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Star Wars: The Old Republic: Imperial Agent Storyline review

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   I short of fell off of these and I'm sorry for that since I intended to review all of the main character quests but ended up only doing the Sith Inquisitor and Sith Warrior. I actually finished the Imperial Agent awhile back but didn't find time to review it until now. I need to get around to playing the Republic side sometime but I'm troubled by the fact I seem to be definitely on the side of evil in this MMORPG.

    Which is weird because I play Light Side Sith.

    It's like I'm not satisfied being a rebel against tradition, I have to be a double-sized rebel  
    Anywho, is the Imperial Agent storyline worth completing?

    You bet. 

    The Imperial Agent storyline is a strong contrast to the Sith Warrior and Sith Inquisitor's because you're not one of the Sith's ruling class but one of the Empire's citizens. Unlike the Bounty Hunter plotline, where you're wholly out of the power structure, this means you often have to deal with arrogant Dark Side wizards. Thankfully, you're allowed to behave more like Grand Moff Tarkin than Admiral Motti.

For those of you reading this who are not Star Wars trivia nerds, Admiral Motti is the guy Vader force choked in the first movie for disrespecting the Force.
    The premise of the Imperial Agent is you're James Bond (or Jane Bond if you prefer). The smooth-talking, elegant, and hyper-dangerous Cipher Nine is in the employ of one of the few civilian-controlled branches of the Empire's military left. As expected of a group living in a police-state controlled by evil wizards, they're ridiculously paranoid and don't use their real names even when dealing with each other.

    Morale is low in Imperial Intelligence, as to be expected when you're under the command of people who can execute you at will. Despite this, the soldiers of Imperial Intelligence believe the Empire is worth defending and even if most of them don't like the Sith (not that they'd ever admit to it), they carry on in hopes of protecting the Empire's citizenry. I appreciated this viewpoint because it's entirely rationale and reflects a lot of RL dictatorships. The folk at Imperial Intelligence aren't even villains per say but determined to keep the casualties on their side at a minimum.
 

    Which is hard when so many Sith are so ****ing STUPID (a fact backed up by the Sith Warrior and Sith Inquisitor storylines--those two are, quite possibly, the only two capable Sith Lords in the entire Empire). The Imperial Inquisitor spends a great deal of time cleaning up after the Dark Lords, to the point it becomes an incredible relief when you're finally in a position to start showing the spoon-benders that Muggles can do it better.

 
The SNARK of the Imperial Inquisitor almost rivals the Sith Inquisitor.
    Interestingly, while the Imperial Agent is quite capable of killing lesser Sith and even Sith Masters, the game makes it clear this is a very rare skill. Likewise, the Sith Inquisitor is required to make use of puzzle elements in order to face against more powerful Dark Lords. I liked this as it helped demonstrate the most dangerous element of the Imperial Agent is their mind. By the end of the main quest, the Imperial Agent will have left a high enough body count that any Sith Lord who doesn't respect them as an equal is a fool

    The romance options for the Imperial Agent are some of the best in the entire game, at least the parts I've played, giving you numerous opportunities to seduce or befriend NPCs in the game. I actually liked my characters flirtatious romance with Watcher-2 (pretty Imperial professional) more than I did with my Companion romance options. Admittedly, one of them is a bit creepy as the "Voss" romance can end horrifically, but otherwise it's easy to say the Imperial Agent is the sexiest guy/girl in the galaxy.


I'm a sucker for a girl in uniform.
    In conclusion, I think the Imperial Agent is one of the more fun storylines I've played in Star Wars: The Old Republic. I think fans aching for something different will find there's a lot to enjoy about being the Sith Empire's clean-up crew. I didn't much care for a plotline involving brainwashing toward the middle but the ending more than makes up for it.

9/10

Deep Black Sea review

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    One of the most well known ways to do a horror story, at least in Doctor Who, is the "base under siege." Basically, there's a bunch of likable protagonists who are trapped in an enclosed place and find themselves under attack by whatever sort of monster the storyline is based on. It can be in space like Alien or a cabin in the woods like, well, The Cabin in the Woods.

    Deep Black Sea is a "base under siege" story, though the simplicity of the narrative should not be confused for lazy storytelling. David M. Salkin weaves a good story which distinguishes itself from its counterparts through fun characters and unconventional monsters.

    The premise of Deep Black Sea is sadly unbelievable: a pro-science U.S. President takes away money from the military for a large-scale research project. I mean, zombies I can buy but this is just ludicrous.

    Just kidding. Sort of.

    Anyway, a team of competent deep-sea researchers are assembled and sent down four-miles underneath the water where they're expected to spend the next year. When they're down there, they find something unpleasant.

    Things go from there.

    I like this novel because it's a story which simultaneously is more plausible than most science-fiction horror, taking time to give reasonable-sounding explanations for the events within, but doesn't take itself too seriously. Deep Black Sea keeps a balance between humor and horror, and drama quite well. The heart of any story is its characters but the ocean researchers here are all a fun bunch of guys and girls, reminding me a good deal of the characters from Alien.

    I think part of what I liked about the protagonists is they reminded me very much of many RL oceanographers I've met. They grouse about their jobs, take their circumstances less than seriously (until it becomes dangerous), talk about sex, and constantly rib each other. People used to more Star Trek-like sanitized depictions of scientists will be in for a rude surprise dealing with this crew.

    I like how David M. Salkin manages to capture the mind-numbing tedium of actual research. Having worked with many of RL researchers, I can say with some authority they come up with very inventive ways of distracting themselves from how boring a lot of it can be.

    All of the characters love their area of special concern but there's really no way to dress-up the fact real-life science mostly consists of, "put sample under glass, watch it for twelve months." There's no romances per say in this novel but in a mixed group, it's unsurprising quite a few debate who they'll be sleeping with to pass the next year.

    I enjoyed that.

    I won't spoil the "monster" of the book but while I sincerely doubt anything like it exists in reality, the fact it seems like it could exist makes the book work much better than it might have otherwise. The author has done his research and the techno-babble seems less forced than it does in other science-fiction I've read. I don't quite buy the villain of the story's motivations but that' a small complaint in an otherwise entertaining story.

    In conclusion, I think Deep Black Sea is an excellent example of genre fiction. As much as I love vampires, zombies, and werewolves--it's nice to take a break from them for something different. I don't think there's much room for a sequel but if the author chooses to do one, I'd love to see both characters from the original novel as well as the creatures within. Which is about as good a recommendation as I can give.

8.5/10

Byzantium (film) review

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    Neil Jordan created one of my favorite vampire movies of all time in Interview with a Vampire. He didn't make any sequels, though, and left the genre until now. The heart of what made Neil Jordan's work good, however, was that he focused on what made the vampires tick as opposed to violence. That's very true in Byzantium, which is probably the first feminist interpretation of the vampire myth I've seen on film.

    Feminist interpretations of vampirism is nothing new. The use of early authors to make the vampirism as a metaphor for unchecked or quote-unquote *finger wag* deviant sexuality made it a perfect subject for getting points past the censors. Vampirism has been used as a way to liberated female sexuality, homosexuality, sex outside of one's ethnicity, and other attitudes which would have never made it to screen otherwise. There's nothing quite like Byzantium, though, which both hurts and helps the film.

    Written by Moira Buffini, Byzantium is something of an odd duck because it's not really interested in vampirism as a metaphor for sexuality. Byzantium is, instead, a metaphor for the loneliness and isolation independent women have suffered throughout history. It's not a happy movie where vampirism represents a liberation but, instead, depicts undeath as an incredibly difficult road to walk.

A warning: this movie is surprisingly violent for such a touching character piece.
    The premise of the movie is Clara (Gemma Artertron) and Eleanor (Saoirse Ronan) are a mother-daughter pair of vampires. Clara works as a stripper and occasional prostitute, our introduction to her being a private dance for a disgusting client. Eleanor, by contrast, spends her time writing about her experiences with the all-but-stated frustration no one will ever read her words. Both are on the run from other vampires for reasons which gradually get revealed through the course of the movie.

    While Clara's opening dance and subsequent chase scene in lingerie serves as fanservice for the heterosexual male members of the audience, her profession is used as a bait-and-switch. Clara is a very intelligent woman whose choice of profession is implied to be due to trauma from her past life and the fact there haven't been very many legitimate occupations for women throughout history.

    Eleanor plays a somewhat Claudia-esque role in that she is stuck as a perpetual teenager, better than a twelve-year-old, but perpetually treated with a veneer of condescension. Clara is content with survivor but Eleanor longs for a life she can never have doing anything other than keeping her mother company. It's a very nuanced relationship between these two and the movie doesn't shy away from its dysfunctional elements. They make a rather one-dimensional set of villains and I consider them to be the film's weakest link but still serviceable in their role.

It's rare scenes like this that highlight the beauty of immortality versus the seediness.
    The supporting cast of Byzantium is interesting with the three major male characters (all three having love interest roles) reflecting different sides to the male experience. Noel (Daniel Mays) is weak and pathetic but, frankly, the nicest man they've dealt with in centuries. The fact he's unwittingly let in a pair of vampires into his home while trying to help a mother-daughter pair of unfortunates is an irony the movie doesn't miss. He's aware he's being used but, on some level, doesn't care about a woman like Clara is pretending to like him for a time. It's probably the best time of his life.

    Midshipman Darvell (Sam Riley) is a strong romantic figure but his refusal to step in against the injustices perpetuated against our heroines wears down any sympathy he might have. Frank (Caleb Landry Jones) is full of unrealized potential which only Eleanor seems to appreciate. Then there's the Brotherhood, a collection of vampires who refuse to create women because they consider them inferior. They're also snobs. Clara, being both a woman and a former prostitute, offends them doubly so. Frankly, none of them paint a particularly flattering light of the male sex but perhaps that's the point. They only really reach their potential once women are introduced into their lives.

    Ultimately, my biggest problem with Byzantium is that it's not a terribly fun movie. I know not all vampire movies are supposed to be fun but the movie has long periods of depression which can weigh upon an audience. For those sensitive to abuse, watching Clara and Eleanor have to endure so much on their way to freedom can be heartrending. Clara also prefers to appear passive, when she's anything but, which can make her character seem weak. Much of the movie depends on Eleanor presenting a more modern independent woman (even if she is 200 years old).

Eleanor is the most mature character in this film--to her eternal frustration.
      There were times I had to stop the movie or fast forward it because some of the subject matter was simply too ugly for me to endure. I'm a big softie, however, and I'm sure plenty of viewers who are made of harder stuff will be able to enjoy the movie for it is. I think softening the movie a bit would have improved it, though. So take this hypocritical attitude of a horror aficionado for what its worth.

      Overall, I rather enjoyed the artistry of Byzantium. It's a story of vampirism as a struggle for independence and freedom from society's norms. Eleanor and Clara are wonderful characters with their stories depicted beautifully. The fact it is based around a mother-daughter relationship is rare enough in horror cinema that I think it deserves a point for the novelty alone. While I don't think Byzantium will ever reach the level of fame or appreciation that Interview did, I think it should serve as an inspiration to other vampire movie filmmakers in the future.

7.5/10

Afflicted review

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    I hesitate to reveal anything about this movie because one of the major surprises of the story is one I didn't figure out from the trailer. Thus, before I continue this review, I'm going to say the movie has a lot going for it. You should see it if you like horror movies which are still serious but light enough to be enjoyed with your non-horror friends. It's not an instant classic but it does what all horror films should: it's scary, you care about the characters, and the movie kept me entertained the entire way through.

    So, yeah, recommended.

    The rest of my review will deal with a spoiler. If you don't want the reveal spoiled, then I suggest you don't read further.

    Still here?

    Okay, good.

    It's a vampire movie.

    The fact it was able to keep this element secret is something which is a credit to the developers. I watched this movie on the basis of its strong trailer and was surprised to find out it's about a guy who is transformed into a vampire and his dealing with the consequences. It's probably the straightest, most un-ironic, non-metaphorical treatment of vampirism I've seen in years.

He's fine! He just needs blood.
    The movie is a "found footage" film in the manner of the Blair Witch Project. Bluntly, I didn't think this worked as well for the film as it could have. The question of who would be editing all of this together is never answered and a lot of events are things our characters would never reasonably film. Despite this, the camera work is good enough to feel "authentic" in a way which a more staged depiction wouldn't.

    Best friends Clif and Derek decide to go on a European vacation for the last probable year of the latter's life. Derek is dying of an inoperable brain condition and wants to go out with a bang. After an encounter with a French girl his friends interrupt because they're colossal jerks (seriously, who would do that? Even if their friend wasn't dying), they find Derek has developed a sudden allergy to sunlight and no longer can digest food.

