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REVIEW: Dragons of Eternity by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman

Dragonlance: Dragons of Eternity is the third and final volume of the Dragonlance Destinies series that may well be the final instalment of the Dragonlance saga as we know it. It is by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman, two authors who have been synonomous with the Dragonlance line but also, on a personal note, my childhood.

I had mixed feelings about the previous two volumes but a generally positive reception. The Dragonlance Destinies series is not a particularly epic fantasy series but more like a smaller homage to all the past stories told in the setting. Dragons of Eternity is a warm hug to longtime fans and best experienced by those who grew up with the books in their childhood.

Dragons of Eternity begins with the premise that the Queen of Darkness has successfully altered time and managed to conquer Krynn. This seems to result in a lot less changed timeline than you might expect with every single person from the original Chronicles trilogy now around as well as the War of the Lance still occurring. You’d think with the fact that with the erasure of the Cataclysm that the changes would be more extreme. However, that’s not the point of altering the timeline. The point is to bring back the cast all for one last hurrah.

We get to see Tanis, Flint Fireforge, Caramon Majere, Kitiara, Lord Toede, and many others. The Dragonlance Destinies series feels remarkably low stakes versus the epic fantasy series that inspired it. Basically, our heroes are trapped in the alternate War of the Lance and spend in Solace, dodging aroound the incompetent soldiers under Kitiara while confusing their allies that don’t know they’re in a time travel story.

Dragons of Eternity’s previous protagonist, Destina, has a somewhat reduced role this time around. As the holder of the Graygem and the person who broke time in the first place, you might think she’d play a more significant role in the resolution of events but she takes a backseat to Raistlin Majere. Given Raistlin is unquestionably the best character of Dragonlance, I’m not going to complain about this choice but it is noticeable.

If I had a complaint about Dragons of Eternity, I would say that I didn’t much care for its handling of Kitiara. As one of my favorite female characters in fiction, I was hoping we’d get a deeper handling of her like the Dragons of a Highlord Skies. Here, she seems more obsessed with Tanis Half-Elven than she did in the books. I was hoping she might also get her own redemption arc like Raistlin, Dalamar, and other villains did.

Without getting into spoilers, there was a lot of speculation about whether or not Dragons of Eternity would retcon away the events of Dragons of a Summer Flame. Given the fact that book had a lot of controversy abouts its changes to the setting, this idea met with perhaps more approval than is typical for such possible changes. Whether or not it did happen is something I won’t spoil but the issue of Chaos’ release as well as the destruction of the setting is addressed in an interesting as well as clever way.

In conclusion, this is a solid and entertaining novel that is probably my favorite of the three but it’s something that feels closer to cozy fantasy rather than epic fantasy. There’s no real sense of menace despite the fact that time travel is being used to have the Queen of Darkness take over the universe. Usually, this is used to go really darker like X-men’s Days of Future Past or Terminator. Here, it feels barely relevant. Still, if you’re a Dragonlance fan then I recommend you pick up Dragons of Eternity.

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REVIEW: Hellblade II: Senua’s Saga

Hellblade II: Senua’s Saga, was on our most anticipated games list for this year for a reason. The first game followed the 8th Century Pict warrior Senua as she battled against her demons, and monsters in a dark fantasy version of Orkney. The story was grimdark perfection as Senua fought to save her lover’s soul in Helheim – Hellblade II had a lot to live up to but I’m pleased to say this is another masterpiece in storytelling.

Hellblade II continues Senua’s journey, these time across Viking era Iceland. Taking on slavers, Senua travels across the land as a more confident warrior following the previous game’s events although the voices in her head still whisper of doubt and fear as she takes on fantastical creatures in this grimdark world. The game is not for everyone – it is dark and bloody but has a kindness that threads itself through the cruel world that I find makes the great grimdark works stand out. Senua meets humans doing horrific things but there is always a reason for their actions, as bad as they may be and the story beats are perfectly paced to ensure you get each perspective at the right time to give you pause to think about each character and their actions. Like in its predecessor, Hellblade II is full of powerful, unique boss events that have Senua taking on great beasts. This time, her aim is to calm and defeat giants from Norse Myth. Each giant had their own backstory and a reason for unleashing their pain upon the world and they each had a dark beauty that only grew as the game went on. The story is tightly focused and one of the best I have played but it does come at a cost. It is an incredibly linear game but it allows the writers to ensure it is perfectly paced. This is in great contrast to games such as Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth where players could become bored and lost by the grand scope of the world before them. Hellblade II has a beautiful, realistic fantasy world that pulls you along at its chosen path but still allows you moments to reflect and enjoy the beauty around you.

Hellblade II has simple but hard-hitting battle mechanics. It is not difficult to face the various foes in this Viking-inspired land but each hit can be felt as they land and the game is quite forgiving with any missteps from players which gives you a chance to fight back when you have made a mistake. Senua does feel less vulnerable compared to the first game but this is to be expected following everything that she has been through. She is more confident and this can be seen in the way she gathers people to follow her and becomes more of a leader as she tackles the giants and aims to stop slavery in her land.

