Movie Review: Fallen Kingdom unleashes chaos

Wow. It's been forever since I did a post. Well, today I'm reviewing the movie Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Story:

It’s been three years since the Indominus Rex caused Jurassic World to be shut down, and across the world a heated debate rages on about whether or not dinosaurs should be granted the same rights as other endangered species. Claire Dearing, now running a dinosaur rights activist group, is approached by a stranger who offers a sanctuary for the dinosaurs in exchange for help locating Blue, who is the last Velociraptor on the planet. Putting together a team that includes Owen Grady, they return to the island so they can rescue as many dinosaurs as possible before the island blows up. However, all is not as it seems as a sinister plot is put into action that intends on exploiting the dinosaurs for personal gain. 

This movie does a terrific job at setting itself apart from its predecessors. I love the idea of a civil rights group for dinosaurs popping up, and the inclusion of several new species like the Carnotaurus which did appear in Michael Crichton’s second book. It would’ve been easy to make this a standard run-away-from-dinosaurs film, but instead they take what has been established and build up. As the books delve deep into chaos theory, so does this film in showing the consequences of having dinosaurs brought back into a world that is no longer theirs. It was also great to see Jeff Goldblum return as Ian Malcolm, even if it was just for a couple of scenes. This movie, to me, feels like the people took a lot of thought and consideration, and studied the books to get more of the feel and messages of Jurassic Park/World. 

I heard the director was a master of the horror element and that shows. Several times predators are enclosed in shadow, with just enough light at key moments to indicate their presence in the shadows creates a spirit of fear that reminds us several of these animals were apex predators in their time periods, and that just because humans brought them back from extinction doesn’t make them any less dangerous. The eruption of Isla Nublar’s volcano, which the promotional material from the Dinosaur Protection Group website confirmed the name as Mount Sibo, was probably one of the most terrifying moments in the film as it fills you with a sense of being trapped, and near the end led to the saddest scene in the entire film. However, it also brought back an old film trope with dinosaurs as several old dinosaur movies involved a volcano in some form or way. The music also helps with the scenes, evoking a sense of fear around the predators, and sadness for the pain of the animals. 

Overall, I feel this was a well done sequel, and did enjoy the film’s plot overall. I look forward to seeing how they top the events of this film in Jurassic World III. 

Caution:

Mild swearing, including the d-word and the g-word. A character almost says the s-word. The eruption of the volcano may terrify some viewers, and the dinosaurs in peril may sadden others. People shoot each other and adults and children are chased by predators. Dinosaurs are mistreated and abused, and the death of one is heartbreaking. A man has his arm bitten off before he is killed, and several people are killed offscreen. Blood is seen several times.

Lessons:

We have a duty and responsibility to care for our world and the plants and animals that inhabit it. Our actions and choices will have consequences, and we will have to accept them. 

Movie Review: Jurassic World brings the franchise back from extinction

Hi everyone. Sorry it's been so long. I'm still trying to get that book read and reviewed. I got back from seeing a movie that I've been waiting all summer to see and I've decided to blog about it. Those of you who know me can tell what it's going to be about, but I'm going to tell you anyway: Jurassic World.

Rating: Five out of five stars

Story:

            It’s been years since the initial disaster of Jurassic Park on Isla Nublar. Now, thanks to Simon Masrani, the park has finally come under control and is a popular attraction for families all over the world. While the brothers Zach and Gray Mitchell have come to Jurassic World to visit their workaholic aunt Claire Dearing, the staff behind the park is keeping an eye on their next attraction: a hybrid dinosaur dubbed the Indominus Rex. What they don’t anticipate is the skills this new species of dinosaur has, which it uses to escape and cause mayhem across the park. With the help of Velociraptor trainer Owen Grady they must stop the Indominus Rex from killing everyone and everything on the island.

            I am a big fan of dinosaurs and have loved all the Jurassic Park films. Each one keeps to the theme that the dinosaurs are animals, not monsters. This one, however, takes it all to the next level while keeping the formula that made the past films great. The majority of the original actors don’t appear, but we do get to see B.D. Wong reprise his role as Dr. Henry Wu, the geneticist who helped create the dinosaurs. Chris Pratt did an excellent job as Owen Wilson, providing humor and the voice of reason to the film. While moving on from the events of the first Jurassic Park films, this movie does contain plenty of Easter Eggs and references to the rest of the franchise. Most people were complaining about how the training of the Veliciraptors took away from the appeal, but that only helps to make them more realistic. Many animals, like lions, tigers, wolves, and bears, can be trained to do certain things and still be a wild animal at heart. Jurassic World takes that concept and incorporates it into one of the most popular dinosaurs of all time, which only became famous thanks to the films. One of the shocking things to me in the film was that we see a female character die for the first time. I had a feeling it was going to happen, and foolishly hoped that it wouldn’t. Still, to see it happen, it shocked me and weighed heavy through the film.

