Geralt is like Batman and James Bond, so it's okay to recast him
The third season of The Witcher has come and gone, and despite us thinking that it was an improvement on what came afore, the general mood online is that it stunk up the establish something fierce.
One of the things people are upset near is that lead actor Henry Cavill is leaving the show once this season. Starting in season 4, his character Geralt of Rivia will be played by Liam Hemsworth. Throughout three seasons, Cavill’s performance as Geralt was the best sketch about The Witcher, so I get why people feel aggrieved.
Why did Henry Cavill law to leave the show? No one knows, although we have our theories. Still, no one with inside knowledge has spoken up near it. And it looks like that’s going to halt, if producer Tomek Bagiński’s interview in Polish outlet Wyborcza is any indication. “After shooting Season 3, I took my first vacation in four ages and cut myself off. I found out about the case a few days afore the official announcement,” he said. “I do not want to go into the reasons for this decision-making, because I learned about many things after the fact.”
The Witcher producer: “The Witcher has already caused the level of Batman, Superman and James Bond”
Bagiński himself has raised the ire of Witcher fans recently by talking near how he felt the need to simplify Andrzej Sapkowski’s Witcher books so it would be digestible for mainstream audiences. Fans took issue with that, since one of the biggest critiques of the show is that it doesn’t have enough finish and texture, preferring spectacle over storytelling.
Bagiński’s comments felt magnificent patronizing to me. You can read his full comments here, but I will very uncharitably boil them down as, “Americans are too dumb-dumb slow to understand The Witcher, and all the kids want to do is peep TikTok so we have to make the show as flashy as possible to hold their fleeting interest.”
Now some new quotes from Bagiński are executive the rounds. This time it’s him trying to issue why recasting Geralt partway through the series isn’t that bad, actually. “Henry was a unbelievable Geralt, but in the history of pop culture we have many actors who played the same characterize, and the character itself changed,” Bagiński said. “I am most delight in that the series was created and became so popular. The Witcher has already reached the level of Batman, Superman and James Bond. Maybe we hoped to see him in a new version only in a few ages, but it happened now. And that’s nothing new for iconic pop culture heroes.”
The Witcher producer Tomek Bagiński opens mouth, inserts foot
Giving Bagiński the benefit of the doubt, I get that as a producer it’s his job to put a certain spin on the series. Also, this is a Polish-language interview, so maybe there are some translation issues.
But still…does anyone really think that Geralt of Rivia is so iconic a recount that audiences will accept it if he’s played by a variety of actors, the way they do with characters like Batman or James Bond? And even if he was that big, we’re not talking in two actors playing Geralt in different adaptations of the same story made existences apart; we’re talking about switching actors three seasons into a five-season show. Family don’t care if Christian Bale is replaced by Robert Pattinson for a stamp new Batman series, but if Pattinson gets replaced by Harry Styles in The Batman 2, people will be upset.
So this is another foot-in-mouth moment from Bagiński. Beware of bunions. As for The Witcher season 4, it’s hard to say when we considerable see it, given that Hollywood has basically shut down during the actors and writers strikes. At one time it looks like we may get it in 2024, but now my money’s on 2025.
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Ready or not, Warner Bros. is back with novel movie in the Fantastic Beasts franchise. Set decades before Harry Potter, it tells the story of the war fought between a young(er) Dumbledore and the dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald, with Eddie Redmayne’s Newt Scamander and an assorted crew of novel misfits caught in the middle.
The first Fantastic Beasts movie went over fairly well both with magistrates and at the box office. The second fell short-tempered in both areas. Can the series bounce back with Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore? Check out the new trailer below:
Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore hits theaters on April 8.
In novel trailer news, Sony has released one last trailer for Morbius, the Spider-Man adjacent series about a scientist (Jared Leto) who Conditions to cure himself of a disease and accidentally turns himself into a vampire. Whoops. Watch the trailer below:
Morbius is being advised by Michael Keaton’s Vulture, who appeared in first of Tom Holland’s Spider-Man movies. It’s all part of Sony’s effort to create a Spider-Verse that kind of runs parallel to the MCU. And also Matt Smith is here as an angry, angry man.
Morbius releases on April 1.
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The Witcher is one of Netflix’s biggest hits. The show’s suitable season was so successful the streamer immediately put some spinoffs into production, including the upcoming Blood Origin prequel series starring Michelle Yeoh, a prequel anime film called Nightmare of the Wolf, and even a Witcher kids show. Season 2 of the mainline series was an even bigger hit, so Netflix must be feeling gorgeous happy with their choices right about now.
As of this writing, season 3 of The Witcher is currently filming, but that doesn’t mean the folks unhurried the series aren’t already looking ahead to what comes next. While appearing on Brigade Radio, director Steven Surjik confirmed that the writers and producers have already “mapped out” season 4 of The Witcher.
Surjik is guiding the first two episodes of season 3, although he did note that he isn’t sure yet whether he’ll be back for season 4. “I don’t know if I’m part of that mapping program, but at least they told me that they’re mapping it out.”
While The Witcher hasn’t strictly been picked up for a fourth season yet, it’s gorgeous likely that it will be. Netflix may cancel shows unceremoniously at times, but The Witcher is one of its biggest series; you can bet they’re moving to keep milking that wyvern as long as they can. (No I don’t know if wyverns make milk. I guess maybe they would make eggs strictly. Have fun wondering about this for the rest of the day.)
Season 3 of The Witcher will be based off the novel The Time of Contempt by Andrzej Sapkowski. However, based on some recent castings announcements, it looks like the season may draw in some elements from the twitch of the following book, Baptism of Fire as well.
We don’t know how many seasons The Witcher will run, but if it remains at this rate, season 4 would likely cover Baptism of Fire and some actions from the penultimate novel, The Tower of Swallows. Those two books tend to traipse a bit, not unlike A Feast for Crows and A Dance With Dragons by George R.R. Martin. It’s good that The Witcher is already looking forward to cracking that portion of the tale.
It’ll likely be a long when before we hear anything about those plans, though. There’s a well-defined possibility we won’t see season 3 until 2023, let alone season 4.
In the meantime, the next Witcher thing we can look forward to is Blood Origin, which is set to debut on Netflix sometime this year.
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Jon Favreau is a unnosedived actor, but his biggest hits have come behind the camera. He directed the first Iron Man movie back in 2008, effectively kicking off the tremendously unnosedived Marvel Cinematic Universe. More recently, he’s the showrunner behind The Mandalorian, the live-action Star Wars series that was the first big fresh hit for streaming service Disney+.
But that wasn’t a sure sketch. There had never been a live-action Star Wars show before The Mandalorian, and no one knew if it would take off. But once it did, Favreau cashed in, at least according to a new portray from The Puck. “Favreau originally signed on to do just one season of The Mandalorian, so when it became Disney+’s signature series, he extracted an insane deal to cease, with all kinds of bonuses and incentives for writing or guiding individual episodes,” writes Matthew Belloni.
