Note: this review was first posted on Reedsy Discovery, an awesome website that pairs independent authors and readers. To see the post there, click here.
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SYNOPSIS
Feeling shunned in their new neighborhood, a family attributes the cold attitude of the neighbors to prejudice—but a little investigation unearths a more shocking motive. A conniving widower finds a new wife through a foreign dating service, but the bride turns out to know him much more intimately than he imagined. A young man enlists a shaman to exorcise a terrifying spirit from his apartment, and as he learns more about the supposed ghost, he begins to form a strange and tender bond with her. To the Solemn Graves presents thirteen illustrated stories that, while laced with the supernatural, remind us that most horror comes from the all too natural.
⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 3 out of 5.
REVIEW
To the Solemn Graves is a book of 13 short stories. They have a diverse cast of characters with diverse viewpoints but all of them have one thing in common. They deal with ghosts in some way. Some of the stories have actual ghosts or ghost like encounters while others are more grounded in the natural world. But most of the stories have a deeper meaning and go beyond just spooks and scares.
From a family adjusting to a new home, to a “mail order bride” who knows more than she is letting on to a creaky staircase where a writer finds inspiration and something sinister, the stories are all fairly entertaining. The illustrations are well made and haunting.
Like any short story collection there are some stories that stand out more than others and much of that is based on the readers taste. In this volume it seems to me the ones that shine brightest are the ones which reveal a more human and often times more evil motive than a ghost might have. My personal favorite was the one titled Consequences which proves to be a good mix of the real, the surreal, and the supernatural.
Another aspect that is often lacking in ghost stories but is present here is diversity. The characters come for a good variety of genders, sexual identities and backgrounds making for a refreshing read. Kim Idynne excels at getting the reading into the head of her characters quickly no matter who they are and where they come from.
If you enjoy ghost stories but are looking for something with a few surprise twists and turns, with engaging characters and a decent payoff in each story, To the Solemn Graves is definitely worth reading. If another collection comes from this author I expect it will also be a refreshing read when it appears.
Note: this review was first posted on Reedsy Discovery, an awesome website that pairs independent authors and readers. To see the post there, click here.
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⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
The world is dying. The gods have waged war against one another and are scattered and weakening. Everything from the sun to the winds are affected. Cyprian Fontaine is a collector of artifacts who holds a noble lineage. Years ago, his father set out on an expedition to save the world but never returned. When he learns the true nature of what his father was doing, Cyprian knows he will need to join the expedition attempting to finish what his father didn’t and save the world from certain death. But along the way the party will face extreme weather they are not used to, starving and maddened humans who want to enslave them, and gods who while weakened are still certainly powerful enough to kill any mortal. Guiding the expedition is a single outsider, a so called badlander. But are his motivations to help humanity survive or simply to achieve his own ends?
Badlander is a fascinating book that pulls no punches whatsoever. It’s nice to see a fantasy book that actually takes into account the environment as well. The threats are not simply endless sword battles but things as simple as lack of food or water could easily kill this party if they are not careful. Tom Golden does a fantastic job of managing a large list of characters, knowing when to zoom in on some and turn away from others.
At times it seemed perhaps the scale of the gods depicted in the book was somewhat flexible and it was hard to tell exactly how much of a threat they were. There are also a few times where battles may have lasted just a tad too long in the book but reading to the end was wholly satisfying. The last act of the book does not end in the way much of fantasy does and this makes it utterly refreshing to read.
The book is a good mix of survival adventure, political intrigue, fantasy action, a bit of romance, and a whole lot of sacrifice.
If you like fantasy books where the characters take on impossible odds and keep trying to save the world because there is no other choice, this book should be right for you. If nothing else, I guarantee you will not forget the ending of this book.
Note: this review was first posted on Reedsy Discovery, an awesome website that pairs independent authors and readers. To see the post there, click here.
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⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
Drakomunda is a book that takes place in a land of dark magic and strange artifacts where anyone can have their lives altered by fate. A series of short but related stories are presented in the book, all with a bit of a different flavor. Some take place in a decidedly ancient society while others feel like they are happening closer to our time, albeit still in a quite fantastical world.
