Three Shades of Night offers a look into each of the “big three” supernatural races of the World of Darkness; all three novellas in this book take place in Chicago, and all of them also involve a supernatural virus that is killing innocents throughout the city.

The first tale, by Janet Trautvetter, is called “The Murder of Crows” and follows the Mekhet vampire, Loki, on his quest to discover the person(s) responsible for the virus that is currently killing mortals throughout the city. Elders within the Kindred population believe that there may be a vampire “carrier” of the virus because some of the victims are among the regular herd of mortals the Kindred feed upon. Loki gets involved with a variety of characters throughout his hunt, including Kindred mentioned in other Requiem books (fiction and RPG alike). The Unholy makes an appearance or two, keeping Loki guessing as to her true motives and powers. The characters from the next two stories in Three Shades of Night also make short appearances in this story, hinting at what is yet to come later in the book. All-in-all, “The Murder of Crows” is the strongest of the three stories in the book.

“Birds of Ill Omen” by Sarah Roark is the Werewolf: the Forsaken tale of the book. The main character, Heartsblood, is not a Chicago native; he comes to Chicago by way of a vision about the city, hoping to stop the plague from spreading. Along the way he temporarily joins a local Pack of werewolves (eventually becoming the Pack Alpha for a time) and seeks clues to help him unravel the mystery. He learns a lot about the corruption that has built up in the city, talks to a few Spirits and even helps heal some of the Pack’s emotional wounds before moving on. “Birds of Ill Omen” is a bit of a difficult read at times; it seems that the reader needs to be familiar with Werewolf: the Forsaken in order to understand some of the terminology that Heartsblood is using. Even though at times it seemed a bit confusing, there was more than enough action to keep things interesting.

Myranda Sarro is the author of “Shadows and Mirrors” and wraps us the conspiracy with the Mage characters that made brief appearances in the first two stories. This story is hurt by the fact that “The Murder of Crows” and “Birds of Ill Omen” have already set-up much of the mystery and clued the reader in on some of the secrets. While the other two tales were complete stories of their own (and complimented each others’ events), “Shadows and Mirrors” relied on the assumption the reader was familiar with not only the Mage: the Awakening setting, but also with the first two stories of this collection.

A great follow-up tale to Stolze’s earlier Requiem novel A Hunger like Fire, this time we learn about some new members of Chicago’s undead society. Most of the characters in this book, with two notable exceptions, are members of the Lancea Sanctum Covenant. The two exceptions are “Earth” Baines and Aurora…but I’ll get to them a little later.

Events in A Hunger like Fire have put Solomon Birch, the ranking member of the Lancea Sanctum, in a dangerous position. A few members of the Covenant feel he is no longer fit to lead them and begin planning his removal as Bishop. Deals are made, gossip is whispered, and pawns are set into motion. While no one in the city questions the faith of Solomon Birch, there are those who think his ties to the Prince (an Invictus) have made him unfit to lead the Covenant. In addition to the internal politics of the Lancea Sanctum, there are rumors of a night on Indulgence. An Indulgence is a single night where vampires are free to kill others and to Embrace new vampires without fear of punishment from the Prince. This could lead to old grudges settled with violence and new young vampires throughout the city. This is dangerous for those wishing to uphold the Masquerade and keep mortal hunters from finding the undead.

Throughout the book there are several conversations between vampires of different factions that really demonstrate just how devious and deadly the undead really are. The Invictus lounging in an exclusive health club while discussing the potential outcomes of the current situation, for example is quite different from the members of the Ordo Dracul whispering in the library.

Velvet, a younger member of the Lancea Sanctum, gets herself mixed up with two mortals and the ongoing political drama…keeping her quite busy throughout the book. She is an interesting character, having next-to-nothing in the way of favors, powers or position when compared to Solomon Birch or his rivals. She makes her way through the night just as well as they, even if her problems are much less grand.

“Earth” Baines is a member of the Invictus Covenant and a sometime “Hound” for the Prince’s enforcer Norris. This position, and his desire for more, gets him dragged into the internal strife of the Lancea Sanctum. Certain members of the Covenant make use of his blatant greed, lack of subtlety and joy of violence. He is never quite bright enough to realize when he is being used, much to the delight of those manipulating him.

Aurora, a mortal out for revenge against the vampires, gets in over her head rather quickly. She fails in an attack on Velvet early in the story, which sets her up to be manipulated by monsters much more powerful than she ever imagined. She is probably my favorite character in the story. She is determined, resourceful and angry. She even manages to humiliate and frustrate Baines at least once, which was an entertaining read.

There are several other members of the Lancea Sanctum that make appearances throughout the story. Some of them are even written up in World of Darkness: Chicago for those that play the Vampire: the Requiem role-playing game. Sylvia Raines, for example, stirs up some trouble and sets a few plots in motion that would make for some very interesting character motivations in an ongoing game.

