Book Review: Check and Checkmate by Walter M. Miller Jr.

Check and Checkmate by Walter M. Miller Jr.
My rating: 5 of 10 stars

It's a great short story - novella?

It's a satire about two isolated superpowers. Imagine that you live in one site of a wall and the other are another super power you don't know nothing about? Imagine now that the level of suspicion and fear is so much that the president has ten doubles and he never show is face around. Authoritarian vs Communist. It was interesting to see the level of paranoia of the USA/Liberty/Authoritarian goverment against an Pan-Russia/Asian Communism... that you know nothing about.

It was nice to see the reactions of both leaders as they tried to talk and at the same time to threat each other. It has a nice twist in the end.

Politics are always fun...

If you want to picture this story, picture north korea... what do you know about them? Almost nothing, now imagining being south korea and knowing nothing about what is happening in the north part of the country and always living in fear that they will attack you... It will consume you... It will turn you to what you most fear...

Small and good... I advice to anyone.

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Anime Review: Quanzhi Fashi (Full-Time Magister) (Fall 2016)

This anime came out of the blue. I was trying to get QuanZhi Gao Shou (Full-Time Expert, The King's Avatar) and I found this anime. I was very intrigued since both had the word Quanzhi (which means it seems full-time) and both were Chinese. So I start watching and four days later I had finish it.  I would have watched it sooner BUT it’s the end of the season and a lot of animes to be watch.

This anime is totally different from Quanzhi gao shou. One deals with online gamers and this one deals with magicians.  Full Time Expert was made by G. CMay Animation & Film and Full Time Magister (Shanghai Foch Film Culture Investment). Both with good ratings on MAL - Expert with 8.20 and Magister 7.76

In this world, people awake magic powers that come from various elements. Each person has one power and the High School basically teach these youngsters to learn more about magic. 
What’s interesting is our MC Fan Mo who three months before awoke into a different world he lived. In this world magic exists – This unfortunally is never really dwelt upon. It seems everything happened as in the world who had no magic except that. 

Well I am getting side-tracked – before the awakening, our MC had done some things that make his papa in a bad position. Supposedlly he escape with a girl because she wanted ask him – unfortunally her father thinks he kidnap with intentions of elope with her.

After the awakening he enters the high school, his father had to sell his house,  and he awakes a fire elemental – he also awoke a lightning elemental but hides from everyone else, only showing it to a girl who is in a wheelchair after saving her (we never learn very much about who she is – supposedly is his adopted sister?).

The twelve episodes we learn more and more about how the magic works – first the awakening, then the 7 stars – then learning a level 1 skill then the 2 and finally the 3 skill. They also say it’s pretty hard to cast spells but only after a couple of months Mo Fan and the main rival both are level 1.
Meanwhile, they are tested on their skills and Mo Fan gets into fight with the father of the girl he saved insulting him. He then makes him duel his adopted son and considerably the best mage in school. As the episodes flow we learn more about his motifs and motivations and evolution of dual wielding culminating in a final battle where he shows everyone he can dual wield the two most powerful elementals. 

In this series, only our MC gets enough time to evolve. Most other characters are just what they are Secondary Characters.  To me that’s okay because with 15/18 minute episode and with 3 year span there isn’t enough time to dwelt on other characters – which also can lead to discontent to some people BUT this MC is quite good.

About the art and animation…. Well I watch a 480p version so it might be because of that but it’s not that interesting animation/cgi. Some characters look alike (even the air) and most girls have also the same body… configuration. There is a teacher with big boobs than we see them bounce (probably the only fan-service available). The fighting scenes are not that great in terms of fluid motion. 
The sound is there – basically. The characters all have the same timbre of voice BUT probably that’s because they are Chinese and not Japanese which I am used and can hear the different between them.
The music is ok. Nothing interesting… unless you can count on the music from rocky. 
In some episodes, we also have some glimpses of something akin comedy. But not overdo.

Story 6/10
World Building 7/10
Character Building 6/10
Animation/Art 4/10
Sound 4/10
Enjoyment 7/10 
Overall 7/10

Overall I enjoy the series and I am eagerly waiting a second season. I only hope they expand more our MC and the side characters. I also hope to learn about the world around them.