            Anyway, continuing on, we do have to bid good-bye to the Brachiosaurus. However we get to see a dinosaur that was written in Michael Crichton’s original novel but had yet to appear in the films: Apatosaurus. We also see other classic dinosaurs like Parasaurolophus, Triceratops, and Stegosaurus. Dinosaurs like Pachycephalosaurus and Dilophosaurus are discussed and make cameos. I was really excited to see something that used to swim in the oceans finally make an appearance in the films, and it was one of the ocean’s apex predators: the Mosasaurus. The Indominus Rex, due to being a hybrid dinosaur, is quite literally insane. That does correspond to science because hybrid cows that have been created have been reported to be a little crazy. The film also sets up for potential sequels, which I have to say thanks to this film will certainly happen. If you haven’t seen it yet, then you should. It stays loyal to the spirit of the films, and evolves so much to the next level of prehistoric entertainment.

Caution:

            Dinosaurs attack people, and blood is seen plenty of times. A dinosaur attacks several other dinosaurs and kills them. Some Apatosaurs are seen injured and dying. Pteranodons carry off a woman who is eaten. Carnivores fight a hybrid dinosaur. Some mild swearing. A woman takes off her jacket while a man watches in shock.

Lessons:

            Our families can be a source of comfort and love when we are in our darkest moments and need strength. Animals are living, breathing creatures like us and deserve our respect. The only monsters are the ones we create. Just because we can do something doesn’t mean we should. Our actions have consequences, and if we’re not careful others will get hurt.

I realized too late I could've been using this month to blog about dinosaurs before the film was released. I may still do that. If I have time I'll update more and share with you more information about dinosaurs. Until next time, enjoy the film. 

Book Review: Z.Raptor is a heart-pounding thrill.

Well, with all these fantasy books some of you might be thinking I've lost my interest in dinosaurs. Not a chance! I still love dinosaurs, and to prove it this next review is on a book that features dinosaurs.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Story:
While trying to enjoy Christmas with his dad in New York Adam Adlar finds himself abducted by the FBI. He and his dad learn that the company Geneflow has people trapped on an island off of Hawaii where there are super-evolved raptors. On their way to rescue the people one of the ships is attacked and sunk, and Adam finds himself stranded on Raptor Island. With a group of survivors Adam learns there's not one, but two super-evolved raptor species on the island that are battling each other for domination, and for the right to eat the people. With the help of the outcast raptor Loner, Adam and the survivors launch a plan to break into Geneflow's base and stop this diabolical plan of theirs.
I enjoyed these books because the dinosaurs are not your average stereotype. I enjoy reading how these species are evolved into deadly creatures. Perfect blend of science fiction and horror. Steve Cole has plenty of unexpected twists in the story, and you will be on the edge of your seat long before you get to the end.
Caution:
Raptors fight each other and blood is mention. Some violence between survivors and raptors might be a little intense for some. Some mild swearing.
Lessons:
If we let ambition blind us we may become monsters ourselves. Be careful when it comes to trusting others.

Birthday update

Hi everyone. I thought I should take the time to change course from my traditional book reviewing and blog about how my birthday went. I'm sure all of you deserve a change on this blog.
This year I turned twenty-four. I had a hope as to what I would find that day, and I was not disappointed. My brothers got me a double-feature of How to Train Your Dragon 2 with the bonus short Dawn of the Dragon Racers. I was really happy to see that. I also got a new watch since my old one broke. I did buy myself some DVDs from the bookstore too: Quest for Camelot and Brave. I thought it would be best to find stories revolving around my English-Scottish heritage. Of course that doesn't mean I can't enjoy other stories based on other nationalities as well.
Anyway, back to my birthday for fun we went to the Museum of Ancient Life. I wanted to show my brothers how it was designed. We had fun while we were there. There was a place where we could put together our own dinosaur. We ended up making a six-legged, four-headed (three at the front, one where the tail should've been) dinosaur. Josh dubbed the creature a Chimerasaurus. We all enjoyed the interactive exhibits.
For dinner we ate at a restaurant called Golden Corral. We hadn't been there for a while, and we always enjoyed the buffet. I have to admit I was embarrassed when people came and sung Happy Birthday to me. I don't know how kids can handle it. If anyone finds out please let me know. I would love to know.
Well that's it for now. Sorry for the lack of pictures. I'll try to make sure I have a way to transfer pictures from my phone onto my blog in the future. Maybe I can try to figure that out this week and post some of the videos and photos on here.

Reviews for The Page and The Eternal Savage

Hi everyone. I know usually I only do one book review at a time. However today I'm pleased to say that I will be reviewing two books today.

