Jason Waltz > Recent Status Updates

Reading the physical print version. I love this cover...but first impression upon holding it very disappointed in the blank spine.

Starting to regret this read. Very cool cover snagged my interest. So-so MC, quite irritating sidekick. Will try a little bit more.

"ONCE UPON A TIME WITH THE DEAD" has some superb lines of atmospheric description...but then it ends in a blur of futility! Was quite surprised at its abruptness.

"Powder Burn" was a strong Western tale of good triumphing over bad.

Greg Cox' "Guardian of the Sapphire Sword" is clever fun. Love the POV character choice.

Weston Ochse's interview with Michael Moorcock is terrific, as is Neil Gaiman's salute to the impact of Moorcock and Elric in his life. The new novel excerpt...leaves me as apathetic to Elric as always.

Snappy Western tales featuring goodhearted cowboys standing against crooked betrayers. Enjoyed "SHOWDOWN AT WILD BRIAR" but definitely wouldn't want to be a love-lorn hero in a Boone story.

Jim Gillett seems a tough fellow. He enjoyed a strong reputation as Ranger and Marshall, though again, his chapter really did not share anything about his actual gunfighting skills.

Don't think Dallas Stoudenmire's chapter gave him a very fair shake at all, being spent entirely on the feud between he and the Mannings which ultimately led to his death. Not much was spent on the quality of the man or what actually qualified him for placement in this book.

Simultaneously nastily darker than previous tales but also much slower. Lots of talking and treading water, finding myself glossing over paragraphs, eyes glazing, mind fogging.

The team is back. Both teams actually, and the bad side seems to be growing even sicker and more evil if possible. I was surprised at this update to see I was 28% in already, as so far this has been a lot of preliminary setup.

The plot finally thickens with appealing intrigue.

Tolerably interesting thus far. Keep waiting for another shoe to drop or some such - I can feel it looming over everything like there's still a piece missing. Poor content editing mars yet another Maberry book sadly.

Stumbled across this used and have wanted to read it, so here goes! I do love the single sentence opening chapter.

Superb article on the history of S&S by Charles Rutledge.

I realize it must be challenging to get new readers into an old story, but frankly at this point screw new readersb if you're going to take cherished old characters and continue their stories, you should be writing for the old original readers. The 'heroine' of this is plain old stupid.

Calling this Issues 8-14. Still spending too much limited space in gladiator mode, let's get back to the meat of this series. Issue 10 shows the beginning of the end that crushed CrossGen. Art and layout and storytelling style all changed to the atrocious. Hoping we get Brath back on track before his ignoble end.

Actually reading the entire individual issue series in one shot. (However, these graphic novels are the only listing in Goodreads.)

GREAT S&S heroic graphic fun!

J. Thomas Howard delivers a grand ending with another futuristic dystopian flying mounted warrior tale in "The Lightning Sword."

"The Carrion Eaters" = clever!

New-to-me name Jimmy Stamp delivers a doozy of a tale with "Voda's Atlas." Ka is definitely intriguing and Kryger...seems awesome on first meet. Together could make some exciting storytelling!

"Bugbear" - Hot damn! Rockstar tale!

So predictable and frankly dismayingly childish. However, Raistlin has been mentioned 2x now 😁

Welllllll. Returning to a long cherished world because (1) of the cool cover to book 2 in this new series and (2) I'm hoping to revisit with Raistlin. Familiar world feels, but so far a whole lotta drudgery setup.

"Black Stranger" is rip-roaring fun that cannot be denied. Other than the repetitive sledgehammer to the head of how honorable Conan is, this is a tale that holds it all!

Anderson opens with an interesting and bloody enough tale, but not sure I buy the ease with which the sculptor accepts his companion at the close.

David Wesley Hill's "Good for the Gander" and Charles Duke are a hoot. I have been remiss in not reading his first 2 tales in BLACK GATE MAGAZINE. I shall remedy this.

Matt Spencer's "A Place of Fellowship" is rollicking fun with blades, betrayals, and blasphemers. Story action and protagonist are fun; the religious government and all the big words not so much.

Whomever doest not enjoy "The Black Stranger" doest not know the savory meat of grand, swashbuckling adventure!!

Just finished RAGE - lots and lots of bloody battle and bravery against all sorts of dark and dastardly sorcery! Lots of action storytelling with a great hero. Also lots of grammatical issues including missing sections, changes in writing quality, and sudden mysterious and questionable religious statements oddly inserted. Adventurous fun if you gloss over these rough features.

Ali Short's "The Idol in the Well" is powerful fun! It reads quickly yet feels like it holds as much as a longer story. Great protagonist duo I'd read of again.