A Review of “The Legend of Oz: The Wicked West”
“The Legend of Oz: The Wicked West” is an action packed retelling of the original Wizard of Oz tale, but with a western theme. Landscapes filled with plateaus and mesas, along with magenta colored skies give authenticity to the setting. The creators do a wonderful job of blending in traditional elements of Oz. Familiar cornfields and the remnants of a certain yellow-brick road are also in place.
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A Review of Terry Brooks, “Armageddon’s Children”
“Armageddon’s Children” by Terry Brooks is a memorable novel for many reasons. It’s book one of the Genesis of Shannara series which bridges the Word and Void stories with his Shannara tales. Armageddon’s Children takes place on the decimated North American continent. Under the influence of the Void’s demons, humanity has plunged the world into anarchy and war.
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"Salem Brownstone" By John Harris Dunning & Nikhil Singh
Salem Brownstone” by John Harris Dunning & Nikhil Singh is a stylized graphic novel. The tale centers on Salem Brownstone, a young man who has adopted a mansion from his deceased father. Salem begins to explore the mansion and gradually uncovers the truth about his father. Jedediah Brownstone struggled against The Dark Elders of Mu’brick: a race of shadowy beings seeking a magic artifact now in Salem’s possession.
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Review of "Rex Mundi: The Guardian of the Temple"
“Rex Mundi: The Guardian of the Temple” written by Arvid Nelson and illustrated by Eric J is an impressive graphic novel. The story takes place in Paris. The year is 1933, but with the backdrop of a revisionist past. Avrid Nelson’s France along with all of Europe is still ruled by monarchies. The Ottoman and Holy Roman empires still exist. Guilds and knightly orders exert influence on society, while sorcery is very real and policed by the Church. All these themes are flawlessly interwoven. Despite the factual and historical differences, the tale feels like it takes place in 1930’s Paris.
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"House of Leaves" by Mark Z. Danielewski
“House of Leaves” by Mark Z. Danielewski is jarringly unconventional and instills a deep sense of dread within its readers. Through the use of elaborate text arrangement, numerous footnotes, (some referencing non-existent books), and multiple narrators – Danielewski creates a dark and disorientating tale.
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My Review of Stieg Larsson’s “The Girl Who Played with Fire”
![the-girl-who-played-with-fire[1]](http://www.jasonzapata.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/the-girl-who-played-with-fire1-150x150.jpg "the-girl-who-played-with-fire[1]")
“The Girl Who Played with Fire” is Stieg Larsson’s sequel to “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.” The story is an enthralling murder/mystery starring the series dynamic protagonist – Lisbeth Salander. In this installment Lisbeth is faced with a deadly enemy from her past named Zala and blamed for the murder of two Journalists. The murder victims were working with Mikael Blomkvist to expose perpetrators of Sweden’s sex trade. Blomkvist owes his life to Salander. He adamantly believes in her innocence – even as the country is inundated with headlines proclaiming her a psychotic killer.
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My Review of "Wicked: The Life and Times of The Wicked Witch of the West"
Gregory Maguire’s “Wicked” is a victory in revisionist fictional writing. The novel is based on the origins of the Wicked Witch of the West. The author takes his time in establishing his interpretation of OZ. In wonderful detail we are told of the different races such as the Munchkin Landers, Quadlings, and Arjiki. Maguire even goes so far as to create a volatile political climate. The Wizard of Oz is portrayed as a cruel dictator determined to strip away the rights of Animals (not to be confused with animals). These are talking beasts who strive to be first class citizens. But the real fulcrum on which this story rests is the complicated character of Elphaba – who eventually becomes the infamous Wicked Witch of the West.
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Pillars of the Earth
“Pillars of the Earth” by Ken Follett is without a doubt one of the most impressive novels I’ve read in a long time. With the background of Medieval Europe, this period specific piece centers on the building of a cathedral in the sleepy village of Kingsbridge. The author does a marvelous job depicting medieval Europe. Readers see the squalor of the peasantry, the barbarity of armored men, and the machinations of the ruling class. The buildings come to life as well. Mr. Follett’s descriptions of the period specific architecture and buildings are very accurate. But what makes this epic so powerful is the cast of memorable characters whose often volatile interactions center on the cathedral’s construction.
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My Review of Gabrielle Charbonnet’s and James Patterson’s "Witch and Wizard"
James Patterson’s new novel, “Witch and Wizard” is intriguing to me conceptually. The story is based on two siblings named Whit and Wisty Allgood. Average teenagers living with their parents until the day their home is raided by the New Order. The brother and sister are accused of practicing magic by this oppressive new regime of the federal government that has come to power. Under the leadership of “The One Who Is The One”, they seek to imprison and execute all practitioners of magic.
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My review of "Angel Time" by Anne Rice
“Angel Time,” by Anne Rice is a departure from her previous work. In the past Anne’s characters struggled with the fact that their very existences were unredeemable. Characters like Lestat struggled against their innate evil, but were doomed to live with it. This new novel reflects Anne’s Christian conversion and offers her protagonist salvation. This is a surprising change for those who follow Anne’s work.
My Review of Brom’s, "The Child Thief"
“The Child Thief” is Brom’s third major publication and first full length novel. Having read Brom’s previous work “The Plucker”, I was excited to hear about his dark retelling of the classic Peter Pan Myth. When I got my hands on the novel itself, I was very surprised. This wasn’t an illustrated story like “The Devil’s Rose” or “The Plucker”, but a true full length novel. As usual the story is illustrated, but the art takes a back seat for the writing with this venture.
My Review of Alice Sebold’s, "The Lovely Bones"
“The Lovely Bones,” by Alice Sebold is a beautifully written drama. This was a difficult piece of work to write well. Child rape and murder was not an easy subject for the author to base the novel on. The unique approach Sebold took to writing this story makes it not just bearable to read, but a rewarding experience.
