The Illusion Exotic by Brian L. Braden
Gunslinger Versus Black Magic & More
An Indie Book Review by Joseph Poopinski
4 Stars
Several short stories delivered both illusions & the exotic. In the saddest but cute & fast-paced tale, parents race against a dying earth to save their boy via a departing spaceship. The kid’s a little frightened at all the commotion but keeps obediently cool & so mommy won’t get “historical” (which earned an A+ on the malapropism scale). My favorite episode was the longest, a western fantasy. Knight’s an ace hired gun, tough as nails & sharp as a whip. Investigating the town’s mysterious happenings, he eventually exposes & confronts a demonic being. However, along the way, he encounters other possible enemies such as Townsend whom he didn’t bother to disarm (since he’d accurately read the man as inept but not crooked). The other stories were imaginative & enjoyable too.
Nephlim’s Hex by Susana Imaginário
Battle Royale of the Gods
An Indie Book Review by Joseph Poopinski
4 Stars
Many many squabbling characters dabble here & there as (semi-pathological) antagonists. However, when Chronos perhaps reveals too much proprietary intelligence, will they reluctantly acquiesce or turn rebellious? In this third installment continuing the Timelessness series, we also learn more about the deceased Suzerain & the Nephilim who build their own bodies. Nearly AI & fully alien, Namrive represents them as a creepy scientist/conqueror searching for an intuition algorithm for starters. Anubus joins her as a partially unwelcome co-invader, a useful presence despite clearly retaining his godness/opinions. To describe how the characters play out the plot, let me start with a traditional game of chess. But repaint & divide ¾ of the pieces into (approximately) eight different colors & teams, randomly position the pieces on the board, add blindfolds at a 2-to-1 ratio, and then determine who moves by drawing straws every turn. Something like that level of intrigue. There’s certainly not one conspiracy here but rather a wealth of them.
Selected highlights: Chronos inhabiting the monstrous Xylo (a LOTRsy ent), his apocryphal yarn & his results-based approach to feedback. Watching various clever, strategic maneuvers previously done again from the manipulator’s behind-the-scenes perspective in a subsequent but chronologically overlapping chapter. Witticisms, unique curses & such, particularly a terminological error made by somebody who’s never seen a clock. Interesting & insightful observations, especially how “Every rule has exceptions, and those exceptions are worth paying attention to, so hopefully one day they’ll become the rule.” “…for the more you gave, the more they wanted, and their entitlement had no limits.” “Light burns and blinds… Only in darkness can one truly find oneself.”
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