Inheritance Series

The Inheritance Trilogy, by Christopher Poalini, is probably one of my favorite book series. It's exciting, imaginative, extremely detailed, and all around a good book. It takes place in the country of Alegasia, a land where Dwarves, Elves, Humans, Urgals (almost like Orcs with horns), and a wide variety of creatures live. It tells the story of Eragon, a teenage farm boy living in the town of Carvahall. He lives with his uncle Garrow, on a modest little farm. But one day, Eragon finds a dragon egg, and it hatches a sapphire colored dragon. Eragon is suddenly thrust into an adventure he never even dremt about, brcoming a Dragon Rider and going on a quest to overthrow the evil king, Galbatorix.

In Eldest, Eragon goes to the land of Elesmera, home to the elves. This book is full of surprises. Way more than in the last book. Eragon grows rapidly and faces new challanges. And the end holds a surprise that can change all of Alagasia forever. Even the story of Roran is in this book. Saying anymore would be a spoiler. I haven't read Brisingr yet, but I will soon.

The books have an extremely interesting plot. The characters are also interesting. The cast includes Brom, a story teller from Carvahall who seems to know a lot about the Dragon Riders and Magic, Angela, a rather odd herbalist, Galbatorix, a mad king, and many many more characters.

The books contains many languages, I have no idea how Poalini remembered them while writing. There's the Dwarf language, the Ancient language, the Urgal language, and English. There's a huge variety of personalities and cultures in this book as well.

Rock Band

Rock Band, as you know, is a game allowing players to create a band and go on tour. Since I got my Rock Band Unplugged PSP Bundle, I've been playing it a lot. So here's a quick review.

Rock Band Unplugged is your typical Rock Band game, band creation, world tour, and the ability to play any of four instruments: Drum, Guitar, Vocals, and Bass. But, the game's gameplay is very different  from others of it's name. You play chords and notes by pressing the PSP's Triangle Circle, Up, and Down buttons. One great feature is the ability to play all instruments at once. You can hop back and forth between instruments with the Left and Right triggers. If you play a certain amount of notes for an instrument, it plays on it's own for a while, allowing you to play another instrument. This is very challenging, and extremely fun. Tour mode is pretty much the same as other Rock Band games, pick a city, pick a song and play. Character customization is also the same as other Rock Band games. Modes other than Tour include Quick Play, Survival, and Practice. Quick play is the mode where you can pick songs and play. Just choose from your library. Survival is where no instrument plays on it's own. You have to jump back and forth and stay on your toes to be successful in this mode. Practice is...well...Practice. Pick and instrument and practice.


Recently, we got the Beatles Rock Band. One thing I can tell you now, you'll finish this quick. We finished it in less than a day. This game is just Rock Band with a few changes. There are only Beatles songs here. NO character customization. You can only play as the Beatles. Cities don't come up like before. Instead of unlocking two to five cities at a time, in this game you unlock one city at a time, each in their own time period. This is the new Tour mode: Story Mode. Other than that, this game is the same.

Review: X-Men Origins: Wolverine

This is a good movie if you like action. The stuff in it look cool, but are unrealistic. The fighting scenes are awesome, the plot's okay, and the graphics are pretty good. It basically explains how Wolverine, or Logan (his name in the origins movie is James), gets his Adamantium claws, loses his memory, and gets the name Wolverine.

Watch only if you've never read the comic, or else (according to other people on the web-I've never read X-Men) it will seem pretty messed up. I did some research on the comics and it's way different. It might be a disappointment to some X-Men Comic fans.

Most critics say it sucked because they liked how Wolverine had a mysterious past (and they thought it was thinly plotted), but I liked it (then again, I'm just a kid, what do I know about critiquing movies). The action was pure awesome! I'm a kid, I don't care about plots as much as awesome, hardcore action. But if I had to rate the plot, I'd say it was okay. It wasn't as great as Star Wars or anything, but it wasn't that bad (or thin). A 3.0 story. It has a lot of fighting (action!) which is good.

