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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.

Rating: 8.5/10

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P.S.: Just bought The Drawing of the Three today (that’s the sequel to The Gunslinger). Big thanks to the Barnes and Noble in Union Square. Four floors, are you kidding me!? Anyway, liftoff should commence on that baby soon enough. At the rate I’ve been reading, I should finish up in, oh, I dunno, maybe a few minutes…?

A Book Review

June 5, 2012 / Kyle A. Massa

Just finished Joe Abercrombie’s Best Served Cold, and it’s easily my favorite entry from an excellent fantasy writer.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with Abercrombie, he’s known for a gritty, character-driven style of fantasy in the vein of George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire. He published his first novel in 2007, entitled The Blade Itself. Since then, Abercrombie has written a novel a year, most recently The Heroes in 2011. Another entry is due out sometime this year, tentatively titled A Red Country.

The thing I love about Abercrombie’s books are his characters. Those who read his First Law trilogy are probably already familiar with a few, but there are plenty of newcomers in Best Served Cold as well.

Beware. Here there be spoilers.

My favorite of the new characters is definitely Caul Shivers. Not completely new, as he is introduced in Before They Are Hanged, if I’m not mistaken. But he’s certainly expanded upon throughout this new entry. I found his character arc quite compelling, going from a man seeking a better life to a bitter warrior with nothing left to lose or gain.

I noticed a few reviewers were concerned with Shivers’ striking similarity to Logen Ninefingers, a fan favorite of First Law fame, and I can’t deny that they are indeed very similar. However, I found that the similarities work well, lending a sense of stinging irony to the book. Shivers proclaims his hatred for Ninefingers numerous times, (after all, Logen did kill his brother) and yet he mirrors his most hated enemy’s character arc, almost to a tee.

That said, I found the main character of Best Served Cold, Monza Murcatto, a bit underwhelming. She reminded me more than a little of Ferro Maljin, yet another character from The First Law, but not in a particularly good way. While Shivers and Ninefingers are tragic mirrors of one another, Murcatto is more like a retread of Maljin. Even their love stories seemed recycled. (In The First Law, Ferro falls in love with Ninefingers, then they end up hating each other by the end. In Best Served Cold, Monza and Shivers fall for each other, and by the end, they hate each other too.) I liked Monza a little more than Ferro, but they were still a bit too similar for my tastes.

As for the other characters, I found Nicomo Cosca to be a wonderful return. His odd combination of cowardice and wit entertained me throughout. The institutionalized convict Friendly was another of my favorites. Such a strange fellow, and his duel with Shivers toward the end was epic. Castor Morveer was another welcome addition. He was funny and interesting, with a hint of tragedy, just enough so that you felt bad when he died. Well, I don’t know about you, but I did.

As far as the story, I found it engaging, though perhaps a bit on the long side. The murder of Prince Ario in the brothel was by far my favorite of the seven assassinations, and I felt that none of the others afterward approached that level of excitement.

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Best Served Cold is an excellent addition to any fantasy collection. Well drawn characters, a well realized world, and plenty of gory action all combine to make one hell of an adventure.

Rating: 9/10

The Gunslinger: Yet Another Reason Why I Want To Be Stephen King

May 31, 2012 / Kyle A. Massa

I just started reading The Gunslinger by Stephen King today. First impression: very, very, very interesting. I know that most fantasy books have reviews on them that say something like: “This book is unlike anything you’ve ever read.” All due respect to those books, The Gunslinger really is unlike anything you’ve ever read.

The story begins with Roland Deschain, a character chiefly based on Clint Eastwood’s classic “Man With No Name.” Roland explores a vast desert world in pursuit of the enigmatic Man In Black, a sorcerer who has a talent for evil. Along the way he meets a man with a talking raven and a man risen from the dead, among other fascinating characters.

Already I’m beginning to see some interesting similarities between Roland’s world and ours. For example, at the first saloon he stops in, the patrons are sining along to “Hey Jude” on the piano. It’s little details like this that make The Gunslinger special. Often in literature, it seems that authors like to write little nods and homages to other works of literature. King does the opposite, writing in homages to real life. I think this really helps to set the world up as a different (yet not entirely distant) place.

Can’t wait to read the rest. Yet another classic by one of my favorite authors. Keep ’em coming, Steve!

Crazy Mother’s Day

May 13, 2012 / Kyle A. Massa

Having a hard time thinking of something to do for your mom on Mother’s Day? Think another lame card from Target just isn’t going to cut it this year? Well my friends, here are some ideas for Mother’s Day your mom will never forget!

Crazy Mother’s Day Idea #1 – Take Mom Skydiving

Defying death has never been so fun, and who better to do it with than your lovely mother? This will be an experience that neither of you will forget. You can make it even more interesting by taking bets on who will have a heart attack first. If you go this route, make sure you bring along the trusty old defibrillator.

Crazy Mother’s Day Idea #2 – Take Mom for a Joyride

Most people don’t know this, but a lot of moms have a huge amount of repressed anger, and most of it’s directed at you. Remember that time you didn’t do your science project, and then mom had to do it for you at midnight? Or the time you left your dirty socks on the floor and mom had to pick them up? It’s these kinds of things that make moms so angry. So on Mother’s Day, put your mom behind the wheel of a car and let her drive one-twenty down the freeway. You could even bring a baseball bat to a residential neighborhood and have mom whack a few mailboxes while you’re at it. If you get pulled over, just remind the officer that it’s Mother’s Day. If he has a mom, he’ll understand.

Crazy Mother’s Day Idea #3 – Blow Something Up with Mom

What could be more fun? There’s nothing like a nice big explosion to bring a family together. I would start small, with a garden gnome or something, then work your way up. Maybe by the end you could blow up mom’s boss’s house. Now that’s a Mother’s Day gift I’m sure she’d appreciate.

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In all seriousness, I wish every mom out there a happy Mother’s Day. I encourage everyone to do something with their moms, whether it’s something crazy or something relaxing. And to my mom – the best mom in the world – I love you, and happy Crazy Mother’s Day!

The Avengers!

May 3, 2012 / Kyle A. Massa

Tonight, I’m going to The Avengers midnight premier. Well, actually the 12:20 showing, but close enough. The midnight show was already sold out, so that should tell you how popular this movie is already.

The plot centers around four well-known superheroes coming together to fight some crazy super villian. The studios also decided to throw in a couple lesser-known superheroes (as if four wasn’t enough), plus the great Samuel L. Jackson (who is pretty much playing himself, but with an eyepatch).

The film is written and directed by Joss Whedon, creator of numerous TV series such as Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Firefly, and Dollhouse. More recently, Whedon helped co-write and produce The Cabin In The Woods, which has thus far been a good box office draw.

Personally, I think The Avengers should be pretty good (…and so does everyone else, but whatever). At first I was afraid it would just be a ridiculous explosion-fest, but from what I’ve heard, the script goes a little deeper than that.

Also, I’ve never been to a midnight premier, so that should be a good atmosphere. I just hope I don’t get stuck in the front row…

Oh, and I’m calling this now. They’re going to set up for a sequel.

You heard it here first.

Kyle A. Massa