The writing in The Marriage of Virtue & Viciousness is top-notch, among the author’s best work to date. Each of the characters shows a range of motivations and their emotional states never feel flat.

While I would have liked to have read a bit more of Solomon Birch (especially considering the back cover text reads as if the entire book is about him and him alone), the other characters certainly keep things interesting. If you enjoyed A Hunger like Fire this book is as good, if not better.

Blood In, Blood Out is the second part in the trilogy for Vampire the Requiem. It takes you out of Elysium and into the streets of Chicago, where it is even colder. A different type of law exists out there, one where civility isn’t found.

It still incorporates the same characters, but the main focus of the story is on a new character, Duce, and his struggle against the status quo of Chicago. Lucian Soulban is the writer for this book, and brings some interesting elements into the story. While his style differs slightly from Greg Stolz, it is easy to continue with the story where it stopped in the first book.

The book broke off slightly from the first book to focus on the new characters and problems that developed. Again, this book gives a great view of the ‘other side’ of the tracks in the World of Darkness. Not every coven is recognized by the Camarilla, and Chicago is a prime example of that. It tails the leader of the Carthians in the city, Duce, and how he is connected to Persephone, childe of Prince Maxwell. It also has a wonderful view on betrayal of covens, and how it comes about.

Some immediate problems I had with the book was I found myself not getting into the characters as much as the first book. The character that was supposed to have the reader relate too seemed a bit too distant for me. Even with the continuation of Persephone, the first books main character, it was hard for me to get into the story. I think the biggest problem was the first book left you with a cliffhanger that wasn’t even continued with the second book. The pacing of the book was another thing. It didn’t flow as well as the first book.

The language and alliterations in the book was also something to be desired. It makes many references to the Black Panthers and other organizations. This is not the problem, it’s the fact that it was littered throughout the book, and almost becoming preachy. While it is a great element to introduce this in a story, it almost seems like Lucian is putting the reader down for everything that has happened in the past. It made me feel like something you accidentally step in on the sidewalk, not a good feeling to take away from a book.

As a stand alone book, Lucian did a wonderful job keeping the life that was breathed into the existing characters when they were first introduced. The new characters in this book, Duce and his friend, took on a life of their own. They offer an outsiders view on Elysium politics and social order. The Carthians definitely have an outside view of the Invictus and Sanctified, and that comes out wonderfully in the novel. This is a great book, especially if you have read the first of the series (which I hope you have). This book is again, a great resource for anybody who is a storyteller. Take the time to appreciate the book as it is. Read it as a stand alone book, not as part of the series. Not only will you enjoy it more, you can take away more from the story as well.

Volume 5 covers a three issue miniseries called Firstborn, as well as Witchblade issues 110-115. We learn that New York detective Sara Pezzini was the bearer of the Witchblade, an ancient artifact borne of the elemental universal forces of light and darkness and it maintains a balance between the two. Light, known as the Angelus, and the Darkness both occupy human hosts on Earth. While the Darkness inhabits a local crime boss named Jackie Estacado, the Angelus remains searching for a host deemed worthy.

The Witchblade usually manifests as a gauntlet and bestows its wearer with incredible powers. However, having mysteriously become pregnant, Sara has given up the Witchblade to Dani Baptiste, the daughter of Sara’s boss. When Sara finds out the improbable identity of her unborn child’s father, the stakes are raised by the influence her baby may hold over the balance between the Angelus and the Darkness as well as the fate of the universe itself. Soon a war is waged over Sara’s baby as she struggles to find protection without the assistance of the Witchblade.

This volume is written by Ron Marz and for the most part the writing is competent and interesting. The aspect of the Witchblade universe I like best is its moral ambiguity. Good and evil are not black and white. This holds true both figuratively and literally. The antagonists in this story are not always as they seem. The forces of evil are fluid and nuanced and “good” seems to really be a matter of perspective. This makes the characters infinitely more interesting and unpredictable.

Witchblade covers topics that are atypical in comic books of this genre. There are plots and subplots devoted entirely to concepts such as careers, dating, sex, and motherhood. And although, it doesn’t entirely avoid the well tread path of the Lifetime Movie of the Week, Witchblade treats these ideas seriously and handles them in an interesting enough manner as to not alienate the young testosterone-infused demographic. Moreover, this universe targets female 20-somethings and it does so unapologetically and mostly successfully.

Despite these positive attributes it feels like there’s unrealized potential in the ideas explored within. Nothing ever rises to the heights that these ambitious ideas warrant. And stylistically, there are a few problems as well. I found myself annoyed by the abundance of on-the-nose exposition and confused by the equally abundant number of characters inhabiting any given page all at once.

Marz’s lead characters are strong, particularly Sara Pezzini. However, I find Patience the Magdalena, Witchblade’s requisite bloodline-of-Christ character, to be the most compelling of the peripheral folks populating this story. Unfortunately, she’s inexplicably underused and under motivated here. A bit more of that aforementioned unfulfilled potential, I suppose.

