WWE 2K25 Preview

We are mere hours away from early access for WWE 2K25! It's looking like we're in for another solid installment in the franchise, so I'm looking forward to logging on at 10 PM Mountain Time tonight for a little bit of late night gaming.

But before we get to that, let's break down the roster changes and some of the new features that we can expect from the new game!

Who's Out?

Legends/Other

• AJ Hawk
• Bad Bunny
• Beth Phoenix
• Big Boss Man
• Boston Connor
• Darius Butler
• Jerry Lawler
• Muhammad Ali
• Post Malone
• Robert Roode
• Ronda Rousey
• Sanga
• Shane McMahon
• Ted DiBiase
• Ty Schmit

No longer with the company

• Bobby Lashley
• Cameron Grimes
• Damon Kemp
• Dijak
• Drew Gulak
• Jinder Mahal
• MVP
• Ricochet
• SCRYPTS
• Veer Mahaan
• Xia Li

Current main roster superstars who didn't make the cut

• Shockingly, I think that the DLC pretty much covers all of the recent additions to the main roster!

Notable missing NXT superstars

• Hank Walker
• Jazmyn Nyx
• Karmen Petrovic
• Luca Crusifino
• Meiko Satomura
• Ricky Saints
• Tank Ledger
• Zaria

Who's in? (* = DLC)

Main roster

• Akam (no longer with company)
• Alex Shelley*
• Andrade
• Chris Sabin*
• Elektra Lopez (no longer with company)
• Erick Rowan*
• Finn Balor (Demon)
• Jacob Fatu
• Kiana James
• Naomi
  
• Penta*
• Rezar (no longer with company)
• Tama Tonga
• Tonga Loa

NXT

• Charlie Dempsey
• Eddy Thorpe
• Ethan Page
• Giulia*
• Jaida Parker
• Jakara Jackson
• Je'Von Evans
• Jordynne Grace*
• Kelani Jordan
• Lash Legend
• Lexis King
• Lola Vice
• Oba Femi
• Oro Mensah
• Shawn Spears
• Sol Ruca
• Stephanie Vaquer*
• Tatum Paxley

Legends/Other

• Abyss*
• Afa
• Alundra Blayze
• Billy Gunn*
• Bull Nakano
• D'Lo Brown*
• Great Khali*
• Headshrinker Fatu
• Headshrinker Samu
• Hunter Hearst Helmsley
• Islander Haku
• Islander Tama
• Jamal
• Jesse Ventura*
• Junk Yard Dog*
• Mark Henry*
• Mr. Wonderful Paul Orndorff*
• New Jack*
• Peter Maivia
• Road Dogg*
• Rocky Maivia
• Rosey
• Sid Justice*
• Sika
• Tito Santana*
• Victoria*

Managers/Non-playable Characters

• Afa
• Armando Estrada
• Ava
• Brother Love*
• Captain Lou Albano
• Mr. Fuji
  
• Nick Aldis
• Paul Ellering (no longer with company)

By the numbers

According to The Smackdown Hotel, this is the biggest roster ever for a WWE video game, boasting "383 characters," which is a bit inflated because of "persona" characters (alternate versions of wrestlers, like "Masked CM Punk") and throwback versions of wrestlers (like "Becky Lynch," "Becky Lynch '17" and "Becky Lynch '18," which they're counting as three different people). The website says that there are 69 new characters this year, which seems like a lot.

Roster take-aways

This actually feels pretty good. The only really significant wrestler that didn't make the base roster or DLC is NXT's Zaria, which is probably a lot more important to hardcore NXT watchers than it is to me. I'm sure that's nothing that a quick Community Creations download can't solve. The roster would have been looking really great about a month ago, before a handful of surprising releases, including Baron Corbin, the Authors of Pain and Paul Ellering, Blair Davenport, and (most shockingly) Sonya DeVille, among a few others. But their inclusion in the game doesn't feel nearly as egregious as what happened a few years back when the game launched with a significantly outdated roster on Day 1.

THANK GOODNESS that Pat McAfee's dumb friends aren't in the game anymore. Man, what a waste of DLC last year. I lowered the stats for all of those fools and beat them up so many times. They had such punchable faces. This year, we're getting a few surprise celebrity wrestlers and a couple yet-to-be-announced NBA stars, who I assume will be WWE superfans Tyrese Halliburton, Jalen Brunson and somebody else. Maybe Shaq or something? Not really excited about any of those, but maybe we'll get a few more punchable faces before all is said and done.

What else is new?

• The biggest addition this year is WWE 2K25's "The Island" mode, which is basically a wrestling version of NBA 2K's "The City," which I've never really cared for. It will be fun for people who like to play online against other people.
• Intergender matches. I have absolutely zero desire to beat up a woman with a male character, so the only time I can see myself doing an intergender match would be to have Rhea Ripley beat up Dominik Mysterio.
• New backstage areas. You can even fight on the old SmackDown! fist.
• Underground matches. Yeah, that weird gimmick from the COVID era that has shown up in NXT from time to time over the past few years will be in the game this year.
• "Bloodline Rules" matches. Just like on -the TV shows, I have absolutely no idea what that even means, unless there are, like, five scheduled run-ins per fighter. For real, though, what is the difference between "Bloodline Rules" and "No Holds Barred"?? Somebody explain this to me.
• I just confirmed it - it's a No-DQ match in which you can schedule up to three run-ins per side. Man, that's hilarious.
• New match types for Special Referee stipulations. You can now do a special ref in 30 different match types, as opposed to it only being for 1-on-1 matches, like last year. That's cool.
• New weapons! Trash can lid (my personal specialty!), safety cone, Undertaker urn, juggling pin, clown horn, clown shoe, "sugar rush," "Damian's Chair" and carnival hammer. I assume there is maybe some kind of amusement park tie-in for MyRise mode or something, because that's a lot of random clown crap.
• Showcase Mode: "Bloodline Dynasty." We'll get a full helping of Roman Reigns and family this year, which is not probably the most enticing option for me, personally, but whatever.
• New MyGM Mode features. You can play online now (I won't), there are new Premium Live Event features (PLEs are now shared across shows instead of each brand doing their own full show - I'm not sure that I like that, despite it being more similar to real life), nine new GM character options, and a few other things. Although the newly introduced mid-card women's titles are not an option (yet?), there is now a feature to have women's tag champions, which will be a nice improvement.