Anime Review: Zero kara Hajimeru Mahou no Sho (Grimoire of Zero) (Spring 2017)

First the synopsis:
In a world of constant war between humans and witches, there exist the "beastfallen"—cursed humans born with the appearance and strength of an animal. Their physical prowess and bestial nature cause them to be feared and shunned by both humans and witches. As a result, many beastfallen become sellswords, making their living through hunting witches.

Despite the enmity between the races, a lighthearted witch named Zero enlists a beastfallen whom she refers to as "Mercenary" to act as her protector. He travels with Zero and Albus, a young magician, on their search for the Grimoire of Zero: a powerful spell book that could be extremely dangerous in the wrong hands. During their journey, his inner kindness is revealed as he starts to show compassion and sympathy towards humans and witches alike, and the unlikely companions grow together.

Ahh… it really felt like this anime had a great scope and world building but it really felt short in the end. Basically we follow three main characters – Mercenary (a beastfallen); Zero (a witch) and Albus (another witch who was hunting the Mercenary – we all know that beastfall hate witches). 

What were their goals?
- Zero, is a witch (not affliated with anyone) that wrote a book – Grimoire of Zero – that was used to spread magic throughout the land. Btw first plot-hole Magic already was used before??
- Mercenary was going throughout the land killing witches
- Albus (a regular guy who was part of Sorcerers of Zero)

There is a war going on – In one side we have the Empire who abhors Magic; in the other we have the Sorcerers of Zero (witches) who started a war after the Empire killed Sorena (a witch accused of starting a plague) and then we’ve got some Rogue Witches (who basically are against them all but we never see them...)

We also have some mysterious character called "Him" that teach the Sorcerers of Zero magic (through the Grimoire of Zero) and we also have a guy called Thirteen who is a witch but fights for the Empire.

In the beginning of the anime we’ve got Zero - a young teen who is trying to find the book she created. She finds a beastfallen that she calls Mercenary and employ him as a bodyguard. Later we meet Albus who is hunting the Mercenary Albus is later captured by the Mercenary and Zero but then becomes their companion rather than prisoner. 

As they travel throughout the land they arrive at a city where Albus says it’s the residence of the Grimoire of Zero. They found everyone dead and Albus says that maybe Sorena’s Grandaughter escape with it – well SPOILER ALERT – She is Sorena’s granddaughter SO why would she say that??

This some plot hole but there are so many of them… the all 13 and Him plot is rather bad.... Any normal person would immediately knew that 13 was Him. After all it is said that 13 stole the Grimoire of Zero, but it was "Him" that teaches the Sorcerers of Zero with the book 13 stole (yeah right...) Oh... And "Him" ask that each sorcerer of zero to commit their souls to him – (so if they try to kill him or if he dies they all died) 

Then we've got the actions by 13? Well in the end we learn that 13 is killing all witches because he wants Zero to rule the land. What? So why did he first kill everyone with whom they live with, then teach people magic, created a coven called the sorcerers of Zero and then join the other side to start a war? I really didn’t understand that… this is some bad writing right there…. And why is not Zero upset that 13 killed all her friends where she lived with?

Then there are other inconsistencies – Zero hires Mercenary to help him and then in some episode she makes a curse on him that says that everything that happens to him will get back to her – Why? If she loves him or cares for him and he being a tank is not a idiotic move? There is no real purpose for this… Who was the bodyguard of who?

Then we've got Holden - another beastfallen. They first fight with him in the city because he had some woman captured. Later on we learn that he was the bodyguard of Albus - SO WHY THE HECK WAS HE DOING THAT? Were these woman related in any way to Albus disappearance? It made no purpose or sense...

"Characters" 
- Well, the Mercenary is the only one with redeeming qualities. We learn more about his drama and conflicts because beastfallen are not well receive within the human world; but they also hunt witches because they blame them for their curse state. It's like an outcast...

Zero – Well a young girl that creates the Grimoire of Zero and is searching for it in the open world where she had never gone before. She doesn’t evolve that much in terms of characters – except – in terms of connecting to people. She has some comic reliefs throughout the season. But is she a good girl? She knows 13 killed all her friends from beneath the mountain but she is not even upset. She doesn't try to punish 13 after he started a war in her name...

