#SampleSunday BONUS EXCERPT from THE LAST ASCENSION!!

FROM THE CHAPTER, "UPRISERS"

....“I can vouch for Lord Ktovoli and his men, Lord-Regent,” Mathios said to Dovosir, “they would be a valuable asset on the walls.”

“Good, good,” said Dovosir, “but now we must turn to those of you who will have the greatest responsibility of all: guarding the city from within.”

“We can surely handle that,” said a man who sat next to Kótahro, “Bóþaro, my Lord-Regent, Second Out-warden of the North-bounds of Kihar. While Lord Kótahro’s men are well-trained to handle the field, my men are the best hope you’ll have of defending the city. I should know: this year alone we have withstood a dozen attempted werewolf raids on Kihar from the Southern Highpeaks.”

“You fool yourself, Easterner,” said one Tavâñgos of Hádakaš, “no one has the stomachs of the Hádakašians. We will defend the city.”

“I think not,” said Ktovoli, “the Blue Contingent has defended the city of Mekelir for millennia. We will take on this task at the Regent’s pleasure.” The difference of moods began to overtake the unity of the table, and the Elders jumped into the fray, trying in vain to calm the men as their words got louder and louder until it rose to a clamor. Hóctar and Tavâñgos rose up in argument against Kótahro and Bóþaro, and Parótyas and Naekos exchanged words hotly with Ktovoli and Šihaktu. Only Ektiro of Štélue, commander of Dovosir's Regent-guard, sat in silence, sipping from his cup.

“Silence! All of you!” Mathios shouted.  At that moment all noise ceased, and even Dovosir stared at the young prince in astonishment. Mathios’s eyes were fierce and bright, yet they were not smoldered with anger, but the burning fire of a commander who commanded with respect. He leaned forward and rested his hands on the table, addressing the commanders both simultaneously and individually.

“We can not bicker amongst ourselves,” he said, “this time of crisis has too much hanging in the balance for that. You are all commanders, gentlemen, men who are respected by those in your charge and those whose charge you are in. And that means that you have my respect as well. You have all accomplished great feats in your time, adopted courage where your men might have abandoned all hope, and it is by those merits that you sit at this table tonight.

“I will not have the shadow that tore the Council asunder do the same to us. We are presented with a test of our will as a people and as a kingdom, and I for one will not have us fail that test by lowering our standards to those tyecun. I will be damned if I do, and you will be damned for allowing me to do so.

“Right now, as Kir-Dovosir has said, nothing is certain of what the Uprisers’ next move is. They could attack tonight; they might sit and fester for a thousand years before mustering up the courage to strike. Nevertheless, while they maintain their unity, we must maintain ours. Commanders, you have each brought men of specific skills, and we will use them where they will be the strongest. But as for those who will defend Avakaš itself from within, those men must truly represent how united we are. Kihar shall walk alongside Hádakaš, Mekelir shall stand next to Néktas, and we will be stronger for it, stronger than any Upriser that dares defy our King.”

“You’re learning to speak like a king yourself, for one so young, Ser-Mathios,” Hóctar nodded. “Your father would be very proud. What say you, Bóþaro?” Kótahro’s second in command said nothing, but nodded his agreement. Ktovoli and Šihaktu stood, and they inclined their heads to Mathios.

“Mekelir shall stand, fight, and if need be, die next to the men of Néktas,” Ktovoli said. “And we are honored to do so for our King and for you, young prince. Forgive our folly.”

Mathios smiled, and returned the show of respect to the other commanders. “We may be Cénáre, but we are still human, Ktovoli. Just don’t let the Kôvudéneans in on that secret.” This was met by an uproarious laughter from everyone in the room. Mathios relaxed his stance and drained his mug of ale.

“Now, if you will all excuse me, I must now attend to my mother. Kótahro, let’s walk and talk for a while, shall we?”

Mathios and Kótahro walked for a while in silence. Out of the corner of his eye, Mathios saw Kótahro arch his neck, straining to see the ceiling high above their heads. Mathios followed Kótahro’s gaze, just in time to see one of the Fúzilo corridors rotate as someone disembarked. Kótahro whistled softly in amazement, and the melody echoed off the walls of the obelisk.

“Is this your first time west of the Greatwater?” Mathios asked.

“It is,” Kótahro replied. “Although I’m sure it won’t be my last. I’m still young compared to your father.”

“But you’re still my elder,” Mathios countered. Kótahro glanced at the prince, confused. “I’ve been taught to show my elders the proper respect,” Mathios continued, “and yet my own stupid knack for propriety caused me to lose sight of that bit of common sense.”

