Author: Kyle A. Massa (Page 26 of 28)

“Gardens of the Moon” Review

January 10, 2013 / Kyle A. Massa

I picked up Gardens of the Moon by Steven Erickson pretty much on a whim, not really knowing what I was in for. I’d seen it near the top of some random best fantasy series list, so I thought I’d try it.

Gardens of the Moon is the first book in the Malazan Book of the Fallen series. It focuses on the multi-continental empire of the Malazan, specifically on their campaign on the continent of Genabackis. Here we meet the Bridgeburners, an elite company of Malazan soldiers, as well as the people of Darujhistan, last Free City standing in the way of Malazan control over Genabackis.

In a word, it’s sprawling. Erickson rivals Tolkien in his world-building. Not since The Lord of the Rings have I read a fantasy novel with such a massive scope, and that includes A Song of Ice and Fire. (That’s not a knock on GRRM as much as it is a pat on the back for Erikson). It’s a lavish world, packed near to bursting with characters and races and plots and subplots. There is so much going on and so many different forces at work that it’s almost unbelievable that only two guys made all of it up (Erickson created the world of the Malazan with fellow author Ian Estermont, originally conceiving of it as an environment for Dungeons and Dragons). It’s truly an incredible feat of world-building.

But the scope of Gardens of the Moon is a detriment as well as a strength. There is so much content that I spent the last third of the book being thoroughly confused. Maybe it’s because I listened to most of it on audiobook, but it seemed very difficult to follow. It was hard to remember who was working for who or who had done what, especially because the narrative focuses on one character and then doesn’t return to that character for many more chapters. This is one of the few problems I have with A Song of Ice and Fire as well, and here it’s only magnified. More characters and more things going on make it invariably more confusing.

I think another area where Gardens falls short is on characterization. Some of the characters come so close to being compelling, but few ever achieve that status. I wanted to like Whiskeyjack, I wanted to like Captain Paran, and I wanted to know more about Anomander Rake––but there just wasn’t much there. To be fair, there are still nine books left in this series, and I’m sure Erickson builds on his characters further. But still, a little more attention to them in this volume would’ve been nice to see.

One last thing: I really admired Erickson’s intentionally anti-Tolkien take on fantasy. Much like Martin’s work, there isn’t any central quest, nor are there any heroic figures. Rather, it’s a bleak, violent world consumed by war. It doesn’t look like there’s any light at the end of the tunnel, either. I always appreciate a fantasy series that isn’t a Tolkien retread, and thankfully, the Malazan Book of the Fallen series is anything but.

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Gardens of the Moon is an astounding feat of creative imagination, if a little confusing at times. The characters seem somewhat flat too, especially when compared with those from A Song of Ice and Fire. However, the world by itself is enough of a reason to recommend it.

Rating: 8/10

This Coming Offseason

January 8, 2013 / Kyle A. Massa

2012 was obviously a disappointing season for the G-Men. Failing to make the playoffs is never fun, especially when you won the Superbowl the year before. They had a typically good start followed by a typically bad mid season slump, but this time they just couldn’t get there. Close, but no playoffs.

First thing on the to do list for the off season: re-sign Victor Cruz. No questions. Whatever he asks for, they need to give it to him. The guy has more catches through two seasons than any other Giant receiver in team history, plus he’s a ridiculous deep threat and is only 26 years old. They’d be insane to let him walk.

There are a lot of other free agents that GM Jerry Reese will need to take a look at as well. Osi Umenyiora, Kenny Phillips, and Martellus Bennett will all be unrestricted. Bennett looked great for the first half of the season, but then sort of petered out with the rest of the team. I think he’s got potential, however, and the Giants should re-sign him. Though Kenny Phillips has had injury issues, he’s a formidable option at safety when healthy. He’s another guy that the Giants should bring back.

I’m not so sure about Osi. He’s made it pretty clear that he’s not happy, and that he wants a pay increase, one that the Giants probably won’t be giving him. Plus, I think his best years are behind him. Time to move on.

With the number 19 pick in the draft, I think Jerry Reese and company should look at the defensive side of the ball. The secondary looked kind of weak by the end of the year, especially Corey Webster. Prince Amukamara has injury issues, as does Aaron Ross. Perhaps they take a cornerback?

