Cypher

Morgan Sullivan (Jeremy Northam) is a newly hired employee of DigiCore, a dominating megacorporation competing with rival company Sunway Systems. As an agent, his mission is to attend conventions located around the nation and record the speeches there discreetly. Once he starts his new job, however, things start to spiral out of control. Rita Foster (Lucy Liu), a mysterious woman who seems to show up everywhere, warns Morgan of impending trouble. As he delves deeper and deeper into the secrets of DigiCore and Sunway, Morgan must evade capture and possible death while finding out the truths behind the many mysteries controlling his life.

Cypher is a film by director Vincenzo Natali, also known for filming the sci-fi thriller Cube. The film is set in a futuristic dystopia, and the setting is suitably bleak. Close-up shots and an overall gray color contribute highly to the film's washed-out, machine-like nature. Throughout the film, twists and turns keep the plot going, and you are never sure of what exactly is the truth. The idea of agents, double agents, and triple agents is complicated (perhaps even unnecessarily so), and the breakneck pace never lets up.

The scope of the story is small. The film is primarily driven by the plot, and the ending feels a little too neat to be realistic. Nevertheless, the rest of the movie is engaging enough that the suspension of disbelief required for the end is acceptable. Overall, Cypher is an extraordinarily addicting film, filled with convoluted plot mechanisms that keep coming.

Rating: (8/10) 

Brandon Sanderson: Warbreaker

In the land of Hallandren, men who die noble deaths Return as gods, living within the capital city T'Telir. Life revolves around the magic known as BioChroma, the intrinsic connection between life, color, and sound. Each individual possesses one Breath, which can be given away to others, or used to Awaken objects. The Hallandren gods possess many, many Breaths, and rule over the nation. The gods themselves are ruled by the God King, a supreme being who possesses tens of thousands of Breaths.

Siri and Vivenna are princesses of Idris, the tiny nation north of Hallandren. Betrothed to the God King, in accordance to a twenty-year old treaty between the two nations, Siri, a seventeen-year old frightened girl, journeys to Hallandren, unknowingly followed by her older sister Vivenna, who is determined to save her sister. Meanwhile, Hallandren isn't as unified as Idris believes. Lightson is a Returned god, yet may be the only god who doesn't believe in his own religion. Susebron, the God King, is an aloof and distant figure, and various priests wage political wars of intrigue, creating factions and divisions hidden from neighboring nations. Throughout all this chaos, the mysterious Vasher emerges, pursuing his own agenda.

Warbreaker is the fifth novel by fantasy author Brandon Sanderson, immediately following his acclaimed Mistborn series. Again, Sanderson shows off his talent for crafting a meticulous and detailed magic system. Mistborn had Allomancy - Hallandren has BioChroma. The intricate system of Breath is well thought-out, and poses some ethical questions as well, regarding the connection between Breath and humanity. Despite this, Sanderson avoids the deep moral issues brought up in the beginning of the book, favoring a more focused storyline that focuses on the plot and characters. The book could have taken a different direction, but that would have changed the overall nature of the story.

The characters are a lot tighter than in Sanderson's previous works. He has improved his writing, showing more and telling less. There is also less "witty" dialogue that is not actually witty, although some characters do feel like they are "witty" altogether too often. Nevertheless, the characters are fleshed out, and many supporting characters have a depth to them that is surprising. For example, one character is introduced as a joking, "good" figure, though more is revealed about him later that is surprising. If there is one complaint, it is that the point-of-view characters all feel very reactive. For the better part of the novel, they react to their surroundings, are remain ignorant of the many undercurrents in T'Telir.

The plot is very focused, and provides many twists and turns that are refreshingly hard to guess at. One moment in particular, about midway through the novel, left me stunned at its suddenness. Warbreaker functions very well on its own, and manages to introduce and wrap up nicely in 500 or so pages. The ending is a little short, when compared to the long buildup the rest of the novel is, but the last 100 pages are very action-packed and resolve plot threads satisfactorily. The epilogue is sufficiently vague, hinting at possible sequels to come, but the main story is summed up completely.

