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A Review of China Mieville’s “King Rat”

October 12, 2014 / Kyle A. Massa

This was my first foray into the mind of Mr. China Mieville, and I must say that, on the whole, it was a pleasant one. Mieville has a creative vocabulary spanning miles. He shows us a side of London so foreign that it may well be another world entirely. His ideas are fresh, his prose is marvelous, and his settings are vivid.

Even if you’ve been to London, I doubt this is a London you’ll recognize. It’s an epicenter of cultures, of age old stories, of even older secrets. The scenes in the sewers exemplify these characteristics best; it’s the place where vermin breed, where kings still rule, and where the supernatural is commonplace. Whether or not you agree with Mieville’s ideas, you’ve got to admit, they’re pretty darn cool.

But let’s not forget that this is Mieville’s first novel. At times, it shows.

The lone shortcoming preventing King Rat from achieving absolute brilliance is its rather bland cast of characters. The protagonist, Saul Garamond, feels stiff, as does his antagonist, the Piper. Even Saul’s friends Natasha and Fabian feel incomplete (though the former probably comes closest to three-dimensionality).

Luckily, the titular King Rat provides some much needed depth. He’s despicable, spiteful, vengeful, maybe even downright evil. But at the same time, there’s something so pitiful about him, something so tragic that I constantly found myself alternating between sympathy and hatred. That’s an impressive feat on the part of the author–but, unfortunately, he doesn’t manage to pull this off with any other characters.

The ending…well, I’m not quite sure how to feel about the ending. I won’t give away any details in case you’d like to read King Rat, but Saul’s final revelation certainly seems to come out of left field. I suppose I should applaud Mr. Mieville for doing something unexpected. But, at least for me, the ending he chose doesn’t really work as well as I’d like.

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Though the characters and ending might leave much to be desired, King Rat is undeniably imaginative, adventurous, and unique. It’s the kind of fantasy novel that reinvents what fantasy can be.

Rating: 7.5/10

Good Omens: The Apocalypse Meets Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman

October 1, 2014 / Kyle A. Massa

Image courtesy justjillsblog.files.wordpress.com.

They say that two heads are better than one.

They may be right on that score.

First published in 1990, Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett’s Good Omens is an apocalyptic fantasy novel that somehow manages to turn the end of the world into a strange and hilarious romp. Crowley, a demon, and Aziraphale, an angel, become unlikely partners in a quest to prevent the impending reckoning. Why? Because they’ve actually grown to like Earth the way it is (Crowley, in particular, has quite the thing for fast cars and the classic rock band Queen). The duo scours Earth for the Antichrist, who, because of a mixup at birth, doesn’t actually know he’s the Antichrist. Throw in a book of perfect prophecies, a witch hunter, and a modern day witch, and you get Good Omens.

I’ve read a ton by Neil Gaiman and nothing by Terry Pratchett. However, I was pleased to find that their tones, styles, and voices blend together very well, to the point that you forget this book wasn’t written by one man, whose name might be Neilterry Pratchettgaiman. The prose is elegant and always funny, and the authors easily balance the story arcs of numerous characters.

Among all those characters, Crowley is certainly my favorite. What makes him great is how realistic he is: if there was a demon on earth, that demon would be just like Crowley. Furthermore, he represents a very interesting take on the demonic. After all, Crowley is a demon, but we never see him do anything particularly evil. This contrary behavior refers back to the main question that seems to come up again and again throughout the novel: What is evil? For that matter, what is good? And, perhaps most importantly, do such absolutes even exist?

This brings me to my next point: Good Omens is probably one of the smartest, most insightful books you’ll ever read on the subject of religion. Sometimes critics have a tendency to dismiss comical works simply because they make an audience laugh rather than cry–a tendency which I think is criminal. In my opinion, Good Omens is right up there with Milton’s Paradise Lost, Marlowe’s Doctor Faustus, and Bulgakov’s The Master and Margarita when it comes to literature about religion and the demonic.

