Review: Working-Class Superheroes by Chad Descoteaux

Note: this review is of the audiobook version

If you read my stories and my tweets, you may get the sense that I enjoy superhero stories. That is true. When I saw a promo for this audiobook, I immediately took action and I'm happy with that. I enjoyed this book as I listened at night before sleep. That enjoyment is how I rate and so my rating is 4 out of 5. Please keep in mind that is my rating as you may otherwise think differently based upon my analysis.

This book is a hard one for me to review. While I enjoyed it, it's hard to describe why. The first reason is the lack of identity this book has due to two parts.

One, there are many stories that parody or play on the DC heroes, even from DC and Amazon. I have not consumed any of those stories besides the Flashpoint animated movie so I am not bored of that subject. However, I could expect others who have may not care for another one.

Second, the references and allusions to the DC heroes are constant that if you know the DC universe, it's hard to ignore. That being said, that's part of the fun of the story. There's even a reference of the potential romance of Batman and Wonder Woman from the Justice League cartoons. In addition, I'd posit the epilogue shows great potential for carving an identity and that makes me excited for a sequel.

There are a few choices the author made that I like. One is to name the chapters issues. It's cosmetic but I liked it. Another thing was the shift from Kryptonite to Uranium. While it doesn't fix all of the issues I have with Kryptonite, it's a nice usage of real-world. Of course, it's also a setup for some jokes that become more obvious when listening to the audiobook. If I was reading, I might have missed it.

The performance is actually another reason why we are constantly reminded about the DC universe. The reader emulates the voices of famous performances. It's actually pretty good for a few. It did take me a while to get into the performance, but I don't know if it's due to my lack of experience with audiobooks, the actual performance, or the text. I believe though that it was solid after that.

For the plot, while it's not original to see how our would be if Superman was corrupt, I was impressed by how the plot worked overall, even if there were a few scenes that did not make sense to me. In terms of execution, I would say it counts as original enough, especially with the couple of Marvel influences that were thrown in. Again, I enjoyed it.

In terms of characters, they are certainly reasonable takes on people who bear their respective powers. My main dislike is Zeke as Wombat since he goes a bit overboard on his fight on crime, but until then I enjoyed his sections. The Flash-equivalent may not be the most loveable take, but at least he gets better towards the end. And his unknowing relationship with Zeke can be interesting material for a sequel.

There is action, as you may expect in a comic-inspired book, but I felt more compelled by the other scenes such as the infiltration, poker night, etc. There were a few cases where I felt like I missed something critical in the action sequences but due to the format of the audiobook, felt less compelled to backtrack.

So to whom would I recommend this to? That is tough to say. My guess would be people who don't mind a light-heart take on the DC heroes. I don't think the book takes itself too seriously so those who are able to hold that mindset and like superhero stories would enjoy this. Now, if you would excuse me, I need to get to the sequel.


Author: Chad Descoteaux

Amazon link

Book Review: The Pale Rose

Cozy mysteries are a comfort for me. One that I use to practice my Japanese is Detective Conan, which follows a similar premise of a character whom no one expects to be the real detective. What I like about the Pale Rose is that it's an already married couple and the "detective" is decently competent.

Okay, there are exceptions to that claim, similar to many mystery shows. When the real brain appears, everyone else acts less competent. It happens here too but it's okay as there is at least one occasion where he makes up for it.

The married couple dynamic is nice and surprisingly refreshing. There is simple married life banter with no romance to distract from the mystery. That is good because all the clues needed to solve the case are given to the reader. Don't worry about this being an indie title. I only found one sentence that "agitated" me and it was unrelated to the clues. As for me, I didn't solve it despite picking up on the clues but the explanation ties all loose ends and provides that satisfying perspective change.

I enjoyed the story and look forward to reading more. Though one thing I would like to see is if the detective pair can reach the level where they don't have to lie to solve the case.

Check it out on Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1475167237 

Book Review: Sapphire Eruption

As part of Indie April, I had picked up the Sapphire Eruption. The cover was really alluring and the premise interesting. So how is it? Here is my review

As of the time of writing, my rating would be 7 out of 10. If the issues I raise get resolved, then it can easily be an 8 or 9. I did enjoy reading it after getting past a few of early tropes. And I look forward to learning what happens next.

