I love KJ Parker’s works, and was in a mood for something more philosophical (while otherwise tearing through the highly-entertaining, non-brain-taxing, Iron Druid series). What to Expect A novella that explores good and evil, predestination, free will vs original sin, and a plethora of other religious themed subjects, all packaged up in Parker’s usual fantasy […]
News / Blog
Instagram is DEAD 😱
Apparently I’m a vile offender, an antisocial creature, and do not deserve Instagram. Wait, what? Without any reason – at least none that was given to me – Instagram had randomly disabled my account at the start of February. When I tried to reinstate it, all I got was “Your account was permanently disabled” message, […]
Book Reviews: Hexed & Hammered (Iron Druid #2 and #3), by Kevin Hearne
The Iron Druid chronicles started as a fun series, a perfect read over the holiday season. What to Expect Picking up from the last novel, Hexed sees Atticus and his gang square off against those who think him weakened after the last novel, particularly witches from the old world. Expect the same shenanigans, with quips […]
How much “intelligence” fits in AI Arts?
A while ago I had a post about playing with AI generated paintings. This is a fast-moving field, and between the recent release of ChatGPT and working with machine learning for natural language processing tools in my day-job, I thought I’d share some more insights. First, can you even tell the difference? Staying with pictures […]
Book Review: Hounded (The Iron Druid Chronicles #1), by Kevin Hearne
I’ve heard good things about the Iron Druid chronicles, and finally found the time to start the series. What to Expect A solid contemporary urban-fantasy, steeped in Irish mythology. Atticus is a 2,000 year old druid, with deep connection to the earth and some old enemies he’d rather not meet again. Naturally they come hounding […]
Setting a higher bar: happy new year :D
OK, so considering the last couple of years the bar ain’t that high 😅 Still, here’s to happier times in the future, and not just in the distant past. On a personal note, the past year has been busy. Took on more responsibilities with the day-job, saw burn-out happen to those around me and realised […]
Book Review: Crime Wave 2: Women of a Certain Age: A Canada West Anthology
Sometimes one is in in an uncertain mood, unsure of what to read next and wishing to try several things. Anthologies offer a selection of quick samples, showing windows into what might be worth exploring further. What to Expect Sixteen short stories, written by women and with female protagonist, all involving and revolving around a […]
Book Review: A Nymph Returns to the Sea, by Douglas Lumsden
The Alex Southerland series is one of the very best urban fantasy detective series out there, and I’m always keen to jump into the latest installment (see my reviews on past novels). What to Expect Alex is in a bad place in his life, sinking into a bottle of rye after a bad breakup. In […]
Creative outlets
Those of you with a passing knowledge of this blog know that I write on occasion. I haven’t been writing nearly enough, life just got in the way over the past couple of years. Doesn’t mean I don’t plan to get back to it (for a reasonable value of “soon”), or that I don’t seek […]
Book Review: The Signet Ring: A Trouvères Adventure, By Ellis Knox
I loved Knox’s AltEarth blend of historical-fantasy since I first saw (the excellent Goblins at the Gate), so I was very keen to try this latest installment, especially as it’s promising a mystery. What to Expect Expect a classic tale of mystery, where the protagonists – in this case, a band of actors – are […]