Romasanta Father of Werewolves: Review

Whoa boy, this was an incredible read.

After Reviewing the first book in the Cedric Series, I jumped right into this one, and continued to dive until the end, cause it really enjoyed it that much.

This novel showcases a world where fantasy, myth, and a bit of magic collide.  But unlike the first book in the series which focuses on the lives of two increasingly important characters, Romasanta focuses on the titular Werewolf who has a much larger impact on the world than Cedric.

From humble beginnings as a farmer that leads to an incredible bad string of luck, Romasanta finds himself sharing his body with Fenrir the great wolf, and finds himself on a quest for revenge against Merlin, the man who made him this way.  Alas, Romasanta's bad luck does not stop, or even start there.  On a quest to reunite with the woman he loves, this poor man becomes the most powerful of all Werewolves.  Also due to the fact that Vampires are a mutation of the Werewolf curse, he is the master of their race as well.

With an action packed adventure, cunning Demons (Like Lilith who never fails to disappoint in this book) and an extremely manipulative sibling, I could not put this book down from start to end.  It certainly helps that I am a sucker for seeing prior events with more puzzle pieces revealed.  For those who have read Cedric the Demonic Knight, this book offers more insight into those same events and one can really see the scope and intrigue that Cedric failed to notice while he was strung along in the previous book.

All in all, this book addresses some key ideas such as what love means as well as how one is and is not human. The emotional impact is a nonstop experience and I highly recommend this novel to just about anyone.  The romance that I tried to avoid a bit more in the first book did not distract at all in this sequel.  The high fantasy elements are, of course, my preferred draw in this novel, but there is something to find for everyone within its pages.

I cannot wait for "Oracle" which will be the next book.

Hellsing Ultimate: Spoiler Free Review

Now that I finally have some time to blog again, I will be doing a series of reviews for medium I have consumed in the last few months.  For today, lets talk about Hellsing Ultimate: Starring one of Anime's most iconic antiheroes: Alucard.

This is a fairly graphic Anime which should be obvious since its a Vampire gore story.  But I was ready for this jump in scenery gorn after watching Madoka Magica. Also, I am proud of my extensive studies on the different forms of Christianity and Vampire myths, which allowed me to really appreciate the Anime for what it truly is.

In a world where the only defense against Vampires are rotten militant churches, it makes sense that Alucard who would be a villain in just about any other setting is the protagonist of this incredibly crapsack world.  And with Antivillains such as Anderson from the Catholic Church, who needs friends anyway?

With an interesting cast of characters including the utterly ruthless Integra, the mostly sympathetic Seras (Draculina), the bad ass battle butler Walter, the already mentioned Anderson, some Wacky Nazis, and an entire host of psycho Vampires with an even crazier combination of powers.

From beginning to end, the action is pretty awesome especially when the blood and gore really take off. There are certain scenes that I cannot mention without spoilers that really held my interest, and I recommend for those of you who have not watched it, to see them for yourself.

The abridged version of this Anime is quite entertaining, but it still does not beat out, the original show.

Final Fantasy 15 Review Part 1 (Pre Chapter 9)

Here is my general review of the first half of Final Fantasy 15.  I'll avoid spoilers to the best of my ability.  This is focused on the more open world section of the game which encompass what fans have hailed as the better half of the game.

I have completed almost of the possible content that I am able to complete before post game. Clearing Costlemark Tower was quite a challenge but one I enjoyed greatly, but unfortunately since the dungeon is harder than everything in the main story, I will be crushing most of the main bosses.  This is nothing new to me as I suffered a similar problem in Final Fantasy 6 and 5 where over leveled character create lots of dead bosses.

So far, there are two major problems I have with Final Fantasy 15.

The first is that, for all its flashy elements and customization, magic in 15 just seems so, lacking. As mentioned in an earlier blog post, Final Fantasy 6 is my gold standard when it comes to this series. And the magic in that game is exactly what this one lacks.  Notably, I want my Ultima Spell.  For those who do not know, Ultima is a spell that ignores defense and elemental attributes and almost always hits max damage if it does not just break the damage limit instead.  Especially with annoying enemies like Black Flans and Red Giants in 15, Ultima would be a welcome addition to killing them much faster.  Its not that these enemies are dangerous per say, but because they resist everything, they take a disproportionate amount of time to kill.

