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There's Just No Way

An incident on January 1‚ 2024‚ at the Bayfront Marketplace in Miami‚ Florida has raised speculation of a cover-up. There were reports of a 'humanoid creature' seen at the location."On the 1st of January‚ a mysterious event unfolded at Bayfront Marketplace when locals witnessed a significant influx of law enforcement officers. Photographs and videos showed that there were over 30 police cars along with black helicopters seen throughout the area. However‚ no one seems to know what happened. Posts on social media show people running away from the area saying that a 'humanoid creature' was spotted. While others said that a 'strange creature' was seen roaming through the mall. As of January 4th‚ the official explanation that has been given is that the incident seemingly originated from a gathering of adolescents letting off fireworks. As the crowd scattered this created chaos and disturbance for local businesses and motorists in the vicinity. The disruption caused inconvenience and hindered the smooth functioning of establishments and transportation in the area. Those who followed this story didn't buy this explanation and wondered why would over 30 police cars and black helicopters respond to a few people letting off fireworks. One man by the name of John said that he thinks something is being covered up.While strolling along a bustling street lined with various shops and establishments John's attention was unexpectedly drawn to something unusual. A humanoid‚ tall and slender‚ moved among the crowd and it was at this point that people started to turn around and look. Initially‚ he disregarded it as a mere street entertainer or someone casually dressed in an eccentric outfit. However‚ as he advanced towards it he gradually comprehended that what lay before his eyes was far from ordinary. The enigmatic being possessed limbs that stretched beyond typical human proportions giving it an otherworldly appearance in the bustling marketplace. The creature's skin glimmered with an ethereal silver hue reflecting the soft glow of the moonlight above amid a bustling crowd. There were captivating almond-shaped eyes that emitted a captivating and otherworldly glow. The man reported that it was as if the creature possessed an uncanny ability to blend into its surroundings evading the attention of oblivious passers-by.This enigmatic encounter left John utterly perplexed‚ struggling to make sense of the hauntingly surreal experience unfolding before his eyes. After this‚ he said he quickly left the area. One person who was in the ARA during this event said that a series of loud and abrupt sounds disrupted their peaceful evening. While he couldn't confirm their exact nature he speculated on the possibility of fireworks being set off in celebration of the New Year. Curiosity getting the better of him‚ he ventured outside only to be greeted by a chaotic scene with throngs of people sprinting in all directions. The situation escalated rapidly as a swarm of police cars‚ approximately 20 in number‚ arrived with blaring sirens.According to the Miami Police Department‚ a group of young individuals armed with sticks were involved in a conflict of some kind which prompted the intervention of law enforcement officers to manage the crowd. Upon their arrival witnesses reported that the teenagers quickly dispersed in various directions attempting to evade capture or further confrontation. One witness said the following:"Ever since the incident occurred I have diligently been monitoring the news eager to gather any information about what transpired. There were widespread reports of commotion within the crowd with individuals audibly expressing their concerns and warnings about an unidentified presence. Now we are being told that all of this is attributed to a group of young individuals armed with nothing more than mere sticks. The puzzling part is that none of it seems to make any logical sense leaving me with the unsettling feeling that we have yet to uncover the complete truth. Upon reflection‚ it appears that there may have been additional events that transpired that evening which are currently being concealed from public knowledge."Here is the video - Someone Just Reported The Truth About The Entity That Caused Officers To Close This Area In FloridaI found this on 'X' - 𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐩𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐁𝐚𝐲𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐚 𝐨𝐟 𝐌𝐢𝐚𝐦𝐢‚ 