Derek Alan Siddoway's Blog, page 5

Little boys grow up and dogs get old

Man, this is a post I really wish I wasn’t writing.

Thursday was bittersweet: I came home, eagerly anticipating the paperback proof of Out of Exile that was supposed to arrive in the mail. It was, but unlike most days, my fourteen-year-old blue heeler, Misty, didn’t greet me when I got out of my car. She was lying on the porch and couldn’t stand up. We put her to sleep Friday morning.

Growing up on a farm in the west, I’ve seen my fair share of animals die. During lambing season, for instance, sometimes as many as a quarter of the lambs don’t make it. I also hunt. Life and death is part of western life. You learn to accept it — in the time we had Misty, we’ve been through more than half a dozen cats — some were ran over, some disappeared (likely in a coyote’s belly) and a couple of lucky ones lived to a ripe old age and we buried them.

We also had a couple of dogs too: my dad’s retired police dog and a German Shepherd. As far as I can recall, when the German Shepherd died, it was the first time I remember my mom crying. The same a few years later with my dad’s Malinois. When they passed away, I was a distraught little boy for sure, but the experience just didn’t carry the same emotional impact as this.

Misty was the first dog that was really mine. I picked her out as a puppy and we grew up together. I can’t count the miles we spent wandering together, hiking and exploring the ground on and around our farm. Back then, we were in Neverland — I couldn’t imagine a future where life would be any different, a life where the golden days of youth would fade away. But it did. I came to learn life wasn’t always a fairy tale and, year by year, Misty got a little older and slept a little more on the porch each day.

It’s a sad thing to watch a pet get old. Do they understand what’s happening? Or are they just scared and confused, wondering why they can’t run or even walk like they used to? A heartbreaking thought.

I’ve come to learn it’s not age so much as loss that marks the passage of time in our lives, the turning of the page and the ending of chapters. Kenny Chesney remarks on this is a rather insightful song called That’s Where I Grew Up. It’s one of those songs that packs a punch when you take the time to really listen to the lyrics.

That song hit me hard the first time I heard it. This summer, another did the same. The first time I heard Little Boys Grow Up and Dog Get Old, I was driving home from work. Everything else — the passing cars, honking horns and worries of the day — all faded. If you’ve ever loved a dog, take a listen. I’m sure it will resonate. Here’s part of the chorus:

I thought we would, be together

Go on and on just like that, forever

But I was young back then

And God, I wish I didn’t know

That little boys grow up and dogs, get old

The post Little boys grow up and dogs get old appeared first on Author Derek Alan Siddoway.

Hell on Wheels Season 5 Episode 5 Review: Elixir of Life

Hell on Wheels Season 5 Episode 5: Elixir of Life

Official Synopsis: Unexpected violence strikes during the festival of Tin Hau Don in Chinatown. Cullen confronts The Swede. Durant involves Maggie in his latest scheme.

Read the previous episode review

Review

An intriguing opening to the episode — Chang and Cullen are on their way to San Francisco to pick up supplies (fireworks) for the Tin Hau Don festival. Although it’s clear both would rather be by someone else, treat us to an interesting conversation about the past: when it should be forgotten, when it should be remembered. As we learn later, the conversation foreshadows coming events.

Meanwhile, back in Laramie, it looks like business is booming for Eva and Mickey. They’ve got a pretty slick business plan down, even though Eva’s still having issues with one of her girls. I have a feeling that might come to head sooner than later, as well as the partnership between Eva and Mickey. In other news, what’s this lake of brimstone the Union faces?

Ah, Cullen. Like most fights against the Swede, he comes too little too late. It’s the same case again when he calls Phineas into his office to warn him about the Swede. At the same time, Thor Gunderson is next door, striking a deal with Chang to cement their alliance against Bohannon. The way things are shaping up, Cullen’s going to have his hands full with that pair.

With Phineas firm in his grasp, it looks like the Swede’s plan is in full swing. After making up a story about receiving orders from the angel Moroni on a golden plate (like Joseph Smith’s revelation) he presents the guns he’s been stockpiling to Brigham Young’s son. The scene of the Swede bowing down before Phineas is chilling, a precursor of the chaos to come.

