REIGN of Books Podcast: Recent Episodes
Josh and Jon
Reader's Entry Into Great Narratives; we discuss our current reads and topics in the world of written fiction
There is a lot to love about James S. A. Corey’s fully realized Expanse universe. It just might help you forget about how bad Star Wars has been derailed and make you fall in love again with sweeping space sagas that can deliver on what the sci-fi genre is capable of. We’re slowly making our … Continue reading EP. 77 Mars is for Badass Marines, Venus is for Creepy Alien Cities | Caliban’s War by James S. A. Corey
We are finally here. We have crossed the lands of Mordor, braved the winter wastelands of Westeros, and survived Arrakis’s unforgiving and unending desert in a struggle to master fate itself and steer the course of the universe. WE NOW STAND BEFORE THE DARK TOWER. These other fictional worlds lie parallel in their own universes … Continue reading We Come at Last to the End (EP. 76) | THE DARK TOWER (DARK TOWER #7) BY STEPHEN KING
The gunslingers just can’t catch a break. They face down insurmountable odds to save a town, but then Susannah goes off the deep end with the split personalities. Spoilers ahead.
In the quest for the Dark Tower, the gunslingers are drawn into a conflict where a town is being terrorized by wolves from the land of Thunderclap. Our heroes are reminded of the humanity they are fighting for and the terror that lies at the end of their journey. Spoilers ahead.
This is a mesmerizing entry into the Dark Tower series. Roland Deschain is asked to save a town from a horrible fate, and he can no more deny these people than forget the face of his father. There is an impending sense of doom and betrayal and more loss as the gunslingers must keep … Continue reading Justice at the End of the World (Ep. 74) | Wolves of the Calla by Stephen King
Stephen King may be known for his horror novels, but over the span of his career he also shaped a very different type of story, one as ambitious and sprawling as the great fantasy epics of the 20th century. The Dark Tower series, now being adapted for film in 2017, follows the gunslinger, the last … Continue reading REIGNFALL – Journey to the Dark Tower Movie
This entry into the Dark Tower odyssey offers some of the most tense and fascinating exploits in Roland Deschain’s journey to the Dark Tower. It is in fact near the beginning of a journey that will span Roland’s lifetime and it shows a boy in a trial to become a man. The game of Castles … Continue reading Love, Loss and Exile (Ep. 73) | Wizard and Glass (Dark Tower #4) by Stephen King
The Star Wars movie franchise is back and strong with the Force. So are the new “official” novels any good? Fans are divided, and it’s clear that the format of the book matters. Before Rogue One arrives in theaters, check out another band of rebels in “Star Wars: Aftermath” by Chuck Wendig laying the hurt … Continue reading REIGNfall – Star Wars Aftermath – Readers Hate It, Listeners Love it
Tron had its heyday. The future is the Oasis. We were inspired by Ernest Cline’s Ready Player One to discuss how both games and books are home to some of the best fiction anywhere.
Seriously good fantasy fiction ahead, light spoilers included. The end of the Earth is happening, again, and maybe for the final time. Some humans, who are more than human, are realizing they may have the power to change their planet’s fate, but it is an odyssey filled with pain and uncertainty. Ancient truths … Continue reading Dreams of a Better World – The Obelisk Gate by N.K. Jemisin BOOK TALK
The humans of this world carry so much pain and sorrow with them. They are under perpetual threat of death by their own planet and must take on a resilience to survive threats that upend whole parts of the world. Yet there is hope, and it’s through the strength of one family that humankind may … Continue reading A Lifetime of Running, Then a Revolution (Ep. 72) | The Obelisk Gate by N.K. Jemisin
Does it keep with the Star Wars spirit? Yes. Is it Empire Strikes Back good? No, but it could have been. Han is still a scoundrel, the new crew earns their keep, and the intrigue with the empire continues. But there are missed opportunities in the liberation of Kashyyyk, Chewie’s home planet and … Continue reading Gritty Good Fun | Star Wars: Aftermath Life Debt by Chuck Wendig BOOK TALK
Some Star Wars movie regulars get into the action and we see what war on a planetary scale looks like (kind of). Solid entry into the galaxy far, far away.
