"The Malevolent Eight" by Sebastien de Castell

Back in July of 2023, as my world was turning to shit in a truly spectacular fashion, with so much more to come later, I finished a book I'd found: "The Malevolent Seven", by Sebastien de Castell. I had a few thoughts on it.

De Castell wrote a sequel and I blazed through it.

"The Malevolent Eight" takes place some months after the conclusion of "The Malevolent Seven". It stars the same characters, with the addition of a completely demented new one named Temper. And it goes in the same batshit crazy directions.

I have to say, I'm hard-pressed to figure which of de Castell's works I enjoy more: his Greatcoats short stories (the longer stories are a bit harder for me to digest) or this series.

The snarky narration of the Malevolent series is a special sort of fantastic, and "The Malevolent Eight" delivers that in spades. And it goes that much further with the addition of the new character.

Overall, the story has much the same sorts of twists and turns as the previous book had (and follows a lot of the patterns I've found with de Castell's protagonist journies, for good or ill).

I'm honestly not sure he's going to try for another book in this world. The ending works as a conclusion but has just enough ambiguity that I could see him squeezing out another if he's inspired. Or takes the right drugs. I mean this book is nuts.

I thoroughly enjoyed this as a crazy romp through epic battles of... um... not really "good" and "evil" so much as... well... read the book and you'll see.

Plus there's a kangaroo. Sort of.

Zha'Ha'Boom (Babylon-5 the Road Home)

Just saw the latest offering from J. Michael Straczynski in the Babylon-5 universe: "Babylon-5: The Road Home".

An animated movie set before the various spin-offs but before the actual ultimate episode, "The Road Home" is a treat for fans of B-5. It's got hilarious dialog, great action (lots of BOOM), and offers greater insight into how the Babylon-5 story is told.

It's whet my appetite for the upcoming CW remake of the series, which I'd fear if anyone other than JMS were behind it.

If you're a fan of Babylon-5, this is a must-see. Just don't say lost in spa[censored due to copyright].

Review: "The Traitor" by Anthony Ryan

The latest in Anthony Ryan's series known as "The Covenant of Steel", the third novel entitled "The Traitor" follows "The Pariah" and "The Martyr" in the testament of Alywn Scribe, a former outlaw turned knight and lover of the Risen Martyr Evandine Coulain.

As one might tell from the title, the story is about as cheery and loving as the previous two books, as Ryan continues to abuse his protagonists viciously amid scenes of carnage and torture.

For all that, the story is an enjoyable enough romp with a lot more closure and coherence in it than the "Raven's Shadow" series. There are parallels in numerous characters between the two series, but I find enough differences that I don't give "Raven's Shadow" too much thought as I've made my way through "The Covenant of Steel".

Alywn Scribe's journey continued to keep my attention throughout "The Traitor", though there were few surprises. I found a few plot points introduces in "The Martyr" were left unresolved as "The Traitor" concluded, but Ryan hints there may be another series along one day.

Oddly, the one thing I found that really stood out in "The Covenant of Steel" was how Ryan handles the otherworldly powers. In his other series, magic is usually tied to vaguely godlike entities that are callous and indifferent, if not outright malign. In "The Covenant of Steel", there is, at least, some acknowledgement that there's benign powers out there, albeit ruthless ones.

The series was a fun read. I look forward to more from Anthony Ryan.

Skull Island

So I just finished binging the "Skull Island" animated offering on Netflix.

I really enjoyed Kong: Skull Island. I think it was the strongest of the "MonsterVerse" films that have come out, with Godzilla, Kong, etc. It was really the only film that had human protagonists I have half a crap about, which is kinda impressive. Those sorts of films really don't do "appealing human characters" very well, but Sam Jackson, Brie Larson, Tom Hiddleston, John C. Reilly, and the rest really had appealing characters set in an atypical monster setting.

"Skull Island" builds on the mythos of the monster-infested Skull Island a bit, albeit in an animated format. I was impressed by how that was handled. The story really wasn't centered around Kong, too much. Kong was an incidental agency in the story, that was mainly centered around a gaggle of shipwreck victims and a feral teenage girl who has bonded with local monsters. All-told, it didn't suck nearly as much as I expected it would. The story could've made the cast a bit more appealing, and they could've shaved a good 80% of the quips and jokes off without too much trouble. Still, it wasn't horrible. I'm intrigued enough that I'd watch a sequel if they do one. Hopefully they dial back the excessive quipping a lot next time around.

