tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33974071744114455702024-03-05T04:47:54.457-05:00Musings by StarlightMia Mannshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07650015788907711393noreply@blogger.comBlogger186125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3397407174411445570.post-62627763188434703932017-10-05T17:04:00.001-04:002017-10-05T17:04:42.931-04:00Writing In The StarsI have moved my science fiction and fantasy writing to a new site: <a href="http://miamannsauthor.com/">Writing in the Stars</a>. Please find my newest work there. Thank you for reading!Mia Mannshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07650015788907711393noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3397407174411445570.post-50190144627793623842016-11-22T14:59:00.000-05:002016-11-22T17:28:43.398-05:00Cutting Room Floor: Always Trim 30% of Your Word CountYou already know you need to do it. You’re sitting on a behemoth of a novel and everyone’s telling you it needs to be shorter. Complete at 150,000 words. Youch. That’s one sentence you don’t want to write in your query letter, trust me. Why? Because my novel is incomplete at 125,000 words, and the problem is only getting worse with every daily 1000 word writing goal. You know it needs to happen, you just need to be talked into it. Well, here you go:<br />
<br />
5 Reasons to Cut Your Work Count<br />
<br />
1. There’s an Ideal Length<br />
Whether you’re writing for independent publishing or polishing that baby off to send it to an agent and traditional publisher, there’s such thing as an ideal length for a novel, especially for novice writers. It’s 80,000 – 90,000 words. Period. Shorter manuscripts tend to end suddenly without proper resolution and readers can’t get no satisfaction (read: cliff hanger or lack of falling action). Longer manuscripts begin to drag, slowing the pacing down. In the hands of a master, unwieldy word counts can comprise true art, but we all need to start somewhere. Those masters start out by drafting unwieldy lengths as they find their voice, their story, their themes and their flaws — and then they trim to remove all the unnecessary faults.<br />
<br />
“Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep.” —attributed to Ricky Gervais, cartoonist Scott Adams, Douglas Adams.<br />
<br />
110,000 words is where your novel becomes defined as “epic” or “saga.” Not ideal for a first time writer. Don’t let it happen to you.<br />
<br />
2. Be Left With Only the Best<br />
It’s easy to fall in love with every word you ever write. But unless you’re some kind of superhuman, some sentences are going to be superior to others. Trim the worst ones. Trim the useless ones. Trim the purposeless ones. And then trim some of the mediocre ones and the decent ones, too, because there’s only so many hours in a day and I’ve got a Goodreads challenge to complete for the year!<br />
<br />
3. Drafting Takes Discovery<br />
Every writer “discovers” the story as they’re writing it. While we say there are writers who outline and writers who discover, an outline is not a novel, it’s a list of bullet points, and you still need to fill in the spaces and connect the dots to find out where the scene goes. Even outliners or planners (as opposed to pantsters, as we call them in NaNoWriMo) have described the phenomenon of the characters taking over the story, the plot taking on a life of its own, the journey veering in an unexpected direction. It happens to the best of us, and it ends up taking more words to figure out the kinks, to get the story on track, to wade through the muck to what’s really important to the core of your story. But sometimes it takes significantly more words to discover the story than it does to tell it. Unfortunately, readers don’t like to be spoon fed, they don’t like too much repetition or over-narration. Fluffy, nonessential or extraneous words, sentences, paragraphs, scenes and chapters fail to engage readers to keep reading. They may have been necessary to you as the writer to get to the bottom of what the heck is going on here, to solve the mystery, to uncover a tragic hero’s backstory, to figure out why this crazy character is acting the way she is, but that doesn’t make each of those words necessary to the reader understanding it.<br />
<br />
4. Something Better Might Come Along<br />
To make the story as engaging and interesting as possible, constantly providing the reader with new scenes, settings, facts, interactions, actions, surprises and so on, you may need to replace “fluffy” scenes or paragraphs, and you might find that what you’re inspired to write as a replacement might even be longer than what you had in the first place. To keep the pacing stable, you need to make sacrifices. Start with the low hanging fruit to make cuts, and leave room for future inspiration booms.<br />
<br />
5. Agents look for any reason to say no.<br />
Sad though it is, literary agents have a hundred manuscripts in the slush pile, and a hundred queries in the good old email inbox. They are looking for any excuse to cut their stack down, to delete as many of those emails while reading as little of them as they can. I don’t want to end on this note, because fear is not a good motivator. Don’t do it because you’re afraid every agent who sees “complete at 139,000 words” in your query is going to hit delete and read no further to get to your excellently crafted query hook and embedded examples of your writing and the fantastic twist you snuck in there. Do it because cutting your word count by 30% will leave you with the best novel possible every time. In my creative editing work, I strive to be honest about this in response to every chapter in every manuscript, simply because every writer loves his or her writing, loves every part of it, every word and sentence, but entertaining ourselves isn’t the goal here. Let’s make it as entertaining as possible for your audience.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
Mia Mannshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07650015788907711393noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3397407174411445570.post-89442522732492822882016-11-11T18:13:00.003-05:002017-10-05T17:06:16.956-04:00 Sacred Planet, by Austin Rogers<div style="color: #333333; font-family: "Noto Serif", serif; font-size: 17px; margin-bottom: 28px;">
A review of <a data-mce-href="https://smile.amazon.com/Sacred-Planet-Book-One-Dominion-ebook/dp/B01KKXBYO2/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_pdt_img_top?ie=UTF8" href="https://smile.amazon.com/Sacred-Planet-Book-One-Dominion-ebook/dp/B01KKXBYO2/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_pdt_img_top?ie=UTF8" style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333; text-decoration: none;">Sacred Planet, by Austin Rogers, Book 1 of the Dominion Series.</a> 4.5/5 ★s.</div>
<div style="color: #333333; font-family: "Noto Serif", serif; font-size: 17px; margin-bottom: 28px;">
</div>
<div style="color: #333333; font-family: "Noto Serif", serif; font-size: 17px; margin-bottom: 28px;">
The word “Firefly” appears in a dozen Amazon reviews for <i>Sacred Planet</i> by Austin Rogers. That’s because from a debut science fiction author whose very book blurb reads, “Fans of <em>Firefly</em> will feel at home in the world of Dominion,” the comparison to Joss Whedon’s Western space romp is no accident; it’s the result of a <em>Firefly</em> fan capitalizing on the love of the series combined with knowing exactly how to channel Whedonesque characters without flaw. Hey, they say to write what you know.</div>
<div style="color: #333333; font-family: "Noto Serif", serif; font-size: 17px; margin-bottom: 28px;">
Successive pulses rain down on Sierra Falco’s space yacht, each one a blow to the fragile balance of the galaxy itself. When the Carinian prime minister’s daughter’s ship is destroyed by a shadowy enemy, the political peace ties between superpowers are destabilized. Enter Captain Davin of the <em>Fossa</em>, a smuggler who’s about to cash in by selling the rescued Prima Figlia to the highest bidder — her father, right? Because Davin’s not a bad guy, but he has a thieving crew to feed. Off in Sagittarian space, a futuristic warrior accomplishes his greatest ambition, defeating all other competitors to become the emperor’s champion, only to make a sacrifice in exchange that he will never be able to live with. Kastor is my favorite character. Forced by his ambition to make a devastating choice, he grapples with the same problem over and over, failing to really recover and ever get what he wants when it conflicts with his orders. Poor guy.</div>
<div style="color: #333333; font-family: "Noto Serif", serif; font-size: 17px; margin-bottom: 28px;">
The first scene of <i>Sacred Planet</i> reads like a script for an episode of <em>Firefly</em>, or to be more specific, the script to the second scene of the pilot, where Captain Mal Reynolds comes across some serious booty on an abandoned shuttle. Meet Captain Davin, who on page one gazed upon the beautiful sight of a massive heap of scrap metal prime for the picking. Sydney Strange is basically Zoe but a lesbian and the pilot, and Jai is basically Wash but not a pilot, and Jabron is basically Jane. Really. Everything from joking about the frozen bodies floating through their treasure trove to getting excited about the mysterious contents of a “preserve bag” from the wreckage is irreverent and edgy enough to be fan fiction, if not for the bigger picture — a huge worldbuilding scope and a larger cast well beyond the crew of the <em>Serentity </em>— I mean the<em> Fossa</em>.</div>
<div style="color: #333333; font-family: "Noto Serif", serif; font-size: 17px; margin-bottom: 28px;">
The princess Davin rescues from the preserve bag, Sierra Falco, promises to be worth a whole lot more than her weight in gold, because she’s a pawn in the political justification of an interplanetary war, hence the attempt to assassinate her, destroying her space yacht. Davin’s devotion to cold hard cash struggles against his morality, and I gotta hand it to the author, that fight was not over easy and, sorry for the vague half spoiler, doesn’t really end well for anybody. It’s not the happiest of endings.</div>
<div style="color: #333333; font-family: "Noto Serif", serif; font-size: 17px; margin-bottom: 28px;">
Much more interesting to me, however, was the unparalleled and incomparable Sagittarian warrior Kastor, who immediately after becoming the emperor’s champion becomes an unexpected victim of personal tragedy that I just couldn’t get over. So many tears.</div>
Mia Mannshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07650015788907711393noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3397407174411445570.post-52946059040301516652016-11-01T00:00:00.000-04:002016-11-11T18:32:31.572-05:00Buzz: Engaging the Soul of a Small Business<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
A review of <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Buzz-Engaging-Soul-Small-Business-ebook/dp/B017V3EJFA">Buzz: Engaging the Soul of a Small Business</a> by Lura Fischer. 5/5 <span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Noto Serif", serif; font-size: 17px;">★s.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Noto Serif", serif; font-size: 17px;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh07zcCHmKeGtbLmjnBgV_VGka3jh7xBxTx4EU2N1mm5HT47baYqbttQ_QTooQ1RhOOy6tPYJnmSPUtAVV8gotqJEFyDX0F_x_6tAnhonNLd_iDMt_VcaMjT3K8ogS6_NdOLO_iXnsO-9I/s1600/buzzthebook_vs.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh07zcCHmKeGtbLmjnBgV_VGka3jh7xBxTx4EU2N1mm5HT47baYqbttQ_QTooQ1RhOOy6tPYJnmSPUtAVV8gotqJEFyDX0F_x_6tAnhonNLd_iDMt_VcaMjT3K8ogS6_NdOLO_iXnsO-9I/s400/buzzthebook_vs.gif" width="360" /></a></div>
<br />
A striking story with a pulse swirls together with practical wisdom. Buzz is a surprise, a business book with a unique heart. Taki Fujimori brings passion to her small company, ThriveCo, and has to fight like hell for its survival against malicious entities. Harnessing the values of a small business and finding the right people to strive for those values is essential to thriving in the business world. Principles explaining exactly how to do that are related alongside Taki's struggle to make it. It's a story any small business leader can learn from and fall in love with.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://lurafischer.com/#buzz">Check out Lura Fischer's website for business wisdom and wellbeing resources.</a>Mia Mannshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07650015788907711393noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3397407174411445570.post-13094589703909065552016-09-22T13:37:00.000-04:002016-11-11T18:38:34.809-05:00Serial Killers in Space<span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">A review of <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Space-Chase-Star-Watch-Book-ebook/dp/B01LZWKZ27/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1478907182&sr=1-1&keywords=star+watch+book+5">Star Watch Book 5: Space Chase by Mark Wayne McGinnis</a>. 5/5 </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "noto serif" , serif; font-size: 17px;">★</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">s.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0b-FKXZ-8cKAVj79VE3X-FK3Uo5Aaj8d3ntfDXMXeU_IoJqI685KkJMDrehNUWs6NWLzyNpAAlcDEYjDMfBrItXe8zVyBx8DfRcNtUstfUXwytYCccywZvkzVhA9MwlX8sgLmF3PPaA4/s1600/spacechase-cover-sm-213x300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0b-FKXZ-8cKAVj79VE3X-FK3Uo5Aaj8d3ntfDXMXeU_IoJqI685KkJMDrehNUWs6NWLzyNpAAlcDEYjDMfBrItXe8zVyBx8DfRcNtUstfUXwytYCccywZvkzVhA9MwlX8sgLmF3PPaA4/s1600/spacechase-cover-sm-213x300.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">A creepy psychological murder mystery wrapped in, you guessed it, a high speed race through outer space. While there's, of course, a greater plot to upset the balance of the universe, the main event is the serial killer hillbilly Orloff Picket, who's out for the blood of Nan Reynolds' nephew, Ryan Chase. A skilled hunter, Orloff's killer instincts kick in when Ryan accidently crashes into his multi-million dollar tanker conversion. From there it's all Ryan can do to survive long enough for help from Star Watch — and he's on his own in his Consignment Freight Delivery Van, with nothing but his wits and a smartalec AI to help him. A gripping read, and just when you think Jason, undercover as a mining broker, has it covered — watch out for the twist. Not your usual from the SW series, but lovers of horror and serial murderers will get their fix along with a dose of intergalactic action.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Mark's <a href="http://www.markwaynemcginnis.com/explore-the-ships/">science fiction site here</a> includes plans of Scrapyard Ship and Star Watch spacecraft and new 3D models of some of the ships.</span>Mia Mannshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07650015788907711393noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3397407174411445570.post-66653390223643524662015-09-24T16:29:00.003-04:002015-09-24T16:39:51.627-04:00We Three Kings by Don Callaway<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B015L6BDAI?ref_=cm_rdp_product"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4MbVreU_TH2-fmGGDejprwxR_FaRMOwuM4vpEsKppNCOXLuM5cRE4naqX7yyWyXBHE8-vu9g2JOddb-vgOqBAgPIWbWymr19-gXzOdvqQdjsKROtqz6vCxL-kpAvY7et4kDkSDpObBrY/s1600/5136aifuiUL._SX331_BO1%252C204%252C203%252C200_.jpg" /></a><span id="goog_426058332"></span><span id="goog_426058333"></span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/"></a></div><i>"Frank, you were born, you grew up, you went to the Academy, you became a pilot, and you brought us in for a beautiful landing. You did all that, and you weren’t a god."</i><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B015L6BDAI?ref_=cm_rdp_product">We Three Kings</a> by Don Callaway<br />
