All posts by Machine Trooper

MAN OF SWORDS: THE EMBER NIXIE

(Part 5 of a 6-part Review Series)

by

“You don’t need to do this,” she implored, fretful at the din. “Not for me. I’ve run hands along Brognir’s arms. He’s ogre-built. And my eye if you are seeing straight. He will stove your teeth in. And that would be a shame, for you have nice teeth.” 

 

The 5th tale of Miller’s Man of Swords: The Ember Nixie is certainly the most lighthearted story we’ve read so far in this entire book. It felt appropriate to have a slight change of tone after the very dramatic adventures we’ve experienced so far along with our hero Rohye. No need to constantly sit on the edge of our seat for this one; just enjoy the action, the comedic boxing, and some of that fire brandy people of the Wandered Lands seems to have mistaken for drinking water!

Rohye once again finds himself in trouble, this time over Glory, a girl he has been growing fond of but who’s personal affairs lead him to believe she is in trouble when she’s really not! As a result, Rohye must now enter a sanctioned boxing match, which brings all the townsfolk to the most prestigious gambling den in the region, and where big and small bets are placed for such a fighting event!

This story is FUN! You have:

  1. Rohye who’s pretty much constantly under the effects of an alcoholic beverage known for uhm…impairing judgment? 
  2. You have a gambling town with all sorts of deviant characters out for a profit
  3. You have barkeeps who pretend to mind their business while really being the eyes and ears of the town
  4. You have a damsel (not so much) in distress but who grows to appreciate the chivalry displayed by Rohye

 

I thoroughly enjoyed The Ember Nixie first and foremost because it represents a change of pace from what we’re accustomed to see from these Wandered Lands tales. There’s comedy in it that doesn’t come off as forced or verging into the campy. You have action that is brutal yet not to the killing point (just a few bruises and busted nose!). In the end…well you gotta read it to find out the rest!

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THE SPIRIT PHONE by Arthur Shattuck O’Keefe

A Review by

I’m beginning to notice a pattern with some of our last few guest authors and the source material they are basing their works of fiction literature on. Instead of just trying to emulate other writers, they are tapping into the vast inspiration provided directly by history itself; taking real historical characters/events and applying new and creative ideas to them for innovative storytelling.

The latest gentleman to join this group is A.S. O’Keefe with The Spirit Phone.

What it’s About:

Based on true accounts of Thomas Edison’s attempts to build a phone-like device to communicate with the dead, The Spirit Phone throws the reader into a vortex of the historical, the paranormal, and the technological.

Our two main characters in this dystopian alternate history are none other than Allister Crowley and Nikola Tesla: two individuals far apart in personality, yet with just enough in common to prevent a demonic invasion of our plane of reality–for the spirit phone turns out to be not the tool to speak with the deceased, but rather the key to unlock entry of evil entities called ferox into our world! Only mage A. Crowley and acclaimed scientist N. Tesla stand in the way of doom!

Characters:

Honestly, it doesn’t matter how much you know about Crowley and Tesla, it doesn’t even matter what your opinion of these two historical figures is if you do know of them. The synergy between the two in this alternate historical setting is the stuff of legends! One is the hedonistic occultist with a flair for the extravagant; the other the more pragmatic scientist with a fixation for numbers. Yet, where one lacks in certain skills or knowledge, the other always seems to compensate for it. And that’s how they comprise a complimentary team.

O’Keefe manages to infuse just enough sense of humor into the Crowley/Tesla duo while avoiding the ridiculous or campy. These characters’ personalities and the situations they get into can be hilarious at times, but in ways that feel natural and not at all forced. 

Reviewer’s Take:

Even the paranormal and the technological elements involved in the story always feel quite plausible. Yes this is a work of fiction and yes the author is adding stuff of his own to these historical characters, but none of it ever feels too unlikely to have possibly happened in actuality.

The reason why this alternate history universe works is first and foremost due to the author respecting the source material, which in this case is the historical period of time itself: from the locations, to the people, to the food, restaurants and hotels, to the daily newspapers, everything feels authentic. This is not about taking a historical period and simply changing the gender or the sex of its characters to virtue signal or to highlight the ‘injustices of white westerners’ or the ‘oppression of women’s voices’.

The underlying core theme is MANKIND and his ongoing struggle to deal with his own mortality. An invention that promised to let us communicate with our dead loved ones turned out to be a tool for evil to rule our world. Man, in all his technological advances, still is like a baby just learning how to crawl. This story is much more than just your next fantasy trope on your TBR list. This is the stuff legends are made of. 

