The X-Files Origins: Agent of Chaos was written by Kami Garcia, published in January 2017. This is book one of the Origins series.
SUMMARY
After Samantha, Fox Mulder’s little sister was abducted by …someone or something… a wedge was driven into the family. His parents’ marriage fell apart and the couple separated, with Fox having to split his time between the two. He and his father don’t have a solid relationship, it’s more business that father/son. In this tale, we spend time with Fox while he has to stay at his father’s home.
Fox is watching the news when a story breaks that a child was kidnapped. He takes a special interest in the story, he believes it could be related to the disappearance of his sister. He comes across a crime scene when the body of another boy is found, and what he witnesses fuels his determination to find the abductor/killer. When he brings information to the police, they shove him out of the department, brushing off his information.
He’s got two friends, Phoebe and Gary Winchester, aka, Gimble. Gimble’s father is the one who really began to peak Mulder’s interest in conspiracies, government cover-ups, and the possibility of extra-terrestrials and UFOs.
In this book we follow Mulder and his friends as they attempt to uncover who is kidnapping and killing children. Mulder holds onto hope that it will uncover the mystery of who or what took his sister.
OVERALL THOUGHTS
This is was an excellent read. Diving into Fox Mulder’s past, with his desire to learn the truth about his sister was an excellent way to tell a prequel story focused on the character. Getting into the young mind of Mulder was both sad and enlightening. A boy, mostly lonely with a scarred past, who blames himself for the loss of his sister. He’s determined to find out the truth, to find out what happened to Samantha. He’s a smart kid with strong will and knack for solving mystery.
The author did an excellent job laying out different aspects of the story; the mystery, the romance, the friendships, and thrills. The novel has the perfect amount of humor, that wasn’t over the top or cheesy. Many moments in the story were intense, driven by excellent dialogue.
This X-Files prequel is well worth the time to read. It was fun picking up on little bits that would have deeper meaning in the show. Kami Garcia wrote an exciting book and did a wonderful job with the characterization of a young Fox Mulder.
The ESV (English Standard Version) Bible with Creeds & Confessions was published by Crossway. The Bible is available in various bindings. Thank you Crossway for sending this copy for review!
The Action Bible: God’s Redemptive Story, is a unique bible, in that it’s actually a really thick comic book! Illustrations are by Sergio Cariello, who has worked with comic publishers such as DC and Marvel. The General Editor of the Action Bible was Doug Mauss. Text and Publishing was done by David C Cook.
There is a presentation page, followed by title pages, the copyright/credits/publication details. This book is printed in the USA. There is a small forward by General Editor Doug Mauss. to summarize, he express the fact that the Bible has many Hero’s and great stories.
OVERALL THOUGHTS
The Action Bible is really cool. It’s a fun, entertaining way to explore key moments in the Bible. The art is beautiful, displaying wonderful visuals and the text is easy to read. If you’re a Christian and enjoy comic books, I think you’ll love this format. For those of you who don’t have a bible and never had an interest for it… please consider checking this out, it’ll be a wonderful way to experience God’s Word.
The CSB (Christian Standard Bible) translation Apologetics Study Bible is published by Holman Bibles. It’s available in several bindings, the copy I have here is the Navy LeatherTough.
It’s loaded with commentary & several articles on apologetics. A few names to mention out of the 90 plus apologists who have contributed: Ted Cabal, Lee Strobel (who wrote, The Case for Christ), Josh Mcdowell.
Citied Information from the box:
9.75-point type size Smyth-sewn binding Leading Article by Lee Strobe (Author of Case of Christ)
Commentary & Articles from over 90 leading apologist.
The Apologetics Study Bible CSB Review
The CSB (Christian Standard Bible) translation Apologetics Study Bible is published by Holman Bibles. It’s available in several bindings, the copy I have here is the Navy LeatherTough.
Star Wars: Empire & Rebellion: Razor’s Edge was written by Martha Wells. This Expanded Universe tale takes place during the Rebellion era, 2 ABY (2 years after the Battle of Yavin).
SUMMARY
The Gamble, an alliance ship is thrown into a tough situation right off the bat. The ship, which contains a small crew including Leia and Han, drop out of hyperspace and are immediately attacked. The crew were on a mission to acquire materials for Echo-Base. The attack raises the big question… how did the Empire know where The Gamble was dropping out of hyperspace? It appears that there is a deep cover Imperial Agent within the rebel group.
The Gamble is now in need of repair after successfully fleeing the Imperial attack. Contact is made with a pirate ship which turns out to be full of former Alderaanians!
The story is all about building trust, relationships, and a fight of survival.
OVERALL THOUGHTS
This book was fine. It starts off really strong and exciting, throwing Leia, Han, and a few others into a dangerous situation. I found this story to be okay overall. It has filler vibes, just a blip on the timeline, but written well. I wasn’t bored with the story, but not excited either.
I think the greatest thing about this book is the characterization of our leads, Han and Leia. In the films we get to see the friction between the two, this book dives deeper into the frustration these characters feel toward each other. Han really does come across as a difficult man to work with, hard headed and prefers to go rogue instead of following orders. I like that we get into Leia’s mind and her thoughts toward Han. She understands his distrust for others. I do think that Leia comes across a bit too harsh at times with a lot of attitude.
The banter between Leia and Han was great. However, the characters use air quotes with fingers to be sarcastic, which I thought was a dumb thing to put in the book
The story takes a route that made me think of a YA storyline. When Leia meets with the other Alderaanians they get hooked into meeting up with some other Pirates. It turns into a fight for survival game, it made me think of Hunger Games or Ender’s Game… that sort of thing. I am thankful though that the game they play wasn’t through the entire book. For me though, it went on a bit too long.
I’d say this book will be forgettable, the only takeaway is the stuff between Leia and Han; maybe the interaction with the Alderaanian pirates.
Do I recommend you read this story? Eh… sure. It wasn’t bad.
