The Siren‚ the Spy‚ and the Song‚ the companion novel to Maggie Tokuda-Hall’s first book in this fantasy world‚ The Mermaid‚ the Witch‚ and the Sea‚ is about loss and attempted redemption‚ about the atrocities wrought by empires‚ and about the cyclical horrors that humanity inflicts on itself and the environment. It is also—buffered by Tokuda-Hall’s emotive prose—a compelling tale about a handful of characters trying to topple a brutal‚ oppressive empire while trying to stay alive. The book is told from multiple points of view‚ but the four main ones are Genevieve‚ a young woman indoctrinated by the Empire who realizes that the force she thought was just for most of her life is‚ in fact‚ the opposite; Koa and Kaia‚ siblings of the Wariuta people‚ islanders with hyena familiars who have yet to be yoked by the Empire; and Alfie‚ a young man who is aiding the pirates rebelling against the Empire by working undercover in the palace. Those of you who’ve read Tokuda-Hall’s first book will no doubt recognize some of these names. Many more characters from The Mermaid‚ the Witch‚ and the Sea also show up‚ including Florian and Evelyn. This companion book‚ however (the marketing is clear and correct that this is not a direct sequel)‚ fares well on its own‚ with Tokuda-Hall relaying the key points a new reader needs to know without getting bogged down in recapping the first novel. In The Siren‚ the Song‚ and the Spy‚ we start with Genevieve‚ half-dead after the events from the first book‚ washing up on the island where Koa and Kaia’s people live. Genevieve is still enmeshed in the Empire’s ways‚ even after the pacifist Koa goes out of his way to ensure her safety. Abominable acts by the Empire‚ however‚ cause them to work together to bring the colonizers down‚ something that Alfie is also trying to do from inside the palace. In Genevieve’s case‚ a Siren lets her drink her blood‚ which gives Genevieve a vision of the one living dragon who remains sleeping at the bottom of the sea. That dragon‚ to some‚ would be the ultimate weapon to bring the Empire down. Buy it Now It’s a tough balancing act to richly develop characters while also moving the plot forward at a compelling pace. Tokuda-Hall manages to deftly do both while also expanding the world we saw in the first book. One of the ways she does so is via a reveal with one of the point-of-view characters that I won’t spoil here‚ which provides nuance and complexity to more than one person in this world. And while there are several points of view portrayed in The Siren‚ the Song‚ and the Spy (some could argue too many‚ though I found the number to be more than manageable) Genevieve’s journey is arguably the core of the novel. Her struggles trying to reconcile who she was‚ who the Empire made her‚ and who she is trying to be now is a heartrending one‚ and surprisingly relatable. Tokuda-Hall’s portrayal of Genevieve is just one example of how the author is such a deft writer‚ able to convey her characters’ perspectives with dimension and vividness that puts her in the top tier of prose authors in the genre. At one point in the story‚ for example‚ Genevieve wonders how another character “was a completely different person and exactly the same person at once‚” a juxtaposition that many have no doubt experienced in their lives‚ whether with themselves or with those they knew (or once knew). The book‚ however‚ still is an ensemble cast‚ with other characters playing prominent roles (and sharing their struggles and pain) as the story unfolds. So much so‚ in fact‚ that perhaps the most impressive part of The Siren‚ the Song‚ and the Spy is that it’s able to pack in so much story‚ worldbuilding‚ and character development in just over 300 pages. Without getting into spoilers‚ the book has a definitive‚ violent‚ and emotionally painful ending that still manages to leave a flicker of hope. There is‚ in short‚ a comeuppance for the many sins humanity has wrought against one another and also against the environment. And while individuals have their own personal redemptions in the book‚ the outlook Tokuda-Hall paints for humanity in this world is grim—the atrocities committed by the Empire have happened before‚ and they will happen again. One can’t help but see reflections here to our own world circumstances‚ and I’ve no doubt that Tokuda-Hall had that in mind when writing the story. This grim statement‚ however‚ belies the hope and perseverance conveyed by characters like Koa‚ Kaia‚ and yes‚ even Alfie and Genevieve. The world is full of hardship and horrors‚ some of which we inflict‚ inadvertently or not‚ on ourselves and others. And yet‚ after destruction and pain there is regrowth‚ the building of something new. The characters at the end of The Siren‚ the Song‚ and the Spy still find joy‚ whether grasped from living a life of their choosing on the ocean‚ rebuilding a village‚ or cooking a delicious meal for others. Someone who is broken can knit themselves back together‚ making them—as Genevieve realizes earlier on the book—both different and the same from how they were before. What’s less optimistic in The Siren‚ the Song‚ and the Spy‚ however‚ is whether humanity as a whole can learn that lesson—in the world of the book or in ours. The Siren‚ the Song‚ and the Spy is published by Candlewick Press. Vanessa Armstrong is a writer with bylines at The LA Times‚ SYFY WIRE‚ StarTrek.com and other publications. She lives in Los Angeles with her dog Penny and her husband Jon‚ and she loves books more than most things. You can find more of her work on her website or follow her on Twitter @vfarmstrong.