To start off, is this the next Avatar: the Last Airbender? I think having that comparison would only serve to disappoint. This story is good on its own and that is good enough for me.

For me, the story doesn't start until about chapter 7, after we get over a few tropes, retreading, and meeting the first companion. However, past that it's full speed ahead for multiple ships.

The many characters are fully realized and have their own motives, personalities, and story. The book is long, but packed with these parallel character-driven threads. This makes the world feel deep and complex and is great. At the same time, it's also one of the areas that requires extra work from the reader to mine the gem of the story.

There are at least 11 point-of-views we hop around in the story. Sometimes this head-hopping happens mid-paragraph, but it also happens mid-sentence. It’s not tied to point of views too. Sometimes the general subject changes with no warning, resulting in having to re-read the same paragraph to sort things out.

While most point-of-views are isolated in chapters with a maximum of maybe 3, the structuring can shift to a parallel thread right at the climax of another arc and with so many stories going on, I didn’t know when I could expect to finish the arc. At least once I learned the chapter I was reading was unrelated to the previous chapter after almost finishing it.

There are other areas that could use some polishing. In addition to grammar mistakes and typos, there is also a bit of repetition of information. Sometimes this occurs with adjacent paragraphs. The times where it occurs in separate chapters is more forgivable as it serves as a reminder, which might be nice if you read the book only a few chapters at a time, which is my recommendation.

In terms of objectionable content, there was one f-bomb which disappointed me because the author did such a great job avoiding it in the rest of the book. Curses that we see were built from the world. Other times we are simply told the person is cursing and it’s fine. The other piece that really sits in my mind is how the one woman who is described as ugly is disrespected and used for “laughs”. While it’s realistic and treated fairly minor, it still left a bad taste for me, perhaps mostly because there is only one woman called out as unattractive.

Putting those issues aside, again I found the overall story good. There is a gem inside and if it didn’t require the extra work to enjoy it, I would have given this 4 stars out of 5. As an indie book, I think this serves as a benefit because the book can be edited to deal with the issues I’ve mentioned. In addition, when the next book comes out, it might be easier to decide if the ending of this book is a cliffhanger or not. Either way, I look forward to continuing to read this series.

On Storytelling: Intro

 A good writer is one who best enables the storyteller in the mind of the audience.

This is my opinion though I think it's a fairly accurate one. Now I do admit I have much to learn about writing and storytelling, but in the process of trying to improve my skills, I've come across a lot of good material and formed some opinions that I would like to share for consideration. I will try not to retread material that is vastly better covered by others more qualified than myself. Instead I'll try to recommend them and mostly focus on my own opinions.

To be up front, these people will mostly be YouTube creators such as

• Hello Future Me
• Overly Sarcastic Productions
• Just Write
• Nando v Movies
• Game Maker's Toolkit 
• Charisma on Command (yes, I'm including non-storytelling channels)

As to what sort of opinions from me you can expect to see, an example I'm working on now is how conditioning (e.g. propaganda) makes people complicated and conflicted. Earlier examples that I will potentially try to improve upon would include

1. Writing Compelling Antagonists (probably closest to the format I have in mind where I point to Hello Future Me for different points to consider)
2. People liking Tropes and Cliches
3. Why is Magic considered Evil?

By the way, if you are tired of seeing references to Joseph Campbell's theory on The Hero's Journey, don't worry. I haven't read it and the above content creators have done their own videos covering that. One tidbit I will note I learned from the Stars Wars documentary called Empire of Dreams, the original Star Wars movie was heavily influenced by that work and the author said George Lucas was his best student.

I did find that documentary interesting especially as it covered the process of making the original movie, including how bad it was and why even those involved had no hopes. I also found myself wanting to watch the movies again despite just looking at them and found myself disinterested days before. As a result, I would recommend it if you have the opportunity.

Back on topic, I'm not sure how long this series will be or the frequency, but I would greatly appreciate your feedback as I write it. I would also like to know if this is something you would want more of.

Until next time, dream on.
J. D. Nyle

P. S. If you are a YouTube content creator and would like to work with me on this, feel free to reach out to me on Twitter at @jdnyle

Book Review: Beyond My Dying Mind by Andi Loveall

 A while back, I read the sample of Beyond My Dying Mind and left my impressions. Now that I've read the full book, let's see how wrong those impressions were.