Furthermore, the humor of this novel underscores the themes as a whole, being that belief, morality, and even life itself are sometimes parodies of what they’re supposed to be. It’s an absolutely brilliant novel by a couple of absolutely brilliant guys.

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Good Omens deftly challenges age-old notions of right and wrong with all the witty humor one would expect from Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman. One of the best books I read over the summer–or ever.

Rating: 9/10

A Eulogy for the Book

August 11, 2014 / Kyle A. Massa

Do you ever miss the feel of the page? The artwork on the cover? The smell of the paper, the texture of the spine, even the satisfying whisper of the page as it’s turned? The written word thrives as it ever has—but seldom on the printed page.

I have an e-reader, and I like it well enough. I like taking it on planes and having access to as many books as I want, and I like how much space I save by bringing it along. What I miss are the things I’ve described above: the pages, the spine, the front and back covers, the weight of a heavy volume in my hand. Media changes with technology, advancements are made—but books should never die.

There are many valid arguments for having an e-reader. I’ve mentioned some above, but there are certainly more. I myself like that I can get public domain books for free on my Kindle, whereas I’d have to pay around ten dollars for a physical copy. The variable font sizes are also valuable for anyone who has trouble reading small print. Many have backlit screens, eliminating the need for external light sources. Lastly, electronic books are, on the whole, cheaper than real ones.

But there is a social aspect to reading that some might overlook, an aspect which is completely ruined by the advent of the e-reader. Imagine reading in a public space. A stranger notices the title or author of the book you’re reading on the cover. This stranger might ask you how the book is, and you might say something like, “It’s good so far, but I really don’t know what’s happening yet.” Or, you might hate it, or love it, or feel ambivalent toward it. Whatever the case may be, you and this friendly stranger have started a conversation because of the book in your hand.

Now imagine the same scenario, only with an e-reader. The friendly stranger will notice that you have a Kindle in hand, but will not be able to read the title of whatever it is you’re reading. He or she will therefore probably not ask for the title on the off chance that he or she has read the same thing. Some may say that this is not reason enough to spend more money on books, and perhaps it isn’t. My intent here isn’t to get readers to buy books. It’s to remind everyone of what we’re missing.

And what about book sharing? So far as I know, buying an electronic copy of a book only allows users to read it on their own device, unless multiple devices are connected to the same account. With a real book, however, one can purchase a copy and then share it with anyone. My mom loves to do this, and it’s one of the other social aspects of reading real books. Afterward, you can discuss the book with whomever gave it to you, perhaps exchanging ideas you hadn’t thought of before and thereby expanding your knowledge. This is not really a possible scenario with an e-reader, unless you don’t mind loaning your Nook out all the time.

Furthermore, don’t we rely on electronics enough already? I personally use multiple devices each and every day—my computer, my phone, my iPod. I love my electronics and I’m glad I have them—but once in a while, it’s nice to give all my focus to something that doesn’t have a digital screen.

The book is timeless. From the day the first Gutenberg Bible was manufactured on the printing press, books are how people have been sharing ideas. Now, however, they’re on the brink of extinction.

Perhaps it’s time we did something to save them.

Kyle A. Massa is a speculative fiction author living somewhere in upstate New York with his wife and their two cats. His stories have appeared in numerous online magazines, including Allegory, Chantwood, and Dark Fire Fiction. His debut novel, Gerald Barkley Rocks, is available now on Amazon Kindle.

Lana Del Rey’s “Ultraviolence” is an Excellent Listen, But…

August 5, 2014 / Kyle A. Massa

Lana Del Rey

I usually don’t do a lot of music reviews on my blog. However, I wanted to talk about the new album Ultraviolence for two reasons. One, Lana Del Rey is possibly the only modern artist I’ll listen to, and two, because I’ve never had this sort of reaction to an album before.

Musically, I think it’s marvelous. The melodies are haunting and instantly memorable, and the instrumentation is solid. You have to hand it to Del Rey; she’s produced an album without a radio-friendly single and without the electronic beats most popular artists use today. I think she’s a truly unique artist–no small feat when you look at all the clone pop stars around now.

