The Audio File: Timestorm: Season 3

Sooner or later, every audio drama must come to an end. Not just the end of an episode, or the end of a season, but the end of the series. The sun must set at the end of every day. The curtain must fall at the end of every play. But that doesn't mean we can't have good times along the way. If nothing else, the shows you love will always live on in your heart. It helps that, in most cases, you can easily relisten to the series whenever you feel like it.

Why am I talking about all of this? Because it ties in with today's review. We're taking a look at season three of Timestorm.

Alexa and Beni Ventura are continuing their mission to witness, find, and remember events from throughout Puerto Rican history. They're aided by their cousin Horacio and his trusty AI Atabay. In the present day, they're assisted by their other cousin, Josie, and their mutual friend Janelly. Lately, the Ventura towns have been going on a lot of quests to retrieve guanín artifacts. Things have been going pretty well, but lately there is trouble on the horizon. A mysterious woman named Kaylee is also very interested in guanín, and believes the Ventura's can lead her to a great treasure. At the same time, Alexa and Beni begin to question the ethics of collecting artifacts. There are many questions to be asked, and many answers found, in the final season of Timestorm.

I can't believe the final season of Timestorm is here already. It seems like it was only yesterday that the adventure first began. I mean, I knew on some level that this day had to come eventually, but it's still kind of surreal that it's here already. Still, let's not dwell too much on the sad times. We still got a fantastic final season full of plenty of great moments and episodes.

Season three differs in a couple ways from its predecessors. For example, not counting bonus episodes, the previous two seasons had ten episodes each. Season three, by contrast, only has eight. I don't know if that was always planned, or if something happened behind the scenes. Season three also lacks an obvious theme. Season one was about women, especially teachers, in Puerto Rican History. Season two was about how Puerto Rican culture is the result of the blending of African, Indigenous, and European culture. Season three doesn't really have a central theme. The closest it comes is that it does touch on the question of who archeological artifacts ought to belong to.

The quests are also slightly different. They're carried out in two stages. For the first part, Alexa and Beni go to the past and locate the artifacts, and then return to the present day to retrieve the artifacts. At one point Janelly raises a really good question: why store the artifacts to the Artifact Cloud? What is Horacio and Atabay's long-term goal with that? You know, I'd never really thought of that before. I always just accepted it as part of the plot, and never really gave much thought. Well, your guess is as good as mine, as we never get an answer to that particular question.

One of the first missions takes the twins back to 1918, during the height of the Spanish Flu Pandemic. The name is more than a bit of a misnomer. Conventional wisdom is that the 1918 Flu originated in Kansas. However, recent evidence suggests that it may have actually originated in China. How did it become associated with Spain then? Well, it first began during the final years of World War I. Nations on both sides of the conflict censored mentions of the flu in their newspapers for fear that it might lower troop morale. Spain was a neutral nation, so their newspapers were uncensored, and reported on the flu. Thus, everyone wrongly associated the flu with Spain. Though, in the long run, the deaths caused by the 1918 Flu got overshadowed by all the deaths caused by World War I. Of course, the 1918 Flu is getting more attention now in large part due to the COVID-19 Pandemic.

The COVID-19 Pandemic happened while season three was being produced, and that particularly episode is clear meant to tie-in with the Pandemic. There's even a point where Beni says he can't imagine a pandemic in modern times. Oh, don't worry Beni. In a couple years you'll get to find out what that's like. As you might recall, Timestorm is set about three years in the past of when each season comes out. So, for the characters, the present day is 2018.

The series also continues its work in highlighting important, but often obscure, figures from Puerto Rican history. Another quest sees Alexa and Beni travel to 1980 to meet the archeologists Osvaldo Garcia and Ricardo Alegria. They both made major discoveries regarding the Taino people. Osvaldo and Ricardo proved that the Taino had a considerably advanced knowledge of astronomy, and played a ritual ballgame. I find that very interesting, as the peoples of Mesoamerica, especially the Maya, also had those traits. The Taino did have ocean-going canoes. However, this is no evidence that the Taino ever made it to Central America. It's fun to speculate about, but there isn't any evidence of trade or contact between the two cultures. On the other hand, countless Maya records were destroyed by the Spanish. Who knows what might have been recorded within those codices? Again, fun to speculate, but let's get back to the review.

So, what exactly is guanín? It is an alloy created my combining gold, silver, and copper. It was often used for the necklaces and medallions worn by caciques. Horacio's grandfather was a skilled guanín smith, and hoped to pass the skills on to Horacio someday. In fact, this season seemed to put a lot of emphasis on Horacio's family history, and his personal legacy. For example, we learn that his father Gael work in the Civilian Conservation Corp.

It was never established how exactly time works within the Timestorm, or how much subjective time Horacio has experienced. That being said, it is implied that he's experienced a few years, if not real time, in the Timestorm. Granted, he's got Atabay to keep him company, but it must get awfully boring and lonesome at times. It is implied that Horacio no longer needs to eat, sleep, drink, or use the bathroom. Frankly, it's a small miracle he has gone completely insane from being confined to his helicopter.

Like I said, we do get themes about legacy as it relates to Horacio and his side of the family. We also get some touching on themes of colonialism. Granted, we did get that in previous seasons with Idrissa's story, but this season touches on that in a lighter way. Kaylee wants to build a community center in San Juan. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, but she doesn't get any impute from any Puerto Rican people. You know, the very people she claims to want to help. She's also pretty clueless about Puerto Rican culture and history. It reminds me of what happened when the slums of London got torn down in the Edwardian era. The social reformers wanted to help the poor and destitute, but they didn't both talking to the poor, and finding out what they wanted/needed. As result, most of the former slum dwellers didn't meet the residency requirements for the new public housing that was built in place of the slums. Oh, they got monetary compensation, but only enough for a night or two in a boarding house.

Josie has an assistant in San Juan named Lalo. He runs ghost tours when he's not working at the comic shop. That's interesting because there was a bonus episode from last season where Alexa and Beni meet a ghost pirate. It was especially notable in that the supernatural never factored into the plot before. The time travel is explained as really advanced science. Said ghost pirate also mentions guanín as his treasure of choice. We got the guanín hunt, but no ghost pirates to be seen. I wonder if something happened behind the scenes necessitating a rewrite, and Lalo's side job was a vestige of the original plan.

We have all these elements that could make for a theme, but none of them quite hit the critical mass to become the overarching theme of the season. I also wonder why this season was only eight episodes, rather than the ten we got with the first two seasons. It further adds to speculations that something happened behind the scenes. Like many audio dramas, the COVID-19 Pandemic impacted the production of season three of Timestorm. I'm just not sure to exactly what degree it did.

We're about to get into the spoilers, but before we do, I want to take a moment to be clear. I did very much enjoy this season of Timestorm. The writing was still very much on-point. The acting was just as excellent as always. There was clearly a lot of love and dedication put into this season, as is to be expected from Timestorm.

But now we must get into the spoilers. So, if you don't want any of that, turn back now.

Last chance, you sure you want to continue?

Well, if everyone who wants out is gone, let's get into it.

So, how do Alexa and Beni resolve the question of who gets the guanín artifacts. Well, one of them is a container that belonged to Horacio's dad, so Horacio gets to keep that one. As for the rest, they decide that the artifacts belong to the land itself. With that in kind thy decide...to throw the artifacts into the sea. Um, what? I know they said it was about giving them back to the land and...wait, if they were giving them to the land, why did they throw them into the ocean? What was the thought process? If we can't figure out who can have it, then nobody can have it?

It feels like one of two things happened. One possibility is that Dania Ramos painted herself into a corner and couldn't think of a proper resolution. The other possibility is that the ending was going to be different, but then something happened behind the scenes, and it necessitated a rewrite. Tying into that is that the possibility that Timestorm had to end sooner than expected, and the ending got rushed. The pacing of the final episode did feel a bit rushed in places.

To be fair, the questions raised by this season of Timestorm aren't easy to answer. As the podcast itself notes, there aren't very many pure-blooded Tainos left; but there are many people who, to varying degrees, have Taino ancestry. But who, if any, should get the artifacts? How do you determine that? Moreover, sometimes the correct answer isn't clear cut. For example, many people believe that the Elgin Marbles should be returned to Greece. However, given how much economic and political turmoil Greece has been going through, a case can be made that it would be better for them to stay in the British Museum. During the Arab Spring, there was concern about archeological and historical artifacts in Egyptian Museum in Cairo being damaged or looted. Thankfully, baring a few minor incidents, this didn't happen. Ironically, it was the gift shops that got targeted by looters, such as they were.

Point is, sometimes there aren't any easy answers when it comes to who archeological artifacts belong to. But I still maintain that throwing the artifacts into the sea felt like a cop-out. There's also a point where Alexa and Beni briefly travel into the future. We see that a community center has been built by Josie and Lalo. It is the site of a protest about...well, actually, we don't find out what the people were protesting. In the grand scheme of things, it isn't important. Though the way the scene is written makes it look like the people are protesting the community center itself. This gives the unfortunate impression that Josie and Lalo screwed-up really badly, or possibly did something morally questionable, and the Ventura twins needed to set them straight.

