Bookblog of the Bristol Library: The Little Encyclopedia of Enchanted Woodland Creatures: An A-to-Z Guide to Mythical Beings of the Forest by Jason Lancaster

Bookblog of the Bristol Library: The Little Encyclopedia of Enchanted Woodland Crea...:   Reviewed by Jeanne I picked this one up because I had rather enjoyed The Little Encyclopedia of Fairies:   An A-to-Z Guide to Fae Magi...

Bookblog of the Bristol Library: The Element Encyclopedia of the Celts by Rodney Castleden

Bookblog of the Bristol Library: The Element Encyclopedia of the Celts by Rodney Ca...:   Reviewed by Jeanne Subtitled “The ultimate a-z of the symbols, history, and spirituality of the legendary Celts,” this book does take ...

Scott's Take: Once and Future Volume 4: Monarchies in The U.K. by Kieron Gillen

Once and Future Volume 4: Monarchies in The U.K. by Kieron Gillen picks up some time after Volume 3 where the prime minster chose to reveal that Otherworld was real thus dragging Britain into a world of fantasy and cutting it off from the rest of the world. Myths, monsters, and stories have over taken the land while normal humans are being slaughtered. King Arthur continues his bloody conquest until another King Arthur from a different story rises up to declare war against him. It is Merlin vs Merlin. It's King Arthur vs King Arthur for Britain. Both sides are waging a bloody war to control Britain and both are equally evil. Duncan and the rest of the trio are trying to find a way to minimize the damage that the prime minister has caused and hopefully turn things around.

 

This action-packed adventure features the same incredible art that has been present in the series all along with even more character development. The twist at the end makes me very excited as a new character is introduced. One that could drastically change the series and who happens to be a favorite character of mine. This series is continued in Once and Future Volume 5 which currently does not have a title or a release date yet.

 

 

My reading copy came by way of the HOOPLA app via the Dallas Public Library System.

 

Scott A. Tipple ©2022

Bookblog of the Bristol Library: Tuesdays with Ambrea: The Witch’s Heart by Genevie Gornichec

Bookblog of the Bristol Library: Tuesdays with Ambrea: The Witch’s Heart by Genevie...:     Reviewed by Ambrea   Punished by Odin for refusing to share her magic sight, Angrboda is burned at the stake three times and pie...

Scott's Take: Rick Riordan Presents The Last Fallen Star: A Gifted Clans Novel by Graci Kim

Rick Riordan Presents The Last Fallen Star: A Gifted Clans Novel by Graci Kim is the latest book in a series of books by different authors where Rick Riordan is acting as an editor and helping authors with novels based on various mythologies become published. Rick Riordan is probably best known for creating the Percy Jackson series based on Greek Mythology. That series has been adapted for television and is to become a Disney plus original series soon.

 

This particular book is the first in a planned series based on Korean Mythology. Riley Oh is the adopted daughter of two people with magical powers. As they are not her biological parents, she has no magic of her own. Her inability to wield magic makes her an outcast in the gifted society where everyone has magical powers and are individually part of various clans. Riley Oh desperately wants magic powers so that she can join the family clan, the Gom Clan, and be a magical healer too. Her sister, Hattie, has magic and comes up with a way that they both can share that power. Things go horribly wrong and Riley has to find a way to undo the magical ritual that Hattie invoked or she could lose Hattie forever.

 

This book is primarily about concepts such as tradition vs innovation, personal identity, and trying to belong. The read is very reminiscent of books by Rick Riordan in a good way as it is full of humor while at the same time the main character is a bit lost and unsure of who she is and where she belongs. In my opinion, the Rick Riordan Presents series have been very hit or miss.  Rick Riordan Presents The Last Fallen Star: A Gifted Clans Novel by Graci Kim is one of the few hits. The second book in this series, Rick Riordan Presents The Last Fallen Moon: A Gifted Clans Novel, is to come out in the summer of 2022.

 

Rick Riordan Presents The Last Fallen Star: A Gifted Clans Novel

Graci Kim

https://www.gracikim.com/the-last-fallen-star

Rick Riordan Presents (Disney Hyperion)

https://rickriordan.com/rick-riordan-presents/

May 2021

ISBN# 1368059635

Paperback (available in audio and eBook formats)

368 Pages

 

My reading copy came from my own branch, Lochwood, of the Dallas Public Library System.

 

Scott A. Tipple ©2021

Scott's Take: Once & Future Volume Two: Old English by Kieron Gillen and Illustrator Dan Mora

Once and Future Volume 2: Old English by Kieron Gillen and illustrator Dan Mora is the second volume in the series. I reviewed Once and Future Volume 1: The King Is Undead back last January. I said in the conclusion of that review that this book was on order and that the library system was not accepting holds. Eventually, they did, I did my hold, and it finally came my way.