Like with any book filled with shorter entries some stand out more than others. Overall, Guy Quarterly, does a fantastic job with his characters and the book is simply full of great action and horror. A few of the stories feel like they could have been shortened just a bit but in the end the payoff is usually worth it.
Whether Quarterly is writing about a caravan crossing the desert, a shipwrecked crew, brave warriors trying to fit in with their tribe, or warlords getting their revenge, the stories are gripping. Often times they are decidedly dark and the threats and menace in the book is palpable. Quarterly is especially good at building out interesting villains here.
Many of the themes of the book deal with unlikely allies, unexpected betrayals, and even love both gained and lost. Because the stories are so varied, there is surely something for any reader to like here but which ones stand out most to a reader will depend on individual tastes. The whole collection is very much worth reading.
There is a fair amount of gore so any readers sensitive to that may wish to take caution. That’s not to say everything in the book is always gratuitous, just that those who are squeamish about such things may not enjoy every aspect of every story.
With this as a debut, I am looking forward to reading more of his work. If you like fantasy with a dark edge, and enjoy short fiction along those lines, this is a perfect book for you.
Note: this review was first posted on Reedsy Discovery, an awesome website that pairs independent authors and readers. To see the post there, click here.
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⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 3 out of 5.
A kingdom is about to collapse, torn by war on all sides. Factions are coming after the crown that makes Renovia the mightiest nation of its time. But, this great nation is near its ruin. A king’s only solution is to protect his children, and the future of his kingdom, by sending Kairo and Aterah into the future where they will forget all they have known.
The future is a time of war and rebellion and Aterah and Kairo are on what seems to be the losing side. There are factions and warlords surrounding them who are not only deadly, they deal in magic known as vuu. The powerful magic is used in different ways by different nations and at this moment in time, Renovia seems to have none of it. But, there are artifacts that can restore the world to what it once was. Kairo and Aterah have no indication of how important they are in events to come. And there are others who covet the power of vuu and the artifacts that can restore Renovia.
Illyadra is a high magic fantasy epic. Several people and nations will be taking actions that will sway the fate of the world entirely. Some of these people are unaware of what is to happen, while others are making strategic plans on how they can capitalize for themselves. There are battles to the death using weapons, magic, and even with only the power of words. When Aterah is taken, Kairo must take action to rescue his sister. Unfortunately for him, a major injury means he will need all the help he can get. But what form that takes will surprise everyone.
The author, Adriel Wallaker, does a fair job of handling a large cast of characters. It can be at times somewhat difficult for the reader to keep them all straight as a few of them have very similar names. But the writing is strong enough this is not too much of a concern. Wallaker also does a decent job of tying things up in the end while still leaving the reader wanting to know what will happen next in the series. There are some spots in the book where the action gets a bit tedious but for the most part it’s fun.
Readers should be forewarned there is quite graphic violence in the book. It is handled well by the author but not for the squeamish at heart.
One of the more interesting aspects of the book was seeing magic used in ways not simply related to battle. Especially intriguing were the people who could wield influence over others with arguments. This is one area it would have been nice to see a little more of because those portions of the story were quite engaging. This is where a lot of the philosophy behind vuu comes in and is rather fascinating.
If you like sprawling epics where magic is everywhere and can be used in a lot of ways, Illyadra is definitely worth a read.
Hey everyone! This is just a quick post to let everyone know that two new awesome collections of flash fiction and poetry have been released on drivethrufiction. Right now you can get the flash fiction collection In a Flash and the poetry collection Collective Verses. More than 120 writers contributed to these collections and they’re both fantastic.
If you happen to like my flash fiction stories, I have one in the In a Flash collection titled A Fresh Delivery. But, even if you don’t enjoy my story, there are tons of great ones in the collection.
And if you are more into poetry, Collective Verses is a great read. I don’t have a poem in there but there are tons of great poems by independent authors.
If you are interested and able to, support independent authors by purchasing either or both collections today!
And unlike collections my stories have been featured in before, you can even get a print version of either collection!
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It is a golden age. Intrepid hyperspace scouts expand the reach of the Republic to the furthest stars, worlds flourish under the benevolent leadership of the Senate, and peace reigns, enforced by the wisdom and strength of the renowned order of Force users known as the Jedi. With the Jedi at the height of their power, the free citizens of the galaxy are confident in their ability to weather any storm But the even brightest light can cast a shadow, and some storms defy any preparation.
