After 126 years Carlo Collodi's Pinocchio still holds up as a true classic.

"Geppetto, having returned home, began at once to make a puppet, to which he gives the name of Pinocchio."
----Chapter III----


Every one knows the story of Pinocchio, right? It is one the most cherished classic children books even after being published 126 years ago. So much that it has never been out of print since it was first published in 1883(with the exception of the Bible there are really not that many books that can say that).

But when most people think of Pinocchio they automatically think of the 1940 Disney animated classic. Kind of like when most people think of the Wizard of Oz. They tend to think of the 1939 movie with Judy Garland but not L. Frank Baum's original classic book(which is really a damn shame).

Now don't get me wrong. Disney's version is true classic in animation(as is the 39 Oz though it was flop when it first came out). It stands the test of time as much as Collodi's novel. But sadly, as with most of Disney's adaptations of the classic it is a very watered downed version(and I'm not going to get into that discussion).

That is why it was a real wonder to re-read the original book. And as an added treat with illustrations by Gris Grimly.

Where to start? Well, it starts with "Once upon a time..." or more in fact it starts with a piece of wood. Woodcarver Geppetto brings homes a piece of wood and decides to carve a puppet. And as we know with stories that begin with "Once upon a time..." this puppet comes alive.

At first Geppetto is happy to have a boy, even if it is a puppet as a son. But Pinocchio turns out to be a troublesome boy instead of the well behaved boy Geppetto wishes for. See Pinocchio rather run and play and just have fun than go to school and learn.

As the story progresses he meets up with all sorts of characters, both human and non-human. Both good and bad. There is the Talking Cricket(in the book he never has a name) who tries to set him straight. Tells he should take of his father and behave or face the consequences. Though Pinocchio is having none of that in that he squishes the little critter(how could Disney miss that one?). But it alright, he comes back as a ghost to give more advice whether wanted or not.

As each adventures comes and goes, though he tries to do what is right he is pushed and prodded against his better judgement by those who are only looking out for themselves.

A long the way he meets up with a puppet show, the fox and cat, a blue haired little fairy girl(who grows up to be his fairy godmother), assassins, Death(in the form of 4 black rabbits), becomes a watch dog, finds a city were loafing and begging is not tolerated, a dogfish(not a whale) and other beings who will either help him or try and hurt him.

But for all of the mischief he gets into, Pinocchio really is a kind hearted soul. He does tries try to keep his promises and not to tell lies(it really doesn't happen in the book as near as it does in the movie). But like all of us there is a part of him that wishes to be free to of responsibilities of learning and working. When don't we all at one time or another wish we could just take off with out a care in the world, forget bills, work and just do nothing but play or do nothing at all?

And that is what makes Pinocchio a timeless classic in as much as the original Brother Grimm's tales are.

It is as much a morality play as it is a children's adventures tale. But it is still a much a product of it's time as anything. Why?

It doesn't sugar coat the truth. Or in today's vernacular, it isn't Politically Correct. It shows there are harsh consequences for ones actions especially for children who haven't knowledge or experience to know these things.

What makes Pinocchio so great is that Collodi blends the morals and the adventure side of the book so perfectly. So when your reading it you almost forget there is a moral to the story. You are so invested in Pinocchio's well being you forget there is another meaning underneath the surface.

It's a hard trick for a writer to pull of in any time and Collodi pulls it off like a flawless magic act. Where you are so amazed by the magic you forget it just a trick.

As mentioned above another treat is that this version is gorgeously illustrated by artist Gris Grimly. Gris has done numerous illustration for picture books for other writers as well as his own work. He has done several adaptations of Edger Allen Poe's work in which his style matches Poe's style beautifully.

As he is a perfect match for Poe he is also a perfect match for Pinocchio. Look at the illustration posted here. Pinocchio looks like how a puppet would have been carved in Collodi's time(Disney's version was more in line with the modern version of how puppets look). But it just isn't Pinocchio that looks like a puppet of the time but the illustration as a whole are styled to look like they were done at the time of the books original publication. And thats Grimly's magic, the power to suit his style to the story at hand, enhance the pleasure of the reading but never taking you away from the story.

Between the first and last page the version of Carlo Colldi's Pinocchio is a true treat. If you haven't read this book in years this is the one to pick up. Relive a little bit of your childhood. And if you are only familiar with the Disney's version they you really need to pick this up. See what you missed with Uncle Walt's version. But just don't keep it to yourself, no. Read it your kids, neices, and nephews. It is a perfect gift to add to a kids library at home. One that they will love now as much as they will when the grow up.

