Thursday, 28 November 2019

Sherlock Holmes: The Will of the Dead by George Mann - Book Review




'A young man named Peter Maugram appears at the front door of Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson’s Baker Street lodgings. Maugram’s uncle is dead and his will has disappeared, leaving the man afraid that he will be left penniless. Holmes agrees to take the case and he and Watson dig deep into the murky past of this complex family.'

 Sherlock Holmes: The Will of the Dead is a slightly deceptive book, as it doesn't just contain the one mystery story, but includes some surprise additions to the narrative that take the book in some surprising directions.

The main story follows the Maugram family following the death of their patriarch and uncle. After apparently falling down the stairs to his death, the niece and three nephews of Lord Maugram find themselves facing financial destitution when their uncles will vanishes. Having spent years getting by with the money their uncle has given them, all four of them were needing their inheritance to survive, but with the only copy of the will missing it means that the inheritance won't be shared out equally.

Sherlock Holmes is called in to try to find out what happened to the will to save the family from financial upheaval and infighting. However, Holmes quickly discovers that Maugram's death may not be what it first appears, and concludes that the man was murdered. When a mystery figure arrives on the scene claiming to be the rightful heir to the Maugram estate things take another, deadly turn, as the surviving Maugram family begins to be killed off one by one.

During all of this Inspector Bainbridge, the detective duos contact at Scotland Yard, is not only trying to close the Maugram case, but deal with attacks from 'Iron Men', strange mechanical men that are stealing valuables from the richest homes in London.

As I'd not read any of George Mann's work before I wasn't aware that Bainbridge was actually a character in his own series of steampunk mystery series Newburry and Hobbes. Even though Bainbridge appears in this book and his other series, and the 'Iron Men' feel very steampunk, it never feels forced during the story. The book still stands alone as a Sherlock Holmes story without feeling like it's had another series shoehorned into it.

Whilst it's clear that Mann knows this world well, and is obviously comfortable in this time period and setting it does at times feel more like an exaggerated version of Sherlock Holmes. Holmes and Watson do feel like their characters, but sometimes an extreme version of them. Holmes has always been a bit rude towards people, but there are times here where he feels downright mean and seems to keep things from people just because he can't be bothered with others. Watson too feels like a more extreme version of himself, coming across as very put on and almost dominated by Holes at times. I know that this is sometimes how the characters acted in the original stories, but it does seem to be pushed a little extreme here at times.

Despite this, the characters are still very much the Holmes and Watson that people will know and love, and the mystery is more complex and layered than at first appears, with enough twists and turns in the tale to keep readers guessing right up to the end.

George Mann has told a great historical mystery story here, and one that can definitely act as a great introduction to more of his work thanks to the inclusion of Bainbridge. I certainly want to read more of his work and to see what his other series is about after reading this. A wonderful addition to the ever expanding world of Sherlock Holmes.




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Wednesday, 27 November 2019

Marvel Action: Black Panther #6 - Comic Review



Originally published on Set The Tape

Vita Ayala and Arianna Florean bring to a close the story of the Wakandan Scientific Conference, showing readers just how much T’Challa and Shuri have grown over a relatively short time.

With the Wakandan Scientific Conference only moments away, the final pieces are being put into place to receive the ambassadors and guests. Unfortunately, things don’t go as planned (as these things rarely do) when Shuri’s latest invention, the Matter-To-Data Converter, is stolen before it can be taken to the conference.

The device, which can scan an object down to the individual molecules and convert them to digital data, was made with the intention of using the technology to safely dispose of toxic chemicals and radioactive waste, but could easily be turned to evil ends if falling into the wrong hands.

Luckily, T’Challa and Shuri are able to track down the thieves and a fight ensues in the streets. Whilst they manage to capture one of the thieves the other gets away with the device. Fortunately, they’re able to learn that the Conference is the target, and are able to go after the thieves in order to prevent a huge disaster.

This final issue in the Wakandan Scientific Conference continues with the themes that have been a big part of this story arc, namely that Wakanda isn’t quite the perfect nation that we, and even the royal family, have been led to believe. There are people in the nation that help each other and lift each other up yes, but there are also those that take advantage of those around them and push others down. This has led to some people feeling like they have been abandoned by their rulers and left to fend for themselves.

This not only makes the country itself more interesting, but it means that the heroes are having to go up against villains who aren’t really bad people. They’re people that want something better for themselves and others in similar situations, not something selfish like power and wealth. And this makes it all the more difficult for the heroes as they can’t just go in punching, but have to try and make things actively better.

I’ve loved seeing this side to the Black Panther story, of the wonder nation not quite being as good as it should be, and of a King who thinks his country is a paradise learning that he has to do more for his people than he’s already doing. In a lot of ways it makes the title more interesting than if it was just Black Panther fighting some super villain.

With this arc now over I’m interested to see where the story will go next, whether it will continue to examine these themes further, or if it will begin to feel more like a traditional super hero comic. Hopefully Vita Ayala will be on to continue writing past this story, as I think she has a great grasp of not just the characters, but a varied and interesting idea for how to treat the world too.

I’d also like to see Arianna Florean continue on as artist, as he work has been really exceptional these last few issues, giving characters and environments a real sense of life and energy; something that isn’t easy for a story that doesn’t rely on big splash pages or over the top action sequences. I’d also like to see Shuri continue to use her fairy wing backpack, as her flying around is not only awesome, but the wings might be one of my favourite parts of the comic.


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Tuesday, 26 November 2019

Follow Him by Craig Stewart - Book Review




'True love doesn't die – it devours. Just outside the sleepy town of Dreury, a mysterious cult known as The Shared Heart has planted its stakes. Its followers are numerous. More join every day. Those who are lost and suffering seem to be drawn to it; a home for the broken. When Jacob finds himself in need of such a home, he abandons his dead name and gives himself over to the will of The Great Collector.

'However, love refuses to let Jacob go so easily; his ex-fiancé, Nina, kidnaps him in the hopes that he can be deprogramed. As she attempts to return Jacob to the life they once had, a terrible fear creeps in: what if there isn't enough of her Jacob left? When The Great Collector learns of his missing follower, the true nature of The Shared Heart is unleashed. Nina discovers what Jacob already knows: that hidden behind the warm songs and soaring bonfires is a terrifying and ancient secret; one that lives and breathes… and hungers. And it's coming for them.'

 I have to admit, I thought I knew what to expect of Follow Him for most of the book. Jacob has been taken in by a clearly brutal cult that's not afraid to torture and kill people, and his ex-fiance has to try to get him back from them without getting killed by them in the process. I thought it was going to be a psychological horror with a bit of an 'on-the-run' side to it, with very real human antagonists and threats to deal with. But over the course of the book I began to question some of this, beginning to think that maybe there's something a little more there than meets the eye, but never one hundred percent sure; and this kept my on my toes throughout, never knowing what to expect next.

