Book Review: Swords for Charlemagne

Book Review: Swords for Charlemagne by Mario Pei For seven long years, brother knights Thierry and Huon of Anjou have served their liege lord Roland of Brittany in Emperor Charlemagne’s war to free Spain of Islamic rule. They are proud to have done their bit for chivalry and Christendom. Now, only one Moslem stronghold remains,… Continue reading Book Review: Swords for Charlemagne

Book Review: Thief River Falls

Book Review: Thief River Falls by Brian Freeman “Write what you know.” Thriller author Lisa Power followed that maxim in her fourth book, entitled Thief River Falls. It’s set in her home town of Thief River Falls, Minnesota and features real locations there, and even the real names of some of the residents. The verisimilitude… Continue reading Book Review: Thief River Falls

Manga Review: Path of the Assassin, Volumes 11 & 14

Manga Review: Path of the Assassin, Volumes 11 & 14 by Kazuo Koike & Goseki Kojima It is the last years of the Warring States period of Japanese history. In these volumes, we follow the adventures of Hattori Hanzo, greatest of the Iga ninja (in this interpretation) and vassal of Tokugawa Ieyasu, who would become… Continue reading Manga Review: Path of the Assassin, Volumes 11 & 14

Comic Book Review: Elektra: The Hand

Comic Book Review: Elektra: The Hand written by C.B. Cebulski, pencils by Christian Gossett, inks by Jonathan Glapion When Elektra Natchios joined the ninja organization known as the Hand, it was with the purpose of training in the martial arts and learning killing techniques so that she would never be helpless again. She accepted, at… Continue reading Comic Book Review: Elektra: The Hand

Comic Book Review: The Clandestinauts

Comic Book Review: The Clandestinauts  by Tim Sievert The Clandestinauts are adventurers for hire in a harsh fantasy world.   Currently, they are tasked with retrieving an item in the possession of the mysterious Red Wizard.  To do so, they’ll have to penetrate his fortress lair, evade or slay his many minions and monsters, make a side… Continue reading Comic Book Review: The Clandestinauts

Book Review: Writers of the Future, Volume 34

Book Review: Writers of the Future, Volume 34 edited by David Farland Disclaimer:  I received a download of this book through a Goodreads giveaway for the purpose of writing this review.  No other compensation was offered or requested. Back before he became involved with…you know, L. Ron Hubbard was a prolific author of stories for… Continue reading Book Review: Writers of the Future, Volume 34

Manga Review: Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure Part 1: Phantom Blood Volume 02

Manga Review: Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure Part 1: Phantom Blood Volume 02 by Hirohiko Araki Quick recap: In 19th Century England, orphan Dio Brando comes to live with the wealthy and noble Joestar family.  In retrospective, they probably should have asked more questions about how he became an orphan.  Dio planned to supplant the heir, Jonathan… Continue reading Manga Review: Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure Part 1: Phantom Blood Volume 02

Comic Book Review: World of the Dragonlords

Comic Book Review: World of the Dragonlords written by Byron Erickson, art by Giorgio Cavazzano Donald Duck has read another self-improvement book.  This one is about family togetherness, so Donald drags his nephews Huey, Dewey and Louie and Uncle Scrooge out to a picnic in the woods.    None of them are particularly keen on… Continue reading Comic Book Review: World of the Dragonlords

Book Review: Old Celtic Romances

Book Review: Old Celtic Romances by P.W. Joyce The Gaelic-speaking people of ancient Ireland told tales of their mighty ancestors and great men, not unlike the people of every nation and tribe.  When writing came, they began to put these tales into manuscripts.  Out of the large body of remaining literature, in 1879 P.W. Joyce… Continue reading Book Review: Old Celtic Romances

Book Review: The Year’s Best Dark Fantasy & Horror 2014

Book Review: The Year’s Best Dark Fantasy & Horror 2014 edited by Paula Guran Even the fastest, most dedicated readers can’t read everything that’s published each year.  Not even in relatively limited genres like fantasy or horror.  That’s where “Year’s Best” collections come in handy.  Someone or several someones has gone through the enormous pile… Continue reading Book Review: The Year’s Best Dark Fantasy & Horror 2014