It is too bad Mr. and Mrs. Ventura never found out about their children's time traveling adventures. It would make things easier for Alexa and Beni, not having to constantly make-up excuses and stories. Also, the family is planning a trip to Puerto Rico, and Josie's magic tapestry would be a great way to save on airfare. That, and you don't have to be stuck on a plane for hours on end.

I remember when my family went to Puerto Rico. We left from the Dallas Airport, since Shreveport only has a regional airport. It was a four-ish hour flight, possibly a bit longer. We were all in coach class, which meant cramped leg room, and no room to recline the seats. The food wasn't much better. The main offerings were sandwiches of questionable quality. Oh, and they weren't free; you had to pay for them on-top of your ticket price. Guess it was marginally better than my aunt, uncle, and cousins who started from San Diego. They live in Temecula, California. I really wished I could magically teleport to and from San Juan. I shudder to think how much time starting from New Jersey adds to the plane ride.

On that note, I think I visited the tower Alexa and Beni go to in this season...possibly. I'm not sure if it was the exact same one, but I remember it was a tower in the middle of the rainforest, and the view at the top was absolutely gorgeous. I also remember there were lots of signs that said "don't pet the mongooses, they will bite you. I'd always wanted to visit a tropical rainforest, so I had a good time.   

It's too bad that Sonia never got in on the fun. She was the only character, besides Mr. and Mrs. Ventura, not to know. Even Datu from the New Jersey branch of Taino comics found out, but not Sonia. Though I did like the song she sings for the radio contest. Also, season one set up Thad as a major recurring character, but he fell off the face of the Earth after season one. Not a complaint, just an observation. Perhaps his actor had other commitments, or there just wasn't much else to do with the character. And this is a random aside, but I love the new series title card we have for season three.

I realize I sounds like I'm being a bit negative. I just want to emphasize that, overall, I did very much enjoy season three of Timestorm. The writing was still, overall, strong. The cast also gave great performances as usual.  

I had a few theories on what would happen if Timestorm ever officially came to an end. I thought for sure that, somehow, Horacio would manage to free himself from the Timestorm, and move-in with the Ventura family. However, it appears I was wrong, and that never happened. But that does make sense. 

The series ends with Alexa and Beni being summoned to the Timestorm for another mission. I liked how they take a moment to revisit the artifacts they've collected over the course of the series. It is a reminder of how far they've come, and the lessons they've learned along the way.

There is a strong vibe of "And the adventure continues" with the ending. It felt less like "Goodbye forever" and more like "Goodbye for now." Dania has said it might be possible that Timestorm will return one day. However, if it does, and I must emphasize what a big if that is, it will be several years from now. For the moment, Dania and company are moving on to other things. Specifically, she and Timestorm's music producer and sound designer Michael J. Aquino are working season two of the audio drama Time Trip! As the name suggests, it is also a time travel audio drama, but takes a more comedic approach than Timestorm. Personally, I found Time Trip! a bit too silly for my liking, but perhaps I'll give it another chance. Fun fact, Time Trip! was one of the things Orlando Segarra was involved with before he was cast as Horacio in Timestorm.

I wish everyone involved in Timestorm the best in all their future endeavors. Thank you too all the actors who contributed their voices to the podcast. I hope to see you in many future audio dramas. Thank you to the writers, cultural consultants, sound designers and engineers, and the other behind the scenes heroes. And thank you for quoting my first review and linking to it on Cocotazo Media's page for Timestorm. I want you all to know that it really meant a lot to me to see my review quoted alongside many other top audio drama critics and reviewers.

And thank you to everyone who gave Timestorm a chance because of these reviews. I hope it taught you more about Puerto Rican history, and brought some entertainment into your life. Really, I hope all of my reviews help you find your next favorite listens.

Well, I think that should do it from me for now. I will see you guys next time.

Book Review: The Dragon Lantern by Alan Gratz

You guys seemed to have enjoyed my review of the first book in Alan Gratz's League of Seven series. Well, I have some very good news for all you. We are reviewing the second book in the series today. So, without further ado, let's get into it. We're taking a look at The Dragon Lantern.

Archie Dent and his friends Fergus and Hachi are continuing their mission as the founders of a new League of Seven. To that end, they've traveled to the city of Cahokia in the Clouds to retrieve the Dragon Lantern. It is an artifact from the civilization of Mu, and they hope it will give them a major advantage against the Mangleborn. Unfortunately, they lose the lantern almost as quickly as they find it. So, the team decides to split-up. Archie and Mr. Rivets head out to the western territories to track down the thief. Meanwhile, Hachi and Fergus follow a tip to New Orleans. They hope to track down the woman responsible for the death of Hachi's father. There's plenty more steampunk adventures in an alternate America to be had, but is splitting up the team really the best idea?

The League of Seven started off strong with an excellent first novel. The Dragon Lantern not on keeps up the momentum, but is even better than its predecessor. There's plenty of new exciting details to add to the worldbuilding. First of all, what is Cahokia in the Clouds? In our world, Cahokia was a major settlement in southwestern Illinois, not too far from where St. Louis is, during pre-Columbian times. It had widespread agriculture and irrigation, but was most famous of its massive earthwork mounds. If the artifacts that have been found are anything to go on, then Cahokia might have been able to rival the civilizations of pre-Columbian Mesoamerica and the Andes in terms of advancement. Of course, given that the people Cahokia left no written records, we know frustratingly little about their civilization.

In the world of The League of Seven, however, Cahokia was never abandoned. These days, it is owned by the Illini people. Although, in a twist of irony, St. Louis was abandoned following the awakening of the Mangleborn. It is only remembered as a former French settlement. Anyway, there are technically two Cahokias; the one on the ground is call Cahokia on the Plaines, and the one in the sky is called Cahokia in the Clouds. Cahokia in the Clouds started as a massive hot air balloon connected to the ground by an equally massive cable. It was built by Mu; another of those lost civilizations like Atlantis, but said in the Pacific. Cahokia in the Clouds was used as a docking port for airships over the years, and before long people began hanging entire buildings off of the great balloon.

By the present day, Cahokia in the Clouds is a massive layered dangling city crisscrossed by walkways and gangplanks. It is a popular destination during the hot summer months. Sounds a bit too acrophobia for my liking, but different strokes for different folks, I suppose. Cahokia in the Clouds also serves as the prison for the giant Antaeus, who is a Mangleborn. He was defeated by Heracles, but Antaeus being a king in Greece was just the cover story. Antaeus will remain frozen as a statue as long as he never touches the Earth.

There are also more appearances from real world historical figures. Archie gets a ride thanks to George Armstrong Custer. He's a captain in the United Nations Steam-Man Corp. The United Nations of America has about ten or so giant steam-powered mechas. Each of them is ten stories tall, super strong, and can shoot aether blasts out of their arm cannons. In many ways, they're kind of like battleships that travel on the land. The one Custer commands is named Colossus. Colossus is used for border skirmishes with the Sioux. So, Custer is still fighting the Sioux, but Colossus' crew is almost entirely composed of Native Americans; so, two steps forward, one step back, and all that.

There is one notable non-Native America among the crew: a black kid named Clyde. He's training to help pilot Colossus, and is a natural-born leader. He spent many years in an orphanage, but he doesn't let that get him down. He's nearly always cheery and upbeat, and has a kind word for everyone. Naturally, it isn't long before Archie recruits Clyde to the League. It is good that Clyde knows how to pilot Colossus. At one point, Colossus becomes possessed by the spirit of a dog named Buster. Colossus, or rather Buster, will only obey Clyde  If you want to know exactly how that happened, well, you'll have to read the book for that one.

Well, things were getting a bit animesque once the giant robots got introduced, but that's just makes it even more so. Clyde‘s like the protagonists of one of those animes where there's some giant robots or mecha, but only the protagonist can command and/or pilot it. Get in the robot, Clyde  He wouldn't need my promoting, but I couldn't help myself.

So, now let's talk about Hachi and Fergus in New Orleans. I was a bit wary when I saw that voodoo was going to play a major role in the New Orleans storyline. If you'll recall, last time, Alan Gratz tried to pass a Billy Graham quote off as Cherokee wisdom. There were a lot of potential pitfalls and stereotypes that Gratz could fall into if he wasn't careful. Thankfully, I'm pleased to report that this did not happen...for the most part. We'll get to what wasn't good in a minute. We're going to focus on the positive for now. Early on, Hachi and Fergus meet Marie Laveau. She was a practitioner of Voodoo, but did so out of religious devotion. Voodoo is a religion like any other. Most of that stuff about charms and spells is called Hoodoo. There were practitioners of both in New Orleans, and there was a bit of cross-pollination between the two.

Laveau played up her reputation as a Voodoo queen to scam gullible white people out of their money. Before you think too harshly of her, I'd remind you that a black woman in 19th Century New Orleans didn't have very good prospects for employment.

