunt was happily married, the father of a lovely young daughter, and successfully employed at Harvard. Then his life fell apart. One moment, his daughter was playing in her room; the next, she was gone without a trace. Within months, Hunt’s obsessive search for his daughter cost him everything else of value in his life: his marriage, his career, his reputation. Desperate to reclaim what was lost, he finally turns to the supernatural for justice.
Sacrificing his normal sight so that he can see the ‘unseen’, Jeremiah enters a world of ghosts and even more dangerous entities that stalk his worst nightmares. Doomed to walk between the light of day and the deepest darkness beyond night, Hunt now earns a meager living chasing away wayward spirits that are tormenting the living, while taking on the occasional consulting job for the Boston police department.
On his latest consulting job, Jeremiah is asked to investigate a series of brutal murders that leads him to new friends, new enemies and new clues about his daughter, propelling Hunt on a desperate search for answers. A search that will force Hunt to confront an ageless, malevolent entity that would use him for its own nefarious purposes…
FORMAT/INFO: Eyes To See is 320 pages long divided over fifty-six numbered chapters. Each chapter is subtitled either ‘Now’ to represent the present, or ‘Then’ to represent the past. For the most part, narration is in the first-person via Jeremiah Hunt, but the narrative switches to various third-person POVs (hedge witch Denise Clearwater, an unnamed creature, etc.) throughout the novel. Eyes To See wraps up some of the book’s main storylines, but it is the first volume in The Jeremiah Hunt Chronicle, which will be followed by King of the Dead in 2012. October 11, 2011 marks the North American Hardcover publication of Eyes To See via Tor. Cover art is provided by Cliff Nielsen.
ANALYSIS: Urban fantasy is a genre I’ve almost completely sworn off due to reasons vented elsewhere. That said, I’m always on the lookout for titles that might bring something new to the table. In the case of Joseph Nassise’s Eyes To See, readers are promised an urban fantasy novel that “charts daring new territory in the field” if the synopsis and author blurbs are anything to go by, but does the book really deliver on that promise? The answer is yes . . . and no.
For the most part, Eyes To See is a typical urban fantasy novel. Between Jeremiah Hunt’s first-person narrative; his supernatural gifts—including the ability to see and communicate with ghosts; the contemporary urban setting where vampires, demons, angels, witches and the like all exist; and a story that mixes mystery & police procedural with the paranormal, Eyes To See offers very few surprises for anyone familiar with the genre. In fact, I was constantly reminded of Mike Carey’s Felix Castor series and The Dresden Files as I was reading the book, although there are a couple of neat ideas in the novel like Jeremiah’s ability to borrow attributes (sight and strength) from a ghost.
What separates Eyes To See from its competition is the disappearance of the protagonist’s daughter five years earlier, which not only precipitated the chain of events that resulted in Jeremiah Hunt developing supernatural abilities, but also acts as the driving element behind his current actions in the novel, whether it’s performing exorcisms or doing consulting work for the Boston PD. As a father of two young children, I was really moved by Jeremiah’s loss, which is relived in painful detail through gut-wrenching flashbacks that cover his daughter’s disappearance, the despairing search for the missing girl, Hunt’s descent into madness, and the Faustian deal that made him blind, while granting him ‘ghostsight’. It’s heartbreaking stuff, infusing Eyes To See with an emotional punch that is unusual for the genre, but refreshing.
Unfortunately, Joseph Nassise is unable to maintain this emotional impact for the entire novel. After the secondary characters have been fully introduced and the story kicks into high gear, the disappearance of Jeremiah’s daughter becomes overshadowed by more conventional urban fantasy fare, including a murder mystery, an attraction developing between Hunt and the hedge witch Denise Clearwater, and dealing with a supernatural threat. To make matters worse, the author’s execution is hit-and-miss over the last two-thirds of the novel, punctuated by third-person POVs that pale in comparison to Jeremiah Hunt’s first-person narrative, at the same time failing to flesh out any of the secondary characters, and a narrative plagued by inconsistencies (Why is the creature trying to frame Jeremiah which seems at odds with its original plan?), characters acting out of turn (Dmitri giving up on Denise so easily), improbable scenarios—Hunt’s effortless escape from the police, Detective Miles Stanton’s timely intervention, etc.—and a climax that feels rushed.
