Stellar Picks

Below find reviews of all the best movies, shows, books, games, and more according to Cosmic Circus contributors and writers.


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Book Review: ‘The Last Raven’ by Steve McHugh

Most fantasy books tend to be set in a medieval or, at best, Renaissance, time period. Or they take place in some alternate world that mimics our notions of these times. With The Last Raven by Steve McHugh, we’re offered a rare fantasy novel that is set in both modern times and the real world. I mean, the FBI is a huge

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‘God Of War: Ragnarok’ Game Review

God of War is a series of games about the god slayer Kratos. There have been seven games in the God Of War’s first era, telling the story of the Ghost of Sparta as he sought revenge against the Greek Gods. Beginning with PS2, this Greek Gods era of Krato’s story all began prior to the soft reboot, God of War

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Review ‘Weird: The Al Yankovic Story’ – Weird Fun for All

Weird: The Al Yankovic Story is a very weird film like Al Yankovic himself. Before you watch it, don’t expect a 1:1 recount of Yankovic’s life, even if it’s “based on true events.” Rather Weird is a fun, crazy, and in some ways revolutionary story. Keep in mind also that (as far as we know) many of the things shown in

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Review: ‘In the Coils of the Labyrinth: An Arkham Horror Novel’ by David Annandale

David Annandale takes us back to Arkham, the center of horror, in his mystery-thriller In the Coils of the Labyrinth. This time Professor Miranda Ventham is caught at the center of an occult conspiracy. Luckily her best friend is Agatha Crane, a parapsychologist who has devoted her life to uncovering and fighting the evil at the center of Arkham. Together they

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Book Review: ‘The Prisoner of Tartarus: A Marvel Legends of Asgard Novel’ By Richard Lee Byers

In The Prisoner of Tartarus, Richard Lee Byers gives us an origin story we didn’t know we needed. But we did! Byers shares with us not just the story of Heimdall coming into his own, but also the story of how the Bifrost, one of the most important means of transportation in the Marvel universe, came to be.  [Note: While I

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Book Review: ‘Beyond the Wand: The Magic and Mayhem of Growing Up a Wizard’ By Tom Felton

For those of us who can remember our childhood and adolescence, I think we can all agree that growing up isn’t always sunshine and rainbows. We learn through experience, with the goal to become functional adults, though not every experience is enjoyable. Sometimes the best lessons come from the hardest falls, where we get back up with a scraped knee and

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Book Review: Almost There: A Twisted Tale by Farrah Rochon

We all love to ask these questions when thinking about our favorite stories. What if Cinderella didn’t lose her shoe? What if Belle hadn’t shown the villagers the beast? And what if Tiana had accepted the Shadow Man’s deal? How would these choices have changed their stories? Well, Disney’s Twisted Tale series allows us to indulge in these fantasies and see

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Book Review: ‘Uncanny Times: A Huntsmen Novel’ by Laura Anne Gilman

Uncanny Times: A Huntsmen Novel tells the story of sister and brother Rosemary and Aaron Harker. They have been trained since birth to hunt down and kill the uncanny. The uncanny are supernatural creatures of all different varieties. It’s basically the TV show Supernatural, set in 1913 and it’s great. Uncanny Times is the first of a potential series by author Laura

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Book Review: ‘Elsa Bloodstone: Bequest A Marvel Heroines Novel’ by Cath Lauria

Elsa Bloodstone is one tough cookie. She travels the world fighting monsters so the rest of us can sleep a little safer at night. She’s a master of weaponry and hand-to-hand combat and is extremely formidable on her own. Add in her bloodstone shard choker that she inherited from her father and all the advantages it gives her and she becomes

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Book Review: ‘The Monsters We Defy’ by Leslye Penelope

Clara Johnson is one hell of a girl. Born with a caul over her face and screaming her head off, she sees what others can’t and she never bites her tongue. In The Monsters We Defy author Leslye Penelope tells the story of Clara and her friends who are trying to save humankind from losing the very thing that makes us

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Book Review: ‘One Dark Window’ by Rachel Gillig

Welcome to Blunder, a kingdom cut off from the rest of the world by a strange mist. Here magic is real and dangerous. There is sanctioned magic connected to providence cards that are allowed and “wild” magic that comes from the mist and is outlawed. Most people live in fear of the mist and the wild magic but some think that

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Book Review: ‘The Devourer Below: An Arkham Horror Novel’ edited by Charlotte Llewelyn-Wells

The Devourer Below is the second book in the Arkham Horror series from Aconyte books. I reviewed the first one, The Wrath of N’Kai, and absolutely loved it. I was expecting the series to continue the story from the last book so I was surprised to see that The Devourer Below was an anthology. Moreover, it didn’t follow the characters from

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