Ready Player One by Ernest Cline is essential science fiction reading; one of the most brilliant pieces of fiction we have ever read. It imagines our future by peeking just around the corner and showing how one new piece of technology could plausibly change everything about how we live.
This sci-fi classic examines the trauma of war and how in the future, to ensure humankind’s survival, some soldiers must sacrifice almost all of their connections to the species.
Dan Simmons, as we’ve noted, is a genius. This is his first horror novel we’ve picked up. There are nods to Stephen King’s “It” and vibes of “Poltergeist,” but this story is wholly its own. It’s a tale of bravery, friendship and dealing with loss. Simmons makes some memorable and gut-wrenching choices that leave … Continue reading Kids Combat Evil (Eps. 67-68) | Summer of Night by Dan Simmons
OK, this tale has some teeth. Even though I was face palming during the first two thirds because it followed Frodo and Sam’s playbook almost exactly, there’s a great world to explore and some exciting action that make the latter part of the story all its own.
The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood in many ways can be compared to George Orwell’s classic novel 1984. While the world of 1984 felt like a dystopian relic when I read it (albeit an especially scary, fascist dystopian relic), The Handmaid’s Tale disturbs me because it seems like a future that could be … Continue reading A Scary Freedomless Society (Ep. 63-64) | The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
It’s no Walking Dead, but the high-octane action, death-defying escapes and survivalist tips make for a fun romp through zombie land, doubling as a user’s manual to the apocalypse.
We discuss topics in written fiction in our REIGNfall series. This week, we talk about two sources for borrowing books. Which one is better? We debate. Kind of.
There’s no shortage of choices in the zombie genre in print or on screen. This yarn takes the best of the genre – ethically impossible choices, scavenging 101, bandits and harrowing scrapes with the dead – to weave together a fun if not wholly original tale.
This new official post-RotJ (Return of the Jedi) tale is full of likable characters, a galaxy in flux, and a fun new robot that almost makes up for its clumsy battle droid cousins.
This is a lifeless Star Trek parody that takes nihilism to the extreme. It’s not without its laughs, but it ends up being a hollow sermon on how life is what you make of it.
The Dragon Reborn expands the mythology of the Wheel of Time series and its protagonists face increasingly powerful foes and dangers from every direction.
“For the world has grown full of peril. And in all lands, love is now mingled with grief.” This line is from the fantasy epic Lord of the Rings movie, but it beautifully portrays the sense of urgency and import in the third entry of Robert Jordan’s magnum opus, the Wheel of Time series. None … Continue reading A Fellowship Divided (Ep. 57) | The Dragon Reborn by Robert Jordan (pt1)
Brace yourself for aftershocks with this one. This world’s culture and geography will rock you. Spoilers galore.
