Adrian Collins's Blog, page 28

REVIEW: Joker: Folie à Deux

Joker: Folie à Deux is the sequel to the incredibly successful Joker movie by Hangover creator Todd Phillips. It is also notable for being a massive bomb that has angered quite a few fans with its unconventional take. It is has Joaquin Phoenix return to the role of the titular Joker, and he is joined by co-star Lady Gaga as a version of Harley Quinn, a character with her own massive fanbase.

Like the original Joker film, this film takes place in a Gotham City that doesn’t have a Batman and is a heightened version of America’s already troubled legal as well as social system. Defenders of the movie say it is about mental illness rather than the Joker himself. Detractors state it’s advertised as a Joker movie and should be a Joker movie. As a longtime Batman fan, enjoyer of grimdark, and neuroatypical person myself, what do I think? Does this movie deserve the hate it gets?

Yeah, it kinda does.

The premise of Joker: Folie A Deux is that Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix) has been arrested for his murders from the previous movie and spends most of the film incarcerated at Arkham Asylum. While there, he meets a beautiful woman named Lee (Lady Gaga), who has fallen in love with his Joker persona but not Arthur Fleck. The film is all about Arthur’s relationship with his persona and the treatment of the mentally ill by society. There’s also a lot of singing and no original songs.

Essentially, I feel the movie is very much at odds with what the audience would expect from not just the title and the Joker as a character, but where the previous movie was leading. The previous Joker movie depicted the transformation of Arthur Fleck from being a mild-mannered decent-enough sort into a murderer for attention. It was making the questionable but not incomprehensible postulation that society pushes a person long enough, he’ll start pushing back in a violent horrifying manner.

It’s the premise of Taxi Driver and was also influenced strongly by The King of Comedy, both by Martin Scorsese. Fans justifiably expected that we’d see the Joker continue his crime spree and illustrate how society glorifies killers.  It’s easy to see why Joker: Folie à Deux went over like a lead balloon among fans because they went to see Bonnie and Clyde or Natural Born Killers and instead got Chicago. A really bad, off-key, version of Chicago.

I can understand if Todd Phillips didn’t want to pursue this line of writing or felt the previous movie’s fans missed the mark but the fact is that Arthur in Joker: Folie à Deux doesn’t feel like he flows from the previous film. After becoming a multiple murderer and surrendering to his inner demons, this Arthur feels like a rubber band that snapped back to his previous goofy self. It doesn’t feel natural and it’s badly written.

Lee is barely a character in Joker: Folie à Deux and if feels like she is just there to represent the idea that Arthur has fans who do not care about him in the slightest, only the Joker. Except the reason that he became the Joker in the first place is because he wanted people to worship him. It’s a waste of Lady Gaga’s talents and the fact the soundtrack sucks is the most inexplicable part of this film. Given Lady Gaga made her own original soundtrack for this film and they didn’t use it, well, I think that summarizes what a car crash this all turned out to be.

As someone with mental health issues, I feel Todd just doesn’t understand us and doesn’t understand the appeal of the Joker either. We don’t need his defense. The first movie understood that he wasn’t a killer because he was “insane.” It was society and corruption that drove him to become a spree killer. It was society who misinterpreted what was a cry for help into something revolutionary. Joker: Folie à Deux just seems to say that none of that matters and Arthur should have just accepted being crushed like a bug. It even seems to endorse prisoner abuse.

Two thumbs down.

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REVIEW: Missing Pages by Mark Lawrence

Missing Pages is the new anthology from Mark Lawrence collecting all four short stories from his Library Trilogy. The anthology includes three previously published stories (“Overdue,” “Returns,” and “About Pain”) and one all-new story (“Tabula Rasa”).

Missing Pages opens with “Overdue,” a story of mutual inspiration that also serves as an ode to independent bookshops. The story is surprisingly complex, as Mark Lawrence constructs a circle of literary influence that transcends geographical and temporal boundaries. The interwoven nature of the tale beautifully conveys how aspiring authors can discover inspiration in the most unlikely sources. I particularly enjoyed the unexpected symmetry of inspiration presented in “Overdue,” which left a great emotional impact on par with Lawrence’s best short stories.

The next story in Missing Pages is “Returns,” which involves the search for a missing book, The Book of Many Stories, that must be returned to the Library. The search winds across space and time and may have implications for the librarian Yute’s missing daughter, who has been lost in the Library for over two decades. The book’s literal journey in “Returns” becomes analogous to our journey in reading the story.

The third story, “About Pain,” is Mark Lawrence’s homage to J.D. Salinger’s classic The Catcher in the Rye and probably my favorite story in Missing Pages. The goodest of good boys, the pitch-black dog Volente, brings an unwanted copy of Catcher to the protagonist, Holden, who detested the book when he was forced to read it in school. Upon returning Catcher to the library, Livira instructs Holden to read it every ten years and come back to tell her about it. The story then follows Holden through the decades as his life experiences make him appreciate new aspects of Catcher that he hadn’t yet considered. In a nice touch, “About Pain” also features Clovis Eventari, Evar’s imposing redheaded sister from The Book That Wouldn’t Burn.

