Complete Chronicles of Conan Review
By Flames | March 19, 2008
This is it, all your Conan stories all in one spot accompanied by an able and long article on the author, a nice long introduction to the world of Hyboria and a smattering of black and white art - both endpieces and plates - to bring some of the old feel of the mystery magazines back in. This is what it says on the tin, a full on compilation of everything Conan behind a nice looking inlaid cover.
Review by James ‘Grim’ Desborough
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Lies of Locke Lamora & Red Seas Under Red Skies Fiction Review
By Flames | March 12, 2008
These two novels of what will likely be a septology (or more, I believe there’s a prequel coming) of novels by Scott Lynch are a sort of Renaissance fantasy world with more than a passing nod to the Venetian merchant princes of history and the ensemble cast crime movies of the modern age. I would call it ‘Oceans 11, with Wizards’ but that wouldn’t be entirely fair since, while there is magic, it’s rather low key magic for the most part, subtle and sinister rather than ‘Kablooie!’. These first two novels cover the rise, fall, recovery and then fall again of master thief Locke Lamora and his companions, most particularly the educated brute (and Locke’s best friend) Jean Tannen.
Review by James ‘Grim’ Desborough
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Serenity (Novelization) Review
By Flames | December 10, 2007
The plot is exactly like the movie. The movie is good, so the book is good by default. It’s definitely a page turner. De Candido’s style is largely free of literary flourishes. It’s as if he literally transcribed Joss Whedon’s screenplay verbatim while tossing in only a few extras. Story-wise, I thought that the book could have gone into a little more depth than it does. However, it does elaborate a bit on the battle of Serenity.
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Flames Rising eBook Shop Updates
By Flames | December 2, 2007
You can now search by publisher at the Flames Rising eBook Shop.
This includes lots of fiction and comics (in addition to all of the RPGs). Basically all of the publishers from the various OneBookShelf sites are now listed in one handy spot.
For example, all of David Moody’s Autumn tales from Infected Books and Simon Green’s Nightside novels from Ace Fantasy or even Laurell K. Hamilton’s Anita Blake books from Berkley. The Deadworld and H.P. Lovecraft tales from Caliber Comics are only $0.99 each.
It looks like they are still working out all of the details, but it is a good start. Takes a little bit of exploring, the list of publishers is extensive. As always sales on the Flames Rising eBook Shop are appreciated and help keep Flames Rising going.
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Legend of the Five Rings - 3rd Edition Review
By Flames | December 2, 2007
While its another dicepool system the roll-and-keep and the exploding dice seem to focus people’s attention on the game pretty well and make rolling the dice unpredictable enough to be exciting. Combine this with ‘raises’ (extra risk for extra effect) and the mechanics fairly naturally lend themselves to skilled characters using a bit of flair and expertise rather than simply hacking away.
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Historian Review
By Flames | April 17, 2007
Dracula has held our fascination for centuries, and yet his life, and his death remain a mystery to us. So it is only natural for him to star in many novels and games, making the hunt for him a focal point in the plot. The novel The Historian, by Elizabeth Kostova, features the history of Dracula. The fear and danger of searching for him are wonderfully depicted in this novel, keeping the reader glued to its pages.
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Agon RPG Review
By Flames | September 9, 2006
Agon takes place in a mythical Greece, drawing heavily from the Iliad and the Odyssey as inspiration (along with other sources like the films Clash of the Titans and Troy). Characters take on the role of heroes serving the gods on quests throughout the land, seeking glory and fame so their names may live on throughout the ages…
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Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children
By Flames | January 12, 2006
Released in September 2005 to a North American audience, Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children has been heralded as the stunning animé sequel to the Final Fantasy VII video game.
I have not played Final Fantasy VII, but I have played other games within the Final Fantasy series. Watching this animé was like sitting in the audience at a three-ring circus—visually stunning, amazing attention to detail—with little substance. The visual effects almost make you forget the horrible soundtrack; some of the fight scenes don’t even have music accompaniment.
The story for the film is mostly explained through Advent Children’s website, the dark fantasy themes were hard to follow. Emotionally, I felt very detached from these characters and could see that this was an exercise in resurrection—had I played the game I probably would have cheered when some of the characters made brief appearances. Instead, I kept asking who was who as one action scene twisted into another.
The animé focuses on Cloud Strife, a reluctant hero once tied up with a massive corporation called Shinra who abused an energy resource (mako) for power. Midgar, once a grand and vibrant center of prosperity, was reduced to ruins. In this animé, you’re introduced to a city rebuilding in the shadow of a threatening disease, called the Geostigma, that steals lives with its mark. Cloud is pulled into the problems of Midgar through his friend Tifa and her charges Marlene and Denzel. When Denzel is kidnapped, Cloud must once again take up his massive dual-sword to find a cure for Midgar’s children. Standing in Cloud’s way are three brothers led by Kadaj. They’re pretty typical of the Final Fantasy mythos; they want something and they’re going to do whatever they can to get it. The story is problematic; although there are depth-seeking themes (like the earth/human symbiotic relationship) these moments are extremely anticlimactic. By the end of this you don’t even care that the kids are cured.
What you do care about is the thrilling rollercoaster ride through Cloud’s inhuman battle feats, the speed of the motorcycle chase, and the visually-impressive depiction of Vincent Valentine—another one of Cloud’s mysterious allies. By far the best battle scene occurs toward the end between a revisited image of Sephiroth (a genetically-engineered monster courtesy of Shinra Corporation who hates humanity because of it) and Cloud. Other cameo moments (like using the Final Fantasy VII game music as a cell phone ringer) make you laugh.
Overall, I feel like I’ve missed the point of Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children because I haven’t played the game. It is not a piece that can stand on its own, although it’s worth a viewing for the fight scenes.
Final Fantasy Unlimited - The Complete Collection * Final Fantasy - Sephiroth Masamune 68″ Sword
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