Reign of Books Podcast is a discussion of our current reads and includes spoilers galore. Check out Book Talks in menu for short spoilercast on the book. The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin (pt2/finale), Ep. 56 The price of admission is well worth it, with the book showing us not only a compelling, frightening world but packing … Continue reading This Story’s Aftershocks are Hard to Shake (Ep. 56)
Welcome to REIGNfall, our weekly series on book topics where we talk fiction and ponder the world of storytelling. Sinking ships, space karate, chosen ones and much more. We love our fictional characters. They enthrall us with their adventures (or misadventures), their triumphs, losses, personal courage and funny lines. They make fiction what it is. … Continue reading REIGNfall – Irresponsible vs. Responsible Characters
Reign of Books Podcast is a discussion of our current reads and includes spoilers galore. Check out Book Talks in menu for short spoilercast on the book. The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin (pt1), Ep. 55 The Earth breaks frequently, and with devastating effect. Earthquakes, volcano eruptions and tsunamis all conspire to erase any trace of … Continue reading An Unstable World that Breeds Fear (Ep. 55)
Welcome to REIGNfall, our weekly series on book topics where we talk fiction and ponder the world of storytelling. We’re talking about Audiobook delights in this show. Audiobooks have a kind of sweet, long-lasting flavor. We just had a knockdown, drag out fight over digital vs paper (the verdict is still out), so we have to … Continue reading REIGNfall – Audiobook Delights
Welcome to REIGNfall, our weekly series on book topics where we talk fiction and ponder the world of storytelling. Listen: The age old debate of “paper or digital” rages on. Lots of emotions come out in this discussion. Feelings get hurt. But we talk it out, and surprising confessions are made. No books were harmed … Continue reading REIGNfall – Paper vs Ebooks (A Kinda Mature Debate)
REIGN Book Talks – We highlight our book reads and share what made us fans of the story. (aka spoiler cliffnotes) In Seveneves, Stephenson addresses how to keep a planet calm when the end is near (he alludes to lots of couplings), he immerses us in the technical challenges of space flight (orbital mechanics are geeky … Continue reading Last Humans Survive Outerspace and Each Other | Seveneves by Neal Stephenson BOOK TALK
Every part of this story rises to the occasion – from the intimate and personal decisions of the characters to the larger geopolitical struggle to execute the space mission to the daunting reality of life in the cold bleak wasteland that is outer space. Stephenson takes us on an the proverbial “unforgettable journey” with a … Continue reading REIGN 54 – Space As You’ve Never Seen It (Seveneves, pt2/finale)
Welcome to REIGNfall, our weekly series on book topics where we talk fiction and ponder the world of storytelling. In this episode we’re talking about book series and how slow (or quickly) it takes for them to be completed and come to market. What’s better for a book series? Get it written and get instant … Continue reading REIGNfall – How quickly should a book series come to market?
Seveneves is one of the most amazing, audacious and mesmerizing pieces of fiction I’ve ever read. Period. In the face of an extinction-level event, do we have what it takes to save the species? With current 21st century technology, we’re about to find out: We plan to send a few thousand people into space to … Continue reading REIGN53 – The Sky is Falling (Seveneves, pt1)
In an alternate reality, WWII rages and the British pay a high price to win the war, a price perhaps greater that outright surrender to the Nazis. Great Britain’s men and women must decide what they are willing to sacrifice in this interesting morality tale. 3 of 5 stars. Spoilers ahead.
Welcome to REIGNfall, our weekly series on book topics where we talk fiction and ponder the world of storytelling. We know movie adaptations of games are pretty much disasters. Just look at Super Mario Brothers. Not even John Leguizamo could save that mess. And please don’t even mention Doom and Street Fighter. But we’re not talking … Continue reading REIGNfall – Game-to-Book Adaptations; Are They Worth the Read?