WWE 2K Q&A with A-Town

• Who will you play with first?
• I mean, heel John Cena is sounding pretty good right now, considering what happened at Elimination Chamber last weekend...
• I'm really looking forward to getting Penta and Jordynne Grace on DLC in the next few months.
• Who don't you want to play with at all?
• Probably 95% of NXT and the legends. Probably as few "Bloodline" characters as possible; I simply don't have any interest in playing with any Samoans that pre-date The Rock.
• What is your go-to match type?
• Last year, I probably played more standard 1-on-1 matches than anything, and I tried to take the action outside of the ring as little as possible. I just wanted to hit a couple special moves and pin or submit my opponents as quickly as possible.
• What is your favorite game mode?
• I really love GM Mode, but like I said last year, I wish there was more incentive to play that mode a lot. I thought that the WrestleMania showcase was really well-done last year (if not a bit too lengthy), but the replayability is extremely low for that mode.
• Is there anything you wish you could change or improve about these games?
• There absolutely needs to be about 150% fewer ladder matches this year. When I was playing MyFaction last year, it was like 66% ladder matches, and most of those were tag team matches, so they were truly aggravating. MyFaction was better last year than it probably ever has been, but it was such a chore to do those tasks that I never switched up my roster and I simply played it because I had to, not because I actually wanted to.
• I think they might have patched it eventually, but I remember when I first started playing 2K24, the ref would take their sweet time getting to the three-count. It was ridiculously slow. Like I said, I think it got better, but that was horrendous.
• They've got to got to got to fix the "Statistics" feature on these games. I have no idea what stats they're tracking, but I can tell you that they are completely inaccurate. Please, for the love, just track all of my play stats, regardless of what mode I'm in.
• I think that the logic used in GM Mode that penalizes you for putting, say, Drew McIntyre and Roman Reigns in a match together is totally stupid. "The fans don't like to see this." Excuse me???? That's a great match. I get that it's not the same as Rey Mysterio fighting the Great Khali or something, but don't tell me that fans don't like two powerhouses going at it. That's crap.
• Make up a new tag team that does not currently exist:
• I mean... Drew McIntyre and Bronson Reed? They would absolutely WRECK. (I actually really liked Bronson teaming up with the New Bloodline for War Games. Thought he fit in well with them. Too bad he busted his ankle for the love of the game.)
• Give us brand new champions for every single main roster belt:
• RAW:
• Men's Title: CM Punk
• Women's Title: Move Jordynne Grace up to the main roster and give her the belt
• Men's IC: Chad Gable
• Women's IC: Dakota Kai is the obvious choice, but it should stay Lyra Valkyria
• Men's Tag: Heel New Day would get nuclear heat if they won
• SmackDown:
• Men's Title: Heel John Cena
• Women's Title: Jade Cargill
• Men's US: Jacob Fatu
• Women's US: I refuse to pick anyone other than Chelsea Green
• Men's Tag: Motor City Machine Guns shouldn't have lost the titles so quickly
• Inter-brand Women's Tag Team Champions: Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross
• Who are you most looking forward to beating up?
• Dominik Mysterio, Liv Morgan, Carmelo Hayes, maybe even Bianca Belair

The Bottom Line

Overall, I'm pretty happy with how things are shaping up. I was kind of surprised to see that we aren't swapping out any match types, so we are getting new stipulations and keeping the casket and ambulance matches from last year. The roster is solid, we're keeping the Judgment Day's old entrance theme (which was such a banger) and I can immediately change John Cena's alignment to "Crowd Reaction: Boo," which is still so crazy to think about. Let's get to it!

And now, if you've got a couple minutes, let us know what you're thinking about the current state of WWE in the comments section, on Twitter (here and here) or on Facebook, if you can find us.

Let's get ready to rumble!

Until next time.

Gotham: Halo's Shadow

ACT 1

Mayor Renee Montoya stands at Gotham Square, her voice steady but resolute as she delivers a speech about an ambitious initiative to rebuild Gotham City after the catastrophic events involving The Penguin just three months prior. Her ascent from detective to mayor has been nothing short of extraordinary, though the weight of her city’s darkness feels heavier than ever. As she speaks, she catches glimpses of the crowd—faces scarred by hardship, shadowed by doubt—reminders of the Gotham Montoya has sworn to protect and rebuild.

Among the onlookers is Jaime Reyes, standing with his family, blending into the crowd. Jaime lives his life as a reluctant emissary for The Reach—the creators of the scarab beetle that has changed his life over the course of the past few years, for better or worse. The Reach has positioned Jaime as their intergalactic ambassador, tasked with peacekeeping and diplomacy on Earth. The armor Jaime once used as a superhero known as the Blue Beetle still works, but it’s primarily adapted for ceremonial purposes, and Jaime must constantly try to outsmart the scarab's subtle attempts to manipulate him into serving The Reach’s hidden agendas.

Jaime has been an unlikely ally to Montoya ever since a fateful encounter two years ago, when his Blue Beetle powers manifested during a chaotic museum robbery in Gotham. Jaime had been just a teenager then, scared and overwhelmed, but Montoya’s calm guidance and no-nonsense leadership has helped him navigate the turmoil. Now, as Gotham’s official metahuman liaison, he balances this responsibility with his family’s expectations and the alien scarab’s ever-watchful presence.

Montoya's speech is cut short by a massive explosion that shakes the square to its core. A towering hologram of The Hangmen appears, their leader cloaked in shadow, declaring Gotham’s renewal will begin with its destruction. Panic ensues, and Montoya quickly coordinates an evacuation while Jaime slips away, the scarab already forming his armored suit around him. Together, they fight to protect civilians as the city plunges into chaos.

***

Back at her new subterranean command center beneath City Hall—a futuristic control room buzzing with analog monitors and whirring pneumatics—Montoya assesses the situation. The Hangmen's theatrics are only the beginning. She contacts Jaime, who is patching up injuries and bantering nervously with his scarab about needing a vacation.

Montoya doesn’t mince words. “Jaime, I need you on this. The Hangmen aren’t just after Gotham—they’re after the system. And I can’t fix this city without knowing what we’re up against.”

“Guess that makes me the guy with the alien cheat sheet,” Jaime replies with a nervous grin, but his resolve is clear. Montoya tasks him with recruiting The Guardian, a former operative of Cadmus—a shadowy organization operating on the fringes of legality, known for its cutting-edge but ethically dubious scientific research.

Initially established as a government-backed initiative to safeguard humanity, Cadmus evolved into a morally ambiguous think tank experimenting with genetic engineering, metahuman technology, and weaponized emotions. Their experiments, including attempts to harness raw emotional energy, gave rise to both heroes and tragedies, occasionally resulting in unintended metahuman byproducts. In Gotham, the shadow of Cadmus looms large, its fingerprints hidden in many of the city's greatest tragedies.

Jim Harper, known in the service as The Guardian, once served as a loyal operative for Cadmus before uncovering their dark secrets, leaving him haunted by his role in their experiments. He now specializes in the use of cutting-edge, experimental Cadmus tech, operating in a morally gray area to stop crimes before they happen. After this day's events, Montoya knew that Harper was just the man she needed for this particular job.

***

Meanwhile, in the Narrows of Gotham, a woman named Gabrielle Doe—known to the streets as Halo—has embraced her role as Gotham’s “street angel,” using her powers—tied to a spectrum of emotions, rather than a spectrum of colors—to heal the city’s broken parts while trying to suppress the fractured feelings that fuel her aura. Her unpredictable energy is both a gift and a curse, and the citizens she helps view her with equal parts reverence and fear.