A Duty to the Dead a wonderful introduction to a new mystery series.

" Your concern does you credit, my dear. A duty to the dead is a sacred matter."


As I mentioned in a previous blog one of the great things about working in a bookstore is the chance to grab an advance copy of books when they come in. For especially if it a mystery or horror(sadly,though they don't seem to send science fiction ones out).

Now I have always has a love of mysteries. The the first ones I have read when I was a kid growing up were The Hardy Boys(just couldn't read them fast enough) and then Sherlock Holmes. I would say reading Holmes was and is the reason when it comes to mysteries I prefer historical mysteries over modern day ones(though I really like those). I suppose that is why writers like Anne Perry, Micheal Jecks have always interested me.

Now Charles Todd(actually mother and son writing team of Caroline and Charles Todd) who are know for their Inspector Rutledge series of mysteries(which I have as yet read). Rutledge is an Inspector who served in World War I and must try to return to a normal live while trying to live with what he saw in the trenches.

It is with their new series that the Todds introduce their latest sleuth Bess Crawford. Unlike the Inspector Miss Crawford isn't a professional sleuth. Like many woman in her time she is a nurse caring for the wounded during the war. Miss Crawfords is what at the time(1916) would be considered a modern woman. Independent(actually owns a car which was rare for woman then), intelligent, speaks her mind. She is not your typical upper-middle class woman of the times.

It is one a ship caring for one of her patients, a soldier named Arthur Graham, she makes a promise to take a message to his brother before he dies. A promise that she hasn't had a chance to fulfill either because of the war or that she is hesitant to do it.

The message: "Tell Jonathan that I lied. I did it for mother sake. But it has to be set right."

It is this message that will lead Bess, while on leave, to Oswald, Kent and into a fifteen year old murder by an insane brother of the soldier she made her promise too. And family with a dark secret that could get her killed quicker than the trenches of any battlefield.

Being the first book by the Todds that I have read I must say I was really pleased by this book. I actually finished the book in a matter of hours when I have a stack of book waiting with bookmarks in them.

Everything about this book was right on, the characters(major and minor), plot and just over style of story telling.

First lets talk about Bess Crawford who is a wonderful rounded character. She isn't some damsel in distress as many woman of the time period can be written. Many times period pieces such as this will have women who are the main character who still always needs to rescued by a man. She can stand on her own feet and do what is needed. A trait I'm sure she got from her father a retired colonel and from dealing with the severely wounded soldiers. But she not a cold hearted person. She still feels for the people she helps but just learns to hide those feelings of attachment for the most part. She does harbor some feelings for the late Arthur Graham which may or may not cloud her judgement later as the mystery deepens. But she doesn't stop no matter what her feelings tell her. For above all she believes in justice and the truth. It is this that drives her even when everything and everyone tells her she should stop.

Also It goes back to the quote(told to her by the wife of the Inspector who was involved in the murder fifteen years ago) at the top of the blog. Bess just doesn't believe in duty and doing what is right for the living. To her a promise to a dying soldier is just as scared as her duties as a nurse and to the living.

Now, the plot. This story keeps up the suspense right up the end. And there is enough twist and turns that keep you guessing on who committed that murder those many years ago and who is will to keep killing to keep the truth from ever coming to light. It was done so nicely that I wasn't really sure myself who was the murderer right up to the end.

Finally story telling. Bess is our narrator for this book and what a wonderful voice it is. Her voice brings alive the feeling of living in a WWI era England. You believe the horrors she has seen while a nurse. Not only that you feel the under current of distress the people who live in the shadow of war. But it never over shadows the mystery of this book to where you feel like your reading a history novel not a mystery. Too often writers trying for authenticity tend to over do it and the main threads of the novel get lost.

So overall I would say between the first and last page this is an wonderful introduction a character that I really look forward to reading in the future. It is a novel I know with confidence that I can suggest to my customers that also read mysteries. And not only that I will be reading the Inspector Rutledge novels as well.

The Lone Ranger comes alive with fresh look at his origin.

"There is much darkness, Kemosabe. Light it up"
--- Tonto issue #4--

Ever since the The Lone Ranger first aired on WXYT(AM) out of Detroit, Michigan on January 30 1933 it would become an instant classic of the Golden Age of Radio that would cross over into novels, TV(both live action and animated), movies and of course comics.

