30 Eylül 2012 Pazar

The Seventh Seal (1957)

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Director: Ingmar Bergman
Starring: Max Von Sydow, Gunnar Bjornstand, Bengt Ekerot, Nils Poppe, Bibi Andersson
Certificate: 8.3
Genre: Drama, Fantasy
Awards: None

The Seventh Seal is a Norwegian film that takes place during the black plague. A Knight from the crusades returns home where he meets death and challenges him to a game of chess. If he wins, he gets to live. During the breaks in their chess game, he and his squire meet other characters who all have their own views on life and death. The knight is anxious to know if god exists before his time is up.

The Seventh seal is very symbolic and shows how you cannot win against death and that it is not fair. A lot of it probably went straight over my head as it is very philosophical. But unlike The Tree Of Life, it has a story to go with it. The film has great characters with a wide array of personalities. There is a sense of humour in parts which stop it from getting too depressing. Death strikes a very powerful character, dressed all in black. I would have liked to see more of him in the film all the best scenes have his character looming over the other characters.

This is a film to watch. Definitely. It's still known as a brilliant film today- more than fifty years later. I would like to watch it again to understand it better.

****Good

Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure (1989)

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Director: Stephen Herek
Starring: Keanu Reeves, Alex Winter, George Carlin
Certificate: PG
Genre: Comedy, Sci Fi
Awards: None

Bill S Preston (Winter) and Ted Logan (Reeves) are two school slackers who dream of creating a band - even though neither of them know how to play an instrument. What they don't know is that they will become prophets in the future. Due to this, a man from the future named Rufus (Carlin) goes back in time in order to give them his time machine so that they can past their history test - because if they don't pass their test, the future can never come true as Ted will be sent to military school.

Most of Bill and Ted's comedy is focused on the two main characters. The way they speak and act in different scenarios make the film extremely amusing. The characters are surfer dudes who are not very bright. The portrayal of all the different famous people in history is also rather funny.

****Good

Fargo (1996)

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Directors: Joel Coen, Ethan Coen
Starring: William H. Macy, Frances McDormand, Steve Buscemi, Peter Stormare
Certificate: 18
Genre: Crime, Thriller
Awards: Best actress McDormand, Best original screenplay

Fargo is the Coen brothers's dark comedy. Jerry Lundegard (H. Macy) is a shoddy car salesman who needs money. He therefore hatches a plan where he hires two men (Buscemi, Stormare) to kidnap his wife so that his father-in-law will pay the ransom and therefore give him the money he needs. But the plan goes wrong when the hired kidnappers end up murdering people, calling in heavily pregnant, homicide cop Marge Gunderson (McDormand).

Fargo paints a pitch black picture but adds humour, Mostly from Steve Buscemi. Buscemi steals the show as loudmouth criminal Carl. He breaks the dark moments of the film with outbursts of genius dialogue. This is definitely my favourite Coen brothers film so far.

*****Brilliant

Apocalypse Now (1979)

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Director: Frances Ford Coppola
Starring: Martin Sheen, Sam Bottoms, Frederic Forest, Robert Duvall, Albert Hall, Laurence Fishburne, Marlon Brando, Dennis Hopper, Harrison Ford
Certificate: 15
Genre: War
Awards: Best Cinematography, Best Sound

Apocalypse Now follows Captain Benjamin Willard (Sheen) who has been assigned to assassinate an insane colonel Kurtz (Brando) during the Vietnam war. On his way to the madman, he encounters others who are fighting the war and questions whether Kurtz is more insane than anyone else.

Apocalypse Now seems like a road trip from hell. It's eerie atmosphere and sickening colours makes it look like a drug induced dream. It has a feeling of horror and despair entwined within the multiple characters and scenarios. Plus it has a brilliant soundtrack of The Doors and The Rolling Stones.

To be blunt, Apocalypse Now is one of the weirdest films you will ever see. I find it is a film that you appreciate more than enjoy. It is amazingly made and has enormous talent. But it is just so strange...

****Good

The Sorcerers Apprentice (2010)

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Director: Jon Turteltaub
Starring: Jay Baruchel, Nicholas Cage, Alfred Molina, Teresa Palmer, Toby Kebbell
Certificate: PG
Genre: Action, Adventure
Awards:  None

When Dave (Baruchel) was just a kid, he met a wizard named Balthasar (Cage) and accidentally trapped him and his mortal enemy for ten years. The event scarred him for life and - when he finally gets over the ordeal - the wizards return and now he is the only one who can stop the evil Morgana from returning. Now he has to get the girl and save the world...

Despite the formulaic plot, The Sorcerers Apprentice pulls it off by adding humour to the mixture. This film is genuinely funny - mostly thanks to Baruchel's wit and Kebbell's stupidity. It's by no means perfect. The plot is predictable but Nicholas Cage does well as a grizzled wizard who has seen it all. If you want a light hearted action flick, give this one a go.