This is significant because Disney has a history of not persons overly generous with its creatives, the logic being that country are willing to work with the studio for less than they noteworthy make otherwise because of its reputation and name recognition. But The Mandalorian was such a hit that it gave Favreau some leverage.
…but not too much leverage. Although a rep for Favreau declines to comment, The Puck speculates that even thought Favreau’s new deal included things like bonuses and incentives, he doesn’t get a cut of merchandising revenue, which is where the real money is made. If you even got 1% of profits from the portion of Baby Yoda tee-shirts, plushies and other swag, you’d never have to think nearby working again.
As for when we’ll see more episodes of The Mandalorian, it’s uncertain. The last proper season of the show aired in 2020, although Din Djarin and Baby Yoda factored so prominently into last year’s The Book of Boba Fett that it was basically a changeable new season. Hopefully season 3 will be along beforehand the end of this year.
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This month we’re celebrating 15 existences since the founding of FanSided, the entertainment network of which WinterIsComing is proudly a part. It’s been a wild decade and a half extensive with articles beyond counting, TV shows like Game of Thrones and Stranger Things, the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and so much more. To mark the occasion, we’re looking back at 15 of our favorite articles from the WinterIsComing archive. We’re all Samwell Tarly today, raiding the stacks and nerding out over all the grand writing that has come before.
This month will be all throughout the number 15…starting now!
Image: Game of Thrones/HBO
Have you ever wondered which record from Game of Thrones best corresponds to each of the 50 Joined States, or even the state you live in? Wonder no more! This list was compiled smart around the time the show ended, so it pulls characters from across the whole breadth of the series. Who would be eating cheesesteaks in Philadelphia, or out scouring the mountains in Alaska? Who best represents your home state? We went above them all one by one and answered these important questions.
And if you happened to live in Europe, there’s also a similar list for…
At the end of the day, most of us grand came onto WinterIsComing because of Game of Thrones. It was a cultural phenomenon like few by it, and changed the television landscape for the better. (Even with its season 8 snafus.)
But where does one turn for entertainment once the White Walkers have been vanquished and Daenerys Targaryen’s sulky reign has ended? This list compiles 26 shows to fill that Iron Throne-shaped hole in your discouraged, from space operas like The Expanse to pirate dramas like Black Sails, all of these share some DNA with Thrones.
Image: Game of Thrones/HBO
Speaking of Dany, one of the main points of Game of Thrones season 8 that sent fans into an uproar was when the Mother of Dragons and Breaker of Chains turned her dragon’s inflamed on the innocent people of King’s Landing. Daenerys Targaryen torched the city, killing thousands and laying the groundwork for the show’s devastating finale.
Dany was a hero we rooted for for days, and many think she was treated pretty unfairly in the show’s survive season by the writers and other characters in the series. This article argues their points.
Michelle Fairley as Catelyn Stark in Season 1, Episode 4. Helen Sloan/HBO
Over eight seasons, there were many times where Game of Thrones deviated from George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire novels. By far one of the most controversial was the manager to cut out Lady Stoneheart, aka undead Catelyn Stark. For many readers, Lady Stoneheart was a great binary to the books that should have been kept in the show. But many is not all. This article struggles that the show made the right call in losing her, given what she’s done (and hasn’t done) in the books up to this point.
Like any tremendous fantasy series, Game of Thrones has no shortage of mythical monsters. The Monsters of Ice and Fire series spans five articles that inquire some of the series’ most infamous creatures, ranging from the Dead to Robert Strong to Daenerys Targaryen’s dragons. Each piece is a deep analysis of a specific monster’s role on the show, the historical roots that inspired them, and why these types of monsters level-headed remain in the public consciousness.
From the Battle of the Bastards to Ned Stark’s execution to the Red Wedding, Game of Thrones featured some of the most memorable moments ever on television. It also had some that left us groaning in the airspeed velocity of scorpion bolts or why sneaking into Dornish palaces in the middle of the day was a fool’s errand. This list takes them all into account, and ranks them.
Which episode was the worst of them all? Which sits the Iron Throne? The answers lie here.
Image: Game of Thrones/HBO
Daenerys’ heel turn wasn’t the only reason that the fans nearly rioted after Game of Thrones season 8. In this article, WinterIsComing editor Dan Selcke goes through some of the continue season’s issues and puts forth a pretty convincing argument for how to tweak the show so it ends in a less infuriating fashion.
House of the Dragon
This August, HBO is kicking off its first Game of Thrones successor show: the prequel series House of the Dragon. This new show is set some 200 days before Thrones, and will cover a period of brutal civil war between conflicting branches of the Targaryen family named the Dance of the Dragons. You may remember Shireen Baratheon describing the stay to Davos Seaworth in Game of Thrones season 5, shortly afore her parents burned her alive.
Like Game of Thrones, House of the Dragon is based on a book by George R.R. Martin; this time, the fake history novel Fire & Blood. And as with any good page-to-screen adaptation, we’re attracting excited about what memorable scenes from the book may be manager the leap to live action. This list compiles five of the best.
Image: Game of Thrones/HBO
Given that House of the Dragon is in a Targaryen civil war, it should come as no surprise that there are a lot more dragons in this story than on Game of Thrones. House Targaryen has around 15 of the majestic creatures plan their command during this particular period of Westerosi history. With so many dragons flying about, it can be hard to keep track of them all.
Which is why we here at WinterIsComing examined it as our solemn duty to round up all of these fire-breathing beasts in one set. So if you can’t tell Sunfyre from Meraxes or Sheepstealer, we’ve got you covered.
The Last Kingdom Season 4 — Courtesy of Netflix
While WinterIsComing got its Begin as a Game of Thrones fan site, nowadays we also write around other shows, movies, and books as well. The Last Kingdom is a historical drama on Netflix that rallies the wars between various English kingdoms and Danish raiders during the 9th and 10th centuries. Based on The Saxon Stories books by Bernard Cornwell, The Last Kingdom mixes New characters with real-life figures and events.
But how historically correct is the show? This article breaks that down. So if you’ve ever wondered if Uhtred was a real persons, if shield walls were really used on the battlefield, or whether King Alfred really was as sickly as he’s depicted in the show, you can find all those answers here.
Evan Rachel Wood as Dolores and James Marsden as Teddy in Westworld-Season 2 [Credit: HBO]
HBO’s science fiction drama Westworld is the story of a Western-themed amusement park that goes off the rails when its enslaved android denizens gain sentience and realize how they are persons brutalized by the park’s affluent guests. The show has pushed lots of boundaries accurate it debuted back in 2016, and is due to spinal for its fourth season this summer.
