tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24785048821642574242024-03-28T02:21:04.582-07:00Kara DennisonI've been on the Internet way too long.Kara Dennisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17409242213865977764noreply@blogger.comBlogger129125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2478504882164257424.post-60784940307078014902024-03-27T04:00:00.000-07:002024-03-27T04:00:00.139-07:00REVIEW: The Ultimate RPG Game Master's Guide<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwjtPq6RgDCLHGJoNqNsDxOPFxopoE2NtlzRiWHyKpWQW_g-iD-KSD-anAIWy4b_sLZqF5InV2s9uleUgZsrAsLHa1Npr0j8nMmu1vJ9HTd1GZmHi446k82DfVdwkTACTY25QKkkGScq_4L20b73sH4vr6T4AvnwV2F4PFgxkowYPOBEHjg2oweTMnfdU/s2048/blo.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="2048" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwjtPq6RgDCLHGJoNqNsDxOPFxopoE2NtlzRiWHyKpWQW_g-iD-KSD-anAIWy4b_sLZqF5InV2s9uleUgZsrAsLHa1Npr0j8nMmu1vJ9HTd1GZmHi446k82DfVdwkTACTY25QKkkGScq_4L20b73sH4vr6T4AvnwV2F4PFgxkowYPOBEHjg2oweTMnfdU/w640-h360/blo.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So, I'm a little scared to run a game of my own. I've walked right up to the line several times, even made a few two-session attempts, but there's a massive anxiety around actually DMing. I've watched lots of people master this and become amazing, and yet I always pull away from actually starting a campaign of my own at the last minute.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I'm not sure what it is I'm missing. Maybe the fear that I'll upset a player, or miss an important social cue that could make or break party harmony. Maybe I'm fearful of making something too challenging or not challenging enough, or not approaching the story in the way players want. It all comes down to a fear of letting everyone else down, and not bringing the same magic to the table that so many other DMs have provided me.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I am apparently not the only person who feels this way, because there is a whole book about how to feel <i>less</i> that way... or, rather, how to channel those feelings into productive action.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i><a href="https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Ultimate-RPG-Game-Masters-Guide/James-D-Amato/Ultimate-Role-Playing-Game-Series/9781507221853" target="_blank">The Ultimate RPG Game Master's Guide</a></i> comes from James D'Amato, who's been taking up more and more space on my shelf as of late. He combines his knowledge of good gaming with the ability to create actionable advice—an underappreciated skill in this day and age. Like his other works, this book is equal parts reassurance, general advice, and a toolbox of resources that can be used either beforehand or in the moment.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It was somewhat reassuring to see the first few chapters covering things I already knew and took to heart: the idea that there's no one "right way" to play, the importance of establishing expectations and boundaries early on, and so on. But it lays those things out in clear language, even giving sample scripts for if a disruptive player needs to be asked to leave the table. Even better, it offers ways to categorize and work around players' boundaries; for example, how to change an encounter that could be upsetting to a player with arachnophobia while still maintaining an entertaining "fear" level.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Best of all, there are charts and tables. Previous D'Amato books have employed dice and decks of cards outside of game mechanics to generate random questions and talking points. Here, they're tools to map out side quests and NPCs. There's also a chapter on how to create an in-universe fortune-telling deck, as well as how to use it both diegetically and to further the plot.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">At this point, it's a no-brainer to say that something by James D'Amato belongs on your shelf if you're a TTRPG enthusiast. But I'm so pleased this book arrived on my doorstep. It's exactly what the frightened would-be GM needs: reassurance on the things they already know, and actionable tips for the things they don't. It's a book I'll be re-reading and sharing for a long time to come.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><a href="https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Ultimate-RPG-Game-Masters-Guide/James-D-Amato/Ultimate-Role-Playing-Game-Series/9781507221853" target="_blank"><i>The Ultimate RPG Game Master's Guide</i> is available now</a>.</b></div><p></p>Kara Dennisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17409242213865977764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2478504882164257424.post-7701200206264339822024-03-20T03:00:00.000-07:002024-03-20T03:00:00.152-07:00NOW AVAILABLE: Overdue: Mystery, Adventure, and the World's Lost Books<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhApVnisr0fb_Y_JMIKAsk3P5h0aYsgGPKHSqcKtWjt10PqclsM5zE0ejAm0kBsb78DmlGrXsqQdYVezBKNqFfAeVkENLUqQblwnLwLwPs-7MoIvJBIkWwlNv2onD_p_eju7YGiISdVk6ibV3vRfPgfLPyWJ2qwNiSPq2lqI43NS0bsJIC9sm7c15oYkLs/s960/blog_overdue.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="541" data-original-width="960" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhApVnisr0fb_Y_JMIKAsk3P5h0aYsgGPKHSqcKtWjt10PqclsM5zE0ejAm0kBsb78DmlGrXsqQdYVezBKNqFfAeVkENLUqQblwnLwLwPs-7MoIvJBIkWwlNv2onD_p_eju7YGiISdVk6ibV3vRfPgfLPyWJ2qwNiSPq2lqI43NS0bsJIC9sm7c15oYkLs/w640-h360/blog_overdue.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i>Throughout history, great books have been lost or are remembered only as myth and legend. Now, the mysterious Booker Foundation has announced it is willing to pay handsomely to have these lost works brought back into the light. These are the stories of those who answered the call.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i>Overdue</i> is an anthology that has been a long time in coming—to the point that I was a very different person in a very different life when I wrote "Wholly Holy." But not so different that I'm not still extremely proud of it. Of course, it helps that the people at 18thWall know what I love and how to get an interesting story out of me.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This anthology combines Jon Black's <i>Bel Nemeton</i> and MH Norris's <i>All the Petty Myths,</i> and invites in a lot of new-to-both-universes writers (myself included) along the way. The key conceit is books: books that have been lost to time or are believed to not even be real. That was our brief for these stories. It had to involve a book (either of real or manufactured legend) and the quest to find them.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Me, I picked a real-fake book. And I once again leaned into my love of all things Arthurian, in particular my love of anything involving Sir Perceval. (Readers of <i><a href="https://18thwall.com/product/shadows-over-avalon-volume-2" target="_blank">Shadows Over Avalon</a>,</i> also from 18thWall, will be familiar with my story "The Maze Will Come to Me" on that front.) "Wholly Holy" was actually written first, but I'm kind of pleased that the two stories have landed so close to each other.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The book in question is Kyot's <i>Parsifal,</i> which (sadly) probably doesn't exist. But what if it did? Wolfram von Eschenbach, in a desperate bid to avoid looking like he ripped off Chretien de Troyes, claimed that the two of them were both inspired by this piece of writing. A piece of writing that was based on <i>very true things,</i> in turn implying that the story of the Holy Grail was <i>very true.</i> It was a fascinating prospect, because simply assuming that Kyot's <i>Parsifal</i> is the tip of a huge, terrifying iceberg. If it's real, then the Grail Kings are real. The lineages of said Grail Kings are real. Somewhere out there is the vessel from the Last Supper. And a book falling into the wrong hands could change the world as we know it.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Without giving too much away, because I would very much like you to buy and read this book, this very literal Grail Quest falls into lap of someone who's not especially interested: Faye Lundgren, who's currently busy culling her late father's collection of books and was never as into Arthurian legend and lore as he was. Writing a hero who refuses the call at pretty much every turn was a challenge, but it was a challenge I wanted... partly because, as someone who's deeply into this stuff, I wanted to write someone a little less like myself. I'll save more musings on that for my eventual interview on the 18thWall blog. Regardless, it was a challenge I enjoyed.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Another challenge came when fitting this story into the worlds of Black and Norris's books. I needed to make a few tweaks to make sure my Grail quest didn't stomp all over theirs, but the result was a lot of fun and (I think) made for a much cooler story.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">You can <a href="https://18thwall.com/product/overdue-mystery-adventure-and-the-worlds-lost-books" target="_blank">buy <i>Overdue </i>now</a> in a variety of formats, and I'd love it if you would. Tell your friends, support indie publishers, and do let me know what you think!</div><p></p>Kara Dennisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17409242213865977764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2478504882164257424.post-32800077830132666202024-03-13T03:00:00.000-07:002024-03-13T03:00:00.241-07:00March 2024 Book Reviews<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4siBwjzDb2bPku8dR4chZ-64Rtmn3KSgBnxYzoH2uS74Yj8YxYDT-e1-t3fboqwboLmZAi3CeDPjk5lbwfPSrdtsAC5DqYYg5764JZuNwwZHrAldG_cFH_CSPcDgH7cbkBLGhZcQfb_8FP12mEa6E4SqCodfuJe2H_mefr1gn1vZ0bCFoAsoYRIYl7Eo/s960/blog_books.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="960" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4siBwjzDb2bPku8dR4chZ-64Rtmn3KSgBnxYzoH2uS74Yj8YxYDT-e1-t3fboqwboLmZAi3CeDPjk5lbwfPSrdtsAC5DqYYg5764JZuNwwZHrAldG_cFH_CSPcDgH7cbkBLGhZcQfb_8FP12mEa6E4SqCodfuJe2H_mefr1gn1vZ0bCFoAsoYRIYl7Eo/w640-h360/blog_books.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: left;">It's a new month... well, it has been for a bit. And a new month means new books! This month is full of YA reads ranging from romance at the gaming table to baseball history and finding your family through dog-walking. Plus, a new Arkham Horror novel, and (appropriately for the middle of the month) a courtroom drama starring Julius Caesar.</p><p style="text-align: left;">Thanks as always to the authors and publishers who send their books my way for consideration!</p><p><br /></p><p><b><i>THE NO-GIRLFRIEND RULE</i><br />Christen Randall</b><br /><a href="https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-No-Girlfriend-Rule/Christen-Randall/9781665939812" target="_blank">Available now</a></p><p>Hollis Beckwith's main—and initially only—reason for seeking out a <i>Secrets & Sorcery</i> group is so she and her boyfriend Chris can have something else in common. She'd play at his friend group's table, but they have a strict "no-girlfriend rule." Unfortunately, her first foray into playing with a new group goes poorly... but a well-placed tear sheet guides her to the table of Gloria and her all-girls S&S campaign.</p><p>Soon, Hollis finds herself at home with this new friend group. In particular, she becomes close with Aini Amin-Shaw, who's playing the dashing bard Umber. Before long, Hollis is drawing art for the group and building playlists for "Steadfast," the ship for Umber and Hollis's paladin Honoria. But as her new friend group is thriving, her relationship with Chris and her old group is falling apart. It's almost as though he resents her finding "her people." Not only that, but Hollis finds herself wondering how much of Steadfast is really just in-character.</p><p><i>The No-Girlfriend Rule</i> is a cute teen romance, but it's a lot of other things, too. As a person with anxiety who loves dramatic tabletop games, I was comforted to see the intersection of mental health and gaming handled. (There are many points at which Gloria's table is shown to be supportive and communicative, including what happens when a story beat triggers a panic attack for Hollis.) Little things like dice shopping and playlist building felt familiar. More than anything, it presents a healthy view of choosing your gaming group: rejecting the idea that there are "right" and "wrong" ways to play, and instead embracing the idea that there are groups that are right <i>for you.</i></p><p><i><br /></i></p><p><b><i>I AM ROME: A NOVEL OF JULIUS CAESAR</i><br />Santiago Posteguillo</b><br /><a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/714623/i-am-rome-by-santiago-posteguillo/" target="_blank">Available now</a></p><p>If you're anything like me, you spent a good portion of high school up to your ears in the history of Julius Caesar. Even if you didn't, history and literature both remember him for his many achievements. But <i>I Am Rome</i> brings him and his family to life in an intriguing way: through the trial of Gnaeus Cornelius Dolabella.</p><p>While extremely non-linear in nature, <i>I Am Rome</i> uses this historic trial as a centerpiece. Caesar, then an untested prosecutor, steps up to bring Dolabella to justice for extortion and other crimes. As Caesar prepares his case, we witness the building blocks of his genius approach: the influence of his uncle Marius, his relationship with his wife Cornelia, and the wisdom of his mother Aurelia, to name a few. From tricking his opponents into underestimating him to combating very real threats against his life and the lives of his witnesses, Caesar battles his way to the end of the case. But whether he wins or loses, his loved ones know he has a target on his back.</p><p><i>I Am Rome</i> is, understandably, a dense read—something to bear in mind on approach. While there are plenty of footnotes and the final edition will have historical endnotes, it's something to bear in mind. If the Roman Empire isn't, well, your Roman Empire, the convoluted timeline of the book may not hold your interest. However, the core of the book is fascinating, especially in its humanization of its many legendary historical figures. I was hoping to give credit to the translator, but sadly have had difficulty finding their name. They do, however, deserve credit for a job well done here.</p><p><br /></p><p><b><i>SONG OF CARCOSA: AN ARKHAM HORROR NOVEL</i><br />Josh Reynolds</b><br /><a href="https://aconytebooks.com/shop/song-of-carcosa-by-josh-reynolds/" target="_blank">Available now</a></p><p>Just now, Pepper Kelly isn't quite sure who she is. Usually, she's the assistant of reformed thief Alessandra Zorzi, traveling the world in search of occult artifacts. But other times she's Camilla, lover of Cassilda and resident of the twin-sunned city of Carcosa. As time goes on, the boundary between these two worlds begins to blur. And if Alessandra can't acquire the Zanthu Tablet soon, all hope for Pepper is lost.</p><p>Thus, the two venture to Venice, where an artist is preparing to stage a new production of the infamous <i>King in Yellow.</i> Allies and enemies shift roles almost as much as the players in the play itself, and battles take place in the street and in Pepper's mindscape. As the performance approaches and King's reign becomes ever-more inevitable, Pepper has a revolutionary and dangerous idea that could either save or doom them all.</p><p>In this house we love and respect Josh Reynolds, and <i>Song of Carcosa</i> continues that admiration. This take on <i>The King in Yellow</i> and its mind-bending story is a fascinating one, leaning into just how it influences its reader... but, more importantly, how a reader could potentially influence the play itself. The characters are weird and wonderful, and the story leans into its source material without leaning <i>on</i> it. Even if you haven't read these characters' previous outing, it's a fantastic read for any fans of eldritch horror and historical adventure.</p><p><br /></p><p><b><i>WARRIOR ON THE MOUND</i><br />Sandra W. Headen</b><br /><a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/721951/warrior-on-the-mound-by-sandra-w-headen/" target="_blank">Available now</a></p><p>The year is 1935, and ten-year-old Cato has one dream: play professional baseball. While pitching for his small North Carolina town's team, he aspires to join a Negro League team like his late father before him. And when the opportunity arises to practice on a local field, the team jumps at it. There's just one problem: another team, an all-white team, plays there. And many of the members don't take kindly to Cato and his family and friends.</p><p>Despite the help of an unlikely family friend and the growing admiration of his son Trace, Cato and his friends find themselves fighting an uphill battle. A series of games played to increase goodwill in the community soon turns dangerous—even more so when Cato learns the truth of how his father died. Not everyone sees the Rangers' aspirations as "just a game," and fighting for their right to play baseball quickly turns into a fight for their lives.</p><p>This is not an easy or lighthearted read, but it is a very good one. <i>Warrior on the Mound</i> confronts the good and bad of the history of baseball: the many talented Black players who populate its history (with people and places bearing their names), as well as the challenges and dangers they faced. But for as much unpleasantness as it lays bare, this book also demonstrates its fair share of courage and compassion in the face of that unpleasantness. There are plenty of positive role models for young readers to look to and (hopefully) emulate, even in the book's darkest moments.</p><p><br /></p><p><i style="font-weight: bold;">WALKIN' THE DOG</i><br /><b>Chris Lynch</b><br /><a href="https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Walkin-the-Dog/Chris-Lynch/9781481459204" target="_blank">Available now</a></p><p>Louis, unlike his mother, is known for being an "inactivist." It's not that he doesn't acknowledge the bad things happening in the world; he just isn't convinced he can do much about them. But with his mother away from home receiving care and a friend of his father's in need of assistance, there's only so much longer he can remain inactive. So begins an unexpected summer gig as a dog walker, starting with the smelly hound Amos and branching out into other clients.</p><p>Along with this growing clientele comes a growing friend group. As Louis's mother urges him to become more aware and active, he reconnects with Cy, one of her more accomplished tutees. He also crosses paths with the strong-willed but personally reticent Agatha. Balancing this new social life, work, and an incoming shift from homeschooling to "real" school would be enough for one inactive kid. But there's also his violent older brother Ike to deal with, as well as the looming specter of his mother's mental health. And, as it happens, dog-walking isn't always a walk in the park. We invest a lot of emotion in our furry friends, but they can't be with us forever.</p><p>I'm a firm believer that books for young readers deserve to be just as artfully written as books for adults, and Chris Lynch goes above and beyond in <i>Walkin' the Dog.</i> His writing style is engaging and clever without ever feeling quippy or overshadowing the growth of his characters. Louis, for all his inactivism, is a likable character, and we want to watch him grow and mature. It's a meaningful, delightful read that's about so much more than dog-walking.</p>Kara Dennisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17409242213865977764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2478504882164257424.post-18048482632086189442024-03-06T03:00:00.000-08:002024-03-06T03:00:00.141-08:00COMIC PREVIEW: When the Blood Has Dried<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6klhu7YR4OAVaFYmwTN_CK6WKN9Y83cjX284jAQHaZWrdDmuSpJoLZo7_OEJihfcTPFr5_w4HXgqpVepGRNfJjtiZ4f0Y0hMkzLZE876vtSpC23cRRlU-3MsbDNsayE9PVALK9Siuo1p5Nfy_Lt69Sco2-ViPyZm9GzCQmu3broxK8JLKkQ-kuGkDsW0/s862/blog_wtbhd.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="485" data-original-width="862" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6klhu7YR4OAVaFYmwTN_CK6WKN9Y83cjX284jAQHaZWrdDmuSpJoLZo7_OEJihfcTPFr5_w4HXgqpVepGRNfJjtiZ4f0Y0hMkzLZE876vtSpC23cRRlU-3MsbDNsayE9PVALK9Siuo1p5Nfy_Lt69Sco2-ViPyZm9GzCQmu3broxK8JLKkQ-kuGkDsW0/w640-h360/blog_wtbhd.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">One of my favorite things about <i>Sci Fi Magazine</i> was the fact that I got to squeeze a graphic novel review in among the books. As someone who reads almost exclusively manga (in terms of comics, at least), it was a reminder and opportunity to take in Western titles. Best of all, it was a chance to show people things outside the Big Two.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Similarly, I always feel a bit of a pang when something that would have been perfect in the magazine's pages comes my way long after it's shuttered. I had a chance to read the first installments of Gary Moloney and Daniel Romero Ulloa's <i><a href="https://madcavestudios.com/product/when-the-blood-has-dried-1-cover-a/" target="_blank">When the Blood Has Dried</a></i> earlier this year, and everything about this new title hit all the right beats. A compelling story, gorgeous art, and a fantasy setting rooted in the kid of drama and personal pathos we all seek out tabletop games for.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i>When the Blood Has Dried</i> was described to me as a "high fantasy spaghetti Western," as well as being inspired by Moloney's own early experiences with tabletop gaming. All of those influences are readily evident in the first handful of volumes. The action starts in the small town of Carraig an Bhun, where Meabh has gone from newcomer to trusted inn owner. But that peace can only last for so long, as her past begins to catch up with her.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Cutting between Meabh's blood-soaked past and her desperate attempts to hang on to a peaceful present, this post-adventure adventure is off to an excellent start. The worldbuilding spins out slowly and unforced, teasing our hero's own past at the same pace as the workings of the world around her. And the "spaghetti Western" (as well as "fantasy <i>Cowboy Bebop")</i> comparison is apt. There's action, but it's not high-octane or overclocked. The pacing is perfect and, having read up to the third installment, I definitely look forward to more.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">If you're a fan of grittier D&D campaigns or "post-adventure adventure" fantasy, this is definitely one to adopt early. Issue 1 drops April 10, but you can <a href="https://madcavestudios.com/product/when-the-blood-has-dried-1-cover-a/" target="_blank">pre-order it now</a>.