Book Review 237 // Gods of the North by Robert E. Howard

Continuing our quest to read all the Conan adventures in one go! It has been easy going so far, and we can continue this trend with the following short: Gods of the North.

Title: Gods of the North

Author: Robert E. Howard

Blurb: "The Frost-Giant's Daughter" is one of the original short stories about Conan the Cimmerian, written by American author Robert E. Howard, but not published in his lifetime. It is set in the pseudo-historical Hyborian Age and details Conan pursuing a spectral nymph across the frozen snows of Nordheim. Rejected as a Conan story by Weird Tales magazine editor Farnsworth Wright, Howard changed the main character's name to "Amra of Akbitana" and retitled the piece as The Gods of the North.

Format: 11 pages, ebook

Review

Wow, seven stories into Conan already! So far, I think my favourite has been Conan the Pirate or the only one where he faces an Elder God/Beast. But this time, we have Conan in the Mountains, facing some very similar feeling Gods (based on Norse Mythology).

Sadly the story reads like filler and has some issues. Firstly the title length, 11 pages, is truly short and a bit disappointing, to be honest. The next issue I had was the uninteresting and straightforward narrative. It all felt very much like a copy-and-paste formula was used.

The story itself sees us joining Conan as the only survivor in this harsh cold land. As he lies dying he is tempted by Atali the daughter of Ymir a Frost Giant. If he had accepted he would have died and passed over, but due to his resistance, he survived to be found by companions searching for battle survivors.

Overall a rather lacklustre tale. Nicely written by a bit dull for me sadly.

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Audio Review 132 // Key of Infinity by John French

I've discovered some tremendous Chaos-themed audio dramas of late, and with John French in control of this Ahriman adventure, I know I was in for a treat.

Title: Ahriman: Key of Infinity

Author: John French

Blurb: Thousand Sons sorcerer Ahzek Ahriman studies an ancient construct of the necrontyr race – but the Necron is studying him right back, and has plans of its own…

On the warship Messenger of Hermes, Ahzek Ahriman and his servant Ignis study a most unusual prisoner – a metal construct containing the consciousness of a member of a long extinct race – the necrontyr. As they interrogate the necron Setekh, he is also learning about them – over and over again as he uses ancient techonology to relive the moment and plot his escape. Will he succeed, or will Ahriman prevail?

Running time: 18 minutes.

Performed by: John Banks, Steve Conlin, Jonathan Keeble and Saul Reichlin.

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Review

I love an Ahriman adventure, especially with John French writing it. We are joining Ahriman as he attempts to interrogate/learn about the Necrons and their ability to manipulate time. Somehow Ahriman, Ignis and Credence have captured a Cryptek, hoping to discover its gifts. The only problem is the Necrons are an elder race and aren't easily caught. We watch as the Necron reuses his technology to attempt multiple escapes from his captors, not realizing that Ahriman is manipulating it to learn how to use its technology. Or does the Necron know this already and is actually playing the Sorceror? Guess you need to listen to find out.

This short tale is 18 minutes, but it is a great listen. It is a narrator-heavy piece with excellent acting, sound effects and a plot of interest. I was genuinely surprised at the quality of this and highly recommend it!

Unboxing | Prophecy of the Wolf | Warhammer 40k - Games Workshop

Unboxing | Prophecy of the Wolf | Warhammer 40k - Games Workshop part of my Warhammer 40k hobby: YouTube Channel

Drop me a sub! Come on, it's free, and if you are reading this, you must find me interesting?

A bonus video in my line-up this week as I snagged a box set on the side. Prophecy of the Wolf was a late 8th Edition boxset that finally introduced the new Ragnar Blackmane and Ghazghkull models. This box set cost less than the two characters combined, so it seemed a no-brainer. I plan to use the marines and orks in quick and dirty paint videos to showcase The Army Painter speed paints and do Ghaz and Rag (pet names) in their more traditional schemes.

Got questions about the set? Ask away. Got a preference for what to build or paint? Sub and then suggest in the comments.

I'm excited to build these!

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Comic Review 244 // Judge Dredd: Small House by Rob Williams & Henry Flint

Nice to be back among the streets of MC-1. I originally read this back in 2019, but I never reviewed it for some reason. Why did that happen? But it gave me what little excuse was needed to re-read it. Found at my local library, so let us dive in.

