Recent News

"From out of the dark"

From Out Of The Dark

From out of the dark is a collection of 6 songs finished during the infamous Covid lockdown of 2020, drawing musical influences from many different genres and based on different themes close to my heart.

Some with a narrative, others about how I felt a particular junction in life, playing music, writing and recording songs has been a great outlet for me and helped me deal with and express myself in a productive fashion.

With no single genre over the six songs I decided to put them out as From out of the dark, to show how something good can come from the darkness. I hope you enjoy listening as much as I enjoyed making them.

I appreciate so much all the friends and family who have helped critique these tracks ready for public consumption. Thanks also to my younger sister, Hannah, for providing her vocal talents and lyric writing on two of the songs.

Please listen below and follow me on all of my social networks using the links above.

Matt x

#StarWars The Cestus Deception Novel Mini Review


It's a time of war, and Cestus Cybernetics on the Insectoid Hive planet of Ord Cestus are manufacturing advanced security droids embedded with living material from a force sensitive eel native to the planet. This makes the droids extremely skilled in combat, and under the brand of security droid it's all perfectly legal for them to be sold to whomever they wish, including the dreaded Separatists.

The republic has learned of this, and that the separatists plan on modifying the security droids to make them into battle droids; an army of force sensitive battle droids does not bode well for the republic and by association, the Jedi.

Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi and Kit Fitsu are deployed by Senator Palptine as the first plan of action. Obi-Wan is to use diplomacy and politics with the help of his molluscan friend and paper work aficionado, Doolb Snoil. In parallel, Kit Fisto with a small band of clone troopers employs and trains a local militia to make strikes and key locations around the planet to disrupt the manufacturing process. Full scale war is not beneficial for anyone, though should the Jedi fail the republic will strike... 

The Jedi stage a plan to deceive the five families in charge of Ord Cestus, posing as Separatist terrorists who kidnap the leading members of the families. The Separatists are one step ahead, and Dooku has deployed Asaaj Ventress to stir things up and ultimately reveals the Jedi's deception to the families. They gravity ever closer to dealing with the Separatists and a republic strike is ordered.

Events advance, and thanks to the work of one slightly unique clone trooper (I heard it) the Jedi may after all be able to avoid full scale war on Or Cestus... But at what cost?

The Cestus Deception is an intriguing plot and one that kept be absorbed throughout with it's interesting characters and good pace. Obi-Wan is portrayed just as I would've hoped; calm, collected, slightly worried about the path he is being forced to follow in his new found military and diplomatic capacities. Kit Fisto however seems more dark than I would've liked after seeing his character portrayed in the Clone Wars animation. Both however are written well.

There are many plots and sub plots within the story; varying developing relationships and a particularly exciting action sequence atop a train which make for a definite page turner, and one I would recommend for any Star Wars fan and in particular fans of the Clone Wars sequence of events. The relations between the clone troopers, especially our unique Nate who contrary to his conditioning, begins to develop attachment to the ex of a certain bounty hunter... The relationship between Obi-Wan and the planet's leader, G'Mai Duris seems genuinely tested at times and feels a little bit like Kenobi's relationship with Duchess Satine.

The book is also ace value, and if you buy a later copy you're also treated to the very exhilarating story 'The Hive' which was previously an eBook only release, in which Obi-Wan is tasked with retrieving some X'Ting (the race native to Ord Cestus) eggs of the royal heritage that have been locked away deep within the planet... The tension in this story really vamps and I found myself wanting to read this immediately after finishing Deception. Excellent Stuff.



No comments:

Post a Comment