“Tabula Rasa” is the fourth and final story in the anthology. The title is Latin for “clean slate” and serves as a mediation on (im)mortality and the limitless possibilities of the blank page. The story also includes new animal friend, an amphibian known as the epitoad who has a talent for reciting epigraphs.

Although the stories of Missing Pages are set in the same literary universe as the Library Trilogy, it’s not strictly necessary to read the main books of the trilogy before picking up this short story collection. Each of the stories is fully self-contained, and there are no spoilers here that would lessen your enjoyment of The Book That Wouldn’t Burn.

Altogether, the Library Trilogy has inspired some of Mark Lawrence’s best short stories to date, each one serving as a mediation on the power of stories in both reflecting and defining our common humanity. Missing Pages is a must-read for Mark Lawrence fans and anyone who shares the author’s passion for the written word.

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REVIEW: Obsidian: Revelation by Kajornwan

The sheer audacity of Kajornwan, formerly writing as Sienna Frost, to first publish an absolute masterpiece of a debut novel in Obsidian: Awakening, only to follow that up with a sequel in Obsidian: Revelation that just elevates the entire story to an unparalleled level of grimdark storytelling genius. As the title suggests, this is a sequel full of revelations, but more than that, it’s a sequel of consequences, endurance, trauma, painful growth, tentative hope, love, heartbreak, and just the most exquisite emotional turmoil.

“I come from the desert. My people are prepared to die for something as fragile as honor and pride, however hard that is for a Rashai or a Samarran to understand. You can’t threaten us with death. It doesn’t work that way.”

Now, as much as I gushed in my review of Obsidian: Awakening over on Before We Go Blog, there is no denying that it’s quite a slow-burn and boldly unconventional set-up book for the rest of the series. Yet those who have faith in Kajornwan’s vision  and show patience and trust in the process (and, you know, those who were strong enough to survive book 1) are rewarded a thousandfold in this sequel. Though, fair warning, that is where Kajornwan’s kindness ends, because the emotional rollercoaster that she puts her characters, and by extension her readers, through in Obsidian: Revelation is absolutely relentless. But dammit, if it doesn’t all just hurt oh so good. 

“Sometimes you have to sacrifice one to save a hundred more, or a thousand more. You can’t save victims, not all of them. If you want to change the world, you have to kill the beasts, and you’re going to have to live to do it. Close your ears and eyes if you must. There will be time for retribution, I promise you.”

We pick up roughly a month after the shocking and pivotal events at the end of Obsidian: Awakening, and tensions are now at an all-time high as the war between the Black and White desert comes ever closer to tearing the entire peninsula apart. But even more so than in book 1, it’s the battles that our seven damaged heroes are fighting in their own minds and the battles of wits and wills between them all that truly drive this entire tragically beautiful trainwreck of a narrative forward.

“Our past is never left behind,” he said. “It makes us who we are at any given time, and it dictates what we do in every situation. If you’re not willing to make peace with your past, then you will never find peace in life. A man who cannot find peace is a monster in disguise.”

The unexpected way that their journeys continued in Obsidian: Revelation probably surprised them just as much as it did me, and I loved how Kajornwan didn’t shy away from showing the heavy impact and devastating consequences of their actions in this sequel. Backstories are unveiled, loyalties shift, schemes unravel, promises are broken, old acquaintances bring new perspectives, bonds are tested beyond belief, and throughout it all we get to know these characters more intimately than I ever thought was possible. Both the most loveable, hateable and mysteriously enigmatic characters just leap off the page, and there were so many moments where I honestly didn’t know if I wanted to hug or strangle them all.

“”Run”, he said to the beast, to Fate, to destiny, to the gods who might be listening and the ones that didn’t when his prayers were declined. “Run away or say your prayers. Do it before I count to three. I am the son of Salar Muradi of Rasharwi and the last remaining Bharavi of the Vilarhiti. You do not get to threaten me, here or anywhere, without consequences. Run for your life, motherfucker, before I change my mind. I am the one hunting today, not you.”

For me, the unexpected growth of my favourite snarky half-blood prince Lasura was the absolute highlight of Obsidian: Revelation, not least because he managed to make me cry tears from both hysterical laughter and deep heartache on the same damn page. But honestly, I am not kidding when I say that I could (and would) write an entire essay dissecting every single character and interpersonal relationship in this book. Similarly to in Robin Hobb’s and Joe Abercrombie’s works, you can just feel that Kajornwan understands these characters (or should I say people?) on a deep human level, and the way that she unflinchingly explores themes of mental health, war, cultural identity, the fragility and complexity of parent/child relationships, and the dangerously thin line between love and hate is nothing short of masterful.