Thoughts on "Age of Ash" by Daniel Abraham

After having read "The Dagger and the Coin" series by Daniel Abraham, I was intrigued enough to seek out his new series: "The Kithmar Trilogy".

The price for even the ebook on Amazon seemed a bit nuts, but I found a hardback copy that wasn't too expensive. And I took my time to read it.

"Age of Ash" is set in the wealthy city of Kithmar, a major power in the world. The story centers around two young women who are part of a minority group in a destitute neighborhood of Kithmar. The duo, Alys and Sammish, are thieves, among other professions. THey do what needs doing to get coin for food and shelter.

When Alys's brother is murdered, Alys is determined to find out who killed him and why. Her investigations take her on a journey into secret societies of Kithmar, with strange magics, and some demented shit going on with the city's ruler. Sammish, for her part, is in it to help out Alys, with whom she has an unrequited (and, apparently unknown) crush.

The two women find themselves mixing things up with the weird magics and learn some dangerous secrets, changing their lives.

Overall, I have to say I enjoyed the book. It had a kind of plodding pace that was irritating at times, but Abraham goes for the slow-paced stories, and I know that from "The Coin and the Dagger". The characters were interesting, though they all got on my nerves more than once. The antagonist (villain? I'm not sure) is seriously fucked up. Abraham gets kudos for the wrongness of that.

I'm honestly not sure where the next book will go. I'm hoping the pacing is a bit faster in subsequent novels. And I'd frankly love a better payoff than "The Coin and the Dagger" gave, but I'll take what I can get.

I guess I'll keep an eye out for book two, whenever that is.

Thoughts on "The Dagger and the Coin" series by Daniel Abrams

I finished book five of "The Dagger and the Coin", a fantasy series written by Daniel Abraham. Yes, the Daniel Abraham who is one of the two writers who make up the pseudonym of James S.A. Corey, who wrote "The Expanse" series.

With "The Expanse" done, I was hungry for a series. All my favorite authors are... not cranking the stuff out... and Abraham was recommended to me.

I got "The Dragon's Path", book one of his "The Dagger and the Coin" series and quite enjoyed it. I think I was a third of the way in when I got the other four books: "The King's Blood", "The Tyrant's Law", "The Widow's House", and "The Spider's War".

The series is written in a style similar to "The Expanse" or the "Song of Ice and Fire" books (remember those?). Each chapter is told from the point-of-view of a character.

The main characters are:

• Cithrin bel Sarcour, an orphan half-breed child raised by the great bank. Turns out she's got a genius for banking and a wild, impulsive, inclination for risks.
• Marcus Wester, a bleak-mannered and aging mercenary captain whose wife and daughter were burned alive before him. He's killed kings and doesn't have a lot of patience for shit.
• Geder Pallinko, a somewhat-nerdy nobleman who is thrust into power. A shame he's also a bit of a sociopath, a tyrant, and a mass-murderer.
• Kit, a master actor with quite the secret in his past.
• Clara Kalliam, the wife of Baron Dawson Kalliam and a woman who goes through all kinds of hell to save her family and her homeland.

All told, I found the series to be a fun read. Abraham created a fascinating world. Once ruled by dragons, the human race were bred as slaves. Multiple ofshoot races were bred for specific purposes and after the dragons fell, the various races of humanity inherited the world and get along about as well as you'd expect. I like the protagonists of the series. They're engaging, flawed, but not so much so that I didn't want to read about what they were going through. While I personally loathed Geder Pallinko, his character arc was fascinating. Abraham did a marvelous job of showing how we're all heroes in our personal narratives. Especially delusional sociopaths.

The politics were well-written and while the racial stuff got a bit heavy-handed at times, it rang quite true. Disturbingly-so given the times we're in.

There were a few cons. I thought some of the "war is hell" narratives dragged on a bit too long. I could have done without the dragons. I find it odd to say that for a fantasy series, but the whole dragon thing felt a bit shoehorned in and didn't really flow well with the plot, to my mind. And that's kind of funny given the dragons are kind of central, though in a removed way. The series does conclude, but the conclusion feels rushed, a bit overly-contrived, and oddly-abrupt. Lots of threads were left hanging, making me wonder if he's planning a sequel series.

