Tuesday, March 12, 2019
Short Post
Hey there, person! I know this won't reach many people at all, but I just wanted to give you, yes YOU a book recommendation. I've been listening to No God but One by Nabeel Qureshi and I'm almost done and its really, just really great :) Its a follow up book to Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus, and I listened to that about a month ago and really liked that too. I'm not gonna give a summary or much here, cause you can look that up, but I really do suggest you read or listen to them and share them with others. :) Yup, that's what I got right now XD Toodles and God Bless!
Wednesday, February 13, 2019
Thoughts on People who are Environmentalists Etc...
So, I've had this thought for a while, that I don't find a lot of Christians who are, per say, "Environmentalists" and I don't find a lot of so called Environmentalists who are Christian. Now, let me clarify just a bit too. By "environmentalist" I mean someone who quite deeply cares about the environment and does their best to be a conscious consumer whether it be food or clothes or other stuff we buy. Or heck, even what we support, in either buying or donating or even if one maybe volunteers their time to do something related to preserving and healing our world. So, I'm not talking about just one kind of person, but all people that actually care about our world and are actively either trying to do something about it, or lessen things that harm the world.
So yeah, that definition first. And I also want to say that while I haven't been a person conscious about the environment and God's green earth for the longest time, I've really tried the past, eh.. maybe 5, 6 or 7 years to do better and to learn more and be knowledgeable about stuff. And, in the past several years, in which I've also deepened my faith and knowledge of the Bible and found people on social media that have similar goals and interests, I feel like I have found few people who call themselves both Christian and "environmentalists" in one or more ways that I mentioned above. And I think that's rather sad. For the most part, I feel like I see a lot of eco-conscious people who are not Christian. They just care and stuff, but their reasoning behind it is either just "for the planet" or maybe possibly "for the people making my clothes" or "for the animals" or "for the future humans", and I find that, while still good, not a deep enough reason.. Or, not... how can I put it... a reason that skims the surface and dances around the edges and beats around the bush.
I think that the true reason why we should care about the earth and the animals and other humans and everything in between is because (to use Bible language) we have been tasked by God, the creator of the universe and all things in it, to work the land and take care of it. God created the world and us to enjoy it and to inspire and to create and to make stuff grow! (And while this may not seem like a compelling "argument" if you're not a Christian and you don't know the Bible lingo, I'm just gonna apologize because it is quite late where I am and I'm tired and I had this idea to write this, but I may not have all my wits about me at this moment in sleepy time, but I didn't want to not write it because I might not ever get around to it otherwise.)
So yeah... basically, I guess, I just wanted to say that while I've found some people on the internet and in real life who are both Christian and care about the world, I think there's room for more :)
And little things you can do to start are things like eating more local food and more fruits and veggies and less meat (or meat that has been verified to have been treated good while alive and not gone through gross processing afterwards). You can stop buying new clothes, only buy when you absolutely need something, donate unused clothes, buy secondhand, buy from eco-conscious brands, and support brands that are trying to give back. You can use cold water when you wash your clothes and turn off unused lights. You can buy eco-friendly home decor and an eco friendly mattress. You can switch your face and body care things for natural alternatives. (I personally don't wear makeup, but there are many good and conscious brands out there.) I wash my face with water, use a wash cloth if necessary, and then use a local and natural acne serum, followed by shea butter and a face oil (currently 100% rose hip oil, but i've also used argan and avocado and other ones, but do your research). Simple does it! You don't need made made synthetic chemicals on your skin, even if its supposed to "make you look younger". Honey, it ain't all about the way you look. Its what you do with your life and the talents God gave you.
Anyway, you can google more things, small steps you can take to become someone who not just takes this world God gave us for granted, but actually do things that help and heal it instead of destroy it. Now, one small (not really) caveat... This world if s full of sin and it is broken. We, in our own power cannot heal the world fully. I feel like a lot of non Christian eco conscious people think that someday down the road, through our own invention and ingenuity will solve all the problems and make the world a better place, but that's just not true. In this life, we will not be able to heal the world 100% That will only happen when Jesus returns and remakes the world. But! Just because we can't do it all on our own, doesn't mean we can't do our best to truly try and be the best humans we can be and thank God and praise God and show him our love, which is a reflection of His. I think its our job to try, basically. Its our job, our right, our... mission, to love the world, not in a superficial way, but deeply and care about where we live and who lives in it, because God, our Father in his heavenly realm, cares. He cares, therefore we should too.
Wow, I just realized that this whole long winded essay of sorts (with plenty of run-on sentences), is summed up in that. "God cares; therefore we should too." He cares about the fruit trees with and without pesticides! He cares about the dairy cows and the pigs for pork. He cares about the lady across the world being underpaid for sewing clothes. He cares about the plastic in the ocean that the sea creatures eat and then we eat and the carcinogens in the air that slowly kill us. He cares about it all, and I think its time that we should care too. And He knows we can't do it all ourselves, but I think we owe it to Him and to everyone living on this earth to try.
Ok!!! I'm finally done! I'm heading to bed! Toodles and God Bless! ^_^
So yeah, that definition first. And I also want to say that while I haven't been a person conscious about the environment and God's green earth for the longest time, I've really tried the past, eh.. maybe 5, 6 or 7 years to do better and to learn more and be knowledgeable about stuff. And, in the past several years, in which I've also deepened my faith and knowledge of the Bible and found people on social media that have similar goals and interests, I feel like I have found few people who call themselves both Christian and "environmentalists" in one or more ways that I mentioned above. And I think that's rather sad. For the most part, I feel like I see a lot of eco-conscious people who are not Christian. They just care and stuff, but their reasoning behind it is either just "for the planet" or maybe possibly "for the people making my clothes" or "for the animals" or "for the future humans", and I find that, while still good, not a deep enough reason.. Or, not... how can I put it... a reason that skims the surface and dances around the edges and beats around the bush.
I think that the true reason why we should care about the earth and the animals and other humans and everything in between is because (to use Bible language) we have been tasked by God, the creator of the universe and all things in it, to work the land and take care of it. God created the world and us to enjoy it and to inspire and to create and to make stuff grow! (And while this may not seem like a compelling "argument" if you're not a Christian and you don't know the Bible lingo, I'm just gonna apologize because it is quite late where I am and I'm tired and I had this idea to write this, but I may not have all my wits about me at this moment in sleepy time, but I didn't want to not write it because I might not ever get around to it otherwise.)
So yeah... basically, I guess, I just wanted to say that while I've found some people on the internet and in real life who are both Christian and care about the world, I think there's room for more :)
And little things you can do to start are things like eating more local food and more fruits and veggies and less meat (or meat that has been verified to have been treated good while alive and not gone through gross processing afterwards). You can stop buying new clothes, only buy when you absolutely need something, donate unused clothes, buy secondhand, buy from eco-conscious brands, and support brands that are trying to give back. You can use cold water when you wash your clothes and turn off unused lights. You can buy eco-friendly home decor and an eco friendly mattress. You can switch your face and body care things for natural alternatives. (I personally don't wear makeup, but there are many good and conscious brands out there.) I wash my face with water, use a wash cloth if necessary, and then use a local and natural acne serum, followed by shea butter and a face oil (currently 100% rose hip oil, but i've also used argan and avocado and other ones, but do your research). Simple does it! You don't need made made synthetic chemicals on your skin, even if its supposed to "make you look younger". Honey, it ain't all about the way you look. Its what you do with your life and the talents God gave you.