The League of Seven version of Marie Laveau does seem to have at least a few legitimately magical powers. However, magic is a fact of life in the world of The League of Seven, so that is perfectly excusable. Moreover, the vast majority of the time, Laveau prefers to use trickery, sleight of hand, and misdirection, rather than magic, to get things done. One detail I like is that, at certain points, Laveau wear a white robe and a white headdress. That is the traditional attire of a voodoo priestess. I also liked that it is emphasized that the point of voodoo is to serve the loa. They aren't gods per se, but they largely fill that role in voodoo. Voodoo teaches that there is supreme creator deity, but he isn't involved much in daily life. So, daily life is overseen by the loa. You serve them, and pray through them, but don't actually worship them directly. It is important to note that Voodoo is the result of fusing traditional West African religions with Roman Catholicism.

Now let's talk about the Kingdom of Louisiana itself. Shortly after the Mangleborn rose in 1775, Aaron Burr gathered an army and marched on New Orleans. He then proclaimed himself as King of Louisiana. The Kingdom of Louisiana comprises the states of Louisiana and Arkansas from our world. As of 1875, Aaron Burr's daughter, Theodosia, is the current monarch of Louisiana. In our world, Aaron Burr did indeed take part in a scheme to carve out a new nation somewhere in the American West. Where exactly is subject to some debate; many historians say Louisiana, but others say Texas, or the Southwest. However, he was only able to attempt this thanks to the many connections he'd made over the years. Burr simply did not have these connections in 1775. I enjoy alternate histories with independent Louisianas, don't get me wrong, but Burr establishing a kingdom in 1775 is too early to be considered realistic.

Louisiana doesn't really use Tick-Tocks like America does, but it compensates by using zombies to supplement the military and workforce. Vodou, the Haitian equivalent Voodoo, has a special class of priests called bokors. They serve the loa with both hands. That means, they can perform rituals that some might describe as black magic. However, it is important to emphasize that, in this context, black magic is not the same as evil. There are certain spirits in Vodou that are said to be bribable, and for a price, they can help you out. If you want to make a deal with the spirits, a bokor will act as the middle man. Bokor are also useful for making zombies. In Vodou, zombies are believed to be revived as mindless slaves, not flesh-eating monsters.

Louisiana does have a few particularly notable zombies on-hand. For example, Andrew Jackson served as a general in the army of Louisiana, but he died twenty years before the event of The League of Seven. So, he was revived as a zombie, and serves as Queen Theodosia's personal bodyguard. Quite ironic, as Jackson was one of the people responsible for getting Aaron Burr tried for treason in our world.

There's an amusing scene where zombies are going crazy in the throne room, so Fergus decides to make a magnet. He mentions how gold won't be magnetically attracted. Shortly after this, pretty much every gold object in the room comes flying at him. Queen Theodosia has to sheepishly admit Louisiana has been going through some tough economic times for the past few decades. Let's see, corrupt government, economic turmoil, hot and humid weather. As someone who is actually from Louisiana, I can attest that this all checks out. Also, I sure hope somebody invented steampunk air conditioning units; because if not, and with all the other steam-powered machines being used, Louisiana is going to be hell on Earth. Well, more so than usual. That goes for the rest of the South as well.

Okay, now we get into the main flaw with the Louisiana storyline. At one point, Helena Blavatsky, who killed Hachi's father, summons the loa Baron Samedi. He is portrayed reasonably correct. He loves to party, drink rum, and is a shameless ladies' man. Hey, he's the lord of the dead, and you don't have to worry about proper behavior when you're dead. However, he's also portrayed as being evil, and wanting to take over New Orleans. The loa can be temperamental, and easily offended, but they are not evil. Baron Samedi is not evil just because he is connected to the dead. His wife Maman Brigitte also appears, and at first it looks like she's going to be good, but no, she's evil too. She also has storm powers, despite Maman Brigitte not being associated with storms. Damn it, Alan! And you were doing so well too!

What's more it is mentioned that the loa are actually aspects of a Mangleborn, known as Le Grande Zombi, that is buried beneath Lake Pontchartrain. Salt repels it and puts it to sleep, and usually the waters of the lake are brackish enough to keep it sedated. Pretty much everything from mythology and folklore is connected to either the League, the Mangleborn, or both in the League of Seven universe. However, having the loa being an aspect of a Mangleborn plays into the "Voodoo is basically Satanism" trope.

As an aside, Helena Blavatsky was a real Russian person who was involved in the occult. She mentions she came to America after Napoleon invaded Russia. So, the Mangleborn took over the Old World, but Napoleon still conquered Europe? And he was more successful than in our world? Was Napoleon a Manglespawn, or otherwise working for the Mangleborn?

Let's move back to the Western storyline. Last time, I wondered how the presence of the Tick-Tocks impacted slavery. Turns out, slavery never happened in the world of the League of Seven. Black people came to America of their own volition. We also frequently see women serving in the armed forces, and in positions of authority, without issue. It seems that Alan Gratz wanted to create an alternate 19th Century free from the racism and sexism that characterized the decade in our world. Though, that's not to say there are no social issues in the Leagueverse.

Tick-Tocks have certain limitations built into them. They can't deliberately harm a human, they can't disobey an order, and they can't lie. If pressed for sensitive, or otherwise classified information, they are programmed to respond "I'm afraid I can't say." Well, most Tick-Tocks have these limitations. Mark-3 Tick-Tocks were built without these limits, and thus had genuine free will. They could also wind their own springs and insert their own talent cards. However, this meant they could back talk to their owners, and question their orders. Many revolts and uprisings ensued, and Mark-3s were discontinued. For reference, Mr. Rivets is a Mark-1, and the latest model as of 1875 is the Mark-4. It is mentioned there was a particularly large uprising lead by a Tick-Tock named Mr. Turner in 1831. So, yeah, apparently Nat Turner was a robot in the Leagueverse. Though, confusingly, it is mentioned that the Haitian Revolution still occurred. Was it a robot uprising? Was Toussaint Louverture a robot?

Of course, Nat Turner isn't the only robot of note. Jesse James is a Tick-Tock outlaw. He and his gang kidnap other Tick-Tocks, and give them upgrades to make them more like Mark-3s. The James Gang is based out of Dodge City in the nation of Wichita. It's called Dodge City because it is the site of a major biohazard. Well, that's what the signs around it claim. Robots don't have to worry about such things, but humans try their best to avoid it at all cost. In other words, they dodge around it.

The hunt for the lantern thief leads Archie and company across quite a bit of western North America. I was pleased that we finally got to see the mobile city of Cheyenne. I was even more pleased that we finally to see Beikoku. I'd been especially interested in them. Beikoku is a Japanese colony located about where Washington state is, and also includes a few bits of Idaho and Montana. Unlike the nations of the Americas, Japan doesn't hide the existence of the Mangleborn from its citizens. All citizens of Japan work together to fight the Mangleborn. As a result, Japan is one of the only places in Asia not to fall to the Mangleborn. The cities of Japan and Beikoku are defended by giant steam-powered mecha samurai. Japan established Beikoku to supplement their food supply, and to mine for materials to make more mecha samurai.

The capital of Beikoku is Ametokai. It is located where Seattle is in our world. It has lots of tea shops, but it has even more coffee shops. Clyde thinks it's all a bit much. By far the most popular coffee chain is Queequegs. It's a joke about how Starbucks got its start in Seattle; and that it gets its name from the character of the same name from Moby Dick. From this, we must assume that Herman Melville still had a noteworthy literary career. Ametokai also has an underground city where numerous illegal activities take place. This further reinforces that Ametokai is an alternate version of Seattle. Seattle has a very famous underground city dating back to the 19th Century.

Interestingly, when Archie and company first arrive in Beikoku, Mr. Rivets has to act as their translator. Most of the Native American nations speak English without issue, but Beikoku uses Japanese as its primary language. Also, the way the dialog of the Japanese characters is written suggest they are speaking with accents. This is in contrast to the Native American characters, who lack any noticeable accents.

So, who is the mysterious lantern thief? She's a girl with fox ears and a tail named Kitsune. Her name and appearance are an obvious nod to the shapeshifting fox women of Japanese Mythology. She's a compulsive liar, and likes to troll people just for shits and giggles. In fact, she gives Archie at least three or four different versions of her backstory. Kitsune also has the power to cast illusions. However, Tick-Tocks are immune to the effects of her illusions. She grew up in an abusive orphanage, but escaped, and became quite skilled at stealing and pickpocketing. But her mischievous nature is what I love about her, and I was very pleased that she joined the League. Well, that and I've got a soft spot for fox girls.

Archie's half of the League also briefly stops in the Republic of California. For some reason, San Francisco is called Don Fransisco. The Golden Gate Bridge is there ahead of schedule, but that's because it was built by Mu. It is cover in pagoda roofs, and has dragons and lions on either end. It would seem that Mu was the forerunner of Chinese Civilization. If I did have one complaint about the Western storyline, it is that we moved around so much where barely get to explore any of the places the characters visit. This is a real shame, as based on what we do get to see they all seem fascinating.

