Kireth

In a bit of a left-turn, W&W takes a dive into adventure movie material and becomes a bit like Indiana Jones, with the Macguffin being the Lord Ruler's feruchemical bands and the return of the (honestly weakest part of the book) Nazi-like villains the Set. Whilst this direction initially interested me, there was more explanation about Cosmere mechanics than the actual logic of what had led to these events, and I found myself having more questions than answers at the end of the book. The action was fluid, despite arguably slowing the story down at times in spectacle-filled, film-like sequences, and the characters have all developed considerably - Wax wrestles with some internal conflict, Wayne showcases more of himself and society, Marasi has become tougher and situationally-smarter and Steris goes through some really sweet growth. There was an exciting second-half revelation, and I loved the emotion of the ending. I can sense where Sanderson wants to take Era 3, but before that there's definitely a lot of room left to explore in Scadrial's near-future, and a secret history to fulfil in it's recent past... Looking forward to the Lost Metal (aka Mistborn 7)!

Wow, this novella added so much to Nine's character, providing not only backstory but then leading into his introduction with Four in the main series. Firstly, his relationships with his Cepan Sandor and a new teenage crush Maddy were well-written and, well, fresh. There was a big focus on a different kind of teenage lifestyle in Chicago, with rock climbing and car drives, perhaps to the other Garde. Then when the story takes its inevitable dark turn I watched Nine tested and broken, all the while developing his legacies. When the short story concluded, coinciding with the events of Power of Six, I felt a whole new level of understanding and attachment towards Nine.

A very tragic but mediocre backstory for Five, as we continue from Five's Legacy and see him further ingratiate himself into the Mogadorian hierarchy. Setrakus Ra is manipulative, Ethan and Emma are back (and suffering) and Five is hugely emotionally conflicted. As the story tries to match with events in the larger Lorien Legacies series, it all unfortunately feels a bit mundane and average as we end up with Five where we first find him in the mainline books - except for a great ending with Ethan and Five's leather blade, which ends up adding a star to the novella.

WHY: Was chatting to my cousin and we were looking for ways to better utilise our time as we go through university and working life, finally giving me motivation to pick one of the popular non-fiction books off of my ‘want to read' list. Atomic Habits is one of the more well-known, highly-read and rated books from that selection, and we thought why not start with the best one.
CONTENT: I really loved all of the content in Atomic Habits, revolving around the discussion of small changes accumulating in an almost non-quantifiable manner to make large differences. There were a lot of great gems within, especially relating to setting up systems rather than goals, chaining good actions together and being efficiently lazy. I also appreciated the advanced section, which explains what the Goldilocks Rule is (balancing difficulty and achievement), and the dangers that can arise when you live a habitual lifestyle and forget continual improvement.
WRITING: Clear has a great structured approach to the book, building upon the cue-craving-response-reward process across the book's sections. Each chapter is streamlined to the key information, which is dressed by anecdotes, diagrams, sub-headings and summaries that all work together in keeping the reader engaged and learning. I also appreciated how Clear pairs positive-leaning changes that build habits with negative ones that can break undesired behaviours.
WHO: Honestly, this is one of those books which I feel I need a physical copy of on my bookshelf, so that at different times of my life (and for different people who may need it) I can just pull it down and flick to the section that is relevant. This is definitely one I recommend anyone read at any age when attempting to improve any area of their life - along the way, you'll probably end up using at least one or two of these tips in other areas, and these little changes will assist in building the identity you want for yourself.

A novel way to write high fantasy, The Name of the Wind excels first and foremost at developing the beginnings of it's protagonist, Kvothe.

The biggest thing I noticed in the early stages of this book was how quickly Rothfuss was able to change the tone of the novel. Kvothe's first-person narration goes from describing a seemingly normal or uplifting scene before quickly adjusting into a dark or different situation. This made for enjoyable shocks in the story and a much more realistic upbringing for Kvothe.