The horrors of The Shared Heart are subtle to begin with, and at first it seems like most cults that people would be aware of, where a central figure has manipulated people into giving up everything to come and live and work together in a community tucked away from the outside world. Whilst this in itself is a quite disturbing situation to find yourself in, it's not until we begin to see the darkness just below the surface that we realise how dangerous and twisted the group is.

Once Nina has kidnapped Jacob from the cult it's very clear that this isn't a group that's just going to allow him to go, or one that will simply appeal to her good senses or the law to get her to release her prisoner; no, this is a group that will hurt her. Added into the tension of The True Heart finding her is the fact that Jacob is battling her as much as she's trying to break through his brainwashing. She's a woman that doesn't really know what she's doing, fighting desperately to get back the man she loved, and he's torturing her every step of the way.

Jacob, quite clearly, doesn't want to be saved from The True Heart. He doesn't want his old life back, and he doesn't want Nina. Whilst she's using their history together to try and help the man he once was, he's using that same history to hurt her. He brings up old wounds and tears them open, making past pain new and raw. The fact that Jacob is so vicious in his response to Nina and what she's doing is one of the most heart breaking parts of the book. She's trying to save someone she loves, and he's trying to destroy her.

The way in which Jacob fights against her the whole way, and steadfastly stands by The True Heart does make you begin to question whether Nina is really the hero of the story. She's fallen into what one would see as a more classically heroic role, saving a loved one from evil forces, but is she really a good person? She's kidnapped someone who left her when their relationship ended. She attacks him, tortures him, and tries to impose her will on him. If it wasn't for the fact that The True Heart is actually evil and kills people you'd have to question if she was the real villain. If Jacob had ran away and joined an Amish community to get away from the outside world would she still be the good guy for kidnapping him and keeping him tied up? I didn't expect Follow Him to make me think these kinds of questions, but very soon into the book I began to believe that perhaps there were no 'good guys' in this story.

I want to talk about what happens towards the end of the book now, so there will be some major spoilers, so if you don't want to know more but are intrigued I'd definitely say to go and grab a copy, as I've barely covered how good the book is. However, if you've already read it, or don't mind knowing how things end, please carry on, because there's some interesting things to discuss.

So, The True Heart are kind of onto something it seems. They're not just like every other crazy religion or cult that claims to know the truth, but seem to actually be onto things. I say seem to, because despite how the book ends I do have some very slight doubts. You see, when the mass suicides begin to take place and The Great Collector eats the cut out hearts, transforming into a monster this seems to make it quite clear that yes, their belief system was bang on and there is a supernatural entity at work here. However, we only ever see this through Nina, who has already displayed that she has been suffering from nightmarish hallucinations; so perhaps watching dozens of people slaughtering each other has tipped her over the edge into madness?

The fact that I don't know if the end is real or not both infuriates me and leaves me loving it. I want to know if the monster is real, but don't know if I'd be satisfied with knowing. Leaving it the way it does means that those who wanted the cult to be right are happy because there's a huge monster at the end of the book, and those who want a more subtle, psychological horror have an ending where Nina is left broken and mad by the events she's been through.

However you choose to take the ending, I think you'll be like me and be left shocked by the conclusion. I was in no way expecting the brutal and bloody conclusion that Craig Stewart gave us, and was left in a sense of shock from it. I didn't know what to think or feel once I'd finished that final page; and that meant that the book stuck with me. Because of this ending Follow Him will definitely be one of the more memorable books I've read this year, and I'm certainly looking forward to reading it again knowing the conclusion, to see if I can possibly make my mind up about if I believe what Nina's seeing or not.

Follow Him is a book that piles the tension on from the first few pages and doesn't let up once. There's a genuine sense of dread throughout as Nina is hunted by The True Heart. We get to see a character trying desperately to do what they think is right in a scenario that gets ever more and more frightening and out of hand, one that is sure to leave the reader shuddering. I cannot wait to see what more people think of this title, and will certainly be putting more of Craig Stewart's work on my to be read list in the future.




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Monday, 25 November 2019

Other Words For Smoke by Sarah Maria Griffin - Book Review




Other Words For Smoke was released earlier this year to much critical acclaim, I myself include it as one of my best books of the year. Last week, on the 21st November, author Sarah Maria Griffin received an annual An Post Irish Book Award for the title, winning the Eason Teen & Young Adult Book of the Year. Here's my review for this wonderful novel in case you missed it earlier this year.

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‘The house at the end of the lane burned down, and Rita Frost and her teenage ward, Bevan, were never seen again. The townspeople never learned what happened. Only Mae and her brother Rossa knew the truth; they spent two summers with Rita and Bevan, two of the strangest summers of their lives… Because nothing in that house was as it seemed: a cat was more than a cat, a dark power called Sweet James that lurked behind the wallpaper, enthralling Bevan with whispers of neon magic and escape.

 ‘And in the summer heat, Mae became equally as enthralled with Bevan. Desperately in the grips of first love, she’d give the other girl anything. A dangerous offer when all that Sweet James desired was a taste of new flesh…’

In complete honesty, I wasn’t quite sure what to think of Other Words For Smoke when I first began the book. The story begins at the end, before jumping backwards in time a number of years. The narrative flips between third person, and a narrator that puts you in Bevan’s place, not just her telling you how things affected her, but the narrator talking to you as if you are Bevan. Along with this, there are a number of big, fantastical things that are given little explanation, it was all a little confusing.

However, after a short while I began to understand that this was part of the point, that you as the reader are never quite meant to feel comfortable in this strange world of twisted logic and bizarre magic. Even though the book tells the story through three viewpoints, Bevan, Rossa, and Mae, it’s really about Mae, and the mixture of understanding some things whilst still being confused and unsettled mirror her experiences.

In many ways, this confused state, this partial understanding of the world around you, is a perfect metaphor for the journey that Mae and Rossa are going through over the course of the three years the book is set; not their journey into magic and other worlds, but their journey from teens to adults. The book is about growing up, and the two teens go from naive youngsters to young adults who have discovered so much more about themselves, and have had to live through the awfulness of their fractured and hateful home lives.

We get to see Mae go from a shy young girl hidden away in her games and just discovering her sexuality to a young woman who is embracing who she is, the powers that she is starting to tap into, and having to come to terms with how her first love will affect her for the rest of her life. Rossa changes from a boy closed off from the fantastical world around him, content to shy away from the world in his drawings, to a man with a plan, who knows what he wants from life and isn’t afraid to grasp for it, who opens himself up to the magic around him.

Whilst the book is about growing up and discovering the person that you’re going to be, it’s also about addiction. Bevan is addicted to the powers that the mysterious creature in the walls of the house, Sweet James, is willing to give her. At first glance it simply appears that she’s a character who is craving power, and potentially just a very nasty person, but as the book progresses and we see Bevan without the influence of Sweet James for a while it becomes clear that she’s a victim. She discovers this new world full of wonder and wants to learn more about it, as most people would, but it’s twisted for her by the parasitic creature that is luring her in. She becomes a junkie to the powers on offer, willing to lie, steal, hurt, and even kill if need be to get more.