While tracking The Guardian, Jaime crosses paths with Halo during a violent altercation with Hangmen operatives. Her powers flare unpredictably, creating a kaleidoscope of chaos as she struggles to maintain control. Initially at odds, the two quickly realize that The Hangmen are a common enemy. Halo reluctantly joins Jaime, drawn to Montoya’s vision of a better Gotham, though she remains wary of the scarab’s influence.

Working together, Jaime and Halo track The Guardian’s location to a dimly lit Cadmus storage facility, its walls lined with forgotten technology and eerie remnants of the organization's shadowy past. The fluorescent lights buzzed faintly overhead, flickering inconsistently, as Jaime activated his scarab to illuminate the narrow path. As he stepped cautiously inside, the air shifted—a feeling Jaime recognized as his scarab sensing danger. “Stay sharp, Jaime,” the scarab’s voice whispers in his mind, almost teasingly.

From the shadows, a flash of golden light suddenly shoots toward him. Jaime barely activates his energy shield in time to block The Guardian’s assault, the clanging of shield against armor echoing through the cavernous space. “You’re trespassing,” growls the weathered voice of Jim Harper.

Jaime raises his hands defensively, his armor retracting slightly to reveal his face. "Wait, wait! Mayor Montoya sent me—I’m here for you!” Before Jaime can explain further, Halo appears from the opposite side of the room, her aura shifting with a soft yellow glow of uncertainty, making her expression hard to read.

“You two play nice, or I’ll put you both in time-out,” she says, her tone laced with wry humor. Halo doesn't fully trust either of them—one was a Cadmus ghost, and the other had alien tech grafted into his spine—but she could tell they weren’t enemies, either. The scarab’s response to Halo is immediate, detecting the emotional energy radiating from her, and Jaime winces as the scarab whispers, “Unstable anomaly detected. Proceed with caution.” The tension breaks as Halo raises her hands in a gesture of uneasy peace. “I’ve seen enough bad guys for one night. Let’s just... talk.”

Jim Harper, once a symbol of justice, is now a man weighed down by regret. He had been a loyal Cadmus operative until the experiments that created countless metahumans, including Halo herself, shattered his faith in the institution. Plagued by guilt, he left it all behind, retreating into Gotham’s shadows as a pre-crime detective.

Harper immediately feels suspicious of Montoya’s motives, seeing her mayoral administration as just another face of Gotham’s corruption. “A badge and a podium don’t change the game, Mayor,” he growls. But when his premonition tech reveals The Hangmen’s next target—a citywide blackout with catastrophic consequences—he reluctantly agrees to join their cause, spurred by his lingering sense of duty.

***

Later that evening, Montoya confronts The Guardian in the echoing chambers of the subterranean command center. Harper stands rigid, his tarnished shield on his back like a remnant of a war long past. Montoya’s commanding voice fills the room, her mayoral authority clashing against Harper’s seasoned skepticism. “Gotham doesn’t have time for your mistrust, Harper. I need someone who knows how the darkness in this city moves, and you’ve been ahead of it your whole life.”

Harper crosses his arms, his cold, calculating eyes studying her intently. “I don’t work for politicians, Montoya. You get too many clean shoes stepping on muddy streets.”

Montoya steps closer, unfazed by the insult. “You think I don’t know that? I didn’t get here to play politics, Harper. I’m trying to clean up a city that’s been eating itself alive for decades—and I need people who know how deep it goes.”

Harper hesitates, his defenses cracking under the weight of her conviction. “If I help you,” he says, his tone softening just slightly, “I call the shots when we’re in the field. And when this is over, I walk.”

Montoya gives him a wry smile. “Deal. But I’ll hold you to those shots, Harper.”

***

Elsewhere, the leader of The Hangmen, cloaked in shadow, steps forward. It’s Halo’s darker persona, a malevolent reflection of her fractured psyche. This darker side of Halo feeds on the emotional scars of Gotham’s citizens, using their collective despair to fuel her powers and drive her crusade for so-called "justice."

Unaware of Halo’s dual nature, Montoya and her team uncover The Hangmen’s plan to hijack Gotham’s central power grid. Standing atop a crumbling Art Deco skyscraper, they realize they’ve only begun to scratch the surface of their enemy’s reach. The lightning-streaked skyline serves as a haunting and ominous foreshadowing of the battles to come.

***

ACT 2

Halo is nowhere to be found.

Mayor Montoya, Jaime and The Guardian stand deep in Gotham’s industrial district—a sprawl of abandoned factories and skeletal warehouses bathed in a ghostly haze. Montoya is in the lead, her mayoral coat flapping like a cape in the night air, while Jaime's scarab hums faintly, providing dim illumination. The Guardian walks in shadow, his battered shield strapped to his arm like a relic of a forgotten era. Their objective: track down evidence of The Hangmen’s operations.

The three venture into a derelict power plant that The Guardian’s pre-crime tech flagged as a potential base of operations. The interior is a crumbling Art Deco labyrinth, filled with rusted catwalks and eerie murals depicting Gotham's past glories. Here, they stumble upon traces of Halo’s energy—faint, multicolored scorch marks on the walls that shift in intensity depending on the emotional aura of the room.

As they explore, Jaime cracks wise to lighten the mood, his charm clashing with The Guardian’s grim demeanor. Montoya acts as the glue between them, her pragmatic focus keeping the group on task.

***

While searching for clues, the group is ambushed by a gang of thugs. After a brief but cinematic skirmish, in which Jaime’s scarab deploys energy shields and The Guardian uses his tarnished shield with surgical precision, they capture one of the assailants. The thug reluctantly spills a name: Tobias Whale.

Tobias Whale, a once-feared crime lord, is now an older, semi-reformed figure who runs a retro-futuristic speakeasy hidden beneath Gotham’s crumbling public library. The team pays him a visit, descending into his hideout—a smoky, atmospheric den filled with jazz music and sepia-toned lighting. Whale, dressed in a sharp pinstripe suit that reflects his past glory, greets them with a mix of charm and menace.

Tobias reveals that he’s no fan of The Hangmen, as their crusade against corruption threatens what little power he still holds. He offers them information in exchange for protection, hinting that he knows more about Halo’s fractured psyche and the true origins of The Hangmen. Despite their mistrust, the team reluctantly accepts Whale’s guidance, trusting that his wit and encyclopedic knowledge of Gotham’s criminal underworld will help shed new light on the case.

***

Through Whale’s connections, the team uncovers that The Hangmen are planning something massive involving Gotham’s central power grid. As they dig deeper, Tobias provides cryptic insights into Halo’s powers, implying that her emotional fractures were artificially manipulated by someone—or something—operating in Gotham’s shadows.

