The End Was Not the End: Post-Apocalyptic Fantasy Tales edited by Joshua H. Leet

 

The End Was Not the End: Post-Apocalyptic Fantasy Tales (What a title, huh?) edited by Joshua H. Leet, is an anthology of stories having to do with desolate wastelands and fallen lands. Each has to do with what happens before the hero or heroine save all civilization. A very interesting concept, I might add, and one that made me desperately want to read this. There are eleven stories in all, so I thought I might give a line or two explaining giving my reviews of each seperate story. Then, at the end, I will give my rating for the collaboration as a whole.

The Halls of War by DeeDee Davies-Wonderful start. Very reminiscent of the mythological world of the gods.

Blood and Fire by Desmond Reddick- Two different POVs. Confused me slighly when going from one POV to the other, but overall very well-written.

Make Way for Utopia by Scott M. Sandridge- Loved this immensely. Whimsical, magical, heartbreaking. Amazing tale.

The Twenty Year Plan by Jay Wilburn- An unknown force stalking its prey. A group sent to explore the wide world. An ending you wouldn't believe.

Nightmares and Dragonscapes by Mandi M. Lynch- A girl destined to save what was once thought to be lost. Beautiful.

The Stone Sword by Magda Knight- Very, very sad story. The heroine is so strong considering her circumstances, and I loved her for that strength from the beginning.

In the Hills Beyond Twilight by William Ransom- The ending to this one surprised me. It was intriguing and strange, and I couldn't help but enjoy it.

Blade of Fire by Steven S. Long- I feel that this particular one could be much more than a mere story. I feel that this is the prequel to a book I would definitely read.

Waist Deep by Bill Blume- This story, to me, is the most unusual out of all the stories. There are really no words that can describe how much I liked it.

Ben by Darra L. Hofman- The main character's inward conflict about not wanting to into the people he once knew was so real. This story had a strong emotional element to it, along with the physical journey the character must take.

Story's End by Nathen Gallagher- A very appropriate ending. This gave me a ray of hope, as if all the other characters in all the other stories really did suffer what they did for a reason. To bring humanity back to what it once was.

Overall, I loved this. It brought me to different worlds and experiences, different characters and situations. The introduction by Joseph Leet was just as powerful as the stories themselves, and I reccommend that anybody who reads this anthology should read it first. The stories themselves were unique in their own ways.

I have to give this a 4 out of 5, and must shout from the rooftops that it is a breathtaking read.

OH, HAPPY DAY!

OH! MY! GOD!

 

Okay, if you can't tell from the three words heading this post (plus the picture up top), I'M FREAKING OUT!

 

Why?

 

BECAUSE I JUST RECEIVED THE BOOK INFERNO BY DAN BROWN!

 

Now, for those of you who are pointing out the wrong facts in the book, *blows raspberry*.

 

Yes, I initially love facts that are accurate in books like this but, ultimately, it is my reaction to the characters' actions that I pay attention more to.

 

I love the chase, the puzzles, the distinctive places which the author brings them. I love not knowing what is going to be around the corner.

 

I AM NOT A HISTORIAN! All I can do is trust the author in his capability to do research, no matter what book it is. Accurate facts do matter to me, but it shows an author's true talent to make those facts interesting and readable in a full-on story.

 

Now, on to the Inferno.

Since I am reading some other things at the present time, I will sadly not be able to read this book for a while. However, I will not leave it be during that time.

I have a secret wish.....

 

Wanna know what it is?

 

Alright....I'll tell you....I want to write and see if I can get Dan Brown's signature on it.

I say Dan Brown's signature instead of getting Dan Brown to sign it, because nowadays you don't know who is signing what. I hope Dan Brown really does sign it, but if not....at least a semblance of his signature will suffice. As long as it looks authentic and only a skilled signature analyst could tell it was fake.

Haha....I won't complain.

 

That's all for now....Until next time.

55 Word Challenge Entry-Week 58

Another wednesday challenge.

Here is my inspiration.....

 

 

And here is my Entry:

 

The boat sailed atop the water, small waves bringing it ever closer to her still form. Her eyes were frozen, sweet baby blues glazed over by death. He admired his handiwork, blew her a kiss, and walked away from the bathtub. It would be hours before she was discovered, and he would be long gone.

55 words @bookwormattack

 

So many great entries so far. GOOD LUCK, EVERYONE!

Ben Landis and Adventures in Pixels

 

Whilst checking my email a few days ago, I found that a person by the name of Ben Landis was following me on Twitter.

As per the usual, I clicked on his name to see whether or not I would gain much by following this person back.

 

And the verdict is?......

 

TOTALLY WORTH FOLLOWING!

 

I checked out Ben Landis's website, and was very thoroughly amazed. So amazed, in fact, that I am actually listening to some of his pixelated creations right now.

 

Here is a description from his About Me page on his website:

 

"I'm a songwriter and pianist from Exeter, New Hampshire. In 2009, I graduated from Berklee College of Music with a B.M. in Contemporary Writing & Production; then I moved to Los Angeles to start my career in music.

My main focus is on writing pop-rock songs for female artists. Lately I've been writing a lot of chiptune as well, culminating in the release of my album & digital-comic project, Adventures in Pixels."

 

Now doing pop-rock songs sounds cool anyway, but what I like most that he is doing is the Adventures in Pixels project. The music is amazing and wonderful. It reminds me of when I was younger, watching my older brother play his Nintendo (the original one, of course.). I cannot get enough of it, and will probably check out the full album.

I only wish that the comic was animated on Youtube. That would be AWESOME!

 

So check him out on his website: http://benlandis.com/ where you can find links to his Youtube account.

Here is another link taking you directly to his Adventures in Pixels album: http://music.adventuresinpixels.net/album/adventures-in-pixels-album-comic This is the site I uploaded the picture from that is at the top of this post. Cool, huh?

 

ENJOY!!

The Brotherhood of Dwarves by D.A. Adams

 

The Brotherhood of Dwarves by D.A. Adams immediately gained my interest because it is a fantasy novel. I love fantasy (almost to the point of obsession) mainly because the writer can create any type of world he/she wants. Your imagination can soar fantastically onward with this genre. I was very excited to start reading this book and with just one glance at the cover knew, without a doubt, that this would be a story to remember.

The Brotherhood of Dwarves starts out by telling of the different races of dwarves that exist in the location that is the western mountains. There are the Tredjards (black beards) in the southernmost region, the Ghaldeons in the central region, and the Kiredurks (white beards) in the northern region. This particular story focuses on a dwarf named Roskin who is first son to King Kraganere, ruler of the Kiredurks. Roskin craves adventure and longs to fight in battles. However, since the Kiredurks are namely a peaceful people, these dreams of his are looked down upon. His father understands his need to go out and explore, for he himself was wild in his youth. So he allows Roskin to take a year to go where he pleases within the lands. There is a slight catch, though. Throughout the entirety of that year, Roskin must remain outside of the palace, and he will lose his status as heir.

Roskin tells his father that he will live with a friend in the central region for that year, but keeps his true intentions to himself. And so, with that note, heads off into the wilderness.

Throughout this story, Roskin befriends many characters and also makes plenty more his enemies. He is captured, wounded, and betrayed. There is a time where he even questions if he deserves to be the future king of his people.

I enjoyed every moment of reading this. It was amazingly well written, and every character seemed fleshed out to the point where I felt they could be real. I am definitely going to have to read the other books in this series, because I am dying to know what happens next.

Anyone who read fantasy genre books will love this one immensely.

5 out of 5 stars.