Legend of Korra Episode Recaps: Episode 4

"The Legend of Korra Episode Recaps" is a book blog feature created by the indubitably awesome Lisa @ Lisa Is Busy Nerding.

Korra airs Saturdays at 11am EST/10am CST on Nickelodeon.

Hi, everybody! Welcome to another weekly installment of The Last Airbender: Legend of Korra Episode Recaps/Commentary/Discussion/Whatever. I'm a day late, but that's okay. It's never too late to talk about Korra. 

Episode 4, "The Voice in the Night"

Recap/Commentary

This show is just so amazing! GAH! It is so much better than I ever imagined it would be. It truly is meant for a more mature audience compared to the first series, Avatar: The Last Airbender. I think that's why I'm relating to it better. I've long since graduated from Middle School, after all.

First of all, episode 4 starts out with Korra dreaming that Amon is about to take away her bending, but she awakens just before he can do it. Clearly, Amon is living rent-free in her head space. In the dream Amon even taunted her, saying she'd be nothing without her bending. She's feeling insecure because she wouldn't matter anymore if she lost her abilities. 'Tis true.

Tenzin is in a council meeting with all the other nations' representatives, and the guy representing the Northern Water Tribe, Tarrlok, is proposing that he lead a special task force designed just to track down Amon and bring him to justice. Tenzin thinks this is a bad idea. It will divide benders and non-benders even more, but the other reps all out vote him. Shady Tarrlok just got his way and I bet not for the first time (and not for the last, either).

Tarrlok mentions something interesting about older Aang that upset Tenzin. Apparently Aang had to deal with a rabble-rouser back in his day who threatened Republic City, and he dealt with him head-on. Why this got under Tenzin's skin is not clear. The dude Aang dealt with was a man named Yakon forty-two years earlier. It must mean something, but what?

Mako gets off work and tries to catch a trolly, only to get hit by some idiot on a motorbike! He's about to lay into this guy until he realizes this guy is not a guy, at all. He's a young, beautiful, rich woman named Asami, and she is a huge fan of the Fire Ferrets. Fan girl alert, Mako! But, for once it's good to be a famous Pro-bender. Bolin is rubbing off on him. Asami sets up a date at a fancy shin-dig as an apology, and he's already in lurve. 

My question: What about Korra? He all to easily forgets she exists. Son, I am disappoint. -_-

Anyway, that Tarrlok dude is shifty when he interrupts Tenzin's family dinner with Korra all of a sudden. What's he up to? He wants to recruit Korra into his anti-anti-bender task force, but she refuses him, surprisingly. She's all into her airbender training, or so she says. She's even missing out on Pro-bending practices with her boys. Tarrlok will not be turned away so easily, though. 

Mako goes to Kuang's, the fancy shin-diggy restaurant that requires he have a valet dress him in duds that would pay his rent for the next three months. Chilling with Asami, he finds out she's seen ALL of his matches (stalker, much?). But, she is the daughter of Hiroshi Sato, the man who invented the Satomobile--the answer to the automobile in the Avatar universe. Is that cute, or what? So, Mako wants to meet this cool guy, fo sho. 

Bolin drops by to see Korra and give her a red rose and a cupcake. My reaction: O__O. A red rose? Wow. Korra doesn't even pick up on the gesture. It means he's in love with you, girl. She's so clueless, but Bolin is adorable making up a reason to give it to her. A messenger brings by some big goodies and gifts from Tarrlok in order to sway her to join the task force, and Bolin thinks Tarrlok is a suitor! He's about to throw-down, but is relieved to hear he's not really, after all. All this flies over Korra's head. 

Mako gets to meet Mr. Sato and Sato offers to sponsor the Fire Ferrets because none of them have the money to enter the tournament. They'll have to change their name to Future Industries Fire Ferrets, but so what? They get to play, and Mako is so happy, he's willing to tattoo the industry's logo on his chest. If you do, Mako, then you have to promise to let us see it.... -_o

Korra gets invited to a gala thrown by Tarrlok in her honor. What is that guy doing now? She and Tenzin dress up all spiffy and Korra gets to meet Asami hanging off the arm of Mako. "Who is she?" asks Korra. What she meant to say was, "Get away from my man, little girl, or I'll knock you into Episode 5!" Needless to say, she seems jealous, and not all that happy about the sponsorship by the girl's father. The real reason for Korra's gala becomes obvious when Tarrlok throws her in front of the press, all set up with questions about why she's so afraid to join the task force. Who's afraid? Not Korra! She'd hate to admit that, so she publicly joins it, after all. Tarrlok just got his way, again. Slick politician.