****Good

29 Eylül 2012 Cumartesi

Blue Moon Spectacular

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In case you haven't heard, August 2012 is Blue Moon Month. The first full moon occurred on August 1, 2012 and the next full moon (the actually blue moon) will appear on August 31, 2012. The next year of double blue moons is coming up in January and March of 2018.

Another definition of blue moon is seasonal.If a season has four full moons, then the third full moon may be called a Blue Moon. The next blue moon by this definition will fall on August 21, 2013.

The term "blue moon" actually refers to the rarity of multiple full moons within a single month or year. Hence the term, "once in a blue moon." You can find more information about blue moons below:


  • Infoplease: Blue Moon Myths, Facts History, and Dates
  • Sky and Telescope: What's a Blue Moon?
  • Washington Post: Blue moon and Sturgeon moon in August 2012


Review: Trinity Blood (2005)

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Trinity Blood (2005) is a Japanese science fiction anime that takes place in a futuristic setting where there is peaceful co-existence between vampires (Methuselah) and humans (Terrans) in the post-Armageddon era. This show contains 24 episodes.

The Methuselahs are a major political and military force who continue to wage war on the "Terrans," as they call the human inhabitants of Earth. The Vatican, based in Rome, is a major military power determined to protect humans from major enemies. The Methuselahs have their capital in Byzantium, which is surrounded by a field of particles to filter out UV radiation, thus protecting the Methuselah population.

In order to protect the humans from the Methuselah, the Vatican has to rely on other allies to counter the situation. The protagonist, a priest called Peter Abel Nightroad, travels through the countries as a representative for the Vatican. However, he is also part of "Ax", a special operations group controlled by the Cardinal Catherina. Abel's secret identity is feared among the vampire population: he is a Crusnik, a genetically-engineered vampire who drinks the blood of other vampires.

Meanwhile, an unknown rising power, the Rozen Kreuz, threatens to disturb the peaceful co-existence and bring about another apocalypse. When an independent kingdom loses their beloved Queen, actions are taken quickly to find the "Star of Hope" who can restore order and peace between the Terrans and Methuselahs. Abel's encounter with a young girl called Esther and his quest to find his missing twin brother, Cain, will also determine the future of Earth.

Many years ago, I was excited to watch this series on television stations like Cartoon Network (aka Adult Swim). But somewhere long the way I got busy with schoolwork and had to set aside this show. Fast forward almost six years later, I have finally finished this anime. Trinity Blood is both entertaining and mysterious. The creator used extensive research to develop a future that weaves smoothly both religion and the supernatural.

The idea of a vampire that feeds on other vampires is a new concept. Abel, who wants to atone for his sins from the Armageddon era, has the absent-minded professor appearance but can turn into a blood-sucking intimidating power in his Crusnik form. As a representative for the Vatican, Abel is able to use his position to search for the Star of Hope and investigate the whereabouts of his missing twin brother, Cain. The action is intense and filled with religious metaphors. Nevertheless, I thought the ending seemed incomplete because Abel never found happiness. His journey still continues...to defeat Cain.

I still recommend this anime for fans who like a science fiction twist about vampires. When the author, Sunao Yoshida, died unexpectedly of a lung blockage in 2004, his friends and family pushed for this popular story to become an anime adaptation. Their efforts paid off very well. The music is also fantastic (BUCK-TICK also sang the opening theme for Nightwalker: Midnight Detective.) Enjoy the show!


Opening Theme: "Dress (BLOODY TRINITY MIX) by BUCK-TICK


Ending Theme: "Broken Wings" by Tomoko Tane

Review: Storm Front (The Dresden Files #1)

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Harry Dresden -- Wizard: Lost items Found. Paranormal Investigations. Consulting. Advice. Reasonable Rates. No love potions, Endless Purses, or Other Entertainment.

Storm Front, by Jim Butcher, is the first novel in the Dresden Files series. The novel centers around the protagonist, Harry Dresden, a trained wizard private investigator and consultant to the Chicago Police Department. Whenever the police has a case that involves supernatural elements, they come to him for answers. When the police seek Harry's assistance in a double homicide committed with the most blatant forms of black magic, it is his job to investigate who is the new wizard in town and why are witnesses dropping dead like scenes from a horror film. Meanwhile, he must also prove his innocence in front of the wizard council who are always looking for a legitimate reason to execute him for good. Can Harry defeat the black magic before it attacks his friends and eventually consumes his soul?

After many recommendations from friends, I finally decided to take on the Dresden Files. It is hard to believe Butcher has been writing this series since 2000. Storm Front was a delightful novel. Harry Dresden is a sympathetic character who struggles with human world realities but has the courage and stamina to protect friends. He is a real wizard who trained and . I look forward to other supernatural adventures he encounters as a private investigator. No longer seen as the black sheep within the wizard community, Dresden can look forward to the future. Of course, I certainly have a lot of catching up to do within the next year. Lastly, I always like to read a paranormal novel based in Chicago because I completed my undergraduate studies in the Windy City. I love to recollect my alma mater memories.

Stay tuned for the next novel in the Dresden Files, Fool Moon.

