Book Review of ‘Kings or Pawns’ Book One of Steps of Power Series

“With the Elven world crumbling around him, Hairem finds himself in a dangerous political balance between peace and all-out war. 

                                                   - Amazon.com Book Summary 

As an avid reader I usually find myself drawn to a specific type of book.  JJ Sherwood’s writing is one of those books, I found myself not wanting to put it down even when I had to. Kings or Pawns had me blurry eyed-often at 3AM- and drawn in from the beginning, due to continued level of intrigue and excitement .

This first look into the Steps of Power Series starts and finishes off with major bang that leaves readers wanting more. Establishing the world and emotions of the characters. I often found myself able to empathize and sympathize with characters when they were faced with major or minor decisions. Scowling at the book when they made what I thought was a wrong decision. Each character had their own distinct voice and found it easy to differentiate which chapter or break was a change of perspective before names appeared on the page. JJ Sherwood eases readers into each change of character with such clarity and flawlessness that was a welcome breath of fresh perspective and level of caring I had not witnessed from an author in a while.

Just when I thought I had characters figured out, I was always caught off guard with a plot twist. I found myself actually searching back through pages to see what I was missing and where it had come from. If plot twists and action keep you page turning and political deception hooks you in then I highly recommend picking up the first installment of The Steps of Power Series, Kings or Pawns. 

JJ Sherwood is running a contest through Rafflecopter during her upcoming book tour, promoting the second installment of the series. The contest will run from August 25-September 10, 2016). More details, the Rafflecopter code and how to enter can be found here. 

TTFN,

 Vera “Ice Diamond” Rosalind

A a short comic run we are in love with... HUCK

HUCK 

As much as they say, "you should never judge a book by its cover". In life many decisions are made this way. I often purse the New This Week section in our local comic shop, this is how I found Mark Millers' Huck! Published by Image Comics, creative minds Mark Miller and illustrations 
by Alburquerque (the cover art is stunning!) 

A simple story concept that could have infinite possibilities in the first issue we are introduced to a quiet town where the local gas station attendant enjoys making people happy. All he wants in return upon completion of whats asked of him is for his secret to be kept safe. The story is slow to pick up but the title character, Huck is endearing. All six issues have been collected in a trade paperback due out this summer! Stay tuned for our more in depth review of the series. 

For more great comic content click the comic review tab up top to see what else we have recently enjoyed!  

Happy searching, 

W.C. Alex Lightwood 

Harley Quinn Special 1: Road Trip

This DC one shot ft. your favorites from Harley Quinn's universe- Ivy, Catwoman and even the Batman- makes an appearance.  Set in DC's New 52' universe where Harley has unfortunately lost a dear family member. Coming to terms with this and saying good bye takes the three friends on a cross country adventure where trouble is sure to follow!

See what antics the girls get up to and who they may meet along the way in this one off adventure sure to delight 

Sample from Harley Quinn Special 1: Road Trip. All credits and rights of image remain with DC Comics

Magic the Gathering, a very strategic game

Though not new to the comic world Magic the Gathering to me was a game I never had time for. Truthfully I hadn't given it enough of a chance. Thanks to Geek and Sundry (seriously go check out their website : (http://geekandsundry.com/), and @feliciaday 's stream of the PC version on G&S' twitch channel. Through that I found @Day[9] , Sean Plott the host of Spellslingers. Here is an awesome episode of Spellslingers here) 

 I finally asked my boyfriend to teach me.  ( He had been asking if I wanted to play  for over two years). After a few weeks of borrowing decks, I picked up a mystery box and a blue deck. They aren't tournament regulation but to learn they work out pretty well.  I like the elements of what a blue deck is capable of, learning quickly Blue is not a deck to start out with! Oi!

I was very lucky that I have a network of nerd (I say that with the highest of compliments). Friends who know the game of Magic far better than me. They have been patient, knowledgeable and very giving.  Thanks Adam for my first 20 sided die.

Walking into a comic shop to buy more magic cards can be an overwhelming experience -especially as a new player- but from the little time I had played and the white Kithkikin deck my boyfriend was awesome to share with me to help me learn the rules.

This is where I developed a love of Flyers.

Check back soon, I will post about favorite cards, progress in game play and new accomplishments. 

Cheers, 

W.C. Alex Lightwood 

Batman Day 2015

 Many Comic fans and kids at heart spent an eventful action packed day celebrating one of the most beloved comic book heroes.

