“Inside Straight” is a Wild Cards novel. The Wild Cards universe is a shared universe that was created in 1987 by George R. R. Martin. A number of authors write individual chapters/short stories focusing on a specific character, which Martin then edits together into an overall story. “Inside Straight” is the 18th novel set in the universe.

In the Wild Cards Universe, an alien virus that re-writes human DNA was released on Earth in 1946. It killed 90% of the people it infected. 9% were mutated into Jokers, who were deformed into a wide variety of non-human looking appearances. 1% gained superpowers as a result of their exposure and became known as “Aces”.

In 2008, 62 years have passed since the wild card was introduced into the world. An entire generation has grown up with it. The first generation of aces has grown up, become famous for their status and powers, had children, and in some cases died.

“Inside Straight” now focuses on the new generation, which has grown up with this as part of their lives and imprinted into society’s popular culture. Familiarity with the other books is not necessary. Many of the heroes and events from those books are spoken about, often reverently, by this younger generation. These were the stories that they’d heard every day as they grew up. These were their childhood heroes, and the people that they looked up to. “Inside Straight” does a good job of weaving that into a rich history of the world.

Even when one has superpowers, there are enough other aces around that it is a struggle to stand out, or to find one’ niche in the universe. “Inside Straight” firmly plugs into the culture of the day. On the very first page of the book Daniel Abraham brings us the character of Jonathan Hive, as seen through the postings he makes on his blog. The very first sentence of the book sends the message that this character is going to be edgy, complex, well detailed, and easy for the reader to relate to, whether he has an ace ability to not. Mr. Hive’s ability is that he can turn into a swarm of wasps. In spite of that, he has other ambitions and dreams. He wants to be a writer. His perspectives as seen through his blog are hilarious, brilliant, and serve to continue to tie the various chapters of the book together as the larger plot continues to unfold. I especially liked the blog chapters in the book. It was very cool to see a character just casually talking directly to us, the reader. The style also provided much of the comic relief in the book.

Jonathan Hive knows that what he needs to get his foot in the door of a writing career is exposure. He needs more people to read his blog. So to get that exposure he does what many people in the 2007 real world do. He appears on a reality TV show.

He is not alone. He is joined by a unique and varied cast of characters, such as Jetboy, Drummer Boy, Stuntman, the Maharajah, Water Lilly, Rosa Lotera, Jade Blossom, Diver, Digger Downs, Brave Hawk, Mistral, The Candle, Toad Man, Spasm, Father Henry Obst, Hard Hat, The Amazing Bubbles, Tiffani, Rustbelt, Earth Witch, Curveball, and Wild Fox.

“American Hero” will give one lucky ace the chance to win a million dollars and become the next big ace hero. Not only that but it gave me chapter and chapters of amusement and laughter. This reality show was better done on paper than most reality shows I’ve ever watched. The authors nailed the character interactions, as all the contestants interacted in the house and in their various team challenges for the show. Personalities came together and clashed. Certain ace abilities were more spectacular than others. Some were downright comical. But were any of them useless? That was part of the lesson of the reality show and of the book as a whole.

There’s much more to the book than a bunch of superheroes competing in a reality show. On the other side of the world there is big trouble in Egypt. A new Caliph had united Syria, Palestine, Iraq, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia, and now Egypt, under his rule. Unified Muslim rule was beginning to sweep the Middle East. But in Egypt 6000 + years of culture had caused many Jokers to mutate to the appearance of ancient Egyptian gods and other beings from their mythology. This had led to a rebirth of the old religion that had been in place before the rise of Islam or Christianity. Now in 2008 the rise of a new religious movement and the rise of the old were clashing violently. Not that anyone in the United States was noticing, as the “American Hero” craze swept the nation.

Have no fear. Everything meshes together. Jonathan Hive and his blog is the thread that weaves its way through the story until the big “Aha” moments when it all comes together. “Inside Straight” brilliantly pulls no punches, whether it be characters with colorful language, issues of sexuality, issues of race, the fact that many characters are deep and are not entirely what they appear to be, or just being brave enough to put it out there that even if someone is a superhero sometimes they will die in the performance of heroic duty. This is not “Superfriends” where everyone returns back to the Hall of Justice unscathed to fight another day. If I had to compare it to anything it’s like “Heroes”. But Wild Cards and its group of authors came up with this idea 19 years ago.

