Stephen King, the author of The Gunslinger, is great at what he does. Not the part where he scares the hebejeebies out of people with most of his stories, but rather his mastery of the written word. This is aptly demonstrated in the Gunslinger, book one of King’s sprawling fantasy series The Dark Tower, which he writes was born out of J.R.R. Tolkien’s work like many writers of his generation. (Tolkien wrote Lord of the Rings.) The Gunslinger not only pulls you into a story with incredibly rich language filled with vivid imagery, it knows exactly when to do it. The Gunslinger’s pacing is incredible, with true character development and action that gnaws at your nerves. What lies at the end is as unexpected as it is fantastical.
REIGN of Books Ep. 22 – The End of the Beginning (The Gunslinger pt2)
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This is only the end of the beginning, and it’s an incredible beginning. We are rewarded with answers to what the Dark Tower is, but we are left with a grand epic stretched out before us. I for one will follow the gunslinger and find out if he can solve this mystery that surrounds his failing world and, perhaps, turn the tide.
REIGN of Books Ep. 21: It’s a Trap! (The Gunslinger pt1)
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The Gunslinger is a fascinating spectacle – rich characters, bleak landscapes, unknown forces of evil, and the gunslinger surviving the wilderness to track down the man in black. There’s a lot to sink your teeth into, and this struggle between these two adversaries is deeper than I suspect.
The Gunslinger BOOK TRAILER
Stephen King stories freak me out (Remember “It”?) But his brooding fantasy series The Dark Tower is starting out very nicely. Not scary, just creepy. End-World has some bleak landscapes that make Mad Max look like day camp. The gunslinger is the last of his kind and will cross the world to find the man in black. It’s gooood. Check out the book trailer.
Video Book Review – ‘Myst’ is a Must for Real World Builders
Expectations blown! But in a good way. First impressions: Striking similarities to Riddick – in wardrobe, not sociopathic tendencies. Bottom Line: Makes me want to play Minecraft all day long!
Myst – The Book of Atrus (pt2 Spoilers) BOOK TRAILER
Colossal world crushing ahead. See how to manage awesome planetary power.
REIGN Ep. 20 – How Not to Build Planets (Myst – The Book of Atrus pt2)
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This book is a coming of age story – a young boy has unfathomable burdens placed upon him as he steers the course of worlds and stands up against a would-be tyrant. His bravery comes at a high cost and he is willing to sacrifice the rare gift of true love to save countless others. His trials are ours, and his decisions a reflection of our own strength of character. It’s a timeless story of what roads we choose in life and how those will shape who we become. Myst remains shrouded in mystery until the end, but that is the nature of this world and the result of the power that is wielded by its people. Inevitably, the characters meet their just fates and we get closure to the story, yet it remains filled with many wondrous possibilities for adventure.
Myst – The Book of Atrus (pt1) BOOK TRAILER
Survivors of a lost civilization search for the key to its revival. And it’s a really cool civilization. Think Atlantis minus the water.
REIGN Ep. 19 – Survival of the Fittest (Myst – The Book of Atrus pt1)
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This story really pulled me in. It starts as a story of pure survival. A boy and his grandmother live in the desert under the shadow of a volcano. All alone, their small cleft gives them shelter and a place to grow food. The boy Atrus is molded by the elder Anna, who teaches him to observe everything, use his instincts, hone his skills and to remember certain immutable truths about life. The boy has an innate thirst for knowledge, experimenting and adapting to this harsh world.
SPOILER: Life for Atrus changes forever when his father, who left him as a child, comes out of the volcano, telling stories of their now lost civilization and how he wants Atrus to come back with him to their former home. Atrus’s people, the D’Ni, lived deep underground and ruled an empire for thousands of years. There are mysteries and wonders that show the might of the D’Ni, and Atrus is told of the secret to their enduring kingdom before it fell. The D’Ni were world builders and used a special craft to fashion thousands of worlds by writing them into existence. Can Atrus and his father Gehn revive the once great D’Ni culture? What will it take and what are they willing to do? Their journey will take them to many unexpected places and challenge them with many decisions.
The Eye of the World (pt4) BOOK TRAILER
Listen to the funny. No spoilers here.
The light and dark go at. It’s a battle royale. Listen to part four of the podcast for the blow by blow.
REIGN of Books 