<br />
This is the kind of classic exploration sci-fi that has a special place in my heart. Captain Adam Pons has an unexpected, sort of crash landing on an uncharted planet with his small survey ship and a crew of only himself, his pilot Frank and his science officer Lonnie "Coop" Cooper. Each of the crew have varying levels of hope for rescue, and what they each want to do on this new planet comes into opposition. While it's an old-school first contact story, the characters are front and center and even as their relationships fray with each disagreement, Adam, Frank and Coop each compete for lovability. We Three Kings is a page turner you won't be able to put down until you find out how it all turns out for the crew of the Swallow.<br />
<br />
Check out the debut science fiction novel by <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B015L6BDAI?ref_=cm_rdp_product">Don Callaway on Amazon</a>.Mia Mannshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07650015788907711393noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3397407174411445570.post-88628757420189070652015-09-08T16:33:00.000-04:002015-09-24T16:36:34.309-04:00Alchemy of the Afterlife by Linda Kinnamon<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Alchemy-Afterlife-Memoir-Linda-Kinnamon-ebook/dp/B015484HK6/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1443126594&sr=1-1&keywords=Linda+Kinnamon"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAPNUp6pCyhe7uQZXKCjLjC-9QPeD2Ljj50n_hcN56544DPL5JdrwBC5t7bJmrBpeQKeSmcC7Abz-8BQZ9O5KCqZArEuKTzdUaSj7GpD_MrMNaL8-KUSXC6ShCjXDxVWyrD3Qss-9A70U/s1600/41Cc%252B7A5qKL._SX331_BO1%252C204%252C203%252C200_.jpg" /></a></div>
<i>"It wouldn’t be heaven if we had to leave the people we love."</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Alchemy-Afterlife-Memoir-Linda-Kinnamon-ebook/dp/B015484HK6/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1443126594&sr=1-1&keywords=Linda+Kinnamon">Alchemy of the Afterlife</a> </i>by Linda Kinnamon<br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">Those we love never truly leave us. It's a truth we all accept, but it can be so easy to forget.<i> Alchemy of the Afterlife</i> is a reminder of that, and there's some healing magic between these pages. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">It's also a collection of stories about the end of life, the final moments that bring families together and heal old wounds, and about what brings peace to someone about to cross over. All it takes is knowing that the family they're leaving behind will be okay. It's also about the lengths hospice nurses, or as Linda puts it, "medically educated friends," go to to bring comfort and dignity to their patients. It's a tearjerker, and there are some parts that are hard to read. But peace can always be made with the past, especially when you have the love of someone rooting for you from the other side.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">Here is the plot synopsis of Alchemy of the Afterlife:</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">"'</span><span style="color: #111111; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">As the body gets weaker, the spirit gets stronger,' Linda Kinnamon repeatedly tells her patients. Being a hospice nurse she spends her days caring for and visiting the terminally ill. But in the pre-dawn hours, as her patients near death, they occasionally pay her a visit instead. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #111111; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">Whether it’s perfume drifting through a room or a touch on the shoulder, the strength of spirit displayed at the end of life is as unique as the individual. Alchemy of the Afterlife is a memoir of life AFTER death based on Linda’s childhood as an orphan combined with her adult experiences as a hospice nurse."</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #111111; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #111111; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">Check out the debut memoir from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Alchemy-Afterlife-Memoir-Linda-Kinnamon-ebook/dp/B015484HK6/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1443126594&sr=1-1&keywords=Linda+Kinnamon">Linda Kinnamon on Amazon</a>.</span></span>Mia Mannshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07650015788907711393noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3397407174411445570.post-82476834827739301222015-05-06T00:12:00.001-04:002015-05-06T00:15:53.852-04:00How To Survive A Minor Alien Invasion by C. A. Watson<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Survive-Minor-Alien-Invasion-Book-ebook/dp/B00X0A7PGO/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1430884890&sr=8-3&keywords=C.A.+Watson"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgws4Ui_B5aw9ZaRtIECMpFt5HOeSUSfYqrin22I-pbALSKp3qFp7GGj-jRfK2n-t-ktDgZ0tSQ_UUN1DUnk7evYGTsBeSZphTn2JrGg0_MPqUWr0h8vOIlDSa9mXN5mdaZNuqzSc0D7Nk/s1600/91OEgBaZhsL._SL1500_.jpg" height="400" width="261" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"><i>"In one day those two women lost their jobs, discovered a dead body, got grilled by the police and heard about the most incompetent alien invasion ever"</i></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">Part sci-fi, part murder mystery, How To Survive A Minor Alien Invasion is full immersion into a who-done-it and a first contact novel with a complex, detailed intergalactic world. Lenore Graston is a smart, likable and relatable would-be sleuth who finds the body of coworker Margaret Whipply and has to get to the bottom of why it happened — more than that, when she deduces that aliens are involved, she literally won't sleep until she can be sure justice — intergalactic justice — will be served. The story behind Margaret's untimely death goes way beyond the murder of one woman, even beyond all of humanity and Earth; it's a big conspiracy that echoes throughout the entire galaxy.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">Check out the debut science fiction novel by <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Survive-Minor-Alien-Invasion-Book-ebook/dp/B00X0A7PGO/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1430884890&sr=8-3&keywords=C.A.+Watson">C. A. Watson on Amazon</a>.</span>Mia Mannshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07650015788907711393noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3397407174411445570.post-9012779620601586732015-04-17T13:45:00.003-04:002015-04-17T13:45:33.951-04:00Call To Battle: The Final Scrapyard Ship Book is Here<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Call-Battle-Scrapyard-Ship-Book-ebook/dp/B00W57IF8K/ref=cm_cr_pr_pdt_img_top?ie=UTF8"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYK-sEMYY0HCWI9FyGhneltNgcUEw_Gs999GPlAJJWlrZT56mbZXK8YphBvgPoWIszeV_J0VUgDH2W5ID-oXv6hJheWtA57oDl_Ohr4wMn5UTMs3WXNWFJ3vaJmKZyayEdHwMB5m_hMdA/s1600/Mark+Wayne+McGinnis+Scrapyard+Ship.jpg" height="640" width="409" /></a></div>
<br />
"<i>Welcome to the final, heart-pounding episode of the Scrapyard Ship series books. It’s all about to end in one climactic crescendo.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>The story continues, with Captain Jason Reynolds, and his team: Billy, Rizzo, and the rhino-warrior, Traveler. They must attempt to rescue Ricket and Gaddy, still held captive aboard the impregnable Dreathlor prison barge. Only then, can Jason return to </i>The Lilly<i>, his highly advanced Caldurian vessel … where it all began.</i><br />
<br />
<i>With the approach of an enormous fighting force on the horizon, it’s the last call to battle. Will the decimated Allied worlds reunite one more time? Will Ot-Mul get his vengeance, by taking those most dear to Jason — Mollie, Boomer, Nan and Dira — and using them to rip Jason’s world, his very existence, apart?</i>"<br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">With Call to Battle, it's win or lose for Captain Jason Reynolds and the Allied Forces defending Earth and the galaxy from Ot-Mul's Drac-Vin forces. The Craing on Halimar may have revolutionized and turned away from their previous path of conquest, but Ot-Mul still controls hundreds of thousands of warships in space, and he's not done waging war and seeking to annihilate all other planetary systems in the galaxy. The Great Space initiative is on hold while he deals with the small problem of Captain Reynolds and The Lillly, but they're just flies on his backside. You're going to have to read and find out if Jason can hatch a plan genius enough to take on a warlord with a fleet exponentially greater than his own.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><b>Check out <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Call-Battle-Scrapyard-Ship-Book-ebook/dp/B00W57IF8K/ref=cm_cr_pr_pdt_img_top?ie=UTF8">Call To Battle</a> and the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Mark-Wayne-McGinnis/e/B00FI0N7W0/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1">rest of the Scrapyard Ship series </a>on Amazon.</b></span>Mia Mannshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07650015788907711393noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3397407174411445570.post-72831726390392707712015-03-27T08:00:00.000-04:002016-03-17T21:03:16.317-04:00David Benioff and D.B. Weiss Promised Me Season Five of Game of Thrones Will Be the Best Season Yet<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
In my books to tell you anything about the season five premiere episode of Game of Thrones "The Wars to Come" other than the fact that it exists and it airs April 12th would be a spoiler, but I attended the event in San Francisco on Monday and I can tell you a little bit about that, and who was there, and who I saw, and the titillating details you no doubt came here for because you can't wait another second for 9 p.m. on April 12th to come.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGR9OuLzuhBsoLbF3lrGx28Xh9EMKxso0XYOJcaYQfqCtM6VvYD-K1FLHFn-y1BkRwTAo2IOz47D6b1X-Bz-KK6xf-96MRDzfq0iws1klZkawMqpnTV7_tLfYTVgR-35pr-dE7FnYDWS0/s1600/Game+of+Thrones+Season+5+premiere+San+Francisco.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="432" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGR9OuLzuhBsoLbF3lrGx28Xh9EMKxso0XYOJcaYQfqCtM6VvYD-K1FLHFn-y1BkRwTAo2IOz47D6b1X-Bz-KK6xf-96MRDzfq0iws1klZkawMqpnTV7_tLfYTVgR-35pr-dE7FnYDWS0/s1600/Game+of+Thrones+Season+5+premiere+San+Francisco.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">The premiere was held at San Francisco's War Memorial Opera House Monday March 23, apparently to ignite buzz with the social media/tech community in the city, and the crowd was largely made up of random Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Google, Apple etc. employees and their plus ones. Plenty of series actors attended and I was able to catch a glimpse of them — not enough maneuverability or proximity for a selfie but at least I was just feet from Arya Stark (Maisie Williams), Bronn (Jerome Flynn), HODOR! (Kristian Nairn), Stannis Baratheon (Stephen Dillane), Littlefinger (Aidan Gillen), what I'm pretty sure was Lancel Lannister (Eugene Simon), and the father of the mother of dragons himself Mr. George R. R. Martin!</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDWENF8X868kIPqzBT6IerMFNBrp4N-ZSlC53LJVZGp6OTvPPFG1U81MRH28S05hdMXfmniBQtmkPqCj3-RATd3rZwr3f_D9mY3nNiG98yJtXitmdJkDQ3ly_78LXItbVpwT-LxlMcT1Y/s1600/game-of-thrones-+george+r.+r.+martin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="448" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDWENF8X868kIPqzBT6IerMFNBrp4N-ZSlC53LJVZGp6OTvPPFG1U81MRH28S05hdMXfmniBQtmkPqCj3-RATd3rZwr3f_D9mY3nNiG98yJtXitmdJkDQ3ly_78LXItbVpwT-LxlMcT1Y/s1600/game-of-thrones-+george+r.+r.+martin.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_owhhHP4XlDCeArdwPAEdEnoUUG565PDamanFXqORUnkJYyNjLs1n6Lc6p8lDcfEx7f_PS02gJnIZLFCEobO9z8xViQDEqUy0jwXAYjTpA_2yeBzAbbaT8VmTXV0MvD-7eGeoTPTokH4/s1600/Peter+Dinklage+Season+5+Premiere.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_owhhHP4XlDCeArdwPAEdEnoUUG565PDamanFXqORUnkJYyNjLs1n6Lc6p8lDcfEx7f_PS02gJnIZLFCEobO9z8xViQDEqUy0jwXAYjTpA_2yeBzAbbaT8VmTXV0MvD-7eGeoTPTokH4/s1600/Peter+Dinklage+Season+5+Premiere.jpg" width="442" /></a></div>
