Outlaw: Relentless - A Marvel Heroines Novel by Tristan Palmgren - Book Review

 

'Super-powered mercenary Outlaw is always ready for a fight, but when her own mind is being stolen from her, she’ll have to find a new way to defeat the bad guys, in this fast-paced Marvel Heroines adventure.

'Inez Temple, aka Outlaw, is a key member of Domino’s mercenary team, the Posse, but when a job goes sideways Outlaw finds herself on the outside, and in an alarming state. A merc in her line of work needs to be sharp, but Inez’s mind is slipping away from her. Mutant-hating telepath Johnny Dee is robbing her of the only things she’s ever counted on: her wits and her courage, and worse – her very identity. Inez’s bloody revenge will take her on a chase through the Texas desert and a labyrinth of her own worst memories.'

After a brief appearance in Domino Strays: A Marvel Heroines Novel, also written by Tristan Palmgren, released last year, the super powered mercenary Outlaw is getting her first solo novel adventure. 

Set some time after the events of Palmgren's other book, we catch up with Outlaw and the other members of the Posse, Domino, Diamondback, White Fox, Atlas Bear, and Black Widow, as they've been hired by Tony Stark to help to capture a container ship transporting dangerous weapons for the criminal group A.I.M.. Despite things seeming to go well to begin with the mission goes a little off the rails when Outlaw loses control of the ship's bridge, resulting in fight that ends with the ship destroyed. Even though they managed to snag the tech and weapons Stark wanted the mission is deemed a failure, and Outlaw begins to question how she could have made a rookie mistake.

When Outlaw suddenly wakes up in the middle of the street late at night, with no memory of how and when she left her hotel room, she realises that she's been suffering through several moments of lost time, and that the constant tiredness this is bringing was what led to her mistake on the mission. With Domino's help she reaches out to the X-Men for help; who after several tests think that she might be developing a new mutation that will give her psychic abilities. After having a shield set up in her mind to help with the symptoms Outlaw decides to head back to her childhood home in Texas, as she feels like something is drawing her there.

However, when she arrives home she finds a group of armed men waiting for her; with her brother held prisoner. Now Outlaw will have to fight for her life against foes who will stop at nothing to get what they want; a fight that will push her to her limits.

Before reading this book my only experience with the character of Outlaw was in the other Marvel Heroines novel written by Palmgren, where she was a supporting character who wasn't in a large portion of the book. Despite this, I don't feel that I went into this book at a disadvantage, as you very quickly get a sense of who the character is in a broad way, and by the end you feel like you know them really well. Whilst this is an action story, one of survival and overcoming huge adversity and pain, it's much more an exploration of the character.

The Outlaw we meet at the start of the book is a woman who' very far from being her best. She's tired, run down, and ready to snap. We're quickly let in on the fact that this is due to several blackouts and moments of lost time that she's been experiencing, as well as feeling constantly tired and run down. As such, it's not until a good portion into the book that we even begin to get a sense of who she is. After visiting the New Charles Xavier's School for the Gifted Outlaw is given a break from the constant worry and the increasing pain and tiredness, and we begin to get to know her a bit better.

A big part of the journey we go on with her is as she returns to her childhood home, and we get her thoughts on her time growing up as a mutant in a remote, rural community, as well as several flashbacks to her time there. This shows us a lot about her, and how she's ended up as the strong, confident woman that she is; having to grow up watching the community around her turning their back on her family and treating her as less than human having hardened her to the cruelties of the world.

Sadly for Inez, she doesn't just get to return home, catch up with her brother, and figure out what's been drawing her back, as as soon as she's stepped out of her car she's being shot at. From here until the end of the book it's pretty much a brutal fight for survival as Outlaw has to face off against a gang of killers, as well as a spectre from her past, Johnny Dee.

Johnny Dee is a name that might be familiar with some readers who are more well read in terms of Marvel Comics, as he and Outlaw have crossed paths in the past. But don't worry if you've never even picked up a book before, as we're given a succinct catch-up on who Dee is, and what he's done to Inez. We learn that he's also a mutant, though one who hates and despises mutants. Using his unique ability to ingest a persons DNA, he's able to take control of people and force them to do what he wants. Realising that he's the reason that she's been losing time, and that the psychic shield in her mind is the only thing keeping him from taking her over again, leads Outlaw into a fight she has to win as quickly as she can; because as soon as that shield wears off, Dee has control of her.

This was actually one of the best things the book could have done. Even the best of the Marvel prose novels from Aconyte books can feel a bit odd to read at times. This is mainly due to the fact that in comics there is often very little room to spend time with characters outside of important moments or big events, but in the novels we're able to slow down a bit and get to know them. In the past this has sometimes resulted in what feels like lulls in the story, as I'm not used to a slower pace in this kind of genre. Outlaw: Relentless, in contrast, never has a moment like this. Because of the constant ticking clock of Dee being able to take her over again Inez isn't given a moment to rest, she never has the chance to regroup or wait for help. Instead she's forced to keep running from one fight to the next, desperately trying to beat the villain.

The action sequences that are spread across the book really help with this sense of constant battle too, and they're some of the more brutal fights in the Aconyte novel range. Whilst Outlaw has enhanced strength and could easily do the super hero thing of using her fists in a fight most of the combat in the book takes place with guns. Outlaw will often be running from over to cover, dodging bullets, whilst trying to take the enemy out. She gets hurt because of this, a lot. Inez goes through a lot of wear and tear over the course of the book, and it really does feel like she's being pushed to her limits. 

Outlaw: Relentless is a book that intrigued me from the beginning because I knew next to nothing about the character and was looking forward to finding out more. I didn't expect it to end up being an intense action story full of desperate fights, extreme survival, and a ton of character drama that would not only lead to me finishing the book in a single day, but also with Outlaw ending up on my list of favourite characters. This isn't the first time that Palmgren has impressed me with their writing, and they've made me fall in love with characters I knew little about in the past. This is quickly becoming a pattern of their work, so much so that I'm very excited to see what they do next.

Buy Amy A Coffee

Go to Amy's Blog

Follow Amy on Twitter

Add Amy on Instagram

Horseman by Christina Henry - Book Review

 

'Everyone in Sleepy Hollow knows about the Horseman, but no one really believes in him. Not even Ben Van Brunt's grandfather, Brom Bones, who was there when it was said the Horseman chased the upstart Crane out of town. Brom says that's just legend, the village gossips talking.

'Twenty years after those storied events, the village is a quiet place. Fourteen-year-old Ben loves to play Sleepy Hollow boys, reenacting the events Brom once lived through. But then Ben and a friend stumble across the headless body of a child in the woods near the village, and the sinister discovery makes Ben question everything the adults in Sleepy Hollow have ever said. Could the Horseman be real after all? Or does something even more sinister stalk the woods?'

I'm starting to have something of a problem with Christina Henry's books; namely that I love them so much that I end up reading them in a single sitting. This is the third time that this has happened now, where I've loved her work so much that I've kept reading long after I should have put the book down because I became so engrossed in it that I needed to see what happens next, even if it means I'm awake all night reading. Which I guess isn't too bad a problem to have with an author.