Their investigation leads them to an underground complex beneath Gotham’s botanical gardens, where they find an abandoned Cadmus lab. Inside, they discover unsettling files indicating that Halo’s aura-based abilities were the result of Cadmus experiments attempting to harness emotional energy as a weapon. Disturbingly, the files hint at a “Subject Zero” who shares a connection with Halo’s darker persona.

As the group begins to piece together answers, the air around them begins to hum with energy. The walls glow faintly with shifting colors, signaling Halo’s presence. They realize too late that they’ve walked into a trap. The room floods with blinding multicolored light as Halo’s darker side emerges, fully embracing her role as the leader of The Hangmen. Her aura fluctuates wildly, creating a surreal, otherworldly effect that warps the very space around them.

“Halo?” Jaime pleads, stepping forward. But the figure before them is no longer the ally they once knew.

With a chilling smile, Halo utters: “You wanted to fix Gotham, didn’t you? Let’s start by breaking it.” Suddenly, a deafening explosion rocks the underground complex, sending debris and energy blasts flying in all directions. The echoes of the explosion fade into silence.

***

ACT 3

In the smoldering ruins of the abandoned Cadmus lab beneath Gotham’s botanical gardens, Mayor Renee Montoya pulls herself from the wreckage. Battered but resolute, she pulls herself to her feet, her mayoral coat tattered and streaked with soot. Beside her, The Guardian rises, his golden shield dented but still gleaming faintly in the dim light. Tobias Whale stumbles out of the shadows, coughing, his sharp suit now a patchwork of grime and blood.

Jaime Reyes is nowhere to be found. The scarab’s faint energy signature flickers on Montoya’s handheld scanner, leading the group to believe he’s alive but has been taken.

“This city eats its heroes,” Whale growls, lighting a cigarette with shaky hands. “But if you’re still breathing, Mayor, that means we’ve got a fighting chance.”

Montoya narrows her eyes. “Then we fight. Let’s bring Jaime home.”

***

The trio follows the scarab’s signal deep into Gotham’s subterranean layers, navigating through forgotten tunnels, crumbling sewers, and the eerie remnants of Gotham’s abandoned pneumatic transit system. These catacombs are lined with corroded brass fixtures, flickering neon signs advertising long-defunct businesses, and the oppressive weight of history pressing in from every angle.

As Montoya, The Guardian, and Tobias Whale push deeper into Gotham's forgotten transit tunnels, they stumble upon an abandoned chamber dimly lit by eerie, multicolored crystal growths spreading across the walls. The air is thick with a haunting, harmonic wail—a disjointed song emanating from a group of figures at the center of the room. These are The Broken Choir, people warped by Halo’s emotional energy, their eyes glowing faintly as cracks of light spiderweb across their bodies. The Guardian raises his shield instinctively, while Whale mutters, “They’re not alive—not fully, anyway.”

Before Montoya can act, the Choir snaps their heads toward the group in perfect unison, their mournful song shifting into a piercing shriek. They attack, moving with jerky, unnatural precision, forcing the team into a desperate fight. Montoya spots an ancient control panel and, with Whale’s reluctant help, reroutes power to the emergency lights. A sudden flood of harsh, white light disrupts the Choir, causing them to collapse, their glowing energy dimming. Though alive, they remain unconscious, their bodies scarred by the power Halo has unleashed.

As silence falls over the chamber, Montoya studies the fallen victims, her expression grim. “She’s not just breaking Gotham,” she says quietly. “She’s breaking its people.” The group regathers their strength and moves forward, the eerie glow of the crystals serving as a reminder of Halo’s growing threat.

***

The group’s journey leads them to the epicenter of Gotham’s forgotten infrastructure: The Heart of the Machine, a massive, cathedral-like chamber where the city’s old power grid converges. The cavernous chamber is crammed full of futuristic Cadmus technology; it is literally buzzing with energy.

While searching for clues to Halo’s ultimate plan, Montoya stumbles upon a locked archive buried among the circuitry. Guardian’s pre-crime tech enables them to bypass the archive’s defenses, revealing Cadmus records of past experiments.

Among these records is a project dossier detailing the early experiments that fractured Gabrielle Doe’s psyche and unleashed her powers. To Montoya’s shock, Tobias Whale’s name is listed as the financial backer of the research. Further documents reveal that Whale had leveraged Gotham’s underworld resources to fund these experiments in an attempt to create a controllable, emotion-based weapon.

Guardian, visibly angered, confronts Whale, accusing him of being complicit in Halo’s pain. Whale, initially defensive, eventually admits his involvement, though he claims ignorance of the full extent of Cadmus’s experiments. “I thought it was just another job,” he says, his voice heavy with guilt. “By the time I realized what they’d done, it was too late. I’m trying to make it right, but that doesn’t mean I can undo it.”

The revelation leaves Montoya torn. Though disgusted by Whale’s actions, she realizes they can't afford to lose him now. His knowledge of Gotham’s criminal networks—and Cadmus’s secrets—is still vital to their mission.

“You think I’m just a monster?” Whale growls at Montoya as she confronts him. “Monsters don’t get to fix their mistakes. But I’ll die trying, if that means anything.”

Before Montoya can respond, the chamber floods with enemy forces—Hangmen loyalists armed with experimental Cadmus tech. Whale steps forward, his bulky frame shielding Montoya and The Guardian as he unleashes a hidden weapon: a handheld EMP device built into his cigarette case. The resulting blast disables the enemy forces but overloads the chamber’s unstable systems, triggering a chain reaction. Whale shoves Montoya and The Guardian toward safety, staying behind to hold off reinforcements.

“Go!” he shouts, his voice echoing through the collapsing chamber. “Gotham’s yours now!”

Montoya and The Guardian barely escape as the chamber collapses and Whale’s silhouette disappears slowly into the rubble.

***

Now alone, Montoya and The Guardian follow the scarab’s signal to its source: a sprawling underground arena that looks like a grotesque mix of advanced technology and raw, emotional energy. At its center stands Halo, her fractured aura casting shifting, kaleidoscopic shadows across the walls. Jaime is suspended in mid-air, trapped within a sphere of pulsating light, his scarab seemingly deactivated.

Halo’s darker persona speaks with a voice that echoes unnaturally: “You see now, don’t you? Emotions are the true power of this city—its rage, its fear, its despair. I will harness it and reshape Gotham into what it was always meant to be.”

Montoya steps forward, her voice cutting through the chaos. “This isn’t you, Gabrielle. Gotham doesn’t need a god—it needs people who fight for it, flaws and all.”

A battle unfolds within the vast underground arena, its walls pulsating with distorted light emanating from Halo’s fractured aura. Halo, cloaked in her kaleidoscopic aura, stands atop a platform, her voice reverberating as her darker persona speaks of reshaping Gotham with the raw power of its collective despair. Montoya and The Guardian enter cautiously, their resolve unshaken despite the oppressive atmosphere and Halo’s overwhelming power. As the ground trembles with each pulse of energy, The Guardian’s pre-crime tech activates, helping him anticipate Halo’s volatile attacks and shield Montoya from harm.

