I just finished playing Fantasian Neo Dimension

I just finished playing Fantasian Neo Dimension.

Made by Hironobu Sakaguchi, the Father of FINAL FANTASY, Fantasian Neo Dimension is one the longest and most addictive RPG games I have ever played; to the point that I actually delayed fighting the Final Boss because I did not want the story to end. And what a story it was! Turn-based-combat RPGs with multiverses are not new concepts for me in literature or gaming, yet Hironobu Sakaguchi pushed the limits with this one – creating something utterly unique. Traversing every corner of not one but several worlds in a grand quest that began with Leo's total case of amnesia and ended with them safe from Vam's emotion-and-life-draining Mechteria and Jas' goal of ending Chaos to reach the state of Zero. The lesson of course being that even Gods – or those who call themselves such – cannot stand against the overwhelming power of human emotion. Or just emotion period, given Jas' and Vam's motives.

The game really has everything one would want both from overall plotline to individual character stories perspective; the old guard of RPGs with a new coat of paint, as it were. I will not say more for fear of spoilers, for why would I rob others of such an epic interdimensional voyage?

That said, I WILL say this. The Void Realms quests say lvl 65 is needed for the Lower Void Realm and 85 for the Middle, and the guide confirms it. THIS IS FALSE. I bested the Lower with my team in the lvl 58-60 range and the Middle in 63-65. It can absolutely be done if you are tactical (and are willing to do the Lower a couple times after the first round). (I heard the Upper can be beat at 68 instead of 99, but have not confirmed it.) This is, by the way, very useful as the extra levels plus being able to upgrade one's equipment makes the Final Boss worlds easier. Seriously, I beat it on the second try.

Now I merely wish it was not over. New life is born aboard the sandship Uzra as Leo and co. are of on a new adventure to realms unexplored. I can only hope for a sequel, as I like tantalizing loose ends tied up.

Farewell and happy journeys to Leo & Kina, Princess Cheryl of the Queendom of Vibra, Ez, Zinikr & Valrika, Prickle and Clicker, and Tan, with a special thanks to Queen Cynthana.

Quote of the month

"One of the biggest ways people get caught up with listening is when they hear something they don't agree with. Our gut response is to think, "Well that's wrong" and stop listening. The key to listening is not agreeing with what the other person is saying, but rather understanding why they feel the way they do. Part of listening is going deeper into the understanding of what they're feeling." - Mark Rosewater

New Covers for The Dragonkin Legacy

Getting that Perfect Book Cover is no easy task in general, mush less for an indie author such as myself and I have posted various iterations on this mostly humble blog. Now, however, I believe I am quite satisfied with the results.

Click the image the view the series on Amazon. Tis also available at Barnes & Noble.

The Dragonkin Legacy Omnibus FREE for FIVE DAYS

My book The Dragonkin Legacy Omnibus is FREE on Kindle for FIVE DAYS on Amazon, starting today and ending on August 5th.

“An enthralling epic teeming with valor, camaraderie, and searing battles.” – Kirkus Reviews
“À la Ursula K. Le Guin’s Earthsea saga.” – BlueInk Reviews

The Dragonkin were slain long ago. Yet they are humanity’s only hope.

The Dragonkin are gone – slaughtered to extinction in an ancient genocidal war, leaving humanity to rule the shattered Archipelago of Cynnahu. Now, millennia later, a prophecy unfolds, declaring that five – Traveler, Orphan, Survivor, Student, and Lord – shall save, or fail to save, the Archipelago in humanity’s Last War against the mireborn of Nag Isle.

Sakura’s life is shattered when her family is slaughtered and her home isle destroyed; now orphaned and homeless, she seeks vengeance. Myrriden is a weary mage and devoted single father drawn into a war he never wanted. Emrys, his nervous son, fears he will never live up to his father’s name. Volcan is the enigmatic Fire Mage whose past and powers remain a mystery. And Archmage Hoth, their unflappable leader, carries the weight of countless lives upon his shoulders.

Guided by a riddle unearthed from a mage’s tomb, the five race through a world of swords, spells, and forgotten scrolls to rediscover the Elder Song – the lost magic of the Dragonkin and humanity’s only hope. But time is their greatest foe. As war spreads across land and sea, they must uncover secrets deliberately erased from humanity’s past and reunite the scattered Song before the forces that predate human rule in Cynnahu rise again. Only three things are certain: the past is not dead, where swords fail scrolls may prevail, and humanity stands on the edge of extinction.

My father and I just finished reading The Firework-Maker's Daughter by Sir Philip Pullman

My father and I just finished reading The Firework-Maker's Daughter by Sir Philip Pullman.

A charming, whimsical, and terribly short tale of courage, talent, and luck whose real lesson is that the best artists put love into each piece. I cannot help but feel that Pullman used this book to channel the wisdom of a quote of his, "children are not less intelligent than adults; what they are is less informed," for it shows the danger of not telling children what they need to know, of societal expectations thwarting their very real passions and desires. But Lila, daughter of Lalchand, would not be thwarted by anyone, the fire in her heart and those of her friends enough to overcome all challenges for ludicrous to lethal. From the Grotto of the Fire-Fiend Razvani to a most explosive and beautiful competition.

Farewell and be well Lila, Lalchand, Chulak, and Hamlet the white elephant.

