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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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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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Monday, 11 November 2019

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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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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Tuesday, 5 November 2019

Snakeskins by Tim Major - Book Review

It's been six months to the day that Tim Major's sci-fi thriller Snakeskins hit shelves. This is the perfect opportunity for anyone who missed out on this great release to check it out.

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‘Caitlin Hext’s first shedding ceremony is imminent, but she’s far from prepared to produce a Snakeskin clone. When her Skin fails to turn to dust as expected, she must decide whether she wishes the newcomer alive or dead. Worse still, it transpires that the Hext family may be of central importance to the survival of Charmers, a group of people with the inexplicable power to produce duplicates every seven years and, in the process, rejuvenate. In parallel with reporter Gerry Chafik and government aide Russell Handler, Caitlin must prevent the Great British Prosperity Party from establishing a corrupt new world order.’

Snakeskins tells three intertwining stories within a version of Britain where the country has closed itself off to the outside world, and where society is run and shaped by an elite few. Whilst this scenario may seem very, very familiar and has obvious connotations to what the country is going through at the moment, Snakeskins adds a sci-fi twist to the tale.

The world of Snakeskins differs from our own due to The Fall: an event that caused a branching history. A phenomena that resulted in a small group of people, called Charmers, gaining the ability to ‘shed’ every seven years, to create a duplicate of themselves that would allow them to rejuvenate. Whilst these copies, Snakeskins as they become known, usually only last a few moments we discover over the course of the book that this is not always the case.

One of the main characters, Caitlin Hext, is drawn into a dark world of corrupt government and secret history when her Snakeskin doesn’t fade away. At the same time a journalist, Gerry Chafik, begins to look deeper into Charmer society, whilst a low level government aide called Russell Handler is recruited to investigate a possible conspiracy.

The three stories in Snakeskins are all incredibly well told, and could easily be the sole focus of the book, yet by combining all three of them into one bigger, more diverse narrative Tim Major not only tells very personal, human stories, but crafts a deeper world. This is a United Kingdom that is somewhat recognisable, yet has taken its own path, and for the most part feels like something from the past, rather than being set a year from now.

Whilst the world of Snakeskins is incredibly interesting, and there’s still enough left untold here that Major could easily write more books within this universe to expand upon these concepts, it’s the personal stories that really make the book stand out.

Russell’s journey over the course of the story is an enjoyable one, as he goes from a timid personal assistant to a government minister, to discovering that he has depths of bravery that he didn’t know existed. However, he never feels too brave, managing to avoid falling into the category of ‘hero’. He is more like a man who was doing what he was doing from a sense of duty and honour, despite being terrified the whole time. He manages to remain grounded and real throughout.

The strongest character, however, is Caitlin. For Caitlin her first shedding ceremony isn’t just a milestone into becoming a Charmer, but acts as a gateway into her adulthood. Her shedding is the second one we see in the book, but it has an impact because of how emotional and heartfelt a moment it is. We ignore the spectacle of the Snakeskin coming into being and focus on the emotion it holds for Caitlin. Despite how big her story gets, and how it will go on to shape the world, we never leave this emotional journey, we follow the effects that her shedding has upon her, how coming to accept her Snakeskin changes her as a person, and how she grows and matures from this. Snakeskins might be a great sci-fi story with a conspiracy mystery at its heart, but it’s also an amazing coming of age story about a wonderfully written young woman.

Snakeskins has so much more in it than you might first imagine. It’s packed full of slowly revealed alternate history, it has mystery that unfolds at a great pace, and characters who aren’t superheroes but real people with believable motivations and personal stories. I read Snakeskins in one day because I couldn’t put it down, but the story, the world, and those who inhabit it will stay with me much, much longer.