A heroic knight, villains and dragons working together, and the mystical sword Excalibur. Padraig finds himself questing to rescue a maid from an evil dragon only to be caught up in a war to change the fate of our world. I enjoyed the creativity and imagination regarding what happened after the fall of Camelot. Some parts are a little slow, but overall an enjoyable read for all lovers of fantasy.
Caution
There is some mild swearing in this book. A few times it is mentioned that a knight takes a bath in front of a shocked page. Dragons bleed quite a lot when killed and are mentioned as killing people and eating their liver (though thankfully the characters never see it).
Lessons
When we think ourselves as above others we are prone to fall. The greatest form of love is to be willing to give your life for another. When we use the means God has given us to help others we can accomplish great things. Evil is no match for the power of good. 
Rating
4 out of 5 stars

The Eternal Savage (or The Eternal Lover as my e-book copy is titled) is about Nu, a cave-man who sets out to kill a Smilodon (or Saber-tooth cat) so he can bring the head back and claim Na-Tul, the love of his life, as his mate. However things go wrong and Nu finds himself in the twentieth-century Africa where he meets up with Tarzan and has some adventures before returning back to his time period where he continues to work for Na-Tul.
With all the discoveries made in science we now know that such a story is impossible. Dinosaurs and man didn't live in the same time period, and several of the prehistoric mammals were in the wrong area. Still I enjoyed Nu's loyalty towards Na-Tul and the lengths he went to save her from harm. The ending might surprise you. However if you enjoy the works of Edgar Rice Burroughs you won't want to miss this.
Caution
Nu for most of the story only wears a loin cloth. There is one moment where it mentions him taking a bath (though it doesn't go into detail). Men and animals are killed, mostly for food though the men do kill to protect themselves and others from harm. A woman is seen feeding a child and mentions her chest being exposed.
Lessons
A man and a woman are supposed to come together as husband and wife, and to cherish each other and love each other will full purpose of heart. When we mistreat others we can expect to be mistreated in the end. 
Rating
3 out of 5 stars

Review of Walking with Dinosaurs

Hi. This is a post I meant to do days ago, but circumstances haven't been in my favor. Still better late than never. On the very last day of 2013 my family and I went to see Walking with Dinosaurs!

Yes this film was inspired by the documentary of the same name from back at the start of the millennium. While the film does incorporate many aspects of a documentary it also features a lot of elements of a traditional narrative. One theme I noticed in this film is that we should never give up. The story is basically about Pachyrhinosaurus named Patchi who has to learn to survive in the prehistoric world of what is now Alaska. The events are narrated by Alex the Alexornis, which was a prehistoric bird. He and Patchi become good friends and share several misadventures together. As time goes on Patchi has to learn to stand up for himself when it comes to facing another Pachyrhinosaurus or a Gorgosaurus which is the main predator used in the film. Patchi's journal supports the moral mentioned earlier because there are several times where he feels like giving up but in the end chooses to keep living.
I enjoyed how they combined elements of a documentary in with the film. That made it more relatable to and easier for people to understand. Several times there are brief pauses in the movie to explain about the dinosaurs found within and some of the interesting features about them. One of my favorite moments was when Alex was explaining about the Gorgosaurus and he loses composure because of one key feature of the carnivores. I won't say what, but if you've seen the trailers you might know what I'm talking about. Still despite Alex breaking the fourth wall several times the characters don't even know the audience is there. I think the documentary features help support the moral I'm using in this review because we can understand a little more of Patchi's life and know how he's feeling, why he feels like giving up at different points and why he chooses to keep trying.
The design of the dinosaurs was also very interesting. I enjoyed seeing some of the new information we found out about dinosaurs since the original Walking with Dinosaurs came used in this movie like how certain dinosaurs had feathers. The film did have some errors with the animals. It listed Troodon as being an omnivore when I was sure it was supposed to be a carnivore. Also the ankylosaur in the movie was called Edmontonia. The film did use some species that were new to me like Chirostenotes and Hesperonychus. I have to admit I'm not sure if Gorgosaurus being the shade of blue it was would've been very helpful in the prehistoric world. To me at least it be a dead giveaway that they would've been in the area and would alert prey to them. Patchi's coloring and size also help support the theme because he's basically at the bottom of the pack (or herd I should say), yet he keeps pushing on until he becomes more than what others saw him as.
I really enjoyed this movie and had a good time watching it with my family. I was surprised to read that several reviews for the movie had been negative. Still my opinion remains the same: This was a very well done movie and one that I definitely will add to my personal collection when it comes out on DVD, if they still exist at the time.
One of the funny things about us going to the theater was that we were the only ones in there.

