āStep one: Die. Step two: File paperwork. Step three: Become the worldās only hope.ā Core Premise & Initial Impressions: Many of us reading this now would say weād die to have superpowers. But letās face itāwe all know thatās just a figure of speech. Some of us may have taken small leaps from low walls…
āKill the Princess is about laughing your way through the apocalypse, right up until it stops being funny.ā Core Premise & Initial Impression: Some say the world ends in fire. Others say ice. From what Iāve tasted of desire, I hold with those who favour fire. But if it had to perish twice, the apocalypse…
āSome stories hand you power. Swords Donāt Kill Monsters makes you survive long enough to deserve it.ā Core Premise & Initial Impressions: Swords Donāt Kill Monsters. Rappers donāt either. What does? Perhaps Ambientāthe ingeniously inventive, elegantly executed magic system at the heart of this novel. Iāve got to be real with you, Iām not ready…
āThis is not a fantasy built to be consumed quickly, but one meant to be lived in.ā Core Premise & Initial Impressions: Everyone has their issues. Some of us drink too much; for others, itās food. Maybe your parents pushed you too hard. Maybe they didnāt push you hard enough. Someone reading this right now…
āThe Glass Wizard isnāt pushing the boundaries of web fictionāitās hurling itself through them like a wizard-shaped meteor.ā Core Premise & Initial Impressions: How best to convey my first impressions of The Glass Wizard? I wrestled with that question while scribbling notes for this reviewābut eventually, the answer revealed itself. To wit: imagine yourself at…
This oneās a bit esotericānot all of you are meant to understand it. But those of you whoāve puffed the magic dragonās fungal cousin will know full well, it can take you to someā¦ strange places. I only wish Iād picked up The Lone Wanderer before going down that route. Didnāt realise there was an…
In the interest of full transparency, before launching into this review, I must confess that Iām rather fond of this author. Avid readers of this site will know heās a valued contributor to our growing series of writing-advice essays. (For brevity, Iāve used āthis siteā instead of āBardic Planet.ā Iāve already saved at least half…
At five years old, Ren Drakemore was contemplating the moral fabric of kingdoms. At five, I was eating glue. Core Concepts & Initial Impressions: I remember my earliest youthāfive years oldāthe crunch of an apple dribbling faintly down my chin as I lounged in contemplation of lifeās meaning. Ah, those were trying days, wrestling with…
āDeath is temporary. The fine print is forever.ā Core Concept & Initial Impressions: In our ever-growing partnership with Bardic Planet, IāSilas Quibble, reputable spokesgoblin for Dubious Derivativesā¢ Limitedāhave been invited back to co-author this First Impressions review of Paragon of Weaponmasters.When I first dug into the work, I knew I was the right goblin for…
Core Premise & Initial Impression: Stay with me, dear reader, because this one might bring up some awkward memories. For the lads, you know exactly what I mean. Iām sure itās no less true for some of you ladies as well. Throw yourself back to when you were thirteen. A pimply youthāhormones aflame, eyes wandering…