Avatar: Seven Havens - Official Teaser

"If anyone is to blame for the state of the world, it is me. I should have seen this war coming and prevented it. You inherited my problems and my mistakes. But I believe you are destined to redeem me and save the world." - Avatar Roku to Aang
I get the feeling Korra may end up saying something similar to Pavi. Bottom line, looks like Korra is Seven Havens' Roku: an Avatar who failed to prevent the disaster that shaped the current world. Roku failed to prevent the 100 Years War, and Korra failed to stop...whatever this is. That said, Korra only saved the world a few times previously - and I am a LOK fan to my dying day. On a side note, please notice that Korra has grey hair; meaning that this apocalypse occurred likely fifty years or so after the end of Legend of Korra. Pretty impressive considering the sheer number constantly trying to kill her.

“Humanity is not ready for the Avatar’s return. And yet, it’s the one thing this world needs the most.”

Personally I feel very ready and eagerly await October 9th. I am also desperately hoping that Korra's name is redeemed. Speaking of, I heard a very convincing argument on twitter/X: Korra fans and haters sincerely believing the obvious misdirection set up of all time is so baffling. "Korra isn't the reason the world ended, she's the reason there's anything left of it at all" is so obviously going to be the big twist that it almost doesn't even qualify as one

I have started The Shadow of What Was Lost, Book One of The Licanius Trilogy by James Islington

I have started The Shadow of What Was Lost, Book One of The Licanius Trilogy by James Islington.

We all need to go back to our roots and passions, which for me amount to the same thing: Epic Fantasy in the tradition of Tolkien. So what better way than a series hailed as the next Wheel of Time? Powerful praise, and interesting given that The Licanius Trilogy is eleven books shorter than the justly named American Tolkien's heavyweight, but if the Rhapsody Trilogy of Elizabeth Haydon's Symphony of Ages could accomplish the same thing (at least in my mind) then I am ready to jump in. So begins the journey of Davain, whose forbidden powers of the fallen formerly ruling Augurs will... well, if The Wheel of Time is the point of reference... cause nothing short of apocalyptic war as a ancient foe rises while political intrigue hinders most everything. A perfectly relaxing summer read (though doubtless this series will outlast the summer).

I have finished Dreams Lie Beneath by Rebecca Ross

I have finished Dreams Lie Beneath by Rebecca Ross.

Thus ends the curse set by the betrayed Duke of Seren, freeing the realm of Azenor and letting the diaspora of mountain folk return to the city of Ulla and the fortress in the clouds. The price? Everything  Clementine Madigan believed about her life and a fundamental change in future plans. A resurrection of the ancient betrayal turned terribly ironic yet utterly stellar considering how everything turned out. For dreams are as necessary as forgiveness, ambition and greed the bane of trust and love, no nightmare cannot be defeated, and no stone heart can forever endure; just ask Brin of Stonefall.

So ends another Fantasy with a setting based upon Victorian England and, like the others, twas wonderful. Filled with passion, secrets, betrayals, and magicians wearing cravats and top-hats. Dream-taxes and facing down literal nightmares was a new yet delightful twist I shall not soon forget.

Long lives and happy dreams to Clem and Phelan, Olivette and Nura, Ambrose and Sigourney, Imonie, Mr. Wolfe, and Mazarine.

My father and I just finished rereading Enchanted Glass by Diana Wynne Jones

My father and I just finished rereading Enchanted Glass by Diana Wynne Jones.

Per typical Jones, simple seeming writing belies a plot that gradually grows thick as a vegetable patch with secrets both familial and magical that, by the ending, blooms into a hornets' nest of chaos and mind-bending complexity. There is a reason why the Garth Nix says of it "a great book from Diana Wynne Jones, which means, of course, another classic British fantasy. I loved it." You, and the characters, may have to take your glasses off to see Jones paying tribute to another great British author, but more I cannot say for fear of spoilers. Will say, however, that there is never a dull moment at Melstone House and its field-of-care, which encapsulates so much of Jones' trademark humor.

Happy days to Andrew Hope & Stashe, Aidan Cain, Tarquin, Rolf, Groil, Shaun, Trixie, and the unrelated Mr. and Mrs. Stock.

Repost: Redwall

Given how long I have been doing this mostly humble blog, it feels wrong that I should post a great piece then we never see it again. So here is a re-post of one of my favorites:

The Redwall series by Brian Jacques: one of the most notable Fantasies in the genre not just for its length of 22 books, but also for its animal cast of characters centered around the peaceful sanctuary that is Redwall Abbey. Well, ideally peaceful were it not for its turbulent history both past and present in an Epic Fantasy world that fills the mundane with wonder.

Redwall has long held a special place it my heart not because I read it but, ironically, because I watched it – the first, third, and sixth books forming the Redwall animated series that, as subsequent research revealed, is a more than worthy adaptation. 

So worthy that, having watched it as a small child, what scattered memories I had of it stuck out and year after year returned to me until, finally, I sought out and found it again online. A touching tale, perhaps, but now that personal history it out of the way one can delve into what makes Brian Jacque's work (both in ink and on screen) so evocative. Three elements that build upon and support one another: rhyming riddles, a true warrior code of peace, and limited magic of the subtlest kind.

