The first is the yet-to-be-released, limited edition of Tad Williams‘ A Stark and Wormy Knight, courtesy of Pat’s Fantasy Hotlist. The book is a collection of short stories and novellas all written by Tad Williams. I’m not sure when the deadline is, so if you’re interested, I suggest you hurry. Click here for the link to the contest.

The next giveaway is two copies of Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore, compliments of Fantasy Book Critic. Bitterblue is a companion book to her NY Times bestsellers, Graceling and Fire. Here’s the link. The contest ends May 19, 2012.

Good luck!

Disclosure of Material Connection: At times, some of the links in my posts are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Michael Whelan cover art for "A Memory of Light"

You can find a pic of the final book cover here: A Memory of Light book cover

You can find Michael Whelan’s web site here: http://www.glassonion.com/

Disclosure of Material Connection: At times, some of the links in my posts are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

(I’d love to give proper credit for this picture, if only I knew who to credit.
If you do, please let me know.)

Of course, we could say Happy Avengers Day. One would think that’s the case with all the hoopla surrounding the new Avengers movie coming out in theaters today. But Avengers Day is actually May 19 so we’ll leave that for another day.

Now, on with my favorite links from this week.

• If you know Star Wars, you probably know Firefly. But did you know that one particular enterprising person has started work on a Firefly Lego playset? Check it out. Serenity makes a great Lego ship.
• Giveaway: Calling all lovers of YA sci-fi and fantasy! Tor Forge is giving away four prize packs, each containing 13 YA SFF novels and worth more than $160! Deadline is June 8, 2012.
• You know someone is a Batman fan when they sport a Bat-stache. To make your own Bat-stache, click here to see the man who sculpted his facial hair to look like the Batman logo.
• Do you love stained glass? How about video game-inspired stained glass? DeviantART user Veggie-San creates stained glass art depicting amazing motifs like Halo Legendary Shields. You can order your own from the artist here. (Other patterns are also available, including more traditional patterns like crosses.)
• Have you heard the latest news about the new Hobbit movie? It seems not everyone is excited about what they’ve seen so far, but Director Peter Jackson is defending his work, stating that filming at a faster rate of 48-frames-per-second yields a very different look. To his credit, that should be great for the 3-D format the movie is being created for. Here’s the whole story.
• Are you a Diablo video game fan? Here’s a link to the new 30-second TV trailer for Diablo III, set for release May 15.
• Giveaway: Tor is giving away on Goodreads 10 copies of the YA fantasy Dark Companion by Marta Acosta. Deadline is June 8, 2012.
• I love SFF art! Here’s a picture some say is like a cross between Norman Rockwell and the Transformers — not a bad description, I say.
• What would you say if you saw Link at your favorite coffee shop? Well, since that’s unlikely, how about a chalk drawing of the Legend of Zelda hero by talented artist and barista Sara Jahn?

And now for the pièce de résistance. In honor of Star Wars day, here is The Jedi Hunter in all of its geeky goodness. This fun 8-minute video won the 2003 Audience Choice Award in the 2003 Official Star Wars Fan Film Awards and is one of TIME magazine’s Top 10 Star Wars Fanfilms. Just think “a mash-up of Star Wars and The Crocodile Hunter” and you’ll pretty much get the idea. Click below and follow the now-Australian Boba Fett as he hunts down the deadly Jedi.

Click here to view the embedded video.

That’s it for today. Have a great weekend and May the Fourth be with You!

Disclosure of Material Connection: At times, some of the links in my posts are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Black Sun Rising cover art by the amazing Michael Whelan. Click the picture for more.

I first heard of Black Sun Rising when I heard a well-known author say that the book was a well-crafted fantasy. At that point, of course, I just had to see for myself.

My first thoughts upon starting the book did indeed focus on how well it was written. The prose was beautiful, backstory salted in oh so carefully and the characters had depth that went far beyond the printed page. The author (C.S. Friedman) has definitely worked hard to build Erna — a complicated world with a storied past, a world that was colonized hundreds of years before by humans from Earth. However, somewhere along the line, catastrophe struck and the colonists lost all their advanced technology, plunging them back into a more medieval-type of society.

Enter the characters:

Damien Vryce: A rebel, a warrior, a priest who is (as the cover jacket states) “one of the few men of his calling who believes that sorcery can, indeed, serve as a potent weapon in the war against evil…”

Ciani of Faraday: An adept, one of the few humans born with the ability to see the native fae (forces of nature native to Erna) and alter it to her will. However, a deadly evil from her mysterious past haunts her, leaving her no choice but to track down the demons who have robbed her of her memories.

Senzei Reese: Ciani’s assistant and friend, who has lived in the shadow of her power for years, always hungering to taste, to hold the power she controls.

Gerald Tarrant: A mysterious and elegant yet deadly sorcerer who draws sustenance from the dark powers of Erna. And yet, the mission these four set out on has little chance of success without his abhorrent power.