Horseman is set two decades after the original story The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, and focuses on Ben, the grandson of Brom Bones and Katrina Van Tassel. The story begins with Ben and his friend playing in the woods, but their games are interrupted when a group of men from the town pass by, heading deeper into the woods. With their curiosity piqued, the two lads follow along after the men and soon discover that one of the other boys of the town has been killed, with his head and his hands missing.

Ben is convinced that this is a sign that the headless horseman is behind the killing, and thinks that he might be able to figure out why; but things quickly become even stranger when a dark presence in the woods starts to stalk him, killing off one of the sheep from their farm, and going after other boys of the town. Now Ben thinks that their might be another creature in the woods, one that won't stop killing people. But to make matters worse, he not only has to convince his grandparents that he's right, and that something needs to be done, but he also has to convince them to let him be himself. You see, Ben was born a girl, and now that he's getting older his grandmother is trying to force him to become a decent young lady; something that Ben refuses to ever allow to happen.

Whilst I've never read the original tale I am familiar enough with the story of Sleepy Hollow that as soon as it was announced that Christina Henry was going to be writing a spooky sequel I was instantly on board. As I said earlier, I've loved her previous work, and knew that this was going to be the kind of story that worked well with her style of horror, but one of the things that I wasn't expecting was that it was going to feature a trans lead and how wonderfully Christine handled his story.

When the book begins Ben is simply Ben, a boy bordering on being a young man playing in the spooky woods around Sleepy Hollow with his best friend Sander. He loves to play Sleepy Hollow Boys, where they act out the story of the headless horseman and Ichabod Crane, he climbs trees and plays in the dirt, and is braver than his friend. It's not until Ben heads home and his grandmother scolds him for getting himself so dirty and orders him to bathe and put on a nice dress that you even realise he's more than a regular lad.

This is one of the things that I loved about the book, that for the most part there's not a huge amount of fuss made about Ben wanting to live his life as a boy, and how most of the people in his life accept that he calls himself Ben, plays with other boys, and wears trousers. A large part of this comes from how he was raised by his grandparents, following the deaths of his parents when he was still young. His grandfather, Brom, is a very macho kind of man, though one with a huge heart who's not afraid to be sensitive. He's seen how Ben wants to be, how he's always wanted to be treated and he's allowed it. This being the era it is I'm not sure you could say that he'd understand completely how Ben feels, or that he could go on to live his life presenting male, but that doesn't matter. He loves his grandson enough to support him, to let him be himself and do what he loves, and that's enough.

But, this isn't something that just takes place in the background of the book, and Ben's gender identity does come up in the story, especially after a particularly heated confrontation with hi grandmother; who's sure that one day Ben will accept that he's a girl and start acting like a woman. After telling his grandmother that he'd never get married or be a woman, that he'd cut off his hair and run away forever to live as a man she dares him to do it, and he does. He cuts off his long hair and he's ready to leave. He doesn't, however, get to leave home, but seeing that he was going to, seeing how determined he is to be himself changes something in Katrina. Instead of trying to force Ben to wear a dress and learn to be a young woman she makes him boys clothes. It's an incredibly moving moment, to see her affirming her grandson's identity and standing by him. We even get this from Brom later in the book, when he refers to Ben with male pronouns.

It would have been so easy to have this story veer into having guardians who don't understand or approve, to have them fight against Ben every step of the way; especially in a historical novel such as this where there just wouldn't have been the understanding or language to know what a trans man was. But instead of that Christina Henry does something better, she writes a story about the love and acceptance of a trans child. This might not seem that big or important, but it really is. With so much anti-trans sentiment in the world, with vocal transphobic minorities fighting loudly to remove trans rights and protections to have a positive trans narrative, where a characters transness isn't something that brings them pain or misery, but joy and acceptance is so damn important. There were times this book made me feel genuinely emotional because of how happy Ben's story made me feel.

Sadly, it's not all joy for Ben, or the reader, as there's some seriously spooky shit going on in Sleepy Hollow. Considering the title of the book, and the original story this is following on from, it's surprising that this isn't just something as simple as a story about a ghostly headless horseman charging through the woods cutting people's heads off. From the very beginning there's hints that there's something more to things than you'd expect thanks to the added fact that hands are being taken as well as heads, and it soon becomes apparent that Henry has chosen to go for something much more original and complex than the headless horseman as her antagonist.

I won't say too much about what's going on so as not to spoil the surprises, but it's a brilliantly unique idea, and one that will keep you guessing over the course of the book as Ben learns more and tries to figure out what's going on. I have to be honest, I didn't see the reveal coming, and was completely surprised by what the answers were. And even when you think you know everything and the story's done it doesn't end there are there's still a good chunk of the book left to go as Henry reveals a further mystery that will continue on into Ben's adult life.

Horseman was one of those books that I was looking forward to when it was first announced. I knew that I was going to enjoy it, but I didn't realise that I was going to love it so much. It was better than I was ever hoping it would be, and I'm honestly sad that it's over as I could have spent so much loner with these characters and this story. I got a digital copy of this to review from the publishers, and as soon as I was done with it I was ordering the beautiful hardback, signed edition with red sprayed edges as I know that this is a book that I need in my collection, one that I'm going to treasure for a long, long time, and that I'm going to read over and over again.

Buy Amy A Coffee

Go to Amy's Blog

Follow Amy on Twitter

Add Amy on Instagram

Triptych: A Marvel Xavier's Institute Novel by Jaleigh Johnson - Book Review

 

'X-Men super-soldier Fantomex faces off with clone versions of himself in this thrilling Super Hero heist adventure from Marvel’s Xavier’s Institute

'Former super-soldier and master thief, Fantomex, stumbles upon one of his clones, Cluster, breaking into museums to steal priceless artifacts. Outwitted and intrigued, Fantomex decides to beat Cluster at whatever game she’s playing. But something is different about these artifacts: they’ve all been infused with nanotechnology, very similar to the kind that originally created Fantomex. And they aren’t the only ones looking for them… Their other clone, Weapon XIII, is on the hunt too. The cat-and-mouse heists test their burglary skills and push the boundaries of how much they can trust one another. When it turns out that they're the pawns in an even deadlier game, all hell breaks loose – and these clones always play to win.'

The latest entry in the Xavier's Institute series focuses on the mutant sentinel hybrid Fantomex, a character who's been something of a rogue element in the X-Men universe ever since he was first introduced nearly twenty years ago. Set not long after the events of the Uncanny X-Force series, we see a Fantomex who has gone through an extreme trauma.

Being a mutant with three brains, as well as an external nervous system called E.V.A. that can act independently as either a young woman or a flying saucer (yes, comics are weird), Fantomex has always been something of an unusual character; even amongst the X-Men. However, things have become even more complex for the character at the start of Triptych. Having just suffered through an extreme trauma that came close to killing him E.V.A. took Fantomex to a facility where he could be saved via cloning. Unfortunately, due to his complex biology the facility got things a bit wrong and instead of having one body with three brains his brains got split across three bodies.

This means that not only is Fantomex different now, both weaker and lacking some of his powers, but also his personality has gone through some changes; leading him to have to try to figure exactly who he is now. Something that would be difficult enough, but made even more so when his two other selves start to appear on the scene, apparently engaging in elaborate art thefts. Now Fantomex is going to have to learn to work alongside the members of the New Charles Xavier's School for the Gifted if he's going to find out what his other selves are up to, and stop them.