The artwork found in Witchblade Volume 5 is various and fantastic. Artists including Luke Ross, Sami Basri, Kevin Nowlan, Nathan Faribairn, Dave McCaig, and Rick Leonardi all contribute their respective styles and skills to this volume, but it’s the work of artist Stjepan Sejic that sets this book off. Sejic’s work is not photorealistic, but it’s realistically bold and alive in a slightly off kilter way. Sejic renders these characters with supple flesh and hair so well drawn you could reach into the page and style it provided you have a comb. Witchblade Volume 5 is visually nutrient and truly a pleasure to look at.

Overall, Ron Marz’s latest contribution to this universe is an ambitiously dynamic affair. It tries to meld T ‘n A from a feminist perspective with the insecurities of the average career woman, the supernatural with the metaphysical, and the ultra powerful with the very vulnerable, and he nearly pulls it all together. But you know what they say about coming close and in the end there’s much more of a lingering ho-hum factor than the exhilarating wow factor this should have inspired. Witchblade Volume 5 is worth reading for the artwork alone, but it hasn’t managed to make me see the proverbial light on this series.

Review originally posted at FlamesRising.com - http://www.flamesrising.com/new-tales-of-the-yellow-sign-review/

New Tales of the Yellow Sign by Robin D. Laws is a collection of eight short stories that invokes and draws inspiration from The King in Yellow, the 1895 psychological horror collection of Robert W. Chambers. In writing New Tales, Laws undertakes what is, in my opinion, one of the most difficult projects for an author—writing a short story collection built around a core concept or a small number of central themes. The challenge in doing this is that whether readers are trying to or not, they tend to judge each short story on its own, instead of how it fits into the collection’s overarching concept and themes. In composition, I see a collection like New Tales to be akin to concept albums. Each has “core tracks” that advance the concept. Each may include “voice breaks” where the audience is addressed directly as a way to make the message more explicit to the audience. Each often contains a “cover song” or a selection that pays homage to a past artist that the overall work is drawing inspiration from. Finally, both short story collections and concept albums try to avoid “filler tracks”—the selections that don’t really fit with the rest of the collection, but are sometimes included anyway. Approaching New Tales of the Yellow Sign from this viewpoint, I believe that Laws’ collection should be considered a creepy, disturbing success. From my point of view Laws strikes an acceptable balance in his collection having four and a half “core tracks,” one and a half “voice breaks,” one “cover song,” and only one bit of “filler.”

The core stories of New Tales of the Yellow Sign revolve around themes of madness, horror, and unexpectedly love. “Full Bleed,” “A Boat Full of Popes,” “Distressing Notification,” and “The Dog” are all core stories, while the story “Gaps” straddles the line between my view of a “core track” and a “voice break.” Throughout these stories Laws develops a North America that is both familiar and alien. There is just enough of our modern world exemplified in each story so that the weird and metaphysical additions to each story come through as more disturbing than they might otherwise in a vacuum. Through these stories Laws explores the weird, disturbing, and sometimes redemptive, aspects of modern society through the lens of psychological and metaphysical horror characteristic of Chambers’ original The King in Yellow. Of the core stories in New Tales of the Yellow Sign, I found “Distressing Notification” and “Gaps” to be the most disturbing and entertaining. In “Distressing Notification,” Laws turns a horoscope app for smartphones into a terrifying specter of doom while also playing on the disturbing intrusiveness of modern technology in daily life. In “Gaps,” which is far and away my favorite story in New Tales, Laws explores the horror of lapses in memory and control over your body in one of the best uses of a second person narrator I have ever read. “Gaps” is immersive, suspenseful, and the horrifying lack of control I felt as a reader mirrored the horror the narrator felt over his or her lack of control. Overall, each of the core stories offers a compelling view of our modern world and the strange horrors that we refuse to acknowledge or lurk the periphery of our consciousness.

Laws pulls the reader directly into the weird world of New Tales in aforementioned “Gaps” as well as the bombastic, in your face finale, “F@&k You You’re Not Getting Out of This Car.” From my view, these two stories serve a similar role to voice breaks during an album. They directly engage the audience. In “Gaps,” Laws pulls the reader into the story as a means to impart that something is not right in the world of New Tales. While the narrator is grasping at the inexplicable gaps in his or her memory, the reader grapples with the weird and impossible aspects of the world of New Tales. Suspense builds as the plot skips towards the resolution, and as the reader struggles to figure out what is not right in the world of the story. Laws ends New Tales with a hammer blow of a story in “F@&k You You’re Not Getting Out of This Car.” Written in second-person, just like “Gaps,” the reader is placed in the role of a person who is trapped in a car with a bitter, disenfranchised lunatic. The overwhelming message of “F@&k You” is that there are crazy people in the world, crazy people who are dissatisfied with their marginalized existence in mainstream society and they’re not going to take it anymore. While lacking in subtlety, the chilling part of the story comes from the sliver of uncertainty about whether the railing lunatic screaming at the narrator is just a violent madman, or if he is a righteous protector, striking down one of the pervasive, weird, or alien evils that have assaulted others throughout the pages of New Tales.