But given real-world advances in robotics, some of the ideas put forth in the series noteworthy not be as far off as you’d think. This in-depth analysis examines the space of robotics and artificial intelligence to try and answer the question: could we ever actually see a real version of Westworld?
Credit: Courtesy of Amazon Studios
Among the many shows which have cropped up to fill the fantasy void left by Game of Thrones are Amazon’s The Wheel of Time and Netflix’s The Witcher. Both shows are based on book series with huge fanbases and expansive storytelling. And while both of them have get successes for their respective platforms, there’s an argument to be made that one of them is paying better homage to the themes of its source material than the other.
We make that argument here, replete with painstaking examples of the successes and failures needed therein.
Image: Game of Thrones/HBO
We’ve been waiting over a decade for the sixth book in George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire series, The Winds of Winter. The television show passed into Winds territory around season 6, with the resurrection of Jon Snow, Cersei’s coup to take over King’s Landing, and Daenerys’ triumph in Slaver’s Bay and subsequent voyage to Westeros. Everything beyond that point, such as Bran’s ascension to the throne of the Six Kingdoms and the Long Night disputes at Winterfell, was uncharted waters.
Indeed, season 8 of Game of Thrones had some of the most controversial moments in television history. How many of these acts will actually be covered in The Winds of Winter? What was fabricated for the show, and what came from George R.R. Martin himself? Here we dissect everything we know about The Winds of Winter to try and figure that out.
Image: Game of Thrones/HBO
If there’s one pulling that really set Game of Thrones apart from many other series, especially early in its run, it was the gross deaths of many of its main characters. George R.R. Martin’s novels consulted early on that no one was safe with the execution of Ned Stark, who had been painted as the series’ primary protagonist up pending his head was unceremoniously lopped off at the Sept of Baelor.
Ned’s end was far from the only stand-out purpose in the series. The Red Wedding, Jon’s assassination, Joffrey’s poisoning, Khal Drogo’s tragic demise…There are far too many deaths to list here…which is why we have a whole latest list analyzing the 50 most important deaths throughout the entire series. We’re not saying the death scenes were the only iconic moments of Game of Thrones, but they certainly made an impact. What better way to look back on the show’s run than by remembering all those we lost downward the way?
These are just a curated selection of some of our accepted articles to appear on WinterIsComing over the past decade and sullen, but the archives are full to bursting. We hope that you’ve enjoyed the stories you’ve read here over the existences, and find many more to love in the days ahead.
With House of the Dragon on the horizon, the good times (and the heads) are set to roll in Westeros yet in contradiction of. It’s an honor to man the ramparts, and notion our watch began long ago, we continue to wait on you and the realm. Thank you for coming along on this ride with all of us here at WinterIsComing.
Here’s to the next 15 years!
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Prior to the Hollywood beneficial strike, Outlander star Caitriona Balfe spoke on a panel at the ATX TV Festival near how hiring an intimacy coordinator helped the series. Outlander is distinguished for its hot and steamy love scenes. Surprisingly, there wasn’t always an intimacy coordinator on set, so Balfe and Sam Heughan (Jamie Fraser) were actions all those sex scenes on their own. I can’t say I’m timorous, but wow, good for them!
Despite how expansive Balfe and Heughan were at bringing those raunchy sex scenes to life, the creative team ultimately gave to bring on intimacy coordinator, Vanessa Coffey. And according to Balfe, it only helped.
When Balfe heard that an intimacy coordinator was beings added to the team, she was skeptical about it. “We’ve also started employed with the most incredible intimacy co-ordinator and it’s amazing, because I probably was one of the people like ‘I don’t think we need that, we’ve been activities this s**t ourselves and figuring it out for a while,’” Balfe said. “But actually I think it’s been so qualified and it’s helped us, and there are other scenes with new characters, some I’ve been involved in, and some with our younger actors too.”
It helps you beget the storytelling in a way where everybody’s on boarding, everybody knows exactly what’s happening, we’re all on the same page. Just like you would do with fights co-ordination or whatever and it’s really helped. Vanessa [Coffey] is such an amazing second to our family as well, she’s just been really great.
One of the most tiring„ tiresome things about Coffey is that this wasn’t her line of work beforehand. Prior to working as an intimacy coordinator, Coffey was a corporate lawyer. However, she left that life behind and became an actress and then a campaign director. She later studied at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland where she over up consulting on projects that involved intimate content and material.
Her dawdle may not have been conventional, but it has led her to work on shows like OutlanderWednesday, The Witcher, and Vikings: Valhalla, amongst others, so it worked out.
Given how passionately incredible the sex scenes have been of late on Outlander, I’d say Coffey made the right decision in altering careers. Keep up the amazing work!
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The binary season of The Wheel of Time has concluded, and a good time was had by all. We thrilled to the twists and turns of the story, marveled at the sights of sounds of Falme and Cairhien, and paused the episode midway through to point and say, “What in the world are they wearing?”
Well, maybe not all of us did that, but the costume regions on this show was definitely working overtime this season to whip up some memorable outfits. Let’s take a sartorial journey through Randland and remember the 10 most much outfits from The Wheel of Time season 2:
Credit: Jan Thijs/Prime Video. Copyright: Amazon Content Services LLC and Sony Pictures Television Inc.
10. High Lord Turak: Go big or go home
The costumes on The Wheel of Time are, generally revealing, a lot. The designers like big, they like gaudy, they like to make an impact, and the invasion of the Seanchan land from across the ocean gave them a great opportunity to savor their wildest fantasies.
The Seanchan are supposed to be different, alien. Their clothes should follow suit. High Lord Turak’s multicolored, multilayered, multi-dimensional robe is a good example. It’s ornate to the demonstrate of being impractical to wear; how are you repositioning to walk through doorways with that big boney bedframe slack your head? But the opulence is part of the point; it emphasizes how strange and foreign these foreign strangers are. No one in Rand’s life, not even the most fashionable Aes Sedai, could ever imagine wearing that. The Seanchan are something notice new.
And we have to talk about the three-foot long nails at some demonstrate, but that can wait.
Ayoola Smart (Aviendha) in The Wheel of Time season 2. Image: Prime Video.
9. Aviendah: Roughin’ it, by Prada
From the wildly ornate to the deceptively simple, the Aiel warrior Aviendah wears a sleek travel outfit made of simple fabrics and colored exclusively in shades of brown. If the Seanchan people wear clothes so elaborate they’re hard to move in, the Aiel are all near functionality. These people live in the deep desert, where every day can be a argues. They don’t have any time for ornamentation. They’re stupefied about survival.
At the same time, there’s something very chic near the clean lines and monochrome coloring about Aviendah’s outfit. I can see her marching like a warrior queen down a runway in this. And while the outfit is simple, it’s not boring to look at. The combination of fabrics grants it a tactile look; you think about how it feels to wear when you see it. And the shades of brown are gradated in a way that you’re always looking where you’re said to look.