What stands out most about the book however, is how it’s written. Not just jumping through different perspectives, narrative styles, and time periods, the book has a lyrical, almost poetic quality to it. It’s clear that Sarah Maria Griffin spent a great deal of time weaving ideas and themes throughout the tapestry of the book in a way that a lot of writers don’t, and the end result is a book that feels infinitely more than just the sum of its parts. Even come the end there’s mystery and wonder that is never answered, a world left unexplored, and relationships and motivations only partially hinted at. This might bother some, but it feels more real than most books. After all, in life you rarely get all the answers.

Sarah Maria Griffin has crafted a living, breathing world around one house and a handful of characters, a universe that is barely dipped into. She could come back to this time and time again, exploring the wondrous places that she has made, or simply leave it be, forever a mystery. Either scenario would make me happy, as I’d love to spend more time in this universe, but would also be more than happy to let my own imagination fill in these blanks.

It’s not often I finish a book and find myself immediately wanting to return to it and read it again straight away, but Other Words For Smoke had this effect on me. I want to go back and see those connections that I only realised were there at the end, to use the knowledge I gained later on to see if there is more there to be learned. A stunning example of not just a novel, but a work of art that is sure to stick with the reader long after the final page has been read.




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Friday, 15 November 2019

Zyuranger Episode Two: The Revival - Super Sentai Review



The second episode of Super Sentai Zyuranger sees the ancient heroes fighting desperately to free the children captured by the evil witch Bandora, and the return of the Tyrannosaurus Guardian Beast.

Following the surprise appearance of the Dora Titan at the end of the previous episode the ancient heroes have retreated to their temple base to plan their next move against the evil witch and her forces. Dan, Boi, and Mei argue amongst themselves as they worry about the fight ahead and their mission to save the children, whilst Goushi and Geki discuss their past, giving viewers an insight into the civilisation they came from.

At the same time, Bandora has moved her palace from the top of a skyscraper to the moon, a perfect place to hatch her plans whilst staying out of reach of the Zyurangers. Bandora hatches a new plan to use the shrunken space shuttle to lure the rangers into a trap with her latest monster, Dora Skeleton; who is made from living mud and brought to life by Pleprechaun. The shuttle is sent back to Earth, where Bookback uses a remote control to make it chase people around the city.

The Zyurangers arrive on the scene, trying to catch up with the shuttle using their motorcycles, but are suddenly attacked by the Dora Skeleton. The monster brings the warriors to an amusement park, where it attacks the team. The creature manages to destroy their weapons, before transporting them all to another dimension, where the shrunken shuttle sits in a tree. The rangers try to rescue the shuttle, but Dora Skeleton summons his skeleton minions to stop them. Whilst fighting the monsters Bookback arrives and plants a bomb in the tree next to the shuttle.

Geki takes on Dora Skeleton in a sword fight, distracting him so that the rest of the team are able to shoot him with their blasters, blowing him apart. As he attempts to put himself back together Dan grabs his skull and wraps it in his cape, preventing him from putting himself back together. He throws the head to Boi, who tosses it into a firey pit, destroying Dora Skeleton. Geki is now able to grab the shuttle before the bomb goes off.

However, before the rangers can celebrate their victory the Dora Titan breaks through into the dimension and grabs hold of Geki, dragging him out. The rest of the team grab the shuttle as the bomb goes off, which throws them back into the real world. Inside a quarry the Dora Titan tries to crush Geki, but he manages to break free and joins the rest of the team as they head inside a cave for protection.

With no way to fight the giant Dora Titan the team have no idea how they're going to win. Without warning the ground begins to shake and breaks open, revealing the Tyranosaurus Guardian Beast. Geki jumps inside the control room of the Guardian Beast and takes on the Dora Titan in combat. The other Zyurangers get the children out of the shuttle before launching it at the Dora Titan, making the ship blow up in his face. With the Dora Titan reeling from the blast Geki manages to knock it down before unleashing a powerful sonic blast that destroys the monster once-and-for-all. Whilst Bandora complains about her plan having failed the Zyrangers reaffirm their mission to protect the earth and defeat the evil witch.


The second episode of Super Sentai Zyuranger takes on what feels to be a more traditional kind of formula, at least for what I expect as a fan of Power Rangers. Bandora has come up with a new plan and sends a monster against the heroes, which ends in a fight with their Zords. What makes it feel different, however, is that the monster they go up against initially isn't the giant one they have to fight at the end, which subverted my expectations somewhat.

To be honest, I was actually somewhat surprised by the episode to begin with anyway. I was expecting the story to continue where the last episode left off, with the Zyurangers fighting Grifforzor and the Dora Golems whilst the Dora Titan held the shuttle hostage. Instead it seems like there's something of a time jump, with the action having jumped forwards several hours. The rangers have retreated and Bandora has left the city, transferring her palace to the moon. There's isn't really much of an explanation as to why this has happened, and I feel like this was perhaps done in an attempt to establish something of a standard formula for the show of how episodes will play out.

What this break in the action does do, however, is give the show a chance to fill in some more of the backstory that was alluded to in the first episode. Geki and Goushi discuss the history of the ancient human tribes and their fight against Bandora, giving viewers a glimpse at the war they fought in and the imprisonment of the witch and her lieutenants on Planet Nemesis. Whilst this is a great bit of information and is presented in an interesting way with the glimpses of artwork in an ancient book, the fact that two people who lived through it are discussing it like one of them doesn't know about it feels a little silly. It's definitely been written to give the information over to the audience, without possibly thinking about how it comes across in universe. But honestly, this is a fairly minor nitpick.

The first monster to feature in the episode, Dora Skeleton, is one that I'm familiar with, remembering him as Bones from Power Rangers quite well. What blew me away about him was how different he is to the american version, and how much stuff was cut out. He's absolutely terrifying here, especially with his high pitched giggling scream. The fact that he doesn't talk at all and just makes these shrieking noises is really disturbing. His glowing, stick-like sword and skeleton minions are also a lot of fun, and goes towards making this version of the character very memorable. The face that he's killed when his head gets thrown into a crevasse as Boi tells him to 'go to hell' just makes his demise even better too.

I also absolutely loved how once again we didn't get a Megazord, but just had a single Zord/Guardian Beast show up to fight the Dora Titan. As much as I love the Zyuranger Megazord design, getting to see the Tyransaurus given his own moment to shine is great, and really highlights just how good the suit for it is. It's obviously a guy in a suit, but it feels a lot less silly than some of the Megazords do, possibly because its arms move differently and because it has a huge tail. Whatever the reason, I found myself very entertained by the fight, more so than some other Zord fights I've seen over the years. Whether they're going to do this for each individual Zords, or will just introduce the Megazord in episode three, this was a moment that I think will stand out for me.