If they don’t go that route, linebacker would be the next best bet. They’ve been missing a big defensive presence up the middle ever since Antonio Pierce retired. A guy like Notre Dame’s Manti Ta’o would be perfect, though I don’t know if he’ll fall that far.

I think the offense should be set for next year. Eli has plenty of solid receivers, and with the emergence of David Wilson and Andrew Brown, they look pretty stacked at running back. A few late round picks at guard or tackle would be a good way to provide some depth for the O-line, which suffered its share of injuries in 2012.

Here’s hoping for a good offseason, a great season, and an even better postseason!

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Review

December 29, 2012 / Kyle A. Massa

I just saw The Hobbit a couple of nights ago, and my first thought upon leaving the theatre was…what was wrong with that?

I’ve heard mostly bad things about this new installment, and I’m not entirely sure why. Criticisms range from slow pacing to tonal incongruence with the Lord of the Rings trilogy to Radagast the Brown (he’s already getting Jar-Jar Binks comparisons). I suppose I’d agree with the pacing argument, but only at the end of the film. Otherwise, I’d say that it was excellent. Not as great as the original trilogy, of course, but still pretty damn good in its own right.

Firstly, the effects were astounding. I know special effects don’t make a movie but…wow. They were just jaw dropping. No, literally. When the new and improved Gollum came on screen, my jaw actually dropped. I used to say that Avatar was the pinnacle of CGI. No longer. Right from the opening prologue scene, I was blown away.

I thought the film had a typically good script from the trio of Jackson, Phillipa Boyens, and Fran Walsh. Guillermo Del Toro even got a credit, which was nice to see. They did a good job weaving in some of the threads from The Silmarilion, and also expanding on other scenes. Some cameos by Cate Blanchett, Hugo Weaving, Ian Holm, Elijah Wood, and Christopher Lee were nice additions as well.

Another thing I liked were the homages to the original trilogy, both in the script and visually. For example, the shot where Frodo slips in the Prancing Pony and the ring falls onto his finger is copied exactly in The Hobbit, only this time with Bilbo instead of Frodo. Also, Azog comments on the dwarves smelling of fear. A similar remark is made by the orc Gothmog in Return of the King. A lot of franchises reference themselves, Pirates of the Caribbean, for example, but I found this to be a much more subtle and much more enjoyable way to do it.

Martin Freeman and Ian McKellan certainly stood out as Bilbo and Gandalf, respectively. Freeman brought the same energy to the role that Ian Holm had, plus an extra ounce of neurotic humor for good measure. And of course, Ian McKellan just was Gandalf. Great performances there.

As I alluded to at the beginning, the end of the film really dragged for me. Without spoiling anything for those who haven’t seen it, there was a lengthy, exciting action sequence that seemed like the logical climax and ending of this first installment. But in the words of Gandalf and Thorin, the party comes “out of the frying pan and into the fire,” immediately engaging in another skirmish. Faithful to the book, yes, but on film I thought it became anti-climactic. And not only that, there were still about fifteen minutes left at that point. Could’ve been much more exciting if they’d just ended it a tad sooner.

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Overall, I thought that The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey was too harshly judged by critics and audiences alike. Sure, there were some problems with the tempo, but nothing so heinous that the film was ruined.

Rating: 8.5/10

“Red Country” Review

December 25, 2012 / Kyle A. Massa

A fantasy-western hybrid. Sounds fun, right? That’s what Joe Abercrombie’s Red Country. Set in the disputed, gold-ridled landscape of the Far Country, Red Country tells the story of Shy South and her step-father Lamb. When their farm is burned down and Shy’s brother and sister are taken, the unlikely pair go on a quest to get them back. But Lamb isn’t who he seems, and the quest becomes more than they bargained for.

I think it only took me two or three days to finish this baby up. I had such high expectations. Some of those expectations were met. Others…not so much.

The thing that bothered me right away was the prose style. I read a few of Abercrombie’s blogs about his inspiration for the book, and most came from old western novels. Red Country has the kind of sentences that you’d expect to see in those books, full of run-ons and poor grammar and shifting tense. It was definitely a good way to establish the tone and the world, but in general I found it distracting. There were a few instances in which I had to go back and re-read a single sentence two or three times before I could understand what the hell it said. I get that he was going for Western-style prose, but at least for me, it was kind of annoying.