Warbreaker is a bit of a unique novel, in that it can be downloaded for free off of Brandon Sanderson's website. A nice touch from the author, for a novel that is quite enjoyable.

Rating: (8/10)

Brandon Sanderson: The Way of Kings

The land of Roshar is fraught with conflict and turmoil. The ancient order of the Knights Radiant, wielders of magical Shardblades and Shardplate and tasked to protect humanity against the Voidbringers, succumbed to corruption and vanished millenia ago. The various kingdoms are now alone on Roshar, a continent where highstorms rage and monarchs fight over the invaluable Shardblades and Shardplates.

Kaladin, once a promising surgeon's apprentice, threw his career away to save his younger brother Tien. A soldier, and now a slave, he has become disillusioned, betrayed and failing to save others again and again. Shallan, the only daughter of a lord of Jah Keved, journeys to distant Kharbranth, determined to become the ward of the renowned scholar Jasnah Kholin. During her studies, she discovers frightening truths about the history of Roshar. Dalinar Kholin is the younger brother of the assassinated Alethi king Gavilar Kholin. While fighting the enemy Parshendi during the Vengeance Pact sworn after his brother's death, he receives strange visions about the Knights Radiant.

The Way of Kings is the first volume in a planned ten-novel series by fantasy author Brandon Sanderson. Following his successful Mistborn series, Sanderson's skills remain tight as ever. The novel is immense (over 1000 pages), and starts off a little slow. Nevertheless, it sucks you in and immerses you entirely in the fictional world of Roshar. The world is constructed masterfully and feels real, albeit alien. The spren spirits, violent highstorms, and various cultures mix to form a detailed world. The powerful prologue establishes a lore and history that hints at future revelations to come. Throughout the novel, characters learn and reference the Knights Radiant, and the history feels very developed and real.

As always, Sanderson is a master at creating logical magical systems. In Roshar, magic seems to revolve around the number ten: Ten Heralds, Ten orders of the Knights Radiant, Ten Silver Kingdoms, Ten essences, to name a few. Although the opening chapter features a lot of magic (Shardblades, Shardplate, Lashings, Stormlight), overt use of magic is sparse throughout the remainder of the novel. The only prevalent magic lies in Shardblades/Shardplate, although both seem natural in the world of Roshar, rather than plot devices.

Sanderson's characterization has vastly improved since his earlier works. Kaladin and Dalinar are deep, developed characters. The interspersed chapters on Kaladin's past reveal a lot about his history and motivations for his actions. Dalinar's position as the king's advisor is particularly noteworthy, as he is the sole champion of honor amidst of a crowd of squabbling nobles. The only character who feels underdeveloped is Shallan - however, her final chapters are very striking, as we finally learn about her motivations.

The scope of the volume is epic. There are many interludes that establish sideplots that don't conclude, hinting at more plotlines to come. The entire novel is one giant buildup, as characters learn more and more about the impending doom. Despite starting slow, the novel gains steadily in pace, ending with a very frantic climax. The final chapter ends spectacularly, setting up an explosive momentum for the sequel.

The Way of Kings is an epic novel, ambitious yet successful at the same time. It delivers on all levels, and does not drag or postpone too much for the later novels. Author Brandon Sanderson has begun a work that may become one of the best fantasy series of the decade.

Rating: (9.5/10)

Cargo

Cargo is a Swiss film, directed by Ivan Engler. Set in a dystopian future where Earth is uninhabitable, humans have relocated to giant space stations in orbit around Earth. The majority of humanity lives in squalor, while the Kuiper Corporation, which controls shipping and colonization, effectively controls everything. Humanity's only hope is Rhea, a planet like Earth, reserved for the few who have earned tickets to paradise.

Laura Portmann is a doctor, working on a sleeper cargo ship to earn her fare to Rhea, where she can finally reunite with her sister's family. The crew on the ship works in 4-month shifts, sleeping cryogenically in the meantime. Towards the end of her shift, Laura notices something strange about the cargo hold. She investigates, and things start going awry. Together with the rest of the crew and the supervising marshal, they try to figure out what's going on.

