The Deed of Paksenarrion – Reviewed “Long, slow, but if you stick with it, a very rewarding epic masterpiece.” – M.R.

From Wiki:

The Deed of Paksenarrion is an epic fantasy saga by the American author Elizabeth Moon. The Deed of Paksenarrion was originally published in three volumes in 1988 and 1989 and as a single trade edition of that name in 1992 by Baen. The three books included are Sheepfarmer’s Daughter, Divided Allegiance and Oath of Gold. Sheepfarmer’s Daughter was awarded the Compton Crook Award by the Baltimore Science Fiction Society for the author’s first fantasy novel.

A single volume prequel about the life of Paksenarrion’s guiding saint was published in 1990, and followed by a sequel tying characters from both works together.

Our Thoughts:  I read this in jail of all places. The full “three-book-in-one” volume we had was held together with rubber-bands. All of the pages were there, though, save for one corner of page 735.  I remember the soldiering scenes from these stories. Paksenarrion spent long trudging months training to be the warrior depicted on the cover, or did she?  She is one tough woman, and I tell you what. She has inspired many a fantasy female character.  (Zena, Sheena, maybe even Brienne of Tarth? I think very much so on the latter. )

Props to Elizabeth Moon. When in an open jail tank (with 30-some-odd people running around) if I could read my way out of the moment, the author was one I considered great. Moon did that. I can still remember the dark elf scenes and the wild way the story twists, toward the end, even now.

4  stars – Highly Recommended.  –  M.R.

Sadly you cannot find The Deed of Paksenarrion for Kindle or Nook.

Please visit this Amazon page    In the box under the cover image click that you would like to see this novel for Kindle.

“Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn” – Tad Williams Fantasy Trilogy reviewed.

From Wiki:
Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn is Tad Williams’s epic fantasy trilogy, comprising The Dragonbone Chair (1988), Stone of Farewell (1990), and To Green Angel Tower (1993). The world and story draw upon many sources from history and folklore. Several characters’ elements and experiences mirror the legends of Great Britain and other lands (e.g., King Arthur and Sir Lancelot, Alfred the Great, Baba Yaga, and Amaterasu). The dominant Erkynlanders resemble the medieval English, with Anglo-Saxon/Biblical-sounding personal names in addition to the usual castle-based feudal/agrarian setting of stock fantasy. The other peoples of Osten Ard also have identifiable real-world parallels in their names, cultures, and native tongues.

Our Thoughts: I read this trilogy some years ago and three scenes stick out in my head. Simon facing the dragon in the snow. Tad William’s description of the dragon’s approach was so well written that I stopped and reflected on it. Also the flooded plains frozen over. Loved some of the battle strategies portrayed there. The Sithi city in the forest, with the strung up cloth art and vividly different culture. I enjoyed these books a lot. My ONLY gripe about this trilogy is that it is 4 books long. Book III – To Green Angel Tower was so big that the publishers split the paperback in two. Having to buy the 4th book was irksome. Luckily, these days we have ereaders and the title fits in a single file just fine.

The Sithi (which are pre-Sith) are like elves. The other creatures from Tad’s imagination are something else all together, and much terrible fun.

This is a 4 star epic fantasy that I highly recommend. – M.R.

Find Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn on   Kindle   Nook

I want to announce 4 giveaways that pertain to The Wardstone Trilogy

I want to announce 4 giveaways that pertain to The Wardstone Trilogy. Winners for all 3 will be decided Independence Day, July 4th 2012. ALL entries are FREE.

These giveaways are taking place to promote the
July 4th 2012 release of The Wizard and the Warlord – The Wardstone Trilogy Book III by M. R. Mathias

Five Chapter Preview in .pdf  HERE

#1 is the Fantasy Book Critic Indie Kindy   Win a Kindle Fire or a Kindle Touch loaded with indie fantasy eBooks.
info: Fantasy Book Critic

#2 is a Goodreads Giveaway of 5 signed copies of The Sword and the Dragon – The Wardstone Trilogy Book I
info: Goodreads Giveaway

#3 is a Goodreads Giveaway of a signed copy of  Kings, Queens, Heroes, and Fools – The Wardstone Trilogy Book II
info: Goodreads Giveaway

#4 is a Goodreads Giveaway of a signed copy of The Butcher’s Boy – 2011 Readers favorite Award Winner for Horror Fiction

info: Goodreads Giveaway

Please pass these on to your friends and followers.  Thank you. @WizardWyrm

John Carter (Amazon Streaming Version) Reviewed. “Solid Sci-Fi entertainment. Loved it!” – M.R.

I watch movies on my Kindle Fire a lot. A LOT! So I will be reviewing some streaming movies in the future. I also have an HD projector that I can hook my Kindle Fire up to and watch on my wall on an 8ft wide perfectly clear screen. I saw John Carter in IMAX 3D, but when I saw it on my wall, played from my Kindle through my – not so expensive – projector, I was amazed at the perfect clarity, even with the screen opened up to 8ft wide. For sound, I just ran an 1/8 stereo cord from the Kindle’s headphone jack to my bands sound system.

OK… I’m pleased with my system, and I am not trying to brag, but its pertinent to reviewing a streaming product that you know what sort of system I watched on.  I would consider mine just a touch above average, including my high speed internet connection.

Now to the review.

 

John Carter was like watching Starwars, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Alien, and Sherlock Holmes all twisted into one great fantastical story. I was especially surprised by the clever twists at the end. This movie is great. The reviewers who dashed it early on have questionable judgment in my eyes. Even more than the previously mentioned movie greats, John Carter managed to be different than all of those films, and more original than most of the newer Sci-Fi movies I’ve seen.