The Tapestry of Martin the Warrior

Tomb of Abbess Germaine

Beginning with the first – and I am going to try my level best to avoid spoilers here – are the rhyming riddles left by long dead creatures to guide their decedents and/or spiritual heirs. Martin the Warrior for example, Redwall's greatest hero, is only slight less mighty in death as he was in life as his spirit often acts as a guide to creatures of the Abbey, usually its future Warriors, Abbots, and Abbesses. Generally, he appears in dreams and will present the young creature with a riddle or puzzle of some sort that they must solve in order to survive or save a friend. The quote I will note, however, is from Abbess Germaine, one of Redwall's founders and formerly the last Abbess of Loamhedge Abbey. As aforesaid, I am trying to avoid spoilers, so suffice to say that the ancient mouse left this to held future generations find the exact location of Loamhedge Abbey should they need it (which they did):

"Those who wish to challenge fate,
to a jumbled shout walk strait.
Sunset fires in dexteree,
Find where Loamhedge used to be.
At the high place near the skies,
Look for other watchful eyes.
Sleep not ‘neath the darkpine trees,
Be on your guard, take not your ease.
Voyage when the daylight dims,
Danger in the water swims.
Make no sound with spear or sword,
Lest you wake the Longtail Horde
Shades of creatures who have died,
Bones of warriors who have tried.
Shrink not from the barren land,
Look below from where you stand.
This is where a stone may fall and make no sound at all.
Those who cross and live to tell,
See the badger and the bell.
Face the lord who points the way,
After noon on summers day,
Death will open up its grave.

Who goes there . . . ? None but the brave."

This may sound convoluted but, believe me that it outlines the dangers of a certain rescue mission fairly well. Read (or watch) Mattimeo to learn more.

Moving right along, here one of the best quotes I have heard in a long time. Simple yet deep and wise on multiple levels, epitomizing the morally of the High Fantasy as well as Redwall's true warrior code of peace:
"Always use the sword to stand for good and right, never do a thing you would be ashamed of, but never let your heart rule your mind." - Brian Jacques

Finally, the use of magic in the series at large is quite limited. Recall how in The Lord of the Rings one does not see Gandalf casting a lot of spells or throwing fireballs; rather, when danger comes Gandalf draws Glamdring (his sword). Yet there is still a steady presence of magic in Middle-earth, subtle yet bright, clear, and elegant. Much the same in true in the Redwall series, mostly in the form of Martin's spirit, though there are other examples such as the crow Mangiz being a successful seer. Granted that this magic is technically even more limited than that which Tolkien employs, yet its presence, elegance, and potent role in the story is no less.

Quote of the month

"When does a hero's journey begin? 

The moment you step outside the safety of your home? 

Or when you realize the fight has just begun? 

Is is when you comprehend how small you are compared to the vastness that threatens to destroy you? 

When did you learn that the journey isn't a lonely road,

and you didn't have to face the darkness alone? 

Lesser souls lose heart and lay down their swords.

But a champion risks everything for the greater good. 

Take comfort in this: True heroes never die."

- Erebos

Tell me again why Darth Vader wore the mask and not the Emperor

Tell me again why Darth Vader wore the mask and not the Emperor (Darth Sidious). I understand the need for a breathing apparatus, but, in the end, Palpatine's face was just as, if not more, ugly. Yes, I know it was the only way to keep Vader alive – but Sidious could have given the Medusa a run for her money.

I have started Dreams Lie Beneath by Rebecca Ross

I have started Dreams Lie Beneath by Rebecca Ross.

Fell dreams can be scary enough, but when the ancient curse of a betrayed Duke brings them to life once a month...that is what one calls a true nightmare. Add magicians tasked with defending the realm of Azenor fighting over territory, at least one of whom has good looks and bad enough manners to challenge Clementine's father, and Clem's life is about become something truly undreamt of. Still, adversity tis the parent of progress and every curse can be broken. If revenge can be set aside, secrets overcome, and more artistic forms of magic used, of course, plus maybe a rather revealing mirror in a creepy mansion. All I know is that any Fantasy reader knows the power of dreams in the genre, so a book built upon them...

I have finished Verity Vox and the Curse of Foxfire by Don Martin

I have finished Verity Vox and the Curse of Foxfire by Don Martin.

"Everything wants," as is said, for that is the stuff of how contracts are made. Yet deals run two ways and Verity Vox, witch-in-training, found more than she bargained for in the Appalachian town of Foxfire next to a mountain that was old when the moon was young and holds a power within desired by the fell magician Earl who plays by no rulebook humanity wrote. But never had he faced an adversary such as Verity, whose courage and wit, songs and lore, awoke the mountain and freed the town once more.

An utter delight and delightfully whimsical book, Verity and the rules of witchcraft stole my heart within the first pages and never let go. A tale of community that overcomes years of hardship against a terrible inhuman force and finding love amidst such desolation. Is there a better ending than riding and flying off into the sunset? A bit of a cliché, but perfect in my mind. Not that it be a true ending, as I learned that this is Book 1 of the The Verity Vox Series, so no goodbyes this time. Verity Vox, Jack-Be-Nimble, Tacita Tarry, Gilly & Earnest, Mae and Del Miller, I will be seeing you all again in less than a year.

3rd grade alchemists

I wrote this on my personal facebook four years ago today and, looking at it, cannot think why I did not post it here. So I shall now correct that error:

"Never thought I would say this, but I think a few of the 3rd grader may be reading too much Fantasy. Yes, I actually just said that and only partly in jest 🤫 See, a girl had a nosebleed today and naturally a drop of blood hit the blacktop, so what do the other girls do when their friend is taken in to get cleaned up? They instantly used chalk to draw alchemical symbols around the drop of blood as if it were a blood magic altar!"