I must say that I did enjoy the return of Logen Ninefingers, even though Abercrombie really didn’t answer any of the questions I had about him. Well, at least this volume didn’t raise any new questions; it just left me with the same ones I had before. In any case, it was great to see The Bloody Nine back in action. In my opinion, he’s one of Abercrombie’s top three greatest creations, along with Caul Shivers and my personal favorite, Sand dan Glokta. Nicomo Cosca used to be up there, but not after this book.

The Cosca of Red Country was the ugly cousin of the Cosca from The First Law. I think old, bitter, and psychotic are the three best adjectives to describe Red Country Nicomo Cosca. After finishing the book, I remember thinking: What the hell happened to this guy??? Where was the lovable rogue of The First Law? Red Country Cosca was not nearly so fun. He lacked all of the humor and much of the wit that made him so memorable in earlier volumes. And his moral complexity? Nowhere to be found. It used to be that he tottered on the line between good and evil. In this book, he was so far on the evil side that he was probably having afternoon tea with Hitler and Satan.

But Red Country was not entirely without its charms. It was really fun to see Shivers again, albeit in a cameo. His introduction was about as bad-ass as you can get. And the part with the dragon was pretty intriguing. I’ve heard speculation that Abercrombie might write another trilogy next. Could this dragon make another appearance?

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This one was tough for me, because it was the first Joe Abercrombie book I’ve had mixed feelings about. While the book did have strong characters and a few memorable scenes, the flat story and slow pacing made it far less enjoyable than it could’ve and should’ve been.

Rating: 6.5/10

Red Country Preview

September 20, 2012 / Kyle A. Massa

If you’re a fantasy fan and you haven’t read any Joe Abercrombie books, go do it now.

Well, actually, read this first. Then go read The Blade Itself. Then try Before They Are Hanged. Then Last Argument of Kings, Best Served Cold, and finally The Heroes.

Oh, and there’s one more. The forthcoming Red Country.

What can we guess about this new fantasy-western? Well, a decent amount. Let’s talk.

For those of you who don’t want spoilers about previous events in Abercrombie’s books, you probably shouldn’t read this. If you’ve never read any of his books, you won’t understand any of this anyway.

So what do we know so far? Well, anyone’s who’s a fan of Abercrombie’s books knows that Red Country marks the return of his most beloved character: Logen Ninefingers, a.k.a. The Bloody Nine. As if the descriptions of a “bloody past” weren’t enough, the Youtube preview for the book showed a pair of bloody handprints, conspicuously short of a finger. Oh, and did anyone read the sample chapter? The names of Lamb’s oxen are Calder and Scale.

So my question is, could Abercrombie have made it anymore obvious? I mean, there’s pretty much zero doubt among fans that Lamb is Logen Ninefingers. In fact, Abercrombie’s made it so very obvious that it makes me wonder. After all, this is a guy who makes his money by introducing a familiar concept, character, or situation, and then turning it on its head. I have no idea how he’d do it without pissing people off, but I think he might have Lamb turn out to be just some other guy, and not really Logen.

That said, I really really really hope that Lamb is indeed The Bloody Nine. He was always one of my favorites from The First Law series, and I’ve been waiting and waiting for his return. I think that if he does appear, we might learn something interesting about his whole split personality thing. I myself think that The Bloody Nine is some kind of possessive spirit, though I’m probably 100% wrong about that.

Moving on, I hope Shy South isn’t a clone of Monza Murcatto. I’m not sure what it is, but something about her having a “violent past” reminds me of The Snake of Talins. It just seems like there’s a lot of hot warrior woman characters running around in fantasy literature, and I feel like it’s a tired character template. For a guy who’s able to create such unique characters, I feel like Abercrombie can do better. And hopefully, he will.

According to an article in Publisher’s Weekly, Shy and Lamb also meet up with some Union soldiers and Northmen. I’m not sure what the Union’s doing in the Old Empire or Starikland or wherever the heck this book’s taking place. I thought they were heading over to Styria to deal with Murcatto. And what are Northmen doing there? It’s hard to say.