I’m very glad to say that Mr O’Keefe deservedly enters our elite group of legendary authors here at Virtual Pulp!

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21 Bridges (Movie) – a Review

It’s a temptation to say, “Hollywood makes nothing but crap anymore.” Such a temptation that I have said it. But ever so often, when the stars align just right, Tinseltown produces something worth watching. 21 Bridges is one such example.

What It’s About

This is a “police procedural” story with action, mystery, and a “one good cop stands alone” theme. The eponymous 21 bridges lead in and out of Manhattan. They get blocked when the entire urban island is shut down for a manhunt.

The Plot

Two well-armed guys mask up and break into a building with the intent of stealing cocaine from some drug lord’s stash. A few surprises await them:

  1. The stash contains a whole lot more coke than what they expected.
  2. It is undiluted.
  3. Cops show up while the robbery is underway.

One of the thieves is an experienced shooter, and in the ensuing firefight, he greases eight of New York’s Finest.

Now panicking (because, in a matter of minutes, they have become cop killers), they take what drugs they can carry and escape the scene. The shooter, who was so frosty under fire, inexplicably runs a red light, ensuring the police will have the traffic cam photo.

They arrive at the home of a reasonable, accommodating middleman willing to sell the drugs to a dealer, and arrange new IDs for them with an escape plan. But while they’re discussing this, a squad of police show up and immediately open fire, killing the middleman. The thieves/cop killers escape again.

Meanwhile, Characters:

Detective Andre Davis is already on the case, and he smells a rat from the beginning.

It’s established early that Davis’ father was a cop murdered in the line of duty when Andres was a boy; he is taking care of his widowed mother who suffers from dementia; he has shot several perps himself, and been investigated by Internal Affairs because of that.

Some fellow cops treat him as if he is a loose cannon; others are glad he’s been assigned the case to catch the cop killers, assuming he will shoot first and ask questions later.

I would say Detective Davis “steals the show,” but it’s supposed to be the main character’s show, anyway. He’s a clever detective, but it’s his exceptional integrity that makes him shine. His honesty and force of will make him stand out from a force full of dirty and trigger-happy cops. He’s like the Rorschach character from Watchmen, but without the costume, outlaw vigilante status, and hang-ups.

Craft:

The filmmaking isn’t groundbreaking, but is competent–which does set it apart from all the cinematic diarrhea in the Current Year. To paraphrase a famous Prussian strategist: “Perfection is not always required. Sometimes mediocrity is enough.” That’s certainly the case in today’s entertainment landscape, as Top Gun: Maverick proved…though I’m not saying 21 Bridges is mediocre. The screenwriting, direction, and acting are all solid. You’ve seen some of these actors before, and they’re all believable in this movie.

Even if you’re not a fan of the genre, once you start watching, it’s hard to stop. It’s an intense experience worth a couple hours of your time–which can’t be said for most of what is available on streaming services.

The Way of Mortals by Blake Carpenter

A Review by INFAMOUS 🦀

The Way of Mortals was an unexpected and pleasant surprise and quite a fun story. There are a couple of factors that really put this story above your average fantasy novel; in fact I can name two, specifically:

  1. Blend of Western and Indian culture themes
  2. Main characters

Setting:

The story takes place in a fictional but well crafted kingdom called Jaira, where cultural influences mash and mingle to create something new, magical, mysterious, and FUN to explore. A lot of Hindu influences are found in this world, and demons are considered a totally normal thing to deal with. In fact, those who happen to carry a demon within are considered quite the norm, generally speaking.

Along with the ‘spiritual’ side there is also a technological side to this kingdom. In fact, this falls under the fantasy sub-genre known as Gaslamp Fantasy, which is closely related to Steampunk. And so we see strange automobiles, buses, cameras (called photoboxes!) next to your more traditional royal palaces, horse-riding guards, and ancient temples.

Characters:

It’s in this unique and fantastic world that we meet our main character, or should I rather say our FOUR main characters! The story revolves around four sisters, of which the third oldest one, Prem, is really our heroine for all intents and purposes. This creates very interesting dynamics. All four sisters bring something to the table and all four sisters get their time to shine based on their strengths and weaknesses.

Plot Summary:

When a young girl is found murdered, the four royal sisters quickly realize that the life of the new monarch, youngest sister Prya, might be in danger. Immediately our heroine Prem, with the aid of Vati, a demon who lives inside of her, goes on a hunt to bring the murderer to justice. Her relationship with Vati however is complicated and their personal interests don’t always line up! Things can only get crazier from there!

