Book review – Page 3 – Savior Gaming

Green Lantern: Wanted Hal Jordan

Hal Jordan, air force pilot, hothead, and legendary Green Lantern is many things but a perfect man is not one of them. After being shot down and held captive by terrorists with two of his fellow pilots, unarmed. After getting free, the guilt eats away at him and he quickly gets the chance to face his captors again when his new girlfriend is taken back. The rescue proves successful but not without casualties, seeming at the hands of Lantern himself. Suddenly Jordan is caught in a international mess that pours into the cosmos, the mastermind having connections to not only Jordan’s origin as a Lantern, but the Lantern he is proceeding…

I forgot how much I loved Geoff Johns’ work on Green Lantern. Set before Green Lantern: Sinestro Corps War , the story takes a little bit to follow but won’t be long. The artwork is great and Johns’ does great writing Jordan. Amon Sur is a pretty decent villain and I like that he is used to foreshadow events to come and the rise of the Sinestro Corps. Along with the main story, there is a pretty interesting story about the formation of the Star Sapphires that helps bring Blackest Night into play. In the end, it’s a pretty fun book that helped me why I love Green Lantern and is worth checking out. May the gaming gods bring you glory.

Coraline

Coraline Jones is a girl who yearns for adventure in a dull, boring world with her neglectful parents. Her family moves into a spooky house surrounded by strange neighbors. One day Coraline discovers their is a whole new world made for her, ruled by her fun, loving Other Mother. There is fun, there is games, but something simply isn’t right with their wide grins and button eyes. The Other Mother offers to keep Coraline, all she has to do is let her sew buttons into her eyes; the Other Mother rapidly shows the horror of the Other World but if Coraline ever wants to save not only herself but her real parents, she’ll have to match wits against the Other Mother unless fall to the same terrible fate as others before her…

So, whether book or film, this ties with Willy Wonka as my favorite kid’s story. Neil Gaiman creates a genuinely intriguing horror story that is pretty damn original and creepy for all ages. The book isn’t long and simple but doesn’t talk down to it’s audience. The movie does an amazing job of translating Gaiman’s world and adding it’s own touches; the Other Mother stole the show for me and is one of my most underrated horror villains. The book and movie are absolutely amazing and I couldn’t recommend them more. May the gaming gods bring you glory.

Torsten’s life in 2021

The Flies Inside by Torsten V, Coming March 19th 2021 – Savior Gaming

So first, I have to say my dream came true in a sense. Yes, Torsten V is now a published author. Our very own Savior will be reviewing my book in due time, but for now it’s freaking awesome to get my work out there Barnes and Noble’s website (I’ll drop a link down below for those interested)

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-flies-inside-torsten-v/1138929829?ean=9780578858821

Sadly, due to forces beyond my control I had to take a life break on account of having to find a new place to live. Thankfully I found a much better place where I can continue to keep writing and growing my platform. I’ll be posting more as well so no need to worry. May the gaming gods bring you all glory.

Silence of the Lambs (book)

The Silence of the Lambs (novel) - Wikipedia

Clarice Starling is a promising cadet at the FBI academy pushing herself she can make it in the field. Driven and determined, she’s surprised when Jack Crawford asks her to question the legendary psychopath, Dr. Hannibal Lector. After the events of Red Dragon (book) he hasn’t responded to any questioning and his advice can become crucial in catching a disturbed killer called Buffalo Bill, who flays the flesh off of woman. When Buffalo Bill kidnaps a senator’s daughter, it’s up to Starling to try and discover the identity of this madman and save her, relying on Dr. Lector for advice and clues into the mind of madness.