The Stir: Top 10 Sexiest Vampires of All Time

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Check out this list of the top ten sexiest vampires of all time from The Stir. It lists actors and actresses from popular TV shows and movies in the 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s. Ah, the memories.

Sure they have the power to break your bones with one squeeze, or send you into the world of the undead with a quick nip to the neck, but it's hard to resist the sexual prowess of vampires. Here are 10 vamps we'd totally fang bang...


Lost Girl Third Season Premieres January 2013

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Looking for a supernatural show loosely similar to Blood Ties (2007)? I highly recommend Lost Girl , the popular Canadian fantasy show about a sexy succubus who learns how to juggle both fae politics and life as a private investigator in the human world. From the Huffington Post:

Good news for fans of the Fae: The Huffington Post has exclusively learned that Syfy has renewed "Lost Girl" for a third season, which will arrive on the network in January 2013.

Canadian fans may already be aware that the frisky drama, which chronicles life in an underground community called the Fae, had been renewed north of the border several months ago, but the Syfy renewal means that American "Lost Girl" fans won't be left behind as the 13-episode third season unfolds.

The 22-episode second season of "Lost Girl," which stars Anna Silk as a succubus named Bo, is currently airing on Syfy on Mondays, but as of July 20, the supernatural drama is moving to Fridays at 10 p.m. ET.


And here is the rest of it.

28 Eylül 2012 Cuma

Graphic Novel Review: Star Wars Knight Errant vol 2 - Deluge

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Alone, deep behind enemy lines, Jedi Knight Kerra Holt has a new plan - liberate her homeworld from the Sith! But when her arrival on the planet coincides with an ambush from a Hutt mastermind, her daring rescue quickly starts looking like a suicide mission. That is, until a legion of Republic starfighters arrive, stopping the Hutt and the Sith dead in their tracks! With new allies comes a chance to go on the offensive. Unfortunately, Kerra will soon learn that the only thing worse than underestimating a Hutt is placing her trust where it isn't deserved!


I was a huge fan of the Knight Errant novel by John Jackson Miller (it's one of my favorite novels from last year) and enjoyed reading the first volume collection of the comic (which takes place before the book, but I read it after), but I was wary going into Deluge. I've been disappointed by some comics recently (Star Wars and others), and I really hoped that this one would live up to my expectations. I needn't have been concerned - I'm not sure if I've ever been disappointed in Miller's comics (his Knights of the Old Republic series is some of the best Star Wars comics to be found), and this was no less compelling than anything else I've read from him.

Kerra is such a well rounded character, trying to keep optimistic in an overwhelmingly dark universe. I've described it as such before, but this is a time in the Star Wars universe before the rise of the Repiblic as seen in the movies - like the Dark Ages on Earth. The Sith Empire has fragmented and Kerra is a lone Jedi way behind enemy lines, trying to help the people who suffer under various Sith Lords. Her homeworld has been enslaved, both by a Sith despot and by a drug which has sapped all the will out of most of its inhabitants. Just as Kerra begins to despair that she won't be able to help her own people, a group of starfighters from Republic space shows up to help. Kerra quickly joins them, forming a bond with their leader, a woman named Jenn.

Meanwhile, a Hutt has moved in looking to become the head of a crime syndicate in Sith space, with the Lords reporting to him. But he can only hope to control them by proving he is more powerful than they are - and he intends to do so by using a powerful weapon on Kerra's homeworld - one which can flood the entire planet by forcing all the moisture out of the air. Kerra and Jenn will team up to bring down this Hutt, but Jenn has her own agenda of revenge as well as a secret plot to ensure the Sith continue to wallow in their own misery and never gain enough of an advantage to attack the Republic again - at any cost.

There are so many things I loved about this comic. Despire Jenn's ulterior motive, she was a very likable character, and made for a great counter-point to Kerra. They worked very well together, moreso than I think any of her previous partners in earlier stories did. She also comes around in the end, making for a very Star Wars feel to the arc of her character, kind of a Han Solo type. She's dashing and rogue-like, and even when she was doing the wrong thing I found myself rooting for her. I hope to see her return to the comic again in the future.

Kerra herself was less serious this time around, enjoying the fact that she had new friends and real starfighter again. Sure things go badly, and one of her oldest friends seems hopelessly addicted to the drug Deluge, but no matter what she doesn't give up hope. Miller's Sith are some of the best to be found in the Star Wars universe - completely insane, believing in their own godhood, and surrounding themselves with lackies who completely buy into it as well.

The artwork in this comic was great, there's almost a hint of anime to it (I'd almost say at times it has the look of Robotech, even with some of the uniform choices for the pilots from the Republic), and while there were some issues that I think were slightly better than others, the overall book doesn't suffer from drastic differences despite the changing artist (which I only realized after finishing the book and looking for the artist's name - because I liked the work so much). I've seen in the past Miller mention that he likes to have a hand in the design of the ships in this comic, and if that has continued here I commend him and the artists involved - there's a whole array of great looking ships in this book that all look like they belong in the Star Wars universe.

