Book Review: Arena Mode by Blake Northcott

Arena Mode by Blake Northcott

Genre: Comic Books, Superheroes, Science Fiction, Dystopian Future
Series: Arena Mode #1
Publisher: Noösphere Publishing
Publication Date: June 2013
Author Info: www.blakenorthcott.com

Wendy's Rating: 3.5 of 5 stars - I’m a very visual reader. Arena Mode’s unique style lends itself perfectly to my creative mind. 

What if superhumans were real? What if they came out of the closet to reveal themselves to the world? And what if, some of them were the 1% and accepted billionaire Cameron Frost’s opportunity to pit their superhuman powers against each other in a death match for a chance at a whole lotta money?

Matthew Moxon lives in this dystopian future and is thrilled to see his love of comic books turned into fantasy. Unfortunately, a brain tumour puts a downer on his life, leaving the Arena Mode tournament as his only option for a treatment that costs millions. The problem? Mox, as his friends call him, isn’t a superhuman. But he does have a valuable comic collection, as well as a best friend with questionable connections and that’s enough for Mox to buy his way into deceiving Cameron Frost into believing that he really is a superhuman.

Arena Mode is basically a comic book written in novel format and it’s a fun read for any comic book fan. Northcott is a card-carrying geek and obviously a huge fan of the comic industry herself. Her opinions on important topics like the prequels that shall not be named or Marvel’s misunderstanding of how death works sneak into the story in the form of Matthew’s own thoughts. (I’m perfectly fine with these opinionated moments since I share the same opinion).

"Sledge"

I’m a very visual reader, easily able to picture just about anything in my head. Arena Mode’s unique style lends itself perfectly to my creative mind. But Northcott also has connections within the comic industry, giving the book its added punch in the form of full character illustrations and bios at the back of the book. Lucky Kickstarter supporters also received full colour character cards and other goodies to accompany their reading.

Each of the superhumans Matthew meets has a unique power set, though their abilities will be recognizable to comic fans. The key to making these characters unique is the way Northcott makes them more than just their abilities.

The Arena Mode battle itself was very interesting and tense, especially with Matthew having no powers, however I felt some of the battles, particularly the ones meant to be truly epic, were brushed over a bit too liberally. Again, I could picture these battles in my head, but in novel form, the details fell short.

The big reveal became evident about half way through the book, but it didn’t deter my enjoyment. Everything still flowed smoothly and interestingly, culminating in an ending that opens the door for some very intriguing events in the future.

Arena Mode is the product of a very successful Kickstarter. Its sequel, Assault or Attrition, continues with Northcott's Kickstarter success. Want to know how she did it? Check out our interview!

How to Train Your Kickstarter

Following the success (and by success, we mean the current top funded project in the Publishing: Fiction category with $35,353 in pledges and 948 backers!) of her first Kickstarter, Arena Mode author Blake Northcott has the perfect brain to pick for Kickstarter advice. The Toronto-based, self-publishing author very kindly took time out of her busy schedule, which includes work on her new Kickstarter, Assault or Attrition, and regular comic book and pop culture contributions to CBS Man Cave Daily, to share her Kickstarter experience with us.

Q: Your ebook Vs. Reality series was a success. What prompted you to up the game for Arena Mode?

A: I had an idea for about a year surrounding superhumans in a dystopian, slightly futuristic setting, but I really hadn't sat down to write it out until September of 2012. That's when I was in Los Angeles for Stan Lee's Comikaze Expo, and someone introduced me to the concept of 'crowdsourcing'.

I thought Kickstarter might be a good way to get my work noticed by a larger audience, so I set a goal for myself to get it funded, and release it that way. While my books were doing well on Amazon Kindle, without a publisher I was kind of spinning my wheels - this newfangled Kickstarter thingy sounded interesting. Apparently I was the last person on the internet to have heard of it!

Q: Arena Mode ended up being the #1 most funded fiction book of 2013 to date. How long did it take to reach your first goal? How did it feel? Were you expecting to get as much funding as you did?

A: I was originally asking for $6,500 USD to pay for the printing costs, packaging, artists, cover and logo - plus all my additional expenses. I figured that, worst-case scenario, I'd get funded and break even. Then at
the very least I'd get my name out there.

My campaign was scheduled for thirty days, and I hit my target on the second day. The feeling was indescribable. The closest word I can think of is "Whooooaaa!" That's what I was screaming inside of my own head for nearly a month non-stop. Needless to say I didn't sleep very much last February!