</div><p></p>Kara Dennisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17409242213865977764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2478504882164257424.post-20630417521874009852024-02-28T03:00:00.000-08:002024-02-28T03:00:00.142-08:00TEA REVIEW: A Date with Mr. Darcy<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVCogFzdeXjHMjFhTuqBnQT5SY4YyFHAfW69rKn5qf8axV_oFWbrWYzYxp7j4aN28p4k7V0aT2kGaxgVvTdvUeHOunDGNyfh1BoCYMnly4ACiMGwJbobz-noNcp0nqw7YBfyx2llH-y_lD09hOi5x3BI0CehJ_g657xTEqRCfVlmkeo5Xx7_Gm-n_tiQw/s960/blog_tea.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="960" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVCogFzdeXjHMjFhTuqBnQT5SY4YyFHAfW69rKn5qf8axV_oFWbrWYzYxp7j4aN28p4k7V0aT2kGaxgVvTdvUeHOunDGNyfh1BoCYMnly4ACiMGwJbobz-noNcp0nqw7YBfyx2llH-y_lD09hOi5x3BI0CehJ_g657xTEqRCfVlmkeo5Xx7_Gm-n_tiQw/w640-h360/blog_tea.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i>NOTE: I am a <a href="https://drinkchapters.com/karad" target="_blank">Chapters Tea & Coffee affiliate</a>, so purchases made via this blog post may result in compensation for me. Thank you for continuing to support me and my writing!</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">All things considered, Chapters Tea & Coffee is a relatively new company. (So new that the "& Coffee" part just launched a handful of months ago!) But they've already been making a name for themselves among lovers of books and caffeinated beverages across the Internet. Their blends and brews are inspired by classic literature, from a <a href="https://drinkchapters.com/collections/tea/products/second-breakfast" target="_blank">Hobbit-y English breakfast</a> to a <a href="https://drinkchapters.com/collections/tea/products/at-the-waterfront" target="_blank"><i>Little Women</i>-inspired herbal</a>. Over the winter holidays, they launched a trio of new flavors (two limited-edition, <a href="https://drinkchapters.com/collections/tea/products/butterscotch-wizard-library" target="_blank">one still available</a>)—and they've done it again for Valentine's Day.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://drinkchapters.com/collections/tea/products/a-date-with-mr-darcy" target="_blank">A Date with Mr. Darcy</a> is the second <i>Pride & Prejudice</i>-themed tea from Chapters, dedicated to the ultimate fictional crush. As with all their other offerings, this one features beautiful artwork depicting a romantic picnic within view of Pemberley. This is also the second tea blend to come in a tin: and while I love the bags and the room they allow for the artwork to shine, the tins are really something special, too.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The tea itself is a blend of black and white teas flavored with bergamot, vanilla, and rose petals. It's not nearly as strong as <a href="https://drinkchapters.com/collections/tea/products/poes-study" target="_blank">Poet's Study</a>, their Poe-inspired Earl Grey—so if you like bergamot but prefer it to hit a little less hard, this is a good balance. The vanilla and rose in particular mellow it out, making this a genuinely gorgeous blend.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I feel a bit odd constantly earmarking new blends as my "new favorite," but A Date with Mr. Darcy hits pretty much all my high points for tea. Bergamot and rose is already a fantastic combination, but getting the balance right can be extremely difficult. Many places either bury the rose entirely under the bergamot or overcorrect in the other direction. Everything is perfectly balanced, making for a blend that is somehow both dreamy and invigorating. I can't recommend this one enough.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">If you'd like to try it for yourself, <a href="https://drinkchapters.com/collections/tea/products/a-date-with-mr-darcy?variant=47955569967417" target="_blank">check it out on the Chapters website</a>. And make sure to use my code <b>KARAD15</b> for 15% off your whole order at checkout!</div><p></p>Kara Dennisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17409242213865977764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2478504882164257424.post-47993578276656595122024-02-16T08:35:00.000-08:002024-02-16T08:35:25.800-08:00BOOK REVIEW: Science Fiction<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAktMeLnyLaQ0q3XvT_vvRbe1iVL_Fw_M7arnjjZc4ZHXkq_vbg62kBa354JEpw91LBCtCPfkJJ6uAJSUlvlspv2ZR3VKJVwBQXKinbQvnAav8RH1u2ImjYrAlns3ak_SwV9KC0ZhIxFLbrzztZ1hElWs8Fn3rdRdtUur32yH8JaatZVitmrN1AUQUNIQ/s1262/blog_scifi.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="710" data-original-width="1262" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAktMeLnyLaQ0q3XvT_vvRbe1iVL_Fw_M7arnjjZc4ZHXkq_vbg62kBa354JEpw91LBCtCPfkJJ6uAJSUlvlspv2ZR3VKJVwBQXKinbQvnAav8RH1u2ImjYrAlns3ak_SwV9KC0ZhIxFLbrzztZ1hElWs8Fn3rdRdtUur32yH8JaatZVitmrN1AUQUNIQ/w640-h360/blog_scifi.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">For more than a decade, <a href="https://obversebooks.co.uk/" target="_blank">Obverse Books</a> has focused on expanded universe and spinoff literature—largely works adjacent to and/or analytical of the world of <i>Doctor Who.</i> Recently, though, the indie publisher has been branching out even further into original fiction. There are, of course, plenty of things already out there, including <a href="https://obversebooks.co.uk/product/brenda-and-effies-glamorous-twin-set/" target="_blank">Brenda and Effie</a> collections (which I also highly recommend). But the latest stand-alone novel from Scott M. Liddell, simply (and appropriately) titled <i><a href="https://obversebooks.co.uk/product/sciencefiction/" target="_blank">Science Fiction</a>,</i> could herald a new era for Obverse: one in which new stories are free to thrive alongside established IPs.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">While there are many familiar pop culture references throughout <i>Science Fiction,</i> this novel does not hook itself to the actual canon or lore of any existing stories. It's not stealthily <i>Doctor Who,</i> not a quiet <i>Faction Paradox</i> tie-in: it is its own universe. And what a twisty, confusing universe it is.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Our hero, Jason (who prefers to go simply by J) lives in 2CV: a thriving post-apocalyptic civilization in which politics, capitalism, and religion have been pared away. Education is gained via simulations in which participants are immersed in great events from the history of 1CV (our civilization)—not just learning what happened, but how it felt to be there. And at some point, each human takes part in the Fiction: writing down their life's dream and, should everything check out, being whisked off to an alternate universe where they can live out their best possible life.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">J has been rejected repeatedly, as his Fiction breaks one of the process's core rules: it cannot be "about" another person, and his is <i>all</i> about chasing down his crush, Leah. After multiple rejections and immersing himself in the world of ancient films, he has a run-in with a young woman named Caro. Her inventions enable him to skip universes without all the checks and balances, touching base with alternate Caros along the way and (he hopes) meeting his one true love. But as with any seemingly perfect world, especially one that's been so heavily legislated and Occam's Razored, things aren't as they seem.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i>Science Fiction </i>peels back in layers: a spacetime-trekking love story morphing into hard sci-fi. There are dashes of <i>Star Trek</i> and <i>Die Hard,</i> but absolutely not in the way you're expecting. It's a deep and dense story, but not hard to follow. All the pieces are set up bit by bit as the reader watches, but how they're put together in the book's second and third act is a constantly surprise.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">While each reader's mileage may vary on the book's philosophical leanings, none of that stands in the way of <i>Science Fiction</i> being an absolutely cracking read. And the seemingly simplistic title wraps up a plethora of themes: from the role of classic sci-fi in how may of us view ourselves and the world to the very real push-and-pull of human nature vs. technology. In a modern literary landscape where sci-fi is often a matter of jingling the keyring of nostalgia in front of its readers, <i>Science Fiction</i> asks us to interrogate why we like what we like—and, moreover, if we're actually paying attention.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://obversebooks.co.uk/product/sciencefiction/" target="_blank"><i>Science Fiction </i>is now available from Obverse Books</a>. And while their tie-in and critical works will always be close to my heart (although I'm probably a bit biased on that front), if <i>Science Fiction</i> is any indication, there's a lot of promise for brand-new stand-alone novels in Obverse's future.</div><p></p>Kara Dennisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17409242213865977764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2478504882164257424.post-37922032984994174152024-02-07T03:00:00.000-08:002024-02-07T03:00:00.150-08:00February 2024 Book Reviews<p style="text-align: center;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgennSDX2YgylxYZ2EeHkIp0Ta7NeORsgfAlPzLjjNWoWb9QcijcV7vVzV2YpZRVYHi6RYFP_VEZh7MFufkUYTHp6yfV3WnJsmfehSu8jhkcvpFNKWs1JHmMfwgHuJgYAYIuWWgMkULBGOz9-KQnUJErEYWWh4Vv31VBxwwlsEcKE1ugHx56tJhkfjGsI8/s960/blog_books.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="960" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgennSDX2YgylxYZ2EeHkIp0Ta7NeORsgfAlPzLjjNWoWb9QcijcV7vVzV2YpZRVYHi6RYFP_VEZh7MFufkUYTHp6yfV3WnJsmfehSu8jhkcvpFNKWs1JHmMfwgHuJgYAYIuWWgMkULBGOz9-KQnUJErEYWWh4Vv31VBxwwlsEcKE1ugHx56tJhkfjGsI8/w640-h360/blog_books.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">February is my birthday month, as well as being the birthdays of several friends. So I'll be honest, I had my fingers crossed for a few little "gifts" for myself and others. Overall, this feels like a really strong month for new releases — from mysteries for middle-grade readers and adults alike to paranormal rebellions and romances, along with a much more down-to-earth YA piece.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Thanks as always to the publishers for sending these titles along. I wish I still had that glossy newsstand platform to really shout about these, but a blog's not nothing. If you dig in to any of these books, be sure to let me know!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span><a name='more'></a></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b style="font-size: large;"><i>CITY SPIES: MISSION MANHATTAN</i></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>James Ponti</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Score: </b>A</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Mission-Manhattan/James-Ponti/City-Spies/9781665932479" target="_blank">Available now</a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The fact that <i>Mission Manhattan</i> is five books deep into the <i>City Spies </i>series won't stop new readers from being able to jump right in. Our heroes are the young members of a secret branch of MI6: highly talented teens, trained to take on spy missions where an adult presence. They're also a family, led both parentally and professionally by their mutually adoptive father (nicknamed "Mother"). And, just as the City Spies themselves are from (and codenamed after) locations around the world, their latest mission takes them all around the globe.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">What starts as an undercover mission at a youth environmental rally turns into an investigation into a potential murder plot. As young spy Rio takes the lead, the team travels to Manhattan to find out who's truly behind the attempted killing. But there's trouble within the City Spies as a difficult family tie could compromise the mission.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I'm a big believer that a book being accessible to younger readers doesn't mean it's dumbed down. This entry in the <i>City Spies</i> series definitely fits that bill. Alongside being a good fit for middle readers, it's an excellent first step into the genre. Young readers learn the basis of spycraft, and thus spy fiction, alongside the City Spies. Plus, with its unflinching view of the ups and downs of family, it's an excellent choice for families to read together.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span><!--more--></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i>THE TAINTED CUP</i></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Robert Jackson Bennett</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Score: </b>A+</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/648051/the-tainted-cup-by-robert-jackson-bennett/" target="_blank">Available now</a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The people of the Empire engage in magic of a sort: genetic enhancements give people superhuman abilities ranging from impossible strength to eidetic memory. One such person is Dinios Kol, an engraver — so named because he can "engrave" anything he sees or hears into his memory permanently. Now he's serving as the new assistant to Ana Dolabra, a brilliant but eccentric investigator who insists on wearing a blindfold at nearly all times and refuses to leave her home.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Their first case together in distant Daretana is a grisly murder: a nobleman killed after a tree has grown out of him. As Ana begins to put the pieces together with Din's help, the bodies continue to stack up. Worse still, there are leviathians at the walls, threatening the Empire and its people once again. And the walls are weakening... suspiciously so. Under Ana's tutelage, Din helps to solve a mystery that twists and turns through the Empire's upper eschelons — and learns more about his own abilities as well.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>The Tainted Cup</i> is a must-read if you're looking for Sherlock Holmes-style fiction that isn't yet another straightforward Holmesian detective. Ana and Din build on the Holmes and Watson relationship in their own way, adding a brilliant layer of fantasy worldbuilding. Moreover, the story's revelations about Ana and Din are just as rewarding as the mystery itself. While the book wraps satisfyingly, I would love nothing more than further adventures with this pair.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span><!--more--></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i>TO CAGE A GOD</i></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Elizabeth May</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Score: </b>B</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/737148/to-cage-a-god-by-elizabeth-may/" target="_blank">Available February 20</a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">In a fantasy world inspired by Imperial Russia, the ruling class rules with the power of dragon gods. Magic is literally etched into their bones, allowing them to literally cage these draconic beings and siphon their power. But some years ago, Galina and Sera's mother learned this process herself, using her daughters as guinea pigs. Now grown up, the two will divide and conquer to bring down a kingdom.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">As Galina infiltrates the palace under the guise of a wronged noble child, Sera reconnects with her roguish lover — who still has no idea she wields the same power as their imperial oppressors. With Galina established as the "Common God," the pair work to bring her dragon god's power to its full potential. As Sera rekindles her romance and Galina finds herself falling for an isolated princess, the clock is ticking. Their lives, and the lives of their spies and allies, are on the line. And if they don't unleash their god powers on the ruling class, it might be turned on them instead — be it from the inside or the outside.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>To Cage a God</i> leans heavily into physical pain (both passive and self-inflicted) as being part and parcel of its magic. While it makes for excellent metaphors and dialogues across the board, there are times when it pushes a bit hard. If you're a fan of hurt/comfort stories, that might be a bonus. That aside, it's a rare inspiration for a fantasy setting, and one that's played with beautifully. This is the first book of a duology; and while the first book was interesting, the setup for the second sounds like it will be even better.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span><!--more--></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i>CONDITIONS OF A HEART</i></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Bethany Mangle</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Score: </b>A</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Conditions-of-a-Heart/Bethany-Mangle/9781665937634" target="_blank">Available February 20</a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Brynn has done an impressive job paving the way toward a perfect senior year. She's on track to be prom queen, she's head of the yearbook committee, and she aspires to become a doctor. Not a soul outside her family knows she lives with </span><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Ehlers Danlos syndrome, and that's exactly how she wants it. And it's going great, until she gets suspended and removed from her senior activities after being blamed for starting a fight she was attempting to break up.</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">With her already fractured life falling to pieces, she finds herself once again crossing paths with her ex-boyfriend Oliver — whom she pushed away rather than letting him find out about a major surgery. With her secret becoming harder to keep, her family at odds from the inside, and her fears of being hated for her disability all converging, Brynn has to weigh her options. Should "Pretend Brynn" remain at the wheel, or should she be her true self in public?</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Author Bethany Mangle mentions that she's written this from her own experience, but acknowledges that not everyone with EDS will have the same experiences. Nonetheless, it's a compelling look at living with a hidden disability, and the expectations we place on ourselves (and that the world places on us). It's also a post-COVID book with a very different angle, acknowledging that many of us have health concerns that aren't neatly boxed into a handful of years. Moreover, though, it's a message for those of us with disabilities: no matter who's hurt us in the past, people who truly care about us <i>want</i> to know the real us.</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span><!--more--></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i>WHERE THE DARK STANDS STILL</i></b></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>A.B. Poranek</b></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Score: </b>A+</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Where-the-Dark-Stands-Still/A-B-Poranek/9781665936477" target="_blank">Available February 27</a></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Liska's village is frightened of her, and even what remains of her own family doesn't know what to do with her. Cursed with dangerous magic, she realizes she has only one choice: find a way to rid herself of it. But when she goes into the forest to seek out a magic flower that will grant her wish, she meets the forest's guardian: the ancient Leszy, said to be a demon. He offers her a deal: serve him for a year, and she may have the flower.</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">But it's not a simple year of cleaning the House Under the Rowan Tree and making preserves for winter. The Leszy wants Liska to hone her magic. Meanwhile, she begins unearthing the House's ghosts — figurative and literal. The Leszy's 700-year history isn't a pleasant one; but there's also more to this strange figure than even he is at first willing to reveal. As Liska learns more about her own magic and the Leszy's tragic past, she begins to get in touch with her own powers. And, against her better judgment, she begins to fall in love.</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>Where the Dark Stands Still</i> is steeped in Slavic folklore, but you don't need to understand the references to appreciate the story. For as dark as the story gets, there are touches of humor and romance throughout that keep it balanced — making it feel more like a classic fairy tale than anything else. The ending is a tearjerker, but also strangely hopeful. It's a must read for lovers of paranormal romance who are looking for their heroes to be both equal in the relationship and mutually able to grow and change.</span></span></div><p></p>Kara Dennisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17409242213865977764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2478504882164257424.post-51976931097425702592024-01-31T03:00:00.000-08:002024-01-31T03:00:00.135-08:00OUT NOW: Otaku USA Spring 2024 Issue<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhSQXiSCIDQjWnUPKaXkGPU192b3BMPisMUHFEX4ETNyX-W7hVq2CvkNSnuZGLIDYWk-eOvney7tqFUoDimoqYi-xMVkHgVYqGfRGQoYLd5LARiSFXbT_pOa1yS0J5FdxB35g2rSTgshg6JlJr8WQ97Glk-TgPdGW-qy10fuZgm-dQ2LF-2VaLXqzSwK0/s880/blog_ousa.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="495" data-original-width="880" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhSQXiSCIDQjWnUPKaXkGPU192b3BMPisMUHFEX4ETNyX-W7hVq2CvkNSnuZGLIDYWk-eOvney7tqFUoDimoqYi-xMVkHgVYqGfRGQoYLd5LARiSFXbT_pOa1yS0J5FdxB35g2rSTgshg6JlJr8WQ97Glk-TgPdGW-qy10fuZgm-dQ2LF-2VaLXqzSwK0/w640-h360/blog_ousa.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">New year, new mag! <i>Otaku USA</i> is now selling its Spring 2024 issue. And before we go any further — yes, the magazine is now quarterly. Although the anime-specific <i>Anime USA</i> issues will still be coming out as well. (And I'll try to be better about reminding people of those, too, since I absolutely do features in 'em.)</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">So while Present Kara may be neck deep in <i>Bang Brave Bang Bravern</i> and <i>Undead Unluck, </i>Past Kara is here to tell you about rad recent releases that are totally worth your time. As always, everyone in this issue is fantastic, and you should pick this up to read <i>everything.</i> I'm especially happy to see <i>A Place Further Than the Universe,</i> one of my favorite contemporary series, getting some ink again. But that aside, here's what's mine in the new issue.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhrlsoTX3J7EKSVoAiWfy0cwRIItcf729H2KyrnSsF-CtvtXJ0u3wwr1RA2B4QBnJSPwBu0bpxGZQ4tFEXXVnMH2igMNz0bulDHLCSSmDMFt49dQjpn0NaGvbvJlgABJVqfjPte_M4uXTVdEap8UWNTZ6vCL-wCoL3iRMxDkuRD1z9xCj-yZ9QAT05F7A/s810/blog_cat.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="451" data-original-width="810" height="356" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhrlsoTX3J7EKSVoAiWfy0cwRIItcf729H2KyrnSsF-CtvtXJ0u3wwr1RA2B4QBnJSPwBu0bpxGZQ4tFEXXVnMH2igMNz0bulDHLCSSmDMFt49dQjpn0NaGvbvJlgABJVqfjPte_M4uXTVdEap8UWNTZ6vCL-wCoL3iRMxDkuRD1z9xCj-yZ9QAT05F7A/w640-h356/blog_cat.