For me, Hellblade II is the epitome of grimdark storytelling. The world is dark and brutal. The fights are bloody and ferocious. The characters all have their own demons to face and make tough decisions that mean you may struggle to be certain about who is good and bad. Though some gamers may wish for a more open world, the tightness and pacing of the story means that you can just enjoy the ride. Playing the game, I found myself salivating at the thought of a film following Senua’s dark adventures (Robert Eggers would be the perfect director – just watch The Norseman or the upcoming Nosferatu). Grimdark gamers, this one is for you.

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REVIEW: Times Never Change by John R. Fultz

The Emperor of Yhorom is dead. Its five-thousand-year Empire on the edge of ruin. Now ungoverned, the Masters of Yhorom feud amongst each other for power. Their war may destroy the civilized world. Their sorcery threatens all life. Brutality reigns over all in Times Never Change by John R. Fultz. The second book of The Scaleborn series plunges to the far depths of human depravity and clings to hope.

As a sorcerer, Emperor Pai Sing had pledged the Thousand Year Bond. By swearing this oath, which brings immunity to disease and delays aging, only sorcery could have ended the Emperor’s life. Someone had betrayed the Emperor to his death. The Empire in disarray, the Masters of Yhorom are more fractured. One among them is the killer. Huto Sing, brother to the late Emperor, breaks three hundred and fifty-two years of isolation to bring his brother’s killer to justice. He sets for Yhorom, the city of Masters. A city where no good men exist. As someone who refuses to use sorcery, Huto’s quest is suicide. His vow forswearing magic spells doom. His refusal may seal the fate for many.

John R. Fultz throws his readers down a pit of cruelty in Times Never Change. His first book in the series Immaculate Scoundrels is a barbarian-esque fantasy adventure with plenty of bloodshed but only scratches the surface of Yhorom’s corrupt politics. It follows several scaleborn characters, humans with patches of scales on their skin. The time of scaleborn slavery ended but their rights remain as little more than technicality. While the first book is bleak, Times Never Change is far darker in comparison. The time jumps in the second book shows the world before scaleborn people were freed. While both stories have flashy battles and fights, Times Never Change delves into the more intimate side of horror. Fighting is futile against a world of hate.

Times Never Change is told from the perspective of several new characters. Huto Sing spent more than three hundred years living as a hermit, renouncing the crown and refusing sorcery. He seeks justice for his brother’s death at the risk of losing everything he stands for. His struggle to uphold his ideal identity imposes harm on his companions. A new pivotal character introduced is Umi. She is from Mossback Hollow, a scaleborn village hidden from the rest of humanity. When her village is attacked and burnt down by soldiers, she is forced to wander this cruel world. Her interactions with humans reveal the most about humanity’s disposition towards scaleborn. Her journey exposes readers to the worst of this world.

The time jumps in Times Never Change is mostly subtle and restricted to Umi’s story. Her character steals the show. Her resolve to help other scaleborns is pinned against her naivety. She takes readers on a turbulent journey of some successes and many soul crushing failures. While the time jumps are necessary to progress the story, a couple parts of Umi’s tale feel rushed.

John R. Fultz showcases the range of his writing ability in Times Never Change. While faithful to its sword and sorcery spirit, the second book of The Scaleborn series swaps some barbarian-esque elements with full scale brutality.

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REVIEW: Haunt Sweet Home by Sarah Pinsker

“Haunt Sweet Home,” the titular show at the center of Sarah Pinsker’s new novel, offers a twist on the familiar genre of home renovation. Each new D.I.Y. uncovers not just hardwood under the carpet or termites in the awnings but, inevitably, a ghost in the attic (or library, or orchard, or, or, or). Even if the rest of the book had been a disappointment, I’d have to give Pinsker due credit for a banger of a reality TV pitch. Luckily, though, Haunt Sweet Home is terrific. 

Thirty-something Mara is an aimless loser (I say this with compassion; like recognizes like): drifting through life, perpetually on the fringes of her more talented and well-socialized family.  An offer from her cousin Jeremy, the charismatic host of “Haunt Sweet Home,” lands Mara a summer gig as part of the show’s “night crew.” No mere gofers, the night crew is responsible for encouraging the show’s credulous subjects to believe just that little bit harder in things that go bump in the night. If that means making the bumps themselves, so be it. 

Seasoned readers of horror are probably rushing to fill in the blanks: the house that turns out to have a tragic past, for real, the scares that are laughably fake––or are they? Did you make that noise? No, I thought that was you, and so on. Here, Haunt Sweet Home hits all its marks, sort of. But don’t go into this novel hoping to be sickened or scared silly. Haunt Sweet Home is not a horror novel. 