Reviewer Take:

The only minor issues I had were: 

  1. The prime minister: her dialogue came off as too ‘on the nose’ to make sure we know she has bad intentions. The result for me was a less than believable character and a dull villain.
  2. The last action scene during the parade: when a final attempt to murder the young empress takes place, it all felt a little too predictable and rehearsed, and nothing felt surprising or memorable. 

But those are more of MY personal views and in no way should affect the final rating on this book.

To conclude, The Way of Mortals is another example that in order to create something new and original authors need to look at the past (history and traditions) more often, and apply new and fresh concepts to it. Bonsart Bokel (Wrench in the Machine) and Arthur O’Keefe (The Spirit Phone, coming soon!) are doing just that, along with a few other talented and smart writers. Blake Carpenter joins this group of creative authors who are bringing us new content and creating new legends!

🦀

THE RUIN OF WITCHES by Kevin G. Beckman

THE WEIRD TALES OF SILAS FLINT (THE FLINT ANTHOLOGIES BOOK 1)

Review by

I dove into this anthology book with no idea of what it was about. The author simply invited me to give it a read and review it. I was honest with him and told him that I would only commit to review the first tale and then take it from there. Now that I finished reading it I am excited to announce that I plan on reviewing  the remaining tales, and here is why!

The Ruin of Witches finds our main character, Knight Templar Captain Silas Flint, and his associate, Supernumerary Ricardo Navarro, on the road, heading to their Chapterhouse. An unscheduled stop by a small town sees the duo getting involved in some strange affairs which have plagued the town for about 20 years. Flint, being a bona fide witch hunter, can’t just move on without ‘poking his nose where it don’t belong,’ and this is how we get dragged along for one wild ride!

The action takes place over 400 years in the future from present time, in a world that has seen dark magic try to take over the world yet eventually defeated. Witches are still a threat, but seem to be scattered and live in hiding. The Knights Templar are constantly on the hunt, ready to take to trial and even burn the remaining witches or those who still deal with sorcery.

Why do I think this is worth featuring on VP?

  1. The main character: Silas Flint, was highly inspired by R.E. Howard’s Solomon Kane and I for one appreciate that! What that means is that he is not just a man with extraordinary skills and abilities, but also a God-fearing man with unwavering convictions and beliefs. You can’t corrupt or coerce his moral standards, you can’t have him strike deals with the devil, you can’t bribe him or offer him power for he is willing to die while doing the work of the Lord!
  2. The supporting character: unlike iconic pulp fiction character Solomon Kane, Flint has a helping hand in the person of Ricardo Navarro. This very much reminds me of other historical duos: Don Quixote and Sancho Panza; Batman and Robin; Captain America and Bucky. Navarro offers some comedic relief but don’t be fooled! He is game when push comes to shove!
  3. The Witch: she is beautiful, evil, dangerous… But also, she shows signs of her former humanity by trying to spare her husband’s life in a glimpse of desire for a normal life (it is a fact that the happiest women are not the single independent women in charge but those who are in a long-term committed marriage with a godly man).

In addition, the action scenes are explosive (literally!), the prose is captivating, the plot line is direct while avoiding to get too stale or predictable. 

Yes boys and girls, I now want to know about Flint’s next adventure!

🦀

Tale #2: The Witch’s Repentance will be featured next month!

FLOWER OF LIGHT: THE ETERNAL STONES 1 by Allison Wade

A Review by INFAMOUS 🦀

It is apparent that Flower of Light is a labor of love by simply visiting the author’s website where we can get further insights on the lore and various characters (eternalstones.net). I always commend writers who pour their hearts in their work!

What it’s About:

This first book is basically about taking back the Kingdom 10 years after an evil plot of betrayal saw the king and queen slain and their young daughter, princess Isabelle, barely able to flee thanks to outside intervention. Isabelle’s brother, prince Christopher, was strategically put to the throne while being administered mind-numbing potions so that the evil General Zarkon and his wife, with the aid of powerful sorcerer Roman, would rule from ‘behind the curtains’.

This is a story of prophecies fulfilled, of Wardens of Light coming together to reclaim the reign and the ‘Flower of Light’ being ultimately restored.

Characters:

What I found fascinating was how (despite princess Isabelle being the main character) we encounter a large number of very personable and rich characters, each with their own stories to tell. In a way this approach reminded me of Islands of Loar by E. Laurence Jr: lots of characters whose lives will eventually either converge or sometimes come apart. It’s all well structured and the author has good control of the narrative, pace, and plot line and time tables.

Another interesting thing is that this book is an original Italian-to-English translation and I found the grammar and prose quite solid all around! So good job on that front too!