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">In the Reviews section, I give my two cents on <i><a href="https://www.crunchyroll.com/series/G79H23Z3P/the-masterful-cat-is-depressed-again-today" target="_blank">The Masterful Cat Is Depressed Again Today</a>.</i> It's no secret that GoHands gets heavily side-eyed on the regular, and I am one of its most dedicated side-eyers. (And that's without even touching on the <i>Tokyo Babylon</i> fiasco — even when it's operating ethically, its animation just looks weird.) But credit where credit is due, this bizarre little show won me over.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgea3UzFHpWuQzKsfgy3hF-l0Gd91541809NxB-dyf3QwM4GFQrdTudtobVQx5mdL1Y1B2gVdU-7e7LbCDZ8xtLbl7Ci-qhGu4QKrSHxYBGfB4rU17sp75S-8mXP8LE9U6a7fnFt5tq8zpoLK5EF8DUsD30UjbFTY_4Eu0Q-g1p37ZTH2B32EFqxvnFHQ8/s1920/blog_saraphi.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgea3UzFHpWuQzKsfgy3hF-l0Gd91541809NxB-dyf3QwM4GFQrdTudtobVQx5mdL1Y1B2gVdU-7e7LbCDZ8xtLbl7Ci-qhGu4QKrSHxYBGfB4rU17sp75S-8mXP8LE9U6a7fnFt5tq8zpoLK5EF8DUsD30UjbFTY_4Eu0Q-g1p37ZTH2B32EFqxvnFHQ8/w640-h360/blog_saraphi.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">Over in the features... hey, I got the cover story! And honestly, <i><a href="https://www.crunchyroll.com/series/G0XHWM52V/sacrificial-princess-and-the-king-of-beasts" target="_blank">Sacrificial Princess and the King of Beasts</a></i> deserves all the hype it can get. It's one of my favorite shows of recent seasons — another for the "my terrible life turned out pretty great, actually" pile with lots of happy romance wish fulfillment and cool worldbuilding. This is one I absolutely recommend to anyone who thinks it looks interesting, as well as the subject of my other feature for the issue.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPaz7_t92X4GEqD9EqosacfiSS8MkHEp2eekWIQ_WP2WXsIFsiOe2X3EQsStrldpdo4vHY6rgo2cMd0zP994c5IIQdf53-NHfE16l_z0zFhDcA9bxjH43gc3Rxl_xnjyUsfA60AkOgtGUjJtrgf-wzaiwzrlKUoJjCCtJZHiXPOU6Y2EQCoCbC5YtbK6g/s2552/blog_farce.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1432" data-original-width="2552" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPaz7_t92X4GEqD9EqosacfiSS8MkHEp2eekWIQ_WP2WXsIFsiOe2X3EQsStrldpdo4vHY6rgo2cMd0zP994c5IIQdf53-NHfE16l_z0zFhDcA9bxjH43gc3Rxl_xnjyUsfA60AkOgtGUjJtrgf-wzaiwzrlKUoJjCCtJZHiXPOU6Y2EQCoCbC5YtbK6g/w640-h360/blog_farce.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i><a href="https://www.crunchyroll.com/series/GMEHME7XV/undead-murder-farce" target="_blank">Undead Murder Farce</a></i> is, without question, a show made for me. It's got supernatural horror. It's got rakugo. It's got more Victorian literary characters than you can shake a stick at. And it's got good and interesting mystery. Shows like this are why I'm glad I get to write for <i>Otaku USA: </i>I have a chance to wave a huge flag and relay to as many people as possible how <i>very good</i> a show actually is.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">You can get the latest issue at your local bookstore or <a href="https://portal.publishersserviceassociates.com/carts/sovereign/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=189" target="_blank">from the Otaku USA website</a>. And while you're there, check out my site features. I'm penning articles every few days on everything from <a href="https://otakuusamagazine.com/bang-braverns-twist-has-a-massive-mecha-anime-pedigree/" target="_blank">how to understand </a><i><a href="https://otakuusamagazine.com/bang-braverns-twist-has-a-massive-mecha-anime-pedigree/" target="_blank">Bang Bravern</a> </i>to <a href="https://otakuusamagazine.com/hey-rifftrax-weve-got-your-next-anime-right-here/" target="_blank">which legendarily bad anime Rifftrax should have a go at</a>. And thanks as always for your continued support of my work and the work of my fellow anime nerds.</span></div></div></div><p></p>Kara Dennisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17409242213865977764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2478504882164257424.post-23217664858755392522024-01-24T03:00:00.000-08:002024-01-24T10:38:01.164-08:00On MST3K, Anxiety, and the Power of Familiarity<p style="text-align: center;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMzV-WYAIvmmYs0GjO9a4-kwHHXOTO89BZuw1lwR3A3H7n_O-weZ3VWNPPwFkPbpfTGEKWfiBq1zRh7MTgqXyuszHI_OM-KqfKRflhwXzuMTZbSyualbssuTEUcQkfIKC_960UjOr2X0itTTeXWXqJip0anG2CfOwk5JIsSI-7u2Oh2FzQBg1mogmF_A8/s1200/blog_mst03.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="1200" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMzV-WYAIvmmYs0GjO9a4-kwHHXOTO89BZuw1lwR3A3H7n_O-weZ3VWNPPwFkPbpfTGEKWfiBq1zRh7MTgqXyuszHI_OM-KqfKRflhwXzuMTZbSyualbssuTEUcQkfIKC_960UjOr2X0itTTeXWXqJip0anG2CfOwk5JIsSI-7u2Oh2FzQBg1mogmF_A8/w640-h360/blog_mst03.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Autumn and winter are my favorite seasons. I like the cold. (Specifically, I like being cold and getting warm.) I like the full stretch of autumn and winter holidays. I like the cold-seasons aesthetic. Heck, I even kind of like it getting dark early. But the cold months don't love me back, which is an absolute bastard of a way to be. Like a cheese-lover being lactose intolerant, but instead of gas and stomach pains you lie awake at night wondering if you'll die alone.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I do all the things one needs to do. I get out socially. I get sunlight and take extra vitamin D. I don't drink caffeine after a certain time of day. I say my prayers (which is functionally as close as my ADHD will let me get to meditating or mindfulness). My therapy regimen is none of your business but it exists. And, in a nearly century-old house that's built for a family of four but currently contains me and two guinea pigs, I put on sounds at night. Because if the intrusive thoughts don't get me, the creaking and settling will.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">In the darkest of dark months, things just stop working. ASMR used to do it, but now the noises just make me nervous. I used to listen to a British comedy radio station, which had the bonus of running the audio of a <i>Blackadder</i> right around the time I woke up, but somehow even the mix of <i>The Navy Lark</i> and random witcoms wasn't doing it anymore. Then one night I switched the Roku to the little unused TV in my bedroom (my PS4 handles streaming in the living room). The intent was to watch a bit of before-bed <i>Space: 1999,</i> but I remembered that Shout! Factory exists. So I did an experiment: I popped on their 24-hour <i>MST3K </i>channel, put the volume just where I could hear it, and rolled over to go to sleep.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">And baby, did I sleep through the night.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9kQ2UfubjmOuUnwTxKNlrbacaSZr9o1FQ_PeD-D1SPzBN2NlDVXSbXHdiDj0aWUf31uNC-GMTaYAGCIY8YlIAdmVWbYhBzTCCfAykX-BUOOccmWv0zXSQ8cxJsdBe3Dx4lOQDS86HeNJ3r4J5CIVGuIRArVoaK7yIH4Awvt5Ssct6la5SdtvhjrDNc9U/s1200/blog_mst02.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="1200" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9kQ2UfubjmOuUnwTxKNlrbacaSZr9o1FQ_PeD-D1SPzBN2NlDVXSbXHdiDj0aWUf31uNC-GMTaYAGCIY8YlIAdmVWbYhBzTCCfAykX-BUOOccmWv0zXSQ8cxJsdBe3Dx4lOQDS86HeNJ3r4J5CIVGuIRArVoaK7yIH4Awvt5Ssct6la5SdtvhjrDNc9U/w640-h360/blog_mst02.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>Mystery Science Theater 3000</i> inhabits a weird place in the television zeitgeist. Either you don't know anything about it, or it's an indelible part of your life. There's basically no in between. I remember my uncle bringing over VHS recordings of it from Comedy Central, back when my family decided cable wasn't worth it anymore. And, in fairness, back when I only understood maybe about a third of the jokes. Didn't matter. Robots funny.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I remember going to a live show of <i>Cinematic Titanic</i> one night, and Frank Conniff commented on how MSTies are pretty much the most dedicated fans ever. We were viewers who were dedicated to a show whose every episode was two hours long, and which had been off the air for (then) more than a decade. And with the exception of the first season (not counting KTMA) and the occasional stray Mike episode, I've seen just about all of it. It's all floating around in the brain somewhere. Granted, some episodes stick out more than others ("The Human Duplicators," "Mitchell," and that one "Hamlet" are pretty much always surface level for me). But even those few I haven't seen <i>feel </i>familiar. Because each host has a style of delivery and it's reliable and comforting. And maybe that's what's up.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSrFNGXPxWMoKx4rsS-HS7rTpU0hT2InDRbK4INeMZhhP2aUMFweQkAaEwfBYYKlEpcpjzSJDP2amrRNd-nA-eOD7YchVmJROPz5RM8_hwroqpf39xBF34l5oyZPNX3vmWJXxXwSWRSCOItqhyphenhyphen0tPtFx3nP7YkGI2Shh1ZuIV07-EofeJh36D5rhV4N7Y/s1200/blog_mst01.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="1200" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSrFNGXPxWMoKx4rsS-HS7rTpU0hT2InDRbK4INeMZhhP2aUMFweQkAaEwfBYYKlEpcpjzSJDP2amrRNd-nA-eOD7YchVmJROPz5RM8_hwroqpf39xBF34l5oyZPNX3vmWJXxXwSWRSCOItqhyphenhyphen0tPtFx3nP7YkGI2Shh1ZuIV07-EofeJh36D5rhV4N7Y/w640-h360/blog_mst01.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Because let's be real. Anxiety, or at least my anxiety, is a fear of the unknown. Ruminating on uncertainty. Will I have to have surgery on my leg? How much of it will my insurance cover? How much will I owe on my taxes this year? Will that wind outside blow a hole in my roof? Is that creaking sound in the stairwell just the house settling or an intruder? Is this weird feeling in my chest a panic attack or a heart attack? Are the people I care about safe? And so on, and so on. <i>Not knowing</i> is terrifying, which I know is true of humans in general, but it's a problem for me to the point of causing insomnia. And that's not cool.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">So maybe that's what's going on. The introduction of something that's so deeply ingrained in my life brings some certainty to the late-night hours. Even if that certainty is in the form of three people talking over terrible movies.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">It's not a fix for everything, of course. It won't take away the uncertainty of the future (or the present). But I think there's something to the idea, no matter how old you are, of finding something that unwavering and reliable to turn to when life won't offer you that security. Maybe it's a favorite book or comic series, or a favorite long-form anime. Maybe it's a certain band whose every song you know. Maybe it's the same as it is for me: knowing that Tom Servo will have a song ready, that Mike will do that "toot-tee-toot" thing whenever silly slow music plays, that certain words just sound funnier in Joel's voice.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhexWWXwAYxFOp6JXroBTAUHc9bQ87AVsY9Ob2PX5GAt2Y8P4b_C2to4hb-5-XI1_Wr1A9Mcm6q1wU6KFKcWJ9Ye-sZwiRGugxyjh2MkkIM-MZgWrWDRB9TsBrK-BkuvNCX8Au2wES-94LuSjI_91mKkYcjgoRJd0VcsVXRmlXkd9k-R0aC5cHUv55CwGQ/s1296/blog_mst04.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="730" data-original-width="1296" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhexWWXwAYxFOp6JXroBTAUHc9bQ87AVsY9Ob2PX5GAt2Y8P4b_C2to4hb-5-XI1_Wr1A9Mcm6q1wU6KFKcWJ9Ye-sZwiRGugxyjh2MkkIM-MZgWrWDRB9TsBrK-BkuvNCX8Au2wES-94LuSjI_91mKkYcjgoRJd0VcsVXRmlXkd9k-R0aC5cHUv55CwGQ/w640-h360/blog_mst04.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We're coming out the other side of winter, and the days are getting longer again. And before long I won't be awake for nearly as many dark hours, and this will potentially be less of a problem 'til winter kicks in again. And in fairness, one TV show didn't "fix" my anxiety. But it lets me experience certainty - weird, unhinged certainty, but certainty nonetheless - for a few hours a night. Not the sort of reflection I expected to have when my uncle brought over that tape of <i>First Spaceship on Venus</i> when I was nine years old, but I've learned not to question a good thing.</span></div></div></div></div><p></p>Kara Dennisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17409242213865977764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2478504882164257424.post-73517406160688605812024-01-17T03:00:00.000-08:002024-01-17T03:00:00.135-08:00Get in the Robot - My First Time Playing Armour Astir: Advent<p style="text-align: center;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaujyYg_ztgZmJZmdYzCXtRTNiRRfP14gjlQwXLD5egWQg5WHUrUowuumEhgpVRSR8LBsps9wsH4Gn2H5TuYblikqeMHkz4ktX7q6Z2dp8cDrGTevWmckp-DKz63R-vViEK-cvuRTiLjcwzq4fk-j9zVihyphenhyphenqp7Ml0L-Fxdy8hjRJVuyMxY_fteB18FIbE/s960/blog_armor.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="from the cover of Armour Astir: Advent" border="0" data-original-height="541" data-original-width="960" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaujyYg_ztgZmJZmdYzCXtRTNiRRfP14gjlQwXLD5egWQg5WHUrUowuumEhgpVRSR8LBsps9wsH4Gn2H5TuYblikqeMHkz4ktX7q6Z2dp8cDrGTevWmckp-DKz63R-vViEK-cvuRTiLjcwzq4fk-j9zVihyphenhyphenqp7Ml0L-Fxdy8hjRJVuyMxY_fteB18FIbE/w640-h360/blog_armor.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">If you're new here, quick update: I love love love giant robot anime. I worked on Discotek's DVD release of <i>Mazinger Z.</i> My fellow Crunchyroll newsroom writers save mecha anime news for me in the morning. (And yes, I'm aware of <i>Brave Bang Bravern. </i>We'll talk about that another time.) So when my Sunday game finished our year-and-a-bit D&D campaign and the DM wanted to try a new system, and happened to mention this one, I was hype.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Two sessions in? Still hype. And I will absolutely revisit my experiences with this at the end of the campaign, but I want to give a beginner's view of what it's like to play and, if you're a hopeless mecha addict like me, how much it will vibe for you.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">To start, <i><a href="https://weregazelle.itch.io/armour-astir" target="_blank">Armour Astir: Advent</a></i> is a Powered by the Apocalypse game. (Think <i>Blades in the Dark</i> or <i>Monster of the Week</i>: playbooks fitted to genre archetypes, story progression over hit point counting, and d6es only.) PBTA games have their share of ups and downs, and while the system is constructed in a way that eases party/game setup and story flow, your mileage may vary based on your goals in tabletop games. I've found myself warming to this style of game over time as I get more acclimated to it.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The one issue I've had with other PBTA games is that sometimes, the thing you want to do doesn't have a clear stat attached to it, and thus there's a lot of hemming and hawing over how to account for the dice-rolling aspect of your next Move. In <i>Armour Astir,</i> at least for Channelers (more on that in a second), there's literally a move and a stat for that: "Weave Magic," i.e. "anything that goes above and beyond everything on your sheet." Which I think is pretty great.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh09f-LStGPf06fqQWfNsFk6Aa_BPPt-fIH_kCOZ7aEQwL0fFxTF5snvz7Q2-00aTuZUiVWGlbLFsZOL8F17k53Lx4ZFTwk9iFKdlG5qsDZgCgQfrxpZoD4ILjsn-Vf7a4OUo7urJDrGzKs1D-Cd-J82IxTDPdi0ETLsXM-a8MbkQQQzmBUJxf4_n1OREg/s2500/blog_armor2_sifsweetman.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img alt="Art by Si F Sweetman" border="0" data-original-height="1492" data-original-width="2500" height="382" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh09f-LStGPf06fqQWfNsFk6Aa_BPPt-fIH_kCOZ7aEQwL0fFxTF5snvz7Q2-00aTuZUiVWGlbLFsZOL8F17k53Lx4ZFTwk9iFKdlG5qsDZgCgQfrxpZoD4ILjsn-Vf7a4OUo7urJDrGzKs1D-Cd-J82IxTDPdi0ETLsXM-a8MbkQQQzmBUJxf4_n1OREg/w640-h382/blog_armor2_sifsweetman.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The game is inspired by a mishmash of robot anime, fantasy anime, and fantasy in general. Relevant titles are listed in the source book, but if you're anything like me, you'll likely catch the references in the names of Moves and the descriptions of things overall. And the writers really know their stuff: the tropes run deep, and players are encouraged to play with what they mean from a character standpoint.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Case in point, the Impostor playbook (i.e. the one I'm playing). This one jumped out at me for two reasons. For one, it's the most rooted in the hot-blooded shouty delinquent super robot pilot vibe I love so much. For another, "Impostor" refers to the fact that these characters channel magic not through study or faith or some other aptitude, but through body modifications. Players are encouraged to approach this through the lens of disability or dysphoria. And as someone who spent half my life dealing with debilitating chronic pain, I chose the former. The book says that your augmentation does not make your life more difficult <i>unless you want it to,</i> and for the purposes of this character I want it to.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Without going into a whole long diatribe on my character and what makes her tick, I will say that my experience building an <i>Armour Astir</i> character has been much more in-depth than any other PBTA games. Interrogating the deeper meaning of a certain play style is something I try to do with all my characters, but this is the first time a book has ever outright said "Please go there."</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Similarly, each playbook comes with a unique Gravity trigger. Gravity is a stat that measures the relationship between you and other characters, be they PCs or NPCs. This could be romance, friendship, uneasy alliances, a desire to absolutely murder each other, etc. Besides being a great way to measure and keep tabs on the pacing of story threads, I really appreciate that it's a concrete way to tell the GM, "I would like to focus on the chemistry between these two characters, please." I've been gaming for years and I still do a bad job sometimes of voicing when I want to chase down a plot thread.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3OzYTCfHdHM-x4hngO6cElYZ4Vmbb6KmHr9dq1dYQ_vvXqLQSMzq28A8apUo3J2YLC9cAazuUPCob8gOl1vm_kfOZYqkFoSt7xhNxMB1Sw8jHWzguxEfa-Bk8EHtBrZQZRMENeY093enV4k2TD2DOmscSTlY3jrMqHGb0BYEOiloHQN4Qrdin7mVu3Rg/s1701/armour+astir+illustration+png.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1701" data-original-width="1500" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3OzYTCfHdHM-x4hngO6cElYZ4Vmbb6KmHr9dq1dYQ_vvXqLQSMzq28A8apUo3J2YLC9cAazuUPCob8gOl1vm_kfOZYqkFoSt7xhNxMB1Sw8jHWzguxEfa-Bk8EHtBrZQZRMENeY093enV4k2TD2DOmscSTlY3jrMqHGb0BYEOiloHQN4Qrdin7mVu3Rg/w564-h640/armour+astir+illustration+png.png" width="564" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">More things I love, in quick succession:</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: medium;">There's plenty for non-Channelers to do. Our party is made up of two Channelers and two Support, and I've been enjoying seeing how their abilities and contributions to the party build out. Nowhere do the Support characters feel at all lesser or underpowered.</span></li><li><span style="font-size: medium;">One of my favorite things about PBTA games is that you're rewarded for enduring difficulties in the game. (XP for failure in <i>Monster of the Week,</i> XP simply for having to make Desperate rolls in <i>Blades in the Dark.)</i> In <i>Armour Astir,</i> failing rolls stack into something called Spotlight. You can use those to advance, <i>or</i> you can spend six Spotlight in the moment to do something really cool. As a serial Bad Roller, I appreciate anything made to soften the blow of RNG failure at table. Not to mention it fits into the hot-blooded eleventh hour action I love so much.</span></li><li><span style="font-size: medium;">While I didn't see it listed under the inspirations, I get a lot of <i>Super Robot Wars</i> vibes off this game. (Which is to be expected.) This feels especially evident in the Impostor playbook, where your Channel stat increases as you take hits, to the point that it behooves you to save your big badass moves for when you're about to take a knee.</span></li></ul><div><span style="font-size: medium;">One last thing that deserves its own space: I appreciate that this game acknowledges more interesting risks than simply death. As someone who delved deeper into gaming as a way to get back into the world after a death in the family, and as someone who does this largely to exercise the creative part of my brain and get back to storytelling consistently, I'm not a fan of player character death being solely at the whim of the dice. (If others are, that's fine, but I believe players and DMs should decide this before playing.)</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">In <i>Armour Astir,</i> when your character Bites the Dust, they're out of the sortie. Based on the next set of rolls, they might recover unexpectedly well, or they might carry that defeat with them in some way. To me, that's so much more interesting and compelling then saying "Too bad you failed at rolling, your character's story is just done now." That's the main reason I've warmed to PBTA games recently: instead of it being a Session 0 discussion, defeat as transformative rather than subtractive is baked directly into the system.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">As I said, I'm only two sessions in. We're all learning together as we go, figuring out how everything works. One of our players is even trying out a playbook from <a href="https://weregazelle.itch.io/armour-astir-encore" target="_blank">the expansion</a>. When we're further in, or perhaps at the end of the campaign, I intend to report back with more.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Check out <i>Armour Astir: Advent, </i>eight addition playbooks in <i>Armour Astir: Encore,</i> and romance expansion <i>Amor Astir</i> at <a href="https://weregazelle.itch.io/" target="_blank">Briar Sovereign's itchi.io page</a>!</span></div></div><p></p>Kara Dennisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17409242213865977764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2478504882164257424.post-28656745115896003622024-01-10T04:00:00.000-08:002024-01-10T04:00:00.145-08:00January 2024 Book Reviews<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJuFoVe75BPg-sbYd6rfmL0DK4EPbnBt6wPgespN4M7y-EGzwijivMDTzna2mXHTPzy9g5gP5kFWURXKNz1yxyW0IWKdjUqtgbaXKcsURn03hCzW1gG7deddhzjc902_xPDjKRm-2Q-Z_SKr2n5T0WtfMvYRuhXAv8IgCaRBViEIaRYFmAA4Lv5M-iQhc/s960/blog_reviews.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="960" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJuFoVe75BPg-sbYd6rfmL0DK4EPbnBt6wPgespN4M7y-EGzwijivMDTzna2mXHTPzy9g5gP5kFWURXKNz1yxyW0IWKdjUqtgbaXKcsURn03hCzW1gG7deddhzjc902_xPDjKRm-2Q-Z_SKr2n5T0WtfMvYRuhXAv8IgCaRBViEIaRYFmAA4Lv5M-iQhc/w640-h360/blog_reviews.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><i><span style="font-size: medium;">THE LAST DRAGON KING</span></i></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Leia Stone</span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Score: </b>B-</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.leiastone.com/books/kings-of-avalier/the-last-dragon-king/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: medium;">Available now</span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">A last-minute December 2023 release creeping into 2024, <i>The Last Dragon King</i> is the first book in Leia Stone's new <b>Kings of Avalier </b>YA fantasy series. And while it does leave off on a hook to Stone's next book, it is perfectly sufficient as a standalone. As for whether it's a solid read — that all comes down to what you're looking for.