Knight Errant in general is a very approachable book in any of it's forms - you do not need to have read volume 1 of the comic in order to read volume 2, and each book (both comics and novel) are all worthwhile. These are the kinds of stories that anyone who has enjoyed the movies or TV show can enjoy, without feeling overwhelmed by the amount of material you might need to read in order to get "caught up". No need here, start where you like and read what you want - it's all very enjoyable and highly recommended.

Items Received

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Misfits: Season One

After being sentenced to six weeks of community service, five ne'er-do-well teenagers discover that a freak storm has given them superpowers. But they soon learn they're not the only ones who've been given strange -- even dangerous -- new abilities.






The Art of The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien by J. R. R. Tolkien, Wayne G. Hammond (Editor), Christina Scull (Editor)

J.R.R. Tolkien’s complete artwork for The Hobbit, presented for the first time in celebration of the 75th anniversary

When J.R.R. Tolkien wrote The Hobbit, he was already an accomplished amateur artist, and drew illustrations for his book while it was still in manuscript. The Hobbit as first printed had ten black-and-white pictures, two maps, and binding and dust jacket designs by its author. Later, Tolkien also painted five scenes for color plates, which comprise some of his best work. His illustrations for The Hobbit add an extra dimension to that remarkable book, and have long influenced how readers imagine Bilbo Baggins and his world.

Written and edited by leading Tolkien experts Wayne G. Hammond and Christina Scull, The Art of The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien showcases the complete artwork created by the author for his story—including related pictures, more than one hundred sketches, drawings, paintings, maps, and plans. Some of these images are published here for the first time, others for the first time in color, allowing Tolkien’s Hobbit pictures to be seen completely and more vividly than ever before.



Between Two Fires by Christopher Buehlman

And Lucifer said: “Let us rise against Him now in all our numbers, and pull the walls of heaven down…”

The year is 1348. Thomas, a disgraced knight, has found a young girl alone in a dead Norman village. An orphan of the Black Death, and an almost unnerving picture of innocence, she tells Thomas that plague is only part of a larger cataclysm—that the fallen angels under Lucifer are rising in a second war on heaven, and that the world of men has fallen behind the lines of conflict.

Is it delirium or is it faith? She believes she has seen the angels of God. She believes the righteous dead speak to her in dreams. And now she has convinced the faithless Thomas to shepherd her across a depraved landscape to Avignon. There, she tells Thomas, she will fulfill her mission: to confront the evil that has devastated the earth, and to restore to this betrayed, murderous knight the nobility and hope of salvation he long abandoned.

As hell unleashes its wrath, and as the true nature of the girl is revealed, Thomas will find himself on a macabre battleground of angels and demons, saints, and the risen dead, and in the midst of a desperate struggle for nothing less than the soul of man.



Blood Zero Sky by J. Gabriel Gates (Digital ARC)

Unprofitables are banished to work camps to pay off their credit. Other tie-men and women look on apathetically. Fair is fair. Everyone knows you shouldn't use more credit than you are worth to the Company. They turn their attention to the next repackaged but highly coveted N-Corp product on the market, creatively advertised on the imager screens that adorn virtually every available flat surface. All the while, their mandatory cross-implants and wrist-worn "ICs" keep them focused on the endless cycle of work and consumption to which they are enslaved.

May Fields—the CEO's daughter—would like to believe she is above all that. Head of N-Corp's marketing team, the young woman who has almost everything anyone could want spends her days dreaming up ingenious ways to make workers buy more of what they already have and don't need. Even before May discovers that the Company is headed for its first loss in thirty years, she is feeling the stirrings of dissatisfaction with the system that has given her everything she's ever wanted . . . except the freedom to be herself.

When she is kidnapped by a member of the Protectorate—a secret order dating back to the American Revolution—May is suddenly faced with the frightening truth of what the Company's greed has done to our most basic human rights. Will she embrace who she is and join the battle to restore America's democratic freedom, or put her blinders back on and return to her safe and passionless life?

More prediction than fiction, Blood Zero Sky is a riveting, nonstop, and suspenseful gaze into the looking glass, destined to rise with the zeitgeist of our times to become the anthem of a generation.



Clean by Alex Hughes (Digital ARC)


A RUTHLESS KILLER—
OUT OF SIGHT, OUT OF MIND

I used to work for the Telepath’s Guild before they kicked me out for a drug habit that wasn’t entirely my fault. Now I work for the cops, helping Homicide Detective Isabella Cherabino put killers behind bars.

My ability to get inside the twisted minds of suspects makes me the best interrogator in the department. But the normals keep me on a short leash. When the Tech Wars ripped the world apart, the Guild stepped up to save it. But they had to get scary to do it—real scary.

Now the cops don’t trust the telepaths, the Guild doesn’t trust me, a serial killer is stalking the city—and I’m aching for a fix. But I need to solve this case. Fast. I’ve just had a vision of the future: I’m the next to die.


Tears in Rain by Rosa Montero

Death is inevitable. Especially when you have an expiration date.

