On "what the hell have you been up to?" - An A to Z post

It's been - several - months since I've posted here. I always have these great plans about writing here, and then life finds a way to distract. So, as part recap of 2014, part what I'm looking forward to in 2015, part journal, part whatever I feel like calling it, I'm posting an A to Z list. We shall call it the What the Hell Have You Been Up To? Or WtHHYBUT? for short.

Arrow
I will be the first to admit that when I heard that Arrow was going to be on CW my first thought was "teeny bopper drama, NEXT." But something (I honestly don't remember what) got me to sit through a few episodes, which turned into binge-watching seasons 1 and 2 and watching season 3 now live.  This is good stuff. They made him a little Batman-ish, but that's not so bad.

Brandon Sanderson
I try to write sometimes. And then I read Brandon Sanderson and feel a complete and utter failure. Man, this guy is good. I was behind so I read both The Way of Kings and Words of Radiance this year (as well as his YA books). Just read his books. All of them. Any of them. But particularly the Starlight Archives books.

Cinemas
Quiet year for the movies for me.  Seen a good number. Just nothing I feel worth talking about too much. Good movies were generally the ones you'd expect from me. The Hobbit, Guardians of the Galaxy, Captain America. I suppose John Wick was an unexpected surprise of a good, fun movie.

Dungeons & Dragons
Nerd card admission time. This is the first time I've ever played D&D. Just never seemed like it would be my thing. A friend in town wanted to start a new game and asked if I'd like to join and I finally just said "why not?" So. Much. Fun. And an excuse to write. I think I've written around 30 pages of backstory for my character. Dwarf Fighter incase you were wondering. And yes, my first act was to go to the bar and get a drink.

Expanse
This gets two nods. 1) Cibola Burn came out (book... number...  four?). And it was one of the best of the series in my opinion. And 2) the TV show starts in 2015 on SyFy. Trailer is out now. Go look it up. Then sit and wait as impatiently as I am.

FOOTBALL!!!!
It needs to be said that way.  Got a few Ravens games on TV up here (I don't live in Baltimore). And they made it to the playoffs, only to lose to Evil Little Bill (as GRRM calls him) and the Pats. /grumble.

Game of Thrones
Continues to be on TV. I continue to watch it. And continue to wait while GRRM does everything but write the next book. I'm not buying that coffee table book. No way I'm supporting him stalling the next book even longer.  I'll think about it after Winds of Winter comes out though. I like big coffee table books.

Hunger Games
I was not a huge fan of the books. Just. Not. Thought the first one was ok. But from there, meh. Not that it was awful. Just wasn't for me. But the movie was good. And then the second movie was really good. I know the first part of the third movie (why do we keep splitting third movies into two?) is out, but I haven't seen it yet.  Looking forward to it though.

I should probably have used H to talk about The Hobbit. Oops.

Joe Abercrombie
Binge-read the First Law books. I don't know why I was so reluctant to read them. I had heard countless recommendations for him. Was already following him on Twitter. Just never felt the urge to pick up the books.  Did. Loved them. Third was my favorite, so worth sticking it out if you haven't read all of them.

Keep moving.

Lawrence, Mark
If I want to cheat and use last names for some and first names for others, I can. It's my blog. Bugger off. No, don't do that. I'm sorry.  Keep reading. (Deckard Cain voice) Stay awhile and listen. So, this was a year of Mark Lawrence. I was rather far behind with his books and read all four in 2014. Prince, King & Emperor of Thorns. Prince of Fools. All good stuff. Thorns if you like the bad guy anti-hero type. Fools if you like the humorous anti-hero type. And the next Fools book is out in 2015, so there's that to look forward to.  Pretty sure I reviewed the Thorns books on here. Not sure I did Fools. SO. FAR. BEHIND. on book reviewing.

Marvel
Yeah. Insert something Marvel did here.  Awesome.  Next.

Netflix
Binge watching TV shows? Check. Weird movies I'd never go to theaters to see? Check. Wasting huge chucks of time in front of the television? Why not? I watched Troll Hunter. Yeah. I don't think I can say anything else. I might be a TV addict. And it'll be worse in April with Daredevil (see M), Game of Thrones, ... ... ...

On to the next one.

Puppy
Got a puppy.  Forgot how much work they are. But he's cute. And he's definitely not a Schnoodle. He's a Giant Schnauzer mix. What's he mixed with? A Standard Poodle. So, a Schnoodle? No. Be quiet you. Maybe a Giant Schnoodle. Speaking of... time to walk said pooch.