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Our heroine is Arwen, a human with (as far as she knows) the scantest of dragon magic lineage in her blood. She lives her life as a hunter in a small town, long ignored by the kingdom's Dragon King. But now the King is looking for a new wife: one with enough inherent magic to give birth to an heir without dying. Despite her desire to find a boy to call her own, Arwen is not especially interested in becoming queen, and initially believes she's not even in the running. But she soon discovers that her lineage is not at all what she thought. Not only is she a top-tier candidate, but the magic lying dormant inside her could potentially be catastrophic. Now if only she hadn't gone and fallen in love with her royal suitor.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">While <i>The Last Dragon King </i>has interesting characters and a unique fantasy setting with potential for interesting expansion, much of its drama rests on the characters' sheer inability to communicate. Also, while it's refreshing to see a female protagonist who doesn't have to choose between married life and military badassery, it's a little disconcerting how quickly any other interesting female character falls under one blade or another along her road to achieving that.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">While the story itself has interesting threads and the prose is solid, <i>The Last Dragon King</i> is a very by-the-numbers YA fantasy. The promise of an overarching story of kings of many types and the upstart heroines who love them, combined with an interesting setting, is enough to make this an interesting casual read.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><a name='more'></a></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><i><span style="font-size: medium;">SECONDHAND SPACEMAN</span></i></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Rachel Aukes</span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Score: </b>B</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.rachelaukes.com/secondhand-spaceman.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: medium;">Available February 5</span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Initially slated for release at year's beginning, <i>Secondhand Spaceman</i> has been pushed forward to next month. But since it's been read for this blog post, we're going for it. Just bear in mind that this will be available <i>next</i> month, with a book to follow every month after.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Our protagonist is Frank Woods, a run-of-the-mill college kid whose biggest aspiration is to become a truck driver. But that all goes away when he's abducted by an alien and press-ganged into a gig as an intergalactic repo man. Or, to be more precise, his deadbeat dad willed the job to him. With a lifetime of debt to pay off and an inherited ship (and its deadpan sarcastic AI) to get him there, Frank will have to navigate alien encounters, red tape, system failures, and GOD themselves to get his job done.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>Secondhand Spaceman</i> has a relatively fun premise and wastes no time getting down to business, but the story itself appears to fluctuate between what it does best and what it <i>wants</i> to do. At its peaks, Frank is coming to terms simultaneously with the trauma of his youth and the terror of his new situation, discovering more about himself and with the potential to become a really capable, really unlikely hero. In its troughs, it leans into the sort of <i>Guardians of the Galaxy</i> quippy referential humor that's hit-or-miss even at the best of times. The books are engaging, intriguing, and even legitimately funny when the one-liners are relaxed and Frank is allowed to interact with his new reality in an honest way. Should future books embrace that, this series has some genuine promise.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><!--more--></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><i><span style="font-size: medium;">SHORES OF A NEW HORIZON: A TERRAFORMING MARS NOVEL</span></i></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">M Darusha Wehm</span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Score: </b>A</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://aconytebooks.com/shop/shores-of-a-new-horizon-by-darusha-wehm/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: medium;">Available now</span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">In the <i><a href="https://fryxgames.se/product/terraforming-mars/" target="_blank">Terraforming Mars</a></i> board game, players take on the roles of corporations using their respective resources to... well... terraform Mars. In Aconyte's spinoff series, now three books strong, we get closer to the people on the ground: the workers, scientists, researchers, and everyday people caught in the crossfire. In <i>Shores of a New Horizon,</i> one of those people is Zammi Kaspar: a researcher whose life was torn apart as a child, and who reunites with his missing sister in unusual circumstances.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">As a contaminated ice asteroid threatens to imperil the Red Planet's water supply, new and unpleasant facts come to light. And some of those facts implicate the siblings' surviving parent and his company. With the stench of potential corporate corruption in the air, old familial wounds reopened, and the locals' livelihoods at stake, the tenuously-reunited family must go outside the norm (and the law) to ensure the safety of Mars.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>Shores of a New Horizon</i> may appears to be veering toward a by-the-numbers corporate intrigue piece, but the true resolution of the story is so much more satisfying. At its heart, it's a story about family and trust, twisted together with tiny details that make this near-future world feel as real and lived-in as a small town. And, as with all the best tie-in books, it can stand on its own without any knowledge of the source material.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><!--more--></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><i><span style="font-size: medium;">TOM CLANCY'S THE DIVISION: HUNTED</span></i></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Thomas Parrott</span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Score: </b>A-</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://aconytebooks.com/shop/tom-clancys-the-division-hunted-by-thomas-parrot/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: medium;">Available now</span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The Operation: Crossroads saga, which began in <i><a href="https://aconytebooks.com/shop/tom-clancys-the-division-compromised-by-thomas-parrot/" target="_blank">Tom Clancy's The Division: Compromised</a>,</i> continues. Maira Kanhai has survived, and it would seem that she has new allies. As she recovers and gets back on her feet, she helps her rescuers with a high-end programming project while receiving excellent care and physical therapy. And, perhaps, something more.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">But not everything is as it seems. Maira is missing time, things seem a little <i>too</i> good, and she has the creeping sensation that her new friends aren't telling her everything. Meanwhile, her Division allies (including Brenda Wells) receive shocking intel: Maira has gone rogue. Assembling a specialized cell, Brenda goes out to find Maira and discover why she's working against her own team.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Full disclosure, I read and enjoyed <i>The Division: Compromised.</i> So I came in with some foreknowledge of Thomas Parrott's story and characters. But even if you don't have that foreknowledge yourself, <i>Hunted</i> gives plenty of footholds to enter into this universe. Nor do you need to be a Clancy fan to dig into this story. There's admittedly a lot going on here — Maira's half of the story, ironically, flows more cohesively than Brenda's — but the result is a satisfying blend of action, drama, and psychological thrilller.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><!--more--></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><i><span style="font-size: medium;">THE LAST IMMORTAL: A NOVEL</span></i></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Natalie Gibson</span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Score: </b>C</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.bhcpress.com/Books_Gibson_The_Last_Immortal.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: medium;">Available January 23</span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Young Ramillia wakes up in an asylum with no memory of brutally murdering her parents with her bare hands. Of course there are a lot of things she doesn't remember about her childhood. But when Sir Julian takes her under his wing as benefactor and fiancé, a whole new world opens up to her: one of power, deceit, and (most of all) the promise of eternal life.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Ramillia is a "Carrier": a rare genetic mutation of humans gifted with strength and immortality, rarer still for being female. Despite being inducted into this powerful species's society, however, she is still left largely in the dark about what they are and how they operate. As she learns more about her nature, from the relationship between Carriers and Incola to her own affinity for violence to the other version of herself living in her mind, she begins to see the broader world for what it is. And, in the book's final act, she sets about destroying what she finds.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>The Last Immortal</i> is a difficult read for many reasons. Thematically, it is thick with abuse (both physical and sexual), treats pretty much nothing as off-limits, and fades to black less and less as the story goes on. While initially this does serve the theme, the third act of the book seems to fall apart, and not in a way that feels at all tied to Ramillia's own character journey. There's a marked difference between the character rushing things and the writer rushing things. And while the first part felt slow and the second felt perfectly paced, the third felt as though it was written to a deadline... and not a diegetic, character-driven deadline. Burning questions are either left unanswered or addressed in haste — not in the way that the rest of the book explored gaslighting and disinformation, nor even in a way that leans into Ramillia's own collapsing psyche, but in an extra-textual way that feels almost as though an indelible upper word count is being approached. From metaphors for feminine power in a masculine world to a psychic octopus and scrambled brains, it feels like a rug-pull. Should you choose to read it, I recommend leaving off at the end of part 2.</span></div>Kara Dennisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17409242213865977764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2478504882164257424.post-32436046623398281192023-12-27T03:00:00.000-08:002023-12-27T03:00:00.155-08:00Resolutions for 2024<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTTGOMbd7hyVhLIjxhtLdVGZ5BYDjV2OC1ErtOhL-NSmBRBq3Tzs80HAwo_wGlaibPD8Rg4eyKBaX2Op1ZmFUwaoGSZgz6ZCpPgSHXbFKiNQh20n_SqljoC-MG3KjU_eydxwFimV3XaYefB0twqVy0VmJnDIK1HKrDA9kxagIwRpDolaNk6z8Q7oS8_AI/s960/blog_nye_hero.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="960" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTTGOMbd7hyVhLIjxhtLdVGZ5BYDjV2OC1ErtOhL-NSmBRBq3Tzs80HAwo_wGlaibPD8Rg4eyKBaX2Op1ZmFUwaoGSZgz6ZCpPgSHXbFKiNQh20n_SqljoC-MG3KjU_eydxwFimV3XaYefB0twqVy0VmJnDIK1HKrDA9kxagIwRpDolaNk6z8Q7oS8_AI/w640-h360/blog_nye_hero.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: medium;">I can't remember where I read this, because I can rarely remember where I read anything these days. Information just sort of amasses itself in one's head and an anecdote will roll out, anonymized, as needed. The point is, someone at some point said it's best <i>not</i> to attempt to make new year's resolutions. Or, at least, to make broader and more forgiving ones. Which I can understand. If you say you're gonna go to the gym three times a week or get up at whatever time of day your favorite business success podcast says the Pros do, and you fail to do so once, you're kind of more likely to give up. It doesn't matter how many times you're told that tomorrow is a chance to start again — the more rigid the resolution, the more dire the slip feels.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">A part of me wants to make those rigid resolutions even so. Things like "Write x words per day," "Get x stories published," "Actually clean the whole house and start renovating." All things I want to be doing, all things that will feel crushing if I slip. To those who can set and meet resolutions like that: nice. You absolutely deserve to take pride in that.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">But as much as every day is a new start, something about the turn of the calendar makes a girl want to make some kind of promise to herself. I'll try to do gentler promises, though. Maybe.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><h2 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Value My Own Writing</span></h2><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLgkY-BpAQtBDB7QEnML4jXiAsQj25oJgwakcCQsSXs5RkL9UHJWrFUQULWINjTlVG4T5u0twddoQkyXjeWqDu-rbFu1T0EZli83uINnG0AaybPeL9K6SXVP_Eyaphd8Bbj71KVrZz-OTO1_m1NRioAhCjUIPjjwCb4rgJ0Eh0KdsB9wXTScpSMVNgeP0/s960/blog_write.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="960" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLgkY-BpAQtBDB7QEnML4jXiAsQj25oJgwakcCQsSXs5RkL9UHJWrFUQULWINjTlVG4T5u0twddoQkyXjeWqDu-rbFu1T0EZli83uINnG0AaybPeL9K6SXVP_Eyaphd8Bbj71KVrZz-OTO1_m1NRioAhCjUIPjjwCb4rgJ0Eh0KdsB9wXTScpSMVNgeP0/w640-h360/blog_write.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I say I'll write, and then I fail to. Don't get me wrong, if there's a hard deadline, that story falls right the hell out. It's the ADHD. But if there's not a hard deadline, I tend to file the words that come out of my mind creatively behind everything else: behind news and features for other websites, behind my advising and editing work that helps <i>other</i> people write, hell, behind reading or paying bills or literally anything else. I know there's a part of my brain that insists that, if it's creative and it's mine, it's lesser.</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Of course I know where that comes from; or rather, <i>whom</i> that comes from. In conversation with trusted friends, I could list off exactly whose voices those judgment calls come out in. Simply saying "I will write this many words a day or else" does not make those judgment calls go away.</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Perhaps baby steps for this resolution, then: learning to admit that what I write perhaps has value. It's not world-changing. It's not revolutionary. But it doesn't have to be. Some of the creative work I hold nearest and dearest from others isn't going to usher in a new era of thought. It just hits right when it finds me. And there's no reason to assume my own words can't do that for someone else.</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><h1 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Leave Home More</span></h1><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB1Wrg_XDC9S2-qyNd2Yf3TbjAd1TedQgeGuXeW1KKz_FOoW_e-ZtVUuQSvQYpAqoaKcQRmjA4-LmuEzqzxBPfV7B_cGRIH6WeWehRqd0vE4UlVaMFuLKbA10J6u6VmCyZWoG1-2xXGvPwfkBpzSOZmK4xqPtWyYLCl5tatLfLLuso8VYWZD9NakJblt8/s960/blog_out.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="960" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB1Wrg_XDC9S2-qyNd2Yf3TbjAd1TedQgeGuXeW1KKz_FOoW_e-ZtVUuQSvQYpAqoaKcQRmjA4-LmuEzqzxBPfV7B_cGRIH6WeWehRqd0vE4UlVaMFuLKbA10J6u6VmCyZWoG1-2xXGvPwfkBpzSOZmK4xqPtWyYLCl5tatLfLLuso8VYWZD9NakJblt8/w640-h360/blog_out.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Which is not to say I never leave home. I do. I have regular social things I go to. I visit friends. But when it comes to shopping, running errands, even just stepping outside, I tend to not want to. And that absolutely came with lockdown, followed directly by being in a position where I was looking after someone at the end of his life.</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I value having a home I can afford. I like that there's room here for me and whoever. But I live not far from a nice historic area where I used to love to take walks. I used to make errand days into little outings with rewards. I admit that I've pulled kind of far inward, and maybe I've taken longer than is strictly necessary to push back against that. There are lovely things and people out there to see.</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><h1 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Cut Myself a Break</span></h1></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQk0LelFFEnwvqb_nfyLKzpE72qdVR4kIqr2IdQ9wRN83sseswliPGfZeaKMq7TQaz8cdYJCpy0vTujFNlSFPxrGfUQSQFi6R2sEaSO5VYoolRrrpxA-QiAEWX_2EIOJ65BVBTvT24EeoKzMl9OWhK3poBdN-XK09DsG_zagZRPtViekJaCwyd98c58To/s960/blog_heart.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="960" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQk0LelFFEnwvqb_nfyLKzpE72qdVR4kIqr2IdQ9wRN83sseswliPGfZeaKMq7TQaz8cdYJCpy0vTujFNlSFPxrGfUQSQFi6R2sEaSO5VYoolRrrpxA-QiAEWX_2EIOJ65BVBTvT24EeoKzMl9OWhK3poBdN-XK09DsG_zagZRPtViekJaCwyd98c58To/w640-h360/blog_heart.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I'm sure I give off major former honor student energy to anyone who knows me. I know I'm not the only one who feels that way a lot: that I always have to be at 100% or I'm not doing enough, that if something goes wrong in my periphery there are good odds it's somehow my fault. The more I get to know people out in the world, the more I learn that that's an extremely relatable feeling. And guys, we can't all be the ones to blame for everything. We can't all be burning the candle at both ends.</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">If I could suggest one resolution to everyone, it would be for us all to cut ourselves a little slack. Yeah, there are some things you simply can't back down on. Responsibilities exist. And sometimes we legitimately do make mistakes that need correcting. But I realize that if I held anyone to the same standards to which I hold myself, they'd (rightly) really dislike me for it.</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Maybe your friend's discomfort in your presence has nothing to do with you. Maybe you didn't misspeak as terribly as you think you did. Maybe your presence was actually appreciated when you hung out with your friends and you <i>didn't </i>talk too much and make a fool of yourself. And by "you" I mean me. But also you, if that resonates for you.</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Goals are great. I have goals. But I also know that the majority of my aspirations take luck, timing, and potentially the say-so of someone who isn't me. I can't resolve that 2024 will finally be the year I land this or that gig I've been wanting for so many years, because that's not fully on me. But I can start by cutting myself a break. And for the new year, I hope you can do the same for you.</span></p></div></div>Kara Dennisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17409242213865977764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2478504882164257424.post-8970872722378652032023-12-20T03:00:00.000-08:002023-12-20T03:00:00.188-08:00TEA REVIEW: Chapters Tea Holiday Winter Box<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiADMxO19UD3jCaTBViUmFQpP7pSAuaqF7zhDXJj4qSl7pDS3bAguFtavN3MzCCWhbETrKMsI69WBPwX2rJJXbv3NAoiQdkexFPVNcvZbfo5s4zLywKeinBsQ5o22vkrocHQsRD16NPN7TXczVlzCaP94qIRB9iNgrBgwntvd2fUk-5DXIIFiaaDsf7TjE/s2048/368051707_275277428473882_6909384183758545551_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiADMxO19UD3jCaTBViUmFQpP7pSAuaqF7zhDXJj4qSl7pDS3bAguFtavN3MzCCWhbETrKMsI69WBPwX2rJJXbv3NAoiQdkexFPVNcvZbfo5s4zLywKeinBsQ5o22vkrocHQsRD16NPN7TXczVlzCaP94qIRB9iNgrBgwntvd2fUk-5DXIIFiaaDsf7TjE/w640-h480/368051707_275277428473882_6909384183758545551_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I have become, frankly, infatuated with <a href="https://drinkchapters.com/karad" target="_blank">Chapters Tea</a> — as you've probably seen on my various blog posts and social media. This small business creates tea (and now coffee!) blends inspired by your favorite books, authors, and literary vibes. And I've yet to find a tea from Chapters that I don't love.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">For their first festive season in business, they launched their Holiday Winter Box. While it's sold out (which is great news for them!), some of its selections are still available. I got to try all three new seasonal flavors. The short verdict is that, once again, everything's fantastic. But that's hardly surprising. Let's take a closer look at each. And if you choose to buy anything from the site, make sure to use my code <b>KARAD15</b> for 15% off your purchase at checkout!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>Note: I am a Chapters Tea & Coffee affiliate. While I may receive a percentage commission for any purchases made through these links, I purchased this box myself and am offering my honest review.</i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></div><h2 style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Magical Library Butterbrew</span></h2><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSy_Al9hOUmWBazDTLLv7b0i_z0JLPdcDhWIqOsF17y8JKKSFPF5v_BHS4Md8h0WFwv5_KS4e-qjKph0tV0Se3fqKT6y8UPt1Ptun_dpegwzqaf-ybDbmtAV1jSdcJE50dvuOpbbWHCVCX8D1U7aN9F6loqxQsdDBgVrjf0SvP_TH925oj8vrJQYErViM/s2048/blog_butterbrew.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSy_Al9hOUmWBazDTLLv7b0i_z0JLPdcDhWIqOsF17y8JKKSFPF5v_BHS4Md8h0WFwv5_KS4e-qjKph0tV0Se3fqKT6y8UPt1Ptun_dpegwzqaf-ybDbmtAV1jSdcJE50dvuOpbbWHCVCX8D1U7aN9F6loqxQsdDBgVrjf0SvP_TH925oj8vrJQYErViM/w400-h400/blog_butterbrew.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Magical Library Butterbrew is <i>not</i> listed as a limited-edition, and boy am I glad of that. Inspired by magical libraries where wizards hone their spellcraft, this black tea is full of butterscotch flavor. It smells delightful in the package and tastes even better steeped. In addition to the tea itself, this blend has sunflower, jasmine, and calendula petals in the mix — making it very pretty to look at and infusing the tea with flavor naturally.