The second problem is also a comparison to Final Fantasy 6.  Besides the main four characters, a couple villains (Arden) and a few of the supporting characters like Cid, Iris, and Arenea, I don't care about any of the characters of the plot. I find Luna so far to be a boring and one dimensional messiah archetype character. The romance between her and Noct does not feel real.  I understand this whole subplot is an arranged marriage but the whole game constantly tells the player that the two do care about each other.

All in all, the game seems to favor exploration more than story, which is fine, but Final Fantasy is a series that is supposed to have a compelling story.  I have felt the spirit of the series wane starting with Final Fantasy 12, and got worse with 13. 15 feels like it has a better plot than 12 so far, but since the story part of the game begins after the point I am currently at, it shall be seen if this game lives up to 6 which is consider the best game in the series if not the best game of all time.

Cedric the Demonic Knight: Review

As a writer, it is my great pleasure to review the novel of a fellow local author.  Cedric the Demonic Knight is a story that weaves an assortment of fantastic myths and mythology into a pretty spectacular Fantasy Kitchen Sink. For those unfamiliar with such a term, it basically means that think of a creature or idea that one would expect to find in fantasy and you can be sure it will appear in some form within the pages of this novel.

The novel begins with a very cynical knight in sour armor named Cedric who is on a quest of vengeance.  Created by the Sorceress Morrighan to be a powerful minion, The Demonic Knight decided to choose his own path.  In his quest of revenge, he meets a young woman named Angeline that is descended from a powerful linage.  As Cedric is strangled by red string, his duel bloodlines come into conflict.  As a Half Vampire, Half Incubus, Cedric deals with both psychological and physical danger as he pursues his mission.  

His growing love for this woman begins to interfere with Cedric's goals and the story continues along as monsters attack, romance blossoms, and unexpected conflicts appear.  Although I am not a big fan of romance stories normally, this story gets it right.  With equal parts character building and action scenes, the intensity does not waver, nor do the love elements distract from the narrative.  In fact, watching Cedric grow is my favorite aspect of the novel.

As a writer who includes the myths of Demons frequently, I was very intrigued by this story's rendition of Lilith.  A fun spin on the Queen Succubus, especially in the more... ahem... blood filled moments. Though this version of Lilith is historically accurate, and was done perfectly, she did not manage to be my favorite character, despite the obvious author appeal should one read my own work. Instead, there was another who managed to be the character I wanted to watch the most.

I refer to Romasanta the Father of Werewolves.  From the moment I met this character, I paid close attention.  Being the first character to really humble the protagonists has its advantage.  The fact that this Father of Werewolves was so connected in the world intrigued me very much.  Making a deal with Cedric to accomplish his goals while clearly having an agenda sealed the deal.

As Cedric the Demonic Knight reaches its conclusion, plenty of surprises occur, but if I was to tell you them, I fear you might not read the book and experience them for yourself.  All an all, Cedric the Demonic Knight was a fantastic read and a great first addition to what appears to be a longer series.  

As Romasanta Father of Werewolves is the second book, I gleefully bought the story after finishing this one.  I'll be reviewing that novel once I complete it. After all, Willis has a large world to showcase, and this review does not do her incredible imagination justice.  I highly recommend this novel to both fans of romance and fantasy alike.

Using Darkness to Change the World

Writing and I have had a fairly symbiotic relationship since I was very young.  I am one of those weird children who enjoyed writing far more than reading at first.  I discovered as I grew older that the reason behind this was as a result of me being both bored and disillusioned by what I was forced to read in school.

The first major hallmark that marked the start of a permanent and vital shift in my writing career was a gift given by my grandmother.  And on that day, she gave me a piece of advice that I have never forgotten: “Ross, it’s not that you hate reading.  But that you are reading the wrong stuff.” I was thus handed the Hobbit.  My love for fantasy had begun.

My grandma once again exceeded my expectations and not only got me dead set on the Hobbit, but Harry Potter as well, ensuring that I was one of the children that JK Rowling intended to grow up with the books.  I was an oddity in that I read the Lord of the Rings books between the different Harry Potter novels. My next turning point was with Fellowship of the Ring.

The Hobbit was a novel I had enjoyed greatly.  But one part of the story was considerably more liked, especially in regards to my imagination than the rest. The dark forest of Mirkwood, which was home to giant spiders, toxic water, and a darkness that was magical in nature had me spellbound.  It was a locale unlike anything I had ever seen, and to this day is still a favored setting in my writing.  Most important about Mirkwood though, was the Necromancer that had made it that way.