Anyway, you can google more things, small steps you can take to become someone who not just takes this world God gave us for granted, but actually do things that help and heal it instead of destroy it. Now, one small (not really) caveat... This world if s full of sin and it is broken. We, in our own power cannot heal the world fully. I feel like a lot of non Christian eco conscious people think that someday down the road, through our own invention and ingenuity will solve all the problems and make the world a better place, but that's just not true. In this life, we will not be able to heal the world 100% That will only happen when Jesus returns and remakes the world. But! Just because we can't do it all on our own, doesn't mean we can't do our best to truly try and be the best humans we can be and thank God and praise God and show him our love, which is a reflection of His. I think its our job to try, basically. Its our job, our right, our... mission, to love the world, not in a superficial way, but deeply and care about where we live and who lives in it, because God, our Father in his heavenly realm, cares. He cares, therefore we should too.
Wow, I just realized that this whole long winded essay of sorts (with plenty of run-on sentences), is summed up in that. "God cares; therefore we should too." He cares about the fruit trees with and without pesticides! He cares about the dairy cows and the pigs for pork. He cares about the lady across the world being underpaid for sewing clothes. He cares about the plastic in the ocean that the sea creatures eat and then we eat and the carcinogens in the air that slowly kill us. He cares about it all, and I think its time that we should care too. And He knows we can't do it all ourselves, but I think we owe it to Him and to everyone living on this earth to try.
Ok!!! I'm finally done! I'm heading to bed! Toodles and God Bless! ^_^
Sunday, January 27, 2019
The Black Key- Amy Ewing SPOILER Review
I feel like I need a different title for these things other than "Spoiler Review". Sure, it gets to the point, but its also boring XD
And kinda random, but I'm drinking a smoothie I just made. First I diluted coconut cream into coconut milk (the organic one from Trader Joes) and then I added bananas, cocoa powder, a little bit of the Hershey's Simple 5 syrup, almond butter and protein powder (vegan with "superfoods"). So yeah, if you wanna try sticking all that in a blender, go ahead! :)
So, I finished The Black Key a couple days ago, like maybe Tuesday, so its a bit fuzzy, but I promised myself I'd do this review. So! Overall, I liked this book. Actually... I liked this book quite a lot and I'd say I liked it just as much or better than the first half of The Jewel. At first I thought I wouldn't like it as much, because Violet, herself, kinda annoys me and I feel like she's only smart when the plot calls for it, but she's too emotional and tactless, overall for my taste. Then again... she is only freackin 16 or 17. I seriously need to start reading more adult fiction. I also read Paranormalcy by Kiersten White the other day, and while I enjoyed the world and most of the main character... she still acted, like, well, a teenager... an annoying teenager. Anyway, I might just write a review of that when I finish the trilogy. But I do enjoy picturing Reth as Thranduil wearing suits XD
Ok, so back to The Black Key! The next line will literally be a spoiler!!! 0_o So Beware! Ok... one of the next sentences, but you can't say I didn't tell you so! LUCIEN DIES! See! I knew it! I told ya'll. (Let me live in my fantasy that butt loads of people read this, even though they never comment XD Jk, I just like saying "ya'll". But it would be nice if I knew someone was reading this and not hating it and all.) But yeah, I told ya'll that Lucien would die, because he was just stacking up to be that type of character. I heard other reviewers make him out to be the Cinna equivalent. And while I don't disagree, I don't remember that much about his character in The Hunger Games... whoops.But yeah... even though he was my favorite character, I knew he was gonna die... and I'm ok with his death. I feel like it was justified, for the most part, but because I knew it was coming, it's sorta feels like it lacked pizzazz... I wasn't sad or happy or anything much other than, "yup, I knew it!"Although, one thing I couldn't really figure out, was how old Lucien really was. I'm guessing around 24 ish, because he was 8 years older than Azalea because he said he was 10 and she was 2 when he got castrated (that was really sad, by the way- and to think that genital mutilation happens in many parts of the world for various "religious" purposes and just plain crudeness, makes it even more sad) and then Sil said that Azalea showed up 5 years before the events of The Jewel, right as she showed signs of womanhood that would make her between 11 and 13 ish. So if we take 13 + 5 is 18 plus 8, is 24 at the most... I think. Anyway, I get that Lucien is a prodigy and stuff, but he makes himself seem older. Then again, I'm around that age I feel really old when I talk to anyone 21 or younger... So... yeah. Anyway, I didn't mind his death, but it did feel like it, personally, lacked something, I just don't know what. Also... I know this is a weird thing also to fixate on about Lucien... and I know it doesn't actually matter, but I was wondering if Lucien was gay or not. You're probably expecting me, as a Christian to hate gays, and therefore hate Lucien if he is gay, but thats not true. I do not hate gays. Just putting that out there. I am merely wondering though, because the author first described his voice, according to Violet, as too low for a girl but too high for a man and since he's a lady-in-waiting, they wear dresses, so at first intro, it makes it seem like he's "gay". Then again, I could be remembering the description wrong, and Lucien did say he hated wearing the dress. And he kept calling Violet "honey" and stuff (then again, I admit, I do that to younger people too... I feel like a bartender though...) and he really didn't like Ash at first so I was like, "wait... does he like Violet, despite the age gap? Or does he really just see her as another sister?" I dunno. He was still, literally my favorite character though because other than his lacking pizzazz death, he, as a character, was super smart, funny at times, caring, mysterious, and he just really shone. And he had a terrible back story and had an emotional journey. Violet and Ash... were just plain emotional and hormonal. To me, anyway.
New paragraph! Even though I think it was rash for Violet to go undercover in The Jewel as a maid to rescue her sister (like, seriously, I felt that was just as dumb as her and Ash's relationship in the first book), it turned out well for the story and was interesting to read. I like the espionage bit. But it made me think a couple things. One, Violet could have used the Auguries for Ash again, because she does it to herself, therefore making her excuse for not doing him a moot point. And two, I think its sooooo dumb that she spent an entire train freacking ride and didnt think up an alternate identity and back story. She made the girls memorize the plan for the Auction every day so they wouldn't fail, so yes, that was smart, but then she just makes up a name and identity on the spot when asked by other maids??? Not smart. Like I said, I felt like she was smart when she needed to be and dumb when she needed to be. Or rather, when the plot needed it. Also, three, if this series ever got made into a movie, or two or three, it'd be interesting to see either one, how different they'd make the Violet actress look to pass a maid, or two, if they'd hire a different actress. I think that would be interesting, because one, actors are paid to show their face on screen, so if an actress spends most of a movie in disguise, then that actress is not on screen and most people don't go for that. Even if its in prosthetics. That's why with superhero films or stuff like Harry potter, they minimize times in the script where the lead actor or actress aren't there. Like, there are so many more times Harry, Ron, and Hermoine use polyjuice potion, but the don't like it in the movie, because then the actors can't be on screen. Actually, the movie doesn't care, but the actors and their agents care. Or even look at whats her name as Mystique in X-men. In First Class and Days of Future Past, Mystique as blue Mystique had more screen time than the plain actress, but in Apocalypse, she's barely blue because she didn't want to do it. WOW! Anyway, that's another long tangent, but I still had to say it. I'd honestly be curious as to how a movie would handle it.
Another paragraph! I really liked... actually, all the characters besides when Violet and Ash are being too dumb. But other than that, I liked Sil, I liked Garnet, I liked Coral, and on and on. Carnelian was a nice surprise too. Besides Lucien, I liked her the best and I had fun imagining her blue ribbon dress. Oh, speaking of Carnelian, she kills the Duchess of the Lake! I quite liked that too. So far, every book I've read recently that has had a death of the villain, I've actually been quite surprised about who kills them. But, even though I am surprised, I think its almost an unfair surprise. Sometimes it seems like its a surprise just to make it a surprise, not because that character actual "deserved" to kill the villain, ya know. But, I think with Carnelian, she really did deserve to kill the Duchess. Besides Garnet, she had been tormented by her and by other royals the longest and probably had actually the most personally at stake by the Duchess' death. Plus, she was just crazy enough to do it. Violet... I think could have done it in self defense, but her as a character, was just too nice, I think, to actually take her life. I feel like Violet would have chosen life in prison, if she had the choice. But Carnelian... yeah, it made sense for her to do it.
