Seriously, Try It

Gather round, my friends, and I will tell you a tale of woe, a tale so incredibly terrible that it should never have happened. It was an occurrence of such horror, such unbelievable evil and terror that one hesitates to consider the consequences should it have been allowed to continue. I must confess, loving and (hopefully) forgiving individuals, that it was all my fault. I was the one to blame, the evil infidel, the outsider who refused to even consider a possibility. The one who just wouldn't listen.

What was my crime, you ask? What nearly unspeakable crime was I willing to commit in my ignorance? What could possibly have been this bad, especially coming from your fun-loving, word-spreading Jimbo (full of Jimbosity and many other good things)? Simply this:

I almost refused to have anything to do with The Hunger Games. I very nearly missed one of the best stories of my time in two separate genres (those being Speculative Fiction and Young Adult. And honestly, J.K. Rowling may have created the YA genre, but it was Suzanne Collins who cemented its existence.) because I heard something: That it was just like Twilight with the whole love triangle thing and therefore something no dude would have interest in. 

Then, a weird thing happened: I separated from my now ex-wife. I got a Nook with some student loan money. They were offering a free e-book version of any one of the books from the Hunger Games series. Even then I took a copy of the first book but figured I'd never read it. Then another weird thing happened: I ran across a female person who wanted to see the first movie and didn't have anyone to go with her. I was lonely. She was pretty. Do I need to draw you a picture?

So I told her I'd go with her just to see if I could get her interested in me. It didn't work out, but the movie was awesome. By the end of the following week I had bought the other two books and read all three. I loved them. Who wouldn't? They were full of action and intrigue. They had a powerful heroine (and I love a strong female protagonist) who liked to hunt. I've hunted also. She was a bad-ass who hated the government. I too think government needs to be put back in its place. Just being real, this was a story I could get behind.

And I almost didn't read it, because someone told me it was about a love triangle like Twilight. And, well, both stories do feature a love story. Also, for the record, yes I did try Twilight. I read about the first hundred and forty pages and it went against the wall. I gave my copy (yes, I bought a copy in Dead Tree Format) to my sister who gave it to Madison, my niece (or was it Jordyn, her little sister? It's been a minute.) So, I mean, you're not going to like everything you try. That's okay. (And listen, I'm not here to dog Stephanie Meyer. Chick has sold a whole bunch of copies and made a whole bunch of money, and some movies and I think some merchandising, so she's obviously a good author, she's just not for me.) The point is to get out there and try something. And honestly, I think the problem was more Bella and less Meyer. Where Katniss was everything I taught my daughters to be, Bella (whiny little bitch that she was) is everything I have taught my daughters not be: Passive, Whiny, and dependent on a man for her self-esteem. I can't read a book when I can't stand the main character.

Think about it: How many times have you heard some random Mundane, a total freaking normie, sitting around ripping on something you love and just thought, "I bet they've never read/watched/played it. What an @$$hole." I get it, I've been there. Here's the thing: If you concentrate really hard, you can probably come up with a time when you've acted the same way. And, if you're a fannish type, that just might be related to either "The Sportsball" or a fandom one of your friends/acquaintances really loves. And folks, I know The Sportsball isn't for some people, but have you tried it? Sports have as much of an intellectual level as any first-person shooter or turn based strategy game. I would know, I've done both.

Another true story: Once upon a time a much younger Jimbo was talking to his father. Dad suggested that I read a novel about how the South won the American Civil War when some dudes smuggled in a bunch of AK-47s. I laughed in his face. Less than a week later he was gone, his life claimed by a boating accident. Now, I had no way to know that was going to happen. But here's the thing: I missed a chance to bond with my dad over something we both loved. I also almost missed one of my favorite authors: I picked the book up after my dad passed. It was called  Guns of the South by Harry Turtledove and it was my first foray into Alternate History. That dude can write.