“Inside Straight” is a brilliant rendition of people with super powers living in a real and contemporary world. In some cases they are just trying to live normal lives. Almost every contestant gets a chance throughout the various chapters to move to the forefront for character development. The chapters are each told from the perspective of a particular character, so the book gives many opportunities to get into the head of one character after another.

I can say this without a doubt for “Inside Straight”. This is the 22nd book that I’ve reviewed for the site. It was funny. It was deep. It was original (I’ve not read any other books in the Wild Cards universe. In fact I have to admit that I’d never heard of it). In my opinion this is the best book I’ve read so far. That includes my two beloved DragonLance novels. It takes a pretty original telling of the superhero concept to get my attention. I am not a comic book fan. Tales of invulnerable superheroes flying around are usually dull to me. But these characters are not indestructible superbeings who can only be foiled by radioactive rocks from outer space, being bathed in sunlight, from a red star, or other Achilles’ Heels so exotic that it stretches my suspension of disbelief to see them manage to appear with regularity. Most of the characters in this book are regular people, most with regular jobs, who “drew an ace” and happen to have an ability as a result of their response to the alien virus which did not destroy their lives.

I would never have thought that a “book by committee” could have come together so cohesively and seamlessly. I wondered if there would be any inconsistency in character personality or behavior as we saw them through the eyes of a different author. That never happened. I absolutely give a standing ovation to the fine writing of Daniel Abraham, Melinda M. Snodgrass, Carrie Vaughn, Michael Cassutt, Caroline Spector, John Jos Miller, George R. R. Martin, Ian Tregillis, and S.L. Farrell, and to the outstanding editing done by George R.R. Martin. “Inside Straight” makes me re-write my rating scale. I’ve given several other 10’s over the course of the previous 21 books. Based on that I would absolutely have to give “Inside Straight” an 11.

Identity Crisis is a DC mini-series that love or hate is a legitimate benchmark on the DC timeline noting the company’s trends as the beginning of a shift in their line’s direction as a whole. While being far removed from my introduction to the DC Universe, as I had been a fan of several characters and runs at one time or another prior to reading it, it is the series that made me a fan of the DC Universe and ultimately is the series I credit for bringing me back to the hobby itself after more than a decade away. I was what I’d call a Marvel-fan boy and excluding scattered reads I’d extend that to not even thinking DC so much as fell off as much as me not ever being alive when it was ever ‘on’. One day, no longer a comic collector or reader, a chance encounter led a stranger to loan me this series in its collected trade paperback form and in a way that watching the first Superman movie introduced me to the concept of heroism, this story felt like my first encounter with characters and institutions I had known for years but hadn’t met yet. When reading the series it is your fan boy subconscious that is stimulated , as someone who had never read the Brave and the Bold, when Meltzer invokes the title in story you intuitively know it is significant, you know it is part of comic book lore that still tugs at you when there was never a previous tangible connection.

Whodunit Love Story…

The seven issue miniseries is written by Brad Meltzer, a bestselling novelist, and Identity Crisis is in its most basic sense, a classic old-fashioned murder mystery; the targets seemingly the spouses and/or loved ones of the heroes themselves. The wife of the Ralph Dibney, the Elongated Man, Sue Dibny, herself a fixture in the DCU is murdered at her home as she sets up a surprise for her Husband – the first time she has ever been able to fool her husband for his birthday - her pregnancy. It is act that will rock the core of the DC Universe, and expose a rot in the legacy of the heroes that turns into a debate of the definition of a hero and the reality of it. It will tear it down and leave it as a hanging query to be answered every issue of ever title afterwards. Something to prove, something to live up to, a mantle earned daily, never to be taken for granted by those they serve and more importantly amongst themselves.

The Crimes…

The murder of Sue is the first crime revealed but not the first committed and with it answers to a question never asked – what readers accepted a leap of faith – dealing with how Heroes have been able to keep their and the identity of their families and loved ones a secret from villains possessing power or resources that would make one believe such information would be impossible to keep from. Amidst telepaths, time travelers, geniuses, magicians, demigods, and aliens among others, how are such secrets maintained? They burnt Prometheus. A group within The JLA had been in the practice of having Zatanna mind-wipe certain adversaries to protect themselves. It is one of these former victims who became the chief suspect, a villain we have come to know as being rather incompetent even with formidable powers, Dr. Light. We learn that Dr. Light previously infiltrated the Watchtower only to find Sue alone and they would remain so until he was caught mid-rape by the JLA. He is subdued and a decision is made that would become semi-policy – it’s always the hardest the first time – he would be brainwashed and made a shadow of his former self (the one we know). It would not be the worst of their deeds…

Batman returned, and mortal, just a man, he charges the rest of the league – Hawkman, Flash, Ralph, Zatanna, Green Arrow, Black Canary, Green Lantern, Atom and what would occur would then start the schism that would create the true Dark Knight and would tear the Justice League apart. This is Metzler’s assault on our heroes, their home, the DC Universe as a whole but most importantly reader expectation.