I've liked Fantomex since he first appeared in Grant Morrison's New X-Men run. He was mysterious, had a cool costume, and was a very no nonsense kind of character. Over the years he, like most comic characters, became more complex and at times slightly confusing. One of the changes made to his that was most interesting, however, was when he was split into three people. This was something that I was only vaguely aware of having happened in the comics, so when I saw that we'd be getting a novel focused on this I was quite excited as this was definitely something fun that was worth exploring.

And this was a large focus of the book. It takes president over action and adventure, and spent a large part of its time exploring Fantomex as a person. In a lot of ways he was always the kind of character who didn't do a lot of introspection, who rarely doubted himself. He was confident and had a plan and never worried that what he was doing was the wrong thing. This was, honestly, not the most interesting thing that could be done with the character. However, Jaleigh Johnson actually managed to make him feel like a real person for once.

Now that he's split into three beings Fantomex doesn't really know who he is anymore. He's finding that parts of his personality have changed, and that because some aspects of his powers have gone to his other selves he's having to be more cautious in battle. This leads him to feeling physically vulnerable, but it's the emotional vulnerability that is the most interesting. When Fantomex learns that Cluster (the female version of him) has received his more noble aspects, whilst Weapon XIII (essentially a bad version of him) has received his more negative traits, it leaves Fantomex feeling like the 'leftovers', the parts that don't really matter. He becomes vulnerable in a way that we've never seen him before.

This sense of vulnerability, of having to figure out who you are and how you fit into the world is shared with the books second protagonist; a young woman named Avery Torres, who recently moved to the school to try to figure out her powers. Having lost both of her parents, and having left behind her girlfriend in order to attend the school Avery feels very isolated. She doesn't think there's much point to her staying longer than absolutely needed and becoming an X-Man, and because of this she's reluctant to make friends. Add on to that the strain of a long distance relationship, one in which her partner can tell that Avery is hiding something from her, and she's very much feeling close to empty.

Despite having very different lives, and very different outlooks on the world this story is very much about these two isolated and vulnerable people figuring out who they are, and who they want to be. They may not like each other much when the book begins, but through their interactions with each other, and their fates becoming more and more entwined Avery and Fantomex actually have a great effect on the other. They encourage the other to start thinking of themselves better, to start seeing the good in the world around them, and to start making connections. It's strange how the one ting both of them needed is the one thing they helped the other to see; perhaps we can only listen to our own good advice when it's coming from another.

It might seem like a strange choice to write a super hero story that puts fighting and action on the back burner, that spends its time having characters talk through their feelings or simply having fun together and bonding; but there are hundreds of books where heroes and villains fight each other if that's what you're after. This is something else, this is something a little special. It shows a human side to these characters, a vulnerability and complexity that is often left out of comics to make more room for explosions and fist fights. If you're after something a bit different, something that isn't just the standard comic book formula this is a book you're definitely going to want to read.

Buy Amy A Coffee

Go to Amy's Blog

Follow Amy on Twitter

Add Amy on Instagram

Asylum by Tamera Lawrence - Blog Tour

 

'Like all children living at Rose Hill Asylum, Kyle Hampton wanted freedom from the abusive staff and violent residents. When at nine he was adopted into a loving family, he left his younger brother behind and didn't look back. Twenty-eight years later, his choices have returned to haunt him.

'Now a family man, Kyle has hidden his true childhood from his wife, only to stir up the past when, as a lark, he revisits the underground tunnels and the abandoned asylum with a friend. A dark figure wants revenge and emerges ready to destroy Kyle and everyone he loves. But Kyle isn't going down without a fight—he's played in the shadows before. Will his childhood, rooted in terror, be what saves him? '

Kyle was born into Rose Hill Asylum, a home for mental and physically disabled people, as well as the children born to them. He and his brother, Roy, grew up in the frightening, sometimes violent, institution, doing their best to have as normal a life as they could. Despite looking out for each other the two boys would often be on the receiving end of abuse from some of the older children in the asylum, and lived in a state of near constant fear.

When Kyle is adopted by one of the men who volunteers at Rose Hill he thinks that all his problems are finally behind him; but he faces something awful, as he will have to leave his younger brother behind. Afraid that if he were to keep asking his new family to adopt his brother too he'd lose his new home, Kyle and his brother drift apart until finally losing all contact with each other.

Now an adult, Kyle returns to the long abandoned Rose Hill with his lifelong friend, and fellow former Rose Hill resident, Randy, to take a last look through the ruined hallways and rooms before it's sold off to a developer. Seeing the place begins to stir up memories in Kyle, as well as feelings of guilt over having to leave his brother all those years before. Not only that, but it seems like someone has started to follow Kyle and his family; someone who want to hurt him and the people he loves.

Asylum is a stand alone mystery from author Tamera Lawrence that centres around a man as his past comes back to haunt him, pushing his relationships with his friends and family to the breaking point in the process. Lawrence sets the tone for the book early, having the very first chapter of the book set in Kyle's past as he and his brother face violence at the hands of one of the older Rose Hill residents. It's a grim and foreboding start, one that shows that even in the moments where these young children tried to carve themselves out a bit of joy there was always the threat of something awful hanging over them.

This was a feeling that would continue over the course of the book, and would mount as the story unfolded. The reader was never really given a chance to rest, and even the most benign seeming scenes in the book, such as Kyle going to grab a beer with his friend, or him coming home from a long day at work to spend time with his wife and baby daughter, would keep the pressure on as there would be small mentions of trouble that was building, or that you'd see the strain beginning to form within these bonds.

And that's one of the main focuses of the book, the bonds that Kyle has with the people around him. He's upset that his relationship with his brother didn't last, and feels an awful guilt around that. We also see how these feelings of self recrimination have begun to affect his life at home, and how his relationship with his wife is starting to strain because of this and the added stress of having just given birth. Even his relationships with his adopted father gets called into question when Kyle discovers hidden things in his fathers home (though due to his father having recently suffered a stroke he's unable to go into things with him), as well as his oldest friend, who keeps creating conflict as Kyle is having to chose between him and his wife at various times.

Even the villain of the book is all about relationships. At first it's very unclear who this person, simply referred to as Stitches by himself, is and what they might want. But as the book unfolds and we see more chapters from Stitches' point of view we see hints that he's also being driven on to target Kyle and him family because of a personal connections, and a bond that was broken. The book is quite good at playing its cards close to its chest in regards to the villain, and whilst it does feel like it's intentionally leading you to make a wrong conclusion as to his real identity there is enough evidence for readers to figure it out before the climactic reveal.

Asylum was an interesting story, one that kept me guessing, and managed its dark and dour tone well without it feeling too overwhelming. The characters felt a lot like real people most of the time, and I found myself wanting to see more of Kyle and his family as I was hoping that things would work out for them all. With the Halloween season coming up this would be the perfect time to give this dark thriller a go.