“Is this an apology from a superior?” said Kótahro incredulously.

“As a matter of fact, yes,” Mathios replied with a smile. “Your father fought and died for mine, even though they barely knew each other. Songs of Kedaer the Martyr are still sung in Avakaš, Kótahro. Your father is greatly respected for what he did that day.” Kótahro nodded, but Mathios sensed a deeper sadness in the Kiharian’s somber expression.

“At times, I’m angry at your father, truth be told,” he said. Mathios did not speak or react, but waited for Kótahro to continue.

‘Patience is the key to authority,’ Mathion had taught his son once, many years ago when Mathios was still considered a boy. ‘Authority is given by the respect you have earned, not by the fear you have wreaked upon those in your care. We are servants, Mathios. It is our duty to understand our people, and hear them out to the last word.’

Kótahro sighed deeply, “Angry at the fact that my father had to die, and that I would never know him, so yours could live. But when I came of age and entered into the Wardenship of Kihar, Lord Azadir told me exactly what happened that day, and why my father died. He spoke of your father as he spoke of the South-realm: we are all called to defend it one way or another. And if we must die, then so be it. There is no greater sacrifice.”

Mathios smiled, and placed a firm grasp on Kótahro’s shoulder, shaking him as he would a brother if he had one.

“Ser-Mathios.” Dovosir had followed them out of the hall. The council had long since adjourned, and the other commanders were filing out of the Citadel to return to their men. Mathios caught a curious expression in Dovosir’s eyes, and he knew that Kótahro had seen the same.

“Bóþaro, rejoin the others. Tell them I will be with them shortly. I need to speak with the Lord-Regent in private.”

“Yes, Out-warden,” Bóþaro replied, upon which he swiftly exited the Tower.

“You have an idea, Dovosir,” Mathios said with a smile, “a dangerous one.”

“Indeed,” the Regent replied. “Apparently your father’s influence has not waned in six centuries. "Nevertheless, we need to talk. Kótahro, who is your best infiltrator?”

LONG LIVE THE BOY WHO LIVED: HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS - PART 2 REVIEW

Ten years ago, if you had asked me about the Harry Potter film series, I would have honestly said that, given the HUGE popularity of the books by J.K. Rowling, it was an easy money-grabber. Fast forward to July 16, 2011 at 1:36 a.m., and I can honestly say that it became SO much more than that. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2 is a seminal film. This sort of thing only comes along once in a generation, and I am proud to say that I got to see this through.

In the age of Twilight, Deathly Hallows Part 2 reminds us of what is truly important: honor, duty, friendship, sacrifice, and love (no, I mean it--REAL LOVE, Twi-hards!). I left the movie theater on Friday night with the same feeling I had on December 25, 2003 when I went to see Return of the King with my cousin: a feeling of pure, unadulterated wonder (not to mention the feeling of "too many endings" by the time the words 19 Years Later faded in, a welcome bit of moviegoing deja vu). It would honestly not surprise me in the slightest if the Academy did for Potter what it did for Return of the King and honor it for what it is. It's not just a good summer fantasy film, it's a fantastic fantasy film, an exploration of the true conflict between good and evil, ripped straight from the pages of its origin, and told in such a way that only the shallowest person could not be impacted by it. It is certainly the best film I've seen all year, and it was one hell of a film to end the Summer Movie Season. Not even The First Avenger: Captain America (yes, THAT should be its title) will be able to slow this monster down.

First of all, credit and thanks are due to Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint for putting their childhoods on hold to see this series through to the bitter end. The reason their onscreen performances--not just individually but together--are so powerful is because they don't just play three best friends in the movies, they are best friends in real life. They have the kind of friendship that should have never worked: cast in these iconic roles at the ages of 10 and 11, people easily expected them to become consumed by the Hollywood machine and begin bickering and fighting amongst themselves to the joy of every tabloid newspaper and magazine on the planet. But no, these three actors bonded and grew up together and formed something much more unique, much more powerful than any sort of chemistry veteran actors could hope to achieve in any single film in their entire careers. I would like to pause this review for a moment to express my heartfelt gratitude to this truly inspiring trio of people. Thank you so much for allowing us to watch you grow up in these films, both as actors and as people. Good luck to all three of you no matter what you choose to pursue in the future.