First off, while the sample ends with indications that the missions would be primary, that's very much not the case. In fact, the first mission doesn't appear until about 25% in. However, once I realized the missions were not primary, the actual beginning made more sense as was a bit more representative of the overall story after all.

Instead, this is a romance story, one that feels much like a high school one for better or worse. After the sample ended, I very much got the vibe that these were mostly just high schoolers by their actions, especially since their romance stays in the "everything he/she says and does is perfect and sexy." Only later did I realize that the two main protagonists were actually adults.

As to my impressions of Jasmine and Noland, I didn't find any cause to not like them. Sure, they act impulsively rather than use reason, but they also felt like nice people who wanted to do good. And I also wanted them to succeed in their romance.

The world is still fairly interesting. I felt the magic system was a bit unique though maybe not fully fleshed out or explained properly. At the same time, it did not matter but acted more like a buffer to give the reader a break, which I liked. The hellish creatures were legitimately frightening, so I'm glad I didn't pay too much attention to the details and read before bed.

That being said, part way through, I thought the system would also become more important, but that proved to be the one occasion the characters act differently than I would have expected based off the intro and their impulsivity. Though maybe it's more appropriate since it would have required a little thinking to actually come to with the action. It's really a pro and con because it gave the nice interwoven pace-changing, but the book would later show that it was possible and more likely.

Now the missions, despite not being as primary, are still important to the story. That being said, i have mixed opinions about the actual preventing suicide cases. There are authentic points to keep in mind, but some also felt cheating. That being said, the actual growth of one of the characters is a nice realization. Again, recognizing that this is a love story, with some action and magic, helps in enjoying the story for what it is.

Perhaps that's a good segway into the controversial elements. No matter your opinion on the matter, I think it's good for readers to know what to expect. The first being that there is a sex scene and characters with multiple partners. To be fair, the world gives an explanation why it could be considered okay in the spirit world, but it still fits the bill of controversial.  Related on a technical level, there are maybe 5-10 f-bombs scattered. And also related on a technical level, there is "encouragement" of a trans character to proceed with the operation. Personally, on a philosophical level, I see it similar to the suicide cases as a mix bag. It touches on some of the important underlying issues, but missing one I think is critical or distracts from it since the whole subject is addressed only emotionally. Finally, the last point that might be controversial without the proper understanding is the spirit world. There may be a few Christian references, but I would assume this is certainly not a Christian spirit world but should instead be considered the author's "magical" world.

Now the rating. I consider stars to represent relative enjoyment and as such I'll give this 4 out of 5 stars. Even though it has controversial elements, focus was not on what I expected, and raised some questions about actions, I did emotionally like the story and was eager to continue reading through to the end. The fact that it's a complete story is also a plus to me. Would I recommend to teenagers? No. At least not my kids without also talking about the controversial elements inside.

The reason why I would require discussion is because the author did a good job of emotionally appealing. However, relying purely on emotional reasoning can lead to dangerous results or actions. And since teens hormones are not balanced, and they feel more attached to emotional reasoning, I think it can be too dangerous for them without a good conversion to help baseline.

Writing Compelling Antagonists

Quite often, I see people asking for advice on writing a compelling villain. The advice also tends to be the same. Memorable, is the hero of their own story, is personally connected and opposed to the hero, is the hero but made one different choice, check out Darth Vader, check out the Joker, check out Prince Zuko, etc. While I do agree that all are good points, I think there are a few things that are important to understand in order to properly frame the advice. Let's start with the misunderstanding of the concept of villain.

First off, Zuko was never the villain in Avatar: the Last Airbender. Therefore he is not a compelling villain. Hear me out. A villain is defined as "a character whose evil actions or motives are important to the plot." Zuko doesn't really for that definition as his motives weren't evil and he performs honorable actions. However he does fit the definition of an antagonist, which is "a person who actively opposes or is hostile to someone or something; an adversary."

Just as heroes are a subset of protagonists, villains are a subset of antagonists. If our story needs a villain, that's fine. The Legend of Korra antagonists are villains and half are done well (Amon up for debate). However, if we start with the idea of a villain, we limit ourselves and imagination, potentially falling into tropes with no logical explanation. Antagonists, however, for example, are free to also be genuine heroes, just like Zuko, as they are merely opposition, not necessarily evil. As a result, the real question is how to make compelling antagonists, and let them be villains if need be.