What also impressed me was Rothfuss's choices to subvert typical genre conventions, and spend time developing a range of story areas. The winding, uncertain nature of the story made for a much more realistic and enjoyable read than one that would typically follow the fantasy formula. The writing style of having both a storyteller in the present, and his coming-of-age story in the past makes a new sort of plot that pushes the realism of the world even further, and stands apart from other books in the genre. The novel doesn't seem to have any clear thematic message, but Rothfuss drops quotable lines that are applicable in anyone's life, and describes Kvothe's interactions with others so well that you can see your own relationships with others reflected in the writing.

I can understand some readers not appreciating Kvothe's character, as a guy who basically has done-it-all and speaks down on those who aren't on his level, but I found his arrogance in particular a believable trait that balanced out any “too-perfect” complaints. He is, at the end of the day, a flawed protagonist.

Unfortunately, my largest gripe with the book is how much of both the world development, and the character's life, are left unexplored. I will definitely be reading the sequel, but this book felt largely like a set-up (a very long 800 page one at that!) for the rest of the series. Also, I've seen the numerous complaints with the long (now 8+ years) wait for the third and final book in the trilogy...

Contrarily, the best parts of the book for me were undoubtedly the preludes and hints at the past, and I loved how different people throughout the book have different versions of stories to tell, really harkening back to an age where travellers shared tales and a common, written history was not widely known. All in all, a welcome breath of fresh air that leaves you wanting more in the fantasy genre.

Some of my favourite quotes:
- “If you can find someone...who you can hold and close your eyes to the world with, then you're lucky. Even if it only lasts for a minute or a day.”
- “It is like the ocean. I can tell you of the waves and water, but you don't begin to get an inkling of its size until you stand on the shore.”
- “May all your stories be glad ones, and your roads be smooth and short.”
- “There's no good story that doesn't touch the truth.”
- “As with all truly wild things, care is necessary in approaching them.”
- ““Bitter.” “That's how you know it's real medicine... If it tasted good it would be candy.”“
- “I found what I wanted most, yet it was not what I expected... As is often the case when you gain your heart's desire.”

WHY: Revisiting Riordan's Greek mythological world with my girlfriend before attempting to read the Heroes of Olympus series together.
STORY: This Percy Jackson companion novella includes three short stories, with camper interviews, world-building details and book puzzle games throughout.
The Stolen Chariot adds to the rivalry turned begrudging friendship between Clarisse and Percy as they track the title's namesake from sons of Ares Deimos and Phobos throughout Staten Island Zoo. The Bronze Dragon includes two romantic pairings and is of particular importance to the Heroes of Olympus series, introducing Festus as Beckendorf is trapped in a Myrmekes nest during a Capture the Flag game at camp. The Sword of Hades is definitely the best one, combining every fan's dream of the big three children Thalia, Percy and Nico with a trip into the Underworld featuring angry spirits and the River Lethe.
All three stories are also effective in increasing suspense for the final book in the PJ series, as this is set after the penultimate fourth entry but before The Last Olympian.
WRITING: Classic Rick Riordan humour integrated with just enough detail for a short story format. Whilst there are a few funny bits in the interviews, I found them very skippable (with the exception of Annabeth).
WHO: If you enjoyed the Percy Jackson series you will enjoy this. I'd say it is almost necessary reading if you plan on starting the Heroes of Olympus.

Ooh, a horror-style take on the Hulk/ Bruce Banner dynamic. They really nailed the Jekyll/ Hyde aspects of their relationship! I loved it, especially when the villains and plotlines for the comic were aligned to this genre exploration of the character. The art was great, interesting uses of green and consistent colours across people and landscapes. I liked the rural settings, making sense for the book's removed nature from the rest of the Marvel Comics. Definitely would read the sequel, curious about the Hulk/ death/ green doorway...