Hmmm... I think I've hit most of the points... Oh! The aftermath. I didn't hate the aftermath, though as the book was coming to an end and it hadn't been adressed yet, I was slighly worried the new government and stuff wouldn't be. But it was, and oh my gosh, its a representative democracy! At least I think... I don't 100% remember... But I think most books go for that. And heck! Look at us, it does work.. well when it works. When the people are actually listened to and when the representatives actually put the needs of the people above the needs of their reelection. Burn. Just saying. But yeah, while it wasn't much of a surprise, I'm glad it was addressed. The book, of course, ends with the main cast climbing the last outer wall and looking at the ocean, and I thought that was a nice touch. It would be very interesting to know what the rest of the world was doing while all the Lone City stuff was going on, but alas.
So, I think I'm finally done! And props to you if you got through this whole thing! Sometimes I have a lot of thoughts, and then my thoughts have asides, and when it all gets written down it does become quite long... But yeah! Thanks for reading and taking the time out of your day or night and God bless! Toodles! ^_^
And kinda random, but I'm drinking a smoothie I just made. First I diluted coconut cream into coconut milk (the organic one from Trader Joes) and then I added bananas, cocoa powder, a little bit of the Hershey's Simple 5 syrup, almond butter and protein powder (vegan with "superfoods"). So yeah, if you wanna try sticking all that in a blender, go ahead! :)
So, I finished The Black Key a couple days ago, like maybe Tuesday, so its a bit fuzzy, but I promised myself I'd do this review. So! Overall, I liked this book. Actually... I liked this book quite a lot and I'd say I liked it just as much or better than the first half of The Jewel. At first I thought I wouldn't like it as much, because Violet, herself, kinda annoys me and I feel like she's only smart when the plot calls for it, but she's too emotional and tactless, overall for my taste. Then again... she is only freackin 16 or 17. I seriously need to start reading more adult fiction. I also read Paranormalcy by Kiersten White the other day, and while I enjoyed the world and most of the main character... she still acted, like, well, a teenager... an annoying teenager. Anyway, I might just write a review of that when I finish the trilogy. But I do enjoy picturing Reth as Thranduil wearing suits XD
Ok, so back to The Black Key! The next line will literally be a spoiler!!! 0_o So Beware! Ok... one of the next sentences, but you can't say I didn't tell you so! LUCIEN DIES! See! I knew it! I told ya'll. (Let me live in my fantasy that butt loads of people read this, even though they never comment XD Jk, I just like saying "ya'll". But it would be nice if I knew someone was reading this and not hating it and all.) But yeah, I told ya'll that Lucien would die, because he was just stacking up to be that type of character. I heard other reviewers make him out to be the Cinna equivalent. And while I don't disagree, I don't remember that much about his character in The Hunger Games... whoops.But yeah... even though he was my favorite character, I knew he was gonna die... and I'm ok with his death. I feel like it was justified, for the most part, but because I knew it was coming, it's sorta feels like it lacked pizzazz... I wasn't sad or happy or anything much other than, "yup, I knew it!"Although, one thing I couldn't really figure out, was how old Lucien really was. I'm guessing around 24 ish, because he was 8 years older than Azalea because he said he was 10 and she was 2 when he got castrated (that was really sad, by the way- and to think that genital mutilation happens in many parts of the world for various "religious" purposes and just plain crudeness, makes it even more sad) and then Sil said that Azalea showed up 5 years before the events of The Jewel, right as she showed signs of womanhood that would make her between 11 and 13 ish. So if we take 13 + 5 is 18 plus 8, is 24 at the most... I think. Anyway, I get that Lucien is a prodigy and stuff, but he makes himself seem older. Then again, I'm around that age I feel really old when I talk to anyone 21 or younger... So... yeah. Anyway, I didn't mind his death, but it did feel like it, personally, lacked something, I just don't know what. Also... I know this is a weird thing also to fixate on about Lucien... and I know it doesn't actually matter, but I was wondering if Lucien was gay or not. You're probably expecting me, as a Christian to hate gays, and therefore hate Lucien if he is gay, but thats not true. I do not hate gays. Just putting that out there. I am merely wondering though, because the author first described his voice, according to Violet, as too low for a girl but too high for a man and since he's a lady-in-waiting, they wear dresses, so at first intro, it makes it seem like he's "gay". Then again, I could be remembering the description wrong, and Lucien did say he hated wearing the dress. And he kept calling Violet "honey" and stuff (then again, I admit, I do that to younger people too... I feel like a bartender though...) and he really didn't like Ash at first so I was like, "wait... does he like Violet, despite the age gap? Or does he really just see her as another sister?" I dunno. He was still, literally my favorite character though because other than his lacking pizzazz death, he, as a character, was super smart, funny at times, caring, mysterious, and he just really shone. And he had a terrible back story and had an emotional journey. Violet and Ash... were just plain emotional and hormonal. To me, anyway.
New paragraph! Even though I think it was rash for Violet to go undercover in The Jewel as a maid to rescue her sister (like, seriously, I felt that was just as dumb as her and Ash's relationship in the first book), it turned out well for the story and was interesting to read. I like the espionage bit. But it made me think a couple things. One, Violet could have used the Auguries for Ash again, because she does it to herself, therefore making her excuse for not doing him a moot point. And two, I think its sooooo dumb that she spent an entire train freacking ride and didnt think up an alternate identity and back story. She made the girls memorize the plan for the Auction every day so they wouldn't fail, so yes, that was smart, but then she just makes up a name and identity on the spot when asked by other maids??? Not smart. Like I said, I felt like she was smart when she needed to be and dumb when she needed to be. Or rather, when the plot needed it. Also, three, if this series ever got made into a movie, or two or three, it'd be interesting to see either one, how different they'd make the Violet actress look to pass a maid, or two, if they'd hire a different actress. I think that would be interesting, because one, actors are paid to show their face on screen, so if an actress spends most of a movie in disguise, then that actress is not on screen and most people don't go for that. Even if its in prosthetics. That's why with superhero films or stuff like Harry potter, they minimize times in the script where the lead actor or actress aren't there. Like, there are so many more times Harry, Ron, and Hermoine use polyjuice potion, but the don't like it in the movie, because then the actors can't be on screen. Actually, the movie doesn't care, but the actors and their agents care. Or even look at whats her name as Mystique in X-men. In First Class and Days of Future Past, Mystique as blue Mystique had more screen time than the plain actress, but in Apocalypse, she's barely blue because she didn't want to do it. WOW! Anyway, that's another long tangent, but I still had to say it. I'd honestly be curious as to how a movie would handle it.
Another paragraph! I really liked... actually, all the characters besides when Violet and Ash are being too dumb. But other than that, I liked Sil, I liked Garnet, I liked Coral, and on and on. Carnelian was a nice surprise too. Besides Lucien, I liked her the best and I had fun imagining her blue ribbon dress. Oh, speaking of Carnelian, she kills the Duchess of the Lake! I quite liked that too. So far, every book I've read recently that has had a death of the villain, I've actually been quite surprised about who kills them. But, even though I am surprised, I think its almost an unfair surprise. Sometimes it seems like its a surprise just to make it a surprise, not because that character actual "deserved" to kill the villain, ya know. But, I think with Carnelian, she really did deserve to kill the Duchess. Besides Garnet, she had been tormented by her and by other royals the longest and probably had actually the most personally at stake by the Duchess' death. Plus, she was just crazy enough to do it. Violet... I think could have done it in self defense, but her as a character, was just too nice, I think, to actually take her life. I feel like Violet would have chosen life in prison, if she had the choice. But Carnelian... yeah, it made sense for her to do it.
