Rachel Bach's Paradox Trilogy Review

Rachel Bach's Paradox trilogy is a sci-fi story set in a distant future where humans have colonized multiple worlds and have divided into two distinct cultural groups, Terrans and Paradoxians. Terran culture is much like our own, while Paradoxian culture is highly militarized with a government and religion that revolves around its sacred king. Deviana Morris is a Paradoxian mercenary with dreams of joining the most elite unit of armored soldiers, the Devastators. When given the chance to join the crew of the Glorious Fool, a group of misfits under the command of the mysterious and famously unlucky Brian Caldswell, she jumps at the chance. Surviving a tour with Caldswell may be her ticket straight to the top, but even with her custom armor and guns, Devi is not ready for the adventures that await her in space. 

First of all, I love that the Paradox books are sci-fi novels featuring a female lead character written by a woman author. Not as rare as it used to be, thankfully, but still notable and awesome. More than that, though the books are well written, the characters are engaging and the universe well thought out and fully realized. Devi is likable as a protagonist. She is a no non-sense badass in the model of Ripley from the Alien films. As the plot unfolds, however, Devi discovers that she is a better person than she gives herself credit for and she becomes more well-rounded. There is also a romantic subplot that is subtle enough not to bore the hard-core sci-fi fan but sweet enough to make my inner fangirl squeal. The battle scenes are intense and the pacing is good overall.

Now, lest anybody this is a totally biased review, and don't get me wrong I love these books and will probably read them over and over, there are a few things that are a bit problematic. One is the path of the romance. Without giving away anything, things seems to turn around pretty fast for no discernible reason there that "twue wuv." It feels a little bit artificial at times. The plot itself also comes to sort of an awkward end. There was a little too much book left after the climax and a even then a few things are still left unanswered. That said, there is always room for another book. *wink wink, nudge nudge* Bach (who also goes by Rachel Aaron when she's writing fantasy, in case you were wondering) has not ruled out the possibility when asked. Squee!

Overall, the Paradox trilogy are a fun read. Each book is hard to put down and Devi is an awesome female character to cheer for. Pick them up today, you won't be sorry.

Coming soon... a review of Rachel Aaron's Legend of Eli Monpress series. 

LootCrate takes a look back

This month's LootCrate theme was rewind. It was jam packed with all the nostalgic things nerds of a certain age loved back in the day in all their pixelated, low-res glory. I am a sucker for all things retro myself and this month didn't disappoint. I really like that the crate themes have broadened a little bit and gotten away from being quite so gaming heavy. I also appreciated that more of the items in this month's crate were really usable. 

This month included an exclusive tee featuring Voltron. The blue-on-black is subtle and has kind of a Tron-esque vibe that I love. I'm definitely going to be getting some serious mileage out of this one.

I really like that there are more usable items in this month's box. The 8-bit sunglasses probably won't replace my daily wearers, but they'll be fun for specific outfits and they're UVA rated so they're not just for costume. Probably my favorite item this month though is the Space Invaders tie from Black Tie Geek. I'm already working to put together a work outfit to feature it but it would also make a great headband for those who are not so necktie-inclined. The comic notebook is a small blank book pre-divided into panels for at-home comic artists. It even includes a small stencil for all the thought bubbles and sound effects.

Next up is this little guy, a 10-doh! figure by Squid Kids Ink. Its a little anthropomorphized NES cartridge. He's even got his own little zapper. Each one of these little guys features a parody of a classic Nintendo title. 

Last, but certainly not least this month's comic was Marvel Star Wars #1. This is Marvel's first Star Wars comic since 1987 and it was a great opening effort. The story takes place after the events of Episode IV and features Han Solo, Princess Leia, Luke Skywalker sabotaging an imperial weapons depot. The art is outstanding and the storyline seems promising. I will definitely be picking up the other books in this arc.

All in all, this month was probably my favorite crate so far. If you're interested in a subscription or more information on LootCrate visit them here.

Bless me geek gods for I have sinned

I committed one of the ultimate sins of fandom today, especially as a fangirl. In the world of GamerGate, fake geek girl accusations and gatekeeping, it's important to spread the love and understanding within the fandom(s). But unfortunately that's exactly what I didn't do today. So here's the story and then I'll talk about why this is problematic. 

So I have a coworker who is a big fan of radio contests. She enters any and every contest she becomes aware of and frequently wins free tickets to concerts, sporting events and other conventions. Today she announced to me, the office's resident geek, that she was trying to win tickets to this weekend's "Wizard World thingy." For those who don't know, Wizard World puts on comic conventions across the country. Now this is where things went sideways. Rather than congratulate her on her interest in the nerdier side of life, I bristled. I felt, still feel, that entering to win tickets to something which you don't really want is silly and robs someone who really wants to go but can't afford to the chance to enjoy something they love. So anyway, I asked her why she'd want to go. "For the people watching," she replied cheerily. "Why," I asked, pressing further, hoping to make her either look or feel like an asshole, "so that you can point and laugh?" "So I can see all the people in their costumes, and they had a meet and greet with Bruce Campbell." "You don't even like comics," I snarked. "I sort of do," she replied. My next inclination was to administer a quiz, but another coworker interrupted and that, mercifully, was the end of it.