Seriously, who starts these rumors?

So a student comes up to me today and asks, "Mr. Adler, is it true you've read every book in the world?"

I burst out laughing, then answer, "Oh gosh no! A person could read every moment from the day they were born to the day they die even if they lived to over a hundred, and still not have read the barest fraction."

Student: "Really? They're that many?"

The scary part is that in no point during this conversation was the kid anything less than completely earnest, and was legitimately surprised when I replied "an incomprehensible amount, and that does not even include books that have been lost" after which I told them of the tragically lost Library of Alexandria.

Then, later, a different pair of students asked me if I had read every book in the library, or just most of them. Naturally I told them neither, though I could claim a decent amount of the Fantasy section.

 

For the record, I never did or said anything that could have planted the seeds for these (or past somewhat more fantastical) rumors. I tell riddles and like any good librarian make book recommendations.

Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave

Naturally we still do not know for sure if this is a prequel or sequel. (Unless I missed something). Regardless, exploring Shamir's homeland will be fascinating. Gosh though...hearing Sothis' voice and her theme... And this enemy... a new foe or the Dagdan branch of those who slither in the dark?

Authors are not in charge

Whoever said authors where in charge of their characters was not an author, because the best characters, the ones we all remember and cherish, become real people not only to us but to the author too. People with hopes and dreams, personality quirks and idiosyncrasies, tragic pasts and hopeful ones, hobbies and loves and hates...everything that makes us human (even if, in Fantasy, not all characters are human). Therefore whenever we authors create a character we cede some control over our world away, for a well-made character will act as they will according to their nature and a good lets them do just that. We build the world, set the stage, and certainly have some control, more the more we write, the deeper we delve into our worlds, the more we find that we are just following the characters. It becomes not unlike being a Dungeon Master in Dungeons & Dragons: the DM controls what happens in the world, but not the players characters.

As Patricia A. McKillip once so wisely said, "Like water, tales find their own paths; they go where they are needed." Goodness knows that was my experience writing The Dragonkin Legacy: as a general matter I knew what was going to happen, but I was often barely a half-step ahead of my characters and then watching their reactions. Still, one need not take my word for it. I yield, as ever, the floor to J.R.R. Tolkien. 

"I met a lot of things on the way that astonished me. Tom Bombadil I knew already; but I had never been to Bree. Strider sitting in the corner at the inn was a shock, and I had no more idea who he was than had Frodo. The Mines of Moria had been a mere name; and of Lothlorien no word had reached my mortal ears till I came there. Far away I knew there were the Horselords on the confines of an ancient Kingdom of Men, but Fanghorn Forest was an unforeseen adventure. I had never heard of the House of Eorl nor of the Stewards of Gondor. Most disquieting of all, Saruman had never been revealed to me, and I was as mystefied as Frodo at Gandalf's failure to appear on September 22." – J.R.R. Tolkien, in a letter to W.H. Auden, June 7, 1955

In a different letter, he also noted that Faramir's appearance toward the end of The Two Towers startled him no less than the readers, saying: "I am sure I did not invent him. I did not even want him, though I like him." Case in point that authors are not in charge, for if the measure of greatness is creating something with a life of its own then the stories/worlds given life end up calling the shots.

LGBTQIA+ Pride Month

An inveterate Magic: the Gathering player, I pay close 
attention to the lore and THIS STORY,  Not for a Stranger, 
is the one for this month. A toast to Huatli and Saheeli.

"Hail royal June, sun-bright with poppies crowned" said John Cowper Powys, the English philosopher, lecturer, novelist, critic and poet. But I echo that hail today for another reason in addition to joyous Summer. It is LGBTQIA+ Pride Month, and with it let me continue to offer my undying support for the LGBTQIA+ community and reiterate the role Fantasy literature plays in supporting them by, to start, inviting people to read my LGBTQIA+ in Fantasy page. As I state on the just mentioned page, I personally am not LGBTQIA+. However, I have students who are and one year I told them – quite truthfully, by the way – that I was writing a Fantasy book in which one of the key characters is lesbian. Their eyes lit and they were on their feet in less time than it takes to say it. But it is the moment when I told them that the character is a Queen that I shall forever remember, for the glow on their faces out-shown the lights on the ceiling by a leap and a bound. They began questioning me about the character, wanting to know her name, what she looked like, all about the land she ruled and, most importantly, when the book was coming out. To this last I gave them a disappointing answer, for an unfinished rough draft of a 500+ page book is naturally years away from publication, and they asked me how they were supposed to wait that long for a book with a gay Queen. They want to see the rough draft as it stands and one who has some artistic skill began drawing this Queen based on my description. The moral of the story? Representation matters, people. Seeing yourself in literature matters in a huge way. Indeed, when I found these students they were eagerly pursuing the school library's LGBTQIA+ Pride Month book display.

Moving on, permit me to quote in full this article from The Hill titled In an era of book bans, sci-fi and fantasy offer an LGBTQ refuge for young readers:

Science fiction and fantasy are providing an oasis for young readers craving LGBTQ characters they can relate to as activists and wary parents increasingly clamp down on material they find offensive. Books featuring LGBTQ content are disproportionately targeted for bans in U.S. schools and libraries, with the most challenged titles regularly including “Gender Queer,” “All Boys Aren’t Blue” and “The Perks of Being a Wallflower.” But while those memoirs and realistic coming-of-age stories take the hits, superheroes, space travel and dragons often escape mainstream notice — and the heat that comes with it. Author TJ Klune told The Hill he knows some schools have at least a few of his magical, queer-themed works, including “The House in the Cerulean Sea,” “Under the Whispering Door” and the young adult “Extraordinaries” trilogy. Klune said the “Extraordinaries” series, which centers on a gay high schooler in a world where superheroes are real, has been mentioned in book-banning conversations before, but he hasn’t seen the full onslaught faced by other writers.