Buy Amy A Coffee

Go to Amy's Blog

Follow Amy on Twitter

Add Amy on Instagram

Come Play - Film Review

 

Originally published on Set The Tape

Come Play tells the story of Oliver (Azhy Robertson), a non-verbal autistic child who communicates with his parents using his smart device. One night Oliver discovers a new app on his phone, ‘Misunderstood Monsters’. Loading up the app he finds a strange story about Larry, a twisted and monstrous looking creature that just wants a friend. Oliver is a made a little uneasy by the story, and this soon turns into fear as he believes something is in the house with him and his parents.

Over the course of the next few days Oliver keeps going back to the story, reading a little more, and the strange events keep on mounting. The lights in the house blow out, strange footsteps are heard, and his phone keeps thinking that there’s someone in the dark corners of his room. Soon, his parents become aware of the strange events, and have to find a way of protecting their son from the entity that’s breaking through into their world in order to take Oliver away.

Come Play is a pretty basic, by the book horror film, though one that has some good moments spread throughout. The story felt a little predictable at times, and there were points where I was predicting the scares that were coming, but despite sometimes being predictable it was never really dull.

A large part of the film’s charm is that it takes what’s a pretty ludicrous subject completely seriously. As with Poltergeist and The Ring before it, Come Play firmly places technology at the heart of the film, and uses tablets, mobile phones, and even televisions, as gateways for Larry to cross over into our world. This is actually a pretty frightening concept, especially when the film makes you realise how many screens and devices are around us almost constantly. It not only means that Larry always has a gateway into our world close to the people he’s after, but that he’s always able to watch us. And watch us he does. One of the cooler things the film does is show us Larry looking out of the devices at Oliver, peering through the screens at the boy he wants to befriend.

Larry himself is a pretty creepy monster, and to begin with it’s really effective. Towards the start of the film we hear him moving around, his heavy footsteps on the floor and his ragged breathing. The lights begin to go out whenever he’s near, and we get the occasional glimpse of some twisted humanoid figure through the screens of devices when people turn their cameras on. Sadly, the more we see of him the less frightening Larry becomes. Early on in the film we see the trash blow around in the wind suddenly hit and invisible figure and stop mid-air, and it’s pretty effective, but by the end we’re seeing a monster running around in full view, and it really does spoil some of the magic.

Another thing the film has going for it is a pretty solid cast. Azhy Robertson acts well in the role of Oliver, and the film seems to handle his autism in a decent way. Director Jacob Chase’s wife works with autistic kids, and Chase seems to have actually given some care over to the way Oliver is portrayed in the film. Though as someone who isn’t neurodivergent myself, I can’t say if it’s completely without issue.

Gillian Jacobs plays Sarah, Oliver’s mother, and whilst it’s a big departure from the stuff I’m most familiar with from her (Community and other comedy roles in particular) she plays the role well. Her character is something of an overprotective mother, one who clearly wants what’s best for her son, but perhaps going too far in her methods, leading him to feel somewhat isolated.

Come Play is a horror film with some good scares and moments that I really enjoyed, with a good cast of actors who seem to be trying their best to tell a story about issues of isolation and overbearing parents. Is it perfect? No. But, it’s still a pretty good way to spend an hour and a half.

Buy Amy A Coffee

Go to Amy's Blog

Follow Amy on Twitter

Add Amy on Instagram

Star Wars: The High Republic Adventures #8 – Comic Review

 

Originally published on Set The Tape

After a brief couple of issues following two of the young Padawans, Star Wars: The High Republic Adventures begins a new story arc; one that feels a lot closer to how the series began, exploring the conflict between the Jedi and the Nihil through childhood best friends Zeen Mrala and Krix Kamerat.

A brief warning needs to be given before people delve into this issue, however, as this new arc of the story takes place after two other entries in The High Republic cross-media saga. This new story follow on from both The Rising Storm by Cavan Scott, and Race To Crashpoint Tower by Daniel Jose Older, two novels in the series. If you’re up to date on these book then there’s nothing to worry about, but if like myself you’ve struggled to find the time to read all of the novels whilst keeping up with the comics you will get some spoilers, one of which is a reveal of a character death.

The comic picks up several months after the last time the Padawans have been together, and it really does look like time has passed for them. One of the things about this particular title that has been frustrating is knowing the age of the younger characters. In the first story arc Zeen, Krix, and all the others looked to be barely into their teens, possibly still around ten or eleven years old. They were fresh faced kids, whilst here they’ve definitely matured, especially Krix, who seems like a weathered young man in his late teens. I know that a lot of this is down to which artist is working on the book, but thanks to a few lines of dialogue dropped in this issue it really does feel like a long time has passed.

Unfortunately, this passage of time seems to have firmly entrenched Krix in with the Nihil, and he’s seen here leading raiding parties to try and kill Jedi. I’ve very much enjoyed how Older has been using these two childhood friends to show what each side of the conflict is like, but it’s getting to the point where I honestly don’t know if the two of them could ever resolve it. It very much seems like Krix has gone too far down a dark path; but then again, redemption has always been a big theme in Star Wars.

Outside of the existing characters this issue brings some new faces into the series. Ram Jomaram, who first appeared in Older’s novel Race To Crashpoint Tower, has joined proceedings, making his first appearance in comic form. It also seems like Ishnar Ti-Kharatal, who appeared in the previous arc as a member of the Hutt security forces on Nal Hutta, has joined our regular cast of teen characters, having travelled to Starlight Beacon with her new friends. These two are both very different characters to the rest of the cast, and I’m looking forward to seeing what they bring to the table, especially Ishnar, who has no connection to the force at all.

Possibly the coolest addition to this issue, however, is Jedi Sav Malagan. This is a character that was revealed in a review a while ago, and one that Older has revealed to be ‘the most bad-assed’ Jedi he’s ever written. And her introduction in this issue definitely seems to show that. A Kyuzo, the same species as fan favourite bounty hunter Embo, she wears a similar shield helmet, and wields a staff that can split in two to become twin purple bladed light sabres. Older gives her a hell of a first showing in this issue, and with promise of more to come from her next month I’m genuinely excited to see more of her.

The art on this issue is also really good, with Toni Bruno and Rebecca Nalty providing both the art and colours respectively. I think that whilst this might not be the favourite of the art styles that’s been used on the series so far it might be one of the better ones. Bruno draws the younger characters in a way they’ve never really looked before, and it’s thanks to this change that I’ve finally been able to see the kids as anything but ten year olds. The characters finally feel like teens, and the way he’s drawn Krix really sells the journey he’s been going on. Bruno also draws the action incredibly well, and the scene where Sav gets to cut loose is one of the best in the series so far.

Star Wars: The High Republic Adventures continues to be a strong book. It’s well written, the art is great, and it’s one of the most enjoyable and accessible part of The High Republic that’s around. I’m honestly loving this series.

Buy Amy A Coffee

Go to Amy's Blog

Follow Amy on Twitter

Add Amy on Instagram

The Paraod: A Very British Ghost Hunt - Movie Review

Originally published on Set The Tape

 

I’d never heard of The Parapod before starting this film: a podcast that has run for three series since 2015 to the present, and has been downloaded more than two million times, as well as having been nominated for awards, and winning the Midlands Comedy Awards ‘Best Online Comedy’ in 2016. Despite knowing nothing about the podcast, or its hosts Barry Dodds and Ian Boldsworth, who’s also doing double duty here as director, the film is incredibly accessible, and sets things out within the first few minutes before delving into the fun.