As a replicant, or “techno-human,” Detective Bruna Husky knows two things: humans bioengineered her to perform dangerous, undesirable tasks; and she has just ten years on the United States of Earth before her body automatically self-destructs. But with “anti-techno” rage on the rise and a rash of premature deaths striking her fellow replicants, she may have even less time than she originally thought.

Investigating the mysterious deaths, Bruna delves into the fractious, violent history shared by humans and replicants, and struggles to engage the society that fails to understand her — yet created her. The deeper she gets, the deadlier her work becomes as she uncovers a vast, terrifying conspiracy bent on changing the very course of the world. But even as the darkness of her reality closes in, Bruna clings fiercely to life.



The Vampire Combat Manual: A Guide to Fighting the Bloodthirsty Undead by Roger Ma

WHEN DARKNESS FALLS… WHEN THE UNDEAD RISE WITH A HUNGER FOR BLOOD… WHEN THE HUNT IS ON—AND YOU ARE THE PREY… WILL YOU BE READY?

In the inevitable event of a vampire attack, the average citizen will be forced to engage in vicious hand-to-hand combat. To avoid serious injury, disfigurement, or death by exsanguination, you need to know the proper combat strategies and techniques to ward off a stronger, faster, more agile undead opponent looking to drain the life from your body. Are you prepared? With detailed illustrations and firsthand accounts from vampire combat veterans—as well as interviews with actual members of the undead—this manual provides you with the information you need to survive with your life and blood supply intact, including:

• Debunking myths, i.e.: vampire flight, animal metamorphosis, physical attraction to humans
• Crafting the most lethal vampire weapons from everyday materials
• The pros—and cons—of decapitation
• Weaponizing Ultraviolet (UV) light against an undead opponent
• Using the Domicile Histodiscordant Reaction (DHR), otherwise known as “The Vampire Invitation,” to your advantage
• Solo attacks, team-based combat, and much more…

The Vampire Combat Manual is your indispensable key to survival, whether in a one-on-one battle for blood or a face-off against multiple attackers. Don’t wait until the sun goes down—prepare yourself now!



The Lost Stars: Tarnished Knight by Jack Campbell

Jack Campbell’s The Lost Fleet series delivers “military science fiction at its best”* in every action-packed adventure. Now the New York Times bestselling author puts the Alliance fleet’s enemy in the spotlight as the people of the Syndicate Worlds attempt to rebuild their lives after Admiral John “Black Jack” Geary defeated them…

The authority of the Syndicate Worlds’ government is crumbling. Civil war and rebellion are breaking out in many star systems despite the Syndic government’s brutal attempts to suppress disorder. Midway is one of those star systems, and leaders there must decide whether to remain loyal to the old order or fight for something new.

CEO Artur Drakon has been betrayed. The Syndic government failed to protect its citizens from both the Alliance and the alien enigmas. With a cadre of loyal soldiers under his command, Drakon launches a battle for control of the Midway Star System—assisted by an ally he’s unsure he can trust…

CEO Gwen Iceni was exiled to Midway because she wasn’t ruthless enough in the eyes of her superiors. She’s made them regret their assessment by commandeering some of the warships at Midway and attacking the remaining ships still loyal to the Syndicate empire. Iceni declares independence for the Midway Star System on behalf of the people while staying in charge as “President.” But while she controls the mobile fleet, she has no choice but to rely on “General” Drakon’s ground forces to keep the peace planet-side…



Dark Storm (Carpathian) by Christine Feehan

Awakening after all this time in a world of absolute darkness and oppressive heat, Dax wonders in how many ways the world above must have changed. But it is how he has changed that fills him with dread and loathing. Buried alive for hundreds of years in a volcano in the Carpathian Mountains, Dax fears that he has become the full-fledged abomination that every Carpathian male fears, a victim of the insidious evil that has crept relentlessly into his mind and body over the centuries.

But there are some things that never change.

His name is Mitro, the vampire Dax had hunted all these long centuries. Second in command to the prince of the Carpathian people he is the epitome of everything malevolent, and perpetrator of one of the most shocking killing sprees known to man—and beast. Even his friends and family weren’t safe from Mitro’s bloodlust. Neither was Mitro’s lifemate, Arabejila, an extraordinary woman with extraordinary gifts.

But now that Dax has re-emerged, so too has Mitro. The ultimate battle between good and evil has been re-engaged. Between Dax and Mitro, a violent game has begun—one that has marked Riley Parker, the last descendent of Arabejila, as the reward.

Cry Wolf (Alpha & Omega, Book 1) by Patricia Briggs, David Lawrence (Adapted by), Todd Herman (Illustrator)

Patricia Briggs, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Mercy Thompson novels, “always enchants her readers" (Lynn Viehl). Now her Alpha and Omega series—set in a world of shifting shapes, loyalties, and passions—comes vividly to life in this collection of four comic books based on Cry Wolf, the first book in the series.