See? I couldn't get a photo of around me. However you get the idea. Also I didn't hear this come up at all during the movie, but the main Gorgosaurus (the one that was really blue) was named Gorgon according to what I read. That was interesting because the species was named after the gorgons of Greek mythology. Actually that was the understanding I had. I did some research and Gorgosaurus actually means Fierce Lizard. I don't know about you, but I'm not going to argue with that. Well I think I've done enough for now. I'll try to get a list up this week of movies I plan to see this new year. Also one of my new year's resolutions is to be completely done with the first draft of book 2 of The Myths of Dymos by the end of the year. 

Therizinosaurus

Hi again. I've noticed it's been a long time since I blogged about dinosaurs, so I thought I'd change that tonight. Not too long ago I noticed an article about a species of dinosaur called Therizinosaurus. Now you're probably confused, wondering "What kind of dinosaur is that?" Well here's an artist's rendition:

There it is. I know this dinosaur may look strange to some, but this is a theoretical look for Therizinosaurus because not many bones have been found. I learned today that its looks are primarily based off of other fossils of the family this dinosaur belonged to. The only sure features of this dinosaur were the huge claws that were found, each one measuring up to 3.28 feet in length.
Therizinosaurus was a dinosaur that lived in what is now Asia, primarily Mongolia. Its name comes from the Greek words Therizo (to cut or to reap) and Sauros (Lizard). One swipe of those claws would be enough to put the Grim Reaper out of business. Probably not because despite the odd appearance it was theorized that Therizinosaurus was a plant eater. So if that were to prove true we are off the menu for this dinosaur.
I'm not really sure how tall this dinosaur probably stood. Wikipedia said this dinosaur was theorized to have been up to ten metres in length. The picture of the size comparison makes me think this dinosaur is believed to have been possibly around 15 feet tall. However the only way to be 100% sure is to find a complete skeleton. So it probably wouldn't have been that big. We don't know for sure, and that's one of the most fun things about paleontology.
My first introduction to this group of dinosaurs was with watching the documentary When Dinosaurs Roamed America. The animal featured was a cousin called Nothronychus living in what is now New Mexico. The narrator described it as looking "...like a half-plucked turkey and walks like a pot-bellied bear." However I first officially saw Therizinosaurus in the anime series Dinosaur King where it was featured as one of the Secret Dinosaurs (a dinosaur that the main antagonist Dr. Z hatched, raised, and experimented on in secret, and strangely was the only one that forgave him for the experiments done upon it). A few months ago I saw an episode of Chased by Dinosaurs where Nigel Marvin went back to prehistoric Mongolia to find this dinosaur. In case you're wondering, I'd say that there's a very good chance of this dinosaur appearing in my books. In fact, I have plans to use it when I finally take all of you to the part of Dymos that parallels Asia. I did just think that it would be interesting to see this dinosaur in the Jurassic Park franchise. What do you think?

Where I've been and future plans

Well I'd better let everyone know that I am still here in the mortal world. I've been on the road the last week with the addition of spending time with my family along the way. I will be continuing my education at Brigham Young University now. I will be shifting my focus and efforts to making sure I get really good grades in my class. However there will be at least five films coming out at the end of this year that I plan to see and then review here.

1. Ender's Game

2. Thor: The Dark World

3. Frozen

4. The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

5. Walking with Dinosaurs: The 3D Movie
I know I've said I'd start posting short stories on this blog. I will try to do it at least this next week.

Creatures for Book 2

Hi everyone. One of the mistakes I made with my first book was the use of too many different species. That was something I was hoping to correct with the second installment in the Myths of Dymos series. However there was something I wanted help with: I want to know which creatures you would like to see in this next adventure. This is just a list of what I was considering thus far. I'd greatly appreciate your feedback and suggestions on what you would like to see Josun and his friends encounter in the land of Bylouth. If you know of something that isn't on the list that you would like to see in book two please let me know. Just post your suggestions in the comments section below, or if you do not have an account connected to Blogger please feel free to comment on Facebook. Now on to the list:

Mythical

Centaur

Minotaur

Giant

Dwarf

Elf

Dragon

Griffin

Hippogriff

Pegasus

Meriod

Roomar Vulshur

Alieron

Goblin

Troll

Ogre

Werewolf

Satyr

Harpy

Basilisk

Cockatrice

Cerberus

Othrus

Oberus (possible new creature or name for new character. Haven't decided yet.)