Overall, I did indeed find Black Sun Rising to be written very well. My only hesitation comes from finding that as I read, I occasionally felt I had just missed some important detail and had to back up a few paragraphs to see what it was. Nonetheless, the author’s world-building was admirably extensive and the characters well developed.

In terms of ranking, I give Black Sun Rising 4 stars because of the quality of writing. As for my personal preference, I probably won’t read books 2 and 3 of The Coldfire Trilogy, but — I stress here — that is simply because the book is a little darker and grittier than I prefer. If that is your style, you might want to check out this trilogy. The skill with which it is written warrants a look-see.

Black Sun Rising was first released in October 1991 by DAW Books. For more info, here are links to Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

You can find the author, C.S. Friedman, at http://www.csfriedman.com/.

Disclosure of Material Connection: At times, some of the links in my posts are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

The Dark Knight Rises, in theaters July 20 (click pic to see trailer)

Time for my weekly wrap up of my favorite links found this week.

• Giveaway: I’m going to start by spreading a little love to author Greg Mitchell, who was interviewed this week over at Christian Bookshelf Reviews, along with a review of Enemies of the Cross, Book 2 in his Christian horror The Coming Evil trilogy. Check out the interview and enter to win a copy of the book here. Deadline is May 7, 2012.
• Are you looking forward to the Summer movie season? io9 has put together a list of 33 sci-fi and fantasy movies to look forward to. Which one is at the top of your list? (Click on the picture above of Batman to see the official trailer for The Dark Knight Rises.)
• Who wouldn’t want to personalize a superhero to look like themselves? At this link, you can buy everything you need to make these action Marvel superhero figures look like you.
• Will the folks over at MIT never cease to amaze me? It seems some hacker over there turned an entire building into a playable game of Tetris. Follow the link for a write-up and 3-minute video.
• How about a solid hardwood coffee table that functions as a workable Nintendo NES controller? It will only set you back $3,500.
• Giveaway: Tor is giving away 10 copies of Earthseed, a YA sci-fi novel by Pamela Sargent. Deadline is May 25, 2012.
• Here’s something for you die-hard geeks: hand-painted Zelda and Link earphones. Those would be sure to start a conversation!
• While we’re talking geek accessories, how about a Luke Skywalker lightsaber lamp?It comes complete with a black laser-cut shade. If you prefer, there is a Darth Vader lamp instead.
• Giveaway: Every month until the January 8, 2012 release of A Memory of Light (the final volume in The Wheel of Time series, the last three volumes of which are written by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson), Tor will be giving offering the chance to win a copy of The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan. Here’s a link to the current giveaway of 10 copies, which ends May 25, 2012.
• Are you looking forward to the release of the Avengers movie on May 4? If you’re not sure whether you want to see it, here’s a link to the official trailer. Maybe that will help you decide.
• Geek news: James Cameron and Google have teamed up in a space venture to mine asteroids. Some targets will be gold, platinum and water.

Do you like Game of Thrones? Guitarist Eric Calderone posted his rendition of “Games of Thrones Meets Metal” a few weeks ago. Very nicely done. Check it out below:

Click here to view the embedded video.

That should about do it for this week. Did I miss your favorite? If you have any good ones to add to the list, post a link for us in the comments, okay?

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Disclosure of Material Connection: At times, some of the links in my posts are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Unfinished AMoL cover by Darrell Sweet

Are any of you eagerly awaiting the final book in the Wheel of Time series? The fourteenth (and final) book in this series conceived of and largely written by Robert Jordan is entitled A Memory of Light (referred to fans as AMoL) and is set for release by Tor in January 2013. (Due to Jordan’s tragic and untimely death, Brandon Sanderson is writing the final three books, as outlined and partially written by Jordan before his death.)

While next January still seems like a long time away, Tor has released a couple of teasers. Above you can see the still unfinished cover art. The artwork remains unfinished because Darrell K. Sweet, the artist who illustrated all the previous Wheel of Time book covers passed away before it could be completed. The painting will now be finished by the incredible artist Michael Whelan. (For more details regarding the AMoL cover, visit this link to Dragonmount.com.)

Tor has also released an excerpt of the Prologue for those of us who are chaffing at the bit. I feel it my civic duty, an opportunity my responsibility to pass that on to you. After all, that’s why I’m here, right? (grin)

If you’d like to get a taste of this much anticipated book, follow this link to get a preview into the life of an Andorian soldier preparing for the end of the world:

Excerpt of A Memory of Light (Book 14 in The Wheel of Time) by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson

What do you think of the excerpt and cover art? I’d love to hear your thoughts. Leave me a comment and let’s talk about it, ok?

Disclosure of Material Connection: At times, some of the links in my posts are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

You see, Tor, Forge, Orb, Starscape, and Tor Teen (all imprints of Tom Doherty Associates) will make its entire list of e-books DRM-free by July 2012. In case you’re not sure what that means, soon you’ll be able to purchase any of Tor/Forge’s e-books and put those books on one or more e-readers or your choice without having to buy additional copies for each e-reader.