Now I feel that my behavior was problematic. Gatekeeping is a major problem in nerd culture. Because nerds tend to see ourselves as underdogs because of exclusion and bullying that they have experienced in the past, we tend to be very protective of the things we care about.* We tend to feel compelled to keep people out of the fandom who may not seem worthy. I'm not sure if this due to a fear that someone who might be mean or threatening may get in to the sanctum sanctorum or to the comforting feeling of superiority or power that being on the inside affords. I myself have thrive on the drunken power of knowing more than others. It feels damn good. I felt a mixture those feelings today; superiority, judgement, and most of all, butthurt. How dare she invade a space that has been mine! She was not worthy! *waves flaming sword of judgement* Worthiness has nothing to do with it. We should all be accepting of those who show interest in the thing that we like. Were you born with an encyclopedic knowledge of Star Wars? I think not. I'm sure there was some kind person, maybe a parent or and older sibling or friend who invited you in, answered your questions and was patient with you. We all could be that person for someone else. We should also learn to understand that a member of another fandom may feel just as strongly about their fandom as we do about ours, rather than judging him or her based on the fandom's relative popularity to others. We should be trying to grow nerd culture so that other people don't have to go through the feelings of being left out or being the only one who likes x or y. I let down the side today, I'm sorry guys. 

tl;dr Gatekeeping is bad...mmkay?

*I am making broad generalizations about nerd culture based on my own experience, I am aware that these vary greatly on the individual level. Bear with me.

Thoughts on Dragon Age: Inquisition

So my New Year's resolution was to write more, which I have to say I am failing at miserably. Though to be fair I have had a plague of a cold for a week now which has left me doing little besides sleeping, catching up on Legend of Korra and playing Dragon Age. I just hit the 40 hour mark so I figure I'm maybe half to two-thirds of the way through this play through. I'm definitely not what you'd call a completionist on an inaugural play though. This time I'm just soaking in the plot, getting comfortable with the combat system and falling in love with the characters.
Inquisition is my first Dragon Age game, which is weird for me because Bioware is my favorite studio. Mass Effect is my favorite game of all time followed by Mass Effect 3, 2 and Knights of the Old Republic. I played the demo for Dragon Age II back when but I felt lost playing it. The lore was too intense for a demo and the combat was too button-mashy. I never picked up DA2 and when presented with the choice of purchasing either it or DA:O I chose to sink back into Mass Effect again. But the hype was so epic for Inquisition that I was drawn in. I hadn't been gaming much lately and I wanted to revisit that obsessed fangirl feeling that Bioware games have always brought me, so I picked it up. Holy shit did it not disappoint. I'm hooked.
Inquisition is so pretty, even on the Xbox360. Thedas feels huge and there's so much to do, it's easy to feel overwhelmed and lost! DAI is easy to role play in. Wandering around the Hinterlands after the opening of the game feels so real. Its so big and there are huge mountains and forts and rivers and every few minutes some farmer or refugee is asking for a favor. You feel what the inquisitor feels, lost and put upon. I found myself talking out loud to my tv a lot, especially when I found the first dragon. There was a lot of screaming and running away. Then I sang the running away song from Monty Python while Solas slightly disapproved.  But now, this far in, my inquisitor feels like she's beginning to surround herself with friends, building a support system and coming into her own as a hero and as a person. I feel like she's definitely got her favorites; Dorian and Cassandra are her besties. And then there's Cullen *sigh* Cullen is my inquisitor's love interest and the scenes they have together are absolutely adorable. Their romance blossoms slowly as they fumble over each other like the big dorks they are. He's like a romance novel hero: strong and handsome, sensitive and haunted, capable and perfect. If only he was real. *ugly sobbing*
Quite simply, Inquisition feels as close to a perfect game as my mind is able to imagine. It is as big as Skyrim but it is filled with fully realized, fleshed out characters that are so engaging you'll wish they were really your friends. I have so many feels about this game but I feel like I should wait for a spoiler post when I've actually finished. If you haven't already, buy it, on any platform and play it as much as your can, you won't be sorry.

Oh Cullen you sexy beast <3

December's LootCrate is about Anniversaries

The theme for December's LootCrate is Anniversary. 2014 marks a lot of anniversaries in the nerd-o-sphere. Both Marvel and DC turned 75 this year, while both the Ghostbusters franchise and Tetris turned 30 and The Simpsons turned 25. Each beloved nerd entity is nicely represented and I thought the variety of types of products was a nice touch.
The crowning glory of this month's crate was the exclusive Funko Pop figure of the classic tv Joker dressed as Batman. It makes more sense when you see it.