The mood and atmosphere is fantastic. The dystopian setting feels genuine, and life off Earth seems very bleak. The film starts off slowly, but the intensity steadily rises until we receive shocking revelations towards the climax. The supporting characters and crewpeople do seem a little flat, and don't receive much screen time. Several plot threads towards the end also feel a bit contrived, and the ending is slightly rushed. The story remains captivating, however, even though the movie succeeds a lot better when it focuses on the smaller aspects, and starts to fray when it delves into bigger ideas. Overall, Cargo is an entertaining, thoughtful sci-fi movie that is worth watching.

Rating: (7/10)

Guy Gavriel Kay: Under Heaven

Under Heaven is the latest novel by author Guy Gavriel Kay. Kay writes fantasy-historical fiction - that is, he incorporates light elements of fantasy into a fictional world that closely resembles a period of history. In this case, the setting is the 8th Century Tang Dynasty in China; his world is named Kitai. Many of his characters are modeled after actual people during the time: for example, Emperor Taizu's real-life counterpart is Emperor Xuanzong, and his consort Wen Jian is modeled after Xuanzong's consort Yang Yuhuan.

The novel begins with Shen Tai, the second son of recently deceased general Shen Gao. Tai spends his two official years of mourning burying dead soldiers in the famous battleground of Kuala Nor, in which the Kitans defeated their Taguran neighbors and started twenty years of peace. When his mourning is almost over, he receives a gift from the Taguran princess - 250 Sardian horses.

You give a man four or five Sardian horses to exalt him, propel him towards rank, and earn him (possibly mortal) jealousy. Two hundred fifty is an unthinkable gift, overwhelming for an emperor. Tai finds himself drawn quickly into Kitan politics, immersed in a web of intrigue and outmaneuvering that threatens to plunge the empire into chaos.

The worldbuilding in this novel is outstanding. Told from the perspectives of multiple characters, you feel like you are actually journeying in this China-esque world of Kitai, from the steppes of the Bogü tribes to the sprawling urban mess of Xinan. The plot is very grand and sweeping, despite the very personal perspectives we are given. Although most of the story is seen through Tai's eyes, hints of a much larger system of events are easily found, and the intrigue and politics are complex and realistic. The story starts off slow, but establishes a framework that draws the reader in more and more, until events become frantic and reach a climax.

As always, Kay's greatest strength lies in his characters. The protagonist, Tai, is very well constructed, and the supporting characters are all deep and three-dimensional. Characters like the Kanlin warrior Wei Song, Tai's sister Li-Mei, and the Prime Minister Wen Zhou are all portrayed in depth, even if they are not given much screen time. Even minor characters play a large role, and the tragic deaths of relatively unimportant characters still strike chords within the reader. Towards the climax, we understand each character's internal motivations and personalities deeply, which make the ultimate result carry all the more emotional force. The ending, although short, wraps everything up nicely, and provides a satisfying conclusion for all the characters.


Under Heaven is one of those novels that you can just keep on reading, regardless of length. Weighing in at over 500 pages, I nevertheless finished the book wanting 500 more. The story Kay tells is exquisitely fascinating and resounding, a work of fantasy and historical fiction that nevertheless feels real. Besides it intricate structure, its characters are perhaps its strongest point - the reader grows to empathize for them greatly. Everything is so well-drawn and fleshed out, and nothing feels off or lacking. Simply put, a superb, one-of-a-kind novel.

Rating (10/10)

Jonathan Stroud: The Ring of Solomon

Bartimaeus is back, only this time we follow his adventures in antiquity, rather than in modern England. Solomon is the King of Israel, and possesses a mighty Ring that can summon thousands of spirits from the Other World at a single touch. As he gains power, he commands mighty magicians, who happen to summon Bartimaeus to achieve their goals.

Asmira is a hereditary Guard to Balkis, Queen of Sheba. As Solomon's empire expands, smaller nations like Sheba are threatened. As a last-ditch effort to preserve the nation, Balkis sends Asmira to Jerusalem on a dangerous quest to save her land.

The Ring of Solomon is the sequel to the popular Bartimaeus Trilogy by British author Jonathan Stroud. As before, the djinn Bartimaeus is the main character in the novel, and the highlight of the story. The footnotes, comprising Bartimaeus' sarcastic, cheeky commentary are interspersed throughout his narrative arc, and remain as refreshing as ever.