Also in attendance were Tyrion Lannister (Peter Dinklage), Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke), Jon Snow (Kit Harington), Sansa Stark (Sophie Turner), and Theon Greyjoy (Alfie Allen). I caught a peek of Jaime Lannister (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) and Missandei (Nathalie Emmanuel) but I didn't get any pictures of them (frowny face). You can see below though that Nathalie was a stunning show-stealer (Nikolaj wasn't too bad to look at either).<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi60BhKp-5N1McXm3Ixet4Qf8ylv9eEDky9knQnLiTRnwYKjcjHYoo9r4yU5rf_Cjv6BZ1M6CNQSnnLelKulJU2qQq2RnbCMXItNHCpv73-q2S0YslTVu5ijpmpME3unJKqNp_jxd_SXBg/s1600/Missandei+(Nathalie%2BEmmanuel).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi60BhKp-5N1McXm3Ixet4Qf8ylv9eEDky9knQnLiTRnwYKjcjHYoo9r4yU5rf_Cjv6BZ1M6CNQSnnLelKulJU2qQq2RnbCMXItNHCpv73-q2S0YslTVu5ijpmpME3unJKqNp_jxd_SXBg/s1600/Missandei+(Nathalie%2BEmmanuel).jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTD_MOvGlLwi9cuTL5XZsTAMdF-E-dPbQI_S8pOiqJtD_X-h50UmIGyvXpDrdfgI_o0_AvKwAsklBzch8pod5E-ZjOKmsO8q4qhq-a84c-DAB_YOk2m5QtprlNAAgBCbkB9qittUncVaM/s1600/Nikolaj+Coster-Waldau+Jaime+Lannister.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="450" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTD_MOvGlLwi9cuTL5XZsTAMdF-E-dPbQI_S8pOiqJtD_X-h50UmIGyvXpDrdfgI_o0_AvKwAsklBzch8pod5E-ZjOKmsO8q4qhq-a84c-DAB_YOk2m5QtprlNAAgBCbkB9qittUncVaM/s1600/Nikolaj+Coster-Waldau+Jaime+Lannister.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">HBO CEO Richard Plepler thanked George R. R. Martin and introduced David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, calling all three creators “geniuses and gentlemen” and stating that the words genius and gentlemen don’t go together as often as you might think. Then David Benioff and D.B. Weiss let us in on the strategy they deliver to the network for every season of Game of Thrones: that each season be better than the next. That’s a really high bar that they continually set for themselves, but you can take it as a promise that Game of Thrones season five is going to be the best season yet (would David Benioff and D. B. Weiss lie to you? Didn’t think so.)</span></div>
<br />
Below are the pictures I managed to snap; they're pretty bad, but have a click through the gallery to see how close I was to Arya, Bronn, Hodor, Stannis, Petyr, Lancel and King R. R. Martin!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL4aokopAh4pbZBZRVZKzIl34bbN31KXRvTI01JCjakR3kgvPKenB_2O5MpAsn-GxraL-w7ZwiPdT0EoT6Da4gtBxyr8tGCEBf8b5lU-foa2wJah2NTOQzh66qJSW0dy8EnPdBxuTxWic/s1600/Arya+Stark+Maisie+Williams.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL4aokopAh4pbZBZRVZKzIl34bbN31KXRvTI01JCjakR3kgvPKenB_2O5MpAsn-GxraL-w7ZwiPdT0EoT6Da4gtBxyr8tGCEBf8b5lU-foa2wJah2NTOQzh66qJSW0dy8EnPdBxuTxWic/s1600/Arya+Stark+Maisie+Williams.jpg" width="204" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNviFq4_D7_64yn8vbaPO-bKJxWfqhsmBUPkaDynXIoFw4oshkZNXteZtWnKwOX-p8KMAZNwYTXSzHniLBYObo0T39qEmRjxHHOB3JPUlQD21GvH1COZL7RDjTgECOKIJG1V2zWSaG3TY/s1600/Bronn+Jerome+Flynn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNviFq4_D7_64yn8vbaPO-bKJxWfqhsmBUPkaDynXIoFw4oshkZNXteZtWnKwOX-p8KMAZNwYTXSzHniLBYObo0T39qEmRjxHHOB3JPUlQD21GvH1COZL7RDjTgECOKIJG1V2zWSaG3TY/s1600/Bronn+Jerome+Flynn.jpg" width="201" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOv_892hF3L54sXpbN0nH92Mkeri1TYBCM3K5-gRAFYqHtNzXo0a00Vzp9wLIKjg1_h1R3NHUBsqOE_K1rwJYQ3Hk9U8CXZes_bXrrpOh1_n_ntU5v3IplW9fq2tM5NP2DPY83LfiTgAM/s1600/Hodor+Kristian+Nairn+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 10px; margin-right: 10px; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOv_892hF3L54sXpbN0nH92Mkeri1TYBCM3K5-gRAFYqHtNzXo0a00Vzp9wLIKjg1_h1R3NHUBsqOE_K1rwJYQ3Hk9U8CXZes_bXrrpOh1_n_ntU5v3IplW9fq2tM5NP2DPY83LfiTgAM/s1600/Hodor+Kristian+Nairn+2.jpg" width="138" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGQvpFYuDoKGj5-a0fQPAllgkWYUQtpdaKJMiXA6gWSSq9H-ORWJR9P6ydOX7whsejd-0zgGyOmtBqEd6mvZ1MqSZW9LewJz4GwaMWXZeBpoleQds6ukbEOK8CUy8xO80UHJpjVjs45Lc/s1600/Hodor+Kristian+Nairn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 10px; margin-right: 10px;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGQvpFYuDoKGj5-a0fQPAllgkWYUQtpdaKJMiXA6gWSSq9H-ORWJR9P6ydOX7whsejd-0zgGyOmtBqEd6mvZ1MqSZW9LewJz4GwaMWXZeBpoleQds6ukbEOK8CUy8xO80UHJpjVjs45Lc/s1600/Hodor+Kristian+Nairn.jpg" width="160" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx37Y6I4QdiB7KdJ1_Sk2h2Y-qD7sYfNhyPbwP2O0SdfRzMoVycVPhrJ0nALRgdA4zQpwqpbLq8R2qXfFccYw_EZmjfPck6WKWzisG0jDQqRuiwW7rCoiZyxmxRieUWpLWKO8j2uyNPG8/s1600/Stannis+Baratheon+Stephen+Dillane.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 10px; margin-right: 10px;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx37Y6I4QdiB7KdJ1_Sk2h2Y-qD7sYfNhyPbwP2O0SdfRzMoVycVPhrJ0nALRgdA4zQpwqpbLq8R2qXfFccYw_EZmjfPck6WKWzisG0jDQqRuiwW7rCoiZyxmxRieUWpLWKO8j2uyNPG8/s1600/Stannis+Baratheon+Stephen+Dillane.jpg" width="173" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzpAqoqfOcrk9wzw9TVlxVkOd5zIWqLiwSC2L3w0nimGuUfPZnNozwRpipl4eSZVy8dR-e-3Y3epVtzmQ9dSYEjnJPTXE3RjMkXi5CpvrdBDqOGSVO7mtiiaGz41p2bJNuHdusYU6LR7A/s1600/Petyr+Littlefinger+Baelish+Aidan+Gillen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 2px; margin-right: 2px;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzpAqoqfOcrk9wzw9TVlxVkOd5zIWqLiwSC2L3w0nimGuUfPZnNozwRpipl4eSZVy8dR-e-3Y3epVtzmQ9dSYEjnJPTXE3RjMkXi5CpvrdBDqOGSVO7mtiiaGz41p2bJNuHdusYU6LR7A/s1600/Petyr+Littlefinger+Baelish+Aidan+Gillen.jpg" width="171" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpuQJA3W3hF6qNpqDouUfJmwQjFQjLDeTk1Hs9hZbIFiH9WxMdvNo1HLoLwZuNy06bWsuSpIYGlVoajGCqJCaBT4JJyiTNoSRy7mwzqHZJYL-cKhynHQdtfFPoSKjp91la4eWyrQcNQ98/s1600/Lancel+Lannister+Eugene+Simon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 2px; margin-right: 2px;"><img border="0" height="166" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpuQJA3W3hF6qNpqDouUfJmwQjFQjLDeTk1Hs9hZbIFiH9WxMdvNo1HLoLwZuNy06bWsuSpIYGlVoajGCqJCaBT4JJyiTNoSRy7mwzqHZJYL-cKhynHQdtfFPoSKjp91la4eWyrQcNQ98/s1600/Lancel+Lannister+Eugene+Simon.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-JK9eAICCgLErGyg4EFZVlgHCbS1-MaBTwECekkYjCNRUZHba1lZ2Q3-ahXWnKUUAmd4rhieBHeadqglknvzJ_OleHbp4-1rVi3uLzlv86uCKz34O8rt3vC7GiEEN4SPMNvL19wGCXuU/s1600/George+R.+R.+Martin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 2px; margin-right: 2px;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-JK9eAICCgLErGyg4EFZVlgHCbS1-MaBTwECekkYjCNRUZHba1lZ2Q3-ahXWnKUUAmd4rhieBHeadqglknvzJ_OleHbp4-1rVi3uLzlv86uCKz34O8rt3vC7GiEEN4SPMNvL19wGCXuU/s1600/George+R.+R.+Martin.jpg" width="163" /></a></div>
Excited for season five? Me too! Check back for my review of the Game of Thrones season five premiere April 12th. In the meantime, if you beg me for spoilers in my comments section ... it probably won't hurt (but no promises!)</div>
</div>
Mia Mannshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07650015788907711393noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3397407174411445570.post-11837615381015525482015-03-20T20:22:00.002-04:002015-03-20T20:22:19.131-04:00Con Man: A new comedy from Alan Tudyk and Nathan Fillion produced by ME! (and YOU!)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="281" mozallowfullscreen="" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/121614525" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="500"></iframe></div>
<br />
<br />
The past ten days have been a blur for any true Brown Coats i.e. those of us who obviously haven't gotten over Firefly yet. On March 10th Serenity's Pilot Alan Tudyk and Captain Nathan Fillion announced the Indiegogo campaign for Con Man, because Convention Man doesn't sound as cool. It's going to be a show about an actor who played a pilot on a sci-fi show that was beloved by fans but was cancelled by a network, too soon, and another actor who went on to become grossly successful after the cancellation of the show, and they seem like best buddies. If you love Firefly, watch their campaign video (above) and the teaser for Con Man (below) and support the campaign (while pretty much buying cool fan merch before the show's even made) by <a href="http://igg.me/at/conman/x/10147213">clicking here</a>.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="281" mozallowfullscreen="" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/122040375" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="500"></iframe></div>
Mia Mannshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07650015788907711393noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3397407174411445570.post-69086116688947118552015-03-07T15:20:00.001-05:002015-03-08T00:00:00.644-05:00The Darkness on The Edge of Town — Once Upon a Time's mid-season return is everything that's good and bad about the series<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHohSeuEncuGQgMLmJnNOcz2FxgYy__YgOjaUntL1I8UQPt8sCRnL4L3X0ukNsklU361-A9Z785GxBfnpsWBLOi2100PgATBj4bhbnAoYVs8zc7bZb4e-8AoYWFgQI1KwNvBfXZMHxUsY/s1600/Screenshot+2015-03-06+18.07.42.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHohSeuEncuGQgMLmJnNOcz2FxgYy__YgOjaUntL1I8UQPt8sCRnL4L3X0ukNsklU361-A9Z785GxBfnpsWBLOi2100PgATBj4bhbnAoYVs8zc7bZb4e-8AoYWFgQI1KwNvBfXZMHxUsY/s1600/Screenshot+2015-03-06+18.07.42.png" height="356" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 10px; text-align: right;"><div style="text-align: right;">
images from ABC </div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
We all love how #OUAT boldly goes where no show has ever gone before, mixing fairy tales with out of place Disney flicks that aren't, working Frozen in before the movie's first birthday, turning Red Riding Hood into a werewolf, Snow White into a bandit (and a badass), Peter Pan into Rumplestiltskin's dad, that sort of thing — and season four part two promises its own bold choices. It's pretty bold to use up three villains in one half season, for example. If they run out of villains, that'll pretty much be the end of the show, but nonetheless, creators Kitsis and Horowitz are using up Cruella De Vil, Ursula and Maleficent all at one time. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-hefiW7IylxLZ4oOR2AVS9Dhkv-ypPi2W63GqITIG35UOsThGPF_su44krmNm29nmz1gGXcny_OZlFBjFM4t983H3PNbrmSOFDwP0w4bnk2ZpMCYSnoH3KgCZ3acatR6htBceqknpBOo/s1600/Screenshot+2015-03-06+17.42.21.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-hefiW7IylxLZ4oOR2AVS9Dhkv-ypPi2W63GqITIG35UOsThGPF_su44krmNm29nmz1gGXcny_OZlFBjFM4t983H3PNbrmSOFDwP0w4bnk2ZpMCYSnoH3KgCZ3acatR6htBceqknpBOo/s1600/Screenshot+2015-03-06+17.42.21.png" height="358" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
But the best part is, the introduction of these three villains is really just to serve the purpose of bringing back our favorite: Mr. Gold. If you thought at the end of the half season that Mr. Gold being banished from Storybrooke forever meant he'd never come back to Storybrooke ... Well, deary, you shouldn't underestimate the dark one.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw1thegLLccIxmVMRpu-ad7d8L9aulVpFkinSi1OF4WHSBd_v2ZwAnNUzzImleVN_76vNpuPX40CAN8uJQw24scFL4PX250-K5yMAjF7Qt72pd9Im9j8YCuxSX-8c4Ssg9srsioVA5A0w/s1600/Screenshot+2015-03-06+18.07.56.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw1thegLLccIxmVMRpu-ad7d8L9aulVpFkinSi1OF4WHSBd_v2ZwAnNUzzImleVN_76vNpuPX40CAN8uJQw24scFL4PX250-K5yMAjF7Qt72pd9Im9j8YCuxSX-8c4Ssg9srsioVA5A0w/s1600/Screenshot+2015-03-06+18.07.56.png" height="358" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
Another thing we love about Once Upon a Time is the visuals — the images and the montages that real fans will get, and connect with, that make us smile, like Emma reaching for her sheriff's badge from the bottom of her closet when things go back to normal, Snow teaching a class about ornithology, and Regina with a huge smile on her face while she burns a painting of a bird (wait, why did she burn the painting of the bird? I don't get it).<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEaV91qh7QgZAwDJOvXJ3jZi5iPcMpkDbZm3a1J2Yui5BaWCNxa9LFxSRR4KAh7ylU1R8uDkrDBBazUngEj2OmhZjZw_61FiieFAjt8v9nJiXwhQT9En4_Oo6CC0U-Uwl1yTr2sixIM7g/s1600/Screenshot+2015-03-06+18.03.22.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEaV91qh7QgZAwDJOvXJ3jZi5iPcMpkDbZm3a1J2Yui5BaWCNxa9LFxSRR4KAh7ylU1R8uDkrDBBazUngEj2OmhZjZw_61FiieFAjt8v9nJiXwhQT9En4_Oo6CC0U-Uwl1yTr2sixIM7g/s1600/Screenshot+2015-03-06+18.03.22.png" height="358" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
The Darkness on the Edge of Town opened with a montage of all of our favorite images: the mayor's office with the bowl of red apples, Hook waiting by Emma's yellow bug with a cup of coffee, Henry outside Granny's before school.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2yEP4OF6M8hcrPLbNJd0sgWtuwAtmTJfWv1Aljg4tCMgf8AmTIObtn4vb63t4eog2UUzgKDU-Pa4gZmoF9cYuKdkuD4vvm9I2L-3GKMYxFoejkqsBJAcCa8_GRxOsbI1qckG6nXuPSW0/s1600/Screenshot+2015-03-06+18.03.42.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2yEP4OF6M8hcrPLbNJd0sgWtuwAtmTJfWv1Aljg4tCMgf8AmTIObtn4vb63t4eog2UUzgKDU-Pa4gZmoF9cYuKdkuD4vvm9I2L-3GKMYxFoejkqsBJAcCa8_GRxOsbI1qckG6nXuPSW0/s1600/Screenshot+2015-03-06+18.03.42.png" height="358" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Actually, I'm lying — the episode opened on a ridiculously over the top, garishly colored and jarring scene taking place "Many years ago ..." with cheesy special effects and terrible writing in which the three lady villains, Cruella, Ursula and Maleficent, verbally spar and throw cheesy special effects at each other in attack. But I want to stick to the good, and on the pretty parts of #OUAT. I'm a big fan of Ursula in front of the aquarium. Let's focus on that.</div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_0Gbu49rgmqgCbni9F3aK3wVHAiAhh6vYXCvMIbAQGpd5L5C3p4JVtqUs5SvFVsgqaLZOSMAWFt1Z-pTd7Tu9ImBse7E-yJYlO5PfzhTkibb7SvQ5tEPBswsBOzGWW-G1BxFCF8ksgqc/s1600/Screenshot+2015-03-06+18.36.42.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_0Gbu49rgmqgCbni9F3aK3wVHAiAhh6vYXCvMIbAQGpd5L5C3p4JVtqUs5SvFVsgqaLZOSMAWFt1Z-pTd7Tu9ImBse7E-yJYlO5PfzhTkibb7SvQ5tEPBswsBOzGWW-G1BxFCF8ksgqc/s1600/Screenshot+2015-03-06+18.36.42.png" height="358" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Things are back to normal in Storybrooke, but the new normal is that Mr. Gold isn't allowed in and Belle has to cope with a broken heart, while Hook beats himself up for letting Gold manipulate him. I love all this stuff. I mean, in a way it's the same old story, but now there are fairies trapped inside a magic hat that Emma and Regina have to set free. That's different.</div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge6VyqTmtQQBmlY1VReI-P89W5hDym0Fn2G7j1eqpG5n8daXdyyXtzGgbOcyPGZqm-7XbjBHley_ZMKlAcoi5DHEk7ZYxQ5rdHdnpS9dFxQnQkmAVvlNACnL5Tg1tKfMfky3VfqQjtyh8/s1600/Screenshot+2015-03-06+18.01.00.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge6VyqTmtQQBmlY1VReI-P89W5hDym0Fn2G7j1eqpG5n8daXdyyXtzGgbOcyPGZqm-7XbjBHley_ZMKlAcoi5DHEk7ZYxQ5rdHdnpS9dFxQnQkmAVvlNACnL5Tg1tKfMfky3VfqQjtyh8/s1600/Screenshot+2015-03-06+18.01.00.png" height="358" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