When a shocking catastrophe in hyperspace tears a ship to pieces, the flurry of shrapnel emerging from the disaster threatens an entire system. No sooner does the call for help go out than the Jedi race to the scene. The scope of the emergence, however, is enough to push even Jedi to their limit. As the sky breaks open and destruction rains down upon the peaceful alliance they helped to build, the Jedi must trust in the Force to see them through a day in which a single mistake could cost billions of lives.
Even as the Jedi battle valiantly against calamity, something truly deadly grows beyond the boundary of the Republic. The hyperspace disaster is far more sinister than the Jedi could ever suspect. A threat hides in the darkness, far from the light of the age, and harbors a secret that could strike fear into even a Jedi’s heart.
Review
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4.5 out of 5.
Light of the Jedi by Charles Soule is the first book in the first phase of what is known as The High Republic in Star Wars lore. This book takes place thousands of years before the events of Star Wars: Episode IV: A New Hope. To make things more confusing in the timeline (as Star Wars is fond of doing) the second phase of the High Republic books takes place chronologically before Light of the Jedi. But, as this is the first book in a first phase for Star Wars books, it’s a good entry point for anyone who hasn’t read Star Wars books before. It’s also a great book for long time fans of Star Wars.
Be warned there will be spoilers below.
What’s it about?
It’s a time of prosperity and peace in the Republic. Most worlds in the galaxy are part of the Republic. And they benefit from the governance on Coruscant and the protection of the Jedi order. Only the outer rim territories, on the edge of the galaxy, haven’t joined. But the Jedi and the Republic have worked together to build a new station and signal of hope known as the Starlight Beacon. This is a place where world representatives can come and find common ground, as well as a place for Jedi to be able to gather and protect citizens when needed.
Just as this new symbol of hope for the galaxy is about to open, unimaginable disaster threatens the galaxy. Something impossible is coming out of hyperspace. There was a collision as a ship traveled through hyperspace. This is not possible according to everything the Senate and the Jedi know to be true.
This event, known as the Emergence is happening. At the speed the debris of this wreck travels, it will shatter worlds, and whole systems of planets, to dust. If the Jedi cannot coordinate a response fast enough to prevent the damage, countless worlds will be lost and the lives of trillions of beings will be forfeit.
As the Jedi work together with the Republic and with brilliant and courageous beings across the galaxy to prevent damage or aid in rescue efforts, a threat is brewing behind the scenes.
The new enemy
Not everyone is on board with the Republic and the Jedi enforcing their version of peace on all beings in the galaxy. There is a secretive, powerful, group called the Nihil who are making moves behind the scenes which will disrupt peace in the galaxy.
Are the emergences unrelated to this new threat? Or is there something more going on? Can the Jedi prevent casualties while uncovering the truth? If the Jedi do find out the truth, will their power be enough to slow the tide of destruction?
New Characters
If you want a book full of characters from Star Wars cameos, this book will disappoint you. Yoda is mentioned a few times but he’s not in any way a main character here. This is a mixed blessing.
On the one hand, new characters are built up and we get to know them, and it’s refreshing to see something we haven’t before. On the other hand, we don’t know a lot about them yet, so when they are in danger or killed, we don’t care as much.
Some of the interesting things in this book are new uses of the Force, an innovative way to use astromech droids, and one of the most memorable endings of a Star Wars book I have seen.
There are a few standout new characters here. Two to watch are Avar Kriss who is known as the best of the best of the Jedi (my vote is still for Yoda in that department) and Loden Greatstorm who is a lot more experimental with the force.
There’s tons of explanation about hyperspace and how that came to be in this book. Telling much more would be a heavy spoiler. The Nihil are introduced as villains. I’ll admit I was not on board with them at the outset. The ending changed my mind and now I find them fascinating.
The action is fast paced. In the beginning where the biggest threats are, the story is a little slow. But that’s because we don’t know these characters yet so it’s hard to care what happens to them until further along. If you can make it through the beginning of the book, the end has a fantastic pay off so it’s worth the read whether you are a long time Star Wars fan or not.
