Blake NorthcottCritiques

Norah’s Saga 4: The Prisoner
Review of the Allegiance Arts & Entertainment digital download edition (November 2021)

See image at https://scontent.fymy1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.30808-6/270623140_4623853780996793_...
Cover design for the expected full graphic novel of Norah's Saga. Image sourced from Facebook.

This 4th episode sees our time travelling heroine, Norah Karlsson still in the world of the Vikings and on the road to capture the Song of the Fossegrim in order to return back to the present day. The journey become further complicated by the appearance of the trickster god Loki who sets up further challenges for Norah and her companions. Loki insists that no cheating or shortcuts be taken, and when an inadvertent aid appears for the trio, he insists on a penalty. Meanwhile, in the present day, the Men-In-Black and their archeologists have found a memorial with a runic marker indicating that it is Norah's gravestone. The saga continues...

Norah's Saga: The Prisoner (stylized as Nørah's Saga: The Prisoner) is the 4th episode of a planned 6-part series by Canadian fantasy / sci-fi writer Blake Northcott and artist Kelsey Shannon for the new Allegiance Arts & Entertainment comics & graphic novels imprint. Issues with the pandemic have delayed the installments, but the series is now expected to conclude by May 2022.

Trivia and Link
Canadian writer Northcott has had an increasingly successful profile in crowdfunded graphic novels and novels in recent years. Aside from her own recent independent projects such as The North Valley Grimoire (2018) and Everglade Angels (2019), she was also the writer for a run of Catwoman for DC Comics. Follow her work and see her list of publications here.

Norah’s Saga 3: The Troll
Review of the Allegiance Arts & Entertainment digital download edition (November 2020)

Norah's Saga: The Troll (stylized as Nørah's Saga: The Troll) is the 3rd episode of a planned 6-part series by Canadian fantasy / sci-fi writer Blake Northcott and artist Kelsey Shannon for the new Allegiance Arts & Entertainment comics & graphic novels imprint. Episode One was crowdfunded as part of a Founder's Edition package with Bass Reeves and The Futurists, but the ongoing series is available in installments through Walmart stores (U.S. only I believe) and in digital downloads through the publisher’s online store. Issues with the pandemic have delayed the installments, but the series is now expected to conclude by May 2022.

See illustration at https://scontent.fymy1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.30808-6/270623140_4623853780996793_...
Cover design for the expected full graphic novel of Norah's Saga. Image sourced from Facebook.

This 3rd episode sees our time travelling heroine, Norah Karlsson, setting out to capture the Song of the Fossegrim on her (still working, but with gradually decreasing battery power) smartphone in order to assist her travel back to her own present day time. With her allies Astrid and Nandor, she evades the warrior Vöslogs, a pit of quicksand and a monstrous troll but ends up stranded on a beach. The scene shifts to the present day, where the 'men in black' from Episode 1 have discovered Norah's purse in an unearthed ancient Viking hoard. The saga continues...

I was a bit disappointed that 7 pages of Episode 3 was taken up by a promo for a standard 'Soldiers & Sorcery' comic "The Saints" by the same publisher.

Trivia and Link
Canadian writer Northcott has had an increasingly successful profile in crowdfunded graphic novels and novels in recent years. Aside from her own recent independent projects such as The North Valley Grimoire (2018) and Everglade Angels (2019), she was also the writer for a run of Catwoman for DC Comics. Follow her work and see her list of publications here.

Issue 1 of 5

I owned #2469 of 3000
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Who couldn't love Evanescence but what really drew me to it was that I could own a bit of Abigail Larson's art in story format and she does not disappoint!! 5* on that.

Includes two stories:
-- Wasted on You - from the intro "... is about finding the strength within yourself to break through those chains in your mind..." Abigail's art *all the heart eyes* and the storyline encourages you to find the strength within you to make change. It's a nice reminder, encouragement.
-- Better Without You - (You is fear) from the intro "... you can't have the sweet without the bitter..." The story assumes there is life after death and since there is no guarantee, I prefer to live here and now.
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I've already ordered book #2 but I kinda regret that purchase. Hopefully when I actually own and read it, I'll have a change of opinion.

The book was an easy read. The characters were not well developed. You had to assume what type of characters they were based on their actions. But the actions were inconsistent. There were a lot of editing errors which made it difficult to read the book.