She gets to help take down a chi-blocking training session and arrest the chi-blockers, gets into the papers, but she's not happy. Something's eating at her. She knows what to do to feel better. Challenge Amon to a one-on-one duel! And, that's what she does, over the radio. At midnight on Avatar Aang Memorial Island. Mano y Korra. 

Tenzin tries to talk her out of it, as does Tarrlok, but he's got an fleet of airships overhead ready to strike from the sky if need be. She waits on a statue of Aang... and waits and waits. Is he even coming? Just when he seems a no-show, she gets ambushed by Amon's chi-blockers who block her bending and tie her up in whips. Amon acts like he's going to do the deed, but he just holds up her face, telling her they will duel another day. He's got a plan and their duel is going to have to wait (until the last episode). If she loses her bending now, the benders will make a martyr out of her. 

He knocks her out and she has the coolest vision ever. She sees the grown-up versions of the deceased characters, Sokka, Toph and Aang. Not only that, but she sees Aang fighting that Yakon guy who disturbed the peace of the city forty-two years earlier! It was so awesome to see these characters all grown up. Loved them all as children and teens in the first series. Yay! More, please. Funny thing is, Korra thought Tenzin was the spirit version of Aang when he finally caught up with her after Amon left. She finally lets it all out in front of Tenzin, her fears of Amon's ability and everything, overwhelmed by feels and tearbending. Yep, she can tearbend, too, just like any girl. Tenzin gives us the episode's lesson: admitting your fears is the first step to overcoming them.

Holy crud! Episode 5 is going to blow my mind! The next two episodes will be about the Pro-bending tournament and Korra gets to meet Tahno! I can't wait for that to happen. 


What did you think of this episode? Are you liking it more than the original A:TLA series?

Until next time, Korraddicts, have a great week.... 

Legend of Korra Episode Recaps: Episode 3

"The Legend of Korra Episode Recaps" is a book blog feature created by the indubitably awesome Lisa @ Lisa Is Busy Nerding.

I'm back with another episode recap/discussion of The Legend of Korra. 

Episode 3 "The Revelation"

Recap/Discussion

I gotta say this show is already going far beyond my expectations. It's so clever at developing the plot and the characters all at the same time, like a best-selling novel. Definitely, Mike & Brian (the show's creative duo) are demonstrating that they are not a one-trick pony act. They can continue to kill it even when they write sequels.

Episode 3 basically sets up the complication and introduces us to our main villain character: It starts out innocently enough with Korra training for her Pro-bending match with her teammates Mako and Bolin. She and Mako are still not too chummy with each other. She discovers from Bolin that the two brothers are orphans and have had to scrape by in life. They still struggle to find money, and in order to enter the Pro-bending Tournament, they have to come up with 30,000 yulans. Yikes! 

Korra freely admits that she has never had to earn a living because people have always taken care of her all her life. Mako sounds a bit gruff at the remark, like a bitter pauper. We get to see Korra's mentality, having been the known Avatar all her life. It makes sense that she's been treated extra-specially since her childhood, which is rare for an Avatar (they usually find out they are the Avatar at age 16). 

There's a scene of Mako working at a power plant as he lightning-bends into a furnace with a bunch of other lightning-benders, showing just how common this type of bending is nowadays (it used to be rare). This is a world-building scenario, a clever one that shows us how Republic City is able to run on electricity, since there was none in the first series, and how Mako picks up a few extra bucks here and there when needed. When he returns to his loft home, Bolin is gone and he assumes he has gone across the bay to hang out with Korra (her island is in plain sight out his window).

When he goes to see if Bolin is with Korra, he finds out he is not, and they set out together to find him. Mako knows that Bolin has a knack for getting himself into dangerous situations. They find Bolin getting thrown into the back of a truck, tied up by people who are clearly working with the anti-bending folks--the Equalists. These guys fight and temporarily chi-block Korra and Mako from being able to bend any elements, but the two are saved by Naga, Korra's polar-bear dog.

