Impression: Mass Effect Redemption Dark Horse comic

Mass Effect Redemption Dark Horse comic Impression

Another massive, popular gaming franchise gets the side-story treatment with Mass Effect: Redemption from Dark Horse comics. This collection bridges the gap from Mass Effect to Mass Effect 2 and with PlayStation 3 owners about to get a taste of the franchise it’s good to get all the story one can. So what’s the deal with Redemption and why should gamer care, let take a look.

The Story – Commander Shepard is dead … or is he? This is a question Dr. Liara T’Sonia looks to answer as she travels to the Terminus Systems and the lawless Omega station. Teaming up with Feron, Liara must deal with the militant Blue Sun, Cerberus and the Collectors all in a race to recover Shepards body and find out exactly what value the body of a hero holds.

The story is very straightforward even with the various factions involved. Liara gets her answers and the stage is set for Mass Effect 2. While it’s a good story it is needed more for those familiar with the franchise. Characters, settings and factions are explained in enough detail but for such a massive game it just feels a bit light. Liara is an annoying character and frustrating as she shows such strength and weakness at the same time. The action does pick up and the pacing is well done but it’s a link in the larger chain the is Commander Shepards story, one where he is pretty absent.

The Design & Art – The cover art is poster perfect but the internal art is, well it’s adequate. This is not art that will blow comic fans away but it’s not bad by any means either. Characters and settings retain the look established in Mass Effect and the level of detail is sufficient it’s just not top level, detailed art. A good looking comic that lets the story shine as the star.

Why Gamers Should Care – Mass Effect fans on Xbox 360 get to learn a bit about the story between the games already enjoyed while PS3 owners can get a taste of what’s to come. Gamers should care because Mass Effect has such a strong storytelling element getting more in comic form is just too sweet to pass on.

Overall Mass Effect: Redemption is a must have for true Mass Effect fans. It’s got decent art with a strong story that bridges the gap from one outstanding game to the next. Comics as well as anime are intertwined with the world of video games so don’t miss out when media such as Redemption presents itself.

Manga for the Beginner Shoujo Impression

Growing up, the aspiring comic artist I was I dabbled in manga style animation thanks in large part to series such as Robotech and Voltron. There were a number of sources to learn such as a Robotech specific comic book format ‘learning’ comic but nothing, nothing on the level of Manga for the Beginner Shoujo by Christopher Hart. Printed with very high quality paper this is not just a learning guide for one of the most popular forms of manga but one heck of a reference guide to the largely female audience shoujo style. So what does Christopher Hart teach aspiring shoujo artist? Let’s take a look

What makes up a great learning and reference book … chapter breakdown time …

Introduction – There’s more than just manga? Yup, shoujo is a very specific type of manga with a targeted audience. Learn about it in this chapter that does a solid job explaining the genre without using examples (thus showing favoritism).

The Shoujo Face – Nine sections that outline the difference in shoujo style faces vs. other manga styles then break down the eyes, profile views of the face, hair, expressions and even hats. A great review and explanation of how to create that unique look that is shoujo.

Female Bodies and Motion – Nailed the head, now time to get the body type right and incorporate the proper pose and overall shoujo look. Five unique sections to get started.

The Shoujo Girls – For the fan-boy in all of us, the breakdown of shoujo character types. Cat-girls, magical girl, tennis player, fairy, sci-fi, evil and a few more types round out nine total girl types. Just as with the previous two sections there are explanations of each section, this time centered around the types of girls. See how to draw the basic body style then fill in detail and gets tons of tips along the way.

The Shoujo Boys – Higher level categories that tackle the young teen, older teen and super-elegant boy types found in shoujo manga. From sporty to fantasy character types the boy get the same breakdown as the girls with detailed explanations. Great counterbalance to the shoujo girls section.