“It’s strange: Those young adult books are very sex-positive, in that it has discussions on consent and boundaries and protection and best practices for younger queer people. Why those have slipped under the radar, I have no idea,” he said. “I believe, at least in part, that it has to do with privilege. I am a cis, white, queer man. Many of the book challenges are from queer/trans authors of color. If you don’t think the color of my skin is playing a role in this, you’d be mistaken.”

The American Library Association says last year saw the highest number of books banned since it started keeping track of the issue 20 years ago. There were 2,571 unique titles censored in 2022, compared to 1,858 the year before. There is no clear formula for certain books getting banned over others, but reasons behind challenges can include genre, prior media attention and even the directness of a title, said Kathy M. Newman, a professor of English literary and cultural studies at Carnegie Mellon University who pointed to Maia Kobabe’s memoir “Gender Queer.” 

“It’s very explicitly about nonbinary identity in a way that some of these fantasy young adult novels are about a lot of different issues,” Newman said. Fantasy works can require significantly more effort to sift for LGBTQ content. “The House in the Cerulean Sea” could be about nearly anything based on its title; it just so happens to be about a found family of magical creatures with a gay romance at its center. Newman said activists go through public records and news articles to get ideas for what books they should target, regularly hitting ones they’ve seen censored elsewhere. She also pointed out that sci-fi and fantasy books for younger readers are often not “taught explicitly in the classroom.” “It might be under the radar,” she said. Lisa Jenn Bigelow, an award-winning author who writes children’s books with queer themes, hasn’t heard of her works — which include “Hazel’s Theory of Evolution” and “This Is Our Rainbow: 16 Stories of Her, Him, Them, and Us” — specifically getting banned but said it is important to note the concept of “soft censorship” in the library world.

“That’s when gatekeepers might decline to purchase or include a book in classrooms and libraries because, sometimes, they disagree with the content themselves, but more often, even they’re worried that the content could provoke a book challenge from the community. And so rather than take that risk, they just say, ‘Well, we’re not even gonna bother. We’re not gonna go there,’” said Bigelow, who also works as a librarian. David Geiger, a gay middle school English teacher in Virginia, said too many people treat anything queer-themed as inherently sexual in nature.

“Some parents think that because a book has LGBTQ characters or is by an LGBTQ author, they’re automatically inappropriate. I disagree with that,” he said. Geiger said his school has LGBTQ offerings in its book club, and he offers some in his classroom reading, specifically praising, among others, Bigelow’s “Drum Roll, Please.” He said he gives parents a list of books students are allowed to read in his class, and if they object to any, he gives the student an alternate reading assignment.

“I know not to pick books that get into sexually explicit content,” he said. Geiger said he hasn’t had any problems with angry parents, emphasizing that LGBTQ representation is particularly important for young readers. “I try and make sure that as many students can see themselves in the literature as possible,” he said.

While authors and schools have been forced to the frontlines of the book ban issue, some are not concerned about the pushback they could receive. Bigelow said she expects her titles will come under the microscope sooner or later, “especially since the book-banning movement is getting more aggressive and is targeting more

On that note, let me also reiterate that I utterly condemn such people as seek to ban books, and they feel the full force of my contempt so hard it ought to frost their windows. So if you are anti-LGBTQIA+ and are reading this, do not even THINK of commenting on this or any other Stars Uncounted page or post spouting your intolerant drivel, because I will take one look and delete it. It will never appear, and I will lose no sleep over it. Rather, I will be laughing at how you are so insecure that you feel the need to rant on a Fantasy blog while reflecting on the truth of a Mercedes Lackey quote: "Make someone a devout, fanatical anything, and his brain turns to mulch." Then I will stop laughing and forget all about you, because I categorically deem anti-LGBTQIA+ people as a class of idiot so utterly unworthy of respect that I will not waste any more minutes thinking about you. You are a mosquito whose comment was a bite on this blog, and I will flick your comment away with as little thought or care as I would an actual mosquito misguided enough to try to get at my blood. Less care, actually, since, unlike true mosquito bites, deleted comments do not itch after the fact. Speaking of, I mentioned once that I like using AI to see if it can make good library posters and the results have been amazing, the above image being, I think, proof of that (and, since it is AI and thus not subject to any copyright protections, feel free to use it to your hearts content.) 

My father and I just finished The Season of Flames, the first of Anna James' Chronicles of Whetherwhy

My father and I just finished The Season of Flames, the second of Anna James' Chronicles of Whetherwhy.

Thirteen years have passed since Juniper and Rafferty foiled a dark cult in Stormgrove, yet the magical balance of the island of Whetherwhy is still off. How to fix it? One has heard of running to the circus before, but away is the direction Elio and his friends must go to evade the scheming Queen's inspectors and discover the secrets of his pendant, missing mother, and the curious town of Firehollow. Friends new to Elio but old to us as they found the answers they sought but... Well, I have never been fond of deceptive tyrants willing to kill to gain the power of Dragons. Fortunate that Summer arrived the nick of time, but dark times lie ahead, and not only for the Thistledown Academy of Enchantment. I only hope Elio gets to Dragonsrest before the knot of trouble becomes to large, to violent, to untangle.