The premise of the movie is that Barry is a firm believer in the paranormal and ghosts, and is trying to provide evidence to sway staunch sceptic Ian. Over the course of the film the two of them will visit some of the most haunted locations in Britain, from the haunted ‘Screaming’ woods of Pluckley in Kent, to a witches’ coven in the vaults of Edinburgh, to the most active poltergeist in the world in Pontefract.

If you’re expecting a film that’s going to play out like an extra long episode of Ghost Hunters or Most Haunted you’re only partially right. Yes, the two of them visit some haunted locations, and Barry does try to collect evidence of the paranormal in these places, but it soon becomes obvious that he doesn’t really know what he’s doing. The dozens of static cameras, EMF detectors, voice recorders, and investigators that you get on ghost hunting shows aren’t present here, and after a while you begin to suspect that Barry is trying desperately to replicate their techniques with no real knowledge or practical experience.

His attempts are hampered somewhat by Ian, who is clearly there for a good time, and isn’t that willing to help Barry out. He makes jokes, plays pranks on Barry, and intentionally leads him to a point where he starts looking a bit silly. But, this is a big part of the charm of the film, and Ian’s near constant ribbing of his friend makes for some hilarious moments. Barry still can’t work out how Ian ‘moved’ their tent whilst he was sleeping in it by the end of the film, something that’s painfully obvious but baffles the poor man. And this isn’t even the meanest thing Ian does to him across the movie.

But the film isn’t just about Barry’s attempt to make his friend believe, as it also takes a look at belief itself, with a few talking head interviews thrown into the mix with people who are experts in the field. There are genuine moments of self reflection for the two, especially Barry, and there is a point where things descend into a full blown argument between the two of them as they finally clash over their beliefs.

Ultimately though, this is a pretty feel good movie, one that will have you laughing more than anything else. It’s a kind of movie that I think will appeal to people across the spectrum of paranormal belief. Some people will side with Barry, believing as he does even though he doesn’t collect a shred of evidence throughout the whole thing; whilst others will side with Ian, looking at Barry and what he’s doing as being ridiculous, because they just can’t believe in what he’s claiming. The film isn’t going to try and sway you to one side of the debate, but simply presents these two longtime friends and their little adventure in the hopes that it’s going to entertain  you; and it really does.

Podcasts are big business now, and several of them have already come to television, but The Parapod is the first to come to film, and that’s a hell of an achievement. A good, funny, and engaging movie that I’m sure will result in a lot of people checking out the podcast. Oh, and make sure to sit through the credits too, as the fun doesn’t stop until the very end.

Buy Amy A Coffee

Go to Amy's Blog

Follow Amy on Twitter

Add Amy on Instagram

When Things Get Dark by Ellen Datlow - Book Review

 

'A collection of new and exclusive short stories inspired by, and in tribute to, Shirley Jackson.

'Shirley Jackson is a seminal writer of horror and mystery fiction, whose legacy resonates globally today. Chilling, human, poignant and strange, her stories have inspired a generation of writers and readers. This anthology, edited by legendary horror editor Ellen Datlow, will bring together today’s leading horror writers to offer their own personal tribute to the work of Shirley Jackson.

'Featuring Joyce Carol Oates, Josh Malerman, Paul Tremblay, Richard Kadrey, Stephen Graham Jones, Elizabeth Hand, Cassandra Khaw, Karen Heuler, Benjamin Percy, John Langan, Laird Barron, M. Rickert, Seanan McGuire, and Genevieve Valentine.'

Shirley Jackson is one of the those names in literature where even if you've never read one of her works you'll have heard of her, or you'll have had one of her books recommended to you. She's written some amazing things, and she's inspired great work in others. This collection of short stories, edited by Ellen Datlow, brings together eighteen pieces that have been inspired by Shirley Jackson.

The collection brings together some great writers, some that I'd read before, others who I'd heard of but had yet to experience, and others who were completely new to me. The stories include 'Funeral Birds' by M. Rickert, 'For Sale by Owner' by Elizabeth Hand, 'In the Deep Woods; The Light is Different There' by Seanan McGuire, 'A Hundred Miles and A Mile' by Carmen Maria Machado, 'Quiet Dead Things' by Cassandra Khaw, 'Something Like Living Creatures' by John Langan, 'Money of the Dead' by Karen Heuler, 'Hag' by Benjamin Percy, 'Take Me, I Am Free' by Joyce Carol Oates, 'A Trip to Paris' by Richard Kadrey, 'The Party' by Paul Tremblay, 'Refinery Road' by Stephen Graham Jones, 'The Door in the Fence' by Jeffery Ford, 'Pear of Anguish' by Gemma Files, 'Special Meal' by Josh Malerman, 'Sooner or Later, Your Wife Will Drive Home' by Genevieve Valentine, 'Tiptoe' by Laird Barron, and 'Skinder's Veil' by Kelly Link.

Normally when writing about anthology collections I try to write a little about each story, if not going in depth into each one at least giving a sentence or two to show what it's about; but I found that this wasn't something I was going to be able to do with When Things Get Dark, as so many of the stories would be ruined by talking about what they're about, whilst others see so open to interpretation that even if I described it fully I'm not sure for certain that I could tell you what happened, or what was going to happen next. This was a theme I found across several of the stories, and it often left me wanting more from them so that I could try to figure out what was happening, and that I could find out what comes next.

'For Sale By Owner' by Elizabeth Hand is one of these kinds of stories. It follows a trip of friends who discover that they enjoy walking through people's holiday homes when they're left unlocked. Not there to steal anything or cause any harm, they simply get a strange kind of pleasure finding out what lies on the other side of doors they're not supposed to enter. When the three of them come across a huge old home up for sale by the owner they try the door and find it open. Coming up with a plan to stay there overnight in this wonderful house they'd all love to live in, the three of them sneak back after dark. Some unsettling things happen over the course of the night, but nothing majorly odd, until one of them sees something that seems to shatter her mind. I was so intrigued by this story, so drawn in by the mystery of what was going to happen and the slow unfolding of the plot that I was let down when it ended. I wanted to see more, I wanted to find out what this woman saw, what strange forces were at work in that house; but sadly that was not to be.

'Hag' by Benjamin Percy was very different from this, and very much told a complete story; even if it didn't feel the need to answer every question the reader might of had. It's centred around an investigative crime reporter who attends a crime scene with a body washed up on the beach, a body holding a small wooden seagull that she recognises. Travelling to a small island, with her young daughter who's stowed away in the back of her car, she tries to look into where the body might have come from, as well as having to confront a dark memory from her childhood. This story is incredibly creepy, and the remote island population doing odd things in the depth of winter is a great story element, especially when we begin to suspect there's dark, cult shenanigans going on. Whilst I wasn't disappointed by this particular story coming to an end I'd have loved to have seen it expanded upon; and it could have been the basis for an entire novel in itself.