Hmmm... I think I've hit most of the points... Oh! The aftermath. I didn't hate the aftermath, though as the book was coming to an end and it hadn't been adressed yet, I was slighly worried the new government and stuff wouldn't be. But it was, and oh my gosh, its a representative democracy! At least I think... I don't 100% remember... But I think most books go for that. And heck! Look at us, it does work.. well when it works. When the people are actually listened to and when the representatives actually put the needs of the people above the needs of their reelection. Burn. Just saying. But yeah, while it wasn't much of a surprise, I'm glad it was addressed. The book, of course, ends with the main cast climbing the last outer wall and looking at the ocean, and I thought that was a nice touch. It would be very interesting to know what the rest of the world was doing while all the Lone City stuff was going on, but alas.
So, I think I'm finally done! And props to you if you got through this whole thing! Sometimes I have a lot of thoughts, and then my thoughts have asides, and when it all gets written down it does become quite long... But yeah! Thanks for reading and taking the time out of your day or night and God bless! Toodles! ^_^
Thursday, January 24, 2019
SIlver in the Blood by Jessica Day George SPOILER Review
I'm back again! And the other day I read the book in the tiles of this post. Gee, who would have thunk it, eh? Well so because this book is not nearly as popular as The Lone City trilogy (which will be my next post) or the Ruined trilogy, I'll do a small non spoiler review first and then do the spoiler review.
Ok, for NON SPOILERS: its not gonna be very long, because basically, I thought it was an all right book and if you like stories that deal with Dracula stuff, then you might like this. The reason I picked up this book was, one the cover is pretty XD and two, the inside flap mentioned Dracula and stuff and so I was like, "sure, I'll give it a go". So, yeah, if you like that sort of thing, I say go for it. It's not amazing, and it might be the 1st in a series, I don't know, I couldn't really find info on that, but it's fine on its own, I think, though it does end in a sort of set up possibility for more to come. Its a little dark, but not really that dark, but its not a bright and cheery read either. Its got suspense and a bit of a thriller feel to it and the story is told through two perspectives, two cousins, and their diary/letters they write to each other. I overall liked both of the characters, while there was a bit where one cousin got on my nerves, but she gets over it, eventually XD and I thought it was quite a unique story and it was an idea that I hadn't specifically thought of before. So, I know this was really vague, but basically, I say, why not, check it out, it won't take long to read and... yeah! On to spoilers.
I'll reiterate that this is the paragraph where the SPOILERS start. Ok? Good? So, like I said, I overall liked this book as it took some original turns and had a pretty original plot, as far as stuff I've seen or read, and it was refreshing. I didn't love it, but I liked. Something I thought was cliche, though, was to have one cousin be the tall thin one, and the other to be the shorter curvier one. (They're both girls, by the way: Dacia and Lou) And the author made it a thing, as in, other characters also brought up the fact that they take after certain sides of the family. Anyway... if I think chronologically, I remember thinking that it was sometimes hard to figure out whose point of view I was reading from. A bit like Ruined, especially the last book. But I do remember that I was hooked into the story from very early on, even if I thought the beginning was a bit... how do I describe it.. I dunno... For some reason the beginning of the book seems like its trying too hard, but then it eases up and becomes what it is. And as it goes on, I was trying to figure out what would happen, but also I was taking it easy on the story sleuthing, so I was genuinely surprised when I found things out like Mihai wanted to overthrow the current King and that the Florescu family had protected and done dirty stuff for the Dracula family all their lives and that each of the Florescus could turn into either wolves, bats or smoke/mist. I actually really liked that, because on the book, and in the beginning words like "claw, wing, and smoke" are tossed around and I thought they were code words for the roles that certain family members had, but I didn't think they'd actually be able to turn into those things. And it gives the Dracula story a nice touch since in Bram Stoker's Dracula, he could turn into a bat, wolf, or smoke. But, in this story, the Dracula person doesn't have the power to do that, but the Florescu family, who does the Dracula person's bidding, does. And it added a cool touch that there is a Queen or King of each type of ability. Actually, the more I think about this book, the more I like it... cause sometimes I feel like I don't appreciate books as much as I should when I read them, but later when I have time to process its like "oh, maybe I liked it more than I though?"
Ok, that paragraph was just getting so big, so I'm breaking it up. The one character that I thought was underused and over... talked about, was Mihai. He's supposed to be the descendant of Vlad the Impaler and all, but... he doens't do much in the actual story. He's talked about a lot, but he doesn't actually do much and I want to be shown not told, ya know. And I thought that Radu was a coward. He did kinda annoy me, but there's always that one dude that is a push over. I did like the characters of Lou and Dacia, though, except when Dacia went all emo and she was complaining that she was a monster. Oh, and Lord Johnny and the Theo dude. They were fine, but I thought it was odd that they author kept saying that people looked younger in person than the character originally thought. I think Lou "says" that about all the dudes. And as someone who is no longer in their teens... Its like "ok, I get it, these kids are younger than me and somehow are doing all these exceptional things with their lives. Thanks for rubbing it in." And I'm not complaining about being older... it just irks me that everyone is 14-19 in everything I read. And I get it, I need to read adult fiction, but still. Why can't a YA book have an older character eh?? Why? Ok, back to the actual book. I liked how Lou was actually the smoke instead of the wing and I liked that she embraced her nature so quickly. And I like how she actually did cool stuff with being able to turn to smoke/mist. She used her abilities well. Dacia on the other hand, only did one cool thing once she got over herself. She killed Mihai. At least, I think she did. I read over Mihai's death so quickly I didn't know he had died and I had to back track. And I wasn't really even skim reading! I was reading, but I was tired, but his death, just didn't make that much of an impact on me. One thing I'll say about Ruined, at least, the death of Olivia happens at the end of the chapter, so it makes a bit of an impact. But this one, happens in the middle of a chapter, and not really even at the end of the paragraph, so its easy to breeze over and not even realize that the main antagonist is dead! I sorta feel that way about Harry Potter too. The movie makes a big emphasis... but the book doesn't really make Voldemort's death a big thing. Yeah sure its important, but the actual paragraph isn't that gripping for me. Its ok in Ruined, still not as poignant as I'd want it to be, but better than this one.
Look, I ended the talk about death, by starting a new paragraph! Anyway, what else... I did sorta like how it ended, in that its over for some characters, but left open for others. Well, I do and I don't like it. It makes sense from a story standpoint, but it would have been nice for the story to wrap up just a little more and have the grandmother dead and Lou's mom not against her daughter and husband and to just have the girls become a part of the society thang that Johnny and Theo are in. That way, even if there aren't other books, you can imagine that they just wrapped up all their family problems and started a cool new career. But alas, Lady Iona or whatever her name is, is still out there somewhere.
Anything else? Uh... Oh! I didn't realize until it was mentioned, that in this book, Bram Stoker's Dracula hadn't been published until the events of the book. Now a days we take Dracula and vampire things like they've always been popular, but back in the late 1800's they didn't really do that, and it was a bit of a "duh" moment when that was brought up. And I think its clever because, we the reader, know all about Dracula and vampire lore since, but the characters don't know about it and its this sorta meta thing, cause obviously the author is using jumping off points from Dracula and vampire lore to write the book and make allusions and stuff, but the characters think its just their lives. I dunno, I liked that XD Also, random fact, I brought Dracula to a day at school when we were supposed to bring our favorite book... yeah, I was that kid. That was like 5th grade... and Dracula was my favorite book... tells a lot.
Anyway, lets wrap this up! The more I think about it, the more I liked this book and the world of it all. I'm not sure it really needs a sequel or anything though, because I'm not sure it would have the same flare to me. If you take out the Dracula link and just make a sequel about the girls going off and fighting supernatural stuff, ya kinda lose me. And if you make it about hunting the grandmother and don't include anymore Dracula stuff, you still lose me... basically, I read it because of Dracula and I feel like if there was a sequel that didn't deal with it, it'd be less likely that I'd read it. Or maybe the author can make every sequel about another "classic" monster. Maybe... that might help. But I'd still want the Dracula link. Also I'm not going to go back and italicize all of those Draculas... I'm just not.
