Listen to Episode This book is a coming of age story – a young boy has unfathomable burdens placed upon him as he steers the course of worlds and stands up against a would-be tyrant. His bravery comes at a high cost and he is willing to sacrifice the rare gift of true love to save countless … Continue reading REIGN Ep. 20 – How Not to Build Planets (Myst – The Book of Atrus pt2)
Listen to Episode This story really pulled me in. It starts as a story of pure survival. A boy and his grandmother live in the desert under the shadow of a volcano. All alone, their small cleft gives them shelter and a place to grow food. The boy Atrus is molded by the elder Anna, who teaches … Continue reading REIGN Ep. 19 – Survival of the Fittest (Myst – The Book of Atrus pt1)
Listen to the funny. No spoilers here. The light and dark go at. It’s a battle royale. Listen to part four of the podcast for the blow by blow.
Listen to Episode: It takes a certain brilliance to breathe life into a world, to make its lands and people and cultures memorable, unique. Creating histories and a sense of authenticity, not for just a region, but a planet, takes dedication. But its a bit of magic I think that crafts the best characters, those whose lives and fates … Continue reading REIGN of Books Ep. 18: Light at the End of the Tunnel (The Eye of the World pt4)...
Listen to the almost spoiler-free book trailer: Destiny people, it’s destiny. We get on the fate train and find out if our rag-tag group of heroes-in-training want to do this.
Listen to Episode: In part 3 of 4 of The Eye of the World, there is no doubt that fate is weaving itself around Rand and his friends – they will help determine the outcome for all of humanity. Will mankind splinter in this coming war? Will Moraine reveal her true intentions? Will Lan and NynaEve hook up? (jk, well … Continue reading REIGN of Books Ep. 17: Darkness Descends (The Eye of the World pt3)...
Book Trailer – The Eye of the World pt.2 The wheel weaves as the wheel wills in the Eye of the World. As the journey continues, you’ll encounter creepy abandoned cities, play sharks and minnows with some Trollocs, and get freaked out by the Starks’ great, great granddaddy. (He could totally take the Lannisters.) Coming up on … Continue reading The Eye of the World (pt2) BOOK TRAILER
Listen to Episode: Savagely pursued. Relentlessly hunted. At the brink of doom and despair. Perrin and Egwene take the starring role midway through The Eye of the World. An unlikely ally rescues them in the wild and pulls them ahead of the dark forces spies. This is one of the most unnerving parts of the … Continue reading REIGN of Books Ep. 16: Run for Your Life (The Eye of the World pt2)...
“Book Trailer”…it’s totally funny Prepare for the very first chapters of Book 1… of a 14 Book series… written over 23 years… by two authors… and hailed by legions of fans as some of the best fantasy ever written…there are millions of those fans, so we better not mess this up. REIGN of Books … Continue reading The Eye of the World (pt1) BOOK TRAILER
Listen to Episode: It is a wild ride with our entry into the Wheel of Time series. This is a respected and long enduring fantasy series (14 books written over 23 years) that has been compared to the Lord of the Rings for its ambitious and rich world, built around a compelling epic narrative. … Continue reading REIGN of Books Ep. 15: Building and Breaking the World (The Eye of the World pt1)
Listen to Podcast: Conan offers a raw, primal experience with incredible stories that rush at you with reckless abandon, even almost a century after Conan was first unleashed on Hyboria. The warrior’s battles and epic escapes from warlocks, monsters and shadows transcend mere pulp fiction and are timeless. The two stories we take up … Continue reading REIGN of Books Ep. 14: Conan Fights Wizards, Worse Wizards and, of course, Monsters (Robert E. Howard)...
Listen to Episode: Verdict: 5 of 5 stars Tweet Review: Gods at war, courage of warriors and poets, betrayal of machines, woman from the future and a pilgrimage; all lead to a new humanity. This book forever changed the way I read science fiction. There is much to say, and even in these 100 … Continue reading REIGN of Books Ep. 13: Humanity’s Second Chance (Fall of Hyperion pt. 3)...