I've often wondered if some of the false dichotomies in fandom are caused by what I like to call "The Broccoli Effect." Remember when your mother used to put some icky vegetable on your plate and you refused to taste it? Yeah, some of those sucked. Some were really good though. It was your own stubbornness that kept you from figuring it out. By the same token I've always wondered if some of the not-so-friendly rivalries were caused by people who wouldn't just shut up and try the thing they were hating on. Why take sides in the Trek vs. Wars debate? Dude, I love both. I grew up on Trek and I saw Jedi in the movie theater during its initial theatrical release in 1986. I've loved them both my whole life. Of course, the only thing worse than Trek vs, Wars was TOS vs. TNG in the late 80s, early 90s. Most of that seems to have gone away since the release of the Star Wars Special Editions though. 

I almost missed reading David Weber's work too. (and by extension Eric Flint, John Ringo, Michael Z. Williamson, Sarah Hoyt, I could go on) Why? Because I didn't trust the taste of the guy who was telling me about Weber. He was a co-worker and we didn't read any of the same authors. But then, one night, I was at the mall with my now ex-wife and went into the bookstore to avoid following her into the shoe store...

And there was nothing new from any of the authors I was always looking for. So I walked up to the counter and asked the woman working there if she knew anything about this Harrington series and which one was the first one...

Apparently she wasn't a fan, but her father and brother were, so she led me back to the shelf and placed a copy of On Basilisk Station in my hand. I've been reading him ever since. 

Of course, now I'm going to have to take my own medicine and go read some N.K. Jemison and find out if it truly is basically just a mess of hate rhetoric (directed against people like me, which means the Left will support it) like I've heard it is, or if she can actually tell a story. I will say that I've never met a person who has read her work who can tell me WHY they enjoy it (and that's where I focus my reviews if you hadn't noticed) so I'm not overly optimistic but it does seem to be put up or shut up time for the Jimbo. I'll do what I have to do, I suppose.

And that's the point here: Go out and try something you ordinarily wouldn't. Try some game-lit if you've never read that. Try that one author you heard about and never bothered with. Play a new game. Come roll some dice with me if that works for you. Do whatever it is that you haven't tried. You may find out that you like it. You may give it to your sister who gives it to your niece. Either way, you've experienced something you wouldn't have otherwise and that, in and of itself, is a good thing. 

Bottom Line: Be like a shoe: Just do it. 

Some products mentioned above are available for purchase at the links below. If you click a link and buy literally anything from Amazon, I get a small percentage at no additional cost to you.

Riptides, Storm Surge, Flotsam of War and Ratchet's Run by Blaine Lee Pardoe

Gather round, loyal reader(s) and I'll tell you all the tale of how I read four awesome books and was too lazy to review them individually.

Hey, I love to write but sometimes I get really into a story and I don't wanna stop, so I just get the next one, and the next one...

Yeah, I've got a story problem, and not the kind you used to do in math class.

All of this to say that I have confirmed my former suspicion that Blaine Lee Pardoe is a spectacular author. Having read his books, Riptides, Storm Surge, Flotsam of War and Ratchet's Run I have run out of books that are currently published in the Land & Sea universe and I find that I am just a wee bit disconcerted at not having more to read. 

I mean, Pardoe has been cranking these books out at an amazingly rapid pace and I really shouldn't give him problems for not writing fast enough, but would I really be a fan if I didn't? I mean, the way I see it, a fan should serve the following functions for an author

Cheerleader: I love your work, Mr. Pardoe! I'll tell everyone else about it!
Source of Income: Consume the book legally. Make sure the author gets paid.
Pain in the a... I mean Motivator: Urge them to keep up the hard work. Remind them why it's worth it. Even if it's only to get the fan (me) to shut up for five minutes. 

Or sumfin'...

So, about the books themselves...

I mean, I probably should talk about them, because this is supposed to be a review, right? Why wouldn't I just get straight to the point and tell you about what I read? Huh?

Yeah, I know...

Anyway..