The Lone Ranger was created for the radio by George W Trendle and developed by writer Fran Striker. The radio show would last until September 3, 1954 and leave it mark on a generation who grew up listening to the radio back then.

Though most likely most fans come to know of the Ranger from the well know TV series(there were two now rare and hard to find serials by Republic Pictures in 1938 & 1939 in which the only existing copies are incomplete and are subtitled in Spanish or dubbed in French) starring Clayton Moore(from 1952-1954 Moore would be briefly replace by actor John Hart due to a contract dispute)and Jay Silverheels as Tonto that ran from 1949-1957.

And with its popularity it only makes since that The Lone Ranger would cross over into comics.

Dell Comics would be the first to publish the Ranger for 145 issues from 1948-1962. At first, the series would reprint the newspaper strip(1938-1971) distributed by King Features Syndicate but after six issues it start to produce original content. With it's popularity growing Tonto would get his own spin off series(31 issues) as well has the Ranger's horse Silver(34 issues). Then Gold Key Comics in 1964 would start it's own series. Though at first it was reprints from the Dell series(as were many Gold Key comics would reprint stories from Dell Comics of other series as well), starting in issue 21(1975) it would start to produce it's own stories that would end with series with issue 28 in 1977(If your wondering why the low numbering for all those years, it is that most comics early on were only printed bi-monthly or even quarterly. It was really until the sixties that comics started to come out monthly).

The Lone Ranger after that would appear sporadically in comics until Dynamite Entertainment in 2006 would bring the Lone Ranger back into comics.

The series would be written by Brett Matthews and interior art by Sergio Cariello with covers by John Cassaday. It is with the series first six issues that these gentlemen bring the Lone Ranger back with style. It is these first six issues reprinted in a beautiful hardcover trade that I'll be discussing.

But first I should talk about the Ranger's origin for those not familiar with it.

The story goes that The Ranger whose real name has never really been revealed except his last name of Reid(though since the 1981 movie most use John as his first), with his brother(his name was Dan) who was a Texas Ranger and 4 other Rangers were ambushed and killed Butch Cavendish and his gang. John was founded by Tonto and nursed back to health. And to make it look like he was dead The Ranger and Tonto dug six graves. It was with pieces of his brothers clothes that the Ranger made his mask and swore to fight injustice were ever it is and vowing never to kill. And Tonto agreed to help him with this task.

Writer Brett Matthews sticks very close to the original origin while updating the material to make it seem fresh and new.

With this series we still have the brother Dan but we also have the father who is a Ranger as well. With the addition of his father though(through a flashback sequence) we have a better understanding of why later when he becomes the Ranger he chooses not to kill.

As I said Brett sticks close to the origin. The Rangers are ambushed and John is the sole survivor saved by Tonto who killed the gang. OK so that differs from the original radio and TV series.

But that is what makes this series so great. This is the west as it was violent and harsh. More realistic. With that in mind we don't see John putting the mask on right away and riding off after the villain here. At first like any man he wants revenge for the death of his father and brother. But as the story progresses we see that really isn't the kind of man he is. He especially realizes this after confronting a man Julius Bartholomew who has been hired by Cavendish to kill any one who is connected with the Rangers ambush and to track down the family of the Rangers and kill them.

Also The Ranger and Tonto don't exactly hit it off at first. Though Tonto tends to John's wounds and help him heal we don't know exactly why. And this Tonto kills. And here we don't know Tonto's reasoning for helping the Ranger. Tonto is the one who makes the mask for him and the blue shirt that he is known to wear. He also keeps things from him like the death of the the Rangers family. It is though Tonto is looking to redeem himself for his past through the Ranger.

As each issue unfolds Matthews unfolds the layers of the Rangers origin for the ambush to the finding of his horse Silver and the use of silver bullets. But the real fun is reading the John learns to become the Lone Ranger. A with the radio and TV show he just doesn't suit up with a mask and go off. He has to learn what it is he really wants, revenge or justice. We see the steps that will lead him to become a legend.

Now lets talk about the art of Sergio Cariello. This isn't the bright shiny world of superheroes but the old west. It is a dirty and rough land and the people who inhabits the west that Cariello draws look like they belong there. With each character both major and minor you can see that they belong living in the out reaches of the west were the railroad has yet to bring civilization. And it just isn't the people but the landscape that is drawn so beautifully that it just brings into this world of the old west. Each panel and each page is brings these characters to life.