Nevertheless, Harry, Ron, and Hermione are not the be-all end-all of this film. Or indeed this filmic saga. The supporting cast of (to name a few) Michael Gambon, Alan Rickman (who deserves a Best Supporting Actor Academy Award) Ralph Fiennes, David Thewlis, the brothers Phelps (who are now firmly embedded in my mind as Fred and George Weasley every time I read the books), Gary Oldman, Maggie Smith, Julie Walters, and Robbie Coltrane, served to mentor the young actors just as their characters did for the students of Hogwarts (with the exception of Fiennes, obviously). To retain such a stellar cast for ten years and eight films is more than just "sheer, dumb luck" as Professor McGonagall would say, it is just as monumental an achievement as the films themselves. From that opening shot of Alan Rickman as headmaster of Hogwarts to Julie Walters uttering the line many fans had been waiting to hear with bated breath, "Not my daughter, you bitch!", every single performance in this film was a sheer joy to witness.

Special consideration here needs to be given to Mr. Rickman, who does so much with such little screentime, and even fewer lines than he's had in any previous Potter film. His entire performance is conveyed through his eyes, and though they are black and cold, from somewhere deep within comes a sadness and anguish that brought tears to my eyes. Alan Rickman truly gives one of the greatest supporting performances of recent memory. Yes, even up there with Heath Ledger's Academy Award-winning turn as the Joker in The Dark Knight.

Finally, the filmmakers. These people promised to deliver a grand, epic finale and they did. And not just for fans of the films, but fans of the books will find nearly every one of their favorite moments from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows ripped right from the page in this film. From the opening scene with Harry and crew making that deal with Griphook to the Epilogue at the end of the film, the filmmakers didn't try to reinvent the Wizarding wheel and took Rowling's words and gave them brilliant cinematic form. While for some David Yates may not have been the first choice for a film of this magnitude, or indeed even any of the Potter films in this franchise, he has proven himself to be a masterful director, and my hat goes off to him.

What makes this film so great is that Part 2 fits so perfectly well with Part 1, while being as unlike Part 1 as you can get in terms of tone and pace. If you were to splice these films together (which I'm sure Warner Bros. has already thought of doing for the eventual Ultimate Collector's Edition Harry Potter Blu-Ray set--which you can bet your ass I'll be getting!!), Part 1 becomes the slow, grinding upward slope of the rollercoaster that is Part 2. And what a rollercoaster it is. Once the trio (and Griphook) leave Shell Cottage, it's all action and none of it stops for one second to let you breathe, which is perfect storytelling and a great way for the audience to really tap into what the characters are being put through. How the filmmakers managed to put so much into this film and keep it all coherent is something I'll be toiling over for a long time (something tells me Yates took a few pages from Christopher Nolan's book of directing--but I digress) but the film moves along with spectacular pacing that allows you to keep track of what's going on, who's doing what, and how it all comes together.

I have very little to complain about with this film, and the things I do have to complain about are mostly nitpicky things that had very little impact on the film as a whole. Certain cuts, specific takes, a few plot points that were left out (why didn't Harry repair his wand first?!?!), but on the whole, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2 is a film to remember for, and share with, generations to come. Thank you J.K. Rowling. Thank you Harry. And long live the Boy Who Lived.

Special Excerpt from THE LAST ASCENSION

Azgharáth either loved or hated these moments. It had been over five fortnights since he had seen the sky, sitting and fasting in silence as he sought counsel from Ak’horos. Now he stood with his sons at the gates of Ak’horokaš, awaiting the arrival of General Yohukta. He had been charged with wiping out some of the less significant of the Watchers of Kôvudén, replacing them with men loyal to the High Lord. But Kalendu now held a Wolfstone, and it was unknown how this endeavor had played out until now.

Ecálos stood at Azgharáth’s right, while Ekannar maintained his place at his father’s left. A hundred years ago, Ekannar had tried to win his father’s favor by sending three hundred of his own men to their fiery deaths against the Wolven of Mekelir, attempting vengeance for his humiliating defeat at the hands of Oharion his captive. As a reward, his father had given him three scars that ran down the middle of his face and over his nose. His once-perfect visage, which Ekannar had prided above the rest of his possessions including his wives and mistresses, was now utterly ruined; and he was hard to look upon. Their defeat by the Wolven, on their own soil no less, over five hundred eighty years prior had driven Azgharáth nearly to madness. And though Ekannar still dared to defy his father, Ecálos knew better. He’d had over ten thousand years to learn from.

Azgharáth looked, and heard the trampling of a thousand Kânín and halfbreeds making their way towards their home. And before long with his powerful vision the High Lord saw them. Eight hundred werewolves accompanied by two hundred kânakáre in steel armor rushed en mass towards the Black City. At their head, untransformed, was General Yohukta, murderer of Ehóxar and by that right chieftain of the Northpacks. A pillar of a man with one eye and a shaved head, save for one black line that extended down his neck and braided at the end, he wore no armor and was covered head to toe in grime and blood, with an intricate patchwork of tattoos adorning his chest and arms and face. Azgharáth could only assume the majority of the blood was not Yohukta’s own.