Never trust French girls into the geeky guys. They're vampires. All of them.
    This is the audience's first clue that something weird is going on but things get weirder as Derek starts to develop superpowers. These include the ability run ninety miles-an-hour, smash through solid stone, and climb walls like Spiderman. Gradually, they figure out Derek has become a vampire about the time a person in real-life would deduce that was the only "sensible" explanation. The authenticity of this and the friendship of the two as they struggle to figure out how to feed their friend is the best part of the movie.

    It's a very rare film whose emotional heart rests on the friendship between two straight dudes and their willingness to die for one another. The fact Clif disappears from the film in the final act is a disappointment and lowers the enjoyment factor significantly. Still, by this time, I was invested enough in the plot to see it through.

Documenting a friend dealing with vampirism would have made the movie better but it's pretty good now.
    It's a rare film I can say is a "realistic" take on vampires but this feels about as close as you can come in our post-modern world. Getting blood is hard, you'd do it only after exhausting all other options, and suicide would be contemplated the moment bodies start to drop.

    In conclusion, I recommend this film. It's got some flaws but they're small in comparison to the overall serious treatment of vampirism, likable main characters, and the fact things go in unexpected directions.

8/10

Dragon Age: Origins review

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    In the months leading up to the release of Dragon Age: Inquisition, I've decided to do a retrospective series of reviews on what I think of as my second favorite fantasy setting after the Elder Scrolls. I refer, of course, to the Dragon Age series by Bioware. The spiritual successors to the Baldur's Gate series, Dragon Age incorporates much of what I loved about Knights of the Old Republic and transplants it to a mostly-original fantasy setting.

    I say mostly-original because Dragon Age, like Mass Effect, wears its inspirations on its sleeve. The Darkspawn have a place in the setting similar to Tolkien orcs (with their theme even resembling the one from Peter Jackson's movies). The role of mages and their relationship to the Fade is similar to that or Warhammer's magic users. Also, it's still a fantasy setting where the predominate races are elves, dwarves, and humans.

    And you know what? I like it that way.

Quite a few fascinating stories for each of the Grey Wardens. Sadly, they have little effect past the beginning.
    There's nothing new under the sun and I have no problem with continuing the tradition of fantasy established by Tolkein before being popularized by Dungeons and Dragons. I've played D&D for twenty-years and have no intention of stopping now. If this is a D&D setting then it is a very good D&D setting. The writing is fun, crisp, and full of humor as well as drama.

    So what more do we want?

    In my case, nothing.

    The premise of Dragon Age: Origins is that you are a Grey Warden. Somewhat similar to the Night's Watch only infinitely more respected and cool, the Grey Wardens protect the continent of Thedas from the Blight. The Blight is a combination Orc/Zombie plague which results thousands of mindless evil monsters rising up from underground to kill everyone they encounter.

The combat system is fun yet sometimes clunky.
    The player character comes from one of six origins (Mage, Human Noble, Dwarf Noble, Dwarf Commoner, City Elf, or Dalish Elf) to join the Wardens before things go off the rails. Each of the Origins is unique and I recommend playing them all, even if they have little effect on the game past the opening Act.

    Gameplay wise, Dragon Age: Origins functions like Dungeons and Dragons with turn-based combat that is done in "real time." You control both your main character as well as a party of four supporting characters which he or she leads. You rise in levels, stat your characters, and equip them with ever-increasingly good weapons that will make your charactrs tougher as well as able to dish out more damage.

    It's a fun system but grew tedious after time, constantly shifting weapons and armor for slightly better examples thereof. Worse, some of the equipment and armor, particularly the hats, are hideous. Your character is more likely to wear the best armor, regardless of what it looks like, than appear as you want them to.

I love the characters. All of them.
    The big appeal of Dragon Age: Origins, though, is definitely the characters. This is a game filled with dozens of incredibly memorable NPCs. The best ones, of course, are your companions who are incredibly deep and well-written. I can't think of a single party-member in Origins I didn't find to be fascinating. Alistair, Morrigan, Leliana, Wynne, Sten, and others were all delightful. My least favorite was Zevran the Elf Assassin and I still liked Zevran. All of them have plot arcs and stories which make me think this would have been just as much fun to read as a novel as it would have been to play.

    The storyline is very well-written with lots of intrigue, morally ambiguous characters, and twists. The character of Teryn (Duke) Loghain, his daughter Anora, King Calian, and all the intrigues thereof were as interesting to me as the larger story of the Blight. The game is divided into several "zones" each with their own overarcing storyline. These zones can be completed however the player character likes and that sort of freedom is enjoyable to have. Different party members will have different reactions to events so the game has replay value too.

    One of the elements which makes the game great is it's widely believed, and justifiably so, to have had the best romance system in Western gaming. While I don't play video games for romance, it's a basic part of storytelling and it's nice to see the interaction between the characters rising above "rescue the Princess." Alistair, Morrigan, Leliana, and Zevran are two straight and two bisexual options that offer humorous yet touching story arcs. You can even marry your way into monarchy if you play your cards right.

The Archdemon, who serves as the main villain, leaves much to be desired. It lacks any dialogue and is nothing more than a large ugly dragon.
      The protagonist of Dragon Age: Origin isn't voiced and you can only respond in text but the breadth of choice deserves to be applauded. You can play an evil schemer, a freedom-loving mage, a hateful racist elf, a snooty dwarf noble, or a greedy assassin all with each validity. Some choices are questionable as I can't imagine anyone picking the werewolves over the elves, for example, but I still liked they existed. The epilogue shows a shocking number of choices have consequences and not enough games do that anymore.

     In conclusion, Dragon Age: Origins is one of the best RPGs I've ever played. it isn't as original as it could be but the worldbuilding, characters, and storytelling more than make up for it. I've replayed the game three or four times, which I never do other than in Skyrim so that says everything which needs to be said I think.

10/10

Dragon Age: Origins: Awakening review

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    Dragon Age: Origins was an enormous success. How big of a success? I spent a week away from my wife (then girlfriend) playing the game when it first came out. Man, was she pissed off. Justifiably so. Doubly so given she bought my Xbox 360 for me as a birthday present.

    Anyway, Dragon Age: Origins was a huge success and everyone in the world loved it except people who didn't. Which meant, of course, Bioware was eager to cash-in on the franchise. Some of the decisions they made were good, others...not so much.

    Dragon Age: Origins: Awakening falls in-between. It's an extremely fun expansion for the original game and has some great moments. It also is hurt by a lackluster villain, a plot which doesn't really go anywhere, and uninteresting locals. Despite this, I still recommend it due to the amazingly well-written companions and plot arcs which work wonders.

    The premise of Dragon Age: Origins: Awakening is that it is the kinda-sorta sequel to Dragon Age: Origins. As mentioned, it's an expansion which allows you to import your Grey Warden from Dragon Age: Origins and continue their adventures. Since the Grey Warden can die in the finale of the game, you can also stat up a new character for the expansion but this isn't nearly as satisfying.

One of the few places I really liked in the game.
    The Grey Warden is made the Arl of Amaranthine, petty kingdom of previous Dragon Age villain Arl Howe. This is part of his/her reward for defeating the Blight in the main game. They are supposed to rebuild the shattered Grey Warden order in Fereldan and make sure nothing horrible happens to the populace.

    Which does, in the first five minutes.

    The Darkspawn have long been a completely mindless force without the Archdemon, so they should not be a threat to the Arldom of Amaranthine anymore. Unfortunately, for whatever reason, the Darkspawn here have developed intelligence. They are not retreating as they're supposed to and are, apparently, planning revenge against the Grey Wardens. It's your job to deal with this problem and quickly. Can you defeat the Mother and her mysterious brood of intelligent Darkspawn?

    Of course you can. The question is whether it's fun. Is it?

    Mostly. Yeah.

The characters, as always, are the heart of the game.
    Dragon Age: Origins: Awakening is hampered by mostly forgettable locations with a few gemstones throne in-between including a dragon graveyard and Vigil's Keep. The majority of the locations are merely re-hashes of the original ones from the game with Amaranthine being a generic city, an underground level, a Fade level, a forest level, and some farmland. None of them are objectively bad but none of them really stand out either.

    As with Dragon Age: Origins, the heart of the game is the characters and your Companions in particular. I think all of the characters in Awakening are on par, if not equal to, the characters in origins. There's no romance options for the Awakening Companions, which is a shame, but all of them have their own story arcs which are completed by the end of the game.

    I loved the character of Anders who was much more enjoyable in this game than in the sequel, Dragon Age 2. I enjoyed the character of Nathaniel Howe, embodying the best of Fereldan's nobility. I even enjoyed the character of Velanna despite the fact she was a multiple murderer and an elven eco-terrorist. The return of character Oghren, of all people, from Origins was a curious one but even he had his appealing qualities.

At heart, the game is more of Dragon Age: Origins--which isn't a bad thing.
    Grey Wardens with carry-over stories from Origins get the benefit of seeing some of the fallout from their decisions including being visited by their spouses, friends, and Companions. There's only a few references but they're quite welcome. I especially liked the return of the character Wynne who foreshadows some of the events which reach their climax in Dragon Age 2 and Dragon Age: Inquisition.

    My favorite innovation of the game is the management system for Vigil's Keep. As Arl of Amaranthine, you have to make numerous decisions which will affect the lives of your kingdom's inhabitants forever. This is only a small part of the greater story but helps give you a sense of a noble's responsibilities. Sometimes, things go in poor directions like the fact the common folk may blame you for their troubles even when you're the only thing standing in the way of their annihilation. Other times, you'll have to choose who to guard from attacks with limited resources.

    In conclusion, Dragon Age: Origins: Awakening is an okay continuation of the story from Dragon Age: Origins. It's not so much a full-game of itself or sequel as a playable epilogue. At the end, I felt I had a good sense of where my character was going to go and what sort of legacy he was leaving behind. That's worth the money spent in buying it as either DLC or part of the Ultimate Edition of Dragon Age: Origins.

    Just don't expect it to be quite as good as the original.

8/10

Big Ass Shark review

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    Big Ass Shark has one of the best titles I've seen in recent years. It's a rare title that manages to explain everything you need to know about a book in three words. Big Ass Shark says what the book is about, shows you the author has a sense of humor, and is pretty damn memorable. All of the authors I've talked to have mentioned one of the most important qualities of a title is to be something which sticks in your head enough that you remember it long enough to order it at the bookstore (or online).

    The premise of the book is almost self-explanatory. There is a shark, which is extremely big. One might even say big-ass. What is surprising is this particular example of the species is not the kind of underwater assassin depicted by Jaws and its shameless imitators. I went into this book expecting a gory slaughterfest the like of Deep Blue Sea and got, instead, a book which treats its titular creature with dignity and respect.

    Way to surprise me Briar Lee Mitchell.

    The premise of the book is Misty Witlow, an adorkable young aspiring actress in L.A (which the book lampshades is a group in the millions), spots the world's largest shark just off a beach where she's filming a video message for her mother. After causing a minor panic, Misty becomes the darling of the science community due to both her footage and the tooth which proves the continuing existence of megalodons.

    A lesser writer would have left it there with the big ass shark (called "Ghostie" in the book) preying on unsuspecting humans it's decided to make its favorite prey. There's even a wild theory by one of the scientists that Ghostie could have been preying on humans for a long time but no one would notice because it wouldn't leave any survivors. A media frenzy begins as everyone flocks to capture or kill Ghostie like a modern-day Moby Dick.

    Where the book could have gone right, Briar Lee Mitchell chooses to go left. At the end of the day, Ghostie is not a monster. She's not even a feral or deranged shark. No, she is simply an animal. While there is much terror about what Ghostie can potentially do, the only victims of the shark turn out to be those individuals who deliberately antagonize the animal or present itself in a way that can be mistaken as prey.

    In other words, just like in real-life.

    Big Ass Shark is an environmental parable masquerading as a horror novel, a very good horror novel, with a side bit of mass-media satire. Ghostie is interesting and captures the public's attention, though it's implied it wouldn't last for more than a week, which creates a circus around the creature. People want to capture, kill, or simply harass the shark to the point they're putting themselves or those around them in danger. Misty Witlow, showing more environmental conscience than most, is horrified when some moronic would-be poachers kill whales to try and lure the massive beast out.

    I don't agree with all of the book's premise. The ending of the novel implies it is probably better for humanity to avoid studying the environment if all human beings can do to it is destroy, but I believe education about the oceans is one of the best ways to make sure it survives for future generations to appreciate. Still, I have to say I'm pleased that there's a "shark novel" where the author is squarely on the side of the shark.