Has a lot of really cool spy moments, and feels very different from the mainstream Marvel comics. This is actually a collection of three comics featuring the Black Widow, a title now shared by Natasha Romanov and the new blonde Russian Yelena Boleva. I read this in anticipation for the latter's MCU debut in the upcoming Black Widow movie, and am keen to see how the film portrays their relationship. The first two stories work really well by playing off this rival/mentor relationship, but the third suffers from going to extreme darkness to try and build up just Yelena. Whilst the realism was definitely pushed, there were enough satisfying moments to justify a read. Just keep kids away from that last story, it definitely justifies the adult rating.

WHY: Have loved the movie for a long time, and did not even know it was adapted off a novella or that the story was penned by Steven King. As I'm trying to read more older books and more King, thought I would give this a go.
DIFFERENCES: Surprisingly, the movie was extremely faithful to the short story - with most of the memorable and impactful lines literally coming off the page. Written through the first-person perspective of prisoner Red, I will admit that I struggled to read his voice as an Irish and instead imagined Morgan Freeman and his dulcet tones were reading to me, which worked really well for immersion into the story. We get all the details of Andy Dufresne's life here, from the trial to the sisters to the financial dealings of the prison guard and warden. Whilst here the wardens rotate, and the twist is hinted at and explained a lot more, I still found this to be a really enjoyable tale about the persistence of hope in the darkest conditions - a theme that stood out a little more here than when viewing.
WHO: Honestly, despite thorougly enjoying this read it is very hard to recommend it over the 1994 oscar-nominated film - if you haven't seen it, go watch it in one sitting. This is really for the die-hard fans of King, or any super fans of the movie, which is one of those rare adaptations that gets all the major beats and themes right, and then adds some.

“Stand.”“...Standing”
This one was a bit of head-scratcher, but as always internet reading and articles cleared things up. I was definitely intrigued to know more about one of DC's more background heroes, who also belongs to the celestial and whacky “Fourth World” of Jack Kirby. Having heard so much about this famous run on the ordinary man turned escape artist Scott Free/ Mister Miracle, I decided to give it a shot and wish there was just a bit more context at the start. I did like the opening origin story, and the art throughout was delightful; nine-panel pages which flow seamlessly and have a cartoony but realistic style alongside some weird ‘fizzles'. Following big bad (dad) Darkseid's acquisition of the Anti-Life Equation, our protagonist tries to escape from Death by committing suicide and the entire run deals with his PTSD, depression and individual coping mechanisms through combat, his family in Big Barda and the insane worlds in which he lives in. Whilst this overlap between mundanity suburbia and cosmic warfare sometimes dulled the suspense, the colourful supporting cast and rhythmic sense of it all does work. There is a clear and really beautiful conclusion, and I fully support the creative team for writing a single-story comic that doesn't want or need to spawn a series, spinoffs etc. Like Darkseid, it just is.

The theme of fear was clear from the opening. Having Batman's rogues escape without a good plot explanation was cyclical, but luckily there wasn't too much focus on it, instead on the new empowering formula they were taking. Some issues: the new villain White Bunny a) could've been explored with more depth considering the whole descent into madness thing and b) definitely should have had more clothes on. The other villains all seemed to be reading Bruce's monologue as well because they started talking about fear for no real reason. Also, Batman took a LOT of hits and I was left at times scratching my head at his superhuman nature. Everything else was good though, with some typical fights and clean simple art.

WHY: Continuing the series in lockdown with awesome free delivery from my local library.
STORY: Unlike The Blood's journey across waters to the Isle of the Dead God, Haven is set completely in the city of Pontus, neutral in the Arcanic-Human war. Maika is trying to survive as the Blood Queens, Dusk (and Dawn) Court, Prime Minister and Pontus themselves try to use her and the ancient within for their own ends. There are a lot more POVs this volume, a welcome return from Volume 1 that helps the worldbuilding, and the plot seemed a lot more streamlined - war tensions are simmering, Pontus needs its shield from the old times to be activated and an Old God is straining against its bonds to enter this realm. The cats are also doing their own thing as usual, though this time it intriguingly includes the pure fox Kippa.
ART & WRITING: The art in this series is just amazing - the darkness seeping through the page, facial expressions and changing panel size and structure each page which drives energetic action and creates huge moments of dramatic tension. The themes of power and bloodlust are represented visually in graphic destruction, and otherworldly tales and creatures are visually engaging. I definitely take longer to read the writing here than with other graphic novels due to the sheer density of backstory to the world and inference of character motivation and relationships. The dialogue is brutally uncensored, gender flipped and still influenced somewhat by the Asian setting just like previous issues; "brother-f**ker/ father-f**ker".
WHO: If you are enjoying the Monstress series, then just keep reading it. I know that there's always something new to discover, although this definitely leaned more towards the style of Awakening which I preferred.