What I'm getting at is that what's good about Once Upon a Time is the fusion of the real world and the Disney world, Captain Hook referring to computer as a magic box and Ursula making sure Gold knows how the microwave works. Dwarves in Maine and sea witches in New York City. Cruella going bankrupt and having her house and assets seized by the IRS and Ursula living in a crappy apartment. That's what's so good about this show.</div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK1cT2uAolikHIHXpMSHNRn3o2RSPOuVOUHTs5pS5nZ4P82r6iRo3RIXHtEeNEvV3Ad8JYF60D13JSPPlpw8ynkTa3WM2L5ZnczqtauJPZv3ncFbPWRvihCl-kFDksO_1Zdl4pETXRjUA/s1600/Screenshot+2015-03-06+18.09.05.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK1cT2uAolikHIHXpMSHNRn3o2RSPOuVOUHTs5pS5nZ4P82r6iRo3RIXHtEeNEvV3Ad8JYF60D13JSPPlpw8ynkTa3WM2L5ZnczqtauJPZv3ncFbPWRvihCl-kFDksO_1Zdl4pETXRjUA/s1600/Screenshot+2015-03-06+18.09.05.png" height="359" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That better not be the last Ramen.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The flashbacks can go either way, though. Two stories wove between each other in The Darkness on The Edge of Town — the heroes in Storybrooke free the fairies while the villains in the enchanted forest fight a monster thing I never got the name of. I know they need to weave together but did that fight scene really need equal screen time to Gold's entire plan to get back to Storybrooke, Emma and Regina's defeat of the same monster thing, and Ursula and Cruella's meeting with the Charmings? A lot happened on the real world side to move that story forward, but we had to plow through an equal amount of, as Hook puts it, "monster bashing" to get to the good stuff.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5thfRaehLvHicquPOurlxQL4zFxYkRNHEeap_W-myWDyOcqiqhOiGjF8s0N-aeRmHOxVXJ869Hbk99jQxPoMdZXHbBLGqn10_jdTZgJe7P7M8xYvhXQfiaoLz-OY9SZ-egYahHr35-LM/s1600/Screenshot+2015-03-06+18.05.30.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5thfRaehLvHicquPOurlxQL4zFxYkRNHEeap_W-myWDyOcqiqhOiGjF8s0N-aeRmHOxVXJ869Hbk99jQxPoMdZXHbBLGqn10_jdTZgJe7P7M8xYvhXQfiaoLz-OY9SZ-egYahHr35-LM/s1600/Screenshot+2015-03-06+18.05.30.png" height="358" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
The half-season to come makes a lot of interesting promises, though. We're definitely going to get Cruella's story, foreshadowed when she says "I will never go back to where I started." We can assume there will be more of Ursula's origin story, for fairness sake. Next episode will explain what the the Charmings want Ursula and Cruella to keep secret (or it had better). And the theme of this half season seems to be the corruptibility of the savior. Emma is definitely going over to the dark side. That's what I'm looking forward to the most, and here's for hoping she steps into Regina's old shoes and really embodies the "e" word: evil.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp50D5wjUtObPSlzD_7RDAzOFA7u6A312lQqlBwKMKAFD_Bgxtt9KhPq-f60Uq_RLuj6hhM5hseq8_BU6aRNaZG_gYoIz5UaSS9ZrS8-8vfVfBJhg_Jl4pSaLIRxXwFUAOrEV54lgjses/s1600/Screenshot+2015-03-06+18.00.49.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp50D5wjUtObPSlzD_7RDAzOFA7u6A312lQqlBwKMKAFD_Bgxtt9KhPq-f60Uq_RLuj6hhM5hseq8_BU6aRNaZG_gYoIz5UaSS9ZrS8-8vfVfBJhg_Jl4pSaLIRxXwFUAOrEV54lgjses/s1600/Screenshot+2015-03-06+18.00.49.png" height="358" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<b>There were strong points and weak points in this episode for sure. My comment board is a good place to air your complaints! Did you love it or hate it? Which parts made you cringe?</b></div>
Mia Mannshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07650015788907711393noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3397407174411445570.post-89010112875488605482015-03-01T14:59:00.001-05:002015-03-01T14:59:21.132-05:00Giving Up The Ghost by Brandon Arment<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Giving-Up-Ghost-Brandon-Arment-ebook/dp/B00SNHEYPO/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1425090228&sr=8-5&keywords=Giving+Up+the+Ghost"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm4bJwtCj17MVc72docXwzMheIV9GwvW72NL_VmJNIrfSWnv2ldc0wJ21WQy4yYr04x6mm34alp2Q0wTFDqUHTW37MAxT7ouF9fRGGS_M075GfGqfX63kTGL_d2dhShJtrRTQlCN_WRQU/s1600/Giving+Up+The+Ghost.jpg" height="640" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<h2>
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Giving-Up-Ghost-Brandon-Arment-ebook/dp/B00SNHEYPO/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1425090228&sr=8-5&keywords=Giving+Up+the+Ghost">Giving up the Ghost</a> by Brandon Arment</h2>
<br />
There's a new literary sci-fi out that really kicked me in the heart, possibly with the twelve-volt car battery that plane crash survivor Adam Trager uses to jolt himself into the past before the accident, back when the only people he loved in this world were still alive. Sorry, let me start over. Adam Trager is a twenty-two-year-old son, brother, writer, English major, physics aficionado, indie music lover, directionless wanderer, and heir to a Denver Telecom giant. Essentially, he's perfectly placed for a life of ease and fulfillment, and has a bright future before him — until he loses his entire family when his father, Winslow Trager, crashes their private jet. And that's where our story starts.<br />
<br />
Giving Up The Ghost is a story about time: its healing properties as well as the cruel impassivity with which it keeps passing after a painful loss. It's a time travel story, but it's also a story of grief and connection in the most human way possible. Weaved throughout the book are Adam's brother Pete's writings, which help Adam to process his brother's death and also express a love for literature, music, film, and storytelling of every kind. It can be hard to write about writers and pull off a book about books, but Arment accomplishes something that will speak to the heart of any and every avid reader.<br />
<br />
<b>Let me know if you end up reading the newest novel from this independent Colorado author! I want to know what you thought. Check it out on <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Giving-Up-Ghost-Brandon-Arment-ebook/dp/B00SNHEYPO/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1425090228&sr=8-5&keywords=Giving+Up+the+Ghost">Amazon</a>. </b>Mia Mannshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07650015788907711393noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3397407174411445570.post-79697615676140735052015-02-18T14:56:00.000-05:002015-02-18T14:56:53.867-05:00The Wheel of Time is Better Than Game of Thrones and How I feel about the Winter Dragon Pilot<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwuzxjrlDmq8yQavXfuJB364MPd7DBvumCLlb72eLdRd4FAW1-dkufm7HpyJr-w1912QJKJ1-dAOehGwijzkJiZijE4FqzyK3GepYVn31lkmqmXU0EXummHi1NpEQcFkT3YaxHNJIlBW0/s1600/from+two+rivers+eotw+p1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwuzxjrlDmq8yQavXfuJB364MPd7DBvumCLlb72eLdRd4FAW1-dkufm7HpyJr-w1912QJKJ1-dAOehGwijzkJiZijE4FqzyK3GepYVn31lkmqmXU0EXummHi1NpEQcFkT3YaxHNJIlBW0/s1600/from+two+rivers+eotw+p1.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
Published in 1990, <i>The Eye of the World </i>promised a venture into Fantasy of epic proportions, but it's possible no one could have predicted <i>The Wheel of Time</i> series would be a huge story that took two decades, two authors, and fourteen volumes of over four million words. Author Robert Jordan died while working on the twelfth book, which he expected to be the last, but the series was completed by Brandon Sanderson in three more books.<br />
<br />
The fourteenth and final volume, <i>A Memory of Light</i>, was completed January 2013, a dazzling conclusion that was applauded for the most part by readers who never thought they would find themselves wanting any more of <i>The Wheel of Time</i>. But there have always been rumors of the possibility of an adaptation, and with the widespread success of <i>Game of Thrones</i> as a TV show, <i>Wheel of Time</i> fans have been waiting and wishing to see the books brought to either the big screen or the little screen.<br />
<br />
On Feb 9, despite the hoards of fans with an ear open for any of the first whispers of a TV series, a pilot called <i>Winter Dragon</i> was aired without anyone, not even Robert Jordan's widow Harriet, expecting a thing.<br />
<br />
Starring Billy Zane as the bad guy, the pilot took the short (maybe ten page?) prologue and turned it into a boring and unfocused 30 minute affair plagued with late night commercials that's available in no better than 480p on YouTube after being recorded off someone's TV screen in the middle of the night.<br />
<br />
Please don't watch the <i>Eye of the World</i> pilot if you haven't read <i>The Wheel of Time</i>. It doesn't make sense and leaves out a crucial event in the <i>Eye of the World</i> prologue, when Lews Therin in his insanity and guilt kills himself and creates Dragonmount. That didn't make it into the pilot for some reason. He and the hundred companions have pretty much destroyed civilization and killed just about everyone, a point that's mentioned but not really drawn out well enough to hit home with someone who isn't familiar with the series. As someone who has read the entire series, I can't even imagine how boring this pilot would be for someone who hasn't; it's barely enjoyable as someone who already knows the importance of this chapter.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwCK7mC4rwrXEWqfCakNRTv9ptL-HuSchQR9YCCY8OLmVjeZED-2leFnK-joRdH7XSuiTUVPrPRcLXsgwl6d1JXwKt2YWUY09RSc2GVjzsw82YhNBOnt-e1kml3qvMmle2tmnRrUZpS7U/s1600/pv4z7f6g908jeyfmscpz.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwCK7mC4rwrXEWqfCakNRTv9ptL-HuSchQR9YCCY8OLmVjeZED-2leFnK-joRdH7XSuiTUVPrPRcLXsgwl6d1JXwKt2YWUY09RSc2GVjzsw82YhNBOnt-e1kml3qvMmle2tmnRrUZpS7U/s1600/pv4z7f6g908jeyfmscpz.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Personally, my biggest concern is that I want everyone to know that <i>The Wheel of Time </i>is better than <i>Game of Thrones</i>. <i>The Wheel of Time</i> kicks GOT's ass. That's just where I'm coming from. Too much hinges on a good adaptation of this series, because the world needs to know that Robert Jordan is better than George R. R. Martin. I like <i>A Song of Ice and Fire</i>, but most everything I once loved about it is already dead (i.e. the characters that have been killed off, heroes and interesting villains alike, not to mention the Dire Wolves that have been killed so far). The <i>Winter Dragon</i> pilot gives me no confidence that a <i>Wheel of Time</i> adaptation will come anywhere close to competing with HBO's <i>Game of Thrones</i>, and I won't be able to tell all my friends how I knew it was cool all along.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqwdQNQvHZHkEChlMulSjG8Tkea71AF7hzniPI0LJXwyjKYbnGdC39sHtOCHIrPZOqk4CrfcTEaQeedjVFLJVOzV9kboDuZdyk91CnOQpcYFmPta18hg7mAPGI16AkARC6E64crYR3jac/s1600/ja8in6v5pdoacvyglous.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqwdQNQvHZHkEChlMulSjG8Tkea71AF7hzniPI0LJXwyjKYbnGdC39sHtOCHIrPZOqk4CrfcTEaQeedjVFLJVOzV9kboDuZdyk91CnOQpcYFmPta18hg7mAPGI16AkARC6E64crYR3jac/s1600/ja8in6v5pdoacvyglous.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
There's not really enough to <i>Winter Dragon</i> to call it awful. It sticks fairly closely to the way the prologue of <i>The Eye of the World</i> was written; Lews Therin wanders his palace in a delusion that all is well and his wife Ilyena is playing hide and seek with the children, when really they are all dead and everything has been destroyed. Ishamael shows up calling himself Elan Morin Tedronai, and makes Lews Therin see the truth: he killed his family. Ishamael tempts Lews Therin to become a servant of Shai'tan, promising to return Ilyena to life in exchange for service to the shadow. To me this is a scene with a lot of potential — I love the madness and the temptation, Lews Therin grappling with what he did in madness, and resisting Ishamael's offer. Red Eagle's pilot doesn't tap into that potential. It's a long, drawn out mess of crucial moments that either fall flat or are straight out omitted.<br />
<br />
Possibly the slowness is due to the fact that I can read the prologue to <i>The Wheel of Time</i> in under ten minutes; <i>Winter Dragon</i> turns that into thirty minutes of screen time. It's excruciating. It doesn't bode incredibly well for a series potentially coming out of this studio.<br />
<br />
io9 is covering the story of why this pilot was made and whether an adaption will be realized. Read the latest update <a href="http://io9.com/producers-of-that-wheel-of-time-tv-pilot-are-suing-robe-1686094025">here</a>.Mia Mannshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07650015788907711393noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3397407174411445570.post-76551170613363699782015-02-03T01:11:00.002-05:002015-02-03T01:22:14.713-05:00Lone Star Renegades: A New Sci-Fi from Mark Wayne McGinnis<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEzicmJkt60KCJfNREgan9-RIisjSrySSMh7owWMtmvHBEzJ5cc1XF4FydQ_n4MqeM_ZxOPKACZ93dJuqUnEjzPN3v-a3kYyStb6QvjPtAd1LXYDkcgMVUYKSFLe6g1dZgC_5eNFpxsbc/s1600/Lone+Stars.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEzicmJkt60KCJfNREgan9-RIisjSrySSMh7owWMtmvHBEzJ5cc1XF4FydQ_n4MqeM_ZxOPKACZ93dJuqUnEjzPN3v-a3kYyStb6QvjPtAd1LXYDkcgMVUYKSFLe6g1dZgC_5eNFpxsbc/s1600/Lone+Stars.jpg" height="640" width="386" alt="Mark Wayne McGinnis" "Scrapyard Ship" /></a></div><br />
<b style="font-family: Arial, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;"><span style="font-size: large;">Lone Star Renegades by </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Mark-Wayne-McGinnis/e/B00FI0N7W0/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Mark Wayne McGinnis</span></a></b><b style="font-family: Arial, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large; line-height: 20px;"> (</b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Lone-Star-Renegades-Wayne-McGinnis-ebook/dp/B00STKZH60/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1422943998&sr=8-1&keywords=lone+star+renegadeshttp://www.amazon.com/Lone-Star-Renegades-Wayne-McGinnis-ebook/dp/B00STKZH60/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1422943998&sr=8-1&keywords=lone+star+renegades"><b>Get it on Amazon</b></a><b style="font-family: Arial, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large; line-height: 20px;">)</b><br />
<br />