Maybe we’ll see an envoy of King Jezal (or even the King himself) on a mission to add The Old Empire or Starikland to the Union. As far as the Northmen, maybe we’ll see the Dogman, weary of war and just looking for peace and quiet somewhere far away. I could also see somebody from The Heroes making a return. For some reason, I want to say an exiled Galma Golden. Abercrombie has a knack for taking supporting players and giving them much more important roles. Could Golden be the next?

I also read that Nicomo Cosca is making a reappearance in this one as well. Awesome addition. I’ve always loved Cosca. If only Sand dan Glokta would return in this one, too, maybe as the envoy of the King. It would be like a First Law family reunion!

The wait will be over in a few short months. Until then, if you haven’t read any Abercrombie, do it now. And if you have…well, just read them all again.

Dark Knight or Dark Knight Rises?

August 21, 2012 / Kyle A. Massa

Four years ago, I (like many others) saw Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight. Two and a half hours later, I came out of the theatre thinking that there would never be a superhero film as good as that.

I was wrong.

I know I’m probably in the minority here, but I thought that The Dark Knight Rises was a better film than was The Dark Knight. Shocking, I know. I surprised myself when I decided this. But nevertheless, I truly believe that Rises was the best in the trilogy. Let me tell you why.

For starters, let’s get one thing out of the way. Heath Ledger’s performance as the Joker was incomparable. Incredible. Indescribable. His mere presence on the screen was enough to compel millions of filmgoers to flock to the theaters. And whether or not you think his death had anything to do with it, he still won the Academy Award for the role. But a performance like that can be a detriment as well as a strength. When the villain literally steals the show from the hero, you might have a problem.

Here’s a simple test to prove my point. Go find a friend who saw The Dark Knight and loved it. That shouldn’t be too hard. Now ask that friend why she or he loved the movie so much. I’ll bet you a cool thousand that the answer was two words: “The Joker.”

Now see if you can find a friend who liked Rises more than Dark Knight. That might be a little more tricky. I’ll bet you another thousand that they have a much different answer than just one actor’s performance.

My point is this: The Dark Knight was too Joker-centric. Christopher Nolan knew it, Jonathan Nolan knew it, and everyone who saw the film knew it too. Everyone loved it. But I felt that it became less about Batman/Bruce Wayne’s character and more about “what can Batman do to stop the Joker?”

The Dark Knight Rises introduces us to a very different Batman. Ruined both physically and spiritually, I found him to be a much more compelling character this time around, with far more dramatic depth than in the previous two installments. We got to see a much more human side to Bruce Wayne, a much more vulnerable side, one that has doubts about the Batman. I found this to be a brilliant conflict: the idea that Batman no longer wants to be Batman.

And let’s not forget the ending. The final twenty minutes of the film were brilliant. I thought that the Nolan brothers did a fantastic job playing with filmgoers expectations, such as with Batman’s death and the presence of Robin. It was excellent screenwriting, in my opinion, and it helped to elevate the film above a mundane superhero story and into very human territory.

Yes, the critics will say that the Bruce Wayne/Selina Kyle relationship was underdeveloped, among other complaints. I completely agree. But the film isn’t a romance. It’s an action film and the conclusion to a trilogy.

Of course, based on the ending, it is possible that it isn’t the conclusion. It’s possible that there will be a spin-off series of Robin films.

We can only wait and hope.

“Pawn of Prophecy” Review

June 26, 2012 / Kyle A. Massa

If you haven’t noticed from my book choices, I’m a big fan of fantasy literature. Ever since reading The Hobbit, I’ve been hooked. So after browsing the fantasy/sci-fi section of the bookstore the other day, I decided on David Eddings’ Pawn of Prophecy. I’d heard good things about it before, so my expectations were pretty high.

I hate to say this, but I was more than a little disappointed.

(As always, there will be spoilers.)

Pawn starts off promisingly enough with an interesting (albeit slightly dry) prologue about an evil god, an orb, and a wizard. Though perhaps not entirely original, I liked the idea of real gods existing within the physical world, almost in a Greek or Norse mythology sort of way. Furthermore, it seemed like a promising setup for some fun action.