The final two stories in New Tales, “The Blood on the Wall in the Fortress” and “Pendulous,” represent one homage piece and one filler story. “The Blood on the Wall in the Fortress” pays homage to the original work of Richard Chambers. While set in World War era, as opposed to the late 19th century, the story gives a direct nod to French settings used in many of the stories in The King in Yellow. “Blood on the Wall” is itself, a frightening commentary on the dangers of standing out as different in a group, as well as the psychological tolls of war. While not a bad story by any means when viewed on its own, “Pendulous” struck me as a text that was included in New Tales of the Yellow Sign because seven stories did not seem like enough for the collection. For a collection otherwise filled with impactful and imaginative tales, “Pendulous” seemed bland and banal in comparison. In an otherwise sweetly orchestrated collection of fiction, “Pendulous” sticks out in my mind as the one sour note.

In closing, New Tales of the Yellow Sign is, overall, a quality and entertaining collection of strange and disturbing tales. I feel that any fan of the original The King in Yellow, as well as fans of authors in the vein of Lovecraft and Bierce, will enjoy this collection of short stories put forward by Robin D. Laws. Even people who are not fans of horror, but enjoy the occasional suspense-thriller, should find enough to like in New Tales of the Yellow Sign to justify a read. The only audiences who I would not recommend New Tales to are people who dislike any type of horror, and perhaps younger audiences, as Laws does use strong language in some of his stories. I enjoyed my time spent wandering through the varied world of New Tales of the Yellow Sign, and would not hesitate to give the collection another read through in the future.

Review originally posted at FlamesRising.com - http://www.flamesrising.com/weird-war-ii-sw-review/

Tabletop RPGs were born from historical minis gaming. Going in the reverse direction seems to be difficult in RPGs. Unless, of course, you add a supernatural element. Western gaming lay dead until Deadlands came along with a potent mix of zombies and steam guns. It’s no surprise that the company made famous by that game, Pinnacle, might try a similar formula with other times in history. They made a successful foray into the d20 OGL with Weird War II, smashing together the horrors of war with the horrors of legend. Weird Wars are poised to become a brand within Savage Worlds, with rumored entries including Rome and the Crusades. Launching the line felt like a good time to revisit Weird War II, which is available in Print and PDF for Savage Worlds.

The setting is a pretty basic mash-up: take World War II, add zombies, vampires, werewolves, and cultists to taste and stir. It differs from Deadlands in that the fantasy and horror elements don’t change up the world in big ways. Things are more low key, and the Office of Special Intelligence is much better at keeping a lid on the existence of creatures. Players are also less supernaturally aided. A Haunted vehicle can be taken as an Edge, Russian soldiers can eventually be trained to be psychic soldiers and chaplains can use faith to turn the undead but that’s it. More often than not, the PCs will have to use their wits, guts and whatever equipment the U.S. Army gave them to kill the monsters the Axis Powers unleashed.

The Savage Worlds version offers a good fit for the setting and system. Though human is only playable race, there are dozens of branches of military that fit a similar function. The base assumption is that the group will be made up of a unit with a commander and his men. Other options exist, for those who might want to patrol the seas looking for a phantom U-boat or partisans and resistance fighters behind enemy lines. Some Edges even offer traits that play to national stereotypes like unflappable Brits and friendly Frenchmen.

This is a full-color PDF that combines much of the material from the original d20 line. There are chapters devoted to many of the fronts of the war as well as a general overview. The PDF is full color, using artwork from previous books as well as vintage artwork from the period. A few changes from the original Weird War have been made. Players no longer have access to magic. Some of the sillier monsters were removed. The O.S.I. is now interested in covering up the supernatural instead of controlling it. The changes are minimal but fans of the original should take note.

The presentation in the book is top notch. Pinnacle is known for its flavorful core books and this is no exception. Everything is in full color. The art is a mix of vintage posters, authentic photographs and spooky paintings. Each of the chapters is broken up into a different campaign. These campaigns have subtle but different looks and keep things from getting too boring. The presentation makes coming up with adventures as easy as flipping through the book with the History Channel on in the background.

World War II is a huge subject to cover. Material from the original line made it into the book but not all of it did. There are points where it feels like concentrating of a specific theater might have been a better idea. the writers are clearly passionate and knowledgeable about their subject. Focusing in a specific area might have allowed the book to really nail the feel of being a frontline soldier as well add mixing in some strangeness to battle. Unless the group is made up of people looking to play multiple World War II campaigns, a lot of the book could go unused once the players blow up Hitler’s necromancy lab once and for all.