I love the idea of a main character that doesn’t constantly steal the show, if you guys know where I’m coming from. Isabelle would be/could be nothing if it wasn’t for the large group of fascinating characters around her who breath life into the story. We need more stories structured that way in my opinion. 

The ‘magic’ element is always present all throughout but it never overwhelms the personal struggles and human weaknesses that all these characters must face at one point or another. This is something that helps me as a reader to stay emotionally engaged. Magic by itself cannot make for good fantasy reading if P/C/P is not solid (that’s Prose, Characters, Plot).

Worth mentioning is also the gorgeous hardcover! I mean look at that beautiful ‘ancient tom’ style hardcover! Love it!

Now for the not-so-good observations that I must mention: the fight scenes.

Reviewer’s Take:

I felt that the fight scenes could have been better written, particularly the final one when the Wardens face Roman The Demon. This is something I see all the time and I wish young authors were more aware of it. I call it the ‘villain playing with his food’ syndrome:

You have a very powerful evil demon vs. a group of less powerful good heroes. The demon at some point always decides to grab one of the heroes by the throat and suspend him mid-air, yet without killing him; just holding him still! Of course the other heroes will use this moment as an advantage to strike! A demon should snap necks like twigs, and fast,  before moving on to his next victim and repeat! All these villains ‘playing with their food’ is just cringe!

Other than that, I thoroughly enjoyed Flower of Light and I’m glad that despite this being advertised as book 1 it did not end with some clique cliffhanger. The end was quite satisfying and I have to give it 5 well deserved stars!

🦀

ISLANDS OF LOAR: Causality

By Ernie Laurence, Jr.

A Review by

If you’ve missed my review of Islands of Loar: Book 1, I strongly recommend you go back and read that before venturing into my review of the second establishment of this ambitious world building.

Though Book 2 picks up right where Book 1 left off, it’s nice to see Mr. Laurence Jr. opening with a thorough summary of the events to bring us up to speed. It helps tremendously due to the gigantic proportions of this universe and all of the characters involved in it! You cannot read this and be distracted or take too long a break in between reading sessions because there is a lot to dig into.

How does Book 2 differ from Book 1, if at all? 

1) We see all the different groups of characters we’ve been following from the beginning  finally coming together: old friends reunited and new acquaintances forming new friendships.

2) We finally get introduced to that group of humanoids who embraced technology and thus we get to witness the ‘golem’ (basically a remote controlled super robot) and a bona fide spaceship! Yes, boys and girls, elves in spaceships!

Speaking of ‘technology’, one of the main themes in this story is the constant attempt of the authorities of Loar to ban the use and embrace of technology, which sets in motion violent persecutions of the bards. Against these persecutions, we find one of our heroes-Doogan-who decides to fight against them, even befriending some of the bards themselves.

Once again, I’m impressed by what the author is accomplishing here, constantly building new paths in the plot line, constantly introducing new characters, but without letting the whole thing collapse under its own weight!

Islands of Loar is exactly what the fantasy genre needs right now. We all loved Lord of The Rings, The Legend of Drizzt, and Dragonlance, but it is time to take it to new grounds while remaining truthful to the essence of the genre.

We are heading for Book 3: Rebellion, and hope you’ll join us!

🦀

Marketing Wisdom with Luke Stone & Crom

This was such an informative stream, I wanted other creators to  catch it. I don’t advise sitting around watching streams for hours instead of being productive, but you can listen to this this while you’re working out, drawing, making supper, playing your instrument, etc.

One of the many takeaways is the dubious value of book trailers. Like so much I’ve done over time to provide something cool for readers/fans/followers, it takes a lot of time and effort, without earning you sales/ratings/reviews. The ROI is awful for probably 99% of authors. Something to think about.

Steampunk and Bonsart Bokel – a Q & A

By INFAMOUS 🦀

After having reviewed both The Wrench in the Machine and Journey to Elysium, we felt it necessary to have a little interview with the visionary behind this universe we are so much enjoying. All the way from the Netherlands, Mr Bonsart Bokel!

 

Q1: is what you are writing steampunk? Or what should we call it?

 

Bokel: Yes, although I use different descriptions for every book. The Wrench in the Machine takes my definition of the Steampunk genre, Cyberpunk in the Past, to ‘Eleven’.

Q2: Steampunk seems like a very niche subgenre; what the general audience sees seems to be very limited and restrictive for creativity to thrive. Do you agree?

Bokel: I think the problem is we haven’t had the conversation on what Steampunk should be. To many, Steampunk is just an aesthetic. They discard the idea of being a genre entirely. So it became “Steampunk is like porn. You know it when you see it.” 