Fairy

Pixie

Sprite

Dryad

Naiad

Oread

Quinotaur

Tarasque

Peluda

Unicorn

Boar based off of the boars from Greek Mythology

Deer based off of the Ceryneian Hind

8-legged horse

Gnome

Salamander

Mermaid/Merman

Sea Serpent

Kraken

Selkie

Ichthyocentaur

Hippocampus

Magic users (wizards, witches, etc)

Melusine

Cyclopes

Gorgons

Gargoyles

Lindworm

Drake

Wyvern

Prehistoric

Torvosaurus 

Megalosaurus 

Baryonyx 

Dacentrurus 

Hypsilophodon

Aristosuchus

Parasol Ant (what the book Walking with Beasts called the ants from the first part of the documentary)

Godinertia

Leptictidium

Gastornis/Diatrama 

Ambulocetus

Cetiosaurus

Hypseleosaurus

Ampelosaurus

Lilliensternus

Pyroraptor 

Iguanodon 

Pelicanimimus 

Camtosaurus 

Plateosaurus 

Ornithoceirus 

Anurognathus

Peteinosaurus

Ramphorynchus

Archaeopteryx 

Neovenator 

Compsognathus 

Elasmotherium

Auroch

Lexovisaurus

Mammoth

Megaloceros 

Propaleotherium

Meganuera

Arthropluera

Edaphrosaurus

Dimetrodon

Seymouria

Cephalaspis

Brontoscorpio

Pterygotus

Cameroceras

Pulmonoscorpius 

Woolly Rhino 

Eurotamandua 

Woolly Mammoth

Hyaenadon 

Entelodon 

Calicotherium 

Crassigyrinus 

Cave Bear 

Cave Hyena 

Homotherium 

Thoughts on Dymos

Time to do another blog post. I think what I can do now is give you some ideas as to what I hope to do with book two of the Myths of Dymos. I won't give set-in-stone ideas yet. Whether or not I do will have to wait. What I plan to share here is some things I would like to try and accomplish with the sequel. 

While I did a good job story wise for the first book of the Myths of Dymos I didn't really show the world. There's so much to a world that we are often not told except in those guidebooks to the world. I didn't really share what Bylouthian culture is like. What forms of art do they celebrate? What are some of the festivities and holidays they have? What of their history? The people have lived in that land for over a thousand years and I'd like to show what has come as a result. 

I did show that Dymos has a great ecological diversity. Perhaps I did a little more telling than showing. I focused a little more on the amount of wildlife instead of the quality. I didn't show what the animals were like and how the people have learned to live with them other than they try to avoid the predators when they're hungry. Have they used some of the prehistoric animals as beasts of burden? What's the lifestyle of some of the mythological races like minotaurs and satyrs? Do some of the prehistoric animals make good meals?  Are there any magical plants at all? So much that could be done in a series that I hope to be able to do in the next book. 

One of the biggest things I hope to be able to improve on with the next book is to have the characters learn important lessons on how to better themselves. We all have areas that we need to improve on. Everyone has a challenge that they need to overcome. Writing a good story is good and all. However I think it should be a way to help us learn to be better. I'm not saying that the only way we can ever overcome our problems is to go on some mythical quest. Those are relatively scarce these days. However we can try to show people examples of overcoming challenges so they can have hope and try to overcome their problems. Some may say "But I'm not them. I'm me!" That's what makes you special. You can overcome anything you face if you try. You can write your own stories. If you fall, don't worry. Just pick yourself up and try again. Never give up. 

I did learn of a good story element that I would like to use more in book two: Plot twists. A story can sometimes do what life does and throw at you a sudden, unexpected twist and turn. I don't think I used that a lot in book one. Of course I was still relatively new to writing by then. Now it's something I can improve on with this sequel.

You are probably wondering when my next book will be available. Truth is that I don't know. I'll keep writing and let you know when it is done. Of course I may go back and work on the draft because it probably won't be ready first go. Some authors spend years perfecting their work. I'll do my best to not take that long. There will  be other events going on in my life that will also call for my time, like education. I'll just do my best to write when I can. 

Terra Nova Trailer

Cool trailer huh? Terra Nova is an upcoming show on Fox directed by Steven Spielberg, also known for making the Jurassic Park films and the Indiana Jones series. From this trailer, we can see that the show is about a family who heads back in time to help rebuild civilization. Although all seems fine and dandy at first, they forgot one important factor: The dinosaurs. The new colony has to work hard to survive this harsh new (technically old) world where enemies seem to be everywhere.
I haven't seen a lot of live-action dinosaur shows, and I must say that after Primeval, this looks to be promising. The idea of using time travel to try and obtain a new life in the past is very interesting. If you're interested in this show, be sure to mark your calendars for September 26 as a two hour premiere will air.

The World's Smallest Dinosaur

Okay, now to update again. A few weeks ago, I found an article that said that the world's smallest dinosaur was probably found. The fossil that was found in the south of the United Kingdom was less than 7.1 millimeters long, which is small for a neck bone. The animal is thought to have been 15.7 inches long, and is a bird-like dinosaur that lived in the Late Cretaceous Period.
For a long time, I thought the smallest dinosaur was the baby Mussaurus, which was the size of a mouse. The adults, however, probably got up to 10 feet in length. It's hard to say because the only skeletons found were either juveniles or babies. If this does turn out to be a new species, it'll prove that size didn't always matter in the world of the dinosaurs.