Rather, Sarah Pinsker is more interested in exploring a different kind of haunting. Call it haunting as a kind of persistence: an exploration of what it means to linger, unchanged and unchanging, while the world moves around you. 

By this metric, whether or not the assorted ghosts in the assorted attics of “Haunt Sweet Home” are real is almost beside the point. Instead, Haunt Sweet Home reimagines the haunted house narrative with Mara as both haunting and haunted, moving through the early parts of the book like a ghost in her own life. Mara’s voice is restrained and awkward, attentive to physical details but always second-guessing her own presence on the page. This style of narration could easily turn claustrophobic or ramp up into a hysterical Gothic, but Pinsker keeps Mara frank, nearly guileless. Her keen, wry sense of observation allows the slim novel to linger in the details of Mara’s summer on set in a way that feels confident, leisurely, unhurried. 

In the end, though, haunted house stories almost always come down to a question of dispossession: who will leave? Who will fight to stay? In answering this question, Haunt Sweet Home’s symbolic haunting finally comes head to head with a real ghost. Unfortunately, this was also a moment where the narrative faltered for me. As soon as the supernatural, which has been drifting suggestively below the surface, is brought into sharp focus, the novel begins to feel rushed and exposition-heavy, as though anxious that its reader not leave with questions unanswered. Haunt Sweet Home’s theory of ghosts is suggestive and complex, and I don’t blame Pinsker for wanting her reader to understand the nuances. It’s a minor misstep in an otherwise beautifully executed narrative. But I wish that Haunt Sweet Home, so wonderfully seeped in its protagonist’s uncertainty, had been willing to trust its readers with some uncertainty of our own.

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REVIEW: House of the Dragon Season 2 Episode 6

House of the Dragon 2×06 “Smallfolk” is the sixth episode of the second season of HBO’s award-winning series that I mostly think of as an apology for the last few Game of Thrones seasons. House of the Dragon follows the adventures of the Targaryen Royal Family several generations before the rise of Daenerys Stormborn. Who got robbed, let me tell you. The Dance of the Dragons officially began with the murder of Lucerys Targaryen in 1×10 of House of the Dragon but has been slow to start in the 2nd season. There’s so far only been a couple of actual battles with one dragon fight (spectacular as its been).

Generally, House of the Dragon has not reached the stellar heights that Game of Thrones reached. House of the Dragon’s characters are generally flatter, less nuanced, and possessed of less variety. Game of Thrones drew from all seven kingdoms, Essos, and Beyond the Wall when making its characters. House of the Dragon is primarily focused on the Targaryens, Velaryons, and the Hightowers. This isn’t a a bad thing as it’s much easier to keep track of characters in the show, but the rich lore of George R.R. Martin is less on display. Worse, many of the characters feel quite similar.

Despite this, I think “Smallfolk” is a big improvement over the previous episode that I thought was House of the Dragon’s worst one so far. This one feels far more like the show is moving toward the finale with only two more episodes left this season. All the pieces like they’re in place now. We’ve assembled a bunch of armies, we’ve started looking for some new dragons, and everything is ready to come to a head.

The Lannisters are prepared to invade Harrenhal and take it back for the Greens but are unwilling to give as long as Daemon has Caraxes but they don’t have Vhagar’s support. Daemon is making moves to get the Riverlands army he needed to go after King’s Landing. Aemond is consolidating his position as the Lord Paramount of Westeros by dismissing his mother as well as pushing Larys’ ambitions down. There’s also Rhaenyra’s quest to find new dragon riders that have some candidates with Corys’ likely bastard and maybe Rhaena in the Vale with a sheep stealing wild dragon.

The thing that will probably be remembered most about “Smallfolk” will be the same-sex kiss between Rhaenyra and Mysaria. As controversies go, it should be nothing, but it is something that has apparently affected House of the Dragon’s ratings in multiple countries. This is an addition to the series that wasn’t in Fire and Blood, but something added by the show runners. Personally, I’m intrigued by the possible complication to their relationship but also skeptical that it will amount to much in the long run.

Another twist that has been controversial is the fact that they seem to have given the book plotline of Nettles the Commoner Dragonrider to Rhaena, Daemon Targaryen’s daughter. This bothers me because I’m a huge fan of the book story and think it’s terrible to lose a lot of its nuance. Nettles was a challenge to the idea of the Valyrian dragonriders and the exceptionalism that it implied about the House of the Dragon. Now, Rhaena is just another member of the Targaryen family claiming a dragon.

In conclusion, “Smallfolk” is a good episode that does a lot of finally fixing the issues of pacing we’ve been facing. However, some fans are impatient to get back to the battles and dragon fighting. I don’t think this is necessary, though. House of the Dragon is better when it deals with the politics and intrigue of the characters rather than empty spectacle.