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Tuesday, 29 October 2019

Alien: Prototype by Tim Waggoner - Book Review

'When an industrial spy steals a Xenomorph egg, former Colonial Marine Zula Hendricks must prevent an alien from killing everyone on an isolated colony planet. Venture, a direct rival to the Weyland-Yutani corporation, will accept any risk to crush the competition. Thus, when a corporate spy "acquires" a bizarre, leathery egg from a hijacked vessel, she takes it directly to the Venture testing facility on Jericho 3.

'Though unaware of the danger it poses, the scientists there recognize their prize's immeasurable value. Early tests reveal little, however, and they come to an inevitable conclusion. They need a human test subject...

'ENTER ZULA HENDRICKS. A member of the Jericho 3 security staff, Colonial Marines veteran Zula Hendricks has been tasked with training personnel to deal with anything the treacherous planet can throw their way. Yet nothing can prepare them for the horror that appears--a creature more hideous than any Zula has encountered before. Unless stopped, it will kill every human being on the planet.'

Alien: Prototype is the latest entry in the ever expanding Titan Books Alien universe, and much like those that has come before it, it brings an excellent level of quality and creativity to the story. I imagine it can sometimes be hard to come up with an Alien story that would manage to feel new and interesting, after-all, the nature of the titular monsters means that it's hard to add agency or character to the antagonists, and a lot of Alien stories are variations on monster loose on a ship/station/colony. Tim Waggoner, however, has managed to create one of the most interesting and uniquely creative variations of the Xenomorph I've ever seen.

Tying in to Dark Horse Comic stories such as Aliens: Defiance and Aliens:Resistance, as well as previous Titan Books novel Alien: Isolation, the story here follows the character of Zula Hendricks, a former Colonial Marine who has made it her mission to destroy every Xenomorph in existence.

Set between the events of the Dark Horse Comics, before Zula eventually reunites with Amanda Ripley, Alien: Prototype sees Zula taking a break from her mission to kill aliens, having taken a job with Venture, a rival company to Weyland-Yutani. She's taken on the job of training up the security personnel at The Lodge, a research and development facility on the planet Jericho 3. Chiefly designed to develop new colonisation tech, the The Lodge also has a biological research facility, where one of their scientists has just received an alien egg.

The initial set up of the story, of a shady corporation having received an alien specimen to study is fairly standard fare in the Alien universe, but it's what happens to the Xenomorph from that point that makes this story truly stand out. The scientist in charge of studying the Xenomorph uses a colonist that's had a history of agreeing to medical trials to play host to the creature. This is a slight difference already, as these kinds of stories usually involve the corporations kidnapping people and implanting them against their will, so the idea of having someone agree to a 'medical trial' without knowing what that means for them is actually kind of a fun twist. However, it also adds a wrinkle to the alien's development.

The man who signs up to the experiment has previously been infected with cellular necrosis, a highly infectious disease that eats away at the victims body. Thankfully, the trial led to a cure for the disease and the man survived. But, this means that the virus is still in his system, and this ends up incorporated into the Xenomorphs biology. We've seen that the hosts can affect how the Xenomorph develops in the past, the dog/ox alien in Alien 3 being a prime example, but this might be one of the most unique and creative variations. The Xenomorph has the cellular necrosis as a major part of its biology, giving it a diseased look, and covering it in large barnacle like pustules that are able to shoot out acidic black goo that infect people with the disease. The alien is also able to cough out clouds of spoors from its inner mouth that are able to transmit the necrosis in an airborne manner. This alteration of the Xenomorph leads to the characters dubbing it the Necromorph.

As I said earlier, it can be hard to make the alien stand out as different in these stories, and it's often the setting or human characters that add variation, but that's not the case here. Here, Waggoner has created one of the most stand out aliens I can think of. This isn't the same kind of creature but with a funny shaped head, or that runs around on all fours instead of two legs; this is a Xenomorph that has entirely new instincts, that struggles between its desire to create more of itself and use humans as hosts, and its desire to spread the virus. It's one of the most daring and creative changes to the alien I think I've ever seen. And I absolutely love it.