After that, they spend all night looking for Bolin to no avail. The shipping ensues between Korra and Mako as they are alone together the entire time, but Mako is wanting to keep his distance from Korra, not give her any ideas. We are still left wondering if that's what he really feels about her. (She's clearly fine with him.) Then, they get a lead when they pick up some fliers that advertise something called "The Revelation," which is part of the anti-bending social movement in the city. The Equalists are headed up by a man named Amon, and he plans on revealing something amazing that nobody knows about just yet. 

They go undercover to the Equalist rally and see for the first time just how many anti-benders there are... hundreds, maybe thousands. It's shocking. Amon ascends from the stage and reveals that the Spirits of the Spirit World have instructed him that bending is bad and that the Avatar system is fail. He is supposed to take away all benders' abilities to bend the elements from them, and he can do it. No. Way. That is impossible. But, he shows everyone that he can do it by demonstrating on a notorious mobster named Lightning Bolt Zolt--a fire-bender. Amon holds the guy's forehead and Zolt is left with no bending. It's permanent. 

Bolin is on stage and about to get his earth-bending taken away from him by Amon when Korra wrecks a boiler, causing steam to fill up the arena, which allows Mako to grab Bolin undercover, and they all escape, barely. Korra finally returns to her temporary home with her sifu, Tenzin, who was worried sick about her. She has to tell him all about the new threat Amon poses to all benders, and Tenzin is aghast that the man has learned to do something only the Avatar has ever been known to do. It is a mystery, indeed, how he learned to do something so dangerous. (Although, I do know what he has learned, but it's too spoilery for this post.)

I'm very impressed with this new villain character, Amon, because, unlike Ozai, the villain of the first series, he seems more multi-dimensional. Amon is motivated to take away people's bending abilities because he grew up a non-bender with his non-bending family, and a fire-bender killed them all. He was left with a scarred face that he has to cover with a mask. Of course he would hate benders, and many benders are oppressing non-benders. All of this is really happening, and he wants to take the hard-line approach to fixing the problem. It's just that it's a very severe way to do it. But, I like that he is NOT motivated by greed, but a notion that he is doing good and making life better for people. That's the best kind of villain--one who doesn't know he is one.

What do you think of this episode? What do you think of Amon, the new villainous threat to the benders? 

Legend of Korra Episode Recaps: Episodes 1 & 2

"The Legend of Korra Episode Recaps" is a book blog feature created by the indubitably awesome Lisa @ Lisa Is Busy Nerding.

Okay, people. Let me explain what this is. This is a new weekly feature I will participating in along with Lisa from Lisa is Busy Nerding every Wednesday where I will be recaping and discussing the previous Saturday morning premiers of the new Nickelodeon cartoon, The Legend of Korra.

I have been a HUGE fan of the Avatar: The Last Airbender cartoon series for the past five years because it is so unique, refreshing, and like nothing else out there. What an amazing show! And, it really isn't just for kids. It's one of those kids' cartoons that can honestly be enjoyed by people of all ages. No, I don't have any kids that got me into the show. I seriously just channel-surfed one day and found it all on my own. I am that awesome (read: weird).

So, today I will be discussing Episodes 1 & 2 (they premiered together on Saturday, April 14th), and this will be the usual routine. Go HERE to watch the first 2 episodes online for free! You will be most impressed by the beautiful fantasy elements and incredible world-building. I hope you will join me in watching and discussing this amazing new series!

Re-Cap Discussion: Episodes 1 & 2

 

Korra is the next Avatar after Aang, living in a world united by his legacy, but it has fallen into a bit of chaos since his death seventeen years ago. She was born into the Southern Water Tribe, and we see right away from Episode 1 that everyone knew she was the world's next Avatar because she could already bend all the elements except air from a very young age. She comes out guns-a-blazing from the womb! This girl is p-o-w-e-r-f-u-l and she knows it. She makes sure everybody else knows it, too.

Her issue is that she needs to learn how to airbend, and the only person on the planet who can teach her is Aang's son, Tenzin, who is carrying on his airbender teachings. One thing that the creators of the show are doing perfectly for this sequel series is bringing back some old familiar characters. We actually get to see old lady Katara who has become the medicine woman for her Southern Water Tribe, and she knows through spiritual divination that Korra must leave her home and find her own path as the world's Avatar.

