Wordsmith's Anvil

Image credit: Disney Making my way through The High Republic books has been an amazing side quest in recent months. Not only is it really cool to be reading Star Wars novels again, but the fact that they're canon makes it all the more satisfying. The stories are well-crafted, thought provoking, and provide substance that is truly lacking in anything Star Wars has released in film format since Rogue One . My main query as I began this venture was whether or not the Young Adult novels would be able to hold a candle to the nitty-gritty displayed in the likes of Convergence or Cataclysm .     The two books in question today are the novels Path of Deceit and Path of Vengeance. While these books are written by different authors, Tessa Gratton and Justina Ireland for Deceit and Cavan Scott for Vengeance , most of the characters are the same.     Path of Deceit has us following Jedi Knight Zallah Macri and her Padawan Kevmo Zink. This pair has been tasked with pathfinder-t...

Image credit: Penguin Publishing Group Celts, Pagan magick, warriors defending their homeland. What's not to like?     At first glance, Ravens of Avalon sounds like something that would be right up my alley. I have always had a fascination with the history behind Boudica. Hell, I've even thought of writing my own historical novel surrounding the warrior queen. Ancient Britons defending their land from the Roman Empire is always going to be something that sparks my fire. Call me an underdog kind of guy. I just love when people punch above their weight.     Ravens of Avalon tells the tale of Boudica from the very beginning of her life as a young adolescent through her death. For those who don't know their history too well, I will preface here by saying that there is not very much known about Boudica in general. As a matter of fact, it wasn't until some cultural renaissances hundreds upon hundreds of years after her death that she suddenly became a topic of interest. Bo...

  Image Credit: Night Shade Books As strength goes.     That's something that we hear a lot in Cook's Darkwar trilogy. From Doomstalker to Warlock, and Warlock to Ceremony, Marika's lesson from the Ponath sticks through. And it shows.     Marika is the main character and centerpiece of Cook's science-fantasy series. She is from a feline race called the Meth, and grows up in a sector of the planet that has been restricted technologically. If it sounds a bit like The Hunger Games , it is. In that respect only. The comparison stops there.     Being raised by a band of hunters who are averse to anything they don't understand, like mental powers in the form of a spirit-guided telepathy, Marika finds herself in a bit of a conundrum. Exploring these talents has the potential to save those she loves from her village, but also could result in further examination by those who are already concerned that she could be the "Doomstalker." This Doomstalker, or Jiana...

Images Credit: Disney & Yihyoung Li Woo. It's been a minute since I've read a Star Wars novel, and even longer since it's been one that has actually been considered canon. Most of the stuff that's been churned out over the decades has just been shuffled to Star Wars's "Legends" section, a sort of catch-all that looks at things more like a reimagining than anything. That is not the case with the books of The High Republic .     The High Republic effort by Disney includes books, audio dramas, comics, graphic novels, video games, a children's show, and a more adult-centric show that completely flopped. Whether or not that show flopped due to its content or due to the heavy review bombing that happened is perhaps up for debate, but I'm not going to discuss that in this particular post. I'll focus instead on the first two stories set in this era.      In an even longer time ago in that same galaxy we've come to know and love... Convergence s...

Image credit: Constantinos Pritsos & me An Important Man May 1804 “There is no need to reveal all that is on your mind. Your qualities will be apparent through your daily actions.” That was a tough one to mull on, but of course Tsunetomo is right. I’ve had difficulty keeping my mouth shut on the best of days, and there are times that the quality can be a good thing. But there have also been times when it's been more than a hindrance. The Marine Corps certainly put that on display. I pondered that sentiment on the day that I cantered into the launch point for our exploration, Camp Dubois. Must’ve been the thirtieth horse since that very first one. I can’t even remember what this one looked like. I just dropped him off at the nearest stables and showed my credentials as an agent of the U.S. government. The stablemaster looked more than annoyed that he wouldn’t be receiving any pay for housing and feeding this extra horse indefinitely, but I couldn’t care less. My thighs were batt...