A perfect military training sci-fi mashup, Lone Star Renegades is a brilliant execution of one of my favorite genres. A football team is accidentally abducted into the belly of a big collector ship and vie for their survival in a desperate, hopeless situation. When Collin Frost and his Lone Stars teammates make an agreement with alien spacecraft captain Dante Primo for their return home, the teenagers must first complete six weeks of training and a year of service to Primo's faction, the Brotherhood. The teenagers are in for weapons training, hand-to-hand, and competitions in the sport of Pangallo. But it's not all fun and training; the Brotherhood forces are under constant attack, and I don't want to spoil anything, but you can bet the new recruits are going to see their share of action. It's a fun adventure abroad — really far abroad, in the far reaches of outer space.<br />
<br />
For fans of Mark Wayne McGinnis's Scrapyard Ship series, look out for Book 7 in March 2015. Have a look at <a href="http://www.markwaynemcginnis.com/">Mark Wayne McGinnis's site</a> for all works in progress.<br />
<br />
Mia Mannshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07650015788907711393noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3397407174411445570.post-27493878157526337602014-09-25T00:31:00.000-04:002014-09-25T00:31:10.440-04:00Marina by Carlos Ruiz Zafon<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgewGVQomnKMFm845akP1kQI4QEf6G9WmUW3DmU84u4yeqOZK4yfTp3kD6zLELoBOmV2SOkRwEDeXi-guvV6mp6q3qUXy6ktVJL0DBUoPiKI9jLgKK00d3s48N9YvPd_wK6lgS-17y5r4I/s1600/marina.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgewGVQomnKMFm845akP1kQI4QEf6G9WmUW3DmU84u4yeqOZK4yfTp3kD6zLELoBOmV2SOkRwEDeXi-guvV6mp6q3qUXy6ktVJL0DBUoPiKI9jLgKK00d3s48N9YvPd_wK6lgS-17y5r4I/s1600/marina.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
Every novel by Carlos Ruiz Zafon features dark mystery, gothic architecture, shadows of Barcelona, and a love of books, and his latest English release Marina adds to that teen romance and absolute horror. Set in the late 1970s, the year is later and the cast of characters is younger; Oscar Drai is a schoolboy falling in love for the first time, not just with a pretty girl but with her secrets, and the mystery that takes hold of the two of them. The couple follow the mystery — namely a woman dressed all in black with a black veil hiding her face — to the Sarria cemetery and spy on her as she grieves at a grave embossed with the symbol of a black butterfly, and for their curiosity, they are ensnared in an old unsolved case that’s coming back for vengeance.<br />
<br />
Originally published in Spanish in 1999, Marina was translated this year by Lucia Graves, the translator for all of Zafon’s internationally acclaimed novels. Intended for a young adult audience, it’s a shorter read meant for one mesmerizing sitting. In this Zafon novel the love of stories and storytelling is embodied in Marina, the character of the tragic writer.<br />
<br />
While not the darkest of Zafon’s works, Marina is probably the scariest; the theme of man playing god turns scary when a scientific attempt at immortality leads to animated corpses, violent and angry, and acting out the revenge of their master. More captivating is certainly Oscar’s relationship with Marina and her father Germán, a surrogate family for him and the first he has ever known, and Zafon’s classic uncovering of history and old wrongs that would have been better left in the past (except for the sake of our literary enjoyment.)Mia Mannshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07650015788907711393noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3397407174411445570.post-33305782141438771532014-08-05T17:25:00.000-04:002014-08-05T17:28:17.248-04:00The balanced Guardians of the Galaxy review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm915OBq7AST6LAeiOPpM_-rmY0khUG-4-mLZXv5sZnyOugX-KcK6UXptFMjBfwIuSssKTGSi5F0v5QzbYUHM6X_kbtTozfq-JPFQD6aQR4fggR_6UFbGzKkYpPKv44bC_lmEevJVqS3g/s1600/Guardians-of-the-Galaxy-Team-Photo-High-Res.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm915OBq7AST6LAeiOPpM_-rmY0khUG-4-mLZXv5sZnyOugX-KcK6UXptFMjBfwIuSssKTGSi5F0v5QzbYUHM6X_kbtTozfq-JPFQD6aQR4fggR_6UFbGzKkYpPKv44bC_lmEevJVqS3g/s1600/Guardians-of-the-Galaxy-Team-Photo-High-Res.jpg" height="321" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
Guardians of the Galaxy is the buzzworthy space action flick of the summer, with its August box office record-breakage ($94 million), a trailer that leaves the mainstream audience giggling but with very confused expectations, and the rave reviews from critics and your Facebook friends alike. It's worth the ticket price, but not your first born child, just in case there was any confusion going by what your friends posted in your Facebook news feed. Enjoyable, and nice and short at 121 minutes, and silly. I'll even go as far as to say fun, with characters, and visuals. I'm avoiding modifiers and superlatives for fear of being misinterpreted as having composed what could be called a rave review in any way. I liked it, and I recommend it.<br />
<br />
The one bit of hyperbole I will agree with is where <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/zaki-hasan/zakis-review-guardians-of_b_5645088.html">Zaki from Huffington Post</a> calls it "the most confident bit of sci-fi world-building I've seen since the original Star Wars," to which I will add, if only because there hasn't been anything close to a strong attempt at sci-fi world building since Star Wars.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilIKJigrGt4KwmcfrhMMPJQl1D5p4gHYR835M-U04I7x0DoHE_S_Gbefi07PnCUhGLdV2fLPhPxRwGsvnQmR9vU5jYhIvDOUkeJTXtcs-tvw3QWZuJeggTucdU8NNWhdYtpDWClX2wJNw/s1600/guardians-galaxy-movie-trailer-humor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilIKJigrGt4KwmcfrhMMPJQl1D5p4gHYR835M-U04I7x0DoHE_S_Gbefi07PnCUhGLdV2fLPhPxRwGsvnQmR9vU5jYhIvDOUkeJTXtcs-tvw3QWZuJeggTucdU8NNWhdYtpDWClX2wJNw/s1600/guardians-galaxy-movie-trailer-humor.jpg" height="330" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
But while unique in the immersiveness and detail of its intergalactic universe, and perhaps in its heroes, it just wasn't unique in its story. Swashbuckler and carefree space adventurer with a Han Solo mien foolishly strikes out apart from his treasure-hunting boss and gang of thugs to slip away with the booty for himself: a silver orb thingy that everybody wants and nobody knows what it really is. Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) is then chased through the galaxy by the likes of bounty hunters Rocket (Bradley Cooper) and Groot (Vin Diesel, apparently), and assassin Gamora (Zoe Saldana). When he ends up in jail with them, they become friends (with the addition of Drax, played by WWE wrestler Dave Bautista), fusing together into an Avengers-like team only much stranger. I mean, Rocket is a genetically engineered raccoon who suffers deeply for being the only of his kind and the mockery that goes along with it, and who knows what Groot is? And why is Zoe Saldana green?<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNgrirutRHUUd8GsFjtpfyfVPAYq8G0oMahWRY7Nz1sosh7ZLi_p5bLEEl5B3U5aFxx5i7uNs3p_6WtRBsYugS4h3k_DivJ5diPoAe0f8g6t3QwWGUKR4vE2YsubVg723gUX3-pLmzcNc/s1600/guardians-of-the-galaxy-gamora-zoe-saldana.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNgrirutRHUUd8GsFjtpfyfVPAYq8G0oMahWRY7Nz1sosh7ZLi_p5bLEEl5B3U5aFxx5i7uNs3p_6WtRBsYugS4h3k_DivJ5diPoAe0f8g6t3QwWGUKR4vE2YsubVg723gUX3-pLmzcNc/s1600/guardians-of-the-galaxy-gamora-zoe-saldana.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
The story from there is that Peter Quill's orb turns out to have some kind of world-destroying cosmic capability that makes it insanely dangerous and it's about to fall into the malevolent hands of some big deal bad guy named Thanos, played by Josh Brolin, who is wonderful and completely unrecognizable, which is less wonderful, because had I known it was him I would have actually paid attention to the otherwise cliche and yawn-worthy big bad guy monologue. The rest of the movie is spent trying to keep the orb away from Thanos and then trying to get it back from him. With giant space ships crashing into planets and all that fun Marvel stuff, plus some fighter pilot maneuvering and hand to hand combat.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVX3lpkxvE1nXlw0QdOwGoC4MjHCf8LrAnWTbf7mZQtyxJJ6wxHLFBs32SwbYlAMCayrO6TR2w_k7C3MQcXlWyZ5oReC36fZtKgqEpDthjI_z6GKligTwJQlwgny4u8Lis6ECwF4yu7n8/s1600/guardians+of+the+galaxy+thanos+josh+brolin.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVX3lpkxvE1nXlw0QdOwGoC4MjHCf8LrAnWTbf7mZQtyxJJ6wxHLFBs32SwbYlAMCayrO6TR2w_k7C3MQcXlWyZ5oReC36fZtKgqEpDthjI_z6GKligTwJQlwgny4u8Lis6ECwF4yu7n8/s1600/guardians+of+the+galaxy+thanos+josh+brolin.png" height="400" width="355" /></a></div>
<br />
I have to compare it to <a href="http://www.musingsbystarlight.com/2012/06/saw-avengers-it-was-okay-review-time.html" style="font-family: Georgia, Century, Times, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">The </a><a href="http://www.musingsbystarlight.com/2012/06/saw-avengers-it-was-okay-review-time.html" style="font-family: Georgia, Century, Times, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">Avengers — only quite a bit better</a> — in that the first two thirds of the movie are very strong, and the end falls flat. There are a lot of comparable plot points. The defeat of one of the big bad guys is essentially a punch line: in this case there's no Hulk smash, only Peter Quill breaking into dance suddenly at the moment of his defeat, distracting Ronan the Accuser so they can destroy the warhammer and use the orb thingy to kill him (it's a much funnier punchline than "Hulk smash" if you ask me.) There's also the saving grace, which was another problem I had with the Hulk in The Avengers, which actually makes sense in Guardians of the Galaxy — Groot protects the group, sacrificing himself (although he comes back much cuter). None of this to say that Guardians of the Galaxy was bad, just that it had similar flaws.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOEKSovvhTJAD1hvq6mxcKawrjH8WmB6KazCHlD5bkz5aXV977C-6LO8zojRiAPKoLhjFCvE54Zj9vXb1D_ZVfARTXIcqxyoIVHe5gHk5HDRqkUoebKG5GNVIUYZ3x11ySiuyt3wG5o9U/s1600/la-et-mn-guardians-of-the-galaxy--movie-theate-001.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOEKSovvhTJAD1hvq6mxcKawrjH8WmB6KazCHlD5bkz5aXV977C-6LO8zojRiAPKoLhjFCvE54Zj9vXb1D_ZVfARTXIcqxyoIVHe5gHk5HDRqkUoebKG5GNVIUYZ3x11ySiuyt3wG5o9U/s1600/la-et-mn-guardians-of-the-galaxy--movie-theate-001.jpeg" height="360" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
The jokes and the prison break scene are what make it good. Kudos to Marvel for casting an actor, Chris Pratt, as star hero who can actually do comedy. This could have gone so wrong had they given those one liners to a type cast tough guy action hero. Instead, there's a humorous overtone on a colorful space adventure that will make you smile, even if it's silly, and won't leave you with too many frustrations of the plot-hole or inconsistency variety. How's that for balance?Mia Mannshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07650015788907711393noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3397407174411445570.post-3306411520973130522014-07-28T21:09:00.000-04:002014-07-28T21:09:23.283-04:00Mad Powers by Mark Wayne McGinnis<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlSach_0jRc7N_eiT_99T6GDopzw4OWaqjnSiyTljQi2OR0S6U-yVFuKUKNM6xFXc3mOPGZOLk_LArHC5rl298WPkSpDcKeevG4s6kekWCAWtlNwyDXIsZXeipxegujZiha_SH79AEDzQ/s1600/mad+powers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlSach_0jRc7N_eiT_99T6GDopzw4OWaqjnSiyTljQi2OR0S6U-yVFuKUKNM6xFXc3mOPGZOLk_LArHC5rl298WPkSpDcKeevG4s6kekWCAWtlNwyDXIsZXeipxegujZiha_SH79AEDzQ/s1600/mad+powers.jpg" height="640" width="400" /></a></div>
The latest book from Best-Selling Amazon author Mark Wayne McGinnis is available now: get Mad Powers on <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Mad-Powers-Tapped-Book-1-ebook/dp/B00M7AS2B0/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1406595903&sr=1-1&keywords=mark+wayne+mcginnis+mad+powers">Amazon</a>.<br />
<br />
Mad Powers is a paranormal thriller. It's nice to see the author expand into new territory genre-wise, and as usual he does it with original writing, unique and lovable (as well as intentionally hate-able) characters, and a very different kind of story.<br />
<br />
This is the story of Rob Chandler, an agent who loses his memory in a car crash that simultaneously gives him new mad powers to read and meddle with people's minds. Previously a novella in which Rob struggled through the days following his accident with no idea how to find out his true identity and suspecting his life may still be in danger, it's now a full-length novel that ends up somewhere completely unexpected. I won't ruin it for you, but suffice it to say, there's a thrilling mission waiting for Rob once he figures out just who he is.<br />
<br />
The way Rob discovers tapping in and then makes use of its power to get through obstacles and out-smart his antagonists, even with the disadvantage of amnesia, is enjoyable, thrilling, and often-times really humorous.<br />
<br />
If you like Dean Koontz, this will be very much up your alley; some bits reminded me of Watchers. Another entertaining, fast-paced page turner to curl up with on the couch (and stay there until you finish). The only downside is that you'll be dying to find out what happens next, and you'll just have to wait for the next one.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
Mia Mannshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07650015788907711393noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3397407174411445570.post-1678524519816866682014-07-15T21:42:00.000-04:002014-08-01T14:00:18.116-04:00X-Men Days of Future Past [review time]<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8wg1rAm3TZne5un095zvFL0ILw0hHPOk2T3Mj4uAb16ZP-qZgeMjMBdsCuMX7aNBtsOyVY8RurWAUoStnoQ9OyzYQi-Fje2Hm4B0l3ZrAs_J8Ox1kZG6IW2_f1I67wSglNMNGbADRYZM/s1600/ian+mckellen+patrick+stewart+james+mcavoy+michael+fassbender+x-men-days-of-future-past-posters.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8wg1rAm3TZne5un095zvFL0ILw0hHPOk2T3Mj4uAb16ZP-qZgeMjMBdsCuMX7aNBtsOyVY8RurWAUoStnoQ9OyzYQi-Fje2Hm4B0l3ZrAs_J8Ox1kZG6IW2_f1I67wSglNMNGbADRYZM/s1600/ian+mckellen+patrick+stewart+james+mcavoy+michael+fassbender+x-men-days-of-future-past-posters.jpg" height="472" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="quote">
Starring James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, Hugh Jackman, Ian McKellen, Patrick Stewart, Ellen Page, Halle Berry and Peter Dinklage</div>
<br />