Dan Auerbach of the Black Keys provides veteran support on guitar and production. His low-key, sombre chords fit the music quite well, particularly on “Brooklyn Baby” and “Ultraviolence.” Del Rey’s lyrics layer flawlessly over top, painting black and white noir scenes in the mind of the listener, scenes filled with empty west coast homes and alluring femme-fatales.

So much to love, and yet…

While most of the lyrics are wonderfully moody and atmospheric, some are downright troubling. Take for instance, the following lines from the title track:

I can hear sirens, sirens

He hit me and it felt like a kiss

I can hear violins, violins

Give me all of that Ultraviolence

Some will argue that Del Rey sings as a character, and that these lyrics are merely lines in the David Lynchian domestic hyper-drama her character stars in. I’ll admit, that’s not a bad argument; no one would fault a filmmaker for portraying violence onscreen, as long as that violence is necessary to the story, and (in most cases) as long as it isn’t glorified. But what troubles me about these particular lyrics is that Del Rey’s character seems to be welcoming the abuse as affection.

Furthermore, “Ultraviolence” clearly references the controversial 1962 pop song “He Hit Me (And it Felt Like a Kiss).” Originally recorded by The Crystals and produced by Phil Spector, the song received limited airplay for obvious reasons. Here is one of the more shocking verses:

He hit me and it felt like a kiss

He hit me and I knew he loved me

If he didn’t care for me,

I could have never made him mad

But he hit me and I was glad

Wow.

When it comes to art, I don’t get irked by a lot. I almost always support an artist’s right to create and exhibit his or her work, no matter how sensational or controversial it might be.

But this song is just hard to listen to. Its lyrics are made even worse by the bright triangle chimes in the background and the vocal harmonies that seem to cheerily echo the song’s twisted message.

Of course, “He Hit Me” was written long before Lana Del Rey was even born. But she’s referencing it without really condemning the message. On the contrary, she seems to be promoting it.

It’s 2014. Haven’t we come farther than that yet?

Some may argue that these lyrics will set a bad example for young listeners; that young girls might think their boyfriends don’t love them unless they hit them, and that young boys might strike their girlfriends in an effort to show affection. I personally don’t buy this argument. Kids are smart. For the most part, they already know what’s right and wrong. In most instances, music, video games, TV, or anything else really aren’t going to change their behavior too drastically.

Ultimately, it’s up to the listener to decide what she or he thinks. What I will say is this: I really like Ultraviolence. I think it’s an excellent album. But I’ll probably never listen to it without a certain hesitancy.

And I’ll definitely never be comfortable with singing along with the lyrics.

LeBron James Might Need to Wait a While for His Third Ring

July 16, 2014 / Kyle A. Massa

LeBron James

This is going to make a great movie someday.

It’s rare that real life arranges itself into near-perfect story structure. But in the case of LeBron James, it most certainly has. You have it all: the humble beginnings, the rise to stardom, the years of struggle, the fall from grace, the exile…

And now, the triumphant return.

The first time I heard someone say that James might head back to the Cleveland Cavaliers, I laughed. There’s just no way, I said to myself. People absolutely hate him there. And why would he leave the Miami Heat, a team he’d been to not one, not two, not three, but four consecutive NBA Finals with, just to go back to a team he obviously didn’t even want to play for in the first place? It was preposterous.

Yet when this year’s NBA Finals ended and James refused to talk about his free agency status after Game 5, I had to wonder. With each passing day of free agency, Cleveland seemed to become a more and more likely destination. Now that he’s officially signed, it makes perfect sense.

First of all, as James wrote in his finely-crafted letter (engineered by Sports Illustrated’s Lee Jenkins), he came back for the city. What better reason is there to return to a team? I don’t consider myself a fan of LeBron, but when I heard that, I couldn’t help but feel a tremendous amount of respect for him.