Also, as a random aside, at one point a character mentions that Yankee people have invented some sort of cheese and tomato pies. Cheese and tomato pie is a thing that exists, but I think what he meant was pizza. So, despite not have any Italian immigrants in sufficient numbers, the United Nations of America somehow invented pizza. Granted, I suppose it isn't impossible that some cook might go "I wonder what would happen if I put cheese and tomato sauce on this dough and stuck it in an oven?" But it is still pretty odd.

I'll also take a moment to plug the audiobook version. It is once again narrated by James Fouhey, who keeps up the good work.

Okay, now we're getting into the spoilers. So, if you don't want any of that, turn back now.

Last chance, you sure you want to continue?

Well, okay then, if everyone who wants out is gone, let's get into it.

Let's back track a little to Dodge City. Just what sort of biohazard was going on there? Well, turns out it used to be a secret Septemberist research facility. Back in 1850, the Septemberists decided to create an artificial League of Seven, rather than wait around for a new league to rise. They gathered several children and exposed them to the power of the Dragon Lantern. What does it do? It activates latent Mangleborn DNA within humans. It is estimated that at least forty percent of all humans have at least some Mangleborn DNA. Kitsune was also exposed to the Dragon Lantern at some point, and that's why she has fox ears and a tail.

One of the most promising kids was an Illini girl named Sings in the Night. The Dragon Lantern gave her bird wings and bird feet. She built, essentially, a cryogenic preservation chamber. Good thing too, because that's what saved her after the other kids went crazy and started killing everyone. The Septemberists decided to cut their losses, released a virus to kill their failed test subjects, and washed their hands of the whole affair. The virus is long gone, but they keep the biohazard signs up to keep nosy people out of Dodge. I liked how this added some shades of grey to the conflict. It shows that the Septemberists aren't above performing morally questionable acts in the name of defeating the Mangleborn. The implication being that they view the ends as always justifying the means.

As you might imagine, Sings in the Night is shocked to wake up twenty-five years in the future. She's initially hesitant, understandably, to join Archie's league. However, after mulling it over, she decides she can trust them, and that she doesn't have many other options. Sings in the Night is a bit shy and nervous, but she does start to open-up more as the book goes on. Personally, I was very excited when she joined the League. It was nice to have more than one Native American on the team. One of my complaints from the first book was that it looked like Hachi would be the sole Native American on the team, despite how much Native Americans factor into the plot. Sings in the Night being from the past also presented many excited opportunities. It would be a great way to compare how North America has changed over the decades, and expand on the worldbuilding.

Things were looking great, but sadly, it was not to be. You see, there was one other survivor of the Dodge City lab. Sings knew her as Mina, but she grew up to be Philomena Moffit, the current leader of the Septemberist Society. Mrs. Moffit has gone a tad insane over the years, and wants to use the Dragon Lantern to mutate as many people as possible. Also, her lower body is entirely composed of octopus tentacles. That’s the reason she always wears large hoop skirts. For some reason, none of the Septemberists ever noticed this.

I bring this up because Mrs. Moffat kills Sing in the Night when Archie's half of the League visit Alcatraz Island. I mean, wow, Alan Gratz was not messing around. At the same time, I'm as appalled and outraged as Archie was. We barely got to know Sings, she had so much potential, and now she's dead! Well, at least Kitsune gave her a traditional Illini burial. Oh, and then it briefly looks like she survived. Nope! Just an illusion Kitsune casted. Wow, way to twist the knife in, Alan.

Oh, but Archie isn't done getting traumatized just yet. Turns out he's, basically, a golem. He was carved from stone and bathed in the blood of 100 men. Thus, he has the strength of 100 men. Oh, and did I mention Hachi's dad was one of those men? Well, Archie has officially been run through the wringer, and this is all probably going to play major roles in book three.

Well, at least there is one silver lining. Queen Theodosia is dead, and the people of New Orleans picked Marie Laveau as their new queen. She's going to reveal the presence of the Mangleborn. That way, everyone in Louisiana can work together to fight the Mangleborn. And we find out how she constantly jumps between different bodies: she doesn't. Her two masked assistants are her mother and daughter, and they all take turns being Marie Laveau. That way, everyone will be on the same page, and able to keep up the illusion. That defiantly sound like something the Marie Laveau of our world would do. A good resolution to the Louisiana storyline.

Okay, this review has gone on for way longer than I intended. Suffice it to say, The Dragon Lantern is a more then worthy second entry to The League of Seven series, and an excellent follow-up to the first novel. It’s full steam ahead for more action, adventure, and alternate history. I can't wait to see where the rest of this series goes.

Well, I think that should do it from me for now. I will see you guys next time.

The Audio File: Residents of Proserpina Park: Season 1

If you've read this blog for a while, you should have a reasonably good idea about my likes and tastes. Obviously, audio drama, and audio fiction in general, is a big part of that. You should also probably know that I enjoy mythology, and I'm always happy to find audio dramas based around mythology. So, with all of that in mind, on to today's review. We're taking a look at season one Residents of Proserpina Park.

Residents of Proserpina Park begins with a frame story. It begins with our unarmed narrator listening to some recordings that her brother gave her. They're made by a young woman named Alina, who is investigating rumors of a mysterious secret park, known as Proserpina Park. It's part of an assignment for journalism class. Alina found more than she bargained for. Turns out, Proserpina Park is a sanctuary for all the mythical creatures from across World Mythology and Folklore. Fortunately, she's not exploring the park alone. Alina meets a guy named Sam, who is something of a park resident himself. Each episode sees Alina learn more about the various creatures who call Proserpina Park their home.

I'd been meaning to review this audio drama for a while. However, it was when the official Residents of Proserpina Park Twitter account asked if people would review that show that I finally got my motivation. I just wanted to make sure there wouldn't be any unexpected bonus episode before I did a formal review. But that didn't happen, so, now here we are.

I'd argue that, in many ways, Residents of Proserpina Park is an edutainment show. It sets out to teach listeners about different mythological creatures in a fun and entertaining way. Most episodes follow roughly same format; Alina will arrive at the park, meet Sam, and then Sam will tell her about a new creature, and explain the creature's origins and mythological significance. Usually, the recordings end right before Alina and Sam go to actually see the creature in question. Though, later episodes do shake up the format a bit. Alina starts exploring the park on her own, and bringing friends along, something Sam tells her she must never do. Some creatures, particularly the ones with human-level intelligence, do also make on-screen, for lack of a better way of putting it, appearances.

For example, on her first trip to the park with friends, Alina encounters a kappa. The kappa stops to chat for a bit, and is kind enough not to eat anyone's liver. Also, the Jersey Devil is the park's ranger, and identifies as non-binary. Well, I guess the legends never specified what gender the Jersey Devil is. When Alina first meets the Jersey Devil, JD says something to the effect of "What makes me weird to you? Disproportionate head-to-body ratio? Is it that I have bat-wings even though I'm mostly mammal?" Uh, JD, quick question, you do know that bats are mammals, right?

So, anyway, from this encounter we learn that some creatures choose to live in the outside world. It helps that they have people who genuinely believe in them. Bigfoot and Mothman are specifically mentioned. JD doesn't like them very much, because they tend to hog the cryptid spotlight. JD claims that many kids today have never heard of the Jersey Devil. That seems a bit odd, as I've seen the Jersey Devil mentioned frequently in cryptozoology media. But maybe I'm not the best gage of these things.

Some people believe that creatures like Sasquatch, the Jersey Devil, and the Loch Ness Monster are part of a modern-day mythology of a sort. Personally, I agree with that. Not just because they're mysterious creatures that some people believe in, but also for what they represent. Take Mothman, for example. His sightings first began in 1966 and 1967. That was a time of great technological and social progress in America. However, it was also during the Cold War, when the threat of nuclear war constantly hung over everyone's heads. Especially so, given how recently the Cuban Missile Crisis had occurred. Perhaps, then, we can see Mothman to represent the anxieties about rapid technological change. What unforeseen consequences might all this new technology bring? What new horrors might science unwittingly unleash upon the world?

Perhaps Bigfoot, and cryptids in general, represent our desire for there to still be a bit of mystery and wonder still left in the world. Jersey Devil is a bit closer to a traditional mythological creature. Its story was used to teach kids to be careful in the woods. Though, you can also read certain sexist undertones to the story. The Jersey Devil was born as it is because it's mother, who already had twelve kids, said "I don't want another child. Let this one be the Devil!" So, you can read that as being a condemnation of women who tried to defy the social expectations of the 18th Century. It is worth nothing that the part of New Jersey the Jersey Devil is claimed to be from was home to a large Quaker community in the 18th Century. Quite ironic, given that Quakers have become quite progressive, and supportive of women's rights these days.