The Key to Successful Drawing – Manga for the Beginner Shoujo doesn’t just show fans how to draw but takes it to a new level with the tips provided. While there have been tips in every section so far they’ve been confined to the subject at hand. This chapter advises on the intricacies of how to make drawings more engaging. Have a character do a secondary action, don’t just walk but walk and talk on a phone. Bring characters to life so all the hard work put into the design of the character is not wasted on them standing around. Great resource that needs to be studied and not just by shoujo artist.

Putting it all Together – In a sense yes, but could also have been called ‘to be continued’. Now that all the intricacies of shoujo manga have been covered it’s really up to the artist to determine the story, settings and layout. This chapter will help with these details by giving tips, not a true blueprint but tips that any artist can find handy.

Overall I loved Manga for the Beginner Shoujo. I no longer fool myself with dreams of being an artist but I do love the genre and this is now one of my favorite reference guides on the genre. Fans of shoujo manga will love the explanations of the genre while those with talent can take their creations to the next level. It’s a great teaching guide Mr. Hart has created and a beautiful reference guide for any manga fan.

Halo: The Fall of Reach Novel Impression

Halo: Reach for the Xbox 360 releasing this Fall will be an epic and monumental gaming experience that puts gamers on Reach as the Covenant move in. Take up the fight as a member of Spartan Noble Team and prepare for sadness. Sadness? Why, well that is where Tor’s release of Eric Nylund’s masterpiece Halo: The Fall of Reach comes into play. Why is the novel The Fall of Reach so important to the upcoming Halo: Reach video game? Let’s take a quick peek at the story then relay why.

The Story: Spartan 117, John. Not the fastest or strongest Spartan but one blessed with amazing luck and skill. Follow John’s tale as Dr. Halsey and a young pilot named Keyes; discover John on a playground, a scouting mission of children that are to become the hope for humanity. Entered into the Spartan II program with seventy four other children, John distinguishes himself and learns teamwork and how to command as well as follow order. Eventually these children undergo the genetic modifications that will make them physically amazing as they also are introduced to their MJOLNIR armor which only a Spartan can handle. Encounters with Insurrectionist and pirates soon earns John the honor of becoming Master Chief then the Covenant attack Harvest and the enemy changes as does the wars stakes. Master Chief is no put in charge of the remaining Spartans on a specially equipped ship The Pillar of Autumn commanded by Captain Keyes. Introduced to the Smart AI Cortana, Master Chief’s plans take a turn for the worse as the Covenant unleash 700 ships on Reach. In order to save the orbital guns Master Chief deploys all but three Spartans, himself included, surface side to save the reactors from the Covenant but will it be enough? Eventually Cortana, Master Chief and the Pillar of Autumn must flee the system only to find themselves face-to-face with a large ring structure in space. The story of Halo begins but what happened planet side to the Spartans left behind?

Why Gamers Should Care: Last sentence folks. It’s no secret that Reach fell to the Covenant but what happened planet side? The novel covers the action in space as Master Chief takes on swarms of Covenant on a space platform but the action, the fate of the remaining Spartans is not covered. Were they lost? Is Master Chief truly the last Spartan? Learning about Master Chief, John, how he and the other Spartans were recruited, trained and came to care for one another will allow gamers to create an emotional bond with the tragic members of Noble Team. While the overall outcome cannot be changed, Reach will fall; victories can still be won against the Covenant. Gamers should care about the Fall of Reach as no matter how amazing Spartans may be they are not faceless soldiers, they are human a fact Eric Nylund establishes for Master Chief and every member of the Spartan project.

Potential Plot Holes: Timing and personnel. How much time did Noble team have planet side? Where are the rest of the Spartans Master Chief sent planet side? Will Reach follow the events of The Fall of Reach? Will John, Master Chief, be mentioned by Noble Teams members? These are a few potential plot holes that one prays are avoided but just add to the intrigue of reading the novel then seeing how the game plays out.

Overall the title The Fall of Reach is a bit misleading. Yes it shows Master Chief’s role, his events while Reach fell but it does not touch on the planet side events or what happened as the Pillar of Autumn departed the system. Having a chance to experience these events in Halo: Reach makes reading, or re-reading Halo: The Fall of Reach all the more enjoyable. So many questions to be answered from both the game and novel. Can’t wait for Reach then pick up a copy of The Fall of Reach and make the wait all the more painful … in a good way.