But now, time to lighten up a bit! You’ve gotta love Maggie’s fire. Not only does she ruin Durant’s latest con, but then she turns around and has the gumption to throw a pile of…undesirable material at him. It’s good to see someone aside from Bohannon seeing past his B.S. — or throwing it at him, I suppose. On the other hand, you almost had to believe he felt bad later on when he sold all that worthless land to Psalms and his crew of freemen.

I have an ominous feeling after Cullen’s conversation with Tao. I got an even more ominous feeling when Cullen leaves his bottle of the “Pacific Ocean” in the care of Strobridge’s daughter. It’s clear he’s expecting trouble, trouble he might not survive. Chang’s toast did little to assuage Cullen’s (or my) worries.

Man, my teeth were clenched for the last ten minutes of the show. When Chang revealed the old rifle in the rice box trick, I was as stunned as Cullen. I was almost convinced Chang’s gesture was genuine. Cullen’s desire to beat the Swede once again caused him to act on impulse and, as always, he paid the price.

You’ve gotta love the latest cat and mouse game between Bohannon and the Swede. When Cullen went through those rice crates, I got a sinking feeling right alongside him. But it’s too late. The wild goose chase is complete and Tao becomes the latest victim of the Swede’s (and Chang’s) guile.

The post Hell on Wheels Season 5 Episode 5 Review: Elixir of Life appeared first on Author Derek Alan Siddoway.

Hell on Wheels Season 5 Episode 4 Review: Struck

Hell on Wheels Season 5 Episode 4: Struck

Official Synopsis: Cullen must find a way to end a Chinese labor strike. Durant pulls Mickey deeper into Union Pacific business.

Read the previous episode review here.

Review

Aww yeah! I’ve been wondering when we’d be graced with the return of the mysterious stagecoach driver. And what a return she made! Mary Fields is clearly not a woman to trifle with, judging by the way she dropped Dandy Johnny Shea in one punch. Later on, Psalms tries to spark a conversation with Mary leading us to wonder if that’s a budding romance in the works.

But while Stagecoach Mary is taking names in Laramie, Cullen is up to his neck in Mr. Chang’s mischief. When his would-be murderers go free, Chang orchestrates a labor strike and presents Bohannon with a list of (mostly self-serving) demands. When Tao refuses to side with the Central Pacific and work on the railroad halts, Cullen resorts to starving the workers out.

Meanwhile, we get our first real taste of life in the Union Pacific post-Bohannon. Louise has been black-balled by Durant and can’t get a story to save her life. Eva and Mickey can’t get along, mostly because Dandny Johnny is dragging them both to bankruptcy with his shenanigans. All the while, Durant’s scrambling to keep his work crews from killing one another after Delaney gets cold-cocked on the job.

Hoping to turn things around, Durant brings in Mickey to recruit some law and order with his workers. Mickey, seeing a chance to get Johnny out of his hair and Eva’s beds, sends him working on the railroad. But as always with Dandy Johnny, Durant may have bought more than he bargained for.

After Chang arms a group of Chinese workers and gets into a standoff with Strobridge, Cullen finally relents. On the advice of Tao, he convinces Huntington to ship the bodies of the deceased Chinese home and ends the hunger strike. In the end, none of Chang’s demands are met, but the Chinese are happy with the respect shown to their deceased. The Chinese back to work, Mr. Chang’s revolt is cut out from beneath him, but he’s sure to be far from finished.

It’s sickening the way the Swede continues to manipulate Phineas in his grasp. Of all his schemes, this may well be the most dastardly and threatens to unravel the delicate peace balanced between the two railroads. With both sides moving into Utah, the Swede could cause some real problems by leading a splinter group of the Mormons in revolt.

In the waning minutes of Episode 4, the viewers and Stagecoach Mary are left with a bit of a mystery. Who are the dead men and what does the Chinese domino the carry signify?

The post Hell on Wheels Season 5 Episode 4 Review: Struck appeared first on Author Derek Alan Siddoway.

Hell on Wheels Season 5 Episode 3 Review: White Justice

Hell on Wheels Season 5 Episode 3: White Justice

Synopsis: Cullen contends with violence in Chinatown set off by disgruntled railroad workers. The Swede manipulates Phineas in his plot against the Mormons.