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REVIEW: A Mask of Flies by Matthew Lyons

A Mask of Flies is the latest horror novel from author Matthew Lyons, and it is as terrifying as it is gripping. The book has its brakes ripped out at the very beginning, sending readers on a torrent of twists and turns as Lyons brilliantly sets the stage for a tale that is both deeply sinister and emotional. A Mask of Flies ponders on themes of death and loss, and how grief keeps coming back to haunt us no matter where we hide or how far we run from it.

The tale begins with the frantic escape of young Anne Heller and her terror-stricken mother from a mysterious and menacing pursuer, which ends up in a fatal car crash that kills her mother and wounds her. Twenty years later, it seems that Anne’s life hasn’t changed much. We follow an adult Anne as she narrowly escapes from a botched bank heist, stringing along a fatally-wounded Jessup – the heist mastermind – and Dutch, a policeman whom she’d recklessly taken hostage.

As if being fugitives weren’t enough, Anne’s rude reunion with her mother’s strange past is disrupted when Jessup vanishes, only to reappear dead. The horror escalates when the supposedly buried Jessup comes back from the dead, not as himself but as a hungry, mask-wearing, shape-shifting thing. As I mentioned, the action in this book is relentless and is constantly filled with shootouts, gory fight scenes, and crazy people. Alongside the existential dread that oozes from the prose, the supernatural elements left this supernatural fan thoroughly satisfied.

A Mask of Flies is a slow burn at first, but the action scenes that follow are relentless, plunging the characters into a pool of torment. Fans of It and Evil Dead will revel in Lyons’ gory prose and epic adventure.

Lyons’ character development stands out for its straightforward yet profound. A Mask of Flies presents characters barely clinging to hope, only to be mercilessly struck down when they seem most vulnerable. From the very beginning, we learn of Anne’s traumatic childhood—confused, scared, and alone—which sets her up for a fairly lonely adulthood where she trusts few and loves even fewer. However, she soon learns that she doesn’t have to face life alone, nor does she need to be scared alone. I loved how Lyons’ characters grow on one another despite their dark circumstances, making it easy to root for them. Even the novel’s minor characters left a lasting impression on me, and I felt that they each added to the ambitious narrative.

However, while I did find the fight scenes and visceral gore were thoroughly satisfying, the transition from crime to cult felt just a little sudden. The cult-horror elements were undeniably fascinating (and as a fan of cult-horror, I relished these parts), but an earlier introduction to the cult would have woven the threads more tightly together. Despite this, A Mask of Flies presents a gritty blend of crime and cult themes that injected a dark, unpredictable twist which kept the story brutally engaging.

Overall, A Mask of Flies is an epic journey not for the faint-hearted, truly living up to its blurb—”the past has teeth”—quite literally. This novel keeps you on edge from the first page, with unabated tension and bone-crunching twists. I can’t wait to see what spine-chilling work Lyons’ will put out next! Thank you to Tor Nightfire for sending over a review copy.

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REVIEW: House of the Dragon Season 2 Episode 5

House of the Dragon 2×05 “Regent” is the fifth episode of the second season of House of the Dragon. It follows up the incredible episode, “The Red Dragon and the Gold.” That episode was, justifiably, viewed as one of the best episodes of the series and was the highest rated one of the season. Unfortunately, House of the Dragon has slipped this episode as the incredible escalation in scale and spectacle is followed by a bunch of meaningless naval gazing.

Basically, not much happens in this episode and what does happen is of questionable storytelling merit. If that sounds like I’m being extra harsh on this episode, I am. It’s slow and reminds me that we could have used some of this time to expand on the previous season’s hefty-duty politics that were rushed through. House of the Dragon is still one of my favorite shows on television but is something that still deserves the occasional bit of criticism.

This episode primarily deals with Rhaenys’ death and the reaction to it. Ser Criston Cole parades the head of Meleys through the streets of King’s Landing, expecting it to bring praise and glory to the King. Instead, the Smallfolk are horrified and think that this means the Targaryens are not as powerful as they claim to be if dragons are vulnerable to being killed. A few have died before, it should be noted, but seeing is believing. The only thing that bothers me about this is that Meleys killed a bunch of Smallfolk in 1×09 and the show has studiously ignored that event ever since.

Alicent Hightower makes her play for power when Aegon II is returned, horrifically injured and perhaps crippled for life. Unfortunately, she finds that she has no allies. The Greens made their claim that Rhaenyra was unfit for the throne because of her sex and it would be hypocritical to put Alicent up as regent now. That would be bad enough, but Aemond is the child of hers that has only contempt of her for her friendship with Rhaenyra. Also, both of Alicent’s boy toys, Larys and Criston, side with Aemond for the regency. This would be interesting if not for the fact there’s never been any indication Alicent would ever be able to wield power as regent or Hand.