'Money of the Dead' by Karen Heuler is very similar in some regards, in that it felt like a complete story, though one that I'd have loved to spend more time with. The story focuses on the elderly residents of an apartment building who wake up one morning to discover strange packages of money wrapped in red paper on their doorsteps. After discussions amongst themselves they come to the conclusion that the money is meant for the dead, and that perhaps they can buy something with it. Leaving the money out one night, with a note asking for a lost person to return, the residents are shocked when the dead return; especially when this miracle starts to take on a darker turn. This story feels like a monkey's paw kind of tale, one that's teaching people to be careful what they're wishing for, because sometimes the things that haunt our past can haunt us in the present too.

'Special Meal' by Josh Malerman is one of the most unusual stories in the book, less focused on ghosts and haunting themes as most of the others are, and instead imagines a world where maths is illegal. Set over the course of a family meal, we learn that this new world doesn't allow anyone to know maths or numbers, and that if they do they can be taken away. It's an incredibly interesting concept, and one that's brilliant to see Malerman try to convey, using language without any sense of numbers, and how hard it is to do so and how much it can slip through even when you're not talking about maths. It's definitely the most unique story in the collection.

There is so much to When Things Get Dark to like, so many stories with so many different themes and styles that it's hard to really pin the book down to one particular thing. Which I believe speaks to the versatility and skill of Shirley Jackson, about the type of fiction she wrote, and how how much her work has gone on to inspire others; making this a perfect celebration of her.

Buy Amy A Coffee

Go to Amy's Blog

Follow Amy on Twitter

Add Amy on Instagram

The Serpent and The Dead: A Marvel: Legends of Asgard Novel - Anna Stephens Interview

 

After reading through the latest Legends of Asgard release from Aconyte Books, The Serpent and The Dead, I sat down for a chat with the author, Anna Stephens. My review for the book can be found here.

Were you a fan of the Marvel Thor before writing this book, and if so what drew you to the comics and the stories?

I didn’t grow up in a family that appreciated comics, and so they never featured as a part of my childhood. As a result, I came to Marvel via the movies, of which I’m a big fan, and from there through generally making myself more familiar with the MCU I learnt of some characters – Valkyrie and Lady Sif being two – who hadn’t (in my opinion) received the big screen love they deserved. Therefore, it was a genuine thrill to get to write a brand new adventure centred on them and I hope it brings them to a wider audience. 

With so much history around these characters to draw upon did it ever feel hard to know what you wanted to explore or what characters and creatures you wanted to bring into your narrative?

Working with Aconyte Books and Marvel is a really collaborative process. I knew I wanted to write female characters and I wanted to show them in a positive but ‘real’ way – unafraid of their emotions and embracing of their vulnerabilities as well as their strengths. To then be given the opportunity to write a team-up as epic as Lady Sif and Valkyrie was a dream come true, and I wanted to be able to draw on their long history of rivalry and friendship to add real depth to the characters and also provide the potential for a point of strain in their relationship during their quest. 

As for the ultimate enemy they face, I didn’t want to pick one of the most common villains, and I enjoyed working out how the powers of that villain could impact our heroines. 

Your book has a small team of heroes leading the narrative, and it’s the first time in the Legends of Asgard series where it’s been an all female team. Was this something you knew you wanted to do from the outset, or was this dictated through the story you wanted to tell?

As mentioned above, the creation of the story is a collaborative process, and so there was a list of characters available to choose from. It was actually my amazing editor Lottie’s idea to team up Sif with Valkyrie, and I then added in Inge to give the more ‘ordinary’ perspective in that she isn’t a goddess and so, despite being an experienced and talented warrior, she doesn’t move, heal or think the way the others do. This provided a useful foil for the other two, and was also a reminder for me as I was drafting the novel that what is normal for them wouldn’t be normal for others. I found that juxtaposition fascinating and wanted to explore it. 

The book has some queer representation, thanks to the relationship between Brunnhilde and Inge. This often feels like something that’s not just lacking in regular fiction, but super hero fiction too. What motivated you to include it here?

It was a very simple decision: Brunnhilde the Valkyrie is canonically bisexual, so for me I was always going to centre that as a key part of her identity, and the easiest way to do it without getting into lengthy exposition about how a bisexual woman dating a man is still a bisexual, I just gave her a girlfriend. Also, I’m sorry, but Inge is just super cool and it would have a been a tragedy not to have her in the book! 

I also wanted to explore how the relationship between a mortal and immortal might work, and so the idea of giving her a female lover addressed both those factors at the same time. And you’re absolutely right, there’s not enough LGBTQ+ representation in entertainment media, or if there is, those characters almost never live to the end of the show/film/book. Having a team of three women, two immortal and one of those in a relationship with the third, who is mortal, made for both a great story and I felt more accurately represented the real friendships and relationships that I see around me. 

Superhero fiction is nearly all superhero, not superheroine, and I had no interest in giving Brunnhilde a male lover, even though it would have been fun to mess with the gender expectations that came with him deferring to both Sif and his girlfriend during the quest. 

One thing that I liked about this book was that where in other entries in the series that the nature of the quest felt very different, these weren’t characters trying to clear their name, or sneaking off to try and gain glory, but people tasked with a mission by their leaders to help save the kingdom. How did you go about making such a story still feel personal to the characters?

It was harder to centre the idea of personal stakes for Sif than it was for Brunnhilde. As the leader of the valkyrior, discovering that she and her sisters have been failing in their duty to escort the slain souls to Valhalla strikes at the very core of who she believes herself to be. Because of that, Brunnhilde was always going to be deeply invested in the quest, but then I also wanted to throw up the challenge of her duty and her personal feelings being in opposition, which is why Inge ends up in the situation she does. 

For Sif, duty to Asgard is how she tries to prove her worth to everyone, including herself, but we did wonder whether that was enough motivation for her to be prepared to defy Thor if he forbade her from going on the quest. So, although I dislike fridging female characters to provide motivation, we decided that Sif losing a good friend would provide sufficient impetus that her reckless impetuosity would come to the fore, which in turn provided another source of tension between her and Brunnhilde, changing their dynamic and jeopardising their chances of success.

The book features some really quite frightening moments, and the nature of the threat facing Asgard is quite horrific, did you find it easy to bring an element of horror to the story?

Ha, thank you! In my other author life, I do write battle-heavy epic fantasy, so my struggle was really in toning down a lot of the fight scenes. I believe the threat always needs to equal or preferably exceed the determination of the characters fighting to defeat it. There needs to be a real element of doubt as to whether they’re equal to the task so that the reader can really visualise what might happen if they fail. It ups the stakes helps them invest more heavily in the story, which I thought was particularly important with a superheroine story – they can’t win too easily. 

I also really like playing with expectations and surprising my characters in the most awful ways possible, because I’m a terrible person… 

Was writing for a pre-existing property like Marvel a different process than other books that you’ve worked on?

It is very different in that I’m always conscious that there are only so many ways I can present characters that have existed in various forms for an extremely long time. It feels a bit like being trusted with something very precious and asked to both preserve it and present it in a new and exciting way at the same time. Which is a big ask! 

With my own work, I can do whatever I like to my characters, and woe to any readers who think any of them are safe. 

Fortunately, I also write for Black Library in their Age of Sigmar and Warhammer Horror IPs, so I’m used to sticking to guidelines that have been set for me. There’s a challenge that comes with colouring inside the lines of existing characters, so to speak, and a freedom that comes with choosing which colours to use where. 

