The Fireside

Amazon Prime's Middle-earth series is now somewhat underway. Not long ago, they had created a Facebook page for the project: https://www.facebook.com/ LOTRonPrime/   , as well as a website: amazon.com/lotronprime . Aside from the map, not much has been uploaded yet. However, should you be interested in following the project, official updates will be there. I look forward to following the project as it progresses: cast, poster, trailer....and any associated merchandise. Hopefully, the merchandise won't be restricted to "Prime Members Only." I'm curious what types of merchandise and products we can expect to see associated with this. I remember from 2001-2003 HarperCollins drastically increased production on Tolkien items - both related to Peter Jackson's films and not. Can we expect to see some new editions, beyond imagery used as book covers? Also, back then bookstores were book stores - not like today where they are department stores that happen to se...

Many fans were hoping that the Switch would get Mario Maker ported over to it, like so many other titles from the wii u (as of now, the only titles that remain exclusive to the wii u are: Mario 3D World, Xenoblade X, and Pikmin 3 - I may be missing 1 or 2). It was announced that Nintendo is making Mario Maker 2 . When I was a kid, I used to draw Mario quite a bit. I often enjoyed sketching a 'screenshot' of a made-up level, almost Bob Ross style. I used to get quite creative: "What if I make this spiny green?? The regualr ones are red, and there's red and green koopas, so....oh! and how would it behave on-screen?" That was one such example I would enjoy thinking of. When Mario Maker came out, i was able to relieve and fulfill that aspect of my life, almost to its fullest. As great as the game was, it lacked a few minor elements that I would have loved to seen included, so I could make my levels more varied, and recreate some from Mario 1 and Mario 3 - ...

Hwaet! I have an interest in Icelandic and Old Norse myths and legends. The old sagas and tales, they interest me. Have I read any? No, not yet... This interest was initially sparked with the publication of Tolkien's The Legend of Sigurd and Gudrun . It was marketed quite well by both Houghton Mifflin and HarperCollins. I got the book around the publication date of May 2009 I believe it was. Over the years, I've also dabbled my toes in other areas related to some of the old legends and tales. The following year, 2010, saw HarperCollins start their print-on-demand service for some specific titles. One of them was for the 50th anniversary publication of The Saga of King Heidrek by Christopher Tolkien. A few years following that, Penguin published some of their titles under the theme of 'Legends From the Ancient North'. Titles include: Beowulf, The Elder Edda, The Saga of the Volsungs, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (all are re-published and existing translations at t...

Highland Park's second of their Viking Legends series (the first being Valkyrie, the third being the upcoming Valfather) is now available in Canada. Or, Ontario, at least.  Here is what they have to say about it: "I know one thing which never dies: the reputation of each dead man" Poetic Edda, Hávamál, verse 77 STORY Created using a higher proportion of our local peated malt and predominantly matured in sherry seasoned oak casks to give this whisky its smoky, sweet flavour, VALKNUT is the second in our Viking Legend series, celebrating our rich Nordic ancestry here on Orkney. Valknut means ‘knot of those slain in battle’ and its symbol of three interlinked triangles appears on numerous artefacts from the Viking Age. The symbol is closely associated with the Norse god, Odin, who guided the spirits of the dead to the underworld and back to the world of the living, and is believed to represent the transition from life to death or the connection between ...

This week, we had the season finale of Season 5 [Part B] and it has also been announced that Season 6 will be the end of the show. However, since it'll be 20 episodes, expect it to be once again split into 2: Season 6 [Part A] and Season 6 [Part B]. I'm hoping that the final episode of the entire show will be approx 90 minutes, as well as possibly Episode 11 (the first episode of Part B.) On the ending of the show, creator Michael Hirst has this to say: "I always knew where I wanted the show to go and more or less where it would end if I was given the opportunity. What I was trying to do was write the saga of Ragnar Lothbrok and his sons. After six seasons and 89 episodes, that’s what I felt — finally — I’d done. We stopped shooting the final episode in November last year and I felt that I’d said all I needed to say about Ragnar and his sons. I told my saga, and I’d been very fortunate to be given that opportunity by MGM and History. I had no reason to want to ...

So I wanted to do up a post about beer. I am fond of craft beer, to be precise. Now, that being said, I'm a fan of traditional styles: ales, amber, stouts, porters, etc. Those types, served in a pint glass. I'm all for experimenting and trying new things; however within moderation. Very often, I see what appears to be orange juice served in what appears to be a wine glass. And usually, the name or ingredients of that beer does not sound appealing - as BEER. For that reason, I'm going to list off some breweries, to give an idea of the types of beers that I do enjoy. I should also add that I like some UK imports, due to the type of beer. WHITEWATER BREWING CO 78 Hwy 17, Cobden, ON K0J 1K0 Beer Listing: http://whitewaterbeer.ca/our-beer/ Their flagship beer would probably be the Farmer's Daughter Blonde Ale. My overall favourite, though, is the Whistling Paddler English Ale. They are no longer 'up and coming' as their reputation is well-known in t...

This is most unexpected, indeed! Robert Jordan's first novel is going to published. This is not connected to The Wheel of Time, and is standalone (unless the manuscript is physically too large to print as one book.) Tor.com has announced the book here: https://www.tor.com/2019/01/18/robert-jordan-warrior-of-the-altaii-coming-from-tor-books-in-2019/ You can read more about it here: https://dragonmount.com/index/featured-homepage-article/warrior-of-the-altaii/ Draw near and listen, or else time is at an end. The watering holes of the Plain are drying up, the fearsome fanghorn grow more numerous, and bad omens abound. Wulfgar, a leader of the Altaii people, must contend with twin queens, warlords, prophets and magic in hopes of protecting his people and securing their future. Elspeth, a visitor from another world, holds the answers, but first Wulfgar must learn to ask the right questions. But what if the knowledge that saves the Altaii will also destroy them? Publication ...