The characters are changed by the war and it’s a reflection of the devastation that years of conflict cause. British soldier Raybould Marsh and Warlock William Beauclark make comprises that cause innocent people to be killed. They are continually faced with decisions that would drive lesser men insane, but in the process they sacrifice a … Continue reading REIGN Ep52: Standing Against Titans (Bitter Seeds pt2, finale)
These are the European book covers – blame the marketers. The book is serious subject matter… Bitter Seeds is a vivid reminder of Great Britain’s brave men and women during WWII as they held the line in Europe. But in this sweeping alternate history tale about the high cost of war, the death toll comes … Continue reading REIGN Ep51: The High Cost of War (Bitter Seeds, pt1)
Welcome to REIGNfall, our weekly series on book topics where we talk fiction and ponder the world of storytelling. Books are judged by their covers. But we take their titles to task. We find some pretty bad book names, and talk about just how mediocre they get. We cry foul on some of them. (We find out even … Continue reading REIGNfall – Bad Book Titles
Weekly book topics on fiction of all shapes and sizes. Book covers are like a gateway into great stories. They become intertwined with the experience of any great tale and can instantly transport you back into what you loved most about the story. So we picked some iconic book covers to go alongside our favorite movie posters and album … Continue reading REIGNfall – Book Covers Matter
Listen to Episode: I want to focus on Roland now. Many unanswered questions remain about this gunslinger and his mysterious past. The world has moved on, but this hard-as-nails cowboy continues to travel the long miles of its wastelands, in search of hope or answers of some sort. As iconic characters go, he ranks up … Continue reading REIGN Ep. 50 – Bunkers, Insane Trains and Death (The Wastelands pt2/finale, Dark Tower series book3)
Listen to Episode Roland has the toughest luck. He’s been chasing the Dark Tower for years, decades, centuries even? He’s had to suffer and endure seeing the collapse of his civilization, losing all his friends, and wandering the scorched Earth trying to find his path to the Dark Tower, which he is mysteriously drawn to. … Continue reading REIGN Ep. 49: Welcome to the Rest of Your Life (The Wastelands pt1; Dark Tower series book3)
Listen to Episode: This book is “Castaway” for the space age. It’s a story of struggle and survival on a hostile world that astronaut Mark Watney is forced to make his home. A spoiler free(ish) video review is here: Man vs. Mars | The Martian BOOK REVIEW Some of my favorite parts (spoilers ahead): when Mark had to … Continue reading REIGN Ep. 48 – There’s Only So Much I Can Do (The Martian, part 2, finale)
Listen to Episode: This book is stunning. You read the first-hand account of astronaut Mark Watney, who is stranded on Mars alone with no means of communication with Earth or hope of escape. It would take years for a rescue mission to arrive. His survival instinct is extraordinary and he uses all his experience, intellect and training … Continue reading REIGN Ep. 47 – The MacGyver of Mars (The Martian pt1)
Listen to Episode: The conclusion to the Great Hunt was impressive with its grand stage setting and gripping confrontations. The story feels urgent with the odds seemly stacked against our group, which now faces powerful ageless forces separately and on different fronts. Spoilers: My favorite part by far is the introduction of the marauder … Continue reading REIGN Ep. 35 – Confronting Evil Head On (The Great Hunt, WOT book 2, pt3)
Listen to Episode: (Spoiler-light) The wielding of an uncontrollable power takes Rand down a dangerous path, where many will seek to either use or destroy him. The group of friends from the Two Rivers are forced to separate and each of their journeys is amazing. The hunt itself is wild and wondrous and Rand battles foes, other … Continue reading REIGN Ep. 34 – Let’s Just Survive This in One Piece (The Great Hunt, WOT book 2, pt2)
Listen to Episode: The Great Hunt, book two in the Hugo-nominated Wheel of Time series, picks up right where the first book left off. This presents a rich exploration of the characters’ conflicts and motivations that each must face in this next leg of the journey. There’s no fast forwarding of the narrative with convenient resolutions … Continue reading REIGN Ep. 33 – Get Your Hunt On (The Great Hunt, WOT book 2, pt1)
Listen to Episode: My buddy Jon put the question out there: Should we even finish this book? I voted yes because 1- I thought, against all hope, it might get better and 2- we couldn’t legitimately warn people away from it if we didn’t finish it ourselves. And, quite honestly, as I read on, … Continue reading REIGN Ep. 32 – I Guessed the Ending, But Who Cares (Diablo, The Sin War Book1, pt2, finale)
