Quick Review: Douglas Niles's The Black Wizards

Yet again, the Moonshae Isles comes under the threat of sinister and supernatural forces.From the back of the book:  "A council of dark sorcerers has usurped the will of the High King.  An army of ogres and zombies guided by Bhaal, the super-deity of death and destruction, threatens the gentle Ffolk while the puppet king acquiesces.  Meanwhile, the young druid Robyn grapples with her new powers, and Prince Tristan Kendrick struggles to earn his birthright.  They must join forces with the chrildren of the Goddess for a showdown with the dread Black Wizards that will seal the fate of the Moonshae Isles."

I really enjoyed The Black Wizards.  I read book one, Darkwalker on Moonshae, a couple of months ago for nostolgia's sake and loved it.  I remember buying that one in highschool when it first came out and not finishing it for whatever reason.  So, I read it and loved it.

I am an avid D&D player (2nd edition only please) to this day, but I don't think that influenced me in any way.  It's nothing as complicated as A Game of Thrones - it's not as complicated as Stormbringer for that matter - but its heart is in the right place.  It is like playing D&D.  I caught myself trying to id spells and monsters, but I also got caught up in the stories of the main charachters.  Douglas Niles's writing is tight and brisk and the stories flow well.

I took a break before beginning this second book.  The story pretty much picks up where the other left off.  Again, it is what it is, and I recommend it to any fan of the high fantasy genre.  This is definitely good vs evil, so if you're all into that whiney, tortured anti-hero stuff that dominates the fantasy market today, avoid it. 

The Black Wizards ended, but it has more of a lead in to another story than the first book.  I very much look forward to reading the final book, Darkwell.

Ebook versions of the entire Moonshae Trilogy are available at Amazon.

New Larry Elmore Book Being Funded @ Kickstarter

Just because it's funded shouldn't keep you from contributing to the cause!Master fantasy artist Larry Elmore is bringing 40 years of artwork together in his new book, The Complete Elmore Artbook.  The project is open to funding at Kickstarter as I type and some of the pledge goals are quite amazing - they range from a doodle of a dragon to an original painting.  If you have read about this project, jump on over to Kickstarter and see what's going on. 

If memory serves, the project's goal was reached the first day.  Further contribution just continue to make this MORE AWESOME!

Have a Holly Jolly Steampunky Christmas

So it’s that time of year when you hear holiday songs and CDs by practically every artist under the sun as done one.  Some make sense – like any country artist you can think of – and some don’t – think Judas Priest.  Some artist, you just don’t think of when you think of Christmas CDs.  To me, Abney Park is one of those artists. 

Abney Park have been the leaders of the steampunk music movement since . . . well . . . since people started wearing pith helmets to cons.  The whole point of artist like Abney Park is to create a musical soundscape equivalent to a H. G. Wells or Jules Verne novel.  It’s looking back to the Victorian age while looking forward to the future – if that makes sense.   

Now, jumping to Christmas CDs – I’m very picky about the ones I buy, and I always follow two criteria: do I like the artist and/or does it have a version of “O Holy Night”?  The first criteria is super important to me.  I must thoroughly enjoy an artist to dish out money.  I’ll buy almost anything by Nat King Cole or Bing Crosby or any of the classic artists where every song is guaranteed to be good.   Of more “contemporary” artist, I’ve enjoyed Jimmy Buffett, Leon Redbone, Jethro Tull, and Blackmore’ Night.  Now, the second one.  “O Holy Night” is probably my favorite Christmas song – when sung properly.  There’s that one part of the song – you know the part – where the singer must hit that high part, usually reaching for Pavarroti-esque heights.  When I hear a good version, every hair on my body stands at attention.  When it’s done improperly . . . “eh.”     

Abney Park definitely fits my first criteria.  I’ve followed them ever since they went steampunk, and I’ve enjoyed every cd, especially their unplugged one, Off the Grid.   (And because I didn’t have the opportunity to review it before, here it is: the original songs are great, the revised ones better.)  As for the second . . . Well, if you’ve heard Captain Robert sing, you know he’s no Pavarotti.  I don’t think there’s a high note in his body, and yet “O Holy Night” is track 2.  So I listened.  No, no mysterious high notes here from the Captain, but you know what?  By the end of the song, every hair was doing its thing.  The arrangement was uniquely Abney Park and quite refreshing.  It did not dazzle with vocal prowess, but with its solemnity and dignity.  Jody’s vocals are haunting, as usual, and really push the song into unearthly heights.