The movie opens to a dark and stormy night, in a big mansion (Canada 1800s). A sick boy (James) is lying on a bed, kept company by his brother (Victor), the groundskeeper's son, though James doesn't know that Victor is his brother. James' father walks in and seems outraged. He tells Victor to go home. Later that night, screaming and gunshots are heard. James runs downstairs and sees his dead dad lying on the floor. This makes his claws come out (for the first time). He runs at the groundskeeper (Logan) who killed his father. Logan tells James that he is his father only after being stabbed by bone claws.

Good Stuff: Loads of fighting and cool characters like Agent Zero and Gambit. I loved the action. The plot isn't too bad, but it could use a little more like the character Rose and her story.

Bad Stuff: All I can think of that was bad about this movie, is that the writers didn't include Rose, and that it wasn't clear at the end who Weapon 11 was (I had to tell Rain who it was, and Maia didn't know either). There was also the fact that Wolverine now had a back story, but that didn't bother me too much.

Final Score: The movie is good over all--mostly because the action--and earns a 4.0 of 5 (remember, I'm just a kid and am doing my first ever movie review, I'm not your best choice for a review yet).

The Force Unleashed for the PSP

Must have for Star Wars fans: Star Wars the Force Unleashed. After playing my brother's PSP version, I've decided that in my opinion, the Force Unleashed is the best Star Wars game I've ever played. The storyline is amazing, explaining the creation of the Rebels in an unexpected way. The main characters are very extraordinary. The game play is pretty awesome too.

For a handheld system, the Play Station Portable is pretty amazing. It gives graphics and features you can't find in the DS. So when I heard my brother got the Force Unleashed for the PSP, I expected it to be a good game. I didn't expect it to be this great. The controls are easy to learn, using only four buttons for loads of moves. The features are great, within the story mode, and in Force Unleashed mode. In story mode , you'll be spending hours searching for lightsaber upgrades and Holocrons. It's a pretty addictive search and the lightsaber customization will let you set those upgrades to your taste. As well as lightsaber customization, you can put on costumes, enter cheats, and view Holocrons.

In the Force Unleashed mode, you can play some awesome games. The games include Order 66, Force Duels, and Historic Mission. In Order 66, you can pick a Jedi and battle through the imperial army, defending against the traitorous clones. Force Duel is basically a duel between Jedi. Historic Mission is my personal favorite Force Unleashed game. You play as a Jedi fighting through legendary scenes such as the Dune Sea battle in Episode VI, the Battle of Mustafar in Episode III, and countless other battles.

This is just my opinion, try the game if you want to really see how it is.

P.S.: for owners of the game, here are some cheats:
Eclipse: play as Juno
Hologram: play as PROXY
Speeder, Virgence, and Tyranus: force cheats

5 Great Books

Here's a list of 5 of the best books I've read (So far):

Redwall
This fantasy novel takes place in the middle ages in a country inhabited by peaceful mice, brave otters, wise and powerful birds, evil stouts, cunning foxes, and many, many more creatures. At Redwall Abbey, creatures are loving and kind. They live quiet lives, most of the time. They must know how to defend themselves and often experience battles, living in an area inhabited by evil creatures like rats and foxes. There is usually a journey by the abbey warrior to find someone or something to help the abbey in times of war. The stories are exciting and suspenseful making this book a a great read.

Westmark
Also taking place in an imaginary land, Westmark tells of the story of Theo, a printer's apprentice and how he gets caught on the wrong side of the law by printing a pamphlet illegally. He meets new allies, the traveling performer Count Las Bombas, his sidekick Musket, and the strange girl Mickle, after fleeing the city and eventually becomes friends with the rebel Florian. He becomes caught up in a war between the Rebels and the Monarchy. The rebellion sends him on a mission in a town where his friends have been captured. He rescues his friends Count Las Bombas, Musket, and Mickle, but leave his other friend, Justin injured. They defeat Cabbarus, the minister aiming to gain control of Westmark, and Mickle's true identity is revealed. Westmark is a very interesting and exciting book.