Riptides and Storm Surge were both pretty much what I expected only more awesomer. I mean, I put up Splashdown as my pick for the Dragon Awards, but these two were almost as totally amazing. I think I just liked the first one more because I love getting to know new worlds and it was the first book. 

*SHRUG*

And I don't mean what I expected as just more of the same. Those were the books that moved the story forward in a massive way. If Splashdown had been Star Wars, then Storm Surge and Riptides would have been along the lines of The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, except that the story didn't end there. But still, the overall plot of the series moves along at about that pace for the first three books.

Some parts of Storm Surge and Riptides are not for the squeamish. I like that about them. They're realistic and necessary, but they're not pretty. There's a bit of mutilation and some torture. It fits though, and it shows the enemy as something other than just a group of aquatic soldier ants constantly moving forward without thinking. I like that. If they came from some other planet somewhere to get here and invented the weaponry to fight the militaries of Earth then they can obviously freaking think. I may not always approve of the way the villains gather information, but it's obvious that they need to and there are many reasons why those things needed to be revealed in the way that they were.

Flotsam of War is a one writer anthology and works more along the lines of The Lost Chronicles by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman where they went back and filled in the missing parts of their original Dragonlance Chronicles trilogy (and I'll shill for them some other time, promise.) only we it's one book instead of three and we didn't have to wait three decades for it. It also kind of reminds me of Nerilka's Story except that Flotsam of War was actually enjoyable.

Oops.

I didn't say that out loud, did I?

Ratchet's Run is probably the only one of the sequels that works as a standalone in my opinion. The others are good books, but you need to read the previous stories to really get them. I think you could probably understand Ratchet's Run with no previous knowledge but it might take you a chapter or two to get up to speed. 

At any rate, it combines an alien invasion and a bank heist by several competing interests and things go totally wrong for the characters. In this case though, that works for the readers because the action ratchets WAY up (DYSWIDT?) and it's crazy fun to read. I just want to know how many times Pardoe had to rewrite that section to get it all straight because there is a LOT going on. He managed it though.

And it's weird, because through most of the story I thought Ratchet's Run would be more of a side story that didn't change the world much, but then I got punched in the mouth with the knowledge that I was wrong. I don't do spoilers but stuff happened. Cool stuff. Something that might be maybe repeatable in other places where the conflict is ongoing. 

I was really pleasantly surprised there, too. Reading  series like Land & Sea can be a weird experience for me (but in a good way) because I always want it to know what's going to happen next but I don't want things to move too quickly and the story to end. So, like you want more, but you want less, but you want more, but not that much, but even more, but...

Yeah, weird. 

Overall though, I was really impressed and I'll be downloading the next one as soon as it gets published. 

I love the tech in the Land & Sea universe though, and I love the fact that it keeps getting better. I also freaking love the way that the new tech works, but it has some bugs. Pardoe doesn’t make his people out to be supermen who can’t fail at anything. The stakes of the war are high. The people, whether military, political or civilian, are aware of this. The pressure is high to DO SOMETHING. Some things are rushed that shouldn't be. Sometimes they work. Sometimes they don't. Sometimes the consequences of a failure can be extreme. Sometimes the end user doesn't make it. That sucks, but in a real-world scenario it would be inevitable and in fiction those types of equipment failures are the height of realism. Listen, I hate Murphy, and I'm sure you do to, but that guy passed his law for a reason.

Overall, the only disappointing thing about the Land & Sea series is that the next one isn't out yet. But hey, I'm just doing my job by pointing that out, right?

Bottom Line: 5.0 out of 5 Safe Deposit Boxes

Riptides

Blaine Lee Pardoe
WarGate Nova, 2023

Storm Surge
Blaine Lee Pardoe
WarGate Nova, 2023

Flotsam of War

Blaine Lee Pardoe
WarGate Nova, 2023

Ratchet's Run

Blaine Lee Pardoe

WarGate Nova, 2023

The above books are available for purchase at the following links. If you click a link and buy literally anything from Amazon, I get a small percentage at no additional cost to you.

