Lenni Reviews: Darkhaven by A. F. E. Smith

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In this dark fantasy by A.F.E. Smith, we meet brother and sister Ayla and Myrren, heirs to the Nightshade family throne. But they are not a regular royal family; but a family of shifters. Accused of attacking someone, the novel opens with Ayla fleeing the city, but things quickly become much more sinister when their father is murdered and Ayla stands accused as the last shifter remaining in her kingdom. She must prove her innocence and come to terms with the fact she may not be the only remaining shifter in the city.

Darkhaven is a book that hooks you in from the first page. You are plunged right into this world in the thick of the plot and keeps you tense and curious right up to the last page. And as this is a dark fantasy, there is a general somber feeling even when talking to a regular citizen of the city. I enjoyed experiencing this adventure with these characters; as they are interesting, conflicted, intelligently written, and grow with the story.

The end is wrapped up a little too easily in a rather messy bow; but with all the intrigue you are left wondering what the fate will be for the kingdom and the Nightshade line now. The way the shifter's abilities are handled is creative and quite beautiful and the limits imposed on this power are reasonable. If you like your fantasy with a bit of mystery, you will like this book.

Lenni writes more than reviews! Check out her site here.

Lenni Reviews: Lumberjanes: Beware the Kitten Holy by Nichole Stevenson and Grace Ellis

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In this graphic novel by Noelle Stevenson and Grace Ellis and illustrated by Brooke Allen; April, Jo, Mal, Molly and Ripley are attending camp ‘Miss Quinzella Thiskwin Penniquiqul Thistle Crumpet’s Camp for Hardcore Lady-Types (and that will be the last time I type that…) and have all promised each other they will have the most awesome summer ever. Luckily for these Lumberjanes scouts, there are talking three-eyed foxes, yetis, tombs to explore, and magical weapons to make sure they never have a chance to get bored.

Simply put, this comic is awesome. It’s Rat Queens for kids (if you haven’t read Rat Queens, GO DO IT). Each girl has a specific talent to add to the group, completely different races and body types (major kudos for that), and smart puzzles where each girl takes turns solving. The art is perfect for these wacky (yet thrilling) adventures. You can get all the fun of super-deformed expressions without it overtly being anime (I know some people who don’t like that style). It is also a story that demands to be told in full color and I’m grateful for it. Maarta Laiho did a fantastic job with the coloring.

To sum up, this comic is sweet, funny, empowering, and just darn fun! I freely admit to reading it several times before I begrudgingly handed it over to my kid (who is 8 and this book is recommended for 5 and up). We are both ready for volume 2!

Justice League: Gods and Monsters Review

Hey O&G fans, Justice League: Gods and Monsters is the latest DC animated film. This marks the return of Bruce Timm to the series of films he helped to begin back in 2007. Written by Bruce Timm and Alan Burnett– both veterans of the DC animated TV universe– and directed by Sam Liu, this movie has the great story and action you expect from DC animated films.

As always here is a synopsis of the film:

In an alternate universe, the Justice League uses brutal force to maintain order on Earth. When scientists begin dying, the world's governments challenge the League's dominance.

REVIEW

The Movie was AWESOME!! The film opens (stop me if you've heard this story) on Kypton with a familiar scene we all know, in Jor-El’s lab with Lara as the planet nears its end. But wait True Comic Fans, this story has a dark twist. General Zod come busting in as Jor El is about to imprint his DNA into his son's pod. Zod shoots Jor El and uses his DNA for the pod and Lar Zod is sent to earth as the last son of Kypton instead. The baby is discovered by a Mexican couple, both poor workers, who decide to raise baby Zod as their own, and name him Hernan Guerra. (DC comics readers might recognize baby Zod as the same one from the Geoff Johns story Last Son, where he was raised by Clark Kent and Lois Lane as Chris Kent.)

Batman and Wonder Women have similar flash backs to how their lives began. Batman afflicted by a disease desperately searching for a cure, turns himself into a vampire. Wonder Women was the promised bride to Darkseids son to bring the waring kingdoms together. After her father planned an assassination and succeeded, she turned on her family and fled to earth.