But going back to Cleveland works for many other reasons–not just because it’s home. For one, look at who he’s playing with. The Cavs already have rising star Kyrie Irving, first overall pick Andrew Wiggins, last year’s first overall pick Anthony Bennett, solid young forward Tristan Thompson, and flashy scorer Dion Waiters. They also quietly nabbed Virginia’s Joe Harris in the second round of this year’s draft, a guy who can rain threes on offense.

Oh, and did I mention that all these guys are under 23 years old?

That’s six very good, very young basketball players. And, perhaps more importantly, that’s six potential trade pieces that could be offered in exchange for another big star–Kevin Love, anyone? And as if that isn’t enough, the Cavs also have three first round picks in next year’s draft.

I’d call that a franchise with a lot of potential.

In fact, according to the oddsmakers in Vegas, that’s enough potential to win Cleveland its first sports championship since 1964.

I’m not so sure about that.

As ESPN’s P.J. Carlisemo has said, the Cavaliers are not legitimate contenders for an NBA Championship–yet. If they get someone like Kevin Love, it’s a whole other story.

However, even if they do acquire Love, I think their title shots will depend on what they give up to get him. If I’m Cavalier’s General Manager David Griffin, I’m offering Bennett, Waiters, maybe Harris, and two first rounders next year–and that’s it. I’m hearing that Love’s Minnesota Timberwolves won’t trade him unless Wiggins is involved. If that’s indeed the case, I don’t make the deal. This guy is an outstanding athlete who can already defend and could develop into a 20-point scorer in a few years. He simply has too much upside to trade.

If the Cavs can’t get a deal done for Love, I say they go after Chicago Bulls’ veteran forward Carlos Boozer. He’s not the offensive force that Love is, but Boozer would still be a nice consolation prize. He provides much-needed veteran leadership at a fraction of Love’s cost, not to mention the Bulls are not-so-secretly trying to dump him. Furthermore, he can still be productive on the glass, and he’s a former teammate of LeBron’s. If they decide they don’t like him, then his contract expires next season, freeing the Cavaliers up to make a run at somebody like Kevin Durant. Just offer Chicago a first rounder for him. It won’t be enough to make the Cavs championship worthy, but it’s still an upgrade in my books.

So when that LeBron James biopic comes out in 2030, will it end with a Championship? The chances certainly look good for the future. However, as it stands now, it looks like James will have to wait a few years for his next trophy.

Is Peter Straub’s “Ghost Story” a Horror Classic?

July 7, 2014 / Kyle A. Massa

Image courtesy www.thegeekgirlproject.com.

“What’s the worst thing you’ve ever done?”

(Don’t worry. You don’t really need to tell me. I’d prefer not to have a list of foul deeds in the comments box.)

But it does make you think, doesn’t it? It’s a suitably haunting question for a novel entitled Ghost Story, and it is one of the central questions at the heart of Peter Straub’s magnum opus.

How bad is your worst? And what if your worst came back to haunt you?

You might recognize Mr. Straub’s name from his collaborations with Stephen King; namely, 1984’s The Talisman and the 2001 sequel Black House.

This one, however, is all Straub.

First published in 1979, Ghost Story follows four older men residing in the seemingly innocuous town of Milburn, New York. After a terrible accident(?) in their youth, these older men (collectively dubbed “The Chowder Society”), are haunted by the malevolent manifestations of their past.

Upon beginning the novel, I was first struck by Straub’s writing ability. Though perhaps not the expert plotter that King is (more on that later), Straub’s prose strikes me as more sophisticated, and his scares are nearly as good. Many consider Ghost Story his crowning achievement, and I can see why. Simply put, it’s undeniably creepy. The titular ghost stories raise goosebumps on your neck and make it difficult to fall asleep.

Thankfully, Straub relies on atmosphere and subtlety to frighten the reader rather than on gore and semi-pornography. I always appreciate this sort of take on the genre, because oftentimes the latter is merely shocking, not horrifying. Ghost Story’s horror is the kind that sneaks up on you in a dark hallway, not the kind that jumps out at you right away, naked and anally mutilated (sorry Human Centipede).