Dragon Ships: Secret of the Dragon Impression

Poor Skylan. Being young and full of ambition does not always guarantee success and leads to hard lessons learned, if not death. The brash youthful leader seen in Margaret Weis & Tracy Hickman’s Bones of the Dragon is learning that the favored of a god does not guarantee success and many lessons must be learned through hardships and suffering. So where is Skylan on his journey of hardship and discovery … how about in the shackles of a slave …

Secret of the Dragon, what secret do the gods hold that can save mortals left to fend for themselves while their gods battle for their own survival? Skylan’s crew, fresh off their battle on the Dragon Isles now finds itself prisoner to one of their own, the betrayer Raegar. They sail into enemy lands and must serve a very benevolent master who looks to enter these warriors into a game called the Para Dix. Learning the game is not all Skylan will need to learn as he must adapt to serving another while keeping his hopes for freedom alive and burning. He must also recapture the faith of his crew and learn a secret about the Vektia Dragons that could be the salvation of the entire Vindrash nation.

Skylan sees a level of growth that will amaze readers as he is so different from the brash youth seen in Bones of the Dragon. The world is suddenly much, much larger than Skylan could have ever dreamed and journeying with him as he changes in such drastic manners is fun. The other characters around, different parties with their own agendas and a few mysteries make this another fine story and world. Telling more would be a disservice to those waiting to read Secret of the Dragon, just know that this Viking type world is as deep and engaging as Krynn … a bit more realistic even.

Why Should Gamers Care? Why, because these are the folks who helped build the D&D, board game based, stat building game genre to what it is today. For you video game only gamers these are the hobby shops with cool miniatures, multi-sided dye and tons of D&D, Warhammer type posters. The world of Dragonships is deep, engaging and deserving of a video game in the vein of Dragon Age (hint, hint BioWare). The D&D roots of the authors and potential for a truly interactive game world is too much to pass on and the world is still young so get in now before tons of offshoots.

Read the Bones of the Dragon interview with Margaret Weiss & Tracy Hickman

Overall the Dragonships series is shaping up to be a fine a series ever created by any fantasy writer, ever. Yes, it’s that good and pulls together the years, decades, of experience that both Margaret and Tracy have established. The world they have created is so very realistic to human past yet brings to life the fantasy heritage they are known for. The fate of man is influenced by gods but in the end its man who makes the choices and when this fact is paired with the realism brought by Dragonships then the winner is the reader. Gritty hardships await Skylan and his crew but only reading bliss awaits fans of Dragonships.

The Bloodstained Man, Netherworld Book 2 Impression

Heavy Metal Pulp

In Netherworld Book 1 readers were introduced to Detective Rook Venner, a man caught up in a government conspiracy that seems to gravitate to a certain pleasure model he’s protecting. With his life all but forfeit Rook and Plesur go on the run, hunted, and keep learning more about why they are targets and just how big the conspiracy is. As the first story ends the second volume of Heavy Metal Pulp’s Netherworld, The Bloodstained Man, kicks in. How are Rook and Plesur doing? That’s what you have to read for.

Having just seen an ex-presidents head go boom Rook, Plesur and Julia make their escape thanks to an upgraded Plesur. Instantly they look for more names tied to the recently uncovered Taste Imperative, a deadly government secret which the shadowy Sable Ranch will kill to keep secret. While on the run the trio is captured by the Latin gang located in the uninsured wild just outside the city where Rook must fight while Julia puts her unique skills to work. The trio encounters not only Latin gangs and gators but some very finicky robotic kitties. Not all pleasure mods are created equal but a secret underground soon reveals they can be free but is this enough for Rook as his feelings for Plesur grow?