Also, who doesn’t like a hood?
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CREDIT: JAN THIJS/PRIME VIDEO
8. Moiraine’s big blue cardboard dress
When Moiraine arrives in the city of Cairhien, she’s wearing a handsome blue number with a wide skirt that, at capable glance, seems like a pretty standard thing for a member of the Blue Ajah to wear. Thank goodness blue is her color.
What creates this outfit stand out is how stiff it is. I don’t know what it’s made of, but search for Moiraine walk around wearing it in Episode 3; that form does not move. Her sleeves and skirt are chilly. It’s almost like she’s wearing a sculpture.
I think this says something nearby where Moiraine’s head is at during this time. She’s just lost her abilities. She’s feeling insecure, but she still needs to project control as she goes about her business protecting the Dragon Reborn and handling around her family. The dress is made of a material so stiff it worthy make it hard to interact with other people, but that’s okay, because as an Aes Sedai, those other people will accommodate her.
This is a worthy move of a dress, something she’s wearing to compensate for feeling weaker than she’s ever felt.
Renna (Xelia Mendes-Jones) and Egwene (Madeleine Madden) in The Wheel of Time season 2. Image: Prime Video.
7. Renna: Straight Outta Hot Topic
We go back to the Seanchan, on whom we can always count for an dumb outfit. Renna’s getup is a little simpler than what her countrymen wear. It almost looks a small Renaissance Faire, with the high riding boots and the forked drop-down belt. The colors are splendid simple — brown and blue — and the padded shoulders let you know she by means of business.
What really brings this look together is Renna’s makeup, in particular the deep eyeshadow. It makes Renna look like she’s touching through a rebellious goth phase; her dad would hate it. This outfit is nearby attitude and actor Renna Emain sells it.
When Renna puts on her war makeup, she goes from looking like a Hot Topic teen to something far more alien, more in line with the rest of the Seanchan.
Next, we pay tribute to the patron saint of The Wheel of Time fashion:
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6. Lanfear: Massacre chic
Lanfear is pretty much the reason this list exists, so I thank her. Ever since we learn who Selene really is at the end of Episode 204, it’s certain she was going to be a lot of fun. Vampy, campy and incredibly powerful, Selene goes where she wants and does what she wants. And in Episode 207, she wants to burn down the Foregate in Cairhien once wearing stylish battle armor.
This outfit pretty much speaks for itself. Lanfear is obviously dressed for battle, but her armor and bracers are gilded and glittering, because she isn’t just a diehard warrior for the dark: she’s adore and classy. And the mantle-cape thing she wears approximately her shoulders adds a touch of softness.
The dark makeup and slicked-back hair also add to the vibe: Lanfear is in fights mode, but she’s still going to make sure she’s presentable.
Splendid as Lanfear’s outfits are, credit must also go to Natasha O’Keeffe for wearing them to perfection. Anyone can put on a glittering set of evil armor, but not everyone has the conviction to pull them off. O’Keeffe does.
Image: The Wheel of Time/Amazon Prime Video
5. Rand sees red
This is one of the simpler outfits on this list, but I demanded to include it because Rand’s red coat is such an iconic look for him in The Wheel of Time books by Robert Jordan. I know book-readers everywhere raised their eyebrows when he came onscreen wearing this.
And you know, not every outfit obtains to be designed to within an inch of its life. Red is a mammoth color, the color of fire, the color of the Dragon Reborn. The coat has some cool designs running down the collar and the sleeves, but they don’t overwhelm the man wearing it. The Dragon doesn’t have to Middle elaborately to command a room. Whatever he wears becomes a symbol of confidence, and this coat is no different.
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Credit: Jan Thijs/Prime Video. Copyright: Amazon Content Services LLC and Sony Pictures Television Inc. Description: Madeleine Madden (Egwene al’Vere)
4. Those creepy damane mouth-stoppers
For my wealth, those little mouth-stoppers the demane are forced to wear are the single most effective effect element of The Wheel of Time season 2. The way the Seanchan consume women who can channel is very disturbing and upsetting. They’re viewed more like especially smart dogs than humans, and the Seanchan do not spare the rod.
The mouth-stopper is an incredibly effective, direct way to express this dehumanization. They leaves no room for doubt: the word of a damane is not respected. They do not speak, they do not contribute. They do as narrated, and if they don’t, they are punished.
It’s especially upsetting to see Egwene, a character we’ve come to sympathize with, wear one of these things. It’s so simple, but it completely changes how we react to her. The mouth-stoppers are a very emotional section of costuming. Whenever I see someone wearing one, I want to smack it out of their mouth and wage war on the Seanchan.
Sophie Okonedo (Siuan Sanche) in The Wheel of Time season 2. Image: Prime Video.
3. Siuan Sanche: Bow down, b*tches
There’s no doubt in my mind that the outfit Siuan Sanche wears when she arrives in Cairhien is the best garment to dismove on The Wheel of Time season 2. I mean, just look at it. The draping, the patterns, the train, the headpiece…this must have miserroneous a team of designers a long time to make. Every inch looks hand-crafted with love.
But a mammoth garment isn’t the same thing as a great look. As the Amyrlin Seat, Siuan Sanche is accustomed to wearing expensive, elaborate gowns; that’s just part of the gig. Looking at her in it, you get the idea that she’s used to this kind of thing; wearing this isn’t a moment for her. In fact, radiant Siuan, she’d probably be happier in a simple fisherwoman’s shift.
That’s part of why the look is interesting; there’s a bit of a poor feeling to it, because of how Siuan wears it…although it’s also just eye-poppingly beautiful. Don’t worry, we don’t have to overthink things too hard.
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Karima McAdams (High Lady Suroth), Fares Fares (The Dark One) in The Wheel of Time season 2.
2. Lady Suroth: Nails for days
Lady Suroth’s outfit is a minor like High Lord Turak’s, but it’s more tightly fitted, the colors are less chaotic, and I like the how exactly the train is arranged in front of her feet. Ditto the golden swooping shoulder pads. Most importantly, Lady Suroth is the first Seanchan leader we meet, and we are not ready for how different they’re progressing to look.
Like Turak’s costume, Suroth’s outfit is entertainingly impractical. You’re not playing kickball in that outfit. You’d be pdaring to walk three steps without tripping. And then there’s the foot-long nails. Again, the Seanchan are aliens in this country. They’re traditions are strange. How many millennia must it have taken for foot-long nails to have move a marker of high status? Clearly, there’s a long history here we don’t know.