The verdict is in, and surprisingly enough, <i>X-Men: Days of Future Past</i> is the best X-Men movie to date, and that's saying something, given that <i>First Class </i>was a very impressive return for the series.<br />
<br />
I didn't think they could top superheroes meet Cuban missile crisis, but I was wrong: what topped it was genocidal AI super-robots that can adapt to any mutant power (thanks to genetic engineering and Mystique's DNA). Why is that good? Well, it borrows perhaps from <i>Terminator</i>, (okay, yeah, maybe a lot), which means a dark dystopian theme and <i>Matrix-</i>esque end of the world visuals, plus it's a fitting return to what X-Men is really all about — humanity's rejection of its own evolution: the mutants.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuMemtEJAqQ5wlazp_TZlEZMMSVSLmNgAvtzEEtc5aDCP_y3U0f3ENfNVdNFNu7mugPQZCuiABqv6Ee9_lrgyBCMfyQl6l2Mur3-cCjtZ2zDjIuwoCr8DRB_vixaOR7fnTtXz2_-jgLI4/s1600/x-men_days_of_future_past-kitty-pryde.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuMemtEJAqQ5wlazp_TZlEZMMSVSLmNgAvtzEEtc5aDCP_y3U0f3ENfNVdNFNu7mugPQZCuiABqv6Ee9_lrgyBCMfyQl6l2Mur3-cCjtZ2zDjIuwoCr8DRB_vixaOR7fnTtXz2_-jgLI4/s1600/x-men_days_of_future_past-kitty-pryde.jpg" /><i></i></a></div>
<br />
<i>Days of Future Past</i> opens on a future where the world has essentially been destroyed by a war between humanity and mutants, one where humanity's weapon is the Sentinel, a contracted military weaponized robot with AI, mutant-exclusive targeting and an ability to adapt to counter any mutant's ability. To establish the strength of the Sentinel, a small band of mutants faces off against one, and all of them, no matter how cool and badass their power, get killed. Since we care about some of those characters, like Iceman (Shawn Ashmore) and Kitty Pryde (Ellen Page), luckily it turns out that Kitty's band of mutants have been evading the Sentinels when she sends someone back in time to deliver warnings of the attacks. None of them are actually dead, and the group rendezvouses with more important named characters: Xavier, Magneto, Storm and Wolverine.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0Ksib0P6SGhJH-Zpv4-pc8OpNp3bAsV1RA3EGyJcgDV7myDXX62heWs3g6DCZ2YX0oQ65RQN7N4NblLzHa_EdFMtXX3KFgyAVXFSBnMLiyxuVCjS9EqghXeIjQmhOyEKNk4HswfiJJkc/s1600/X-Men-Days-of-Future-Past-Trailer-Patrick-Professor-Xavier.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0Ksib0P6SGhJH-Zpv4-pc8OpNp3bAsV1RA3EGyJcgDV7myDXX62heWs3g6DCZ2YX0oQ65RQN7N4NblLzHa_EdFMtXX3KFgyAVXFSBnMLiyxuVCjS9EqghXeIjQmhOyEKNk4HswfiJJkc/s1600/X-Men-Days-of-Future-Past-Trailer-Patrick-Professor-Xavier.jpg" height="266" width="640" /></a></div>
<div>
<div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Once the badass invincibility of the enemy is established, the plot is hatched, and it's the same you've come to know from the trailer: Wolverine volunteers to go back in time and stop this future from happening. That's because Kitty's ability to send a consciousness back is limited, and going so far back would destroy the average mind, tearing it physically apart, or something, so Wolverine is the only one who can simultaneously heal his brain as it's being rent asunder. Or something.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimHcyxmJ1VYeas1W-W7Ssh9WYZPx4GprFOrbP1q7iQztCLNGhMmfefr5LR5DuscFpHpiCn6iRRUXiFCWYrKyupQSsB-dNcuUBzYvUu6b6fUWOh7jR2uu5TeyS_mWYLCDmg3jI_d844lV4/s1600/x-men-days-of-future-past-hank-xavier-wolverine.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimHcyxmJ1VYeas1W-W7Ssh9WYZPx4GprFOrbP1q7iQztCLNGhMmfefr5LR5DuscFpHpiCn6iRRUXiFCWYrKyupQSsB-dNcuUBzYvUu6b6fUWOh7jR2uu5TeyS_mWYLCDmg3jI_d844lV4/s1600/x-men-days-of-future-past-hank-xavier-wolverine.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
Time travel is overdone in general and I winced every time Wolverine had to repeat that he was from the future or assures Xavier and then Magneto that "you sent me," but what was done nicely was the overlap of past and future, where scenes cut back and forth between the 70s and an apocalyptic world some decades (as in less than a century) later. Our 70s gang spend valuable screen time simply grouping together and then trying to track down Mystique and stop her from murdering Bolivar Trask, played by Peter Dinklage, who invented the Sentinels (and it was his murder that allowed Mystique to be captured and her DNA replicated to allow the Sentinels to transform and adapt like she can). After many attempts, which admittedly gets kind of old fast, Xavier isn't getting through to her, and time is running out in the future due to some nonsensical mechanic where the course of events won't be changed until Wolverine wakes up from his dual-consciousness nap in the past, and the future gang are getting picked off and killed by Sentinels, unable to run while Kitty's doing her voodoo thing with Wolverine's body (note: if that makes no sense, I apologize. It's confusing. Maybe go see the movie instead of reading a spoiler-full review).<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMcVg2i_134I5iz6MMrEVddUwJdfYQI8PQ2U5QRr9MGdC9Ql30mhdHKzxPfPejnTLM4pa1MEGjeXjEgMoD7gLbrX2ILhjfqsKUzCOlndvJzXwq8d18hX2x62ELpvYnZ-qhLodCDZp-vFU/s1600/x-men-days-of-future-past-movie-quicksilver-magneto-xavier.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMcVg2i_134I5iz6MMrEVddUwJdfYQI8PQ2U5QRr9MGdC9Ql30mhdHKzxPfPejnTLM4pa1MEGjeXjEgMoD7gLbrX2ILhjfqsKUzCOlndvJzXwq8d18hX2x62ELpvYnZ-qhLodCDZp-vFU/s1600/x-men-days-of-future-past-movie-quicksilver-magneto-xavier.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a><br />
<br />
Where the strength of <i>First Class </i>was the character development and complexity drawn out from Xavier, Erik and Raven,<i> Days of Future Past</i> actually has its strong point in its plot, which is refreshing, and said plot just relies heavily on the dynamic established in the first film. Except that in the ten year gap Xavier's feelings toward Raven have become surprisingly love-triangley, and while he continues to act as a surrogate older brother or guardian to her, he also resents Erik for taking her away from him, getting inside her head and making a killer out of her to fight his, Magneto's, war. That said, if you don't remember<i> First Class </i>or haven't seen it, that whole dynamic might come across as more of a hot mess.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9AWvYmNgbAR-Gv-HOr8HsOG7Sx9qNYz_7XoVnj_0eA1s-qUovWN8IPS-W8cWkjm_wq05C_6xQxfMCgr2IcDgTxQLcgRxo6-AurVDhmo5O1O2KWTmoQKlNxJ4VMK70wxIJNUQtKyfNUko/s1600/x-men_days_of_future_past_jennifer_lawrence_mystique_makeup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9AWvYmNgbAR-Gv-HOr8HsOG7Sx9qNYz_7XoVnj_0eA1s-qUovWN8IPS-W8cWkjm_wq05C_6xQxfMCgr2IcDgTxQLcgRxo6-AurVDhmo5O1O2KWTmoQKlNxJ4VMK70wxIJNUQtKyfNUko/s1600/x-men_days_of_future_past_jennifer_lawrence_mystique_makeup.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
That doesn't mean there's no good character drama, though. From the trailer you may have been wondering, like I was, why James McAvoy seemed to be up walking 'round again as if he's not a paraplegic. Not telling. Suffice to say, young Xavier has more development where that came from, not to mention more struggles with his relationship with Michael Fassbender and Jennifer Lawrence. It's all very tragic and puts X2 and X3 in perspective to see these men with their utter bro-mance continually at odds with one another on what should be a theoretical matter but in practice is very bloody (whether to fight a war, humans versus mutants, or to try to live peacefully). Even in the future, you'll get a lamentation from Ian McKellen that their friendship was strained by foolish young passions, but never an actual admission that he was wrong. It's subtle, but it's there. The man ain't changing.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK8EBssFb1Na9cQCl3qANUZeBNi3_WDuhkfE-l3NuPc8PRYjl8y9ar2VD42RJX277MZO1bqGqUiecNrccOgluzQ03G9En8zDW3o0XILVOJmvtfA-nTVrF-iwyUOnJYsIfY0hENg6Ay5bw/s1600/X_Men_Days_Future_Past_michael+fassbender.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK8EBssFb1Na9cQCl3qANUZeBNi3_WDuhkfE-l3NuPc8PRYjl8y9ar2VD42RJX277MZO1bqGqUiecNrccOgluzQ03G9En8zDW3o0XILVOJmvtfA-nTVrF-iwyUOnJYsIfY0hENg6Ay5bw/s1600/X_Men_Days_Future_Past_michael+fassbender.jpg" height="406" width="640" /></a><br />
<br />
The best moment of the entire thing was hands down Quicksilver's superspeed mischief set to Time in a Bottle by Jim Croce. Evan Peters was silly and hilarious. A deserving addition to the ever-growing cast of mutants.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi38NDe9TCGMk51DQsT3ZhHCTgKXNxe4zHmr4-9Cnb8P_UGlAhrAKRi_0NMUEpW_43PaQiu3HYrZ-IPW8Zq8O46-w1jId337c94k5J0P6cuiDxcC_3KmvD6106bmaikYqbj5CvHMhPKc2k/s1600/x-men-days-of-future-past-quicksilver-evan+peters.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi38NDe9TCGMk51DQsT3ZhHCTgKXNxe4zHmr4-9Cnb8P_UGlAhrAKRi_0NMUEpW_43PaQiu3HYrZ-IPW8Zq8O46-w1jId337c94k5J0P6cuiDxcC_3KmvD6106bmaikYqbj5CvHMhPKc2k/s1600/x-men-days-of-future-past-quicksilver-evan+peters.jpg" height="326" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
I'm okay with the ending. There's probably room for debate there but as someone who is very familiar with but not a comic book nerd addict of the X-Men canon, I was quite happy to see Famke Janssen and James Marsden alive and beautiful as ever. Hopefully Cyclops and Jean Grey are alive enough now to make it into the third installment, <i>X-Men: Apocalypse</i>, and hopefully there won't be another apocalypse, because this dystopia was already pretty close to the end of the world as humans know it.<br />
<br />
<b>I seem to have made it through an entire review without ranting about any particular flaw. Did I miss something? No one disagrees with me that this was even better than First Class, right? Well if you do, bring it on. Tell me I'm wrong. Oh and if anyone found any plot holes, particularly time travel related plot holes, do tell!</b></div>
</div>
Mia Mannshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07650015788907711393noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3397407174411445570.post-21903467123151267592014-06-05T14:19:00.000-04:002014-06-05T14:21:23.871-04:00A New Scrapyard Ship book by Mark Wayne McGinnis: Realms of Time adds history to the space adventure seriesThe next book in the Scrapyard Ship series by Mark Wayne McGinnis is out, and first of all, the cover art is incredible. I love it. Get <i>Realms of Time</i> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Realms-Time-Scrapyard-Ship-Book-ebook/dp/B00KRE7YU8/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1401891158&sr=1-1&keywords=B00KRE7YU8">here</a>.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidr7Yyzt3LCjyTlL1vkhmC3Pfg-ScGDyBE2TC_PDNGbvwKshqCT84Ux1mYZezjvA-wuCLbGjZXaz9CFxycG5yCLwPa9L6T-knTIz3O6VgKTNtyLdNLYjXWXxDNW_A2-OQEDl-d_gjjR_k/s1600/realms+of+time.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidr7Yyzt3LCjyTlL1vkhmC3Pfg-ScGDyBE2TC_PDNGbvwKshqCT84Ux1mYZezjvA-wuCLbGjZXaz9CFxycG5yCLwPa9L6T-knTIz3O6VgKTNtyLdNLYjXWXxDNW_A2-OQEDl-d_gjjR_k/s1600/realms+of+time.jpg" height="640" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
The stakes increase in the fourth Scrapyard Ship book when Earth is threatened, not with destruction per se, but with time altering drones meant to send the entire planet back approximately 100 years. Jason takes action against the drones, only to worsen the situation; the five drones place on five different continents are knocked out of sync, meaning that Earth is divided up into multiple varying time realms. In order to disrupt the drones and return Earth to its correct timeline, Jason and his team need to travel through these time realms, some in the recent past, some millions of years into prehistory, and some in the future.<br />
<br />
What does that mean? It means a series beloved for its space travel adventures now meets historical fiction, and new storylines that are detailed, expert and very satisfying. There's still space action to come to the galaxy, where the Allied forces gear up to assault the Craing worlds and end their conquest once and for all, but <i>Realms of Time</i> adds a new flavor to the series. Plus, you still get to see Jason maneuvering through what always appear to be impossible situations until you see his clever solution, the gang's dynamic growing and changing, Mollie developing while remaining amusing as ever, not to mention getting to know Dira a little better.<br />
<br />
Fans who've been dying for more of the story get another satisfying piece, gearing up for a resolution. Enjoy!Mia Mannshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07650015788907711393noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3397407174411445570.post-51769484911065227922014-05-26T19:10:00.000-04:002014-05-26T19:10:02.027-04:00The Last Buckaroo — Free today<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9YbWe1BqcGQLLu9AtM3LpvJXoPq21lu2xwQQyQnLDKVTculIl768E8nwJVAJy9Nes3H8Z2Uqt4KBr0zdjvG8w5HYWoaZeQfv6aASrOi_N-yvMWmETRvsgVGSfS9AUGprUgQHphXcBsYE/s1600/A1tM+b3MOJL._SL1500_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9YbWe1BqcGQLLu9AtM3LpvJXoPq21lu2xwQQyQnLDKVTculIl768E8nwJVAJy9Nes3H8Z2Uqt4KBr0zdjvG8w5HYWoaZeQfv6aASrOi_N-yvMWmETRvsgVGSfS9AUGprUgQHphXcBsYE/s1600/A1tM+b3MOJL._SL1500_.jpg" height="640" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
The latest from J.R. Wright, <i>The Last Buckaroo</i> is free today. Pick it up on Amazon <a href="http://www.amazon.com/THE-LAST-BUCKAROO-Frontier-Romance-ebook/dp/B00JYNG0GM/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1401144276&sr=8-2&keywords=the+last+buckaroo">here</a>.<br />
<br />
Perfect for the <i>Legend of the Dawn</i> withdrawal I was going through, <i>The Last Buckaroo</i> is more of J.R. Wright doing what comes natural to him: storytelling that’s both classic and contemporary, with a style that’s all his own, but might also harken back to some greats. Pick this one up for the love story, but even more page-turning is the storyteller’s voice that gets stuck in your head (in a good way).<br />
<br />
Yancey Burke is the last of his kind, and that makes it hard to make his way in a world that's changing around him. Set in Montana, 1919, even the old West is beginning to modernize and for Yancey, "there were no more frontiers to move on to, no more ridges to cross."<br />
<br />
