The Riyria Revelations Review

After a bit of a hiatus, here is a review of The Riyria Revelations by Michael J. Sullivan. The Riyria Revelations were originally published as a six book fantasy series by Ridan Publishing (owned by Sullivan and his wife). The books were later picked up by Orbit publishing and released as Theft of Swords (November 2011), Rise of Empire (December 2011) and Heir of Novron (January 2012). Each volume contains two of the original novels.

The Riyria Revelations cover the story of Royce Melborne and Hadrian Blackwater, two thieves collectively known as the Riyria. We are first introduced to them as they ride toward their latest job, they are thieves for hire taking on different assignments, mostly for the nobility. Like most fantasy series, this one starts off small and later expands to epic world-shaking proportions as the story evolves, with the main characters involved – whether they like it or not.

Royce is a typical dexterous thief capable of stealing just about anything. Hadrian is the strong arm of the two and carries three swords, which he is very skilled at using when the need arises. I enjoyed the banter between the two characters, which had the feel of two people who spent a lot of time together in sticky situations. There is obviously a lot of history between the two that happened before the start of the first book and the reader learns more about some of that history along the way.

The world of the book has many of the staples of fantasy, elves – though they are treated as near slaves and outcasts, dwarves – also in servitude to humans and not allowed their own lands, humans and the Ba Ran Ghazel (goblins).  Elan is mainly a collection of human kingdoms inhabiting a land that previously was united as an Empire under Novron, the son of one of the gods. Factions are at work in the background trying to reform the Empire and this political maneuvering is part of the backdrop for the series (as the titles of the later books would indicate).

One of the drawbacks in the book would be that the banter feels a little too modern for the fantasy setting and may take you out of the story a little. There are also times where the development of some of the characters seems rushed. A magic user in the story thinks about how something might be done and then a few scenes later is doing it without many of the struggles you might expect. However, there are enough twists and turn and fun along the way to make these easy enough to overlook.

I purchased the series through iTunes, got to love iTunes gift cards, and at $9.99 each, I thought the price was well worth it for essentially two novels in each book.  It is also a major bonus that the story is already finished – no waiting for the next book here. I give The Riyria Revelations 3 Mick Happies. If you want to try it out, download a prequel short story, The Viscount and the Witch, for free from the author’s website and enjoy. Samples of the books are also available on Mr. Sullivan’s website here.

Wild Cards Review

In December, Tor discounted the e-book cost of the first three novels in the re-launched Wild Cards series of novels edited by George R.R. Martin to $2.99 each. I had never gotten into the original Wild Cards series, which spanned more than twelve books, so I took this as my chance and scooped them up. The new Wild Card books are set in modern day on earth where the world has been dealing with the wild card virus and its effects. The wild card virus is an alien virus that mutates those afflicted with it and causing most to die or gain special abilities. These special abilities may be mutations that do nothing, make them grotesque or give them super powers. The novels of the Wild Cards series are as mosaic novels or an anthology of stories or chapters written by different authors, but as a single narrative.

The first of the new books is called Inside Straight and starts with the assassination of the leader of a unified Middle Eastern state called the Caliphate. This event and the effects it has in the Middle East and northern Africa are the main plot line in the background of the novel. In the foreground is the story of numerous wild card “Aces” or people who developed super powers from the virus’ mutation competing on US television in an American Idol-like contest called American Hero. As the book progresses the contestants question what it means to have powers and to be a hero.

The second and third books, Busted Flush and Suicide Kings, continue to delve into a world impacted by people with amazing powers and the governments that try to use them. I enjoy super hero TV shows and movies, so I was always interested in what this series would be like. I found that I enjoyed the limitations many of the characters had with their powers. Take for instance Curveball, a girl who can accelerate and control any object she throws even to the point of it exploding when it hits something. That is a fantastic power, but she is vulnerable to anything a normal person might be; all firepower and no defense. Another example is Earth Witch who can control the earth. At the start of the story we find Earth Witch making a living for her family digging wells with her power.

That kind of common application of these powers made the world of Wild Cards have more depth. Since the story is set in a world where they have been dealing with this virus and its effects for decades, it felt like people were still just being people whether they had super powers, tentacle mutations or no powers at all. One minor quibble with the stories is that there are many characters floating in and out and this can cause you to have to read through several chapters or stories about characters you really aren’t very connected to in order to reach those you are. Unlike an anthology though, all of the chapters and stories continue the overarching plot of the novel.

I liked the new Wild Cards series. I recommend that you look for them to be discount priced again (they currently look to be $7.99 for the e-books) or pick them up from some of the sellers on Amazon where they are going for $1 - $4. At the $2.99 price I got them for, they were well worth it. There is already a fourth novel in the new series and a fifth on the way. Do note that while edited by George R.R. Martin, he only has a story in the first novel of the three. Overall, Inside Straight, Busted Flush and Suicide Kings get 3 Mick Happies. Watch out for your card to turn…

Off the Leash Review

If you were wondering why the reviews have slowed down, one reason might be Off the Leash, is the latest iOS game from Big Pixel Studios that was released on February 2, 2012. The game’s premise is that there is a new sheriff in town who has banned all dogs. Dogs are being rounded up and hauled off and you, as a dog, escape from your house and go on the lamb. Along the way, you try to free other dogs and lead your pack to safety.