When I read the word Necromancer for the first time, I immediately looked up the meaning. Spellcasters who summon Undead as their servants.  A concept that is to this day a favorite of mine. The other meaning of Necromancer refers to an incredibly evil wizard.  This second definition became more important as I read Lord of the Rings.  For anyone who knows the story, realizes I had discovered Sauron himself and became fixated on him. But the start of Lord of the Rings is when the writing I began soon after began to take root.

Near the beginning of Fellowship, an encounter with a horrific monster, specifically Khamul, second in command of the Nazgul, better known as the Ringwraiths caught my attention.  This was a warning that would usher in my age of Dark Fantasy.  The concept, known as Cerubus Syndrome, is when an incredibly dangerous character appears in a story to warn the reader that terrible things are about to happen. And Khamul was the Knight of Cerubus, bringing in darkness as only a being like him can, on his zombie horse.

I happened to read the third Harry Potter book soon after I finished Fellowship of the Ring, and the Dementors coincidently first appeared in this novel.  Like the Ringwraiths, I immediately fell in love with these creatures of darkness, and misery. I even caught that Dementors drew inspiration from the Nazgul.

Unfortunately, I finished both serieses, and was left wanting. Lord of the Rings was written by a pacifist, so while the movies made the fight scenes absolutely amazing, the books did quite the opposite.  Harry Potter suffered from a different problem.  The magic was too basic.  After getting into Dungeons and Dragons and seeing what fantastic magic was capable of, Harry Potter just felt… empty.  Minus the Imperius Curse and Fiend Fire, I felt like the magic in that universe was, for lack of a better term, weak.

It was at this time, that three very important events occurred in very close time frames.  September 11th, 2001 happened, and my cynicism that is prevalent in my personality began to take root. Second, my other grandmother bought me a video game called Tales of Symphonia that forever changed my life. After the lies I discovered about America thanks to watching our country get attacked by terrorism, my imagination was ripe to plunder by the video game.  With themes not limited to, fantastic racism, corrupt churches, evil angels, justified villains, and incredibly psychologically scarred heroes, it was just the story I needed.  The final piece was the novel Eragon. While the story does get criticized a lot, two major aspects of this series were what I needed, to finally break free of the shackles holding me back, and start writing my own stories. Not only was the author very young, but the magic in that universe was exactly what I had been looking for.  Magic with a deadly price to pay if used incorrectly, and capable of doing incredible feats such as altering memories, stealing souls, and wiping out cities faster than military carpet bombing, I finally had the foundation to write the story I always wanted as a child.

The story that would eventually become The Search For Eden Series began as I entered high school and just like with Harry Potter, the story got more grim as I got older. What began as a lighthearted adventure, turned into a deconstruction that has incorporated Demons, Undead, Eldritch Abominations, and the evil that lurks in the hearts of men.

High school also marked another video game entering my imagination, completing the cycle of darkness that had begun with Lord of the Rings.  Final Fantasy 6, is a game that deals with the psychological torment and recovery of an entire planet.  In a plot that is very terrifying considering the modern world, a killer clown becomes the general of the most powerful army in the world. The fascist empire that he commands the troops of seeks world domination, but in the end, the clown wins out even over them.  He kills the emperor and becomes G-d due to a magical artifact that conveniently (or inconveniently) chose to appear at that moment. As a result, Kefka, who already was deranged, even for a clown, destroyed the entire world. That's the halfway point of the game by the way.  For the next year in the game, Kefka recreates the world as a monument to death, destruction, and nihilism.  By the time he is finally stopped, the killer clown G-d has committed complete genocide against every single magical being in universe and driven 90 percent of the human race to suicide.

To say that Final Fantasy 6 is my favorite video game is an understatement.  Finally, I had found a medium in fiction that told a story as dark as the one I had begun to write of my own free will.  And considering that this game is hailed as among the best video games ever made, I was renewed in hope that my story ideas were not only good, but potentially award winning with enough work.

College came and I had continued to write stories, while realizing that the timeline needed to be shifted farther and farther back within the universe I was weaving.  Finally, I settled upon a starting point.  At the same time, I became the target of a brutal cyber bully campaign in real life.  After a year and a half of being psychologically tortured to a degree that the average character in the stories I had been obsessing over a good portion of my life could match, I finally had the emotional input to really bring my story, the most important story of my life, into reality.  