'The Revival' was definitely more of what I was expecting from Super Sentai, but that doesn't mean that it was ever boring or predictable. The fight sequences and stunt work were great, and the scene where a monster attacked one of the heroes whilst he rode around on a motorcycle was particularly impressive. I can't wait to find out if the show will settle into a similar formula going forward, or if it will continue to subvert my expectations.


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Thursday, 14 November 2019

Sherlock Holmes Vs. Dracula by Loren D. Estleman - Book Review





'A mysterious schooner runs aground in an English harbor. Its cargo is fifty boxes of earth; its only living passenger, a black dog. The captains body is lashed to the wheellifeless, drained of blood. Soon, a rash of bizarre nocturnal crimes terrifies London. It can only be the work of Count Dracula, and only one man can save the city: the worlds greatest detective, Sherlock Holmes.'

If the title of this book alone doesn't grab your attention there's not much I can do to sell you on this concept. Come on people, Holmes going up against the most famous vampire in literature?! What's not to like?

I first read this book more than a decade ago, and found it to be incredibly entertaining, so much so that I never really forgot about it, and decided to pick up a new copy recently. What I really liked about this book compared to some crossover stories is that it exists side-by-side with the original without disrupting that narrative too greatly. The majority of Sherlock Holmes Vs. Dracula happens outside of the events of Dracula, with Holmes and Watson occasionally drifting into the other books narrative.

The book nicely sidesteps the issues that arise from these brief interaction between characters such as Holmes and Van Helsing quite cleverly before the story even begins. In the preface to the book John Watson feels the need to 'set the record straight' by explaining why he and Holmes don't appear in the pages of Dracula. He claims that this was done by Van Helsing, who requested the removal of Holmes and Watson from the narrative to try and make Van Helsing look better. Watson basically accuses Stoker and Van Helsing of changing the facts of the story to make Van Helsing more of a hero, and to discredit any claims Holmes and Watson might have to the story. Not only does this introduction clear the way for the book to make some small changes to the narrative of Dracula, but also adds a level of humour to proceeding by floating the notion that Bram Stoker was being something of a dick towards them.

The story itself centres around the mystery of the Demeter, a ship that arrives in Whitby. With the crew on board missing except for the captain, who was found tied to the wheel and drained of blood, authorities call in Sherlock Holmes to investigate the mystery. What at first appears to be a strange, but very rational, case soon becomes a fight against the supernatural, as Holmes and Watson come up against a young woman transformed into a vampire, and the deadly Count Dracula himself.

The book presents Holmes' investigation as separate to the events of Dracula, and as such we get to see a version of the Count who is not just battling Van Helsing, but also trying to keep Holmes out of his business on a second front. Whilst this means that Holmes isn't having to face the full force of the vampire, it does make the suggestion that perhaps the reason why Van Helsing was able to finally defeat the monster was because Holmes has been working against Dracula in the background.

There are a lot of stories about Sherlock Holmes, probably more than even Sir Arthur Conan Doyle himself wrote about him. Not all of them are good, and some of them can go a bit strange when they pit the detective against otherworldly and supernatural forces. But this tale works incredibly well. It might be due to how well Loren D. Estleman crafts their tale, or it could be the fact that it interacts with preexisting events of another novel. Rather than crafting a whole new narrative that would cast aside everything in the original Dracula and face criticism for changing a lot of things, this book works as a companion piece, an add-on to the classic. That makes it feel somehow elevated and secure, because it feels more likely to be real.

I know that comment might seem like nonsense, as both Sherlock Holmes and Dracula are both completely fictional and neither narrative is real, but something about this story feels more grounded than some Sherlock Holmes fiction. Maybe its because Dracula is such a part of popular fiction that it is easier to accept a story like this, but then it could just be me geeking out about the two characters coming together. Either way, this book works when it probably shouldn't.

Sherlock Holmes Vs. Dracula is a great piece of fiction, drawing together two of the biggest names in fiction to battle it out. The story doesn't tread too much on the toes of the original narrative, and presents a version of events that fans of either franchise will be sure to enjoy. The worlds greatest detective taking on the greatest vampire in a truly brilliant story.




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Wednesday, 13 November 2019

Ricky Gervais Returns To Host Golden Globes Despite Rampant Transphobia



Comedian Ricky Gervais has been announced to be the host for the upcoming Golden Globes awards, his fifth time hosting the event, despite a history of transphobia.

Gervais previously hosted the event in 2015, where he made remarks about Caitlyn Jenner's transition, deadnaming her in the process. 'I'm going to be nice tonight. I've changed - not as much as [Caitlyn Jenner's deadname]. What a year she's had!' He later defended his choice of a crass and demeaning joke as 'playing with the notions of stereotypes'.

He would go on to make more transphobic comments about Jenner in a stand-up special. During the special he referred to her as an 'it', and misgendered her several times. 'It won a medal. It was on the telly all the time. A big famous man. With huge... I don't know. I would never deadname her, but when she was a man... I'd never deadname her now, but this is like a flashback.'

'She’s always identified as a woman,” he said. “That means she’s a woman. Fine, if that’s the rules. If you feel you’re a woman, you are. I’m not a bigot who thinks having all that done is science going too far.' He added. 'In fact, I don’t think it’s going far enough. ’Cause I’ve always identified as a chimp, right? Well, I am a chimp. If I say I’m a chimp, I am a chimp pre-op. But don’t ever deadname me. Don’t call me Ricky Gervais again. From now on, you call me Bob.'

This was far from the last time that Gervais engaged in transphobic 'humour', as he has continued to make multiple transphobic comments on his social media platforms.

He has also made 'jokes' where he identifies as other animals and objects, such as a 'two-spirit penguin'. He has also said that his pronoun is 'it'.

Just a few weeks ago he received criticism for announcing that he was planning to dress as a trans woman for Halloween. 'I was going to dress up as something weird and creepy for my Halloween party, but I'm bucking the trend this year and I'm going as brave female activist Jessica Yaniv.' He said. 'This also means that I don't have to wax my big hairy balls.'

He has also once claimed to identify as black when he was called out by a woman of colour for racist and privileged comments that he made.

Some people have also pointed out that his being asked to host the awards following his history of attacking minorities is a stark contrast to Kevin Hart, who was removed from hosting the Oscars following previous tweets coming to light in which he made homophobic jokes. Perhaps it's because Hart's targets were gay cis people rather than trans people that made them unacceptable whilst Gervais gets a free pass; or it could be because only one of them is white.

Gervais has also been seen on video laughing at comedian Louis CK using the N word. He has also publicly making jokes about AIDS. Both of these moments received heavy criticism.

Ricky Gervais constantly punches downwards with his 'humour', attacking and mocking minorities to help to increase his own feelings of smug self worth. He has laughed at people who have criticised him and his jokes, yet will appear on social media engaging in harassment of people who disagree with him in a petulant attempt to come off as the winner. He makes comments saying that the only people who complain about him are 'PC' and have 'pronouns in their bios'. This is the person that will be representing the Golden Globes. Disgusting.