This doesn't sit well with Tenzin because he knows how to teach airbending, but Korra is just not having it. She thinks like an earthbender, all "shoot-em up and crush em into dust" type of mentality, which is the opposite of the Air Nomads' way. She decides to chill in Republic City, which has an anti-bending movement on the rise because non-benders feel oppressed by benders due to the natural selective process of whatever it is that endows one with bending abilities. Yeah, it is kind of unfair when you're not born with these abilities (but, life is unfair. As Korra says, you gotta deal with it!).

She doesn't have to worry much about this movement in the first two episodes just yet, and instead, opts to check out a pro-bending tournament. In this series, bending is a professional sport and there's a whole new way to bend all the elements unlike anything Korra has ever seen before. She totally digs it! It's modern and the bee's knees (this expression will make sense in a moment, I promise).

She meets a guy around her age named Bolin and his brother Mako, both of whom are on the Fire Ferrets, a pro-bending team. Mako is like the Babe Ruth of pro-bending, but he's a bit unfriendly and unsociable, unlike his outgoing brother, Bolin. Korra gets a chance to play in one of their matches when their third team member flakes out on them at the last minute. She doesn't know what she's doing, but she's found her place in the world, as pro-bending is the freakin' berries and totally copacetic.

Why am I using all this 1920's American slang? Well, that's what decade it is in the Avatar world, and you can see the style reflected in all their technology, clothing and way of life. Call it 'steampunk lite.' You'll even see some airships floating around. Despite this, I still see mostly familiar attire and martial arts from the original series, so this makes me happy. I'm still watching a show that reflects its predecessor very well.

Now, I can't help musing on what I want to see in future episodes. Korra x Mako!! Of course these two seem to be getting shipped together already. If you consider that Korra is a Southern Water Tribe girl (like how Katara was), and that Mako is a Fire Nation guy (like how Zuko was), then it's like Zuko x Katara (Zutara) gets to happen now! I always liked Katara and Zuko together, even though they never got romantically involved. I actually still hold out hope that they will get together in this series because Zuko could still be alive, for all I know at this time.  


Needless to say, I'm super excited about this season and about seeing what's in store for Korra and her new friends. Who else is still alive from Avatar: The Last Airbender? Who is this masked villain character that hates element bending? Who was that pretty boy Korra was mocking to his face in that preview I saw? Seriously, this looks like it's going to kill it, and I can't wait to see every minute of this show!


If you're following the show, what did you think of Episodes 1 and 2? Do you like this new, very different type of Avatar hero? 

Review: Fallen by Traci L. Slatton

Fallen

by Traci L. Slatton 

Genre: Apocalypse/Fantasy/Romance

Reading Grade: Adult

Publication Date: July 12, 2011

Source: from publisher (paperback)

Age Rating: 17+

| Amazon |

As chaos descends on a crippled Earth, survivors are tormented by strange psychic gifts. In this time of apocalyptic despair, love is put to the test. One woman with mysterious healing power guides seven children to safety. Charismatic Arthur offers her a haven. Slowly Emma falls for him. But at the moment of their sweetest love, his devastating secret is revealed, and they are lost to each other. Will Emma stay with him?

The first in a romantic trilogy set during the end times. 

 

My Review

Here's an adult romance title that suffers from having a really good story to tell, but it is ruined by its intolerable main characters. And, it doesn't take long to see just how awful they really are, as you need only read into the book a few pages to see the main character, Emma, offering to prostitute herself to a man she barely meets in order to live in his camp with eight needy kids-in-tow. No, she is not already a prostitute, so, yes, this is very random and unnecessary behavior on her part. What's worse is that Arthur, the great “hero” in this story, decides to take her for a test drive before even asking for her name. What a love story this will be, right? <rolls eyes>

No, this isn't erotica, although with this type of set-up at the beginning, you'd think that's exactly what you were getting. Add up all the stupid things these two main characters do, who are supposedly in love with each other, and you get a book that makes me want to recycle it so it can be reborn into something better one day.

This review gets a wee bit SPOILERY, just so you know...

Emma leads Arthur on, even after he's clearly fallen in love with her, but she's still married to her husband from before the Apocalypse. I can't really sympathize with such an overt adulteress. Arthur rapes Emma in one scene, and is very controlling of Emma and won't let her do anything without his permission first. Controlling, much? When Arthur finally finds out about Emma still being married, he demands she divorce her husband. She wants to officially break it off with her husband, and Arthur agrees so long as she does it over the radio. But, she wants to see him in person, which could take ten years. Unreasonable much? I'm feeling the love, I really am.