So! That about does it for Silver in the Blood by Jessica Day George! Thanks for reading, God bless, and Toodles! ^_^
(P..S.- I'm probably not supposed to like vampires as a Christian... but whatever, I know what I believe and I'm not at risk of changing what I believe over works of fiction.)
Ok, for NON SPOILERS: its not gonna be very long, because basically, I thought it was an all right book and if you like stories that deal with Dracula stuff, then you might like this. The reason I picked up this book was, one the cover is pretty XD and two, the inside flap mentioned Dracula and stuff and so I was like, "sure, I'll give it a go". So, yeah, if you like that sort of thing, I say go for it. It's not amazing, and it might be the 1st in a series, I don't know, I couldn't really find info on that, but it's fine on its own, I think, though it does end in a sort of set up possibility for more to come. Its a little dark, but not really that dark, but its not a bright and cheery read either. Its got suspense and a bit of a thriller feel to it and the story is told through two perspectives, two cousins, and their diary/letters they write to each other. I overall liked both of the characters, while there was a bit where one cousin got on my nerves, but she gets over it, eventually XD and I thought it was quite a unique story and it was an idea that I hadn't specifically thought of before. So, I know this was really vague, but basically, I say, why not, check it out, it won't take long to read and... yeah! On to spoilers.
I'll reiterate that this is the paragraph where the SPOILERS start. Ok? Good? So, like I said, I overall liked this book as it took some original turns and had a pretty original plot, as far as stuff I've seen or read, and it was refreshing. I didn't love it, but I liked. Something I thought was cliche, though, was to have one cousin be the tall thin one, and the other to be the shorter curvier one. (They're both girls, by the way: Dacia and Lou) And the author made it a thing, as in, other characters also brought up the fact that they take after certain sides of the family. Anyway... if I think chronologically, I remember thinking that it was sometimes hard to figure out whose point of view I was reading from. A bit like Ruined, especially the last book. But I do remember that I was hooked into the story from very early on, even if I thought the beginning was a bit... how do I describe it.. I dunno... For some reason the beginning of the book seems like its trying too hard, but then it eases up and becomes what it is. And as it goes on, I was trying to figure out what would happen, but also I was taking it easy on the story sleuthing, so I was genuinely surprised when I found things out like Mihai wanted to overthrow the current King and that the Florescu family had protected and done dirty stuff for the Dracula family all their lives and that each of the Florescus could turn into either wolves, bats or smoke/mist. I actually really liked that, because on the book, and in the beginning words like "claw, wing, and smoke" are tossed around and I thought they were code words for the roles that certain family members had, but I didn't think they'd actually be able to turn into those things. And it gives the Dracula story a nice touch since in Bram Stoker's Dracula, he could turn into a bat, wolf, or smoke. But, in this story, the Dracula person doesn't have the power to do that, but the Florescu family, who does the Dracula person's bidding, does. And it added a cool touch that there is a Queen or King of each type of ability. Actually, the more I think about this book, the more I like it... cause sometimes I feel like I don't appreciate books as much as I should when I read them, but later when I have time to process its like "oh, maybe I liked it more than I though?"
Ok, that paragraph was just getting so big, so I'm breaking it up. The one character that I thought was underused and over... talked about, was Mihai. He's supposed to be the descendant of Vlad the Impaler and all, but... he doens't do much in the actual story. He's talked about a lot, but he doesn't actually do much and I want to be shown not told, ya know. And I thought that Radu was a coward. He did kinda annoy me, but there's always that one dude that is a push over. I did like the characters of Lou and Dacia, though, except when Dacia went all emo and she was complaining that she was a monster. Oh, and Lord Johnny and the Theo dude. They were fine, but I thought it was odd that they author kept saying that people looked younger in person than the character originally thought. I think Lou "says" that about all the dudes. And as someone who is no longer in their teens... Its like "ok, I get it, these kids are younger than me and somehow are doing all these exceptional things with their lives. Thanks for rubbing it in." And I'm not complaining about being older... it just irks me that everyone is 14-19 in everything I read. And I get it, I need to read adult fiction, but still. Why can't a YA book have an older character eh?? Why? Ok, back to the actual book. I liked how Lou was actually the smoke instead of the wing and I liked that she embraced her nature so quickly. And I like how she actually did cool stuff with being able to turn to smoke/mist. She used her abilities well. Dacia on the other hand, only did one cool thing once she got over herself. She killed Mihai. At least, I think she did. I read over Mihai's death so quickly I didn't know he had died and I had to back track. And I wasn't really even skim reading! I was reading, but I was tired, but his death, just didn't make that much of an impact on me. One thing I'll say about Ruined, at least, the death of Olivia happens at the end of the chapter, so it makes a bit of an impact. But this one, happens in the middle of a chapter, and not really even at the end of the paragraph, so its easy to breeze over and not even realize that the main antagonist is dead! I sorta feel that way about Harry Potter too. The movie makes a big emphasis... but the book doesn't really make Voldemort's death a big thing. Yeah sure its important, but the actual paragraph isn't that gripping for me. Its ok in Ruined, still not as poignant as I'd want it to be, but better than this one.
Look, I ended the talk about death, by starting a new paragraph! Anyway, what else... I did sorta like how it ended, in that its over for some characters, but left open for others. Well, I do and I don't like it. It makes sense from a story standpoint, but it would have been nice for the story to wrap up just a little more and have the grandmother dead and Lou's mom not against her daughter and husband and to just have the girls become a part of the society thang that Johnny and Theo are in. That way, even if there aren't other books, you can imagine that they just wrapped up all their family problems and started a cool new career. But alas, Lady Iona or whatever her name is, is still out there somewhere.
Anything else? Uh... Oh! I didn't realize until it was mentioned, that in this book, Bram Stoker's Dracula hadn't been published until the events of the book. Now a days we take Dracula and vampire things like they've always been popular, but back in the late 1800's they didn't really do that, and it was a bit of a "duh" moment when that was brought up. And I think its clever because, we the reader, know all about Dracula and vampire lore since, but the characters don't know about it and its this sorta meta thing, cause obviously the author is using jumping off points from Dracula and vampire lore to write the book and make allusions and stuff, but the characters think its just their lives. I dunno, I liked that XD Also, random fact, I brought Dracula to a day at school when we were supposed to bring our favorite book... yeah, I was that kid. That was like 5th grade... and Dracula was my favorite book... tells a lot.
Anyway, lets wrap this up! The more I think about it, the more I liked this book and the world of it all. I'm not sure it really needs a sequel or anything though, because I'm not sure it would have the same flare to me. If you take out the Dracula link and just make a sequel about the girls going off and fighting supernatural stuff, ya kinda lose me. And if you make it about hunting the grandmother and don't include anymore Dracula stuff, you still lose me... basically, I read it because of Dracula and I feel like if there was a sequel that didn't deal with it, it'd be less likely that I'd read it. Or maybe the author can make every sequel about another "classic" monster. Maybe... that might help. But I'd still want the Dracula link. Also I'm not going to go back and italicize all of those Draculas... I'm just not.
So! That about does it for Silver in the Blood by Jessica Day George! Thanks for reading, God bless, and Toodles! ^_^
(P..S.- I'm probably not supposed to like vampires as a Christian... but whatever, I know what I believe and I'm not at risk of changing what I believe over works of fiction.)
Monday, January 21, 2019
Ruined - Amy Tintera SPOILER Talk
Hey-o!!! Ok, so I just finished reading the Ruined trilogy by Amy Tintera, so now I'm gonna talk about it!