𝐅𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐚 Witness claims they saw “creatures” or “Beings” walking at the mall. Black helicopters are now also on the sceneNOTE: I was told today that there were at least 2 'Men in Black' type individuals seen walking through the public area not long after the incident. This came from 2 anonymous sources who were at the location. There were 4 known arrests of the teenagers who were said to be involved in the fighting. There was also a power outage reported at the location. It seems like a lot of police presence for fighting in a shopping area. There have not been photos or videos of the alleged creature provided so far. Any thoughts on this? LonBigfoot: West Coast Wild Men: A History of Wild Men‚ Gorillas‚ and Other Hairy Monsters in California‚ Oregon‚ and Washington State.Ultraterrestrial Contact: A Paranormal Investigator's Explorations into the Hidden Abduction EpidemicMen In Black: Personal Stories and Eerie AdventuresSlenderman: From Fiction to FactCops' True Stories Of The Paranormal: Ghost‚ UFOs‚ And Other ShiversStrange Secrets: Real Government Files on the UnknownBook of Alien Races: Secret Russian KGB Book of Alien SpeciesRegister a SNAP EBT CardTry Audible PlusPHANTOMS &; MONSTERS READING LISTHave you had a sighting or encounter?Contact me by email or call the hotline at 410-241-5974Thanks. LonAccess Phantoms &; Monsters Posts on Twitter 'X'-----YOUR SUPPORT IS APPRECIATED! THANKS-----'KEYSTONE PHANTOMS' - PENNSYLVANIA'S WINGED HUMANOIDS &; GARGOYLES - LIVE Chat - Lon Strickler (Host)Winged humanoids have always been around us in some form or another. Most witnesses consider their encounters profound &; life-changing. As well‚ many are fearful of the future‚ believing that these beings are a harbinger of terrible events.In the state of Pennsylvania‚ especially over the past 30 years‚ there have been many reported sightings of these cryptids. I also had a close encounter with one of these creatures in the Fall of 1988 and have documented other witness sightings &; encounters since. What I find interesting is that most of these sightings have mirrored the descriptions of those winged humanoids reported in the Chicagoland region during the past few decades.So‚ sit back and listen to these personal reports. Then put yourself in the position of these witnesses and imagine how you would react to a similar situation. If you have questions‚ feel free to post them in the live chat. I will do my best to answer each.-----ORDER THE AUDIOBOOK VERSIONORDER THE AUDIOBOOK VERSIONProject Threshold: Team Riker: Division A-----TODAY'S TOP LINKSCongressional Committee to Receive Classified UFO Briefing Next WeekThe Story Of Portlock‚ The Alaska Ghost Town Allegedly Abandoned Because Of A ‘Killer Bigfoot’CRYPTID CANINES: PENNSYLVANIA &; MARYLAND CASEFILES - LIVE Chat - Q &; A - Lon Strickler (Host)LISTEN TO NARRATIONS OF PHANTOMS &; MONSTERS REPORTS &; CASES - PLEASE SUBSCRIBE‚ LIKE &; SHARE5 blockbuster archaeology discoveries that may come in 2024Pastor Tries to Dunk McDonald’s Worker’s Head into Deep FryerPHANTOMS &; MONSTERS READING LISTCONSIDER ADVERTISING ON PHANTOMS &; MONSTERS RADIOLET'S DISCUSS YOUR OPTIONSClick the link for our Media KitCHICAGO MOTHMAN / O'HARE BATMAN YouTube PlaylistPHANTOMS &; MONSTERS RADIO Podcasts on Spotify**********Your financial support of Phantoms &; Monsters and our other pursuits is much appreciated. Please click the banner above. Thanks.Have you had a sighting or encounter?Contact us by email or call the hotline at 410-241-5974Thanks. LonAlso available with audiobooknarration by Terry Springs‚CBS-TV Las Vegas affiliate.The Dark Arts of MISTER SAM SHEARON - Original Prints &; MerchandiseThis blog and newsletter are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Work 3.0 United States License.Registered trademark PHANTOMS AND MONSTERS ® / PHANTOMS &; MONSTERS ® - USPTO #90902480 - Lon D. Strickler© 2005-2023 Phantoms &; Monsters - All Rights Reserved

Our Top 10 Otis Redding Songs list looks back at the career of one of the greatest singers of all time. While many R&;B and soul singers either specialized in uptempo numbers or ballads‚ Otis Redding lit up the room on both ends. He could rock and swing with the best of them while making you weep like a baby when he sang those slow‚ hurting‚ painful ballads. God only knows the career Otis Redding would have had if his life had not been cut short in a plane crash in 1967. He had already had a magnificent career in The post Top 10 Otis Redding Songs Loved By Fans appeared first on ClassicRockHistory.com.