Currently, there is a lot of Fantasy with a Steampunk skin. (This is not necessarily Gaslamp Fantasy either).

The other cliche is the overall approach to history. This being the ‘oppressor vs oppressed’ or ‘class struggle’ narrative. It might make for decent stories, but does not make good Alternate History.

Q3: The ‘historical’ element in fiction has been underrated or even misused. Do you feel your approach is different when applying history to your stories?

 

Bokel: My series has a high emphasis on Alternate History, so I’m taking the ‘Past’ part of the definition very seriously. There are more Steampunk authors like that. But you wouldn’t know them. They went to a different school and live  in Canada now.

Joking aside, some ignore the historical part just to give themselves the freedom to explore historical processes without seeming biased. The Guns Above series is a good example of this. 

Q4: My favorite character from Journey to Elysium was Subject-09…Any chance we might see her again or even have her own dedicated novel? I love her character and not because she is a woman or because she is disabled either!

Bokel: Subject-09 is kind of an accident. A silly idea that people really love for some reason. Even as a short story (Cough, check out my page on Ream, cough) S-09 quickly proved people’s favorite along with Subject-06. 

Currently, I am still exploring ideas for the future novels. Although I have ideas for her, S-09 place is in the bigger picture of the overall series. There is still so much I need to figure out for what I call Phase1 of the Association of Ishtar, I wouldn’t be surprised if I can’t get her to shine until the start of Phase 3. When will Phase 2 start? When I finally know what I want to do for the third novel. Until then, she’ll make some small appearances, like in Anwin and Journey to Elysium.

 

Q5: Tell us briefly about your latest project going live soon on KS. Is this a comic book or a novel?

 

Bokel: The Kickstarter will launch on March 17 if all goes well. The Casket Girls is a novelette about mecha pilots serving in the French Imperial Penal Legion that will be illustrated. It will also contain various miniatures for your 3D printing pleasure as we are working on an RPG.

Q6: Originality in modern fiction seems rare these days. I think you are carving out the blueprints of something new and original. What can we see from the Association of Ishtar next?

 

Bokel: I already mentioned the RPG we hope to present by the end of the year.

I’m working on various books. One is a second Anwin novelette, which is about an autonomous doll and her owner, Igraine. Another is the Knights of Avalon, which is kind of the male chivalrous counterpart to the Casket Girls. 

Of course we also hope to have the second issue of our comic Journey to Elysium done.

Overall, I hope to create a community creating new Subjects, Constructs and Planes to be explored. I’m already doing it on the illustration front with our Alternate History videos on Youtube. Finding a way to collaborate with co-writers would be great if only to explore other genres beside hard sci-fi without losing sight of the themes of Steampunk.

 

(Gee, and here I thought Alternate History stories were simply about taking famous characters from history and swapping race or gender LOL!)

🦀

Don’t forget to back Bonsart!

And also follow him on REAM!

 

Man of Swords: The Queen of Scorpions – a Review

By Robert Victor Mills

(Part 4 of a 6-part series)

Review by Gio THE INFAMOUS 🦀

 

“There is no need for you to accompany us any further, young man,” protested Eridiathe. “Aye, there is no need,” admitted Rhoye, “but there is HONOUR, and WORD GIVEN. I will come, see you both safe to your bourne.”

 

The Queen of Scorpions is pure, grade A ‘Robert V. Mills’ finest. And by that I’m referring to the pure, unadulterated, fantasy adventure where honor, chivalry, and a WORD GIVEN still mean something! 

Once again, our hero finds himself in a ‘situation’, this time involving high priestesses, inquisitors, and a holy book that ignites a fierce hunt of those who try to spread its content throughout the Wandered Lands!

Rohye finds work on a merchant ship which cargo includes two ‘holy women’: Eridiathe and her young apprentice Giustinia. Little does he know that the content of their belongings includes a holy book for which they are being persecuted by Inquisitress Bethaina, a powerful and evil sorceress who will stop at nothing to see the alleged manuscript destroyed.

Of course Rohye cannot let two defenseless women be victims of this pure evil, and despite the opportunity to go his merry way he decides to stick around for the ‘fireworks’.

The Scorpion Queen is beautiful in its simplicity. You don’t always need a Machiavellian plot to have a good story. But it’s got to be well written, with memorable characters, and a plot that is solid and compelling. This story checks all those boxes!

So far, I would put The Scorpion Queen as the second best tale out of the four we’ve read from Man of Swords. I’m comfortable saying that this is another little gem of new fantasy fiction that is rare to find these days.

Another legend in the making!