Read the previous episode review

Review

Episode 3 kicks off with a clip from Fong/Mei Mei’s past, presumably the first time she donned the disguise of a man to protect herself from the violence in her home land. This scene is interspersed with Fong and her father arriving at the Central Pacific camp to begin work on the railroad. Although I love that Hell on Wheels is delving into so many back stories, I’m not sure they’re going to be able to wrap so many character arcs up all nice and neat by the finale.

After the intro, we’re treated to another confrontation between the Swede and Bohannon. The Swede’s ticked about shoveling snow and goes into another spiel about being the Joker to Cullen’s Batman, or vice versa in his opinion I suppose. After Bohannon rides off on the train, the Swede pics up another shipment of…rice? from Chang. He also asks to triple his order, leaving us to wonder just what nefarious plot he’s up to now.

Turns out, he’s only buying rice to create a discrepancy in the Church’s accounting books. He points out the flaw to Phineas and Brigham Young’s son flies off the handle. After double checking the numbers, Phineas returns later, convinced Brigham Young is cheating him, just as the Swede intended. Now, with Phineas in his clutches, it looks like the Swede is almost ready to make his power play against the Prophet.

Meanwhile, Cullen’s new steam engine has increased tunneling speed, but at the expense of white men’s jobs. This doesn’t sit well with Strobridge and he goes behind Bohannon’s back to find new work for them. Huntington dispenses some wisdom but in the end, doesn’t relent to giving the men new jobs. Does this signal a permanent rift between Strobridge and Bohannon?

After getting Strobridge off his put, Cullen’s walk through camp as the Chinese go about their down time further shows just how isolated and alone he is. He makes a stop by Fong’s tent and the ensuing discussion brings up past themes of racism and the true meaning of “freedom” in post-Civil War America. “We’re still Chinese,” she says when Cullen tries to assuage her fears.

Later on, Chang has a great one-liner in the same vein to wrap up the episode: “So this is America. It may be the law, but it is not justice.”

Back in the bar, Strobridge’s recently fired men are all fired up (pun intended), similar to what happened back in Hell on Wheels between the Irishmen and African-Americans. Strobrdige does his best to curve their wrath against the Chinese, but doesn’t seem to get through to the trio.

In the next scene, the white fellers stir up some trouble in Chang’s sweatshop. Even his kung-fu can’t save him and they hang one of Chang’s employees. With a crowd of Chinese gathering around, they prepare to hang Chang (no rhyme intended) next. What is it with the Irish wanting to string everybody up?

Just in time, Bohannon, Tao and Fong show up to cut him down. The next morning, Chang wants a trial, leaving Bohannon and Strobridge to arrest the men responsible in preparation for a trial. Unfortunately, the Chinese are the only witnesses and can’t testify against the whites. With Chang harboring a grudge, we leave Bohannon preparing for the ensuing storm.

The post Hell on Wheels Season 5 Episode 3 Review: White Justice appeared first on Author Derek Alan Siddoway.

Hell on Wheels Season 5 Episode 2 Review: Mei Mei

Hell on Wheels Season 5 Episode 2: Mei Mei

Synopsis: Cullen and Fong find themselves in peril as they transport a locomotive over the Sierra Nevada mountains. The Swede gains Phineas’ trust.

Read the previous episode’s review (Season 5 Episode 1: Chinatown) here

Review

Bohannon can’t seem to keep himself out of sticky situations can he? Right off the bat, our fearless southern railroad leader finds himself on the end of a short rope, with poor Fong hanging on the other end, dangling off a cliff. As we soon find out, this is two days in the future. Just what happened in between remains to be seen.

I’ve got a feeling it has something to do with the giant locomotive Bohannon wants to move up the mountain. As he checks over the boiler, pistons and bearings with an experienced railroad man’s eye, Strobridge is somewhat skeptical.

“It’s gonna take a magician to get her up there, Bohannon.”

“Well, I ain’t no magician.”

Meanwhile, Cullen is busy dealing the aftermath of Mr. Chang whooping on his foreman — apparently the only Chinese worker aside from Chang who can translate to the other workers, as luck would have it. A comical scene ensues as Bohannon tries to communicate with his workers, none of which have any idea what the hell he’s saying.

