This is the second book of The Dominion Trilogy, and the follow up to last year's Relentless. I read Relentless when it was released as a weekly serial under the name The Prodigy on what is now infuzemag.com. Just as the final version of the first novel was much better than the online version, this book sees Parrish's writing continue to improve.

For starters, the overall writing is crisper: less filler, tighter exposition, and more natural flow. It's clear Parrish is building towards something as the scale turns global and the tension smartly builds towards the climax/cliffhanger. That said, some of the dialogue remains clunky in places, and certain characters tend to forget their personalities or all-too-conveniently avoid trouble in the interest of moving along the story.

While I enjoyed this book (and its predecessor), after this trilogy is over next year Parrish should move on to other characters and stories. Some authors get so invested in one character or concept (i.e. Tom Clancy, Ted Dekker) they end up restricting themselves, numbing their built-in audience, and stifling their creative potential.

Simply put, Parrish has something not every author does: the ability to tell stories. Aside from a few quirky mechanics in his writing (that will undoubtedly be polished as his works progress), this book marks the continuation of what should be a long and enjoyable career. B

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It's hard to believe that Project 86 has been around since 1998. Rival Factions, the band's sixth CD, is easily their most listener-friendly album to date, and also happens to be one of their best ever.

Each disc from this band has taken a slightly different tone and direction. For Rival Factions, Project 86 leans more on melody and vocal singing than thrashing guitars and screaming (although both are still present at times). The result might put off some hardcore fans, but it should also gain this group a score of new ones. 

The CD case and booklet are worth mentioning as well, since the two are uniquely interactive, a trend that is all but lost in this age of digital downloading. I was surprised by how much I liked this album after just a few listens, and it already stands as one of the year's best. A-

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Transformers is a great example of a summer blockbuster. It has plenty of action, the right mix of laughter, tremendous CGI effects, and blends all of these together well enough to entertain audiences. There is no heavy-handed message (except maybe "buy these toys!) or political agenda. It tries to be simply a fun movie, and in that it succeeds.

Shia LeBeouf does an excellent job as Sam Witwicky, as do Kevin Dunn and Julie White in comedic-relief roles as his parents. The budding romance between Sam and Mikaela seems a bit forced and rushed, but it's not too distracting. In the voiceover department, Hugo Weaving shines as Megatron (leader of the war-mongering Decepticons), and Peter Cullen simply is the voice of Optimus Prime (leader of the peace-preserving Autobots).

The movie did seem to run a bit long, and there were a few too many human characters whose stories abruptly stopped without any sort of conclusion. And the small boombox Decepticon was too cartoon-like and bordered on annoying. But these are minor gripes with a film that delivers exactly what it intended to: blockbuster entertainment. B

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John McClane is back. This fourth installment in the Die Hard series -- and the first in 12 years -- sees Bruce Willis reprise what is arguably his most famous role. The movie is non-stop action from start to close, and it grows a bit wearisome. And if you are adverse to foul language, this is definitely not easy on the ears. (It's excessive for a PG-13.)

The first Die Hard film gave us a villain on par with the hero, something none of the others have been able to reproduce. Alan Rickman's role as Hans Gruber gave McClane an adversary, not just a target. Timothy Olyphant's role in Live Free is meant to be in the same vein, but falls short of even Jeremy Irons' performance in With a Vengeance. Part of this failure is rigid acting, and the rest is poor plot development.

Thumbs up to Mary Elizabeth Winstead for her role as Lucy, and Maggie Q as the no-nonsense Mai. Director Len Wiseman understands the tone, but not the pacing. All action without any downtime and a lackluster villainous scheme make Die Hard 4 just a step above average. C+

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