Browsing all articles by Richard Marpole.
Leather and Lace by Magen Cubed
First Disclaimer: I received an advance digital review copy of this book in return for an honest review. Second Disclaimer: The copy used for this review is an uncorrected proof. The published edition may be subject to further editing and revision. With that in mind, I will not discuss editing, spelling or grammar in this […]
The SFF Content That Got Me Through 2020 – YouTube & Podcasts
[Editor’s Note: As the author relays below. Last year was A YEAR. Turns out this year has also been A YEAR. Which is why this article is going out in March instead of January. (Completely my fault.) Someday reality will return to a semblance of normalcy. Until then thank all that is good in the […]
Infernal by Mark de Jager
A man called Stratus wakes up paralysed in the middle of nowhere. He has no memory of how he got there or of anything else, except his first name. Vultures are preparing to eat his unmoving body. Stratus is ‘rescued’ by a group of soldiers, led by a Deacon who heals him with magic. His […]
The Angel of the Crows by Katherine Addison
It was the name that first attracted me to this book. An angel associated with a pagan symbol of death and mysticism; the possibilities set my mind racing. Then, I learned that Addison was the same author who wrote the highly inventive, characterful, and absorbing fantasy novel, The Goblin Emperor. I was pretty much sold. […]
They Came from Beneath the Sea! – Role-playing Game Review
Written by: Larry Blamire, Jacqueline Bryk, John Burke, Matthew Dawkins, Steffie de Vaan, Susann Hessen, Danielle, Lauzon, Myranda Kalis, John Kennedy, Bianca Savazzi, Hilary Sklar, Michael F. Tomasek Jr, and Eddy Webb Developed and Conceived by: Matthew Dawkins Storypath Line Developer: Eddy Webb Creative Director: Richard Thomas Editor: Dixie Cochran Art Director: Michael Chaney Interior […]
Age of Sigmar: Soulbound – Role-playing Game Review
Big, bold, bombastic, and brutal—Age of Sigmar: Soulbound has swaggered its way onto the RPG scene with well-earned confidence. Players take on the role of larger-than-life heroes (literally, in some cases) at the forefront of the battle between the forces of Order and the hordes of dead, damned and demented foes who oppose them. Immortal […]
Captain Moxley and the Embers of the Empire by Dan Hanks
Captain Moxley and the Embers of the Empire is a fantastical pulp novel set during the 1950s. Captain Samantha Moxley herself is a retired British pilot who fought against the Nazis both in the air and on land. After that, she was recruited by an arcane and ruthless arm of the US government to help […]
Black Void – Role-playing Game Review
Black Void describes itself as an esoteric RPG. That might set veteran roleplayers to thinking about Unknown Armies or Kult—games set in our world which explore occult symbolism and themes. A better comparison would be Call of Cthulhu by way of Conan the Barbarian and Stargate. Though even that description misses out the Arabian Nights […]
The Museum of Magical Miniatures: Gallery One
With museums and art galleries across the world closed to the public, now seems like a good time to introduce a little virtual museum created just for Fantasy-Faction. Presenting: The Museum of Magical Miniatures! A museum of the mythical, the weird, and the fantastical. In Gallery One we have three miniatures from three different continents. […]
The Last Page by Anthony Huso
I must admit I started reading The Last Page years ago and got distracted, eventually abandoning it to gather dust in a corner of my flat. Now, like many bookish people, I’ve found myself digging back through my shelves and TBR pile to find ways to pass time in lockdown. And I’m glad I did. […]
Wild, Dark Times by Austin Case
The Setup Elizabeth Megalos is an ordinary bank teller who expects to live an ordinary life. Her illusions are shattered when one of her friends gets possessed by an evil entity and tries to kill her. Elizabeth is rescued by Eddy, a powerful but pervy magician, and recruited into a band of modern mystics who […]
Three Flavours of Binge-Worthy SFF Podcasts
Stuck indoors? Trying to drown out those inner anxiety voices? Just want a new fix of audible SFF goodness? Let us serve you three flavours of podcast. Neapolitan style! Strange Suburban Fantasy Welcome to Night Vale A lone radio host reports the goings-on in a bizarre desert town somewhere in the USA. He really likes that […]