Montoya quickly identifies a network of conduits connecting Halo’s platform to the energy sphere trapping Jaime. While The Guardian keeps Halo distracted with precise, calculated strikes, Montoya moves toward the conduits, using her expertise in tactical analysis to disrupt their power flow. The task is grueling, as the arena reacts violently to her interference—crystals of energy shatter around her, and bursts of raw emotion manifest as physical force. With persistence, she manages to sever one of the primary conduits, weakening the sphere enough for Jaime’s scarab to reactivate.

With his powers partially restored, Jaime breaks free of the sphere in a burst of blue light, immediately joining the fight. Together, the trio coordinates their efforts: The Guardian deflects Halo’s attacks, Montoya disables the remaining conduits, and Jaime confronts Halo directly, using the scarab’s technology to stabilize her powers. The combined effort forces Halo’s darker persona into retreat, leaving Gabrielle’s true self momentarily exposed.

As Halo’s darker persona falters, Jaime and Montoya work together to reach the human side of Gabrielle, appealing to her sense of hope. For a moment, the aura dims, and Gabrielle’s true self emerges, horrified by the destruction she’s caused.

Gabrielle, struggling to hold her unstable powers in check: “This is the only way... I can’t let it consume me, or Gotham. I won’t let my darkness hurt anyone else.”

Jaime (desperately): “Gabrielle, no! We can figure this out together. The scarab—I can stabilize you—just give me more time!”

Gabrielle, a bittersweet smile breaking through her pain: “You’ve already given me more time than I deserved, Jaime. You gave me hope. You and Montoya—both of you—you reminded me who I am.”

Montoya (firmly, fighting back tears): “Gabrielle, don’t do this. You’ve fought too hard to let it end here. We don’t leave people behind—not in this city, not ever.”

Gabrielle (softly): “I’ll always be here, Renee—Gotham’s light, even in its darkest shadows.”

Ultimately the darker side refuses to let go. In a final act of defiance, it unleashes a catastrophic surge of energy, threatening to destroy everyone in the arena. Gabrielle, with tears streaming down her face, makes the ultimate sacrifice: she absorbs the energy into her body. As her aura intensifies, Gabrielle reaches out to Jaime and Montoya one last time before unleashing her power in a brilliant, blinding wave—neutralizing the threat but sacrificing herself in the process, imploding in a burst of light that leaves the arena eerily silent.

***

EPILOGUE: THE NEXT MORNING

Mayor Montoya stands before a crowd in Gotham Square, delivering another speech. The scars from Halo’s rampage and the battle in the Heart of the Machine are still visible, but so are signs of rebuilding—a testament to Gotham’s resilience. This time, the mayor's words carry the weight of loss but also a renewed determination.

Montoya’s speech is both a eulogy and a call to action. She begins by honoring the sacrifices made during the fight, including the ultimate price paid by Tobias Whale. “Tobias Whale was not a perfect man,” she says, her voice steady but heartfelt. “He made mistakes—grave ones—but in his final hours, he chose to stand on the right side of history. He fought to save this city when it mattered most, and for that, Gotham owes him its gratitude. His name will remind us that redemption is possible, even in the darkest hearts.”

Young Jaime Reyes, now more confident in his role, watches from the crowd alongside The Guardian, whose tarnished shield has been restored to its former glory.

Montoya shifts her focus to the city's future, emphasizing that the battle against corruption, despair, and fear isn’t over. “Gotham is no stranger to darkness,” she says. “But today, we stand at a threshold—a chance to build something new, something better. I promise you this: no more backroom deals, no more neglect of the people who call this city home. Together, we’ll create a Gotham where hope shines brighter than fear—a Gotham where every voice matters, and every life is valued.”

Montoya concludes by urging Gotham’s citizens to take part in the rebuilding process, stressing the importance of unity and collective responsibility. Her words resonate with the crowd, and for the first time in a long time, Gotham feels a spark of hope. The scene closes on Montoya, looking out over the city she’s vowed to protect—not as a perfect leader, but as one who understands its flaws and still believes in its potential. Her determination, paired with the resilience of Gotham’s people, sets the tone for a new era.

On the horizon, a single, faint halo of light hovering in the sky, a subtle reminder that even in darkness, hope endures.

*****

"Gotham: Halo's Shadow" is an original, AI-driven story in the Signs of the Times: Underground "Renee Montoya" saga. Other Renee Montoya stories can be found here:

Gotham Gone Cold | The Final Freeze | Gotham: Boiling Point

If you liked what you read here, let us know what other AI adventures we should come up with next. As always, you can leave a comment below, follow us on Twitter (here and here) or try to find us on Facebook.

Until next time!

The Illusionist

The dense forest was alive with the soft whispers of nature. Towering trees with thick, gnarled trunks reached skyward, their branches interlacing to form a canopy that filtered the sunlight into a dappled mosaic on the woodland floor. Moss carpeted the ground, providing a lush, emerald cushion beneath the feet. Ferns and underbrush thrived in the cool, shaded undergrowth, their leaves glistening with morning dew. The air was thick with the earthy scent of damp soil and the sweet fragrance of wildflowers. In the distance, the rhythmic chirping of birds harmonized with the gentle rustling of leaves in the breeze, creating a serene symphony that spoke of nature's timeless beauty.

Amidst this tranquil setting, a man lay motionless on the ground, his body half-covered by a billowing white cloak with a vibrant, light blue trim. His medium-length blonde hair, pulled up in a bun and accented with soft, faint sapphire highlights, contrasted starkly against the forest's verdant hues. A powder blue headband encircled his head, partially obscured by a few stray locks that had escaped the bun. His face, framed by a medium-length beard, bore an expression of serene slumber, as if he were merely resting amidst this thicket of trees.

As the first rays of sunlight broke through the canopy, they cast a warm glow upon the man's face. Slowly, his teal eyes fluttered open, blinking against the sudden brightness. He groaned softly, the sound barely audible above the forest's murmurs. Confusion clouded his gaze as he attempted to sit up, his body protesting with aches and stiffness. He glanced around, taking in the unfamiliar surroundings with a sense of bewilderment. Nothing about the forest jogged his memory; it was as if he had awoken in a dream, a dream in which he had no place.

His eyes fell upon his attire - a white dress shirt beneath a jacket and cloak, all adorned with sky blue trim. He couldn't recall why he was dressed this way, nor could he remember who he was. A gold wedding ring on his left ring finger glinted in the sunlight, a silent testament to a life he could not remember. He reached up to touch the headband, the texture of the fabric unfamiliar yet oddly comforting.

A nearby deck of red playing cards caught his attention. They were strewn haphazardly on the moss around him. He picked up a card and examined it, feeling a strange sense of connection to the object. But try as he might, no memories surfaced. His mind was a blank slate, devoid of any recollection of his past or identity.