Off the Leash is a top to bottom scroller with extremely simple controls. Tilt the iPod or iPad left to move left and right to move right. Touch the screen and your pouch will slow down and any dogs in your pack will line up behind you. Simple, right? If only it were so. Along the way you have to watch out for water hazards that slow you down. There are also barricades that you can knock down, but will seriously sap your speed and even if you miss it, any dogs in your pack that hit them will be knocked unconscious, causing you to leave them behind. Above all, though, you have to watch the clock that is constantly ticking down and if it runs out before you reach the next checkpoint, you will be caught.

Don’t worry; there are also power-ups to be had that will help you along the way. You can also level up if your little doggie happens to pick up enough food items on the run. There are also coins that you collect as you run that you can spend for customizing your dog’s outfit, unlocking additional dogs or other items. I have played 44 games of Off the Leash now, collecting 11,020 coins. Yes, the game keeps track of everything you have accomplished and has Game Center achievements too.

I really enjoy how quickly you can play a game – most will last 5 minutes or less.  There is definite replay value as the game provides you with missions to complete as you take your dog on the run. Complete the three missions and you get a reward such as helpful items or unlock a special level. My wife and daughter didn’t like seeing the doggies being caught or knocked senseless by the obstacles in their way – they are sensitive that way, so if that would bother you at least you are aware of it going in.  That’s okay, more Off the Leash for me. Off the Leash is a fun game that has the great price of Free. You can buy coins and other items as in app purchases, but if you are persistent you can get the same things just by playing the free game without buying anything. Really, there is no reason not to go and download Off the Leash right now. Off the Leash gets 4 Mick Happies. If you want to learn more, you can check out Touch Arcade’s review of the game here.

P.S. Comments on the site have been unlocked – you can post anonymous comments now.

Sherlock Series Two Review

Sherlock is fantastic. By Sherlock, I mean the BBC television reimagining of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s detective Sherlock Holmes created by Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss (who also plays Sherlock's brother). The show is set in modern day with Sherlock Holmes, played by Benedict Cumberbatch, as a private investigator with incredible talents of observation and deduction. His friend and accomplice Dr. Watson, played by Martin Freeeman, is an Afghan War veteran and medical doctor who lives at 221B Baker Street with Holmes.

The show first aired in 2010 with a three episode first series that is currently available via Netflix streaming (go catch up). Each 90-minute of Sherlock focuses on a specific case and is more of a movie than a television show. The second series, which just aired in the United Kingdom and was released on DVD on January 23, 2012 also includes three episodes. The episodes in series two are: "A Scandal in Belgravia", a retelling of the original Holmes story A Scandal in Bohemia, The Hound of the Baskervilles (if you know anything about Sherlock Holmes, you have heard of this story), and "The Reichenbach Fall", which refers to the Holmes story The Final Problem.

There are several things that are great about this show. The acting is superb with Cumberbatch playing a very believable Sherlock Holmes and Martin Freeman is very good as his suffering sidekick (it’s hard to be Sherlock Holmes’ associate). The writing team translates the Holmes stories into modern times well and the twists and turns in each episode leave you guessing until the very end. They have even figured out a way to visually give you an idea of what Sherlock is seeing and how his brain works that don’t jar you out of the show, but enhance it.

Sherlock series two will be coming to America in May on PBS Masterpiece starting on May 6. Be sure to find it, this is great television – not to be missed. Sherlock earns 5 Mick Happies.

On a side note, I purchased series 2 of Sherlock on DVD and had it shipped from the UK to watch on a region-free DVD player. To rant a little, I am perfectly happy to pay for shows that I want to see, but I am often annoyed that good shows aren’t available because of distribution rights and nonsense that should have been resolved by now in our globally connected world. To content producers and providers: if you can stream or digitally distribute shows over the internet, do it. We will pay for it and don’t want to wait months for you to figure out how to distribute it in another region. Rant over.

Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning Demo Review

It’s interesting to review a demo, but since I just spent the better part of 3 hours playing the demo for Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning (KoAR), I thought I would share.  Note that this game is rated mature and you will need to be old enough to access the game website. KoAR is a single player RPG from 38 Studios and Big Huge Games. 38 Studios was founded by Curt Shilling and KoAR is their first game and features significant input from Todd McFarlane and author R.A. Salvatore.  The KoAR demo is available via download on Origin, Steam, Xbox Live and the Playstation Network. The full game will be released on February 7, 2012.