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Tory Stripped From Role For Anti-LGBTQ+ Sentiment




Wiltshire Tory councillor Mary Douglas has been stripped from her front-bench role following a statement she made insulting the LGBTQ+ community.

Ms. Douglas refused to give a £1,000 grant that was earmarked for 2020's Salisbury Pride event. When the group organising the event requested the grant she would not issue it to them. It was reported that during a meeting of the Salisbury St Francis and Stafford council on Monday 11th November she made comments that disparaged the community.

'I cannot support this,' she said during the meeting. 'I am not saying I do not accept, or respect, or love people who identify as LGBTQ+, because of course I do. I support completely their right to make choices, however I do not support those choices themselves, nor the ideology and world view they represent.

'These are wonderful people, well-meaning and sincere, but misguided by a powerful ideology. I do not want to be part of promoting this, and I want to be clear this is not just my view, I represent a large number of people, some of who are afraid to say anything.'

Despite her comments she was outvoted during the meeting, and the funds were awarded to the Pride organisers.

Council leader Philip Whitehead told the press that following Ms. Douglas' comments he had 'taken the decision to remove councillor Mary Douglas as portfolio holder for social mobility and skills. I would like to thank her for her work during her time as portfolio holder. She will step down from the role with immediate effect but remains a Wiltshire Council councillor.'

Salisbury deputy mayor, and one of the organisers of Salisbury Pride, Caroline Crobin described Ms. Douglas as 'an embarassment to the public office who is no longer fit for that role'. After it was announced that Douglas lost her position as portfolio holder Ms Corbin said 'You can't represent people that way, so it's right the council has taken the action it has.'

Wiltshire Council has said that it has not received further complaints following the incident. Salisbury Pride is scheduled to take place on June 13th, 2020.


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Marvel Action: Avengers #8 – Comic Review



Originally published on Set The Tape

We finally discover what the Fear Eaters are after months of build-up, but just what is it that they’re after, and why are they manipulating Black Panther?

It seems like every issue up till now has been building towards the reveals that we get here. AIM and the U-Foes, Count Nefaria and the Ruby Egress, they’ve all been part of the bad guys’ plans to prepare for the coming invasion of the Fear Eaters; and now the Avengers finally know about the bigger threat to the Earth.

The issue picks up where the previous one left off, with Captain America face to face with one of the mysterious aliens, and Black Panther apparently fallen victim to their mental manipulation, seeing his deceased father. The U-Foes and Madam Masque walk into this situation, and as per comic book rules they end up fighting the heroes despite being there to help them.

Once the misunderstanding has been sorted out and the fight comes to a close the U-Foes are able to fill in the Avengers, and the readers, about the origins of the Fear Eaters, and their apparent only weakness, Vibranium. The revelation comes as a surprise, as despite the fact that Captain America was able to beat a Fear Eater in combat it’s not obvious that this was because of what his shield was made from; and it explains why the creatures have targeted Black Panther.

It’s still not clear why they’ve made T’Challa their focus. Surely taking him out of the equation would be a better way of preventing him from equipping the Avengers with Vibranium? This does make me think that perhaps there’s more going on than is at first clear, and that perhaps T’Challa isn’t being manipulated by the Fear Eaters. The fact that the issue ends with T’Challa appearing to make some kind of Iron-Man/Black Panther armour makes me think that he might be preparing for the oncoming invasion rather than being used by the aliens. Whatever is happening, it’s sure to cause some twists and turns in the next issue.

The information we’re given in this issue helps to clear up what’s been going on since the title’s launch, and certainly raises the stakes somewhat without giving away too much of what is to come. So far the series has wrapped up each chapter of the story within three issues, and whilst this story might come to a close next issue it could conceivably go on for longer. Whatever path Matthew K. Manning chooses to take the story, I’m sure it’s going to be good.


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Tuesday, 12 November 2019

Marvel Action: Black Panther #5 – Comic Review



Originally published on Set The Tape

Okay, Vita Ayala might have done one of the best things I can think of for this title, giving Shuri fairy wings. But before I start gushing over how much I enjoyed that, let’s talk quickly about the plot of the issue.

The story begins with Black Panther taking down a gang of bad guys lead by Batroc the Leaper, which results in one of his aides getting hurt and needing medical attention. Rather than electing to use Shuri’s tech to heal himself he chooses to use the expertise of one of the local medicine women. Shuri, being the science nerd that she is, thinks that there’s no place in the modern world of medicine for ancient remedies and insults the healer. When Shuri starts to become the victim of a number of accidents and mishaps she becomes convinced that she has been cursed by the healer, and sets out to find a way to break the spell.

I really enjoyed the focus on Shuri in this issue, and the framing of traditional healing techniques and medicine versus modern science. The story doesn’t so much as pit the two against each other with one clear winner coming out on top, but makes the point that just because something is considered old or outdated doesn’t mean that there isn’t merit to it, or that those with age shouldn’t be listened to. It’s a lesson that Shuri seems to need to be taught, having become so focused on science and technology.

The best thing about the story, however, is the way that her journey to lift her perceived curse feels like something from a Saturday morning cartoon or Disney movie. There’s a princess with fairy wings, albeit products of science, going through jungles and caves searching for rare ingredients, running from traps and scary animals, and picking up a warthog sidekick up along the way.

The art by Ariana Florean really adds to this feeling. Florean takes on a less realistic approach and feels a lot more cartoonish in their work. Characters are bold and look different from each other, with unique body shapes or exaggerated features. Animals have almost human expressions, and feel more alive and full of energy. The whole thing seems to take on a more magical and comical life thanks to this artwork, and really helps the issue feel like a lot of fun.

Whilst this is a stand alone type of story it feels a lot more entertaining than the initial three part story that kicked off the title. The focus on character, along with the lighter tone and fun artwork, means that it doesn’t start to feel drab or dull in any places, and I’d have been happy to have seen this story go on for more than just the single issue.

I was excited to see what Vita Ayala would be bringing to the title, and so far it’s been a great improvement on all factors. I really hope that the title can keep this level of energy and freshness going forward.


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Monday, 11 November 2019

Transgender Teen YouTuber Vows To Continue To Share Transition Despite Death Threats




Hannah Phillips, a 19-year-old trangender girl from the UK, has revealed that despite receiving near daily threats and abuse for her YouTube channel, where she shares her transition, she will continue to create and share content about her journey.

Hannah began her channel four years ago, shortly after coming out as trans, and claims to be the first transgender person to release a video every day. The channel documents her journey as she transitions. However, Hannah has revealed that she is the victim of death threats and abuse because of her content.

'I get negative comments on a daily basis, anything from generic death threats to direct transphobia, but it doesn't bother me. I ignore it and carry on.' She said, speaking to the press on the subject.

'The bad is outweighed by the good, though. I get messages from people's parents who thank me for helping them to understand what their child is going through, and messages from the trans community, thanking me for being so honest about what I've been through.'