The Trinity…

What Meltzer is able to capture is that truly iconic quality possessed by the trio that is known throughout the hobby as the Big Three. No matter what triumphs another company or even DC will have, no matter what the flavor of the month or even decade is, no other characters will assume the position of Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman – The Trinity. They are the very foundation of the current superhero genre, not the first, not perhaps the best selling in a given Diamond report, but they are the benchmark for everything that occurs afterward either as facsimiles or reaction. They are at the same time classic and the standard, and even though a title like Wonder Woman has struggled to find a consistent audience or benefited from as successful a modern retelling like Batman or Superman, her in-comic presence is one that befits her permanent stature. To construct a story that could be viewed as a viable candidate for being described as the starting point of everything that would come after from DC and to tip toe the line of having the Big 3 in subsidiary roles but still loom large via how they interjected them in the storyline was a large part of what became policy. What we see is DC acknowledge the position of the three, they don’t refute or run away from it, and they separate by embracing it and having the other characters – pantheons themselves in any other company, like the Flash, Green Lantern, Hawkman, Green Arrow, the Atom, Robin, the Elongated Man, Zatanna, members of the mighty Justice League, the classic Justice Society, and Teen Titans acknowledge this without diminishing themselves. It offers a unique vantage of gods from the perspectives of heroes and validates an understood hierarchy as if the rest of the DC all broke the fourth wall for a moment and winked at us - we know.

The Essence…

Ultimately I have issues with the actual story, there is a hokiness to the ending, and while a showdown between the JLA and Deathstroke is the stuff of fan boy gushery, the scene ultimately feels cheapened because – simply stated - it’s rather stupid. Don’t get me wrong, Deathstroke is pimp, but he’s not Doomsday* – Flash and a Green Lantern? Isn’t this the guy that historically gets thwarted by the Teen Titans? I understand that this was supposed to be a vehicle to heighten the stakes by heightening the villains themselves, and I love the idea, but this particular transition was just a bit over board and it would succeed as a legacy much better than it does in-story. I'm definitely for the result, but how we got there felt a bit odd. If nothing else it served as the action scene that needs to be thrown in.

As noted above however Meltzer hits the moments with unbelievable precision, his understanding of not only these characters and where they have to go to be relevant and compelling beyond this series is dead on. You walk away from this series with the feeling you just found a new best friend, but you have known each other forever; he maximises moments, and makes them part of the permanent tapestry of storied characters. Meltzer brings intangibles that negates some of the negative tangibles of the story itself – he is the Mark Lemke squared – and is the writer that I credit to introducing me to DC and the characters that all others aspire to. His is a seven issue crash course, that has turned into a love affair, and the series fulfilled the promise that came with it when it was handed to me: If you don’t know Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman – you cannot claim you love comic books, as you don’t have the bible to validate preaching of any other scripture be it labeled Love and Rockets, Bone, Blankets, Maus, Eightball, or the Endless.

I’m not at all sure there is a finer example of universe start -off point for a new reader while still being a story that has impact to long-time fans. You may not love the Elongated man, but you will love, cry, smile, - you will feel Ralph Dibny.