And the violence is never over done. Most if the real violence happens off panel. And when you see some one get shot as in the ambush the blood is kept down to a minimum.

Add the coloring of Dean White. Dean colors are not all bright. Look how he colors the landscapes. you can see the dust in the air. Look at the people. the faces look tanned from a life living outside in the elements. In other words they look like what you would expect people to look like living in that time from the old pictures.

And icing to the cake is gorgeous covers by artist John Cassaday. The covers by themselves art worthy of being framed and hung in any museum in the world.

Between the first and last page this team has done a great job of bring the Lone Ranger to it's legion of fans. And introducing new fans to the fold. Though there are some purist that claim this series is too violent. That this is not the Lone Ranger they grew up with. But today's audience expects more realism in their stories. Also I would say by keeping up the violence you show that there are consequences for a persons actions. To be realistic if you are going to carry a gun then you have to expect to use it. And to use there will be violence. To say you will never kill some one and not carry a gun is one thing. But to carry one and say that you won't kill takes a different kind of man. It takes a Lone Ranger.

The hardcover trade that includes the first six issues also includes character sketches and designs from Cariello and cover artist John Cassaday.

This trade is a must for any fans of The Lone Ranger or westerns in general. It shows that after 76 years the Lone Ranger is still as strong and viable character now as he was in 1933 when his adventures first aired on the radio.

The Marvel Vault, another way of celebrate Marvel Comics 70Th Anniversary.

Back in February I posted a Blog about Marvel Chronicle. It being a year by year history of Marvel Comics which this year they are celebrating their 70Th Anniversary.

But last year to get the celebration rolling Marvel put out The Marvel Vault: A Museum-In-A-Book with rare collectibles from the world of Marvel by Roy Thomas and Peter Sanderson.

Unlike Chronicle, Marvel Vault covers the history of Marvel Comics decade by decade with one important distinction. Marvel Vault carries with it rare replica collectibles from the 70 year history of the company.

This includes sketches of the Human Torch and Sub Mariner(1941-42), postcards, a farewell party poster, Fantastic Four #1 synopsis(1961) Christmas cards, Merry Marvel Marching Society Welcome Kit(fan club), Convention Programs, trading cards, stamps and more.

This is the perfect companion to the Marvel Chronicle. If your a fan of Marvel Comics or just comics in general then you will love this book.

It is filled with not only collectibles but full with tons of color photos of characters and the comics(some of which are very rare and hard to find) that made Marvel Famous. Also with in you will find photos of the artist and writers that created this universe full of characters that have survived to become not only embedded into pop culture but many of which have become culture icons.

Marvel has done every kind of story in their 70 year history, western, romance, funny ones, war, horror, science fiction, crime, superheroes and more. And Marvel Vault gives a great view of that history.

And you couldn't ask for any better guides than Roy Thomas and Peter Sanderson.

Roy Thomas has been writer and editor on such titles as The Amazing Spider-Man, Fantastic Four, The Avengers, X-Men, Conan The Barbarian and so much more. Roy also would be the first person to replace Stan Lee as Editor-in-Chief from 1972-74. He also known for his work at DC Comics working on such titles as Justice Society of America, All Star Squadron and more. He has such a rich knowledge of Marvel history not only because he was such a huge part of it but because of his love if the characters, the comics and those who created them.

As for Peter Sanderson he is a well known comic book critic and historian. He has for both Marvel and DC helped to catalog various characters, places and events that compromise their respective continuities. Peter also is an instructor and lecturer on comics and graphic novels in the New York area.

Between the first and last page this book is full of treasures(I love the Howard the Duck campaign button) for any fan of Marvel Comics. It gives a wonderful behind the scene look at the characters and their creators that gives all new insight to how these characters were created and to why even after 70 years most of them are still being read today. Though Marvel Chronicle year by year history does go into more detail than Marvel Vault, Vault is still a fascinating read and though they both cover roughly the same ground, Vault gives a different view than Chronicle's. But both are a worthy addition to any comic fans bookshelf.

Spade and Archer, prequel to Maltese Falcon doesn't quite hit the mark.

If you read my from Blog from several weeks ago you would know that one of my favorite book is Dashiell Hammett's Maltese Falcon. It is one of the defining books in the genre of detective fiction and in particular private detective fiction when it was released 80 years ago.

