Review: Doctor Who: Royal Blood by Una McCormack

Title:Doctor Who: Royal Blood
Author: Una McCormack
Source/Format: Blogging for Books, Paperback Review Copy
More Details: Science Fiction
Publisher/Publication Date: Broadway Books, September 8, 2015 

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Synopsis from Goodreads...

“The Grail is a story, a myth! It didn’t exist on your world! It can’t exist here!”

The city-state of Varuz is failing. Duke Aurelian is the last of his line, his capital is crumbling, and the armies of his enemy, Duke Conrad, are poised beyond the mountains to invade. Aurelian is preparing to gamble everything on one last battle. So when a holy man, the Doctor, comes to Varuz from beyond the mountains, Aurelian asks for his blessing in the war.

But all is not what it seems in Varuz. The city-guard have lasers for swords, and the halls are lit by electric candlelight. Aurelian’s beloved wife, Guena, and his most trusted knight, Bernhardt, seem to be plotting to overthrow their Duke, and Clara finds herself drawn into their intrigue...

Will the Doctor stop Aurelian from going to war? Will Clara’s involvement in the plot against the Duke be discovered? Why is Conrad’s ambassador so nervous? And who are the ancient and weary knights who arrive in Varuz claiming to be on a quest for the Holy Grail…?

You know, there is something about the Doctor Who books that keeps me coming back for more. I love the show too so getting Royal Blood was an easy decision. I read this book in a few hours—it was kind of short—but pretty much perfect for what I was looking for. The book opens with the Doctor and Clara landing in a new place, but from the start there was something very odd about the isolated city of Varuz. With its laser swords and electricity, its first appearance is that of a great city but on closer inspection it seemed like the place was crumbling away—it made for an excellent setting. The plot was pretty straight forward as the Doctor and Clara got wrapped up in the conflicts that surrounded Varuz. And in the typical fashion of Doctor Who, they tried to help solve some of the problems to the best of their abilities. The ending was a little sad, but overall, I really enjoyed this book.

This copy of the book was provided by Blogging for Books for this review, thank you! 

Una McCormack is a New York Times bestselling author. She has written two Doctor Who novels featuring the Eleventh Doctor, Amy and Rory: The King’s Dragon and The Way through the Woods, as well as several audio dramas for Big Finish. She lives in Cambridge with her partner, Matthew, and their daughter, Verity

Review: Splintered by A.G. Howard

Title: Splintered
Author: A.G. Howard
Source/Format: Purchased, Paperback
More Details: Young Adult, Fantasy, Retelling
Publisher/Publication Date: Amulet Books, January 1, 2013

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Synopsis from Goodreads...

Alyssa Gardner hears the whispers of bugs and flowers—precisely the affliction that landed her mother in a mental hospital years before. This family curse stretches back to her ancestor Alice Liddell, the real-life inspiration for Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Alyssa might be crazy, but she manages to keep it together. For now. When her mother’s mental health takes a turn for the worse, Alyssa learns that what she thought was fiction is based in terrifying reality. The real Wonderland is a place far darker and more twisted than Lewis Carroll ever let on. There, Alyssa must pass a series of tests, including draining an ocean of Alice’s tears, waking the slumbering tea party, and subduing a vicious bandersnatch, to fix Alice’s mistakes and save her family. She must also decide whom to trust: Jeb, her gorgeous best friend and secret crush, or the sexy but suspicious Morpheus, her guide through Wonderland, who may have dark motives of his own...

“I’ve been collecting bugs since I was ten; it’s the only way I can stop their whispers…”

I have to say that Splintered was definitely an interesting read. Initially I had my reservations about it since I was unfamiliar with the author, but as far as a retellings go this was definitely one of my favorites.

There were a lot of things about the novel that I enjoyed. The setting started off relatively normal but shifted focus as the story progressed, with some scenes reminiscent of Lewis Carroll’s Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, only twisted to fit with the world in Splintered. It was pretty cool to see all of the changes Howard made. Besides the setting, the plot is what kept me reading. The very first page introduced the main character Alyssa Gardener, who has the unfortunate ability to hear the whispers of insects and plants—a theme that played a big part in the story. I found it interesting to see how Alyssa dealt with all of the unnecessary noise while trying to live her life, and it was easy to see why she considered it to be a curse. And even if they weren’t around for most of it, Alyssa’s relationship with her parents was a nice touch to the story along with her friendship with Jenara. The few interactions they did have were nice to read about, but I wish there was more.