Anyway, at another point Alina meets an alien that disguises itself as a dog. It gave itself the very creative name Dog. Dog really looks like one of those stereotypical Grey aliens; the ones with the big heads and big black eyes. Again, I'd argue this is modern mythology of a sort. Tales of alien abduction aren't all that dissimilar from tales of people being taken to the Land of Faerie. Well, there might be another explanation. Some people with exceptionally good memories are capable of remembering their own birth. Many have notes that the general description of the Greys isn't too dissimilar to how a newborn baby might perceive doctors. Perhaps, people claiming to have been abducted by aliens are subconsciously remembering their birth.

But don't worry, there are plenty of creatures from traditional mythology. In fact, they make up the bulk of the park's population. I found both creatures I was familiar with, and new ones to learn about. On the ones I knew about side, I was familiar with the antlions. As their name suggests, they have the body of an ant and the head of a lion. They appeared a lot in medieval bestiaries. The lion part craves meat, but the ant part can only digest grain. Medieval bestiaries were full of all sorts of weird creatures like that.

On the unfamiliar side, I got to learn about Bulgae. They're dogs from Korean Mythology who chase the sun and moon across the sky. When one of them bites the sun, it causes an eclipse. I also learned about the Aralez from Armenian Mythology. They're large dogs with feathery wings, and can heal people simply by licking them. That's interesting, because I remember that the second Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children book made mention of a Peculiar dog that could heal anything with its licks. I wonder if it was a reference to the Aralez?

I also learned about the Yumboes from Wolof Mythology. They're kind of like fairies, but they're really spirits of the dead. I should clarify that's fairies in the helpful nature spirit sense, not the play mean-spirited ticks sense. They've only really been documented by the Irish writer Thomas Keightley; based on his childhood in Senegal. Series creator, and voice of Alina, Angela Yih agonized about including them, before deciding to do so. Lack of primary sources is a problem with a lot of mythologies that come from pre-literate societies. Well, that and there not being many stories that managed to get written down. Irish and Welsh Mythology, for example, have some large holes in them, and Slavic Mythology is practically non-existent. Slavic Folklore is a bit better preserved, but it is still frustrating.

The point is, sometimes with these things you just have to do your best, and hope that it all works out. I will add that there are other fairy-like creatures from African Mythology. The Mmoatia, from the mythology of the Akan people of Ghana and the Ivory Coast, come to mind. The spider god Anansi had to capture a Mmoatia as part of his four tasks. Once Anansi completed the tasks his father, the sky god Nyame, would give Anansi a box full of stories.

Now let's talk about the people who make Residents of Proserpina Park possible. I've already briefly mentioned series creator, and voice of Alina, Angelia Yih. She describes herself as, and I quote, "a weeb who still writes Percy Jackson fanfiction. And a total mythology nerd." Ah, clearly a woman after my own heart. The narrator is played by Vida Shi. In addition to voicing characters in audio dramas, she also has a career as a VTuber. For those who don't know, VTubing is that thing where you create a digital avatar, craft a persona around said avatar, and play video games and do live streams and stuff. And thus, one of the biggest twists of season one was a metafictional one.

Sam is voiced by G3, who actually looks pretty spot-on for how I envision Sam. Sara Roncero Menedez voices Dog. She's a big horror fan, and has advocated for more horror-based creatures to appear in season two. Based on a casting call that has been put out, it looks like we'll be getting to meet the Aswang from Filipino Mythology come season two. There are several other very talented contributors to Residents of Proserpina Park, but I think we need to wrap things up soon. But suffice it to say, the rest of the cast are all very talented, and their contributions are appreciated.

Okay, now we have to get into some spoilers for the end of season one. So, if you don't want any of that, turn back now.

Last chance, you sure you want to continue?

Well, okay. If everyone who wants out is gone, let's get into it.

I had wondered if Sam might be some sort of creature for a while. Or at least, that he's not entirely human. He can’t hear the Jersey Devil when they talk, and that's bound to be significant. I wondered if, somehow, he might be an atheist. That is, he lacks sincere belief, and that limits how he can perceive the creatures of the park. But then how do you account for Alina? She didn't believe in anything, but could see Cerberus for what he actually is. Granted, she was awfully blasé about meeting a three-headed dog with snakes around its necks, but still.

Then another thought occurred to me. If creatures from mythology are still around, then what about the gods? Could it be that Sam is a demigod of some sort? Well, towards the end of season one, Alina and company are searching for Chinese dragons, and Dog mentions that the Aztec feathered serpent god Quetzalcoatl lives in Proserpina Park. This certainly added further fuel to my speculations, but then the season one finally happened. Sam got an unexpected visit from his cousin, who is a Greek demigod.

What does this mean? What are the implications here? Well, I guess we'll just have to wait and see. Also, Quetzalcoatl being at Proserpina Park has interesting implications. Are any other gods at the park? Is it just the ones that look like animals, or are the human-looking ones there too? Sam mentioned that Proserpina Park isn't the only mythological nature reserve in the world. What are the other ones like? What sort of creatures do they hold?

If mythological creatures exists because people believe in them, did they pop into the world ex nihilo? Or did the world change so that, retroactively, they always existed. Like in that issue of Neil Gaiman's Sandman where it turns out cats used to be the dominate species, until humans dreamed the world into what it is now.

There's plenty of fertile ground for material for season two. And I have full confidence that Angela and her team will make the most of it. Season one was absolutely fantastic, and I can't wait to see what season two has in store for us.

Well, there you have it. Residents of Proserpina Park is a fun and entertains way to learn about creatures from across World Mythology. Season one was absolutely amazing, and season two looks to be just as amazing, if not more so. Episodes are typically about eleven or twelve minutes, so season one is easily bingeable. And I would strongly advise you to do so as quickly as possible if you haven't already.

Well, I think that should do it from me for now. I will see you guys next time.

The Audio File: Alba Salix, Royal Physician

As I've said, on multiple occasions, sometimes it takes a bit before I get to some of the more popular, or more recommended, audio dramas out there. However, I usually wind-up falling in love with them once I finally give them a listen. Without further preamble, let's get into today's review. We're taking a look at Alba Salix, Royal Physician.

Once upon a time, in a kingdom far, far away, there lives a witch named Alba Salix. She's the head of the House of Healing, and oversees all the medical clinics in the Kingdom of Farloria. Alba is joined by her assistant, a fairy named Holly. She's the chief herbalist at the House of Healing. Recently, the House of Healing has also taken on a former monk named Magnus. He's providing public service in lieu of a debt he owes. There's plenty of laughs and fun times to be had as the House of Healing team handles a new case each episode.

I'd seen Alba Salix recommended a few times in the "you may also like" section of my Apple podcast app. However, what finally convinced me to give it a try was a promo I listened to. It played at the end of an episode of We Fix Space Junk I was listening to. Alba Salix, Royal Physician and We Fix Space Junk are both part of the Fable and Folly network of podcasts. It is the same network that Harlem Queen is part of. The promo sounded promising, but what really won me over was the theme music. It is a combination of Medieval-style flutes and modern electric guitars. Snippets of the theme music are used for scene transitions. It perfectly encapsulates the style that Alba Salix goes for; a stereotypical fairytale setting, but with modern humor and sensibilities. Also, the theme music sounds completely awesome. If only we had an extended version of it.

So, I figured, even if I didn't like the show, at least I'd get to listen to the awesome theme music. I gave it a try, genuinely enjoyed the episodes, and now here we are. You guys know my thing about how I prefer non-British accents in fantasy audio dramas. Well, Alba Salix is the first to give me Canadian accents in a fantasy setting. The production team is based in Toronto. I should add they don't sound stereotypically Canadian, except for Holly at times, but they don't sound British, and that is a net positive. Not that I'm completely opposed to British people on fantasy settings, but I find British accents to be over represented in fantasy. I feel that, at times, fantasy fiction is a bit like 19th Century India: it suffers an excess of British accents.

As you might have gathered, Alba Salix is a sitcom in a stereotypical fairytale world. And you might also recall my love of the Shrek movies, which took a similar approach to their setting. So, that was another point in favor of Alba Salix. There are plenty of nods and references to classic fairytales and fairytale adaptations. For example, while on an ingredient run gone wrong, Holly comes across a cottage full of three bowls of porridge. One is too hot, one is too cold, and one is just right. Naturally, said cottage is owned by a family of three bears. In another episode, cute little animals offer tips to help Magnus with his chores. However, he blows them off repeatedly, and they get miffed. So, when he finally gives in and asks for help, they give him deliberately bad advice to teach him a lesson.

Now, let's talk about the characters. We'll start with the title character herself. Alba is one of the only people in Farloria with more than a few atoms of common sense and rationality. As such, she plays the straight woman to the antics of Holly, Magnus, Queen Parabel, and pretty much everyone else in Farloria. She's cynical, grouchy, and snarky. But considering what she has to put up with on a daily basis, it isn't hard to see why. Still, despite it all, it is clear that, deep down, she does genuinely care about Holly and Magnus. You don't often see older female characters playing major roles in fantasy fiction, and Alba is a nice change of pace. Despite Alba being the title character, there were times it felt that Magnus and Holly were the true focus of the show. Though, I suppose that's a side effect of Alba serving as the voice of reason. Magnus and Holly can screw-up more easily than she can. Alba is voiced by Barbara Clifford.