This second volume picks up where the first left off and never misses a beat. The story is frantic; fast paced and cannot be put down once begun. It’s actually a very quick read with tons of comic style pics thrown in to give a visual to the story. It’s not War & Peace but seeing Rook grown closer to Plesur is enjoyable while this huge conspiracy unravels around them. That is the story, Rook on the run and government conspiracy. Nope, it’s not resolved in this volume but if you are a fan of the first book you’ve just got to get Bloodstained Man. My only gripe is the story ends with such a surprise and now I’ve got to wait for volume 3 … dang it all.

The Prisoner Online Graphic Novel Impression

A few years back Konami released two very unique UMD’s for the PSP. These titles for Metal Gear and Silent Hill took the IGN comics and put them on disc, made them very interactive and offered up a unique concept to the gaming public. A success, not really, but worth mentioning when talking about the online graphic novel for The Prisoner. Written and produced by M. Scott Veach with art by Mitchell Breitweiser (Book 1) and Cliff Richards (Book 2), this offering is similar to the above mentioned UMD’s in it’s offering up of unique content tied to another medium. In the case of The Prisoner it’s the AMC miniseries.

I’m not going to try to recap the entire miniseries, just know this; the graphic novel takes place after the events on TV. If you are waiting to watch the series then don’t read the novel, and vice-versa, if you’ve watched the series then don’t wait, jump in and read the graphic novel. So how is it from a story and art standpoint, what about overall interaction? Let’s take a look.

Story – Knowing the mini-series will really help but overall those, like me, new to the franchise can still enjoy this tale. The first chapter does a good job setting the stage and the action begins right away. With all ten chapters already out there is no reason not to dive in and read. The back-story, full of spoilers for the miniseries, will really help before reading so weigh if this is worth ruining. I really like this avenue for rewarding fans of the series with more story that’s free. Similar to what SyFy did with Tokyopop and its Battlestar Galactica manga, not free, but a telling of content not seen in the series.

Art & Interaction – This is where The Prisoner shines. The style is very artistic with all settings and characters grounded in reality … in a sense. The detail is there but brought to life by paints, colors rather than detailed lines and pen/ink shading. This feels like the art see in various IDW novels, such as Metal Gear Solid, not as abstract but very close. Each chapter moves along with a ‘next’ button taking viewers to the next panel where the text appears in order and the action unfolds in appropriate movements based on the panel. Is a character walking, they don’t move their legs but rather slide across the screen. These movements take the still pictures of a comic and bring them to life without true animation. Like I said it’s an experience similar to those seen on UMD.

Bottom line, The Prisoner graphic novel expands on a decent story and uses an art style and interaction style that many video gamers will recognize. Having a free graphic novel online with this quality of art and storytelling is great. It’s not the first to pull this off, nor will it be the last. Check it out and maybe it peaks your interest in the series and gets you into or back into comics and graphic novels. They ain’t for kiddies folks.

Halo: Evolutions Novel Impression

Halo: Evolutions, the latest Halo novel from Tor Press is like an expansion pack for fuller novels already released. These eleven stories are not meant to fill in the gaps of the larger plot points but rather they show different experiences during the Halo wars from the average marine to the iconic Master Chief. Knowledge of the fuller story is beneficial but won’t detract from the full enjoyment of this novel. The short stories break into four sections one which takes a look at the everyday troops, the next the Spartans, third Master Chief and finally one legend and one Covenant well after the conflict ends. Let’s take a look at each story.

Beyond – Think of this as level 1 for the novel. The stories contained cover some of the lower level characters, the grunts and regular troops in the Halo universe.