I have started Verity Vox and the Curse of Foxfire by Don Martin

I have started Verity Vox and the Curse of Foxfire by Don Martin.

"The rules here are simple: Don’t look in the trees. Don’t whistle in the woods at night. Don’t answer if you hear your name called. And remember... everything wants." Including a magician who, decades prior, arrived at the old mining town of Foxfire in the Appalachians, taking things other than coin for his services. People always talk about witches' curses, but now it is up to Verity Vox, witch-in-training, to break the one binding the land around an ancient mountain in hunger, isolation, and desolation. Preferably before this fell magician adds her to the list of those who have vanished seeking him.

This has been on my reading list for months and my original intention was to hold off until October for obviously seasonal reasons, but the glamour of the book already had me quite bewitched and, now that I have begun, I am quite content to stay that way. Foxfire calls.

10th Anniversary of Stars Uncounted!

Did I hear myself correctly? Because it sounded like it has been ten years since I wrote these words:

"Greetings Fantasy book lovers and/or guests!! Welcome to my Hall. Come, sit back and relax – maybe have a mug of ale (though I prefer water and apple cider) – while I tell you about myself.

My name is Ian, called the Riddle Maker due to my love of inventing riddles, and I have begun this blog because so many of my friends have said that I should (or would be good at such) that I can ignore them no longer; their statements derived from my Facebook posts regarding my reading and general obsession with Fantasy books and the genre at large. I cannot promise that this blog will be any more edifying that my Facebook posts, and it certainly will not be a bunch of standard Fantasy book reviews. Think of this thus as a public diary of sorts – a record of my subsequent and continued journey through the Realm of the Fantastic."

 

Honestly I can scarcely believe I am writing this. As stated in the quoted Welcome Post, I first started Stars Uncounted - Ian's Fantasy Bookshelf at the ceaseless urging of my friends to do so back in college and, despite my bold tone, I never believed the blog would last this long – much less gain any kind of audience. Now I am a school librarian, an author of Epic Fantasy, and someone whom other authors very occasionally ask to review their books. Had anyone told me this was my mostly humble blog's fate (because it began as entirely if not below humble) I would have thanked them for their faith in me while laughing on the inside. Even now, at the beginning of every year, I am amazed I find enough to write about each month! I guess, as usual, J.R.R. Tolkien spoke true: "It's a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don't keep your feet, there's no knowing where you might be swept off to.”

So here we are and, much as I would like to wax poetic about this monumental 10th Anniversary moment, I actually wrote this post back in January and set it to automatically publish itself today because I was afraid I would forget when the time came. Point of order, one of the reasons Stars Uncounted has seen a decade when most blogs never do is because it is not a standard review site. Because it is a public diary of sorts, it relies only on me. As Sarkhan Vol said: "Do you understand that you must always fail, as long as your goal is not truth, but guidance? That as long as you seek dragons around you, you will never become the dragon within you?" Wise words, even if the man in question took the whole "dragon within you" part a bit too literally. So I will simply say: a toast to another ten years! Goodness knows I am not going anywhere.

"Faerie is a perilous land, and in it are pitfalls for the unwary and dungeons for the overbold...The realm of fairy-story is wide and deep and high and filled with many things: all manner of beasts and birds are found there; shoreless seas and stars uncounted; beauty that is an enchantment, and an ever-present peril; both joy and sorrow as sharp as swords. In that realm a man may, perhaps, count himself fortunate to have wandered, but its very richness and strangeness tie the tongue of a traveler who would report them. And while he is there it is dangerous for him to ask too many questions, lest the gates should be shut and the keys be lost." - J.R.R. Tolkien

“When I was ten, I read fairy tales in secret and would have been ashamed if I had been found doing so. Now that I am fifty, I read them openly. When I became a man I put away childish things, including the fear of childishness and the desire to be very grown up.” - C.S. Lewis

"Only thin, weak thinkers despise fairy stories. Each one has a true, strange fact hidden in it, you know, which you can find if you look." - Diana Wynne Jones 

I have finished The Last Dragon of the East by Katrina Kwan

I have finished The Last Dragon of the East by Katrina Kwan.

“And the Old Matchmaker of the Moon said to the lovers, 'This red thread I bestow upon you. It may stretch and it may tangle, but it will never break. Across cycles and worlds and lifetimes, your souls are now destined,” wrote Amélie Wen Zhao, referencing the ancient East Asian legend of the Red Thread of Fate – an invisible red cord tied by the gods linking Fated Ones, soulmates destined to be together. 

But destiny is never clean and, in this case, the threads are not limited to humans. Alas, there is truly almost nothing I can say that would not qualify as a major spoiler. So I will simply note that those who seek to quash the immortal love and power of Dragons, those whose give in to boundless greed and realize too late how soul-destroying it is, will always fail. It may take lifetimes and near mind-crushing heartbreaks, but those thread-bound will find and fly with each other again, finally free of a seriously mad Emperor. (Oh, and my Dragon-related instincts proved correct again.)

Fare ye well, Sai & Jyn. I would wish you a long and happy life but for the fact that it is already a forgone conclusion, so no wishing required.

Star Trek vs. Star Wars: An Analysis of Story and Ships

Star Trek vs. Star Wars. An endless debate, and one I have posted on in the past. Now, however, I put all my points in a single post. I will start with analyzing the differences in story then proceed to the spaceship technologies of the two.