But how did it begin? How did Spade and Archer become partners?

Well author Joe Gores answers those question in his new novel Spade & Archer: The Prequel to Dashiell Hamett's The Maltese Falcon.

I have to admit I was looking forward to this. Being a fan of Dashiel Hammett's and Sam Spade's. I wanted to know something or anything of his past.

The story opens with Spade doing surveillance work for the Continental Detective Agency's(this being a reference to another detective created by Hammett only know has the Continental Op) in which he saves Miles Archer(Archer at the time was working for another agency) from being attacked by two men. We find out they know each other. It here we find out Archer has gotten married to Iva(and it seems that before that she and Spade were an item). It is after this Spade reports to his boss and quits the agency to start his own agency.

In this book we find that Spade served in WWI were he was assigned to the Seventh Battalion of the Second Infantry and saw action in the trenches of the Lens-Arras sector of France. He was wounded and recieved a medal. That he already has a history with the to 2 police detectives Dundy and Polhaus. And how Effie Perine became his secretary(when coming to answer the ad for a secretary she lied and told all other applicants the job was already filled) and how Sam Wise became his lawyer(had an office next door to Spade and often used Effie for his secretary work).

As the story goes it is told in three parts, 1921, 25 & 28. It seems that each case Spade is investigating is connected by a single mastermind. First theft of gold coins off a ship, then a murdered banker and finally a Chinese woman who father was raising money for a revolt in China.

As for how the mystery is told Gores did a fine job with it. Connecting each case in a nicely plotted story.

But for all that it just didn't have the feel of Hammett's Sam Spade. For after all is said and done it could have been just another mystery with any other private investigator. Though there were glimmers of Hammett's tone or voice but they were few and far between to make this book truly feel worthy of a prequel.

Then there was the instant of foreshadowing that I dislike so much(comics do it too much). Now Spade doesn't like guns. In quitting the agency Spade makes a remarks on his competitive pistol shooting after his soon to be ex boss says something about it:

"The Pistol made the records. All I did was point it and make it go bang," "Eight-shot thirty-eight Webley-Fosbery automatic revolver. Only three hundred of them ever got made because they jammed in combat but they were so accurate on the firing range they got banned from competition shooting."

Now if you have read Hammett's book or are a fan of the movie you know that is the gun that killed Archer in the Maltese Falcon. It seemed that Gores was implying that Spade was able to recognize the gun only because he fired one before. He is a detective and even not liking to use guns he would need to have knowledge of them so it wouldn't have been unusual for him to to able to identify the gun.

Then there is his relationship with Detective Dundy. If you read Falcon(or seen the movie) you know that Dundy doesn't really care for Spade and his methods. He even went so far to accuse Spade of murdering Archer and Floyd Thurby in Hammett's novel. Dundy here again is just about accusing Spade of every one who gets killed in the Gore's book.

Then there was Spade meeting with the Assistant District Attorney office. It almost was an exactly similar to his meeting in Falcon with then District Attorney. So much so I almost expected Spade to ask the stenographer if he was talking to fast as he did in Falcon.

I don't know if Gores put that in the book because he thought since Hammett did he should. Or maybe he thought that the readers were expecting it.

There were other little things that bothered me that didn't have so much to do with the plot as with the writing. For instance almost every time when his secretary talked it was "Effie Perine said.." or "as Effie Perine got up". I just didn't understand why he had to use her full name almost all the time. Did he think we forget her name? Was so he wouldn't forget her name? He also did the same for Spade's lawyer Sam Wise. But when anyone else was talking he would use their first or last name only.

And as for Archer himself. He was hardly in the book at all. We saw him at the beginning then later on for a brief scene or two then it wasn't until later that the partnership began. Now in the book the agreement between the two was for only one year. In Hammett's book as well in the movie you got the impression that Spade & Archer have been together for some time(but that Spade was going to disolve the partnership for unknown reasons). But in Gore's book the partnership would only last a few weeks before Bridget O'Shaunessey would kill him.

Though I did like the nod as mention above to the Continental Op and later when Spade needed an alias he used Nick Charles which of course referring to Hammett's other famous detective in the book The Thin Man. But Spade use of aliases seem contrived. Reading the original novel you had the feeling aliases were not something Spade used. He didn't need to aliases I felt. It was his unpredicablity that was his greatest weapon. How, whom ever he was dealing with never knew what he was going to do. The use of them just made Spade seem like another private investigator.