If he writes it, I'll read it.

En-compass-ing thoughts

If you could only hear the laugh track I hear!

Anyway, I saw a post on another blog I enjoy and realized that I, too, had backed the referenced Kickstarter. And that made me think of yet another fancy compass I've obtained. So, without further ado, let me speak of compasses. Compassi? What is the plural for compass? Meh, I don't care. Moving on...

The Sailor's Compass by Oceanus Brass

I keep saying I'm going to quit Kickstarter and I never do. Oceanus Brass is one of those Kickstarter creators that make it difficult, if not impossible, for me to ever truly quit. They do nautical-themed things. Doodads. Brass utility knives and sailing gear. They came out with a Kickstarter for their Sailor's Compass and the next thing I knew, I was backing it. Despite the pandemic madness, they sent out the compass pretty quickly. It's a neat little thing. I mean, it's a compass, so it's not like it fires lasers or cuts boxes, but it's a simple, beautiful, functional tool It looks a bit like the sort of ladies' compact my grandmother used to carry about. It's about two inches in diameter and has a glow insert for use in poor or no lighting. I keep it in my "Go Bag", mostly because I think it's too gorgeous to just sit on a shelf and collect dust.

Heirloom Dual Sapphire Titanium Compass

On the topic of gorgeous things, at some point not long after I got the Oceanus Brass compass, I was perusing CountyComm's website, as I am wont to do, and lo, among the new items, was the Heirloom Dual Sapphire Titanium Compass. I couldn't tell you why I succumbed, exactly. It could have been "retail therapy" due to isolation and madness from the COVID Pandemic. It could have been because this compass is just so damn gorgeous. It could have been both. Oh, I bet it was probably both. Anyway, I got one. This compass is about half the size of the Sailor's Compass. It looks mainly like a sort of fob one might have when wearing an old-fashioned waistcoat or vest. It looks a little like a small pocketwatch, to be honest. And I love those, so that might have been part of the appeal. Like the Sailor's Compass, the Heirloom Compass is a functional thing that's also beautiful. The north indicator on the needle glows in the dark, should one need to know north without lights, and it comes (came?) with a little leather sleeve to hold it. I have to admit that every now and again, I'll carry this compass around, even though I don't need one in an urban area. It's just a fun little bauble to carry around.

I suppose I'm good to find north, provided I'm away from strong magnets and the like. And, if anything, I've got some lovely things to talk about.

"The Kaiju Preservation Society" by John Scalzi

Imagine if you will, "Jurassic Park" only with snarky Millennials and Godzilla-like creatures put through a Lovecraftian filter and set on an alternate Earth.

Then set it at the beginning of the COVID pandemic.

That, my friends, is "The Kaiju Preservation Society", by John Scalzi. And my current favorite book (or in my top five, anyway).

I'm honestly not sure what else to say about the book without spoiling things. It's filled with wonder, hilarity, and has a suitable villain for our times. The protagonists are engaging and fun while the setting is awesome.

I'll be shocked if this isn't picked up by HBO or Netflix or someone and converted into a series. Hopefully it will be converted by someone who knows their shit instead of some hacks who will destroy the fun parts.

Review: The Broken Room by Peter Clines

I periodically search to see if Peter Clines has come out with any new books. I loved "14" more than words can say. I enjoyed "The Fold" and managed to read "Terminus" finally. "The Broken Room" is not exactly set in the same world, but... well...

"The Broken Room" is a story of Hector, a top government operative who is beyond badass, and of Natalie, a young orphan who has escaped The Project with the assistance of a dead agent to whom Hector owes a debt.

Natalie tracks down Hector and asks for his help, then things get crazy.

"The Broken Room" has a very Stephen King-vibe to it. There's flavors of "Firestarter" and "The Institute" in the tale, but Clines does not go down Stephen King's roads. No, Clines makes Natalie's and Hector's stories real in very different ways, while tossing the occasional Easter egg to fans of "14" in very clever ways.

I burned through the book in two days and was unable to put it down. Both Hector's and Natalie's stories, and characters, had me completely hooked. I loved this story tremendously. It's not set up for any kind of sequel, but that's fine. It's a brilliant story and I highly recommend it.