Daemon Targaryen is still trapped in Castle Ravenloft, err, Harrenhal and making an absolute hash of things. There is a humorous element to the fact that he spends some of his time chopping wood and this is the universe “bro woodsman” sign that someone has no idea what to do but at least he can chop wood (don’t believe me, watch The VVitch). He is determined to become King of Westeros with Rhaenyra by his side instead of his liege but utterly makes a hash of everything. Seriously, Daemon is terrible at leadership and it’s kind of hilarious to watch people repeatedly choose death over submission.

The problem is, while Daemon and Alicent are shown to be incompetent, the show does a poor job of making Rhaenyra look any better at ruling. She’s shown to have no ability to command strategy or tactics but still wants to oversee the army. She cheats the Arryns of a promised dragon and sends hatchlings instead. She doesn’t make any deals like her son Jace does with the Freys (giving the latter Harrenhal of all things). Plus, she refuses to just go meet with Daemon and ask what the hell is going on in that head of his. Basically, Rhaenyra has given no sign she should be queen unlike Daenerys.

In conclusion, this wasn’t my favorite episode of House of the Dragon. I would say it’s one of my least favorite, actually. House of the Dragon thrives on being intricate in its character relationships, politics, and world-building. Unfortunately, “Regent” shows everyone being an idiot at politics and that doesn’t make me think any of them should be on the throne. Which is fine for your villains but not so much for your heroes. Tywin, Littlefinger, Varys, Tyrion, Daenerys, and Jon Snow, except for Season 8 Jon Snow, would have these characters for breakfast.

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Mythology’s Impenetrable Heroes: A Good Defense is the Best Offense?

Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: a great character, warrior, god or demigod, is nigh impervious to all forms of harm. Except…well, okay, ­almost all forms of harm. Almost impervious. User terms and conditions apply. And, well, wouldn’t ya know it, the hero has succumbed to the most unlikely of deaths due to an injury somewhere they probably weren’t as impervious as everywhere else. Or they were missing their impenetrable macguffin. So let’s break apart the history and myths of the unbreakable heroes as it were and see what’s what!

HERO 1: ACHILLES

You’ve probably heard of him, famous for his mommy dipping him in the river Styx (record scratch). Except…that’s a myth on top of the myth that’s been around for a long time and constantly retold until it’s been believed. In the original Iliad, Achilles bleeds. And, if it bleeds, you can kill it! Wait, wrong franchise. But anyways, in the earliest version of the Iliad, his mother, the witch Thetis, wants to try to drown Achilles in a cauldron to test his immortality, but his father Peleus forbids it.

So, what’s a mother to do? Well, one of the most common beats throughout the versions of the Iliad is that he has a suit of armor that is given much attention and poetic heaping upon by Homer. In most versions, the armor is made by Hephaestus, god of the forge and smithing, to be impenetrable. This will protect Achilles. In fact, in most of the original Greek artwork, Achilles is shot or pierce through the torso sideways, not from in front, meaning the gaps in his armor and puncturing most of his vital organs. That makes a lot more sense than a shot to the heel.

In fact, the Iliad originally never shows Achilles’ death. It’s only foretold.

In another write up, I mentioned how Hercules had the pelt of the Nemean lion (impenetrable skin) fashioned like a cloak to protect himself. Why does it matter though?

Well, psychologically, a sense of wonder. As a species, we love our super heroes (and make no doubts about it, our earliest mythic heroes were our super heroes) well, to be super. Impenetrable skin sans one condition? That sound familiar today? Superman has entered the chat.

It’s a very visible and testable power. The hero immune to most harm, or any that can fell them. Gilgamesh’s original quest was to seek immortality and find a way to keep from falling to harm and death.

So, how do you make a badass killing machine and soldier all the more awesome? You equip him in armor to keep him safe until the moment the story necessitates he falls for (some moral reason usually in the old epics as they were meant to teach as much as entertain) some plot reason.

I suppose you can call the impenetrable—until they’re not—hero the original plot armor. At least, after a fashion.

But, judging by the history of heroes, it’s almost always in fashion.

HERO 2: KARNA

Now interestingly enough, he’s a character who is similar in many regards to Achilles. Or perhaps it’s Achilles who’s similar to him. Jury is out.

Karna is the son of Surya, the sun god of the Vedic and Hindu tradition, and princess Kunti, making him a demi god like Achilles. In the case of Kunti, however, Karna is born in a virginal birth as she is given a boon by Surya which results in Karna. If the story of a virginal birth sounds familiar, just wait, because in the case of fearing societal backlash over her premarital pregnancy, Kunti sends Karna downriver in a basket, sending her princely son away.

Sound familiar?

Anywho. Karna is born to be an extraordinary warrior with all the qualities a character in epics should possess. This includes a suit of divine armor, bright as the sun, with all its qualities (courtesy of his father) that renders him nigh impervious to harm. He is warned however that he cannot lose these gifts (the breastplate and a pair of magic earrings).

But Karna, who has a reputation for being a generous giver, lives up to his name and does not heed his father’s warnings. His reputation for generosity means more to him, and so, he parts with his armor and earrings.