Another strength of the novel is its characterization. There are numerous townspeople in Milburn, and Straub carefully developes each one. When these characters die (and, spoiler, a bunch of them do), we feel even more terror because it seems like it’s happening to real people. Furthermore, most of these characters are easy to relate to, so we can’t help but put ourselves in their shoes. When we do that, the real terror starts to set in.

Of course, nothing is perfect, and Ghost Story is not without shortcomings. While the seemingly unrelated elements of the first half come together nicely, I feel that the narrative looses a bit of steam by the end. There are too many repeated scenes of people being murdered and townsfolk seeing apparitions. Also, there are far too many confrontations with the ghosts that end without a payoff. Generally speaking, some events in the middle narrative seem to lack forward motion.

In addition, a few of the characters’ deaths rub me the wrong way. I won’t say who, but two central characters die in the middle and later stages of the book, yet we do not actually read their deaths. Straub brings us to the literal moment before they die, then pulls us away before we actually see it. I’m not expecting a shower of gore here. It just feels a bit cheap to me, like watching a movie and realizing that a vital scene has been cut. Show, don’t tell. Right?

Despite these flaws, the narrative recovers gracefully by the end. The climax is certainly climactic, and I like the bookend structure of the prologue and epilogue. By the time you reach the end, the stalled points in the narrative and the shoddy character deaths can more or less be forgiven.

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Ghost Story is a high-quality tale that provides plentiful scares. I wouldn’t go so far as to call it one of the greatest horror novels of all time–but it’s definitely a fine read.

Rating: 7/10

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P.S.: Has anyone see the 1981 film adaptation of the same name? Please feel free to comment and let me know if it’s worth watching!

A Review of Neil Gaiman’s “Stardust”

June 30, 2014 / Kyle A. Massa

Image courtesy chasingtheturtle.files.wordpress.com.

One of the best things about summer is getting reacquainted with some of your favorite authors. I am doing that and doing it proudly this summer, starting with my good buddy Neil Gaiman (yes, we’ve met, no big deal).

All kidding aside, I am a huge fan of Gaiman’s work. He’s witty, charming, an excellent creator of character, and, perhaps most important of all, he is one of the most accessible authors I’ve ever read; each of his works offers something for everyone. I could go on and on about any of his books, but today I’d like to tell you about his 1998 novel Stardust.

Set in the 19th century English village of Wall, Stardust concerns a young man named Tristran Thorn and his adventures into the world of Faerie. The novel playfully utilizes familiar fairy-tale tropes, such as the lover’s rash promise. In Stardust, this promise becomes the impetus for our hero’s quest; after promising to retrieve a fallen star for his one true love, Tristran sets off for adventure and fortune.

As always, I love the world Gaiman sets up here. This one is a bit different from his other novels, which usually feature a real-world setting with fantasy elements. The world of Stardust, however, is pure fairy-tale. We’ve got witches, unicorns, princes, kingdoms, flying ships––all the good stuff. It’s quite imaginative, and Gaiman manages to pack a great deal of content into only 250 pages or so. He also juggles numerous characters in those few pages, yet manages to make them all feel relevant to the plot.

Those characters include, among others, a nameless witch with a thing for sharp knives, and seven squabbling brothers (four dead, three still alive) who gleefully off each other for their father’s throne. These seven are my favorites, especially the youngest, Septimus. He’s so evil in such a casual way that you can’t help but like him. Tristran Thorn is another great character, despite being “ordinary as cheese-crumbs.” His evolution into a hero is all the more satisfying when you consider where he started.

I really enjoyed reading this novel, though I must say, I did not care for the ending. Without spoiling anything, I felt there was a complete tonal shift in the last twenty pages, leaving us with an awfully depressing conclusion. I mean it. I was really bummed out. I’ve got nothing against unhappy endings, but after such a whimsical, lighthearted ride, I didn’t expect to get off feeling so sad.

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Neil Gaiman does it again with Stardust, a unique, thoroughly entertaining ode to the fairy tale.

Rating: 8/10

The Winds of Winter: A Fan’s Attempt at Accurate Guesswork

June 16, 2014 / Kyle A. Massa

Image courtesy beyondhollywood.com.