Review (okay, reaction): Quillifer series by Walter Jon Williams

Every now and again, Amazon's recommendations are actually not all that bad.

I came across "Quillifer" by Walter Jon Williams and read the synopsis. It sounded intriguing, so I got it for my Kindle and gave it a read. I wasn't past the third chapter when I ordered the next two books in the series. I've just finished the third book and have been giving my brain a chance to catch up.

In summary, the series is about Quillifer, the humble son of a butcher and an apprentice lawyer. When his home city gets attacked by raiders, his life takes some dramatic turns in some seriously weird directions. One of those directions has Quillifer, a lover of the ladies, manage to piss off a goddess-like water spirit who decides she's going to amuse herself by throwing all kinds of torments in Quillifer's way.

Despite this divine interference, Quillifer's fortunes rise. He winds up lover of many ladies and a reluctant soldier as well as... well, why spoil too much?

Williams has an incredibly engaging protagonist in Quillifer, as well as an entertaining and unusual narrative style. The books are all narrated in the first person and written as though they're being told to an audience of a specific character that differs in each book. It's quite fascinating, really. Quillifer's fortunes vary quite a lot and I have to admit I'm finding myself sympathetic to the fellow.

I gather that Williams has six books planned in all. There are three out at the moment: "Quillifer", "Quillifer the Knight", and "Lord Quillifer". I can't wait to see where things go in the next three. It's looking like Williams will actually make headway in the series, unlike past favorite authors of mine like Patrick Rothfuss and George R.R. Martin.

Review: "Leviathan Falls" by James S.A. Corey (Expanse finale)

I finished "Leviathan Falls" the other day and have been processing since then.

The last book in the Expanse series by the two authors who write under the pseudonym of James S.A. Corey is up to the usual sweeping standard of epic crazy. Multiple views across worlds as the fall of the Laconian Empire shakes out, some of the mysteries of the protomolecule builders come to light, and there's a final-ish showdown with the dark things beyond the rings.

I don't want to drop spoilers in, but I found the overall story to be quite satisfying. I found the conclusions for most of the main characters to be pretty good. I think one character got a raw deal, but such is the way of things. There was one new POV character introduced who bugged the shit out of me, but it's a moot point now. And the epilogue was perfect!

Sigh. Now I need a new series to read.

Daniel Black series by E. William Brown

A friend pushed me to read "Perilous Waif" by E. William Brown some time past. I enjoyed it and have been eagerly awaiting the sequel. In the meantime, I finally broke down and replaced by long-dead Kobo with a Kindle. I decided to fill it up with a few books and got Brown's "Daniel Black" series (only available in eBook).

There's four books in the series so far: Fimbulwinter, Black Coven, Extermination, and Thrall. Rather than go into them in detail, I'll just give my overall impressions as I binge-read them.

The Daniel Black series is about Daniel Black, a software engineer of 21st century Earth who has a spectacularly-bad run of luck. He's recruited by the goddess Hectate to journey to an alternate Earth to save the last of Hectate's worshippers, a sexy murder witch and her equally-sexy hearth witch lover.

As part of the bargain, Daniel is dragged through a stream of chaos that lets him pick up sorcerous powers. Daniel, a former devotee of roleplaying games and video games, munchkins the unholy hell out of this offer, picking up magics around earth, force, flesh, and even mana (the stuff of magic itself). Armed with 21st century knowledge and arcane power, Daniel then proceeds to kick ass in an alternate Earth version of Skandinavia where Ragnarok is starting.

Brown has a gift for really fun narrative. He keeps the story moving and writes entertainingly-intelligent characters. He likes to surround Daniel with a wide variety of sexy and deadly women. Many of them are barely-legal, but his narrative is quick to point out that's relative given the setting. There's lots of polyamourous sex, gratuitous sex, and just... uh... sex. There's also tons of the old ultraviolence mixed in for fun.

Daniel Black's 21st Century American morals and views are tackled in an interesting way through Brown's filter of this alternate Earth. You almost have to pity the first monster that comes across his magical flamethrower. Oops. Spoiler.

The series is a really fun read overall. I have to say, I can't wait for book five in the series. Brown has gone dark since the pandemic, by all accounts. I hope he's okay and hunkered down to crank out more books.