It's not just the new Necromorph that's great, however, as the human cast of the book is brilliant too. Zula is, as always, a great lead character. A former Colonial Marine who ended up severely wounded on her first mission, she's a woman that has had to not only fight the Xenomorphs, but her own disability too. As someone who is disabled, and lives in near constant pain, I really appreciated having a character who has to deal with similar issues as the main focus. Yes, Zula has had operations to help repair the trauma she suffered, and gone through physiotherapy, but she's still living with the pain left over from her injuries, as well as the psychological scars it left her. Add onto that that she's also a woman of colour and she might be one of the best protagonists in the entire Alien universe.

Of course, not everyone in the Alien universe can be as good and noble as Zula, otherwise there'd be no evil corporations looking to exploit the Xenomorphs. Here we get three characters that really capture the despicable and self centred nature of the mega corporations in the Alien universe. Tamar Prather is a corporate spy who's responsible for getting Venture the alien egg to begin with, but her own greed leads her to get herself killed. Aleta Fuentes is the woman who runs The Lodge, agreeing to allow illegal and unethical experimentation, and tries to lie and manipulate her way out of any blame that could come from higher up in the company. And Millard Gagnon is the scientist who is willing to do anything it takes to get the results he wants, even if it means sacrificing innocent people in the name of 'science'. All three of them are horrible people, though for different reasons, and you'll find yourself routing for them to end up getting killed during the course of the book.

Alien: Prototype is not only a great addition to the Titan Books Alien series, but a bold and unique addition to the whole Alien franchise. It does something with the alien creature that hasn't been done before, and is brilliantly creative. It has great human characters at the centre of the story that you'll be rooting to see live, and some who you'll be eager to see meet a horrible end. This is the perfect novel for any Alien fans.

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Thursday, 24 October 2019

Shades of Magic: The Steel Prince – Night of Knives by V. E. Schwab – Book Review

Originally published on Set The Tape

Shades of Magic: The Steel Prince – Night of Knives returns readers to the amazing world of the Shades of Magic series, once again exploring the past of King Maxim, and shedding light upon some of his greatest exploits.

Having already defeated the Pirate Queen of the Blood Coast in the previous volume of the series, Maxim is trying to turn the royal guard of Verose into a group of ‘real’ soldiers. He’s fed up with their lax attitudes and wants to further prove himself to his father, King Nokil, by making them into a guard worthy of honour and recognition.

Unfortunately, many of the royal guard in the city still don’t feel like Maxim belongs there. They see him as something of a spoiled brat, given his position because of his birth, not because he’s actually earned it. Whilst Maxim believed that slaying the Pirate Queen would have won him some respect with his men it seems like it’s not enough to make him the leader he wants to be.

When Maxim learns about the mysterious Night of Knives, a series of trials that prove the bravery and power of those who survive, he believes that he’s found his way of gaining the respect of his men and earning his place as their leader.

The Night of Knives is a great concept. Pitting Maxim against a series of trials that are designed to test him to his limits is a brilliant way of putting the character on a path of self discovery, which seems to ultimately be what the series is about. Yes, we’re learning more about the character and how he became a legend, but ultimately it seems to be about him learning to become a real leader, discovering the qualities that he’ll need in order to be a good king one day.

The trials themselves are pretty fun and inventive. The first trial requires Maxim to use his magic to navigate a death trap, whilst the second is purely about survival whilst stripped of powers. The third trial is something of a classic story trope, the hero having to face a manifestation of their own fears. Schwab herself acknowledges it’s a trope in the included interview, but she’s managed to avoid making it feel too cliched or done before, instead making it feel like a natural progression of the trials rather than something thrown in because it’s expected.

The final trial is something that’s a little unexpected, and in all honesty is a slight twist in the story. I’m not going to say much about it as I don’t want to ruin the ending, but I will say that it was really good and set up possible things to come in the future. I’m also a little angry at myself for not seeing part of it coming. If you know the rules of the Shades of Magic universe then there’s something that happens you can pick up on if you’re paying enough attention; but then V.E. Schwab is clever enough to not make it too obvious and telegraph what’s going to come.