These two characters are in their thirties, yet have the combined emotional maturity of one twelve-year-old. This is rather sad, and extra sad when you consider that this story has so much potential. It's actually a really good story with an interesting plot development and concept. There is this mysterious mist that has gone around all over the planet and it kills everything made of metal properties, including people (because people have metal in them, too). It's well-thought out and has great world-building. But, I hate these two characters so much, I could care less about them and their experiences.

*I received this from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

My score: 2.5 out of 5 stars. (I did not like it.)

Review: Hounded by Kevin Hearne

Hounded (Iron Druid Chronicles, #1)

by Kevin Hearne 

Genre: Urban Fantasy/Mythology 

Reading Grade: Adult

Publication Date: May 3, 2011

Source: Book Depository

Age Rating: 17+

| Amazon | 

Atticus O’Sullivan, last of the Druids, lives peacefully in Arizona, running an occult bookshop and shape-shifting in his spare time to hunt with his Irish wolfhound. His neighbors and customers think that this handsome, tattooed Irish dude is about twenty-one years old—when in actuality, he’s twenty-one centuries old. Not to mention: He draws his power from the earth, possesses a sharp wit, and wields an even sharper magical sword known as Fragarach, the Answerer.

Unfortunately, a very angry Celtic god wants that sword, and he’s hounded Atticus for centuries. Now the determined deity has tracked him down, and Atticus will need all his power—plus the help of a seductive goddess of death, his vampire and werewolf team of attorneys, a sexy bartender possessed by a Hindu witch, and some good old-fashioned luck of the Irish—to kick some Celtic arse and deliver himself from evil. 

My Review

Can I just say that this is pretty much exactly the type of urban fantasy I prefer to read? I will, anyway. I LOVE this! It hits the nail on the head in terms of the characters, the plot, the humor, the fantasy aspect, and the urban-ness of it all. It is perfection... 

Atticus is that type of male protagonist that I usually fall very hard for, so I'm already a dead fish in a barrel for him. Or, to put it in Oberon's terms, Atticus' dog, I'm a juicy steak that landed on the floor right at his paws. I'm easily bowled over by these sarcastic, sexy heroes of urban fantasy. They are cool and relaxed, but will kick major bootay when necessary. They usually are not normal human beings, and for Atticus, that means he is an 2,100-year-old Druid who has a pretty clever way of staying perpetually twenty-one (give me some of that stuff!).

The entire story is told through Atticus' point-of-view, so we get a huge dose of his wit and wisdom, which comes in spades. He's always ready with a clever quip, and a remarkable way of humiliating the over-confident characters who think they're uber smart. But, he's not even close to being the only amazing character in this novel because it is chock-full of crazy, amazing characters.

Atticus owns probably literature's finest, funniest, most adorable pooch in Oberon, his Irish wolfhound. He has been able to establish a telepathic link with him, and over time, Oberon picked up on how to understand and think in English, thus allowing them to communicate with each other. These lines are some of the best and most hilarious parts of the story. How about the part where Atticus is yakking about something that has to do with ancient Druids, and Oberon very kindly admits, <I have no idea what you're talking about.> Nevermind, says Atticus in response.

One of Atticus' biggest problems is with the local witch coven, as their kind have proven to him many centuries earlier that witches can never be trusted. As one witch happened to forget that the SPCA stands for preventing the cruelty towards animals, mistaking it for a society dedicated to the cruelty of animals, Atticus says to Oberon, “See? Witches.” <I see what you mean now,> thinks Oberon, <She'd probably give me a sausage and it would have broccoli in it.>

Atticus finds he has to deal with all sorts of unwanted trouble because his old enemy, a faerie by the name of Anghus Og, the Celtic god of love, wants the sword Fragarach, which is one of the most powerful swords in the world. Addy spends the whole of the novel being chased by, and fighting off, the local police, other inhumane faeries, Fir Bolgs, which are these mean giants, and some seriously witchy witches all within his miles of his home. One of Hounded's many strengths is how it blends mundane reality with the paranormal in a very realistic way.