Speaking of humor, the follow scene featuring the Swede breaking off a poor Mormon boy’s frostbitten toe got a chuckle out of me. Considering how the Swede is probably going to corrupt Phineas and the rest of the Latter-day Saints, however, I don’t think there will be many more laughs to come. Even so, it’s hard to find the evil in the Swede’s plans as he provides a voice of (at least for now) reason to Phineas Young.

Right away, Bohannon’s locomotive transportation plan seems doomed to fail. Struggling to work with his new translator, the previous foreman’s son Fong, Cullen and his crew are dealt with setback after setback. Right away, the horses spook and the fail, but Fong impresses Cullen with a show of ingenuity. Around the campfire that evening, the two share a bonding moment talking about their previous lives as soldiers whilst passing around the whiskey.

In a rare moment, Bohannon opens up, talking about his dreams, his plans to build a house — a place he can kick his boots up. You get the feeling he’s growing weary of the railroad fight as he remarks he’d like “something that will last.” If there’s one sure thing about Cullen Bohannon, it’s that nothing is a sure thing. Nothing in his life lasts.

Two things are sure about Fong though. 1. He’s a she and 2. she’s messed up pretty bad, coughing up blood as a result of the horse team running her over during the previous locomotive breakaway.

To his credit, Bohannon doesn’t blow her cover (no one really expected him to anyway, though). Partly because he’s a southern gentlemen when it comes down to it but mostly, I imagine because he needs her to build the damn railroad.

When Fong tries to leave, we catch back up to the opening scene: her and Cullen bouncing down the mountainside with Fong ending up on the edge of the cliff. After a complete rehashing of the scene (with Fong’s response in subtitles this time to give us her side of the arguement), they — surprise, surprise — fall back over the cliff and we’re back where we started.

No way. She cuts the freaking rope. But is she dead?

Nope, Fong just cut a mighty deep snow angel at the bottom of the cliff. Leaving Strobridge in charge, Bohannon goes to the rescue. It’s ironic that, as the ultimate tragic character himself, Cullen can’t but attract and attempt to save every tragic character who crosses his path.

Meanwhile Brother Thor (he’ll always be the dirty rotten Swede to me) has managed to finagle Huntington out of boots for the Mormon workers. Although, on the surface, it’s a life-saving gesture, the apple is still rotten at it’s core. What evil scheme is he weaving?

The post Hell on Wheels Season 5 Episode 2 Review: Mei Mei appeared first on Author Derek Alan Siddoway.

Hell on Wheels Season 5 Episode 1 Review: Chinatown

Hell on Wheels Season 5 Episode 1: Chinatown

Synopsis: Cullen Bohannon begins work in California, building east with the Central Pacific. Word on Cullen’s family comes in from Salt Lake City.

Recap:

Season Five of Hell on Wheels kicks off in a whole new world for Cullen Bohannon and viewers alike. Since last season, Bohannon’s been hard at work working for the Central Pacific, mapping a route across the Sierra Nevadas in an effort to beat Durant and the Union Pacific in penultimate race of the era. He’s also hard at work making plenty of a new enemies…and perhaps a friend or two to watch his back.

Right away it’s clear that switching railroads hasn’t change our fearless southern leader — he’s in the thick of things from the start, climbing mountains in search of a faster route easter and down in the tunnels, setting blasting charges. It’s also clear when a careless worker drops a lantern into the tunnel and ignites a keg of dynamite that life on railroad ain’t got any safer, either.

Cullen seems to have grown more distant from society as the search for his wife and son continues without him. He’s lonely and, as another railroad worker remarks, “you don’t have many friends, do you Bohannon?” “None living,” Cullen answers. No matter how good things were going when Bohannon first walked into the Central Pacific camp last season, they’re still running behind. When Collis Huntington asks Bohannon if he has his loyalty, it’s hard to believe his answer. I couldn’t help but wonder how much longer before he’ll set out after his wife and son.

Even so, Bohannon’s still out championing the cause of the common man, instigating a fight with the latest lowlife to cross his path: a Mr. Chang who’s been holding out payroll on the Chinese laborers. At first glance, Mr. Chang seems like an even more rotten version of Mickey McGinnes — he’s the owner of the local brothel and dealing opium on the side. Over dinner, he’s described as the son of a pirate lord and a Polynesian cannibal.