“You cannot win your battles without a place to land when you fall, or with a heart that beats for nothing and no one. Love always comes at a price, but it’s what gives us the strength to fight, not our weakness.”

Moreover, it’s wild to me how we’ve got sword fights to the death, a suicide mission of a prison break, an escalating war, and earth-shattering quakes to survive in Obsidian: Revelation, and yet some of the most pulse-pounding scenes are the ones where two characters are simply having a conversation with each other. After all, words are the most dangerous weapons of all, and what hurts more than being cut with secrets, lies, and harsh truths? The sheer number of times that a killer line of dialogue sent shivers down my spine or made me audibly go: “OH SHIT” is honestly not even funny, and I don’t think I have ever highlighted so many profound or hard-hitting quotes before in all my years of reading.

“There are lines that cannot be crossed; things you cannot take from a man and walk out alive. I am that line, and you know it. The entire Salasar knows it. Touch me, and he will give up the throne to see you die.”

The tension and danger truly bleeds off every single page, and whether it was the development of the sick dynamic between Zahara (a.k.a. the most badass bitch queen) and Muradi, the unravelling of Djari and the Sparrow’s bond, the complicated alliance between Lasura and Djari, Deo’s unpredictable scheming, or the forbidden, star-crossed queer romance between Baaku and Nazir, they all just had me in an absolute chokehold. And don’t even get me started on how much I adore the fearsome women in Obsidian: Revelation, the way that they take life by the balls and do anything to survive in a world that is out to get them is honestly beyond inspiring to me.

“The world she lived in hadn’t allowed her to go through life without incident. She hadn’t gotten used to it -no woman could- but one could shut it out sometimes, or simply try to endure.”

Now, I can see how some readers might feel like the unfolding of a few events maybe felt too unbelievably lucky or convenient, but I would personally argue that the level of ‘divine intervention’, if you will, fits perfectly with the larger-than-life legendary quality that permeates every aspect of Kajornwan’s storytelling; there’s this constant sense of dread that larger powers are pulling the strings, and Fate is proven to be an inescapable sadistic bitch time and again. In that way, the Obsidian series reminds me of Guy Gavriel Kay’s or Ken Liu’s low-magic yet entrancingly epic approach to fantasy storytelling, except her skillful prose speaks to my soul in a way that even those masters of their craft have never managed to.

“There would be change, of course, in the pattern of things. That tapestry, after all, had yet to be woven. The gods had plans, yes, but plans changed, and divine beings rarely worked with each other. What was the point of getting visions, anyway, if one couldn’t use them to alter the future? The question was which part of the future to alter, and how it would accommodate his needs.”

There truly isn’t a single scene, sentence or word in this 800+ page chunker that doesn’t carry an incredible amount of weight, tension, and impact, and there are probably another 800 pages worth of content just waiting to be discovered in all the subtext and hidden layers. Obsidian: Revelation is one of those rare books that begs to be savoured and which I actively slowed down to read, both because I didn’t want it to and because I was afraid that it might just end me before getting to the last page.

“I don’t want to die old, safe, and bored with a life story nobody can stretch past a page. I may never be the hero everyone needs, but at least in my own story I can be one. And no good heroes ever run from scars or pain.”

Kajornwan’s relentless storytelling is absolutely not for the faint of heart, but to those who can stomach all the brutality, (sexual) violence, deadly toxicity, and emotional damage, I simply cannot recommend it highly enough. With its rich and breathtaking Middle-Eastern flavoured world building, dynamic cast of damaged and morally questionable heroes, and exceptionally immersive and soul-stirring prose, the Obsidian series is an unmissable and unforgettable emotional journey that just creeps under your skin and will leave you a changed person by the end; it’s not just one of my personal all-time favourites, but I would dare say it’s one of the best, well-crafted and stunningly told stories out there, period.

Thank you to the author for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. Obsidian: Revelation is scheduled for release on December 25th, 2024.

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Tim Miller delivers another masterpiece anthology with Secret Level S1

Last Updated on December 18, 2024

Tim Miller, take a bow, mate. After the success of Love, Death, & Robots (2019, 2021, 2022) and (of course) Deadpool (2016), I think we can all agree we expected amazing things when Miller announced he’d be partnering with Amazon Prime to deliver another anthology series, Secret Level. With fifteen short episodes based on fifteen different gaming franchises, Miller had plenty to play with, and Secret Level blew away my expectations.

In Secret Level we get to see brilliantly animated and acted short stories based in the worlds of Dungeons & Dragons, Sifu, The New World, Unreal Tournament, Warhammer 40,000, PACman, Crossfire, Armoured Core, and more. It’s also so epic to see actors such as Arnold Schwarzenegger (and son), Keanu Reeves, Merle Dandridge (Half Life 2, The Last of Us) Temuera Morrison (Once Were Warriors, Jango Fett – multiple), Clive Standen (Vikings), and Aussie legend Claudia Doumit (The Boys) involved. It was also so cool to see that Spelunky: Tally was also written by the awesome Tamsyn Muir.