Joseph Nassise does redeem himself at the end of the novel when the fate of Jeremiah’s daughter is unveiled, but the revelation lacks the impact it could have had if the book hadn’t become sidetracked by murder mysteries, romantic developments and supernatural drama.
Writing-wise, apart from weak supporting characters and issues with the narrative, Eyes To See is a very polished urban fantasy novel, highlighted by Jeremiah Hunt’s compelling first-person narrative and skilled prose:
“A sudden, overwhelming sense of despair washed over us. One moment we were perfectly fine and the next, drowning in a sea of emotion. It was the helplessness of a young child lost at the county fair without a familiar face in sight, the horror of a prisoner facing a life sentence in a six-by-eight box of a cell, the utter hopelessness of watching your family slaughtered horribly before your eyes while you lay bound on the floor, unable to do anything to stop it, all rolled up into one neat little package.”
“Parents experience a unique kind of fear. It is at once more visceral and more paralyzing than any other fear, a cold, clammy hand that squeezes your heart until your very blood starts to drip from between its fingers. It invades your mind like an alien presence, disrupts your thought processes and ratchets your emotions right off the scale, until you can’t possibly think straight and every second is an eternity, an eternity where all you can do is think about all of the terrible things that could have happened to your precious child.”
CONCLUSION: Because of the emotional punches landed by Jeremiah Hunt’s missing daughter, Joseph Nassise’s Eyes To See is partially successful in bringing something new to the genre, but in other areas, the novel doesn’t measure up to its peers due to one-dimensional supporting characters, narrative shortcomings, and relying too much on familiar urban fantasy trappings. Still, as far as the genre is concerned, Eyes To See is solidly entertaining, and I’m curious to see what happens in the next Jeremiah Hunt Chronicle, King of the Dead…
Tags: “Eyes, Joseph, Nassise, Reviewed, Robert, See”, Thompson
UFC 135: Jones vs. Rampage Results – Jackson Taps, Hughes Gets KO’d
Jon Jones is either the second coming of Anderson Silva or a lucky fighter that hasn’t truly been tested in the octagon. Unfortunately that question may still be up to debate depending upon whether you believe Rampage Jackson’s one-dimensional offense was truly that test.
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- UFC 135: Jones vs. Rampage Analysis & Predictions
- Rampage Jackson Accuses Jon Jones Of Spying On Him
- Matt Hughes Vs. Diego Sanchez Official For UFC 135
Tags: Gets, Hughes, Jackson, Jones, KO’d, Rampage, Results, Taps
Tiny Tower
Tiny Tower is one of the most popular games on the iPhone right now, and deservedly so.
It’s sort of an oversimplified version of Sim Tower for anyone old enough to remember that. You manage your building, buy floors, assign residents that move in to jobs and make sure all the stores are stocked so you get more money to buy more floors. That’s it in a nutshell, and it works. It’s the attention to detail in the graphics and mechanics that make it hard to put down, even if you are just a casual gamer. The game is free, but freemium, meaning you can spend money in game to advance more quickly. 
The thing I appreciate about how it’s been implemented is that the game in no way forces you to buy anything. You can fully enjoy the game and every aspect of it without spending any money, unlike so many freemium games that limit certain items.
Anyway, the game divides floors into Food, Service, Recreation, Retail, Creative & Residential. You need the last one so you can get more residents to move in, and you need 3 residents to fully man a store. You can upgrade your elevator, rename stores, customize how your lobby and your residents look, get bonuses for assigning residents to their dream job, the list goes on. And every app update adds new bits and features.
Give it a try, I’m sure you’ll like it. This is my tower by the way, a work in progress.
Steven Pressfield’s ‘The Profession’ Takes a Look at the Future of Mercenary Armies
In Steven Pressfield’s new work of speculative fiction, The Profession, the role of private military contractors have gone beyond that of supplementing and supporting the actions of formal armies and instead have become the force of choice of nations weary of sending their own sons and daughters to die on foreign shores. Following a terrorist [...]
Suvudu » Science Fiction and Fantasy Books, Movies, Comics, and Games
Tags: ‘The, Armies, Future, Look, Mercenary, Pressfield’s, Profession’, Steven, Takes