Also, Alba's name is a bit of a pun. Salix alba is the scientific name for white willow. Its bark contains salicylic acid, which can be used to make aspirin.

Holly is a fairy who serves as the herbal specialist at the House of Healing. She's almost perpetually cheery, sunny, and happy-go-lucky. It's always really cute when she gets excited and says "Yay!" Holly likes to sing while she works, and is always eager to help out, but has a tendency to be a bit of scatterbrain. For example, she loves to cook, but believes that the most important part of cooking his having fun, rather than following recipes and directions. This line of thinking once resulted in a batch of cookies that caused everyone who ate them to sprout tails. Holly also has terrible handwriting, which causes issues with labeling ingredients. But hey, at least bad handwriting is expected in the medical profession. About the only thing that can truly rattle Holly is the fear that she might be a bad fairy. Thankfully, Alba always assures her that she's a good fairy.

Holly is voiced by Olivia Jon. Personally, I hope we'll learn how Holly came to work for Alba at some point. Holly definitely doesn't seem like someone Alba would seek out of her own volition.

Magnus used to be a monk at the Dragon Mountain Monastery. Unfortunately, due to a martial arts performance gone horribly wrong, he incurred quite a bit of debt. So, he's working for Alba as a form of community service. Magnus has a tendency to slack-off, and otherwise shirk his chores and assignments. He also isn't above scamming the patients in order to make quick money. He wants to learn magic, but has a rather cavalier towards safety and rules. Naturally, he tends to butt heads with Alba. Still, though she wouldn't be quick to admit it, deep down Alba does care about Magnus. It is hinted that Alba sees a lot of herself in Magnus. Magnus has a sort of brother-sister relationship with Holly. They argue and squabble, as siblings are want to do, but when the chips are down they're there for each other. Magnus is voiced by Julian Sark.

Parabel is Queen of Farloria and is also Alba's younger sister. Many years ago, King Gunther was turned into a goat by a curse. Three sisters came to the kingdom in hopes of breaking the curse. Alba was the oldest sister, and tried to use a spell, but it didn't work. Parabel was able to break the curse with true loves kiss. As such, King Gunther promptly married her once he became human again. True, Alba missed her shot at being queen, but she doesn't strike me as type who would enjoy that sort of lifestyle. And hey, she got to be head of the House of Healing. Like most siblings, they tend to bicker, and don't always see eye-to-eye. Parabel's royal decrees often given Alba no end of headaches. For example, at one point Parabel orders that the all gardens within sight of the palace be uprooted and filled with nice looking flowers. This included the herb garden at the House of Healing. Alba and the gang need those herbs to make potions and healing salves. Parabel is voiced by Marisa King.

Not much to say about King Gunther. He seems like a reasonably nice guy; if a bit too indulgent of Parabel at times. He is voiced by Geroge Bertwell, who also voiced the badgers from the time Holly and Magnus had to go to Badger Town. That was especially funny. The badgers all sounded like Mr. Meeseeks from Rick and Morty, and it made me laugh.

In season two, Alba and company have to put up with Antalia Pearcey. She's in charge of overseeing all magical things and practitioners in the kingdom. As such, she imposes some very strict regulations on the House of Healing. Alba and the gang constantly chafe under these regulations, but to be fair, Mrs. Pearcey did have a point about the House of Healing being disorganized, and that the jars needing better labels, and that making Magnus sleep in the old tool shed was a bit much. Actually, she raised a lot of good points, but seeing Alba and company trying to comply with the regulations made for good episodes. Antalia is voiced by Elaine O'Neal.

There is a series of mini-episodes that take place between seasons one and two. They're meant to help hold everyone over while season three is in production. They're really fun little vignettes that provide some amusing (mis)adventures for the characters. I particularly liked the one where Magnus and Holly had to collect dragon tears by going to a dragon opera. They had to deal with stuffy well-to-do dragons who considered them riff-raff. Another fun one is where Holly finds a pigeon, which she believes to be a person turned into a pigeon, and is determined to do whatever to take to help it. That one was written, and featured a guest appearance, by Beth Crane of We Fix Space Junk. From this, we must conclude that Alba Salix actually takes place in the world of We Fix Space Junk. Well, actually not really, but they are both members of Fable and Folly. And I'm just saying, we have seen a couple pseudo-medieval planets in We Fix Space Junk. 

There is another series set in the same world as Alba Salix, Royal Physician. It is called The Axe and Crown, and can be found in the same podcast feed Alba Salix is found in. The Axe and Crown follows a troll named Gubbin who owns a tavern, really more of a dive bar, named The Axe and Crown in the run-down part of town. Business is, if not exactly booming, then reasonably well. But the times they are a changing. The Axe and Crown has a new landlord named Stan. He's the son of the deceased former landlord, and is very excited to be part of The Axe and Crown, much to Gubbin's dismay. Before long, Gubbin's niece Betula comes to town to work for the black-market guild. Together, the three of them work together to keep their heads above water, and keep The Axe and Crown from going out of business.

Each season of The Axe and Crown is set between season of Alba Salix. They usually have twice as many episodes as Alba Salix, but the episodes are only half as long, so it evens out. Much of the comedy comes from the contrast between Gubbin and Stan's personalities, and general outlook on life. Gubbin is an almost stereotypical surly bar owner. He's cynical, sarcastic, and places an emphasis on practicality, and sticking with the way things have been. One of the biggest contrasts between Gubbin and most dive bar owners is that he is gay. His ex-boyfriend Johann used to be the head chef at The Axe and Crown, but then he cheated on Gubbin and run off to work at another pub. Gubbin was so heartbroken he boarded up the kitchen door for many years afterwards.

Stan, by contrast, is a wide-eyed idealist with a generally sunny disposition. He's kind of like one of those sheltered rich progressives who want to change the world, but don't have much in the way of real-world experience. He frequently gets knocked on his ass, literally and metaphorically, but always manages to dust himself off and get back up.

Betula is a bit like Gubbin, but with better social skills, and maybe not quite as cynical. Stan thinks she's the most beautiful woman he's ever met. Gubbin thinks Stan is nuts, well, more so than usual, but it is soon hinted that Betula returns Stan's feelings. Betula wants to try her hand at cooking. She's pretty good at making traditional troll foods. Unfortunately, troll food isn't exactly edible by human standards. But hey, at least she's learning and getting better.

As much as they can get on each other's nerves, at the end of the day, all three members of The Axe and Crown genuinely do care about each other. One of the biggest challenges facing The Axe and Crown is that a Bucket Pub has moved in across the street. They're a pub chain whose names are always something plus bucket; Badger and Bucket, Unicorn and Bucket, Walrus and Bucket, etc. They have many things that Stan is envious of, such as outdoor patios, brunch service, and designer craft beers. Many episodes of The Axe and Crown involve our main trio trying to outwit the Bucket Pub, or else take them down a peg.

The theme music for The Axe and Crown isn't quite as catchy as the theme music for Alba Salix, but it did grow on me with time. It involves a lot of snare drums and horn. It's unpolished and rough around the edge, just like the titular pub.

So, there you have it. Alba Salix, Royal Physician and The Axe and Crown, are fun and funny fairytale sitcoms. Don't wait around like I did, go give them both a listen today. They are well worth your time.

Well, I think that should do it from me for now. I will see you guys next time.

The Audio File: Becoming Mother Nature

Gen-Z Media is doing some really great work in the world of kid friendly audio dramas. They've got a good mix of genres to choose from. They've also decided to dip their toes into the world of superheroes. That brings us to the audio drama we'll be reviewing today. We're taking a look at Becoming Mother Nature, season 1 of The Natureverse. 

Twelve-year-old Chloe Lovejoy has a rather strained relationship with her mother, to put it lightly. Chloe has been sent to live with her grandmother in California so that they both have some space. Before long, however, Chloe discovers some startling secrets. Grandma Ivy is none other than Mother Nature herself. Moreover, Chloe herself is the latest in a long line of women who are destined to inherit the power of Mother Nature. Chloe's got a lot to learn, and she'll have to master it quick. There are dark forces at work that want to claim the power of Mother Nature for themselves.

I've had a pretty good track record with Gen-Z Media shows, and Become Mother Nature bowled a turkey for Gen-Z Media. That's a bowling term that means to get three strikes in a row; if you get it in the first frame of a bowling match it is called a sizzling turkey. So, when I first started listening to this podcast, I figured it was a standard urban fantasy show. Hey, nothing wrong with that, I love urban fantasy. However, the more I thought about it, I realize that I could better describe Becoming Mother Nature as a superhero audio drama. It's a little unconventional, but it's there. Chloe finds herself in possession of extraordinary powers, has to figure out how to master them, has a sidekick, and has to take down a man who is basically a supervillain.