    In conclusion, while not a perfect novel, I really liked Big Ass Shark. The protagonist is a fun heroine with a sense of humor and likable personality. I wouldn't mind being friends with someone like her in real life. I approve of the environmental message and also enjoy the dramatics surrounding Ghostie's discovery. In short, I like this book and recommend it to both horror fans as well as those who love sharks. Here's hoping we'll be seeing Big Ass Bear or Big Ass Squid sometime in the near future.

8.5/10

Dragon Age 2 review

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    Dragon Age week continues with our review of the most controversial entry into the series. Dragon Age 2 had a two-year development cycle, a far different plotline than the original, plenty of re-used environments, and a storyline where ones choices often didn't effect the final outcome. It also had a darker tone, stronger characterization, and a an intricately woven plot with lots of twists.

    As a result, there's a lot of people who think Dragon Age 2 was a low point in the series while other people think of it as the franchise's high point. I think they're both right and the game is wildly uneven. Some of Dragon Age 2 is really-really good, amongst the best fantasy RPG writing in video games. Some...is not.

    The premise is you are Hawke, a Fereldan peasant who is traveling with his family to escape the Blight of Dragon Age: Origins. They are refugees and trying to make it to the city of Kirkwall, which is in the Free Marches. The opening cinematic makes it clear that Hawke, somehow, becomes involved in something which shakes the very foundations of Thedas and turns them into a super-important person.

    Which is where the story goes astray.

    Because it doesn't.

Character creation is perhaps TOO simplified.
    For the most part.

    The big difference between Origins and Dragon Age 2 is Hawke's story is fundamentally a personal one. If the developers had advertised this from the very beginning, I think they would have had a lot more luck with the fanbase who were expecting, "more of the same with better graphics."Dragon Age 2 is more like a fantasy Detective story. Whereas Origin is like defeating Sauron and saving Middle Earth, this is more "investigate the magical serial killer."

    Both have their place. In fact, I appreciate the fact the developers tried to show the setting from a different angle. Others, however, looking for a specific itch to scratch are going to be disappointed. In fact, I wish they'd gone further with Hawke as a Noir protagonist and played up the role of him (or her) as the "goes into the mean streets a man who is not mean." As a fan of Noir, I liked the missions involving Hawke looking for evidence against corrupt guardsman and dealing with racist citizenry. I just think it was dissonant when you have to single-handedly stop a foreign invasion.

    The character of Hawke is far better defined than the nebulous Grey Warden of Origins. Whereas you could be an elf, dwarf, or human of varying social classes, you are a human peasant with noble as well as mage blood in Dragon Age 2. You get to meet Hawke's family and learn a decent amount about where he's from, how he was raised, and what he aspires to be. Instead of deciding these things yourself, you decide Hawke's reactions to the world around him.

Combat is fast and furious but there's sometimes too many enemies to be quite believable outside of a war.
    These come in "Aggressive", "Diplomatic", and "Funny" dialogue options. Some gamers may dislike this while others will appreciate it. Both the male and female voice acting for Hawke was enjoyably to me, albeit I preferred male Hawke.

    Irreligious gamers may dislike being forced to play Hawke as someone who maintains some form of religious faith. Hawke makes frequent references to Andraste, the Maker, and other elements of Dragon Age's Christianity equivalent. The game seems to prefer Funny Hawke and he's the most entertaining of the three base personalities but I generally did a balance of all three response options.

    As with Origins and Awakening, the heart of Dragon Age 2 is in your relationship to the main character's Companions. On my end, I think this game has the best companions out of the entire franchise with characters Anders, Aveline, Fenris, Isabella, Varric, and Merrill being among my favorite. I even liked DLC character Sebastian, even if he was somewhat bland by comparison. Sadly, Anders bears little resemblance to his Awakening counterpart and I wished he'd maintained some of his trademark humor.

    A new mechanic is introduced for dealing with Companions called "Rivalry." This is where actions a character disapproves of don't make them hate you. It assumes the characters are, fundamentally, friends but can have bitter disagreements over certain subjects. Unfortunately, the approval mechanic from the previous game (called "Friendship" here) operates opposite of Rivalry so if you do actions a character approves of as well as ones they disapprove of, they feel more or less neutral to you. The writing for this is, sadly, uneven as I was never quite sure if my rivalry with Fenris was fire-forged brotherhood or deep hatred. Though, to be fair, maybe Fenris wasn't sure either.

Aveline is probably my favorite character in the game. It's rare you get a non-sexualized female warrior who is, in every way, awesome.
    The romances from Origin make a return and my reaction to them is, well, bleah. I can't say I much cared for Hawke and Merrill's relationship while I never quite bought Isabella was anything more than Hawke's close friend who slept with him on occasion. Fenris and Anders were more interesting romances, in my humble opinion, with magic-hating Fenris dating a Mage Hawke being the most intriguing combination to me. Those interested in gay issues may note all four romantic interests are bisexual, which some may approve of while others might find a little convenient.

    Dragon Age 2 has a three act structure with a prologue. Unlike Origins, which takes place over an indefinite period of time but certainly no more than a year, Dragon Age 2 has significant time-skips between events. As such, it's not so much a single coherent narrative but more like a chronicle of Hawke's life in Kirkwall. Some of these time-skips are rather jarring with a few leaving questions as to why specific events happened. One particular event, involving Bethany and the Circle, broke my suspension of disbelief as "my" Hawke would never have allowed it to happen.

    Of Dragon Age 2's plotlines, I enjoyed the Second Act dealing with the Qunari the most. I enjoyed the Qunari's description in the first game and liked learning more about them. The Templar and Mage conflict was greatly expanded in this game but, unfortunately, gets treated a little heavy-handed. Rather than making a conflict between two justified groups, all the game seems to show is Kirkwall's Mages and Templars both scum. I wanted to burn the entire city down by the end and, sadly, there was no option for that.

Kirkwall is a beautiful city and the sort of place I'd love to have a bunch of adventures in. It is, however, a wretched hive of scum and Templars. Villainy too.
    Combat is more enjoyable in Dragon Age 2, being faster and flashier than in Origins. The equipment system is also simplified, to the point I didn't know you could enhance Companion's armor until well into the Second Act. Sadly, there's a multitude of reused environments you will be well and truly sick of by the end of the game.

    Swarms of enemies also attack, which swiftly wear down your enjoyment and I think the game would have been much improved by reducing the number of enemies by half while making them twice as tough. Finally, there's a flaw in the writing where several times the game boxes Hawke in or causes his actions to seem somewhat meaningless. The game "railroads" you, to borrow a term from my old D&D days and this is irritating.

    Despite this, I think Dragon Age 2 is worth the purchase. I suggest, to pad out the game, you make sure to purchase all of the DLC for it and modulate one's expectations. It's still a great game but it seems fairly obvious the game would be much improved if it had another year in the development cycle.

8/10

Dragon Age: Asunder review

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    One of the most intriguing struggles depicted in the Dragon Age universe is between the Circle of Magi and the Templar Order. The basic premise is that mages are kept locked up in the setting, forbidden from using their talents save under the careful supervision of the anti-magic trained knights of the Chantry (Thedas' equivalent of the Catholic Church). The mages, naturally, resent this treatment as they can't help how they were born.

    What saves this from being a clear-cut metaphor for oppression is that mages, unlike real-life minorities, are a threat to the common good. They are haunted by demons and possess powers which could easily result in the deaths of thousands.

    One of the earliest missions in Dragon Age: Origins deals with the discovery of an eight-year-old who, in a moment of desperation, makes a pact with a demon and unleashes a horde of undead on his hometown. There are also mages who brutalize and abuse normal human beings, the latter who are helpless to resist.

    It's basically the fantasy version of the X-men, only Henry Peter Gyrich and Senator Kelly are given a sympathetic portrayal.

    Dragon Age: Asunder focuses squarely on the Mage versus Templar issue. I'll be honest, when I first heard about this, I was of mixed feelings. Dragon Age 2 devoted a great deal of time to this issue and I came away hating both factions.

    It was like being forced to choose between Magneto and the Sentinels. Neither side came out smelling like roses and there was no sign of a reasonable third option. I decided to side with the mages in Dragon Age 2 but I came away feeling that the Templars were being given the short end of the stick.

    Asunder avoids most of these pitfalls. It has the remarkably unique idea of giving both sides likable members and showing the dark side of each side too. As a result, it feels like a much more balanced group and while there's an air of triumph to the ending--you also feel like events have escalated to a point which they didn't have to.

    The premise of Asunder is Senior Enchanter Rhys, a high-ranking mage, has long supported independence from the Chantry. His estranged mother, Origin's Wynne, believes this attitude is foolish and invites reprisal from numerous sources. After the events of Dragon Age 2, tensions between the Templars and mages have reached a boiling point. You don't have to have played the aforementioned games to understand the game but, frankly, why are you reading tie-in fiction if you haven't?

    An assassination attempt on the Divine, the Chantry's equivalent of the Pope, escalates matters further as does the discovery of a mystical ritual which has the potential to permanently alter the balance of power between the two factions. Thrown into the mix are liberal Templar knight Evangeline and the mysterious yet sympathetic serial killer Cole (who may or may not be a ghost). I'm also fond of the Lord Seeker, Lambert, who appears to be a one-dimensional hardliner but turns out to just be the wrong man for the wrong time in the worst way.

    I've read all of the Dragon Age novels and I have to say that Asunder is my favorite of the ones released so far. Everyone is likable, sensible in their actions, and entertaining to read about. We get a good look into their mindsets and there's even a few unexpected moments. Mages, for example, fail to realize the Templars don't just keep them locked up but also protect them from the bigotry of the common people. They also miss how blessed they are to live in a community where race, nation, sexuality, and social status don't matter. Every mage is allowed an education and never has to worry about where his next meal is coming from where, in Thedas, these are fantastic luxuries.

    But are they worth freedom?

    Fans of Dragon Age 2 may dislike the fact the book does a light retcon of the setting's timeline. It was implied a war between the Templar and Mage factions began immediately after the events of the game. This shows events took a great deal more to turn them into a full-scale war which also spoils the ending of the book. I'm, largely, okay with this retcon but it does seem to make the actions of certain characters in the game seem less meaningful.

    In conclusion, I strongly recommend fans of the Dragon Age game series pick up Asunder as a lead-in to Dragon Age: Inquisition and because it's a very fun book. I don't recommend this book to people who aren't familiar with the franchise as the emotional resonance will not be the same. It's entertaining but this was written with fans of the game in mind and doesn't quite work on its own the way, say, The Stolen Throne does.

9/10

Dragon Age: The Masked Empire review

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    One of the major problems I had with Dragon Age 2 was the game had something of a monomaniacal focus on the Templar and Mage issue. The Qunari were also present, thank the Maker, but it seemed to make the setting smaller rather than larger. One of the most appealing elements of Dragon Age: Origins was it illustrated the staggering number of issues which were plaguing the continent: elvish bigotry, dwarf classicism, mage oppression, religious fanaticism, Qunari totalitarianism, Tevinter slavers, and the fact the nobility ranged from the Stark-like Couslands to Joffrey-like psychopaths like Arl Howe.

    With the set up of Dragon Age: Inquisition initially looking like it would deal with the Mage and Templar War I was rather worried the other elements would fall to the wayside even further. Thankfully, both the information coming out from Bioware as well as The Masked Empire. The Masked Empire deals with areas of storytelling almost untouched by Dragon Age 2 and which I think will play a big role in Dragon Age: Inquisition.

    Specifically, the plight of elves and the Orlesian Empire.

    Orlais has been a country which has long had an important role in Dragon Age but has yet to be fully detailed until now. Whereas Fereldan has served as the archetypal stand-in for England, Scotland, and Wales--Orlais has served as an analog for France. It is a country which is much more than this, though, embodying the setting's concepts of autocracy and the divine right of Kings. Orlais is the largest, most powerful, richest, and most dangerous nation in Thedas.

    It didn't get there by being nice.

    Interestingly, Orlais is shown to be a multifaceted nation too. Whereas much is made of the brutality and cruelty of Orlais' nobility during their occupation of Fereldan, Awakening's Baroness being based on Elizabeth Bathory, we also have fan-favorite Leliana (one of the sweetest characters in the franchise) hail from said nation. They are a thoroughly humanized bunch of characters but have cultural attitudes which are decidedly, well, Medieval.