I found it strange that the first chapter was a total disconnect with the rest of the story. It happens a year or 2 into the future. And the book ends abruptly. It was like only part of the story was written. So maybe the first chapter will be explained in a future book that I will not read.

Norah’s Saga 2: The Witch
Review of the Allegiance Arts & Entertainment digital download edition (July 2020)

Norah's Saga: The Witch (stylized as Nørah's Saga: The Witch) is the 2nd episode of a planned 6-part series by Canadian fantasy / sci-fi writer Blake Northcott for the new Allegiance Arts & Entertainment comics & graphic novels imprint. Episode One was crowdfunded as part of a Founder's Edition package with Bass Reeves and The Futurists, but the series will now be also available in bi-monthly installments through Walmart stores (U.S. only I believe) and in digital downloads through the publisher’s online store.

This 2nd episode sees our time travelling heroine, Norah Karlsson, taken back to the Viking village (which we discover is in Vinland, i.e. present day Newfoundland, Canada) where she is initially believed to be a witch due to her having defeated a wolf in the 1st episode with a can of pepper spray. The Vikings are also puzzled by the voices coming out of Norah’s smartphone and they ask her about who is the tiny prisoner trapped in her magic mirror. Due to her wearing of a Thor’s Hammer necklace she is able to convince the Vikings of her pure intentions.

The Vikings are meanwhile attacked by a rival enemy tribe called the Vöslogs and have their sacred Sword of Ulfberht stolen. Norah meets the ancient female mage of the tribe who tells her about another time travelling visitor who has since disappeared. Norah obtains companions from the tribe to help on her quest to find her way back to her own time. The adventure continues.

Trivia and Link
Canadian writer Northcott has had an increasingly successful profile in crowdfunded graphic novels and novels in recent years. Aside from her own recent independent projects such as The North Valley Grimoire (2018) and Everglade Angels (2019), she is also the writer for a current run of Catwoman for DC Comics. Follow her work and see her list of publications here.

Canadian Teen Viking Saga
Review of the Allegiance Arts & Entertainment floppy paperback (May 2020)

Norah's Saga: Wolves (stylized as Nørah's Saga: Wolves is the first episode of a planned 6-part series by Canadian fantasy / sci-fi writer Blake Northcott for the new Allegiance Arts & Entertainment comics & graphic novels imprint. It was initially crowdfunded as part of a Founder's Edition package with Bass Reeves and The Futurists, but which will now be available in monthly installments through Walmart stores and possibly other outlets.

The titular teenage heroine. Norah Karlsson, is enraptured with tales of Vikings and Norse Gods stimulated by her mother's job of curating museum exhibits on those themes. Through an accident, Norah is catapulted through space and time into a Viking world. The catalyst for that seems to have been some sort of time warp which is being monitored by some Men in Black-like characters whose role is initially unexplained.

This initial episode does an excellent job of setting up the story and takes us as into Norah's first encounters in her new Viking reality. The story and art work is superbly done by the team of Northcott and artist Kelsey Shannon, whose work can also be seen in the cover art. This will be a saga well worth following.

Trivia and Link
Writer Northcott has had an increasingly successful profile in crowdfunded graphic novels and novels in recent years. Aside from her own recent independent projects such as The North Valley Grimoire and Everglade Angels, she is also the writer for a current run of Catwoman for DC Comics. Follow her work and see her list of publications here.

Girls' Baseball Team vs Mysterious Gang
Review of the Northwood Publishing crowdfunded edition (2020)

Everglade Angels use the standard horror trope of the group of teenagers lost in a not-very-welcoming off-the-beaten-track location facing unknown evil forces. It branches off on its own with having the teenagers be an spunky all-girls' baseball team who are ready to swing their bats into action to defend themselves and their friends. The art style compliments the story with its dark palette which occasionally erupts with splashes of chemical reds.

When rating a crowdfunder you are instinctively rating not just the final product but also the communication process and delivery. Blake Northcott was the lead creator in this respect as the campaign was in her name and the shipping was her production. All of that was handled extremely well with regular updates to the customers. There is a considerable over-delivery of 104 pages in the final product vs. the promised 48 pages in the original crowdfunding proposal. The extras include the opening pages of a movie script version of the Everglade Angels plot, several pages of notes and draft sketches of the Everglade Angels, and a bonus short story Truthbomb.