Regardless, Mr. Chang’s got some pretty gnarly scars on his back that promise to make a wonderfully grimdark backstory. One can assume Mr. Chang will have a past as twisted and disjointed as the rest of the Hell on Wheels cast. After an interesting exchange between him and Bohannon in the saloon, the two are shaping up to make a great rivalry.

Speaking of twisted and disjointed, the Swede is up to his old tricks, turning people against one another. This time, it’s Brigham Young’s son he’s trying to bend to his will. At night, we find him stashing away weapons in a hay barn, and one has to wonder when he’ll tip his hand for another bloodbath…and when he’ll come across the Bohannon family.

The exchange between the Swede and Bohannon at the end of the episode was fantastic. When the Swede tells Cullen he is the true prophet and Bohannon is the devil, Cullen’s response is fantastic. “It may take a devil to finish this railroad…I’ve got a race to win.”

The post Hell on Wheels Season 5 Episode 1 Review: Chinatown appeared first on Author Derek Alan Siddoway.

Return to Shadow extended author’s note

It’s crazy to think that I wrote the first chapter of Return to Shadow before Out of Exile was even published. My how things change.

Since that first chapter found Revan and Shamus overlooking a buffalo herd in the Simarron, author and character alike have come a long way. In the year and a half it’s taken me to write, revise and edit all three parts of Return to Shadow (collectively a 155,000+ word beast), I’ve been laid off, found a new job, ended a nearly two-year relationship and learned that, while being an author isn’t always as glamorous as I used to think, the grind is most definitely worth it.

Originally, Return to Shadow was going to be a single installment, released in November 2014. (Let’s take a moment and laugh at that — what was I thinking?). As the tale continued to grow, however, I realized that to hone the story into the best it deserved to be I’d need to narrow down my scope. The result was a sort of mini trilogy in and of itself — three smaller pieces of a whole with (I hope) their own beginnings and ending along with the overall story arc. I can’t speak for you readers if this worked or not, but I can say with certainty that it allowed me to give you the best the story could be.

Revan’s homecoming was something I’ve been looking forward to writing since I first started Out of Exile. Much like my protagonist, Athelon cast a spell over me and I hope the same happened to you. The mountain-citadel draws from two other famous mountains in fantasy, the obvious answer being the Lonely Mountain from Tolkien’s Hobbit. The other inspiration comes from an author many of you have probably never read. The mountain fortress of Salamandastron and the deep, seemingly bottomless lake in the Mossflower Woods of Brian Jacques’ Redwall series are owed credit for the initial concepts that became Athelon.

As the many faces and roles of the man we now know as Rok continue to expand, I think it’s important to note that each of his guises stem from similar, if not slightly different sources. Who is the old man? In short, he’s Odin, Gandalf, Dumbledore, Bayaz and Dallben all rolled into one. (Extra points if you know who Bayaz and Dallben are!) Hopefully, I’ve done enough to differentiate the character that he can one day assume a place on this Mt. Rushmore of geriatric fantasy geezers.

Rok’s guise as the sheepherder at the end of Part III was one particularly dear to my heart. This time around my grandfather served as the inspiration. The song Rok sings just before Shamus and Brinhold meet him on the beach is one I heard many times growing up. As far as I know, my grandpa crafted the entire thing (he was a bit of a wordsmith himself, but more poet than a proser). Here’s the little ditty again:

I am a jolly good sheepherder, I love to sing and dance,

I wonder what the girls would say if they could see my pants.

They’re all ripped out the bottom, and all dubbed up with grease,

With buckskin lace around my waist a-holdin’ them above my knees.

We’re camped on old Black Mountain and the snow is almost gone,

March is just about over and April’s comin’ on.

We’re heading for the lambin’ grounds, the lambin’ grounds so dear,

And when we hit the lambin’ grounds, oh boy won’t we cheer.

We’ll drive ‘em in the docking corrals and cut off all their tails,

With only ninety-nine percent of dogs and weeps and wails.

I’ll be glad when good ole summer comes, summertime so fine,

Then we’ll ride from camp to camp and drink chokecherry wine!