Overall, I liked this trilogy. The first book I liked more than I thought I would. However, by the end of the book I knew how the series was going to end, and I felt it was going to be predictable and I kinda lost a bit of interest, not gonna lie. I still finished it, though, but I'll admit that I skim-read a lot of the non-dialogue parts in book 2 and full on skimmed MANY parts in book 3. Though, towards the end, book 3 got better. By the way, book 2 is called Avenged and book 3 is Allied. I will say, now, though, that though my prediction for the end of the series was overall correct, as in I thought Olivia, Em's crazy sister was gonna get killed, my prediction about who was going to kill her was incorrect, twice actually XD So, I was pleased to find out that I was actually surprised at something.
On to specifics! On the first book, I really liked the slow romance between Em and Cas. I'm really not one for romance in my books now a days. It just makes me feel old reading about these not even 20 year olds "falling in love" and blah blah blah. Its just such a boring thing for me, but I know its unavoidable in YA books. Ugh. But, like I said, I didn't hate the romance in this one! Not like I did/do in The Jewel and The White Rose. I liked this one, because even though you can sniff it out a mile away, its not an instant love and its actually realistic, if not a tad fast, in how it happens. I also liked this romance due to the characters of Em and Cas, themselves. I know a lot about being hurt and wanting revenge and seeking the other person harm but in the end realizing that forgiveness is the best and right path. As a Christian, that's just the right thing to do. After all, forgiveness is not about the other person, it's about you. You forgive someone else so that you can slowly let go of that anger and resentment and so that you can feel better and let God heal you and show you how he loves you. And that happens in this story. A lot of bad stuff goes down and a lot of people die, but because the main characters realize that they truly made mistakes and that they are truly sorry and that they love each other, they forgive themselves and each other and become stronger because of it. The contrast is Olivia. She was hurt and tortured and she cut off her emotions from her ruined abilities and it turned her into a monster. I've also seen that happen, and its not pretty. Its really sad, and I like how Em keeps trying to reason with Olivia and prove to her that its ok to let go and forgive... even though she never does that. For her credit, though, as damaged as Olivia was, she didn't actually kill Em. She had a sliver of hope left in her, but in the end it wasn't enough to protect everyone that wasn't Em from her and she had to be offed.
So back the thing that actually surprised me! Iria is the one that kills Olivia! Whhaaa! At first, when I finished the first book I was trying to figure out if it would be Em or Cas. And when Em mentions towards the beginning of the 2nd book that she is the only one who could sneak up on Olivia and that Olivia never thought much about weapons, I thought that was a clue that Em was gonna kill her. But I knew it would be a hard decision for her, that is Em did kill Olivia, it would have been because she had to protect Cas or someone else. I don't think Em would have even killed her in self defense. So then I though maybe it would be Cas, that he'd see and opportunity if Olivia was about to kill Em, but that didn't happen. And then I thought it would be Aren, because he's more powerful than Olivia. (Side note, that's actually another part I found interesting and liked. It was cool that Aren could regenerate by making contact with a human that trusted him and was willing to sort of give some life force away. I admit, that was cool and a nice addition to the lore.) It would make sense if Aren killed Olivia because he can actually hurt her with his ruined abilities and he has not love for her anymore and he wouldn't be so torn up about it. I do think, if the author had structured the battle differently and stuff, that if Aren had the opportunity, that he would have been the one to kill Olivia. He had the "next in line amount of stakes" to his character regarding Olivia, so it would have made a lot of sense. So, when Iria swoops in and kills Olivia I was like "huh, that's... not what I thought would happen... at all." I'm still kinda trying to decide if I liked that or not. Well, not that I liked it or not, more like I'm trying to decide if that had enough of an overall impact on the story/the reader by having Iria do it. I think that by including Iria's point of view in the 3rd book, the author was trying to prep the reader and have us get used to her and make us believe that she was important and not just a random person from left field, ya know? I would like to know, if at the beginning of writing this story, if Amy Tintera really planned for Iria to kill Olivia. Because its obvious from the 1st book that Olivia will die, but the ground work for Iria being the one to do it... is honestly not anywhere up until she actually does it. But you know how sometimes authors or movie directors will do something just to be different from what everyone was assuming, even if the story kinda suffers for it (ahem, The Last Jedi, I'm looking at you)... yeah, I can't help but wonder if that's sorta what happened here. Either way, I don't actually mind that Iria did it, because if you're in freakin battle, someone has to do it. You see an opening, you just go for it, ya know? But from a story standpoint... I'm just curious.
Hmmmmm, what else... Oh, well, not about this book, but about books in general. I want to read a book with romance in it, written by A DUDE! You know why? Because most books I read are by female authors, and obvy, there is nothing wrong with that, but I'm pretty sure the only reason why girls like these romances so much is because a girl is writing them and its what a girl wants to see, not necessarily how boys/men actually act and would go about things, ya know? So, if anyone reads this and has a good fantasy/sci-fi recommendation with some romance that's written by a dude, let me know.
Ok, to wrap it, I want to reiterate that I did like this trilogy, even though it was predictable at many points and I skimmed through more than I probably should have. So If you read this, but haven't read the books themselves, but didn't care about spoilers and all that, I say, go ahead and read it. Its actually quite funny and light-hearted despite having some blood and stuff. I wouldn't mid seeing this book series played out in a movie or a tv series, I think it has enough world building and detail for it, and it'd be cool to see the jokes and the banter between characters acted out. Although, I can't help but think it might be too cliche CW or Freeform if that happens... Anyway, its honestly a good and quick read and has lots of action, quite a bit of romance, and a nice amount of magic and endearing characters. It also ends quite nicely overall. With this series (evidently I'm not done yet) I really felt the finality of it. I could see how the society would go on and get better and flourish and how characters would age and stuff. In contrast to the Red Queen series... Maybe I'll write a separate thing on that, but even though the Red Queen series had a lot more political stuff and more overall detail and characters... I thought this wrapped up and ended well. I thought that War Storm ended quite open, like a spin off series was about to start. And don't get me wrong, I realize that authors 1. love the worlds they write in and probably want to create more stories in an established world but that they 2. also love money and would like to set themselves up for more money-making spin offs and sequels. So I'm not sure exactly why Red Queen ended exactly the way it did, but it didn't have the finality I like to see and feel when ending a series, ya know? But this did. This one ended and ended well and it was cool.
Ok, so that seriously all I have to say now! Thanks for reading! God Bless and Toodles :)
Overall, I liked this trilogy. The first book I liked more than I thought I would. However, by the end of the book I knew how the series was going to end, and I felt it was going to be predictable and I kinda lost a bit of interest, not gonna lie. I still finished it, though, but I'll admit that I skim-read a lot of the non-dialogue parts in book 2 and full on skimmed MANY parts in book 3. Though, towards the end, book 3 got better. By the way, book 2 is called Avenged and book 3 is Allied. I will say, now, though, that though my prediction for the end of the series was overall correct, as in I thought Olivia, Em's crazy sister was gonna get killed, my prediction about who was going to kill her was incorrect, twice actually XD So, I was pleased to find out that I was actually surprised at something.
On to specifics! On the first book, I really liked the slow romance between Em and Cas. I'm really not one for romance in my books now a days. It just makes me feel old reading about these not even 20 year olds "falling in love" and blah blah blah. Its just such a boring thing for me, but I know its unavoidable in YA books. Ugh. But, like I said, I didn't hate the romance in this one! Not like I did/do in The Jewel and The White Rose. I liked this one, because even though you can sniff it out a mile away, its not an instant love and its actually realistic, if not a tad fast, in how it happens. I also liked this romance due to the characters of Em and Cas, themselves. I know a lot about being hurt and wanting revenge and seeking the other person harm but in the end realizing that forgiveness is the best and right path. As a Christian, that's just the right thing to do. After all, forgiveness is not about the other person, it's about you. You forgive someone else so that you can slowly let go of that anger and resentment and so that you can feel better and let God heal you and show you how he loves you. And that happens in this story. A lot of bad stuff goes down and a lot of people die, but because the main characters realize that they truly made mistakes and that they are truly sorry and that they love each other, they forgive themselves and each other and become stronger because of it. The contrast is Olivia. She was hurt and tortured and she cut off her emotions from her ruined abilities and it turned her into a monster. I've also seen that happen, and its not pretty. Its really sad, and I like how Em keeps trying to reason with Olivia and prove to her that its ok to let go and forgive... even though she never does that. For her credit, though, as damaged as Olivia was, she didn't actually kill Em. She had a sliver of hope left in her, but in the end it wasn't enough to protect everyone that wasn't Em from her and she had to be offed.