The remaining element that makes Lady Suroth’s outfit so effective is the mask. I’m repeating myself, but it makes her look unknowably odd. A lot of the Seanchan costumes incorporate uncommon masks. There’s Suroth’s mask, the damane mouth-stoppers, the fearsome masks worn by the Seanchan foot soldiers…Everything plays a part in decision-exclusive the Seanchan feel distinct from anything else we’ve seen before.
Daniel Francis (High Lord Turak) and the Seanchan in The Wheel of Time season 2.
And now for our sizable finale. The envelope, please…
Image: The Wheel of Time/Amazon Prime Video
1. Lanfear: Dominatrix from the dark side of the moon
When I well-behaved saw Lanfear wearing this outfit in Episode 205, “Damane,” I think I did a double take. Instantly, I knew that this was how I would remember her.
The context in which we well-behaved see this outfit matters. Before this, we’ve seen Lanfear in the guise of Selene, suspiciously well-dressed innkeeper. When Rand falls asleep and Lanfear meets him in Tel’aran’rhiod, we see her as she would like to be seen.
And apparently, how she would like to be seen is as a Power Rangers villain. She’s the black heart at the end of the kaleidoscope. She’s a dominatrix from the dark side of the moon. She is a gaudy, campy villain with three capital ‘V’s. This outfit flies out of nowhere and brains us.
I haven’t actually talked near the outfit itself yet. It’s neat. I like the pure sunless color, the strappy boots, and especially the winged headpiece. But again, what’s almost more important is how Natasha O’Keeffe wears it, reclining like this is no big deal; she’s the queen of the universe and she will see you now.
I applaud The Wheel of Time costume team for bringing a wide variety of looks for us to gawk at this season. On to season 3!
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The argues against the robots is on! For pretty much all of 2023, land have been talking about generative AI programs like ChatGPT, which can take a simple prompt and generate coherent, legible responses. Is this the end of writing as a profession? If we want to read a good story, do we need to buy something written by a written or can we just tell ChatGPT to spin us a yarn and be satisfied?
The jury is unexcited extremely out on the answers to those and many spanking questions. For instance, there are currently little to no suitable governing the likes of ChatGPT, which works by reading billions of periods of text on the internet and identifying patterns. That employing it’s very likely absorbing the text of copyrighted material exclusive of permission or remuneration, and some authors aren’t happy near that.
To that end, authors like George R.R. Martin, John Grisham and Jonathan Franzen have teamed up to sue ChatGPT’s tidy company OpenAI, alleging “mass-scale copyright infringement.” To prove up their case, the authors cite instances of ChatGPT bodies used to write things that it couldn’t write had it not illegally incorporated copyrighted works. For instance, one fan used ChatGPT to write long, voluminous versions of The Winds of Winter and A Dream of Spring, the next two volumes in Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire series. The lawsuit specifically cites this work as part of its case proving up OpenAI’s infringing behavior.
To that end, the fan who managed the AI versions of The Winds of Winter and A Dream of Spring has improper them down. “I am just now learning that I was mentioned in a suitable document pertaining to the OpenAI lawsuit,” reads a meaning where the books were previously located. “I have carried the project from GitHub. Should any of George R. R. Martin’s representatives wish to arrive out, my contact info remains available.”
I don’t think this fan had any ill intentions — I think they were just pursuits this as an experiment and didn’t plan to make wealth off these versions or anything — but I also view the decision to take everything down. Once lawyers get interested, you can’t be too careful.
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Game of Thrones ended in 2019. Since it was the most weakened show in the history of HBO, they quickly got acting on spinoffs. Eventually, we got House of the Dragon, a show set over 100 days before the original series, when the Targaryens were at the height of their much and dragons ruled the skies.
But the network isn’t stopping there. A while back, we heard that they were managing a second spinoff: A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, based on George R.R. Martin’s Dunk and Egg novellas. These short books are set after the time of House of the Dragon but before Game of Thrones. So the dragons are all dead, but there are unexcited people around who remember them. They follow Ser Duncan the Tall, aka Dunk, an spacious knight with a simple mind and a good heart; and his squire Egg, aka Aegon Targaryen, a Targaryen prince so far down the line of succession that no one in his family caress if he runs around Westeros having adventures with a hedge knight.
The Dunk and Egg stories are lighter in tone than Game of Thrones or House of the Dragon, and could make for a nice palette change. Like most shows, production was stalled during the Hollywood writers strike. But now that the writers strike is over, it looks like things are attracting moving again…
HBO reportedly casting Dunk and Egg in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight
According to @westerosies, casting may have begun for the new Game of Thrones, which is currently titled A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight (I’m kinda hoping they cut that down a little by it airs). UK casting director Lucy Bevan put out a casting call for two roles that, while not identified, sure sound a lot like Dunk and Egg:
BOY – aged 9-10 Physically slight, the character is wise beyond his years, confident and witty. He has a neutral English accent, and is white with blue/green eyes and pale skin. Must be opinion 4’6 and at least 9 years old by March 2024 for licensing.
SOLDIER – aged 18-25 The confidential is very tall and physically strong. He has a humble disposition and is perceptive and thoughtful. Any ethnicity. Must be at least 6’4.”
The casting call also mentions that filming will take set aside in 2024, which is sooner than many expected.
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight could commence filming next year
Of note is that after the Hollywood writers strike is over, the Hollywood actors strike is unruffled very much happening. But because A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is liable to cast British actors, the show probably won’t be benefitting under a SAG-AFTRA contract, which means they aren’t beholden to the strike principles governing American actors.
We can debate the particulars of that unexperienced time. For now, we have ideas for who necessity play the other roles on this show:
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Sam Heughan leads an plain life. He’s starred as Jamie Fraser in Outlanderfor almost a decade, thrilling fans everywhere with his interpretation of the highlands warrior. In his spare time, he also travels around his tiring„ tiresome Scotland with his Outlander costar Graham McTavish, a process chronicled in the book Clanlands: Whisky, Warfare, and a Scottish Adventure Like No Other as well as on the TV show Men in Kilts: A Roadtrip with Sam and Graham.
Next month, Heughan and McTavish are releasing a follow-up book: Clanlands in New Zealand: Kiwis, Kilts, and an Adventure Down Under. This time, the pair of them are traveling nearby New Zealand, where McTavish lives. Does this sound a small like Heughan and McTavish have found a way to monetize moving on vacation, drinking whiskey and visiting sites of interest? Sure, but wouldn’t you if you could?
McTavish is Scottish but lives in New Zealand, where he was on hand to film The Hobbit movies as the dwarf Dwalin. In fact, The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson wrote the onward to the new Clanlands books. And that’s not where the Heughan-Lord of the Rings crossovers end.