The gates opened with a glance of the High Lord’s bloodred-golden eyes, and Azgharáth stepped out onto the barren terrain of the Freezing Plains to meet his general. Yohukta and his men halted simultaneously as if it were prearranged, and knelt before their lord and master.

“Rise,” Azgharáth growled. Yohukta avoided the High Lord’s eyes as he rose, and Azgharáth took notice of this.

“Why do you dishonor me, Yohukta?” Azgharáth inquired. Yohukta did not respond, and at this sign of disrespect Azgharáth growled deeply and rabidly. Quicker than any man’s eye could catch, Azgharáth grabbed Yohukta by the throat, squeezing the very life from the chieftain.

“Apologies, High Lord!” he gasped. “They were aware! Lehadi sent five thousand after us, we had no choice! I don’t know how he knew—”

“You lie,” Azgharáth growled. “Lehadi possesses the Wolfstone of Orú. You were careless! Be grateful that I don’t kill you where you stand.”

“I am, exalted one of Ak’horos,” Yohukta cowered. “But I am not without information, which I know the High Lord values.” Azgharáth rescinded his vise-like grip on the general’s throat.

“Speak,” he growled. Yohukta panted like a wounded dog as he spoke.

“We captured one of the Watchers and tortured him,” he said, “and he spoke of conflict within the Kingdom of Eredôn to the south. Two of the clans have turned their backs on their king, all but declaring open war on Avakaš.”

“And all the while, Tharion lies in the eyes of death,” Azgharáth smiled. “This is good news indeed, Yohukta, thank you for giving it to me. But nevertheless…”

MOVIE REVIEWS Pirates, Mutants, and Ringslingers: Welcome to the Summer Blockbuster Season, Poozers!

So I know I've been more or less slacking on the movie reviews lately. Amazing how much time a sequel novel can take up isn't it? (By the way, The Last Ascension: Book Two of the Mavonduri Trilogy is going great, never mind the fact that it's kicking my ass six ways from Sunday). But, despite the juggling act I've been consistently performing between my dayjob and epic fantasy trilogy about a war between werewolves and a pre-Atlantean race of werewolf hunters, I have been able to get out of the house and have a little "me" time at the movies. And all on a pretty tight budget.

On that note, I would encourage everyone to try and donate blood at your local movie theater if such services are provided. Why? Three reasons: it's a good cause, the snacks are usually pretty good and keep your blood sugar up (though I wish my blood bus would stock back up on those Burger King French toast sticks) and more often than not you get a free movie ticket out of it. Ah, the joy of perks.

Anyway, enough babbling about, it's time for my craziest blog post yet. After the Thor review, I realized that I needed to change up the game a little bit, and so decided to hold off on doing individual reviews until Deathly Hallows Part 2 and Captain America hit screens. Now, without sounding like I'm trying to "stick it to the man" (looking at you, Ebert), I thought it would be a great exercise for me personally to do a three-in-one compare/contrast trifecta review of three of the most diverse blockbusters coming out within a less-than-one-month period this summer. Namely, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, X-Men: First Class, and Green Lantern. Plus, it makes for a pretty nifty blog title, if I do say so myself. So, what better way to do it than to get to it?