Title: Judge Dredd: The Small House

Author: Rob Williams

Artist: Henry Flint

Blurb: The critically-acclaimed and fan-lauded latest Judge Dredd tale which sent shockwaves through the universe and Mark Millar called “one of the best runs ever!”

Everything is at stake and no-one is safe – in the critically-acclaimed storyline from Rob Williams and Henry Flint, Judge Dredd and his team of hand-picked allies finally takes on the nefarious Judge Smiley, Mega-City One’s behind-the-scenes manipulator – but who will be left standing at the end? And with tensions with Chief Judge Hershey at breaking point, has Dredd finally met his match?

Format: 96 pages, Paperback (buy via Amazon: Affiliate Shop - thanks for the support)

Review

As a long-time reader, you can't read a Rob Williams' Dredd story without having this feeling of building dread. He is being sneaky in his stories and hinting at something in the shadows working against Dredd and possibly MC-1, but what is it or better yet, who? This story is bringing this all to a head and seems to be finally closing this arc (maybe).

The tale begins on Titan with a survivor of an early Rob William story - Judge Sam. If you haven't read Titan, I highly recommend it, and you could say this is the beginning adventure of the arc. Judge Sam hails from Brit-Cit and is a brilliant Architect. With too much free time on Titan, Judge Sam has noticed a more like a web pattern. This web of actions across the globe all lead to MC-1 and, more importantly, to the Grand Hall of Justice. Wanting to unravel this mystery, Judge Sam requests a transfer to MC-1 and becomes a street judge hoping to discover more.

Now I don't want to ruin it with spoilers, so I must stop there with the plot. But inside this story, we get Judge Dredd, Judge Giant, SJS Judge Gerhart, Judge Sam and Wally Squad Dirty Franks working together. It's like a dream team! We also finally discover the origin story of Dirty Frank and boy it does not disappoint!

Ultimately this is a classic conspiracy tale that can be enjoyed as a stand-alone piece, but also very enjoyable to see all the loose strings tied up. The artwork, unsurprisingly, is fantastic. Henry Flint is my favourite Dredd artist of the modern line-up. He just knows what works! Backgrounds are detailed but not distracting, his characters show their age, and I wonder how he does it, but he can portray the persona of a character purely through art. The story this writer/artist combo has produced over the years has been some of my favourites in the series, and I can't wait to get more of their work soon!

There is one line you see a lot about this tale, but it sums up the conspiracy perfectly:

“There is a house, you know. A small house. And it has no doors. There is no way in and no way out. Yet someone lives there.”

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Blood Bowl 2 Game 7 Summer League Final - Elven Union vs Ogres

Blood Bowl 2 Game 7 Summer League final- Elven Union vs Ogres. Hope you'll want to subscribe and then watch more here:

YouTube

Want more Blood Bowl? Contact me if you're a player; we can match together. Also, let me know if you are interested in a miniature game. If there is, I will start working out how to get some content made for that.

Up against the gigantic Ogres and their Gnobbler counterparts. This game was going to go one way or the other. Option A - I get my face smashed and win, or Option B - I get my face smashed and Draw. No way am I drawing!

I am currently top of the league and was lucky enough to beat my closest rival. So a win here would be gravy. Fingers crossed.

I hope you enjoy it and will smash the like and follow buttons. Cheers

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Book Review 236 // Rogues in the House by Robert E. Howard

I'm continuing my run of Conan adventures. I am really enjoying this way of reading and watching the progression of the writing and the character happen in quick secession. This weeks read was a cheeky 40ish pages and was easy to hammer out.

Title: Rogues in the House

Author: Robert E. Howard

Blurb: Howard's most famous character, Conan the Cimmerian, was a barbarian-turned-King during the Hyborian Age, a mythical period of some 12,000 years ago. Conan featured in seventeen Weird Tales stories between 1933 and 1936 which is why Howard is now regarded as having spawned the 'sword and sorcery' genre. The Conan stories have since been adapted many times, most famously in the series of films starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. 'Rogues in the House' is a story in the Conan series where he becomes embroiled in a battle between two men who are attempting to rule over a city.