Each theater gets a chapter that details the soldiers, equipment and creatures that fit in the area. But the space each theater takes up leaves little room for one of the best parts of Savage Worlds books. Plot Point campaigns are one of the most well-liked bits about these core books. They offer a campaign structure condensed to be flexible. This book doesn’t have an overall campaign, instead choosing to go with short hooks in each campaign and random encounter generators. It’s disappointing since the authors show a love of history and seeing what they could come up with for an epic campaign would be interesting to say the least.

The book is filled with stats for tons of equipment from the era. Guns, artillery, tanks, airplanes, boats and more get statted out for whatever campaign might need them. In addition to the stats, many of the items get callouts in the text to discuss a little bit of history. The equipment also expands the field of battle, allowing for dogfights over Britain or tense sub encounters in the north sea.

Bottom Line: If you want to shoot Nazis, zombies, or, even better, Nazi zombies, sign up to deploy with Weird War II today

An action filled mystery into the depths of the modern Knights Templar (hidden from the world that thinks they were wiped out long ago); Heretic focuses on Cade Williams and his team. Cade is known as the Heretic because of his strange abilities and personal quest against the supernatural. Other Templars either respect or fear him depending on which rumors they’ve heard.

Someone or something is attacking chapter houses throughout the country, killing the Templars that try to defend themselves and desecrating the grounds for a dark purpose. Cade is sent in to investigate and stop this menace before things get worse.

The supernatural elements of this book are dark and terrifying to those who face off against them. Most of the Templars have only their weapons and belief in the cause to fight back against the evil in the world. A select few have a touch of supernatural ability themselves. Cade is one of them, having the ability to “step” into the spirit world and talk to ghosts (which can often give him clues the living may have missed). Cade also has a sort of second sight which allows him to sense the supernatural. The newest member of Cade’s team, Duncan, also has some slight supernatural ability. He doesn’t want it however and faces moral challenges throughout the book as to its meaning and what he should do about it.

The enemy has quite a bit of supernatural ability, including powerful necromancy. Mortal cultists and other, less savory servants help the villain fight the Templars throughout the story.

The biggest weakness in this book is the main character, Cade Williams. He is too good at everything and always better than the much more interesting supporting cast. Duncan, Riley and the other members of Cade’s team are great characters; each of them has quirks, flaws and entertaining personality traits. The challenges these characters face are sometimes overshadowed by the brooding, yet always heroic Cade Williams. Cade saves the day when other Templars are losing against demonic enemies several times throughout the book. This is to be expected somewhat since he is the primary character of the story, yet some of the other Templars should be able to function a bit better than they are made out to be. Cade cannot possibly be the best at everything.

The mix of action and mystery throughout the story is well written, keeping the story moving along at a fast pace. The characters have little time to reflect or get bored as the enemy continues to attack the Templars throughout the tale. As part one of an ongoing adventure, Heretic stands on its own…yet leaves plenty of room for further adventure with Cade or other Templar characters.

An easy read for anyone looking for a mix of action and supernatural mystery, Heretic is worth picking up.

The God-Machine Chronicle Anthology is The Onyx Path’s opening salvo of a new series of products for the World of Darkness under the auspice of the God-Machine Chronicle. Since the launch of the new World of Darkness White Wolf/CCP has released a plethora of products as part of their toolbox approach to game design while shying away from developing an overarching “meta-book.” While some books have strayed close to the line between the two for the most part each product was a package of tools each troupe could play around with to build the World of Darkness they want to explore. Now Rich Thomas and the many creative forces behind The Onyx Path are stepping over that line and producing a chronicle book, a setting in which we can explore a particular vision of the World of Darkness (which some tweaks to the core rules to match). This anthology begins the exploration of that vision, wetting our whistle for the upcoming chronicle book which we will not get to see until sometime in 2013.

The God-Machine Chronicle Anthology collects nineteen works of short fiction which continue to “intrigue, tantalize and inspire readers” from start to finish. Seven of these tales originally appeared in other works produced by White Wolf/CCP and twelve of them are all new creations. Fans of the company and their game lines will recognize many of the writers and game designers who have lent their talents to the creation of this tome. Each piece ranges in quality from good to great but I cannot express how impressed I am with the anthology as a whole. Each story really is a piece of a much larger puzzle. This is a puzzle which we are only now starting to see its outline and there is still so much more to reveal.

Does the anthology answer questions about the God-Machine? Yes and no. If anything I have a thousand more questions than before I started reading. That is probably a good thing because I am even more excited for future releases now

Upon completion of the anthology I poured myself a glass of wine and decided to lounge on my futon with the television buzzing in the background. I realized a feeling of melancholy had crept over me with a touch of hopelessness. Not too much but just enough that I wanted to relax and let the cogs keep turning on their own without interruption. Obviously the anthology had the intended effect and I was very much in the right mindset to begin exploring this new setting.