What can I say that hasn't been said already? This is one of those "must-read" books. For someone who is strongly guided by spirituality, the fleeting nature of life and time and everyone's individual journeys, The Alchemist was a perfect fit. Coelho blends cultures, locales and lessons in a seamlessly entertaining manner. His prose is poetic in its simplicity and the obvious sincere warmth of the voice. It was a surprisingly quick read, and I can see myself revisiting the world of the Shepard and the desert in the years to come.

From the "10 Years On" Introduction:

Why is it so important to live our personal calling if we are only going to suffer more than other people? Because, once we have overcome the defeats - and we always do - we are filled by a greater sense of euphoria and confidence.

Spoilers in quotes below.

From One:

"I weep for Narcissus, but I never noticed that Narcissus was beautiful. I weep because, each time he knelt beside my banks, I could see, in the depths of his eyes, my own beauty reflected."

"We have to be prepared for change, he thought, and he was grateful for the jacket's weight and warmth. The jacket had a purpose, and so did the boy."

"What's the world's greatest lie?" the boy asked, completely surprised.

"It's this: that at a certain point in our lives, we lose control of what's happening to us, and our lives become controlled by fate. That's the world's greatest lie."

All things are one. "And, when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it."

There was also the merchant's daughter, but she wasn't as important as his flock, because she didn't depend on him. Maybe she didn't even remember him. He was sure that it made no difference to her on which day he appeared: for her, every day was the same, and when each day is the same as the next, it's because people fail to recognise the good things that happen in their lives every day that the sun rises.

"That's the way it always is," said the old man. "It's called the principle of favourability. When you play cards for the first time, you are almost sure to win. Beginner's luck."

"Why is that?"

"Because there is a force that wants you to realise your Personal Legend; it whets your appetite with a taste of success."

"Well, there is only one piece of advice I can give you," said the wisest of wise men. "The secret of happiness is to see all the marvels of the world, and never to forget the drops of oil on the spoon."

It's too bad that he's quickly going to forget my name, he thought. I should have repeated it for him. Then when he spoke about me he would say that I am “Melchizedek, the king of Salem.He looked to the skies, feeling a bit abashed, and said, “I know it’s the vanity of vanities, as you said, my Lord. But an old king sometimes has to take some pride in himself.”

The sale of his sheep had left him with enough money in his pouch, and the boy knew that in money there was magic; whoever has money is never really alone.

He recalled that when the sun had risen that morning, he was on another continent, still a shepherd with sixty sheep, and looking forward to meeting with a girl. That morning he had known everything that was going to happen to him as he walked through the familiar fields. But now, as the sun began to set, he was in a different country, a stranger in a strange land, where he couldn’t even speak the language. He was no longer a shepherd, and he had nothing, not even the money to return and start everything over.

But now I’m sad and alone. I’m going to become bitter and distrustful of people because one person betrayed me. I’m going to hate those who have found their treasure because I never found mine. And I’m going to hold on to what little I have, because I’m too insignificant to conquer the world.

“I’m like everyone else—I see the world in terms of what I would like to see happen, not what actually does.”

As he mused about these things, he realized that he had to choose between thinking of himself as the poor victim of a thief and as an adventurer in quest of his treasure.

There must be a language that doesn't depend on words, the boy thought. I've already had that experience with my sheep, and now it's happening with people.