There are dozens of other nuances and fun facts I could go on about, but to keep from going too long, I’ll refrain and let the rest of the saga speak for itself. As much as I enjoyed bringing Return to Shadow to the light (no pun intended), the real meat of Teutevar Saga lies ahead. Just who are these Shadows and what is this golden substance that continues to appear all over Peldrin? What do the Fates have in store for Revan Teutevar? Time will tell all.

Maybe I say this too much, but my number one goal as a writer is to make every book I write better than the last. With each installment of Return to Shadow, I got a little closer to where I want to be as an author: the plot was stronger, the pacing faster, the dialog more realistic and each chapter (hopefully) hooked you in and wouldn’t let you go. I still have a long, long ways to go before I can consider myself a master storyteller. I hate to destroy the romance behind the notion, but writing, just like any other endeavor, requires years of dedicated, relentless work. I appreciate you going through the growing pains with me. The people that are here now, as I’m writing this in the beginning (May 2015) will always hold a special place in my heart.

As fulfilling as it was to finish this project, I’m eager to continue the work. If I’ve discovered anything from Return to Shadow, it’s that I want to be writing books up until the day they lay me in the ground. If that’s not the most insane, beautiful dream, I don’t know what is.

Thanks for reading everyone,

♠ DAS ♠

P.S. What was your favorite moment in all of Return to Shadow? Comment below and let me know!

The post Return to Shadow extended author’s note appeared first on Author Derek Alan Siddoway.

Vikings Season 3 Episode 10 The Dead (Season Finale) Review

Season 3 Episode 10: The Dead, Season Finale

Watch here

Synopsis: With one last chance to take Paris, Ragnar and his Viking troops take a daring chance. Ragnar asks Bjorn for a favor that could change the course of Viking history.

Recap

What a bittersweet moment, but one we’ve all been waiting for nonetheless. For every conflict “The Dead” resolved, two more filled its place. Although the episode got off to a slow start and had to jam everything in to the last 15 minutes, the season finale didn’t disappoint.

We left things off last week with Ragnar’s baptism and apparent betrayal of his friends and family to Christianity. Now, just as the Franks deliver their payments to the Norsemen, the King of the Vikings is on is apparent deathbed, surrounded by subjects eager to take his place.

This recap was one I couldn’t write until after the finale was over, for good reason. Vikings pulled all the stops this week and with so many twists and turns, it was impossible to know where things were going. Likewise, it’s just as hard to know what the future has in store for the Vikings.

Ragnar’s scene with Bjorn was a short, yet powerful exchange that hinted to things to come. Through the ups and downs they’ve had this season, it tugged on the heartstrings to see Bjorn watching over his father in life and death. Similarly, the subsequent interactions with Lagertha, Rollo and Floki were also short and powerful.

That being said, I felt that Floki’s parting words to Ragnar were the only ones we actually needed to hear. Everything Lagertha and Rollo said had already been, well, said before. They also lacked the raw emotion and heartbreak that Floki’s been carrying with him all season.

Back in Paris, the Viking-Frankish ceasefire leaves a bad taste in Princess Gisla’s mouth. It’s a good thing she’s being prudish enough for everyone, though — Count Odo’s medieval precursor to 50 Shades of Grey was…odd, to say the least.

Then, at long last after a long buildup nearly half the episode long (seriously History, you only give us ten episodes a year — don’t we at least deserve a two-hour season finale?) the battle of religions surfaced again when Ragnar was carried to the cathedral. On the outside, pagans danced and sung their farewells, while inside the walls of Paris, the ever-stoic Christians joined together in hymns.

And then? The pagans got in.

YEARGH! Ragnar rises! What a trick from our ruthless, wily Viking commander. Although I admit, I had a suspicion that everything wasn’t as it seemed, it didn’t lessen the spectacular moment when Ragnar leapt from his coffin and shanked that bishop right in the jugular. No matter what everyone else thinks, I’m pretty sure Ragnar’s not a Christian at heart.

As Ragnar strode through the ranks of charging Vikings, we were treated with a blood-rousing, iconic scene. Even so, the king isn’t out of danger yet. While he may have hid his collapse from the majority of his subjects, the power players bringing up the rear were sure to take note.

It was also refreshing to see Bjorn taking the helm after the raid. It remains to be seen how he’ll taking Porunn’s departure, but I’m excited to see how he grows into a king himself in Season 4 (especially considering that teaser of him taking on a bear mano a mano ).