Riches to Rags…

When a book goes beyond simply being successful it is because the writer and penciler create this synergy that transcends achievement in either facet and becomes a storytelling accomplishment. Modern examples include combo like Moore and Bolland, Gaiman and McKean, Moore and Totleben, Ellis and Cassady, Ennis and Dillon, Shooter and Lapham, Moore and Ha, Miller and Mazzucchelli, Moore and Gibbons, and Morales delivers his most powerful, meaningful work to date that dabbles in that company. His pencils make scenes like a meeting with the Spectre – the Green Lantern to prior generation – and Green Arrow into a heartfelt chat between old friends: Ollie and Hal that goes back to days of O’Neil and Adams. The way Wonder Woman was rendered in her brief appearance shows the proper majesty an encounter; the look of horror on Tim Drake as Bruce Wayne embraces him; the pure love emanating from Ralph when speaking about his wife…she saw him, the grief - twitch and all - of a husband. Rags Morales has put his stamp on a work that is unique in that it occurs in continuity and involves touches on so many. I’m not sure I’d describe Morales, - whose work in VALIANTS’s Turok I also admired - as an all-time penciler or one that will come to represent the cream of an era but he has under his belt a project that stands artistically as an achievement It’s a legitimate top shelf effort in my mind that’s a label people don’t like to give modern art – but they’d be lacking for not doing so. Art and story really were as one here, in a way it wasn’t in say another major storyline like Civil War where McNiven (minus a few instances in the final issue) really delivered first-rate work but Millar never exhibited the desire to write dialogue that would be appropriate for anyone but John Cena, and didn't display his range as a writer.

Prefunctionary (Over) Reaction…

Originally this section of the review had about a page and half on some of the reaction this series. My final decision was to remove it as I’m trying to get away from reacting to reactions as honestly when I read the book the issues in question didn't even occur to me. Call it being socially unaware, simple dimwittedness, whatever, I tend to view it as not practicing in actively looking for elements to be offended by. I think I’m known to be able to identify layers, and strands of storytelling (whether existing or not!) but I don’t read looking for blanks to fire. Personal reflection equals content, the best ammo for a review in my mind. There are some thoughts that some may find interesting regarding the rape of Sue Dibny and I suggest googling them to get that angle from others. They just weren’t part of my original experience and my reviews are about my sandbox not the playground. Back to a comic book…

I read the story as a fictional tragedy. The Dibny family - and thus the DC universe - became family and turned Doctor Light into public enemy number one, but we were conflicted. He didn’t respond to violation with violation - indeed it was the opposite. Our heroes did. There have been failures in scattered call backs to the series and some apparent continuity gaffs regarding background appearances and while it speaks on some amount of sloppiness it also speaks on the undertaking itself; no foundation is without its cracks originating from above and below and Identity Crisis is no different but it succeeds at being an evolution that occurs overnight; it’s arriving at the summit and finding an infinite staircase.

Godfall…

No, not the horrific, puerility-personified Superman story by Kelly and Caldwell, but speaking on the effects of the occurrences in Identity Crisis would effect the entire DC you and in a series that would come out later the fallout and ramifications of Identity Crisis are summed up rather aptly by the most unlikely of characters when in the series Villains United – Catman – tells a smug Green Arrow:

What occurs at the top reverberates and is felt by everyone beneath. These are not just our heroes, they are the heroes of heroes, they are what villains or what the anti-hero couldn’t be but still - from somewhere - admire. The destruction of that truth…well, I have always said a good story is one that continues and lives past it's pages.

The next day, my new friend - after giving him back his book - talked comics. The first time I had done so in my adult life.

Jay Tomio
The Bodhisattva

_{*as dumb as Doomsday admittedly is}

"Fantastic Four: What Lies Beneath" is a stand-alone Fantastic Four adventure written by Peter David. When Reed Richards and Johnny Storm go to a scientific lab because they're asked to endorse a project, things go disasterously wrong, leaving Sue Storm and Ben Grimm to try to save not only Reed and Johnny, but reality itself.

While the basic plot is as easy to sum up as the average comic book, much more obviously takes place, since this is a novel that has far more than 48 pages. A scientist invents a method of travel that would allow tourists to view alternate dimensions. The lab that she works for wants to market tour packages and asks for the Fantastic Four to endorse them commercially. Naturally, Reed wants to see exactly what he's getting into. The demonstration doesn't work as planned and Reed and Johnny start metamorphosizing into monsters.

Sue Storm wasn't present for the demonstration because she was having a meeting with the President of the United States and Ben stayed home because he had a date. You read that correctly. The Thing had a date.

Peter David shows that he has great admiration for the Fantastic Four with this book. He keeps the characters perfectly in character throughout the novel while managing to interject some fun, if not slightly geeky, humor. The most notable example of this is a color-blind clerk mistaking The Thing for the Hulk. The premise is interesting just for the idea of the Fantastic Four being turned on each other and that idea is well-planned and well written. While the reader never doubts for a second that Everything Is Going to Turn Out Okay because this is, after all, an officially endorsed Fantastic Four book and if they're going to kill the Fantastic Four there would be a lot more advance advertising and the event would, most certainly, take place in the actual comic book, it's fun trying to figure out exactly how the team is going to save each other and the world.