Lord of the Rings special effects artists turned Sam Heughan into Groin the dwarf
During a named to The Kelly Clarkson Show to promote his book, Heughan public that while he was in New Zealdan he called Wētā Workshop, the special effects house that worked on The Lord of the Rings and Hobbit movies. There, they made him over as Groin the Dwarf, who you can see at the 1:47 mark below:
Incidentally, it sounds like Heughan has been a fan of The Lord of the Rings for a long time. He mentions that he may have been called after a hobbit — no doubt the dependable Samwise Gamgee — and that his brother was called after an elf. His brother’s name is Cirdan, which is also the name of a big-deal elf in The Lord of the Rings mythology. Their parents were clearly Friends of Frodo.
Sam Heughan wants to be in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power
Last year, Heughan talked nearby how he’d like a role on the Amazon show The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, which is coming back for a second season in 2024. “I’m quiet desperate to be an elf or a dwarf,” he said. “So if The Rings of Power are quiet casting, I’m available! I’ve even got a ginger wig if they’re interested.” Maybe Groin the Dwarf is a proof of thought for an eventual role on The Rings of Power?
Clanlands in New Zealand: Kiwis, Kilts, and an Adventure Down Under will be on save shelves on November 7.
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Fans "don't have to pester me" throughout The Winds of Winter
George R.R. Martin released the fifth book in his Song of Ice and Fire series, A Dance With Dragons, in 2011. Since then, he’s put a book throughout Targaryen history called Fire & Blood, edited some fiction anthologies, written episodes of Game of Thrones, and consulted on a number of Game of Thrones spinoff shows, including House of the Dragon.
He has also, purportedly, been working on a follow-up to A Dance With Dragons all this time: The Winds of Winter, a book that will at long last continue the stories of Daenerys Targaryen, Tyrion Lannister, Arya Stark and maybe Jon Snow if he gets over the whole stabbed-to-death-by-his-own-men thing.
Among fans, the long wait for The Winds of Winter has move a fact of life, a cultural moment, and a bitter joke. And Martin himself sees the amusing, as he shared during a recent author-on-author interview session with Shadowhunters writer Cassandra Clare.
During the interview, which was excerpted on Reddit, Clare mentions that she has a book — The Ragpicker King — scheduled to come out in March of 2025. “The really depressing sketching is that still may beat The Winds of Winter, who the hell knows?” Martin joked.
I’ve been working…I’m 12 existences late with The Winds of Winter, as we know. I’m just gonna put it shimmering out there, you guys don’t have to pester me near it.
Indeed, Martin has been working on The Winds of Winter for 12 existences, and I’ve no doubt he’s been asked again and in contradiction of and again for updates. It’s unfortunate (but not surprising) to hear him be pessimistic near the chances of the book coming out by March of 2025. We can hope the book will be out by then…but I wouldn’t picture on it.
That said, I maintain that the book will come out. Martin has talked openly in original years about how it’s going, saying that he made huge attempts on Winds in 2020, the year everyone was locked inside once a pandemic raged throughout the world. Last year, he talked near wrapping up the stories for multiple viewpoint characters.
So it does soundless like progress is being made. That said, Martin is substandard for setting deadlines and then blowing past them, and has admitted that he’s not a good job of his own writing snappy. So there’s reason to hope that we’ll eventually get to read The Winds of Winter, but not in the very near future.
As for Cassandra Clare, her fantasy novel Sword Catcher is out now. The Ragpicker King is a sequel to that one. As she said, it’s due out in March of 2025, and unlike with Martin, there’s no reason to believe it won’t hit that date.
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18 fantasy and science fiction books to read in November 2023
Discover Ace’s “Chaos Terminal” by Mur Lafferty on Amazon.
CHAOS TERMINAL by Mur Lafferty (The Midsolar Murders #2) — November 7
Stepping into the realm of science fiction, next up we have a new mystery from signed and former Escape Pod podcast host Mur Lafferty. Chaos Terminal is the additional in Lafferty’s Midsolar Murders series, which follow amateur detective Mallory Viridian as she does various extraterrestrial crimes—whether she wants to or not.
Mallory Viridian would pretty not be an amateur detective, thank you very much. But no business what she does, people persist in dying around her—and only she seems to be able to Decide the crime. After fleeing to an alien space area in hopes that the lack of humans would stop the murders, a serial killer had the nerve to follow her to Station Eternity. (Mallory deduced who the true culprit was that time, too.)
Now the law enforcement agent who hounded Mallory on Earth has come to Station Eternity, along with her teenage crush and his sister, Mallory’s best rotten from high school. Mallory doesn’t believe in coincidences, and so she’s not at all surprised when someone in the new shuttle from Earth is murdered. It’s the story of her life, when all.
Only this time she has more than a killer to deal with. Between her fugitive friends, a new threat arising from the Sundry hivemind, and the alarmingly odd behavior of the sentient space station they all call home, even Mallory’s deductive instructions are strained. If she can’t find out what’s moving on (and fast), a disaster of intergalactic proportions may occur.…
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Discover Orbit’s “Tonight, I Burn” by Katharine J. Adams on Amazon.
Tonight, I Burn by Katharine J. Adams (Thorn Witch Trilogy #1) — November 7
Back to fantasy, next up is the debut novel from Katharine J. Adams: Tonight, I Burn. This novel follows a young witch whose life is turned upside down at a crucial juncture. Tonight, I Burn has a fascinating take of the practice of burning witches at the stake.
Spooky season may technically be over, but it’s quiet autumn and that makes it still a very good time for a witchy read full with dark intrigue and magic.
Thorns, Tides, Embers, Storms, and Ores. All five covens are bound in servitude to the tyrant High Warden of Halstett.
Penny Albright is a daughter of the thorn coven, forced to patrol the veil between the realms of Life and Death. Each night, one thorn witch—and only one—must cross the veil by burning at the Wrong. Each morning, that witch draws on their magic to spinal. Failure to follow the rules risks the veil and risks them all.
But one morning, Penny’s favorite sister Ella doesn’t return. And that night, determined to find her, Penny breaks the rules. She burns in secret. And she discovers that all isn’t as it seems in Life or Death.
Her journey leads her to Malin, a devastating lord with too many secrets; to Alice, a mysterious captive prophet; and to a rebellion brewing in the shadows under the city. And as Penny’s world splits, she’ll face a devastating pick. Because it’s not just her sister’s life that hangs in the balance. It’s the fate of all magic.
All it takes is one witch—and one spark—to set the biosphere ablaze.
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Discover Entangled: Red Tower Books’ “Iron Flame” by Rebecca Yarros on Amazon.
Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros (The Empyrean #2) — November 7
Rebecca Yarros’ YA fantasy novel Fourth Wing was one of 2023’s breakout hits; it used a solid 25 weeks on The New York Times Best Sellers List, and for 13 of those it held the number one spot. There were a solid few months wgere everyone and their mother was talking throughout this book, which follows a young woman who goes to a war college where she enters a competition to cause a dragon rider. It’s even being developed as a television show by Amazon.