Now that we have that understanding, we can see that it's easier to make a compelling antagonist. When we think of it as only someone who opposes the protagonist, then what we should see is that it's the same as making any character compelling. What the label of antagonist does is simply define part of the relationship.

One popular type of antagonist is the Rival, defined as "a person or thing competing with another for the same objective or for superiority in the same field of activity." Think Red and Blue from the original Pokemon games. Team Rocket was the main villain, but the final battle was against your rival, someone who is not evil at all. For a story about being the very best, that is the most appropriate antagonist. Another example is in the Prestige where the drive is to be the best magician. What's interesting here is exploring how that drive was what led to their conflict and one to the point of becoming a villain.

Now if our story is about redemption, then it's possible to flip the normal associations and let the hero be the antagonist. It's hard for me to think of a good example. If I understand correctly, Megamind has this as the pitch, though I never watched it. The closest example I can think of is the episode where Zuko tries to join the Avatar, but only Toph trusts him. Though there is another one focusing on Katara. If you are interested more on that, check out Hello Future Me's video essay on it.

Now with all that being said, there is one specific quality I would like to promote people to use more when creating characters, especially antagonists, and that is Loyalty. When we talk about characters being compelling, the first question we should ask is why would anyone be loyal to them. For this, let's examine Treize Khushrenada from Gundam Wing.

To be fair, I doubt people outside of my age group would be familiar with the series and it has been many years since I watched it, but I always found the character compelling, even if I did not understand him. He was in charge of the initial antagonist organization and manipulative, but he was also charming, skilled, and spared the life of his would-be assassin. However, perhaps the most impressive is seeing his men's willingness to die for him. In terms of what inspired such loyalty, there was one action I could remember and that was how nightly routine of listening to the names of each soldier who died.

This bit is important because it shows respect for his men. To him, they were not just soldiers but people with names. This helps show what makes him compelling to a group of characters, and in turn, makes him compelling as a leader and character, even though he was an antagonist.

To recap, when seeking to make a compelling villain, there are a few things to keep in mind. First, villains are a subset of antagonists and not necessarily what's best for a story. Second, antagonists are simply characters so whatever makes any character interesting applies here as well. Lastly, a good way to make characters compelling is to show why other characters are loyal to them.

I hope this helps you all as it helps me. If you would like more ideas on writing antagonists, check out Hello Future Me's video on writing villains where he focuses on motivations

Dream on,

J. D. Nyle

Sample Impressions: Beyond My Dying Mind

Quick explanation on Sample Impressions:

Being part of the WritingCommunity on Twitter, I see lots of books and authors. However, combined with writing, playing games, learning a foreign language, and just relaxing and other duties, it's hard to find time to read entire novels. As a solution, I figured I can at least read the free samples of books people are struggling to get attention (and, to be honest, hope they will return the favor).

I argue this is actually a good exercise in writing as well as I get to learn what attracts my attention and what would make me interesting in finishing the book or even pay it.

And now, onto the...

Sample Impressions of Beyond My Dying Mind by Andi Loveall

Let's start with the verdict: I find this book interesting and it's on my wishlist. However, I did come out of the sample not sure what the book would be like. The impression I got is that I read a prologue which set up the interesting world, but it ends before we actually get a taste of the flow. As a result, I would like to read a bit more before buying, but because I found it so interesting, I might end up buying anyway.

Why do I feel like it's a prologue? Because it starts off in a Hellish environment where the protagonist is killing and doing a bunch of stuff, but the premise of the book is that he goes and saves people from committing suicide on Earth. As a result, the impression I get is that we are just introduced to a harsh environment to help explain the protagonist's motivation, but nothing else that feels like it'll matter later based off the premise.

I do like that we do learn the basic mechanics of the world within the sample. And the mystery about the background of the main character's suicide and his rescuer sound intriguing.

Again, my disappointment is that the sample ends before we get to see the main character work his first case. That being said, based off what I read so far, I think I can be willing to purchase. This also sounds like a neat setup for a series of short stories where people work different cases to prevent suicides.

If you are interested, I've embedded the sample below and provided a link to the book


https://www.amazon.com/Beyond-Dying-Mind-Andi-Loveall-ebook/dp/B079TQVHYT