Book – **** Cinda Williams Chima has created a lovely beginning to her fantasy series, Seven Realms. Lots of interesting characters in her clan, royalty, and wizard communities with a detailed history that shapes the present-day society.
Book – ***+ Charlie N. Holmberg’s creative fantasy of a girl, Ceony, co-opted into “paper folding” for life, the lowest specialty you can bond to as a magician.
Book – ***+ Brandon Mull’s 5th novel of the Knights of the Dawn takes them on D&D type adventures through deadly puzzles, complex plot twists, and battles to prevent the rival Society of the Evening Star from opening the demon prison Zzyxx.
Good story and characters, fantastic CGI, but hurt by clumsy editing and slow delivery of the plot and how the various characters are connected to it. If you drift successfully through the first third, you should enjoy the rest of the movie.
Book – **** David Baldacci YA novel of magical Wugmorts was a very quick read full of fun ideas and fantastical danger.
Finally, a superhero movie that gets the right balance between story and outrageous special effects. I thoroughly enjoyed Benedict Cumberbatch and Rachel McAdams in the title roles, as well as Tilda and the rest of the secondary characters.
Book – ***+ Blake Charlton’s second novel is full of novel magic, spells composed in your muscles or out of the air. His extremely complex fantasy world is managed very well.
Fantasy and science fiction support group. A twelve-step program for those addicted to writing.
Crowded but fun super-villain story where the solution creates the problem. Robert Aldrich could have taken a lesson though from the 1967 war movie The Dirty Dozen which managed to connect the viewer to every one of the twelve criminals.
Entertaining fantasy by Tim Burton. Imaginative visuals and world building. Full on interesting odd ideas, including time loops.