While the episodes are going to appeal to people based on what they grew up playing and the type of stories they enjoy, there were a few episodes that really stood out to me–most in the first half of the season. The Queen’s Cradle (Dungeon’s & Dragons) really captured that feeling of fast camaraderie, over the top scenery chewing, and self sacrifice that playing this game for the last six years online with mates has made me feel. The Once and Future King (The New World) was absolutely hilarious, with Schwarzenegger cracking me up as he tried to take rulership of a land of immortals. Good Conflict (Crossfire) and Asset Management (Armoured Core) are both going to appeal to grimdark fans with their focus on morally grey characterisation in their character casts. Concord: Tale of the Implacable gathered together a crew of rogues looking to stick their middle fingers up at the intergalactic corporation in control of all the trade routes while simultaneously fighting each crew member’s own self interests.

The really big surprise for me was Pac Man: Circle. Pretty much every anthology you watch or read will have a story or episode (or two) that doesn’t work for you. Seeing the title of this episode, I definitely thought this one was going to be it for Secret Level. It immediately destroyed my expectations of what that episode might be about and became one of my favourites, and I think one of the episodes that grimdark fans are going to enjoy the most. It’s utterly fucking brutal, and I could not tear my eyes from the screen.

However, most importantly for this particular fan and, I feel, a significant portion of our readers, we need to talk about that Warhammer 40,000 episode, And They Shall Know No Fear. It’s the best piece of 40k animation since Syama Pedersen delivered Astartes, hands down. Gone are the days of bulky moving Space Marines looking like roided-up bodybuilders who can’t reach their lower backs or turn right. Pedersen was included in the creation of the episode, and his smooth moving, vicious and bloody demigods in power armour scathing their way through the enemy style is there in absolute spades. It is a beautifully delivered, action-packed vignette, and even features Titus from the brilliant 2024 videogame Space Marine 2.

The delivery of And They Shall Know No Fear, this month’s announcement that the Henry Cavill led efforts to bring the franchise to screens has finally been signed off between Amazon and Games Workshop (Warhammazon), and the wild success of 2024’s Space Marine 2 video game, brings the future possibilities of this universe to life. For 40k fans, now is probably just about the greatest time in fan history to still be this side of the kiln doors.

As with all anthologies, there were some stories that I didn’t enjoy as much as others, but as with pretty much all of Miller’s animated anthologies so far, there is far more to like than dislike. Visually stunning, stacked with fascinating stories set in worlds we all love, Miller has helmed another franchise that’s going to have an army of fans waiting for more. I can’t wait for Season 2 to hit the screen!

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Path of Exile 2 Early Access: First Impressions

The long awaited follow up to the popular ARPG, Path of Exile, entered live Early Access on Friday 6th December. Path of Exile 2 hit the top of Twitch with over 1.1 million viewers at launch, and that’s before anyone had even gotten into the game. Since the big reveal stream on 21st November, hype had been building for the launch with developers at Grinding Gear Games expecting around a million players on launch. Despite some last-minute server and database patching that caused delays, some players estimated a million on Asia’s servers alone. On Steam, Path of Exile 2 hit a peak concurrent player count of 578,569, sending it straight into the Top 5 Most Played Games on the platform, and entering at 15th place for all-time highest concurrent player numbers.

The cinematics and trailers released so far depict a visually and thematically dark game, in keeping with the history of the series, with scenes of torture, tentacles and bloody experiments. Not least, someone being sliced in half vertically, Thir13en Ghosts-style. Path of Exile 2’s background describes a time of peace across Wraeclast in the interim period from the first game, which is now being threatened by tyranny and a lust for power. There are those in the world who seek to harness the power held in a Seed of Corruption, and it is here that a new exile enters to try and overcome evil and put the Corruption back in its box. Or, in this case, a ball.

As Path of Exile 2 is in Early Access, this is not the full release, not the full game. For now, there are only six (6) out of twelve (12) character classes available, each with only two (2) out of three (3) ascendancies (think class specialisations) and we only have access to the first three of six campaign acts. However, GGG focussed on having end game activities ready for Early Access, so once you’ve reached a high enough level you can move into mapping. Some classes will look familiar, such as the Ranger, or the Witch, however there are new classes to investigate too. The Sorceress feels like an elemental-focussed split from the original game’s Witch but with some interesting options at Ascendancy (a Chronomancer who can control time, for example). The Mercenary is also proving very popular, and looks reminiscent of Victor Vran, with his crossbow skills feeling much more FPS-like than anything before in PoE.