The next time you’re aboard a plane watching the safety demonstrations‚ don’t brush them off as unnecessary details of a catastrophe that won’t save anyone—because on a runway in the Japanese Airport of Haneda‚ they saved 379 souls. “The Miracle on Haneda” as it’s being called‚ saw an Airbus A350 owned by Japan Airlines set […] The post ‘Miracle’ Evacuation from Burning Japanese Airplane Credited to ‘Disciplined’ Passengers and Crew appeared first on Good News Network.

I hope you got through your TBR piles over the winter break because I’ve got 20 young adult science fiction‚ fantasy‚ and horror books for you. These are my most anticipated new books coming out in January and February 2024‚ books full of adventure‚ drama‚ and a whole lotta chaos.   Magic with a Twist No Time Like Now by Naz Kutub Bloomsbury YA; February 6‚ 2024 Hazeem can do magic‚ but that doesn’t stop his father or grandmother from dying. When he uses his power to give some of his life to his Nana to bring her back to life‚ Time themself intervenes. This time he traded more life than he has to give‚ and the entire timeline is at risk of collapsing. Hazeem must go back in time and take back some of his life that he’s given to others.   Out of Body by Nia Davenport Balzer &; Bray; February 6‚ 2024 Body swap! Making friends with new girl LC was Megan’s first mistake. Trusting her was the second. After a wild night‚ Megan wakes up in the body of a girl named Jade while LC has stolen her body. The longer she stays in Jade’s body‚ the harder it is to remember who she was. She’ll have to find LC before she loses herself completely and before LC’s enemies catch up with them both.   Heists Into the Sunken City by Dinesh Thiru Harperteen; January 23‚ 2024 It’s 2532 and it has rained for five centuries straight‚ leaving sunken cities across what is left of the US. A drifter presents Jin with an offer she can’t refuse: dive to sunken Vegas to find a literal treasure trove. To keep her and her little sister safe‚ Jin agrees. Along the way‚ she battles pirates‚ monsters‚ and traitors. Loosely inspired by Treasure Island but set in a post-climate disaster future Arizona.   The Absinthe Underground by Jamie Pacton Peachtree Teen; February 6‚ 2024 Best friends Sybil and Esme live in Severon‚ a city reminiscent of 1870s Paris. When the two girls are caught trying to steal posters to sell for rent money‚ they’re caught by a beautiful cabaret owner called Maeve. She hires them to infiltrate the Fae realm and steal the crown jewels from Queen Mab. If they succeed‚ they’ll be financially secure for life. If they fail…   A Tempest of Tea by Hafsah Faizal (Blood and Tea #1) Farrar‚ Straus and Giroux; February 20‚ 2024 Vampires! Arthie may be a brown girl in a white supremacist society‚ but that hasn’t stopped her from building her own little empire in White Roaring. By day she runs a popular teahouse‚ and by night she serves blood to the local vampires. But she’s not satisfied with money‚ not when she has the chance to knock the colonizing nation of Ettenia down a peg or two. All she has to do is form a crew‚ infiltrate the vampires‚ steal a ledger‚ and make it out alive. Easy enough.   Outcasts‚ Outlaws‚ &; Rebels Sky’s End by Marc J Gregson (Above the Black #1) Peachtree Teen; January 2‚ 2024 After his parents die and his uncle takes over his island‚ Conrad tumbles from being a High to a Low. His only way to move up in the hierarchy is by rising through the ranks of the Twelve Trades and winning the brutal competition called the Gauntlet. He’ll have to fight monsters like the one that killed his mother‚ as well as more human battles like betrayal‚ competition‚ and rebellion.   Somewhere in the Deep by Tanvi Berwah Sourcebooks Fire; January 9‚ 2024 Sea monsters! Orphaned as a child‚ Kress fights monsters in underground matches to earn enough to one day pay off her parents’ debts and escape the island of Kar Atish. She’s offered the chance to make a lot of money for a seemingly easy job‚ and of course jumps at it. But the job‚ guarding a search-and-rescue mission for some lost divers. The crew isn’t who they say they are‚ the mission is riddled with corruption and Kress is caught in the middle of a life-or-death fight.   