In October 2021, when Mark Zuckerberg announced that Facebook would now be called Meta and its business interests would be pivoting to the metaverse, there was almost universal confusion: most observers had no idea what he was talking about, and for good reason. The metaverse does not exist. Born of science fiction and blending virtual […]
Original source: https://www.nybooks.com/articles/2022/10/20/the-specter-of-our-virtual-future-the-metaverse-matthew-ball/
One November day in the British Museum in London 150 years ago, a man called George Smith jumped up from the desk at which he had been working and—to the astonishment of onlookers in that hushed space of learning—“rushed about the room in a great state of excitement,” pulling off articles of clothing as he […]
Original source: https://www.nybooks.com/articles/2022/10/20/a-fireball-from-the-sands-gilgamesh/
It’s a hallmark of countless films about the mafia: the craving for respectability, the yearning for legitimacy, the desire to go clean. The ur-scene is from The Godfather, when Don Corleone tells his youngest son and heir apparent, “I never wanted this for you,” and rattles off the jobs he’d been hoping Michael might hold […]
Original source: https://www.nybooks.com/articles/2022/10/20/lucky-guy-breaking-history-jared-kushner/
With the exception of Herman Melville, nineteenth-century American writers are better known for staying home than for venturing to exotic locales. Henry David Thoreau boasted that he had “travelled a good deal in Concord.” A move around the corner in Amherst, a distance of half a mile, left Emily Dickinson with “a kind of gone-to-Kansas […]
Original source: https://www.nybooks.com/articles/2022/10/20/emerson-his-big-brethren-christopher-benfey/
In The Farther Adventures of Robinson Crusoe (1719), Daniel Defoe gave the “Yamour” only a shrugging mention. Even now, it’s the least known (in the West) of all the great Eurasian rivers. Defoe said, quite wrongly, that there was no trade along it, and that “no Body, that ever I heard of,” had gone down […]
Original source: https://www.nybooks.com/articles/2022/10/20/hugging-the-shores-the-amur-river-thubron/
Narrated by Cris Dukehart and Tim Campbell, The Twice-Scorned Lady of Shadow by Annette Marie continues the story of Saber and Zak. Listeners are rewarded with answers, suspense and romance…
The Twice-Scorned Lady of Shadow
by Annette Marie
Series: The Guild Codex: Unveiled #3
Narrator: Cris Dukehart, Tim Campbell
Length: 7 hours and 37 minutes
Purchase*: Amazon | Audible *affiliate
Rating: 
Narration: 5 cups Speed: 1.3x
I’m learning to embrace who and what I am, but there’s one thing I can’t face: the night Zak betrayed me. But even with the mysteries of our shared past hanging between us, I can’t turn Zak away when he asks for my help.
Powerful fae are going missing, and when he tried to investigate, Lallakai vanished too. Now he wants me to venture with him into the territory of the Shadow Court, but its bloodthirsty courtiers don’t welcome meddling druids.
Danger is gathering around us, seen and unseen. As we uncover incomprehensible clues about the missing fae, we realize this nightmare runs deeper than we imagined, and unveiling it means delving into the past-our past.
If I abandon Zak now, he’ll never make it out alive. But if I stay at his side, if I face the truth of that night, it will destroy us both.
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This story picks up after the previous installment and Saber is continuing the conditions of her probation and coming to terms with who she truly is. We see Saber work with the animals at the rescue where she lives and get to tagalong to her first meeting and the Crow & Hammer. Fans of the Guild Codex world will enjoy seeing familiar faces, especially Tori.
When Echo and Lallakei go missing, Zak appears at the Crow & Hammer and I loved being witness to Saber’s reaction. Of course Saber agrees to give aid; after all, Zak helped her and Rikr.
The tale that unfolds was brilliant, from the Court of Shadows to betrayals. The story is told in alternating POVs. In Zak’s, we learn what happened when he left Sabar ten years ago. I felt for Zak and was glad to see Saber be supportive. We keep seeing growth in her. She really has come a long way from the prickly heroine we first met.