There’s been a change of artists between volume one and this book, with Budi Setiawan joining in the art duties with Andrea Olimpieri. Honestly, even with the book telling you which artist worked on which issue it’s hard to notice much of a difference between the two of them. Sometimes when a comic changes artists mid-story it can be a really jarring art style shift, and it can draw you out of the narrative, but here the two artists work brilliantly together to produce a book that feels like one cohesive whole.

The designs they make for the new characters introduced in the book, such as the ‘psychotic magic blade for hire’ Rio, are great, and fit into the already established aesthetic whilst managing to look fresh and distinct. The trials also have brilliant designs and whilst the notion of magical trials isn’t a new one they’re presented here in a way that feels unique.

Shades of Magic: The Steel Prince – Night of Knives is the perfect continuation of the story of the Steel Prince, and manages to not just be as entertaining as the first volume, but ups the ante on character development, universe building, and interesting antagonists. Fans of the Shades of Magic universe will of course love the book, and even those new to the story will be able to entertained throughout.

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Wednesday, 23 October 2019

October Faction: Open Season – Book Review

Originally published on Set The Tape

October Faction is a new series coming to Netflix, that follows the adventures of a globetrotting family of monster hunters. The series is based on a comic book written by Steve Niles, and drawn by Damien Worm. With the series on the way IDW have put together a new bumper book containing the first twelve issues of the series, October Faction: Open Season.

October Faction: Open Season introduces readers to the Allen family. There’s the college professor Fred, his wife Deloris, and their teenage kids Geoff and Viv. Fred used to be a monster hunter, but has since left that life behind for his family, but this has led to a less than perfect family life. His wife has become somewhat distant from him and the two of them hardly speak, and his children want desperately to follow in his footsteps and become monster hunters; something that he is dead set against.

This boring life gets thrown out of balance, however, when an old enemy of Fred’s, Merle Cope, arrives in town and meets with Deloris. This sets off a series of events that makes Fred and his family the target of a number of supernatural threats, brings them closer together as a family, and even brings some strange new additions into their ‘October Faction’.

Despite being a hefty twelve issues long the book is really an introduction to the world and the Allen family. It’s not until the end of the 12th issue that it actually feels like they’ve all finally come together as a team and descided to make hunting monsters their mission. And you know what? It’s actually really good.

A lot of comics, especially ones that have a team, tend to have the set-up happen quite quickly. Normally by the end of issue six a team comes together and has set out on their mission to do good. October Faction: Open Season takes its time with setting up the characters and the world. It knows that this isn’t an established universe that fans already know, with recognisable characters, so it doesn’t rush laying the groundwork. We get to know the characters, their motivations, their back stories, and the narrative is better for it.

The characters are a varied and interesting group, and the members that come from outside the family to join them are actually some of the more interesting; though I don’t want to say much about them as I wouldn’t want to spoil any of the surprises. The story also touches upon a much larger world, making it bigger than just Gristlewood, and giving hints to readers about the kind of creatures and adventures the heroes might have to face in further volumes.

The artwork helps a lot with this too, with Damien Worm taking on a much more muted look through many of these early parts of the book. He doesn’t go for big splashy backgrounds that the characters get lost in, instead making the people the focus of panels. He creates artwork that captures the look and feel of the world, often full of atmosphere, but a lot of the time there’s actually nothing in the panel except the characters. But, unlike some artists this doesn’t stand out in a bad way.

October Faction: Open Season is a great introduction to the comic series, and I’m certainly going to be checking out more of it now. Plus, I’m really interested to see what the Netflix adaptation is going to be like and what things they change. A great horror comic chock full of interesting characters, fun creatures, and some great writing and artwork.