The Diablo’s Curse by Gabe Cole Novoa Random House Books for Young Readers; February 20‚ 2024 No matter how much they try to pretend they’re human‚ Dami is still a demon. They hatch a plan to cancel all the deals they’ve struck so they can be free‚ but doing so would kill Silas‚ a very cute and very cursed young man. They team up with a shipwrecked teen‚ Marisol‚ and head up the New England coast in hot pursuit of Captain Kidd’s fabled treasure. Although a standalone‚ this takes place in the same world as The Wicked Bargain.   Snowglobe by Soyoung Park‚ translated by Joungmin Lee Comfort (Snowglobe #1) Delacorte Press; February 27‚ 2024 In the future‚ the world is kept at a freezing -50 degrees Fahrenheit‚ all except within the Snowglobe. The lives of the wealthy people in the dome are projected into the televisions of those outside. After popular star Haeri dies‚ Chobahm is pulled from the snow into the globe as her replacement. But while the dome may seem like paradise on the surface‚ terrible secrets lurk in the shadows. This dystopian duology was first published in South Korea in 2020.   Thrills &; Chills The Bad Ones by Melissa Albert Flatiron Books; February 20‚ 2024 Four people disappear in one night in Nora’s hometown‚ including her estranged friend Becca. She hadn’t heard from her in ages‚ until just before she vanished. Now she keeps finding clues seemingly left by Becca‚ and they all lead back to a game they used to play as children involving a forgotten goddess and a dangerous legend.   Tender Beasts by Liselle Sambury Margaret K. McElderry Books; February 27‚ 2024 After her mother’s death‚ Sunny tries to keep a brave face. But then her brother Dom is charged with the murder of his girlfriend. And then she finds him standing over the body of a high student‚ blood on his hands. Dom swears he’s innocent‚ but their dead mother’s secrets may doom them all. Something monstrous haunts their family’s legacy.   Crime Scenes These Deadly Prophecies by Andrea Tang G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers; January 30‚ 2024 Tabatha Zeng is apprenticed to the notorious fortuneteller Sorcerer Solomon. When his prediction of his own murder comes to fruition‚ she and Solomon’s son Callum are the main suspects. Detective Chang is supposed to arrest the teens‚ but she reluctantly agrees to help them find the real killer.   Infinity Alchemist by Kacen Callender (Infinity Alchemist #1) Tor Teen; February 6‚ 2024 After Ash is rejected from alchemy school at the prestigious Lancaster College‚ he trains in secret even though it’s technically a crime. When the haughty apprentice Ramsay Thorne catches him in the act‚ the boys make a deal. Ash agrees to help Ramsay find the Book of Source‚ which will grant its bearer untold power. They aren’t the only people searching for the book‚ and Ash soon learns their partnership is more tenuous than he anticipated.   Remixes A Drop of Venom by Sajni Patel Rick Riordan Presents; January 16‚ 2024 Manisha lives in a temple where she keeps the secret that she’s naga‚ a being that can turn people into stone. Pratyush is the king’s best warrior who has spent his career slaying monsters. A chance meeting and the two fall in love…until Manisha is assaulted and tossed into a pit of vipers. She emerges full of fury and power. Is Pratyush’s love stronger than his loyalty? A retelling of the Medusa myth‚ influenced by Indian folklore.   Evergreen by Devin Greenlee Entangled: Teen; January 16‚ 2024 Quill loves plants more than just about anything. Not unexpected for a dryad‚ even if he is the first ever male dryad. To keep his identity a secret‚ his mother keeps him hidden away. When he meets Liam‚ the boy next door‚ nothing can keep the boys apart‚ not even when a mysterious intruder breaks into Quill’s magical garden. Inspired by The Secret Garden.   The Cursed Rose by Leslie Vedder (The Bone Spindle #3) Razorbill; February 6‚ 2024 In the first book‚ Fi‚ Briar‚ Shane‚ and Red were thrown together. In the second book‚ they were torn apart. In the third and final book‚ their fates are out of their control. The Lord of the Butterflies left a weapon that could defeat the Spindle Witch‚ but Shane has to find it first. If she doesn’t‚ Fi and Briar could be lost forever. Only Red‚ Shane’s lover and betrayer‚ stands in her way. The series is loosely inspired by the story of Sleeping Beauty.   