In this, the most recent issue for the Artifacts line, we see Finch and Dani stumbling through the new universe that Jackie Estacado has created -- but something is wrong. As they explore their relationship with each other, both are unaware that a battle rages on a different front. As the danger increases, Finch -- the new Angelus -- shows us she may not have what it takes to be a bearer.

This story is an important part of the Artifacts storyline because it's a crucial plot point that builds the new narrative. Fast-paced with gorgeous, realistic art, if you're following the series you'll want to see what happens here.

This eBook is an overview of the types of markets you can tap into as a freelance writer. Filled with generalities, this compilation is really good for those who are new to professional freelance writing -- and who haven't chosen a specialty. While the book is formatted perfectly, there aren't a ton of resources for leads, and many of the suggested places either require a word-of-mouth connection or a copy of Writer's Market.

If you are an experienced freelancer or writer who has already figured out your specialty, I would give this eBook a pass. If, however, you're new and just figuring out your career path, this is a good way to figure out not only what you want to do, but what the market is like (generally-speaking) for that particular aspect of the field -- minus the financials.

Blood Sorcery lures us back to the beginning of Vampire the Requiem and takes a long look at one of the most interesting aspects of the game. While blood sorcery has always been “good” it was probably not as well developed as it could have been in hindsight. The Storytelling system has matured and now Requiem is benefiting from years of experience with a revamp of blood sorcery, an alternative approach to the system and a plethora of interesting additions to your chronicles. Coming in at just under 70 pages of content this is one of the best new books available to fans of Vampire the Requiem.

Chapter One: Rites of Damnation takes Cruac and Theban Sorcery back to the drawing board and rebuilds it from the ground up. Characters purchase dots in Cruac or Theban Sorcery as normal (as long as the appropriate covenant Status ratings are in place). Instead of purchasing individual rituals (the old system) the character learns rites or miracles through Themes. The Themes (Creation, Divination, Destruction, Protection and Transmutation) are rated from one to five dots. Purchasing dots in Cruac/Theban Sorcery provides a certain number of Theme dots. Theme dots can also be purchased independently.

Much like Mage’s Arcana the system is very versatile in effect but it does have its limitations. Blood sorcerers cannot summon fire or sunlight. Nor can they permanently overcome the weaknesses of the vampiric existence. Blood sorcery also does not provide access into other realms. I think these limitations are important because they further differentiate between the capabilities of the blood sorcerers and the Awakened. They also anchor blood sorcerers as part of the vampire experience. No matter how powerful they become they cannot escape their nature… at least not for very long.

The Circle of the Crone and the Lancea Sanctum are the big dogs when it comes to blood sorcery and they expend a lot of time and effort making sure that remains the status quo. Blood Sorcery does not openly challenge that premise but the tools do exist in the book to develop sorcerous traditions outside of those covenants. I liked that I could easily take this system and build something new and unique from it with very little effort.

Chapter Two: Threnodies introduces an alternative to ritual sorcery in the form of extraordinary effects invoked through song and incredible sacrifice. While the effects of Threnodies can be extremely potent I feel like they are well balanced by the sacrifice which must always be painful. Whether this pain is physical, emotional or psychological the vampire is going to lose something important. Throughout each installment of Boon & Kitty (the short story parsed throughout the book) we find Boon appearing with fewer and fewer fingers over the years and they are not regenerating. He would consider himself lucky that is all he has lost.

Threnodies are tied to Disciplines. Thematically if using a Discipline is a controlled interaction with the Beast then a Threnody is a more violent interaction which can result in something horrible if the Beast gets out of control. This happens whenever the character fails the die roll to invoke the Threnody. Heaven help the character who rolls a dramatic failure but then again that is when things get the most interesting, isn’t it? The repercussions can be quite dramatic although my personal favorite is when the Beast is let loose. No, the Beast is not in control it is literally let loose to run free as an independent entity. Is that a blessing or a curse? I don’t know but I think it makes for a great story.

Chapter Three: Antagonists is a collection of occult-oriented antagonists to add flavor to your chronicles. These characters, organizations and locales are great foils for blood sorcerers or those looking to dabble in the bloody occult (or hire others to do it for them).

The Onyx Path continues to take the World of Darkness in new and interesting directions and Blood Sorcery is a great addition to Vampire the Requiem. The new blood sorcery system is a welcome improvement and Threnodies are going to see a lot of game play because I think you will like them as much as I do. The antagonists section of this book is a gold mine. Enjoy.

Primeval is a new licensed setting from Cubicle 7 Entertainment that uses the same engine as their Doctor Who line of games. For those unclear about the television show, it centers around a group of people who investigate anomalies, which are rips that permit treacherous travel between points in time. The primary focus for the setting are anomalies that stretch back to prehistoric times, as they are the most common. The rips actually can go to anywhen though, opening up quite a bit of sandbox for a game, which is really what this review is about.