Hannah described how she came out to her parents as transgender when she was fifteen, and wrote them a letter explaining her situation and what she wanted to do going forward. 'The next day they spoke to me and told me they supported me and accepted my decision. My brother said exactly the same. As soon as I told them the truth it felt like a burden had been lifted and the final piece of the jigsaw had been added.'

Hannah has had to deal with transphobia in the past, however, as she left school during Year 10 due to transphobic bullying and humiliation from other students. She left the school the next day and enrolled in college to study performing arts.

She has said that despite the abuse she is receiving for producing her videos, she will continue to do so to try to help other teens that experienced similar situations to her.


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X-Men: Mutant Empire Omnibus by Christopher Golden - Book Review




'MAGNETO'S EMPIRE WILL RISE…

 'They live as outcasts, hated and feared by the very humanity they protect. They are mutants, born with strange and wonderful powers that set them apart from the rest of the human race. Under the tutelage of Professor Charles Xavier, they are more than mutants. They are - the X-Men.

 'Magneto - the X-Men's oldest, deadliest foe - has taken over a top-secret government installation that houses the Sentinels, powerful mutant-hunting robots. The X-Men must fight to keep this deadly technology out of Magneto's hands and stop him from carrying out his grand plan: establishing a global Mutant Empire. The X-Men must join forces with old enemies to stop him - but in Magneto's brave new world, who can they trust?'

 X-Men: Mutant Empire Omnibus brings together three classic X-Men novels into one huge paperback edition, that pits the iconic mutant heroes against their greatest foe, Magneto, as he attempts to turn New York City into his own mutant empire.

When the X-Men are spending a rare day to themselves, relaxing in the grounds of the Xavier Institute, a spaceship crashes within the grounds, bringing their festivities to an abrupt end. Thankfully, instead of being an alien invasion it's half of the outlaw pirate group The Starjammers, led by the father of Scott Summers, the X-Man Cyclops. The Starjammers inform the X-Men that Cyclops' father has been captured by the tyrant Deathbird, and faces execution.

At the same time, a military facility in Colorado that houses the deadly Sentinel machines falls under attack by an unknown group. These two missions force the X-Men to split their forces. Cyclops, Jean Grey, Archangel, Rogue, and Gambit leave Earth and travel into deep space to rescue the rest of the Starjammers; whilst Storm, Wolverine, Iceman, Beast, and Bishop try to prevent the Sentinels from falling into the wrong hands.

When the X-Men discover that Magneto and his deadly Acolytes are the ones after the Sentinels the stakes get a lot higher. Unable to stop the theft, the X-Men are shocked when Magneto uses the Sentinels to take over New York, declaring it the start of his new mutant empire and a save haven for all mutants. Now the team must try to fight their way through an army of mutants, and the Sentinels, to stop their oldest foe, hoping that the rest of their team can make it back from space in time to help against the overwhelming odds they face.

X-Men: Mutant Empire is a big story. It seems pretty obvious to say that, considering that it collects together three novels, but it's worth pointing out that so much happens in this book. The whole first third of the book feels like set-up for the rest of the story, and there are so many twists and turns when the X-Men have to assault Magneto's empire that it would be easy to see this as a story that would span a year or more across multiple titles if it were a comic, released as a huge bumper graphic novel.

One of the best things about the book is how it feels like a comic in a lot of ways. The story here was completely original to the book, and didn't happen in the comics, yet has so many connection to past stories and continuities that it feels like it could easily slip into the comics without any real effort. The side adventure with the Starjammers draws upon lots of existing backstory by bringing in the Shi'ar, the Kree, and the Imperial Guard. Though contained only within the first section of the book the space adventure is a lot of fun, and thanks to the inclusion of the Imperial Guard and the Shi'ar, reminds me a lot of the classic X-Men cartoon from the 90's. Maybe it's because of the more fantastical setting and the strange aliens the team faces, but this part of the book stands out as particularly different from the rest of the story.

Despite dealing with fantastical characters and events that are well beyond normal the story feels a lot more grounded when it reaches the streets of Manhattan. The X-Men are reduced to sneaking through the streets and back alleys of the city, getting into fights in bars as they try to locate Magneto and bring an end to his plans. It's strange to see such brightly costumed characters sneaking around a city instead of running straight into battle and being the big heroes, but it adds a sense of realism to the proceedings. Even if they had the whole team with them they'd be up against huge odds, but with half the team in space it's even more stacked against them.

The sense of realism in the novel are one of the best things about the translation from comics to prose for the X-Men, the other is that unlike comics, which focus on action a lot of the time, we get to spend more time with the characters and get to know what's going on in their heads. Readers get the chance to explore the inner workings of Bishops trauma from his experiences in his nightmare future and how this current situation terrifies him. We get a greater understanding of Jean and Scott's relationship and their strong psychic bond. And we have the chance to see how Iceman goes from being the joker of the group to a much fiercer warrior, and the things that drive him to that point.

These quieter moments when the reader can forget about the over the top action and learn more about the characters are some of the best parts of the book, and gives some insight that the comics rarely give. Yes, sometimes it can feel a little repetitive when we're told about Bishops past and his motivations for the third time; but then this would have been in a separate book in it's original format, so it's a little more understandable.

Whilst the bringing together of the three individual books as one is great, there is one drawback to the collected volume. The original books had a combined page count of close to 1000, but X-Men: Mutant Empire Omnibus clocks in at just under 700 pages. In order to achieve this, the font size has been reduced to fit more onto each page. The result of this is that it can at times feel like it takes a lot longer than usual to read, and I a times felt that I'd made little progress through the book despite having read a good portion of it. This is just a personal thing, however, and the real drawback I found to this condensing of the book is that the font size is very small, and I am concerned that readers with sight problems could find it difficult to read and enjoy the book. Despite these small criticisms, however, the book is a great addition to Titan Marvel prose series.

X-Men: Mutant Empire Omnibus is a huge book, filled with great character moments and some brilliant action sequences. Christopher Golden crafts a tale that would be at home on the comic pages just as much as it does here, and knows the world and characters brilliantly. Three books for the bargain price of £9.99, any comic book fan would be a fool to miss out.




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Friday, 8 November 2019

Zyuranger Episode One: The Birth - Super Sentai Review



At first I thought that the first episode of Zyuranger was a little slow in comparison to the American Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, and whilst the US show manages to pack a lot into a relatively short run time, 'The Birth' goes a little crazy towards the ends and really throws a lot at viewers. Set in a world where the evil witch Bandora was defeated by five brave warriors more than 170 million years ago, 'The Birth' introduces us to the main players in this story.

At the Sakura Condominium apartment complex an old caretaker overhears a news report about a space shuttle that is on approach to the mysterious Planet Nemesis, a rogue planet whose orbit brings it to Earth once every 230 million years. The shuttle, which contains two astronauts and two kid astronauts, lands on the planet, and the two adults begins to search the wasteland around them. Back on Earth, the caretaker has rushed to the roof of the building and is using some kind of super hearing to listen in on the mission.