Some jankiness can be expected in any Early Access game, especially one of this size (a cool 86GB download awaits you). The team at GGG handled the delays on launch day admirably and the game was playable within a couple of hours (much better than the delays Diablo 3 suffered on full release). If you’re a veteran Path of Exile player, you’re going to notice a difference in play style. PoE2 is a much slower pace and feels much more soulslike that the original game. Yes, power creep was becoming an unwieldy beast in Path of Exile, but a lot of feedback coming in after launch weekend is that PoE2 is difficult and rewards are minimal. From my own experience, I have to agree. I’m not a soulslike fan; I don’t find dying 15 times to an act boss rewarding in and of itself, and I have had to get up and walk away for a few hours at least three times already. And, I’ve only just completed Act 1.

I’m not a top tier player by any means. I have rarely made it to ‘uber bosses’ in Path of Exile but can usually get as far as completing the Atlas, sustaining red maps and the occasional ‘pinnacle boss’ with some help. I am, in PoE terms, a slightly above average skill level. Of course, all the elite streamers have completed the campaign and are already into the end game, but a lot of people are going to be grinding through the campaign for days to come. I have played for 16 hours and died 57 times already. By comparison, in the Settlers of Kalguur league for Path of Exile, I didn’t die at all during the campaign and only started having trouble at the high end of maps. Power creep needed addressing, but this might have gone too far the other way.

Visually, Path of Exile 2 is beautiful. My machine is struggling at some points when there’s a lot going on but hasn’t quite gone full toaster-mode. If you’ve not upgraded your graphics card for a few years, you may have some issues. Thematically, the story is suitably grimdark and all the attention to detail in the worldbuilding really shows through. There’s variety in the interactions with NPCs based on which class you choose, and variety in environments to fit the different cultures of the game. Overall, this Early Access release is giving me a lot of hope and excitement for the full release. I know there’ll be patches and balancing as the days, weeks and months progress so GGG can get it right. If you’re a fan of the ARPG genre, Path of Exile is an absolute staple and 2 will surely add a great deal of value to the canon.

Path of Exile 2’s Early Access is partially-closed, insofar that you need a key. If you’ve spent more than $480 on supporter packs and microtransactions in the first game, you’ll find a key waiting for you on the website. Alternatively, you can buy a key for $30. If you’d prefer to stick 100% free-to-play, Path of Exile continues in its own right and a new league is estimated to be coming towards the end of February 2025. Upon full release, PoE2 will also be completely free-to-play, but this could be another 6 to 12 months, depending on how development goes. It’s available for PS5, Xbox X/S Series and on PC via Steam, Epic Games, or the standalone client.

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REVIEW: Conan the Barbarian: Battle of the Black Stone #3

Conan the Barbarian: Battle of the Black Stone #3 begins with the Heroes of Man reeling from the loss of two of their own. The giant, many-armed creature now known as the Beast of the Black Stone has demonstrated that it’s capable of pursuing and killing its victims across time and space, and that there is no safe refuge for Conan and the other gathered champions.

The Pictish scout Brissa guides them through the wilderness using a fragment of the Black Stone that harbors a remnant of the immolated Texan author James Allison’s soul. Thrown together by circumstance, the six survivors react differently to their task and their companions. Conan and Brissa relish their unexpected reunion. Dour Puritan adventurer Solomon Kane and hot-tempered swordswoman Dark Agnes de Chastillon—both displaced from the 16th century—are skeptical of their companions but face the struggle against the Beast with grim resolve. Conrad and Kirowan remain fascinated by the occult implications of their plight. A disastrous encounter with another shard of the Black Stone leads to an unplanned confrontation with the Beast, however.

From a narrative and characterization standpoint, Conan the Barbarian: Battle of the Black Stone #3 is a mixed bag. The interactions and dialogue between Conan and Brissa are well done. Years have passed since Brissa’s presumed death at the climax of Conan the Barbarian #4 (with her supernatural escape revealed in The Savage Sword of Conan #4); the two were intimate when they traveled together, but Conan is older now, battle-scarred and experienced. This story takes place after Conan has loved and lost his pirate queen Bêlit, perhaps the most impactful relationship in his life, but thrown together with Brissa again he rediscovers his attraction for the Pict. While apparently little time has passed for Brissa, for her part she finds the more mature Conan to still be “burning bright,” subtly echoing Atali’s appraisal of the barbarian’s vitality in the Frozen Faith story arc (Conan the Barbarian #16). Their scene together is a nice bit of character work in a largely rushed-feeling miniseries.

Unfortunately, the other characters in the story continue to be mishandled or neglected. While the bonding scene between Solomon Kane and Dark Agnes is entertaining, both characters’ subsequent individual portrayals either feel inauthentic or fail to communicate their appeal as original author Robert E. Howard created them. Last issue Solomon Kane attacked Conan without any real justification (apart from to provide an eye-catching cover illustration), and this issue he randomly and inexplicably accuses Brissa of responsibility for a companion’s death. Dark Agnes fares even more poorly. After being mostly sidelined for two issues she finally gets some screentime, only to make a bizarrely rash decision that has catastrophic consequences for her and her companions.