STORY

• PIRATES: The cool thing about OST is that it completely broke off from where the original trilogy ended. This is a Jack Sparrow movie and it's just about as neurotic and eccentric as the Captain himself. Yet, for a director who's usually known for his work in musicals, Rob Marshall shows that he can handle a sweeping, epic story just as well as Gore Verbinski. While he may be a bit green to this particular genre, Marshall did a good job maintaining each of the major storylines.
  Hearking back to the first film, On Stranger Tides is a quest story in which all participants in the quest have a specific goal for the prize. Whether the reasons are personally, religiously or politically motivated, it is the idea of "the Quest" that makes this epic pirate fantasy a good epic pirate fantasy. While watching the film, I found myself engaged with the story. I tried to figure out where it would lead, what turns it would take and where it would end up. There were times that I'd go right and the story would go left, and there were other times where I could pinpoint certain plot points and though I knew it would go there I was still satisfied with how it unfolded.
• GREEN LANTERN: I think it needs to be said that I did read an early draft of the Green Lantern script that was leaked online, and I enjoyed it immensely. That being said, I was unfortunately underwhelmed with the final story as presented in the film. Yes, there were elements of that initial script in the final cut and yes, it is the first in the franchise but then again so was Batman Begins. I'm not trying to say that I didn't like it, because I did. But all the same, I wish that the script I had read had ended up onscreen. While watching the film I could tell that there were a lot of plot points that had been cut out for whatever reasons. Maybe it was to focus more on Hal's story, maybe it was for budget reasons, I don't know, I didn't make the film. But with a universe as rich as Green Lantern's, Warner Bros. could have done a lot better story-wise for this film.
• X-MEN: FIRST CLASS: Now, this was a story! I remember the day I went to go see this film that Billy Corgan (I think) had said that X-Men: First Class was "a Saturday morning cartoon mixed with a Nazi revenge thriller set against the Cuban missile crisis", and that's exactly what it was, and it rocked. The pacing was perfectly done, because there is a lot to tell in this film, and it kept my attention for the entire duration of the film. Probably the story's strongest pillar was the friendship between Xavier and Magneto, and how that played out over the course of the film and how it changed each of the men at the conclusion. Throughout the film you see them discuss the idea of mutation and how mutants can coexist alongside humans, if they even can, and you can tell that each man has been shaped by their life experiences, one for better and one for worse. Never mind all the continuity issues, this is a fresh start for the X-Men series. And I want to see where it goes.

CHARACTERS

• PIRATES: First off, let's just get this one little point out of the way: You can't go wrong with Jack Sparrow. Give Johnny Depp a little and he'll get a mile out of it. That being said, everyone else was fantastic. It was great to see Kevin MacNally back as Joshamee Gibbs, and even better to see him first as being innocent of being accused as Jack Sparrow (genius writing!!). Geoffrey Rush brought a freshness back to Barbossa after the writers reimagined him as a Royal privateer, peg leg and all, and that his relationship with Jack was reinvigorated by that fact. Penelope Cruz created the perfect female foil for Jack, with Angelica matching Jack wit for wit and line for line. Unfortunately, Ian McShane's Edward Teach/Blackbeard left more to be desired. After hearing all the characters hyping him up for his ruthlessness and depravity, I found him to be quite a decent fellow all things considered. But then again, following Bill Nighy as Davy Jones is a pretty big hat to fill.
• GREEN LANTERN: Despite all my gripes with Green Lantern's story, I thought the characters were phenomenal. Ryan Reynolds proved that he can balance cockiness and a sharp tongue with emotional gravitas and empathy, and I was very pleasantly surprised with Blake Lively (who happens to be exactly as old as I am, to the day no less) as Carrol Ferris. Peter Sarsgaard always makes for a great villain, and he pulled off the creepiness of Hector Hammond sinisterly well. Geoffrey Rush and Michael Clarke Duncan lended their perfectly selected voices as Tomar-Re and Kilowog, respectively, although Kilowog's design could have been more piggish. My favorite performance, however, was one we didn't get to see enough of: Mark Strong as Thaal Sinestro. You could really see the sincerity of his performance in his eyes, and you knew that when he spoke of the power of fear he spoke reverently of it. Parallax was not a very convincing villain, and not as credible nor immediate a threat as Hammond, but it did widen the scope of the film.
• X-MEN: FIRST CLASS: First of all, it was great to see Kevin Bacon acting again. Second of all, it was great to see Kevin Bacon be a villain. Third of all, Kevin Bacon speaks sehr gut Deutsche. Sebastian Shaw (played by Bacon) is a villain who can harness kinetic energy and repurpose it, a perfect dark metaphor for the early years of the Cold War. On the opposite end of the spectrum, we have James McAvoy as Charles Xavier. This was one of the performances I was very interested in seeing, and was thoroughly satisfied with. Xavier in the '60s was, essentially, a womanizer. Using mutation as a pickup line to get chicks? Brilliant! It shows that there can be a freshness to old characters while still staying thematically true to what drives them. But the real star of this film is Michael Fassbender's Erik Lehnsherr/Magneto. This is a man who has suffered more than any of the other mutants we meet in the course of the film. He travels the world looking for the man who killed his mother, and all the while struggling with what he is, thinking that he's the only one of his kind. And while this is essentially true, he struggles with everyone else's idealistic way of handling things. Fassbender uses his talent to present a wide-angle view of Magneto's narrow-mindedness, and provides more gravitas than any villain I've yet seen. But this film is chock-full of strong supporting characters in addition to the names that will be on the posters. January Jones really makes the phrase "ice queen" come to life (yes, I know she turns into crystal and not ice!) and Lucas Till gave one of the surprise performances of the film as Alex Summers/Havok. And enough can't be said for Jennifer Lawrence as Mystique.

