Book Review: Court Of The Air by Stephen Hunt

So here we go folks. Allow me to start off with one of the greatest disappointments of my life. You see, anyione who knows me will know how much I love Steampunk and anything Victorian. So imagine my excitement when I saw that a book involving high adventure in an alternative Victorian landscape was hitting the shelves.

Now, let me start off by saying this is not set in a Victorian landscape nor is it steampunk. Nor does it have a point.

Basically it is set in a fictional land called The Kingdom Of Jackals, where politics appear to consist of blowing up your subjects and beating the hell out of one another with sticks. A revolution is in the air, and what kind of revolution? Well..actually its never explained. But a BAD one nonetheless. We meet our two main characters; Molly - an ex (child?) prostitute, and Oliver; a boring, melodramatic bitch with a wizard uncle.

After the initial introduction of the characters, and after what is actually quite a good start, the story decides to abandon this mortal realm.

From this point on words are invented with reckless abandon, as if the author decided 'You know what, there just arent enough words in the English language to get my point across. Lets get a-keyboard bashing!'

Entire sentences are mutilated merely by the addition of races, objects, countries that are mentioned but never explained. We are supposed to assume that it all makes sense, but it never does.

I enjoy sci fi settings as much as the next guy. But for the love of God at least EXPLAIN TO THE READER what all of this is about. How is one supposed to engross oneself in a 'living, breathing world' when no attempt is made to invite us into it? As I read I felt like the plot was being hidden from me,a punishment for not being the author and sharing his mind.

So in short. If you like mechanical men and boring lead characters, and suffering a brain aneurism every fifteen minutes, then this is definately for you.

Unfortunately I guess I am just too dumb to share the authors artistic vision. So I'm afraid that this book just didnt do it for me. At all.

John.

Glass Rose (PS2) Capcom/Cing

Glass Rose for the Playstation was released around 2003 by Capcom and is certainly an interesting game. I picked it up in a Sainsbury's for around a tenner so I wasn't expecting much. What drew me to it was the attractive box art and interesting blurb. (Plus I can't resist a good time-travel game.)

Whilst Capcom describes it as a survival-horror game, I would say that it is definitely more of a point-and-click murder-mystery. Whist the two aren't mutually exclusive, the only survival comes in the handful of QTEs that are scattered about the game. (And they're so easy they may as well have not bothered.)

Now I've only seemingly been pointing out the negative so far, but this game has a lot going for it. It has lush graphics for it's time, fantastic characters and a truly engaging plot. You really want to know what is going to happen next.

The basic premise is that you are reporter Takashi Kagetani, investigating an old mansion where several people died. You go in there with your friend Emi Katigiri. Whilst investigating something happens where Emi disappears and you are time-warped back to the 1920's. Just about the time when the murders would take place.

Your job is to get back to the present, solve the mystery, find your friend and find out who the mysterious Kazuya Nanase is. (You've assumed his identity in the past, you see.)

Also you're psychic.

This is less fun than it sounds as we get to the nuts and bolts of the game. Basically the chapters of the game are split in different hours. With a set number of hours in each chapter. In each hour you have to talk to certain people and find out specific information.

This is the dull part because it is literally, just highlighting every part of text until you find a word that gets a new response. It's a trial and error slog. This is also how you use your psychic abilities. By pressing a different button and seeing a foggy image.

Despite this, you will find yourself wanting to go through all of this to find out the plot as it slowly unfolds and you learn more about the characters around you. With two very different endings it's up to you to find the truth.

I enjoyed this game for what it was despite it's flaws. If you can find it then it's worth checking out.
--Velvet Tea.

Review for Hush, Hush by author Becca Fitzpatrick

Well, what can I say about this that will show it in a positive light?

Nothing.

That's what.

This book is predictable from start to finish.

Pretty geek, Nora Grey, falls for badass new kid, Patch. Absent parentals, tricky situations and a blabbermouth best friend. Guys invading girls minds and planting thoughts and visions there. Come on! If guys could do that in real life they would have any girl they want. A completely unbelievable story. Its ok for tweens and those who believe in finding love in the classroom. For me? Lets just say that its two days of my life I will never get back.

Fiction Freek

x

Raskolnikov Projekt - Plaything demo

As I said. I will be posting some compositions over the next few months, and here's one to start you off with. A doom-laden dirge of the industrial/dark ambient genre. My first professional recording and I think iot pretty much sums up what I set out to do with my musical input.

http://www.mediafire.com/?0imhnzjngzh

Download and let me know just what the hell you think.

Almost live.

Its almost time for site to go live methinks. I shall soon be reviewing a book that I thought was a real travesty, a total insult to the world of popular fiction. You have been warned....

Welcome friends!

Hello. Welcome to my blog of blogginess. I will be using this for reviews, thoughts and musings, and the occasional upload. I may even share my music with you. Oooh you lucky people.
If you want to contribute in anyway then let me know. Thanks.