Jim Zub began the Battle of the Black Stone miniseries with eight characters and issue #3 concludes with—to the best of the reader’s knowledge—three surviving heroes. The intent seems to be to create a high-stakes atmosphere where any character can die, but so little time has been spent with the non-Conan characters that their deaths fail to have much narrative impact. Even worse, those who are killed have, thus far, not experienced the most dignified or heroic deaths. Multiple characters have been isolated in time and space from their companions and slaughtered by the Beast, and one of the miniseries’ two heroines loses her life in a situation that feels less like a desperate last stand than it does a pointless, ill-considered and avoidable fight. Put bluntly, watching classic Howard characters go out like punks hasn’t been a great time. From the beginning, this miniseries felt like a blatantly commercial attempt to launch a Robert E. Howard comic universe for Titan Comics (a solo Solomon Kane miniseries has been announced), so the likelihood of these characters’ deaths being hastily reversed in the final issue means their demises have even less weight than an X-Men hero dying in a Marvel title.

Throughout Conan the Barbarian: Battle of the Black Stone #3, the spirit of James Allison mutters portentously about “heroes and fools,” but it feels like there are more fools than heroes in this issue. There’s still time for the final issue to stick the landing, but my optimism is waning.

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REVIEW: Warbreaker by Brandon Sanderson

Before reading Brandon Sanderson‘s Wind and Truth, I decided to re-read the four previous books in The Stormlight Archive. Following on from Rhythm of War‘s phenomenal conclusion, I elected to read Warbreaker next. I am aware of at least three characters from the Warbreaker world (Nalthis) who have appeared in The Stormlight Archive therefore I opted to find out more about them, knowing that this could heighten my reading experience of Wind and Truth.

Warbreaker is a pretty wonderful fantasy tale that works as a standalone. It features two princesses, a mysterious and powerful warrior who has a sentient sword, and the politics of the gods of Hallandren; including the marriage of the immensely powerful God King. The God King and other Returned and Awakeners have access to BioChromatic magic.

“Your way would have involved making several more corpses. Well, I am a sword, Nightblood said with a mental huff. Might as well stick to what you’re good at.…”

The magic system in Warbreaker is intriguing. Utilising the essence of Breath, magic users can access the colours within common objects. This allows some items to be Awakened and used in varied and interesting ways. There are different levels of Heightening, which means the higher the amount of Breath someone has, the more impressive and complex the powers they wield can be. Breath can be given to objects, other people, or lost. The more Breath someone has, the increased attunement they have to their environment, the vividness of colours, and the presence of others. Lacking any Breath, a character’s world would be low definition, indistinct, and with less feeling. Sanderson introduces and enhances this magic system well as the story progresses.

Warbreaker works as a self-contained fantasy story and the main characters are fleshed out and deep. My favourite character to follow is the god Lightsong. He is recognised as being the god of bravery, however, throughout much of Warbreaker, he comes across as a light-hearted and likeable joker. He is one of the Returned and, accordingly, he has priests and followers who revere him and ask him to critique their poetry and artworks. Lightsong’s interactions with his priest ‘Scoot’ and the goddess Blushweaver are always a joy to read. Another standout creation is Vasher. He is complex and formidable, with motives that seem unclear to the degree that I was uncertain whether he was a villain, hero, or something in between. The princesses Vivenna and Siri have very different but similarly engaging journeys. Siri’s is set mostly within the politics of court and Vivenna’s involves rubbing shoulders with hardened mercenaries whose goals may not be just.

“I swear, my dear. Sometimes our conversations remind me of a broken sword.” She raised an eyebrow. “Sharp as hell,” Lightsong said, “but lacking a point.”

The world-building in Wabreaker, though of high quality, does not feel like the main focus, taking a second place to the excellent story. There are histories about past conflicts and rulers, legacies of gods and the nobility, as well as the already discussed imaginative magic system to enjoy when they are presented. Although this novel is 652 pages, it does not feel that lengthy when traversing through and embracing this fictional world. I kept wanting to read, glued to the pages, waiting to see what would happen next. Furthermore, I feel as if the foundations are well set for additional adventures on Nalthis and would gladly welcome the return.

Warbreaker is gripping, the action races by, the intrigue builds up, and it is anything but predictable. At one point I was sure I had outsmarted Sanderson by preempting a twist that would occur later in the book. I was so wrong in my assumption that it seems slightly embarrassing now. The conclusion of Warbreaker was perfectly executed and had me feeling content. Only at this point did I truly appreciate how invested I had become in the story. Sanderson is a master at creating believable societies in his fiction, intricacies and inventive swear words and all. There is much to enjoy when reading this entry in Sanderson’s Cosmere series and I believe this could work as a rewarding first foray into the author’s work. For me now though, I am moving straight on to Wind and Truth.