He's adorable, with his little crazy eyes.
Along with the Joker, DC's side is represented by an exclusive Batman comic.

Marvel's side is slightly underrepresented. Enclosed this month were dancing baby Groot socks and a Captain America air freshener (it smells like vanilla, not freedom, sad). I realize I say this as a Marvel fangirl, but I'm a little disappointed by the inequality here. However, check out the Groot socks, so cute!

D'awwwww!
The Simpsons got a nod with a paper wallet. Made out of super tough Tyvek paper, it features a ton of classic characters. We had fun playing name that character.

Also included were a Ghostbusters hotel-style do not disturb sign, a set of Tetris stickers in bright neon colors. I can't wait to adorn something with them, I just haven't decided and I don't want to waste them.
Overall, another valiant effort LootCrate. I love the Joker figure even though Batman isn't really my jam. I think it was a smart decision to broaden the themes for the crates. They really do have something for everyone and this crate contained more useful goods than in the past.
Full disclosure: I paid for my LootCrate subscription.
More info on subscriptions and pricing at LootCrate

Star War Episode VII Teaser trailer thoughts/flails

You guys. The three little words that set the heart alight...*new Star Wars* If you haven't feasted your eyes on 88 seconds of nerd crack you can find it here. Ok now lets talk about it. The trailer opens with John Boyega's character out in the desert, is it Tatooine? Is he really a stormtrooper? If so, where's his helmet?

Personally I think that Boyega's stormtrooper establishes a new order of trooper, a not so subtle reminder that Imperial stormtroopers are not the Jango clones that we grew so fond of during the Clone Wars era. The new Stormtroopers look sleek and deadly. I'm really hoping to see them come into their own as the galaxy's best military force. They look like they're about to execute a dangerous drop. I'd like to see them more like Halo's ODSTs than the three stooges. Next the soccer ball droid. I love it, a fitting side kick for a new generation of Jedi. Next Daisy Ridley's character rides away in the same desert setting on a beat up speeder bike. I like her look, it's kind of farm-kid bad ass a little bit reminiscent of Abrams' reboot Kirk.

Coincidence? I think not.

X-wings skim over a lake. Could this be Naboo? How much is this movie going to tie into the prequel trilogy: many young fans' most personal link to the Star Wars universe. X-wings to me speak so strongly of a post Original Trilogy era which I identify with the now "legends" EU. Speaking of which I'd love for the young pilot to be an Antilles. Just saying.
A lonely figure in a dark wood powers up a rudimentary red Sith lightsaber. It starts up in fits and spurts like somethings not quite right. It is not the smooth power up we're used to seeing but the hand guard part looks super cool and when you think about it, wouldn't that be more useful when locked in a battle of life and death? Maybe somebody wants to be the first Force user in two generations not be missing a hand?
And then the Millennium Falcon happened and the Williams' theme music swelled and it really felt like a Star Wars movie. The Falcon looks awesome. The effects are top notch and it looks as Kessell Run ready as ever.
All in all, it all looks cool. There's a lot left to the imagination which I think is a great way to go with the movie still a year away. I'm not looking to be spoiled for the whole plot this far out and this teaser is a refreshing change.

October Loot Crate is Fear-ful!

Hey everybody, its Loot Crate time again. For those of you who aren't familiar with Loot Crates, they are a subscription service providing a monthly box of geeky, nerdy goodness all matching a particular theme. There are always exclusive items, including figures and t-shirts. Its like a little box of ComicCon. 

In all honesty, I've been getting crates ever since my last review but I keep missing the window in getting a review posted. But I made it and today we're talking about October's crate, Fear. This spooky themed box featured an exclusive t-shirt and it was awesome.

It's a skull, made out of cats. Take it in. 

How to Survive a Sharknado survival handbook. Its a worst-case scenario style guide for SyFy channel movie disasters. A must-have should you encounter a ghost shark or a Mongolian Death Worm. (Spoiler alert - a shot-gun is almost always a good idea)

Probably the geekiest item in the box, a Sledgesaw-Hammer pen from Dead-Rising 3. It came packaged in a teeny-tiny footlocker box. Not my jam game-wise, but my action figures will delight in wielding it.

The Walking Dead comic #132, I would've been disappointed in a horror-themed crate with no Walking Dead.

Overall, outstanding crate. Not my favorite thus far because last month's crate, Galaxy, was so very flail-worthy and horror is not my genre but still excellent. Loot Crate's new broader crates offer something for everybody. I'm happy with every crate even if the theme is not my jam. 

For more info on Loot Crate visit them here. 

Full disclosure, I have a subscription that I pay for.