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">One thing I've noticed about Chapters teas in general is that, no matter how strong you steep them, they always taste relatively smooth. I steep my tea "too much" as a rule because I like it strong, but that never ruins the flavor. I also tend to take it without milk or sugar; however, this blend in particular tastes like it would make an excellent tea latte. This one has quickly become my second-favorite tea in the Chapters catalogue, just behind Poet's Study (their super-strong dark academia-inspired Earl Grey).</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><h2 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Gingerbread Bookshop</span></h2><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJxHNaaFiRdp6hRu3oOsRfFg2WsyY6Kr43cwhNzGlxiW5isMvIwwatpOuDCpZjkoBbPXSNJk13umgeScbIFOSKggXqWY6yFM4N6B0z73NcpjDVdORQKn7gEvY5bT91Gh6jKvYHDZZwSbXFqwsaAH8h8P15UpkKrT4q30-eh6IJo7pICItqGPTC3tBsMpQ/s2048/blog_gingerbread.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJxHNaaFiRdp6hRu3oOsRfFg2WsyY6Kr43cwhNzGlxiW5isMvIwwatpOuDCpZjkoBbPXSNJk13umgeScbIFOSKggXqWY6yFM4N6B0z73NcpjDVdORQKn7gEvY5bT91Gh6jKvYHDZZwSbXFqwsaAH8h8P15UpkKrT4q30-eh6IJo7pICItqGPTC3tBsMpQ/w400-h400/blog_gingerbread.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">This is one of the two limited-edition holiday teas; however, as of the time of this writing, it's still available. And if you like warm gingerbread-y things, I can't recommend it enough. Just because it's not my favorite of the bunch doesn't mean Gingerbread Bookshop isn't <i>really</i> good. It reminds me (as the package art implies) of Christmas shopping trips, treating myself to a book and some cookies after I'd finished buying things for everyone else.</span></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The blend of cinnamon, cocoa beans, star anise, and ginger does a great job mimicking the spicy coziness of good gingerbread. I was a little hesitant about the inclusion of anise because I'm not huge on licorice-tasting things; however, it blends into the rest of the flavoring nicely.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><h1 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Candy Cane Forest</span></h1><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkMlHnirfOzGzK6-u2uD2MXC4SF7HedCo86rpKaTSWxTY1IT89nKJzM-mWlWStIEsDFfjKlBO5yrmv7mq6FsmUnQ91KCkpAXecbaOUeVbfTAu9pta-2lNoXo8nr6WVKMwBEFuQj-Jcbxdw6T-7WYyagAyQPoM79xGL7DuekgoNvPbrxvF9Ct4-mGtLHSc/s2048/blog_peppermint.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkMlHnirfOzGzK6-u2uD2MXC4SF7HedCo86rpKaTSWxTY1IT89nKJzM-mWlWStIEsDFfjKlBO5yrmv7mq6FsmUnQ91KCkpAXecbaOUeVbfTAu9pta-2lNoXo8nr6WVKMwBEFuQj-Jcbxdw6T-7WYyagAyQPoM79xGL7DuekgoNvPbrxvF9Ct4-mGtLHSc/w400-h400/blog_peppermint.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Sadly, this limited-edition tea is now sold out. However, I would be remiss in not reviewing it, as it's a really lovely one provided you like candy canes. If you don't, give this one a miss — because it mimics the flavor to a tee. But if (like me) you love 'em, keep your fingers crossed for a reissue next year.</span></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">In addition to the inclusion of natural peppermint, this tea includes crushed-up candy cane bits. It's another one that looks lovely in the tin (the first tin for a Chapters product!), and it's delicious steeped once all the candy cane bits have melted.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">While Chapters has assembled some of its regular flavors into summer and autumn gift boxes, the Holiday Winter Box is their first foray into limited-edition flavors and markedly seasonal offerings. Seeing that it's sold out already is a good sign. I'd love to see Chapters explore other themed boxes with more seasonal flavors and vibes, and potentially other limited-edition blends and art.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">If you're still looking for some last-minute gifts, <a href="https://drinkchapters.com/karad" target="_blank">check out Chapters Tea & Coffee</a> for literary-inspired teas, coffees, and accessories. And save yourself a little money at checkout with code <b>KARAD15</b> for 15% off!</span></div></div><p></p>Kara Dennisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17409242213865977764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2478504882164257424.post-15664495128541246772023-12-12T20:17:00.000-08:002023-12-13T05:23:15.269-08:00Doctor Who Is Entering Its Pink Jacket Era<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1QGbd9DQJ5rcbFfazocUuMLQq8EQuCAyWLgJbwNqu-Msn_hzfRByX8UGNHIXiJYBOtNzlTXNDg3UtF3CxY7LzyDX45okzx1-Eqeq30e8YU8dcz_8FtoLgj-bn-Ta4Rg3Rd35pcHd90FVrxRukB8PjdCFs5FFoCrWSGIylRt044IOCQbEFHZH8pWAqMks/s1200/blog_spice.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="1200" height="373" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1QGbd9DQJ5rcbFfazocUuMLQq8EQuCAyWLgJbwNqu-Msn_hzfRByX8UGNHIXiJYBOtNzlTXNDg3UtF3CxY7LzyDX45okzx1-Eqeq30e8YU8dcz_8FtoLgj-bn-Ta4Rg3Rd35pcHd90FVrxRukB8PjdCFs5FFoCrWSGIylRt044IOCQbEFHZH8pWAqMks/w640-h373/blog_spice.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>NOTE: This post contains spoilers for the entirety of the <i>Doctor Who</i> 60th anniversary specials, including and especially "The Giggle."</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">There are dozens upon dozens of ways to talk about where <i>Doctor Who</i> has ended up after "The Giggle." The commencement of the RTD2 era brings with it a plethora of bold moves and statements—many, if not most, of which will be better explored by other people. However, a major theme of the third and final special feels like exactly my wheelhouse: the subject of story, of canon, of lore, and (most importantly) of Play.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Amidst rolling back the Metacrisis, recontextualizing the Timeless Child, and introducing bi-generation (and what Russell T Davies terms the "Doctorverse" as seen in <i>Tales of the TARDIS), </i>he made another major statement about where the show stands and where it will likely be going. In short, we seem to be getting the high sign that it's time to put down the canon welders and the slide rules... at least for a bit. It appears the RTD2 era will be an era less bound by the show's own rules of logic and more open to writerly whims.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Or, to put it in the parlance of my other favorite decades-long show, it's going into its Pink Jacket era.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieNg1QziRR1thWrgXzaGs8qOvx2FlCuNRToBcXBtZHuSdZ9J4mVjKek7555a1x7mp0-w6k3HOPYgyQDme86W-JOt1W4eYqTGY_rg2AlIZmCKfhnlA_1pkNInL2XFQ9qmtvACRPbMRBnRSOlL07H69JHDEE2uX4Hei04cK3DyMqnZVlIfb0g7LDEgjCrOY/s1920/smartsafe.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieNg1QziRR1thWrgXzaGs8qOvx2FlCuNRToBcXBtZHuSdZ9J4mVjKek7555a1x7mp0-w6k3HOPYgyQDme86W-JOt1W4eYqTGY_rg2AlIZmCKfhnlA_1pkNInL2XFQ9qmtvACRPbMRBnRSOlL07H69JHDEE2uX4Hei04cK3DyMqnZVlIfb0g7LDEgjCrOY/w640-h360/smartsafe.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">A brief history of <i>Lupin the 3rd</i> will have to wait for another day. Suffice to say, it is a very long-running anime franchise with its own unique eras and stock characters. Each creative mind to touch the series, from Hayao Miyazaki to <i>Godzilla Minus One</i> director Takashi Yamazaki, puts their own unique spin on it. And each era of the TV series is denoted stylistically by a new color palette for our protagonist, the freewheeling grandson of Arsène Lupin. In films and TV specials, those different-colored jackets have become shorthand for what "flavor" of Lupin we can expect.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1984 brought <i>Lupin the 3rd Part III,</i> with a more cartoonish color palette as well as more cartoonish plots. (Think legitimately Looney Tunes ideas, even more than usual.) Since then, Pink Jacket has become a less evoked Lupin style, but an unmistakable one. In 2018's <i>Lupin the 3rd Part V,</i> which contained interstitial episodes paying tribute to each era, the Pink Jacket tribute episode was about Lupin trying to make himself dumber to crack a safe that would only open if a brainwave-reading machine determined you were dumb enough. (Spoiler: it ended with him gorging on fish to make himself so smart that the IQ meter Pac-Manned around.)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i>Part III</i> was not "bad" (as it was misremembered before we had the luxury of streaming) so much as it was silly, unhinged, and joyfully committed to being that way. And with what we've seen in "The Giggle," I think we're being invited into a similar era for <i>Doctor Who.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh04GIT-jafIZ3P6Nt10SJiM8vyTyir6y38v0xXGBfbxU3Qqmtshpl3-sA5hqP7_Tr8iAkQlxcLBMmOajfYOoZjF4GbwbZ_2vtwGWuuGg4qWEnRz9NMN3y7DQyZWoN6xHtYk3asEeTS98QNmmKBm3L-WtQw7qItjNvHWZ_ZjSy8pxsPjS4L2Go_Sd4t2GU/s1024/blog_toymaker.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="1024" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh04GIT-jafIZ3P6Nt10SJiM8vyTyir6y38v0xXGBfbxU3Qqmtshpl3-sA5hqP7_Tr8iAkQlxcLBMmOajfYOoZjF4GbwbZ_2vtwGWuuGg4qWEnRz9NMN3y7DQyZWoN6xHtYk3asEeTS98QNmmKBm3L-WtQw7qItjNvHWZ_ZjSy8pxsPjS4L2Go_Sd4t2GU/w640-h360/blog_toymaker.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">The choice to bring back the Toymaker was an interesting and fan-pleasing one. He appeared in one televised story, 1966's "The Celestial Toymaker," played by Michael Gough. And while he's been in and around the books and comics and Big Finish audios, the Toymaker's appearance in "The Giggle" is his first return to the televised series — done with an impeccable balance of menace and camp that only Neil Patrick Harris can dish out. As before, he is a powerful otherworldly being: one beholden only to the rules of fair play, who delights in reducing other powerful beings to playthings.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">As we saw in "Wild Blue Yonder," the Doctor appears to summon the Toymaker by invoking a bit of nonsense at the edge of the universe: attempting to thwart the Not-Doctor and Not-Donna with a superstition. With this silly (and frankly Doctor-ly) approach, the Toymaker makes his way into our world, and all bets are off. People are puppets, bullets are rose petals, the Master is a gold tooth in a mouth of too many teeth... it's all a bit wild.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Throughout the episode, the Doctor attempts to explain the Toymaker's MO by stating that there are actually <i>three</i> states of being: Order, Chaos, and <i>Play.</i> Play is not governed by Order or Chaos, and is not beholden to normal rules. It's what makes the Toymaker so dangerous... but, as the Doctor points out, what could also potentially make him so wonderful.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">While the Toymaker is naturally not going to change his ways, his state of Play influences the episode. We see our first bi-generation: a Time Lord myth almost certainly brought into reality by the Toymaker's anything-goes mentality. (Note how overjoyed he is at the prospect of bi-generating the Doctor <i>ad infinitum</i> so he can take his time mowing them down.) In one of his first acts as incumbent Doctor, Ncuti Gatwa (still in his pants) hits the TARDIS with a big comedy mallet to double it. He implies that the Toymaker's state of Play may be in effect for <i>just</i> long enough for him to gain "his" prize... but I personally believe the Toymaker's influence will last a bit longer.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">And I believe <i>we</i> are being invited to rejoice in this influence.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMLyGGB086J1AZ3TQ9esRe7Cd8FeY9yu8VzcRX8LGwN7pDYdbVts50qHWpdn8mtuG-SLbW6tvButzn-FoO2LBgHc-Cyb_NYjF6CcN7GM9I5rBLKl_zghyNB2TuhoGZ1mr9gxO2XxnhUIBNfktM4j56ggJG78bssRHsFTAQURTqrskQmCohOBZdMhMynvY/s980/blog_hero.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="654" data-original-width="980" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMLyGGB086J1AZ3TQ9esRe7Cd8FeY9yu8VzcRX8LGwN7pDYdbVts50qHWpdn8mtuG-SLbW6tvButzn-FoO2LBgHc-Cyb_NYjF6CcN7GM9I5rBLKl_zghyNB2TuhoGZ1mr9gxO2XxnhUIBNfktM4j56ggJG78bssRHsFTAQURTqrskQmCohOBZdMhMynvY/w640-h428/blog_hero.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Doctor Who </i>fans are unmatched in their ability to canon-weld. I've seen this in action as someone who's been writing on the ragged edges of canon for a handful of years now, introducing a WWE branch to Faction Paradox and letting Iris Wildthyme finally enter the City of the Saved. One thing I learned when writing across these expanded universes is that the harder you try to account for everything, the sadder you'll be, and the harder a time you'll have telling the story you want to tell.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">In short: if a callback is fun, it's worth it. If trolling through decades of audios, comics, and books to ensure all the corners are tucked in makes it so you can't write... don't do that. The lovely thing about a rights holder is they'll let you know what you can and can't do, and they will rarely limit you as hard as your own dive through the franchise's history will. And as the Whoniverse gets bigger and fuller, we're hitting capacity. There will come a time when you can't add to it for fear of inadvertently "decanonizing" something in the eyes of a subsection of the fans.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">While I don't always agree with RTD's creative choices (Martha deserved way more credit and I stewed about Donna's exit for 13 years), I will defend to the death his aptitude for building and future-proofing a show. Someone with his eye for showrunning will have noticed that after the Time War, the Hybrid, the Timeless Child, and the Flux, the series's lore is approaching critical mass... even <i>without</i> counting the expanded universe. In order to continue to tell stories that appeal to old and new fans, something has to give. We need to be allowed to put down the strict rules for a minute and simply play.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The Toymaker, as we're reminded, will always abide by the oldest and most basic rules of play: the rules that keep things fair and fun. He may be a bastard and a half, but he'll never actually cheat. And I believe that's our ruleset for the RTD2 era: guidelines to make sure everyone has a good time, but anything goes otherwise.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Davies has already said that he's looking to go more fantasy than sci-fi in the new season, and the early previews of "The Church on Ruby Road" show that we're getting a pirate ship full of sky goblins. And while I believe the bi-generation represents many powerful things (which I may talk about some other day), I think it also represents the future of the show, at least for now: allowing the heaviness of the past to be put aside to rest and process, and looking forward with joy and curiosity.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Doctor Who</i> is going to get sillier, weirder, and more fantastical than ever. And for as much as I've loved previous seasons, I have a feeling this sea change will be the exact refresh the series needs.</div></div><p></p>Kara Dennisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17409242213865977764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2478504882164257424.post-52671198013060794592023-12-06T03:00:00.000-08:002023-12-06T03:00:00.140-08:00December 2023 Book Reviews<p style="text-align: center;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-YLd5JCYEM7e2Gkm2sVuQDCKfbseE0RLbEKqOgH1iL4MlbUsXLPB9_3CpRxWGQ8ArSUu4v6P3zsSxbAPjBppSTcGXquVRdhaqQNpcd9KS4MyAQN63zPqw_QOltf550pWol3LjgzMlAPrJHDupdGYrrbzE-ft6P7kDulKihzo6UTYzEWGUrs073XIqpMc/s2048/blog_decreview.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="2048" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-YLd5JCYEM7e2Gkm2sVuQDCKfbseE0RLbEKqOgH1iL4MlbUsXLPB9_3CpRxWGQ8ArSUu4v6P3zsSxbAPjBppSTcGXquVRdhaqQNpcd9KS4MyAQN63zPqw_QOltf550pWol3LjgzMlAPrJHDupdGYrrbzE-ft6P7kDulKihzo6UTYzEWGUrs073XIqpMc/w640-h360/blog_decreview.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">This month, I'm doing things a little differently for book reviews—because it's the gift-giving season. I've got some traditional prose books, but I also have some more kitchen-centric readables to review. Thanks as always to the many publishers who make their books and other print projects available for review, so I can share them with you!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Incidentally, if you're buying presents for a book-loving friend, consider grabbing something from <a href="https://drinkchapters.com/karad" target="_blank">Chapters Tea & Coffee</a>! They offer premium coffees and teas inspired by classic works of literature, as well as bookmarks and tea-making accessories. There are even limited-edition seasonal teas that would make great stocking stuffers. Use my code <b>KARAD15</b> to get 15% off your order!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;"><i><a href="https://aconytebooks.com/shop/do-or-die-by-josh-reynolds/" target="_blank">Do or Die: A Zombicide Novel</a><br /></i><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">by Josh Reynolds</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQxkY-HHOEkg35DW-jbKWByZ06ouiCb5ewGwhg1uIrgD7XfSqpXcuHGKmBlZfUkc93ByHGm8moQhuLcBA7_vXrw-v99SS1S4Mt32DdsuNlKX2PpzJ6Ogx-3lrYJvfNt9k0vEI2FeVmNXTvx_pq2N9pJK4z15tNR3m5IAZqLYyUcZd_vLjcwbiyoya_rM8/s1725/ZOM07-Do-or-Die-by-Josh-Reynolds-book-banner.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="657" data-original-width="1725" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQxkY-HHOEkg35DW-jbKWByZ06ouiCb5ewGwhg1uIrgD7XfSqpXcuHGKmBlZfUkc93ByHGm8moQhuLcBA7_vXrw-v99SS1S4Mt32DdsuNlKX2PpzJ6Ogx-3lrYJvfNt9k0vEI2FeVmNXTvx_pq2N9pJK4z15tNR3m5IAZqLYyUcZd_vLjcwbiyoya_rM8/w640-h244/ZOM07-Do-or-Die-by-Josh-Reynolds-book-banner.jpg" width="640" /></a></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium; font-weight: 400;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small; font-weight: 400;">Surely there's enough zombie fiction in the world now, right? Perhaps not. Cooperative "zombie havoc" boardgame <i><a href="https://www.zombicide.com/" target="_blank">Zombicide</a> </i>puts you in charge of a zombie apocalypse survivor, and various expansion packs let you fine-tune the setting. Just as the game can be anywhere and anywhen, so can the <i>Zombicide</i> tie-in novels from Aconyte. The last one I read was a gritty sci-fi fable; this one takes us to Florida, and turns everything we think we know about the zombie genre on its head.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-size: small;">Westlake is one of a varied group of survivors, including a chef, a fed, and a luchador. Westlake himself is the strangest of all: he's a zombie hanging on to the final shreds of his humanity, hoping to set his friends up to thrive in his impending absence. But when they travel to the Everglades to track down a drug cartel cache, there are bigger problems waiting for them. Humans aren't the only things that can get zombified—and the only things more deadly than Florida's undead beasts are the locals who worship them.</span></span></div><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><i>Do or Die</i> is utterly unhinged in the best of ways. From a sympathetic zombie survivor to cannibalistic cultists to a giant turtle, you never know what you're going to see next. Josh Reynolds, as usual, takes fictional elements that really should work together and makes them absolutely sing.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Do or Die</i> is now on sale.</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></p></h3><h2 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 18.72px;"><i><a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/653211/valdemar-by-mercedes-lackey/" target="_blank">Valdemar (The Founding of Valdemar Book 3)</a></i><br /><span style="font-weight: normal;">by Mercedes Lackey</span></span></h2><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><h3 style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 18.72px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHPOB8xyjqwb9yBlG-orfdd3HC9AIf43j-nxqFWunXj-jf_sdt4UYF2zsMX0Ei60OQxbyBUvo6DoNutWOG33pN2LKKYVYw5mnIsSYv0oF-LHegLbVSnUZsWHOFr5s4rnrDmNPfutNwci8JMxqXeDuYIM4OHpDDUp7DCuWVCAgpsmu_27CkNe9r2SL2UgY/s450/9780756417390.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="295" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHPOB8xyjqwb9yBlG-orfdd3HC9AIf43j-nxqFWunXj-jf_sdt4UYF2zsMX0Ei60OQxbyBUvo6DoNutWOG33pN2LKKYVYw5mnIsSYv0oF-LHegLbVSnUZsWHOFr5s4rnrDmNPfutNwci8JMxqXeDuYIM4OHpDDUp7DCuWVCAgpsmu_27CkNe9r2SL2UgY/s320/9780756417390.jpg" width="210" /></a></div></span></div></h3></blockquote><h3 style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small; font-weight: 400;">Some people grew up on Mercedes Lackey's <i>Valdemar </i>epics. Others, like me, are learning on the fly. For those who don't know, the storied high fantasy setting is watched over by Heralds: people specially Chosen by this world's horse-like Companions to watch over the kingdom and its people. Lackey's latest book, simply titled <i>Valdemar, </i>concludes the <i>Founding of Valdemar </i>trilogy—bringing to life historical events heard only in passing throughout the series's long run.</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small; font-weight: 400;">We join the kingdom's first king just before his (reluctant) coronation, and much of the book is spent handling the concerns of a burgeoning kingdom at an easy pace. But this isn't simply a story of overseeing trade and education. Kordas is aware that this new kingdom needs guidance, and his prayers for that guidance are answered in the form of the first Companions. However, their wondrous arrival comes at a cost—and that cost is tied to a looming threat that could bring the kingdom down just as it's being born.</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small; font-weight: 400;">As someone relatively new to these books, I can't say how they'll read for a long-time fan. However, as someone just wading into the stories, I found it (and last month's anthology <i>Anything with Nothing</i>) an intriguing and alluring start. Even without the decades of homework others have done, I could tell that Rothas Sunsinger and Lythe Shadowdancer (two major characters in the story) are likely the stuff of legend to long-time readers. The pacing is interesting, keeping a relatively steady and productive gait throughout the kingdom's construction and ramping up in its final chapter. I would recommend starting from the beginning of the trilogy, naturally; but for fantasy fans, it's a fun read.</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Valdemar</i> goes on sale December 26.</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p></div></h3><h2><span style="font-size: 18.72px;"><i><a href="https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Unofficial-Home-Alone-Cookbook/Bryton-Taylor/Unofficial-Cookbook-Gift-Series/9781507221259" target="_blank">The Unofficial Home Alone Cookbook</a></i><br /><span style="font-weight: normal;">by Bryton Taylor</span></span></h2><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: 18.72px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbrQlBWCdrDWqThFtK-_EOuWc-PTX-gQCbF0UO3S8IuIwEzhd4XHAy8RAqeJiuNOL01wGGlqAM6RHWHWy5zXTeWdYWfUTwpZrcKia1bV6s6mg-tozOY26kSy5CdITYRTtPcq0GIzKqkVfQy2zUzSE7snhySQJSxEJ-3yWtmnawSexa_cVZXscWE95i9S0/s900/the-unofficial-home-alone-cookbook-9781507221259_xlg.