Listen to Episode: Uldyssian is the hero, I think, and his friends are trying to help him, we think. The women seemingly have nothing more to do than be mysterious or fawn over him. The story goes from point A to point B, introduces some characters who are quickly dispatched, our main character develops some … Continue reading REIGN Ep. 31 – Fantasy That Fizzles Bad (Diablo, The Sin War Book 1, pt1)
Listen to Episode: The fate of life, free will, a higher level of existence and harmony with the universe is pared down to these two simple words: Choose Again. The finale to Dan Simmons’ science fiction masterwork is shocking, poignant and one of the most grippingly emotional human stories I have ever read. I felt a … Continue reading REIGN Ep. 30 – Choose Again (Rise of Endymion, pt3, finale)
Listen to Episode: Our characters are perpetual nomads, refugees with no home, but they are guided by a strong sense of destiny that takes them across half the populated galaxy, again. The worlds are simply amazing and we are given this deep experience of what it’s like to be in these places, to feel … Continue reading REIGN Ep. 29 – A Lifetime of Adventure and Love (Rise of Endymion, pt2)
Listen to Episode: This is the finale to the Hyperion series. It’s a bittersweet realization to see this epic saga end knowing that these characters will leave us forever. But it’s also an exciting prospect to see this masterwork wrapped up and how Simmons deals with some weighty and ambitious issues that he has … Continue reading REIGN Ep. 28 – Unexpected Path to Destiny (Rise of Endymion, pt1)
Listen to Episode: This is the conclusion to our 3-part book discussion on Endymion, the epic 3rd entry in Dan Simmons’s Hyperion Cantos. The journey in the book is quite simply stunning – the water world of Mare Infinitus had me in Jaws-panic-mode and the ice world of Sol Draconi Septem left me ready to take … Continue reading REIGN Ep. 27 – Planet Hopping is Hard Work (Endymion, pt3)
Listen to Episode: What do you do when you’re outgunned, outnumbered, and have slim chance of escape? What we can say, without spoiling, is that Aenea, the time-traveling 12-year-old messiah, is quite the poker player. Listen to the REIGN spoilercast to find out how the ultimate game of space tag is played out. Endymion, … Continue reading REIGN of Books Ep. 26 – A Game of Space Cat and Mouse (Endymion, pt2)
Listen to Episode: Raul is a hero I can get behind. He lives a rugged life on Hyperion, never staying in one place too long and surviving how he can as a third-class citizen on his native world. He’s confident in his own abilities, but has no prospect of traveling the stars or joining the larger … Continue reading REIGN of Books Ep. 25 – In the Future, Everything Old is New Again (Endymion, pt1)
Listen to Episode: Master Chief’s book debut is filled with action and intense confrontations, but the narrative only gets interesting when his comrades are battling in space. Master Chief is sidelined to procedural missions mostly on the ground that don’t place him in the hero role. But we have fun discussing the continuing military cliches … Continue reading REIGN of Books Ep. 24 – Master Chief Stumbles, Keyes Takes Center Stage (Halo – The Fall of Reach pt2)
Listen to Episode: Halo, one of video game history’s defining science fiction war epics, comes to the written page. Can it muster the same emotional resonance that the gameplay inspired in a generation? Well, if you like your military cliches, you are in luck. Saddle up for super soldier training 101.
Listen to Episode: This is only the end of the beginning, and it’s an incredible beginning. We are rewarded with answers to what the Dark Tower is, but we are left with a grand epic stretched out before us. I for one will follow the gunslinger and find out if he can solve this mystery … Continue reading REIGN of Books Ep. 22 – The End of the Beginning (The Gunslinger pt2)
Listen to Episode: The Gunslinger is a fascinating spectacle – rich characters, bleak landscapes, unknown forces of evil, and the gunslinger surviving the wilderness to track down the man in black. There’s a lot to sink your teeth into, and this struggle between these two adversaries is deeper than I suspect.
Stephen King stories freak me out (Remember “It”?) But his brooding fantasy series The Dark Tower is starting out very nicely. Not scary, just creepy. End-World has some bleak landscapes that make Mad Max look like day camp. The gunslinger is the last of his kind and will cross the world to find the man in … Continue reading The Gunslinger BOOK TRAILER
Listen to Episode This book is a coming of age story – a young boy has unfathomable burdens placed upon him as he steers the course of worlds and stands up against a would-be tyrant. His bravery comes at a high cost and he is willing to sacrifice the rare gift of true love to save countless … Continue reading REIGN Ep. 20 – How Not to Build Planets (Myst – The Book of Atrus pt2)
Survivors of a lost civilization search for the key to its revival. And it’s a really cool civilization. Think Atlantis minus the water.