On Planet Nemesis the astronauts discover some kind of capsule with a glowing gem. When they investigate the capsule opens, and four terrifying monsters emerge. There's the short, blue goblin like Bookback; the slim and sinister vampire Topat; the elderly leprechaun Pleprechaun; and the gold armoured griffin knight Grifforzor. As the astronauts cower in fear a fifth figure emerges from the capsule, the evil witch Bandora. Having awoken from 170 million years of imprisonment Bandora sets her sights once more on conquering her home planet of Earth, but not before casting the poor astronauts out into space.

Bandora uses her powers to reshape the city, bringing several large buildings together, and transporting her palace on top of the tallest skyscraper. Bandora flies above the city, announcing her plans to take over the planet and begins to use her magic to blow several buildings apart. She comes face to face with the old caretaker, who it is suddenly revealed to be the White Wizard Barza, who fought against her millions of years ago. The two briefly fight, but Bandora is more than a match for her old foe. During the fight Barza also discovers that Bandora has taken the space shuttle and shrunk it, and the children within, and is going to destroy it in one hour.

Barza reenters the Sakura Condominium and enters a special code into the elevator controls, which transports him to an ancient temple decorated with the statues of ancient animals and dinosaurs. The five legendary warriors that fought Bandora millions of years ago are held within magical stasis within the temple, and Barza declares that the time has come to reawaken them.

He unlocks their chambers, returning four of the warriors to the real world. We meet the knight of the black Sharma Tribe, Goushi; the knight of the yellow Dime Tribe, Boi; the princess of the pink Lithia Tribe, Mei; and the knight of the blue Etoffe Tribe, Dan. Unfortunately, the final warriors chamber won't open, so the others have to try to save the children on their own.

The four warriors make their way to Bandora's Palace and are transported to a beach, where they are attacked by mud dolls, which burst out of the ground around them. The warriors hold the dolls back, but Bandora appears and uses her magic to cast them away, where they get captured in a cage above a huge fire. The warriors are teased by Bookback and Topat that they're going to be cooked alive, and all looks lost for them, when the prince of the red Yamato Tribe, Geki, arrives and frees them.

The five of them run outside the palace, where Barza gives them their medals, which they can use in conjunction with their Dino Bucklers to transform into the Zyurangers. Once transformed the five rangers are attacked by Grifforzor and Dora Golems. Geki takes on Grifforzor with his Ranger Sword whilst Dan and Mei rush into the palace to save the space shuttle from destruction with seconds to spare. Suddenly, without warning, a giant hand bursts through the wall of the palace and the shuttle is taken by the huge Dora Titan. The episode ends with the Dora Titan with the shuttle and the Zyurangers unsure of what to do next.


Wow. When written out the episode really manages to put a lot into its small 20 minute run time. However, unlike Power Rangers, this episode doesn't give you everything up front. There's no Power Weapons, no Zords, no Megazord. And this makes it so much better. The episode spends the time setting up the world, albeit in a rushed way. We learn about Barza and his history with Bandora, we learn of the five dinosaur tribes and their warriors who become the Zyurangers. Yes, it might not be in any huge detail, but it's still something. Already I have the feeling that this series is going to take its time more than the American counterpart, and even though there's sure to be throwaway monster of the week episodes it feels like a bigger part of this show is going to go towards world building.

This is essentially my first experience with Super Sentai, and I'm a little surprised at how different the show is to what I was expecting. I've seen Japanese entertainment before, so know that there are very different storytelling styles implemented, but I was still taken aback by certain things. The inclusion of children on the space shuttle was one of these. I understand that this is a show aimed at children, and that it would want to feature children in their episodes, but the fact that they were on the shuttle really seemed like a crazy narrative choice to me. I did, however, like the fact that the shuttle interior looks like a redressed Megazord set. They very clearly saved a little bit of money there.

The original versions of the bad guys also took me a little by surprise, as I was so used to their American versions. Grifforzor was the biggest shock to me, as I spent most of the time he was on screen expecting him to talk. Apparently though he's not like the over the top Goldar, and he's relegated to growls and snarls; which actually makes him a little more frightening. The inclusion of 'baby' Putty Patrollers in the form of the Mud Dolls was awesome, however, and I really wish that they had made the translation to Power Rangers. The fact that they were very clearly hand puppets just made them all the better.

I realise that I'm using a lot of terms from the Power Rangers series, and comparing this episode to it a lot, but this is purely because of my lack of experience with this franchise, and I'm sure that with more episodes the series will stand on its own a lot more without such comparissons. However, as someone who has been watching Power Rangers since its inception I will have to talk about it a fair bit in these reviews, if only to highlight how much better Super Sentai feels. The episode might have been bat shit crazy, but there's something about this that captured me in a way that the other show wouldn't have. It might be because it feels like it's taken something I know and made it new again, or it could be that it's genuinely more interesting and creative. Time will certainly tell on that one. The only criticism I can put on the episode, however, is the music. Whilst there's nothing wrong with what is presented her, and the main theme is really catchy, there's something about the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers theme kicking in during a fight scene that really gets things pumping.

A great first episode to the series, that manages to feel fresh and interesting. Thanks to different storytelling traditions and some strange writing choices the episode manages to dodge every expectation I had for it. I couldn't even begin to try to anticipate what could come in the second episode, and am really excited to find out just how crazy this series can get.

Episode two of Zyuranger, 'The Revival', will be featured next Friday.


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Thursday, 7 November 2019

Power Rangers: The Psycho Path - Book Review




'Created by Karone when she was still the evil Astronema, the Psycho Rangers were programmed with overwhelming hate for all things Power Rangers. They were defeated at great personal cost by the Galaxy Rangers, but now someone has brought them back and they are more murderous than ever before. Who brought them back, and why? And can Lost Galaxy Pink Ranger Karone and her brother Red In Space Ranger Andros stop them before they bring the universe to its knees?'

Since Boom! Studios have been working on Power Rangers the quality of the franchise within comics has shot up exponentially. In the past Power Rangers comics were forgettable at best, and downright awful a lot of the time. Nowadays, however, fans get treated to well written, and well constructed stories that have gone on to become some of the best stories in the entire franchise.

The latest stand alone graphic novel focuses on characters that aren't related to the original Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, and really benefits because of that. Instead, the narrative shifts to focus on characters introduced during Power Rangers in Space. 

 Picking up after the events of Power Rangers Lost Galaxy, we focus on Karone, the sister of the Red Space Ranger Andros, who has at this point been a villain, reformed, and even been a Ranger herself on the Lost Galaxy team. When the villainous Psycho Rangers return, including the new Green Psycho Ranger, they target Karone as she created the team when she was the villain Astronema. Taken by the Psychos', she is forced to confront the destructive actions of her past once again.

Power Rangers: The Psycho Path really focuses on what it means to be a good person, not only in Karone's continued quest to try and atone for her past actions, but in seeing how the Psycho Rangers begin to grow into real, rounded individuals.