The look of the PDF is outstanding, but I offer one caveat: ensure your computer can load heavy graphics quickly. I read the PDF on two different units, a 20+ inch desktop and a 14 inch laptop. The desktop demonstrated how awesome the book looked; the laptop was an exercise in frustration. This isn’t a complaint against the excellent layout of the game, just a head’s up (the laptop is a 2011 model, not an antique). The fonts, layout, and graphics of the book prove excellent throughout. The table of contents is loaded with hyperlinks, taking a GM right to a rule or stat. Stills from the television show make up the “artwork” of the book, which is commonplace for the vast amount of licensed material in the RPG market.

My thoughts about the system hasn’t changed much since the Doctor Who release. The engine used is very similar to Unisystem’s Cinematic line. With this game, you typically combine an Attribute + Skill + 2D6 to earn a result (higher is better). If you’re not thrilled with the outcome, use Story Points. Unisystem’s changes out a D10 for the 2D6 and Drama Points for Story Points. Another key difference between the mechanics (and one I like only if I have the chart printed out before me) is the range of successes and failures. It looks like this:

• No, and: Not only has your character failed, an additional misfortune compounds the problem.
• No: You fail.
• No, but: You fail, but something mildly advantageous also occurs.
• Yes, but: You succeed, but something mildly off-setting occurs.
• Yes: You succeed.
• Yes, and: You rock out and something even better occurs.

The book also delves into the importance of building successful groups. It’s a valid point addressed too rarely in games. Building a terrific character is great stuff, but what if everyone makes the same damn cookie cutter hero? Problems. The rules suggest open character creation with the goal of generating a functioning team. After all, you can’t storm a dungeon with nothing but dwarves.

As source material for the show, the book appears to do very well. I felt like I watched the first three seasons of the tv show after reading the book. Being a licensed product, the daunting place for getting gamers involved is having gamers who are fans of the show.

Or is it?

By coming to this material knowing next to nothing about the source, I took it as a time travel game along the lines of Tony Lee’s under-appreciated Odyssey Prime. The government is aware that something is wrong with time (dimensional travel in OP) and has the first reaction of hiding it. Who doesn’t want to play something like that? I would come at this material blissfully ignorant of the show and tell my own stories about anachronisms popping up in modern times. It can take players anywhere.

Also, why not bring characters from Doctor Who right into this setting? The system is 99% identical. What causes the anomalies: the TARDIS. Every time the Doctor has popped up somewhere it has weakened the very fabric of time and space. For whatever reason, Earth is the unlucky recipient of the majority of these anomalies. While the rules do not talk about jumping dimensions, it does suggest that the future is mutable.

This is a campaign of gaming without even knowing the source material.

And that is exactly what I want in a licensed RPG and what I think kills the unsuccessful ones.

A huge part of the book deals with the differences between various points of prehistoric time. I like the way the author broke down these periods, including such atmospheric changes as air content and vegetation. The glimpse at the possibly future is likewise eerie, but a good read. It also gives hints to what creatures might come through each era, giving a way of “showing not telling” players what was coming their way. If they happen upon a certain creature mucking around the local woods, they have the tools to deduce its identity and home time period built right into the rules. The rules do suggest using a little bit of fictional license with real-world creations, making a leaf eater a meat eater, for example.

Overall, this game has a tremendous amount of potential. Used for fans of the show, it appears more than able to imitate the series. The cool thing is how it can easily surpass that, which is what I aim to do when I play this one. My scores for this excellent game are:

Artwork/Layout: 5 out of 5 Dice (gorgeous) Writing: 5 out of 5 Dice (Good setting, despite being borrowed/clean, clear writing) Overall: 5 out of 5 Dice (Very entertaining)

Horror is a particular genre which lures the masses into its embrace and then pushes us to the very edge. A well written story can invoke pure terror. A well filmed movie can make us scream even though we know we are safe from the horrors on the screen. A carefully crafted ghost story can bring us to the absolute limits of fright and leave us lingering there, sleepless for days on end. Although many dream of crafting the kinds of masterpieces which tear at our very psyches few ever reach that lofty goal. Those who do become nothing less than legends.

In the graphic novel Horrors: Great Stories of Fear and Their Creators writer Rocky Wood and illustrator Glenn Chadbourne have given dark life to their own dark tale. Horrors moves through the centuries of horrific literature to reimagine the lives of some of the authors who shaped the genre as we know it. At the same time they dive into the works of each writer and tap into the themes which drove them. Dr. Frankenstein recognizes his hubris and he struggles to overcome it in futility. The Modernists in Bram Stoker’s Dracula clash with the dark and erotic powers of the supernatural old world. Poe suffers and dies in much the same way as his protagonists.