Really, my main complaint with Splintered was Jeb, Alyssa’s friend and Jenara’s brother. At some parts of the story I felt like he was holding Alyssa back—that he was the only one who wanted to believe that she couldn’t do anything for herself. And sometimes—ok, a lot of the time, actually—I felt like he was more annoying than helpful with his controlling tendencies.

Overall, I think A. G. Howard did a good job with putting a different spin on Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland that I think fans of the classic tale would enjoy. Despite my one main issue with it, I really liked it and I would definitely consider reading another novel by Howard.

Review: The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken

Title:The Darkest Minds
Author: Alexandra Bracken
Source/Format: Purchased, ebook (iBooks edition)
More Details: Young Adult, Science Fiction, Fantasy
Publisher/Publication Date: Disney Hyperion, December 12, 2012

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Synopsis from Goodreads...

When Ruby woke up on her tenth birthday, something about her had changed...

Something alarming enough to make her parents lock her in the garage and call the police. Something that gets her sent to Thurmond, a brutal government “rehabilitation camp.” She might have survived the mysterious disease that’s killed most of America’s children, but she and the others have emerged with something far worse: frightening abilities they cannot control.

Now sixteen, Ruby is one of the dangerous ones.

When the truth comes out, Ruby barely escapes Thurmond with her life. Now she’s on the run, desperate to find the one safe haven left for kids like her—East River. She joins a group of kids who escaped their own camp. Liam, their brave leader, is falling hard for Ruby. But no matter how much she aches for him, Ruby can’t risk getting close. Not after what happened to her parents.

When they arrive at East River, nothing is as it seems, least of all its mysterious leader. But there are other forces at work, people who will stop at nothing to use Ruby in their fight against the government. Ruby will be faced with a terrible choice, one that may mean giving up her only chance at a life worth living

For a while I had no idea what I wanted to read next but in the end I decided to go with The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken. I know I’ve had it for at least a year so I finally decided to just give it a try. And actually, I was really surprised by how much liked it.

For one thing, the concept was something I could easily get into, with a mysterious disease (IAAN, "Idiopathic Adolescent Acute Neurodegeneration") targeting kids exclusively, and ended up giving some of them strange abilities—it was basically a story about kids trying to survive in a world that was determined—if not obsessively so—to destroy them.Things quickly turned into a wide spread case of paranoia, and those unfortunate enough to develop abilities were sent to camps. That's where the story picked up, and these camps were absolutely terrible to read about. However, they did fit with the concept of the story and I thought that Bracken did a good job of handling it. So I definitely enjoyed the details put into developing the story, setting, and characters.

I found the characters  interesting because of the friendship/relationship dynamics that developed across the span of the story—and I liked seeing how well the secondary characters were developed with as much personality and faults as the main character. I enjoyed seeing how Liam, Zu, Chubs, and Ruby interacted with one another. So, of course, Zu and Ruby's friendship was definitely one of my favorite parts of The Darkest Mind's. Although some of Ruby’s decisions/actions had me scratching my head or just outright confused for the most part she was a pretty good main character. And with everything she went through I could understand why she was so reserved.

So while I had no idea what to expect going into The Darkest Minds, I was really surprised by how much I ended up enjoying it. And I would be interested in checking out more books by Alexandra Bracken.

Movie Review: Inside Out (2015)

Picture Retrieved 6/23/2015 from
Inside Out Official Website

Picture Retrieved 6/23/2015 from
Inside Out Official Website

Title:  Inside Out (2015)

Directors: Pete Doctor & Renaldo Del Carmen
Writers: Pete Doctor & Renaldo Del Carmen
Screenwriters: Meg LeFauve, Josh Cooley & Pete Doctor

Release Date: June 19, 2015

Rated: PG 

Click on the link to find out more about Inside Out

Inside Out was a cute, funny and sometimes sad movie that will take you on an emotional roller coaster ride like never before; that is considering that this is a movie about emotions.  As Riley (Kaitlyn Dias) tries to make sense of her family's move and adjust to her new home, her emotions go awry. The journey inside Riley’s mind provides an insider’s view of what happens when an individual struggles with change. As such, Joy (Amy Poehler), Fear (Bill Hader), Sadness (Phyllis Smith), Anger (Lewis Black), and Disgust (Mindy Kaling) came into play. Things got slightly tumultuous as Joy was on a happy, happy, happy crusade and sadness seemed like extra weight to carry around. Fear brought some humor to the screen and Anger—well; there were just times when he was out of control. And Disgust—well just take a look at this trailer….