In the end, he is shot through the back and killed. A once impenetrable hero felled.

HERO 3: Sigurd or Siegfried the Dragonslayer

He’s a legendary hero from the Germanic poems. Much like the aforementioned mythic characters, he too is someone that has acquired ALMOST invulnerability and then felled by a single weakness.

In this case, it comes from living up to that mantle of Dragonslayer. Siegfried battles and slays the dragon most commonly named Fafnir (in the some of the Old Norse sources). After doing so, he bathes in the dragon’s blood to attain the same hardness in his skin as dragon’s scales. Only, this wouldn’t be an epic story if the hero didn’t have some weakness, right? In some sources, it is a Linden leaf (or the leaf of a lime tree) that sticks to the small of his back, preventing the rest of the dragon blood from touching that spot and making him invulnerable.

From that point, he’s almost invulnerable. But of course, someone must learn of his weakness. And it is his eventual wife Gudrun or Kriemhild, who does. Sadly, she is later tricked in divulging Siegfried’s vulnerability.

Alas, the dragonslayer is stabbed in the back—that very weak spot of his—by a spear used by the character Hagen.

Impenetrable heroes 0 for 3 so far.

HERO 4: Baldr/Balder/Baldur

Baldr/Balder/Baldur, stemming from the Proto-Germanic Balðraz – meaning hero or prince. You might familiar with this one. Baldr is prophesized to die and that death is the harbinger of Ragnarok—the Norse “apocalypse” as it’s often called. Though, that’s slightly incorrect as it’s a burning of the world and its subsequent sinking underwater to eventually be cleansed and restarted.

Norse mythological time is like Vedic and Hindu time in that it’s viewed as cyclical.

But, moving on. Fearing her baby boy’s death, Frigg or Frejya, takes oaths from all things not to harm her son. Only, mistletoe was deemed too young to swear such an oath, so it’s overlooked. In end the, Loki (that uppity mischievous shit) decides (when not off getting impregnated by horses) to fashion a magical spear out of mistletoe (in some versions/later ones, an arrow). The gods were hurling objects at Baldr, a favorite pastime of theirs because, well, nothing can hurt him right? Pretty fun to chuck whatever you want at the guy who can’t be harmed. Only, well, like the myths we’ve discussed, certain terms and conditions always apply.

Loki gives the spear/arrow to the blind god Höðr. Not sure why they decided it was okay for the blind god to be throwing anything, but, gods are wild. You can guess what happens next. The blind god’s shot/throw proves true (not surprising when you take into account his name actually means warrior, stout in war, brave, and of battle. And perhaps the rather telling, slaughter). Baldr is struck down by that one weakness.

Awkward.

HERO 5: Shoshlan

Shoshlan of the Ossetian culture is a similar character. Someone who, while being tempered in fire by the god of the forge, was held at either the knee joints, or the legs (sources vary), and thus left untampered there. So, a weak spot in his otherwise invulnerable body. Oddly, or if you’ve read till here, predictably enough, he’s shot—you guessed it—through the knee. That very weak spot and he’s killed.

That Skyrim guard may have taken an arrow to the knee and been able to walk it off, but this god couldn’t.

HERO 6: Samson

The biblical hero of the Hebrew people who had superhuman strength and could take on an army singlehanded. He had one weakness, the cutting of his long hair would nullify his abilities. He would eventually be betrayed by his lover Delilah, in another mythic beat/trope known as the Temptress, and his weakness taken advantage of and leading to his downfall.

HERO 7: Esfandiar

Esfandiar is an Iranian hero out of the Shahnameh (an epic poem). He was the crown prince and a divine warrior of ancient Iran. A Zoroastrian priest gives the crown prince a chain and armor made from heaven that makes him invincible, and the chain with the powers to bind anyone (no matter their station/birth/powers), making them unable to escape. In some versions of the story, Esfandiar is bathed in magical water that imbues him with the powers of invulnerability, only, he shuts his eyes in this version, making them his weak spot.

In either version, his eyes are a weak spot. Sound familiar? Whether bathed in water or magical armor, a weak spot remains, and one that, of course, will be taken advantage of.

In his battle with the character Rostam, he withstands all the blows that are rained down on him. Rostam eventually withdraws from the battle only to return after learning from Simurgh, the legendary bird, that the only weapon that can kill Esfandiar is a shot to the eyes from a magical arrow made from the branch of a specific tree.

It shouldn’t take many guesses to know what happens next and what befalls Esfandiar.

Loving the almost untouchable hero or antihero

The impenetrable or invulnerable hero hasn’t stopped. It’s a trait we love even today. Whether our characters are protected by their sheer physiology (sometimes alien—oh hi, Superman), or plot devices (but have that one or few foibles of character that are their undoing), we love our heroes to be ALMOST untouchable. Perhaps it’s because we’ve just become used to so many stories of that being the case, so the continued trope resonates, or perhaps the old writers just got something right about us. And, then, we just haven’t been able to let it go.