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Tuesday, 22 October 2019

Sherlock Holmes & The Christmas Demon by James Lovegrove - Book Review

'It is 1890, and in the days before Christmas Sherlock Holmes and Dr John Watson are visited at Baker Street by a new client. Eve Allerthorpe - eldest daughter of a grand but somewhat eccentric Yorkshire-based dynasty - is greatly distressed, as she believes she is being haunted by a demonic Christmas spirit.

'Her late mother told her terrifying tales of the sinister Black Thurrick, and Eve is sure that she has seen the creature from her bedroom window. What is more, she has begun to receive mysterious parcels of birch twigs, the Black Thurrick's calling card...

'Eve stands to inherit a fortune if she is sound in mind, but it seems that something - or someone - is threatening her sanity. Holmes and Watson travel to the Allerthorpe family seat at Fellscar Keep to investigate, but soon discover that there is more to the case than at first appeared. There is another spirit haunting the family, and when a member of the household is found dead, the companions realise that no one is beyond suspicion.'

I'm a bit of a sucker for Sherlock Holmes, and will always be up for reading stories that involve the world's best detective. So when Titan Books asked if I wanted to read their new release, Sherlock Holmes & The Christmas Demon I said yes just because of the name. Then I read the blurb and saw that Holmes and Watson would be investigating a series of events attributed to a Kramus like creature I was even happier. Then I saw the first line of the book was Holmes yelling 'Father Christmas! Halt right there!' and I think I was already in love with the book.

After apprehending a jewel thief posing as Father Christmas Homes and Watson are approached by Eve Allerthorpe, a young woman who had travelled to London to get away from her Yorkshire home, fleeing what she describes as a supernatural Christmas demon. She explains to Holmes and Watson that she is soon to inherit a large fortune, on the condition that she be sane come her 21st birthday; however, following the recent death of her mother, a supposed haunting within the walls of her castle home, and now the appearance of the demonic Black Thurrick she is close to wits end. Agreeing to take on the case, the two detectives head into the snow covered landscape of remote Yorkshire and the imposing Allerthorpe home to try to get to the bottom of the mystery.

Sherlock Holmes & The Christmas Demon is, as the name would suggest, a very festive book, set within the week leading up to Christmas. Fellscar Keep, the Allerthorpe home, is a huge castle sat on a small island in the middle of a frozen lake in the snow covered countryside, and the hall is soon host to a large family gathering to celebrate the holiday. Almost immediately the reader is thrust into this time of year, and it quickly becomes apparent that a cold, snowy day would be the best time to read the book. It conjures feelings that are associated with winter, and you can almost feel the chill of the snow creeping in on you as you read. As I was sick when I read the book I was wrapped in a blanket with a hot up of tea at the time, and this actually enhanced the experience somewhat, especially as if I tried to get out from the blanket I'd be wracked with chills. I'm not saying that people should go out and give themselves the flu before reading the book, but if you're already suffering with it this could be a great way to pass the time.

The central mystery of the story is, thankfully, complex enough that it will keep you guessing throughout. Whilst there were times that I thought I might have figured out some small part of the larger mystery, and was even then wrong a lot of those times, there's no way that a reader will be able to put together everything the way that Holmes manages to here. There are small hints throughout that indicate how a few of these mysteries will pan out, but James Lovegrove manages to keep back enough that you'll be surprised by the revelation. But that's not to say that the author hides important information, there are small clues hidden throughout the book, and Holmes always makes some kind of small comment, or pays attention to things that will later be shown to be a part of the mystery; it's just up to the reader to be able to pick up on these subtle moments and to figure out how they play into the mystery.

James Lovegrove is no stranger to writing Sherlock Holmes books, and has a good few in his bibliography, including some great sounding crossovers with Cthulhu that I really want to read, and his experience with writing the character really shows here. There are some writers who seem to think that Sherlock Holmes can just be written as an unpleasantly grumpy person who makes clever deductions seemingly out of nothing (I'm looking at you BBC's Sherlock), but seem to forget that he's actually a very pleasant person beneath that exterior. James Lovegrove sidesteps this trap completely, and crafts a Holmes who is incredibly endearing and at times absolutely lovely. There is something that happens towards the very end of the book that I won't talk about to avoid spoilers, but it might be one of my favourite Sherlock Holmes moments of all time.