    As for the elves, one of the things I always enjoyed about Dragon Age was they were a race which was as far from Tolkien's conception of them as godlike immortal beings as you could get. As the settings analog to both Jews and Romani, elves are a despised minority desperately trying to cling to their cultural heritage in the face of brutal oppression. Fereldan, normally treated as much better than Orlais, still has elven women abducted for sexual assault from their wedding and a full-on pogrom when they try to resist.

    Yeesh.

    The premise follows the political struggles of Empress Celene and her elven lover, Briala. It's rare enough we see women in authority without being overtly sexualized. It's doubly-so to see a lesbian woman in authority. Empress Celene could have easily been cast as a bisexual but there's no indication that she or her lover have any interest in men other than potential political allies.

    Celene appears to be a woman who holds liberal attitudes to the plight of elves and is more interested in patronizing the arts versus military expansionism. However, looks can be deceiving, as she's also a master politician with the ruthless streak necessary to rule a country which has institutionalized intrigue. Briala has a somewhat rose-colored view of Celene, viewing her as a messianic protector of her people who will deliver Orlais out of its current dark age of autocracy.

    She's wrong.

    Opposing our heroes is Grand Duke Gaspard, a brutal imperialist warlord who wishes to invade the nation of Fereldan and put it under a military dictatorship for no other reason than to distract Orlesians from their constant infighting. He's a monster planning the deaths of thousands for no other reason than because, as a chevalier, war is his trade and he sees nothing wrong with practicing it. Yet, despite this, Duke Gaspard reveals himself to be possibly one of the few Orlesians with any sense of integrity. Most characters in the novel would throw away their honor, for whatever worth that is, when it threaten their position.

    Gaspard's word is his bond and he doesn't rules-lawyer it either. Between he and Empress Celene, I'm not sure who I would rather have as my ruler. Empress Celene as an enlightened liberal ruler seems like she's the sort of person who would be better to my modern sensibilities. However, she's a politician and flat-out untrustworthy. Duke Gaspard, by contrast, is a ruthless war monger but you can expect him to honor your agreements. That is an ugly pair of choices if our Inquisitor is called to support one or the other in Dragon Age: Inquisition.

    The supporting cast in The Masked Empire is great too. I despised the character of Michel and hope there's an option for killing him in Inquisition but, honestly, I can't say I don't understand why he chose to make the choices he did. I think those choices have damned him, either secularly or metaphysically depending on your beliefs re: Dragon Age's afterlife, but I understand them. I also loved the character of Felassan who is a delightful Trickster mentor and reminds me of the early legends of Merlin.

    The worldbuilding in this book is great with insights into how the Dalish mages view City Elves, the City Elves view Dalish mages, how half-elves are treated by society, and how the Orlesian nobility looks down on them all. We get insight into the Game which all of the Orlesian nobility plays and how their system of honor works. I've always liked how honor was treated in Dragon Age as we see in both the Dwarvish and Orlesian world that it allows you to do monstrous things but think of yourself as a good person.

    In conclusion, as much as I hated some of the characters for their actions, this is a really good book. I prefer Asunder but I think The Masked Empire is objectively better if that makes any sense. Fans of Dragon Age should pick this up ASAP.

9/10

Dragon Age 2: Mark of the Assassin review

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    Felicia Day is one of my five geek crushes along with Grey Delisle, Gates MacFadden, Claudia Black, and Jennifer Hale. I've loved her characters since Doctor Horrible's Musical Sing-A-Long-Blog and enjoyed her character in Supernatural. I mean to get around to watching her World of Warcraft-inspired webseries or her channel but I haven't had time for that, running my own review blog and being a fantasy/sci-fi/horror author.

    One thing to say about Felicia Day is, however, she's occasionally a polarizing figure in geek fandom. Supernatural fans, for example, have a very vocal segment of their fandom who positively loathe the character of Charlie (LARPing lesbian geek hacker). Likewise, there's a segment of the Dragon Age fandom which strongly dislikes her due to her prominent role in both the Dragon Age: Redemption web series and this piece of DLC.

    You may wonder why I'm starting my review talking about Felicia Day versus the DLC itself but it's impossible to separate the actress, her Dragon Age avatar (Tallis), and the adventure. If you like Felicia Day's characters, you will like this DLC since Tallis acts much like the actress' public persona.

You can tell a lot of attention went into capturing Felicia Day's likeness.
    If this sort of thing sounds like it will break your suspension of disbelief, then consider yourself warned. I happen to like Felicia Day, love Tallis, and really enjoyed Mark of the Assassin but it's not that difficult for me to see where detractors are coming from. One can enjoy a piece of art while recognizing it's flaws and I think Bioware should have seen the controversies regarding this work coming.

    The premise is Hawke, protagonist of Dragon Age 2, is contacted by Qunari assassin Tallis. Tallis wants Hawke's help in recovering a rare and valuable relic being kept at a Orlesian Duke's palace. This is a cover for Talli's true mission on behalf of the Qunari. There's a lot of intrigue, double-crosses, triple-crosses, and sneaking around. In the end, the player characters may part with Tallis on amiable or hateful terms but she'll have accomplished her mission.

    The actual adventure is astoundingly well-done and probably the best one in the entire franchise. The locations are absolutely beautiful, the Boss fight at the end incredibly fun, and several changes in game-play with an optional stealth mechanic I loved. There's even a very clever puzzle which challenged my problem-solving skills. I loved-to-hate the villain too, which made the conflict with him all the more entertaining. If not for a few missteps, I would say Mark of the Assassin was a 10/10 product.

My favorite boss fight in Dragon Age, matched only perhaps by the wizard duel with Corypheus.
    Unfortunately, these missteps are grave.

    The first is the character of Tallis, herself, as mentioned above. Tallis is a funny quirky character who flirts with Hawke (regardless of gender) and makes all sorts of adorable commentary on her surroundings. The problem is the Qun is, in-universe, a religion embracing rigid conformity and seriousness in all things. It also practices strict gender segregation and arranges all mating between its members.

    In short, Tallis is the most un-Qunari ever conceived and the game seems unaware of this. Worse, she prattles on about the Qun's virtues despite practicing none of them herself and has the audacity to say them to Hawke regardless of whether they are a mage (which the Qunari abuse) or have just survived an invasion by the religion's warriors.

    It can be jarring.

Duke Prosper is such a detestable scum-bag, I think I enjoyed killing him more than Handsome Jack. Well, almost.
    The next flaw is the game is extremely railroaded. If your character is not sympathetic to the Qunari, or Tallis, there is an option to work against her but only at the end. Worse, you are unable to make any significant impact on the finale. Either way, Tallis will be able to escape alive with her mission accomplished.

    For a game series which has prided itself on choice and multiple avenues of proceeding through a game, this is troubling. It makes Hawke (and, thus, the player) feel like a sidekick in their own story--and that just won't stand.

    Despite this, I enjoyed Mark of the Assassin a great deal. My Hawke was the sort of fellow who liked quirky characters and had encountered plenty of them in the past. If he could accept chipper elven blood mages and lovable abominations, he didn't have a problem with smiles and sunshine Qunari.

    Furthermore, as a player, I've had plenty of experience in real-life with fundamentalists who ignored the fact they weren't taking their religion very seriously and often preached its virtues to those who might not necessarily feel welcome (particularly gays or people of a multicultural bent). Others may have more difficulty with this.

Sneaking around a castle and bashing guys in the heads is a fun new mechanic for the franchise. Albeit, it can be frustrating at times.
    In conclusion, this is a DLC which isn't for everybody. The guest star is both its selling point and it's biggest weakness. I also think this should have been a part of the main game. If they'd added Duke Prosper's estate as a re-visitable location, the game might not have felt nearly so monotonous at times.

    I also think Tallis would have been an interesting party-member, giving a much-needed perspective on the Qunari while also possessing both a Rivalry as well as Friendship path. Neither of which are present here. Still, I don't recommend playing Dragon Age 2 without this DLC and that's its biggest endorsement.

    8/10

Dragon Age 2: Legacy review

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    Dragon Age 2: Legacy, in many ways, is Mark of the Assassin's opposite. Whereas Mark of the Assassin is quirky and humorous, Legacy is a dark and serious. Whereas Mark of the Assassin is mostly about bright and sunny environments, Legacy is dark as well as claustrophobic. Whereas Legacy is focused on an all-new character in Tallis, Legacy deals with the return of Hawke's sibling.

    The latter is what makes Legacy interesting as, due to the fact they're absent for almost the entirety of Act II in the game, both Bethany and Carver Hawke were underdeveloped compared to other Companions. While you can play Legacy at any point during Dragon Age 2, I recommend playing it during Act II or Act III as it provides a badly missing amount of exposition from the characters regarding their state of being.

    The premise of Legacy is the Hawke siblings and two other companions are summoned to a desolate part of the Free Marches where the Carta are based. The Carta, sort of the Dwarfish mafia, have been looking for anyone descended from Malcolm Hawke (the PC's father). This, obviously, intrigues Hawke and his sibling so they investigate. What they find is secrets of their father's past history, a Grey Warden conspiracy, and insight into the origins of the Blights.

Legacy is very-very brown. Except when it's dark, dingy greys and blacks. Really, it's like playing Fallout.
    Dragon Age: Legacy, in my humble opinion, is good but not great. The adventure felt like a hack and slash slog through room after room of villains with little interaction with anyone. The insights into Malcolm Hawke are entertaining enough but nothing we couldn't have deduced from talking with Leandra (the protagonist's mother). About the biggest revelation we get regarding Malcolm Hawke is he didn't want mage children and that he was willing to use Blood Magic when his pregnant wife was threatened.

    The best part of the game is almost certainly the final fight with Corypheus, easily my favorite of the entire series with only the battle against Duke Prosper rivaling it. It's a genuinely hard fight with lots of twists and turns but amazingly satisfying for a Mage Hawke to complete. The fact I achieved "Archmage" (20th level) after it made it all the sweeter. Sadly, the ending is ruined by a "To be continued" coda which mars my sense of accomplishment. Hadn't Hawke enough failures? Couldn't he have had just this one success?

    The character of Corypheus isn't much of a surprise to gamers given his cover is on the front of the game. I will say, however, he is an excellent villain for the small amount of time he appears on-screen. Many people have, correctly, stated that he would have made a better main villain for Dragon Age 2 than the actual ones in the Arishok and Knight Commander Meredith. How he ties into the lore of the setting is a surprise which I won't spoil but makes him one of the more intriguing characters to show up since Origin's Loghain.

I can't say the magical mini-games were all that much fun to me. Lots of demon-killing. Got plenty of that in the main game.
    Another welcome element is the return of the Grey Wardens. They play a miniscule, almost forgettable role in Dragon Age 2 which bothered many fans given their central focus in the first game. While I believe Dragon Age is much more than the Blights and Darkspawn, having them show up and play a prominent role was welcome. I also liked the reminder of what the Grey Warden's "success by any means" attitude is like to outsiders. The Wardens bully, intimidate, threaten, bribe, or worse for the greater good. About the only thing they have over other villains is they're actually working for it (usually).

    My favorite sidequest from this adventure is probably the one related to the Altar of Dumat. Dumat is the now-deceased dragon god of the Tevinter Imperium which died at the hands of the Grey Wardens. Hawke discovers one of the Tevinter's altars to the ancient deity and has the opportunity to perform a sacrificial rite to it or defile it. If Hawke does the rite properly, he is given a reward from the evil god. Which implies he may not be as dead as the Grey Wardens think. Hawke can also defile the altar to spite him.

    Frankly, this adventure is lacking in significant NPCs, however. The Grey Wardens you meet aren't terribly interesting and we don't get a chance to interact with the now-insane members of the Carta. Corypheus is the most memorable of the characters you encounter and you only get to spend a short time with him. I would have preferred a few more characters to encounter in this DLC since that's always been where Bioware shines. The most memorable conversations are probably between Hawke and his sibling.

    So there is that.
As mentioned, the fight against Corypheus is awesome.
     I can't say I was blown away by the combat in this DLC either. The Carta are not the sort of enemies I particularly enjoy killing. Given the majority of them are Casteless dwarves abused by society, killing hundreds of them just makes me feel bad. The Darkspawn are creatures I got my fill of slaying in Dragon Age: Origins so the opportunity for Hawke to do it doesn't fill me with glee. With the exception of the aforementioned boss fight, it's just a slog for the most part through weird caves and ruins. There's a great bonus boss fight but it's very hard to get to and easy to miss. I wish they'd made that easier to find.