Again it was a well plotted mystery but just didn't read like a Sam Spade novel. Between the first and last page it felt that this novel felt short of appealing to the fan's Hammett and Sam Spade in me. Now don't get me wrong. I wasn't expecting him to write like Hammett any more than I expect a play write to write like Shakespeare. But if you are going to write some one else's character you need to at least make it feel like how the original author intended the character to be. I didn't feel the unpredictability of the character when I first read The Maltese Falcon(and which I still feel when I read the book). When Hammett wrote Spade you just weren't sure whose side he was on or even if he was on the right side. But what Gore did was write a typical private detective story that would have worked with any private detective.

Now I never read Gore's any other books so I can't compare them to this. But if I was to judge I say he would have been better off just creating his own character for this book.

The 250 year history of Guinness is as good as a pint of the dark brew itself.

The ostrich, travellers recall,
enjoys his Guinness, glass and all.
How sad the Guinness takes so long
to get where it makes him strong!
Guinness Ad- 1952


I'm not a big drinker. I can easily say the only two types of alcohol I like to drink is beer and whiskey. With beers I prefer lagers or ales. Something with a more malty and of hops flavor. More in line with your brown ales, porters and stouts. With Guinness being at the top of my favorites. As for Whiskey well what can I say, I good Irish whiskey will do me fine.

Now I don't if this is because of the Irish in me or that I just happen to have excellent taste. If I was to really think about it I would have to say it's a little of both.

It is with being a lover of Guinness That I read Bill Yenne's Guinness: The 250-Year Quest for the Perfect Pint.

It was 250 years ago this year that Author Guinness on December 31 1759 with a £100 down(was willed to him by the Archbishop Price) and for £45 a year signed the lease for the site of a unused brewery. But what really stands out about this lease is not the £100 down or the £45 a year lease. It was the fact the terms of the lease was for an amazing nine thousand years. Yes that rights, nine thousands years. Now if that isn't forward thinking I don't know what is.

Beginning with Author Guinness, Yenne takes us through 7 generations of the Guinness family(Sir Author Francis Benjamin Guinness was the last family member to have leadership in the family business, 1937-1992) to present day.

We learn how the business survived competition, economic hard times, legal battles(in 1775 a Dublin Corporation committee & sheriff are sent to cut off and fill in the channel from which the Brewery draws its water. Arthur Guinness is forced to brandish a pick axe to protect his supply. The dispute is finally settled in 1784 when water rights are granted for 8,975 years), wars and an ever changing world.

For a business to survive, especially 250 years, it must be adaptable to the changing economics(local and global) and politics(again local and global) and technology of brewing, storage and transportation. And Guinness did adapt to become one of the world's largest brewers.

That is what makes this story so fascinating. This isn't just a story of a beer(of course saying Guinness is just a beer is like saying that Shakespeare was just another writer) and it's brewery. It is a story of one man's dream to craft a beer that in time has become a tradition among it's consumers. For Author Guinness was a craftsman and a consummate business man. He knew it wasn't enough to love brewing beer but that you had to promote and most importantly believe in the product that you were making. And it is this legacy that has been passed down through generations of the Guinness's and beyond that even today it's brewers feel.

As the story unfolds we learn how each generation of Guinness's has added to that legacy of the beer and company through technology, promoting and expanding brewery's through out the world. And through it all never compromising on quality and the care of it's employees.

It is believed that 4 million pints of Guinness are poured every day. For connoisseurs of beer there is no finer crafted beer than Guinness(for some it is the only beer they will drink). Everything from the pouring(there is something magical about watching the head rise as it's being poured and again maybe it's the Irish in me) of to how one drinks it's a something that is savored from beginning to end.

And after reading this book I have appreciate it flavor even more knowing the craftsmanship that goes into each keg, bottle or can. Between the first and last page Yenne has given us not only the history of a business but the history of the men and woman who through love and determination carried that business through the past 250 years and hopefully for another 250 years.

A. J. Hartley's Act of Will a fun smart fantasy.

"Words, like swords, have a way of getting people in and out of trouble. Morality was never my strong point, but I suddenly saw the attraction of being right and knowing it...."
Will Hawthorne.