Conclusion
The book is as satisfying as can be. Action happens. We learn about new powers. We meet new characters. The Jedi use not just force powers but their collective wisdom to defeat threats.
The book takes place in an exciting era. Reading this one feels like watching the films for the first time. You don’t know what will happen. It’s enormous and plays out on a galactic scale.
Lightsaber fights abound. Villains threaten the galaxy. A sweeping epic is born. This book is worth the read. Go out and grab your copy, whether you are new to Star Wars or a longtime fan.
I can’t wait to see what other surprises are in store for this phase of Star Wars. If the quality of the writing is as good as it is in Light of the Jedi there will be a lot to like.
Want to know where to start with Star Wars? Check out my guide here.
Note: this review was first posted on Reedsy Discovery, an awesome website that pairs independent authors and readers. To see the post there, click here.
If you are a book reviewer and want to contribute reviews on Reedsy Discovery, click here.
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⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
SUMMARY
A half-open portal to a demon world sits in the middle of Corber Port, the largest metropolis in the Solarian Empire. Should it fully open, the city dies.
Tia Samos and her companions are captives in an alien city on the Doors other side. Surviving will take everything they have. Even then, escape may be impossible. But they will try anyways…
REVIEW
After a battle with cosmic entities much more powerful than our heroes can fully understand, they’ve been separated by a dark portal. On one side Tia, Peter and Kyle have found some refuge in a kingdom run by a King in Yellow. But the forces surrounding them are darker than ever and each moment a cosmic god could utterly destroy their existence unless they are strong enough to fend of his attacks. On the other side of the portal is Rebecca and Kyle’s nephew. Rebecca has always been a songstress but she’s finding out there is more to her songs than a melody and a way to make a living. She can see what she thinks are her friends on the other side of the portal but she has no way to reunite with them and she still needs to make her own way in the world. There is limited time on both sides of the portal as angry beings with dark purpose grow stronger at each moment.
The Empire series by Tim Goff has always had some dark cosmic elements in it but for the most part it started with elements of fantasy and political intrigue. Empire: Spiral puts the cosmic right out front. Anyone with even a passing familiarity with Lovecraftian mythos will recognize several of the dark beings and cosmic gods here. And, if you know anything about cosmic horror, you know just how dangerous these creatures can be. This volume, more than any other so far makes us believe the heroes are in real mortal danger at every turn. And that is saying something because Goff frequently puts his characters in utterly horrible and dangerous situations.
While the cosmic is more up front, there are still definitely elements of fantasy and political intrigue at work here. Tia must figure out how to be diplomatic with people who are not human while Peter must restrain himself from lashing out at old foes. It all makes for a quite interesting read and so far, I think, is the best book in the Empire series.
If you have read the rest of the series, you’ll be satisfied but if you have not started and want to read something that blends a well built world of fantasy with the most cosmic of cosmic horrors, read the Empire series.
Note: this review was first posted on Reedsy Discovery, an awesome website that pairs independent authors and readers. To see the post there, click here.
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⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 3 out of 5.
Summary
Corber Port is the commercial center and largest metropolis of the tottering Solarian Empire. A devastating earthquake and fire have reduced much of the city to charred rubble roamed by gangs.
Tia Samos, once a prominent imperial citizen, is held captive in this urban wasteland by demons masquerading as mortal men. Tia’s former companions scour the city searching for her but are stymied at every turn.
Worse, dark forces plot to unleash yet another calamity on Corber Port – and Tia’s captors may be the only ones who can prevent it – if they choose to do so.
review
The last book in the Empire series left us at a crucial moment with Tia making a great sacrifice in order to save her friends. Peter, Kyle, and Rebecca had no power to stop Tia’s decision, leaving them with the only option of regrouping later to find Tia and attempt to rescue her from evil. In Empire: Metropolis we find our characters in the largest city in the Empire, attempting to make new lives for themselves, gaining increased knowledge, and even magical power. But at the same time, they must attempt to locate Tia, and Kyle’s nephew Barry, without allowing evil entities to gain knowledge of what they are doing. To make matters worse, there are places in the city where Kyle’s burgeoning magical powers are ineffective, there are those in power who stand to gain from keeping it that way, and in this city teeming with humanity, a demon on the loose could cause permanent havoc, not just for Tia and her friends, but all of the Empire.
