Review by Paeter Frandsen The Summoner, by Gail Z. Martin, is the first book in the Chronicles Of The Necromancer series. Prince Martris Drayke is on the run, accompanied by a band of close friends, after his evil older brother murders the rest of their family in a grab for the throne. Martris, or Tris as he is known by his friends, must find a way to regain the throne and save the land from the evil rule of his brother. But to do so he must also learn to use his new found abilities as a necromancer, one who communicates with and commands power over the dead. Meanwhile, an evil mage allied with Tris' brother is unleashing dark supernatural creatures that wreak havoc in search of the hiding prince, placing the entire land in danger. Tris and his friends must gain allies, among both the living and the dead, to restore peace and safety to the kingdom. I have very specific tastes when it comes to the fiction books I read. I read only fantasy, and avoid aut...

If you think of clicking dials and collectible miniatures when you hear the phrase "Mage Knight", you might have overlooked a board game experience very unlike the HeroClix predecessor. In early 2011, WizKids released designer Vlaada Chvatil's Mage Knight Board Game. The game is a complex experience in which players take on the roles of Mage Knights. Using blade, magic and influence, they explore and conquer a fantasy world. The game can be played by 1-4 players and a winner is determined by total victory points at the end of the game. Victory points can be gained in a variety of ways. Defeating enemies, acquiring spells and resources, conquering cities and other locations or recovering powerful artifacts. There is no single strategy or path to victory. In fact, the most successful players will be skilled at finding ways to make the best of the situation handed to them by their surroundings on the board and their hand of cards. Each player has a deck of cards wh...

Like most people, I grew up watching "The Wizard Of Oz", singing the Munchkin songs and being scared of the Wicked Witch Of The West. I also read most of the original Frank Baum books when I was younger, though my memories of them are pretty hazy.

  Director Bryan Singer is well known for directing the fantastic geek-genre movies X-men and X-2. Though he took a misstep with Superman Returns, despite some wonderful things he brought to the iconic character.