From Two:

“Today, I understand something I didn’t see before: every blessing ignored becomes a curse. I don’t want anything else in life. But you are forcing me to look at wealth and at horizons I have never known. Now that I have seen them, and now that I see how immense my possibilities are, I’m going to feel worse than I did before you arrived. Because I know the things I should be able to accomplish, and I don’t want to do so.”

There had been a time when he thought that his sheep could teach him everything he needed to know about the world. But they could never have taught him Arabic.

“Maktub,” the merchant said, finally.

“What does that mean?”

“You would have to have been born an Arab to understand,” he answered. “But in your language it would be something like ‘It is written.”

But the sheep had taught him something even more important: that there was a language in the world that everyone understood, a language the boy had used throughout the time that he was trying to improve things at the shop. It was the language of enthusiasm, of things accomplished with love and purpose, and as part of a search for something believed in and desired. Tangier was no longer a strange city, and he felt that, just as he had conquered this place, he could conquer the world.

He suddenly felt tremendously happy. He could always go back to being a shepherd. He could always become a crystal salesman again. Maybe the world had other hidden treasures, but he had a dream, and he had met with a king. That doesn’t happen to just anyone!

He still had some doubts about the decision he had made. But he was able to understand one thing: making a decision was only the beginning of things. When someone makes a decision, he is really diving into a strong current that will carry him to places he had never dreamed of when he first made the decision.

“We are afraid of losing what we have, whether it’s our life or our possessions and property. But this fear evaporates when we understand that our life stories and the history of the world were written by the same hand.”

Although the vision of the date palms would someday be just a memory, right now it signified shade, water, and a refuge from the war. Yesterday, the camel’s groan signaled danger, and now a row of date palms could herald a miracle.

The world speaks many languages, the boy thought.

At that moment, it seemed to him that time stood still, and the Soul of the World surged within him. When he looked into her dark eyes, and saw that her lips were poised between a laugh and silence, he learned the most important part of the language that all the world spoke—the language that everyone on earth was capable of understanding in their heart. It was love. Something older than humanity, more ancient than the desert. Something that exerted the same force whenever two pairs of eyes met, as had theirs here at the well. She smiled, and that was certainly an omen—the omen he had been awaiting, without even knowing he was, for all his life.

And when two such people encounter each other, and their eyes meet, the past and the future become unimportant. There is only that moment, and the incredible certainty that everything under the sun has been written by one hand only. It is the hand that evokes love, and creates a twin soul for every person in the world. Without such love, one’s dreams would have no meaning.

He felt sleepy. In his heart, he wanted to remain awake, but he also wanted to sleep. “I am learning the Language of the World, and everything in the world is beginning to make sense to me…even the flight of the hawks,” he said to himself. And, in that mood, he was grateful to be in love. When you are in love, things make even more sense, he thought.

“You must understand that love never keeps a man from pursuing his Personal Legend. If he abandons that pursuit, it’s because it wasn’t true love…the love that speaks the Language of the World.”

“There is only one way to learn,” the alchemist answered. “It’s through action. Everything you need to know you have learned through your journey. You need to learn only one thing more.”

“The desert will give you an understanding of the world; in fact, anything on the face of the earth will do that. You don’t even have to understand the desert: all you have to do is contemplate a simple grain of sand, and you will see in it all the marvels of creation.”

“Listen to your heart. It knows all things, because it came from the Soul of the World, and it will one day return there.”

“Tell your heart that the fear of suffering is worse than the suffering itself. And that no heart has ever suffered when it goes in search of its dreams, because every second of the search is a second’s encounter with God and with eternity.”

“And his heart told him something else that the boy had never noticed: it told the boy of dangers that had threatened him, but that he had never perceived.”