Throughout the first three books in this series there has been a bit of a pattern emerging with small story threads occurring over and over again in slightly different ways. In Empire: Metropolis those threads start to come together to create a larger picture of why Kyle, Rebecca, Peter, and Tia all keep encountering the same evils, and what it will mean if they can’t defeat the darkness. But even the most corrupted of humans may still have some humanity in him. To stop the darkest of times, this man will have to remember what he was before he was taken by darkness. It’s up to Tia to figure out how to make that happen, while it’s up to her companions to save her before it is too late for her and everyone else.
So far all of the Empire books have been worth reading with a good blend of a fantasy setting, dark and cosmic horror, and even a bit of modern technology thrown in. The setting of Empire: Metropolis improves on the formula a bit by giving a real sense of the larger society and helps the reader to understand what life is like for common folks in the largest city in the Empire. The end still leaves the reader with some questions which will hopefully be answered in subsequent volumes. Tying the whole story together will be a real challenge but if the series stays consistent, author Tim Goff should be up to the task.
If you like your fantasy blended with a good dose of horror, a bit of the supernatural, and a bit of the cosmic, this series is well worth checking out.
Note: this review was first posted on Reedsy Discovery, an awesome website that pairs independent authors and readers. To see the post there, click here.
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⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 3 out of 5.
SUMMARY
Winning the decades long war against demon ruled Traag almost destroyed the Solarian Empire. Now the nation hangs by a thread. Worse, they didn’t get all the demons.
Tia traveled to bucolic Copiah House, stronghold of the once great Bestia Family, on what was supposed to be a simple business trip. Instead, she finds herself embroiled in a web of intrigue, wartime secrets, and black magic. Unraveling this mystery will take all of her skills – and more…
REVIEW
Traag has been defeated and the demons are weakened but not outright gone. Tia, Sir Peter Cortez, Kyle and Rebecca all travel on business but when they are attacked in the road by a group of bandits and thieves, they find themselves without proper transportation and stuck in Copiah House. It seems safe enough but there the group will meet old foes and new enemies and allies. The political and business efforts of Tia become even more difficult as she tries to navigate her way with nobles while facing money trouble. Peter gets a glimpse of what his future life might be and he finds it to be more complicated than expected. Meanwhile, Kyle is in the one place he dreads most and realizes there may be a major threat to the people he cares about most.
Empire: Estate continues to tell the story of the Empire saga, full of fantasy, magic, lore, family connections and what happens to a world recently recovering from a major war. It’s a unique blend of horror and fantasy along with a good dose of politics which keeps the reader turning pages. Each main character has a distinctive personality and this has only solidified since the first volume. As with all of the books by Tim Goff thus far, there are major surprises and plenty of action to be found. The world feels grounded in reality for the most part as the characters not only have to deal with people who delve into dark magic but also with the day to day troubles of not being cheated out of money when they need a vehicle repaired.
The most interesting part of the story still remains the fact that this takes place after a major war where opportunists can take advantage of the situation and even those who were heroes on the battlefield find they need to figure out a way to make a living outside of war.
If a mix between The Wheel of Time series and nightmares out of cosmic and supernatural horror intrigue you, Empire: Estate is well worth reading. This is the third in the series so it’s best to start with the first book but they have all been good reads thus far and I look forward to more in the series.
Hey film fans, Slick Dungeon here, back to review the second installment of the Fast and Furious franchise, 2 Fast 2 Furious. Paul Walker is back for this one but there is no Vin Diesel in sight here. But there is still plenty of action, lots of fast cars, a few good stunts and plot that is, well… pretty thin. Note there will be spoilers in this review for both The Fast and the Furious and 2 Fast 2 Furious. If you want to catch up and read my review of the first movie, you can do so here.
The Fast and the Furious set up a situation with Dom Toretto and Brian O’Conner which leaves Brian in trouble with the law and Dom presumably free. One would expect the sequel to try to continue those stories but there was a major problem in doing that for this movie. Vin Diesel was filming a different action movie xXx and couldn’t come back for 2 Fast 2 Furious without leaving that project. So, instead of having the two breakout stars of the first film come back, we only get Paul Walker as Brian O’Conner.