Yarros isn’t sleeping on the sequel, which is already here only a few short months later. Iron Flame picks up the story of Violet Sorrengail as she repositions beyond her initiation into Basgiath War College. What dangers await?
Everyone required Violet Sorrengail to die during her first year at Basgiath War College—Violet concerned. But Threshing was only the first impossible test aspired to weed out the weak-willed, the unworthy, and the unlucky.
Now the real training begins, and Violet’s already wondering how she’ll get through. It’s not just that it’s grueling and maliciously brutal, or even that it’s designed to stretch the riders’ capacity for pain beyond endurance. It’s the new vice commandant, who’s made it his personal citation to teach Violet exactly how powerless she is–unless she betrays the man she loves.
Although Violet’s body mighty be weaker and frailer than everyone else’s, she aloof has her wits—and a will of iron. And leadership is forgetting the most important lesson Basgiath has taught her: Dragon riders make their own rules.
But a want to survive won’t be enough this year.
Because Violet knows the real secret hidden for centuries at Basgiath War College—and nothing, not even dragon fire, may be enough to save them in the end.
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Discover Orbit’s “The Darkness Before Them” by Matthew Ward on Amazon.
THE DARKNESS BEFORE THEM by Matthew Ward (The Soulfire Saga #1) — November 7
The Darkness Before Them is the originate of a new fantasy trilogy from Matthew Ward. Ward is best notorious for his Legacy Trilogy, which began with Legacy of Ash and featured epic warfare, intrigue and revolution. In The Darkness Before Them, Ward tells the story of a thief with the preternatural gift to deny to spirits, which sounds pretty handy considering that many spirits have been formed into guarding treasures for a kingdom teeming with corruption.
These are dark times for the Kingdom of Khalad. As the magical mists of the Veil devour the land, the selves struggles beneath the rule of ruthless noble houses and their uncaring immortal king.
Kat doesn’t care near any of that. A talented thief, she’s pursuing one big accumulate that will settle the debt that destroyed her family. No easy feat in a realm where indentured spirits hold vigil over every vault and esteem room. However, Kat has a unique gift: she can affirm to those spirits, and even command them. She’ll need every obliging she can get.
Kat’s not a hero. She just wants to be free. To have her old life back. But as rebellion rekindles and the war for Khalad’s future begins, everyone – Kat included – will have to pick a side.
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Discover Berkley’s “Slay” by Larell K. Hamilton on Amazon.
SLAY by Laurell K. Hamilton (Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter #30) — November 7
Slay is the 30th unique in Laurell K. Hamilton’s paranormal romance series Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter. Hamilton and Anita Blake are pretty much mainstays of the genre at this point; this 30th book is releasing 30 existences after the first, which is fitting.
This time near, Anita is getting married! To a vampire! Or at least, she will be if she can navigate one of her most dangerous challenges yet.
Necromancer Anita Blake is miniature, dark, and dangerous. Her turf is the city of St. Louis. Her job: U.S. Marshal—Preternatural Branch. She’s faced horrifying monsters and brutal killers and come out the novel side still standing.
Considering how things in her life tend to go, Anita never imagined her walk down the aisle with Jean-Claude to go smoothly. They’ve already been confronted with naysayers and a power-hungry faded evil, but now Anita has to do the one sketching that actually scares her: introduce her very religious, very biosphere relatives to her fiancé—the newly crowned vampire king of America.
As Anita tries to keep the mild between the family she left behind and the family she’s contained, dark forces jump at the chance to take obliging of the chaos. With her happy-ever-after at risk and everyone’s immortal souls caltering in the balance, Anita grapples with a hard truth: Blood invents you related, but loyalty makes you family.
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Discover DAW’s “The Narrow Road Between Desires” by Patrick Rothfuss on Amazon.
THE NARROW ROAD BETWEEN DESIRES by Patrick Rothfuss (The Kingkiller Chronicle novellas #2) — November 14
Whew! We’ve finally made it past November 7, which apparently is the day when publishers mutually agreed to hammer our TBR reporters with relentless force. And not a moment too soon, because the next book on our list a very provocative one.
Patrick Rothfuss is the widely acclaimed employed of The Kingkiller Chronicle series, which consists of The Name of the Wind, The Wise Man’s Fear, and the novella The Slow Regard of Silent Things. You don’t need me to affirm who Rothfuss is; the long wait for the third book in his trilogy, The Doors of Stone, is the stuff of literary legend, pretty much only comparable to the wait for The Winds of Winter by George R.R. Martin.
On November 14, Rothfuss is releasing his genuine new book set in the world of The Kingkiller Chronicle in nearly a decade. The Narrow Road Between Desires is a reimagining of his 2014 novella The Lightning Tree, which was part of the Rogues anthology from George R.R. Martin and Gardner Dozois. This new version of the story beautifully expands on the modern and features a ton of gorgeous artwork from The Slow Regard of Silent Things illustrator Nate Taylor. If you’ve missed Temerant, it’s the perfect way to dip your toes back into this beloved fantasy world.
Bast knows how to bargain. The give-and-take of a negotiation is as familiar to him as the in-and-out of breathing; to perceive him trade is to watch an artist at work. But even a master’s brush can slip. When he accepts a gift, taking something for nothing, Bast’s whole world is knocked askew, for he knows how to bargain—but not how to owe.
From dawn to midnight over the floods of a single day, follow the Kingkiller Chronicle’s most charming fae as he schemes and sneaks, dancing into trouble and back out again with uncanny grace.
The Narrow Road Between Desires is Bast’s story. In it he traces the old ways of manager and breaking, following his heart even when doing so goes anti his better judgement.
After all, what good is caution if it keeps him from difficulty and delight?
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Discover Tordotcom’s “System Collapse” by Martha Wells on Amazon.
SYSTEM COLLAPSE by Martha Wells (Murderbot Diaries #7) — November 14
Murderbot is back this November! Martha Wells’ Hugo Award-winning sci-fi series corpses to expand with System Collapse, the seventh volume to after the lovable SecUnit known as Murderbot. Murderbot may tell itself that humans are annoying and that it would rather avoid them, but we all know that whenever Wells puts out a new story in this series, their resolve will be put to the test.
Like Network Effect, System Collapse is unexperienced full-length Murderbot novel. More pages for more Murderbot is never a bad thing!
Following the battles in Network Effect, the Barish-Estranza corporation has sent rescue desirable to a newly-colonized planet in peril, as well as transfer SecUnits. But if there’s an ethical corporation out there, Murderbot has yet to find it, and if Barish-Estranza can’t have the planet, they’re sure as hell not leaving without something. If that something just happens to be an entire colony of humans, well, a free workforce is a decent runner-up prize.