Review: "A Pilgrimage of Swords" and "The Kraken's Tooth" by Anthony Ryan

Fresh off reading "The Pariah", I took the recommendation of a friend of mine and gave Anthony Ryan's "Seven Swords" series a try. So far it's only two books: "A Pilgrimage of Swords" and "The Kraken's Tooth".

I burned through "A Pilgrimage of Swords" in about two days. I got "The Kraken's Tooth" immediately after and started in on that.

The two books go together, so it's easier to ramble about my overall impressions.

In a nutshell, the series is about Guyime, aka "Pilgrim", who bears a cursed sword with a bloodthirsty demon within it. The sword and the demon give our (anti-)hero long life and enhance his badass talents. Guyime, a former king with a decidedly bloodthirsty reputation, is sort of done with the whole mass-murderer routine and is looking to get out of his arrangement with his snarky demonic blade.

In "A Pilgrimage of Swords", Guyime joins a quest to meet the Mad God in order to get a prayer answered. He meets a variety of folk on his quest (as is typical of the trope), including a woman who calls herself "Seeker". Seeker is a beast-charmer on a quest to find her daughter, abducted by slavers.

As one might imagine when one looks for a being called "the Mad God", things go sideways pretty quickly. Guyime and Seeker wind up joining forces, leading into "The Kraken's Tooth". In the second book, the two are on a quest that has tied Seeker's quest for her daughter to Guyime's quest for an end to things. Without giving too much away, krakens are the scariest creatures in the world. Hunting for something called "The Kraken's Tooth", predictably goes in some horribly-wrong directions and involves a magic, demonically-possessed sword. Yes, I think there will be seven books in this series.

Overall the books are quick reads. I'm not going to suggest there's deep character development or anything, but the new characters who come on in the quest are intriguing. I think my favorite character is actually Guyime's sword. Hilariously-evil. I look forward to the rest of the series.

Review: "The Paraiah" by Anthony Ryan

Been a while since I read Anthony Ryan.

I liked his "Blood Song" book a lot. I know I said good things about the sequels, but honestly they lost me, especially when he got to "Queen of Fire". So much so that I've never bothered to pick up the successor series in the Vaelin Al Sorna story.

I picked up "The Pariah" on a whim, really. I was hitting a dry spell in my reading options and decided to give Ryan another shot. I'd tried his dragon series and found that to be uninteresting, so I wasn't sure what to expect of this book.

I have to say I was pleasantly surprised by "The Pariah".

This novel feels a lot like how "Blood Song" felt. Told as a first-person account of Alywn Scribe, a young bandit turned... uh... scribe... it traces how Alywn essentially gets in a lot of shitty situations, including a holy war. For all that, I found the story engaging. Ryan has a certain style to his tales and "The Pariah" has a lot of the flavor his "Raven's Shadow" series had. Mysterious, dark magic. Vague menace. Badass lady warriors. Gritty situations. Wolves.

Ryan likes wolves.

I'll certainly pick up the next book in the series. I hope it's better than "Tower Lord" and "Queen of Fire".

Thoughts on the Sniper Bladeworks LPC and DMF knives

I'm addicted to Kickstarter.

It's a problem.

So back in the midst of the pandemic chaos (okay, earlier in the pandemic chaos) I decided to back a Kickstarter to reboot production of a selection of knives. The company was called Sniper Bladeworks. I liked the look of the LPC (Lance Personal Carry) knife and, having recently gained some bonus money, decided to back said Kickstarter for one of those knives. I later expanded it for the DMF, a burlier, shiny beast of a knife that called to me.

Time passed. Kickstarters almost never hit their target delivery, and that was before a plague swept the planet. To the full credit of Sniper Bladeworks, there was good communication as to the very valid reasons for delay in delivery on the Kickstarter.

And then they did deliver.

The LPC

The LPC is a tough, burly, monster of a knife. It weighs just under a half pound and has a blade that's a shade past three and a half inches long. It's got a slightly-bent "pistol" grip that feels great. My initial reaction was that it's a bugger to open one-handed. I've since practiced a bit and gotten the hang of opening it. I think this is my new favorite knife.

And I own a lot of knives.