Yeah, she was a opinionated and added a touch of sass to the mix. Needless to say, Riley’s behavior was questionable at times. Much of the focus remained on the interworking of Riley’s mind, mainly Joy and Sadness. And although Joy initially had her head in the clouds (everything was happy) and seemed to think that the world revolved around her, I liked the important realization she made upon falling into a dark pit. As for the negative aspects of the film, there were some drawn-out scenes and watching it in 3D didn’t enhance the visual effects. Yet,  Inside Out remains an entertaining, family friendly movie.

Review: Rise by Amanda Sun

Title: Rise 
Author: Amanda Sun
Source/Format: freebie, iBooks ebook edition
More Details: YA, Fantasy
Publisher/Publication Date: Harlequin Teen, May 1, 2015

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Synopsis from Goodreads...

A long, long time ago, before the world was as we know it, Izanami and Izanagi came into being. Two of the first of the ancient gods of Japan, they crafted the world from ink and their own imaginations. Izanagi wants, more than anything, to be with Izanami—but one moment of pride could tear them apart forever. Yuki and Tanaka have been friends for as long as they can remember, but lately deeper feelings have been bubbling beneath the surface. How do they navigate the transition from friendship to true love without destroying the powerful bond between them? Set a millennia apart, can these two couples, living parallel love stories, find their happily-ever-afters?

I really enjoyed Rise by Amanda Sun. It was a really quick read—it's a short story—and perfect to get me motivated again. Rise follows a few of the series well known characters—Yuki and Tanaka—intertwined with the story of Izanami and Izanagi. The writing was fantastic, and though I haven’t kept up with this series lately, I’m looking forward to getting back into it. I really can’t say much, and I don’t want to unintentionally spoil some of the details for those who haven’t read it. So all I can say is that I enjoyed reading from both perspectives in the different time periods, and I recommend Rise to those who are familiar with this series.

Review: Headstrong: 52 Women Who Changed Science and the World by Rachel Swaby

Title: Headstrong: 52 Women Who Changed Science-and the World
Author: Rachel Swaby
Source/Format: Blogging For Books, Paperback
More Details: Nonfiction, Science
Publisher/Publication Date: Broadway Books, April 7, 2015

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Summary from Goodreads...

In 2013, the New York Times published an obituary for Yvonne Brill. It began: “She made a mean beef stroganoff, followed her husband from job to job, and took eight years off from work to raise three children.” It wasn’t until the second paragraph that readers discovered why the Times had devoted several hundred words to her life: Brill was a brilliant rocket scientist who invented a propulsion system to keep communications satellites in orbit, and had recently been awarded the National Medal of Technology and Innovation. Among the questions the obituary—and consequent outcry—prompted were, Who are the role models for today’s female scientists, and where can we find the stories that cast them in their true light? Headstrong delivers a powerful, global, and engaging response. Covering Nobel Prize winners and major innovators, as well as lesser-known but hugely significant scientists who influence our every day...

When I first saw this book available for review I was more than excited for it. I previously knew about a few prominent female figures like Sally Ride, and I was looking to expand my knowledge. I wanted to know more about the accomplishment of women in the scientific field.

Headstrong: 52 Women Who Changed Science and the World by Rachel Swaby offers a brief look at 52 woman who changed the fields they worked in—offering summaries of their accomplishments and general facts about them. This book covered subjects from Medicine, to Genetics and Development.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, despite the fact that only a few pages were dedicated to each woman and her major accomplishments. Headstrong does a great job highlighting each person by offering facts about their upbringing and schooling, even some of the hardships they faced in their respective workplaces before—sometimes even after—achieving acclaim for important discoveries. It was everything from opposition coming directly from prominent colleges refusing to admit them, to their names being omitted from work they spent their life on.

My only real complaint is as I said above, that the profiles were a little short, and I would have liked to know more about each person. But overall, I really liked Headstrong, and I read the book in a few days. I definitely recommend picking it up if you’re looking for a way to get introduced to more female scientists beyond what you might already know.