Relit: 16 Latinx Remixes of Classic Stories edited by Sandra Proudman Inkyard Press; February 6‚ 2024 Sixteen authors reimagine classic stories through Latinx and speculative lenses. Everything from ancient mythology to space‚ android mermaids to shapeshifters‚ and everything in between. Authors include: Olivia Abtahi‚ David Bowles‚ Zoraida Córdova‚ Saraciea J. Fennell‚ Raquel Vasquez Gilliland‚ Torrey Maldonado‚ Jasminne Mendez‚ Anna Meriano‚ Amparo Ortiz‚ Laura Pohl‚ Sandra Proudman‚ NoNieqa Ramos‚ Monica Sanz‚ Eric Smith‚ Ari Tison‚ Alexandra Villasante.   Gods &; Monsters Beasts of War by Ayana Gray (Beasts of Prey #3) Nancy Paulsen Books; January 16‚ 2024 Koffi may be free from Fedu‚ the god of death‚ but Fedu is not through with her. He plans to kill her during a rare celestial event known as the Bonding; however‚ if Koffi can get to the Kusonga Plains first‚ she’ll survive. She enlists the help of Ekon and other gods in her escape. The fate of the world rests on what comes next.   So Let Them Burn by Kamilah Cole (The Divine Traitors #1) Little‚ Brown Books for Young Readers; January 16‚ 2024 Faron is the human host for the gods of the island of San Irie. With her powers‚ she freed her people from the colonizers of the Langley Empire. With no wars left to fight‚ Faron is born and itching for trouble. Her older sister Elara forms an unbreakable bond with one of the imperial dragons‚ forcing Faron to choose between the stability of her nation and the life of her sister.   The Eternal Ones by Namina Forna (Deathless #3) Delacorte Press; February 13‚ 2024 Sixteen-year-old Deka has been through a lot the past year. She began the series conscripted into an army of alaki‚ immortal-like beings of great power. Now she knows the truth about her powers‚ and she’ll use it to stop the gods who are stripping everything from the land of Otera. Her quest takes her to faraway realms that will once again change everything she thought she understood.   Alex Brown is a Hugo-nominated and Ignyte award-winning critic who writes about speculative fiction‚ librarianship‚ and Black history. Find them on twitter (@QueenOfRats)‚ bluesky (@bookjockeyalex)‚ instagram (@bookjockeyalex)‚ and their blog (bookjockeyalex.com).

Filmmaker Pablo Berger has created an animated film adaptation of Sara Varon’s graphic novel Robot Dreams. According to the buzz from the festival circuit‚ it’s one of the best movies of the year and currently boasts a 100 percent critics score on Rotten Tomatoes. The film has yet to screen for the general public in the U.S.‚ but we’re now being treated to a trailer to give us a tease of what the movie is like. The trailer introduces us to Dog‚ a dog who orders a humanoid robot who becomes his dear friend. We see their budding relationship in the trailer above‚ but apparently‚ there is a moment in the story where the two become separated. Here’s the official synopsis: Dog lives in Manhattan and he’s tired of being alone. One day he decides to build himself a robot‚ a companion. Their friendship blossoms‚ until they become inseparable‚ to the rhythm of 80’s NYC. One summer night‚ Dog‚ with great sadness‚ is forced to abandon Robot at the beach. Will they ever meet again? According to the blurb for Varon’s graphic novel‚ Robot remains rusting on the beach while Dog tries to go back to his life sans his metal friend. Dog just can’t quit Robot‚ apparently‚ and‚ as the blurb opines‚ “the dog tries to fill the emotional void left by the loss of his closest friend‚ making and losing a series of friends‚ from a melting snowman to epicurean anteaters. But for the robot‚ lying rusting on the beach‚ the only relief from loneliness is in dreams.” Uh oh‚ there’s something in my eye! I haven’t seen Berger’s film (yet) or read Varon’s graphic novel (yet) but it sounds like both are well worth watching/reading. We don’t have an official date yet as to when Neon‚ who picked up distribution for Robot Dreams‚ will start screening it in theaters. Here’s to hoping‚ however‚ that we can watch it sooner rather than later. In the meantime‚ Neon also released this poster for the film today‚ for our viewing pleasure. Note that it includes a quote from Guillermo del Toro‚ who calls the film “beautiful‚ unexpected‚ and tender.”