Story

Ever do people make comparisons between the ships and technologies of Star Trek and Star Wars, yet I now make a different comparison – one which explains why I prefer the former over the latter. I can hear you saying: "What? But Star Trek is pure sci-fi, which you avoid almost as rule, while Star Wars is almost a Fantasy in space given the never ending battle between the Jedi and the dark side of the Force." 
A very good point, and I do like Star Wars very much as it is an exemplary tale, a true coming of age story and hero's journey complete with brilliantly complex characters both good and evil. Even mythologist Joseph Campbell acknowledged it as such; indeed, George Lucas credited Campbell's work as influencing his own. Who could forget the revelations and inner conflicts regarding and within Anakin and Luke Skywalker? The wisdom of their mutual mentors Obi-Wan Kenobi and Yoda (who are cultural icons on and above the level of most characters in literature, on par with Gandalf and Dumbledore)? Han Solo wrestling with self-identification, caught between his roguish past and his relationship with Luke and Princess Leia? As said, a stellar tale by all definitions and, better yet, the Force brings a spiritual element seldom seen in Sci-Fi and on a level rare even in many Fantasies. It is no secret that Masters Kenobi and Yoda (and the Jedi in general) are based off the ancient Samurai and their Zen spiritualism.
Which again begs the question, why do I prefer Trek to Wars. The answer is in their names, added by a famous quote from one Ben Kenobi: "For over a thousand generations, the Jedi Knights were the guardians of peace and justice in the Old Republic. Before the dark times, before the Empire." In short, and as of the pitiful Sequel Trilogy, Star Wars amounts to a near-pessimistic tale as the Jedi are always on the verge of being wiped out by the dark side. All the wisdom and power of people like Yoda and Luke amounting to just barely enough to keep hope for better future alive while the Sith terrorize the Galaxy. Not exactly a cheerful, nor hopeful, story.

Gene Roddenberry's Star Trek, however, is a different kettle of fish. Purely Sci-Fi and set in our own future and Milky Way Galaxy rather than a long time ago in one far far away, it is not about war but rather exploration. About searching out the wonders of the universe even while trying to prevent interstellar wars and other similar catastrophes. About showing what humanity might develop into if it would learn from the lessons of the past, most specifically by ending violence; an ideal epitomized in the United Federation of Planets that, in the words of Captain James T. Kirk, is "a dream that became a reality and spread throughout the stars." A reality that, unlike the Jedi Order, is not constantly on the verge of total collapse. And when the Federation is threatened, namely by the Borg and the Dominion, while war does admittedly become the focus, the characters – namely Captain Sisko and the crew of Deep Space Nine – take great pains not to fall victim to the phrase "war makes monsters of us all." Also, critically, and unlike the Jedi Order, the Federation not only wins but remains more or less intact.

This may sound simple, and it is, yet this is the key as to why I prefer Trek over Wars. Not only does Trek offer greater variety, as is natural being a TV series as opposed to movies, it explores themes Wars never touches. Lieutenant Commander Data is not beloved for his superhuman abilities that come with being an android so much as because he is Pinocchio: totally benign and desiring nothing so much as understand humanity, to be human. As Captain Picard once said of him, "In his quest to be more like us, he helped us to see what it means to be Human... his wonder, his curiosity about every facet of Human nature, allowed all of us to see the best parts of ourselves. He evolved, he embraced change because he always wanted to be better than he was." Frankly I could keep going, not just about Data but about basically everyone, and not just Next Generation but Deep Space Nine and Voyager too. So I will be brief and just add that wise sages are not lacking even if Jedi-style spiritualism is, as wisdom is often just a solid and true moral compass built of deep compassion and practical experience. As to mysticism, characters like Guinan fill that need quite nicely.

In sum, while Star Wars may have more Tolkienesque elements, Star Trek truly follows the Spirit of Tolkien because it not only embraces, but empowers and delivers on hopes for betterment on an interpersonal as well as intergalactic scale. In Star Trek, the most powerful, most thought-provoking, most memorable moments often have nothing to do with war and, when it does, it is trying to prevent one from starting.

Ships

Ever do people make comparisons between the ships and technologies of Star Trek and Star Wars, namely a hypothetical battle between the Millennium Falcon vs. the USS Enterprise, so now I shall. And I will begin by saying that I deem the comparison silly beyond belief. Why? Well, let us delve into broader technological differences between the 24th century Milky Way and those in a galaxy far far away.

Millennium Falcon

It begins with speed. In Star Wars the Galactic Republic/Empire is just that, galactic, spanning basically the entire galaxy. On a routine basis across all the films ships – be they Star Destroyers, Queen Amidala's royal starship, to one-man ships like Luke's X-Wing – traverse half the galaxy and back again in a matter of days or less. Which makes sense, as how else can a galaxy-spanning political entity keep together? 

USS Voyager

In Star Trek, however, it is completely different. The entire series Star Trek: Voyager was the USS Voyager getting thrown over 70,000 light years away from the Federation, across the Milky Way, and having to seek out new technologies to shorten what would at Maximum Warp be a 75 year journey home. And the same can be seen in Next Generation, each episode often referencing in the Captain's Log and through dialogue how many days it would take to reach Point A to Point B. For example, it would take a Starship traveling at Warp 9.975  one month to traverse 132 light years. A month. Now Star Wars does not get into the intricacies of tech as much as Star Trek, but, again, I point to the fact that Star Wars ships travel across galaxy and back in a matter of days. Luke's X-Wing, much less the Millennium Falcon, would have seen the USS Voyager's 70,000 light years journey as nothing to sneeze at; an average flight. In short, Star Wars hyperdrive engines are worlds superior to Star Trek Warp Drives.