Anna never knew werewolves existed, until the night she survived a violent attack…and became one herself. After three years at the bottom of the pack, she’s learned to keep her head down and never, ever trust dominant males. Then Charles Cornick, the enforcer—and son—of the leader of the North American werewolves, came into her life.

Charles insists that not only is Anna his mate, but she is also a rare and valued Omega wolf. And it is Anna’s inner strength and calming presence that will prove invaluable as she and Charles go on the hunt in search of a rogue werewolf—a creature bound in magic so dark that it could threaten all the pack…

Dark Light of Day by Jill Archer

Armageddon is over. The demons won. And yet somehow…the world has continued. Survivors worship patron demons under a draconian system of tributes and rules. These laws keep the demons from warring among themselves, and the world from slipping back into chaos.
Noon Onyx grew up on the banks of the river Lethe, the daughter of a prominent politician, and a descendant of Lucifer’s warlords. Noon has a secret: She was born with waning magic, the dark, destructive, fiery power that is used to control demons and maintain the delicate peace among them. But a woman with waning magic is unheard of, and some would consider her an abomination.

Noon is summoned to attend St. Lucifer’s, a school of demon law. She must decide whether to declare her powers there…or to attempt to continue hiding them, knowing the price for doing so may be death. And once she meets the forbiddingly powerful Ari Carmine—who suspects Noon is harboring magic as deadly as his own—Noon realizes there may be more at stake than just her life.



Ghosts of Memories by Barb Hendee

With her vampire protector Philip Branté and their human companion Wade Sheffield, a former police psychologist, Eleisha Clevon searches the world for isolated vampires—and offers them sanctuary. She wants to provide a home where she can teach them to follow the Four Laws that will protect them and their kind.

But not all vampires want to live by anyone’s rules but their own. Christian Lefevre has been posing a psychic, catering to the upper crust of Seattle society by making contact with their dead loved ones—and leaving his clients faint and weak after each encounter. Now Eleisha must confront the most deadly predator she has ever faced—or lose everything she has fought to protect…



Personal Demon by Susan Sizemore

Vampire Enforcer Christopher Bell is in Chicago to investigate rumors of a revolution, but when he comes across vampire hunter Ivy Bailey being followed through dark streets, what he finds is a ghost from his past. Over a century ago, Christopher fought the vicious London serial killer Jack the Ripper—and won. But now, the Ripper’s tainted soul is back—on the hunt once more.




Sand Witches in the Hamptons by Celia Jerome

Successful graphic novelist Willow Tate is a Visualizer, able to draw beings from the Otherworld—home to trolls and elves, night mares and bird fish, and many other fantastical beings—and “draw” them into our world. Somehow they all seem to end up in the weird little town of Paumanok Harbor, nestled in the popular Hamptons region of Long I sland.

As if Willow didn’t have enough problems coping with all these Otherworld visitors, now she has a stalker, her doom-seer father has a secret, and Paumanok Harbor has Otherworld sand-stealers. Willow has bodyguards but absolutely no idea how to solve any of these problems in time for Halloween, when the local witches hold their annual gathering on the beach—if any beach is left by then. Good thing she has the handsome, loving, local vet Matt to come to her assistance.



Blood Winter by Diana Pharaoh Francis

Winter is coming to Montana, and Shadowblade warrior Max is expecting trouble. People are hoarding everything. They are banding together, many flocking to the congregation of Benjamin Sterling, a fire-and-brimstone preacher. A charismatic cult leader who claims to be the Hand of God, he’s determined to create a human utopia and destroy all magic, starting with witches.

Unbeknownst to him, the "divine" voice he’s been hearing isn’t God but a demon that feeds on hate, death, and destruction. Conducting terrible, bloody ceremonies to boost his own power and that of the demon riding him, Savage starts a war between his congregants and the city. The preacher is the perfect puppet for the demon’s ambitions, and Max and her people at Horngate are all that stand in his way. They are woefully unprepared, but courage, loyalty, and friendship are powerful forces—and Max doesn’t like to lose.


The Demoness of Waking Dreams by Stephanie ChongEx-cop Brandon Clarkson is an angel with an edge. His tough exterior is the perfect camouflage for his job—hunting down the most dangerous criminals on earth. A self-reliant and demanding lone wolf, Brandon is the perfect angel to track and capture demoness Luciana Rossetti.

Beneath the surface of Luciana's cool, green-eyed beauty lurks the heart of a malevolent killer. In the winding streets of Venice, she lures Brandon into her dark world of pleasure.

They are perfectly matched. Angel and demon. Man and woman. But only one can win the battle of wills, of strength and of desire.



Alchemystic  by Anton Strout
AN OLD FRIEND OF THE FAMILY…

Alexandra Belarus is a struggling artist living in New York City, even though her family is rich in real estate, including a towering Gothic Gramercy Park building built by her great-great-grandfather. But the truth of her bloodline is revealed when she is attacked on the street and saved by an inhumanly powerful winged figure. A figure who knows the Belarus name…

Lexi’s great-great-grandfather was a Spellmason—an artisan who could work magic on stone. But in his day, dark forces conspired against him and his, so he left a spell of protection on his family. Now that Lexi is in danger, the spell has awoken her ancestor’s most trusted and fearsome creation: a gargoyle named Stanis.