Next, we are introduced to Garion, a young boy living in a small village with his stern Aunt Pol. Both are solid characters, though Aunt Pol’s dominating personality grows tiresome as the book progresses, and Garion comes off as much younger than fourteen. His overall tone and constant acquiescence to his aunt just screams child to me, maybe an eight or nine or ten year old. Perhaps this is intentional on the part of Eddings, but either way, I feel that Garion’s behavior is inconsistent with his age.

Later on we meet a handful of other secondary players. Silk is my favorite of these; a sly, quick-witted man with a strong resemblance to a rat. Later on we find that he is a prince who has spurned his royalty in favor of a life on the road. He’s a very compelling character who is tragically underused by the author. More of that witty humor could’ve done wonders to a book that is mostly a dry travelogue.

That brings me to my next point: far too much travel, far too little action. The constant journeying of The Lord of the Rings is acceptable because there is a strong enough setting to support it. The setting of Pawn of Prophecy is decidedly less interesting, resembling a watered-down Middle Earth rather than a unique universe. Furthermore, the traveling in LOTR is broken up by moments of intense action, such as the episode in the Mines of Moria or the attack by the Uruk-Hai at the end of The Fellowship of the Ring. No such action to be found in Pawn, unless you count that lame boar attack in the woods.

Furthermore, the descriptions are a bit clunky from time to time, and occasionally the dialogue feels completely ridiculous. For example, when Old Wolf comments on the attention Aunt Pol is drawing in one scene, she responds with the following: “Don’t grow parsimonious in your dotage.” I’m sorry, but when the word “parsimonious” doesn’t even have a correction on spell check, it’s time to think of a new adjective.

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All in all, Pawn of Prophecy has its enjoyable moments, but they are too few and far between to make it truly compelling.

Rating: 3/10

Abercrombie’s “The Heroes” is Bloody Good Fun

June 20, 2012 / Kyle A. Massa

Cynical characters, fast pacing, and a hell of a lot of blood. I think that sums up Joe Abercrombie’s fantasy novel The Heroes pretty well.

Abercrombie is fast becoming one of my favorite modern fantasy authors, due in large part to books like this. Set in the icy wastes of the north, The Heroes focuses on a three day battle between the barbaric Northmen and the international superpower known as the Union. There are plenty of fighters on each side, from veterans to raw recruits, from kings to prospective kings, and they all have a part in the festivities.

(Many a spoiler herein.)

First off, the battle scenes are good, and I mean really good. So good that I’d be willing to call them Abercrombie’s best; certainly some of the best I’ve ever read. The deaths are visceral, the descriptions grisly. For example, one of my favorite chapters employs a technique I like to call “Point-of-View Relay” (I’ve already copyrighted the term––anyone else who uses it from now on owes me money). We start the chapter from the point of view of a supporting character. That character runs around a little, does some fighting, and eventually gets killed. Then we switch to the perspective of the guy who killed him, and we follow him for a while as he does some fighting of his own. Eventually he’s killed, and then we follow his killer, and so on. It’s inventive, and a great way to put the reader right into the action.

As far as characters, there are a lot to like. The scheming Prince Calder is one of my favorites, as is the scheming Finree dan Brock. (In case you didn’t notice, I really like the schemers, and Abercrombie offers plenty). I’ve always been a big fan of Black Dow, and Bayaz is a welcome return as an excellent villain. If you read my blog on Best Served Cold, then you already know about my soft spot for Caul Shivers. I like Curnden Craw, too, though I can’t help but feel that he’s too nice to have the same moral complexity of Abercrombie’s other characters. A likable character, certainly––but not very intriguing. And I’m not a fan of Ishri, either. Ever since she said something like “I’ve still got it” in Best Served Cold, I’ve never been able to take her seriously.

Other problems I have with the book…well, not many. Could’ve used a bit more tactics, I thought. Most of it was just who goes where, followed by fifty pages of slaughter. Fun, but I thought that could’ve been a little better.

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All in all, a very enjoyable read, with a huge cast of characters and plenty of gory fun. Some of those characters lack the snap of previous books, however, and I found the tactics to be a bit less prominent than advertised. Still, it’s an undeniable good time.

Rating: 8/10

The NBA Finals

June 12, 2012 / Kyle A. Massa

The Oklahoma City Thunder come into these finals fresh off an incredible turnaround over the vaunted San Antonio Spurs, while the Miami Heat are coming in even fresher off their defeat of the veteran Boston Celtics. Both teams are formidable, certainly, but which one will come out with the trophy?