    In conclusion, Legacy isn't bad per say, but it's not exactly good either. I'd get it for the fact that Dragon Age 2 could use some more variety but the adventure was somewhat bleak with environments I didn't find to be particularly memorable. It does, however, have a great villain plus some insights into the Hawke family legacy so I'm going to give it a passing grade. Buy this in order to fill out Dragon Age 2's somewhat spotty storyline.

8/10

The Social Satire of Dragon Age: Mages and Templars part 1

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Part 2
Part 3

    As has been mentioned many times before in this blog, I am a huge fan of the Dragon Age series. I have purchased all of the games, DLC, novels, and comics. It's a world which builds very much off the Dungeons and Dragons aesthetics and it does it well. This is no surprise since the same people who made Dragon Age also made Baldur's Gate, one of the all-time best RPGs of all time. I think Dragon Age is an improvement over that, not the least because you can romance the red-headed rogue. However, what sort of social commentary can be found in a setting filled with dwarves and elves?

    Quite a lot, in fact.

    The chief example of this and the focus of today's essay is going to be the often debated subject of Templars vs. Mages. It was a minor issue in Dragon Age: Origins but became a major focus of the storyline in Dragon Age 2 (indeed, some would say too much focus was paid to it). It's a conflict with much nuance and the source of many heated debates on the internet. Unlike many such arguments, there's a larger issue at stake which the conflict serves as a good metaphor for.

    Specifically, Freedom versus Security.

    For the purposes of this essay, we will define freedom as a rite of self-determination and control over one's body. There is also the freedom of property, both owning it as well as accumulating it. All of these will be addressed within this, rather lengthy, three-part essay. Security will be defined as the greater public good, including freedoms for those individuals who are not having theirs restricted. For example, locking up a slaver so he doesn't enslave other people. This essay will not attempt to forward either quality as inherently superior but understand all functioning societies contain an inherent balance of both.

    To understand this conflict, we need to understand the full scope of the issue and that will require an analysis of both sides' relationship to the other. This is going to be a lengthy discussion so please bear with me. Also note, the use of the term satire refers to humorous works by but I find the label appropriate here given the use of fantasy characters to stand in for other issues. Others may disagree and are welcome to do so.

    The premise of the Templar and Mage conflict begins with individuals in the world of Dragon Age being born with magic rather than taught it. The powers manifest at adolescence and often in violent, destructive ways. In Dragon Age: Asunder, we encounter a child who killed her parents by summoning a fireball. This is the least of their dangers, however, as mages are also a beacon to extra-dimensional monsters in the Fade (termed "demons" by the dominate religions of the continent).

The destructive power of mages.
    Mages who are possessed by a demon are called "Abominations" and present the single greatest threat to life in the setting after Dragons and the Darkspawn. We encounter our first Abomination in a young boy named Connor who is a Mage not sent to the Circle. Making a pact with a demon to save the life of his father, Connor is transformed into a Damien Thorne-style horror which summons hordes of the undead to serve him and mind-controls individuals to serve him in degrading ways.

    Without the heroes, its very possible Connor is capable of killing all life in a medium-sized village. We also hear of another Abomination from Knight Commander Meredith, her own sister in fact, who destroys much of a town before she's put down. Meredith's family had concealed her from the Templars, only for her freedom to become a nightmare. Demons are wily creatures too and we see a young girl befriend a talking cat that, if freed, will promptly possess her and walk around in her body like a new suit.

The face of evil.
    The solution in Thedas is that all mages, once identified, are taken to the Circles. The Circles are, ostensibly, mage-run facilities where the children are educated in the safe use of their powers. Much like Charles Xavier's School for Gifted Mutants, children learn the dangers of their abilities but also how to use them for the benefit of mankind. In a more light-hearted setting, this would be the end of it. Unfortunately, Dragon Age is "Dark Fantasy" and realism has a habit of on minorities divorced from the larger community by circumstances beyond their control.

    The Circles are run by mages but they are controlled by the Templars. A religious order of knights dedicated to Andraste, a messianic figure who overthrew a tyrannical magic-using regime, the Templars have authority to execute mages who they suspect of having been corrupted by demons. Furthermore, they have the option of giving a sort of "magical lobotomy" which removes the ability of mages to feel emotions but renders them immune to being possessed. This is called being made Tranquil. Theoretically, a Templar is only supposed to kill or Tranquil those mages who have succumb to possession, evil, or are too weak to safely use their powers.

    One might argue the public has a vested interest in making sure the mages are taken from their families to be placed in the Circles. Not only for their own safety but the safety of the mage in question. Quote-unquote "normal" subjects do not have the education to teach mage children about the dangers they might face.

    However, as we discuss later in this essay, Circle mages are not allowed to teach their own children either. One of the most well-adjusted and moral mages in the franchise, Bethany Hawke, was taught by her apostate father Malcolm Hawke. The suitability of the parents doesn't matter, however. Instead, the mages are only able to be trusted by the Dragon Age public within the confines of the Circle.

The terror of the Templars.
     Much like in our world, the difference between what a person is supposed to do and what they actually do is quite different. Templars and Mages are both, with the exception of elves, only human and capable of both flawed judgement, prejudice, as well as corruption. In Dragon Age, we see how all these qualities come together to make an excellent metaphor for the struggle between Freedom and Safety which has been a conflict since the first days of society. Indeed, Dragon Age is one of my favorite fictional depictions of this struggle since it manages to avoid most of the prejudices and assumptions which come inherent to these sorts of discussions.

    The first issue is being a mage is a life-sentence. For reasons a mage cannot help and they were born with, they are separated from their families and forced to live away from society for the rest of their lives. While certain mages, such as Senior Enchanter Wynne, are given freedom to wander Thedas unguarded, the majority of them can never leave the Circle towers. During the Fifth Blight of Dragon Age: Origins, less than a dozen mages were released from the Circle to fight an apocalyptic zombie-like threat despite the lore saying thousands of mages lived there.

    Indeed, the Templars are one of the most formidable fighting forces in all of Thedas but do not participate in fighting the Blight unless you exterminate the mages they're supposed to guard. They consider their duty of supervising mages to trump their obligation to help stop the end of the world. Any mage who flees the Circles or never goes in the first place is hunted down. These mages are called Apostates and the religious connotations of their label are deliberate.

    Note: Mages have powers of healing in addition to their power to destroy and we only see them utilize this ability in rare occasions. The Apostate Anders uses his powers to assist refugees while Wynne uses them to assist the heroes of Origins. We also see mages heal the Pope-equivalent of Thedas in Dragon Age: Asunder. It is telling only the renegade mage is actively serving the public. The fact these gifts are denied to the common people due to Chantry paranoia is troubling and highlight mages have much good to give as well as evil.

    Next, the Templars are hardly unbiased figures regarding the mages. The Chant of Light, equivalent to the Bible in Thedas, is a book whose first stanza is a prohibition against mages using their powers to rule over mankind and that they should serve it instead.

    The prejudice of the Chantry against magic-users and their beliefs is brought home with the Mage Origin where the protagonist encounters a woman deep in prayer. The Player Character may join her, or not, but will discover either way that she is praying for the Maker (The Chantry's God) to take away her magic. The comparison to homosexuality is an easy enough one to make and troubling. This mage, at least, has been taught to hate herself by society and the Chantry in particular.

Someone who had their child removed from them. Also, one of the gentlest mages in the world. Similarly, she's possessed.
    More troubling is the fact that mages are forbidden from child-rearing. Children born in Circles are taken away from their parents and raised in Chantry orphanages. Orson Scott Card, an ironic choice for writing Dragon Age-fiction and mage-fiction in in particular given the homosexual parallels,  focused on the traumatizing nature of this in the Dragon Age comic. While one might argue the Circles are inherently dangerous places for children, the denial of one's right to be a parent has several nasty real-life parallels where ethnic groups had their children stolen to be raised by "proper" families.

    One might also view it as a soft-form of genocide with the idea that mages will, hopefully, cease reproducing and someday cease to exist. At the very least, it limits their numbers as we discover magic is passed down within the blood, and prevents them from growing as a subculture. Kirkwall's mages are not only forbidden from raising their children but all forms of sexual contact period. Even children who display magic themselves often never learn who their parents are as we discover with Wynne only identifying herself to her son Rhys decades later.

    The prejudice of Templars against mages is confirmed with Ser Alrik, an extremist radical amongst them, who believes all mages should be made Tranquil (eye-rollingly called "The Tranquil Solution"). While there is indications he wants to do this because of illegal (by Templar law) desire to sexually abuse his charges, there is also a statement by several Tranquil that he believed this action was the only way to save their souls from the Void (the Chantry's version of damnation).

The worst of the Templars.
     The latter, at least, indicates a truly deep and overwhelming bias against magi. We also discover Ser Alrik is not the only one to take sexual advantage of his charges with Ser Karras being confirmed as yet another Templar who does these sorts of actions. Other Templars may become involved in sexual relationships with magi but these seem to be consensual and are beyond the scope of this article.

    There is also the Rite of Annulment, which the Templars are given for the purposes of exterminating every single man, woman, and child within a Circle if it is completely lost to corruption. Theoretically, this is to prevent Abominations from escaping into the public at large. We see one such incident almost happen with the Circle of Magi in Fereldan. Senior Enchanter Uldred attempts a revolt against the Circle system and due to careless use of Blood Magic, accidentally gets himself possessed as well as the majority of his charges.

    The deformed monsters which result could have easily spread beyond the Circle to infect the public at large. Only the Grey Warden's possible intervention prevents the mages from being wholesale massacred as the Templars are not possessed of the skill or knowledge to free the Circle (nor desire). The problems with this are obvious as no attempt is made to differentiate between those actually possessed and those who have escaped such a condition. The greater public good, according to the Templars, requires that some children may die so that a situation like Connor's doesn't occur. Given demons are capable of trickery, this is a justifiable argument.

    Justifiable. If not right.

    The Rite of Annulment is not applied only to circles lost to corruption, however. The Rivain Circle of Magi is exterminated by the Templar Order for what is likely a variety of reasons including spirit-possession, increased contact between mages and humans, as well as the tensions between the Templar as well as Circle system following the Kirkwall Incident in Dragon Age 2. There is no indication the Circle was completely lost to corruption, however, so the Templars acted out of religious conviction versus the events described above with Uldred.

Life as an abomination may well be worse than death.
    Senior Enchanter Wynne illustrates spirit possession does not have to result in a psychotic monster. The truth about spirits is obscured for the purposes of religious doctrinal purity. The Kirkwall Annulment is a muddier issue as it is performed with illegal means following an act of mage terrorism.

    The illegality of the Annulment in Kirkwall, however, is a moot point since the Templars proceeded to enact it anyway until the point Knight Commander Meredith's madness was clear. Either way, the Templars have the legal authority to commit a mass execution which has been enacted many times in the past. The awareness of this is something Dragon Age players would be hard-pressed to miss given they have the option of participating in two.

     Finally, on the Templars' side of things at least, there are the dual issues of the Harrowing and Tranquility. We will cover these along with Blood Magic, Mage Terrorism, and Self-Determination in Part 2 of The Social Satire of Dragon Age: Mages and Templars.

The Social Satire of Dragon Age: Mages and Templars part 2

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Part 1
Part 3

    Perhaps even more controversial than the Rite of Annulment amongst mages, however is the Rite of Tranquility. As mentioned before, this is a supernatural procedure which removes the ability of mages to feel emotions. The resulting figures, called Tranquil, are supernaturally calm and reserved. They are also (apparently) immune to possession and, thus, no threat to their fellow beings.

    Dragon Age: Asunder shows that, instead of being immune, they are simply undesirable as hosts to demons but this is functionally the same as immunity for the most part. A Tranquil is less appealing to a demon than a non-magic-using human and thus not likely to endanger other beings by his mere existence.

    The first encounter with a Tranquil mage in the Mage Origin is one of horror and curiosity as we find someone who was once feeling but has since become otherwise. The Tranquil we meet, Owain, says that he is content with his life but feels no emotions. He can be neither happy nor sad, though he expresses some vague displeasure at the horrific destruction wrecked by demons during the "Broken Circle" questline in Origins. Mage player-characters can insult or abuse this figure, calling him an automaton, but this is a poor response given he has already suffered a grievous violation (whether willingly or not).

    Knight Captain Cullen, a figure presented as more-or-less reasonable example of the Templars, has the idea that Tranquility is a moral alternative to executing every mage who proves incapable of resisting demonic temptation.

    But is it?
Without emotion, without feeling, without love, without hate, breath is just a clock. Ticking.
     Much as lobotomies were considered to be a corrective surgery for certain mental illnesses, the serious side effects of the procedure call into question how anyone could believe this to be humane (or even a lesser evil). The sheer horror mages like Anders and Jowan display for Tranquility go a long way to explaining the violent insurrections which take place across the Circles in the Dragon Age games.