Albus – A boy who turns out to be a girl and Sorena’s granddaughter and the leader of the pack called Sorcerers of Zero. Yeah that's it...

Thirteen – the main antagonist who basically kill thousands of people, so Zero could rule the land. He fought for both sides and play some seriously mind tricks on everyone (except when Zero tells him in the last episode that when she wrote the Grimoire of Zero she made some mistakes on purpose so no-one could beat her – what?) Another plot hole – So Thirteen only knows magic because of the Grimoire of Zero? Does he not knew before?

Then in the end how do they resolve everything? Well basically Albus has eliminating magic throughout the land. In the beginning he starts doing just that – so my question is – every magician could do that or just him/her? 

Afterwards it’s Zero, the Mercenary, Albus, Holdem (Albus bodyguard) and Thirteen (now a good guy) do that thing and Zero eliminates magic. Could she do that as well? And to all magic or only the magic based on Grimoire of Zero?

Enfin, I cannot say what to I think about his... I try to love the world but it felt short. It was badly written with some plot holes I cannot forgive. 

Will there be a second season? I doubt it. There is room for that but I don't think it will get it. 

Btw, in the beginning I had put a rating of 7 but as I watch the last three episodes I got so disappointed.

Story 2/10

World Building 7/10

Character Building 5/10

Animation/Art 7/10

Sound 5/10

Enjoyment 4/10 

Overall 4/10

Book Review: Dumb Witness by Agatha Christie

Dumb Witness by Agatha Christie
My rating:  8 of 10 stars

The first English Agatha Christie book I read (I don't why this one was not published by RBA) and I enjoy greatly. I think that reading in Portuguese are not as good as English. Or I am mistaken and this one is very good book and there's nothing wrong with RBA translations.

This book begins with a third person view of a house with a rich lady and a dog and her spoilt nephews that want her aunts money.

I was interesting to read about Emily Arundell. She was a great strong female character. It's unfortunally that she died... or get murdered. Hmm...

We've got the usual suspects:
Wilhemnina Lawson - Her companion
Niece Bela Tanios - a mother of two children married with a greek (badly seen in the uk, to marry a foreigner)
Theresa - Only want money so she can have all the good things in life and never lifting a finger
Charles - Only want the money to have is debauched life.
Dr Tanios - Married to Bela, wants money to live a better life and be a doctor
Rex Donalson - fiance of Theresa. Wants money to work in his field of science
And Bob, the dog - he just wants his ball.

The next 350 pages is told by the perspective of Captain Hastings as he tells in his own view what Poirot do to solve a mystery. If there are.

Top notch from Christie's mind. Good story with a good ending.

Who was the killer? Maybe it was Bob. All fingers... or claws, point to him!

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Book Review: Exodus by Mel Odom

Exodus by Mel Odom
My rating: 5 of 10 stars

I don't know if I should read the second and third novel of this book. There are a couple of questions to be answered but... It just don't appeal to me.

But first things first.

The Setting :
London in the near future is invaded by some hellish demons that the Templars have warned that they would come butthe Church had other thoughts and instead of that they burned them in the stakes nearly 700 years ago. The Templars even if most of them were burned at the stake some escape and proliferate hidden from society. They married only within their "fate" and try to live underground. But as the hellish demons attack London as the arm forces try to strike they are butchered because their weapons don't do sh*t to them. Only the weapons from the Templars.

Praises
- The Setting as I said above is quite good. Even if at the same time is a criticism. See below.

- The Mysticism / The Factions / The Faith.
So you've got the templars and the cabals. The Templars just want them destroy but the Cabals want to study them so they control them. But even after one party of "Cabalists" destroyed by the Demons, still they don't change their ways. The Knights Templar are quite interesting bunch of guys. I really like them. And the magic within the book is also quite good. This is quite a book about Magic vs Technology.

- Warren, the daemon-marked human. This character develops as hell (sorry the pun). He starts being a fragile man and after several incidents he transforms into am evil (maybe anti-hero) character.

-Merrihim the daemon. I really like his lines. I felt that he was undoubtly an evil being. Nothing good or humane came from him/it.