Review of the Caspak Trilogy

The Caspak Trilogy is a series of books written by Edgar Rice Burroughs, author of the Tarzan adventures. Edgar Rice Burroughs has written books with prehistoric animals before, like in his Pellucidar series, but this is a trilogy that goes for a lost world angle. The first book in the series is The Land That Time Forgot. During World War I, a German U-Boat sinks an American ship, and a man named Bowen J. Tyler finds himself with a woman named Lys La Rue and his dog, Nobs. They are rescued by a ship, but sunk again by the same U-boat. The surviving crew manage to capture the U-boat and work towards getting back home. However, they get lost and end up at a continent called Caprona (which was named after a fictitious explorer who discovered it). They enter into the continent to find themselves in a prehistoric world filled with dinosaurs and ancient mammals. The natives of this place call the land Caspak, and the people of the U-boat try to set up a colony. However, the German prisoners mutiny and leave the Americans and British on Caspak while they leave. To make matters worse, Lys is abducted and Bowen has to find her while braving the dangers of a primeval world.The sequel, The People That Time Forgot, takes place some time after Bowen's manuscript is found. A rescue party heads to Caprona/Caspak to try and rescue Bowen, Lys, and the survivors. Leading this expedition is Tom Billings, who is an old friend of Bowen's. Tom flies a plane over Caspak, but is brought down by a pterosaur. He rescues a native girl, Ajor, from a prehistoric cat. After being attacked by some ape-men, Tom decides to take Ajor back to her people, the Galu. While traveling, Tom learns that in Caspak, people obtain status through a type of evolutionary progression, with the Galu being the highest form of evolutionary people. Tom learns of a plan to try and conquer the Galu by people who had not reached that stage yet, but are not willing to wait, and must try to stop them before they destroy Ajor's people.The final book in the Caspak Trilogy, Out Of Time's Abyss, concludes the story of Caspak and the people who discovered its secrets. In this story, an expedition that left Fort Dinosaur is returning to its home. This company, led by Bradley, are constantly being visited by a winged human. Bradley is abducted by this human, which is known as a Wieroo, and taken to the Wieroo civilization. He also meets a native girl (who is also a Galu like Ajor) named Co-Tan, who is being held by the Wieroo because she is a cos-ata-lo, or someone who was born a Galu. According to legend, the people who can make cos-ata-lo are meant to become Caspak's rulers. The Weiroo are all male, so they abduct Galu women to try and get female Wieroo, but with no luck. Bradley rescues Co-Tan and escapes from the Wieroo. While falling in love with Co-Tan, Bradley must undergo a deadly journey with lots of twists and surprises to return her to her people.
I am a huge fan of dinosaurs and like to read stories that feature them. However, I think that these stories push things a little too far with the idea of an evolution that takes a lifetime instead of millions of years. The Wieroo are also just plain weird to me. I did enjoy the stories as a whole and wish that Edgar Rice Burroughs did take the time to create more stories in Caspak. I would recommend these stories to anyone who's a fan of prehistory.

Review of Cryptid Hunters

Cryptid Hunters is a book that features the topic of cryptozoology. This is the branch of science that deals with finding animals that people say exist, but haven't been found yet. Some examples of animals that weren't thought to be real but were discovered were the okapi and coelacanth. Some of the more famous topics of cryptozoology are the Sasquatch and the Loch Ness Monster. However, as this book shows, there are many more cryptids to think about.
The book follows the adventures of Marty and Grace O'Hara, who are at a boarding school when they learn that their parents disappeared while on a trip in the Amazon. They are sent to live with their uncle Travis Wolfe, who they know nothing about (they didn't even know he existed). While staying with him, they learn from a scientist about activities going on in the Congo that involve the Mokèlé-mbèmbé, a creature thought to be one of the last dinosaurs in existence. The twins accompany their uncle on a dangerous quest against an enemy who is determined to get his hands on the animal, no matter what the cost.
If you want adventure with unknown animals that no one has seen before, this is a book for you. It holds promise to become an epic series and will keep you entertained from page one all the way to the last page. I would recommend this book to anyone who's interested in cryptozoology.