Lucky for Rollo and unfortunately for Princess Gisla, Emperor Charles grew a spine, or at least borrowed Count Odo’s. It’s not surprising that Rollo, given the chance, has decided to turn on his brother again. Even so, you can’t help but feel happy that the guy finally caught a break. We’ll see how he handles the fiery Gisla after her less than endearing wedding toast. Has Rollo declared himself as Ragnar’s enemy for good this time? I’m not so sure. If not, Princess Gisla may have a hand in converting him to her cause.

And last but not least, we say goodbye for now looking into Floki’s terror-filled eyes. He’s such a tragic fellow, like a kicked dog that still lives to please. The boat builder better hit the ground running when they get back to Kattegat. Ragnar’s out for blood.

Vikings Season 3 saw the farewell of many beloved characters and the birth of many more. Grittier and bloodier than ever, we were treated to excellent acting and writing that took the series to new heights. Between the battle of religions and the battles raging within each character, Vikings has a bright future. Plus, next season is slated to be SIXTEEN EPISODES. That’s almost 2x the Vikings epicness…if only it would come sooner.

It’s a credit to an excellent cast and crew that a tale with a predetermined ending can be so enthralling. Soon, Bjorn and the rest of Ragnar’s sons will take the helm…and the medieval world will never be the same. Even so, I’m going to miss Ragnar, whenever he moves on to greener pastures. I’m just glad it isn’t yet.

What was your favorite moment from Season 3? Tell me in the comments!

The post Vikings Season 3 Episode 10 The Dead (Season Finale) Review appeared first on Author Derek Alan Siddoway.

Vikings Season 3 Episode 9 (Breaking Point) Review

Vikings Season 3 Episode 9: Breaking Point

Watch here

Synopsis: The Vikings go all out for a second assault on Paris. Recognizing the desperate state of affairs for his city, Emperor Charles must make a difficult decision. In Wessex, Judith is compelled to make a difficult decision of her own.

Recap

How about a round of applause for that covert mission by Lagertha and her crew? Serious woman power on display, but you’ve got to admire the ingenuity of those darn Franks too. *Gritting teeth thinking about all the unlucky Vikings impaled on the spiky wheel of death*

I really love the tension that continues to build as we near the season finale. There are way too many plot threads to be tied up in just one wek and I have a hard time deciding which ones I need resolved the most. When is Ragnar going to play out his long con against Floki? Can the king keep his kingship, even though he’s pissing everyone off? Will Lagertha get her revenge on Kalf? What does King Ecbert have up his sleeve in merry old England? Where is Porunn going? (More importantly, does anyone really care where she’s going?)

After that gigantic, climatic battle last week, it was kind of a bummer for Count Odo to run to the king and say “well, guess what, a couple hundred Vikings are about to sack the city after all that hard work we did repelling them the other day.” I did enjoy the tension between Odo and Emperor Charles, especially when the count called out the Emperor and compared him to his grandfather, Charlemagne. I suppose after last week’s bloody showdown, we needed to get back to some of the more intricate aspects of Vikings.

I know I talk about this every week, but, once again, I’m going to go off on a tangent about how much I love the opposition between paganism and Christianity. This week, the battle of faith played out as Ragnar lay on his deathbed: Athelstan, representing a Christ figure, was driven away by Odin and his two ravens Hugin and Munin. It looks like he’s starting to associate his old ways with Hell, but who will claim Ragnar’s soul in the end, I wonder?

In the north, Christianity threatens Kattegat even without Athelstan around to stir things up. I admit, I was fooled when that poor missionary carried the iron bar to Aslaug and a little disappointed when it was all a fantasy. Aslaug’s character has kind of been left out to dry since her affair with the Wanderer, but it’s understandable considering everything that’s going on elsewhere. She’s going to be awful ticked off to hear her husband’s gone and baptized himself again.

Showing what barbarians Vikings has made of us all, I couldn’t help but chuckle when Earl Siegfried’s little trick cost the poor executioner’s assistant his hand. (On a side note, way to trick us in the previews into thinking it was Rollo, History Channel) It’s too bad that Earl Siegfried didn’t get more camera time. Just when he started to grow on me, Princess Gisla — that sweet little pious thing — had his head chopped off.