LAST THOUGHTS & OVERALL CRITIQUES

• PIRATES: Probably the best "fourth film" in a given franchise that I've seen in all my years of movie going. Solid story, good character actors to give character performances, a fresh take on some old faces (I'm looking at you, Geoffrey) and a very interesting ending scene and after-credits scene to whet your fanboy brains about Pirates of the Caribbean 5. Not to mention the fact that it's now in the Top 10 All-Time Grossing Movies list. Gotta count for something, right?
• GREEN LANTERN: Unfortunately adequate. Grant Major did a hell of a design job and Reynolds and Strong gave very solid performances, but it seems to me like Warner Bros. could have risked more than they did and had the next Batman Begins on their hands. But, as a comic book fan, I did like it overall, and would go see it again.
• X-MEN: FIRST CLASS: Yes, yes, and YES. Finally, Fox got something right and breathed new life into the franchise by stripping it down and rebuilding it bit by bit. My only concern now is that the inevitable sequel be just as good if not better than this first. But that was a movie I thoroughly enjoyed, and will definitely go see again before Captain America hits theaters.

Well, that's it for me for now (I do have a book to write, after all). Stay tuned to the MAVONDURI TRILOGY OFFICIAL BLOG for more Book 2 News and Movie Reviews. Next month is going to be one hell of a joyride as we say goodbye to Harry Potter with Deathly Hallows Part 2 and hello to the First Avenger with Captain America. Be sure to be following me on Twitter @Mavonduri, and why not add me on Facebook?

By the way, I just finished watching The Social Network with my brother, and....Inception was better. Night folks!!

NOTES FROM THE JOURNALS OF PROF. CILLIAN R. KHANDJIAN -- A preview of "THE LAST ASCENSION"

These documents I have recovered are fragmentary at best; not surprising since they are many thousands of years old. The most complete work is that of Hâr-Mathion Mavonduri’s youth, which has no doubt been compiled and seen by many in the decades following my death. However, as I delved further into the Last King’s history, the documents became scarcer and the picture less complete. Even so, by the time of Hâr-Mathion’s reign as King of the Wolven, the only certifiable source materials that can be counted as one hundred percent credible are Mathion’s own journals and accounts given by his son Ser-Mathios.

...

The translation of “Wolfsbane” that I have employed is not simply practical or a matter of convenience. Upon examination of the description of the plant in question as identified in the documents as Íneña or “the Leaf (i.e. ‘flower’) of Íne,” it can be safely assumed that they are one and the same. The Wolfsbane or monkshood plant (aconitum lycotonum is probably the most likely candidate for its exact identification) can have leaves of a blue or purplish hue and hangs low like the hood of a monk (hence the moniker “monkshood”) and secretes a poison harmful to humans. The Wolven’s immune system is apparently able to metabolize this poison and negate the effects of the werewolf’s toxic bite. In addition, the Wolfsbane poison is actually harmful to the Kânín themselves—understandable now why they would burn fields of these plants as a preemptive battle strategy.

This is another quality of the heretofore “mythical” beast that I cannot find in any research conducted on lycanthropic attributes in the victims. This “toxic saliva” is only found in a wholly unrelated species of giant lizard (or dragon according to some reports) from an island in the far Pacific. I can confidently say that this is not a form of the rabies virus common in most species of wild canines or rodents. Nevertheless, as I further comb these fantastic documents I am learning about a world from before our own, as alike and different to it as one can imagine.

Many details from this point forward are scant or untranslatable, although I have done my best to translate given the very limited amount of documentation in my possession. Where there is not sufficient translatable material, I will attempt to fill in the gaps with my own assumptions, incorrect as they might be.

The God of Thunder Strikes Like Lightning (SPOILERIFIC REVIEW)

So the summer movie season has officially begun, and I have to say it's off to a thunderous (pun intended) good start. Kenneth Branagh's THOR is a true scifi/fantasy epic, blending seamlessly into the Marvel Cinematic Universe while standing on its own at the same time. Now, no film is perfect and THOR is no exception. But it's certainly a movie worth checking out.

