Jason Waltz > Recent Status Updates

Good ol' fun action adventure can always be had in Teel James Glenn stories. His "Choices" here is no different, bringing a charming rogue or a priest into a battle of blades, banter, and black arts.

A fierce and terrible good thing was done, and it shattered friendships but saved hearts. Curiosity is definitely aroused.

Well Riley's "Essayan's Terrible Machineries of War" was fun! Again a bit unexpected as it is a telling story narrated from one teller to another, so not so much the headlong action of typical S&S. It was clever and bloody and deadly though.

I'm skipping discussing the opening story cuz, well, I wrote it. So...
Grayfson's "Cold Blood" surprised me. Definitely a protagonist filled with predatory attitude but also one I have no interest in embracing. Not bad as a novelty.

Picking up now, got some good vibes off Corvus and company. Let's go to war!

Slow start. Stories that begin with warriors trying to hang up their warrior-ing are always ponderous, trying hard to be meaningful.

Loken has joined the Luna Wolves lodge. This was an amazing sequence.

This is only my second WH40K book. While I know of the idea of both Emperor and Horus, I feel somewhat like I'm floundering in this world. I like Loken and many of his mates, but I'm uncertain if I should like Horus or trust him and many others. It's an unusual place to be in when reading - and I'm unsure of my loyalties and desires.

I really like this character. His, all of the, solemnity is outstanding and astounding. Is all of WH40K like this? It is actually impressive. The purity of battle is sublime.

Wow, didn't see that coming till I saw that coming. Reading this with no real knowledge of WH40K and there's been surprises, curiosities, and questions. Some cool characters too, and a plot that has me intrigued.

Just started Book 2, new characters and a new location, so let's see where this takes me.

Thus far quite enthralling. I really like the POV protagonist. Lots of battle action, political intrigue, and personal evaluation. Some cool ideas and stellar descriptions. And many 40k things get explained as the chapters go by for this series and system newbie, but there are a few things in still fuzzy on/curious about. Here's to learning them while also discovering more of our hero.

Ok, the leaps in connections and actions are getting a little much, the most egregious one just occurring. Deus ex machina much?

Of interest, but not the caliber of storytelling I anticipated. The MC is not all that endearing and I've actually not found a character yet to care about although there are some I'd like to see get their just rewards. The mystery is plausible and promising but the telling of it seems too formalic, the script showing through to much.

I always enjoy Sirtago & Poet stories from Jack Mackenzie (who will soon be interviewed by yours truly on 24 in 42). This is the longest of them, a novella of 100 pages, and a strong conclusion to this anthology. Many things happen to our scamming duo, including love, possession, and almost death for each. Evil sorcery, deadly blade-wielders, the law, and tentacled monstrosities pursue them, even as they try to con.

"Melkart and the Mithras Miracle" by Mark Mellon is fun, though it feels sliced from a larger work. The action and protagonist are fine, the world and his abilities ambiguous.

"Shadows of the Silent Sorcerer" by John R. Lehman was decent. A dark and deadly killer tries to pull off a dark and dangerous deed and predictably falls to a darker, deadlier foe.

Cool sentence, scene, set-up to start story 2:
"Here among the shattered peaks of blackened stone, the mournful tone of the wind was an eerie dirge heralding the death of the day and foretelling the birth of the coming night."

"Veil of Black Fire" by W E Wertenberger was...a story. I'm a bit surprised by its inclusion as there really is nothing of event or import or even excitement. Like a joke, a long joke, with a weak punchline, it just sorta hangs there.

Parker's "Brides of Drigoona" held some nasty magics and some good heroics. Fun adventure asea.

"Rise of the Bane-Blood" by Thomas is a cool idea and good plot that gets a little derailed in the last bit. Malis is an interesting character. The story feels like it was written in two stages, the first part tight and well-delivered, the second not so much. Maybe a tad too long.
"The Eye of Sirana" again was a cool idea but it definitely was too long, could have used a real tightening.

Wild, wacky, and sorta fun.

Evans' "Lessons from Aulis" is quite thoughtful and thought-provoking. Great start, and with a key POV that is rather fascinating. Reflective 2nd, 3rd, and 4th POVs. Denouement doesn't quite deliver on the same scale as onset and middle, but it works. Overall haunting, as are many of OMQ's better selections.

Whelp. Two stories in and underwhelming mumbo-jumbo so far.

Mills' story "The Last Gift" is a melancholy, bittersweet tale that yet makes one feel good. It is also quite tame for OMQ and doesn't quite fit my expectations for their contents.

So Voorhis' poem with footnotes was ambitious. I enjoyed the footnotes more than the prose poem, but my hardcopy is missing the footnotes on page 66 so the story is incomplete.

Laurence's story is rather beautiful, both in its writing and its telling. I'd be interested in following Heodric through another adventure.

H.R. Laurence's opening line of "The Torrent of Souls" is one of the best I've ever read. I've reread it numerous times and enjoyed it more each of them.

Read half of this in the PDF backers received a few months back, but really wanted to read this real thing. Delighted to open the cover and discover myself quoted atop the first page. Enjoyed the editorial introduction as well.

Wow, is this an appropriate book to be read today. "Men without Chests" is an amazing essay and especially so as it was written 80 years ago!

Fargo is Da Boss Man! It is always a joy to ride shotgun with Neal Fargo. Master of knife and gun and fist and woman. Has guns and travels, hard. Action here has amped up and Fargo's going to step up and get them out of it.