Thank goodness he has the raddest lawyers ever to help him out in more ways than to simply comprehend the fine print: not only are they tough-as-nails with the cops, keeping them in line, but his day attorney is a werewolf and his night attorney is a vampire (a hot Icelandic guy with white hair who speaks in iambic pentameter), so they can kick butt, too. Epic, and they do their heroic thing in only the way awesome lawyers can—Larry H. Parker's got nothing on these guys.

There's really no romance, but that doesn't mean Addy has no romantic interest in anyone. He's a guy, essentially a human guy at that, so we find out what goes through his mind every time an attractive female shows up. But, he's partial to the pretty red-headed barmaid named Granuaile, and they form a certain interesting alliance with each other. It's just the perfect sort of alliance for them that allows for a possible future romance, although does not guarantee it (but, how could it not?), thus making me want to see if it'll ever happen in future novels.

I think if you want to read something hilarious, super fun, and has plenty of action, then this is the perfect book for you (it certainly is for me!). I've already started reading the next installment, as I cannot even hope to put my mind to anything else. I'm completely addicted! It is one of the best books I read all last year.

My score: 5 out of 5 stars. (I LOVED this!)

Book Blogging Goals for 2012

My Book Blogging Goals for 2012

Okay, I've decided to make a few changes for the sanity of my own real life because there just has to be more balance in it. Like all book bloggers, I don't have much balance when it comes to reading and reviewing books. For me, it's time I do some things differently from last year because some things just aren't working for me anymore. 

So, here are a few goals I'd like to set and maintain for myself, as a book blogger, in the year 2012. 

1. Change my review policy: 

This means I plan on no longer accepting unsolicited reviews from authors and publicists. I feel really terrible about revoking this, but I cannot read these ARCs and review copies fast enough to do any of these people any good! I will finish the pile I have started, but I will not accept requests from any new people. If you are an old acquaintance I've already made, then please do contact me about your books! I will keep the connects alive that I've already made.

Beyond this, I still intend to request a few ARCs from NetGalley and read some things of interest from Galley Grab, but I will not be making ARCs/RCs a very big priority this year. I will support authors by purchasing their books, reading them, and spreading the word about them with my reviews. This includes indie authors, as well. 

2. Read the books I purchased last year (2011):

Okay, here's my form of blogger guilt. I spent A LOT of money on books last year, and didn't even read half of them. How did that even happen? I seriously do not know. But, I will be reading those books this year because I consider it a waste of money until those books are read. I don't like to waste money because I have so little of it. I'm grateful I was able to buy what I did, so I'm going to buckle-down and read those books!

3. Read some of the books I downloaded for free:

I don't feel quite the amount of guilt here, but I do feel like I download a free ebook to my Kindle, then just pretty much forget it's there. I really do try to download only what I truly want to read, but because it was neither a review copy I agreed to review, nor a book I actually paid money for, I have the tendency to put reading these books off until... never. That I want to stop doing. 

4. Create Review-Themed Months for My Blog:

I came up with an idea recently that might just make it possible to read some books I've not been able to make time for by creating entire months dedicated to certain types of books. I'd like a month where I only review self-published novels, one for all steampunk, another for all vampires, and etc. I'm actually planning on doing some themed months I won't even announce on this blog because who really wants to know about "All-ARCs Review Month," or "All-Book-Freebies Review Month?"  


I actually do plan on reading more books this year than I did last year, but that's only because, like I said earlier, I have so many books I haven't read that I've already purchased. They refuse to read themselves, so I have to do it myself. Otherwise, I'd probably read much less, since it's not a numbers game for me. 


If you are a book blogger, what are your book blogging goals for 2012?

Review: Switched by Amanda Hocking

Switched (Trylle Trilogy, #1)

by Amanda Hocking

Genre: Fantasy/Paranormal

Reading Grade: Young Adult

Publication Date: January 3, 2012

Source: Kindle store

Age Rating: 14+

| Amazon |

When Wendy Everly was six-years-old, her mother was convinced she was a monster and tried to kill her. It isn't until eleven years later that Wendy discovers her mother might have been right. With the help of Finn Holmes, Wendy finds herself in a world she never knew existed—a world both beautiful and frightening, and Wendy's not sure she wants to be a part of it.