With the voice I had sought, though not from the source it was given, the novel named “The End of Utopia” was born.  Within the last year I finished this book, and the anthology that allows a reader to peer into the depths I created was spawned soon after. The second of these two books is published, and this marked a major hallmark and achievement for me.  After a life so scarred by betrayal, it was a nice change of pace to have some positivity in my life.

Looking forward, I have at least another year of college to go, and have been exploring another outlet for my writing.  Especially with the political upheaval I found that my skills were needed in another area,  and thus dove into the dark cesspool of political theatre.  I have already written much in both fiction and reportive to the end of speaking on politics, but now my voice has much more importance.  And after everything I have suffered through, I can handle the backlash and criticism that I was most certainly be receiving for voicing my opinion.This is where the readings from Writing, Literacy, and Technology come into play.  My ideas have been along railroad tracks, but this class is a station of sorts.  A chance for me to gain new information that can be reflected in my dark fantasy writing, which also comes into play in my political posts.  For one realizes that to truly appreciate dark fantasy as a genre, they must be willing to deal with the stark and very dangerous realities of the world.

Poem of Pillars

When one gains power in the world, they can dictate the social norms of society.

To gain that power requires the leadership of something that is seen as more than just a simple human.

To gain that leadership requires the purpose of an individual who is above and beyond the norm.

One does not simply become what I aspire to.

Instead, their entire life must go through fire and water.

And only when it survives with each and every scar gained on the path can one know true greatness.

But beware the darkness of failure, of sleep, of apathy.

The seductive beckon of an easy path leads to a difficult fall.

Of which it becomes increasingly harder to rise up from.

Until all that remains is an altar of abandoned dreams.

An Honest Review of Myself

Thanks to a really intriguing class prompt, I got to do some self reflection.

My top ten list would be:

Power

Leadership

Purpose

Influence

Freedom

Security

Courage

Wealth

Truth

Introspection

To the surprise of no one, I am an ENTJ: The commander.  I have taken the Meyers Briggs Test 200 times now and gotten this result 199 times.  I can feel assured that this truly is my personality type. (the one time I was not ENTJ, I got ENTP) Anyway, the ENTJ wants power because of a need to be a leader in society.  I have never been satisfied with a desk job, or to be an underling.  This is a trait common with my personality type.  The double edged sword of ENTJ is that we can come off incredibly cold due to our ruthlessness.  I am certainly one who will pursue my goals at any cost. I am willing to shove people out of the way, both figuratively and literally, who get in my way.  This can also cause a problem with relationship building.  Other people can see this ruthlessness as a sense of not caring.  A person who does not contribute to my life tends to be discarded.  I do not do this out of malice, but simply because I have major ambitions and cannot afford to be slowed down.  Instead I surround myself with people who can help me reach my goal.

My upbringing, for good or ill has helped me develop a large set of skills that have been very beneficial.  A combination of pride and drive ensure that when I set my mind on a goal, it gets accomplished.  I will move heaven and hell itself if it gets in my way (and have done so on a few occasions) This also means that I can move past intense pain, both physical and mental.  i don't let the screams emanating from my body get in my way when I have a task to complete.  It how I have completed things such as Tough Mudder and Master of All Terrain. And because I refuse to give up, I do not slam my head against a wall in insanity, but instead, use the fact that I am really crazy to find a new path.  If I get trapped in a maze, I'll break out the figurative flamethrower and create my own path to the goal.  

Unfortunately taking myself this seriously can have some drawbacks.  I do not take failure lightly and beat myself up over the simplest of things.  My own personal negative reinforcement to ensure I do not screw up again.  This has been taken to some extreme levels that I am not proud of.  There are times in my life where I willingly let my pay at work get docked because I knew I had screwed up.  There are also times in my life where I willingly starved myself as punishment for not making enough money.  I willingly made myself homeless for a month as punishment for not finding a place to live faster.  And in all these cases, I resigned myself to this fate to ensure that I would not fail again.  This may appear to be in conflict with the above of never giving up.  But this is not giving up, so much as reminding myself what the price of failure is.  And as power above all else to protect myself is my goal, I can afford nothing less than absolute success.