Let’s start with the Heat. LeBron and Wade have played excellently, as has Bosh in his limited minutes. If he keeps on making threes against the Thunder, this series might be over quickly. The Heat really seemed to pick apart a Boston team that just looked flat out tired by the end of the series, especially in the fourth quarter of Game 7. The Heat outscored the Celts 28 to 15 in the fourth, all 28 of those point coming from the big three of James, Wade, and Bosh.

On the other side, the Thunder looked very impressive, derailing the speeding locomotive that was the Spurs. San Antonio had won twenty games in a row up until Game 3, when they were stopped by Kevin Durant and company. The Thunder went on to win the remaining three games and take the series. OKC has a big three of their own in the aforementioned Kevin Durant, point guard Russell Westbrook, and reigning Sixth Man of the Year James Harden. The trio has averaged a total of 67 points, 18 rebounds, and 13 assists per game, not to mention a number of clutch shots in crunchtime. Compare that to Miami’s 67, 22, and 10, and it looks like we’ll have quite a series.

So who’s big three will win out? I think they’ll cancel each other out. If we can expect something like 60 points, 20 rebounds, and 10 assists from both of the big threes, then the game’s going to come down to the other eighteen guys.

I think it’s safe to say that Oklahoma City has the edge there. Not only do they have the imposing presence of Kendrick Perkins in the paint, but they also have shot blocking machine Serge Ibaka and wily veteran Derek Fisher to boot. Miami’s reserves consist of Mario Chalmers, a decent enough point guard, and then some outside shooters and no big men. Look for OKC to take advantage and pound it underneath. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Thunder dominate the boards in this series.

It all kicks off tonight at 9 on ABC.

Tune in!

Another Book Review

June 7, 2012 / Kyle A. Massa

‘Why so soon?’ you may be asking. I might ask myself the same question. Truth is, I’ve been reading my brains out because my summer job hasn’t started yet, and I haven’t had much else to do besides read and write this dandy blog here. Oh well…you can never read too many books!

Today I’ll give my review of Stephen King’s The Gunslinger. For those of you who have kept up on my blog (so rare are you that you might be eligible for the endangered species list), you know that I have already blogged about The Gunslinger.

Well, I’m going to do it again. If I may quote Judas Priest, “you’ve got another thing comin’.”

(Oh, and like last time’s blog, there are spoilers. Read on if you dare!)

The best part of The Gunslinger had to be the setting. I think ‘ingenius’ is the best word to describe it. A brilliant combination of fantasy staples (the ‘High Speech’ and the ‘Chosen One’ character) and horror tropes (the zombie-ish Slow Mutants and the quasi-post-apocalyptic terrain) really help to make the story feel fresh, even after twenty years of development in both genres (remember, The Gunslinger was first published in 1982). Furthermore, I loved the little connections between Roland’s world and our world. I felt that this connection furthered the realism even more, to the point where it seemed like I was reading a historical fiction rather than a novel.

And now the criticism. Sometimes I found myself thinking, ‘Ok, Stephen, we get it, Roland is enigmatic. But for god sakes, can he at least try to show some emotion?’ Sometimes I felt like he was just too flat, particularly because there didn’t seem to be an compelling motivation to visit The Dark Tower. I’m sure we’ll find out later in the series, but in this volume, it seemed like Roland had to find the man in black and get to The Dark Tower just because that’s what the story called for, and not really for any deeper reason.

This next part isn’t necessarily a criticism (or a compliment, for that matter), but I found The Gunslinger to be very tragic. Just when I was beginning to like Ally…bam, bullet to the face. Just when I was beginning like Jake Chambers…wham, hundred foot plunge off a mountain. But to be fair, the story is supposed to be sad, Roland is a loner, and I’m certain King meant for the deaths to jerk some tears. He has a knack for really delving into characters that he’s just going to kill off in a few pages anyway, just so that you really feel the deaths. Very smart writing, if you ask me. But sad. Very sad.

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Overall, an excellent introduction to a new world. Though a little sparse on characterization, the book more than makes up for it with vivd imagery and an innovative vision.