A mysterious narrator takes readers on this chilling tour of the lives of some of horror’s greatest writers and the famous tales for which they are known. All who are touched by the unnamed host appreciate the gift of genius but inevitably are cursed to suffer as well. None who accept the gift can do so without paying the dark price. Who is this dark patron who clings to the shadows and haunts this tale?

I would tell you but that would be saying too much, wouldn’t it?

Rocky Wood’s writing is nothing less than brilliant. He captures not only the voice of the mysterious narrator but also those of the many famous characters who appear along the way. His reimagining of the lives of these writers fascinates while also maintaining a strong center based on the real events of their lives. This strong center only amplifies the horrific aspects of the narrative as it is not hard to imagine their tribulations as having happened in the very way Wood tells it.

Glenn Chadbourne’s black and white illustrations hint at the great work of horror illustrators from the early days of comics and pulps. At the same time he brings an amazing level of detail to his work which draws the reader deeper and deeper. His work quite literally takes the already exceptional writing of Rocky Wood and elevates it to a new level. Each panel is dark and evocative. Readers will find themselves driven from page to page, finding each illustration as delightful as the last.

Horrors: Great Stories of Fear and Their Creators was nominated as a finalist in the 2010 Aurealis Awards for Best Illustrated Book or Graphic Novel. I cannot recommend this work more highly even if the words existed to do so.

The Horsemen are back, and you better be strapped in for what is about to go down. Book 2 is a balls to the wall non-stop thrill ride that is going to punch you in the face and not look back. Following the events of the first book, Helldiver, The Chosen shows the rest of the formation of the group that will save Earth from its impending doom.

You would think that the visuals could not get any better than they were before, but they did. Each page is alive with such vibrant color. The art by Bisley is so GORE-Geous. His character designs are flat-out jaw dropping, and the amount of detail in each panel is stunning. There is no way in Hell (pun intended) that this book could look any better. His designs for the Horsemen alone, left a craving in this decapitated head for posters, t-shirts and so much more.

The story kicks it into full gear as we round and head towards finish line. Mendheim, Kennedy and Jaffee deliver a story that is perfect on every level. The highlight of this issue to me, was the explanation of why this cast was being chosen to save the world. The amount of detail in their pasts added a level of compassion to my mind that most comics can not make happen. I love these characters, and I love how they are being presented. Of course this is the middle book of the trilogy, so it covers what it needs to and leaves you craving more.

I can not express how amazing this series has been so far. I am deeply saddened that it will end with the next book, but I think that there is so much more to explore in this universe. I would say run, don’t walk to your local shop to pick this one up, but I would be lying. You need to get a transporter and just zap yourself there, because you are missing out already if you do not have this book in your hands. READ IT, you will not be sorry. This is easily going to be in my top books of 2013 list.

Hell’s Door Open is equal parts fantasy and horror with healthy doses of great storytelling.

Prince Calgus has only recently come into his throne but he has proven himself to be a just and capable ruler. Unfortunately, he has also been saddled with the fallout of the evil works of those who came before him which have culminated in a night of utter madness afflicting all of Sept. The city is covered in blood and the enemy is at the gates.

Sevenet is a thief and a jack of all trades who had the bad luck of being in the wrong place at the wrong time committing the wrong crime. Some might call that justice but others would call it fortune. Sevenet is a survivor but there is something about the prince which moves him to act against his nature.

Jessela is a talented wizardess and the daughter of Elivas, former Astrologer Royal. Her mage craft skills are potent but will they be enough to aid the prince when he needs it most? She feels herself drawn to the prince and feels a strange stirring within herself when she is near him.

Semara is a trained courtesan as well as a secret member of the Short Fingers, female assassins under the control of the mysterious Mistress. Oh how she loathes Sevenet and his frequent advances.

This is the first book in Jon Creffield’s Hell’s Door Series and it amazes me how he is able to balance the fast moving pace of the story with an honest development of each of these four characters. Calgus and his companions struggle against the physical threats which assail them but also against the psychological and spiritual strains of having your world turned upside down in a single night. Each of Creffield’s protagonists is a product of their forbearers and they are forced to question their place in a world much larger than themselves.

Hell’s Door Open examines the relationship between mankind and deity with an eye towards the mysteries of understanding a divine will which would allow bad things to happen to good and innocent beings. Why do the gods allow evil to thrive? Where does it come from? Is anyone truly good and how does virtue survive in a vicious world? Sevenet has a few choice words on this topic and Creffield explores these issues in interesting ways.

This book is a bit of an experiment for Jon Creffield as he delves into the realm of self-publishing fantasy and science fiction. His intentions are to share what he learns through experience with the community to help others forge ahead into this young corner of the publishing industry. Hell’s Door Open is currently available in ebook format and he is working on bringing the book to print. He is also considering options for an audio book release.

I enjoyed this novel quite a bit. Reading self-published fiction can still be risky at times but Jon Creffield has delivered a fine example of smart, well written literature that will entertain fans of both fantasy as well as the macabre.

Review by Michael Holland