This great characterisation isn't just reserved for the leads, however, as James Lovegrove is able to create an interesting and impressively layered group of supporting characters for our detectives to interact with. Many of them seem one dimensional to begin with, and you'll think that you've got a good handle on what they're like fairly early on, but James Lovegrove manages to surprise, and you'll come to see that there's a lot more to all of the characters than you first think. You'll come to dislike people who at first seem to be kind and open, and you'll find characters that seemed like horrid people when you first meet them turn out to be very kind and even a little lovable.

If it's not clear yet, I absolutely loved Sherlock Holmes & The Christmas Demon. It has quickly become one of my favourite books of the year, and I struggled to put it down so that I could do other things. But even so, I managed to read the whole book in a single day. This isn't because it's a quick or easy read by any description, but because the quality was that good that I kept wanting to come back to it, kept picking it up, and didn't want to stop reading it. Whether you read it at Christmas time or not, this is an absolutely perfect book for any fans of Sherlock Holmes, or people who love a great mystery.

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Wednesday, 16 October 2019

Captain America: Dark Designs by Stefan Petrucha - Book Review

'Steve Rogers knows the art of survival better than most. Decades under ice will do that to a man. But the Avengers chipped more than rock-hard morality and super-strength out from under that permafrost. When Cap takes out a terrorist cell threatening to poison the world, he'll discover a threat far more deadly. An incurable virus has hidden in his body for years - and now it's come to the surface. To save the world, he'll have to return to his own personal hell: deep freeze.

'And he'll have to take an old friend with him. Having survived his own death by inhabiting a clone of Steve Rogers, the Red Skull has inherited the virus - and he's a little less willing to play martyr. As the deadly disease shifts and evolves, new patterns emerge. Can Captain America contain the Red Skull before the virus runs rampant?'

Captain America: Dark Designs is the latest Marvel prose book from Titan Books and author Stefan Petrucha, who has previously brought comic book characters to the world of prose having written Spider-Man: Forever Young, and Deadpool: Paws.

Captain America: Dark Designs sees the iconic super soldier having to face an enemy that he's no equipped to beat, a virus. After a routine mission to stop the launch of a deadly pathogen Cap is examined on board the S.H.I.E.L.D. hellicarrier, where it's discovered that he is playing host to a virus that could wipe out all of humanity.

To make matters worse, the Red Skull, who is living inside a cloned body of Captain America, also has the virus; though his has activated. The Red Skull launches an assault on Cap using a series of Nazi robots. Now Captain America must try to find a way to stop these deadly machines whilst not triggering an extinction level event.

One of the biggest draws to comics is the artwork, and they way that it's used in super hero comics to create a level of action and spectacle that sometimes the written word can find difficult. Action scenes in books are great, but can sometimes feel like the weaker part of a story as the author tries to describe the amazing feats their characters are making. This is something that comics can sidestep, displaying amazing scenes across splash pages and dynamic panels. The problem when you take characters that we're used to reading in this one format and moving it to another is that you run the risk of the action becoming the weaker part of the story.

Whilst Stefan Petrucha is able to tell great action scenes, and there are some great moments of action to be found in this book, it does feel a little like he's fallen into this pitfall here. The succession of different robot foes, and eventually the Red Skull meant that towards the end of the novel I started to find myself becoming a little tired of the action scenes and just wanted to skip over them. This isn't the best thing when writing action stories.

However, this doesn't ruin the story in any way. yes, it means that there are duller moments every now and then, but the core story was so engaging that I was able to forgive these dips in my engagement. Seeing Captain America stuck within isolation was such an interesting take on the character, especially when he was faced with the possibility of having to go into cryogenic suspension in order to stop the virus. We get to see the internal struggle he has with this idea, of having to be frozen once again and potentially lose everything and everyone he knows and loves a second time.