Q: We've heard that putting together a Kickstarter can be quite a task. What challenges did you face? What did you learn about the process and how do you feel about the end result?

A: I knew it would be a battle, but I had no idea just how insane the process would be. Figuring out packaging, shipping, organizing the rewards, issues with international labels...it was completely nuts.

And since I'm Canadian I had to drive down to the US and do all of my shipping from there, because it would have literally cost me thousands of dollars more to do it here. In America they have 'Media Mail', which allows domestic shipping of books for a ridiculously low price, so it saved me a bundle. I had to get everything packed up in a hotel in Buffalo, New York, and the process took nearly a week straight, 14 hours a day. The word 'exhausting' doesn't even cover it!

I learned a lot my first time around, and hopefully my new campaign will go a little smoother.

'Brynja & Melvin the Manticore' - by Jon 'Roc' Upchurch
Character design for the novel 'Arena Mode'
by Blake Northcott © 2013, Digital Vanguard Inc. 

Q: What are your plans for the Assault or Attrition Kickstarter launching this fall? Will you be doing things differently for this Arena Mode sequel?

A: The plans are to do pretty much the same thing - deliver the best possible reading experience I can, and deliver it on time. I've got more artists from Marvel, DC and Image Comics lending their talents, so I think this will be even better than Arena Mode. At least I hope it is!

The campaign is running right now at AssaultorAttrition.com. (and is already the hottest book on Kickster with 100% funding in a mere 9 hours! Congrats Blake!)

Q: Any advice to writers looking to use Kickstarter to give them a jump on publishing?

A: Figure out a great reason to write your book. Something you're passionate about and in love with. Once you have all the basics: an outline, sample chapters, a title, a summary and a great cover, then figure out the Kickstarter part.

I think the biggest mistake people make is doing it backwards. At least once a week someone asks me, "I want to make money on Kickstarter or Amazon - how do I do it?" You're asking the wrong questions. If you already have a great concept and something to work with, getting it out to the world will be a lot easier.

But once you have something that you want to share with readers, make sure it's as attractive and professional-looking as possible. Check out some of the most-funded projects on Kickstarter, and pull them apart. Find out what makes them appealing - from the video, rewards, description, etc. Anything that catches your eye, make a note of it. I researched relentlessly before I launched my campaign back in February, and I think that's what made it a success.

For more details on the lovely and amusing Blake Northcott, visit her website, www.blakenorthcott.com and follow her on Twitter and Facebook.

Check out the Kickstarter for Assault or Attrition at www.assaultorattrition.com and stay tuned for our review of Arena Mode next month!

Thanks Blake!

Wendy's Book Haul: Fan Expo 2013 Edition

I'm just back from this year's Fan Expo Canada (see my full report here!) where I picked up a few goodies, including Arena Mode, by Blake Northcott, whom we recently featured in our 10 Authors That Deserve More Buzz. I also got to spend a few minutes with Ms. Northcott and grab an autograph and pic and discuss future plans for the project. She had the covers of the next two books in the planned trilogy on display and they were breathtaking!

Blake Northcott and Wendy B at Fan Expo Canada

I dropped by my old comic book dealer, Labyrinth Books. Note that I use the word "dealer" in the truest drug addiction sense of the word, because the owner was skilled at finding all the right comics and paraphernalia to keep me coming back for more. Now he has a huge collection of art books, including concept art for many of my favourite games, such as Remember Me and Mass Effect. I obeyed my bank account though and only succumbed to Dragon Age: The World of Thedas, because it was not only an art book, but an encyclopedia dedicated to the game's lore. I am happy to immerse myself in the lore as my cautious excitement builds for the third installment of the series, Dragon Age: Inquisition.

Finally, the Chronicles of the Shadow War series wasn't purchased at the convention, but it arrived shortly before it and definitely fits the theme the convention promotes. A mention of Chris Claremont somewhere sparked sudden nostalgia, reminding me of the first book in this series, Shadow Moon, which I read a long time ago during my I Love George Lucas and X-Men era. I decided I needed to finish reading the series.

10 Authors That Deserve More Buzz

This list was originally inspired by the post I stumbled across by M.L. Brennan who in turn was inspired by a Top Ten Tuesday by Danielle over at Coffee and Characters. So, you know all those times you read an amazing, incredible book, but then when you rush out to hit up your bookish friends to find out what they think you discover that - SHOCKER! - hardly anyone has read it or even knows about it? You know what we mean! That idea evolved into this topic, in which Mogsy and Wendy list some authors plus the books they've written that we think should be getting waaaay more attention!