Q-Bert
Just because.

Rothfuss, Patrick
While we wait for the third book of the Kingkiller Chronicles. And wait. And wait. And wait. *Looks at watch* Still waiting. Pat has released The Slow Regard of Silent Things. I'm not sure I need to mention this here. The book has been getting much praise. And for good reason. However, it's not for everyone. I just happen to like the playful language. Plot people shouldn't go for it.

Study
So, I am going to take my PMP (Project Management Professional) in 2015 (goal is for June, but we will see). How not bloggy for me to talk about work stuff.  This is supposed to be my escape.  Oh well. So, once I get studying for that you'll likely get some radio silence from me (again). But the bills must be paid, so...  yeah.

Twitter
Jumped on the Twitter thing. Don't use it too often. Follow / reply to people more than I post my own thoughts. Do put up some random comments or word counts or playing with the trending stuff. So, some activity. I use the Twitter under @DougCFisher. Think it might be time to remove the Szever name from this and just call it like it is.  Hi, I'm Doug. And I'm outta heeeeeere.  Maybe someone will get that.  Maybe Szever sticks around and the Doug name gets buried with this post.  We shall see.

U2
2014. The year that U2 clogged our iDevices. Listened to it once. Yup. That's it. I think they apologized for that afterwards.

VNV Nation
A new album out for VNV. Transnational. Typical VNV album. Two or three really strong songs...  Retaliate...  Awesome. Then the rest on the slower end. Not that slow = bad. But, I just love a nice strong beat.

Writing
Very, very, very slowly. Currently at 9,100 words though and the story has barely begun, so shaping up to be something big.

X-Men
Ok, so I saw the latest X-Men installment.  Meh. What I'm really looking forward to are X-Force and Deadpool. Thank you, Fox for FINALLY getting Deadpool going. Took long enough.

Yo Gabba Gabba
Kids are now 5 and 2 (almost 3). I think I've seen every episode of Yo Gabba Gabba 100 times over.  Been watching it since the older one was an infant.  Still going.

Z...  zebras? zoo? zodiac? zero... ZERO!  I got nothing for Z.

Now I know my A, B, C's...

On Prince of Fools (The Red Queen's War #1) by Mark Lawrence - REVIEW

For the synopsis (per Goodreads) go here (decided I'm not typing those out anymore). 

Review:

Everything made perfect sense when we were children.  Your sister wanted to take your toy (or maybe she was just standing where you didn't want her to), so you gave her a little shove, and when she went crying to mom you did what any four year old knows is the only option.  You run.  You hide.  (I know my tenses are messed up, but that sounds better than "you ran, you hid" and I'm not making money off this stuff so grammar be damned). Mom would NEVER notice the bulging curtains with feet sticking out, or the fact that the throw blanket on the couch was now on the floor in a giant, giggling pile.  It just made sense.  As trouble was coming, you forgot about the honor that is admitting your faults and accepting your punishment, and you got out of its way.

Some of us never outgrow this.  Case in point, Jalan Kendeth, our next Point of View through the Broken Empire.  Those of you that have read Lawrence's other works - The Broken Empire trilogy following the murderous rampage of Jorg Ancrath (reviews here, here and here), will find something new here in a familiar setting (along with some cameos by some familiar characters).  Those of you who haven't read The Broken Empire trilogy...  what have you been doing with yourselves besides missing out on good reads?  Incase you are wondering, yes, you can read Prince of Fools without having read The Broken Empire, but having read those books adds to the experience.  And though this is written EVERYWHERE anyone talks of this book - Jalan is not Jorg.  Though this book has some dark undercurrents, it is much more lighthearted (not entirely sure that's the right word, but you get the idea) than the gut-wrenching journey Jorg led us through.

Prince of Fools follows Prince Jalan of the Red March as he and an unlikely companion, the viking Snorri ver Snagason (fantasy needed a good dose of viking...  thanks, Mark), deal with magics they don't fully understand in a quest for escape/revenge (depending on your point of view).  It is a tale of a budding friendship, a tale of a revenge, and a tale of growing up (or not).  It is both dark and humorous, both sentimental and hard-hearted, both new and familiar.

I'm not feeling incredibly verbose today, so I'll end with "read it" (4/5 on Goodreads) and give it: Kiss-My-Anthia

On Emperor of Thorns (The Broken Empire #3) by Mark Lawrence - REVIEW

Synopsis (per Goodreads):

The path to the throne is broken - only the broken may walk it.