Cris Dukehart narrates and is joined by Tim Campbell, who provides Zak’s point of view. Both did a wonderful job of capturing the characters’ emotions and personalities. This series/world is perfectly suited to audio and I cannot imagine not listening to them.
The story ends with a cliffhanger and fair warning; it’s a doozy. I don’t mind telling you it left me worried about the characters and downright angry at one in particular. The audiobook for The Unbreakable Bladesong Druid cannot come soon enough.
Amazon* | Audible
The Twice-Scorned Lady of Shadow by Annette Marie delivered answers, action and more in the Unveiled series. #audiobookreview #ChrisDukehart #TimCampbell #UrbanFantasy @TantorAudio
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Annette Marie is the author of YA urban fantasy series Steel & Stone, its prequel trilogy Spell Weaver, and romantic fantasy trilogy Red Winter. Her first love is fantasy, but fast-paced urban fantasy, bold heroines, and tantalizing forbidden romances are her guilty pleasures. She proudly admits she has a thing for dragons, and her editor has politely inquired as to whether she intends to include them in every single book.
An award-winning storyteller and a graduate of Johns Hopkins University, Cris Dukehart has narrated books in a plethora of genres, from romance, science fiction, and young adult to children’s literature and autobiography. Her voice, with an endearing mix of sweetness and pluck, can be heard around the world and across the Web in commercials, e-learning projects, and corporate narrations.
Tim Campbell is the Audie and AudioFile Earphones Award–winning voice of hundreds of audiobook titles in almost every literary genre.
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Original source: https://caffeinatedbookreviewer.com/2022/09/the-twice-scorned-lady-of-shadow-by-annette-marie.html
Courtney and her friends have finally re-entered the world of Elysia, only to discover the world that needs their help. Sinister characters are trying to harness the magic to steal the Crystal of Light from the dreamland, and they must be stopped. So Courtney and her friends must travel to another dreamland known as the magic world to stop them. Through their mission to stop the bad guys from taking the crystal, they face unique challenges to protect themselves in the dream world and reality. Will they make it through and save the dream worlds; find out in Elysia: The Magical World by Malcolm Chester!
Elysia: The Magical World is a story full of exciting plot concepts, including the traditional coming-of-age tale. Regarding plot and pacing, Elysia was a great and entertaining read. I was reading an Alice in Wonderland retelling. With the dream elements, special honey, and creative dream characters, Elysia carries the same magic as Lewis Carroll’s classic children’s book. It even further resembles the Disney live-action remakes with the amount of adventure that takes place.
I felt that Courtney’s interactions with Reginald felt forced. When they first meet in Elysia again and kiss, it becomes awkward and uncomfortable for the reader. I felt like I was reading middle school fanfiction. With lines such as “Reginald’s lips tasted like the most delicious food Courtney ever ate.” and “The heat between them grew stronger.” You can attribute some of these matters to the age of our characters, but there may have been a better way to write these scenes and the dialogue within them. But overall, it gave the novel a sweet and quaint ending that many will appreciate.
Elysia: The Magical World is an entertaining children’s fantasy novel that takes readers into a magical dream world. This adventure story is a fun and fast-paced read that was easy to digest in one sitting. I look forward to seeing what Chester publishes in the future!
Pages: 166 | ASIN : B07N7RN2VW
Original source: https://literarytitan.com/2022/09/29/elysia-2/
The Ranting of an Uneducated Reactionary is a non-fiction political and social critique of America’s juridical and social systems. This is a thought-provoking conservative manifesto that approaches an array of topics including socialism, liberalism, racial issues, and several others from a conservative point of view. This book offers readers a compendium of controversial topics described in a conversational yet stimulating manner. Oscar Phillips was born and raised in a liberal state and his parents were Democrats. As a child he never demonstrated any interest in politics but stumbled upon the matter during his high school years when he realized the unfairness of the nuclear arms treaty. Around the same time, he watched the debate between Ronald Reagan and Jimmy Carter, and had an epiphany that he was a conservative. After publishing many columns in his local newspaper, the author decided to take it a step further and put them together in a book.