 Image credit: Glen Cook & Tor Books I love me some Glen Cook.     For the longest time I was on a Bernard Cornwell and Joe Abercrombie kick, and don't get me wrong those two are still among my top tier of writers, but I eventually stumbled into my Glen Cook phase and haven't looked back.     For those who don't know, Cook is a grimdark writer. The founder of the genre, really, who has given inspiration to the likes of Mark Lawrence and Joe Abercrombie. While those latter two are potentially heavier names in the modern day, Cook more than earned his stripes starting in the 80s. The Garrett Files just delivers further notches to his credential belt.     The Garrett Files is actually the title of a trilogy of his novels that revolve around the detective work of the titular character. The actual books within are titled Sweet Silver Blues, Bitter Gold Hearts , and Cold Copper Tears. All of them are standalone mysteries, but the character that Cook buil...

Image credit: Constantinos Pritsos and ... me. A Fire to be Kindled “What do you know about the Louisiana territory?” President Thomas Jefferson asked. “Very little,” I said. “How would you like to learn more about it?” he continued. “First-hand.” “Is this the expedition I’ve seen discussed in the papers?” I asked. “The one with Meriweather Lewis and…” “William Clark, yes,” he said. “You’d be leaving one corps tomorrow and joining another by the end of the month. The Corps of Discovery.” My heart soared. This could be the opportunity I needed to move forward. All I had to do was take the leap and see what the future held in store for me. “I’d love to.” “It’s settled, then,” Jefferson said. He waved a lanky arm to the disapproving man standing near the door. “Secretary Dearborn will draw up the necessary papers.” Henry Dearborn moved reluctantly from the doorway. I think he had hoped that his only job that evening would have been to open it and usher me out. I disappointed the man, and ...

Image credit: James S.A. Corey & Orbit Now clearly I've read Leviathan's Wake and Caliban's War , I just had to get that out of the way before I start delving into my review here. I'm not just starting in medias res with the series. I've watched the show, I've read the first couple books, and I also have my copy of Osiris Reborn pre-ordered. I've done some expansive homework on this topic. Okay, that's the only dad joke I'll put in here, I promise.     Abaddon's Gate is a continuation of the science fiction story that the duo known as James S.A. Corey have laid out in the first two books. The protomolecule has already had a lasting impact on the solar system and life as we know it. Nevertheless, Protogen is shut down and Mao is in the slammer, Holden and his crew have been running missions for the OPA for months, Avasarala is doing what she does best behind the scenes, and Bobbie Draper... well, I guess we have to watch the show to find her ...

  Image credit: Penguin Random House A couple weeks ago I put down my thoughts on the Dungeons & Dragons prequel novel entitled The Road to Neverwinter . Now that I've finished E.K. Johnston's dive into Faerun I can officially say I'm caught up on everyone's backstory before the the events of the movie.     While Road was a bit more congruent with the overarching tale that would inevitably unfold in Neverwinter on the big screen, The Druid's Call is more of a side quest. We're introduced to Doric, one of the best characters in the movie albeit fairly quiet through most of it, and a loose connection that she has to Simon. The entirety of the novel really explores Doric's life from infancy to young adult. We see what things have been like for her as a tiefling in the elven world, a significant step up from her brief time in the human one.     Born to human parents, Doric is confined in her attic until the ripe age of six. This Harry-Potter-esque treatment ...

Image credit: Random House Worlds This will mark my first review of a book outside of the annual reviews that I've been doing. Those have been fun, but I believe that they don't fully encompass the heart and soul that many of these authors have poured into their work.     Jaleigh Johnson's The Road to Neverwinter gives us a glimpse at what life was like for Edgin and Holga in the lead-up to the Dungeons & Dragons movie. We knew that Edgin was a thief, we knew that he was a father, and we knew that he was friends with Forge prior to meeting him again in the film, but we might not know to what extent all of these things fell into place.  The Good The narrative of Johnson's work is certainly one of its strong points. We are introduced to Edgin, a father who is struggling to make ends meet for his baby daughter. He meets Holga, an exiled barbarian just looking for a place to call home.     The unlikely pair work together to raise Kira over the years, doing small...