In the silence, the boy understood that the desert, the wind, and the sun were also trying to understand the signs written by the hand, and were seeking to follow their paths, and to understand what had been written on a single emerald. He saw that omens were scattered throughout the earth and in space, and that there was no reason or significance attached to their appearance; he could see that not the deserts, nor the winds, nor the sun, nor people knew why they had been created. But that the hand had a reason for all of this, and that only the hand could perform miracles, or transform the sea into a desert…or a man into the wind. Because only the hand understood that it was a larger design that had moved the universe to the point at which six days of creation had evolved into a Master Work.The boy reached through to the Soul of the World, and saw that it was a part of the Soul of God. And he saw that the Soul of God was his own soul. And that he, a boy, could perform miracles.

The alchemist said, “No matter what he does, every person on earth plays a central role in the history of the world. And normally he doesn’t know it.”

There are two good moments in this novella, the diner conversation and a tense car encounter in the middle of nowhere, and unsurprisingly both feature the tangible threat of the FBI in Agents Walker and Purdy. Unfortunately, Mark's jock personality also translates to an amateurish, high school teenager voice that is frustrating and simple to follow, especially with all the context readers have about the Lorien Legacies series at this point. Whilst Lore develops Paradise a bit more, including Mark's relationships with family, friends and the police, it doesn't amount to much in the grand scheme of things. Fortunately, the ending signals a more exciting follow-up as Mark gets off the Aliens Anonymous blog and takes some real-life action.

Yes, this feels like a small Clone Wars TV show-esque story but the ideas and themes are clear - Windu and the Jedi are hesitant to join this conflict as it begins to engulf the galaxy. Loved the discussions had, and the art at times was awesome, especially lightsabers in the rain - however, at times faces were drawn really oddly. I loved how there were clear visual and dialogue references to Mace's actions in the prequel movies, but the average plot and forgettable villain gave this book an overall 3/5.

WHY: I recently finished the heartbreaking Clone Wars TV series which naturally leads in to Star Wars: Episode 3 - Revenge of the Sith, but did not want to rewatch the film - instead opting for a novelisation and my first Legends material due to the stellar reviews.
DIFFERENCES: I really liked some of the additional story material and artistic vision presented here, especially in the first half of the novel. There's a deeper introspection into Anakin's thinking and character through his perspective, as well as masterful manipulation from Palpatine in both the condensed timeline and manoeuvring of key players. Further, I really enjoyed the image of Coruscant bathed in blood-red flames and smoke due to the opening battle, and wish this detail was more relevant in the canon - it fits the story's themes of darkness and subterfuge.
WRITING: The writing overall was good, but unfortunately I had a few issues with the exploration of the dark and light theme. At times it was very cool, especially in regards to Yoda and Sidious, but also had me confused with its concluding message after being prominently interweaving itself through the plot. Also, some Star Wars action just can't be translated to page - whilst it was interesting to learn about different droid thinking and different lightsaber forms, it is much more captivating to watch a space battle or Jedi and Sith duel.
WHO: Really, really for the hardcore Star Wars prequel trilogy and Legends fans. Otherwise, this novelisation is very much skippable for the rest of the reader base. The film and its visuals not just cover the story better but add more perspectives and emotion.

Well, this short story went a long way in explaining Five's character and life before betraying the Garde. Unfortunately, it felt a bit too similar to other Lost File stories with the rushed relationships and having lessons thrust upon the protagonist. Fortunately, it helped explain where Five ends in the first Lorien Legacy series and provides a backstory as we witness him gaining his first legacies. It was definitely interesting to see how he was different to the other Garde, with his obsession for storytelling, but there was a sense of inevitability that comes with this being a prequel, as the reader knows where he will end up.

This was honestly a great read, covering everything about mental training for an athlete without diving into unnecessary or lengthy details. In fact, you could apply a lot of these lessons to life outside of sport - including how to settle your emotional state, what you believe about yourself and how you face life's problems.

I know that certain athletes out there may not like this sort of thing, but I believe it is super valuable and has helped me a lot in my game. Read here for my summary of the novel.