• Pariah by B.K. Evenson – The story of Soren, a Spartan candidate with an unusual background and end results shows a depth and side of Dr. Halsey not often seen and also shows a side of the Spartan program never talked about. A great story of one who did not become all he was meant to be.
• Stomping on the Heels of a Fuss by Eric Raab – The Brute society is, well brutal, and this isolated pack shows a side of the Halo universe that is gory and repulsing. There are worse things than being killed in battle, just ask the survivors captive to these Brutes. An interesting look into the Brute society and what they are capable of.
• Midnight in the Heart of Midlothian by Frank O’Connor – If not for great sacrifice by individual marines how much sooner would the Covenant have found Earth? That question is answered in part in a story of an ambushed ship and one lone survivor who does his party to keep the Covenant away.
• Dirt by Tobias S. Buckell – As one enlisted Marine, an ODST at that, sits dying he tells his story from his life on Harvest as a farmer to fights with Innies and then the Covenant and eventually a confrontation with his own. This story is excellent and shows so many levels and layers not touched on in any game and mentioned in many novels. This is the true grunt story not to be missed.

Acheron-VII – Two Spartan stories and one about the dreaded Flood. A step up in character profile and one this reader has been wanting as the stories and missions of the Spartans are so riveting.

• Headhunters by Jonathan Goff – Two Spartans, one planet way behind Covenant lines and some good old seeking and destroying. The stories of the non Master Chief Spartans deserve telling and while they all may not end well seeing these incredibly powerful soldiers in action is worth the purchase by itself.
• Blunt Instruments by Fred Van Lente – Speaking of Spartans this team of four finds themselves disrupting an entire Covenant fleet’s energy supply and their help comes from an unexpected source. From two to four, seeing a larger team of Spartans in action shows that the dynamics don’t actually change that much, it’s a well oiled machine of destruction.
• The Mona Lisa by Jeff Vandermeer and Tessa Kum – This tale feels more like a Dead Space or Sci-Fi horror flick than a Halo adventure. The Flood is front and center and the fate of The Mona Lisa is revealed in a nice post-Halo story dealing with the remnants of Halo.

Icon – Master Chief and Cortana; need more be said? Two tales, one for each, both should be familiar to gamers.

• Palace Hotel by Robt McLees – Like playing the first Earth level of Halo 2 but from a narrative standpoint. The best thing about this story is the play between Cortana and Master Chief and a little surprise at the end which gives a glimpse into John’s past.
• Human Weakness by Karen Traviss – Gravemind vs. Cortana. She was broken down and stripped of so much of what she is but seeing how the battle plays out, not this is a well told story.

Connectivity – An interesting section as the story of Cole and The Return don’t share much in common other than they enjoy ability.

• The Impossible Life and the Possible Death of Preston J. Cole by Eric Nylund – Told in a very unique manner this collection of mission reports, letters to family and speculation is an investigation into the life and mysterious end of the legendary Preston J. Cole. The universe is a big place, so big even a legend could hide if he wanted too.
• The Return by Kevin Grace – This tale of a lone Elite Shipmaster is essentially the only true Covenant story. The greatest part of this story is the ending which leaves a very big question mark on ‘what if’ the Shipmaster succeeds in what he’s searching for? It could mean more games, novels, toys … the point is of every story this is the most open ended for the franchise a very interesting read.

Overall Halo: Evolutions offers some great story telling. The way each tale is told is reflective of the variety of players that have made the Halo universe so successful. From an enlisted grunts tale as he dies to the legendary Preston J. Cole, all angles are explored from the first Halo through Halo 3. Pieces of the game feel fleshed out, pieces of prior novels explained a bit more. Gaps are filled in, information revealed but it’s all done in a manner that stands by itself as a read, not needing to have the background. The few pieces of included artwork beg for coloring as they are pretty, oh so pretty.

Bottom line, Halo fans need to get this novel for its short and excellent stories that span the whole of the Halo universe from start to finish.

Pleasure Model Impression

Heavy Metal invokes memories of magazines with insane art, buff and bare ladies and men set in fantasy settings as well as one VHS at Blockbuster which housed a series of animated stories set in this same universe. Heavy Metal was that which a child of my age should not have seen but which is burned into my mind. Now as an adult I get to experience that first impression all over again with Pleasure Model from Tor which falls under the new Heave Metal Pulp: Netherworld Book 1 (whew!) heading. The story is written by Christopher Rowley with cover art by Gregory Manchess and interior art by Justin Norman. As I read Pleasure Model I was treated to a few characteristics which reminded me of my first encounters with Heavy Metal but left with an impression of having read a combination of Blade Runner and CSI. Let’s take a look at the story then head back to examination.