It’s a trait we love to even see in our villains.

Smaug, a very direct inspiration out of Fafnir. The nigh impenetrable dragon…but for that one weak spot.

There is Hiranyakashipu out of Hindu mythology. A character who could not be killed by a human, deva (god), or animal. He could not be killed during morning or night. Or by godly/mortal weapons. He could not be killed indoors or outdoors. Neither on earth or in the air.

Except… as infallible as catch-all coverage seems to be, like more insurance policies, there always seems to be an exploitable loophole when it comes to the customer side of things for the company to hammer you with.

In the case of Hiranyakashipu it’s in the form of Narasimha, the man-lion form/avatar of the god Vishnu. In this form, Vishnu is no longer man, animal, or only god. He is an amalgamation. All in one case, or none at all depending on how you want to read it. Regardless, that condition is satisfied. He takes Hiranyakashipu and places him on his lap during twilight, so it is neither morning light or nor day. On his lap, he is neither on earth or in the air, and neither outdoors or indoors, but on a lap. Then he is torn apart by Narasimha’s claws—his nails, which are neither mortal nor godly weapons. The asura is disemboweled.

Sauron has his remaining life force bound in the One Ring. Destroying it, destroys what’s remaining of him. Though, it’s important to note he first also fell when the One Ring was cut from his hand through the severing of his fingers. It was a singular weakness then, and later on.

Until that point, Sauron had escaped or overcome everything, even the destruction of his own first beautiful body with the downfall of Numenor.

For the same reason we love heroes that are almost unstoppable, just that hint from being too perfect—too untouchable—we love our villains to have that same one weakness. How do we defeat them? They’re too powerful…but for that one spot we pick out JUST AT THE RIGHT TIME to win the day.

The Death Star is indestructible—capable of holding the galaxy hostage one planet at a time with its awesome power to reduce worlds to dust in a single blast.

Except for the odd exhaust port design that, you know, lets in one single shot to blow up the whole thing. Kinda like a chink in the ole armor or dragon’s scales.

Wow.

I mean, it’s not like the Death Star is symbolically a dragon, functioning as the big bad of an epic operatic story that also happens to have a princess captured on board and has a single weakness for the plucky hero to use to defeat it and save the day.

Oh…

Huh, look at that.

Anyways, this functioned as a small primer to the idea of the almost invulnerable/impenetrable hero, and obviously villains (the archetype–depending on usage).

They’ve been around forever, and often some very similar/nigh identical ways in the telling. Much like a lot of other myths and stories that often feel isolated, but in reality, and upon further inspection, they seem to mirror one another.

But, the point here is: sometimes a great defense isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Because you’ve usually left yourself one weakness for someone to exploit. Just ask any pvp’er in any video game. Please don’t, they’ll have pages of how to one-shot your build ready.

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REVIEW: Lair of the Crystal Fang by S. A. Sidor

Lair of the Crystal Fang is another entry in the excellent series pulpy novels based on the board game adapted from Fantasy Flight games’ Arkham Horror as well as the works of H.P. Lovecraft. It is the third of the “Andy Van Notwick” books by S.A. Sidor. The Last Ritual and The Cult of the Spider Queen loosely follow cub reporter Andy Van Notwick in his attempt to find the big scoop that will propel him to fame as an investigative journalist. These stories inevitably take him into Arkham, Massachusetts’s seedy occult underbelly and are unprintable by the end.

Lair of the Crystal Fang deals with Andy having gotten his employment terminated after his attempt to sell his story with insufficient evidence. He’s now reduced to cleaning up dirty apartments in the worst part of the city. His former associate, Jake Williams, has lost one of his legs and is struggling to recover as a former adventurer. Maud Brion, former actress turned director, has been assigned to an asylum but finds herself a subject of investigation by unscrupulous doctors. There’s no sign of Ursula Downs, though. Lair of the Crystal Fang introduces several characters from the board game as regular characters. Wendy Adams, the amulet wielding street urchin, is one. So is Doctor Fern, the only Arkham medical professional who deserves their license. Mayor Sinclair also shows up, being more concerned with trying to repair the city’s sewer system despite being aware of the existence of the supernatural.

The premise for Lair of the Crystal Fang is that there is a serial killer stalking the streets of Arkham. It hasn’t killed many people, only a handful, but it has already caused a panic in the streets. The Lamprey, as he’ll eventually be known, uses the city’s sewer system to carry out its
assassinations while collecting blood for a mysterious crystal formation underground. This crystal is tied to the city’s history of witches and may contain an imprisoned elder god. I think the serial killer is perhaps a bit obvious for Arkham Horror, being less odd than the previous two stories. However, the story is competently told, and Lair of the Crystal Fang uses its villain well. The thing is that the Cthulhu Mythos isn’t really about villains and more cosmic
impersonal forces. While cultists and bad guys do exist, especially in the Arkham Horror series, it is a bit removed from the more cosmic horror of other works.