Uplink Squadron and Second Flight by JN Chaney and Chris Kennedy

 

So, when I cracked Uplink Squadron open (metaphorically speaking since I read the e-book) I was immediately intrigued. There was something going on here and it smelled bad. There was a new technology in town. Countries were using it to build the latest in fighter/bombers for their air forces. The technology used to pilot the craft, it turns out, was addictive and some pilots were dying. Others went crazy. It was a bad scene. Only now, we've got most of the bugs worked out and it doesn't happen much anymore.

Doesn't happen...

Much?

Uhhh...

Yeah, I mean, everyone who has ever gone to war has done it (in)secure in the knowledge that they may not make it back. That's what makes them heroes. But when it's their own technology that's killing them, it's a different story. I mean, aviation is dangerous and bad things happen, but when people are losing their minds and their lives inexplicably...

Yeah, it's a little worrisome. I mean, is that something you'd want to send your kid into? Me either, and my oldest starts firefighter training in the fall. She's already EMT qualified. But these fighters take things to a whole new level. 

And that's just for starters. Wait till the aliens show up. What do they want?

I mean, I'm not totally sure either. There are, I think, seven more books in the series at present (having only read the first two so far) and so I'm sure there is more to be revealed, but I haven't gotten that far yet. So far, what we know is they're quick to fight and they seem to need a superior force to have a good chance against the Earthlings. I find this perplexing as they have superior technology and more experience in space (probably) and they just don't have the tactical knowledge to succeed against humanity. Something still doesn't feel right here. 

We here at Jimbo's are thoroughly impressed by the work done on Uplink Squadron and Second Flight by both Kennedy and Chaney, but we're wondering what the story truly is with these aliens. They seem to be a little more inept than we expected. There just has to be something going on here.

For their part though, are humans are pretty human. They eat. The fight. They get involved in emotional entanglements that they shouldn't then try to deny what they're feeling. I'm thinking that might go a little wrong in the upcoming novels as well. We're just not there yet. At least I'm not. Once again, I'm behind. 

*SIGH* 

What else is new?

What's new, I guess, is the pilot interface with these fighters. Instead of the classic heads-up interface, they jack into their fighters with a cord, like a decker from Shadowrun. (Which, it should be noted, I haven't played in ages. Sorry if this has changed.) It's also somewhat reminiscent of Anne McCaffrey's Brainship Series, except that these are fully grown adults who are physically capable of jacking out at any time. At any rate, I don't know if this is quite common enough to be  trope, but "jacking in" is definitely a plot device that works. And the whole "lose your mind" thing just makes it that much better. Just like you went up against some black ICE, chummer.

Lieutenant Lance "Stinky" Baker is our protagonist and he's a good dude stuck in a weird situation. He has problems from the first page when he has to get the port he'll use to connect to his fighter adjusted or reinstalled or..

I dunno, sumfin'. Look, it wasn't right. They had to redo it. He slept for three days afterward. Don't ask me about the details. Ask a brain surgeon. I'm just your humble book blogger.

At any rate, he gets to fly the newest and best fighter in the entire solar system once his head heals. Once he jacks into that fighter with his link, his whole world changes. Even hearing the experience described, it's easy to see how you could get hooked on it. It's like the best of Virtual Reality but with real world consequences and senses that surpass anything the human body is capable of on its own. It's the kind of thing that someone would pay good money to experience and the military is paying him to do it.

It's a good thing he's got those capabilities too because, after a bit of training (where he shows off some tactics he shouldn't know yet) he gets his baptism of fire. He ends up needing every bit of gear and training he has available. And then the whole squadron has a bad day...

Yeah, if not for his comrade Sofia Jimenez, and a few more friends you'll have to find out about all on your own, he'd have been screwed right off rip. But that's the thing about the military right? They're big on the team concept for a reason. 