 

Once and Future Volume 2: Old English continues the story of Duncan and his grandmother, Bridgette McGuire. After the revelations in the first volume, Duncan has lost a lot of his innocence and has become a bitter young man. His relationship with his grandmother is worse than ever. As they attempt to stop the undead King Arthur from enacting his new evil plan, they have a new problem. Beowulf has manifested in the real world. Because Beowulf has manifested, so too has Grendel and his mother, who are also threats.

 

Full of action, the same sense of humor, and incredible art like the first volume makes this another very good read. Both Duncan and his grandmother remain the same great characters they were in the first volume. The bad guys are just as evil as they were in the first volume.  if you enjoyed the first volume you will love this volume. Once and Future Volume 2: Old English has a bit more of a horror tone to it than the first book. Despite that fact, it was not over the top.

 

I highly recommend this series. 

 

The next book in the series, Once & Future Volume 3: The Parliament of Magpies and scheduled to be released in late July. This means with the way things work in the Dallas Library System, I am looking at very late summer or early Fall before I will be able to get my hands on a copy to read.

 

  

 Once & Future Volume One: Old English

Kieron Gillen

https://www.comixology.com/Kieron-Gillen/comics-creator/1864

Illustrator Dan Mora

https://www.behance.net/danmora

Boom Studios

https://www.boom-studios.com/wordpress/

November 2020

ISBN: 978-1-68415-637-5

Paperback (also available in eBook format)

160 Pages

 

 

My reading copy came from the Dunbar Branch of the Dallas Public Library System. 

 

Scott A. Tipple ©2021

Scott's Take: Once & Future Volume One: The King Is Undead by Kieron Gillen and Illustrator Dan Mora

Once & Future Volume One: The King Is Undead by Kieron Gillen and illustrated by Dan Mora. This graphic novel collects the first issues in the series. What if the legends and stories are all real and your grandmother was one of the people who used to hunt them? Bridgette McGuire is enjoying her retirement from hunting monsters until a group of nationalists uncover the scabbard of Excalibur and attempt to use his magic to bring back King Arthur. These nationalists have not really thought through the consequences of their actions.  It’s up to Bridgette McGuire and her young grandson, Duncan, to save Britain.

 

The two main characters are incredibly different and interesting. Bridgette McGuire is an action hero long past her prime and living in a retirement home. Duncan is an awkward good guy and some unspecified type pf academic. The young Duncan has been kept from the truth about his grandmother his whole life and thus is totally unprepared for what is going on.  He has no skills that translate to the violent new world that he and his grandmother are thrust into and it will be up  to her to teach what he needs to know so they can survive.

 

The artwork is vibrant and expressive. There is plenty of action, humor, and character development in the tale. The creative team takes old ideas about King Arthur and examines them in a new light. They have a unique interpretation of the power of stories that many readers would enjoy. I could explain more, but doing so would ruin the read. I highly recommend Once & Future Volume One: The King Is Undead for mythology fans or just people intrigued by the main characters.

 

 This book is the first volume in a new series that started earlier this year. Once and Future Volume 2: Old English is currently on order at my local library, but they are not accepting hold on it yet. I eagerly await the second volume in this series.

 

 

Once & Future Volume One: The King Is Undead

Kieron Gillen

https://www.comixology.com/Kieron-Gillen/comics-creator/1864

Illustrator Dan Mora

https://www.behance.net/danmora

Boom Studios

https://www.boom-studios.com/wordpress/

March 2020

ISBN: 978-1-68415-491-3

Paperback (also available in eBook format)

160 Pages

 

 

My reading copy came from the Central or Downtown Branch of the Dallas Public Library System. 

 

Scott A. Tipple ©2021

Bookblog of the Bristol Library: Monsters and Mythical Creatures from Around the World

Bookblog of the Bristol Library: Monsters and Mythical Creatures from Around the Wo...:   Reviewed by Jeanne I picked this book up with the intention of just glancing through it but became intrigued. Frigiola starts from various...

Bookblog of the Bristol Library: Once and Future Myths

Bookblog of the Bristol Library: Once and Future Myths: By Jeanne Mythology has become a hot topic.  There have been many books drawing from myth and legend over the years—books about ...

Bookblog of the Bristol Library: Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman

Bookblog of the Bristol Library: Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman: Reviewed by Ambrea The Norse pantheon is wide and great and varied.   In it, readers (and listeners!) get to meet Odin, the One-E...

Bookblog of the Bristol Library: Rejected Princesses by Jason Porath

Bookblog of the Bristol Library: Rejected Princesses by Jason Porath: Reviewed by Ambrea “Well-behaved women seldom make history…and these women are far from well behaved,” writes Jason Pora...