That's not to say that this is a derivative copy of the original series. Despite being set in ancient Israel, rather than in London, Stroud's worldbuilding remains as convincing as ever. His depictions of Jerusalem, if it were ruled by magicians wielding powerful spirits from the Other World, is thought-provoking and highly interesting. The Ring is essentially a nuclear weapon, and just as powerful - the alternate timeline portrayed through the use of the Ring remains an engaging depiction of what could have happened.

The characters are new too, and just as multi-dimensional as those in the original. Although Nathaniel, Kitty, and the others are gone, new characters enter the fray: Asmira, Khaba, and Solomon, to name a few. On the spirits' side, Bartimaeus and Faquarl carry over from before, with a plethora of new spirits that are just as complex as their human counterparts. As before, Stroud utilizes a POV method of storytelling, shifting primarily between Bartimaeus and Asmira's perspectives.

A primary strength of the Bartimaeus Trilogy was the tight and focused plotting, combined with a breakneck pace that left the reader wanting more. The Ring of Solomon continues this tradition, combining exhilarating action scenes with unforeseen plot twists that never start to get boring or repetitive. The novel does lack the powerful climactic scenes of the Bartimaeus Trilogy, although that is to be expected, since it is (as of now) a standalone novel.

The Ring of Solomon is an excellent addition to Stroud's ongoing Bartimaeus novels. The characters are as layered as ever, and the worldbuilding and plot remain convincing and engaging. As a young adult novel, it succeeds very well, constructing a alternative timeline revolving around fantasy elements that draw the reader in with its meticulously detailed magic system and imaginative ideas.

Rating: (8.5/10)

Gerald Morris: The Savage Damsel and the Dwarf

Lynet is the younger sister to Lyonesse, the heiress of the Castle Perle. Unfortunately for them, the evil Knight of the Red Lands is determined to win the fair Lyonesse's hand in marriage, and has laid siege to them. Lynet, determined to right wrongs, sneaks out in hopes of reaching Camelot and convincing one of the famous Knights of the Round Table to defeat the Knight of the Red Lands. Along the way she meets the dwarf Roger, the kitchen knave Beaumains, and many other characters, and finds out that many things are not as they seem.

The Savage Damsel and the Dwarf is the third book in Gerald Morris's Arthurian series, and is the first novel to feature a different protagonist. The story is modeled after Sir Gareth's tale in Le Morte d'Arthur - although as the author himself points out, the original source material is very sparse, arbitrary, and lacking in details. Morris invents his own material in many spots to great success, and the characters are handled very deftly. Lyonesse is portrayed as a selfish, haughty princess, and the not-so-glamorous realities of shining knights and courtly love are amusingly pointed out by Roger's sharp wit. The overwhelming tendency of knights to hide their names and the fact that a simple beard can hide one's true identity features prominently throughout the whole novel, often to a ridiculous extent. It seems as if no one in England is smart enough to pierce a simple disguise - but this irrationality itself points fun at the often absurd Le Morte d'Arthur.

Although the world is not entirely believable, the novels are meant to be whimsical and fantastical. From faery enchantresses to magical potions, the England in this novel is mysterious and filled with adventures. Although quests and magic abound with seeming nonsense, the characters are the focus, and they are completely believable. The powerful characters like King Arthur and Sir Gawain take a side role, as Lynet, Roger, and Beaumains are the real protagonists of the story. They contrast quite well with each other, with Beaumain's courtly mannerisms a perfect foil to Roger's pragmatic wit.

As ever, Morris continues his snappy dialogue, and several moments actually induce physical laughter. One specific scene involving a duel, a fish, and various musings upon the conjugation of the past tense of "cleave" is rendered quite spectacularly and merits special notice. Though lighthearted as ever, the quest form of the novel never feels old and is a joy to read.

The Savage Damsel and the Dwarf is a excellent addition to an addicting series. Although it features a different protagonist, the reader can identify with Lynet just as easily as with Terence. These novels offer a vivid spin on the established work of Malory, creating a new tale of King Arthur that is just as captivating as the original.

Rating: (7/10)