To quote president and publisher Tom Doherty, “Our authors and readers have been asking for this for a long time. They’re a technically sophisticated bunch, and DRM is a constant annoyance to them. It prevents them from using legitimately purchased e-books in perfectly legal ways, like moving them from one kind of e-reader to another.”

Soon you’ll be able to purchase your titles free of digital rights management (DRM) from the same retailers as usual, plus the publisher also has plans in place to start selling titles through retailers that sell only DRM-free books.

Thank you, Tor for being responsive to the needs and wants of your readers.

Disclosure of Material Connection: At times, some of the links in my posts are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

• Giveaway: Tor is giving away 10 copies of David Brin‘s new sci-fi Existence on Goodreads. Deadline is May 4, 2012.
• How about a little Star Trek cosplay? Someone put a lot of effort into creating this Star Trek Borg Cube costume.
• These have to be the coolest school lockers anywhere. What do you take when you paint two neighboring lockers blue? Why a Tardis, of course.
• Freebie: Anne Elisabeth Stengl has written a charming fairytale series called Tales of Goldstone Wood. And now the ebook of Heartless, Book 1, is free for a limited time. Here’s a Barnes & Noble/Nook link and here’s one for Amazon/Kindle. (If you want more info, I reviewed Heartless here. Also, here’s an interview with the author.)
• Are you a Lego fan and an Avengers fan. It just so happens that Lego has just released little Marvel Superheroes. (Come on, you know you want at least a peek.)
• Maybe Halo is more your style. Microsoft and 343 Industries has just announced that Halo 4 is coming and will be available for Xbox 360 on November 6, 2012. The Master Chief returns for the beginning of a new saga!
• Looking for something new to read? The fine folks over at FantasyGazette.net have posted a list of new books hitting the shelves this week.
• Freebie for Nook: Here’s a book I loved: Havah by Tosca Lee. This elegantly written Biblical fiction is free for Nook for a limited time. (Sorry, Kindle owners–no freebie this time.)
• Scalzi Collection Sweepstakes! Tor is giving away a prize pack of 10 novels by John Scalzi — the retail value of these is $551. Deadline is May 5, 2012. They are also giving away 10 copies of Scalzi’s sci-fi novel Redshirts. Deadline is May 4.
• Giveaway: This one’s a biggie too. Tor is having a Memory of Light backpack sweepstakes. Fifteen winners will get a Memory of Light backpack, filled with the first books in four series: Mistborn: The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson, Lamentation by Ken Scholes, Imager by L.E. Modesitt, Jr., and Gardens of the Moon by Steven Erikson. Here’s the link. The deadline is April 23, 2012.
• Giveaway: Author Victoria Strauss is giving away trade paperback copies of her fantasy novels The Arm of the Stone and The Garden of the Stone to two lucky winners. You can find details on the bottom portion of the post at this link. Hurry — the deadline is April 22, 2012.

I think that should do it for today. Have a great weekend everybody!

Disclosure of Material Connection: At times, some of the links in my posts are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Starting today (April 19, 2012), BioWare is offering a free trial weekend, which extends until Monday, April 23 at 2:00 a.m. (CDT). If you’d like to check it out, click on the picture below for lots more details.

(http://www.swtor.com/info/news/news-article/20120417-1)

Disclosure of Material Connection: At times, some of the links in my posts are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Students out at the University of Advancing Technology in Tempe, Arizona have been working on a fan film that is a prequel to the Mass Effect game series. Here’s the plot outline as found on the Red Sand Facebook page:

Serving as a prequel to the MASS EFFECT game series, “Red Sand” is set 35 years before the time of Commander Shepard and tells the story of the discovery of ancient ruins on Mars. Left behind by the mysterious alien race known as the Protheans, the ruins are a treasure trove of advanced technology and the powerful Element Zero, an energy source beyond humanity’s wildest dreams. As the Alliance research team led by Dr. Averroes (Ayman Samman) seeks to unlock the secrets of the ruins, a band of marauders living in the deserts of Mars wants the ruins for themselves. Addicted to refined Element Zero in the form of a narcotic nicknamed “Red Sand” which gives them telekinetic “biotic” powers, these desert-dwelling terrorists will stop at nothing to control the ruins and the rich vein of Element Zero at its core. Standing between them and their goal are Colonel Jon Grisson (Mark Meer), Colonel Lily Sandhurst (Amy Searcy), and a team of Alliance soldiers tasked with defending the ruins at all costs. At stake — the future of humanity’s exploration of the galaxy, and the set up for the MASS EFFECT storyline loved by millions of gamers worldwide.

All I know is that if this trailer is any indication of what the final product will be, we’re in for a real treat once it’s finished. What do you think?

Click here to view the embedded video.

Note: The UAT Digital Video blog can be found at: http://uatdigitalvideo.blogspot.com/

Disclosure of Material Connection: At times, some of the links in my posts are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”