Not Alone takes a few different directions right from the top - starting out from a fantastic point of view, veering into a careful criticism of racism and white privilege, and doing a spin into paranormal and sci-fi. Somehow, in spite of a careening start, it pulls together into something deeply meaningful and fairly magical. [...]

The Guardian of Magic is the first entry in author Andrew Sharp's Stone Magic Series. I'll admit I had a fair amount of trepidation going into this one for a few reasons: the title is generic but the Amazon title line is absurdly overlong and descriptive, plus the cover is nigh identical to hordes of [...]

Fantasia International Film Festival (FIFF) - Wonderful Paradise is a breath of fresh air, so much so that even the supernatural aspects, which would normally be horrifying or spooky, are light-hearted – even the film’s ghosts can bring a smile to one’s face. The plot may center around a family with less than strong ties, [...]

Fantasia International Film Festival (FIFF) - From the outset of Petit Vampire (aka Little Vampire) I knew that I would fall in love with the film. Opening with a swashbuckling sword fight and segueing into a montage that I would liken to a family-friendly version of a Ralph Bakshi sequence with similar energy and busy [...]

Posies is a film with such a strong concept I’m actually thankful it’s not a full length film. There are times in the film world where we don’t need a full run time to get the idea of something that is so stunning it goes beyond description. In a society where people are slowly devolving [...]

The Shade of Highfall: The Tale of Shrew is the debut novel by fantasy writer Mark O'Dell. The book is one part traditional sword and sorcery and one part coming of age that centers on the titular Shrew as she navigates her new life as a member of Highfall's thieves' guild. The story begins in [...]

As I mentioned recently in another review, with most filmmakers being in their 30s now, the 90s nostalgia is expected to hit the silver screen as it did with the 80s for the last decade. One of the trends that hit its hardest in the 90s and still has roots in the now is the [...]