Rook has seen a lot of strange cases but his latest involving the murder of a high-ranking, former military commander will top any experience he’s ever had. While the murder seems fairly straight forward the discovery of an illegal pleasure mod as well as the strong arm tactics of some government agencies, Rook begins to think this murder was anything but. As his life is put into the cross hairs his suspicions are confirmed in a very explosive way. As Rook finds himself on the run with Plesur, the genetically grown, child-like pleasure mod, he must rely on friends old and new to stay alive long enough to unlock the secrets within Plesur. Hidden friends in the government, enemies in high-places with advanced weapons is just the beginning of what Rook must deal with, not to mention his growing feelings for Plesur.

The cover art fits in perfect with what Heavy Metal is known for. It’s erotic, seductive and menacing all at the same time. The internal art which breaks up the copy and chapters nicely, is just begging for its own fully fleshed out comics. The style gives readers just enough to form the entire Pleasure Model world and enhance the reading experience. The story is well told and follows a flow that only a murder can put into motion. Rook is an ordinary cop put into an extraordinary situation. The technology of the future from Rook’s very smart Nokia to internally implanted chips hints at a world much, much different than our own, yet containing the same wants and desires. What I’m getting at is this is our world in the future, almost a time before what’s seen in a film like Bladerunner. The sexual encounters, fetish encounters and settings all speak to what Heavy Metal is all about but this book is deeper, much deeper than just smut. The story is engaging, mystery just waiting to be solved and the conspiracy deep, so deep in fact this book is just the beginning.

Pleasure Model is not going to set any new standards in writing, but it does what it’s supposed to, and does it well. Reader get a fast paced action packed story that goes into the underbelly of society in a technological future where any fantasy or desire is possible down to genetically engineered mods. Rook’s adventure will hook readers are the mystery is more than half the fun, as is the budding emotions of Plesur … and just when it all gets really good, well you’ll just have to read to know what I’m talking about.

Isis novel Impression

Beware what you wish for, it may come true. A lesson that Iris Villiers learns in the novella Isis by Douglas Clegg with illustrations by Glenn Chadbourne. What makes this novel unique is readers don’t have to, well read, to enjoy the story or the art. All they need to do is search online for Isis Spot the Difference and a number of sites will come up and readers can experience this supernatural tale in an entirely new manner. First a look at the novel then the game.

Iris Villiers lives with her mother, twin older brothers Spence and Harvey. She rarely sees her father who’s a war trader or her oldest brother Lewis. Due to their father’s absence and the war the family is sent to live with her grandfather, whom she and Harvey nickname the Gray Minister. They live in Belerion Hall which has a history, a history both real and supernatural. As Harvey and Iris learn of these tales from Old Marsh, the gardener, they joke and jest at the possibility of them being reality. Isolated in this dreary manor Harvey and Iris become close as twins. They perform daring trapeze acts in their minds and share a bond which Spence cannot fathom in all his wickedness, a wickedness which reveals itself in his dealings with the tutor Edyth. As tragedy approaches Iris must recall the tale of Isis, a play her family performed, as the raising of the dead becomes a very real possibility.

There are major story points missing from the above for a purpose, that being not to ruin what is an excellent read. At just over 100 pages with illustrations sprinkled throughout this tale of tragedy feels perfect for the big screen, a stirring tale of another time where a lost loved one is wished for with all the proper intentions but none of the desired results. The stories told by Old Marsh become very real for Iris and the play of Isis which both she and Harvey took part in, becomes more than a play. Clegg takes readers on a journey both dark and chilling. Now the online game, just find it and listen to the music, it’s as chilling as the tale it illustrates. Finding the differences in each image is of course the object but upon playing once take time to go back and study, enjoy these fully colored images as they show the haunted tale which Clegg weaves.