    The fact the rite is meant to require both the approval of the Knight Commander as well as First Enchanter does little to mitigate the fear mages have of the procedure being forced upon them. We see, with Ser Alrik, Templars are quite capable of doing the rite on their own initiative.

    However, and this is where the procedure becomes relevant to current discussions regarding Freedom vs. Security--one needs to be wary of FINANCIAL considerations when discussing the Tranquil rite.

    The Second Iraqi War was criticized in some circles, justifiably or not, as having more to do with protecting American oil interests than overthrowing a dictator. President Eisenhower warned against the Military Industrial Complex using its economic might to force the United States into wars for the sake of profit.

    In the case of the Tranquil, they offer an immense financial benefit to both the Templars and the Chantry. This isn't just because they are obedient slaves, though that is a consideration. No, it is because of the fact Tranquil are capable of working with the highly-dangerous substance of lyrium.

    Lyrium is a mystical substance useful as both a drug, a power-source, and an explosive. It's perhaps most potent use, however, is being worked to create magical items. Magical glyphs, while not as potent in Dragon Age as other franchises, can transfer a bow or a sword into a weapon equivalent to a modern day firearm. While dwarves are capable of enchantment too, it is far riskier for them versus Tranquil.

Sandal's "quirks" may be the result of how dangerous lyrium is to even dwarvish users.
    Tranquil are capable of working day and night to produce weapons, armor, or otherwise for the Templars. Furthermore, these goods are sold as seen in the Wonders of Thedas shop, for great amounts of gold. Which causes one to wonder if the Chantry does not have a vested interest in always making sure there's Tranquil regardless of the actual capacity of mages. Even if all the money goes back to the Circle, as indicated by the Tranquil at Ostagar, that just shows there is a benefit to the Tranquil's existence beyond preventing possession.

    As we find out with Libertarian mage Adrian and the "recovered" Tranquil Karl (before he returns to that state), many mages would prefer death to Tranquility. Others, horrified by dreams or fearful of the Harrowing, consider it their only hope of salvation and being "freed" from magic. Ex-Tranquil Pharamond expresses less horror than Karl at his past existence but is quite happy to have his emotions restored.

    Which brings us to the Harrowing. The Harrowing is a rite of passage similar to the Jedi Trials or, in an odd way, a driver's test. A mage who passes the Harrowing is no longer an apprentice and receives the full respect of his peers. He is also accorded certain rights and privileges like a theoretical immunity to becoming Tranquil.

    Before becoming a Grey Warden, Anders becomes an apostate seven or eight times with only a year in solitary confinement (bad as that may be) due to his having passed the Harrowing. The rite of Tranquility cannot be used punitively by Templars acting within the law. Not that it was ever meant to be used that way to begin with.

    The Harrowing is a test by which a mage is mentally sent into the Fade and displays his ability to fight, resist temptation by, and outsmart demons. At its most basic level, it is meant to demonstrate a mage does not have to be feared as a "possession risk." Theoretically, they are not the sort of beings the general public should have to fear. Unfortunately, the Harrowing is a flawed rite from both the Mage as well as Templar side (more so the former than the later).

Mages can become Abominations voluntarily. Even if this is beyond stupid. Why? Because humans (and elves) are stupid.
    As a test, it is runs the risk of being immoral and as a means of demonstrating a mage is not dangerous--it is decidedly lacking. The Templars kill any subject who becomes an Abomination during this procedure, despite the means to free them being in close access (as we saw with Connor--it is possible to free possessed mages), but this is not necessarily a bad thing given the danger even a single one of their kind can pose.

    As we see with Uldred, even powerful run the risk of possession. The Baroness, a cruel and powerful Orlesian Blood Mage, actually becomes a Pride Demon rather than being possessed by one. Grace, one of the apostates taken to Kirkwall's chantry, becomes a Pride Abomination. Evelyn, another renegade, accepts the help of demons to escape the Templars.

    Anders, himself, accepts a benevolent Fade spirit into his body with their clash of personalities warping the other into an unrecognizable fusion. First Enchanter Orsino believes becoming an abomination to kill more Templars is an even trade-off during a moment of despair (which doesn't work out for him). In short, no mage is entirely free from the risk of possession and the Harrowing is merely a comforting lie which pretends otherwise.

    Worse, the culture around the Harrowing is vile from a moral perspective. Apprentice mages are terrified of the Harrowing and some, like Jowan, resort to drastic means (such as Blood Magic) because of their fear. Some even elect to become Tranquil rather than take it. The fact the Enchanters neither allay the fears of these subjects or have an alternative to it is highly questionable. The ability to fight demons physically does not provide any insight into whether a mage has moral fiber to resist possession nor does the former provide any insight into the latter.

    The fact the mages know they will be watched during the Harrowing also makes it a dubious test for one's ability to resist demonic temptation. Only a complete moron, for example, would make a deal with a demon while a Templar is literally standing over their unconscious bodies. The fact mages are forced to take the Harrowing and sometimes die, on a frequent enough basis to go uncommented on as we see in Dragon Age: Asunder makes it use questionable. In some ways, it is political theater, demonstrating a false triumph in order to allay concerns about a person.

    Which brings us to Blood Magic and Mage Terrorism.

Yes, use your aggressive feelings! Give into your anger!
    Blood Magic is a forbidden school of magic which was taught to the Tevinter Magisters ages ago by the Old God Dumat. During Dragon Age: Origins we find out it is possible to also learn this school of magic from both studying it in books (as Jowan did) and from demons. As the Rite of Tranquility gives the Chantry a vested financial interest in treating mages as slaves, so does Blood Magic give mages a vested financial interest in treating non-magical individuals as chattle. Practicioners are known as Maleficar and they are some of the most despised individuals in Thedas for their activities.

    Blood Magic, itself, is amoral since it can be used by both moral paragon player-characters as well as villainous monsters. It is a tool, nothing more. However, like a gun or nuclear weapon, its uses are limited beyond inflicting harm. Blood magic deals with the control of demons, mind-control, and the harvesting of human life for mystical power. A few individuals, like the Blood Mage Avernus, have found medicinal benefits to the practice but the majority of practicioners seem interested in its use as a weapon or source of easy power.

    As we see with Jowan, feats impossible for a single magic without great amounts of lyrium, become possible with human sacrifice. Even strong-willed mortals like a non-mage Hawke, are incapable of resisting Blood Magic to kill themselves. The aforementioned Avernus used his Blood Magic to assist in the rebellion of Sophie Dryden against the tyrant Arland by mind-controlling individuals into supporting her.

    To say this is highly unethical is understating matters.

    Demons tend to be in the service of Blood Mages, often appearing in great numbers. Uldred's misuse of it turned the Circle of Magi in Fereldan to a charnel house. Even otherwise-moral Merrill ran the risk of unleashing a Pride Demon on the world despite her precautions. All mages risk corruption by demons but Blood Mages invite them in through the front door because they believe they can be made to behave.

    As we see with Jowan, a mystique has appeared around Blood Magic, and it encourages mages to study it despite the risks it runs to not only the mage themselves but those around them. Zathrian the Elvish Keeper's story shows it can bestow immortality but the price was a hideous curse on the Brecilian Forest's human inhabitants.

    The, admittedly biased, former slave Fenris indicates that many mages turn to Blood Magic because its benefits outweigh its drawbacks if one is immoral. Those mages who turn to Blood Magic are able to dominate their fellows and conquer lesser humans in a way other mages can only dream about due to their endless supply of magical power as long as there's bodies to sacrifice.

    The World of Thedas volume 1 talks about how otherwise content (for as much as one can be) slaves in Tevinter are horrified when their seemingly-benevolent master sacrifices their lives to gain an advantage against a rival. As long as people value their own lives above others, Blood Magic will be an "easy" solution to turn to. One can draw parallels to hardcore drug-dealing, weapons-trafficking, and other crimes which are insoluble as they're so good at providing what a subject wants at low cost save ethically. The ties between drug-trafficking and terrorism are also something which need not be commented on.

    The public interest becomes more threatened by ambitious mages wielding Blood Magic than it does by possessed mages as Maleficar can intentionally inflict the mass-devastation weak-mages can do accidentally. The Old Tevinter Imperium holds a place of cultural horror and trauma in the minds of Thedasians due to the mass human sacrifices, mind-control, and unspeakable rites practiced by its leadership. Perhaps the worst of these atrocities being the infliction of the Blight on reality when they used Blood Magic to attempt to visit the Fade's Golden City. While the Chantry has mythologized the event, the existence of the Darkspawn Corypheus proves there is some truth to the story.

    In short, mages can destroy villages. Blood Mages can destroy the world.

    The issues become muddled with Mage Terrorism. You wouldn't think that terrorism would be a thing in a Medieval society such as Thedas but it is an on-going theme with the Templar and Mage struggle. The destruction of the Kirkwall Chantry by Anders is easily compared to a modern-day act of terrorism, blowing up a public building as well as civilian structure in order to make a symbolic strike against authority.

Blood Mages look like everyone else. They can also play the role of the misunderstood victim as well as anyone else.
    We see another act in the transformation of Templars into Abominations via Blood Magic. Dawn of the Seeker shows Blood Mages working with renegade Chantry members to kickstart a war they both want by assassinating a liberal Divine. Senior Enchanter Adrian commits murder as well as other crimes to force neutral Rhys into turning against the Templars.

    These acts are not attempts to win a convention, or even guerrilla, war against the Templars but designed psychological strikes to demoralize their foe or invite reprisals that will harden their neutral associates. Real-life terrorism has been conducted with the aim of inviting crackdowns which will hurt the innocent, causing individuals to become more sympathetic to the terrorists. This is, in fact, Anders' own aim as the overreaction of Knight Commander Meredith kicks off the Mage-Templar War.

    Mages are a despised minority in Thedas due to a combination of Chantry teachings, the Tevinter Imperium's abuses, and the actual dangers of both Blood Magic and possession. Mages are no better or worse than regular human beings and elves but the potential damage they can cause is disproportionately strong. Leliana, who is otherwise sympathetic to mages in Dragon Age: Origins, believes the Resolutionist faction of mages (liberation through terrorism) represents one of the direst threats to Thedas since the Blight. This may or may not be hyperbole as we will find out in Dragon Age: Inqusitition.

    There is no chance of mages winning a conventional war against the military forces of Thedas and they might only just be able to defeat the Templars as a whole. Even then, such is only the case with a united response from magi. For that, terrorists like Anders have to invite the full wrath of the Templars down in order to convince their fellows that revolt is better than compromise.

We'll get into Peace, Compromise, and Realpolitic with The Social Satire of Dragon Age: Mages and Templars part 3.

The Social Satire of Dragon Age: Mages and Templars part 3

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Part 1
Part 2

    The Chantry is an organization which exists, theoretically, impartial to the Mage and Templar struggle with the organization serving as a buffer between them. While I have mentioned the hatred of magic that the Chantry engenders, it is fair to admit they have probably done more for the safety and security of mages than anyone else in Thedas.

    The Nevarran Accord, signed in 1:20 Divine or roughly eight-hundred years ago, permitted mages to be able to practice their arts inside the Circles without fear of reprisal by the public. Prior to this, magic was illegal in the Empire of Orlais. The mages heroism during the First Blight helped win them a limited amount of respect from the public and Chantry in particular. This treaty also changed the Inquisition into the Templars and Seeker Orders, which merged with the Chantry despite prior independence.

    The Templars, despite accusations of such by Anders, are not just their jailers but also their protectors. The mortal Cole which the spirit is based on from Dragon Age: Asunder was almost killed by his father for the "crime" of having magic while his mother was outright slain. Rhys comments that Cole's story isn't all that uncommon amongst those born outside the Circle and displaying magic is a mortal sin in the eyes of many. Templar Evangeline is able to thwart an impromptu lynch mob when they are traveling through the Orlesian countryside while the mages, themselves, are unable to intimidate the public.

Carver Hawke is a Templar and brother to two Apostates. He protects the innocent as well as mages. You know, when he's not screwing up.
    Without the Circles, it's entirely possible mages would be subject to violence and slavery. The Qunari, giant horned humanoids from an island-continent above Thedas, demonstrate what a less-forgiving system might look like as mages have their mouths sewn shut while being literally collared. They are used only for killing enemies of the Qunari. It is implied even this would be forbidden if not for the fact magic was so damned useful.