Desperation crept into his thoughts as he searched his surroundings for any clues. Who was he? Where was he? How did he get here?

His fingers brushed against something in his jacket pocket. He pulled out what appeared to be a small, slightly crumpled business card. Despite its poor condition, the man could tell that it originally featured quite an elegant design. The card was made of thick, glossy paper with rounded corners. In the center of the card were three words, printed in shimmering silver script: "The Illusionist. Mayfair."

His heart raced as he stared at the card, the words offering a tantalizing hint of - perhaps? - a former life. Yet, they raised more questions than answers. Who was the Illusionist? And what was Mayfair?

The man clenched the card tightly in his hand, resolve hardening within him. He gathered the deck of red cards and hastily jammed them into his pocket. He had no memory of who he was, but he now had a clue - however small - and he intended to follow it.

And so, this man ventured forth...

A-Town D&D Landing Page

Playstation Wrap-Up 2024

It's the post that everybody in The Underground has been looking forward to for an entire year! It's time for the Playstation Wrap-Up, where we boast about our gaming accomplishments and put all of our friends to shame. The trophies we earned, the games we loved, the ones we wish we had never started in the first place... it's all here, folks!

How will our stats for 2024 stack up? Let's find out together!

Total Hours:

That's a considerable number of hours. I don't know how I did it nor how it is possible.

Top Five Games:

1. Baldur's Gate III: I never in my entire life thought that I would ever play Dungeons & Dragons. But alas, I was corned by my next-door neighbor back in the summer of 2024 about playing D&D with some other neighbors and I just didn't have the stones to say no to his face. So I went. And I liked it. Upon telling some friends and coworkers that I had ventured into D&D, several of them immediately recommended "Baldur's Gate III," which I had never really heard of, let alone did I know that it was essentially a D&D video game. I picked up BG3 and gave it a shot. Let me say this unequivocally - this game is not for everyone, especially children. Literally, the very first thing it asked me was whether I wanted to turn on graphic nudity. Uh... NO?! There are certainly some mature themes in this game, but if you're wise and make good choices, almost all of them can be avoided, in my experience. With no further gilding the lily, I can say that I absolutely loved "Baldur's Gate III." I had an absolute blast. And there's an extremely high replayability factor - perhaps higher than any other single-player campaign in any other game I've ever played. You could choose a different character type and make a few different choices and get a totally different experience in a second or even third playthrough. I started over with a new character and got a little way into the game again but have been taking a break. But it's just absolutely insane that I spent 116 hours on this game and could probably do it all over again. That's my game of the year for 2024, without a doubt.
2. Disney Dreamlight Valley: Another year, another 90+ hours in The Valley. Props to the team for pumping out so much content that my family never gets bored. In terms of cost per time played, this might be one of the most cost-efficient purchases I've ever made for the sake of my entertainment.
3. Assassin's Creed Valhalla: Great game. But there was a completely mind-boggling plot twist at the very end that went way over my head because I apparently, like, missed one side mission or something? I had no idea what was going on there during the finale and had to spend a considerable amount of time Googling my questions.
4. WWE 2K24: Another solid edition in the "WWE 2K" series. I think it's safe to say now that "2K" has dug itself out of the monumental hole it fell into for a couple years and they've got the train chugging down the track (other than MyRise mode, which I continue to dislike - it's just so painful). Tonight, as I watch the premiere of "WWE RAW" on Netflix, I see that they'll be announcing "WWE 2K25" three weeks from tonight, so I better finish up '24 and get ready for the new game.
5. Star Wars Battlefront II: If you would have told me at any point in my life that I was going to get the platinum trophy on any "Star Wars Battlefront" game, I wouldn't have believe it. But I've got a coworker that is a hardcore gamer and he somehow convinced me to get back into the game and finish it up. It took forever to do it, and I screamed when I got that final trophy, but I somehow did it, in, perhaps, one of the most impressive feats of video game completion in all my years.

Games Played:

Beyond my top five games, here are some of my other favorites from 2024:

• Anno 1800 - even though it's extremely hard and I can't figure out how to get more than about an hour into the game without going bankrupt.
• Burnout Paradise Remastered - one of my favorite games from my college years, remastered (haven't been able to pull off a triple barrel roll yet, though).
• Fallout 76 - which is a zillion times better than it was at launch and has a great and very friendly online community now; it's practically an entirely new game, at this point.
• Final Fantasy VII Rebirth - what a massive, massive game; gonna take many more hours just to complete the campaign.
• Harry Potter Quidditch Champions - I couldn't believe that this was free at launch for Playstation+ subscribers.
• LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga - still chipping away for that platinum trophy; maybe 2025 is the year!
• Lost in Random - a weird little game that I picked up on sale for like two or three dollars.
• No Man's Sky - another game that is completely different now than it was years ago; I had never played it and really enjoyed the time I spent.
• NHL 25 - the Utah Hockey Club has arrived!

Top Games Each Month:

Trophies Earned:

Here's a list of all of the games for which I either got the platinum trophy or reached 100% completion in 2024:

1. Disney's Dreamlight Valley - January 8
2. LEGO 2K Drive - January 30
3. Lost in Random - February 8
4. WWE 2K23 - February 22
5. Valiant Hears: The Great War, 100% - February 23
6. PowerWash Simulator - February 27
7. SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake - June 21
8. LEGO The Incredibles - July 10
9. Planet Coaster - August 5
10. MLB The Show 24 - September 9
11. Astro Bot - October 8
12. Hot Wheels Unleashed 2: Turbocharged - October 21
13. Beyond: Two Souls - October 31
14. Star Wars Battlefront II - November 15
15. Skull & Bones - November 19
16. The Plucky Squire - November 26

Thoughts on that list:

• "Dreamlight Valley" is a family favorite at our house. If we're looking at cost per hour, that game is well worth the money I've spent on it.
• "LEGO 2K Drive" had one of the most ridiculous trophies ever. I literally had to tap and rubber-band the controller and let it run for hours (even while I slept), lest I be subjected to mindlessly playing for hours and hours and hours just to rack up the numbers on my virtual odometer. By the time I was done with that asinine task, I never wanted to play the game ever again.
• My three- (now four-) year old son, Stockton, started a couple games on my profile this summer, which meant that I was essentially contractually obligated to 100-percent them, so if you thought that it was my idea to play "SpongeBob: The Cosmic Shake" (which was stupid) or "LEGO Incredibles" (which was actually pretty enjoyable), you are mistaken.
• Astro Bot was super fun. My kids love Astro.
• I wouldn't recommend "Beyond: Two Souls" to pretty much anyone, and I somewhat regret that I even went back to it to clean it up. The fact that it was my most-played game of October pretty much sickens me, but at least it's done now and I never need to play it ever again.
• My hardcore gamer coworker encouraged me to get back into "Star Wars Battlefront II," which I never thought I would ever be able to beat... but I did it. It took me FOREVER... but I did it.
• "Skull & Bones" was a great time. It would have been more fun to play with friends (I forced my brother to play with me a couple times, which was fun - but mostly for me), but I had a good time playing solo. I wrapped it up - MY 100th PLATINUM - on my birthday, which was also a fun little planetary alignment for me.