Format: 48 pages, Paperback

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Review

We kick off this adventure with Conan chained in a dungeon! But soon, Conan is pulled into a web of political intrigue as Murilo, a city noble/councilor, is threatened by the sinister Red Priest to flee the city. Turns out Murilo has also been up to no good, not as bad as the Red Priest but enough for concern.

Rather than flee to a life of poverty Murilo takes a risk by hiring Conan to kill the Priest, in exchange for his freedom, a horse and a bag of gold. Unable to refuse Conan sets off on the task. Now of course this is a sword a sorcery tale so we have to have a twist! This comes in the form of a deadly pet Gorilla who no longer wishes to play pet. This intelligent and strong beast is almost the better of Conan and for once we have to see Conan using his guile and wit to escape rather than brute strength.

Another well-written and very enjoyable tale, highly recommend it if you have not read it already.

Audio Review 131 // Fabius Bile: Repairer of Ruin by Josh Reynolds

It's nice to be back among the villains of 40k. And in my opinion, none hold a torch to Fabius Bile and his need to attain the "Perfect Human." I've enjoyed a lot of Josh Reynolds work so I know we are in good hands, even if it is only for 20 minutes.

Title: Fabius Bile: Repairer of Ruin

Author: Joshua Reynolds

Narrator: Ian Brooker, Jonathan Keeble

Blurb: Lupercalia burns, the might of the Traitor Legions reducing the last redoubt of the Sons of Horus to rubble. And through the ruins strides Apothecary Fabius of the Emperor's Children, with an army of vile genetic experiments. But what does the twisted Apothecary want in the temple to the fallen primarch Horus? And will he find it?

Format: 20 minutes, Audible Audio

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Review

As mentioned, I knew I was in safe hands with this and had an enjoyable walk to work listening to it. We join Fabius Bile and his carnival of malformed experiments as they attempt to secure a cloned body of the long-dead Horus, Primarch of the Sons of Horus. The tale seems to fit into the Abaddon series, which was nice to see and is happening during the assault of Lupercalia. If Fabius can gain access to Horus' genes, he will be able to restart his failed Primarch program.

It's a great fun listen as we join Fabius in his quest and wonder if Fabius is mad or the only sane person left from the Crusade? It's definitely mad, but also not wrong lol.

Let me know your thoughts.

Imperium Magazine Issue 22 - Halt the Advance - Review & Battle Report

Imperium Magazine Issue 22 - Halt the Advance is the next installment as I run all 80 Battle Reports from the Warhammer 40,000 Imperium collection from Hachette Partworks and Games Workshop.

This will all be a part of the Imperium playlist: YouTube Playlist. Hit the subscribe button! to not miss out.

For each issue, I will bring you a fully painted battle report. Using that issues figures/terrain (if they have some) and rules. As well as a quick overview of the magazine. Got any questions, please do ask!

Imperium Magazine Issue 22 - This is the second of a two-part magazine showcasing the Skitarii Rangers. We use the new map for the Battle Report and have the Necron 10 Warriors facing off against the 10 Rangers in a game of last-model standing wins.

Who will win? The series is currently at 16-9 to the Necrons.

Thank you for reading and watching. Remember to subscribe, it means the world to me, and at 500, I get to unlock the community posts and can start sharing some WIP projects.

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Comic Review 243 // Watch out for Jabba the Hutt by Simon Beecroft

I am really getting a kick from reading all the comics I enjoy in a younger reader format. It is so fun revisiting these characters in this format. This week we took a break from Batman to visit Star Wars and most importantly Jabba the Hutt!

Title: Star Wars: The Clone Wars - Watch Out for Jabba the Hutt!

Author: Simon Beecroft

Blurb: Jabba the Hutt is back and badder than ever, in this tie-in reader to the full-length CGI-animated feature film Star Wars: The Clone Wars, opening in theaters on August 15. The movie launches a new animated series beginning in the fall on Cartoon Network. Full color.

Format: 32 pages, Paperback

Find here on Amazon

Review

As mentioned this was mainly selected to read to my kids (I feel it was 70% for me, but 30% counts right?). And I understand it is technically not a comic, but with so many images it feels like it falls under that selection more than a book review.