Captain America lost out on having his life once already, of seeing family and friends, the woman he loved. He missed out on settling down and having a life with Peggy Carter because of becoming frozen, and it still haunts him. Seeing him knowing that he will have to go through that all over again, but volunteering to do so to save other lives shows how admirable and good a character he is.

This is one of the benefits of telling this kind of story in prose form over a regular comic, as we're allowed to have these scenes of personal introspection and deeper conversations as the writer isn't trying to write to a pre-set comic issue page length. It also means that some of the side characters get more of a spotlight too. Doctor Nia N'Tomo is one of these characters, a disease specialist who is working to cure Cap. We get to see a very real and somewhat sweet relationship develop between her and Cap across the novel, and I was often finding myself wanting to see more of the two of them together in scenes.

The standout character of the book, however, was doctor Winston Kade. A much older and more seasoned disease specialist than N'Tomo, he;s the man who first discovers the virus inside Cap and predicts that it's possible for it to destroy the human race. Initially just seeming to be a bit of a brash and grumpy man there turns out to be a lot more layers to the character than initially expected, and the more I learnt about him and his past over the course of the book the more I found him to be fascinating. He's a character that definitely sits within the grey between good and bad, who has only the noblest of intentions but will go to extremes to meet them, his arc was by far my favourite part of the story.

Captain America: Dark Designs is an interesting Captain America story, one that I don't think would have worked as well in comic form as it does here. The longer time with the characters and their inner minds were a highlight, and helped to keep me interested between the action scenes. A great read for any Marvel fan, and a must for anyone who loves Captain America.

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Tuesday, 15 October 2019

Marvel Action: Black Panther #3 – Comic Review

Originally published on Set The Tape

The third issue of Marvel Action: Black Panther concludes the first story arc in the title as T’Challa and Shuri battle to save Wakanda from deadly disasters.

Continuing from the literal cliffhanger ending in the last issue, T’Challa, Shuri, and Ashei are left to travel through the jungles of Wakanda to reach their downed plane and the cure they need to stop the malaria outbreak that’s threatening the population. The journey through the jungle is a little bit of a disappointment, as the trio don’t really have any difficulty in reaching their destination, despite a moment of thinking that things could have gotten exciting when Ashei trips over a giant snake. Sadly, the snake does nothing and its inclusion in the story seems like more of a tease rather than anything else.

Fortunately for readers, things do go a little wrong for the heroes as the plan to stop the malaria outbreak is interrupted, forcing Shuri to confront her fear of Piranha Cove by having to jump into the piranha infested waters to lure the infected mosquito swarm to their deaths. We also learn why this is a big thing for Shuri, as Queen Ramonda explains to her royal guard that one of her friends got hurt as a kid. Whilst this explanation is almost a throwaway moment it does show how Shuri has been living with trauma for years. Her diving into the cove isn’t just her doing what needs to be done to save the day, but overcoming her own childhood trauma.

The story also sees a surprise revelation about a long time Black Panther villain, in a twist I genuinely didn’t see coming, and which shows how much care has been taken by writer Kyle Baker. The book also boasts a lot of great artwork by Juan Samu, who really manages to put a lot of expression and character into the artwork; even masked characters like Black Panther are capable of showcasing more range than you’d initially believe possible. The previously mentioned giant snake was also a highlight in the issue, despite its all too brief appearance, thanks to how Samu draws it. More of the snake would have been good not just from an action point of view, but I’d have loved to have seen more of what Samu could have done with it.

A fine conclusion to the first story that touches upon some little known Black Panther history. However, the story really pushes Shuri into the forefront, and whilst I like that her character was given things to do it did feel like Black Panther himself was almost not needed. Hopefully T’Challa will be given something more to do in future issues.

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