Movie Review: The Sorcerer and the White Snake (2012)

Movie Review: The Sorcerer and the White Snake (2012) Fahai (Jet Li) is a Buddhist monk and abbot of a monastery who goes about the countryside with his bumbling apprentice  Neng Ren (Wen Zhang) defeating demons who harm humans and imprisoning them until they reform.  (Effectively forever for most of them.) Meanwhile, white snake demon… Continue reading Movie Review: The Sorcerer and the White Snake (2012)

Book Review: Trafficking in Magic, Magicking in Traffic

Book Review: Trafficking in Magic, Magicking in Traffic edited by David Sklar & Sarah Avery Disclaimer:  I received this book as a Goodreads giveaway on the premise that I would review it. This fantasy anthology has a dual theme, as indicated by its title; magic as transaction, and magic while traveling.  The former theme brings… Continue reading Book Review: Trafficking in Magic, Magicking in Traffic

Book Review: The Elfstones of Shannara

Book Review: The Elfstones of Shannara by Terry Brooks Disclaimer:  I received this book as a Goodreads giveaway on the premise that I would review it. Long ago, before even the rise of the old humans, the good and evil faerie creatures had a great war.  At the end of it, the evil beings who… Continue reading Book Review: The Elfstones of Shannara

Movie Review: Woochi the Demon Slayer

Movie Review: Woochi the Demon Slayer Jeon Woo-chi likes to call himself a Tao master, but he’s more like a Tao apprentice who’s got lots of tricks, but not much real mastery, still relying on props to perform his magic.   Woo-chi doesn’t take his studies very seriously either, wandering around 1500s Korea pranking the… Continue reading Movie Review: Woochi the Demon Slayer

Book Review: Native Silver

Book Review: Native Silver by Blake Hausladen This is a sequel to Mr. Hausladen’s Ghosts in the Yew and will contain some spoilers for the earlier work. Prince Barok has brought the sleepy backwater province of Enhedu from a shameful place of exile to a thriving young nation in little over a year with the help… Continue reading Book Review: Native Silver

Manga Review: Sword Art Online: Aincrad

Manga Review: Sword Art Online: Aincrad original story by Reki Kawahara, art by Tamako Nakamura Disclaimer:  I received this book in a Goodreads giveaway on the premise that I would review it. It is the year 2022, and commercially viable virtual reality equipment is now on the market.   Of course, one of the first… Continue reading Manga Review: Sword Art Online: Aincrad

Manga Review: Rin-ne

Manga Review: Rin-ne by Rumiko Takahashi Sakura Mamiya is not quite your normal high school girl.  Due to a near-death experience as a child, Sakura can see spirits.  One day, she meets the new boy in her class, Rinne Rokudo.  She mistakes him for a spirit at first, but the truth is a bit more… Continue reading Manga Review: Rin-ne

Open Thread: She’s Back!

Back in the early 1990s, Naoko Takeuchi  created a character named “Sailor V.”   While mahou shoujo (magical girls) had been around for decades in manga and anime, ever since Bewitched was imported from America, Sailor V was a unique blend of stereotypical girly interests and action heroine.   This attracted the notice of Toei Animation, who… Continue reading Open Thread: She’s Back!

Book Review: To Ride Hell’s Chasm

Book Review: To Ride Hell’s Chasm by Janny Wurts The small, isolated Kingdom of Sessalie is about to celebrate a wedding.   Princess Anja is about to marry the High Prince of Devall, which is not only politically advantageous, but a love match.  But on the eve of the wedding, Anja goes missing. It falls… Continue reading Book Review: To Ride Hell’s Chasm