So back the thing that actually surprised me! Iria is the one that kills Olivia! Whhaaa! At first, when I finished the first book I was trying to figure out if it would be Em or Cas. And when Em mentions towards the beginning of the 2nd book that she is the only one who could sneak up on Olivia and that Olivia never thought much about weapons, I thought that was a clue that Em was gonna kill her. But I knew it would be a hard decision for her, that is Em did kill Olivia, it would have been because she had to protect Cas or someone else. I don't think Em would have even killed her in self defense. So then I though maybe it would be Cas, that he'd see and opportunity if Olivia was about to kill Em, but that didn't happen. And then I thought it would be Aren, because he's more powerful than Olivia. (Side note, that's actually another part I found interesting and liked. It was cool that Aren could regenerate by making contact with a human that trusted him and was willing to sort of give some life force away. I admit, that was cool and a nice addition to the lore.) It would make sense if Aren killed Olivia because he can actually hurt her with his ruined abilities and he has not love for her anymore and he wouldn't be so torn up about it. I do think, if the author had structured the battle differently and stuff, that if Aren had the opportunity, that he would have been the one to kill Olivia. He had the "next in line amount of stakes" to his character regarding Olivia, so it would have made a lot of sense. So, when Iria swoops in and kills Olivia I was like "huh, that's... not what I thought would happen... at all." I'm still kinda trying to decide if I liked that or not. Well, not that I liked it or not, more like I'm trying to decide if that had enough of an overall impact on the story/the reader by having Iria do it. I think that by including Iria's point of view in the 3rd book, the author was trying to prep the reader and have us get used to her and make us believe that she was important and not just a random person from left field, ya know? I would like to know, if at the beginning of writing this story, if Amy Tintera really planned for Iria to kill Olivia. Because its obvious from the 1st book that Olivia will die, but the ground work for Iria being the one to do it... is honestly not anywhere up until she actually does it. But you know how sometimes authors or movie directors will do something just to be different from what everyone was assuming, even if the story kinda suffers for it (ahem, The Last Jedi, I'm looking at you)... yeah, I can't help but wonder if that's sorta what happened here. Either way, I don't actually mind that Iria did it, because if you're in freakin battle, someone has to do it. You see an opening, you just go for it, ya know? But from a story standpoint... I'm just curious.
Hmmmmm, what else... Oh, well, not about this book, but about books in general. I want to read a book with romance in it, written by A DUDE! You know why? Because most books I read are by female authors, and obvy, there is nothing wrong with that, but I'm pretty sure the only reason why girls like these romances so much is because a girl is writing them and its what a girl wants to see, not necessarily how boys/men actually act and would go about things, ya know? So, if anyone reads this and has a good fantasy/sci-fi recommendation with some romance that's written by a dude, let me know.
Ok, to wrap it, I want to reiterate that I did like this trilogy, even though it was predictable at many points and I skimmed through more than I probably should have. So If you read this, but haven't read the books themselves, but didn't care about spoilers and all that, I say, go ahead and read it. Its actually quite funny and light-hearted despite having some blood and stuff. I wouldn't mid seeing this book series played out in a movie or a tv series, I think it has enough world building and detail for it, and it'd be cool to see the jokes and the banter between characters acted out. Although, I can't help but think it might be too cliche CW or Freeform if that happens... Anyway, its honestly a good and quick read and has lots of action, quite a bit of romance, and a nice amount of magic and endearing characters. It also ends quite nicely overall. With this series (evidently I'm not done yet) I really felt the finality of it. I could see how the society would go on and get better and flourish and how characters would age and stuff. In contrast to the Red Queen series... Maybe I'll write a separate thing on that, but even though the Red Queen series had a lot more political stuff and more overall detail and characters... I thought this wrapped up and ended well. I thought that War Storm ended quite open, like a spin off series was about to start. And don't get me wrong, I realize that authors 1. love the worlds they write in and probably want to create more stories in an established world but that they 2. also love money and would like to set themselves up for more money-making spin offs and sequels. So I'm not sure exactly why Red Queen ended exactly the way it did, but it didn't have the finality I like to see and feel when ending a series, ya know? But this did. This one ended and ended well and it was cool.
Ok, so that seriously all I have to say now! Thanks for reading! God Bless and Toodles :)
Saturday, January 19, 2019
Amy Ewing- The Jewel and The White Rose SPOILER REVIEW
So... I haven't been on here in a year... and I've debated with myself many a time, whether or not to start back up again... blah blah blah. Basically, whilst I have some time, for a little bit, I'll post some book reviews, because I've been reading a lot lately, and just see how it goes again.
Ok, so I'm gonna say it again! This is a SPOILER Review! I'm going to assume you read these two books and just start talking about what I had thoughts on. Ok? Got it??? Good!
So... thoughts during The Jewel... I actually liked the first half of the book, way more than I thought, and the reason I started not liking the 2nd half was because the dumb love interest was introduced. I personally found the secret politics of the the royals very interesting and before it was revealed that the surrogates die after child birth, I was actually wanting The Duchess of the Lake to succeed with Violet and see how DotL was gonna overthrow and ruin the Electress' life XD XD I'm terrible... but seriously, I thought that was a much more compelling story, and I wanted to know more about the DofL and the founding families and all those politics. But, when Ash was introduced I was like "ugh, here we go again" and I couldn't help but feel annoyed that he was making Violet do such dumb things and get caught and all that. Cause, like I said, I actually wanted to see the flip side. But, for what it's worth, I liked Lucien and I did want to see what his plan was gonna be and at least that part went through. And I was pleasantly surprised when it's revealed on that last page that Garnet was in on the breakout plan.
On to The White Rose! (By the way, overall, I did like The Jewel, but it wasn't amazing. The aforementioned are my main complaints.) So, my first big thought while skim-reading this book (yes, I admit I skimmed a lot and sped read most of the non-dialogue, cause lets be honest, the important plot stuff is in the dialogue) was AVATAR the last Air Bender XD Cause when Sil tells Violet that they are one with nature and they are equal and all that and "be the leaf" (which is actually a Legend of Kora quote) I was like "yup, Avatar!" Also, I thought of the Force in Star Wars. But, what it does come down to is New Age thinking... which I disagree with. If you've read any of my other posts, you will know I'm a devout Christian and while I'm not... unreasonable, I recognize when something is not something I agree with. I don't hate it, but I just recognize it and make sure to not let it affect me and what I already know to be true. More of an agree to disagree, but we can still be friends and have interesting discussions, ya know? Anyway, this 2nd book came off as very New Age (or rather Old Age, when you think about it...) when it got into the Auguries as actually being able to be "one with the elements" and that sort of thing. But besides that, I liked Lucien even more and I'm kinda worried that he's gonna die... He's such a cool character that he seems like he'd be a great catalyst for Violet to make a huge decision through his death. Sort of like a Agent Coulson in Avengers or something. But, I hope he doesn't cause he is my favorite character. I also thought it was interesting that the author sort of chose this series as a PSA on sex/human trafficking. Its very sad to think that there are millions of young and old today, right this very minute who have been torn away from their homes and forced to commit crude acts for money and other evils. This is a real problem and I pray to God that more people become aware and that we do something about it :( Slavery is still real, in many ways, and human trafficking for sex and stuff is just one terrible way it still goes on... Anyway... I did like that it was included, but hated that its a reflection of what actually goes on in the world. Ummmm... To be honest, I forgot what else I was gonna talk about... Well, again, I mostly liked the book, for what its worth-- I didn't hate it, as it seems a lot of people did, but I'm intrigued to see how it ends. Its definitely not on any favorites lists, but I didn't stop reading it, so I didn't hate it XD
Well, that's about it for now... So Toodles and God Bless :)
Ok, so I'm gonna say it again! This is a SPOILER Review! I'm going to assume you read these two books and just start talking about what I had thoughts on. Ok? Got it??? Good!