Top 5 Favorite Profiles...

• Jeanne Villepreux-Power "the mother of aquariophily" (p.52).
• Rita Levi-Montalcini "In 1986, she and Cohen were awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology for their work." (p.107).
• Rosalyn Sussman Yalow "Over the course of conducting their insulin research, Yalow and Berson measured the antibodies generated as a result of the hormone." (p.149).
• Yvonne Brill "Her electrothermal hydrazine thruster was still used in satellites when she died in 2013." (p.171).
• Florence Nightingale "Through observation and statistical analysis of census data, Nightingale designed a curriculum for nurses that would provide them with adequate training for the very first time." (p.187-188).

I received this copy of the book from Blogging for Books for this review, thank you!

Rachel Swaby is a freelance journalist. Her work has appeared in theRunner’s World, Wired, O, The Oprah Magazine, New Yorker.com, Afar, and others. She is a senior editor at Longshot magazine, the editor-in-chief of The Connective: Issue 1, a former research editor at Wired, and a past presenter at Pop-Up magazine. She lives in Brooklyn. Visit her website HERE

Review: John Shaw's Guide to Digital Nature Photography by John Shaw

Title: John Shaw's Guide to Digital Nature Photography 
Author: John Shaw
Source/Format: Blogging for Books, Paperback Review Copy
More Details: Nonfiction
Publisher/Publication Date: Amphoto Books, March 17, 2015

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Summary from Goodreads...

John Shaw is the author of seven previous photography books published by Amphoto: his authentic voice and trusted advice has helped photographers achieve impressive shots in the great outdoors for decades. In his first-ever book on digital photography, Shaw provides in-depth advice on everything from equipment and lenses, composition, and close-ups, to up-to-date information on software filtration and the histogram. In addition, he offers inspirational and frank insight that goes far beyond the nuts and bolts of photography, explaining that successful photos come from having a vision, practicing, and then acquiring the equipment needed to accomplish the intention. Easily digestible and useful for every type of photographer, John Shaw's Guide to Digital Nature Photographyis sure to be the new classic in the category...

John Shaw’s Guide to Digital Nature Photography was a very informative book, and I realized that I had a lot to learn. Thankfully I’m not doing any serious photography to where I immediately need everything mentioned—this book is still something I’m glad I found—and something I’m even more thrilled to have on my shelf. The first chapter alone offers a comprehensive look at photography gear—lenses, tripods, cameras, filters, file types and a few other things. And then the following chapters delve more into the best ways to use what you have to capture the best photo. So if you’re looking to get into photography, or just need to brush up on your skills, then I recommend checking this book out.

I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review, thank you!

John Shaw is one of the world's leading nature photographers and the author of many enduring bestselling books. His photographs are frequently featured in National Wildlife, Outdoor Photographer, Natural History, Sierra, and Audubon magazines, as well as in calendars, books, and advertisements. He lives in Colorado Springs.

Review: Hover by Melissa West

Title: Hover
Author: Melissa West
Source/Format: Purchased, Paperback
More Details: YA, Dystopian, Science Fiction
Publisher/Publication Date: Entangled Teen, August 13, 2013

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Summary from Goodreads...

On Earth, seventeen-year-old Ari Alexander was taught to never peek, but if she hopes to survive life on her new planet, Loge, her eyes must never shut. Because Zeus will do anything to save the Ancients from their dying planet, and he has a plan.

Thousands of humans crossed over to Loge after a poisonous neurotoxin released into Earth's atmosphere, nearly killing them. They sought refuge in hopes of finding a new life, but what they became were slaves, built to wage war against their home planet. That is, unless Ari and Jackson can stop them. But on Loge, nothing is as it seems...and no one can be trusted...

I don’t know if this is going to be a thing, but I have to say that the dystopian books that I’ve decided to read this year have been really good. Hover is a sequel to Gravity, which is a book I read a long time ago, so I was curious to see where the story was going. Some of the details I’ve forgotten about—but not too much to where I couldn’t get back into the story. I have to say that I really liked Hover.

Loge as a setting was interesting. The landscape was vastly different from what I remember of the setting from Gravity. The transition between the two books really highlights the differences between the two worlds, and it was easy to see where some of the characters got their motivation.