The action sequences are fun and believable. I don't know much about Chaney, but I do not that Kennedy is a retired naval aviator and his expertise shows here. Dude can write a furball. I mean, I don't see anything here to top Kennedy's work in Asbaran Solutions, but no system's perfect and that was the best I've ever read. Uplink Squadron and Second Flight both have rocking fight scenes and the occasional "OMG WE'RE ALL GONNA DIE!!" moments appear right where they should. Both authors should take a bow, because the pacing here is amazeballs.

I'm a newcomer to Chaney's work, although I did just join his Facebook group yesterday and I'm looking forward to reading more of it. I just didn't know anything about him until I started this series. That's my bad not his. Kennedy though, I've been reading for awhile now and he's known for his long series's, series? serieses? However that works. There are nine of the Uplink Squadron  books so far and I'm going to read them all. I already downloaded the third one last night after I finished Second Flight and I should be reading that right now, but I don't want both of my fans to be stuck wondering where I am, so I thought I'd let you all know about these two first. I can't wait to run off and start reading. Really. You guys are on your own for awhile.

Bottom Line: 5.0 out of 5 Gremlins

Uplink Squadron
J.N. Chaney and Chris Kennedy
Variant Publications, 2022

Second Flight
J.N. Chaney and Chris Kennedy
Variant Publications, 2022

Both books can be purchased at the links below. If you click the links and buy literally anything from Amazon, I get a small percentage at no additional cost to you.

Blake Carpenter's Deathbringer: The Spellsword Saga: Book One

If I've said it once, I'll say it again: I love a strong female protagonist. Whether it's Ellen Ripley, Honor Harrington or Kathryn Janeway, if there's a woman at the heart of the story that kicks ass, I want to read (watch?) the story. It's no different here. Inga Ivanova is such an amazingly badass female that I'm wondering if Blake Carpenter intentionally gave his main character of his novel Deathbringer: The Spellsword Saga: Book One the same last name as the second Most Badass Woman In All of Science Fiction and Fantasy (as decided by me) intentionally. Inga Ivanova certainly does remind me of one Susan Ivanova in all of the important ways that I love in a female lead. If she's a little obsessed and maybe a bit bloody-minded, so be it; She has her reasons.

Seriously, Ivanova's Call to Action is particularly grisly, high stakes and jarring, but it's enough to make anyone want to get revenge. I mean, if your story started up with someone showing up at your town, slaughtering everyone there, and you only escaping because of some serious weirdness, you'd want to take the person who did it down, wouldn't you? I sure would...

Then again, I'm a McCoy and that thing is kind of genetic for me. Just ask a Hatfield.

Anyway...

Hopefully, it's not revealing too much to state that Deathbringer is not just the title of a book, it's also the name of a sword. The reason for the name will be painfully obvious to anyone reading the book, and if you still miss it, the name of the series is The Spellsword Saga. I'm guessing that should make it obvious.

The use of spellswords in the book/series (although I haven't read any of the other books yet. I'm honestly not sure if anymore have been released, though I'll be finding out soon.) was cool for me on a couple of different levels. One is just that spellswords are sentient, linked to a particular individual, and capable of awesome feats of magic. I mean, you would think that would be cool enough on its own, right? But no, I have to go and make it cooler. 

Seriously. I can do you one better. Having played both Dungeons & Dragons and the Palladium Fantasy RPG, spellswords felt like the weapon you spent your entire career questing for. Whether you're referring to a rune weapon in the PFRPG or an artifact in D&D, you're talking about the real deal. These spellswords are on that level. You do not want to cross paths with an unfriendly spellsword wielder, I promise you. What these things can do will amaze you.

But that brings up an interesting point. Inga's grandmother, who was the last one to wield the sword in battle, had something of a bad reputation. I'm wondering if these swords don't have a corrupting effect like a D&D artifact. I'm wondering how Carpenter is going to make Inga a sympathetic figure going forward if she slides too far down that path. This is going to be a delicate balancing act, for sure.