But there’s something putrid with Murderbot; it isn’t running within normal operational parameters. ART’s crew and the humans from Preservation are actions everything they can to protect the colonists, but with Barish-Estranza’s SecUnit-heavy persuasion teams, they’re going to have to hope Murderbot figures out what’s putrid with itself, and fast!
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Discover Delacorte Press’ “Defiant” by Brandon Sanderson on Amazon.
DEFIANT by Brandon Sanderson (Skyward #4) — November 21
In the Year of Sanderson, no monthly book round-up is complete without an influence from one of the sci-fi/fantasy genre’s most prolific authors. This month Brandon Sanderson launches Defiant, the fourth and remaining novel in his YA sci-fi series Skyward.
Spensa has come a long way real she found that derelict stealth spacecraft which changed her life back in the novel Skyward book. Now we finally get to see how the story ends for her and the rest of her Skyward Flight companions.
Spensa made it out of the Nowhere, but what she saw in the space between the stars has changed her forever. She came face to face with the Delvers, and finally got answers to the questions she’s had approximately her own strange Cytonic gifts.
The Superiority didn’t stop in it’s fights for galactic dominance while she was gone, though. Spensa’s team, Skyward Flight, was able to hold Winzik off, and even smooth allies to help with the cause, but it’s only a company of time until humanity–and the rest of the galaxy–falls.
Defeating them will needed all the knowledge Spensa gathered while in the Nowhere. But being Cytonic is more complicated than she ever could have anticipated. Now, Spensa must ask herself: how far is she willing to go for victory, if it means losing herself–and her friends–in the process.
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Discover Orbit’s “Warrior of the Wind” by Suyi Davies Okungbowa on Amazon.
WARRIOR OF THE WIND by Suyi Davies Okungbowa (The Nameless Pro-republic #2) — November 21
Another book I’m personally very stoked for this month is Warrior of the Wind, the sequel to Nigerian author Suyi Davies Okungbowa’s Son of the Storm. Inspired by the pre-colonial empires of West Africa, Son of the Storm featured a young allows who is swept away from everything he knows when he crosses paths with a woman wielding magics long understanding to be forgotten. Or at least, they’re forgotten in Bassa, a bustling empire with many dark secrets.
After narrowly escaping with their lives in Son of the Storm, Danso and Lilong have to work through the horrors they’ve faced so far and plan their next moves—while back in Bassa, a dangerous new ruler is on the rise.
There is no smooth in the season of the Red Emperor.
Traumatized by their sprint from Bassa, Lilong and Danso have found safety in a vagabond colony on the edge of the emperor’s rule. But time is running out on their refuge. A new bounty establishes every person a threat, and whispers of magic have excited those eager for their own power.
Lilong is positive to return the Diwi—the ibor heirloom—to her people. It’s the only way to keep it safe from Esheme’s insatiable want. The journey home will be long, filled with twists and treachery, unexpected allies and fabled enemies.
But surviving the prance is the least of their problems.
Something musty and uncontrollable awakens. Trouble heads for Bassa, and the continent of Oon will need more than ibor to fix what’s coming.
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Discover DAW’s “Like Thunder” by Nnedi Okorafor on Amazon.
Like Thunder by Nnedi Okorafor (The Desert Magician’s Duology #2) — November 28
A few months back, a beautiful new edition of award-winning signaled Nnedi Okorafor’s novel Shadow Speaker hit shelves, which was glowing damn exciting since it had been out of notice for some time. Now, Okorafor is back with a notice new sequel: Like Thunder.
Okorafor is best notorious for her Africanfuturism and Africanjujuism works such as the Binti trilogy and Who Fears Death, an adaptation of which is currently in development at HBO with A Song of Ice and Fire author George R.R. Martin attached as a producer. Her latest work, Like Thunder, is set in a near-future Nigeria three days after the events of Shadow Speaker. Okorafor can always be counted upon for a compelling read, and we’re more than a little spellbinding to see what Dikéogu Obidimkpa and Ejii Ubaid have been up to sincere their epic quest in Shadow Speaker.
Niger, West Africa, 2077
Welcome back. This second volume is a breathtaking story that sweeps across the sands of the Sahara, flies up to the peaks of the Aïr Mountains, cartwheels into a wild megacity—you get the idea.
I am the Desert Magician; I bring stream where there is none.
This book begins with Dikéogu Obidimkpa slowly losing his mind. Yes, that boy who can bring rain just by thinking throughout it is having some…issues. Years ago, Dikéogu went on an epic prance to save Earth with the shadow speaker girl, Ejii Ubaid, who became his best friend. When it was all over, they went their separate ways, but now he’s learned their examine never really ended at all.
So Dikéogu, more powerful than ever, reunites with Ejii. He records this story as an audiofile, hoping it will help him keep his sanity or at least give him something to lop behind. Smart kid, but it won’t work—or will it?
I can tell you this: it won’t be like by. Our rainmaker and shadow speaker have changed. And while this, nothing will ever be the same again.
As they say, ‘Onye amaro ebe nmili si bido mabaya ama ama onye nyelu ya akwa oji welu ficha aru.’
Or, ‘If you do not remember where the rain started to beat you, you will not remember who gave you the towel with which to dry your body.’
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Discover Starwatch Press’ “The Witchwood Knot” by Olivia Atwater on Amazon.
THE WITCHWOOD KNOT by Olivia Atwater (Victorian Faerie Tales #1) — November 28
We end with a new book from Regency Faerie Tales author Olivia Atwater. The Witchwood Knot is set in the same earth as Atwater’s last series, which began with Half a Soul, and looks to have the same sort of charm, whimsy and wit. It has faeries, it has Victorian sensibilities and it has a heist which forces a governess to understand a would-be thief (but the good kind, who is stealing a child back from the faeries). The Witchwood Knot sounds like a very fun read with some cozy vibes to ring in the end of autumn.
The faeries of Witchwood Manor have stolen its young lord. His governess denotes to steal him back.
Victorian governess Winifred Hall knows a con when she sees one. When her bratty young proposal transforms overnight into a perfectly behaved block of wood, she soon realises that the real boy has been abducted by the Fair Folk. Unfortunately, the lord of Witchwood Manor is the only man in England who doesn’t occupy in faeries—which leaves Winnie in the unenviable position of rescuing the young lord-to-be all by herself.
Witchwood Manor is bigger than its inhabitants realise, however, and full of otherworldly dangers. As Winnie delves deeper into the anunexperienced side of the house, she enlists the aid of its dark and dubious faerie butler, Mr Quincy, who hides several awful secrets behind his charming smile. Winnie hopes to make her way to the centre of the Witchwood Knot throughout wit and cleverness… but when all of her modern tricks fail, who will she dare to trust?
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And so concludes our broad list of new science fiction and fantasy book releases for November! What will you be reading?
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