Yearly Comparison:

• 2024
• Hours played: 1,091
• Top games: Baldur's Gate III, Disney Dreamlight Valley, Assassin's Creed Valhalla, WWE 2K24, Star Wars Battlefront II
• Trophies earned: 845
• Platinum trophies: 15
• 2023
• Hours played: 1,212
• Top games: Disney Dreamlight Valley, Hogwarts Legacy, Marvel's Midnight Suns, NBA 2K23, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
• Trophies earned: 911
• Platinum trophies: 20
• 2022
• Hours played: 1,308
• Top games: WWE 2K22, Disney Dreamlight Valley, Gotham Knights, Ghost of Tsushima, Stardew Valley
• Trophies earned: 968
• Platinum trophies: 18
• 2021
• Hours played: 1,203
• Top games: MLB The Show 21, NBA 2K21, Marvel's Avengers, Watch Dogs Legion, Final Fantasy VII Remake
• Trophies earned: 1,091
• Platinum trophies: 14
• 2020
• Hours played: 2,419 (holy crap, COVID!)
• Top games: MLB The Show 20, Kingdom Hearts 1.5+2.5 Remix, NBA 2K20
• Trophies earned: 1,410
• Platinum trophies: 15

Final Thoughts:

After writing up that last little section there, it's very interesting to see how my top games have changed over the years - and how much free time I had during COVID. Overall, 2024 was a pretty good year for gaming. My top game, obviously, was extremely unexpected, so that was kind of refreshing. I'm still having a good time playing video games, even though I'm sure many people out there find it inappropriate for someone of my advancing years. But I'll tell you what - I've had some great times playing games with my kids, and my son Stockton is a fantastic problem solver due to his time spent with a controller in his hands. I was watching him play "Epic Mickey Rebrushed" on the PS5 earlier today and just sat there in amazement at what he was doing, without my help. He's a smart kid, and if I can thank Playstation for that, I'm happy to do so.

Here's to another fun year of gaming in 2025!

*****

That's a wrap for our Year in Review season! If you missed any of our other 2024 Recap blogs, be sure to check them out now!

• A-Town's Bookshelf: The Year in Books, 2024
• A-Town Playlist: Top Spotify Songs of 2024
• Nintendo Year in Review 2024

What were your favorite games of 2024? If you're playing on a Playstation and we're not friends, feel free to add me (PSN ID: atownmania). Who knows? Maybe we can "plat" a game together in the upcoming year!

Hit us up with your gaming recommendations or any other commentary in the comments section below, on Twitter (here and here) or on Facebook... if you dare!

Until next time.

A-Town's Bookshelf: The Year in Books, 2024

We've reached a new year, and with it another annual recap of books read and listened to (but mostly listened to). As I mentioned last year, I'm well aware that my measly little statistics are nothing compared to those who (allegedly) read (but probably listen to - on 2x speed) over a hundred books a year without breaking a sweat. I'm not here to compare. In fact, I know that probably less than a dozen people will ever even look at this post. So I'm mainly just posting this as a way to track my reading habits, year over year. With this being the second year of my annual "A-Town's Bookshelf" recap, we'll start to see a bit more clearly whether I'm actually doing anything impressive or not.

I somehow made it through 68 books this year, which is insane. That's probably about how many books I had completed in my entire life, prior to, like, 2015. As I looked back on this list over the past few days, I was shocked to see and remember some of the stuff I'd finished. Overall, I'd say that most of it was pretty good stuff. From science fiction and fantasy to celebrity memoirs and the rabbit hole of American history, I listened to (and occasionally physically read) some pretty fun literature during 2024.

One fun thing that I've been doing as I've been crushing audiobooks since the birth of my second son in 2023 is keeping track of how much money I'm saving by using Libby and maintaining an Audible subscription, as opposed to buying books or audiobooks at full price. I thought I could crack it by New Year's Eve (and probably could have - I've got two unused credits on Audible right now), but I'm sitting about $100 short of the $2,000 mark, which is absolutely crazy. Two thousand dollars in books?? Sheesh.

I do have to give a few shoutouts quickly, before I get going - because I'm going to try not to ramble on too much, once we get into the actual statistics of it all.

If you're kind of a nerd and into pop culture like me, I would highly, highly recommend the "Magic 2.0" series by Scott Meyer. These were my favorite books of the year. I wouldn't say they were the best books of the year, necessarily, because there were some really, really good books out there, but this was definitely the most fun I had, and I do occasionally look back and miss the series. It's just so silly and fun and doesn't have a lot of swearing, which was really nice. If you're down for a laugh about a bunch of computer nerds who decide to become wizards in the Dark Ages, you've got to check these books out. The audiobook narration was tremendous, as well, and I was constantly cracking up at some of the voices of the characters. Cannot suggest these books to you more highly.

I finally took the plunge into Bill O'Reilly's "Killing" series, which I had seen on bookshelves but had always kind of scared me because of titles like, say, "Killing Jesus" (which I haven't listened to yet, but want to). I know that O'Reilly is a bit of a star in the conservative political sphere, but I try not to get myself too involved in that stuff, so I didn't really have any preconceived notions about his work. Surprisingly, the books stay almost completely apolitical, so he pretty much just presents the facts without giving his opinion on anything, which I appreciated. His books gave me a great look into the lives of Elvis, John Lennon, Muhammad Ali, John F. Kennedy and even the Salem witches, and I was so fascinated the entire time. If you're wanting to delve into the depths of American history, these books were great.

I didn't know anything about "Project Hail Mary," other than that they're making a movie with Ryan Gosling and that it was written by the same guy who did "The Martian." With that little context heading in, I absolutely loved the book. I gifted it to my wife for Christmas, and she's right in the middle of it as we speak. Recommend.

And finally, my wife and I started listening to the "Harry Potter" series again in 2024. We started Book 4 on New Year's Day, so we're still chugging along, but man, what I wouldn't give to be able to go back and read this series for the first time. I don't think we had any idea how world-changing that little wizard boy was going to become. Great, great books, no matter your stance on public restrooms.

Also, ENORMOUS thanks to Goodreads, the site that made this entire post possible.

All right, here you go. Take a gander at which books I finished in 2024. Maybe you'll find something that you're curious about. I'd love to chat with you about any of these books or any recommendations you have for me!

Thanks for reading.