THOR plays into the "ancient astronaut" theory very well and believably, portraying the mythic Asgardians as extremely advanced extraterrestrials (but not "alien" in the traditional sense). The titular protagonist, portrayed surprisingly well by relative (but not for long) unknown Chris Hemsworth, is a valiant, courageous yet arrogant warrior, albeit with good intentions. I have to admit, the casting of Hemsworth was my biggest concern about the film, and I am very pleased that those fears were allayed. Hemsworth proved himself capable of handling the God of Thunder's arc on the same level as Robert Downey Jr. did with IRON MAN, and that's saying something. Hemsworth hits all the right notes in this film, from where his arrogance consumes him in the beginning to that pivotal moment when he steps in front of the Destroyer, realizing that true strength stems from humility and self sacrifice. And every moment in between. While this isn't your Shakespearean "thee" and "thou" Thor (try saying that three times fast), the oddity in his speech and his actions compared to his earthly companions is exactly what should be expected, and uproariously funny to watch at times. Not to mention what is probably Branagh's most genius move as director on the project, to have the God of Thunder taken down by a Taser. Irony doesn't get more epic than that!

Of course, a leading man is only as good as the cast around him, and this is one hell of a cast. Not enough can be said for Tom Hiddelston as Loki, who's first minutes of screentime are all played through his eyes. While Loki is indeed the god of mischief, Hiddelston adds gravitas and sympathy to the role, and I can't remember ever really feeling for a villain before. Having been kept from the truth about his origins, one can see why he would go to the lengths that he does, all for the approval of his adoptive father.

Speaking of Anthony Hopkins, he gives Odin Allfather the theatrical credit this film needed for audiences to get their heads into it. While Odin is king of Asgard, his stoic persona can be, and is, shattered by his sons' actions. When it falls to Odin to pass judgment on Thor for his defiance, unlike the trailer which showed him stripping Thor of his powers with authority, in the actual cut Hopkins is shown in apparent physical as well as emotional pain. This gives the character of Odin more substance than I think most people thought he was going to have.

The trio of Natalie Portman--excuse me, Academy Award-winning Natalie Portman, Kat Jennings and Stellan Sarsgaard make up Thor's earthly companions Jane Foster, Darcy Lewis, and Erik Selvig. Researching Einstein-Rosen Bridges (aka wormholes), they encounter Thor in the desert and are soon entangled in the events unfolding as Thor seeks to reclaim his hammer Mjolnir and with it his powers. Dennings is, appropriately enough, mostly comic relief, and Sarsgaard's Selvig is the access character for everyone else in the film to the Norse myths and legends about the Asgardians.

Branagh shows tremendous poise in the Asgardian half of the film, it's only in the earth portions of the film that one can see a few chinks in his directorial armor. Branagh has a natural knack for classically epic filmmaking, as he proved in MARY SHELLY'S FRANKENSTEIN (one of my favorite films). However, he makes up for those flaws with some surprisingly well-placed comedic timing that will definitely appeal to the general audience.

It was great to see Clark Gregg back as Agent Coulson, as a way to tie THOR with the rest of the MCU. And not to mention (SPOILER!!) a cameo from Jeremy Renner as "Barton" (hint hint).

I think the thing that made this movie a real treat was the design. Branagh's sense of scale in this film is beyond anything I've seen in a comic book movie to date, and was really breathtaking to see. I don't know how he did it, but I loved the melding of the seemingly ancient and highly advanced (with a few Futhark runes thrown in for good measure here and there). Asgard, Jotunheim, and earth, how they're all interconnected through the Bifrost (rainbow bridge) but a wholly fascinating way that makes me want to explore it more.

All in all, THOR has successfully kicked off the summer movie season, and is definitely worthy of repeat viewings if anything for all the details that you would've missed on the first go-round. On a scale of "meh" to "epic", THOR is most definitely epic.

Fanboys' Delight: The Summer Movie Season Part 1- Here Come the Heroes

Every year, Hollywood studios save their biggest guns and most lucrative franchises for the months of May, June, and July (sometimes August). This is the time when fantastical stories (GREEN LANTERN, HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS PART 2), mythic figures (THOR, CONAN THE BARBARIAN) and iconic characters (TRANSFORMERS 3, CAPTAIN AMERICA, PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN 4) take center stage. But not every movie is guaranteed to be a surefire win of epic proportions. And thus, the double-bladed irony of what is known as "fanboyism".

For the sake of my fingers, I'm going to split this into two posts. In this one, I'll be covering the 3 major superhero tentpoles of summer 2011. Read on (possible spoilers ahead!) and enjoy...