That's one of the most interesting aspects on the book. In the past the Psycho Rangers have been one of the best evil Ranger teams, but haven't been anything but one dimensional. Here they're presented as much more real. We begin to learn that they actually have personalities, and that if given the chance they can care for more than just fighting Power Rangers.

This focus came as something of a surprise, as I thought that this was going to be a more standard Power Rangers story, with the Psycho's hunting down our heroes. But they don't really spend all that much time as antagonists, and after a relatively short time you come to not only care about them as people, but want them to actually go on to survive the events of the story. Paul Allor really gives over more time to character development than any Power Rangers story deserves, and by the end of the book I found myself feeling like I cared for the Psycho Rangers more than I do some Power Ranger teams.

By the end of the book the Psycho Rangers, and the way I view them, have changed. They're no longer just faceless bad guys, but people. I want them to keep on growing the way they have here, and I want them to come back again in the future as the heroes that they're learning they could become. I can't really think of a Power Rangers story that has ever really done this with a villain before other than Karone, which makes her inclusion in this story that much more important, as it's not just someone dealing with the actions of their past, but one reformed villain helping five others.

The book also includes the Supersonic Rangers story that reveals the origins of the the mysterious Green Psycho Ranger, a short story that was previously only included in the deluxe edition of the main series graphic novels. The story not only sheds light onto the origin of the villain for those who couldn't get the deluxe addition, but also stands out for its inclusion of the Fiveman Super Sentain team.

A great book that not only adds more to the Power Rangers universe, but sets the stage for more potential stories involving the iconic villains.




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Wednesday, 6 November 2019

Skein Island by Aliya Whiteley - Book Review




'Skein Island, since 1945 a private refuge for women, lies in turbulent waters twelve miles off the coast of Devon. Visitors are only allowed by invitation from the reclusive Lady Amelia Worthington. Women stay for one week, paying for their stay with a story from their past; a Declaration for the Island's vast library.

 'Marianne's invitation arrives shortly before her quiet life at the library is violently interrupted, the aftermath leaving her husband David feeling helpless. Now, just like her mother did seventeen years ago, she must discover what her story is.'

 I have to be a little honest, at first glance I didn't think that Skein Island was going to be the kind of book that I enjoy. I don't usually like books that are more grounded in reality; I want some escapism in my fiction, something fantastical that I could never actually experience in real life. So when I read the description for Skein Island it sounded like the king of thing I normally avoided, the story of a woman going away to discover herself. But, this was Titan Books, a company that specialises in horror, fantasy, and science fiction; I knew that there had to be more to the book than it first appears.

It's hard to talk about the book and not give anything away, the story takes something of a shift about a third of the way through and you realise that there's a lot more going on in the narrative than you first suspect. Up to that point, however, the book is an interesting an engaging story about a very real and very well written woman.

Marianne is a woman with an unexceptional life. She has a job she loves at her local library, a happy marriage with her husband David, and something of a strained relationship with her father. She doesn't seem to be anything special, and a lot of people will find that they can identify with Marianne because of how normal she is. She's just an average person. Don't think that I'm saying this negatively, however, as sometimes protagonists are made to be so exceptional from the very start of a book, or live in a world so different from our own, that it can be hard to find something to relate to; but this isn't something readers have to worry about here. We all know someone like Marianne.

Unfortunately, her life is thrown into disarray when she becomes the victim of an assault, an event that pushes her to make her choice to get away from her everyday life for a week and travel to Skein Island. On the island she begins to make friends with a few of her fellow visitors, and one of the members of staff, and starts to get some of the clarity that she's hoping for. But, knowing that her mother visited the island decades ago, shortly before leaving Marianne's life for good, she's desperate to know what he mother wrote in her own Declaration, a decision that sets Marianne, and readers, on a course that will change the entire narrative.

I'm going to have to talk about the story with some spoilers now, so if you don't want to know anymore I suggest you leave the review (and that you go and pick up a copy of the book); if, however, you want to know more please stick around, because things start to get weird here.

Whilst searching for the answers that she needs Marianne discovers that not only is her mother actually alive and well on the island, but there's some kind of strange, dark presence there too. It turns out that during the 1940's the islands owner, Lady Worthington, discovered something extraordinary on an island in Greece. The last living Fate. This creature controlled the destinies of men, assigning them each one of four roles in life. Unfortunately, any man in her presence would go insane, and Lady Worthington had to watch as the rest of the expedition killed themselves, including her lover. Lady Worthington discovered that telling the Fate her story turned the creature into stone, and so she brought this living statue to Skein Island, where she keeps it stuck in rock by reading it the stories of the women who visit.

Now this was more like what I'm normally interested in. The sudden, surprising shift to the supernatural comes out of nowhere, but is done in such a way that it kind of feels like a natural progression to the narrative. It's not a tonal or genre shift that disrupts the story, but actually makes Marianne's narrative all the more interesting.

When the creature ends up being freed from Skein Island, and her powers begin to affect men once again, we really get to see how strong of a woman Marianne is. The Fate wants men to fulfil their roles, to take on the mantle of either a Hero, a Villain, a Sage, or a Sidekick, and this influence sends the world spiralling out of control. Men give into these strange new roles, violence erupts onto the streets, vigilante's take the law into their own hands, and women become props in their stories.

This is what Skein Island becomes about. It takes a long, hard look at the role of women in fiction, examining the fact that for a very long time (and even still a lot today) women are things to motivate men rather than being real characters themselves. They're the things that villains target, the motivation for the heroes.

Marianne's husband David tries to do this with her. He discovers that she didn't quite get the lucky escape he thought she did during her assault, and makes the traumatic events that she went through about him. It's the thing that spurs him on to find the person who hurt her and make him pay. It's the motivation to make him the hero of the story. He even goes on to think that he's the one destined to stop the Fate and return the creature to Skein Island. Fortunately, we have such a wonderful protagonist in Marianne that she doesn't go for any of that.

Marianne isn't prepared to be someone's motivation to be a hero, or his reward for stopping the villain. She knows that that kind of storytelling is, frankly, crap. Instead, she forges her own path, and not only becomes the hero of the story, but doesn't let David think that he was the hero at all.

In a lot of ways it feels like Skein Island is sticking its middle finger up at old fashioned storytelling tropes and saying that women don't have to just be props in men's stories, but have the power to tell their own powerful narratives themselves. Skein Island goes a little bit meta, and gets the reader thinking about the nature of stories and storytelling, and how they have evolved over time. Just like the real world stories need to change to reflect their times. The world is becoming more and more equal to people of all genders, and women shouldn't just be objects. The book challenges people to break away from that kind of storytelling and to expect more not just from their fiction, but their real lives too.

A wonderfully written and clever book that draws you in before dropping the floor out from beneath you. With unexpected twists and turns, a narrative driven by interesting and realistic characters, and a story that will get you thinking about the very art of storytelling itself, Skein Island is a book that's hard to compare with others, and is sure to keep you thinking long after you've finished reading.


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