It was a great bedtime read together, acting like a whos who of the Clone Wars, delivering kid-friendly information that wasn't dull like a 'dults Encyclopedia. It is basically a list of all the major characters appearing in the Clone Wars cartoon, reading the child to watch the series. Lots of Star Wars esq info so maybe not for every child, but we had a lot of fun looking at the pictures, reading the blurbs and discussing who we liked the most.

A fun 30-minute read, that we all enjoyed.

How to Paint a Primaris Space Marine with Speed Paint - Raptors

How to paint Primaris Spaces Marine Raptors with speed painting.

Here's a quick, straightforward how-to video showing how I painted a Raptors Primaris Space Marines. The technique is straightforward, and a big pro for me is its quickness. This is not technical; this is designed to get paint on models and looks good from 3FT.

More Badab Paint Schemes here: YouTube Playlist

THE RAPTORS

The Raptors is a Loyalist Space Marine Chapter and a Second Founding successor of the Raven Guard. It has been heavily involved in many of the most recent campaigns of the Imperium of Man, including the Badab War, the Third War for Armageddon and the Taros Campaign.

As a Chapter, the Raptors have been nearly rendered extinct multiple times but have learned to adapt to changing circumstances so well that they have flourished where other Chapters would simply have had their names added to the ranks of the fallen.

The Raptors' Chapter culture is very wary of martial glory or honour and prefers to emphasize pragmatism, adaptability and completion of the mission over all other concerns. Having been reduced to so few battle brothers so often in their history, the Raptors have no illusions about what war truly is.

They understand that war is suffering and death. They specialize in a brutal business, but they have no desire to wallow in its misery beyond what is required to carry out the Emperor's will.

The Raptors Chapter has constantly faced and overcome tragedies throughout its ten millennia of history. These begin with the disasters that afflicted the Raven Guard Legion before its Founding and extend to the destruction of its homeworld and repeated instances of near-destruction.

The Raptors' success depends on their ability to think and execute in a distributed and independent fashion. The Raptors willingly employ whatever tactics they believe most appropriate, relying upon success to establish their Chapter's glory rather than misguided notions of honour and dogmatic thought.

The Raptors prize skilled marksmanship and independent thought and view the Codex Astartes as a highly effective set of guidelines rather than absolute doctrine like many other Chapters.

The Raptors are known for fielding substantial 10th Company assets supported by waves of combat skimmers.

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Book Review 235 // The Pool of the Black One by Robert E. Howard

We are hacking and slashing our way through these Conan adventures now. I am also happy to announce that I am rewatching the classic 1990s Conan the Adventurer cartoon, which is genuinely a blast back to my childhood. With a real buzz about it all, I am happy to be reviewing Book 5 in the Conan Adventures.

Title: The Pool Of The Black One: Conan the Barbarian #5

Author: Robert E. Howard

Blurb: "The Pool of the Black One," which appeared in Weird Tales magazine the month after "The Slithering Shadow," is a piratical adventure story and occurs in the Western Sea of the Hyborian Age. The story begins with Conan the Cimmerian adrift at sea, having had to escape from rivals in the Barachan Isles. He clambers aboard The Wastrel, a ship belonging a different pirate order, bitter rivals of the Barachan ones. After a terse conversation with the captain and a brawl with a Zingaran bully, Conan is begrudgingly accepted as a lowly member of the crew and is allowed to remain on board.

Format: 34 pages, E-book

First published October 1, 1933

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Review

This was a nice twist; Conan the Barbarian has become Conan, the Pirate. Looks like we are headed for some High Seas Adventure in this tale. As the newest crew member, Conan has to earn his spot, and it takes our hero only a short time before he catches the eye of the ship captain's lady - which always leads to trouble. But with Conan's strength, he can stay above everyone and is soon a welcomed part of the crew.

Seeking fame, glory and wealth, the crew spots an island and soon are headed a shore to plunder. Discovering fresh fruit on land, the crew set about eating the mysterious fruit to discover too late that it contains a sleeping property. Luckily Conan didn't partake, and neither did the captain, leading to an awkward tension that ends in a duel to see who would be the captain of the slumbering crew. Ultimately the winner is never questioned, but now Captain Conan has a more significant issue to worry about. The island is home to a race of Giants who are highly territorial! Soon the hacking and slashing take over the story, and we get a genuinely brilliant ending, a great short read, I highly recommend it.