To reach the throne requires that a man journey.  Even a path paved with good intentions can lead to hell, and my intentions were never good.

The Hundred converge for Congression to politic upon the corpse of Empire, and while they talk the Dead King makes his move, and I make mine.  The world is cracked, time has run through, leaving us clutching at the end of days, the future so bright that those who see it are the first to burn.  These are the days that have waited for us all our lives.  These are my days.  I will stand before the Hundred and they will listen.  I will take the throne whoever seeks to thwart me, living or dead, and if I must be the last emperor then I will make of it such an ending.  

This is where the wise man turns away.  This is where the holy kneel and call on God.  These are the last miles, my brothers.  Don't look to me to save you.  Don't think I will not spend you.  Run if you have the wit.  Pray if you have the soul.  Stand your ground if courage is yours.  But don't follow me.  

Follow me, and I will break your heart.  

Review:

This is book three in The Broken Empire series.  Here are my reviews for Prince of Thorns and King of Thorns.  Potential spoilers to books one and two in the primary body of the review.  Spoilers to book three after the break (you also may want to avoid the comments section if you are looking to avoid spoilers).  

The conclusion of The Broken Empire trilogy (ignoring the fact that Mark's next book - Prince of Fools (The Red Queen's War #1) takes place within The Broken Empire world).  This is the dramatic end to Jorg's quest to be emperor at all costs.  In short, it was a thrilling journey of murder, mayhem, betrayal, self-deprecation, self-exhaltation, denial, acceptance, etc. etc. etc.  Before I go into a few of the minor things that bugged me (may as well share those too) I just want to say that this is an excellent series well worth your attention (Goodreads rating 4 out of 5).  I greatly look forward to seeing what else The Broken Empire has to offer in Prince of Fools.

I can't even begin to guess what age I was, sitting in the back seat of my parents' car, driving home after a long evening out and about, staring out the window at the full moon in the sky.  The moon is something special to children.  Particularly a full, bright moon.  It's mysterious, with its face staring down at you from the black of the night sky.  We are driving down the rode, and come upon a turn, and young me watches the moon follow - because as children we know the moon is following us.  We may ask our parents why, and maybe they're the kind who laugh a little to themselves at your naiveté or egocentrism (whatever you want to call it), but maybe they play along.  But sooner or later the curtain drops and you learn.  You learn about the rotation of the earth, the gravitational pull holding the moon in orbit.  And in that, the mysticism...  the magic...  of the moon vanishes.  The world is never the same.  

This isn't going to be a fair judgment on my part (frankly, take most of this review with a grain of salt.  The books are great).  You learn in the previous novels of the setting of the Broken Empire.  A world so far post-apocalyptic that it has recycled to medieval; a medieval with the undercurrents of our ("Builder") technology that is (mostly) lost to the world's inhabitants.  I LOVE the concept.  HOWEVER, as the story goes on we learn more and more of the Builders and the technology left behind plays a larger and larger role in the outcome of the story.  As much as I love the idea, it irked me a bit how much the setting played into the story.  But, like I said, that's not really fair.  It worked, so it really was a minor issue for me.  It's the moon - something that was mystical and different that feels less magical when explained.  And maybe that's part of the point.

Then there was the continued fear of the taming of Jorg.  On one hand, Prince Jorg made such an impression in book one.  He was violent and without remorse.  Book two saw Jorg older and being wed (though his wife is also a force of her own).  Now in book three and we have A LOT of reflection and some insecurity.  What had initially ingrained Jorg as the anti-hero to cheer on was how he was so far broken that he was beyond humanity.  He gave no pause to the impulses that society tells us we need to suppress.  Again, an unfair judgment as you can't assume a character will not grow.  And in book three we have growth in Jorg.  Maybe you can call it "taming" though he certainly remains no saint.  He lies, cheats, fucks, kills.  Yet somehow it seems less.  And again that's maybe part of the point.

I told you they were minor things.  Don't let them stand in the way of you purchasing these books.  There is one other thing (and I still stand on the fence of whether or not I like this - I lean more towards it works), but let's hold that until after the spoiler cut.  

Minor squabbles aside, repeating what I said up top(ish) - this is an excellent series well worth your attention.  Buy this series and wait impatiently for Prince of Fools with me.  

I give it...  skeletal Jack Sparrow.

We can't stop here, this is SPOILER country.

(seriously...  major spoilers will be "discussed" below)

The Dead King.  