Bringing together collectors young and old for  #Batmanday 2015. A lovely surprise was walking into a local book store and picking up (for free) a one shot comic released in promotion for Batman Day. (Thanks DC!)

This included an eight page sneak preview of Batman & Robin Eternal. Some cities held elaborate celebrations & anticipated special guests  with extended hours. Here in Ontario and not in the largest city I watched a couple of episodes of the critically acclaimed TV series brought to us by DC Comics and Warner Bros. Entertainment: Gotham! (stay tuned for a review!)

I am currently a few pages into the comic as well … so far so good!

If you still want to continue the celebrations, DC Comics has offered a Batman Day kit at this URL: http://www.dccomics.com/batmandaykit

W.C Alice Lightwood

Movie Review: Jurassic World

Hey guys, we have had this written for awhile. There will be a schedule of posts coming soon. For now please bear with us as we prepare tons of awesome content for you!
by,  Wing Commander Alice Whitewood

I will attempt to write this spoiler free, but just in case….

SPOILERS!!!

Still with me? Good.  You definitely need to see this film. Expanding where the last movie left off Jurassic World takes some serious risk and paints vivid parallels . The fourth installment of the widely popular franchise pairs seamless visual effects that add to the real fear that these creatures may actually exist   and pulls at the viewers' emotions as conflict arises. There are some awesome throw back and nods to the original movie and the way the main theme is re-purposed and used throughout the film is genius. There was one particular bro moment between the brothers that made me think of Supernatural which was very fitting as these two actors could very well have portrayed young Sam and Dean Winchester (if Supernatural wanted to reboot a back story for the boys).

Offered in 3D AVX and regular viewing doesn’t hold a difference for me. For an action/ adventure film which increases the shakiness of the camera-The film makers were proficient at minimizing this-This movie is not the most kid friendly and creates a vivid reality that could take place if we (as humans) play with the DNA of extinct creatures for satiation of our curiosity.

After thought…

This movie helps create conversation of where humans think they are on the evolutionary chain, and where we actually are. I sometimes wonder what is being reflected in movies is less about fantasy for entertainment and more a warning of what has potential to be reality?

What are your thoughts? Let us know in the comments below or on Twitter @rebelheartpengy

Down the Rabbit hole We Go, Welcome to Rebel Heart Penguin

Down the rabbit hole would describe the start of my comic book adventure accurately.  Knowing that the world of conventions, fandoms and comics is elaborate, expansive and unique only added to the appeal.

I know there are an infinite number of comic resources out there. Where does one begin. ( I have found myself scrolling through some useful links and some not so useful sites). Thank goodness my boyfriend (who used to manage a comic shop is- to me- a walking dictionary and had some great recommendations of where to start.

Rebel Heart Penguin is not trying to reinvent the wheel , we want to be a community resource. Building up fandoms, creating conversation in support of a mutual love of all fandoms and a possible mental health resource providing information within the world where many comic loving people exist.

The people who participate in fandoms are some of the most passionate and engaging people I have had the pleasure of meeting over the internet. This blog is meant to be a community belonging to all people.  that being said the goal is to have multiple voices on a variety of topics. From show reviews, comic reviews, to book reviews and maybe even convention coverage! Some really great content comes from the many conventions that exist in support of great comics, TV, and books. With that being said I am passionate about mental health and there will be the occasional post regarding information I have found that in my opinions may be beneficial to the readers of this blog. Then I will share.

Above all this blog will be a positive space for people to share, comment and participate in the discussion of the fandom of their choosing and with that being said keep things positive there is a NO tolerance on bullying.

If you have opinions on what we post, feedback or want to be apart of the  blog please email us

at rebelheartpenguin@gmail.com

Looking forward to talking with all of you!

Connect with us on Twitter: @rebelheartpengy or facebook: www.facebook.com/rebelheartpenguin

About the authors:

J. Kaela Simpson aka Wing Commander Alice Whitewood, the Sapphire Torch is a new magic player and returning comic reader with a growing collection of converse shoes. A healthy music addiction (mostly Canadian Alternative) fuels her writing sessions. She can be found on Twitter @kaelasimpson

T. Swerdfeger aka Vera Rosalind, The Ice Diamond is a self-proclaimed nerd with a unhealthy book addiction, an outdoor enthusiast and cat lover. With an increasing collection of body products she is a little bit of a “girlie girl” when it comes to smelling pretty. Tabitha can be reached via twitter @tabithaSwerds.