Great for all ages, with enough, romance, action, and battle to keep adults intrigued, this will be a DVD/BlueRay classic that everyone will at one time own. Buy it in digital format and you’ll only have to buy it once.

Highly Recommended – M. R.

John Carter at Amazon

PROMETHEUS IMAX 3D Movie Review “The aliens blew my mind” – M.R.

Tickets for 2 – $32.00

2 Hot Dogs   – $11.00

2 Diet Dr. Peppers – $13.00

Getting to see PROMETHEUS in IMAX 3D on opening night at the Warren Theater in Moore, Oklahoma – Priceless

Ok…  I really liked the movie. There was a lot from Alien in this sci-fi space travel thriller. A lot. Weird creepy android, a crew waking from cryogenic hibernation, belly bursting creatures, exciting, “Pulse-Pounding” action. The first of the movie had a “2001 a Space Odyssey” feel to it. It graduated, a little slowly, into an arm-rest-gripping, who is going to bite it first, type of theme.

The 3D effects were pointless, save for one awesome scene where we see space (several galaxies worth) all represented in hologram-like clockwork imagery. This scene blew my mind.

The aliens blew my mind.

This is great sci-fi fun, and worth the cost of a premium ticket. If you loved the original Alien, you’ll definitely love this. It had elements of horror, thriller, drama, a little romance, and once the story developed and I know the characters a bit, the action took over and I was enthralled. The ending was a great tie in. I can’t say more about that without being a spoiler.

4 stars – losing one for lack of a truly original story.  It would have been 3 stars, but the special FX, and action sequences carried the movie after the first 30. It was the same 30 minutes of build up I’ve seen in several movies before.

Recommended – M.R.

2nd Annual “Indie Kindy” GIVEAWAY Win‬ a ‪#KindleFire‬ or ‪#KindleTouch‬ from F.B.C.

2nd Annual “Indie Kindy” GIVEAWAY! (Idependent Author Loaded ‪Fantasy #Kindle‬) ‪#Win‬ a ‪#KindleFire‬ or ‪#KindleTouch‬ from:

 Details here:      http://goo.gl/eWcRG

 

Brought to you by:

@Dahgmahn

@BookReTweeter

@NucturnMP3  &

@WizardWyrm

 

Snow White and the Huntsman – Review “Stunningly Beautiful… Extremely fantastic FX.” — M.R.

Snow White and the Huntsman – Review

Blood on snow… Love it. The forest scene with the fairies blew me away. The fragmented glass effect with the evil minions was mesmerizing. The liquid white, black, and gold effects were phenomenal. The battle scenes were lacking in that I caught a place where the cloned figures were fighting in the back and there were no enemies there yet. It was absurd to run upon a castle as they did, but that aside the seven dwarves were spot on to the augmented tale. So was the wicked stepmother. The romantic aspect, with two possible “Prince-not-so-Charmings” could have actually been better, and that’s coming from a guy who would rather drop 45 pound plates on his toes than watch a chick flick.

 

4.0 stars for an very entertaining twist on an old fairy tale, but it was almost like watching Game of Thrones at times, thus 4 instead of 5 stars.

Interview of the Royal Wizard Pael (from The Sword and the Dragon)

Syria Evans 2010 Interview of the Royal Wizard Pael from The Sword and the Dragon by M. R. Mathias

Syria:  How did you first meet your writer?

Pael:  I do not remember, nor do I care. Will this take long? I have potions to render and concoctions to prepare.

Syria:  Did you ever think that your life would end up being in a book?

Pael:  Being a main character in a great epic lends a bit of immortality to my life don’t you think? What I think about it is irrelevant.

Syria:  What are your favorite scenes in your book: action, dialog, romance?

Pael:  I am the Master Wizard Pael, wench. Ask me something about my plans to take Queen Willa’s palace at Xwarda, or how I will level Wildermont, or I will liquefy your skeleton while it is still inside you!

Syria:  Did you have a hard time convincing your author to write any particular scenes for you?

Pael:  Who is this author you keep speaking of? I was alive long before he jotted down tales about me!

Syria:  Do you infiltrate your writer’s dreams?

Pael:  Bah! Me, wench! This interview is about me!

Syria:  What do you like to do when you are not being actively read somewhere?

Pael:  I do not like to be bothered with this sort of trivial matter I assure you.

Syria:  Are you currently engaged in a relationship?

Pael: If you consider my bond with Inkling, my imp familiar, then I suppose I am attached.

Syria:  Are you happy with the genre your writer has placed you in?

Pael: I am a wizard. I can be anywhere I want to be! I suppose I could be in another genre like that fool Dresden, but fantasy is where I belong.

Syria:  If you could rewrite anything in your book, what would it be?

Pael: The climax, I assure you!

Syria:  Do you like the way the book ended?

Pael: Bah! You are testing my patience. Shall I set Shaella on you?

Syria:  Would you be interested in a sequel if your writer was so inclined?

Pael:  It has already been written.

Syria:   Do you believe that you are suitable portrayed in electronic books or would you rather be in paperback only?

Pael:  I would rather you asked a question worthy of my time!

Syria:   Did you have any input into the book cover design?

Pael: I should have. That blasted dragon stole the glory from me.

Syria:   What is the lamest characteristic your writer has attributed to you?

Pael:   My cackling laugh! I feel like an old witch when I laugh. It is tiresome!

Syria:  If you could give yourself a superpower, what would you choose?

Pael:  I have no need of a superpower as my power became superior when I opened Pavreal’s Seal and assumed the demon Shokin! Now leave me to my sorcery wench. My daughter is about to collar a dragon and I have a continent to destroy!

Sample Book One: mrmathias.com