Listen to Episode: I continue to be amazed at the complexity of the Hyperion universe. It is some of the best sci-fi I’ve come across. The insanely strong narrative continues in the second book of the series – Fall of Hyperion. I loved the first one (Hyperion), and have high hopes for the finale of … Continue reading REIGN of Books Ep. 12: Chaos in the Cantos (Fall of Hyperion pt. 2)...
Listen to Episode: What would you do on the last day of your life? What if the world as you knew it was about to end? Nope, this isn’t a zombie apocalypse. It’s the Fall of Hyperion, an action-packed and deeply meditative tale of mankind confronted by long separated space siblings now returning for war, … Continue reading REIGN of Books Ep. 11: Pilgrims’ Progress (Fall of Hyperion pt. 1)...
Listen to Episode: We dive into some classic turn-of-the-century sci-fi from H.G. Wells, who helped define the genre. It’s impressive how Wells takes the ordinary things that surround us and turns them into tense terrifying mysteries. The tales are strange unwinding oddities filled with fantastic creatures and wondrous places. It takes me back to the … Continue reading REIGN of Books Ep. 10: In the Abyss, The Flowering of the Strange Orchid (H.G. Wells)...
Listen to Episode: Verdict: Hyperion is one of those rare pieces of fiction that transcends mere storytelling. It is epically crafted and its ensemble cast of characters are wonderfully deep, complex people who bare their souls through the journey. It is a saga stretched over space and time yet incredibly personal and intimate. The future … Continue reading REIGN of Books Ep. 9: The World is Not as It Seems (Hyperion pt3)...
Listen to Episode: The Hyperion Cantos It was not about the planet but about the passing of the self-styled Titans called humans. It was about the unthinking hubris of a race which dared to murder its homeworld through sheer carelessness and then carried that dangerous arrogance to the stars, only to meet the wrath of … Continue reading REIGN of Books Ep. 8: City of the Dead and Time Tripping (Hyperion pt2)...
Listen to Episode: Hyperion is insanely good. It’s thought provoking, fast paced, mysterious and engrossing from page one. Don’t miss this ride if you are a true scifi fan. Dan Simmons‘ Hugo Award-Winning Novel is a masterful read that reminds me of Games of Thrones with its raw brutality of human conflict but with … Continue reading REIGN of Books Ep. 7: As Good as it Gets (Hyperion pt1)
Listen to the Episode Verdict: If you like great action and inventive alternate realities, you get an appetizer in this book, but outside some fun battles, there is no resolution to major plot points, which are pushed off to a second book. With no payoff, it’s harder to care what happens to the characters. Rating: … Continue reading REIGN of Books Ep. 6: Stuck on the War Front with Half a Book (Leviathan pt3)...
PART 1 PART 2 Listen to the Episode: Things get tricky on the war front!
Listen to the Episode: Scott Westerfield creates a revisionist history of World War I with robots versus genetically engineered beasties. Things get crazy as our two title characters, on the opposite side of the conflict, are thrown into new roles that put them in real danger. Enjoy the spoilercast and watch out for talking geckos.
Listen to the Episode: The Ocean comes and makes a lasting impression; we get a glimpse of a marvelously different world, and a tragedy has lasting consequences.
Listen to Episode: A family implodes when a father commits an unforgivable act, a dangerous game of cat-and-mouse unfolds in the countryside, and the unbelievable rise and fall of the arch villian is shockingly emotional and poetic. The middle part of TOATEOTL has it all – listen to the rundown on the REIGN of Books … Continue reading REIGN of Books Ep. 2: Tragedy of Shakespearian Proportions (The Ocean at the End of the Lane pt2)...
Listen to the Episode: So it begins. The REIGN of Books Podcast ep. 1 explores an atypical story of a boy and girl, fighting against an ancient evil that pays a visit to the English countryside. Unlikely events bring them together and the boy discovers a new reality on the edges of our own. What … Continue reading REIGN of Books Ep. 1: Fight Evil in the Countryside (The Ocean at the End of the Lane pt1)...