I was disappointed that there wasn't a little more in-depth explanation of how Reed dealt with the physical aftermath of the events in the book. Basically, the readers get a paragraph that just says the brilliant scientist did figure it all out and fixed everything, which is kind of annoying. I wanted to know how long it took and what, exactly, Reed did, since up until that point the reader gets as much detail as the author can provide (which was quite a bit) as to how Reed solved the other scientific challenges he confronted.

While I far prefer Peter David's Sir Apropos of Nothing books, this book was fun to read and had geniuinely funny moments. It didn't have the wry tone I've come to expect with Peter David's work, but in the same respect, that tone wouldn't work well within the context of the "Fantastic Four" either. If you're a fan of the comic books, this novel is certainly worth a look.

Chance Fortune takes place in a world that has a prevalent super-hero population. The goal for those with powers is to be accepted into the Burlington Academy for the Superhuman. Josh Blevins has one goal in life, to be a superhero. But there is a problem; he has absolutely no powers to speak of. But his luck changes when a retired superhero, Captain Fearless, moves into his neighborhood. After Josh discovers his true identity, Captain Fearless agrees to train Joshua and teach him everything that he knows. When Josh’s application to the Academy is rejected Captain Fearless interjects and pulls some strings creating a false identity for Josh, Chance Fortune, whose power is unnaturally good luck. When Chance gets accepted into the academy Josh is off to new adventures.

Berryhill has an obvious love for all things comic book and pulp related and it shows on nearly every page of Chance Fortune. The obvious glee that is readily apparent on every page become infectious as the story kicks into gear. There are numerous references to comic books, super heroes, movies, books, comic book creators, silver age super heroes and pulp heroes, I swear there was even a reference to the movies Stripes and The Outsiders but I cant prove that. As engaging as the central story is, picking up on the myriad of references becomes its own game. Now, if the book were only homage then it would be a flat reading experience, but Berryhill has a firm grasp on the pulp type story that he is paying homage to that his story stands on its own.

One of my favorite moments happens when he first arrives at the Academy Josh and the other new students are introduced to the presiding council of seven super heroes (most if not all of whom should be recognized). As each super hero is introduced it is reminiscent of a professional wrestling event with each one receiving their own theme music and dramatic entrances. The scene is indicative of the fun tone of the book; I couldn’t help but smile when reading this and could easily imagine Berryhill doing the same while writing it.

Upon arrival Chance is grouped together with other students. They become a team and will train together and work their way through battles that are scored on school wide inter class rankings. The other members of Chances team are Psy-Chick, Shocker, Gothika, Space Cadet, Iron Maiden, and Private Justice and together they are known as The Outlaws. As they coalesce as a team and rise in the ranks the action culminates in a tournament with an older class of students that have proven themselves to be devious, underhanded and the arch nemesis' of The Outlaws.

We discover that there is an enforced hierarchy at the school that extends from the highest levels to the lowest. The students are divided into a rigid caste system: there are demigods (those with the highest level of powers), mortals (those with one specific power) and adventurers (those with minor unique attributes at best). All of this serves to divide the populace of the school and sets up the necessary battle lines of the "haves" and "have not’s" that most stories set in a high school type environment seem to have.

The battles, which serve as real world tests and lessons in a controlled environment, are some of the highlights of the book. At times this is reminiscent of the battle school in Enders Game and fans of that book should check this one out as well. These battle lessons are not glossed over. They are conveyed in tight action packed prose that lasts for multiple chapters. The details that are given puts one right in the middle of all that is happening on the battle field. Berryhill never loses track of any of the participants and keeps everything moving swiftly until their conclusion.

Appropriately for its pulp fiction aspirations it ends on a cliff-hanger. The worse part is that we have to wait for the other books to come out. This book is a lot of fun and a light-hearted read. I look forward to seeing what the further adventures of Chance Fortune & The Outlaws bring us.


-Brian Lindenmuth

Advent Children is an animated fantasy action movie set two years after the game Final Fantasy VII (FFVII). It may be very confusing for those who aren't familiar with the game series and particularly with FFVII, but I highly recommend it nonetheless.

Fortunately, if you're watching the DVD you get some helpful bonus features, particularly a featurette which explains the plot of the game - in fact, it's made of game footage. Even so, the movie requires some attention. Don't worry, a lot of the best anime is much less comprehensible.

