Two Reviews

Over Worked:

I mentioned in last weeks post that April would be a hard month for me and making all of my posts. So, this week will be another short post, as I merely give a quick review of two great books I read over the past few weeks. I promise to go back to my longer posts next month as I have a break between terms.

Legion vs Phalanx by Myke Cole

Myke is a fantasy author, veteran, actor, and amatuer historian. And this book is his debut History text. It is from Osprey and can be found on Amazon HERE. (That is not an affliate link and I benefit in no way if you purchase the book through it.)

As a fantasy author Myke approaches his subject through the people and events involved in 6 different battles that happened between Rome and the Greeks/Macedonians. Using primary sources and his extensive knowledge as a reenactor of ancient warfare, and also having walked the actual battle sites Myke leads the reader through the most likely scenarios to have occurred. He also isn’t shy about showing the counter-arguments to his points and in the end, he lets the “better story” win the argument.

While Myke calls himself an amateur his obvious love for the subject and the level of his research shines hrough. His ability as a story-teller also keeps the book entertaining and make it a superb read. If you like classical warfare, Roman History, military history, or even just are into wargaming/ role-playing this book is a fascinating read with an ease of understanding. That is really the hallmark of Osprey as a company, lots of detail in an easy to understand format that bridges the gaps between historians (amateur and otherwise) and Gamers/ Modelers.

Boomtown by James A. Moore

Jim can be found HERE and his book can be had from Amazon HERE.

This book is a horror western released from Twisted Press, and imprint of Haverhill Press. This book has also spent a LONG time in the works, as I believe it was nearly 10 years ago that Jim first mentioned working on it as a novella for a small press publisher, who I think has since disappeared from the market.

This novel is set in 1869 and stars Jim’s great (anti-)hero Jonathan Crowley, I also believe that this might be the earliest chronological Crowley story (but I’m not certain that I have read every single short story with Crowley so I could be wrong there.) Crowley is traveling across the American west studying the various flora and fauna when a band of thugs find him and leave him for dead. Things escalate when a storm drives these banditos into the town of Carson’s point and also other THINGS get driven toward the town. And ancient evil creature raises the dead to hunt down the bandits.

I’m probably not doing that justice… the story is broken down into revolving POVs and the pacing is incredible. From the moment that Crowley “gets back up” and the storm drives various groups (the bandits, the Sorceror Albert Miles, the minions of the Skinwalker, and the Skinwalker himself) you are in for a rapid action and revenge. It’s a little break neck with the back and forth between the various characters, and that’s a good thing. There are no points where you feel like you’re trying to get to the next interesting bit.

There are monsters (human and otherwise), there is magic, there is mayhem, there is gore and hardcore fight scenes, and two fisted gunslinging. If you’ve never read Crowley this isn’t a bad point to start as it is very early in his history (at least what’s in print) and while Jim doesn’t elaborate on some aspects of Crowley’s abilities and doesn’t give tons of exposition he does give you enough to realize what is going on and to whet your appetite for more Crowley. (I will give one little caveat and warning… sometimes Crowley is a bit of a dick, in some of his other stories he can be more heroic, but at this point in his life he’s rather misanthropic. If you’ve read a lot of his stories you’ll get that, but if this is first reading you might come away not liking him.)

Excellent, fast paced, grim, hardcore, and a hell of a good time.