WHY: Following the Arthur Penhaligon days of the week series, Sabriel was an amazing death-magic book I read when I was younger, and featured some intriguing WW1-era worldbuilding, with the fantastical Old Kingdom separated from the very English Ancelstierre. [b: Lirael 47624 Lirael (Abhorsen, #2) Garth Nix https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1266458951l/47624.SY75.jpg 2067752] did not feel like a direct sequel, with the bulk of its plot (through a new protagonist) leading to a cliff-hanger for a “big bad”. Well, here I am years later finally completing the trilogy.STORY: It took a few wiki visits to refresh myself on the characters and story, but this really did feel like a second part of Lirael, although this time the titular Abhorsen-in-waiting and newly revealed Wallmaker Sameth are together for the majority of the plot, alongside magical companions the Disreputable Dog and Mogget. There are some great interactions here, and I enjoyed watching their journey to the fallen Nicholas Sayre and the Red Lake. The villains, and countless dead, were genuinely scary at times especially when framed against the Ancelsterrian army. Sabriel and Touchstone are referenced throughout after the rather shocking opening. What was most interesting to me was the walk through the 9 gates of Death, and the great and uniqye magic system between necromancy, Free Magic and Charter Magic. When it all came together in the conclusion, I did feel like there was a strong story that tied the trilogy together through the several bloodlines working together, but it did not impact me that greatly.WRITING: Nix varies the perspectives and does a great job at providing each character with a different voice, despite them all having strong convictions to do good. The world isn't described in rich detail, but there is enough to picture the characters and especially the magic.WHO: Unfortunately, I didn't enjoy this now nearly as much as I would have when I was an adolescent, and I still feel Sabriel is the best of the trilogy in terms of presenting the unique magic system, having a tight story and providing great themes to YA readers (honestly, Lirael was good at this as well). Whilst a necessary conclusion for the trilogy, I won't be reading the sequels in this series - but recommend at least the first book to all younger Fantasy readers, especially women for its great characterisation.

I really wanted to give this book a 2/5 because of my own personal enjoyment of the read, but I cannot deny the depth and detail of research that Eig conducted into Muhammed Ali's life, from birth till death. This one was truly worthy of the post-colon title “A Life” as it left me astounded with the recall of dialogues, descriptions of the day and keen insight into the boxer's mind. This dense really enlightened me as to the truth behind the legend; Cassius Clay definitely is not and was not a perfect figure and there were times where I found myself almost loathing him for his selfishness, particularly in regards to women. But through Eig's objective history, including counterarguments and questions at key decisions, the reader can tragically see how a naïve but kind-hearted boy was simultaneously disciplined and controlled by external parties, and how a young man became embroiled in his own image and allured by green bills. He truly was an American icon, and it was the parts of the book that covered his connection with and influence over the 1950s-80s national landscape and the toxic truths behind celebrity culture that fascinated me the most. Glad I finished it, and definitely going to keep pursuing non-fiction reads to balance my reading hobby.

Following the Avengers vs. X-men event, Uncanny X-men shows Xavier-murderer Cyclops going around the world with his team of outcast X-men to recruit the waves of new, young mutants. Some aspects of this story worked, including the fighting of the law, the new characters having realistic characterisations and the art style overall. The second half which became a self-contained story not on the outside world, and the double/triple(?) crossing of some characters just made things a bit confused, and reduced this first volume's overall flow. I would've thought a series like this would be a good chance to really dig into these character's thoughts and views, especially when they're not villains but not exactly heroes anymore either, but only hints of this were seen. Basically a decent read if you are following the overall Marvel story.

The book started off with a cool concept, Captain America being locked in Dimension Z away from people and at the mercy of Arnim Zola's experiment subjects. Then the timeline and realism got really muddled, and there was some cool fantasy-esque exploration of the wasteland and its creatures, but no real depth of value added to the character of Steve Rogers. The whole time this book was going on, I was wondering where every other Marvel character was as it definitely felt like an elseworlds story, though the art was mostly great with a few odd panels here and there. An interesting read.