After last night’s explosive season finale of HBO’s “Game of Thrones,” I’m in a real Song of Ice and Fire mood. To date, I don’t think any TV show or book series has ever inspired as much conjecture and speculation as these–and why not? Every second they’re onscreen or on the page, these characters are in serious danger of getting whacked.

I, of course, love to speculate as much as anybody, but I confess that it’s not much fun to guess what’s going to happen on the show when you’ve read all the books. Miraculously, every time I guess what will happen next on the show, I’m correct!

So instead, I’ve elected to make guesses about the novels–like in this here blog, for instance. These are my predictions for the sixth installment of A Song of Ice and Fire.

I know that this blog might be premature. Hell, this blog most certainly is premature, but that’s alright. George R.R. Martin’s latest masterwork will be upon us sometime within the next three years or so (hopefully), and I, as always, am a huge fan of speculation.

So let’s speculate.

SPOILER ALERT–IF YOU HAVEN’T READ BOOKS 4 AND 5 YET, YOU MIGHT NOT WANT TO READ THIS.

Anybody left?

You’ve read 4 and 5?

Okay, awesome. Let’s continue…

You clearly know a lot about A Song of Ice and Fire, so you know there are a lot of characters. Therefore, I’m going to do what Mr. Martin did in his fourth and fifth volumes–I’m going to separate the POV characters from A Feast for Crows and A Dance with Dragons into two separate blogs. The latter will be available at a later date, the former…right now.

Let’s start in King’s Landing, with Cersei. After the ordeal she suffered at the hands of the Faith, it appears she might be broken. I doubt it. With Kevan Lannister dead, she’s going to pick up right where she left off–ruining the kingdom. In fact, Varys essentially says as much when he kills Kevan; Cersei will botch the whole project, paving the way for Aegon Targaryen to take the Iron Throne. That’s right–I predict a Targaryen will finally rule Westeros, just not Daenerys. More on her later…

In Oldtown, Sam Tarly is becoming a maester. Logistically, this process has to go pretty fast. The Others are coming soon, and Sam might hold the secret to defeating them. Sam also makes friends with Pate, who we of course know isn’t really Pate. A lot of readers have matched the description of the Alchemist to Jaquen H’agar’s new face at the end of A Clash of Kings, and it seems that this mysterious alchemist has now taken the face of the ill-fated pig-boy. I never made that connection until somebody pointed it out on a message board, but I think it’s accurate. For some reason, H’agar wants a master key to the citadel. Could it have something to do with fighting the Others? Or maybe a weapon to defeat dragons? I don’t even have a guess here.

But speaking of the Citadel, what the heck is Marwyn doing? He tells Sam that he’s going across the sea to meet Daenerys Targaryen, but it’s not really clear why. Does he want to destroy her dragons? Does he want them for himself? Based on the general greediness of Martin’s characters, and on the fact that dragons are in vogue in Westeros, my money’s on the latter.

In the Riverlands, the whole thing with Brienne and Jaime is getting a little too dicey for me. Brienne’s apparent plan is to lure Jaime into the woods so that Catelyn, a.k.a. Lady Stoneheart, can kill him. Please, Mr. Martin, I beg you…don’t kill Jaime Lannister! The guy’s my favorite character!

Before you get mad, hear me out. Jaime has done some terrible things–but I like him precisely because he’s done terrible things. He’s really just misunderstood, and he actually turns into a pretty good guy in A Storm of Swords and the following volumes. The incest thing is pretty inexcusable, I agree. But hey, nobody’s perfect! Fortunately for Mr. Lannister, Martin usually likes to suggest one thing, then do something totally different. Therefore, if he’s suggesting that Jaime is being lured to his death, perhaps that means that Jaime might live to bang his sister another day. (Sorry, I had to throw a joke in there somewhere).