As a fantasy author, I'm constantly researching the histories, languages, cultures, architectural styles, and most importantly the mythologies of ancient civilizations for inspiration in THE MAVONDURI TRILOGY's own mythology (case in point, I have a sketch of the werewolf fortress of Ak'horokaš, and it drew heavy inspiration from Mayan and Aztec architectural design--more on that later). At the same time, I'm also an ardent comic book geek. I've always sided more with DC than Marvel (that's for another day!!) but when it comes to Norse mythology I just can't say no. There's something inherently appealing in there that makes it easy to understand why Marvel turned one of the Norse's greatest heroes into one of it's most beloved comics. And with Kenneth Branagh bringing the God of Thunder to life for his silver screen debut, I have very high hopes for this movie. Branagh, coming from a theatrical background, knows exactly the right amount of prose to use, and how much of that "high style" tone to incorporate as well, something he's very skilled at. Also, this is Branagh's biggest movie since he directed "Mary Shelly's Franeknstein" with Robert De Niro, a film I thoroughly enjoyed.
THOR is a big risk for Marvel, which is currently really pushing it's "Marvel Cinematic Universe" (and the AVENGERS film that will be a direct result of it next summer), mainly because the general audience hasn't seen their version of the character before, aside from vague memories of the original "Amazing Spider-Man" cartoon. But the premise of a god who has to learn how to be a hero by being human, and overcoming his own arrogance, is compelling enough so that when the action kicks in we'll already be enjoying the ride. Tom Hiddleston has been getting rave reviews for his performance as Thor's scheming brother Loki (appropriately, the Norse god of mischief), so I'm very excited to see how he plays his role.

And with Anthony Hopkins as Odin...well, need I say more?

Keeping the Marvel theme going, let's talk CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER, shall we? I'm not going to lie, I was never into the guy in the comics. No, I'm not saying I didn't like him, I just didn't get him. But after seeing the latest trailer, I'm actually pretty intrigued to see this. Chris Evans, while not the first choice I would've made in casting the Cap, seems eager to get away from Johnny Storm, and he's got a great supporting cast around him to help him do just that.

Hugo Weaving always plays a damn good villain, and with Tommy Lee Jones and Stanley Tucci there's a pretty good chance that this movie can be just as enjoyable as THOR. Joe Johnston, the director responsible for THE MUMMY and more recently G.I. JOE and THE WOLFMAN, is sort of a hit-or-miss director and doesn't have me as excited for Captain America as I am for Thor. But there's no doubt that this movie will be a huge hit after the killing of Osama bin Laden, not only here but around the world as well. Amazing how things work out sometimes, isn't it?

As I've said, I'm more of a DC fanboy than a Marvel fanboy, which is why I'm most excited for Warner Bros' GREEN LANTERN. Call it my Most Anticipated Superhero Movie of 2011. The Green Lantern comics have a rich history and complex mythology to stand on, and despite the fact that he's a so-called "second tier" hero compared to DC's big three, that puts absolutely no pressure whatsoever on Hal Jordan to stand next to them, because his story as it has developed over the last forty someodd years is one of the most unique in comics. Whereas Superman and (until recently) Batman are the sole heralds of their insignias, Hal Jordan is a Green Lantern, one of only 3,600 sentient beings given the responsibility of wielding a tool of near-limitless power, a ring that, according to Tomar-Re (voiced by Geoffrey Rush), "turns thought into reality" through the user's willpower. But there's a catch: in order to access the ring's capabilities, the wearer must possess the ability to overcome fear, in the comics and film personified by a demonic being of pure yellow energy known as Parallax.
Now, while my preferred choice for Jordan was Bradley Cooper, I think Warners and director Martin Campbell (of James Bond fame) made a very shrewd casting call by giving the part to Ryan Reynolds. While mostly known for his comedic timing, Reynolds has proven his dramatic mettle in such films as the AMITYVILLE HORROR remake and the more recent BURIED. Reynolds has that right blend to make Jordan fearless, and cocky because of it, which of course gets him in as much trouble as it does help his willpower as a Lantern. Surrounding him, like Chris Evans with CAPTAIN AMERICA, is a finely well rounded cast (Mark Strong as Sinestro!!!).

Peter Sarsgaard, always a favorite actor of mine, gets his turn as a villain as Hector Hammond, and he looks grotesquely amazing from what I've seen thus far. Add the voice talents of the above-mentioned Geoffrey Rush as Tomar-Re and Michael Clarke Duncan (who better?) as Kilowog, Jordan's fellow Corpsmen, and you can bet that GREEN LANTERN is going to be the surprise hit of summer '11.

Stay tuned for the next edition of FANBOYS' DELIGHT, where I'll give my thoughts on X-MEN: FIRST CLASS, TRANSFORMERS: DARK OF THE MOON, PIRATES OF THR CARIBBEAN: ON STRANGER TIDES, CONAN THE BARBARIAN and of course, HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS PART 2