The demo starts with a cinematic scene of two Gnomes pushing a cart with a sheet covered body. As they push the cart, the two Gnomes discuss the body upon it and this discussion leads to the character creation steps. A little different take on the RPG usual setup fare and after the opening cinematic you awake on a pile of dead bodies. From there you are taken through a tutorial to try and exit the tower you find yourself in while getting equipped and learning a bit about how you got there. Once out of the tower, you find the start of an open world adventure and soon are in a nearby town and picking up multiple quests to gain experience and loot. After the initial escape from the tower and completion of that first quest, you have about 45 minutes of game time to explore the world before the demo ends. This is plenty of time since it does not include time spent in the menus or speaking with non-player characters.

The look and feel of KoAR is very nice. The graphics are not as picturesque as say Skyrim, but have a nice feel that is better than but somewhat reminiscent of World of Warcraft. It is easier to see items to pick on screen than in Skyrim due to the helpful lighting effects. The overall combat mechanics and magic system are interesting; especially the over-the-top sword bashing you can give the early monsters. There are a couple of interesting mechanics that involve specific combinations of buttons to yield special effects and they are worth the frenzied button mashing (I was playing on the Xbox). One thing I especially liked was the lock on target nature of the bow, where I didn’t have to constantly be moving to keep the enemy in my sights while shooting (unlike Skyrim where 15 hours in I am still having difficulty tracking dragons with a bow). The game also has the usual pick up ingredients and supplies to mix potions (alchemy) or make items, but unlike most games, finding a source of a particular ingredient doesn’t guarantee that you will be able to harvest it (sometimes you fail unless you Alchemy skill is trained up). As you battle and explore, you will gain experience that will eventually lead to you leveling up, which will allow you to raise your skills and choose perks, rather than a the increase your skills by using them that makes you increase in level mechanic in Skyrim.

As you play the demo for KoAR, you unlock items for use in the full game and a few items for Mass Effect 3. If you plan on playing either game, you should spend the couple hours trying out KoAR. I give the Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoking demo 4 Mick Happies. I enjoyed my time in Amalur and will likely be picking this one up after it drops on February 7.  

Super 8 Review

There is one thing I can attest to…J.J. Abrams is on a film roll. My wife, daughter and I all liked 2009’s Star Trek and I really enjoyed Super 8 (they decided not to watch, their loss). Being the two films that Abrams directed in the last few years, I think that constitutes the start of some kind of streak.

Super 8 is a coming of age, sci-fi, quasi-action and thriller film set in 1979 in Ohio. It is the story of the events that happen in a small town when a group of middle school-aged kids witness a US Air Force train derailing in the outskirts of town. The train contains something the government doesn’t want loose, but of course it gets out.

I liked how well Abrams does at putting you in the feel of the late 1970s. I remember riding my bike all over the place the way the kids in the movie do. Granted I wasn’t into filming Super 8 movies or witness to a train wreck.  I also believed the struggle of Kyle Chandler as a recent widower and town deputy who has, through no fault of his own, been thrust into an authority role trying to make sense of what is happening in his town.

The only nits I can pick on this one might be the use of lens flares (it seems to be Abrams’ thing) and the slight suspension of disbelief needed to accept that the kids in the movie have things figured out well before the adults. Those really are nits though. If you haven’t seen this movie, get it on DVD and start watching. I give 4 Mick Happies to Super 8.

Blackout/All Clear Review

Blackout/All Clear is a Hugo award winning novel in two parts written by Connie Willis and published by Bantam Spetra. The story focuses on Willis’ time travelling Oxford historians who were featured in her previous works: Fire Watch (link to the short story), Doomsday Book and To Say Nothing ofthe Dog. In Blackout/All Clear, historians are travelling back to England in World War II to observe life during that chaotic, dangerous and heroic time and become unable to return to their original time. The novel tracks their efforts to blend into 1940s society, find a way home and keep themselves alive.

The novel is structured in a way that the reader is taken back and forth in time to the various parts of the narrative. This includes going from 1941 London blitz to 1943, 1945 and V-E day as well as to the “present” of 2060. As many of the characters have assumed identities to blend into the 1940s, the reader is left to figure out who some of the characters are and often, due to time travel, characters are in the same place but at different time points in their own narratives and thus don’t recognize or miss each other. I found this part of the novel to be great and provided a bit of mystery to unravel as you followed the struggle of the characters to get home before they are killed. Having read Doomsday Book and To Say Nothing of the Dog, I liked having some of the same characters back again. Two of my favorites are Professor Dunworthy, the chair of the History department in future Oxford and Colin Templer, who while too young for Oxford has a way of getting into the past to save the day. Both characters had important roles in Doomsday Book.

I did wait to buy All Clear, so it was about a year between reading Blackout and the second half of the novel. I think this lowered some of my enjoyment of the book as it took me a little while to get back into the time period and remember who the characters were. I would recommend reading both parts of the novel back-to-back as the author obviously intended.

The story in Blackout/All Clear is rich in details about World War II London and if that period is at all of interest to you, you should go read this story. If you like time travel and all the mind-bending possibilities that come with it, then you should read this book. I think this one is on the border between 4 and 5 Mick Happies and if I had read it back-to-back it would probably get a 5. In the end, Blackout/All Clear is a great time travel story and I give it 4 Mick Happies. Now where is my time travel machine?