Redhead over at The Little Red Reviewer (she's a great reviewer...  check her out) posted a review of Emperor of Thorns just as I was in the very early goings of the novel (less than 25%).  I made sure to read quickly so potential spoilers may not seep into my brain.  But something she said stood out.  Hopefully Red doesn't get mad at me quoting her (I complimented her and pointed some people her way, so she can't be too mad, right?  RIGHT?!). 

"...but from what I knew about this character, their transformation into the Dead King made no sense to me.  Unless of course the only reason for that person to have become the Dead King was so that the very last scene could occur.  Was the Dead King then, nothing more than a clunky plot device?"

I read this and immediately needed to try to figure out who the Dead King could be.  I had been reading along not making the Dead King a connection to anyone - just another baddie trying to get in Jorg's way.  So maybe the comment was slightly spoiler-y in that it let me know it was SOMEONE.  And not just someone, but someone maybe disappointing.  So, who could the Dead King be that would disappoint me as an ending.  Well.  First person to come to mind was William - Jorg's brother, whose death set off Jorg on his spree of murder and mayhem back in book one (and that's who it was).  It always irks me when the villain's secret origin ends up being family to the protagonist.  It's nothing we haven't seen before.  

HOWEVER (and maybe my opinion is a little skewed from expecting the worst - so perhaps I owe a thank you to Red); I think it ended up working.  Could it have worked better?  Absolutely (what can't be?).  I know younger Jorg was so ashamed and angry at what happened to his brother that all thoughts of him were skewed to the good.  It isn't until book three that you learn that William was a bit of a hell raiser.  Perhaps it would have felt a tad less clunky having had some of that peppered in earlier.  But overall, the Dragonball Z-esque battle of wills worked for me.  

It's hard to end a series with a loved character (amazing how such a despicable character can be called "loved") on a note that will make everyone happy.  Sometimes the ending isn't happy.  And Jorg's sacrifice happened the only way it could have without feeling forced, to protect the brother he couldn't before.  Perhaps there was some weakness here, but I would still HIGHLY recommend this series.  

And on a side note, I appreciate Mark Lawrence's Afterword explaining the story needed an ending rather than milking the cash cow and allowing Jorg to continue down the path of Dexter Morgan (that ran, what?  4 seasons too long?  and the books are still going?).  

On The King of Thorns (The Broken Empire #2) by Mark Lawrence - REVIEW

This is book #2 in Mark Lawrence's The Broken Empire series.  If you haven't read book #1 (and you should), you will probably want to skip this review (and go buy book #1...  now).  My review for Prince of Thorns (The Broken Empire #1) can be found here.

Synopsis (per Goodreads):

The land burns with the fires of a hundred battles as lords and petty kings fight for the Broken Empire.  The long road to avenge the slaughter of his mother and brother has shown Prince Honorous Jorg Ancrath the hidden hands behind this endless war.  He saw the game and vowed to sweep the board.  First though he must gather his own pieces, learn the rules of play, and discover how to break them.  

A six nation army, twenty thousand strong, marches towards Jorg's gates, led by a champion beloved of the people.  Every decent man prays this shining hero will unite the empire and heal its wounds.  Every omen says he will.  Every good king knows to bend the knee in the face of overwhelming odds, if only to save their people and their lands.  But King Jorg is not a good king.  

Faced by an enemy many times his strength Jorg knows that he cannot win a fair fight.  But playing fair was never part of Jorg's game plan.  

Review:

Having to type "six nation army" only served to put the bass-line of Seven Nation Army in my head.

It feels good to root for the "bad guy." Or maybe it makes more sense to say it feels good to root for the guy who knows what he is.   A hero is full of doubt.  A hero concerns himself with the greater good.  An anti-hero; well, he could care less for the greater good, unless of course that greater good is in line with his own goals.  It's a different feeling than rooting for the guy that is "supposed" to win.  Who, just for a little bit, wouldn't want to see Vader take the Empire?  Mark Lawrence graces us with a homicidal @$$hole that you want to win.  Well played.

Once again, my review for Prince of Thorns can be found here (I'll be sort of referencing it).  I had some fears coming into the second book of the trilogy.  Book one set up an anti-hero you could get behind, but it also set up some explanation.  Explanations scare me.  It was the need for explanation that gave us Darth Frankenstein.  I was afraid they could give us a Jorg who is not the anti-hero we love, but rather some pawn of greater power that is an anti-hero because of design.  They could give us his recognition of that and the possibility of zero badness level (or at least an abated level).  It does and it doesn't.