Ari Alexander’s life on Loge was immensely different from the one she lived on earth. I liked seeing how she dealt with the sudden changes. Jackson and Ari’s relationship was an aspect of the story that I really enjoyed. They worked well together, and I liked the dynamic of it. West did an excellent job conveying the emotional turmoil that they experienced the longer they were on Loge as Ari learned more about Jackson’s past. Every time Zeus would pop up I just…*glare.* Seriously, I didn’t like Zeus at all, he was manipulative, coldhearted, and it seemed like he ended up losing himself no matter if his original intentions were for the benefit of his people or not. Also, he was calculating…seriously, he was. But that was part of the suspense that surrounded the story—there was just no telling what Zeus was going to do next.

The plot, while slow at times, was nice. I’m not going to specify because I don’t want to reveal anything. But just know that I completely enjoyed Hover. And now, I’m curious to know how the trilogy ends.

ARC Review: Lucidity by Stephanie Thomas

Title: Lucidity

Author: Stephanie Thomas

Source/Format: Author, E-ARC

Age Range: YA

Publisher/Publication Date: February 7, 2015

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Summary from Goodreads...

Beatrice never thought she’d find herself in the middle of Aura, the city of her sworn enemy, the Dreamcatchers. Nor did she never think she’d abandon everything she’d ever known and everyone she’d ever loved to blindly follow Echo, the Dreamcatcher Prince. Gabe would never forgive her, if he lives, and nor will any of the Seers. Upon arriving, Beatrice is quickly thrown into the Dreamcatcher Queen’s self-serving plot to save Aura from a disastrous plague, and Bea’s anticipated return to the City is becoming less likely every day she is held captive and subjected to the epidemic. Full Summary Here

My history with dystopian books has been spotty to say the least—I liked some and I disliked even more—but thankfully, Lucidity by Stephanie Thomas is one that I actually liked! You have no idea how excited I am about that.

It’s been some time since I read Luminosity, the first book in the series, and it was kind of an average read for me. But I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked the sequel. The writing had a good flow to it, and it was easy to get into the story. There were plenty of descriptions and I could easily visualize the setting and what was happening. I really enjoyed the concept of Seers and Dreamcatchers, and the conflict that surrounded them.

Things literally started where the last book ended, and I was glad to see what happened to the characters after the events of Luminosity. Beatrice was a little indecisive—sometimes she was sure about what she wanted, and at other times she seemed more conflicted. But actually, it kind of worked. Beatrice was raised to have certain beliefs and I could understand why she had a hard time straying from them.

The conflict in Lucidity was enough to keep me invested in the story—the ending wrapped things up nicely and I liked it. Overall, the plot was good and the pacing was nice. The world building was handled well and it was easy to understand the society that the characters had to live in. Who knows, maybe my enthusiasm for dystopian books has finally returned, but regardless I enjoyed this book.

This copy of the book was provided by the author for review, thank you!

Review: Words for Pictures by Brian Michael Bendis

Title:Words for Pictures: The Art and Business of Writing Comics and Graphic Novels 
Author: Brian Michael Bendis, Foreword by Joe Quesada
Source/Format: Blogging for Books, Review Copy
Age Range: anyone
Publisher/Publishing Date: Watson-Guptill, July 22, 2014

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Book Summary from Goodreads...

One of the most popular writers in modern comics, Brian Michael Bendis reveals the tools and techniques he and other top creators use to create some of the most popular comic book and graphic novel stories of all time.Words for Pictures shows readers the creative methods of a writer at the very top of his field. Full Summary Here

     Words for Pictures (The Art and Business of Writing Comics and Graphic Novels) by Brian Michael Bendis, is a great guide for tips on how to structure stories for comics. It also offers an insight into the business aspect of the comic industry, and offers easy guidelines to remember.

“He learned how to fail. This is the key to success” (p.xi).

     In the beginning, this book goes over type A and B artists to give an example. But it makes a strong point, and it was all within a few paragraphs. There’s always room for improvement, and I like how the information was presented. It states some very true points on criticism and how some could take it more personal than others.

“If you’re not falling, you’re not really trying hard enough. This book is about falling, and it’s about failing. Any book that offers to provide you with a road map to success in any given field ultimately is about failure" (p.xii).