'Basically', people in the city of Midgar are being afflicted by a plague called Geostigma, which turns out to be the body's immune system attacking cells from Jenova, an extraterrestrial viral lifeform.

A group of three supervillains are trying to find the remains of Jenova, who they touchingly refer to as their mother. As heartwarming as their concern is, their plans will bring about the apocalypse.

The hero of the game, Cloud, is now a delivery boy, but must again save the world, with the help of some old friends. In fact, during the major fight scene against a host of game monsters, a whole gang of his friends appear out of nowhere. As far as I can tell, the only reason for this is to satisfy fans of the FFVII.

Apart from nostalgia for Final Fantasy veterans, the biggest drawcard for this movie is how cool it is. In a shared creation like Final Fantasy, that has been worked on by some supremely creative individuals, you'd expect the movie to be good.

But the makers pulled out all the stops and delivered a coolness factor of 11/10. Seriously, the stunning settings, characters, creatures, action are all incredible, and even if you're baffled by the plot, you'll find plenty to take your breath away.

In the 'making of' feature included on disc 2, the animators describe how they took a step away from realism in their depiction of characters and action - after all, what then would be the point of producing an animated film? So we have incredible, over the top fight scenes and stylised characters.

It's worth mentioning the concept of Bishōnen, Japanese for 'beautiful youth'. It's common in anime to depict male characters in ways that would be considered effete, or androgynous to Westerners, who prefer beefcake in their heroic fantasy. Guys, if you have a strong reaction against male beauty (or for it!), you might want to think about where that's coming from, psychologically.

I should also mention that the movie is pretty funny. There's some physical humour, Final Fantasy in-jokes, and comic dialogue, especially between Reno and Rude the Shinra henchmen. Probably the funniest moment is when when we hear supervillain Loz's ring tone, which is the victory fanfare played after battles in the game.

Director Tetsuya Nomura was the character designer for the FFVII game, but had been involved with the franchise, and SquareSoft since 1992. FFVII remains the most popular edition of the game series, and one of the best selling games of all time.

Is it science fiction, is it fantasy, does it matter? The Final Fantasy universe has been developed over two decades in a wide range of media, and depicts a world where a natural magical life force has been used to create high science. Maybe it's a reverse of Arthur C. Clarke's famous line: any sufficiently advanced magic is indistinguishable from technology. Hehe.

Advent Children reminds us that CGI, and animation, aren't just for children, and hopefully throws down the gauntlet to Western film makers.

A must see for Final Fantasy and anime fans (add it to your collection!), a strong recommend for anyone else. I loved it.

Steve Wilson

What could chronologically be called the first book in the series The Chronicles of an Age of Darkness, The Wizards and the Warriors follows the path of stereotypical epic fantasy while diverging slightly at times to show scuffs of originality. At its time of publication, this type of book was probably the standard of its subgenre, but nowadays it falls asunder to much more bold entries in the category such as George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire.

The Wizards and the Warriors is basically about three members of The Confederation of Wizards—Miphon, Garash, and Phyphor—who are in pursuit of the wizard Heenmor. This villainous man is in possession of a powerful object that can turn living things to stone and morph stones to life. With this power, Heenmor quotes that "I can conquer the world."

As per his standards, Cook dutifully opens each chapter off The Wizards and the Warriors with a lexicon entry, offering exact details about central characters. While this does ignore the writing rule of "show, don't tell", I didn't find it to be too distracting. In actuality, I skipped over later ones as I found the information detailed to be redundantly placed within the text.

It seems as the first half of The Wizards and the Warriors focuses mostly on the wizards while the second part is more about the warriors of the Rovac. Cook opens with a sword-and-sorcery classic scene of wizards versus dragons, but the rest of the first half drudges on at a crawl. This is both in part to the book's pacing and Cook's writing. At times it is painfully hard to read, as such. Tenses change, grammar is tossed aside for unnecessary style points, and exposition is pushed down the reader's throat.

While I enjoyed the antihero of Yen Olass in The Women and the Warlords, having to cheer on a trio of "bad guys" this entire book is a bit too much to ask of the reader. Good things happen and bad things happen, but the feeling of resolve to better the people and the land is never understood. Fans looking for a light read in terms of plot and characters will enjoy The Wizards and the Warlords for all its self mockery, but true genre fans will want to tread quietly here.

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