On the downside there is a major continuity issue about the number of baseball players on the Everglade Angels team. Instead of the expected 9 players, there are only 5. The 5 are actually a reduction on an originally planned 6, which is explained in the sketch book section where the 5 final players are identified by name. In the story itself it is very difficult to distinguish each of the 5 at first as they are introduced very haphazardly. There is also an editing mistake that still uses the original 6 characters on page 24, where 1 has left the van and yet there are still 5 people sitting in the van.

I picked up Everglades Angels as I have been interested in the recent increased activity of independent crowd-funding of self-published comic books, graphic novels, novels and novel translations via the Kickstarter, Indiegogo and Hooandja platforms. And yes, I'm from Toronto as is Blake Northcott, so support your local writers!

Trivia and Link
Blake Northcott is the writer of a new ongoing comic book series Norah's Saga (2020) about a young girl who time shifts into the Viking Age. It is expected to be distributed to Walmart stores and other outlets in April 2020. This may be delayed due to the ongoing pandemic situation. Look for updates at the Allegiance Arts Indiegogo.

In his twenty-nine years, Matthew Moxon had done virtually nothing with his record-breaking IQ and unparalleled problem solving abilities. Until one morning, after a dangerous fall lands him in the emergency room, he discovers that a tumor is pressing against his brain.

Unable to afford experimental but potentially life-saving surgery, Moxon takes drastic action; he volunteers for Arena Mode: 2041's most vicious sporting event, where thirteen superhumans fight in an urban combat zone for a multi-billion dollar prize.

Moxon is forced to battle opponents possessing ungodly speed, strength, and abilities once thought to exist only across the pages of superhero comics - and he's armed with nothing more than his rapidly-diminishing brain cells.

With the odds stacked impossibly against him, Moxon fights to not only survive the wrath of the other competitors, but to unlock the mysteries buried within the Arena itself.

Fun YA Mash-up of Spies & Magick
Review of the Independently Published edition (2018) based on the crowdfunded Kickstarter edition "The North Valley Grimoire" (2018)

[3.5] I never caught the magic & fantasy bug and only ever managed a few pages of the first Harry Potter. Even adult styled works such as "Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell" and "The Magicians" became part of my DNF list. For this current work, I even had to look up that grimoire meant a textbook of magic rather than the sad French mirror of my imagination.

Espionage, dystopia, coming of age, fish out of water and Lovecraftian (sorry, I associate anything with tentacles as Cthulhu-adjacent) are right in my bailiwick though, so Blake Northcott's independently crowd-funded novel was a definite draw. The crowd-funded aspect itself was of interest as it does seem to be an indicator for future publishing with even literary translations such as "Cleopatra Goes to Prison" (Kickstarter) from Dedalus Press or small Independent Press prizes such as the Republic of Consciousness Prize (previously Kickstarter, now Patreon) being funded through that method. In addition I discovered that Northcott is from my own hometown of Toronto, Canada so let's support our local authors as well!

I did mostly enjoy The North Valley Grimoire but did feel that there was an odd change in allegiances about halfway through the novel that just felt off and which subverted my enjoyment for the rest of the work. Saying anything more about that would be a spoiler. Still it was suspenseful and compelling enough for me to finish and to look forward to what seemed to be the promise of a sequel. Northcott is currently (September 2019) crowd-funding a graphic novel Everglade Angels

Pretty good follow up.

So...I admit, my review of the first book was a tad harsh when taken together with this book. WOW. Ms. Northcott has not just written a singular story with this series but has actually created an entire (and fascinating) world in which the books take place. There is an entire UNTOLD back-story just sitting there on the tree; waiting to be plucked down and put in your pocket.

As for this specific volume, the pace was fast, dialog great, twists and turns. A solid read. BUT, what truly sold me on this and on Ms. Northcott as an uber author is that the story takes place in a very defined universe. The reality of the situation is that she could make a lifetime career of churning out books not on just the characters of the Vs. series but on the background of their world; the future of the their world. I am simply in awe. The possibilities are quite endless...comic adaptions (though, if I recall this started as a comic idea), a MMO PC game as there is no sci-fi hero game worth playing anymore, and on and on.