I'm all in favor of more superheroes with magical urban fantasy style origins. Mother Nature is one of those characters, like the Sandman or the Tooth Fairy, that everyone knows of, but not many people can actually tell you anything her. There's a lot of wiggle room for interpretation. William Joyce certainly found a lot of wiggle room with his Guardians of Childhood book series. You might be familiar with its, criminally underrated, film adaption Rise of the Guardians. 

Personally, I think Becoming Mother Nature is a really fun take on a superhero origin story. I also appreciated that does touch on import life lessons. If there is a moral to Becoming Mother Nature, it is that you should be kind to other people, because you don't always know what they're going through. As I've stated, Chloe and her mom, Laurel, have a somewhat strained relationship. However, for as often as she screws up, Laurel does genuinely love Chloe, and wants to do right by here. Of course, at lot of Laurel's issues stem from the fact that she and Grandma Ivy had their own issues. Ivy did love Laurel, but her duties as Mother Nature meant that she couldn't always be there when Laurel needed her. It also meant she couldn't explain to Laurel why this was. Well, actually, I think a case can be made that Ivy should have been more trusting of Laurel in that regard. The Mother Nature powers always skip a generation, and are passed from grandmother to granddaughter.

I also like what the audio drama did with Felix. He's a boy that Chloe befriends, and he quickly becomes her sidekick/mentor. Felix, superhero fan that he is, practically jumps at the chance to be Chloe's sidekick. Felix works mission control for Chloe, and also provides moral support and guidance. Hmm, interesting. In these sorts of stories, it's usually the girl character who provides emotional support and advice. Nice to see Gen-Z Media mixing things up a bit. It was also nice to have a girl and boy as just friends with no hints of romance between them. Though, that might in part have been due to Chloe and Felix's age.

Of course, every superhero story also needs a supervillain. Becoming Mother Nature has Duncan Sunshine. He's a hotshot weatherman, and local celebrity, in the town the series takes place in. He's also been completely obsessed with Mother Nature ever since Grandma Ivy saved him during a storm when he was a little boy. More specifically, he wants to claim the power of Mother Nature for himself. So, he's kind of like Mr. Crocker from The Fairly Odd Parents, but as a genuinely threatening and competent villain. Duncan has a sidekick of his own in the form of his daughter, Raye O. Sunshine. She is involved in climate change activism, and claims she wants to save the planet. In reality, however, she's only in it for the fame and attention.

When I first listened to Becoming Mother Nature, I thought that Raye's name was spelled R-E-I. So, I envisioned the Sunshines being Asian-American. But I guess they were supposed to be more the blonde-haired blue-eyed All-American looking type.

I've often wondered if weathermen secretly get excited whenever severe weather happens. It's probably a lot more fun reporting on that than it is when everything is calm and relatively peaceful. As Duncan himself notes, storms tend to be great for the ratings.

Now, I did very much enjoy Becoming Mother Nature, but it does have a few issues. As I've said, Duncan's evil scheme is to steal the powers of Mother Nature for himself. The first step was to weaken Grandma Ivy, so he could take her out of the picture. How does he do this? Why, he builds an array of satellites that are capable of manipulating the weather, somehow launches them into orbit, and screws with weather systems across the world. Uh, what?

Why does Duncan even need Mother Nature's power? He's pretty much there already. He could probably become incredibly rich if he patented his satellites, or failing that, could make a bunch of money by auctioning them off to the highest bidder. Granted, the government can force you to suppress your inventions if they consider them a significant threat to national security. And Duncan does seem power hungry enough that he wouldn't just stop at weather manipulation satellites. So, I suppose I can let that one slide.

A bigger issue I had is that the Mother Nature powers, and their rules, were very inconsistent. At one point, Chloe freezes a puddle to test her powers out, and as a result, there's a sudden cold snap across the entire continent of South America. That just seems disproportionate. One of the big themes of Becoming Mother Nature is about the need for balance. Chloe has to find a sense of balance within herself if she wants to truly embrace her role as Mother Nature. It is also important to use the Mother Nature powers to help keep the world in a state of balance. I'm just saying, freezing a puddle causing South America to freeze just seem a bit too disproportionate.

I will say that the secret Mother Nature command center was cool. I especially loved the globe that shows real time weather events. It really added to the superhero feeling of the series. I also really loved that Grandma Ivy had a pet opossum named Oscar. He eventually becomes Chloe's pet. I admit, Oscar's not all the consequential in the grand scheme of things, but I like possums, so he made me happy.

The biggest issue with Becoming Mother Nature happened towards the end of the season. As such, we're going to have to get into spoilers. So, if you don't want that, either turn away or skip down a few paragraphs.

This is your last chance. Sure you want to keep going?

Well, if everyone who wants out is gone, let's get into it.

Duncan scheme is to get Chloe to give the powers of Mother Nature to him. There's a big spell book/user's manual for the Mother Nature powers, and one of them is transference. It is the spell that officially passes the powers of Mother Nature from person to person. So, Duncan successfully tricks Chloe into giving him the powers by pretending he'll be her mentor. Except, they don't go to Duncan, they go to Raye. Raye does mention some rule saying that only women can be Mother Nature. However, Duncan makes a remark that suggest he made-up to rule to get Raye to cooperate with his schemes. But, as previously mentioned, Raye really did get the powers.

Uh, how exactly does that work? If a man attempts the transference ritual, do the powers go to his closest living female relative instead? Oh, but we aren't done yet. Chloe may have given the powers away, but never fear, she doesn't need silly things like spell books or transference rituals. It turns out the true power was deep within her all along. So, she taps into her innate Mother Nature power to defeat Raye. Not only does the contradict the previously establish rule, it also comes completely out of the blue, with little to no foreshadowing. Then again, the rules were pretty inconsistent to begin with.

At times it felt like the writers were coming up with the rules on the fly, and this discarding them as soon as they jotted them down. That, or they painted themselves into a corner and just went "You know what, screw it."

Now, I don't want to sound too harsh or negative here. Overall, I did very much enjoy Becoming Mother Nature. It's a Gen-Z Media show, so you know it's going to have excellent voice acting, music, sound effects, and sound design. It will also add that in Cupid and The Reaper, season two of The Natureverse, Chloe's powers and portrayed much more consistently. The rules and also greatly simplified, and are followed consistently. And yes, I will review Cupid and The Reaper before long.

Well, there you have it. Becoming Mother Nature is a good, if slightly flawed, superhero origin story. It is an enjoy story on its own, and sets things up for later installments in The Natureverse.

I think that should do it from me for now. I will see you guys next time.

The Alt-Hist File: Age of Confusion: Season 1

I'm a big fan of historical fiction and alternate history, but I don't listen to very many history podcast. That is, podcast where it's usually one or two guys talking about various historical events. I find them to generally be low quality, interchangeable in terms of style and execution, and just not very good, barring a few notable exceptions. That's what makes the podcast we'll be looking at today so notable. It is alternate history, but told in the style of a non-fiction history podcast. Yet despite this it manages to be incredibly entertaining and engaging. What it this podcast? It is Age of Confusion.

What would have happened if President John F. Kennedy had survived his assassination attempt in Dallas, Texas? Perhaps it would be an age of wonders, or an age of terrors, but it certainly would be an Age of Confusion. Age of Confusion tells the story of just such a world. It chronicles the alternate history of America, and the world at large, from 1963-1983, starting with JFK dodging a literal bullet.

Age of Confusion is created, written, and produced by Sean Munger. He's a professional historian. He also runs the Second Decade podcast, which is about things that happened between 1810-1820; as well as Green Screen, an environmental movie review podcast. I first became aware of Age of Confusion when I read about it in the weekly new relates thread on the r/audiodrama subreddit. It looked promising, I gave it a listen, and now here we are.

As I've previously mentioned, due to the nature of this podcast, Sean has to carry the entire production all by himself. This is no small task, and there is a lot that can easily go wrong. Thankfully, I'm happy to report that Sean succeeds with flying colors. He presents the alternate history in a sort of narrative non-fiction format. Understandable, given that he's the one controlling the course of events, and it makes for an entertaining listening experience. It also helps that Sean's voice is very easy to listen to.

On the podcast's website, each episode page has a segment where Sean compares how things when in real history. He also uses these segments to explain his though process, and why he chose to make the changes that he did. I think that this is really great, and I applaud him for going that extra mile. Perhaps these segments, combined with the show proper, will get listeners to think more about the real history of the era. I know it has gotten me thinking.

The style of Age of Confusion reminds me of the novel For Want of a Nail: If Burgoyne Had Won at Saratoga by Robert Sobel. If is an alternate history novel set in a world where the American Revolution failed, and is notable for being told in the style of a non-fiction history book. It is a novel that proved quite influential on the online alternate history fandom. If you can't find the book itself, I recommend checking out the very detailed Sobel Wiki, which is dedicated to the world to For Want of a Nail.

So, how is the alternate history. I think it should be clear by now that Sean pays a great deal of care when crafting the alternate history of Age of Confusion. You can tell that he pays considerable attention to details. Why don't we go over a few highlights of this seasons? I should add that, every five episodes or so, Sean puts out a recap episode to help new listeners catch-up with the story so far, and to provide a refresher for returning listeners.