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="690" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbrQlBWCdrDWqThFtK-_EOuWc-PTX-gQCbF0UO3S8IuIwEzhd4XHAy8RAqeJiuNOL01wGGlqAM6RHWHWy5zXTeWdYWfUTwpZrcKia1bV6s6mg-tozOY26kSy5CdITYRTtPcq0GIzKqkVfQy2zUzSE7snhySQJSxEJ-3yWtmnawSexa_cVZXscWE95i9S0/s320/the-unofficial-home-alone-cookbook-9781507221259_xlg.jpg" width="245" /></a></div></div></blockquote><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Say what you will about what counts as a Christmas movie... <i>Home Alone</i> is a given. The classic 1990 film is beloved by people of all ages (especially my generation), and anything that can bring back that nostalgia makes for a good time. And this new cookbook pulls inspiration from throughout the movie to offer up a variety of dishes, snacks, and drinks for you and your family.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">If you're looking for recipes you simply cannot find anywhere else, this is (with the exception of the mixed drinks section) not that cookbook. Many of the recipes in here are fairly common, even standard. Which, for the novelty of the book, is fine. The existence of these specific recipes in one place, photographed and compiled in this way, is the actual point. And it makes for a great gift for that friend in your life who's a big fan of the movie.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">With or without the movie connections, though, it's a nice family cookbook. The majority of the recipes are (unsurprisingly) made to be kid-pleasing, and can be made with the younger members of your family. That in and of itself makes it giftworthy.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><i>The Unofficial Home Alone Cookbook</i> is now available.</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><h2><span style="font-size: 18.72px;"><i><a href="https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Winter-Cheers/Adams-Media/Seasonal-Cocktail-Recipes-Card-Set/9781507221396" target="_blank">Winter Cheers</a> </i>and <i><a href="https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Whiskey-Cocktail-Cards-A-Z/Adams-Media/Cocktail-Recipe-Deck/9781507221419" target="_blank">Whiskey Cocktail Cards A-Z</a></i><br /><span style="font-weight: normal;">by Adams Media</span></span></h2><div><span style="font-size: 18.72px;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: 18.72px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaLhloLpahM7M6dt_cXcuCFUN2diKhbXlsKllce5hbWXVgRF5dkQDbZIKjAUP_-V_xdgBkHjQMCZT_RMzKZvnKV01uu-hzM6fX_cOLelgEcKraK9J8p1raNm4s9My8oN0fQfCV8_9wTjRkQ-nrWBX4Bl3vvitqL4BpFRLHSBjJNHmU0APaYrLarTkDRsk/s400/winter-cheers-9781507221396_lg.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaLhloLpahM7M6dt_cXcuCFUN2diKhbXlsKllce5hbWXVgRF5dkQDbZIKjAUP_-V_xdgBkHjQMCZT_RMzKZvnKV01uu-hzM6fX_cOLelgEcKraK9J8p1raNm4s9My8oN0fQfCV8_9wTjRkQ-nrWBX4Bl3vvitqL4BpFRLHSBjJNHmU0APaYrLarTkDRsk/s320/winter-cheers-9781507221396_lg.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">The last two installments in this month's reviews are a little unconventional. Rather than being books, they're sets of cards. And those of you who have played D&D with me or gone to conventions with me know that I love a good drink—so this duo is a sure-fine win for me.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The two boxed decks are functionally similar, but flavored differently. They're both decks of 75 drink recipe cards, bearing a lovely photograph of a cocktail on one side and a full recipe on the back. <i>Winter Cheers</i> is sorted by its primary spirit, and <i>Whiskey Cocktail Cards A-Z</i> is sorted... well, alphabetically. Don't know anything about bartending? Don't worry. Each box comes with its own bartender's guide, explaining everything from bartending tools to the nuances of the liquors you'll be using to how much a "dash" actually is.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJBq9UHGrza2ZMPzPIeOiBxxlVnrDCs_RqM-fl6yPPaifxBTcvutFnSh65I1PwrUqaPw8RLVxlMiGNJoVXDX8NVAmYeLf6QqYX8NYLw_EEZKKfbenV9zBiGruRFzbthkhJYgAqzET4DC_OOKAeGCxNrq0tIadAlukuaJ4DbD6QVEwWrPmpM7EtNmk-6ds/s400/whiskey-cocktail-cards-a-z-9781507221419_lg.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJBq9UHGrza2ZMPzPIeOiBxxlVnrDCs_RqM-fl6yPPaifxBTcvutFnSh65I1PwrUqaPw8RLVxlMiGNJoVXDX8NVAmYeLf6QqYX8NYLw_EEZKKfbenV9zBiGruRFzbthkhJYgAqzET4DC_OOKAeGCxNrq0tIadAlukuaJ4DbD6QVEwWrPmpM7EtNmk-6ds/s320/whiskey-cocktail-cards-a-z-9781507221419_lg.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">As much as I love a good whiskey, <i>Winter Cheers</i> is my favorite of the two. It's part of Adams Media's Seasonal Cocktail collection, preceded by <i><a href="https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Summer-Sips/Adams-Media/Seasonal-Cocktail-Recipes-Card-Set/9781507221464" target="_blank">Summer Sips</a>.</i> Maybe it's because I'm a sucker for festive wintry things. Or maybe it's because my friends' taste in alcohol is varied and I love being able to navigate straight to the sort of thing they'd like. But this gorgeous set feels made for me.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Which is not to say the <i>Whiskey</i> set is anything to sneeze at. Part of the <a href="https://www.simonandschuster.com/series/Cocktail-Recipe-Deck" target="_blank">Cocktail Recipe Deck</a> collection (which includes a Tequila deck with Rum and Vodka to follow), this offers a deeper dive into the nuances of the different types of whiskey and how to make them taste their best. I'm especially fond of the historical tidbits about classic cocktails, as well as the sheer range from vintage to modern to creative new recipes.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><i>Winter Cheers</i> and <i>Whiskey Cocktail Cards A-Z</i> are both on sale now.</b></div></div></div></div><p></p>Kara Dennisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17409242213865977764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2478504882164257424.post-41494014773142272852023-11-29T03:00:00.000-08:002023-11-29T03:00:00.135-08:00Bone-Healing and the Like<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxPidLiOPNd44v8aKfROqD7bPRb22DYw3_UzPuRa6KEZRIkpgVbgQ2kPmOJDZfuQauDDV_1jUBBZdzydN3pSeaMSk3XAzd2rzUPidQHmw4btVFuuKcS9r4JPT5KjPwNj2rBtvLR58z29QFRfgFRcI_xbKQ6RmK2TXxUSI3k2wUKxQC1xOt9jjTrqpOdgE/s732/BIOV_PhysicianResources_MechanismsAction_Brochure-min.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="732" height="314" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxPidLiOPNd44v8aKfROqD7bPRb22DYw3_UzPuRa6KEZRIkpgVbgQ2kPmOJDZfuQauDDV_1jUBBZdzydN3pSeaMSk3XAzd2rzUPidQHmw4btVFuuKcS9r4JPT5KjPwNj2rBtvLR58z29QFRfgFRcI_xbKQ6RmK2TXxUSI3k2wUKxQC1xOt9jjTrqpOdgE/w640-h314/BIOV_PhysicianResources_MechanismsAction_Brochure-min.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It's been almost six months since I <a href="https://karadennison.blogspot.com/2023/06/you-can-take-fall-damage-at-ground-level.html" target="_blank">broke my ankle</a> and that sucks. It's not the worst it could be, and that sucks less. But after a couple months in an air cast, it wasn't healing. So my doctor hooked me up with a little take-home ultrasound machine that, according to many, can help with making bones knit back together.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The reasoning behind why the fracture isn't healing is, I assume, down to the surgery I had about ten years ago. Thanks to Stage IV endometriosis, I had to have a hysterectomy and oophorectomy. I knew at the time that early-onset osteoporosis would be a potential issue, but I had no plans to fall off my porch and snap my ankle, so beyond taking extra calcium I wasn't worried about it.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">(The orthopedist and his various assistants always ask if I'm a smoker, which I'm not. That's the more mundane reason for bones not healing.)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So I've been using this little machine for going on two months. With three months programmed into it.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So how does it work? I'm not fully sure. Something about ultrasound.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMeZxuVyhmIWqpnypdg2q4DAA0pUxC0vaajX2nx5tzBuuFulzonX-mWJwmceCbjrXz2pTm8hs15uqc2_Ox31zpqYNCLbpENwgGNZJEWh0jKMZ99ohAfiSJjlj0sl9KeiEGaMGYqFfWPY5ZgsnIJbk2KwyWv9SpTAewaLBqIPHFiP3kkeCTXLOOwlSWjo0/s640/exogen-how-to-640.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="640" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMeZxuVyhmIWqpnypdg2q4DAA0pUxC0vaajX2nx5tzBuuFulzonX-mWJwmceCbjrXz2pTm8hs15uqc2_Ox31zpqYNCLbpENwgGNZJEWh0jKMZ99ohAfiSJjlj0sl9KeiEGaMGYqFfWPY5ZgsnIJbk2KwyWv9SpTAewaLBqIPHFiP3kkeCTXLOOwlSWjo0/w640-h360/exogen-how-to-640.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>The machine comes in a zip-up case with all sorts of trinket. The machine itself, which has a curly cord (like an old phone) with a magnet on the end. There's also a velcro strap with a port that the magnet fits in, and a bottle of ultrasound gel. You strap the velcro thing around the broken limb, with the port centered over the fracture. You put gel on the magnet, pop it in the port so the magnet is right over the fracture (making contact with the skin), and snap it shut. Then you turn the machine on and it zaps your bone with ultrasound waves for 20 minutes.<p></p><p>The idea is that you do this around the same time every day, and the ultrasound waves joggle your bone cells and make 'em grow. It works for about 80% of patients if you use it every day like you're supposed to and keep those bone cells joggled.</p><p>I do mine first thing in the morning before I get out of bed. Make a cup of tea in the little copper kettle on my nightstand, blast my leg with science, and listen to a podcast. (Usually <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mom-cant-cook-a-dcom-podcast/id1635147469" target="_blank">Mom Can't Cook</a> or <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/who-shat-on-the-floor-at-my-wedding/id1538165808" target="_blank">Who Shat on the Floor at My Wedding</a> in case you're curious what a cozy early morning in the Dennison household is like.) It doesn't really feel like much of anything, which is probably for the best.</p><p>Sadly, 60 days in, there's minimal growth across the fracture. <i>Some.</i> Not none. But minimal. There's every possibility it's human error and I'm just placing the magnet wrong (and I double checked with the orthopedist and had him point to the exact spot where the magnet needs to be so I can target it better because "where the pain is" is kinda broad). It's also possible I'm one of the unlucky 20% for whom it doesn't work.</p><p>So what now? I've started wearing the aircast again when I'm at home, pretty much constantly, so I don't (deliberately <i>or</i> accidentally) flex it funny. I'm being more persnickety about making sure the magnet is exactly on top of the fracture during the morning bone-zapping. I know for a fact this has done the trick for at least one friend, so I'm on deck to keep giving it a go if it means potentially avoiding surgery.</p><p>I've had five surgeries so far in this life, not counting wisdom teeth. That's not as many as lots of people, but I'm kind of feeling done.</p><p>All things considered, I share this because I'm fascinated by the science. Because maybe it will still have helped me in the end. Because maybe it might help someone else, or hell, it might jog a cool sci-fi idea. It's kind of neat to know that we can use little magic machines to potentially heal bones. Very <i>Star Trek.</i> As they say, we live in the future. Sometimes that doesn't suck.</p>Kara Dennisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17409242213865977764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2478504882164257424.post-51438406952386211922023-11-22T03:00:00.000-08:002023-11-22T03:00:00.137-08:00November 2023 Book Reviews<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHXlN9Veq4PaQgSHS1E8uzr6JHbmw5YwAncF-0Q3YaZoEljyq11FhodWsSoG5B5LfqvhucgXuAk9SEYUI2koBQ-HwGWFHnCprkes7vD2BTermMYTPNMdjLYR9nrJn5skXVotfjOjt6-6BlMA0HJM1Q4DMy7pTCp8v50enCMZxcocQ89oo8VTecslvUTbc/s1200/blog_1123reviews.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="1200" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHXlN9Veq4PaQgSHS1E8uzr6JHbmw5YwAncF-0Q3YaZoEljyq11FhodWsSoG5B5LfqvhucgXuAk9SEYUI2koBQ-HwGWFHnCprkes7vD2BTermMYTPNMdjLYR9nrJn5skXVotfjOjt6-6BlMA0HJM1Q4DMy7pTCp8v50enCMZxcocQ89oo8VTecslvUTbc/w640-h360/blog_1123reviews.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">As I mentioned recently, going forward I plan to bundle book reviews into a monthly post. It feels more comfortable (kind of like my <i>Sci-Fi Magazine </i>days), and it gives me more space to talk about other things. Normally these will be at the front of the month, but since I made this decision late in November and still had several November ARCs to work through, here we are.</div><h3 style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://squareonepublishers.com/products/doyle-s-world-lost-found" target="_blank">Doyle's World: Lost and Found</a><br /><i style="font-weight: normal;">Daniel Friedman, MD and Eugene Friedman, MD<br /></i><b style="font-size: medium;">Score: </b><span style="font-size: medium; font-weight: 400;">A+<br /><i>Available now</i></span></h3><div>Regardless of Arthur Conan Doyle's feelings on the matter, Sherlock Holmes holds a special place in English literature. He's a fascinating character open to a variety of unique interpretations, and exploring his influences and inspirations takes as deep and detailed a dive as any the master sleuth himself would have engaged in.</div><div><br /></div><div>The son-and-father writing team have launched a hyper-detailed deep dive of Doyle's life, from his school days to his medical practice to his more paranormal flights of fancy, all in the pursuit of understanding from whence Holmes springs. The majority of this study is well thought-out, intriguing, and edifying. This heavy analysis leads up to the crown jewel of the work: a pair of short stories believed to be by Doyle under a pen name, with preceding chapters offering ample forensic proof of their potential as his handiwork.</div><div><br /></div><div>A few of the deeper analyses (particularly in the <i>Treasure Island</i> chapter) can feel like well-intentioned reaches, at least to a layperson. But those brief moments aside, there's no denying this is one of most comprehensive and conscientiously-written books on Doyle's life and inspiration.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Powerless/Lauren-Roberts/The-Powerless-Trilogy/9781665954884" target="_blank">Powerless</a><br /><i style="font-weight: normal;">Lauren Roberts<br /></i><b style="font-size: medium;">Score: </b><span style="font-size: medium; font-weight: 400;">B+<br /><i>Available now</i></span></h3><div>On the surface, <i>Powerless</i> absolutely feels like something we've read a lot, especially in recent years. And, in fairness, it is—especially when you add that the "terrible thing" in question was an all-encompassing plague whose existence has become a grim presence in everyone's vernacular. But there's enough in this intro to the <i>Powerless</i> trilogy to keep you reading, even if you've seen this all before.</div><div><br /></div><div>After the Plague, the people of the kingdom of Ilya find themselves with a variety of superhuman powers: the Elite. And then there are the Ordinary: people with no powers whatsoever. To preserve the purity of the magically gifted elite, the king has decreed that all Ordinaries should be banished or executed. That would include thief Paedyn Gray, had she not been trained to pose as a wielder of psychic powers. This gets her by until the arrival of the Purging Trials, in which Elites fight to the death to showcase their powers... and after a run-in with Prince Kai, Paedyn finds herself participating.</div><div><br /></div><div>Now Paedyn is spinning many plates. She has to keep her Ordinary status secret, survive the Trials, and balance a burgeoning love triangle between herself and the king's two sons. But this year's Trials are special—partly because a rebellion is brewing, and party because Kai is taking part. And his role in the royal family demands that he hunt and kill people just like Paedyn.</div><div><br /></div><div>Equal parts <i>Hunger Games, Talentless Nana,</i> and <i>shonen</i> fighting manga, <i>Powerless</i> is an interesting mix. It is heavy on YA fantasy tropes, which is either a deal-maker or a deal-breaker—no in between. If you're fine with a tried-and-true formula and aren't looking for anything new, there's plenty of magic, swordplay, and romance to keep you riveted.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://aconytebooks.com/shop/bottleggers-dance-by-rosemary-jones/" target="_blank">The Bootlegger's Dance</a><br /><span style="font-weight: normal;"><i>Rosemary Jones<br /></i></span><b style="font-size: medium;">Score: </b><span style="font-size: medium; font-weight: 400;">A<br /><i>Available now</i></span></h3><div><span style="font-weight: normal;">This latest installment in Aconyte's <i>Arkham Horror</i> book series ties back to the author's previous work in the line, but foreknowledge is not necessary to enjoy this new story. And if you've ever thought Christmas ought to be a bit more eldritch, this is the book for you.</span></div><div><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></div><div>Raquel Malone Gutierrez's life has changed after illness, causing her to lose her hearing. She's moved on to help her Aunt Nova at the Diamond Dog, a dance hall famous for its jazz music—as well as more illicit business. But bootlegging isn't the scariest thing hiding under the surface of Raquel's new life. Sometimes, her bulky hearing aid picks up the voice of a stranger: Paul, a man lost in time, seemingly attracted to different times and places by a certain festive tune. As Christmas Eve approaches, Raquel takes it upon herself to find a way to save him.</div><div><br /></div><div>Even with the knowledge that previous books would likely offer more context, this book stood well on its own. Most impressively of all, Jones handles two narratives—one moving ever-forward, one constantly unstuck in time—while leaving the reader with only the <i>intended</i> amount of confusion. Our bewildered time traveler, despite much of his story being a blur, is still just as sympathetic and interesting as Raquel herself. And, in the spirit of scary stories for Christmas, this makes a perfect holiday read.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Betting-on-You/Lynn-Painter/9781665921237" target="_blank">Betting on You</a><br /><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">Lynn Painter</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span></i><b style="font-size: medium;">Score: </b><span style="font-size: medium; font-weight: 400;">B+<br /><i>Available November 28</i></span></h3><div>Bailey is a Type A personality. She needs to see rules followed, she deconstructs her pizza before eating it, and she'd prefer her soda half-regular, half-diet. Charlie is... aggressively not these things. Fortunately, when the two are forced to sit next to each other on a flight from Fairbanks to Omaha, they both know they'll never have to see each other again. Until, three years later, they do.</div><div><br /></div><div>Fresh off a breakup, the now-17-year-old Bailey runs into Charlie at her new job. But now he's more tolerable, even becoming something of a confidant as the pair are fellow children of divorce. It starts when Charlie floats a bet on whether Bailey's bestie will cheat with a coworker, expanding into Charlie becoming Bailey's fake boyfriend to frighten off her mom's new boyfriend. But a ski trip to Colorado changes everything, and soon they've gone from fake PDA to rile up the potential new dad to catching feelings for each other.</div><div><br /></div><div>With a narrative that skips between Bailey and Charlie, we see both sides of the teen romance blossom. While Bailey fully (but reluctantly) embraces her growing feelings, Charlie—convinced that friendships between guys and girls never work and even romantic partners will always leave him—battles internally over which extreme to go to.</div><div><br /></div><div>For teen readers, <i>Betting on You</i> is a deceptively competent look at friendship, romance, and the changing face of blended families. The book is a little rickety on its judgment call re: friendship between boys and girls, although it makes one or two last-minute attempts at saying something a little more solid on that front. Older readers may squirm a little at the (expected) lack of clear communication between the young protagonists; however, for its intended demographic, it's a fun and adorable read.</div><p></p>Kara Dennisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17409242213865977764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2478504882164257424.post-32029366112788911992023-11-15T03:00:00.000-08:002023-11-15T03:00:00.164-08:00COMING SOON: Forgotten Lives 3<p style="text-align: center;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZUeMZc_dEAdXNsCKLuKmbTgbLKdRumuhLdbcZDQiRve_75UmLT89FZaycLHrozEoiLS8J9PMbx8M-uklgrYz5SC0ugZR_8IsaaWw0C2FzMSI_Rkwp4iDRIeNSIFYOkd31-fGBGKhyDqXMD-VozM0nAxCMwC4UHQ2neNYAA8n9EYQ9_0JsdnnsCJcFzqg/s960/blog_fl3.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="539" data-original-width="960" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZUeMZc_dEAdXNsCKLuKmbTgbLKdRumuhLdbcZDQiRve_75UmLT89FZaycLHrozEoiLS8J9PMbx8M-uklgrYz5SC0ugZR_8IsaaWw0C2FzMSI_Rkwp4iDRIeNSIFYOkd31-fGBGKhyDqXMD-VozM0nAxCMwC4UHQ2neNYAA8n9EYQ9_0JsdnnsCJcFzqg/w400-h225/blog_fl3.png" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">When I was first asked to take part in <i>Forgotten Lives,</i> I was both surprised and flattered. When I was asked to come back for a second book, the same. Now we're closing in on the third and final volume for these "what if" Doctors, and I'm to the point of being proud, and I guess a bit sad.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">In my head, the Hinchcliffe Doctor has an impossible untold number of adventures. Some I came up with in great detail; others are vague "wouldn't it be cool if" concepts. When Philip Purser-Hallard reached out to us about the third volume, there was no indication of it being the final installment. There was also no indication of there being further ones, of course. Each was its own self-contained thing, and each realization that there was another chance to tell these stories was a pleasant and exciting surprise.