This book made me excited about Ms. Northcott's future. I will now be first day of sale person for all future works by this wonderful author.

Originally posted on Pretty in Fiction

Title: Vs. Reality
Author: Blake Northcott
Published: July 25 2011
Rating: 4/5

What would you do if you suddenly became the ideal version of yourself?

That's the question 27 year old Donovan Cole has to answer in Blake Northcott's Vs. Reality.

Donovan is a mixed martial arts fighter, or actually more like an ex-mixed martial arts fighter. He was undefeated until one loss seriously messed up his head. Now he's not so much fighting as taking beatings regularly in hopes of gaining his confidence back, his fighting spirit.

Then he meets Dia Davenport.

Ten minutes with her and he's being attacked in a back alley by a couple of shady men who mean business. With no way out and Dia to protect, Donovan does the impossible. He transforms from his normal lean, wiry build into a man comparable in size to the Hulk. Suddenly he's the guy he always wanted to be, always thought he could be. And he's more powerful than he could have ever imagined.

But he's not the only one.

Dia also transforms, creating a portal in thin air and transports them back to the safety of her penthouse apartment.

Soon Dia's introducing Donovan to some of her friends and guess what? Yeah, they all have unbelievable powers, same as Donovan. Dia can rip holes in space and time. Her sister, Paige, can melt metal into a puddle. And the lovable stoner/genius roommate, Brodie, has telekinesis. And they all use little blue pills called Muse to manifest these abilities whenever they want.

On top of finding out that there are humans out there with superpowers, Donovan also discovers that there is an entire agency called the Basement out to get people like him. People who can manifest are dangerous, or so they say, and must be vaccinated to make them normal again. But the Basement isn't exactly what they claim and Donovan will do anything in his power to stop them.

With a little help from his new friends, and his new ability, he might just have enough power to actually succeed.

I'm not going to lie, the first couple chapters of this book didn't catch my attention. They were beautifully written, I felt as if I were reading a comic book. I pictured each new paragraph as an illustration. But I was slightly confused, because the book opens, not with the main character, but with the bad guys. What interesting bad guys they are, but nothing was explained. I was thrown right into the action and had no idea what was going on. And when we do finally meet the main character in Chapter 2 it's in a dream. It's not the real Donovan Cole, but his ideal version of himself.

Personally, I like the real Donovan Cole much better. Once I reached Chapter 3 I was officially hooked. Donovan is a sweet guy who just wants to be the best at what he does. He takes beating after beating in the ring just hoping he'll one day be that guy he yearns to be.

Then there's Dia. She was awesome from the first moment she showed up in Donovan's life. She's a badass chick with some really cool superpowers. Who doesn't love a girl like that? She just wants to live her life and protect her sister from The Basement. She wants freedom, but freedom to Dia means something else entirely considering she can tear a hole in space and basically go wherever she wants whenever she wants.

But with all great power comes consequences. And Donovan, Dia and the rest are no exception. Whenever they manifest it's like an adrenaline rush. A high that they just can't quit. The more they manifest the harder it becomes to do it again, so they need to do more to make it happen. They're addicted.

I have to say that Jens, Donovan's (completely normal) best friend, was my favorite character. He was like the hilarious side kick who gets caught up in this situation that's so out of his league and comes along for the ride anyway. He cracked me up whenever he was around.

Northcott's writing style intrigued me. I don't read comics and have only read a few graphic novels, so I'm not used to their format, but I felt like I was reading one. I could picture every scene, every movement, like it was laid out in panels on a page in front of me. Towards the end of the book, when the story really got going, I started thinking that Vs. Reality would probably make a really great action movie. Something along the lines of all the superhero movies that have come out over the past few years. I felt it would translate perfectly onto the big screen.

The only real criticism I have is that the story was short so there wasn't much time to get really in-depth with the characters. But there is a sequel coming soon that I'm hoping will give us some more insight into their lives before and after everything that happened in the first book.

Once I got into it, Vs. Reality was a really good read. It was fast paced and filled with action. If your squeamish about blood and gore you might want to pass on this one though. There are some serious action movie scenes in here (ex. smashing a guys skull into a brick wall in the first chapter) and it's not for the faint of heart. But if you love comic books and/or superheroes you will love Vs. Reality.