Listen to Episode This story really pulled me in. It starts as a story of pure survival. A boy and his grandmother live in the desert under the shadow of a volcano. All alone, their small cleft gives them shelter and a place to grow food. The boy Atrus is molded by the elder Anna, who teaches … Continue reading REIGN Ep. 19 – Survival of the Fittest (Myst – The Book of Atrus pt1)
Listen to the funny. No spoilers here. The light and dark go at. It’s a battle royale. Listen to part four of the podcast for the blow by blow.
Listen to Episode: It takes a certain brilliance to breathe life into a world, to make its lands and people and cultures memorable, unique. Creating histories and a sense of authenticity, not for just a region, but a planet, takes dedication. But its a bit of magic I think that crafts the best characters, those whose lives and fates … Continue reading REIGN of Books Ep. 18: Light at the End of the Tunnel (The Eye of the World pt4)
Listen to the almost spoiler-free book trailer: Destiny people, it’s destiny. We get on the fate train and find out if our rag-tag group of heroes-in-training want to do this.
Listen to Episode: In part 3 of 4 of The Eye of the World, there is no doubt that fate is weaving itself around Rand and his friends – they will help determine the outcome for all of humanity. Will mankind splinter in this coming war? Will Moraine reveal her true intentions? Will Lan and NynaEve hook up? (jk, well … Continue reading REIGN of Books Ep. 17: Darkness Descends (The Eye of the World pt3)
Book Trailer – The Eye of the World pt.2 The wheel weaves as the wheel wills in the Eye of the World. As the journey continues, you’ll encounter creepy abandoned cities, play sharks and minnows with some Trollocs, and get freaked out by the Starks’ great, great granddaddy. (He could totally take the Lannisters.) Coming up on … Continue reading The Eye of the World (pt2) BOOK TRAILER
Listen to Episode: Savagely pursued. Relentlessly hunted. At the brink of doom and despair. Perrin and Egwene take the starring role midway through The Eye of the World. An unlikely ally rescues them in the wild and pulls them ahead of the dark forces spies. This is one of the most unnerving parts of the … Continue reading REIGN of Books Ep. 16: Run for Your Life (The Eye of the World pt2)
“Book Trailer”…it’s totally funny Prepare for the very first chapters of Book 1… of a 14 Book series… written over 23 years… by two authors… and hailed by legions of fans as some of the best fantasy ever written…there are millions of those fans, so we better not mess this up. REIGN of Books … Continue reading The Eye of the World (pt1) BOOK TRAILER
Listen to Episode: It is a wild ride with our entry into the Wheel of Time series. This is a respected and long enduring fantasy series (14 books written over 23 years) that has been compared to the Lord of the Rings for its ambitious and rich world, built around a compelling epic narrative. … Continue reading REIGN of Books Ep. 15: Building and Breaking the World (The Eye of the World pt1)
Listen to Podcast: Conan offers a raw, primal experience with incredible stories that rush at you with reckless abandon, even almost a century after Conan was first unleashed on Hyboria. The warrior’s battles and epic escapes from warlocks, monsters and shadows transcend mere pulp fiction and are timeless. The two stories we take up … Continue reading REIGN of Books Ep. 14: Conan Fights Wizards, Worse Wizards and, of course, Monsters (Robert E. Howard)
Listen to Episode: Verdict: 5 of 5 stars Tweet Review: Gods at war, courage of warriors and poets, betrayal of machines, woman from the future and a pilgrimage; all lead to a new humanity. This book forever changed the way I read science fiction. There is much to say, and even in these 100 … Continue reading REIGN of Books Ep. 13: Humanity’s Second Chance (Fall of Hyperion pt. 3)
Listen to Episode: I continue to be amazed at the complexity of the Hyperion universe. It is some of the best sci-fi I’ve come across. The insanely strong narrative continues in the second book of the series – Fall of Hyperion. I loved the first one (Hyperion), and have high hopes for the finale of … Continue reading REIGN of Books Ep. 12: Chaos in the Cantos (Fall of Hyperion pt. 2)