Next, I definitely think Sansa is going to become heir of both the Eyrie and Winterfell. Littlefinger has been playing his cards well, and he and Sansa are set up to take both castles. In Feast, Baelish hints that if Robert Arryn were to die, Harrold Hardyng would become the new Lord of the Eyrie. And if Sansa marries Hardyng, she’s got both castles. My prediction is that Littlefinger will toss Robert Arryn out the Moon Door (much to every readers’ delight), then marry Hardyng and Sansa. Not sure what happens after that, though. Maybe Harrold and Sansa’s first move is to take back Winterfell from Roose Bolton?

Now to the Greyjoys. I think Euron Crow’s-Eye could be a big contender for King. This guy is all about forbidden magic and dragon horns and other creepy shit–I think he might use some of that magic to take the throne. However, there’s still the matter of Aegon Targaryen, who seems to have a lot of support and a pretty sweet army behind him. I predict a meeting in King’s Landing between these two, a second epic battle over the city, and Aegon emerging as the victor.

Euron’s brother Victarion is a different story, though. I think that he’s going to smash Daenerys’s foes with the Iron Fleet, then perhaps join forces with her. I used to guess that Dany would marry him to acquire his fleet (Westerosi marriages are so materialistic!), but with her frolicking in the Dothraki Sea, that’s going to be tough. My best guess is that he’ll form some kind of alliance with old man Selmy.

In regards to Dorne, I think Arienne is definitely going to marry Aegon. The Dornish tried to arrange a marriage with the Targaryens twice before and failed both times, so this seems like a logical third try. This time it’s going to work, and Aegon will have even more support for his cause.

Lots going on, lots to guess about. What do you think is going to happen? Feel free to comment with your thoughts, fears, and craziest conspiracy theories. Let’s hope that the book comes out soon, so we can see how bad my predictions turn out to be.

I wish you luck in all your speculating endeavors!

Wishbone Ash: The Best Band You’ve Never Heard Of

June 6, 2014 / Kyle A. Massa

Image courtesy sam-musiclovers.blogspot.com.

Don’t ask me why, but I’ve recently developed the strange habit of logging into YouTube and searching for obscure rock bands from the 60’s and 70’s–the weirder the name, the better. Some of the best I’ve discovered so far include “Gandalf,” “Lucifer’s Friend,” and “Bulbous Creation” (what the hell a bulbous creation is, I have no idea). Okay, I admit, some of these sound really weird. But, as they say, don’t judge a book by its cover. In fact, it seems to me that even the bands that never made it in the 60’s are still better than most of the acts around today. But that’s just my opinion…

One of the better groups I found with this method is a four-piece by the name of “Wishbone Ash.” Two random nouns smushed together to make a band name? Sounds good to me.

A British rock band founded in 1970, Wishbone Ash originated as a power trio named “Tanglewood.” Their lineup featured Martin Turner on bass, Steve Upton on drums, and Martin’s brother Glenn Turner on guitar. After Glenn quit, manager Miles Copeland III put out an ad for a replacement guitarist. Instead of one, they found two: Andy Powell and Ted Turner. After extensive auditioning, the band decided to keep both. As members of Wishbone Ash, Powell and Turner became a seminal twin-lead guitar pair, pioneering the style made famous by such bands as Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, and Thin Lizzy.

I chose 1972’s Argus to be my introduction to the band, partly because it’s their most commercially successful album and partly because it’s the only complete album of theirs on YouTube.

Forty-five minutes later, I was blown away. These guys absolutely rock.

Right from the opening track, I got a sense of a professional, tight group. The nine minute rock odyssey “Time Was” starts things off with some soft acoustic picking. Then we get some surprisingly tender vocal harmonies from Martin and Ted Turner (no relation there, by the way). Just when you wonder where the electric guitars are, both blast in and take things to a new level. It’s a solid track, and it showcases the band’s versatility.

Next comes the sombre “Sometime World,” followed by the cheery “Blowin’ Free.” This was a concert favorite of the band, and for good reason–the bouncy riff is instantly recognizable, and it gets stuck in your head.