So this book is pretty much what kids today would call a se-boot. You can pick it up just fine on it’s own without reading Red Dragon; their are callbacks to Graham and events of the first book but the info you get is pretty sufficient. While I personally like Will Graham better as a main character, Clarice is compelling in her own way and it is interesting to see how she interacts with familiar characters. Again, the villains steal the show. Lector is pretty damn memorable and Buffalo Bill is a creepy ass son of a bitch. The end comes together really nicely and there’s a lot of tension. The pacing is good and admittedly I never got bored with it. In the end I’d definitely say it’s well worth a read. May the gaming gods bring you glory.

On Writing, a memoir of the craft

So for those who have been keeping up with things on the blog, my first book is debuting through Barnes and Noble’s website as Savior covered in The Flies Inside Pre-order . That being said, I myself enjoy reading books on reading to find truth on how to improve or get a laugh on how full of shit the author is. I’m glad to say On Writing by King is one of the most helpful and insightful I’ve heard. In this book, we get a good look at the legendary writer’s back story as well as some of his personnel tips on the trade. If you have Audible, I highly recommend adding this to your library because it’s pretty cool hearing it straight from the man himself as well as from his son Joe Hill, another good author in his own right. While not my typical content for review, I’ll say it’s well worth a read or listen for good advice and some stories from a legend, especially if you are a writer like myself. May the gaming gods bring you glory.

Red Dragon (book)

Being a horror fan for my whole life, I’m almost ashamed to say I have no connections to Dr. Hannibal Lector. I’ve never seen the movies and only few months ago started reading the books. So after finishing the first story to introduce the legendary killer, are the stories worth the hype?

Will Graham was a talented FBI Investigator who had been pushed to the brink of his sanity by prominent psychologist turned killer Hannibal Lector. Graham never felt the same and was hesitant when his old friend and colleague Jack Crawford comes to him begging for help with a new case. There’s a new killer who violently slays whole families. Cunning as well as savage, Graham is at a loss, resorting to ask help from his old nemesis for advice, unaware Lector and this new foe deemed the “Tooth Fairy” may be connected. Can Graham stop this brutal killer before he falls victim to the madmen?

I really didn’t know what to expect and about half way through I was pretty damn engaged in this book. Thomas Harris is fantastic at putting you in the killer’s shoes and once we start seeing the story from their perspective, I was hooked in. Graham himself is a good protagonist I enjoyed following who seemed mentally burned out throughout the story and I could feel his frustration and obsession growing. As for Lector- he ain’t in there much. He is involved in the story but this far from his story so don’t go in looking for a lot of him. The story is paced really well but I feel like the ending fumbles. Red Dragon is pretty self contained which I liked (yes, I’m now currently reading Lambs). In the end, I enjoyed this story as a good psychological crime thriller I’d definitely recommend. May the gaming gods bring you glory.

Green Lantern: Earth One (V2)

Image result for green lantern earth one vol 2

A few years have passed since the events of Green Lantern: Earth One(V 1) and the Green Lantern Corp is struggling to maintain order. Beside ridding the universe of the Manhunters, a new power emerges from a old threat when new, yellow lanterns appear. Proclaimed saviors armed with power rings far stronger than those of the Green Lanterns, it isn’t long before the last Guardian emerges as their creator, offering amends for follies and offering to adopt the Green Lanterns under his stronger new regime. The offer causes discourse amongst the Green Lanterns and a divide. If things weren’t dire as it were, Earth’s first contact with alien life has gone terribly wrong as it appears Earth attacks them war is on the horizon where Jordan discovers the Yellow Lanterns at the scene. Can Hal Jordan stop the oncoming war as well as refuse a greater power?

I loved the first volume of this Earth One series and awaited the second hungrily. While not quite as good as the first, the second book goes into some interesting directions I really liked. I really liked the design of the Yellow Lanterns and how they were portrayed as well as the questions around power they present. Hal’s story is continued pretty well and I like how his story plays out. I wish Jon Stewart was a bit more flushed out and he joined the Green side at the end. The art continues to be gritty but colorful. The only minor complaints I have is how the plots are juggled, getting a bit hard to follow at times and the lack of construct play in this series- the Lantern’s basically pretty much rely on forcefields and lasers which seems kind of bland after a while. In the end this is a damn good follow up to the first book and I’m pretty excited to see what Book 3 could be. May the gaming gods bring you glory.