In the here and now, the struggle Yancey faces is being locked up for the murder of Clyde Banyon, an unfair investigation by Sheriff Preston Ames and a stacked trial headed by Judge Jethro Samuels. Luckily there's a pretty redhead in town grappling with her feelings for Yancey and, though he may be an old fashioned buckaroo, Katie Peck is determined to get him off the hook for the crime he did not commit, bringing in rebellious and off the cuff star lawyer Woody Clampett to get the job done, and when that's settled, the question becomes what Yancey Burke is to do with the rest of his life now that jobs such as wrangling cattle and so on are no longer available.<br />
<br />
A lovable cast combined with a gripping story make this an all around fun read that's sure to be timeless.<br />
<br />
<br />Mia Mannshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07650015788907711393noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3397407174411445570.post-19402932432453258582014-05-20T22:18:00.001-04:002014-05-20T22:20:41.913-04:00Godzilla and the malevolent creatures (2014) [review time]<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibGB3MzN1iWmwvSIIj3iBCKsPNDHT-nTe2ZeDB1q129gV0JSsBGThwpu22O7I6koRnXba7tjdjp0FlboXJEi2BELk4lDI_N6zpYtkGrYCM6K4Nb4SDkbhbNrnMvbvi8v8jzOZZAfK9vOI/s1600/GOdzilla-2014-wallpaper.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibGB3MzN1iWmwvSIIj3iBCKsPNDHT-nTe2ZeDB1q129gV0JSsBGThwpu22O7I6koRnXba7tjdjp0FlboXJEi2BELk4lDI_N6zpYtkGrYCM6K4Nb4SDkbhbNrnMvbvi8v8jzOZZAfK9vOI/s1600/GOdzilla-2014-wallpaper.jpg" height="384" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
Godzilla is one of those franchises where no matter how long it's been since the last remake, doubts abound and movie-goers are filled with uncertainty and questioning. Questions like <i>why now?</i> and <i>wait, what do you mean it's actually good?</i> can be overheard in coffee shops and sidewalks everywhere. In this case it's been a while since the last, arguably horrendous, attempt, directed by Roland Emmerich in 1998, and yeah, it is actually kinda good.</div>
<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq2kTaBXZDlQSN8vqFoW3GKyWNk05ge3AV9HeAU7uQGz-f36cehJ8RpQd2In5rOwTxRm18XLbAjsZ4HKdghamBukgt9V46W9dZAsvfZZJulhugWoaRo46lWEqR0hhy-5igkOwtctto9Mc/s1600/godzilla-bryan-cranston-aaron-tayor-johnson-636-380.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq2kTaBXZDlQSN8vqFoW3GKyWNk05ge3AV9HeAU7uQGz-f36cehJ8RpQd2In5rOwTxRm18XLbAjsZ4HKdghamBukgt9V46W9dZAsvfZZJulhugWoaRo46lWEqR0hhy-5igkOwtctto9Mc/s1600/godzilla-bryan-cranston-aaron-tayor-johnson-636-380.jpg" /></a>Bryan Cranston's character Joe Brody is basically Walter White: Nuclear physicist edition. Loves his kid, loves his wife, lets his crazy obsession destroy his life. When the nuclear power plant at Janjira in Japan is affected by inexplicable, unaccounted for seismic activity, Joe's the guy responsible for admonishing that this isn't an earthquake coming and something's really wrong. He's the expert, the crazy genius, the only guy smart enough to see that something strange and catastrophic is about to happen.</div>
<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
It's probably sounding to you like that thing is Godzilla, right? Wrong. Whether or not it ruined the movie is up for debate all over the internet, but either way, viewers were misled by the title of the film. It's not really as much about Godzilla as you might expect. In order to come up with a smart, complex plot about a giant dinosaur monster crushing cities with his big dino feet, the creators came up with "malevolent creatures" (using IMDB's descriptor for its genius vagueness) for Godzilla to hunt across the globe and kill in a big epic brawl. I still liked it, and I think the trade-off was more plot with more interesting science fictional implications, but I also feel cheated and lied to, given that all of the strange occurrences in the first half of the movie that I thought were the Godzilla were actually these "malevolent creatures," and I don't like feeling stupid.</div>
<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
The story of Godzilla himself is a good one. In 1946 he was awakened by a Russian submarine accident, and the US and Russia knew about it all this time, so (as the trailer will tell you), the US and Russian militaries conducted all of their nuclear tests over the Pacific in an attempt to kill it. They couldn't. All the nukes in the world couldn't kill this giant prehistoric god of all creatures. Humanity is weak and technology pales before nature. I like it!</div>
<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
After all that good storytelling, the dialogue gave way to the military trying to kill Godzilla and the malevolent creatures. Words turn to action, and it's mesmerizing, big action that captures your attention and grabs it again and again just when you think you're going to nod off because what's actually so interesting about dinosaur monsters stepping on buildings?</div>
<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjllLEqHhNbWgT30e7F9fSTVMsfz95EpcEFwoxqL9_naoOMppBDodFBFvWnIZU-ueR7UidyW30ehf4xa-tp_RorhPpVb4_Z0pynedm7OkNzXRVknp-gCGCf4g5_YKPneOcohC4PzC_Bnz0/s1600/Godzilla-aaron+taylor+johnson.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjllLEqHhNbWgT30e7F9fSTVMsfz95EpcEFwoxqL9_naoOMppBDodFBFvWnIZU-ueR7UidyW30ehf4xa-tp_RorhPpVb4_Z0pynedm7OkNzXRVknp-gCGCf4g5_YKPneOcohC4PzC_Bnz0/s1600/Godzilla-aaron+taylor+johnson.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">The good cast had good performances but it’s wasted on one of those films where the screenplay must have drizzled out about two thirds of the way through. Don't get too attached to Bryan Cranston, and don't expect his watered down Walter White to have any material to work with, but obviously the man could do no wrong, and Aaron Taylor-Johnson still looks handsome even when the script fizzles out and he stops talking and instead stares either wide-eyed or catatonically at the destruction of the SF skyline. Who knew Kickass would end up good looking? He totally Neville Longbottom-ed. Elizabeth Olsen followed suit, looking pretty and doing absolutely nothing. So if you were going to see Godzilla because you were excited about the cast, don’t bother. They weren't the main event.</span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTXPJZLrfqefxxWCaVe5SMm2HbruNbiHzYQ5n378ivI3N3hAsgTNp0F1xG2l38gSCTKRLWppDjI-UVOEdMv4uudK8Su7_rybRGb5JPiI0aXT4xetnNpWzGKLdA6KnE8gA6ir1sE59YdVE/s1600/elizabeth+olsen+godzilla.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTXPJZLrfqefxxWCaVe5SMm2HbruNbiHzYQ5n378ivI3N3hAsgTNp0F1xG2l38gSCTKRLWppDjI-UVOEdMv4uudK8Su7_rybRGb5JPiI0aXT4xetnNpWzGKLdA6KnE8gA6ir1sE59YdVE/s1600/elizabeth+olsen+godzilla.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="p2">
<br /></div>
<div class="p2">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">The main event was watching prehistoric parasites and the god of all dinosaurs face off and completely abolish my fave city, San Francisco. Oh yay, another monster fighting movie! I really liked the art direction.</span><br />
<span class="s1"><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">Seriously though, it was kind of all about the visuals. I mean I liked the first half better which was actually about the story and a little bit about science, but in the end, it’s greyscale destruction and the kind of immensity that can only really be conveyed through film, although <a href="http://www.online-literature.com/shelley_percy/672/"><span class="s2">Percy Bysshe Shelley</span></a> and <a href="http://www.avclub.com/article/heres-chart-comparing-various-dragons-ones-game-th-204140"><span class="s2">George R. R. Martin</span></a>, for two, have certainly tried. </span></div>
<br />
<div class="p1">
What you should expect is <i>Jaws</i> meets<i> Alien </i>and I'm guessing <i>Pacific Rim</i>, but I haven't actually seen it, meets <i>King Kong </i>and <i>Breaking Bad</i>. Without color. I don't recommend that you rent it. Go see it with your friends on the big screen, or not at all, and if you missed it, you missed it. Go rent <i>Kickass</i>,<i> </i>or any of the other aforementioned pictures, instead.</div>
Mia Mannshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07650015788907711393noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3397407174411445570.post-89666052771464921462014-05-08T13:55:00.003-04:002014-05-08T13:55:48.942-04:00X-Men First Class: Will Days of Future Past live up to it?<div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM3Njli2bcmvRiozGaVeg04upIqK_uPjyzen2u_gAagwSSlPP99MWV4tiR46Q000QNkon6lbipznXWUF48VmhZuf1hlLgSRO8cu5vaDFavVq-vnEE-Ta_5NvTwsY2iMyEvbEk4BWF8UJk/s1600/x-men-first-class-cast-mcavoy-fassbender-lawrence.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM3Njli2bcmvRiozGaVeg04upIqK_uPjyzen2u_gAagwSSlPP99MWV4tiR46Q000QNkon6lbipznXWUF48VmhZuf1hlLgSRO8cu5vaDFavVq-vnEE-Ta_5NvTwsY2iMyEvbEk4BWF8UJk/s1600/x-men-first-class-cast-mcavoy-fassbender-lawrence.jpg" height="398" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Whether you're a diehard who never lost the faith or a newcomer to the X-Men film franchise, it's pretty likely that the stunt they pulled with X-Men First Class caught your attention one way or another. Set in 1962, it's visually catchy, by which I mean the costumes and the setting will grab you even in the 30 second TV spot. It's no Mad Men but the styles are a ton of fun. And if the costumes and hairstyles didn't grab you maybe working the Cuban missile crisis into the mix did? Yeah, them be nukes. It was a brave comeback and it worked.</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu8MPoRssdCmZBEGR_Hki-d40o5uEWG2WNVafYmf-taxzBb-WVM_MU7QzdIv5KJ8dXDqML6hKCNHzBghrrW3K1H02oLfkhhsJWbVMeCpTpK8ekEC2LzzHjf18Lkd2hNaVy4HKkMiFRmiU/s1600/january+jones+kevin+bacon+x-men+first+class.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu8MPoRssdCmZBEGR_Hki-d40o5uEWG2WNVafYmf-taxzBb-WVM_MU7QzdIv5KJ8dXDqML6hKCNHzBghrrW3K1H02oLfkhhsJWbVMeCpTpK8ekEC2LzzHjf18Lkd2hNaVy4HKkMiFRmiU/s1600/january+jones+kevin+bacon+x-men+first+class.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
X-Men First Class was an impressive return for the series that had been greatly dwindling in the quality of its characters, story, writing, even aesthetic with the travesty that was Origins: Wolverine or The Wolverine, whichever the hell one I saw, don't ask me. Even X-Men: The Last Stand saw the beginning of a decline for the X-Men series (Don't believe me? Check out how <a href="http://www.imdb.com/find?q=X-Men&s=all">the IMDB ratings dropped between films</a> or the footnote below*). Fans responded to a decline with their votes, but X-Men First Class was an entirely different case. It has the highest IMDB rating of the series at 7.8, which is really, really high, considering films among the top 250 of all time (as voted by users) only have an 8.0. I guess users are harsh critics (the highest rating on all of IMDB is Shawshank Redemption at a mere 9.2 rating. Nothing close to 10 exists).<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPl_5Ppa93fxhej-M99HOw0DdUiJaxclqf6u42_OOmkp87ZX-FLzUmmY718NskKgUZouTg3_ikGjBKjWdL3hFyKIyG2Jiz9FyrOT-iyUUlzxnnHr7Z9wl9NaE8zWoUMhlRnXqjXEch3vw/s1600/X-Men-First-Class-Xavier-james-mcavoy.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPl_5Ppa93fxhej-M99HOw0DdUiJaxclqf6u42_OOmkp87ZX-FLzUmmY718NskKgUZouTg3_ikGjBKjWdL3hFyKIyG2Jiz9FyrOT-iyUUlzxnnHr7Z9wl9NaE8zWoUMhlRnXqjXEch3vw/s1600/X-Men-First-Class-Xavier-james-mcavoy.jpeg" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div>
What makes it good? What saved the franchise? Well I already mentioned the visuals, and I'm glad that finally in the sci-fi/fantasy film world someone caught on that when we want striking visuals we don't mean CGI anymore, we're not impressed by that anymore. Art is character-driven these days and not only did X-Men dress up their characters is stunning 60s styles, they also sketched out their stories and made those much more central, I thought, than the plot, which was fine but not great. The cast also helped. Put Jennifer Lawrence in anything these days and she can carry the whole show herself, but First Class didn't even need her; Michael Fassbender and James McAvoy held their own plenty. And including January Jones in anything personally makes me very, very happy. So a good looking cast.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5r7lB8SR-SlqXjhzPzXqPZ5ZtA6SHylHJqdzjAMYJF83TyvLi6pVHD2pN8AdQFWD2HSA3K3iBi1jp_zQes3nfxdAbPPAlSdYsP_BkijV403GdFrJpPyUHKumWviIpoojYpVvlRTbRHUo/s1600/X-Men-First-Class-fassbender-mcavoy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5r7lB8SR-SlqXjhzPzXqPZ5ZtA6SHylHJqdzjAMYJF83TyvLi6pVHD2pN8AdQFWD2HSA3K3iBi1jp_zQes3nfxdAbPPAlSdYsP_BkijV403GdFrJpPyUHKumWviIpoojYpVvlRTbRHUo/s1600/X-Men-First-Class-fassbender-mcavoy.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Now that's not to say First Class was perfect. For one thing, I don't feel the need to ever watch it a second time. I feel like the character-driven nature was a nice turn but it still managed to be drowned out a little bit by the action which they of course had to deliver, otherwise it wouldn't be a superhero film. It's just that Kevin Bacon's villain was very boring, with the exception of the flashbacks to Nazi Germany. It couldn't really be helped. I can't think of a better story for them to have told. The heart of it was where it needed to be: on Xavier's loss of his friend Erik/Magneto, and the schism between mutants and humanity, and between the X-Men and Magneto's clan.</div>
<div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbtHX4Mw1NLqmAzQ_0cA6TZr_68KP4WRy4SFy_KCUFysH1tj4UlUi9_8f3T2T0br75HJSvic4TysOLLFZ1e8XXqYndXpzYzLEfTdLfTPerGv1a4_1EhaFB_Mxf_4SiVECUeOfLki01aiQ/s1600/Jennifer+Lawrence+Xmen+First+Class.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbtHX4Mw1NLqmAzQ_0cA6TZr_68KP4WRy4SFy_KCUFysH1tj4UlUi9_8f3T2T0br75HJSvic4TysOLLFZ1e8XXqYndXpzYzLEfTdLfTPerGv1a4_1EhaFB_Mxf_4SiVECUeOfLki01aiQ/s1600/Jennifer+Lawrence+Xmen+First+Class.png" height="270" width="640" /></a><br />
<br /></div>
<div>