Are there any other Marvel heroes that you’d like to write for?

Ooh, lots! I really enjoyed giving Sif and Brunnhilde the prominence they deserve where the story and the quest is theirs, rather than given to the traditional (male) heroes. Because I write epic fantasy, I’m particularly suited to Asgardians, I think, but if I was ever going to delve into the modern era heroes, I think I’d have a lot of fun with a She-Hulk book. 

What can we look forward to seeing from you in the future?

I’m at the extremely early stages of tossing about some ideas for another Marvel book, but nothing that I can talk about at the moment. 

Other than that, the second book in my Songs of the Drowned trilogy – which began with The Stone Knife – is due out in 2022, as is a Black Library project that hasn’t yet been announced so I can’t talk about yet! 

I also have a Patreon account where I write a short piece of original fiction each month, as well as providing drafting updates and discussing the editing process for longer works. 

Buy Amy A Coffee

Go to Amy's Blog

Follow Amy on Twitter

Add Amy on Instagram

The Serpent and The Dead: A Marvel: Legends of Asgard Novel by Anna Stephens - Book Review

 

'In The Serpent and the Dead, Brunnhilde the Valkyrie, the fearsome Asgardian warrior entrusted with conveying worthy souls to the heroes’ afterlife, stalks a battlefield finding only empty husks. Yet the souls are not already in Valhalla, or the lesser afterworlds—they have vanished.

'She enlists the aid of the valiant Lady Sif, and together they scour Asgard for answers. Rumours abound of towns being attacked by a horde of soldiers who cannot be killed. Someone is building an immortal army and stealing Asgardian souls… A worthy challenge for two of Asgard’s mightiest champions!'

The Legends of Asgard novels have been a ton of fun; focusing on the more fantastical element of the Marvel Universe, where gods fight monsters and travel to different realms, they've read more as mythological fantasy than super hero books, and as such have really stood out against other Marvel prose novels. The third entry in this series sees the return of Lady Sif, who we followed in The Head of Mimir, who teams up with the Valkyrie Brunnhilde to find out who's been stealing the souls of the honoured dead of Asgard.

Whilst battling forces encroaching on the borders of Asgard Sif sees one of her friends fall in battle. This is something that causes her grief, but she also knows that her friend will receive a heroes place in the afterlife, getting to go to Valhalla, so when the Valkyrie Brunnhilde tells her that her soul was snatched away before it could be escorted to the afterlife Sif in enraged.

Determined to discover who is behind this awful crime, Sif asks Thor to allow her to investigate. He agrees, but insists that Brunnhilde must accompany her on her quest. Together with Inge, Brunnhilde's lover, they head to the very borders of Asgard, prepared to travel into the realms beyond in their search for answers. However, upon reaching one of the border towns they discover their task might be even more complicated than they first thought, as the three women learn that creatures called Deathless, hulking, unkillable monstrosities, have been invading the realm.

Now Sif and Brunnhilde must fight through this army of monsters into the frozen wastes of Jotunheim in order to find out who's behind it. Are Sif's suspicions correct, is this the latest plot by the trickers god Loki? Or is there something much darker at play behind the scenes?

One of the things that immediately felt different about this book to the other entries in the Legends of Asgard series is that the nature of the quest felt very different. In the first book, The Head of Mimir, Sif and Heimdal were setting out to clear their name after it looked like they'd betrayed their kingdom; and in The Sword of Surtur Tyr was engaging in his own quest to make himself a hero. Both of these stories saw our heroes working outside their regular bounds, one with them being fugitives, the other with is being a secret, unsanctioned mission. This time Sif and Brunnhilde are sent out on their quest by the rulers of Asgard, in a mission that is for the benefit of the entire realm.

This simple change alters the entire feel of the story, and whilst the two of them do do a lot of sneaking around, like in the other books, this is only a small part of the story. It opens the scope of the book somewhat, and feels more like the stories we hear of knights and brave warriors being sent out on quests by their kings.

The other big change that this book sees over the other two in the series is that the core cast is all female. Whilst this doesn't make too much of a difference on a surface inspection, the women of Asgard being just as brave and capable warriors as the men, it's in the small moments where we get to see how this plays out differently. There are moments where Sif and Bunnhilde's minds are being manipulated by their enemy, where they're being made to feel emotions that aren't their own. Instead of being stoic and keeping their feelings beneath the surface they admit to each other that they're frightened, that their emotions are all over the place. They discuss how their feelings aren't right, and this helps the two of them to watch each other's backs and overcome this magic. They admit that the men they know wouldn't be so open, and this shows how in this case an all female team actually ends up being the best thing for this situation.

The story also has some great queer representation as Brunnhilde's partner is another woman, a shield maiden names Inge, and it's never once commented upon. Nothing is made of this same sex relationship by any of the other characters. There's no scene of them being looked down upon for loving another woman, and none of the issues or worries that queer people in the real world face are present here. Their relationship is treated as no different from a heterosexual one, and it's wonderful. This is how all relationships should be treated, but it's especially delightful to see it for a queer one.

The Serpent and The Dead is also a comic book novel too, so it is of course packed with action sequences as our two warrior leads battle against hordes of enemies in their quest to bring this evil to an end. These moments are spaced throughout the book pretty well, and there's a good balance between the quiet, character driven scenes and the moments where Sif and Bunnhilde are battling for their lives.

Overall this proves to be a great addition to the ever expanding roster of Marvel prose novels that Aconyte Books are producing, and might be my favourite of the Legends of Asgard line so far. The story is interesting and grand in scope, yet manages to stay focused on these two warriors and keeps the focus on their journey and the trials that they go through. An ideal read for any Marvel fan, and anyone who likes stories with powerful female leads.

Buy Amy A Coffee

Go to Amy's Blog

Follow Amy on Twitter

Add Amy on Instagram

Terraforming Mars: In The Shadow of Deimos by Jane Killick - Book Review

 

'Mars is the new frontier for humanity, as we launch an epic saga of inspiring planetary exploration set in the award-winning Terraforming Mars boardgame

'Mars, 2316. The recently created Terraforming Committee arbitrates the dramatic development of Mars by powerful rival corporations. When a rogue asteroid crashes into a research center and kills its lone technician, the fragile balance between corporations is shattered. The World Government’s investigation into the accident reveals a multitude of motives, while a corporation insider stumbles on a dark conspiracy. Two Martians with very different agendas must navigate a trail of destruction and treachery to uncover the truth and expose those responsible, before Mars falls to Earth’s corruption. As lines blur between progress and humanity, Mars itself remains the biggest adversary of all.'

Whilst I've been familiar with a number of the franchises that Aconyte Books have been producing novels for Terraforming Mars is a game that I've never played before, and knew next to nothing about going into this book. As such, I got to experience this new novel not as a fan of the game, but someone coming to it completely fresh; and as a science fiction mystery it absolutely rocks.

The story of Terraforming Mars: In The Shadow of Deimos takes place in a future where the Earth isn't doing well. Thanks to an increasing population, ever expanding global pollution, and rampant corporate corruption life on Earth is harder than it's ever been. It has also led to the move to try to change Mars into a planet capable of supporting human life in large numbers. As such, several corporations have come to Mars, with various plans and techniques, to try and make the planet liveable. 