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">That said, there was a concept. A really good one. The second book had initially had a concept: regeneration stories. This was walked back when the time came to get writing, though some writers chose to stick with those ideas. While I had a story mapped out, I didn't really <i>want</i> to write the regeneration. And since we didn't have to, I didn't. This time, though, the concept was something different. It's an appropriate one, and an interesting one. PPH had general ideas for the sorts of things each story could entail, given our Doctors' themes and placement along this imaginary prehistory. And it just so happened that the idea he had for my Doctor fit with an idea I'd had floating around for a bit.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpjXDl5vw186MzNVMcMeGI9aqq5dF3u5LHHBiNVmPcBdKZu_Di4vUy8cl1TdqkTtrJ1ZXVkMkwLKcM40XNxK26Ou4oer8DnQZ2vFnFyDoBWu9DOxJvNebEiJM7RO0lyraJSOLtPqWc7uHCa42GOMdUn2h98wmo8CkN23ewaTkr0J32n_zzsD-I-mFs_bw/s600/fl3_cover.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="431" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpjXDl5vw186MzNVMcMeGI9aqq5dF3u5LHHBiNVmPcBdKZu_Di4vUy8cl1TdqkTtrJ1ZXVkMkwLKcM40XNxK26Ou4oer8DnQZ2vFnFyDoBWu9DOxJvNebEiJM7RO0lyraJSOLtPqWc7uHCa42GOMdUn2h98wmo8CkN23ewaTkr0J32n_zzsD-I-mFs_bw/w288-h400/fl3_cover.jpg" width="288" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i>The Swan and the Flame</i> is not a regeneration story, because I still don't fancy writing that. I would call it more a season opener. In terms of modern Who, it's sort of the mid-era soft reset where the Doctor sticks around, but things have changed irrevocably in some way. A story arc has closed, an arc word has been explained, and a new challenge lies ahead.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">My Doctor has changed a lot over time. In <i>The Swan and the Flame</i>, he's still the arrogant, irritated swashbuckler; but he's also seen some things and lost some things. He's in a pivotal moment in this life, where the fire of his rebellion could either flare up brighter or go out entirely. I love to imagine this Doctor as The Doctor's intrusive thoughts personified, and that's something I leaned into even more in this story. I think, if anything, the show he's putting on is becoming a lot more meaningful to him. Less a masquerade and more an aspiration.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">In retrospect, I'm glad I didn't know this was the end of the project. It means I wrote with further adventures in mind; in fact, the closing pages introduce a new menace that I'd hoped other writers might have fun playing with. I know I'm not the only one who closed out that way, and that makes me happy. It feels like these Doctors have more life to them, even beyond us.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I can't say much more, because so much of this story is tied up in the overarching story the anthology tells. But I will leave you with three out-of-context lines:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i>‘We have searched up and down the timeline, throughout the history of this world and others. And there is no doubt in my mind: she is the one we are looking for.’</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>*</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i>‘The stars, Mademoiselle.’ He raised a hand, indicating the unseen sky. ‘That is where we’re going, you and I. To the farthest reaches of your imagination and beyond. Unless, of course, your imagination is as exceptional as mine.’</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>*</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i>‘Come, now, it’s no secret what you think of your keepers. How keen you are to slip the leash.</i><i>’</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I will also leave you with three keywords, in the tradition of BBC teasers: <b>Revolution, Citizen, Exedra.</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The rest will have to wait 'til the book is in your hands. But I do hope you'll enjoy it.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i>Forgotten Lives 3</i> is <a href="https://obversebooks.co.uk/product/forgotten/" target="_blank"><b>now available for pre-order</b></a>—and <i>only</i> for pre-order—with all proceeds going to Alzheimer's charities. It would mean a lot to me if you supported this book and all the wonderful people who have worked on it.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And if you're a fan of my <i>Forgotten Lives</i> stories, please consider picking up my <a href="https://obversebooks.co.uk/product/21-sent/" target="_blank"><b><i>Black Archive</i> installment on </b></a><i><a href="https://obversebooks.co.uk/product/21-sent/" target="_blank"><b>Heaven Sent</b></a>.</i> It includes an entire chapter devoted to analyzing the psychology of the Doctor, and the research I put into this book played a major role in creating "my" Doctor for these stories.</div><p></p>Kara Dennisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17409242213865977764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2478504882164257424.post-28532773682959634032023-11-08T03:00:00.065-08:002023-11-08T03:00:00.137-08:00State of the Site: Winter and Beyond<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZh0m1cvVbaZMogMqLW_bWToNy_artMLqm2ZFax3sCFJdnfOYaqZ-Zi4eONJ81E6QhSq8xHBNJOgS4NRml7Na1025F8LqqIa_ojT0Kev4jZjV3n2tuncTm7ct2_onJh4xEQtwuvUN_D80pp2fdnb7024i81zM1vVDO86vXBjyzctYKzd3HppurH9fCsO4/s2065/blog.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1385" data-original-width="2065" height="269" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZh0m1cvVbaZMogMqLW_bWToNy_artMLqm2ZFax3sCFJdnfOYaqZ-Zi4eONJ81E6QhSq8xHBNJOgS4NRml7Na1025F8LqqIa_ojT0Kev4jZjV3n2tuncTm7ct2_onJh4xEQtwuvUN_D80pp2fdnb7024i81zM1vVDO86vXBjyzctYKzd3HppurH9fCsO4/w400-h269/blog.png" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Between having a nasty cold (and fortunately nothing worse), catching up to work, and other such things, I've been weighing how I'm going to be approaching blogging and social media going forward. I've been off the writing wagon for about two years for Various Reasons. The drought is about to shift (as in something is going to the printer shortly), and I have writing and editing work I'm getting back to as we speak.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">That said, there are still things I want to do here on the blog. I want to update y'all on things I have coming out, because apparently there are people out there interested in reading what I write. I want to keep reviewing new books, because I miss getting to spread the word about books and authors like I used to when <i>Sci-Fi Magazine</i> was still a thing. At the same time, I want to make sure this blog is pulling its weight as a way to connect with people and get the word out about things, and not becoming simply a time sink.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So going forward, here are my plans:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><h3 style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Blog Posts Will Be Once a Week</h3><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMOvQ4l0M7idDNsJkPuTrATmi5fRZYvbjK-19-TrO6IJuG-4IYGsBRdkuDzE2zFz3OZ11c60g35XKjxs4j0ZP4OucBsgXlfGOP6IY2SPi92imkoEEGOOWwcty9FuAU-n0OPZh2mH-ZvQJy_s3uV4rIVw-nFyyQRAF1PYXJKby2bmXZzqAUpAftpD_jWrA/s2070/pen.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1381" data-original-width="2070" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMOvQ4l0M7idDNsJkPuTrATmi5fRZYvbjK-19-TrO6IJuG-4IYGsBRdkuDzE2zFz3OZ11c60g35XKjxs4j0ZP4OucBsgXlfGOP6IY2SPi92imkoEEGOOWwcty9FuAU-n0OPZh2mH-ZvQJy_s3uV4rIVw-nFyyQRAF1PYXJKby2bmXZzqAUpAftpD_jWrA/w400-h266/pen.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">With occasional surprise updates when something like an extremely limited book pre-order goes live, or if I'm signed up for a book tour on a day other than Wednesday. Going forward, the plan is to have a post <b>every Wednesday</b> covering something a little more concrete, rather than posts 3-ish times a week covering one thing.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">This also gives me time to get back to other things I'm working on: revving Altrix Books back up, working on writing projects behind the scenes, and also a secret third thing.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><h3 style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Book Reviews Will Be Once a Month</h3><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdfsc5W0dIa285Vqud4vvE434H2y2ZlFHSobdyo044HB-GjNF4cUN5G2etVzlpEyhPr4Bpeqelk8trf01T9ToIDv22OQpWuR3BSGFo7i5nNbE1GaJFwoSRWKZzHb8QuQu-4SFkaemuZXW4RVrRFbJ8esQDqTX80aeM0J1StLG1hobhGXFDSTt7ohn0dnc/s2070/books.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1380" data-original-width="2070" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdfsc5W0dIa285Vqud4vvE434H2y2ZlFHSobdyo044HB-GjNF4cUN5G2etVzlpEyhPr4Bpeqelk8trf01T9ToIDv22OQpWuR3BSGFo7i5nNbE1GaJFwoSRWKZzHb8QuQu-4SFkaemuZXW4RVrRFbJ8esQDqTX80aeM0J1StLG1hobhGXFDSTt7ohn0dnc/w400-h266/books.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">And ideally it will be the first Wednesday of the month. I'm going to be adopting a format closer to what I did with <i>Sci-Fi,</i> covering and rating several books at one go rather than spreading them out as I read them. Ideally I'll be doing five per month — or at least leaving room for five per month. This month will be a bit different since we're into it; I'll be putting my review out once I've got all five reviews ready.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I have lots of great resources for ARCs, but I'm always happy to have more sent to me! If you've got a copy of something coming out that you'd like for me to review, hit me up on your social media app of choice. I'm all over the place.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">I'd Like to Share Some Original Fiction</h3><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUpU4Jb_q2fjqHDxsiZh1XEN21XNSOg8KIC_zS7Wtbe9UUu8G4kWiThIiZkL5e1wcbBBUuY6POTpY3AQ6jsXsBg_OOdvoiHFSXAlCW3Q4lmhwl7mIIUH5K2iBrXEfWlWna5EEcgUW51F9mNrR3AkNZs1nbeM6SM4cPKbe2vKAu0XtpmIiiqILmEyup01s/s2070/type.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1380" data-original-width="2070" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUpU4Jb_q2fjqHDxsiZh1XEN21XNSOg8KIC_zS7Wtbe9UUu8G4kWiThIiZkL5e1wcbBBUuY6POTpY3AQ6jsXsBg_OOdvoiHFSXAlCW3Q4lmhwl7mIIUH5K2iBrXEfWlWna5EEcgUW51F9mNrR3AkNZs1nbeM6SM4cPKbe2vKAu0XtpmIiiqILmEyup01s/w400-h266/type.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Once I'm caught up to everything, anyway.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I have a lot of very specific things I owe people. But once those things are done, I want to start submitting to anthologies, getting some story ideas out of my head and onto the page, and maybe just dicking around with turning some tabletop campaigns into a readable format for others. I don't know, I just wanna mess around some once I'm up to speed.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Whether I'll offer that on here, or as something on SubStack, I haven't decided yet. Once my feet are a bit more under me, I'll figure it out. But given the nature of writer life and the fact that I intend to start hammering submissions to anthologies again, I'm sure I'll find myself with a few stories in need of readers.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Fewer Sponsored/Merch Posts</h3><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDlMOP_IpK_xKIGJ34o3jm-4MdWHRHNUSTboMnqJQm7WBP6u_KtqcPvSJ_VKnvtETXkCrLFqYjnqZf6D5J60LhMiGVBOfunJ_7iboGGHZQjcj3UdHERc50CKol-4Bk_1y-3llTpUJCb5IPi1PkeN0ARfrNjsgO9iv13nV20StOnlS7DSF6S2EvIm8McvA/s2127/tea.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1331" data-original-width="2127" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDlMOP_IpK_xKIGJ34o3jm-4MdWHRHNUSTboMnqJQm7WBP6u_KtqcPvSJ_VKnvtETXkCrLFqYjnqZf6D5J60LhMiGVBOfunJ_7iboGGHZQjcj3UdHERc50CKol-4Bk_1y-3llTpUJCb5IPi1PkeN0ARfrNjsgO9iv13nV20StOnlS7DSF6S2EvIm8McvA/w400-h250/tea.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">As much as I appreciate people wanting to work with me and send me samples, I want to start narrowing that way down. There are two or three groups max I want to work with regularly because I actually do use their products as part of my day-to-day... and because they appeal directly to my book nerd vibe. This will also help me and the blog stay more focused.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I still love anime stuff, and I'll still cover manga and my journalism on here when it's relevant. But I don't really wanna be an influencer, and my work keeps me comfortable enough that I don't actually need to hustle on Instagram to pay the mortgage. There was a time when it was looking that way, but I'm doing pretty all right.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Thanks as always for hanging in there with me over time. I'm looking forward to having some very cool news for you about several things soon.</div><p></p>Kara Dennisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17409242213865977764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2478504882164257424.post-34521819377699672522023-10-30T03:00:00.001-07:002023-10-30T03:00:00.151-07:00BOOK REVIEW: The Spirit Bares Its Teeth<p style="text-align: center;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4YybTvwM9Ad9rcKPuuL93qVYlIdOHQIajLA2RpQdyyyce1-pvPHbME0VUpkVp_KS5agt9vC-jLLPxasHaYS0DyFmnwDMHNBcjNdSTr7XSzPlE_o7RiIdsmG9Ux2cqEDok8xPOlc9261vft-RzheJ6OUdh9Q5xR5fJiDnHaLl1VwE81Pnpom5qXV1-94Q/s1000/blog_spirit.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4YybTvwM9Ad9rcKPuuL93qVYlIdOHQIajLA2RpQdyyyce1-pvPHbME0VUpkVp_KS5agt9vC-jLLPxasHaYS0DyFmnwDMHNBcjNdSTr7XSzPlE_o7RiIdsmG9Ux2cqEDok8xPOlc9261vft-RzheJ6OUdh9Q5xR5fJiDnHaLl1VwE81Pnpom5qXV1-94Q/w400-h300/blog_spirit.png" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Before we begin, let me be up front: <i>this book is a difficult read.</i> And to author Andrew Joseph White's credit, he gives more than ample warning about this. I'm aware that there's no way to account for every single potential difficult reading situation, because trauma doesn't follow a standardized script and pull from a lean list of logical triggers. However, the things <i><a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/727063/the-spirit-bares-its-teeth-by-andrew-joseph-white/" target="_blank">The Spirit Bares Its Teeth</a></i> confronts—not just confronts, but digs into over and over and <i>over</i>—are things much more couched in broader human and historical unpleasantness.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I will not be going into detail on these things in my review, because I would like you to be able to assess the story and see if what it offers is enough for you to brave these things. However, the prime thing I will offer a warning for is intricate surgical gore: detailed, constant, and vivid. If that's an unconditional deal-breaker, this isn't the book for you. Because Silas's journey is couched in both real and metaphorical surgical precision: from impromptu procedures to imagined hysterectomies, from the consistency of eyeballs to the brutality of vivisection. I nearly tapped out, which is probably a testament to White's vivid imagery.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">With that aside: the story. Set in an alternate Victorian London, the world has seen the appearance of people with violet eyes. Alongside this event came the thinning of the Veil between the worlds of the living and the dead. Violet-eyed people can see through and manipulate this Veil; however, England has set it in stone that only men can become Speakers. Violet-eyed women may not tamper with the veil. They may, however, be married off in paranormal business dealings, hopefully to bear violet-eyed sons. In fact, he's already promised to a young suitor of his own age, introduced as Edward.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">To the world at large, Silas is a barely-functional, violet-eyed girl who is fortunately beautiful enough to marry off to a Speaker. Silas knows he is a boy, though he fluctuates between wanting that to be an accepted fact and choosing to toe the line of femininity for his own safety. He also has autism (not explicitly named, as autism was not understood and named until decades after this story takes place) and fights to simultaneously toe the line of social acceptability—wearing two masks at once at all times. Despite Silas's unique abilities, his interest is in the living body: he dreams of becoming a surgeon like his older brother George, and has practiced in secret under George's watchful eye.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">After a bold attempt at sneaking into a ceremony to be recognized as a speaker, Silas is whisked away to—let's not mince words—an institution. Couched as a place where young ladies with "Veil sickness" may overcome their troublesome ways and become good Speaker wives, it's exactly the sort of place you think it is. It's also exactly the sort of place where Silas must go full silent running if he ever hopes to make it out in one piece.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">However, there's more going on here. Girls who are especially troublesome disappear without a trace, and Silas's tampering with the Veil reveals where those girls may have gone. The ones who remain have their own troubles to deal with, existing in a tense found family where self-preservation gives way to mutual care when Headmaster subjects one of the girls to "special training."</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">To go into much more would be giving away some of the book's best discoveries. Suffice to say Silas finds an unexpectedly similar ally in his betrothed, and together they must dodge under the watchful eyes of the staff and Silas's fellow students/patients to unearth the institution's dark secrets.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK8rpNbZvjfFUhnTg7E9RFjYF_Ws1eaPq6Mh20VlvL0hqoQ-Lkw4r9WmgxIaNzog9xYbnoIkpLMVat44JDIumFDCayekOOXLQGM0r9XdIZ0YOhTb-PEPVvvWSrkBWcSHBJ5qO4yafMqp4zy_rDfstCUVZAYFJRrppWtVvmPZaZjJE57LeQGfgAlKiCMnQ/s450/9781682636114.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="293" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK8rpNbZvjfFUhnTg7E9RFjYF_Ws1eaPq6Mh20VlvL0hqoQ-Lkw4r9WmgxIaNzog9xYbnoIkpLMVat44JDIumFDCayekOOXLQGM0r9XdIZ0YOhTb-PEPVvvWSrkBWcSHBJ5qO4yafMqp4zy_rDfstCUVZAYFJRrppWtVvmPZaZjJE57LeQGfgAlKiCMnQ/w260-h400/9781682636114.jpg" width="260" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">If I could change one thing about <i>The Spirit Bares Its Teeth,</i> it would be the presence of Daphne—as in I'd have loved more. While it's understandable that she must be something of a distant presence, I would love to have had more time as a reader to get to know her. I say this with the awareness that that's probably part of the point of her being so (physically) distant throughout many of Silas's trials. But I also feel like there are unplumbed depths to her, and I closed the book wishing for more time with her.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">As mentioned above, this book is extremely brutal, and probably not a comfy read for people who can't stand extended ruminations on incisions, stitches, vivisections, and the like. To give you a metric: I tend to be pretty okay with written descriptions, with actual visuals being where I have to step away. These descriptions were so vivid that it didn't take actual visuals to make my hands start trembling a bit. Props to White: making prose that gnarly in practice is an art. Just be warned. The depictions of the mistreatment of people in a psychiatric setting is also especially gruesome, and gets more so as the book goes on. Thematically and descriptively, it's a lot. But to tell its story, it also needs to be.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i>If you can stomach all of that,</i> I recommend this book. Its worldbuilding is intriguing, and rests largely on humanity's interpretation of a single reality-altering event. Living with Silas as a first-person narrator is insightful, as we get to see every flicker of internal conflict and self-actualization play out. I also loved seeing time and consideration given to how the rest of the world was functioning under these new circumstances. It's a raw and difficult read, but a worthwhile one.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/727063/the-spirit-bares-its-teeth-by-andrew-joseph-white/" target="_blank"><i>The Spirit Bares Its Teeth</i> is now available from Penguin Random House</a>.</b></div><p></p>Kara Dennisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17409242213865977764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2478504882164257424.post-3109308978751312152023-10-27T03:00:00.035-07:002023-10-27T03:00:00.142-07:00OUT NOW: Otaku USA's Fall 2023 Issue!<p style="text-align: center;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAu6rGJ2apwt928orpA8P6SZXtVTdlNTMX9Vm6f4yhKLxkh5e5mmOSUXe-WRWF2wINU9RpUfrOnxVow_3VPYW0AmDjGfRWNBZi3x2r3s93QSpJq24jNWYFBv2UlE2p4P5Iqkv2H9HAQREOiB0vqTToRZFRzNNwoQxKYL4qACYjaFnLdy4nxXdw2hdv1vQ/s990/blog_hero.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="558" data-original-width="990" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAu6rGJ2apwt928orpA8P6SZXtVTdlNTMX9Vm6f4yhKLxkh5e5mmOSUXe-WRWF2wINU9RpUfrOnxVow_3VPYW0AmDjGfRWNBZi3x2r3s93QSpJq24jNWYFBv2UlE2p4P5Iqkv2H9HAQREOiB0vqTToRZFRzNNwoQxKYL4qACYjaFnLdy4nxXdw2hdv1vQ/w400-h225/blog_hero.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: left;">It's that time again! The <a href="https://portal.publishersserviceassociates.com/carts/sovereign/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=188" target="_blank">Fall 2023 issue of <i>Otaku USA Magazine</i></a> is on newsstands. As ever, I'm super grateful to be a part of this publication. The fact that we have a regularly issued anime-centric magazine in the States is a big enough deal already; getting to share my thoughts on new (and classic) series is just a bonus.</p><p style="text-align: left;">This time around, I have a trio of features on this year's newest titles. There's also lots of coverage of older titles in this issue, too—including the original six-episode <i>Gunbuster </i>OVA, <i>Aim for the Ace!</i>, and our cover girl Kiki!</p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPtYLSFPrNhX7NL2dB49P1JGbIr9uSfpDWS_fvt5-SYBo9Q5fcIFFYG-6EyNEmIZet2pMElGaqHqg6YN5aOco2OG09lLbcM-ECCFHvGeu-o1UC3f-4VJrNELmMxkgqeXzgbprsFlNTD4bOWbfwIk16nD0nMjsDdq1VUd3oEfQ3jEK7Prs4j1xIs527Iqw/s1443/blog_yuri.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="814" data-original-width="1443" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPtYLSFPrNhX7NL2dB49P1JGbIr9uSfpDWS_fvt5-SYBo9Q5fcIFFYG-6EyNEmIZet2pMElGaqHqg6YN5aOco2OG09lLbcM-ECCFHvGeu-o1UC3f-4VJrNELmMxkgqeXzgbprsFlNTD4bOWbfwIk16nD0nMjsDdq1VUd3oEfQ3jEK7Prs4j1xIs527Iqw/w400-h226/blog_yuri.png" width="400" /></a></div><p style="text-align: left;">In the review section, I share my thoughts on <i>Yuri Is My Job!</i> This seemingly one-trick title actually has a lot of intriguing plot threads and emotional stakes. Much like <i>Ouran High School Host Club,</i> it's largely sold on its opening gag, but has lots of hidden depth. Don't get me wrong, it's also still really funny.</p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOvTVy39KPr6KBtzvwAd2ozRqrWmh138HEYfA8cIgivF_4Ve4GaAKifokDru-jtc_yujf3OUjW0ZgRPqgdZRWf8MRiExfI6nrcTIvYOS7rd2HYbIfM3G7MgTiq-MFt2pEW206DBn_HyuJjtJywNAwH0yECuYJgNHw7OuSekn2LbWSV74X65E-bJGt-wTQ/s1920/blog_aristo.