In a way, Deathbringer almost feels like reading a fantasy book by Stephen King or Dean Koontz. There is a lot of action here. There is plenty of excitement. There is also more than just a bit of horror. It's a good mix that definitely stays interesting for the entire story. If you're offended by blood and gore though, maybe you'd best stick with my boy Albus and his favorite knitting patterns. Deathbringer is obviously intended for an audience that can handle the rough stuff. I loved that about it. Carpenter is not afraid to let us see the consequences of the violence in the books. And, if I was reminded of something terrible I read about as part of my degree well, it happened and it's believable. 

The antagonist of the piece, Yenda Avard is a sick, twisted, evil, power-seeking wannabe-tyrant who makes Delores Umbridge look like the little old lady down the street who used to bake you cookies when you were a kid. She is a flat out mass-murderer. I don't like this chick AT ALL. Of course, that makes her an ideal villain. Her motivations are crystal clear and unyielding. They make sense and are the same motivations (personal profit and power) that have motivated everyone from Karl Marx to Adolph Hitler to Mao Zedong to Barack Obama and FDR. The only possible difference is that Avard doesn't pretend she's in it to help others the way the rest of them did. 

This leads to a strong desire on the part of the reader to see said wench get precisely what is coming to her. At least I know I did. I love to hate an antagonist and Avard fits the bill. This is almost an obsession with me. I love Anne McCaffrey's work in general but, having read the entire series up to Dragonflight, I never really liked her Dragonriders of Pern series because thread is a boring enemy. I mean, I get the fact that the stories are about the riders themselves, but ugh...

I need something for the hero that has a brain and an attitude problem. Avard fits that bill. I hate that chick. At some point, you actually want Avard dead. Whether that happens or not is something I won't reveal, but if you get into the story at all (and I'm sure you will) you'll be rooting for all of the bad things to happen to this woman.

The world building here is superb. There's so much going on against the backdrop that Carpenter built that it's hard to focus on the world where it all takes place, but its wonderfully rendered. The kingdom is a matriarchy, but it is not a peaceful, calm matriarchy envisioned by many of the people who promote the idea of a matriarchy. There is scheming, feuding and outright conflict. Deathbringer reads like a realistic depiction of what would happen if the mean girls from your old high school ran things.

All in all, I loved Deathbringer and I can't wait to get the sequel once it gets here.

Bottom Line: 5.0 out of 5 Massacred Villagers

Deathbringer: The Spellsword Saga: Book One
Blake Carpenter
Livro Publishing, 2023

It's time! It's time! It's Dragon time!

 

I'm a dragon. He's a dragon. She's a dragon. Wouldn't you like to be a dragon too?

It's that time of year again, folks. Time to let everyone know what you think about your favorite books, movies, games and probably something else in the world of Speculative Fiction fandom! I love the Dragon Awards, which haven't been gamed to exclude anyone who isn't a favorite of annual WorldCon attendees from winning. Seriously, if you ever get really, really, bored and you can't find the owner's manual for your car to read, try reading the rules for the Hugos. And of course, the Nebulas have been structured recently to be "inclusive" by excluding people like myself, so I have no interest in those either.

The  Dragon Awards are awards of the fans, by the fans and for the fans. There is no cost to nominate or vote. There is no vote weighting system. One fan, one vote. Tell us what you want and MAYBE it will happen. I mean, the rest of us get to vote too, right? Lord knows I've seen enough of my nominees go down in flames. If you love Science Fiction, Fantasy, Horror, or maybe something I'm forgetting, you should go register and nominate here. Make your voice heard. I mean, we all know I'm a loudmouth but you can be too! You can be every bit as obnoxious and opinionated as your loving host!

Wait...

I said that wrong. 

Since when was I known for my loving nature?

Anyway...

I'm serious about these things and have been since I first heard they were coming. It's like the People's Choice Awards, except for things that I care about. This is a fun time of year. And, of course, I, being neither shy nor retiring, have decided to share my picks with all of you. Agreement, disagreement, and thrown crockery are all welcome as long you are mocking me. You will respect each other while you're here. 

So, without further ado...