The first major changes happens when Kennedy returns to Washington DC. Congress moves to vote on the 1963 Civil Rights Act, and segregationist politicians successfully kill the bill in the senate. As you might imagine, this has major ripples. Martin Luther King Jr loses a lot of his clout within the Civil Rights Movement. He'd been banking on Kennedy getting the Civil Right Act passed. Many in the movement also begin to question King's non-violent methods. Instead, the movement pivots towards Stokely Carmichael. He was one of the founders of the Black Power Movement. He encourages Blacks to go on strikes and hold sit-in demonstrate how much of the economy is dependent on Black people. He also says he wants the strikes and sit-in in Northern cities as well as Southern cities. That way, it will show that the struggle for Civil Rights isn't just a Southern issue.

The series starts off with a bang, and I think Sean does a good case for his choices in altering history. In our world, Lyndon B. Johnson was able to use Kennedy's tragic death to push the Civil Rights Act through Congress. He framed it as Kennedy's legacy. In a world where Kennedy survives, there is no guarantee that the 1963 Civil Rights Act is going to get passed; especially if Congress votes on it in December.

I can also see MLK falling out of favor with the Civil Rights Movement. Even in our own timeline, King was starting to fall out of favor with the movement around the time he was assassinated. Sean has confirmed that King will not be assassinated in the world of Age of Confusion. It was only a minor mention, but we see that Malcolm X also survived his assassination attempt. He's been seriously reconsidering the direction of his life. Sean takes the view that assassinations are disruptions to the flow of history, and he wants to imagine a world where the major assassinations of the mid-twentieth century never happened.

Sean also has a very interesting method for determining the outcome of elections. He uses Thirteen Keys to the White House system devised by historian Allan Lichtman. They determine who will be president based on factors such as which party is in power, what were the midterm gains and/or loses, were there any scandals or major policy changes, how charismatic are the candidates, and so on.

It's actually really interesting stuff. The Thirteen Keys system has successful predicted every presidential election from 1984 to 2020. The only exception was the 2000 Election. To be fair, Florida having faulty voting machines was a factor nobody saw coming. The Thirteen Key successfully predicted the election of Donald Trump, something that most other analysts said was impossible, as well as his defeat at the hands of Joe Biden.

The first application of the Thirteen Keys is applied to the 1964 Election. Kennedy faces off against Nelson Rockefeller and ekes out a narrator victory. However, what I found most interesting was that a segregationist politician managed to carry Mississippi. Third party candidates almost never carry states in elections. The two main exceptions were Teddy Roosevelt's Bull Moose Party in 1912, and George Wallace's segregationist platform in 1968. I figured this would have major ramifications for the 1969 election, but we'll get to that in a minute.

A new Civil Rights Act is proposed, and this time, Kennedy fights harder. There had been previous attempts to get a Civil Rights Act passed prior to 1963, but they always got defeated. On the whole, Kennedy did support civil rights for minorities, but he had to contend with the segregationist win of the Democrat Party. He also didn't want thing to move so fast that they scared white voters. To be fair, most other white politicians sympathetic to Civil Rights tended to hold this attitude. Although, one of Kennedy's motivations to fight for the new Civil Rights Act is that it will be his legacy.

The Comprehensive Civil Rights Act officially gets signed into law in 1966. As the name suggests, it's actually a somewhat expanded version of the 1963 Civil Rights Act. For example, one its provisions is the establishment of a national department to investigate instances of police brutality. It will be interesting to see how thinks turn out in future seasons now that we have the Comprehensive Civil Rights Act.

Meanwhile, the Soviet Union has been experiencing some political turmoil. A coup was successfully carried out against Nikita Khrushchev. There's a lot of squabbling and in-fighting, but once the dust settles, a hardline Stalinist named Alexander Shelepin. He wants to undo Khrushchev's reforms and take a more aggressive approach to the United States. The beginning to each episode begins with snippets from in-universe new reels and recordings. One of these is a broadcast from West Berlin saying that East German tanks are invading the city. My guess is that, at some point in the future, Shelepin is going to put pressure on East Germany to retake West Berlin. Also, the podcast cover art is a collage several pictures, include a hydrogen bomb exploding. That has...troubling implications, to say the least.

Meanwhile, things heat up in Vietnam like they did in our world. Sean makes a good case that Kennedy would probably choose to commit American troops to the conflict due to not wanting to look soft on communism. Albeit, Kennedy doesn't commit nearly the number than LBJ did in our timeline. At the same time, Sean also makes a strong case that Kennedy would pull America out of Vietnam sooner than in our timeline. It would still be viewed as a tragedy, but there would far less loss of life.

One aspect about JFK that isn't often discussed is that he had Addison's Disease. In our timeline, Kennedy actually lied to voters during the 1960 Presidential Election, and claimed to not have Addison's. Oh, you better believe this comes back to bite him in the ass, and leads to a major scandal. Again, this is further proof of the attention to details that Sean puts into Age of Confusion.

Now we're going to talk about the 1968 Election. It was the most recent episode, as of this writing, so I figured I should maybe do a spoiler warning for it. So, if you don't want spoilers, skip down a few paragraphs.

Last chance, you sure you want to keep going?

Well, if everyone who wants out is gone, let's continue.

Lyndon B. Johnson has his sights set on being Kennedy's successor, and he wins the Democratic nomination. The Republicans do some more scuffling, but ultimately nominate George Romney as their pick. In our timeline, his son Willard, known by his nickname Mitt, unsuccessfully ran for president in 2012. Romney runs into some trouble because he was born in Mexico, and is accused of not being a real American. However, his parents were both American citizens, so it is a moot point. I can't decide if it is funny or groan-worthy how this parallels similar accusations leveled against Barack Obama in our world.

Personally, I'm amazed that Romney's Mormon faith didn't prove to be more of a stumbling block. In our world, JFK was frequently hounded about his Catholicism throughout the 1960 Presidential Election. There was a still a fair bit of anti-Catholic sentiment in America at the time. Sean justifies things going easier for Romney by having him downplay his Mormonism. Romney speaks of his strong Christian faith, but almost never specifically identifies as Mormon. That said, Sean has hinted that this will come back to bite Romney in the ass, and he'll be involved in a scandal.

From the intro, we know that Bobby Kennedy will become the 37th President, and JFK was 35th. So, the only question now is will RFK win in 1972 or 1976? Well, that and how many terms will Romney serve.

Meanwhile, George Wallace runs on a platform of segregation and repelling the Comprehensive Civil Rights Act. He chooses Strom Thurmond, rather than Curtis LeMay, as his running mate. Troublingly, they do even better than Wallace did in our timeline. They win every former Confederate state, minus Florida, but plus West Virginia. They didn't bother campaigning in Florida because they thought it was too full of Jews and Cubans. They almost succeed in throwing the election to Congress, but Romney manages to get just enough electoral votes to win.

I would assume that there will be no attempt on Wallace's life in 1972. That is, if we are to go by the theme of assassinations never happening. In our world, Wallace was not killed, but he was paralyzed from the waist down. This caused him to reevaluate his life, and eventually lead him to renounce his racist views. In fact, towards the end of his life, Wallace worked toward the betterment of racial relations. If the assassination attempt never happens, Wallace will probably continue to fight for segregation. That's bound to have impacts future down the line.

Sean has stated that there won't be very many episodes about the Space Race. I guess it's going to go more or less as it did in our world. That said, there are some differences. The Apollo 1 disaster never happens, but something equally tragic happens. A Saturn V rocket, with crew already loaded into it, explodes on the launch pad. I bring this up because it is what costs Johnson the election. Much as in our world, Johnson really pushed NASA to kick the Apollo program into gear. He does this in hopes that the Moon Landing will happen after he is elected, and he can take credit for it. In the world of Age of Confusion, however, Johnson is under scrutiny for pressuring NASA to ignore safety regulations.

And so that is everything of note so far. It is very exciting stuff, and we're just getting started. Sean said that he played things safe with season one. He stuck fairly close to the actual historical record. However, in future seasons, things are going to diverge much more. I can't wait to see how it plays out.

The only suggestion I have, and I admit it is a minor one, is that perhaps Sean could vary up the style of the show a bit. I really enjoy the opening of each episode where we get snippets from news bulletins and recordings from the world of Age of Confusion. Perhaps, in future episode, he could play some extended clips in the middle of the episodes. I think I might add to the immersion of the podcast. Maybe also bring on a fellow historian, either a real one or an actor, to discuss in-universe events. Or perhaps interview people who witnessed the events of episodes. Obviously, they'd be played by actors. These would also be great ways to build the immersion.

Of course, if Sean chooses to keep the show as is, well, I know I'll be perfectly happy. I also hope that you give Age of Confusion a try. It is an alternate history audio drama in the style of a non-fiction podcast. It is a really creative and interesting twists on alternate history audio dramas.

Well, I think that should do it from me for now. I will see you guys next time.