- Knights Templar - Quite interesting bunch of guys. I really like their society.


Criticism
- The setting. It's a praise but... Why London? Why only london attack? So they butchered every single army guy from britain? They went in mass and died? What a heck are the other countries doing? I don't believe that USA or the European Union would do nothing to stop the daemons and help the englishmen. It to far fetch. The only attack was in England. What are they doing? It's just like there is only one nation and the rest of the world is just sitting watching. But as someone says in the book that if the demons left England the USA would nuke them. Right!

- The battle between the main force of the daemons and the Templars. All templars were killed but... Why? Why did they do it? In the story the rest of the templars say that it was done so the demons stop searching the Templars. Just stupid, senseless battle.

- Leah... she is more than meets the eye.

Side Notes
- Our Main Character - Templar Simon. He is just there. So he must go back to find his father then he turned into a white knight. Yes... Our other main character, if you can call it that, is far interesting that him.

Final Thoughts / Advisable
I can't reccommend this book to anyone in particular. If I don't know If I am ending it how can I recommend it? This book has one good interesting dark sided character that fells from grace. You've got some interesting setting with a gigantic flaw and the story don't evolve. If not for Warren I would say - I won't be reading the second and third book of this trilogy. But Warren really is a nice character. Let us see what time will tell me about finish the trilogy. I sure don't like starting a book and don't finish.

Nevertheless if you enjoyed the game and miss that world - go for it.

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Anime Review: Hinako Note (Spring 2017)

What can I say from this anime? 

You don’t know anything about theater? Watch it. As I watch it I had the feeling that I was watching Long Riders all over again. As Long riders felt that the MC were teaching about riding a bicycle this one it seems they are teaching me on how to make a theater trope.

The animation is different but at some points I even thought they were the same voice actors and studio but alas I was wrong. Long Riders! Was made by Actas whereas Hinako Note was made by Passione – the same studio that made Rail Wars (one of the my first animes since my comeback). They also made Rokka no Yuusha which I have in my to read list. I also have the light novel.

It’s no wonder that both animes, in terms of score in MAL have 6.44 and 6.82. Just realize that this two animes really look like Urara Meirochou as well.

What they are alike?  Well for start they are both only female cast; both are dummy guides; both are light-hearted with comedy situations.

One interesting bit is the fan-service that is available.  After some episodes we get some glimpses of Hinako body and then we’ve got some costume/cosplay situations where we see them in lewd positions. I can’t understand the purpose of this. I like lewd situations BUT there are some animes that it feels wrong and this is one of them. Long Riders had one or two situations as well. I bet it’s standard situation. Oh and what about the busty 9 year old club advisor? Odd…

The characters are good and likeable.  The sound also shines on this anime with the intro and ending music. Throughout the series there is always an ambient easy almost comforting music. The high pitch voice the actress have at points bothered me.  We’ve got Kuina (who eats books and likes to be dressed in animal outfits); Mayuki (blond girl who is very upset with her height and always wears a maid outfit); Chiaki the landlady but supposedly is older than the rest BUT still goes to the school with the rest of the gang and in the last half of the series Yua who was first a rival and then a friend. And Ruriko the girl who I said it had 9 years and breasts bigger than everyone else (except the landlady).

About the animation/art – well it changed a lot. Half the episode they were normal and half the episode they were drawn as chibi figurines.

 One of those animes that don’t stand out in anything, but in the overall is an OK! anime to watch.
Ops, forgot to tell you about the plot… well two or three lines are sufficient. A country girl comes to the city to enter a high school where she can perform in a threater and overcome her shyness. As she enters a used bookstore she meets several friends and together they will make a theatre trope and help Hinako overcome her problems. 

Story 4/10
World Building 4/10
Character Building 6/10
Animation/Art 6/10
Sound 6/10
Enjoyment 5/10 
Overall 5/10

PS: I just remember another anime this one looks alike in terms of “Dummy guide” – Amaama to Inazuma – It’s the dummy guide to parenting food or just food and Gi(a)rlish Number is the dummy guide to voice acting.

