Jason Waltz > Recent Status Updates

Kay, "None Shall be Lonely": rather fascinating tale, kept me engrossed and entertained. This Ghost Eater is cool.

Hanifen, "The Hungry Dead": meh. Folklorish, okay but predictable.

Zacek, "The Pilgrim": Dark. Dark and eerie and never quite what you anticipate.

Burke, "The Valley of Yellow Death": a very unique story with both an old trope and a new treasure of the immortal wanderer. Pretty cool.

Harper, "Montague and the Return of Don Villanova": fiendishly delightful, I enjoy a good vampire and this story definitely features one.

Andrews, "Under a Blood Moon": bounty huntin' in an interesting switch-a-roo.

Alexander, "Eric Stone's Stallion": pretty cool and very black righteous revenge tale.

Holy wow! Clark's "Lucky" is a terrific story. I almost paused after the first page to say, "What a great beginning," but I couldn't stop cuz it was such an engrossing read. I really had no idea where this was going and it pulled a huge whammy on me. Awesome writing, Chuck!

Carson Ray and Knox deliver a decent banger of a close to this issue. There's blood, sorcery, shape-shifting, treachery, temptation, thievery, and religion, lol. The character, challenge, fight, and decision rang solid.

Well gotta say, McIlveen's "Flesh Eater's Curse" was a chore to read. Rather juvenile, way over-the-top protagonist, and heavily, heavily (and often illogically) written. Danger and tenseness and dark deeds existed, but not strongly enough to overcome the writing. This one could use a lot of editing guidance.

Ah, if only we, these United States, had been the Great Neutral rather than the World's Policeman.

I grew up in a mostly classical school education so this book isn't so much teaching me anything new as it is reminding me of what we Americans have lost, most often willingly unfortunately. Also unfortunate is that most people won't read this or won't believe this or won't want to follow this because of its religious bent. And that's too bad, because if you read and understand this, you will realize all we've lost.

Stevenson, "Gone Hunting": cool use (and depictions) of a rarely used mythical creature, especially in this setting. Well-done making me feel the hunger and cold. While I didn't enjoy those sensations, I enjoyed this story.

Hart, "Debate at the O.K. Corral": fun despite the heavy hand at the beginning setting the stage. First person storytelling in a bar is a balancing act (I've done it to varying degrees of success). The story as a whole is entertaining and well done, the insertions of our narrator are a little irksome and overly dramatic. Some might find that more humorous than I so maybe it's not as big a sticking point as I feel.

Burge, "Nanimwe": a clever, deadly, good ol' were- story with a very nice classic homage nod at the close. Good storytelling.

Abrahams, "Not Forgotten": good story, kept me engrossed. 3rd different killer in a row, so good TOC order too.

Crawford, "They're Bitin' Down at Bonita Creek": fun comeuppance of a crooked land baron in a Conan-esque sequence with a strong heroine and great title.

Picco, "At Dusk Ye Shall Eat Flesh": creepy zombie horror Cowboys and Indians from split POV

Next, Dar is the primary character but he doesn't matter on the last 4 pages which are from another's POV. Both oddities happen in the last five pages, so the story ends dissatisfactorily.

I enjoyed the first Olson Spearslayer story I read so I looked forward to this one. "Cold Steel...and Nothing More" delivers the same fierce fighting & interesting storytelling. However, it also includes 2 odd writing choices: first, a very quick handful of paragraphs answer to Dar's search for his daughter. 10 year search, solved and resolved faster than you read this.

2 points of immediate interest:
- there is no acknowledgment of Robert E. Howard in this Marvel graphic novel that I can find.
- And they use both spellings of a word in the title, Reaver on the cover and Reiver on the copyright

Don't believe I've read anything from Mike Adamson before, and he has such a distinct style, I think I would recall. Talk about a story matching up with the interview answers so deftly! This is a beautifully written, not-quite-story travelogue without much conflict. It took almost 2 pages to hint at the point. Not very exciting or enthralling or short storyish, probably fits better in a novel written similarly.

One of the main reasons I grabbed this issue was because everyone I know has been talking about Logan Whitney's story. I figured it was time I read it. I'm glad I did. It's fun, adventurous, dangerous in numerous ways, and enjoyed by two characters who love a good thrill and steep challenge but not at the cost of comradeship. Fun title. This actually reminds me quite a bit of Logan's hero and tale in my Reach for the

Only people who allow for universal truths and natural law will embrace this book. People who do not will discard it in anger. It is as Ben Franklin said: "Only a virtuous people are capable of freedom. As nations become corrupt and vicious, they have more need of masters." Which has proven true throughout history and currently.

Quite the excellent prologue: gives us our protagonists (though are they are heroes?), sets the stage, hints of romance, chivalry, war, and death, and all of that in 2 pages. Nicely done.

Whelp. Story #2 is better than the first story. It is filled with valor and dark wyrdness and fighting but ...it's an odd mix of things that could be better blended.

Sorry. Best I got for this first story is childish.

And now the sorrow begins.

Kearney, as he demonstrated a dozen years ago in my own WRITING FANTASY HEROES, is a master at writing armies and large scale movements and battles. To boot, he also completely puts me in the setting - I shiver in the winter winds and rainy muck with his characters. And his characters hold many features, thoughts, experiences I can connect with.

Dariel R.A. Quiogue writes a dark and deadly tale in "Feast of the Fallen Gods" (which is such a great title!)! Worthy wyrd, warrior, and wild beasts stalk this S&S yarn. Good closer.