A queer‚ gender-flipped take on Conan The Barbarian from French filmmaker Bertrand Mandico is heading to the United States‚ and the trailer gives us a glimpse of what the film entails. Mandico’s movie‚ titled She Is Conann‚ is shot on 35MM film and‚ as the trailer teases‚ reveals that different reincarnations of Conann travel through time and confront one another‚ with associated tragedy‚ love‚ and weirdness occurring as they do so in a quest to understand their place outside of time‚ space‚ and meaning. Gird yourself for the synopsis: In a barbaric fantasy sci-fi trip through time‚ sword-and-sorcery mythology is bent‚ fractured‚ and gender-swapped by master visionary Bertrand Mandico in his third feature epic. Six lives‚ six eras‚ and six deaths mark Conann’s poetic journey through different incarnations and lesbian loves. Guiding Conann through her many epic lives is Elina Löwensohn (Amateur‚ Let the Corpses Tan) as Rainer‚ a Cerberus of many otherworldly dimensions whose paparazzi camera sees all. Mandico was reportedly inspired by films such as The Wild Boys‚ After Blue (Dirty Paradise)‚ Fellini Satyricon‚ The Night Porter‚ The Hunger‚ as well as—according to the marketing material—“Fassbinder’s entire oeuvre.” The movie stars Claire Duburcq (1917‚ After Blue)‚ Christa Théret (Renoir)‚ Sandra Parfait (Lupin)‚ Agata Buzek (After Blue) Nathalie Richard (After Love) and Françoise Brion (L’Immortelle) as the many faces of Conann. Julia Riedler and Elina Löwensohn also star. She Is Conann will play in theaters in New York‚ Los Angeles‚ Chicago‚ San Francisco‚ and Denver starting on February 2‚ 2024. Here’s a poster of the movie to mull over in the meantime:

Saevus Corax is the sort of man who doesn’t like to be the center of attention‚ because being the center of attention invariably means that someone is trying to kill him. He seeks no glory in the wars that constantly pop up across his benighted continent; he waits until the battles are done‚ then he and his salvage crew tidy up the field: burning or burying bodies‚ retrieving uniforms and weapons‚ removing rings from fingers and earrings from ears‚ prying shoes from horses and arrows from people. Any wounded found in the wreckage are nursed back to health; needless to say‚ Saevus‚ who does not run a charity‚ charges their government for this service. Unfortunately for Saevus Corax‚ he is the protagonist of a K.J. Parker trilogy‚ and so he never can labor in his desired obscurity. [Some spoilers ahead for the first book in the series.] In the first volume‚ Saevus Corax Deals with the Dead‚ Corax somehow managed to save his skin‚ nearly bankrupt his vindictive family‚ and prevent a devastating war‚ though his efforts cost him a good friend and a great deal of treasure. So the man we meet at the beginning of the second novel‚ Saevus Corax Captures the Castle‚ is relatively content. He’s safe‚ he’s successful‚ and the weight of the world is off his moment. As in the first volume‚ Corax narrates the tale with what he calls his “usual hard-glazed charm and meretricious flippancy.” Buy it Now One night‚ while returning from a disappointing salvage expedition with his company‚ Corax awakes to chaos in his camp. Mysterious attackers have snuck in and kidnapped several of his deputies. As Corax learns the morning after‚ this assault was coordinated by his mother-in-law‚ Praeclara‚ a leader in a mysterious and fanatical organization. Praeclara’s ultimate goals may be mysterious‚ but there’s no doubt of her ruthlessness. As Corax puts it‚ “I feel about her the way most people feel about death.” Praeclara is an idealist‚ and few things perturb Corax more: I don’t happen to believe in Evil with a capital E. I think there are nice people and nasty people‚ people who think nice thoughts and people who think nasty ones; and generally speaking‚ the bad stuff in this world is much more likely to emanate from the nice people with nice thoughts. Such as: well‚ liberty‚ equality and fraternity‚ for a start. Those concepts have started more wars and killed more human beings than dear old greed and selfishness could possibly ever aspire to. Show me a genuinely serious war‚ not just a border dispute or a scrap about trade but a million-killing‚ city-burning‚ depopulating‚ starvation-inducing nightmare‚ and I bet you ten staurata I can show you the idealist who started it. Since there’s been no prior mention of Corax’s wife‚ much less of his mother-in-law‚ this development comes as a surprise‚ though we soon learn why the salvager doesn’t like to talk about the family he married into. In any case‚ if Corax doesn’t capture a small and poorly defended castle for his loathed in-law‚ his friends will die. To further complicate matters‚ the castle’s garrison is under the command of Stauracia‚ the con artist Corax probably loves‚ if only he would admit it. Given the novel’s title and that Parker’s last three novels constituted “the Siege Trilogy‚” you might expect that Captures the Castle would be a sort of medieval heist novel‚ with Corax as the master thief and the castle as the casino’s bank vault. In fact‚ the castle falls fairly quickly‚ but Corax’s problems don’t vanish; they compound. First‚ there’s the question of why this castle was so valuable‚ given its lack of apparent treasure and negligible strategic importance. Second‚ when Praeclara returns to further torment her son-in-law‚ she gives him a piece of information that sends him on an almost certainly lethal private quest into the lands of the mysterious Hetsuan people. The Hetsuan are an isolationist and xenophobic people; they maintain their independence with a reputation for mercilessness and a penchant for ritual cannibalism. An intruder’s life is measured in hours‚ if not minutes. An insular society of cannibals does‚ of course‚ call up all sorts of unpleasant clichés of bloodthirsty pulp-fiction savages‚ invariably primitive people of color. To my relief but not my surprise‚ Parker upends‚ or updates‚ the old tropes. The Hetsuan’s appearance unnerves Corax: Not only is their skin pale‚ but their eyes are blue. When we meet individual Hetsuans‚ their personal and family names sound suspiciously French. Life as a Hetsuan is good‚ since their nation is wealthy‚ prosperous‚ and democratic. Their arts are accomplished; their crafts are sublime. Because only the criminals and enemies are eaten and because the death sentence is rare in their nation‚ most Hetsuan have never actually consumed flesh; when the opportunity arises‚ they find they’d prefer to stick to their otherwise vegetarian diet. Corax’s eventful sojourn among these people is‚ by his standards‚ relatively peaceful‚ as he only commits one murder on their soil. Saevus Corax Captures the Castle is‚ like its predecessor‚ a darkly comic romp with an antihero just a little more appealing than he should rightfully agree. Like the first book in the series‚ this one can easily stand alone‚ since the main plot is resolved in the course of the adventure and relatively few plot threads are direct carry-overs. While it’s a little less antic than the first book‚ with all its kidnappings‚ naval battles‚ palace intrigue‚ and double-crosses‚ Captures the Castle is just as much fun. When I turned the last page‚ only the fact that I needed to file this review prevented me from diving right into the trilogy’s conclusion‚ Saevus Corax Gets Away with Murder. I can’t wait to see what happens next. Saevus Corax Captures the Castle is published by Orbit. Matt Keeley reads too much and watches too many movies. You can find him on Twitter at @mattkeeley.

With the Heartfelt Holidays album coming to a close very soon in Monopoly GO‚ and the new one beginning‚ the Race to the Top tournament has arrived. The Race to the Top tournament in Monopoly GO started at 1 PM ET on January 4‚ 2024. This tournament’s theme doesn’t reflect any album specifically‚ so it’s a rather neutral one to end this album and herald the new one. Either way‚ there are some decent rewards to be had to kick-start the new album‚ or to hastily finish the current one! All Milestone Rewards for the Race to the Top Tournament in Monopoly GO Here are all the milestone rewards for the Race to the Top tournament in Monopoly GO. These will be earned as you hit each milestone through earning points in the event. Note that cash values can’t be given‚ as they’ll differ from player to player. But you should be used to that by now. These milestone rewards are very typical‚ which is to be expected as we’re st...