Book Review: Crooked House by Agatha Christie

Crooked House by Agatha Christie
My rating: 8 of 10 stars

What a excelent story. Well, that's not correct. It sure is one of my favourite if some parts in the book were kind of dull. But it's that kind of novel that makes you wonder who did it because almost all characters had no motives whatsoever.






<<>>> Read at your own peril. I will reveal the culprit... so...

This was one of the few novels that I discover who the culprit was. Even if at the same time I thought Agatha Christie would not have a child do it.

From the beginning as we are introduced to the characters, knowing Agatha Christie novels as I do, I thought Sophia or Josephine would have done it.

Josephine because it seemed the girl knew everything. But at the same time I thought Agatha was trying to make a 12 year old girl smarter than the police. Maybe an ode to Herself (Agatha)

At the same time I thought Sofia because she had the most motives but at the same time It's not unusual for Agatha put a character who is trying to find out is the criminal as the criminal.

Some characters are just stereotypes and others are just... there.

Charles our main protagonist, fiance of Sophia at the request of his father and Sophia is trying to find the criminal. Sophia and Josephine are the other two good characters. Besides them each and everyone of them are weak.

Brenda is the young wife, and most to gain, because she is inlove with the tutor Laurence.
Magda is a drama queen (probably a critic to those days actors). Clemency is a cold heart scientist (even if she changes a bit). And some character were there only to fill some gaps like Eaustace, Janet Rowe and the Chief Inspector of Scotland Yard.

The finale was my favourite part. I really wanted to know, if Josephine was the killer, what Agatha Christie would do to her. Enjail her? Killer Her? What?

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Anime Review: Gin no Guardian (Spring 2017)

This anime was one of the most disappointed of all season. In the beginning I was really enjoying it. A 12/13m episode and the story was really good.

Basically it was the story of a boy and a girl that play a game and he knew who she was in real life but she didn't. He was some "noble" blood student and he was a boy who work several jobs and homeless. He play using the campus electricity.

I really enjoy that thing because they came together as a good pair. Unfortunally the game they play was destined to be closed down so they try to play as much time as they could. After the game close a new game started and then I thought I lost some episodes and got really confuse about the plot and goal. 

The girl was kidnapped (in real life) and so he had to play that a new game to get her back. But the last 4/5 episodes were really disappointing and made me wonder what a heck was a I watching. At times I thought I wasn't watching the same anime. The anime ended, not at a cliffhanger but really opened wide. Basically there was no "small" ending or something akin to a cliffhanger as to give us hints that a second season is in the making. 

From the creators of To Be Hero I was really disappointed by it. A second season will come, and I will probably watch it BUT it doesn't help on my review. 

(First 6/7 episodes)
Story 6/10
World Building 7/10
Character Building 8/10
Animation/Art 7/10
Sound 8/10
Enjoyment 6/10 

(After the 7th episode)
Story 3/10
World Building 4/10
Character Building 3/10
Animation/Art 7/10
Sound 8/10
Enjoyment 2/10 
Overall 4/10

Anime Review: Shingeki no Kyojin (Attack on Titan) (Season 2) (Spring 2017)

What can I say about an anime that I love the first season? 

This second season felt really short comparing with the first season. I gave the first season a 9 but I must say this season it dropped.

Well let us start.... in the last season we learn that Eren could transform into a titan but also there were others that could do it. We also learn that inside the walls there were "sleeping" titans. Meanwhile they were trying to go to the first wall and try to perceive what Eren was and what could he do.

In this season, I don't know if the problem was putting out only 12 episodes, it felt really short. Okay we found out who was the Armoured Titan and King Titan (or something like that) that broke down the walls in the first city.

So what did this anime gave us besides that? Well we learn that some people came from outside the walls & we also learn that normal people were transformed into titans. We also see a new titan - a monkey kind of titan full of hair.  There were some boring episodes that gave nothing new and basically was Eren and other characters monologues. 
I think they could have done better and maybe condensed those 12 episodes into 7/8 and give us more story. But, that's not what happened. 

In terms of of Art and Sound I can't say much was at fault but I think there are better animes out there. Some 3D animation (the horse's chase) was truly awful.
I still love Mikasa! The only good character this season.