In conclusion, this is a solid example of horror adventure writing. Lair of the Crystal Fang is a work that has a lot of appeal for a grimdark fan. Its characters are heroic but flawed and believable with a world that has no forces of “good” to counterbalance the evil. I recommend the Arkham Horror books overall and this.

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REVIEW: A Dirge for Cascius: Part 1 by Calum Lott

Calum Lott pushes boundaries and shatters expectations in A Dirge for Cascius: Part 1, a dark, mind-bending and emotionally challenging epic sci-fantasy murder mystery that is somehow both wildly alien and relatably human.

Stricken with grief and completely in the grips of his crippling addiction to reliving his trauma and sorrow, 200-year-old Cascius Carcyde is not the fearsome scrutineer he once was. But when a new string of murders starts threatening the entire Valsollas Galaxy, he is forced to pull himself back from the ever-tempting brink of death one last time. Together with his reluctantly assigned new partner, Cascius is thrown headfirst into a harrowing journey full of ancient schemes, deadly action, and devastating revelations, yet ultimately his own inner demons might just be the most dangerous threat in the universe.

Now, I have no shame in admitting that A Dirge for Cascius challenged me in ways that I could never have anticipated. Lott takes a very bold sink-or-swim approach to his storytelling that shouldn’t feel unfamiliar to fans of Malazan: Book of the Fallen or the Dark Souls video games. And honestly, with the help of the extensive glossary and some skillful context clues, I somehow (if a bit ungracefully) doggy paddled my way to the end without drowning, and the pay-off was more than worth it.

On top of that, Lott doesn’t shy away from exploring the darkest depths of the mind, tackling heavy topics of depression, addiction, grief, (war) trauma, and suicidal ideation. Even though I personally always felt a slight emotional disconnect from the characters, I did really enjoy how intimately familiar we got with both the bloody history of this world as well as with Cascius’ devastating personal backstory through flashbacks (Recalls) and metaphysical visits to the past (sceluspaces). Especially Cascius’ rough mental health struggles are almost too frighteningly well written, and I deeply appreciated the authentically messy depiction of his attempts at healing; the back and forth, the self-sabotaging, the desperate hope, the inevitable relapses… it all hit scarily close to home for me.

And yet, for all that this story is so dense, complex, bleak and heavy, I was surprised at how easily I found myself blazing through the pages. From the very first chapter, there’s just this alluring sense of mystery and intrigue, and Lott’s excitingly wild imagination immediately had me completely enthralled. A Dirge for Cascius is just exploding with inventive concepts, unique races, and shocking revelations, which is exactly what makes it such a dangerously addictive pageturner.

Moreover, I really enjoyed the unconventional and weirdly amusing dynamic between our main detective duo of Cascius and the Illuavan Kirella, who are both way too cunning and smart for their own good. In a way, they almost have a bit of a grumpy/sunshine vibe going on between them, and I loved how their culture clashing and razor-sharp snarky banter added some much welcomed levity into the narrative. Their slowly (and begrudgingly) developing friendship ends up becoming such a strong grounding force throughout this increasingly insane journey, which I personally really latched onto amidst all the chaos and destruction.

Though speaking of chaos, I do have to admit that there were points in A Dirge for Cascius where I almost lost the plot. This entire whirlwind of a story takes place over a day or two (though, there is some time fuckery because *sci-fi*), and sometimes the pacing and character/relationship development felt a bit off to me. Also, while I think it is incredibly admirable how Lott balanced and interwove the core murder mystery with all the inventive futuristic concepts and the intricate history of this galaxy, some of the revelations admittedly fell a bit flat for me because I couldn’t grasp the full implications.

All that said, there is no denying that A Dirge for Cascius is one of the most ambitious and impressive debuts I have ever read, and I think any struggles I had with it were more a case of ‘it’s not you, it’s me’. This is simply not an easy breezy popcorn read, but it absolutely shines in its bold uniqueness if you are dedicated to putting in the brain power, trust, and patience. And after that pulse-pounding and revelatory ending, I’ll bet you’ll feel utterly gratified and start desperately counting down the days for the conclusion to this insanely epic duology.

While A Dirge for Cascius: Part 1 is absolutely unlike anything I have encountered before, I think fans of Christopher Ruocchio, James S.A. Corey, Robert Jackson Bennett, and Pierce Brown (in the second era of Red Rising) will find much to love here. It has both exhilarating action and stirring emotion, it perfectly balances horror with heart, and the jaw-dropping cool-factor is truly out of this world; so yes, please go ahead and judge this book based on its cover, because I guarantee that the story inside is even better than its stunning outsides might have you believe.

Thank you to the author for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. A Dirge for Cascius: Part 1 is scheduled for release on August 2nd, 2024.

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