Listen to Episode: What would you do on the last day of your life? What if the world as you knew it was about to end? Nope, this isn’t a zombie apocalypse. It’s the Fall of Hyperion, an action-packed and deeply meditative tale of mankind confronted by long separated space siblings now returning for war, … Continue reading REIGN of Books Ep. 11: Pilgrims’ Progress (Fall of Hyperion pt. 1)
Listen to Episode: We dive into some classic turn-of-the-century sci-fi from H.G. Wells, who helped define the genre. It’s impressive how Wells takes the ordinary things that surround us and turns them into tense terrifying mysteries. The tales are strange unwinding oddities filled with fantastic creatures and wondrous places. It takes me back to the … Continue reading REIGN of Books Ep. 10: In the Abyss, The Flowering of the Strange Orchid (H.G. Wells)
Listen to Episode: Verdict: Hyperion is one of those rare pieces of fiction that transcends mere storytelling. It is epically crafted and its ensemble cast of characters are wonderfully deep, complex people who bare their souls through the journey. It is a saga stretched over space and time yet incredibly personal and intimate. The future … Continue reading REIGN of Books Ep. 9: The World is Not as It Seems (Hyperion pt3)
Listen to Episode: The Hyperion Cantos It was not about the planet but about the passing of the self-styled Titans called humans. It was about the unthinking hubris of a race which dared to murder its homeworld through sheer carelessness and then carried that dangerous arrogance to the stars, only to meet the wrath of … Continue reading REIGN of Books Ep. 8: City of the Dead and Time Tripping (Hyperion pt2)
Listen to Episode: Hyperion is insanely good. It’s thought provoking, fast paced, mysterious and engrossing from page one. Don’t miss this ride if you are a true scifi fan. Dan Simmons‘ Hugo Award-Winning Novel is a masterful read that reminds me of Games of Thrones with its raw brutality of human conflict but with … Continue reading REIGN of Books Ep. 7: As Good as it Gets (Hyperion pt1)
Listen to the Episode Verdict: If you like great action and inventive alternate realities, you get an appetizer in this book, but outside some fun battles, there is no resolution to major plot points, which are pushed off to a second book. With no payoff, it’s harder to care what happens to the characters. Rating: … Continue reading REIGN of Books Ep. 6: Stuck on the War Front with Half a Book (Leviathan pt3)
Listen to the Episode: Scott Westerfield creates a revisionist history of World War I with robots versus genetically engineered beasties. Things get crazy as our two title characters, on the opposite side of the conflict, are thrown into new roles that put them in real danger. Enjoy the spoilercast and watch out for talking geckos.
Listen to the Episode: The Ocean comes and makes a lasting impression; we get a glimpse of a marvelously different world, and a tragedy has lasting consequences.
Listen to Episode: A family implodes when a father commits an unforgivable act, a dangerous game of cat-and-mouse unfolds in the countryside, and the unbelievable rise and fall of the arch villian is shockingly emotional and poetic. The middle part of TOATEOTL has it all – listen to the rundown on the REIGN of Books … Continue reading REIGN of Books Ep. 2: Tragedy of Shakespearian Proportions (The Ocean at the End of the Lane pt2)
Listen to the Episode: So it begins. The REIGN of Books Podcast ep. 1 explores an atypical story of a boy and girl, fighting against an ancient evil that pays a visit to the English countryside. Unlikely events bring them together and the boy discovers a new reality on the edges of our own. What … Continue reading REIGN of Books Ep. 1: Fight Evil in the Countryside (The Ocean at the End of the Lane pt1)
REIGN of Books hosts Josh and Jon discuss the new show, what constitutes sci-fi and fantasy, some classics that have shaped the genres and more. Moby Dick makes an appearance too.