So... thoughts during The Jewel... I actually liked the first half of the book, way more than I thought, and the reason I started not liking the 2nd half was because the dumb love interest was introduced. I personally found the secret politics of the the royals very interesting and before it was revealed that the surrogates die after child birth, I was actually wanting The Duchess of the Lake to succeed with Violet and see how DotL was gonna overthrow and ruin the Electress' life XD XD I'm terrible... but seriously, I thought that was a much more compelling story, and I wanted to know more about the DofL and the founding families and all those politics. But, when Ash was introduced I was like "ugh, here we go again" and I couldn't help but feel annoyed that he was making Violet do such dumb things and get caught and all that. Cause, like I said, I actually wanted to see the flip side. But, for what it's worth, I liked Lucien and I did want to see what his plan was gonna be and at least that part went through. And I was pleasantly surprised when it's revealed on that last page that Garnet was in on the breakout plan.
On to The White Rose! (By the way, overall, I did like The Jewel, but it wasn't amazing. The aforementioned are my main complaints.) So, my first big thought while skim-reading this book (yes, I admit I skimmed a lot and sped read most of the non-dialogue, cause lets be honest, the important plot stuff is in the dialogue) was AVATAR the last Air Bender XD Cause when Sil tells Violet that they are one with nature and they are equal and all that and "be the leaf" (which is actually a Legend of Kora quote) I was like "yup, Avatar!" Also, I thought of the Force in Star Wars. But, what it does come down to is New Age thinking... which I disagree with. If you've read any of my other posts, you will know I'm a devout Christian and while I'm not... unreasonable, I recognize when something is not something I agree with. I don't hate it, but I just recognize it and make sure to not let it affect me and what I already know to be true. More of an agree to disagree, but we can still be friends and have interesting discussions, ya know? Anyway, this 2nd book came off as very New Age (or rather Old Age, when you think about it...) when it got into the Auguries as actually being able to be "one with the elements" and that sort of thing. But besides that, I liked Lucien even more and I'm kinda worried that he's gonna die... He's such a cool character that he seems like he'd be a great catalyst for Violet to make a huge decision through his death. Sort of like a Agent Coulson in Avengers or something. But, I hope he doesn't cause he is my favorite character. I also thought it was interesting that the author sort of chose this series as a PSA on sex/human trafficking. Its very sad to think that there are millions of young and old today, right this very minute who have been torn away from their homes and forced to commit crude acts for money and other evils. This is a real problem and I pray to God that more people become aware and that we do something about it :( Slavery is still real, in many ways, and human trafficking for sex and stuff is just one terrible way it still goes on... Anyway... I did like that it was included, but hated that its a reflection of what actually goes on in the world. Ummmm... To be honest, I forgot what else I was gonna talk about... Well, again, I mostly liked the book, for what its worth-- I didn't hate it, as it seems a lot of people did, but I'm intrigued to see how it ends. Its definitely not on any favorites lists, but I didn't stop reading it, so I didn't hate it XD
Well, that's about it for now... So Toodles and God Bless :)
Sunday, January 14, 2018
Stuck- ish
Its not something I like to admit out loud, for several reasons, but for a lot of my life I've felt stuck. I know most people now a days say to "follow your dreams" and stuff like that, but honestly, thats just not possible for everyone. Now I will explain in further detail, but don't think I'm gonna go in a sad direction with this. Although, maybe you'll think its sad, I dunno. I do not necessarily think so. But all in all, I think I've said it before on here, I don't like the phrase "follow your dreams" or "do what your heart says". The reason I don't like it, is because its kinda selfish, right out of the gate anyway. If you just take it word for word and don't have a... filter (maybe) for it. First and foremost, for my life, I want to honor and follow God. Not me. He is the creator of the entire friggin universe! God knows way better than me, what is best for my life. And now, by knowing that first, I can then filter the phrase "follow your dreams" into a better philosophy. I do believe that God gives us likes and dislikes and talents and urges and dreams for a reason. We all have a purpose in this world and since most of the time God doesn't give us a neon sign telling us what to do, we can use our "dreams" and aspirations and wants and goals to help us recognize what God is leading us to do. Although, trust me, I'd much rather have a neon sign. I am at a point in my life where I'm going to start having to make some more... serious decisions, mostly career wise. And with those looming decisions and a mix of current duties and future dreams, I feel stuck. Lets just say, that my current duties don't align... much at all, with my "hopes and dreams" and I admit, that I feel stuck. Part of me is like "Hey, remember that thing/those things you'd like to do? Why don't you try?" and then the other part of me is like "But you can't. You have responsibilities here." And its the type of responsibility that could jeopardize someone else/a group of people, not just myself, ya know. And while I'm not the main big piece of it, I am a very integral part of it, and without me (not to make myself sound super important, however) I'm pretty sure it would be very rough for those "left behind". And this is sort of where I hate phrases like "follow your dreams" because if I left, and tried what I'd want to try now, I'd mess up other people. Now maybe they could make, maybe, it'd definitely be super hard, but honestly I don't think it would work in the long run. Well, there would be a big decline/downsize in it all. And I don't think its right for me to "follow my dreams" when I am pretty sure that me doing that would be bad for others. You get what I mean? However, I do hope that one day I can, eventually be un-stuck. Butt, considering the current circumstances... it'd take me years. Lets just say that there used to be people above me that could have done what I'm doing, but now they are gone and there isn't anyone below me for a long time that could take over for me if I stopped. And... for my human, selfish mind, its frustrating. Of course I want to try something new, but not at the expense of others. ...sigh... So... I'm not sure what a reader will get out of this. Well, let me say this. I do believe, that God sees me and hears my plight. I do believe that this is all for a purpose and that one day I will understand and see the fruits of my labor. And while I believe that, I'm not doing it because I think I'll get something greater in the end. However, it is what keeps me going, besides the fact that its the right thing to do. And I guess what I'd like a reader to glean from this post is that, if you are stuck in a season of life and even if you don't see a way out, and you don't know how you're gonna "achieve your dreams", I believe that as long as you are doing your best and giving all you've got to the situation, that in the end, God will reward you. It may not be when you want or with what you want, but it will be with what you need and what is good for you. And trust me, I'm hanging on to that! And I can say it, because there are plenty of other ways that I've seen God take what I thought was not my best situation and still make something happen. I can look at little things in the past and have hope for the future. And if you're someone that thinks you don't even have little things in the past to look at, you're either not looking hard enough, or its time to start putting God first in your life for a change. Because He is there and He cares and He delivers. And sometimes all it takes is a perspective change. I may feel stuck, but its probably more the case that being where I am now is helping me in another way I can't even think of. I hope so anyway. And even though I sometimes feel like the last person holding up something heavy... I can see where I've made a difference with people and that's also encouraging. Its not necessarily needed, because I don' think I need to see the fruits of my labor, but it is nice.
Anyway, I feel like this is a very rambly post. And very vague, but I didn't want to complain about a particular situation, rather express how I've felt about it. Well, if you've read all this, God Bless you and God/Jesus/Holy Spirit love you ^_^ And heck, I do too! Toodles!
Anyway, I feel like this is a very rambly post. And very vague, but I didn't want to complain about a particular situation, rather express how I've felt about it. Well, if you've read all this, God Bless you and God/Jesus/Holy Spirit love you ^_^ And heck, I do too! Toodles!
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