Lexi and Stanis are equally surprised to find themselves bound to each other. But as they learn to work together, they realize that only united can they save the city they both love…

Flash Point by Nancy Kress
Reality TV meets a chillingly realistic version of America—and the fame game is on!

Amy had dreams of going to college, until the Collapse destroyed the economy and her future. Now she is desperate for any job that will help support her terminally ill grandmother and rebellious younger sister. When she finds herself in the running for a slot on a new reality TV show, she signs on the dotted line, despite her misgivings. And she's right to have them. TLN's Who Knows People, Baby—You? has an irresistible premise: correctly predict what the teenage cast will do in a crisis and win millions. But the network has pulled strings to make it work, using everything from 24/7 hidden cameras to life-threatening technology to flat-out rigging. Worse, every time the ratings slip, TLN ups the ante. Soon Amy is fighting for her life—on and off camera.



Redoubt by Mercedes Lackey
Mags, a young Herald trainee in Haven, the capital city of Valdemar, has very rare talents. Recognising this, the King's Own Herald trains Mags as a spy, tasking him with uncovering the secrets of a mysterious new enemy who has taken an interest in Mags himself. Why is an even deeper mystery. The answers can only be found in the depths of Mags' past, if he survives long enough to find them.




Lust for Life by Jeri Smith-Ready

EVERYONE’S OUT FOR BLOOD—HERS

Ciara’s con-artist parents taught her three keys to survival: keep low, keep quiet, and most of all, keep moving. But managing WVMP, the Lifeblood of Rock ’n’ Roll—not to mention becoming a vampire herself—has kept her in one place long enough to fall madly in love, adopt an undead dog . . .

. . . and make more enemies than she can shake a stake at.

A psychotic DJ, a wanna-be necromancer, and a posse of vengeful hippies would all love to see Ciara get her day in the sun—literally. To protect Ciara, her fiancé, Shane, has traded his flannel shirt and guitar for a flak jacket and crossbow. If she survives to walk down the aisle, will she recognize the man waiting at the altar?

In this final chapter of the award-winning WVMP RADIO series, Ciara must decide who to trust, whom to love—and whom to kill.



Wrayth by Philippa Ballantine
In the Empire of Arkaym, the Order of Deacons protects and shelters the citizens from the attacks of the unliving. All are sworn to fight the evil forces of the geists—and to keep the world safe from the power of the Otherside…

Although she is one of the most powerful Deacons in the Order, Sorcha Faris is still unable to move or speak after her last battle. Even her partner, Merrick Chambers, cannot reach her through their shared Bond. Yet there are those who still fear Sorcha and the mystery of her hidden past.

Meanwhile, Merrick has been asked to investigate a new member of the Emperor’s Court. But when Sorcha is abducted by men seeking Raed Rossin, the shapeshifting rival to the throne, Merrick must choose where his loyalties lie.



The Clockwork Sky, Volume One by Madeleine Rosca

From the award-winning creator of Hollow Fields comes the start of an all new, steampunk adventure trilogy!

London, 1895: Riots in the streets!

Erasmus Croach’s miraculous factory, Ember, has flooded London with steampowered automatons. The already suffering working class take to the streets to protest the jobs lost to these machines, and to quell the riot, Captain Thorn of Scotland Yard calls in Ember’s latest and greatest creation, the automatic police boy, Sky!

Meanwhile, Sally Peppers, Croach’s headstrong and brilliant niece, dreams of a life beyond manners and marriageability. When she escapes her overbearing governess on a motorized velocipede and joins a no-rules road rally through the slums, Croach sends Sky to bring her back, preferably alive.

Together, the impulsive Sally and the naive Sky crash headlong into a mystery involving rogue automatons prowling the sewers, children disappearing without a trace, and a dark secret so big it could overturn all of London. But the biggest mystery of all is why Sky is the first robot who can dream....



Edge of Oblivion by J.T. Geissinger

In a dark underground cell, Morgan Montgomery waits to die. A member of the Ikati, an ancient tribe of shape-shifters, Morgan stands convicted of treason. And Ikati law clearly spells out her fate: death to all who dare betray.

But there is a glimmer of hope. Thanks to her friendship with Jenna, the new queen of the Ikati, Morgan has one last chance to prove her loyalty. She must discover and infiltrate the headquarters of the Expurgari, the Ikati’s ancient enemy, so they can be destroyed once and for all. The catch? She has only a fortnight to complete her mission and will be accompanied by Xander Luna, the tribe's most feared enforcer. If Morgan fails, her life is forfeit. Because Xander is as lethal as he is loyal, and no one—not even this beautiful, passionate renegade—will distract him from his mission. But as the pair races across Europe into the heart of Italy, the attraction blooming between them becomes undeniable. Suddenly more than justice is at stake: so is love.

