Review: I love Baihu!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 02 21, 2014
Having read his other two works, "The Meat Market" and "Cyborg Spell Shop," I am now a HUGE fan of author James Chalk.  While "The Meat Market" was dark and gritty and depraved and sinister, and "Cyborg Spell Shop" was zany and entertaining while still gritty, "The Twelve Children of Christmas" proves that Mr. Chalk is adept at writing many different genres -- all within the same fictional universe!  "The Twelve Children of Christmas" is a heartwarming fairytale about a mountaineering expedition gone wrong, and the lengths that Baihu, a genetically engineered tiger, will go to to save the children of that expedition.  The scifi is very believable.  The characters feel real.  And the story itself has a heartwarming parable feel to it, sort of like a Saturday morning cartoon kicked up several notches.  Mr. Chalk has himself one hell of an amazing fictional universe. Just the fact that his universe feels so alive in its diversity -- not only diversity of culture within the universe, but diversity of types of stories that Mr. Chalk can comfortably tell within that universe -- is a testament to the strength of that universe.  I can see Mr. Chalk's franchise universe continuing forever.  It's so real that you could tell a thousand different stories in it and not get tired.  Just like George Lucas and Gene Roddenberry created amazing universes to play in, Mr. Chalk has done likewise.  A great talent and a great writer -- I sincerely hope Mr. Chalk keeps up the good work.  What interesting corner of your universe will you explore next?  I am eager to find out!