The Westing Game
The Westing Game is a very, very thrilling story. It tells the story of a mysterious murder, where the victim somehow knows who killed him and makes a game out of it. The person who can find out who killed him, wins his fortune. Being the owner of Westing Paper Products, he was very wealthy, thus all of the heirs chosen to play take a shot at solving the mystery. Theft and explosions are involved in the Westing Game. This book is probably the best mix of thrill and excitement I've ever read.

The Looking Glass Wars
The Looking Glass Wars is the story of Princess Alyss Heart of Wonderland. In Wonderland, the Royal Families, Spade, Club, and Diamond, rule under the Heart family. Card soldiers protect Wonderland, and the Cut-commanded by Redd, the outlawed Heart princess-battle for control over Wonderland. The Hatters, an elite military fore of Wonderlands fiercest and most loyal warriors, protect the Queen under any circumstances. The Looking Glass Wars tells the story of how Princess Alyss' family is attacked by her Aunt Redd. She flees with her bodyguard, Hatter Madigan, to the Pool of Tears and is suddenly out of Wonderland and in a strange new world. The story is very imaginative and is a very different, yet somewhat similar, to Alice in Wonderland. This is a very good book, including characters from Alice in Wonderland: The Caterpillar(Split into seven Caterpillars), the Mad Hatter(Hatter Madigan), even the Cheshire Cat. Check out the site.

The Mysterious Benedict Society
This book is one I'd like to read again. It is has a very interesting story, clever characters, and a great amount of imagination. Reynie Muldoon is an orphan with a very sensible head on his shoulders. He had completed all of his text books and is pretty well respected by his private tutor. So, when he see the ad Are you a special child looking for opportunities? shows up in the newspaper, he goes and takes a test. He ends up joining the Mysterious Benedict Society, and is sent on a mission to a school. Saying any more would spoil the story. Very thrilling and imaginative, this is a great read for anyone.

Some Of My Favorite Kids Books

These are, in my opinion, some of the best children's books of all time:

The Apartment Book
This is a book like no other. It's funny and very imaginative. The book is a cutaway of a house with very extraordinary people in it. This is a great picture book. Readers will enjoy the hilarious characters

Encyclopedia Brown
The books in this series are great. They not only include a good story, they also have the reader solve the mystery. These books have very challenging problems and interesting characters. Although the books are for younger readers, I still love to read them.

Are You Smarter Than The Cat in The Hat
This book is very funny and is probably one of Dr. Suess' best books. The questions are hilarious. Children and adults alike will love this book.

The Five Chinese Brothers
Here's a book worth reading. The characters are the probably some of the most extraordinary people I've ever heard of. The story is interesting and is excellently told.

Green Eggs and Ham
Who can't like this book? It's funny and shows you don't know if you don't like something until you try it.

Goodnight Moon and Guess How Much I Love You
There's something about these two books that makes readers love them. They're simple, yet lovable in every way.

Roald Dahl's Revolting Rhymes
This is a hilarious twist to the fairy tales everyone loves. The stories are great. This is a must have for any reader.

Where the Sidewalk Ends
Shel Silverstien is a truly talented writer. His book Where the Sidewalk Ends is an amazing collectible. Whether your in the mood for poetry, or just something to read in your spare time, this will probably be the first book you pick up.

If I Owned the Zoo and If I Owned the Circus
Crazy animals and characters. Amazing sights and wonders. Visit the Circus or the Zoo, being run by the most imaginative children alive.

How to Eat Fried Worms
Gross, yet brilliant, this is a great book.

Hello Red Fox
Eric Carl has probably made his best book. Hello Red Fox uses "Magic" to reveal the true color of characters, literally.

The Missing Piece and The Missing Piece Meets the Big O
These books are two of my favorite Shel Silverstien books. They are imaginative and expertly written.

The Lego Book
Legos are genius and so is the book. Detailed description on the history of Legos, cool creations, great toys. This book is essential for any Lego builder.

The BFG
The Big Friendly Giant is another amazing book by Roald Dahl. a Giant that doesn't eat kids. What does he eat? Snozzcumbers. What's more, he's friends with a little girl, Sophie.

I have loads more, but I'll leave you here. Until next time,
Justin Cruz