Review of Pellucidar

I know you're all probably getting tired of these reviews. Writing a review can actually be good for an author because it lets people know what they've been reading, and can help you decide if you want to read the book or not. For today the book I'll be reviewing is Pellucidar.Pellucidar is the sequel to At the Earth's Core. In this story, David Innes, the protagonist from the first story, returns to Pellucidar after returning to the surface to gather supplies to help the people in their struggle against the Mahars, but upon returning finds that things have not been going well. The people are divided, the Mahars are seeking a secret that was stolen from them, and David cannot find Dian, the woman he loves. To make matters worse, a man named Hooja the Sly One has been causing distrust among the people of Pellucidar.
David manages to find his friend Perry, who accompanies him to the land where David's friend Ja lives. There they make plans to track down Hooja, who people suspect might be working with the Mahars. David makes plans to travel to the Land of Awful Shadow while Perry decides to stay behind. David must once again overcome prehistoric animals, bizarre interior races, and enemies to find Dian, stop Hooja, and overthrow the Mahars once and for all.
I am pleased with the way Edgar Rice Burroughs has created this world within our own. Burroughs manages to create a world that has been left behind in time, and still manages to create characters with strong morals. The way he uses prehistoric animals in this land is incredible too, for some are used in a way that people of ancient times used them. I can officially say that I am a fan of Edgar Rice Burroughs Pellucidar series.

Review of At the Earth's Core

First off, sorry about no update yesterday. My time didn't go the way I had hoped it would. Well, I'll do one of the blogs I promised, and that blog is about the book At the Earth's Core.Most people know Edgar Rice Burroughs for his Tarzan stories, but he wrote many other books besides Tarzan. At the Earth's Core is the first of his Pellucidar series, which takes place in a world hidden beneath the Earth's crust (kind of like Jules Verne's A Journey to the Center of the Earth).
The story beginnings with David Innes, an heir to a miner's fortune, who goes with a friend, named Perry, in an invention of his called the Iron Mole. He plans to dig really deep into the Earth's crust to disprove a scientific theory. Things go according to plan, except for one problem: They find themselves unable to turn around!
The Iron Mole keeps digging into the Earth until they finally come out in something that's impossible. David and Perry find themselves inside a hollow world deep inside the Earth, where prehistoric animals still live. They get captured as slaves for a race of creatures called Mahars, who have the local humans under their control.
From their fellow slaves, David and Perry learn that the land is called Pellucidar, and the Mahars are the dominant species here. David develops a crush on a cave girl named Dian, but offends her on accident. As the story progresses, David and Perry must find a way to escape the Mahars, make amends to Dian, and help the people of Pellucidar overthrow the Mahars.
Edgar Rice Burroughs has created a great story in this book, one inspired by science and novels alike. He has succeeded in making Pellucidar a primordial world fans of adventure stories and/or dinosaurs will like. I was pleased when I saw that the characters had such good control over their emotions when they could have easily lost control. I look forward to reading the next book in the Pellucidar series, Pellucidar.

How Primeval

Everybody's familiar with the concept of modern people coming into contact with creatures of the prehistoric past. Authors and filmmakers alike have been doing stories about that for years, from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's The Lost World to Land of the Lost. However, there is one show that I have seen that takes this idea in a new interesting way. That show is called Primeval.
Scared yet? Good. The creature shown in the picture above is a Gorgonops (or Gorgonopsid in the show), one of the first creatures shown in the show. You're probably wondering why it is in the middle of a parking lot. These three options might come to your head as you look at the picture.
1. It was cloned back into existence and went on a hunting spree.
2. It escaped from its lost world and terrorized a small town.
3. It mutated from a dog and turned on its master.
If any of the choices were what you were thinking, you were wrong! The reason there's a Gorgonops in a parking lot is because it came through something called an anomaly.
Pretty isn't it? Well, they can actually be quite dangerous. According to the show, these anomalies are doors through space and time, and while they're open, creatures of the past can wander into the present. Of course not all of them are friendly (so few of them are). What's scary is that not only can creatures of the past come through, but animals of the future can find their way into the present as well.
Yeah, I know. This ugly thing looks like something that crawled out of a nightmare. This thing is what the people in the show call a future predator, because it's something that evolved after the time of man (and from what I've seen in the show, it's undoubtedly the top predator of it's time). Even though it's entertaining, I fail to see how something like this could come to be. The makers of Primeval did take some creative liberties with some of the creatures.
There's one example. That thing's supposed to be a mosasaurus, a sea going reptile that swam in the oceans during the late Cretaceous period, close to when the dinosaurs went extinct. What's wrong with this picture (apart from it trying to eat someone) is that the makers of the show gave it a back like a crocodile's. No fossilized skin has been found of a mosasaurus, but it's safe to assume that it did not have a bony back. The sea creatures of today (sharks, seals, dolphins, etc.) all have smooth backs, so it would make sense that prehistoric sea creatures had smooth backs as well.
Here's one thing the show did that I liked. Primeval featured the television debut of the predatory dinosaur Giganotosaurus! Giganotosaurus, whose name means Giant Southern Lizard, was a hunter from what is now South America. During it's time, it hunted large sauropods like Saltasaurus and other Titanosaurs. It was slightly bigger than Tyrannosaurus Rex (by a foot in length, with T-Rex being 42 feet long), but was dwarfed by the dinosaur Spinosaurus (which probably got up to about 60 feet in length). I thought it was good that this dinosaur finally got a place in a fictional television show.
So, if you want to watch a show featuring prehistoric animals and for it to not be a documentary, then Primeval is for you. Caution: Primeval has some graphic content and may not be suitable for all ages. Whether you want to see it or not however is up to you.