While history tells me everything being set up with King Ecbert and co. in Wessex will lead to plenty of awesome action, the dialog-heavy scenes didn’t do much for me this week. Yes, we know Ecbert has a thing for Judith and that he wants to rule all of England, but it looks like we’ll be waiting until season four to see how that plays out.

Breaking Point has set the stage wonderfully for the season three finale. Although Ragnar is king (and made sure everyone knew it in a pretty awesome pep talk) he’s not doing a very good job of holding his people together. Now, it’s not just Floki who feels betrayed. He’s turned his back on Lagertha and Rollo as well.

The post Vikings Season 3 Episode 9 (Breaking Point) Review appeared first on Author Derek Alan Siddoway.

Guest Post: Joseph Medina, author of Dangerous Faces

Intro:  Hey everybody, Derek here setting up the stage for another post from a fantastic Western Sci-fi author. Joseph has some good stuff for you guys and even better, you can grab his first book for free today (April 14, 2015). If you’re reading this after April 14, 2015, you should still head on over to Amazon (see link at the bottom) and get yourself a copy of Dangerous Faces. Enough from me — here’s Joseph on Westerns!

Admittedly, my love of the genre comes not from the written medium, but from film. As a student of film, it’s the medium I tend to think in, no matter how many books I read, and while I have read my fair share of western novels, none of them have touched me in the same way as the great western cinema classics have.

Growing up, the western was one of my favorite movie genres. From kickass movies like Tombstone to unforgettable pulpy classics like Fistful of Dollars, I was drawn to the rough-and-tumble nature of the movies. They were gritty, hard-boiled, and a lot of fun. I remember hearing the tidbit from world-renowned spaghetti western director Sergio Leone, that he would use the sound effect of a shotgun for a pistol, and the sound effect of a cannon for a shotgun.

So even when the movies got all gloom and doom on me (Once Upon a Time in the West was deadly serious), there was always that element that pulled it out of reality. It was hyper reality. A place where I could escape.

Fast forward to 2009, and I’m in my third year in film school. Our assignment in my TV writing class is to either write a pilot for a series or a showcase script for an existing show (there were a lot of Office and 30 Rock scripts being written in that class). Originally, I was completely on-board to do a 30 Rock script as well. To this day, it may be my favorite comedy series ever made, and I thought I could do a great job writing an episode of my own.

It just so happened that I was on another western kick, and I came to a sad conclusion. Many of the recent westerns were too serious. Appaloosa, The Proposition, 3:10 to Yuma, and The Assassination of Jesse James…all were ridiculous in how seriously they took themselves. Sure, a genre needn’t be restricted by the romanticizing of a violent era of U.S. history, but I wanted some western worth its salt that was actually fun for once.

The Korean western The Good, The Bad, The Weird seemed to have promise, but in the end, even that one got a little too dark for what I was looking for. It was my mission from that point forward to create a pilot for a western television series that would make westerns fun again.

So I created Dangerous Faces, a series that was originally meant to revolve around the misadventures of two recently escaped outlaws. They’d venture from town to town, getting into trouble as they went. It would be fun, action-packed, immoral, gritty, and unpredictable. In many ways, I envisioned it as Pirates of the Caribbean as a western, which is likely one of the reasons I brought in the science fiction element. Before long, the story became less about these two guys, and more about a rat race between a dozen or so hardened criminals.

It is through the formation of the story that I realized that what I liked most about westerns was the spirit of the genre, rather than the more realistic aspects. I love the landscapes in westerns. The gunfights, the conflict, the danger, and explosions. I loved all the things you think about when you look at a western through the eyes of a child. In Dangerous Faces, I wanted frenetic-paced action mixed in with childlike wonder. The stuff of trashy pulp novels of old.

The result was Dangerous Faces: a story that is big scope but goofy in nature. A fun escapist ride in the tradition of the old-fashioned serials. An epic and thrilling tale that isn’t afraid to poke fun at its own ridiculousness.

Above all else, I wanted Dangerous Faces to be fun.

Read Chapter One

Buy on Amazon:

The post Guest Post: Joseph Medina, author of Dangerous Faces appeared first on Author Derek Alan Siddoway.