Both the novella and the online game can be enjoyed separated but put them together and the flavor is more robust and enjoyable than the separated parts. While not the first game of its type, not by a long shot, what Isis does is gives readers another interaction with a too short novel (a good thing, great read) and gives gamers a reason to get off the computer and pick up a book.

Darkness Calls Novel Impression

Anime fans familiar with the movie Wicked City (and novel) the story of Maxine Kiss in Darkness Calls will feel like a distant cousin never met, one both familiar yet very different. Marjorie M. Liu has crafted a heroine that is herself flawed in a world that is our own, separated from a greater evil by a thin prison veil. Maxine is not some grand champion but another player with a possibly larger role than she can comprehend. So what is Darkness Calls all about … let’s take a peek …

Maxine Kiss is a hunter. Her weapons are not rifles or cross bows. Here prey is not of the furry nature, which is the furry normal nature. Maxine hunts zombies, ghouls and other things that go bump in the night … or day. Her weapons begin with her boys, demons bonded and bound to Maxine’s dwindling bloodline of hunters what go back centuries. From sundown to sunup Maxine’s boys awaken and move in and out of the shadows helping her dispatch those nasty things her mother taught her to hunt. During the day she is covered in living tattoos which protect her as Zee and the boys sleep. Maxine also wields a unique ring which is slowly growing over her hand and arm and allows her to summon a sword. The exact nature of this charm is not fully known as she found it in the Labyrinth, an in-between place she was once trapped in. These are just a few details about Maxine’s appearance, abnormal yes, but nothing compared to her day-to-day trials. Hunting is easy, being hunted, not so much and it’s here that Maxine finds herself as a vengeful Avatar toys and manipulates her and those she is close to including Old Jack and Grant, a man much more a friend to Maxine and one possessing a lineage himself both powerful and deadly. Maxine finds herself on the run, with Grant, rescuing Grant, from this Mr. King and it’s their confrontation to which Maxine much push her full effort while dealing with the reality that the prison veil surrounding the world is slowly failing. The zombies and others beasties fought are just insects compared to the horrors that wait to invade earth and all that stands between them is Maxine and the boys. Nobody said the family business would be easy.

Quick summary but to the point. Maxine is a hunter with extraordinary powers. She is Witchblade, Wicked City and Buffy all rolled into one. This is actually the second novel for Maxine and from the summary above you can see where she got into trouble killing an Avatar in the first novel. So what is so intriguing about Maxine, especially for guys who may not read a paranormal romance? First she is badass, something its proven guys dig as seen the above mentioned titles. She controls a power passed down by blood that feels pulled from Buffy or Angel and she’s not too bad on the eyes. Second her ‘boy toy’ Grant is no pushover. Yes, he needs to be rescued but his latent powers, what he really shows a beast is waiting to be unleashed. Their relationship does not interfere with the story or provoke images of Fabio, just two folks getting it on in a normal, paranormal kinda way. Third it’s got zombies, werewolves, monsters and more. Yeah, there are tons of beasties for Maxine to fight and she does not go all Lifestyle on us either, nope, she embraces the slaughter at times. Fourth, she is flawed, has family issues, issues with her place in life, she is normal in her wants and needs. Maxine is not some above-us-all hero, in fact she just wants to be normal at times.

So there are a few quick reasons any reader should care. Witchblade, Buffy, Angel, Wicked City all share things in common with Maxine but the way author Marjorie M. Liu writes is so unique. As a reader you will be able to smell, taste, and feel what Maxine is going through. The descriptive writing invoked by Marjorie’s pen (or keyboard) leaves nothing to the imagination and challenges the notion that a picture is worth a thousand words. A thousand of Marjorie’s words is worth volumes of pictures. This was the first Maxine Kiss novel I’ve read and while I missed on story points it’s not tough to pick up on, it’s also not the end. I cannot say what will happen with Maxine, the story moves along at a nice clip, is full of action and character development while ending to satisfaction and leaving the next chapter to be written. Fans of the above mentioned titles should take a look, it’s an excellent read.