Silver Surfer: Black

Norrin Radd, the Silver Surfer, has both been a beacon of hope throughout the cosmos with his incredible powers but also a signal of terror under his former master, the all powerful Galactus. Separated from the Guardians of the Galaxy after a battle with Thanos, lost in a black hole, Norrin finds a another massive threat: Knull, the King in black. Strained, using a dangerous amount of power he manages to escape Knull’s grasp, but not without getting wound. His shell damaging, blackening, and his power bleeding he is guided to safety by a young Ego, the living planet, who is dying from a cancerous asteroid. Norrin discovers his greatest fear inside of Ego, but it may be the only key to stopping Knull and defeating the darkness.

I love the crazy cosmic side of Marvel: Guardians, Fantastic Four, Inhumans, and now Surfer. I really enjoyed this book more than most Marvel stories in a long time and that’s a huge compliment. There are a lot of cool fights and Norrin is a sympathetic hero fighting to redeem himself at any cost. The artwork is absolutely gorgeous, I love the psychedelic nature and coloring. The only issue I have is the action can be hard to follow and if you aren’t up to speed with the King in Black you may find parts of the story tough to follow. I honestly want to know more and read more into the character and his adventures; I highly recommend for a different Marvel reading experience. May the gaming gods bring you glory.

HORRORSTOR

Haven’t we all found ourselves in the clenches of a soul ravaging dead end job? Amy, like many of us, finds herself deep into a tedious life as a ORSK partner, employee of one of the largest furniture chains in the US. With dreams of a well paying desk job, away from ORSK and her hardass boss Basil, her mom’s trailer, and her roommates she can’t afford to pay. One day Basil pulls her into the office one day, and rather than fire Amy, he makes her a offer: stay with him and another partner overnight to catch a vandal messing with the store before a huge corporate visit. Easy cash, right? It turns out the answer behind the mischief may or not be partners wanting to stage a ghost hunting show, a random homeless dude, or something more sinister from the past.

This is a really strange read in a sense. Being a longtime retail slave I feel Amy’s pain here. The characters are alright and while the story takes awhile to build, the pay off is interesting enough. While the horror and comedy aspects aren’t great, the story is entertaining and familiar because of the retail experience. My favorite part is the beginning of each chapter with a old school ads that go to a dark place as the story continues. While its not for everybody, its a alright read that isn’t too long. In the end, it’s a alright book that’s checking out.

The Outsider

How many crimes are truly perfect? How many times are things exactly as they seem? What happens when the answer is something unexplainable, and its the only answer?

Terry Maitland was a beloved citizen of Flint City, teacher, little league coach, and family man. That is until multiple witnesses and various scientific evidences point to Maitland as the heinous murder and sexual assault of a young boy. Detective Ralph Anderson makes a public arrest, shaming Maitland in front of the whole town. The case looks open and shut, but an outstanding mount of evidence proves Terry’s innocence; how can a man be two places at once? Is Terry Maitland a criminal mastermind or is there something supernatural at play?

Stephen King, the legend, still has it. The Outsider isn’t one of his best but it’s a damn good book. I really enjoyed the first half of the book, where it’s a pretty well done detective story that’s pretty fascinating. While I was kinda bummed at the turn the story took, it was filled with interesting characters and good interactions between them. The book flows well and doesn’t feel too light or bloated, bloated being a common King complaint. If you are a King veteran, especially with the Bill Hodges trilogy, you’ll find some cool connections here. My only real complaint was the shift between thriller and horror and the Outsider goes down like a total bitch which makes the end a bit anti-climatic. In the end it’s a damn good read I recommend for King fans. May the gaming gods bring you glory.