Books Read

Here is a list of all of the books I completed in 2023, along with my star rating:

1. Firefight (The Reckoners #2) by Brandon Sanderson, 4/5 stars
2. Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid, 5/5 stars
3. Surrender: 40 Songs, One Story by Bono, 4/5 stars
4. Starter Villain by John Scalzi, 3/5 stars
5. The Mark of Zorro (Zorro # 1) by Johnston McCulley, 4/5 stars
6. None of This is True by Lisa Jewell, 5/5 stars
7. The Giver (The Giver # 1) by Lois Lowry, 4/5 stars
8. I Found You by Lisa Jewell, 3/5 stars
9. Gathering Blue (The Giver # 2) by Lois Lowry, 2/5 stars
10. The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave, 3/5 stars
11. A Deadly Education (The Scholomance # 1) by Naomi Novik, 1/5 stars
12. Atlantis (Jack Howard # 1) by David Gibbins, 3/5 stars
13. Making It So by Patrick Stewart, 4/5 stars
14. The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson and the Olympians # 1) by Rick Riordan, 3/5 stars
15. Star Wars: Inquisitor: Rise of the Red Blade by Delilah S. Dawson, 3/5 stars
16. Be Useful: Seven Tools for Life by Arnold Schwarzenneger, 3/5 stars
17. Off to Be the Wizard (Magic 2.0 # 1) by Scott Meyer, 4/5 stars
18. When I Was Your Age: Life Lessons, Funny Stories & Questionable Parenting Advice from a Professional Clown by Kenan Thompson, 4/5 stars
19. The Downloaded by Robert J. Sawyer, 3/5 stars
20. Marvel's Midnight Suns: Infernal Rising by S.D. Perry, 2/5 stars
21. Star Wars: The Eye of Darkness by George Mann, 4/5 stars
22. Spell or High Water (Magic 2.0 #2) by Scott Meyer, 4/5 stars
23. The Horse and His Boy (Chronicles of Narnia # 5) by C.S. Lewis, 2/5 stars
24. The Return of the King (The Lord of the Rings # 3) by J.R.R. Tolkien, 4/5 stars
25. Recursion by Blake Crouch, 5/5 stars
26. Calamity (The Reckoners, # 3) by Brandon Sanderson, 2/5 stars
27. An Unwelcome Quest (Magic 2.0 # 3) by Scott Meyer, 3/5 stars
28. Dark Matter by Blake Crouch, 3/5 stars
29. Dune (Dune # 1) by Frank Herbert, 3/5 stars
30. Fight and Flight (Magic 2.0 # 4) by Scott Meyer, 4/5 stars
31. The Singularity Trap by Dennis E. Taylor, 3/5 stars
32. Star Wars: Jedi: Battle Scars by Sam Maggs, 1/5 stars
33. Out of Spite, Out of Mind (Magic 2.0 #5) by Scott Meyer, 3/5 stars
34. The Frugal Wizard’s Handbook for Surviving Medieval England by Brandon Sanderson, 3/5 stars
35. Killing the Legends: The Lethal Danger of Celebrity by Bill O'Reilly, 5/5 stars
36. The Vexed Generation (Magic 2.0 #6) by Scott Meyer, 4/5 stars
37. And There Was Light: Abraham Lincoln and the American Struggle by Jon Meacham, 5/5 stars
38. Star Wars: Defy the Storm by Tessa Gratton, 2/5 stars
39. Friday Night Lights by H.G. Bissinger, 3/5 stars
40. Will Save the Galaxy for Food (Jacques McKeown # 1) by Yahtzee Crowshaw, 3/5 stars
41. The Chase (Isaac Bell # 1) by Clive Cussler, 5/5 stars
42. House of Blades (Traveler's Gate # 1) by Will Wight, 3/5 stars
43. Star Wars: The Living Force by John Jackson Miller, 3/5 stars
44. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy # 1) by Douglas Adams, 2/5 stars
45. The Making of Another Major Motion Picture Masterpiece by Tom Hanks, 3/5 stars
46. Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir, 5/5 stars
47. The Magician’s Nephew (Chronicles of Narnia # 6) by C.S. Lewis, 4/5 stars
48. Killing the Witches: The Horror of Salem, Massachusetts by Bill O'Reilly, 4/5 stars
49. The Last Battle (Chronicles of Narnia # 7) by C.S. Lewis, 4/5 stars
50. The Chronicles of Narnia (The Chronicles of Narnia # 1-7) by C.S. Lewis, 4/5 stars
51. Raising Good Humans: A Mindful Guide to Breaking the Cycle of Reactive Parenting and Raising Kind, Confident Kids by Hunter Clarke-Fields, 3/5 stars
52. The Wrecker (Isaac Bell # 2) by Clive Cussler, 3/5 stars
53. Fan Fiction by Brent Spiner, 2/5 stars
54. The Last Outlaws: The Desperate Final Days of the Dalton Gang by Tom Clavin, 3/5 stars
55. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (Harry Potter # 1) by J.K. Rowling, 5/5 stars
56. The Crimson Vault (Traveler's Gate # 2) by Will Wight, 2/5 stars
57. The Mystery Writer by Sulari Gentill, 3/5 stars
58. Feel-Good Productivity: How to Do More of What Matters to You by Ali Abdaal, 5/5 stars
59. City of Light (Traveler's Gate # 3) by Will Wight, 2/5 stars
60. Casino Royale (James Bond # 1) by Ian Fleming, 4/5 stars
61. Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol S. Dweck, 3/5 stars
62. Outland (Quantum Earth # 1) by Dennis E. Taylor, 3/5 stars
63. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Harry Potter # 2) by J.K. Rowling, 5/5 stars
64. The Search for WondLa (The Search for WondLa # 1) by Tony DiTerlizzi, 4/5 stars
65. Killing Kennedy: The End of Camelot by Bill O'Reilly, 5/5 stars
66. Ready Player One (Ready Player One # 1) by Ernest Cline, 4/5 stars
67. A Hero for WondLa (The Search for WondLa # 2) by Tony DiTerlizzi, 3/5 stars
68. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Harry Potter # 3) by J.K. Rowling, 4/5 stars

Other Stats

The A-Town Awards

Best Book of the Year: Off to Be the Wizard by Scott Meyer

Honorable Mention: Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir; Killing the Legends by Bill O'Reilly; Killing Kennedy by Bill O'Reilly; Recursion by Blake Crouch

Worst Book of the Year: Star Wars: Jedi: Battle Scars by Sam Maggs

Honorable Mention: Marvel's Midnight Suns: Infernal Rising by S.D. Perry; A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik

Best Audiobook Narration: Luke Daniels (Magic 2.0 series)

Honorable Mention: Ray Porter (Project Hail Mary, several others)

Yearly Comparison

2024: 68 books read

2023: 48 books read

*****

There you go! Did you discover anything new? Find anything you want to check out? Do you either strongly agree or disagree with me about anything? Do you have a book in mind that you think I'd love? I'm always down for suggestions. Let me know in the comments below, on Twitter (here and here) or on Facebook.

Until next time.