Overall, their Christmas album, Through Your Eyes on Christmas Eve, is typical Abney Park.  “We Three Kings” is propelled with tribal rhythms, “The Little Drummer Boy” sort of mechanized, and “Santa Claus is Coming to Town” kind of dark and creepy.  The originals are excellent too.  The title track really captures that sense of sadness and regret that underlies the holiday season.  Captain Robert continues to impress as a songwriter and prove his mastery at musical arrangements once more.

Like the best of Abney Park’s albums, I recommend Through Your Eyes on Christmas Eve even to those who aren’t particularly familiar with the whole steampunk thing.  The arrangements on the traditional songs make them different and new, but also, the title track alone makes this one a worthy listen. 

Enjoy!

Quick Review: Harry Harrison's Starworld

From the back cover: "The stars are afire with rebellion against the tyranny of Earth.  Jan Kulozik, rebel in exile, returns home as a prisoner on a ship bearing a cargo of death.  But Kulozik escapes his captors and ignites the flames of revolt across half a world.  With the aid of Dvora, a lovely but lethal comrade-at-arms, Jan races toward a rendezvous with destiny, and a reckoning with a treacherous double agent who holds the fate of the human race in his hands."

The Return of the RebelI have the belief that the last book in a series, trilogy, or whatever should be better than the first book.  Sadly, this is not true for the last volume in Harry Harrison's To the Stars trilogy.  The first volume introduced us the the dystopian future earth; the second allowed us a view of one of the colony worlds. 

For the protagonist, those book were a preparation for the battle that I expected to happen in this final book.  There was a battle, but for the most part, the plot centered on a "double agent" that stretched the limits of my willingness to disbelieve.  (And Jan's annoying ability to completely forget about his wife and unborn child, who, you'd think, would be the main fuel for his rebellious fire!)  When this element was introduced, it was so outrageous, I figured it had to be a ploy to trap our hero.  But no.  And it was this heavy plot machnination that made my read less enjoyable than the previous entries - not too mention that it undermines the role of the protagonist. 

Overall, I would recommend To the Stars, but not so enthusiastically as I had hoped I would.

Star Wars now in the hands of the Disney--some quick thoughts

  So, no time really for serious reflection, but the news that Disney has purchased Lucasfilm, LTD., and that Episode 7 is on the way, is simply huge.  Not only does it mean that the future of the franchise is more or less secure, which is important given Lucas's age, but it also means that a director and creative team will get a shot at making the next Star Wars film.  I share the opinion of a lot of Star Wars fans in regard to the prequels in that I didn't much like them.  No one can disparage Lucas's creativity and passion, but it seemed that his film making instincts had degraded seriously in the years since he made American Graffiti, THX 1138, and the original Star Wars trilogy.  I have to imagine that directors will be willing to fight for the chance at tackling Episodes 7,8, and 9.  The list of dream director's is pretty long, but I'll throw out a few possibilities: Ridley Scott, Joss Whedon, Peter Jackson, or Guillermo del Toro.  Lucas even mentions in the press release that he is eager to see the franchise in the hands of a new generation of filmmakers.  Well, so am I. 

How good a steward will Disney be?  Well, I know that not everyone will agree, but I'm impressed with the overall quality of Disney projects, especially considering just how many films they pump out each year.  All of the so-called money grab sequels to the classic Disney films have actually been very well done.  Really, only the Pixar sequels have really seemed like cynical attempts to fill the coffers.  I have to think that Disney knows that the purchase is only worth it if they preserve the general goodwill audiences have toward Star Wars despite the last three movies.  Certainly, they have the experience to handle a franchise that makes as much money from toys and other merchandise as from the films themselves.  

We knew that the Star Wars franchise would at some point be in other hands than Lucas's.  I really can't think of a company more prepared or capable to handle the franchise than Disney.  I'm sure a lot of people will worry that Disney might gravitate toward the kind of pablum seen in the prequels (Jar Jar is actually a lot like a Disney supporting character), but I would be surprised if they didn't realize that fans want the next films to be more like the original trilogy and go where the fan's hearts (and money) reside.

Read the full press release here, and let us know what you think about the acquisition in the comments.