Best Science Fiction Novel

I, being me, picked Blaine Lee Pardoe's Splashdown, which was just released in January. He's been putting out content a lot faster than he did for FASA/CGL and that makes me happy. You can see my review here. In case you missed it, forgot about, or think that a WHOLE THOUSAND WORDS IS JUST TOO MUCH TO READ, I liked it because it action packed, with a believable cast of characters following their own personal motivations and a kind of twist between military science fiction and a mystery novel.

Wow. That was a long sentence. You still with me?

AHEM

As I was saying, I've read the next three in the series and I'm working on the fifth, which is the most recent currently available. You need to check the Land & Sea series out, but start with Splashdown, because it's the first one and the best one.

Best Fantasy Novel

I went with Thief on King Street by Jason McDonald, Stormy McDonald, and Jason Isom. 

People from an alternate universe are visiting Earth. They're worried about whether they can get back but they can't leave without rescuing one of their own who came here by accident. There's magic where there shouldn't be because Earth doesn't have any magic. The cast came from our sister planet Gaia, though, and it has magic so they brought some with them.

There's a lot to Thief on King Street and if you want a real take on it, you can try my review.

Best Young Adult/Middle Grade Novel

I didn't have a nominee for this. I guess I don't read much YA these days. That may have something to do with being in my mid-forties, I guess. Maybe next year.

Best Alternate History Novel

Are you serious? I can't remember reading, or find a review of, a single Alt-Hist novel that I've read in the last year. As a huge fan of the genre, I'm going to go cry. I'm going to wail. I'm going to gnash my teeth. I'm going to be crushed and driven before the true fans of Alternate History. It's just too bad you can't all hear the lamentations of my women because they're too busy laughing at me.

*SIGH*

Somebody drop some recommendations in the comments because I'm losing my mind here. Please?

Best Horror Novel

There was only one possibility for this in my mind: Declan Finn's Blue Saint. I mean, even if he made me cry. 

Listen folks, I was a little apprehensive about reading this one. If you've read the Earth's Children series by Jean M. Auel you know why I walked into the last book of a series apprehensively. (If you haven't read the first five. They're awesome.) Finn though, managed to save his best work for last and I was pleasantly surprised by that. 

Blue Saint is a book that has it all: Love, loss, action, betrayal and an amazing character arc. I'd nominate it twice if I could. I can't though, so you need to. Seriously. And if, after all of that, you're still on the fence, you can read what I had to say about it.

Best Illustrative Book Cover: Cedar Sanderson's Fantasry Treehouse Art and Architecture. Read about it here. 

"Nuff said

Best Comic Book or Graphic Novel

Money's tight and full length books take longer to read than comics. Any of the stuff that I read on KU was too old to nominate, so I have nothing for this category this year. Maybe next year.

Best Science Fiction or Fantasy TV Series, TV or Internet

I was torn here. I originally wanted to go with The Last of Us. It was an awesome premise and a take on the Zombie Apocalypes like I've never seen before. I loved it. I'm still kicking myself for not following it through the season instead of waiting until it was over to watch, but that's whatever. 

And then I thought about it and I just couldn't do it. That sucks, too because on any other year when Strange New Worlds hadn't debuted, The Last of Us would have gotten my nomination. 

ON THE OTHER HAND...

Strange New Worlds is epic. The cast works. The stories work. It's episodic per The Original Series and that's awesome. The visuals are amazing. The take on the Gorn is a little bit out there, but I enjoyed it. Seriously, if you're a Trek fan and you haven't watched Strange New Worlds you're missing out on something great. And, unlike the TOS pilot, Pike is actually an entertaining captain. 

Best Science Fiction or Fantasy Movie

Listen: I've been saying I'd watch a real Dungeons & Dragons movie for decades now. I was looking forward to this for months. I went to see Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves myself. I wasn't disappointed. I can't wait to see it again. You can find out here.

There were a couple of gaming categories after this, but I left them blank.

So what did you think? You think you've got a better list? You think I passed something over? GO VOTE FOR IT.

I'm waiting...