I consider the next track to be a high point of the album: the seven-minute epic “The King Will Come.” Andy Powell’s guitar tone during the intro sounds almost like pipes, and Upton’s marching snare matches the feel nicely. After about a minute, the song explodes into a killer riff by Ted Turner. Equally impressive solos from both guitarists fill the song out. After listening to most of their catalogue, I remain convinced that “The King Will Come” is Ash’s best.

Afterward comes the reserved “Leaf and Stream;” a nice song, but probably the weakest track on the album when compared to the others. “Warrior” features even more impressive guitar work (notice a pattern here?), but the song that solidifies Powell and Turner as true guitar legends is the closing track, entitled “Throw Down the Sword.”

Priest and Maiden might have made the twin-lead style famous, but I argue that Wishbone Ash did it better than anyone. The solo at the end of this song proves it. For the final two minutes, we’re taken on a musical journey by two outstanding guitarists. It’s amazing how the solos entwine, then diverge, then rejoin one another, almost like threads of silk woven into one. The combination of emotive phrasing and impressive fretwork is what makes this dual-solo really shine. But if you truly want to get a sense of just how good it is, you’ll have to listen to it yourself.

Argus vaulted Wishbone Ash into my upper echelon of all-time favorite artists with just one listen. The band produced some other strong efforts throughout its career (check out Pilgrimage, There’s the Rub, and New England), but, in my opinion, none of them quite matched the brilliance of this album.

So do yourself a favor. Buy Argus and take a listen. You won’t regret it.

“The Name of the Wind” Review

September 22, 2013 / Kyle A. Massa

Image courtesy www.rantingdragon.com.

Right now is a great time to be be a fantasy fan.

More and more, the genre is moving away from Tolkien cloning and beyond to brave new horizons. The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss is a great example of this movement.

The Name of the Wind is the story of Kvothe, a man so legendary that his reputation has become larger than his own life. Over three days, Kvothe recounts the stories of his travels to a man named Chronicler (each book in the trilogy is one day of the tale).

The narrative style alone sets this one aside from a lot of other books in the genre. I can’t remember ever reading a fantasy book quite like it. It makes you forget that you’re reading a story and makes you think that you’re listening to a story; one half is first-person narration from Kvothe’s point of view, and the other is third person omniscient narration in Kvothe’s inn.

The world is vaguely reminiscent of Harry Potter, with an academy that teaches magical arts, among other disciplines. That isn’t to say that The Name of the Wind is targeted only to a young adult audience, however. It isn’t quite as grim as some modern fantasy, say A Song of Ice and Fire, but it’s certainly not for kids. There are sexual references, there is occasional cursing, and there’s a melancholy, regretful undertone to the whole thing. This one lands somewhere between a young adult audience and a strictly adult audience, I think.

Kvothe is a well-drawn and likable protagonist, full of wit and resourcefulness. It’s interesting to see the contrast between his young self and older self; the latter is sombre and defeated, while the former is lively and daring. Furthermore, the character is brought to life not only by his accomplishments, but also by his shortcomings. He’s undeniably cool, but he’s also undeniably arrogant. Rothfuss doesn’t make the same mistake that many fantasy authors do when writing their central hero; Kvothe is flawed, and therefore human.

Unfortunately, Kvothe’s realism makes some of the supporting cast appear dull in comparison––namely, Denna. When I read her, I felt like I’d read her a hundred times before. She’s so beautiful that everyone wants her, and as a result she’s become bored by everyone’s attention. It’s already been done. I really hope she develops more as the series progresses, because as of now she basically has one trait: she’s really freakin’ hot.

Speaking of the rest of the series, some really interesting questions have been posed by this first volume. What are these demons infesting the countryside, where are they coming from, and what does Kvothe have to do with them? Who are the Chandrian? What will Elodin mentor Kvothe? Will Kvothe and Denna ever meet again in the present timeline?

The sequel is already out, titled The Wise Man’s Fear, and the final entry in the trilogy is currently in the works. They’re next on my list.

…

The Name of the Wind is an excellent setup to a very promising trilogy. The narrative style, main character, and world work nicely to create one of the best modern fantasy books out there.