The good news is this second film does introduce us to some of the recurring cast we’ll see in later movies, including Roman Pearce played by Tyrese Gibson, Monica Fuentes played by Eva Mendes, and Tej Parker played by Ludacris.
The first film was better than it had any right to be, although it accomplished that in large part by borrowing a plot from an older movie. The sequel needed to be more action packed with bigger stunts and to keep the interest of people who saw the first one without one of the main stars.
So, did they accomplish this goal or was this a forgettable sequel? Let’s dig in and find out.
Spoilers follow!
We’re Moving to Miami
This film starts with a street race in Miami, Florida. There are three cars ready and raring to go but the race can’t happen without even numbers so the organizer of the event, Tej Parker calls in a fourth driver. This is Brian O’Conner, the undercover cop who let a felon go at the end of the last film. Brian wins the race handily and earns himself some money. But just after that, the police show up and Brian tries to get away. He’s got a super fast car and he’s a highly skilled driver so it should be easy. However, the police have some kind of harpoon style weapon they shoot at his car. Once this hits, it seems to deliver a sort of EMP jolt to the car, cutting out the electronics and basically making the car stop. Brian is taken into custody.
This time the arrest is not a ruse, it seems Brian really is on the run from the law. Lucky for him, there are some people who can use his help. One of Brian’s former superiors, Agent Bilkins (Thom Barry) and a US Customs agent named Markham want to catch a drug lord named Carter Verone. They need someone who can gain the trust of Verone, while also not giving away the fact that there is an FBI agent named Monica Fuentes who has already been monitoring Verone. They try to give Brian a partner but after a simple question it’s clear this police officer knows nothing about cars. Brian demands to choose his own driving partner. This is Roman who we first see wearing an ankle bracelet while competing in a demolition derby.
Roman is an old friend of Brian’s who has gotten into some trouble. After a brief fight, Roman and Brian hash things out a bit and Roman agrees to help the police in exchange for his record being wiped clean. Brian will get the same deal so if they pull off the job, they won’t be going to jail.
Monica Fuentes arranges it so that Roman and Brian can audition to work for Verone. They arrive at the mansion along with a number of other street racers. Verone takes everyone’s identification and tells them his Ferrari was impounded. The job is to go retrieve something important from the car and come back with it first. There’s a chase scene where Brian and Roman both show off their fast driving skills and, of course, they get to the Ferrari first. I don’t really know how they knew how to get there since no one gave them directions but we’ll ignore that for the sake of the movie.
Anyway, just as Roman and Brian are about to take the package back, Markham shows up, hoping to arrest Verone. Roman sees the guy with a gun pulled and Roman starts firing his own gun. This was clearly not supposed to happen. Markham thought Brian and Roman were running when they were just doing what they were supposed to. Roman and Brian do get away from Markham and end up back at Verone’s place.
Verone is impressed enough to hire the two of them. But we find out the only thing they got from the car was a cigar. Also, Verone promises there will be a job for the two of them if they meet him at a club later. Monica lets Brian know Verone plans to smuggle money on his private jet from an airstrip nearby. Brian and Roman go back to police headquarters where Markham is beyond mad and Roman is furious the cops showed up at all. Turns out there were GPS units on the cars they were driving. This was back when GPS units were not all that common so it’s no surprise that Roman and Brian weren’t expecting that.
After they leave police headquarters, Roman and Brian realize they have a few problems here. First, Verone’s men seem to be following them around. Second, it’s going to be tough for them to get anything done if they are constantly being tracked by the police. So, what’s the solution? I mean, it’s a Fast and Furious movie so obviously a street race! Roman and Brian have a tag team race to get two more cars. The race it set up by Tej and it’s a pretty good race sequence. Ultimately, Brian and Roman succeed and have two cars, GPS free to use when they need them.
This whole time, Brian has been making puppy dog eyes at Monica which Roman notices. When they get to the club where they are supposed to meet Verone, Monica is there and seems to flirt back with Brian a bit. Verone sees this. Verone has Roman and Brian go in the back with him where he has an police detective tortured. He wants a fifteen minute window of time where there will be no cops monitoring him so he can gather his drug money.