Death Star

Now onto weapons. In Episode IV: A New Hope when Obi-Wan Kenobi says that Alderaan was destroyed by the Empire Han Solo replies "the entire star fleet couldn't destroy a whole planet, it'd take a thousand ships and more fire power than I've seen in a..." though a Tie Fighter interrupted him, the Captain of the Millennium Falcon told us all we need to know. Namely how many imperial ships – all armed with the best weapons, mind – it would take to destroy a planet. In short, in Star Wars it takes nothing less than a fully operational Death Star to do the job.

USS Defiant

Now on to Star Trek, which is where the irony comes in since the Federation loathes war and Starfleet is not strictly a military organization. Ironic because Federation weapons leave Galactic Republic/Imperial ones in the dust, the proof lying in the fact that there are several episodes where the USS Enterprise uses its phasers to drill into planets, and the Deep Space Nine episode the Broken Link Worf catches Garak attempting to gain control the USS Defiant's phasers and quantum torpedoes to destroy the Founders' homeworld; as Garak puts it, "we have enough fire power on this ship to turn that planet into a smoking cinder." Granted that the USS Defiant is one of the most heavily armed ships in the Federation, but it is also one of the physically smallest. Bottom line: basically a single Federation Starship can do what, in Star Wars, only the moon-sized Death Star can.

So, to recap, Star Wars hyperdrive engines wipe the floor with Star Trek Warp Drives in the speed contest, yet Federation phasers make Galactic Republic/Imperial laser cannons looks like outdated pistols. Again, let us appreciate the irony that something called Star WARS actually has the weaker weapons.

USS Enterprise-D

Which brings us back to the age-old Sci-Fi question of: Who would win, the Millennium Falcon or the USS Enterprise? Like I said before, it is a silly question – and the reason why should by now be clear. In an even battle the Enterprise would blow the Falcon to pieces without breathing hard, yet the Falcon would not give it the opportunity since it could outrun it as easily as a regular falcon would a robin. Indeed, even in Star Wars how often does the Millennium Falcon truly fight? Usually only when trying to escape; since speed is the ship's claim to fame, the whole purpose behind it is that the Luke, Leia, Han, and Chewbacca can outrun the Imperials; indeed, it is made very plain that Millennium Falcon cannot best even a single Imperial Star Destroyer. The USS Enterprise, however, is an utterly different animal: the flagship of a vast interstellar power and home to over a thousand people, it was designed to hold its own in a fight against the best the enemies of the Federation had to offer. Whereas the the Millennium Falcon is a freighter; the faster freighter in the galaxy and capable of taking out several one-person attack ships, but a freighter still.

Imperial Star Destroyer

Hence my belief that the whole Millennium Falcon vs. the USS Enterprise debate is silly because, to employ an aphorism, it is comparing apples and oranges. The two ships are so utterly different, both in technology, size, and purpose, and if the two ever did cross swords it would end  as I described above: with the Falcon either in pieces or leaving the Enterprise literally half a galaxy behind. Indeed, it would be the same between the Enterprise and its nearest Star Wars analogue, a Star Destroyer. Given the overwhelming superiority of Federation weapons, a Starship could fry a Star Destroyer easily, leaving the Imperial ship no option but to employ its overwhelming superior hyperdrive engine to escape.

Ravens Don't Tell

"Among other things, the raven is an ancient symbol of prophecy and insight, creation and transformation, knowledge and prestige, associated with ancient wisdom and intelligence." - Me (What? Am I not aloud to quote myself?)

Like comfort books, we all have comfort music and it should come as no surprise that mine tells a tale. What is surprising is that it is a relatively new song, the debut single of Finnish indie folk band Aeldfire. A song that tells, like the old Bards, a dark fairy tale of forbidden love and mysterious magic. It – story, lyrics, and the very sound the singer's voice – continues to draw me back to this glade of ravens.

"All that I have seen and all that I've known
I, the Raven Queen, swear on the bloodstone
To honor and protect the righteous minds,
Ravens don't tell and ravens don't lie."

Quote of the month

"It's an odd and wonderful thing, to barely dare to hope you might be tolerated as you are, only to find out the real you is beloved the way the false you never was." - Sophie Gonzales

I started The Last Dragon of the East by Katrina Kwan

I have started The Last Dragon of the East by Katrina Kwan.

While Romantasy is not my typical cup of tea, I recently noted that the sub-genre is often wedded to Asian-inspired Fantasy and that I have a special fondness for those featuring the Red Thread of Fate. Hence how I could I resist a book where the Red Thread is a key element, features a bold quest for a lost Dragon amidst a terrible war, and was highly recommended to me by my sister? Spoilers, I did not. And while this single-standing book may be tiny compared to the series I am used to, the same could be said for Axie Oh's The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea which introduced me to both Asian-inspired Fantasy and the Red Thread, so I am fully expecting a wild ride and beautifully unique fantasy.

Luck to you, Sai, for I have a feeling your greying, fraying thread may lead you better than any map to this Dragon. (And my Dragon-related instincts are usually good.)