My Review

I read this novel about a year ago and I'm happy to see it venturing into traditional publishing, although this book was already going gangbusters while being self-published! Even though I already reviewed it way back when my blog was brand new, I decided to rewrite my review and publish the new version for the novel's re-release date set for tomorrow.

I really like this story and its interesting characters. Amanda Hocking gives Wendy, the main character, a really snarky, sarcastic attitude, which I adored right away. Hocking writes so well in the YA voice and it shows. I think this comes naturally for some people, and she's one of them. As for the story, she does a great job making me constantly ask questions, which get answered in sprinkles throughout the book. No info-dumping here because it's done right.

Wendy is kind of an irresponsible teenager, but very likable. Without her I-feel-out-of-place attitude, the story would lose one of its most important themes, which I'll touch on later. And, although I like Finn, her love-interest, I am not bowled over by him, but, he's a good guy. Still, so many awesome characters are in this book, like Matt (Wendy's brother), Rhys and Tove, just to name my top three faves. I can't tell you how much I fell in love with Rhys! He is the cutest teenage boy ever. The charming characters really sold me on this series.

But, what I think really makes this story stand out above the crowd is the unusual premise based on the concept of beautiful trolls. Trolls? Yes, trolls—those mythical creatures that live under bridges. Well, these trolls do not live under any bridges, but they are based on real troll mythology, as there are some cultures in the world that have attractive, human-like trolls. This is what inspired Hocking's world-building of her trolls and their very unique social structure.

The back-story on the trolls is fascinating. The novel reveals how the Trylle society—what the trolls call themselves—functions, and why they depend so much on their changeling babies. It's such a smart idea, even if a tad unethical. When a human baby from a wealthy family is about to be born, the Trylle use their Persuasion abilities, supernatural mind-alteration, to switch the human baby for a Trylle baby, usually of the same sex. That Trylle baby is then raised with the rich humans until age eighteen, then they are tracked and returned to Trylle society where the Trylle grift money from the rich humans who raised the Trylle child. Wow. Just a bit immoral, but still so interesting.

When it comes to the romance, there is some, but the plot doesn't revolve around it, which I think is good. It's set-up very much like a lot of YA paranormal where it plays a large roll, but the story is really a coming-of-age novel about Wendy discovering who she is and where she fits into the world. As for the ending, it feels rushed, and I would have liked the last scene fleshed out more. It's so emotional, yet glossed over too quickly. But, Switched is a great piece of story-telling, and I'm eager to read and review the rest of the books in the trilogy.

My score: 4 out of 5 stars. (I really liked it.)

Review: A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

A Christmas Carol

by Charles Dickens 

Genre: Fantasy/Christmas (novella)

Reading Grade: Adult

Publication Date: December 17, 1843

Source: purchased paperback

Age Rating: all ages

| Amazon |

Ebenezer Scrooge is a heartless old miser who hates everything, especially Christmas. Then one mysterious Christmas Eve, Scrooge is visited by three spirits who take him on a fantastic journey and teach him the true meaning of the season. 

 

My Review

Here's a review of an old classic that I bet a lot of people these days don't actually sit down and read much anymore, like I do sometimes. Which is a shame because reading the actual novella of this well-dramatized tale is so much more insightful and fun than getting it from some modern adaptation. Reading from The Master himself, Charles Dickens, is like being transported back in time to when he lived and breathed and celebrated Christmas the way people did back then.

People threw parties and invited over their family and friends and played 'blindman's bluff' and 'yes and no,' and drank spiked punch, knowing it was spiked, and ran around in the snowy streets of London buying the fattest Christmas geese they could get from the nearby street vendors. It sounds like it was all so festive and lively. And, Dickens is the best at describing things in a way that makes it feel real, which is like having a freakin' time machine! I'd give anything to go back in time to his day, and thankfully, we sort of get to because of his writing legacy.

Probably one of the best preserved records of how people lived during Queen Victoria's reign of Great Britain are contained in anything Dickens wrote, but what makes this one so special is how it captures their Christmas, and how the way we modern people celebrate it today was only just starting to take shape back then. In fact, they began the tradition of sending each other Christmas cards that same year, in 1843, when this story was published. And, in 1841, Prince Albert popularized the Christmas Tree, bringing that tradition to all the English-speaking world from Germany.