Sensual, thrilling, and action-packed, Edge of Oblivion will enthrall readers with nail-biting suspense and heart-pounding passion.



The Golden Door by Emily Rodda

The start of a stirring fantasy trilogy from Emily Rodda, the internationally bestselling author of Dragons of Deltora!

The walled city of Weld is under attck from ferocious flying creatures that raid in the night, bringing death and destruction. The Warden calls for Volunteers to find and destroy the Enemy sending invaders, and the heroes of Weld answer the call one by one, never to return. Rye is oficially too young to go, but his brothers are among the lost and he must find them. What terrors await him beyond the Wall?

Legends of the Dragonrealm: Shade by Richard A. Knaak

New York Times bestselling author Richard A. Knaak’s unforgettable Legends of the Dragonrealm series continues with this spellbinding tale of a powerful sorcerer trapped in a purgatory of his own making.

Survivor of a once-mighty race of sorcerers, the spellcaster known to those of the Dragonrealm simply as Shade struggles to find an end to the curse he brought upon himself millennia ago in his hope to escape death . . . and worse. Instead of immortality, he was condemned to an endless series of lives alternating between darkness and light, with “death” only resurrecting him over and over. His blurred features and unstable but terrible powers a threat to friend and foe alike, the hooded sorcerer must defy not only those who would manipulate him, but also his very self. Worse, he must do so always aware that even the land itself may have sinister designs upon him. . . .




Incarnation by Emma Cornwall

In the steampunk world of Victorian London, a beautiful vampire seeks out the author of Dracula–to set the record straight . . .

If one is to believe Bram Stoker’s legendary vampire tale, Lucy Weston is Dracula’s most wanton creation, a sexual creature of the night who preys on innocent boys. But the real-life Lucy is nothing like her fictional counterpart—and she demands to know why the Victorian author deliberately lied. With Stoker’s reluctant help, she’s determined to track down the very fiend who transformed her—from the sensual underworld where humans vie to become vampires, to a hidden cell beneath a temple to madness, and finally into the glittering Crystal Palace where death reigns supreme.

Haunted by fragmentary memories of her lost life and love, Lucy must battle her thirst for blood as she struggles to stop a catastrophic war that will doom vampires and humans alike. Ultimately, she must make a choice that illuminates for her—and for us—what it means to be human.


Clockwork Angels: The Novel By Kevin J. Anderson and Neil Peart

A remarkable collaboration that is unprecedented in its scope and realization, this exquisitely wrought novel represents an artistic project between the bestselling science fiction author Kevin J. Anderson and the multiplatinum rock band Rush. The newest album by Rush, Clockwork Angels, sets forth a story in Neil Peart’s lyrics that has been expanded by him and Anderson into this epic novel. In a young man’s quest to follow his dreams, he is caught between the grandiose forces of order and chaos. He travels across a lavish and colorful world of steampunk and alchemy with lost cities, pirates, anarchists, exotic carnivals, and a rigid Watchmaker who imposes precision on every aspect of daily life. The mind-bending story is complemented with rich paintings by the five-time Juno Award winner for Best Album Design, Hugh Syme.


The Rise of Ransom City by Felix Gilman

This is the story Harry Ransom. If you know his name it’s most likely as the inventor of the Ransom Process, a stroke of genius that changed the world.

Or you may have read about how he lost the battle of Jasper City, or won it, depending on where you stand in matters of politics.

Friends called him Hal or Harry, or by one of a half-dozen aliases, of which he had more than any honest man should. He often went by Professor Harry Ransom, and though he never had anything you might call a formal education, he definitely earned it.

If you’re reading this in the future, Ransom City must be a great and glittering metropolis by now, with a big bronze statue of Harry Ransom in a park somewhere. You might be standing on its sidewalk and not wonder in the least of how it grew to its current glory. Well, here is its story, full of adventure and intrigue. And it all starts with the day that old Harry Ransom crossed paths with Liv Alverhyusen and John Creedmoor, two fugitives running from the Line, amidst a war with no end.



Black Bottle by Anthony Huso

Dark and rich, epic in scope, with Black Bottle Anthony Huso has crafted a fantasy like no other, teeming with unthinkable horrors and stylish wonders.

Tabloids sold in the Duchy of Stonehold claim that the High King, Caliph Howl, has been raised from the dead. His consort, Sena Iilool, both blamed and celebrated for this act, finds that a macabre cult has sprung up around her.

As this news spreads, Stonehold—long considered unimportant—comes to the attention of the emperors in the southern countries. They have learned that the seed of Sena’s immense power lies in an occult book, and they are eager to claim it for their own.

Desperate to protect his people from the southern threat, Caliph is drawn into a summit of the world’s leaders despite the knowledge that it is a trap. As Sena’s bizarre actions threaten to unravel the summit, Caliph watches her slip through his fingers into madness.

But is it really madness? Sena is playing a dangerous game of strategy and deceit as she attempts to outwit a force that has spent millennia preparing for this day. Caliph is the only connection left to her former life, but it’s his blood that Sena needs to see her plans through to their explosive finish.