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REVIEW: Space Punks 3 by Anna Mocikat

Last Updated on December 11, 2024

Space Punks is an indie sci-fi series by Anna Mocikat (author of Behind Blue Eyes) that combines cyberpunk themes with gory action. The latest instalment in the series is Space Punks 3. It forgoes a proper sequel title and that fits with how the books are written. They come off more as serialized fiction than a pure set of sequels, as the stories flow from one to another with precious little breakage between. I don’t have any problem with that, as I love reading stories that way but those who want closure on the major plots may find this frustrating.

The premise is that the Earth has been destroyed in a war between humanity and the Mimics. The Mimics are machines that possess the ability to assume human shape and slaughtered most of mankind in an uprising that only cybernetic soldiers called the Legion were able to avert. Unfortunately, the Legion is composed of a brutal bunch of sociopaths that have since established themselves as humanity’s oppressive new rulers. The remainder of mankind lives on Mars as well as a handful of extrasolar colonies.

A group of misfits, the starship Nephilim’s crew attempts to stay one step ahead of the Legion. The series has shades of Cowboy Bebop and Firefly, though much more punk and sexier. Unfortunately, the events of the previous two books have thoroughly destroyed the Nephilim crew’s ability to lay low and they’ve burned their bridges with a lot of important people.

The chief characters of Space Punks 3 are Aztec and Seraph, a pair of ex-legionnaires who have had a “friends with benefits” relationship for years that recent events have started moving toward true love. Seraph, the bad boy of the pair, is the one who is pushing for a committed relationship while Aztec struggles with the concept since she has almost no frame of reference for monogamy. It’s an interesting dynamic and contrasts against the rest of the crew.

I really like the world-building of the Space Punks world as each chapter opens with facts and factoids about the planet’s history. While not quite Dune in its complexity, Anna Mocikat has clearly put a great deal of thought into how the universe functions as well as what people believe. While the Mimics are an excellent threat, humanized and alien simultaneously, I have to say the most grimdark element of the book is Lucien.

Lucien is an extremely repulsive sexual predator who has absolute authority over all his subordinates. One terrifying scene has him take a woman who offended him, put an explosive chip in her brain, and turn her into a sex slave. The scene illustrates the kind of graphic darkness that Anna Mocikat is willing to include in her books even if it is all from Lucien’s musings. Individuals who don’t want to deal with this sort of thing should be warned.

In conclusion, Space Punks 3 is a fantastic installment of the series, but you’ll probably be lost if you haven’t read the previous two. Even if you have read them, it might be a good idea to give them a once over to make sure you know everyone’s place in the storyline. It’s not exactly Game of Thrones but the character development is deep and often references events that just happened. Still, a solid recommendation.

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Grimdark Magazine acquires world rights to Novella by Essa Hansen set in The Graven universe

Last Updated on December 10, 2024

In The Graven trilogy, Essa Hansen writes some of the most imaginative, dark, and action-packed sci-fi I’ve ever read. If you enjoyed Nophek Gloss as much as I did, then strap in. In July 2025 Grimdark Magazine will be publishing a science fantasy novella by Hansen set in  the universe of The Graven, featuring an all-new set of characters thrown into a barnstorming story!

We asked Essa about why she wanted to return to the universe of her The Graven trilogy:

I am very excited that Grimdark Magazine has offered this opportunity to revisit the world of The Graven, taking us to a familiar place but far in the past, with an all new cast. It’ll be a fun, brutal, cinematic, sensory introduction to the bubble multiverse for new readers, and answer some origin story questions for trilogy fans. A wayward culinarian finds himself dropped into a battle royale hunt across the most dangerous planet in the multiverse, through a wilderness of alien ecology like Scavengers Reign, and featuring the creative cooking of Delicious in Dungeon. His specialty is transuniversal physics and how materials transform between pocket universes—a skill that can be as deadly as it is delectable. Look forward to this in July 2025!

More news to come

Please join our mailing list for more news on Essa’s novella and monthly newsletters providing insights into the world of dark SFF across books, screen, and video games, and other news and updates. You’ll also get a free magazine issue with featuring a short story set in Richard Swan’s The Art of War space opera universe!

Reviewers

Want to review this novella? If you’re a reviewer (review websites, Booktubers, Booktokkers, GoodReads, etc) interested in this novella, please fill out our publicity form, here. We will be doing a very limited run of print copies, and will also have ePub copies.

