More Posts By Lotte
Review: Gideon the Ninth – Tamsyn Muir
“Gideon the Ninth” by Tamsyn Muir is a sci-fi/fantasy/horror novel set in a decaying universe ruled by necromancers. The story follows Gideon Nav, a sword-wielding cavalier, who is forced to join forces with her lifelong nemesis, the powerful necromancer Harrowhark Nonagesimus. Together, they are summoned to Canaan house, a derelict palace on a foreign planet to compete in a deadly trial. As they navigate dark secrets, mysterious deaths, and treacherous alliances, Gideon and Harrowhark must put aside their animosity and unravel the truth behind the ancient necromantic conspiracy that threatens to destroy the empire.
Review: Children of Time – Adrian Tchaikovsky
Earth is no longer habitable, and humanity must find new planets to terraform. The crew of the Gilgamesh has its sights set on one such planet. What they don’t know is that the planet isn’t the new Eden they are expecting. Meanwhile, a new species has made the planet their home. Who will inherit the new Earth? Humanity, or the species that has been living there for thousands of years?
Review: The Dragon’s Promise – Elizabeth Lim
Princess Shiori has promised that she would return the Dragon’s pearl to its rightful owner, which leads her on a dangerous journey. On her quest, she descends into the kingdom of Dragons, far under the ocean. Meanwhile, demons still threaten the kingdom of Kiata, and Shiori is the only one who can defeat them. As she navigates between worlds of Dragons, Humans and Demons, Shiori must also face the power of the corrupted Dragon’s Pearl itself. Can she return the pearl, which at times jumps to her aid, only to betray her the next minute? And can she defeat the demons that threaten her home?
Review: Six Crimson Cranes – Elizabeth Lim
Six Crimson Cranes is a retelling of the fairy tale “The Wild Swans” by Hans Christian Andersen, set in an East Asian fantasy world. The story follows Shiori, a stubborn princess. She and her six brothers have been cursed by their stepmother. Together with her animated paper bird Kiki, Shiori must learn to work hard and learn humility, in order to break the curse.
Review: The Priory of the Orange Tree – Samantha Shannon
On the island of Inys, the queen of a thousand-year old line is believed to keep the coming of the Nameless One, the great wyrm from the Abyss, at bay. One of her handmaidens, brought by an ambassador from the far south, is far more than she seems. Across the ocean on the other side of the Abyss, on the dragon-worshipping Island of Seiiki, a young girl dreams of joining the clan of dragon riders, training hard every day to force her dream to come true. In the same city, an old man spends his days on a trading post, banished from across the ocean and dreaming of lost love and his return. As the wyrms of the world stir, their fates will converge.
Review: The Legend of Vox Machina – Amazon Prime
The Legend of Vox Machina is an animated series based on the popular tabletop role-playing game, “Critical Role.” The story follows a group of adventurers known as Vox Machina. Together, they embark on dangerous quests, battle monsters, and uncover mysteries in the fantasy world of Exandria. The series captures the thrilling and often humorous moments of the group’s epic journeys, showcasing their individual strengths, vulnerabilities, and the bonds they forge along the way.
Review: Critical Role
Critical Role is a web series starring a bunch of nerdy-ass voice-actors who sit around and play Dungeons & Dragons, weave stories and aim to leave the world better than they found it.
The show follows the adventures of a group of unlikely heroes as they navigate a fantasy world, taking on quests and battling dangerous enemies. Led by Dungeon Master Matthew Mercer, the group’s engaging role-play and penchant for storytelling has gained them an audience of millions.
Review: Nimona – Netflix
“Nimona” is an animated movie based on the graphic novel of the same name by N.D. Stevenson. The story revolves around a knight who has fallen from grace, Sir Ballister Blackheart. He is joined by a young shapeshifter named Nimona, as they try to uncover the truth of who is really responsible for the crime Ballister has been framed for.
Nimona, with her whimsical and unpredictable nature, brings a lot of chaos to Ballister’s earnest attempt to find out who was truly responsible for his own banishment. But who, really, is she even?
With its witty dialogue, vibrant animation, and engaging storyline, “Nimona” explores what it’s like to be an outsider in a world that likes to keep outsiders firmly behind a wall.
Review: Everything Everywhere All at Once – Daniel Kwan & Daniel Scheinert
Evelyn Quan Wang is a tired Chinese American trying to run a shabby laundromat with her husband Waymond. Nothing is easy: Evelyn’s marriage is in shambles, and so is her relationship with her daughter.
When the business is audited by the IRS, Evelyn is suddenly thrust into an adventure beyond her wildest imagination.
Review: Shadow and Bone – Netflix
Alina Starkov is an orphan who has grown up in an orphanage alongside her best friend Mal. When they pass through the Fold – a barrier through the land that is cast in darkness and populated by monsters – Alina discovers that she has the power to create light, making her the only legendary sun-summoner: the one who can destroy the Fold. She becomes a symbol of hope, but also finds herself with a target on her back. Danger lurks all around her, but all Alina really cares about is finding her way back to Mal.
Review: A Starstruck Odyssey – Dimension 20
In a spaceship shaped like a hot dog, we find a motley crew of space travellers: Grouchy Captain Norman “Skip” Takamori, Navigator Riva, a somewhat naive alien enthusiastically endorsing a pyramid scheme, engineer Gunnie, who is deep in medical depth after a tragic space accident, business executive Margaret Encino, who is working from home out of the ship’s escape pod, All-purpose android Sundy Sidney and a clone with a vengeance called Barry Syx. As they travel the galaxy looking for work, they find themselves tangling with some of the biggest forces in the universe.
Review: Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves – John Francis Daley & Jonathan Goldstein
In a movie that feels eerily similar to playing a table top roleplaying game, a bard and a barbarian freshly out of imprisonment as a result of a heist going south are looking to gather a new party for – you guessed it – another heist to set everything right that went awry the last time.