Will Hawthorne just turned 18. He is a member of a theater in Cresdon. Today he finds out if the group will let him stay or kick him out. But before he can find out the Empire bands all theater and plays on the ground that they lead to revolts. Any actor or writer(which Will does both) is on the list to be arrested. Of course Will's name is on the top of that list

So on the run from the Empire troops(it doesn't help that just before the troops showed up that a fellow actor caught him stealing from another actor) he runs into 4 people who with no like for the Empire who helps him escape.

And with that for the first time he leaves the city he was born, raised and lived his whole some what sheltered life. And to say the least he isn't quite prepared for the trip or as they say the real world.


He 4 rescuers are Mithos(with a rep as a rebel among other things), Orgos(big man who knows how to use swords) and brother and sister, Garnet and Renthrette(both not real keen on helping Will). All with no love of the Empire who rules the lands. They agree to take Will with them to meet their leader who has a job for the group. And if the leader agrees then Will will be allowed to come with them.

So he meets the leader and to sat he is surprised is an understatement(hey if your looking for me to tell you everything forget it). . But the leader agrees that Will may join them. It seems that he has the gift of talking which has helped them for time to time.

The job is in the far lands of Targev, Shale and Greycoast. It seems these lands are being each attacked by raiders. Attacking merchants, villages and killing everyone. It seems that each of these three countries rely on each other for food and other merchandise. But the problems is not quite easy. The raiders always mysteriously(is there any other way?) disappearing with out a trace. The job is to locate these marauders so that the armies of the 3 countries can stop them.

Now I know what your thinking. Your thinking "OK this is another story about a guy with no experience in fighting or anything like that and goes with this group and find that he was born for this and that his real destiny along was to be a hero" kind of story.

Yes, Will find out what he is truly capable of but not in the "I am a warrior born all along" kind of way. Will knows nothing on how to use weapons. Hell he can hardly use a crossbow. Not to mention a sword not even the magic sword that Orgos has which some how emits bright flashes of light(that for some reason requires believe in ones purpose). The closet he ever came to using one was as a prop on stage. And I can't say how that really counts.

He not an especially brave man either. He never has been in a fight much less a battle before, though he does fight his first inclination is to run. And often it is what he does. He actually thinks bravery is overrated and is more than likely to just get you killed, and where is the point in that. And when he does something brave or seems brave it is most by accident(or in running away) and he rather not have it brought to any one attention.

And as for morals, well lets say they are on the ambiguous side. He has no compunction to lying or stealing. Though he doesn't understand killing(which he will have to do to say alive), especially for honor. But he will try to defend a lady if he thinks he can(or if he his trying to impress her) but that doesn't usually work out either.

Though the best think he does is talk. Word's are his weapon and they have gotten him in almost as much trouble(almost hanged) as they have gotten him out of. That and he is I suppose, because he is a writer and actor has a great attention to detail. More than once he has noticed something that has helped the group solve this dilemma of the raiders.

He is almost a complete opposite of these "rebels" fate has thrown him in with. Mithos and the others, especially Orgos believe in fighting for honor, justice. They constantly remind him he would be dead with out them. A fact he often comments on himself. And they accepted him really with out question which is another thing Will most likely never do. The fact that Empire was after him was enough reason for them to save him. But if he is to stay with them he must learn how to defend himself, which he does to a certain degree and work to earn his keep as the other do.

It is in the end that with his words he find his sense of purpose. At the end when he faces down the leaders of the raiders. But it isn't with honor or bravery that he faces them with but realism. He sees the truth of what these raiders must do to win and keep the lands the fight for. He also sees the truth in what will happen to him and the others if they keep fighting. It was with that he found what he believed in and was able to use the sword to end the fight.

Which brings us to the quote at the beginning of the blog.

Will's voice in this story is ours. Will see the worlds as we do, realistically which is kind of sad. We wish we could see the world as Orgos and the others do in simple terms of right, wrong, honor dishonor, black and white. If you see trouble you help, if you see injustice you fight it with justice. But we know that the world is not so easily divided so simply(though they are not naive in any way). The shades of morality can be dark and light and every shade in between and sometimes not so easily recognized. It is how Will see the world. It his is power.

With Act of Will, A.J. Hartley has written a smart yet fun fantasy novel. Between the first and last page A.J. keeps the pace moving with a well plotted and well written characters. Each characters is well written though we don't find out much about Will's traveling companions it is that mystery I hope he explores in a future novel of Will Hawthorne. I really look forward to seeing him expand on this world and characters.