Torosaurus/Triceratops Debate

There's a debate going on in the world of paleontology right now. Recently, researchers Jack Horner and John Scanella have suggested that one of two famous ceratopsians (or three-horned dinosaurs), Triceratops and Torosaurus, may not actually exist. Before I go any further with this, I'll explain a little bit more about these two dinosaurs.

Everyone knows what a Triceratops. Triceratops was one of the last dinosaurs ever to have walked the Earth, living sixty-five million years ago during the late Cretaceous period in what is now western North America. It was discovered in the year 1887 as a pair of horns. Paleontologist Othniel Charles Marsh at first thought they belonged to an extinct bison, but later realized he was wrong when a complete skull was found in 1888 and gave it the name Triceratops (Greek for Three-Horned Face). Ever since Triceratops has become a popular dinosaur among the people of the world, appearing in films and TV shows like Jurassic Park, The Land Before Time, and Dinosaur King. Triceratops probably lived in herds and lived its days eating, jousting with other members of the herd, and staying off the menu.

This next ceratopsian was known as Torosaurus. It's name, which means Perforated Lizard because of the holes in the frill (but some people think it means Bull Lizard), was given to it in the year 1891 by Othniel Charles Marsh (even though the original pair of skulls were found by John Bell Hatcher). Like Triceratops, Torosaurus also lived during the late Cretaceous period sixty-five million years ago in what is now western North America. The behavior was also most likely similar to Triceratops, roaming around in herds, flirting with and competing for girls, and doing its best to not end up as another dinosaur's dinner. The frill makes the head of Torosaurus about one-third the size of its body (a prehistoric big head). This was probably so it could easily attract females with bright colors (like most birds do today) and intimidate a predator by making it think that it was bigger than it really was.

The scientists Jack Horner and John Scanella have theorized that Triceratops and Torosarus were not two different dinosaurs, but one species. Their reason: The skulls of Triceratops get longer as they get older, and no juvenile Torosaurus has been found. Jack Horner in his studies found out that Triceratops skulls had two thin spots in the frill that correspond to the holes that are found on the skulls of Torosaurus (probably to help distribute the weight of the skull). After studying the skulls of twenty-nine Triceratops and nine Torosaurus, they concluded that Torosaurus was actually a fully mature Triceratops. Since the name first given to an animal is the one that prevails, it looks like that Torosaurus may vanish from the face of the Earth just like the dinosaurs vanished sixty-five million years ago.

Visiting the Museum of Ancient Life

Just a quick update. Today was my 20th birthday, and I had a really great day. Not everything went as I had hoped it would (but not in the bad kind of way). Some things I had hoped to get done didn't happen. Oh well. It won't happen again for another year.
The biggest and coolest thing I did was go with a family member to the Museum of Ancient Life. I've been wanting to go for a while, and today that opportunity finally came. They had the coolest collection of fossils and ways to view the prehistoric worlds. I saw an actual skeleton of the dinosaur Supersaurus (a cousin of Apatosaurus) as well as a Brachiosaurus (and he/she was big). A dinosaur that I don't recall reading about before was Tanycolagreus (a small, carnivorous dinosaur from the Jurassic period). I also got to see some of the earliest dinosaurs (such as Herrerasaurus and Eoraptor) and other prehistoric animals (Dimetrodon, Eryops, and Dyictodont). Sorry, can't exactly remember the spelling on that last dinosaur. I did get to see some ceratopsians (cousins of Triceratops) that I had read about, but never seen in person. These cool dinosaurs were Chasmosaurus, Psittacosaurus, and Protoceratops. There were also several specimens of amber (the fossilized tree sap) with lots of bugs inside. Sorry, no one was digging in to extract dino blood like in Jurassic Park. Some of the first sea creature skeletons I saw included the giant turtle Archelon, the plesiosaur Elasmosaurus, and the mosasaur called Tylosaurus. They were really big (plenty of reason to stay out of the prehistoric oceans). There was also this cool diorama of the age of the dinosaurs (using dino figures found in the gift shop). A few other skeletons I got my first look at included Struthiomimus (a relative of Gallimimus from Jurassic Park), Anhanguera (a type of pterosaur), a complete skeleton of Utahraptor (a cousin of the Velociraptors), Gargoyleosaurus (a type of ankylosaurus), and Othnelia. All in all, that was a very fun trip.