    The Circles themselves are run by the mages and College of Enchanters with many of the abuses like Tranquility being something they actively participate in. First Enchanter Irving is willing to sign off on making Jowan Tranquil because he believes him to be a threat (which he is). Later, it is Irving's desire to prove mages capable of policing themselves which allows Uldred to assemble his army.

    We also see that, even as late as Act III, the First Enchanter holds near equal authority to the Knight Commander in Dragon Age 2. The Rite of Annulment can only be performed with the say-so of the Grand Cleric so there is a system of checks and balances in place to prevent abuses.

    The Circles are, in a sense, independent nation within the ranks of Thedas which are merely supervised by the Templars. While we may think of being taken from one's families and held prisoner in the Circle as a horrible thing, it's also important to remember that in addition to the safety issue, that "freedom" is not something the Circles are without a great deal of as compared to the rest of Thedas. Aside from their lack of ability to breed and raise their children, something which would compel me to rebel admittedly, the Circles are more comfortable than anywhere but the homes of the high nobility.

    Possibly more.

    Anders and Morrigan speak much of freedom but the right of property is one which has always determined whether people are free in history. Those who do not know where their next meal is coming from, whether they will have a roof over their heads, and what sort of medical care they will get when they're sick can never be free. A Circle mage, due to the generosity of the Chantry, has these freedoms whereas the average City Elf or Fereldan peasant does not.

Anders murder of the Grand Cleric starts his war for freedom. However, it's very much HIS war. It wouldn't have even begun if not for Meredith being corrupted by Red Lyrium.
    The Circles are also post-race in a way unknown in the rest of Thedas. Elves and humans sit together in the Circles as equals whereas the former are ghettoized elsewhere. The Rite of Annulment is horrific but nothing prevents an Arl from doing the same to City Elves in the Denerim Alienage or the citizens of Amaranthine should events dicate such. Indeed, it's far harder to enact the Rite of Annulment than to simply murder the helpless lower-classes of Thedas. Mages have power and importance, peasants do not.

    Indeed, whereas the Chantry has a vested financial investment in the existence of Tranquil, so does it have in thinking-living mages. The Qunari have invaded Thedas in the past in order to convert the public to their religion. Mages contributed a great deal to repelling their invasion, countering the Qunari use of gunpowder-based weaponry.

    From a practical standpoint, the Chantry wants to keep mages happy as well as dependent on its good graces. This is in sharp contrast to the City Elves who, unlike mages, have no real capital to barter with. Mages are a minority which may be despised but is still possessed of influence while Elves are not. I leave the comparisons to real-life minorities and their plights to you.

    There is even, theoretically, a check on Templar abuses of power from the Seekers. Knight Commander Martell attempts his own brand of mage-backed terrorism in Dawn of the Seeker, planning to institute a draconian anti-mage agenda before it is thwarted by Seeker Cassandra.

    While his treason is against the Chantry as a whole, Cassandra works with a mage to bring him to task and gains respect for their role in protecting the Chantry. Lord Seeker Lambert, the presumed head of that organization, is ultimately the party who breaks the Nevarran Accord so it's possible for the entire system to come tumbling down.

Leliana does everything she can to prevent war between mages and Templars. She fails because, on some level, neither WANT peace--or so it seems. Better to say both sides have FACTIONS who don't want it and they win.
    It is a testament to just how functional the Circle system was that so much needs to go wrong in order to compel the mages to rebel. In addition to Anders act of terrorism, Meredith's illegal Annulment of the Kirkwall Circle (spurred on by magic), the Annulment of the Rivain Circle, the rise of a liberal Pro-Mage Divine, and the discovery for a Tranquility Cure are all required to happen in very short order for things to come to war. While Dragon Age 2 implies the war begins immediately after the Kirkwall Annulment, David Gaider retcons things in Dragon Age: Asunder to require much more.

    This is perhaps more realistic as revolutions are rarely built in a day. Even with long-simmering resentment, there is usually a trigger event required or a series of them. It is also noteworthy that, for all of the abuses mentioned in part 1 of this essay, many mages seem content. Wynne expresses desire to reform the Circle but from within as she views the Chantry as a source of protection as well as oppression. Finn, from the Witch Hunt DLC, expresses his overwhelming happiness at Circle life due to the luxuries he experiences as a Loyalist. A Circle Bethany finds more fulfillment as an instructor of mage children than as a "free" mercenary or Grey Warden.

    The mages who express the most dissatisfaction, if not outright hatred, are Apostate Morrigan (who has never been to a Circle outside of its corruption during the Fifth Blight) and terrorist Anders. Also, possibly the Protagonist of the Mage Origin, amusingly enough. Uldred is able to get a full-scale rebellion going in the Fereldan Circle, something First Enchanter Irving clearly did not anticipate, but it is notable that only a minority rebelled.

    Mages are divided into factions akin to political parties. Of them, only a single one advocates divorcing themselves from the Chantry. Others desire reform from within or to use their powers to do good, regardless of how this affects their own personal freedom. One of them is devoted to making money, which implies mages are able to own property and accumulate wealth despite their Circle-bound lives.

    One thing to note about all of these rights and privileges is, however, they weren't achieved all at once. The Divine Ambrosia II attempted an Exalted March on a group of peacefully-protesting mages who demanded greater rights to use magic. This method worked and it's been implied that mages have achieved greater freedoms by working within the system. Many of these freedoms were repelled after the Kirkwall Annulment which contributed to the Mage-Templar War but that, ironically, was playing right into the terrorist Anders' hands.

    Either way, it becomes an interesting question of Freedom vs. Security when the system breaks down into violence. When one group being oppressed in the name of security, rightly or wrongly, refuses to submit or negotiate then war is the result. Barring the Quarian and the Geth War or the conflict with the Reapers, genocide is not usually the result of military conflicts. The decision by the College of Enchanters to revolt en masse as well as the Templar Order to break away from the Chantry to destroy them means one side or the other will triumph in Dragon Age: Inquisition. Then the very hard question of "what next" will occur.

    When two sides are at peace, negotiation is possible but wars tend to result in one side dictating terms to the other. Concessions may be made (and almost always are) but what those may be is often up in the air until the final blow is struck. Perhaps the thing real-life is most similar to Dragon Age regarding is that neither the Templars or Circle seem to have any idea of what the final result is going to be. "Freedom" is not a goal. Neither is "Justice" or "Safety." These concepts are too nebulous and ill-defined to serve as proper war-time goals. Revolutions and wars based on them have created some of the worst atrocities in human history before degenerating into absolute chaos.

Ask the City Elves what they think of their freedom as compared to Mages.
    If the Mages defeat the Templars, forcing their disbanding or acceptance of the Circles' independence, they will have significant challenges to face. They no longer have the funding, support, or protection of the Chantry. Getting new mages will be difficult and while they can breed new ones, this still leaves countless members of their "people" scattered across the land. Nothing will prevent hostile nations from attacking Circles now since the Chantry is not their ally.

    Mage-friendly nations like Tevinter do not feel obliged to help their fellow magicians and, indeed, consider them possible rivals. They may ally with existing governments as Loghain offered but doing so means they will be divided as a Fereldan Circle's mages war against a Orlais Circle's.

    The Templars defeat the Mages, going back to the "Old System" will be a challenge. The Circle system worked as well as it did due to the participation of the mages within it. Apprentice mages were trained by senior mages in how to avoid the temptations of demons as well as what sort of benefits they derived from assisting the Chantry.

    Even the Tranquil Solution or killing all new mages isn't a real option as families which care for their children will be more likely to hide them than give them over. Apostates would have no reason to surrender to the Templars, encouraging more Blood Magic use than ever. The Templars might never be overthrown but countries around the world have to deal with guerrilla warfare over a course of centuries because of unchanging hardline tactics.

    That's also assuming the Templars, themselves, can reconcile with the Chantry because while the Mage uprising is bad--the Templars have rebelled every bit as much. Such a flagrant violation of church authority means that the Templars can no longer be trusted to follow the orders of the Chantry's leadership. Likewise, the precedent of Kirkwall will never be forgotten. Even if every mage who rebelled is killed and a new Circle is created, there is history that the Templars can be defeated (or escaped if Hawke sides with Knight Commander Meredith).

    In short, when you go to war for freedom or security, be careful you don't lose both.

The Dresden Files: Fool Moon review

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    I really didn't like this book.

    Well, no, that's unfair. I think this is the least of the Dresden Files novels but there's nothing that actually offended me. There's even some good in this novel, more so than plenty of other lesser urban fantasy novels I've read. If one were to read Fool Moon, however, one might walk away with an impression the series is much less than it is. As a result, if one were to skip any book in the series, I'd argue this is the one to do so.

    The premise of Fool Moon is Harry Dresden is investigating a series of werewolf attacks which are occurring throughout Chicago. Harry learns there are multiple different kinds of lycanthropes in the course of his investigations and not all of them may be evil. Even the good ones, however, are dangerous.

    Harry must make several moral decisions throughout the course of the book and determine whether his allegiance to the White Council's Laws of Secrecy trumps his friendship with Lieutenant Murphy of the Chicago PD. If he continues to lie to her about the supernatural he runs the risk of alienating her forever but if he tells her the truth, he will be responsible for any deaths which result.

    The relationship between Harry and Murphy in Fool Moon is the most troubling element of the story as the latter's behavior comes off as, in my humble opinion, deranged. She inists on complete truth from Harry despite the fact she ostensibly considers him an expert in the supernatural.

    I understand breaking off their relationship if she doesn't want to be lied to. However, Murphy goes the extra mile in this novel and arrests him at once point in order to blackmail him into telling her the truth.

    People die as a result.

    A lot of people.

    Worse, the book treats Harry Dresden as the one in the wrong. Repeatedly, Harry makes prudent and wise decisions before the book punishes him for it. He always ends up being the one to apologize too and there's times it becomes eye-rollingly bad. I desperately wanted an apology from Murphy for her actions but she remains unrepentant until the end and I've never really forgiven her for this. Even many books later, I don't quite like her character nearly as much as the author wants me to.

    All because of this book.

    There's still quite a bit of good in this book, though. I enjoyed the nightmarish werewolf attack on the police station, Harry speaking with himself, the Alphas, and Bob's exposition. These just don't outweigh all the bad. They just sort of sit evenly with it, making a book which is neither bad nor good.

    Just there.

5/10

The Purge review

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    One of the weirdest complaints I have ever heard about a movie is "this could never happen." This was frequently leveled at The Purge when it first came out. Now that its much-improved sequel, The Purge: Anarchy is out, I thought I'd revisit this title and why I think this is an odd complaint. There's still plenty of flaws with the movie but the one I hear most is one I just do not get.

    The premise is, for one day a year, all crime is legal with a few minor restrictions on weaponry as well as who you can kill. This is stated to have increased the economy, reduced unemployment, and reduced crime across the board. The price for this is the poor, homeless, and unloved by society are preyed upon by an increasingly bloodthirsty public. This is a pretty big pill to swallow and where most audiences either tune in or tune out. However, it's actually the backstory for the movie rather than the "main plot."

    The main plot is, sadly, considerably less interesting than then setting. A 'New Money' family locks itself down for the night until their young son takes in a homeless man fleeing an angry mob. The mob decides killing the homeless man is worth breaking into their home and the family must decide to turn him over or fight off the invaders. Some commentators have uncharitably stated the only reason the titular Purge exists is to justify why the family can't call the police. To that, I say, "that's not the entire reason. Probably."

Who could possibly think this man is unreasonable?

     Describing the story, I can see plenty of readers rolling their eyes and shaking their head at such a ludicrous idea as legalizing crime for a single night. You know what's also ludicrous? Vampires. Zombies. Video tapes which can kill you in seven days. The list goes on and on but we expect these premises because they're the basis of the story.

     Of course, I understand the suspension of disbelief is something you need to maintain. The thing is, I don't think the movie's 'message' is meant to be taken literally. It's not a story about how, if we were willing to outlaw crime, then everyone rich would become bloodthirsty psychopaths profiting from the suffering of others.  No, I think the movie is one extended metaphor.

    A parable if you will.

    The America depicted is a religious, materialist, and patriotic society which prides itself on its civility. The New Founding Fathers, the unseen architects of the Purge, have convinced the entirety of America that legalizing crime one night of the year is in their best interests. That the rich and middle-class of society should utilize this time period to enact their most violent fantasies on those who haven't got a prayer of defending themselves. They even state, unironically, this is religiously good as it purges them of darker emotions despite the families involved being ostensible Christians.