The voice acting is one of the best I've heard from a DC Movie. Michael C. Hall giving Batman an eerie, undead monotone, Benjamin Bratt capturing the boldness of Superman with a hard Zod edge. Tamara Taylor was absolutely great as Wonder Women, switching from powerful to vulnerable to outraged on a dime. The animation is solid reminds me of Batman and Superman TAS. Bruce Timm and Alan Burnett have successfully delivered a fresh and exciting take on the Justice League by turning them into dark mirrors of the heroic icons we know so well. If you want to know the full and deeper story about all three Justice League members, you can check out the 3 issue series released by DC Comics.

Justice League: Gods and Monsters  will be released on DVD and Blu Ray on July 28th 2015.

Lenni Reviews: The Geeky Chef Cookbook by Cassandra Reeder

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The Geeky Chef Cookbook by Cassandra Reader has everything you'd need for your geek cooking needs. The "trouble" with reviewing cookbooks (in quotes because honestly, it was fun) is that you must try some of these to properly get a sense of the book. It's got some fantastic recipes for non-alcoholic and alcoholic drinks, main dishes, and all sorts of desserts. And since my kiddo's birthday was coming and we are Portal fans, the first was the Portal Cake!

The only modifications we made were the lack of cherries and regular vanilla frosting. This cake was amazing and so a perfect birthday was had!

But of course, Mama had to try something for the grownups and as a Trekkie, the Romulan Ale was a must. 

Again, a modification was made because the mixers were sweet enough for me and thusly, I eliminated the blue soda and used plain seltzer. This was a good call as I think the soda would have been too much but feel free to try it out for yourself!

In this book there are dishes and drinks from Star Wars to Silent Hill, to Deadly Premonition (Sinner's Sandwich made me nerd-squee) so there's something for everyone here. Some of these require some decorating skills (that I do NOT have) so if you have skill with a blade and fondant, you'll have some fun here. 

I am so glad I got a chance to review this book and I look forward to trying out more from it. So if you're a geek and you like to cook, go ahead and nab this book. I don't think you'll regret it!

Lenni Reviews: Evolution by Lissa Kasey

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After seeing the sheer number of hits on my review of In These Words forever ago, I'm pleased to continue to review more m/m romances for you all!

Gene Sage wants to be a singer and hit it big one way but his band, Evolution, is virtually unknown. That is until a vision of ghost while he's driving causes Gene to hit a man with his car. But he's no ordinary man. Kerstrande is an undercover vampire and former rock star, and Gene's idol. One stray paparazzi catches them together and before Gene knows it, Kerstrande is managing his band and fighting an obvious desire for the young singer.

It is a nice male/male paranormal romance that's light on the heavy smut. The dynamic between Gene and Kerstrande is very much like Gravitation (between Shuichi and Yuki); the older jaded man and the younger more idealistic man. Yet Gene is a street smart, capable person with a likable personality and it's easy to see how his light and Kerstrande's darkness are attracted to one another. Kerstrande however, can be obstinate to the point of frustration; rightly fearing his more bestial nature will put Gene in danger yet unable to stay away. But if they wrapped everything up too tightly, the ending wouldn't have been nearly as satisfying or make sense for the characters. And I always say if a character annoys you; the writing is strong enough to illicit an emotional reaction.

The ending leaves you wanting more and I look forward to seeing how this couple will manage Gene's growing fame and abilities and Kerstrande's growing hunger. In the world Lissa Kasey has created, the public knows supernatural beings exist and there is a backlash against anyone not fully human. Evolution is a quick read but a fun one, and I can see this series having potential

Lenni writes more than reviews! Check out her site here.

Lenni Reviews: The Deepest Poison by Beth Cato

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The Deepest Poison is a short story and introduction to the novel Clockwork Crown by Beth Cato (which I have reviewed here). Since I've already reviewed the novel, this review will focus on the shorter story.

This story covers some history of Miss Percival; Miss Leander's mentor. Percival recognized and nurtured Leander's healing abilities and this story showcases them while in the field stationed at a camp called Cantonment Five as they try to puzzle out the mystery of why wounded soldiers thought to recover were dying. It was nice to see some back story as reasoning behind Percival's actions in the Clockwork Crown. It is written in the same style as the novel but much more succinct and inside Percival's head and it was cool to see the healers in action. 

If you liked the first novel, Deepest Poison has a sample of Clockwork Crown to whet your appetite for the full novel. At $0.99 on Amazon, it's a worthwhile bit of steampunk fun.