This provocative book explores nearly every controversial topic in America. The author talks about everything from economic matters such as capitalism vs socialism, to more social situations such as the standing of LGBTQ+ community. He talks about how the American left has adopted the terms “progressive” and “non-conformist” as they’re own, glorifying them and making anything that stands against them unacceptable.
Every chapter within this book contains something that one reader or another will find controversial. At times the narration takes on a sardonic or cavalier tone. While the trenchant opinions might be disagreeable, there´s no denying that this book offers a unique perspective on a variety of political topics. I would recommend this book to both side of the political divide; to one side to understand the others point of view, and to the other side to provide a supplement to similar philosophical views. I especially recommend this book for anyone trying to familiarize oneself with political terminology such as liberalism, race, and socialism.
The Ranting of an Uneducated Reactionary provides readers with a clear view of the authors incendiary views. Expressive and observant, this is a book with a unique perspective that’s expressed in no uncertain terms.
Pages: 415 | ASIN: B0B4BKVN1J
Original source: https://literarytitan.com/2022/09/29/the-rantings-of-an-uneducated-reactionary/
Vandella by M. Ch. Landa is an interesting book about a girl facing certain death after a cancer diagnosis. When she’s presented with an opportunity to trade her cancer-ridden life for her grandmother’s soul, she embarks on a supernatural journey through the world of the undead. However, once she begins this new path, many obstacles lie ahead, and unexpected encounters with famous personalities and people from her life have passed onto the afterlife.
I enjoyed the worldbuilding and landscapes created by the author, which are expansive and innovative. While the concept of this tale is common, the author explores it with new twists and intriguing characters. While I found the theme a bit simplistic at times, it’s a refreshing, gentle read that explores human connection and the will to survive. When Maia discovers her cancer, previously in remission, returns, she must decide whether to face her illness or take another journey that will plunge her into a world of mystery and the unknown.
As the reader delves into this new world, Maia discovers there are many obstacles to explore, from a train that takes passengers into the sky to a vibrant ballroom and an abandoned, haunted country residence. It’s a tale that ignites a sense of survival and a quest for another chance. As Maia is faced with saving a close relative, only to risk her own life in the process.
The author creates great character development who must face difficult situations while questioning the value of their existence. For example, Maia must decide if Sidney is in love with her or whether there is hope for them. I enjoyed the overall story and Landa’s take on a unique romance story while tackling themes of uncertainties in life and mortality.
Vandella by M. Ch. Landa is a teen and young adult magical realism novel. There are themes of dark fantasy and some romance throughout the original writing style and enjoyable storyline.
Pages: 303 | ASIN: B09GK557PF
Original source: https://literarytitan.com/2022/09/29/vandella/
Giant Banana Over Texas by Mark Nutter is a collection of short stories that will make you stop in your track and reread it. With straightforward and short stories, the author has tried to capture the absurdity of human life in weird circumstances. All these instances that are mentioned in the book are plausible situations. They have the full potential to be true, but this is something that is generally not heard of. It might sound confusing, but this is exactly what the stories are: confusing and chaotic.
The author’s writing style is the common thread that binds these 31 stories together in this book. All of them are weirdly thought-provoking and will leave you with a deep sense of discomfort. Of course, I knew that stories are simply stories, but there is something in those stories that make them very near to reality despite being in the vein of impossibility.
The stories have sensible beginnings, a possible flow of action, but an unsettling end. These endings are connected to the problems at the beginning. The weird endings suddenly turn the flow of the stories and take them away from the realistic relatability that we feel with the stories. It is weird, but curiosity makes it interesting. I thoroughly enjoyed being stumped by this Giant Banana over Texas.
The author uses absurdity to bring out the problems of the contemporary world. Even though the endings are not what lies in the wake of realistic action, it brings out discomfort in the readers. The readers feel relatable yet away from the characters. The discomfort of the stories seeps within the reader’s conscience and itches at the mind.
Giant Banana Over Texas is a collection of short dark-humor stories. The language used is very easy to read and understand. Anyone will enjoy the Absurd twists and turns that the stories take while the characters are left hanging on the edge of uncertainty.
Pages: 237 | ASIN : B09S6T5FM4
Original source: https://literarytitan.com/2022/09/29/giant-banana-over-texas/