Probably the strongest story managed to be Raven/Mystique's, which is impressive. There's a psychological sketch going on there that does get buried by the action a little bit but it pervaded the film and gave her actions motivation. Actually I think her reasons for joining Magneto were much better fleshed out than Magneto's motivations for turning against Xavier. Sure, we know he's been through a lot and life has been hard for him, poor Fassbender, but it's easy to forget all that with the training montages in the middle and the lovey dovey dialogues he has with McAvoy. He doesn't seem dark or tortured during the middle third of the movie, which is nice — there's little I love more than a compassionate relationship for a character who is suffering and really needs it — but then when he goes all evil it seems rather sudden.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgas1K3JTDVqCMli9WhAN7Fompr-1XBDOMTg83lhDMNrBUeESJtJ67hASrB0kLZBkgvriE7vXXi1y1HtLE8ARRKmUODX6S5vMeGD2_KZVU-_O_NKzmbM9LcUsvnWc1A4xV4Zp8y-lSLY1U/s1600/x-men-days-of-future-past-wolverine-magneto-xavier-quicksilver.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgas1K3JTDVqCMli9WhAN7Fompr-1XBDOMTg83lhDMNrBUeESJtJ67hASrB0kLZBkgvriE7vXXi1y1HtLE8ARRKmUODX6S5vMeGD2_KZVU-_O_NKzmbM9LcUsvnWc1A4xV4Zp8y-lSLY1U/s1600/x-men-days-of-future-past-wolverine-magneto-xavier-quicksilver.jpg" height="422" width="640" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Nitpicking aside, both the rating and the strong points I've identified make it clear that X-Men First Class was a revival. Now what will happen when worlds collide, past and future, old cast and new cast? Well for one thing you get a SUPERCAST! Fassbender, McAvoy, Lawrence, Jackman, Paquin, Berry, McKellen, Stewart, holy crap, who's excited? Not to mention Peter Dinklage and Ellen Page. What are they thinking? They're gonna give us all heart attacks. But as we learned with <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0817230/?ref_=nv_sr_2">Valentine's Day</a> and <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1333125/?ref_=nv_sr_2">Movie 43</a>, it really doesn't matter how many A listers you throw in there, if it's nothing but a gimmick, it's not going to do anything for the quality if there's no quality there. Yikes. Now I'm starting to worry. Maybe too many celebrities is a sign of doom.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
So here's the trailer.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/gsjtg7m1MMM?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<br />
It looks funny. Big. Epic. I'm hoping there will be an emphasis on characters over action in this one but seeing Wolverine as the team leader has me pretty worried. There was so much they could have done with that character, and instead they gave us two mindless action flicks that weren't worth watching. I'm not done lamenting that. And to be honest they've always had a super cast to work with, this is nothing new, so if they don't use that talent properly, we may be in for yet another failure.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTH6FzIwy1zUui5OL3q5-CGng8EfjqVGnF_SyoM_NC9j94n1DTx_3DcmL4uh3dho8fI-c8YfUYLMGAzupIy7hRiLD0QH44CzdlKuglKfTSpK96vXh6uwSY99QRKQuxOktBcdG9gk2ai8M/s1600/xmen+days+of+future+past+jennifer+lawrence.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTH6FzIwy1zUui5OL3q5-CGng8EfjqVGnF_SyoM_NC9j94n1DTx_3DcmL4uh3dho8fI-c8YfUYLMGAzupIy7hRiLD0QH44CzdlKuglKfTSpK96vXh6uwSY99QRKQuxOktBcdG9gk2ai8M/s1600/xmen+days+of+future+past+jennifer+lawrence.jpg" height="353" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br /></div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<b>So what do you think will happen when the old series collides with the new? First Class was a damn good start to a reboot but there may be some cause for concern that Days of Future Past is going to slide into old bad habits. Too much action and too many one liners. Bad writing. Underdeveloped characters that had oh so much potential. Are you afraid or are you rejoicing? Leave me a comment and let me know. Maybe ease my fears a little bit.</b><br />
<b><br /></b></div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
*What kind of blogger would I be if I made you do your own research? Here's the footnote: X-Men (2000) has an IMDB rating of 7.4, X2 (2003) has 7.5, X-Men: The Last Stand (2006) sunk to a 6.8, X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009) has a 6.8, and The Wolverine (2013) has a 6.8. That's actually a fairly good rating (6.8), despite that the Wolverine movie I saw was crap, but the point is there was a decline. The point is, X-Men First Class is way back at up 7.8, and the new enterprise managed after many failures to rekindle its original quality.</div>
Mia Mannshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07650015788907711393noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3397407174411445570.post-66261414712852040982014-05-05T13:52:00.003-04:002014-05-05T18:04:30.213-04:00Words of Radiance by Brandon Sanderson: What worked, and what really didn't [review time]<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi94GERwalQgWH4Z9PlQryTKbw-g30HadMYgldv3hU-aTuAMkFNzHcda0g8H1RVcOY9Wa5H9Cl7DEtMGMUB1s4nlsX14P3BEvE1W1KRPz2wUAzy4eRh0hADcn1qj_98Lzq67mD3ok6itl4/s1600/Words+of+Radiance+Kaladin+Szeth.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi94GERwalQgWH4Z9PlQryTKbw-g30HadMYgldv3hU-aTuAMkFNzHcda0g8H1RVcOY9Wa5H9Cl7DEtMGMUB1s4nlsX14P3BEvE1W1KRPz2wUAzy4eRh0hADcn1qj_98Lzq67mD3ok6itl4/s1600/Words+of+Radiance+Kaladin+Szeth.jpg" height="408" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><i>Words of Radiance</i> felt like a perfect sequel on one lazy read through, but scrutiny brings to light the imperfections, like lamplight to a cracked stone, to use a forced metaphor the way Sanderson continuously does. Popular opinion here is going to rule because the Amazon ratings are in and it’s 1,500 five star votes versus all of 4 one star votes, all four of them without good reason. With that commendation in addition to that fact that hey, I loved it too, let’s skip the raving about how good it is and take a crack at those imperfections, because to be honest, <i>The Way of Kings</i> didn't have any, so what happened here to mar book two?</span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">Aside from the lazy criticism that it’s too long and Shallan is too boring (both lame complaints, buck up yer great lumps!) there are actual problems. Like that Kaladin is one whiney sonofabitch that puts Luke Skywalker’s bellyaching over Toshi power converters to oh so much shame. That we want to be cool and calm and enjoy the interlude chapters, but really, come on, nobody cares about Ym, Rysn, and Taln, we just want to see how the story ends and we have to wade through that (interesting, detailed, high and mighty) fluff to get there. That the climax is, in Robert Jordanian style, all in the last 50 pages of a 1000 page book.</span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">Probably my biggest complaint though is Sanderson’s ego in Words of Radiance. There were hints and whiffs of it creating a faint stink on <i>The Way of Kings</i> and even his takeover of The Wheel of Time (of course taking over the epic series of one of the greatest fantasy authors of our lifetime is a fair thing to go to one’s head) but nothing like the testaments to Brandon’s brainpower in this volume. Shallan and Wit are two characters that demonstrate to me that Sanderson doesn't just write smart characters with high wit and intellect, he shoves them down your fricking throat to show how clever their author is. Take a second look at Wit’s speech in the epilogue and see if you can get through it without vomiting, let alone without letting it break the fourth wall into tiny, tiny pieces. Good way to deflect any and all criticism: “Give me an audience who have come to be entertained, but expect nothing special. To them, I will be a god.” Nice. Any problems I have with your books are just that I've come to expect too much from your master genius.</span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">I wanted Shallan to be smarter than me. And Wit too. Maybe that’s an unfair expectation given that of course you can’t write things you don’t expect your readers to understand, you want them to connect with what’s being said, but if Shallan is so witty, why don’t any of her witticisms go over my head? I wanted them to. Or at least require a second of contemplation or inspire a minute of thoughtfulness. Nope. </span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">This is one place where Sanderson seems to take characterization lessons from Stephanie Meyer. He tells you she’s witty and clever, but the examples, try though they might, do not impress. If he couldn’t think of anything truly intelligent for her to say, then he didn’t have to try to characterize her as intelligent. I mentioned of the <a href="http://www.musingsbystarlight.com/2013/03/Sherlock-Unaired-Pilot-on-BBC-starring-Martin-Freeman.html">Sherlock pilot</a></span> that it’s hard to follow Sherlock’s thinking, just as it’s hard to follow Dr. House, and that’s a good thing; that makes the character a genius. It wouldn’t make sense if everything he said was at the audience’s level. Shallan and Wit are testaments to intelligence but they don’t stand up. Shallan’s quips are lame and Wit’s diatribes are transparent. It didn't feel that way in <i>The Way of Kings</i> but if there’s another "Fleet ran fast" in book three, that might just be it for me.</div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">Kaladin continues to feel like a cartoon to me, to the point where I don't picture him like a real character the way I can picture say Paul Atreides or Jon Snow or Rand Al Thor as a flesh and bones man, Kaladin in my imagination is like Harry Potter grown up with a beard (And no, Harry Potter in my imagination is not Daniel Radcliffe). He spends approximately two thousand pages of the Stormlight Archive being a depressed malcontent who hates pretty much everyone, even those we love like Shallan and Adolin, making bad choices like to challenge Amaram and ruin the plan for Sadeas, or to allow Moash to go forward with plans against Elhokar, and only at the very end does he have a moment of revelation. H</span>e can’t define his own morality or get over his shit and when he finally does it’s frustrating because you've been yelling at him to get over it for two thousand pages now. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">I'm conflicted though because while I wanted Kaladin to become a Radiant and say the words and get Syl back and all that yada, and I liked Elhokar and didn’t want him to die, I almost think the book would have been more interesting if Kaladin had killed him. I was kind of interested in that dilemma and leaning towards removing him. That would have been too dark for Sanderson’s tastes, but it would have worked for me. But then book three would be a thousand pages of Kaladin whining his remorse. Spare me.</span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">Here’s what I liked about the book: Everything else. The payout on the storms that were coming was very good. The ending was a thrill to read because the stakes were so high, it seemed impossible that they could get out, and Shallan my beloved was the key to their survival, which makes my day (even if her IQ is a fraud, she’s still my favorite character, other than Jasnah). I’m glad that they won on the plains against the Parshendi without a character death (so overrated, I like my characters breathing, thank you) except Roion, who blossomed into a hero all of half a page before he died. Poor guy. I like that the next book is set up to deal with all the parshmen transforming and the Knights Radiant returning.</span></div>
<div class="p1">
Oh and I liked Shallan’s flashbacks, which many people hated. The best comment I read on Amazon did point out that it was exactly the same as the Tien story in Kaladin’s flashbacks, where the reveal wasn’t a reveal because you already knew, and it was set up like a plot twist even though it wasn’t, but I’m glad that in Shallan’s case the “twist” was covered in all of one sentence, like ripping off the bandaid. Yep, the “mystery” turned out exactly the way we knew all along, but at least we didn't have to read a whole damn chapter dramatically expounding it. </div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<br />
<span class="s1"></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><i>Words of Radiance</i> was enjoyable in its escapism and the satisfaction of its journey and conclusion, but to be critical there were some imperfections. I loved it but I think it’s delusional to call it perfect or to give it five stars, if five stars means to you what it does to me — that it couldn't have been better than what it was (i.e. it has no flaws that couldn't have been helped), that it is the best the genre has to offer (the best among comparable books), that a second reading improves rather than diminishes the experience of its quality. It could have been better — it could have been trimmed, and one of Sanderson's giant team of editors could have pointed out that Shallan's witty dialogue needed elevation, or that Kaladin is getting a bit tired. No, really tired. The series might come to be among the best of the genre, but this particular volume is not. It's no <i>The Great Hunt</i> or <i>The Gunslinger</i> or <i>A Storm of Swords</i>; it's not even <i>Eragon</i> (because unlike Kaladin, that little bugger was only unlikable for ONE volume). I don't think I could stand to read it again, </span>unlike <i>The Way of Kings</i>, but if I do, I feel like there will be less to uncover on a second read, and not more.</div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">There are 1500 five star reviews for this book and I think that’s crazy. <i>The Way of Kings</i> was worth five stars. <i>Words of Radiance</i> is a cut below.</span></div>
Mia Mannshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07650015788907711393noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3397407174411445570.post-59309774567040110182014-03-20T15:47:00.000-04:002014-03-20T15:47:37.330-04:00Game of Thrones is back April 6This is the most badass Game of Thrones Season 4 trailer yet! Got me SO excited.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<object class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="https://ytimg.googleusercontent.com/vi/Z1Y_qhzxn2c/0.jpg" height="266" width="320"><param name="movie" value="https://youtube.googleapis.com/v/Z1Y_qhzxn2c&source=uds" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="https://youtube.googleapis.com/v/Z1Y_qhzxn2c&source=uds" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></div>
<br />
Have I ever mentioned how much I love Cersei? Probably a fact best kept to myself ... and it's going to be especially awkward now that Jaime is back in King's Landing ... Oh well!<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
Mia Mannshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07650015788907711393noreply@blogger.com0