It's a sturdy beast of a thing that feels ever so slightly over-made in all the right ways. It's built for right-handed sorts, but that works fine for me. Fresh out of the box (okay, awesome zip-lock package) it was a bit stiff to open one-handed but is now smooth as silk. If I were to be marooned on a desert island, I'd want to have this on my person. I'm actually so enamored with it that it's become a sort of fidget-toy for me. Good thing I work from home these days!

The DMF

I don't properly know what "DMF" stands for. Do massive f*ckery? I honestly can't say. I thought the LPC was a brute as far as folder knives went, but the DMF makes my LPC folder feel almost dainty in comparison. The DMF weighs a bit over a half pound and has these cool bronze accents on the handle and the pivot screw. I'm not really much for bronze coloring, but I have to say it makes the DMF look awfully purdy. The DMF comes in a S30V blade but the Kickstarter offered a "damascus" style blade that's really quite lovely. The blade is beefy and feels indestructable. It's a chopping blade, with less emphasis on the point. More of a working style knife, to my mind. It has the same, slightly-bent, "pistol" style grip. Like the LPC, it takes a bit of practice to get used to opening it one-handed.

It's become my other fidget tool.

Sniper Bladeworks came out with an assortment of blades for their Kickstarter. I didn't really have a reason to get the fixed blades, but they do look cool. Their folding knives are truly outstanding, though!

Damnit Kickstarter! Every time I think I'm past you...

And now things get interesting

So... how's everyone out there in the world?

It's still a dumpster fire here on day 209 since the shelter-in-place was issued in California for the COVID pandemic. And that's still a thing. Spiking again. Yeah.

And there's still people out there who think it's a hoax. Yeah...

Oh, and an election next week! How terrifying exciting! I'm guessing the shitshow will just get more pungent.

Let's see... what can I ramble about that's not related to a horrible illness or politics? OH! I know! I'll ramble on about random stuff. That's always good for a laugh.

So, remember Goruck, that rucksack-making company I mentioned earlier this month? So I got curious and purchased footwear from them. I've been needing new running shoes for a while now, so I got myself a pair of their cross trainers and , because I was curious, their boots.

Goruck MACV-1 Boots

These are some damn fine boots! They're lightweight but quite sturdy. The boot lacks that sort of squishy mesh (they call it spacer mesh) so I've found that these don't squeak at all. At least not thus far. The MACV-1 runs a bit small. I ordered in my usual size and had to return to get the next half-size up. That size fits my feet like a glove and I gotta say these are easily the most comfortable boots I've ever worn. Unlike most boots, I can actually run properly in these (as opposed to just hiking or walking), which is nice. Well worth the price, in my humble opinion.

Goruck I/O Cross Trainers

These I ordered in my shoe size and they fit true to form. I've taken them for walks and running and had no problem breaking them in. No chafing or blisters. Like the MACV-1 boots, these are sturdy with no spacer mesh or anything. The shoe designers did some solid work with these. Also well worth the money.

Masks

Let's see... what else can I ramble on about? Masks? Sure, let's talk masks. So yeah. If you've got half a brain and have been paying any sort of attention, you're probably looking at wearing a mask in public. Or should be. I've tried a variety of options for masks, both with valves and without. Right now, the masks I'm finding work best for me are O2 Mask. Their mask offerings are lightweight, but have some impressive-seeming filters and I've found them easy to breathe through and wash. I'm finding it a bit of a bugger to get filter refills, but their product is still pretty solid.

The Kilij

I feel like I'm somehow doing myself a disservice if I don't go on about some kind of tool or knife or something. I don't think I mentioned this earlier this year, but I backed a Kickstarter (yeah, I know, I still do this...) for a knife - the Kilij by Tepe Designs.

The Kilij is one of those rare Kickstarters that caught me by surprise. I backed it, then I wondered why I backed it, and then I sort of got distracted by stuff going on in the world. Then it funded. Then it delivered on time. And wow, was I impressed! The Kilij is a gorgeous and wicked-sharp knife with exceptionally-smooth opening action. While the damascus finish looked pretty, I opted for the M390 steel and never regretted it. It's a solid and very well-made blade. Did I mention wicked-sharp? 'Cause it is. The point is like a freakin' needle and I've got the nicks on my fingers to support that claim. I'll be watching Tepe Designs in the future. These guys (this guy?) do great work!

Reviews: Goruck

When I came across Goruck on another site, I found myself intrigued by their rucksack offerings (they don't call them "backpacks" and there's a reason for that).