Story 7/10
World Bulding 7/10
Character Bulding 6/10
Animation/Art 7/10
Sound 8/10
Enjoyment 7/10 
Overall 7/10 

In my opinion is a good addition but it really felt short. I didn't had to wait that much but some people waited 4 years and I am afraid those people were not that happy and were eager for more. I think they should have made a 24 episodes second season like the first.

Book Review: X the Unknown by Shaun Hutson

X the Unknown by Shaun Hutson
My rating: 4 of 10 stars

This novel is what it is. It's a three star novel. I like the novel. I can't say it was bad or good because it wasn't. It just... was.

This novel is a remake of a 50's/60's horror novel from the famous Hammer Films. The difference is that it's set on today standard instead of that era.

There are some interesting parts but they are not solid throughout the book. The characterization is only from our main character and the rest characters are cardboard without changes. The female characters are not interesting.

The interesting parts... the effects of that monstrosity on people, on women and their babies and the decision of abortion was well done. The ending and the way they deal with the monster was another good call.

My humble opinion is this. Hammer Films was/is an important filming industry. They are accountable for more than a hundred horror films with importants characters and actors. I really enjoy (even if today standarts outdated) those films. I really want them to achieve what they are after. To re-invent the market of horror.

But in this particular novel I won't advice to anyone. It's a quick read for a train travel throughout the english countryside where this book is set.

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Anime Review: Kabukibu! (Spring 2017)

First of all I am going to say two things in confidence. I already had seen some kabuki in some Japanese movie but didn’t knew the name of “kabuki”. The other thing I wanna say it’s a bit of shameful… when I watch the first two or three episodes I didn’t enjoy it. I thought of giving up.  But I didn’t want to give it up because it dealt with something that that is Japanese history and very particular to them so I made an effort and watched a couple more episodes then stopped. Now at the last end of the month of June I thought – what a heck I am going to finish it off and as I watched I start to enjoy and a feeling of nostalgia and serenity passe

d through me and I watched the last four episodes in one sitting.

What’s this about? Well, as Hinako Note is a dummy guide to theatre Kabuki-bu is a dummy guide to Kabuki; a classical Japanese dance-drama (theatre) – very famous in the old days but since then fell in disuse. Of course there are companies and people who do it but for what I learn with this anime, the people who make them, are usually families that do it for generations like the Circus.

There isn’t much of plot, basically it’s a young boy who watched Kabuki with his grandfather and wanted to make his own school clube and there he meets several people that join him making that dream come true.

There is plenty of comedy on this anime but not over-done as to change our concentration from the making of kabuki to a humor anime.

Since the plot is overly simple, the shows focus on the characters. There are half-dozen of them and all of them are important to the success. In no way Kurogo comes out as a savior or something like that. The backstories of the characters are interesting, but probably reduced to a couple of them. There is some gay character and someone who wanted to be a rockstar and even one boy from Kabuki families that thinks that he is better than everyone else. Oh, there is also a very popular girl who Kurogo convinces her to make Kabuki – supposedly Kabuki is male only club…

About the Art/Sound – Ah… the actors here had to learn about Kabuki because the way they talk is way different than “normal” theatre or so. I really enjoy how they do it.

Story 4/10
World Bulding 7/10
Character Bulding 6/10
Animation/Art 6/10
Sound 8/10
Enjoyment 6/10

Overall 7/10 

Anime Review: Clockword Planet (Spring 2017)

This anime initially look it was going one way then went another. Look at this premise and image.

"One day, a black box suddenly crashed into the house of the high school dropout Naoto Miura. Inside it was a female automaton. The endless cycle of failure and success.
The world that does change and the mankind that does not change. At a time where reality and fantasy are screaming, the encounters of these two make the gears of fate move!"

Basically we follow Naoto Miura a gifted boy and the newly found automaton RyuZU. As the episodes go we get new members to the cast Marie, Halter & Anchor. It's very interesting world (the first two episodes really made a great world bulding. But everything else sucks. 

The pace, the tone shifts in some parts and some Ecchi elements (not that much). Then who the heck is the main antagonist? There is no clear motivation... It felt confuse. The world was built by someone and it’s full of gears and clockwork (but interestingly or not nobody knows how they came to be or how they were put there or how he did it). Probably some god. The 12 episodes could be separated in small arcs within themselves but they are not that interesting or they even don't make that much sense. 