     There’s a lot to learn in this book, and I like how Bendis handled the explanation on the topics. I especially like the examples given on pitch documents, story outlines, the pros and cons of using a full script, and “a marvel style situation.” The script examples were also nice.

“I don’t want you to write like me. I want you to write like you” (p.8).

     There was never a truer statement—and it applies to all forms of writing. The book stresses the idea of developing your own individual styles, but also offers handy explanations on what different people do when working in groups. So, in the end I enjoyed reading Words for Pictures, and I will definitely keep this book on hand as a reference.

I received this book from Blogging for Books for review, thank you!

Review: Foundations in Comic Book Art by John Paul Lowe

Title: Foundations in Comic Book Art: SCAD Creative Essentials(Click title for synopsis)
Author: John Paul Lowe
Source/Format: Publisher, Review Copy
Age Range: Um, this is an educational book
Publisher/ Publication Date: Watson-Guptill, August 12, 2014

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My Thoughts:

     Foundations in Comic Book Art by John Paul Lowe was an interesting book with plenty of tips and tricks to help artist working on developing their own technique. There were easy examples to follow with exercises to help with drawing straighter lines and so on. If you're just starting out with comic book art and don't really know much about the craft then I think this book would be a good beginners guide, as it goes over some basic techniques and essentials that you need. The book had great explanations on the proper use and cleaning of brushes and nibs as well as recommendations on paper types that work best with each drawing utensil. It also offers great explanations for what to do with ink when its dried out after being left open, working with thicker inks, as well as handy tips for creating certain effects such as splatter marks on a page—and how to judge if paint brushes are good or not. Lowe presents the information in an easy to understand manner, so I will definitely keep Foundations in Comic Book Art on my shelf for future reference.

I received this book from Blogging For Books for this review, thank you!

Review: Curtsies & Conspiracies by Gail Carriger

Title: Curtsies & Conspiracies (Click title for Synopsis)
Source/Format: Won, Hardback
Age Range: YA
Publisher/Publication Date: Novermber 5, 2013 Little Brown Books for Young Readers
My Thoughts:

Curtsies & Conspiracies (C&C) by Gail Carriger was an interesting read—one that I happened to enjoy considering the lack of enthusiasm I’ve had for reading lately.  I found the overall writing style and plot refreshing.  It was nice to see an alternative-history based book targeted at a YA audience.  I wasn't familiar with the characaters because I didn't read the first book prior to diving into C&C.  But, I didn’t have any trouble following along with Sophronia’s adventures.  As a main character, Sophronia was alright, and I liked seeing the relationships she developed with the people around her.  She had a habit of being a bit nosey, but she did it with good intentions.  There were a whole host of characters, but to avoid spoiling anything, I won’t go into them.  Now as for the school, well, it’s one I’d like to attend after all it is in a dirigible. Mademoiselle Geraldine’s Finishing School was a creative take on the boarding school concept sometimes found in YA.  My only problem with C&C is that all the action, albeit brief as it was, happened at the very end of the book.  And at times, the pacing seemed to slow down.  But that didn’t hamper my overall enjoyment of the C&C.  To sum it up, I liked Curtsies & Conspiracies, and I’m even more curious now than ever to see how the whole series started. 

 

Check out the Trailer for the book below!

 

Review: Spartan Frost by Jennifer Estep

Title: Spartan Frost (Click title for Synopsis)
Source/Format: Purchased/ itunes digital edition
Age Range: YA
Publisher/Publication Date: Kensington Publishing Corporation, June 25, 2013






My Thoughts:

     I’m glad that Jennifer Estep decided to do a Novella from Logan Quinn’s point of view, because I always wondered what was going on in his head.  Spartan Frost really showed how Logan was struggling with what happened at the end of Crimson Frost.  Out of everything he seemed to be struggling with his guilt over what happened to Gwen, the most.  The only thing about Spartan Frost is that it was more about Logan and not necessarily how he felt about Gwen.  Sure, we get small pieces of his emotions, as well as some insight into the things he liked about her, but otherwise it was focused primarily on him and his father.  Spartan Frost was a nice bridge to fill the gap between Crimson Frost and the upcoming release, Midnight Frost.  I’m not sure what’s going to happen next, but what I do know is that there will be plenty Reapers of Chaos showing up all over the place.