It's 2020 and everything's going to shit. I had some extra money and treated myself to a new bag, thinking that it would be nice should life return to sanity and I could commute again to the office.

I got one of their packs and swapped my messenger bag's contents for a rucksack.

I found myself impressed.

The bag was a GR1 and is a brute of a pack. Goruck's site says they guarantee their bags against any reasonable damage. As I've got this intended as a commuter bag, I think this thing will last me the rest of my natural life. It's a well-padded beast of a bag with a padded laptop sleeve that's accessible outside the main body of the bag. The bag itself opens 180 degrees when unzipped and has all sorts of useful pockets and loops. I'm almost eager for commuting again with this holding my work essentials.

Intrigued, I took a look at Goruck's site and offerings a bit more carefully. I really was just looking for a bag at the time. The quality of the GR1 made me consider obtaining a larger GR3 as a "bug out bag". Seemed a prudent (if steep) purchase at the time, given the way things were going. And then the summer hit in full force with fires and what-not and I've been doubly-happy I made the purchase. Should shit go sideways and I need to get moving, I figure my "bug out bag" will handle whatever punishment is going on around me. Probably better than I will, truth be told.

I'll admit, I've now started to look at the whole "rucking" and "sandbag" stuff that's advertised on the Goruck site. I may give it a try. It's not exactly feasible right now with the toxic air quality here in California, but that may change and I certainly could use a good workout.

They sell boots and shoes as well, it seems. I may have look into those.

Review: "Zero History" by William Gibson

I finished "Zero History", the third book in William Gibson's "Blue Ant Trilogy", last month. I meant to write up a review, then November just happened, distracting me from ever thinking about my much-neglected blog.

"Zero History" starts up a few years after "Spook Country". It revolves around two of the protagonists from "Spook Country": Hollis Henry, the former musician turned journalist and Milgrim, the translator and drug addict.

"Zero History" explores more of the politics of Blue Ant and Hubertus Bigend's control of the company while dealing with another MacGuffin in the form of a mysterious clothing designer. Fashion remains a consistent theme throughout the book, echoing "Pattern Recognition". Indeed, many, many, references call back to "Pattern Recognition" in this book.

Overall, I quite enjoyed it. It goes from rambling observations of fashion and culture right into a caper in weird ways. I enjoyed all the characters, though I tended to find the Hollis Henry character a bit annoying by the end. Still, there was surprising closure for "Pattern Recognition" which pleased me. Loved it.

Review: Grim Workshop's Everyday Carry Tool Roll Wallet

Okay, on their website, they call it the EDC Tool Roll Organizer, but in their Kickstarter campaign, it had the moniker of being called a wallet.

As a backer of that Kickstarter, I do have to say it's really more of a tool roll than a wallet, but it does work as a very beefy wallet.

Whatever you call it, the Tool Roll thing is a beefy-but-pocket-sized thing of beauty that can fold out with many pockets and elastic bands to hold small tools, knives, and the like as well as cards and cash. It folds into a fairly compact size that's kept shut by a restraining strap of the same Buffalo leather that the main roll is crafted from.

This thing is a beast, but it's a tough beast. Gotta say I'm more than a little in love with mine.

Review: The Man Ring Ultimate (v3.0)

I've mentioned the Man Ring before. I think I've also mentioned their v2, though I can't find the post right now. I didn't think it was possible to do more with the Man Ring.

Well, Boone Titanium has proven me wrong with the Man Ring Ultimate.

The Man Ring Ultimate is a beefy bit of titanium that looks a bit like a knuckle-duster on its own. It has an hourglass shape to it to hold its little knife, saws (plural), box cutter (which I guess means it's got two knives, technically), file (!!), pliers (!!!), and tweezers (!!!!). It's even got a little screwdriver on it. The bottle opener functionality, like the V2 ring, is built into the frame of the ring itself. So to open a beer, you've got to deploy all the tools on one side, but that's all good.

The Man Ring Ultimate is surprisingly-useful. Mine is a bit tight with the tweezers, making them hard to deploy, but it's not like I'm going to be using tweezers on a ring very often. The rest of the tools deploy fine enough. I'm glad the Ultimate did away with the little comb in favor of a file.

James Bond, eat your heart out!