One of these corporations is ThorGate, a group who are working to construct a brand new city and research centre where they will try to grow specially adapted plants to try to increase the amount of oxygen on the planet. Luka is one of the new indentured workers for ThorGate, having travelled to Mars to help construct the new city and escape the demons of his past. Shortly after arriving on Mars, however, the research station is hit by a falling asteroid.

The asteroid was no mere chance impact, however, as it was being smashed into the surface of the planet by a rival corporation. However, instead of landing at the designated coordinates it appears that the asteroid split in two, with one of the pieces hitting the research station, killing a ThorGate employee. With people demanding answers, Julie Outerbridge the head of the United Nations Mars Initiative, is assigned to find out how the accident happened. With Julie looking into the mystery, and Luka delving into the life of his dead coworker, the two of them stumble upon a plot involving multiple corporations that could forever change the face of Mars.

As I said earlier, I've not played Terraforming Mars, and as such have no idea how the game is played, or what the general goals of the game are. However, assuming that players take on the roles of the different mega corporations trying to convert Mars I was a little surprised to see that the book didn't really focus so much on the various methods and sciences of how these groups go about doing this, but what soon becomes a murder mystery set in space. However, I do think this approach is the much better idea, allowing new people such as myself an easy way into the universe and the complex mythology without feeling like you're being overwhelmed.

It also helps that the cast of characters are really well written, and feel like nice, relatable people for the most part; especially Luka and Julie. The two of them are our main windows into this world, we follow them as they investigate what has happened, and it's via them that we get a sense of what this universe is like. Despite coming from the book from very different places the two of them both have a keen determination for justice to prevail, something that seems to be of short supply on a planet with no real laws and no way to enforce said laws. There's no police or investigators to look into what could be an accident, but could be an elaborate murder, and the people who do wield power are high up corporate workers who have little to no care about the people under them.

Much of the plot of the book feels like a ball of tangled string, with the plots weaving in and out of each other, intersecting at different points, wrapping around each other, and so entangled that to begin with you can't see a clear path. But Jane Killick does an excellent job at leading you through this tangle, at showing you small snippets of the path that allow you to begin to figure things out. This is especially done well as we discover information with Luka that sheds light onto Julie's investigation, but as the two characters have not spoken to each other and revealed their findings yet we get to feel like we're figuring it out before they do.

Mars itself also gets to play a big part in the story, becoming something of a character in its own right. The planet feels dangerous and hostile, and there are moments where you're genuinely worried about the survival of the characters as they're put into some frightening conflict with the remote, deadly planet. But it also feels strangely beautiful and wonderful as well as dangerous, and Killick manages to make it feel like a place you'd want to visit if you were able. She manages to create an otherworldly beauty to the descriptions of the place that help you to understand why someone would be willing to leave everything behind, to never be able to return home to Earth, just for a chance to walk on this other world.

Terraforming Mars: In The Shadow of Deimos is a book that took me in some unexpected directions, that not only introduced me to a whole new game universe, but made me deeply intrigued about it. I came away from this book wanting to learn more, to discover more about the kinds of people that would make their homes on Mars, the corporations that would try to alter it and the science they use, and to spend more time on this strangely beautiful world. I can't wait to see what else gets made in this franchise.

Buy Amy A Coffee

Go to Amy's Blog

Follow Amy on Twitter

Add Amy on Instagram

Blossom by Laura Dockrill - Book Review

 

'Blossom has grown up surrounded by the beautiful pants and flowers from her family's market stall. The stall was started by her grandparents, Tutu and Pops, who passed it on to Blossom's parents. It's a magical place where customers come to find flowers for all occasions - from celebrating love to offering comfort in times of sorrow. But now the stall is at risk as Blossom's parents argue about the future. an Blossom find a way to cope with the dramatic changes that are happening around her - and can she save the flower stall?'

Blossom tells the story of a young girl whose life is changed following the sudden death of her beloved grandparents, and how the legacy they have left behind comes close to breaking her struggling family apart.

Shortly after starting the book we learn that Blossom and her family have recently been through a tragedy; their beloved grandmother, Tutu, fell ill, so ill that there was nothing that could be done to save her. Shortly after she passed away her husband, Pops, passed on too, dying from a broken heart. I was honestly surprised to see a children's book so openly dealing with a subject like grief, to tackle death and loss in such a head-on manner; but this was just the beginning of what proved to be a number of heavy subjects that Laura Dockrill would cover in the book.

After losing Tutu and Pops, Blossom and her parents inherited their beloved plants, plants which soon filled their small flat. More importantly, however, they also inherited the market stall that they'd owned for more than fifty years. A long standing part of the local flower market, Blossom's dad is determined to keep the stall running. Unfortunately, this results in a lot of work for him and his wife; work that comes at a bad time as Blossom's mum had recently quit her job to go back to college to chase her dream of becoming a scientist.

With the flower stall taking up all of their time, and Blossom's mother having to work late into the night to try to even keep up with her school work, her parents relationship begins to fray at the edges. Despite them trying to keep this from Blossom she can see that her parents are struggling, and when they end up being caught in a full argument by Blossom she learns that her mother has given her father an ultimatum, get rid of the stall, or lose her.

With the stall meaning everything to Blossom, with her hope and dreams for the future being tied up into it, she feels betrayed by her mother, she fears that her family is going to fall apart, and she's worried that the thing that connects her to her lost grandparents is about to be lost forever. Now Blossom's determined to find a way of saving the stall, as well as keeping her family together.

Blossom not only deals with grief, as very evidently laid out early on in the book, but deals with the often unspoken about topic of fracturing family. We often see media aimed at kids featuring separated parents, but this usually tends to be family that has already split apart. Blossom, in contrast, puts the readers into the middle of family turmoil. Blossom actually sees the moment her mother and father come to the realisation that they might separate, and it's something that breaks her emotionally.

We get to see the effect that this has on Blossom, we see the myriad of emotions that flood through her, the pain she feels, the sense of betrayal. She centres herself and her own concerns and has to come to see how her parents are their own people, with their own dreams and goals who have already sacrificed a lot and just want some happiness. In a lot of ways the book shatters that childhood illusion that children have about being the centre of the world, and Blossom does a lot of growing up over the course of the book.

The story isn't all emotional turmoil though, as there's a lot of fun to be had whilst reading this. Dockrill goes out of her way to try and fill the pages with a sense of fun and wonder, and makes you look at the beauty of plants in a new way. It helps to balance out the darker moments, and shows how life itself is varied and how light and dark are both things that you have to live with.

There are also some great illustrations scattered throughout the book, provided by Sarah Ogilvie. Ogilvie's style works wonderfully with the story, and each illustration is filled with wild and wonderful plants and flowers that loom over the characters.

Blossom is a book that had a lot more substance to it than I was expecting, but it's dealing with some important and often unspoken topics. I think it's important that kids not only know that thing like family loss and the break down of relationships happen, but that if they do happen it's something that isn't your fault, and that life can go on afterwards. I think for these reasons Blossom is going to be one of those books that sticks with the reader for a long while afterwards, and one that will mean a lot to young readers.

Buy Amy A Coffee

Go to Amy's Blog

Follow Amy on Twitter

Add Amy on Instagram