Ethan Hawke and Lena Headey do a good job portraying a "normal" American family in very abnormal circumstances.
    Now, I understand, this makes no damn sense on a literal level. Why would legalized crime encourage people on murder-sprees? Wouldn't they be looting instead? Getting themselves a new TV? How about big corporations? Wouldn't the IT guy be emptying his employer's bank account? How in the world would any of this be helping the economy? Well, that's because this isn't about the premise. It's not like, "Today + Purge = Movie."

    It's about America today as is.

    The Purge is an angry movie. It's a smarter movie than it has to be the fact it's mostly just a bog-standard home invasion story. The stock Hollywood horror plot is used to talk about how Americans have blinded themselves to the suffering of the poor, destitute, and needy while convincing themselves they're the good guys. The family in the film isn't evil but they are the very definition of privileged. Blind to the darkness around them or just willfully self-deluded. It's only when directly confronted with the consequences of their apathy they are forced to make a moral choice.

    The acting is top-notch with Lena Heady giving a great performance as the moral center of the film. Rhys Wakefield gives a deliciously over-the-top performance as the leader of the yuppie psychopaths. I also liked Ethan Hawke's attempt to be his family's patriarch despite being both emotionally and physically weak. I cared about the family and wanted to get through the disaster alive. That, at its most basic level, makes it a good horror movie.

    Now, does the movie have flaws? Oh, immense ones. As mentioned, the actual execution of the movie is a bog-standard home invasion story. Countless times, it seems like someone is going to die only for them to get saved at the last minute by someone off-camera. Their house is also, apparently a labyrinth since they can't find a single guy hiding out in it.

The Purge is about American hypocrisy the same way Dawn of the Dead is about consumerism. That's my take, at least.
    That's not counting the fact they're not smart enough to see they're alone in the house to begin with. I'm also more than a little peeved our "heroes" didn't even bother to learn the name of the one black character in the movie (nor did the movie feel obligated to share it).

    Still, I think The Purge is an excellent movie. Is it original in anything but premise? Hell no. The social satire, however, elevates the material. The performances are very good for a movie of this caliber, though, too. In short, the movie skates by with a bit of political commentary and an emotional core which makes you care about the victims. That's all a horror movie has to do and it does a little bit more besides. So I give it an "above average" score. Watch it if you're bored and want to be entertained.

7.5/10

Dragon Age: Last Flight review

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    The latest book out from Bioware set in the Dragon Age universe, I poured through Last Flight in a single night. Like all of the Dragon Age novels, it's a cut above your typical Dungeons and Dragons fair, and has a lot going for it. Still, I feel the book is somewhat marred by its ending and has somewhat less interesting subject matter than previous volumes. Those who enjoy the setting, however, will adore several revelations about the game world's lore and it is a good fantasy novel.

    Just not a great one.

    The premise of Last Flight is a group of mage refugees from the Mage-Templar War, set up in Dragon Age: Asunder, have joined the Grey Wardens to escape the fighting. They are put to work studying the ancient lore of the Grey Wardens and one of them stumbles on a account of the Fourth Blight.

    Blights, for non-fans of the game, is something akin to a combination of zombie-invasion and Orc attack. This account sheds light on the extinction of the griffon race, the morality of the Grey Wardens, and the dangers of Blood Magic.

    I'm not a fan of books which don't have anything to say about the real world and I'm pleased to say this book does have a message. It's an analysis of the consequences of an "ends justify the means" mentality. While the protagonist of Dragon Age: Origins can be anything from a bog-standard fantasy hero to a ruthless murderer to Mage Jesus, the Grey Wardens he belongs to have this as their bailiwick.

    Grey Wardens swear to do anything to stop the Blight, no matter how heinous, and are willing to give their lives to do it. Indeed, every Grey Warden does give their life to stop the Blight because the source of their powers eventually kills them.

    A lesser writer would have universally condemned this attitude or puffed it up. Liane Merciel, however, presents ruthlessness' upsides and downsides. We see why the Wardens do what they do and the sometimes disgusting things they need to do. We see them abandon refugees to die, lie to the public, literally prostitute themselves (a male for once), and animal experimentation. None of this is presented as a good thing but sometimes it works.

    Not always, though.

     Much like Zombie Apocalypses, the Blight is an excellent way of exploring the extremes of human morality. When faced with a natural disaster meets war situation like the Blight, what are the limits to what a person should be willing to do to survive?

   The Grey Wardens believe anything is justified and while the book doesn't go into some of the worst things I've seen in such fiction, it touches on enough of them you get the idea how this sort of attitude can blind you to other options. When you assume ruthlessness is the path of the strong, you begin to think any other way is weak.

   This is embodied in the treatment of the griffons. The griffons are gigantic eagle and lion hybrids which are used as flying mounts by the Grey Wardens. They represent the best in the Grey Wardens and are symbols of their higher natures. Despite "only" being animals, the griffons are presented as noble, beautiful, and intelligent beasts. They trust the Grey Wardens and should, theoretically, be treated with respect in return.

   Instead, the Grey Wardens find a means to make them more effective fighting machines at the cost of the griffons' lives. What follows is a story of exploitation, cruelty, and the consequences of messing with nature's delicate balance. It's a good metaphor with Blood Magic serving as a nice stand-in for both science and industry but sadly gets undercut by its ending.

    Without spoiling anything, I can't help but feel the story of the griffons' extinction would have been better without the sliver of hope provided at the end. It worked in The Lorax but in real-life, there are no take-backs and the world is diminished every time we let a species go extinct. Letting them stand as a monument to the selfishness of humanity, even in theoretical good-cause, would have made the story more powerful.

    In conclusion, Last Flight is a book with a lot going for it. It is an interesting premise, gives good insight into what a long-standing Blight is like, shows how Blood Magic works in the setting in greater-detail, and has something to say about morality. The environmental message is neither heavy-handed nor easy-to-miss. I liked the majority of the characters, even though only a couple of them were underdeveloped. In short, I suggest you pick this book up if you like fantasy or Dragon Age in particular. Just don't expect to be blown away.

8/10

The Legend of Korra: Book 1: Air review

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    You may ask why I am reviewing a Young Adult cartoon series on my blog devoted, primarily, to horror and science-fiction.

    My answer?

    It's my blog and I liked it.

    I was a big fan of the original Avatar: The Last Airbender. I thought it was extremely well-written and enjoyed it tremendously. Parents forget that children need things like Star Wars to instill in them the values of good, evil, freedom, oppression, spirituality and other important topics which will serve them later in life. Having watched both, though, how do I think The Legend of Korra stacks up to its predecessor?

    I think it's  better than the original series.

The art design for this series is truly fantastic.
    The Legend of Korra is by the same creators and takes place a century after the events of the original show. Already, I'm intrigued as you don't see many time-skips like this even in fantasy. It takes devotion by the original creators to want to evolve a world like this. The fact that it moves the setting from the quasi-Medieval China of the original setting to a pseudo 1920s New York analogue called Republic City.

    Using the definition of retro-science-fiction for steampunk, The Legend of Korra is one of the most mainstream examples of the genre. We have a divide between the traditional "old ways" of the religious past and the new ways of modern industry embodied by the Avatar, a literal physical god, visiting a city torn by economic strife. It's fairly high concept for children's fair and I'm happy to put it up there with The Hunger Games.

    The premise is Korra is the new Avatar after the death of previous series hero Aang. As the Avatar she possesses all four kung-fu sorcery types (called "bending") based on the Greek elements (Earth, Wind, Fire, and Water). It is her job to bring balance to the world. However, what is balance and what does it mean in a world with cars and zeppelins? The questioning of this role and how Korra is not one for introspection herself, is one of the underlying themes of the show.

I never would have guess Tenzin was played by Spiderman's boss.
     The central villains, if you can call them that, are the Equalist movement. They are a group of non-benders, normal folk like you and me, who have decided the biggest problem in the world is those who possess supernatural powers. It's a ridiculous premise but, in my humble opinion, believable. When times are tough, people look for someone to blame and those people often looked privileged to outsiders.

     The fact Korra comes into Republic City expecting to be revered as the Avatar and ignores anyone who gets in her way, official or not, gives a credibility to their cause. Those with power have to be wary of those they step on, which is often not the case. Our heroine has to learn humility and respect for others' beliefs, even when they differ from her own.

The series maintains its trademark humor throughout.
    I like Korra and think she's one of the best female characters to come out in the last few years. She's a well-rounded three-dimensional character with likes, wants, aspirations, and attitudes all her own. She doesn't fit in any neat little package but forges her own path. The fact she is an unapologetic action star who isn't lily-white Caucasian already sets her apart from many creations.

    The villain of the series, Amon, and his Equalist movement are an inspired creation. While on some level they don't much make sense, as we've never seen any organized prejudice against bending in the setting, their cause serves as a good metaphor for scapegoating. The show is also smart enough not to depict them as one-dimensional villains.The Equalists have the sincerity of their convictions and even if their philosophy is wrong, it's easy to see how people could fall into it.

    The fact the show depicts the majority of Equalists joining because of the city's poor economic conditions is deep storytelling for a children's show. I would have liked the show to get deeper into the Equalists and their philosophy than they did but I understand why they chose not to. Depicting a group as understandable doesn't mean it should be depicted as right after all.

Amon was a great villain. He even had the viewers questioning whether or not he had a point.
    I also enjoyed the secondary villain of Tarrlok, a character who oozes slime and self-confidence but isn't a Palpatine-level manipulator either. He's just the sort of fellow you might see in the real-life halls of power, someone who is capable of manipulating events as they happen to benefit himself. The fact he's able to take the tide of public opinion and turn it to his advantage makes him despicable in a thoroughly believable way.

    Really, the entire cast is great. I liked every single character from Tenzin the Air-Bending Master to his children to Asami the heiress adventurer. Lin Beifong the Chief of Police is one of my favorite characters in the series as she's both a woman in her fifties, an authority figure, and a badass. The fact the two major male supporting cast, Mako and Bo-Lin, are regulated mostly to the love-interest and comic relief roles is groundbreaking by itself.

     Credit goes to the artists and storyboarders for the fact the action is top-notch. This is a good example of the wuxia genre in that, despite being animated sorcerous kung-fu battles, everything felt believable in the context of the world. There were only a few times I felt the heroes were given easy victories and, most of them, I felt they were too hard on our heroes. Things were exciting, visually stunning to watch, and fast-paced. What more could you want?

Korra has a great character arc and believable flaws. All which you rarely see in these sorts of shows.
    Is their room for improvement? I believe so. I think the love triangle between Mako, Korra, and Asami was the absolute worst element of the series. Resolving it literally any other way than how they chose to do it would have been better in my opinion. The way they did do it made Mako look like a jerk, Korra to look somewhat pathetic, and Asami to be rather pitiful--qualities I didn't think fit any of them.  It's sad, too, because I thought the teenage romance element started off reasonably strong with the good lesson, "sometimes you don't get the boy or girl you like. Move on."

    Really, I could talk about this series all day.

    So what do I think of this program overall? I think The Legend of Korra is not just a good cartoon but good television period. I would recommend this show to adults and children alike. It's the kind of family entertainment which the networks should be more focused on producing. It also manages to say something, which is rare enough by itself. The art is gorgeous, the designs beautiful, and the storytelling great.

    Kudos, Nickelodeon! You've surprised me.

10/10

Horror Short Story Submissions

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Have done quite a bit of submitting this month. It's still a year's time until the release of my first Red Room books, so I have plenty of time to do other bits of fiction. It's good to "pad the resume" so to speak and doing short stories keeps me sharp.

Also, I love these premises.

1#: Blackguard: Tales of Assassins, Mercenaries, and Rogues

My Submission:"The Clockwork King" a short story about a vampire and his wererat lover planning to rip-off the richest man in an Alternate History steampunk London.

2# The Ghost Papers

My Submission: "The Ghost of Bruce Lee" An agent for the United States Paranormal Investigation Division goes to Hong Kong to avenge a martial arts students' murder. His killer, though, has been dead for centuries.

3# Monster Hunter: Revolver

My Submission:"Why Did We Hunt It In An Old Summer Camp?" A lengthy chase sequence as the Jersey Devil turns the tables on a bunch of United States Paranormal Investigation Division agents.

4# At Hell's Gates Anthology 2#

My Submission: "Cookies for the Gentleman." A man is besieged by a mysterious force that is seemingly all-powerful. At Hell's Gates is a charitable anthology with all proceeds going to support the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund.

With any luck, I'll be accepted to all four.

5# Monster Hunter: Wasteland

My Submission: "The Meek Shall Inherit." After demons take over the Earth, a diabetic man and his wife struggle against a cult which thinks they're too weak to survive.

Thanks for reading folks!
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