Monica warns Roman and Brian that Verone plans to have them killed as soon as the job is over. Roman and Brian go see Tej and make some contingency plans of their own.
On the day of the job, things start as they are supposed to. Brian, Roman and two of Verone’s guys go to get some money out of a trailer Verone owns. The cop who was supposed to keep the area free for fifteen minutes lets his conscience get to him and he tells the cops to move in. This now means Brian and Roman are caught between the police and Verone’s men. There’s a nifty car chase as Brian and Roman misdirect everyone. They pull into a warehouse with cops in hot pursuit. They think they have the men surrounded when the warehouse doors open up and a bunch of big trucks come out and basically demolish the police cars. Then there is a scramble where what seems like every high end race car in Miami comes out of the warehouses and speed off in all directions. The cops think they still have GPS on the cars so they aren’t worried and Markham is in waiting at the airstrip. When the cars Brian and Roman were driving arrive at the airstrip, it’s Tej and his partner Suki who are driving.
Roman and Brian each have one of Verone’s men in the cars they won racing the night before. Roman hits an ejector seat button to dump the thug. Before Brian can do the same, Verone tells him the plan has changed. He now has to meet Verone at the docks. When Brian gets there Verone puts a gun to Monica’s head and takes her on the boat. Verone’s thug is supposed to kill Brian but before he can do so, Roman shows up to save the day. Verone does manage to get Monica onto the boat and they are already speeding away.
How does Brian stop Verone? Well, again it’s a Fast and Furious movie so he drives real fast, launches the car off a ramp facing the water and lands on the boat. It’s the biggest stunt in the movie. And when it happens, Roman breaks his arm and Brian is banged up quite a bit as well. This was before everyone in these movies seems to take no damage from major car crashes.
In the end, Roman and Brian are cleared, Verone is arrested (although he swears revenge), and Monica is safe and sound. Roman does pocket a bit of the cash from Verone’s take though. That’s where we leave our heroes for this movie but we’ll see more of them in the future.
What About Dom and Mia?
On top of Vin Diesel missing, since this film takes place in Miami with Brian on the run, there is no Mia from the first movie. I’ll say, Brian sure moves on quickly from her and seems to have roving eyes everywhere he goes. If Brian has a weakness in this movie, it’s definitely pretty women. I feel like the relationship with Mia not even being addressed in this movie was a mistake. Like, they could have at least had a phone call or something on Brian’s end where he might tell her not to worry or something like that. But nope, we’re going to pretend that whole thing didn’t count in the first movie here I guess. It makes sense why Dom isn’t here. He’s still back at home or maybe on the run. Brian probably wouldn’t want to call him because presumably everyone is watching Dom. But Mia has nothing to do with the whole thing so she’s getting ignored for no reason.
Did This Work at All?
2 Fast 2 Furious is not a great film. It’s miles away from the quality of the first movie. The dynamic between Diesel and Walker are missing and this film feels like it could literally be called something else. It’s got a fairly caricatured villain, the plot is really thin, and while the acting is fine, no one is going above and beyond here. That’s not to say there is nothing good in the movie. The car stunts are still fun, although I would argue the ones from the first film tend to look better. And Roman and Tej are both good additions to the franchise and probably the most entertaining parts of the whole movie. Eva Mendes is also great in her role here.
While the first movie was meant to be a B film that feels more like a quality picture, the second feels like a movie meant to be a quality picture which feels like a B film. On a pure action level, this film does work but it doesn’t obtain the greatness of the first one by any stretch of the imagination.
In Conclusion
There are still a lot of films to go in this franchise. We’re going to witness a bunch of odd twists and turns here, especially once Vin Diesel is truly back. But the second movie just needed to be a half decent action flick. And it does deliver on being about half way decent. It did well enough to garner another sequel but if this film had come out first, the whole franchise would have been forgotten. It’s still one you need to watch if you want to be completely caught up with the franchise but just remember this one is meant to be nothing more than a good time.
I will say though, compared to some of the later sequels, this one does at least seem to adhere to the laws of physics for the most part.
Overall this is still an enjoyable watch but it might be the least enjoyable of the sequels.