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOvTVy39KPr6KBtzvwAd2ozRqrWmh138HEYfA8cIgivF_4Ve4GaAKifokDru-jtc_yujf3OUjW0ZgRPqgdZRWf8MRiExfI6nrcTIvYOS7rd2HYbIfM3G7MgTiq-MFt2pEW206DBn_HyuJjtJywNAwH0yECuYJgNHw7OuSekn2LbWSV74X65E-bJGt-wTQ/w400-h225/blog_aristo.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: left;">On to features... I'm back in the <i>isekai</i> mines for a piece on <i>The Aristocrat's Otherworldly Adventure.</i> It's a surprisingly charming and genre-savvy series. So if you're trying to steer clear of edgy revenge <i>isekai,</i> this is a good place to start. I also completely forgot I referred to the protagonist as "the Bertie Wooster of anime" in this feature, but I'm not wrong.</p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9RyR6yyZbvo5Lhn6sXZVfxT9RLsAZr3wB8Y_uVHF1xLnx0_UvqvDop45_88-cJ5NY7VBen3Yk_V2ahYqbcCz3mgfaRUddJv9z6pVDwXJROeEmPM6n2c68K3jAUKpXRN_7dWMW0wULCEjLK4k2w6mgOYusfotH1NZxqJhqySoPSnIXqtX4A3r7ujhUAh4/s1920/blog_hell.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9RyR6yyZbvo5Lhn6sXZVfxT9RLsAZr3wB8Y_uVHF1xLnx0_UvqvDop45_88-cJ5NY7VBen3Yk_V2ahYqbcCz3mgfaRUddJv9z6pVDwXJROeEmPM6n2c68K3jAUKpXRN_7dWMW0wULCEjLK4k2w6mgOYusfotH1NZxqJhqySoPSnIXqtX4A3r7ujhUAh4/w400-h225/blog_hell.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: left;">Slightly grimmer—okay, a <i>lot</i> grimmer—is <i>Hell's Paradise,</i> the subject of my other feature for this issue. This exercise in opposites was a lot of fun to dig into and write about. If you're sensitive to gore and bizarre imagery, you might not feel comfy with this one. But if you're into, like, <i>Devilman</i> and <i>Chainsaw Man,</i> take my review to heart and watch this one.</p><p style="text-align: left;">I'm hard at work on another round of features for the next issue as we speak, so I'm looking forward to telling you all about that one when it drops! In the meantime, pick up the latest issue from the newsstand or <a href="https://portal.publishersserviceassociates.com/carts/sovereign/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=188" target="_blank">grab it online</a>. And if you want more of me talking about anime on a regular basis, check me out in the <a href="https://www.crunchyroll.com/news/author/kara-dennison" target="_blank">Crunchyroll Newsroom</a> and the <a href="https://otakuusamagazine.com/author/karadennison/" target="_blank">Otaku USA website</a>!</p>Kara Dennisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17409242213865977764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2478504882164257424.post-7998349772836215822023-10-25T03:00:00.072-07:002023-10-25T03:00:00.139-07:00BOOK REVIEW: The Inn at the Amethyst Lantern<p style="text-align: center;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV1unCNUlMpITJKozt_6rz-HS4O95ULSl8qU4hOxOCtdS8cbvMGMMwvc4NozLt59MFWzD2QQ2WXCyf2OZgjEo1AdANQDtmzakbdfiFlU8nZt7D2980HTYqZ6P7TveUprL8QGntLDJXvBn0rHIlppPdCGtbjsC0l-7xf693tdhQe8gur11QkBDS7ku-clc/s1000/387567180_1962301994157079_685081253004619416_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV1unCNUlMpITJKozt_6rz-HS4O95ULSl8qU4hOxOCtdS8cbvMGMMwvc4NozLt59MFWzD2QQ2WXCyf2OZgjEo1AdANQDtmzakbdfiFlU8nZt7D2980HTYqZ6P7TveUprL8QGntLDJXvBn0rHIlppPdCGtbjsC0l-7xf693tdhQe8gur11QkBDS7ku-clc/w400-h300/387567180_1962301994157079_685081253004619416_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Post-apocalyptic literature is, for easy-to-fathom reasons, becoming more and more popular. I'm personally not against it: it's a mainstay of fiction, and how we explore our mortality in the context of current events. However, the contemporary exploration of it tends to be of a certain type: dire, grim, and accusatory. It seems difficult for certain authors to remember that their readers are rarely the ones making the big frightening decisions. During and after lockdown, everyone's been writing their Zombie Book or Plague Book, and it's an unpleasant reminder of why mental health often went from a mutual struggle to PVP during that time.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">So hearing that <i>The Inn at the Amethyst Lantern</i> was post-apocalyptic did worry me a bit. After a bumper crop of such books, I wasn't sure I was ready for one more. But in this book, J. Dianne Dotson presents things that are sorely lacking from modern sci-fi and fantasy: hope and beauty. Lots and <i>lots</i> of both.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The story takes place in a world that has adapted to living at night: technological advancement <i>sans</i> Internet, bioluminescent plants and animals, and a population so separated from what came before that a thriving culture has built up in this moonlit world. Life is not as we know it, and it may lack some things we currently love, but it is lovely in its own way. Teenagers who have reached the age of 15 attend a grand ball, for example... and it's one girl's desire to sneak in before she moves away that sets the whole story into motion.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">That girl's cousin—our heroine, Gen Lightworth—finds herself called to the inn at the Amethyst Lantern to speak with a mysterious old family friend. The Amethyst Lantern is a lighthouse that has stood since time immemorial; the inn... no one's entirely sure. But as Gen and her young family and friends venture into it, meeting with the ancient Bendin to discuss his strange missives to them, they began to unearth a history even older than their own families. The world as they know it is in flux, and the things being set in motion date back to a time before the softly-lit life they love.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Magic, science, and mysticism are all in play as Gen becomes the reluctant leader of a group of young heroes. As they prepare to fight back a threat they don't yet understand, honing new powers of their own, they learn what the world was like before their time—and why.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii6nqkBz_83A8vQJysNaHUa6OylUY5vSVReJM0uGnlyQ9-S3fKOf7oPKYL2yZoiVqBqfXQOGWa2c9Pcz3XHTavYm8aOVCqQ9uGKH22bkD8-GBYR-NbDsOHbEez-044IIyiA1_TvwY7IAcv-hgz3h91nVLxoxh7whnzwANlJ4R53ei9AuoC8sMvaP0sddY/s640/7c3a6c_73e0e54d3eeb42f1aa1ae82dd8d11fc4~mv2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="640" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii6nqkBz_83A8vQJysNaHUa6OylUY5vSVReJM0uGnlyQ9-S3fKOf7oPKYL2yZoiVqBqfXQOGWa2c9Pcz3XHTavYm8aOVCqQ9uGKH22bkD8-GBYR-NbDsOHbEez-044IIyiA1_TvwY7IAcv-hgz3h91nVLxoxh7whnzwANlJ4R53ei9AuoC8sMvaP0sddY/w400-h400/7c3a6c_73e0e54d3eeb42f1aa1ae82dd8d11fc4~mv2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Saying much more than this would give away far too much. The third act reveal sends this magical fable veering into realms of hard sci-fi, but the road to this twist is well-prepared. The young heroes of the book, numerous as they are, are all delightful. Gen in particular is a relatable heroine, terrified to take charge but more capable than she knows.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">While the story is strong and the characters are intriguing (especially the elders who gift the kids with their knowledge and magic items), it's the setting that drew me in. I'm unfamiliar with "lunarpunk" as a concept, but if this is it, I kind of love it. A post-apocalyptic utopia, a world in which the goodness of humanity endures and builds a beautiful new life out of whatever they can, is a concept sorely missing from contemporary literature. It puts me in mind of the <i>Monk and Robot</i> books—choosing to believe that humanity's last gasp will always be hope. That our legacy is not who can be angriest loudest, but who can say something truer and more beautiful. And the final page of <i>The Inn at the Amethyst Lantern</i> brings with it an even bigger, brighter hope than anything else that's come before.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">This is a beautiful, atmospheric, and inspiring read. In a sea of fear and anger, it's braver and more difficult to imagine goodness and beauty. We need more books like this, especially right now.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><a href="https://jdiannedotson.com/the-inn-at-the-amethyst-lantern/" target="_blank"><i>The Inn at the Amethyst Lantern </i>is now available</a>.</b></div><p></p>Kara Dennisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17409242213865977764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2478504882164257424.post-87900800478472026382023-10-13T03:00:00.060-07:002023-10-13T03:00:00.143-07:00PRE-ORDER: Outside In Regenerates<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG0-XjOuGE20PFH19Fi2vTaO-b4KYXzV9kb6wNr88D6Gs5HLEjoU98SOW_hn7JgoKy5VpxMuNjB7q2KIKDwReXqoLTbzWj_ks0sy8kzcRrc_Dz0CrNOUIAquufxhNu8PR2Ygznro2Z6eybQxMCTCKEjwOt53xQ3DVp3WD9Vao__b1eWQRkS5Y1xmwEvmQ/s1800/OutsideInFINALcover2-copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1800" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG0-XjOuGE20PFH19Fi2vTaO-b4KYXzV9kb6wNr88D6Gs5HLEjoU98SOW_hn7JgoKy5VpxMuNjB7q2KIKDwReXqoLTbzWj_ks0sy8kzcRrc_Dz0CrNOUIAquufxhNu8PR2Ygznro2Z6eybQxMCTCKEjwOt53xQ3DVp3WD9Vao__b1eWQRkS5Y1xmwEvmQ/w266-h400/OutsideInFINALcover2-copy.jpg" width="266" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><i>The intent had simply been to alert everyone before disaster struck. The upshot… well, I suppose we’ve all learned something here today. But I could hardly have predicted how my passengers would behave under the circumstances. Even the one I ought to know better than anyone.</i></p><p>--</p><p>One of my favorite genres of anthology in recent years is the fan essay anthology. I've been in multiple <i><a href="https://youandwho.weebly.com/" target="_blank">You and Who</a></i> anthologies, contributing perspectives on <i>Doctor Who</i> and other pieces of entertainment. Anthologies like these are fascinating fandom microcosms: rather than scholarly treatises (which have their place, and I've done those as well), they're personal reflections. Rather than discussing the critical merits and flaws of a piece, they place it in a larger tapestry of experiences. We learn about the thing being discussed, but also the people who engage with it.</p><p>The <i>Outside In</i> series is slightly different. Rather than memoirs or strict essays, these are a blend of review and creative writing. <i>Outside In Regenerates </i>features 163 authors, 163 <i>Doctor Who </i>stories, and (almost certainly) 163 ways to express oneself in text. It's a full refresh of the very first <i>Outside In</i> book, covering 160 <i>Doctor Who</i> stories for the 50th anniversary.</p><p>I'm among the 163, giving my review of <i>The Edge of Destruction.</i> This is one of my favorite early <i>Who </i>episodes, for all the character development it gives our very first Team TARDIS. Stacey Smith? gave me excellent guidance on how to really lean into the conceit I'd chosen to talk about this episode.</p><p><i>Outside In Regenerates</i> is coming out just in time for the 60th anniversary of <i>Doctor Who,</i> and it also happens to be a 10th anniversary celebration for <i>Outside In.</i> <a href="https://www.atbpublishing.com/product/outside-in-regenerates-163-new-new-perspectives-on-163-classic-doctor-who-stories-by-163-writers/" target="_blank">Pre-orders are open now</a>, with the book dropping on November 23: the anniversary proper.</p><p>If this kind of book appeals to you, be sure to <a href="https://www.atbpublishing.com/" target="_blank">check out the ATB Publishing store</a> for similar anthologies covering <i>Star Trek, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, The X-Files, Twin Peaks,</i> and more. There are also several stand-alone books, including the official biography of filmmaker Mick Garris.</p><p>And if you'd like to see more by me in this vein (although slightly less experimental), check out these anthologies:</p><p><i>* <a href="https://www.altrixbooks.com/p/army-of-ghosts-essays-on-doctor-whos.html" target="_blank">Army of Ghosts: Essays on Doctor Who's Sometimes Forgotten Stories</a><br /></i>* <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Me-Starman-Jon-Arnold/dp/1079052577" target="_blank">Me and the Starman</a><br /></i>* <i><a href="https://www.altrixbooks.com/p/shadow-of-gallifreyan-book-1-charity.html" target="_blank">Shadow of the Gallifreyan</a><br /></i>* <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/You-Who-J-R-Southall-Editor/dp/1508981795/" target="_blank">You and Who: Contact Has Been Made</a></i></p><p>And if you really can't get enough of my thoughts on Who stuff, I've <a href="https://obversebooks.co.uk/product/21-sent/" target="_blank">written an entire book about </a><i><a href="https://obversebooks.co.uk/product/21-sent/" target="_blank">Heaven Sent</a>.</i></p><p>Thanks as always for supporting my writing and the publishers I work with!</p>Kara Dennisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17409242213865977764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2478504882164257424.post-1264824892874497402023-10-10T17:06:00.001-07:002023-10-10T17:06:49.739-07:00BOOK REVIEW: By Any Other Name<p style="text-align: center;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0jzWyxTzs1vHxoOpVnRkguhyphenhyphenygf3_KtmgrcWXWBqo7NRQWdp4QynTj0e1tq0JN0EravDW6C3YRWTbJW1FGYqZUqx3N6KqqPg2Rvw1a1BTVnyX9bJ1cqNR3IgMDI-wWcI24JrssWpTD2cgm8AQlZxm1YoFPl2WXz5DqRPMuLPnlInDFrCEVUasn_Au8OI/s1056/blog_byany.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="594" data-original-width="1056" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0jzWyxTzs1vHxoOpVnRkguhyphenhyphenygf3_KtmgrcWXWBqo7NRQWdp4QynTj0e1tq0JN0EravDW6C3YRWTbJW1FGYqZUqx3N6KqqPg2Rvw1a1BTVnyX9bJ1cqNR3IgMDI-wWcI24JrssWpTD2cgm8AQlZxm1YoFPl2WXz5DqRPMuLPnlInDFrCEVUasn_Au8OI/w400-h225/blog_byany.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: left;">I think everyone is allowed one harmless conspiracy theory to obsess over. Mine is, and has been for decades, that only-technically-a-conspiracy-theory that playwright Christopher Marlowe, cut down in his prime, was actually a spy for Queen Elizabeth I. Apparently I'm not the only person still enamored of this idea—this is the backdrop for the high-stakes, high-drama <i>By Any Other Name.</i> While technically also a YA romance, the growing relationship between James Bloomsbury and Will Hughes quickly becomes a facet of the intrigue.</p><p style="text-align: left;">16-year-old Will Hughes (not his real name) is a young actor who specialized in playing women's roles onstage. That's "specialized," past tense, because puberty is catching up to him. That's bad news for him, as landing a man's role is much more difficult, and he's attempting to lie low and earn enough money to get back to his family. Fortunately, he's friends with Christopher Marlowe... though things go south quickly when he discovers his mentor murdered in the street.</p><p style="text-align: left;">The discoveries he makes lead him to accidentally save the life of Liz I herself—not someone he's overly enamored of, for reasons that become clear in the book. But his actions earn him a new position: spymaster to the Queen, alongside Lord James Bloomsbury. James is charming, handsome, and basically everything Will both desires and despises.</p><p style="text-align: left;">The bulk of the book is Elizabethan intrigue mixed with furtive romance. As Will and James grow closer, under the shadow of multiple arranged marriages, Marlowe's murder still looms large. Someone is trying to kill the queen. And while Will would happily see her killed, the combination of carrot and stick both promises a safe life for his family and threatens potential doom should he step out of line. But the deeper the two dig into the conspiracy at the heart of the Queen's progress and victory parties, the closer to home the danger appears to be.</p><p style="text-align: left;"><i>By Any Other Name</i> stood out to me immediately for its gentle-handed use of Shakespearean English in the first-person prose: enough that nothing seemed anachronistic, not so much that you need footnotes to process it. Each "act" of the book is fronted by a poem by a different notable figure of the time, showcasing the poetic talents of people beyond Shakespeare. (And yes, the Bard is a presence in the book, but not a hero-worshiped one... very much the opposite, in fact.)</p><p style="text-align: left;">From a purely historical standpoint, there are some decidedly modern moments—the merit of which depends on the reader's point of view. The take on same-sex relations leans a bit more into modernity than actual history. That said, this is written for a modern readership, with character that modern readers are meant to relate to. It's probably not the time to split hairs over what triggered the wrath of a Tudor monarch (partly because the answer is "lots of things"). There are people far more qualified to discuss this topic than I am, and I believe that this book could potentially be an excellent excuse to seek those people out and read their own research and reflections on Elizabethan society.</p><p style="text-align: left;">Overall, <i>By Any Other Name </i>mostly balances its historical setting with its modern lens, and the few times it doesn't are outweighed by the many times it does. The intrigue is intriguing (with proper stakes and a proper twist in the tale), the romance is just slow-burn enough to be enthralling without becoming strained, and the references are accessible without demanding a scholar-level knowledge of Elizabethan arts and culture. And, like the best plays of its period, it's never truly over when you think it is. There's always one more snag to handle, one more loose end to tie up, one more conspiracy to unravel.</p><p style="text-align: left;"><b><a href="https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/By-Any-Other-Name/Erin-Cotter/9781665940719" target="_blank"><i>By Any Other Name</i> is now available</a>.</b></p>Kara Dennisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17409242213865977764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2478504882164257424.post-10062052242418317482023-10-04T03:00:00.072-07:002023-10-04T03:00:00.149-07:00BOOK REVIEW: Norse Mythology: The Gods, Goddesses, and Heroes Handbook<p style="text-align: center;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifCI-9lNj_H6YCK09c6yjVSJZd23bYGffcmKcBLqMA_1xqSvHzAwgaMXLp4TS_YYWSAIW_ro4HanJBwP93b8e9L37jtXuvxm9k3nPXwUpicrd3jbXjQ-E1zUi-UbdNYQOlpWTI7Lj7d0T8A7vnqEyfw1knqYkAm1CM2THn7i4tzKc5vvOekBU9uSJ-Dpo/s2048/blog_norse.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="2048" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifCI-9lNj_H6YCK09c6yjVSJZd23bYGffcmKcBLqMA_1xqSvHzAwgaMXLp4TS_YYWSAIW_ro4HanJBwP93b8e9L37jtXuvxm9k3nPXwUpicrd3jbXjQ-E1zUi-UbdNYQOlpWTI7Lj7d0T8A7vnqEyfw1knqYkAm1CM2THn7i4tzKc5vvOekBU9uSJ-Dpo/w400-h225/blog_norse.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: left;">Whether you're a fan of Marvel movies and comics, the works of Tolkien, video games, or a certain Canadian historical drama, you will likely find yourself somewhat adjacent to Norse mythology. Even if none of these applies to you, you've probably had at least vague exposure to this canon. "Vague" as compared to Greek and Roman mythology, at least. While the fingerprints of Norse mythology are everywhere, from our entertainment to the days of the week, we tend to have gaps in our knowledge. (And many of those gaps end up filled by modern takes on the characters and scenarios.)</p><p style="text-align: left;">I've never fancied myself an expert on Norse mythology, so I was excited to dive into this one. <i><a href="https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Norse-Mythology-The-Gods-Goddesses-and-Heroes-Handbook/Kelsey-A-Fuller-Shafer/9781507220528" target="_blank">Norse Mythology: The Gods, Goddesses, and Heroes Handbook</a></i> is exactly what the title says: a Who's Who of major figures throughout this particular lineage of myths and legends.</p><p style="text-align: left;">Many books along these lines have to choose between being thorough and being accessible to the layperson; however, Dr. Kelsey A. Fuller-Shafer achieves both. This is an extremely approachable volume, written to entertain as much as to educate. Dr. Fuller-Shafer leads with context about the social structure and values of the people to whom these myths belong, along with a bit of mythbusting as regards our modern perception of Vikings.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVNqensVb6Wfo3SMlqX12VLdUHxxAHmjOVQ6Vha8e_ljnv0c3FhUKCrePLxh1w8vlsxt9VhkofPo5HbG4f9aCwCpOF8ZhFSOD095hyphenhyphen3EpmsFFcvLFEieYs-At33p6uVB-8tdpfw_MQJnCd_u6xK6M04nm3ELrkB9IGz593Rxd6KNo-ZCwyqlh5NejCXSs/s900/norse-mythology-the-gods-goddesses-and-heroes-handbook-9781507220528_xlg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="675" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVNqensVb6Wfo3SMlqX12VLdUHxxAHmjOVQ6Vha8e_ljnv0c3FhUKCrePLxh1w8vlsxt9VhkofPo5HbG4f9aCwCpOF8ZhFSOD095hyphenhyphen3EpmsFFcvLFEieYs-At33p6uVB-8tdpfw_MQJnCd_u6xK6M04nm3ELrkB9IGz593Rxd6KNo-ZCwyqlh5NejCXSs/w300-h400/norse-mythology-the-gods-goddesses-and-heroes-handbook-9781507220528_xlg.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: left;">From there, the book is divided up into sections on the Aesir and Vanir, Jotun and other villains, and human heroes. While this book can be either read through at one go or referenced using the index, there is benefit to reading the "Human Heroes" section in order as it tells its story chronologically. Both within the text proper and in endnotes, space is given to a run-down of cultural (pop and otherwise) references to these characters and their different versions.</p><p style="text-align: left;">Dr. Fuller-Shafer's easy and informative prose reads like a lecture from that one college professor whose class you never wanted to miss. And even though it can be referenced piecemeal, a narrative does emerge if you read it cover to cover. (For instance, Odin popping up with all the dread reliability of Michael Eisner in a Defunctland playlist.) With that said, this is not a one-and-done read, no matter how you approach it. This is something to be kept handy and referred to regularly.</p><p style="text-align: left;">Throughout the book are full-color illustrations by <a href="https://www.sararichard.com/" target="_blank">Sara Richard</a>, depicting the human and superhuman heroes of these tales. These gorgeous otherworldly renderings bring to life the cast and events of the legends explored, lending a beautiful uncanniness to them. That said, my personal favorite image in the book is of its most human subject: Snorri, author of the Prose Edda, looking extremely contented as he enjoys a drink in his legendary hot tub.</p><p style="text-align: left;">Whether you're a fan of media inspired by Norse mythology or just crave knowledge, this handbook is a beautiful addition to your library.</p><p style="text-align: left;"><b><a href="https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Norse-Mythology-The-Gods-Goddesses-and-Heroes-Handbook/Kelsey-A-Fuller-Shafer/9781507220528" target="_blank"><i>Norse Mythology: The Gods, Goddesses, and Heroes Handbook</i> is available now</a>.</b></p>Kara Dennisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17409242213865977764noreply@blogger.com0