A fantasy series is like breaking new ground on a construction site.  The first book is the basement.  It is the foundation that will hold up the rest of the series.  The flashiness and aesthetics are minimal here as a foundation is built to support the structure.  It is here you learn of character, you learn of setting.  But as the construction continues, as the building grows, and sequels release, more and more is added to the world.  Locations develop, magic is added in new ways and in greater volume.  King of Thorns is no different.  We learn more of the Broken Empire.  We see more magic (necromancy and others) and more of what the Builders left behind.  But that is all window dressing.  It's signage and lattice-work and trellises.  It is eye-catching, but not what holds everything together.  The bricks and mortar here is Jorg.  It's Makin and Gog and this band of miscreants.  It's emotion.  And for Jorg, it's knowing who you are and taking what you want - world be damned.

I understand I am years late in writing this.  Book three is long since released (and if not next will shortly end up on my "currently reading" spot), and a new series set in the Broken Empire will be released June of this year.  But maybe you haven't read any of this series.  Maybe you are tired of Frodo carrying the ring to Mordor and saving the realm.  Maybe you are looking for something different.  Something dark.  Something with teeth.  If that is what you want.  Mark Lawrence has a trilogy for you.  Recommended.


I give it...  Shrek.
"No, you dense, irritating, miniature beast of burden.  Ogres are like onions.  End of story."

On Prince of Thorns (The Broken Empire #1) by Mark Lawrence

Synopsis per Goodreads:

When he was nine, he watched as his mother and brother were killed before him.  At thirteen, he led a band of bloodthirsty thugs.  By fifteen, he intends to be king...

It's time for Prince Honorous Jorg Ancrath to return to the castle he turned his back on, to take what's rightfully his.  Since the day he hung pinned on the thorns of a briar patch and watched Count Renar's men slaughter his mother and younger brother, Jorg has been driven to vent his rage.  Life and death are no more than a game to him -- and he has nothing left to lose.  But treachery awaits him in his father's castle.  Treachery and dark magic.  No matter how fierce his will, can one young man conquer enemies with power beyond his imagining?

Review:
Starting with how I would normally end one of these posts; I really enjoyed this book.  In Goodreads speak I rated the book four stars ("really liked it").  I am greatly looking forward to continuing Jorg's saga.


Now to tackle the big heffalump in the room.  You cannot get through more than a few reviews before finding a complaint about the sexual violence and the "bad" protagonist.  Obviously these people who complain mustn't read Martin's Song of Ice and Fire series (or does that no longer count because of its mainstream popularity?).  The largest complaint seems to be the nonchalance of Jorg as he and his crew discuss and perpetrate rape and murder.  Murder is discussed in some detail, but there is no "on-camera" rape that takes place.  Not that I am condoning the violence (sexual or otherwise), but it is not gratuitous and serves a role in character development.  Jorg is a broken individual leading a team of miscreants on a voyage for personal revenge and global domination.  The journey is not for the faint of heart.

This is not the first novel to tell the story of a man driven to extremes to exact revenge on another, nor will it be the last (I'm a sucker for revenge stories).  And why must these extremes be wholesome?  The impetus to Jorg's descent to darkness, that which leads him on his quest for vengeance, is vile, gruesome and described in such detail that one can't help but feel some semblance of sympathy for the character.

When discussing whether not a character is relatable I always fall back on The Magicians by Lev Grossman.  The Magicians is the story of Quentin Coldwater, a high school student who enters an exclusive college of magic.  Quentin is a spoiled brat of a child with NO redeeming qualities given throughout the novel.  Even though he never escalates to rape and murder as our younger Jorg does in The Prince of Thorns, Quentin has no motivation behind his behavior.  He is just an unlikable tool.  Jorg is hurt physically and emotionally, is used, is betrayed, and is forced to act beyond his years.  Regardless of how bad the character is acting, you learn to understand him, and because of that, I have no problem with following along and rooting for the anti-hero.

The world-building was interesting.  The Broken Empire exists in a world that is so far beyond post-apocalyptic that it has cycled back to medieval.  As such, the arms, travel, and general feel is that of a typical medieval fantasy, but behind the curtain is the skeleton of modern times.  Little development is given to the understanding of who "we" were, but that is something that perhaps will play a larger role in future books of the series (don't tell me if you know - I would also be ok with Lawrence pulling a Scott Lynch and not giving any concrete detail as to how the world came to be as it is).  Twists this unique make me like a book more, even if it doesn't play a large part.

Recommended.