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Eight Cyberpunk Movies to Ruin Your Hope for the Future

Last Updated on December 9, 2024

Cyberpunk reached its heyday in the Eighties and early Nineties according to most fans but for reasons unconventional to science fiction. Basically, cyberpunk became indistinguishable from reality as the trends envisioned by Blade Runner and Neuromancer largely came true. We now live in a near-universally online society where computers are as ubiquitous as the telephone and corporations wield power greater than nation states. Less charitably, we might as believe that society has become an exaggerated parody of itself with whatever example you’re probably thinking of.

However, I’d argue that cyberpunk remains relevant because of this rather than despite it. The mixture of the high-tech miracles of science and the gritty urban sprawl are eternally effective contrasts. The only differences are we have come to accept that there’s no Star Trek utopia coming from science as long as society dictates there should be “haves” and “have not’s.”

While cyberpunk remains a literary work that I support as both author and fan, I also feel like it’s best experienced on the screen as well. So here is a collection of eight recommended cyberpunk films for those who want to experience what the genre is. It is, after all, better lived than explained.

8. Elysium (2013)

Elysium is a film that I was back and forth about because there’s so many other good examples of the cyberpunk genre. However, Elysium is squarely upfront about its themes and as basically as pure an example of the genre as you’re going to find. The rich have destroyed the planet with their corruption and moved to a space station called Elysium while continuing to employ the poor as slave labor to sustain their lifestyle. There’s a lot to be said about health care, immigration reform, and labor rights but it’s also got cyborgs beating the crap out of one another.

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7. Strange Days (1995)

Strange Days is an interesting example of cyberpunk because there’s only one bit of new technology in the world: the ability to record memories. This has resulted in an underground market for pornography and extreme experiences but also has resulted in danger to the police. In a bit of prescience with cell phones, the recorded memories become a tool against corruption as well as boys in blue brutality. The casting in this movie is strange with Ralph Fiennes, Juliette Lewis, and Angela Bassett but I think it’s aged like fine wine in its predictions.

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6. Dredd (2012)

The Judge Dredd comic has a strange relationship with cyberpunk. It is absolutely an example of a cyberpunk world but struggles due to the fact its hero is an authoritarian. It’s sort of like Warhammer 40K and the fact that not everyone realizes the Imperium isn’t meant to be the good guys. Joe Dredd is as nice as a brutal fascist regime’s enforcer can be but he needs a humanizing element, which Dredd provides. Dredd and Anderson have a ‘drug bust’ gone horribly wrong that illustrates a hellish dystopia made one level at a time. Karl Urban really deserved to make at least three movies of this.

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5. Akira (1988)

Some may suggest it is blasphemy putting this anime so low on this list while others may question why it’s here at all. Akira is a movie that condenses a massive manga story into something barely comprehensible but blows the mind away with its stunning visuals. Tetsuo is a young biker punk who becomes infected with godlike powers that soon destroys everything human inside him. Kaneda wants to desperately save his friend and doesn’t care about the apocalyptic consequences of Tetsuo’s ascension.

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4. The Matrix (1999)

It was a difficult choice between this movie and the other Keanu Reeves’ classic, Johnny Mnemonic. Mostly, I ended up choosing The Matrix because it’s a better cyberpunk film. A group of hacker revolutionaries are up against the machines that overthrew humanity before locking us in an eternal MMORPG. The Machines are better treated as metaphor for society’s crushing banality and oppression, but the people of Zion certainly look good opposing them.

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3. Ghost in the Shell (1995)

Yet another authoritarian protagonist, Major Motoko Kusanagi (which is the equivalent of someone being named “Jane Excalibur”), is a much more ambivalent about the society she lives in. It is always on the verge of collapsing due to how humanity has discovered countless ways to turn cybernetics as well as computers against one another. The themes of isolation and escaping our destinies via merging with others are fascinating even decades later. Oh, and you can see her fight a spider tank.

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2. Robocop (1987)

One of my favorite cyberpunk movies growing up, Robocop remains a stunning mixture of social satire with glorious over-the-top action. There’s also some genuinely moving moments in the body horror as well as drama. Alex Murphy is turned into a machine by the sinister OCP corporation and set against the sociopathic Boddicker in a tale of good versus evil that makes it clear society always leans to the latter. Like Blade Runner, the fact its protagonist is a cop is an illustration of how bad the system is rather than an endorsement of it. No one, after all, betrays Murphy worse than the people he works for.

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1. Blade Runner: The Director’s Cut (1982)

There was probably no doubt this movie was going to be number one cyberpunk recommendation. Ironically, I almost chose its sequel for the top spot as it proceeds to go one step further with its themes. Still, Harrison Ford’s Rick Decker is a character that is blackmailed back into a job that he hates to hunt people that just want to live (but will kill to do so). No one is good and the world is slowly dying in the original noir detective/cyberpunk mashup.

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Honorable Mentions: Total Recall (1990), Minority Report, Sneakers, Hackers, Johnny Mnemonic, Alien: Romulus, Running Man, Inception

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