One of the scariest monsters in Lethal Company has got to be the Jester‚ but how do you beat it? This jack-in-the-box creature seems impossible to get rid of. There are a few ways you can deal with enemies in Lethal Company‚ but what about the Jester? We’ll explain how you can survive this jack-in-the-box monstrosity. Lethal Company: How to survive the Jester Unfortunately‚ the only solution for how you can beat the Jester in Lethal Company is running away. Some creatures are able to die if you hit them enough with a Shovel or Stop Sign. But sadly‚ the Jester is unstoppable‚ and once it pops‚ your best bet is to run. In the Beastiary‚ the Jester has a 90% danger level. It also says to just get out of the facility before it goes ape. The most important tip to remember is that if you do see a Jester‚ run as soon as you even notice it in boxed mode. In this state‚ it’s harmless‚ and will approach you while winding up. This will happen for ...

Modern Warfare Zombies has tons of things to do. If you get tired of doing the contracts there are missions you and your squad can attempt to do. While some are easier to do‚ others like Essence of Aether are hard to do. This particular mission is a challenge because players can’t find a POI called Rostova Shops in Modern Warfare Zombies (MWZ). But if you read on‚ we’ll show where it is in the game. Modern Warfare Zombies (MWZ): Where to find Rostova Shops To know where to find the Rosotva Shops in MWZ‚ you need to be in the northwest corner of the Middle Threat Zone. You can use the map below to help you locate the area better. Before you go‚ it’s worth noting that this mission takes place during Act 2 of the story of Zombies. So if you make your way without the mission‚ you may not be able to access the sample.  Screenshot: PC Invasion Since the building is located in the Middle Threat Zone‚ the zombies are even more aggressive. Make s...

Economic Disconnection: Dear White House Operator‚ Can You Help Me Place This Call?

Are We Really Debating Whether the Houthis Are Terrorists?

An ancient ornithological mystery is the subject of a new paper that looked at fossil tracks made by unknown ancient animals dating back as far as the Late Triassic. They are distinctly bird-like‚ which doesn’t sound too strange – until you take into account that‚ at 210 million years old‚ some of them predate the oldest known true bird bones by a cool 60 million years.If the tracks weren’t made by birds‚ who was strutting around on these bird-like feet? It feeds into the murky emergence of birds we’re still learning a lot about‚ as while we know that birds evolved from dinosaurs‚ exactly when and from which species still isn’t known for certain.Mystery tracks like these can be used to study an extinct animal’s anatomy and behavior thanks to a nifty area of science called ichnology‚ which is the study of fossilized tracks‚ trails‚ and burrows. Inchnological finds are fascinating‚ but they can be fleeting‚ as in the recent case of 120-million-year-old bird tracks – now Australia’s oldest on record – that washed away just a few years after their discovery.Bird-like fossil tracks have been found at multiple sites across the country of Lesotho in southern Africa‚ and they’re generally attributed to the ichnogenus Trisauropodiscus‚ believed to be an ornithischian dinosaur that lived during the Late Triassic or Early Jurassic.   The researchers decided they wanted to dig further into the ichnogenus (the name given to a group of animals known only from fossil tracks‚ burrows‚ etc.)‚ and try and assess how many ichnospecies there might be within. To do so‚ they used fossil tracks they found in the field‚ as well as others from museum collections and photographs.Doing so revealed two key morphologies for Trisauropodiscus: one of which is more like non-avian dinosaurs‚ while the other is more like the footprints of birds. The tracks aren’t a direct match for any fossil animals known from this area at this time in Earth’s history.There are a few explanations for the mystery prints. One is that they belonged to dinosaurs‚ possibly early ancestors of birds. However‚ another is that they’re an example of convergent evolution if bird-like feet evolved separately among a group of reptiles.“Trisauropodiscus tracks are known from numerous southern African sites dating back to approximately 215 million years ago‚” said the authors in a statement. “The shape of the tracks is consistent with modern and more recent fossil bird tracks‚ but it is likely a dinosaur with a bird-like foot produced Trisauropodiscus.”Whatever the case‚ it pushes back the first emergence of bird-like feet to the Late Triassic Period‚ providing a little more insight – and an extra dash of mystery – into the evolution of the first true birds.The study is published in the journal PLOS ONE.

Five illegal aliens charged in separate thefts at department stores in DuPage County, Illinois

from The Conservative Treehouse: In the era where they refuse to accept their irrelevance‚ billionaires and their political money are easy parted.  So goes the game of grift amid the professional political class when contrast against the power of We The People.  It’s actually quite funny to watch and doesn’t annoy me one bit. Charles […]

from Stew Peters Network: TRUTH LIVES on at https://sgtreport.tv/