Wendy's Picks:

BLAKE NORTHCOTT: I discovered Northcott's first book, vs. Reality, via her Twitter feed, lured in by her sense of humour, obvious geek status and home girl pride. She writes novels about superheroes from a really unique angle. In fact, her first book was meant to be a comic, but when plans fell through, she converted it to a novel and has followed through with that concept for two more books in the series, plus an all new book, Arena Mode.

N.K. JEMISIN: The Killing Moon currently appears on numerous awards lists. I'm sure it's there with good reason, but I couldn't appreciate the book enough after reading her Hundred Thousand Kingdoms first. I loved that book so much that I read it twice within two months. A unique and diverse world with beautiful characters that have had a huge emotional impact on me. I haven't started the second book in her Inheritance trilogy because I'm not yet ready for the emotional trauma!

JASON M. HOUGH: If you're looking for a good place to jump into sci fi, or if you're already a sci fi fan, get started on Hough's new Dire Earth Cycle series. I think of it as down-to-earth sci fi that has all the necessary elements of space, technology and aliens, combined with action, drama, suspense and mystery. I love the diversity and the unpredictability that keeps me turning the pages.

MARTHA WELLS: Wells has already made a name for herself, writing within various popular fandoms, including the upcoming Star Wars: Razor's Edge. But she has a number of books of her own that I bought in one big rush after finishing The Cloud Roads. Her worldbuilding is amazing and I love the physical and cultural uniqueness of her characters.

KAREN LORD: I love the subtly of Lord's work. Her forays into science fiction (The Best of All Possible Worlds) and fantasy (Redemption in Indigo) might not seem to be science fiction and fantasy enough for some, but I really enjoyed her writing. Reading about her worlds and the characters within them made me feel like I was joining a bunch of friends on a comfy couch as they told me their tale.

Mogsy's Picks:

WILL McINTOSH: I recently finished a book that arguably was what motivated me to start up this post in the first place, Love Minus Eighty. If you're looking to read a sci-fi novel guaranteed to give you a strong emotional reaction, then this one is it. It's a very human story despite the futuristic high-tech setting, and it made me want to check out more of Will McIntosh's work. My mind is still blown.


M.L. BRENNAN: And speaking of motivation to write this post, my discovery of M.L. Brennan's own list was what clued me in on this topic in the first place. I thought, "How apropos!" because I knew if I had to make my own list of "Authors that deserve more recognition", M.L. Brennan would definitely be on it. I read Generation V this summer and it's already rocketed itself up my list of essential Urban Fantasy. She's so funny and creative, and it comes out in her writing and characters. I just cannot stop raving about this book to everyone I know who loves UF!

BEN H. WINTERS: Being the author of the New York Times bestseller Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters, Ben H. Winters has already made quite a name for himself, but I still couldn't help but notice that while a lot of my friends have his books on their to-read lists, only a few have actually taken the plunge! Though his "humor" books are probably still more well known, I personally adore his Last Policeman series which I'm glad to see is gradually gaining more attention.

TERESA FROHOCK: Seriously, whenever the topic of Miserere comes up, I find it really difficult to shut up about how amazingly good this book is. So, before I forget myself and write a whole essay about how much I love Teresa and her book, let's just say that she single-handedly reaffirmed my decision to always finish every novel I start. Miserere takes its time to build up, but then rewards you in spades! The story is just so, so beautiful. And freakin' look at that gorgeous cover! Read this, you must!

DJANGO WEXLER: You know how there's epic fantasy, and then there's EPIC fantasy? The latter goes beyond just transporting you to a different world and time, it also sweeps you up into an experience that's truly grand, immense and awe-inspiring. Django Wexler's The Thousand Names that I read earlier this year was one of those books for me. Keep an eye on this author and his series, because I have a feeling he's gonna go places!

Kickstarter Goodies: Arena Mode

Keeping my eye out for interesting fiction projects on Kickstarter is something I like to do a lot, and early this year I backed a few promising novels. Seems like July is a great month for all the rewards and other stretch goals to be coming in, because I have another goodies post to share today.

This time, it's Arena Mode, a science fiction novel by Blake Northcott featuring superheroes as well as original artwork by Marvel and DC artists! Needless to say, the project was a great success.

I'd received the ebook already, but the actual signed and numbered trade paperback showed up on my doorstep this weekend. Shiny! I am 741/750!

In the package were also the 4" x 6" cards featuring the original art of the superhuman characters fighting in The Arena. They are gorgeous. So looking forward to reading this book!