About the characters - well besides Marie and Naoto they don't really matter. Even the automaton RyuZU is almost bland.

In terms of Art, Xebec is an average company but they are also the studio behind the remake of Uchuu Senkan Yamato 2199. The only anime I saw by them was Keijo and I really enjoy the art. Well suffice to say that in that anime the boobs and ass action scenes/art was top-notch - probably better than most hentai out there. On this anime I think it had some interesting use of  CGI but then it failed in other departments. In terms of sound I enjoy the music but everything else it's rather average.

As I said, I really wanted to love the series - It was one of my top 5 anticipating shows of the season but I cannot recommend to anyone. I must say I just finish because I wanted to know where everything was going. And it seems it went nowhere....

Story 3/10
World Bulding 8/10
Character Bulding 4/10
Animation/Art 5/10
Sound 5/10
Enjoyment 3/10 
Overall 3/10 (maybe 4)

Book Review: Cthulhu's Reign by Anthology

Cthulhu's Reign by Darrell Schweitzer
My rating: 4 of 10 stars

It all comes to... Meh!
Some of this stories are good but most are just average to poor.

Lovecraftian theme is about a cosmic horror that is looming over our heads but it's never fulfilled. It's like in those movies that say... "We escaped" and someones replies "For now...". Hopelessness of it all. The not understanding of what's happening and the toll on our usual main character because it's to impossible to bear and insanity takes hold.

Well with that said a book about Cthulhu winning and/or other old ones arrive to conquer our world is against the Lovecraftian theme. BUT I am not so closed minded so let us see... because after all...


I must say the best are the ones that stick to the theme. I am sorry but some of them are quite frankly too... unlovecraftian to my liking. Some of them if you would change the name of the beast/god or whatever is assailing our world to BLARGHT and it should suffice to enter another anthology of great beasts like Fading Light: An Anthology of the Monstrous but I am afraid that they would be between the worse of the lot. I won't be reviewing them all because as I said they are not that good.

"Walker in the Cemetery" by Ian Watson is one of the best of the lot. It has lovecraftian theme and the ending was good (it means it ends badly as most stories within). I enjoy the plot and as they thought that the CERN could be involved in it.

"Spherical Trigonometry" by Japanese writer Ken Asamatsu - This was one odd tale that ended... well even poorly than the tale itself. Angles or curves. This tale idea is from Frank Belknap Long that said that Tindalos come from angles and humankind comes from curves. So what better way to escape them? Built a curve house where everything has curves and not angles. Good idea but not so good execution.

Will Murry - "What brings the void" is a good tale in its own. Shub-Nigurath machines are burning humans. But Why? A man sets his mind to discover (a supposedly govermnent guy). The ending was good. The talking between the being and the human was... not so interesting. Why would Shub talk to him? We are not even rats but parasites infestnig a world. That's why most these stories failed to achieve what lovecraft created. We are worms. We don't talk to worms do we? We barely acknoledge they exist. But okay story nevertheless.

"The new Pauline Corpus" by Matt Cardin is a good theolgican piece of fiction about Christianity and Cthulhu. After all Christ was Cthulhu? Is Jerusalem R'lyeh?

Ghost Dancing by Darrell Schweitzer is another of those tales that make you think how humankind would process with the information about the coming of an unspeakable evil.

The Seals of new R'lyeh by Gregory Frost is good tale with a good twist in the end.

Now we arrive at the best tale of the lot. Brian Stableford's The Holocaust of Ecstasy is very good lovecraftian tale. He is one of my favourite writers out there and once again it prooves why. It's almost a theological / biological debate about the coming of Cthulhu.

But believe me when I say... there are a lot of good anthologies out there. These themed theme was a fiasco in my opinion. The idea behind of lovecraft is what we all know. I am sorry but this anthology didn't convinced. Most stories were simple and futile. Even some that I mention above are weak. I only mention because if I had not I would have a review with two or three tales.

In my opinion - Lovecraft wouldn't have enjoy this anthology.

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