And, to think that Christmas and how we celebrate it is really not so different than it was back then kind of touches my heart. If only I could tell Mr. Dickens that his ghostly little story—which he liked to call it—is still so popular to this day. That we can't even separate it from Christmas at all! We still cry when we think of Tiny Tim and what Scrooge did to prevent his untimely death—becoming one of literature's greatest villains-turned-heroes. Hopefully, our modern society will continue to keep A Christmas Carol in our hearts for several more generations yet to come….

My score: 5 out of 5 stars. (I LOVE this.)

 

Review: My Soul to Take by Rachel Vincent

My Soul to Take (Soul Screamers, #1)

by Rachel Vincent 

Genre: Fantasy/Paranormal

Reading Grade: Young Adult

Publication Date: August 1, 2009

Source: Kindle store purchase

Age Rating: 14+

| Amazon |

She doesn't see dead people. She senses when someone near her is about to die. And when that happens, a force beyond her control compels her to scream bloody murder. Literally.

Kaylee just wants to enjoy having caught the attention of the hottest guy in school. But a normal date is hard to come by when Nash seems to know more about her need to scream than she does. And when classmates start dropping dead for no apparent reason, only Kaylee knows who'll be next. 

My Review

This is a series that I had given up on after reading the prequel short story, “My Soul to Lose,” but I decided I should give the regular novels a try, after all. I didn't think it was completely fair of me to judge an entire novel series based on one little prequel short story, since authors rarely put very much effort into writing them. I'm glad I decided to try the novels out because the first one really is far more interesting than the prequel.

Kaylee Cavanaugh starts out having already been to a mental hospital because she couldn't stop screaming when she sensed the imminent demise approaching a boy in a wheelchair at the shopping mall. She has no idea why she did that, and in this volume, she starts doing it again when some teenage girls start dropping dead all around her, and her urge to scream continues.

This novel is well-written and carries you along with its quick pace—which I like because it makes me read faster. I'm a pretty slow reader, so any book that can make me get through it faster automatically becomes more likeable. Never a dull moment, even when nothing terribly special is happening, because once a little lull in the plot starts becoming evident, some wild and crazy thing happens. It keeps you moving right along with an actual plot, which earns more points from me.

The characters are interesting, too—especially Kaylee. She's a good person who is brave and won't just let other characters do everything for her. And, she won't let them keep things from her, either. She wants to know what's going on and what she can do to help. Nash, her love interest, is not as interesting as she is, to my dismay, but he's a good guy. I sort of wish I felt like the two had more in common with each other, or had a realistic reason to be so into each other. To a degree, their relationship feels too shallow, and I'm not a fan of characters hooking-up so early on in a story with each other. Although, it may be justified in this story.

Tod was my favorite character. Because he's a guy who deals with the dead, he can't be completely trusted, and he's as wily as a fox. I like him for being the trickster that he is, and he's the type who will help people usually if they make it worth his while. He was just cute and intriguing, so I'm interested in seeing what role he'll play in the rest of the novels. Hopefully, there is a lot more of him, as there wasn't much of him in this installment.

Overall, I think this series has strength in its great story-telling, which never lets you get bored, and its dramatic characters. Because death is the subject of the story, there is plenty of that, too. It kind of forces you to wonder all the time you're reading, who will die next? You never know, and that keeps the suspense alive and well.

My score: 4 stars out of 5. (I really liked it.)

Review: Nine-Tail Fox by Camille Picott

Nine-Tail Fox: A Chinese Heritage Tale (Vol. 2)

by Camille Picott 

Genre: Fantasy/Mythology (novella)

Reading Grade: Middle Grade

Publication Date: September 28, 2011

Source: paperback from author

Age Rating: 10+

| Amazon |

When fifth-grade Emma Chan-McDougal is ridiculed by her classmates for being part Chinese, she's devastated. To ease Emma's wounded self-esteem, her aunt, a Chinese immigrant, spins the mythical tale of a brave little Nine-Tail Fox named Ainu who lives in San Francisco.

In a parallel animal world that comes to life when humans slumber, Ainu Nine-Tail and her mother face off against Chih Yu, an ancient demon who feeds on hatred. As the last of their clan, the Nine-Tails are honor-bound by a family oath to defend the Chinese animals from the demon. When Chih Yu kills her mother and leads an angry mob against Chinatown, Ainu is left to complete the task alone. Raw with grief and only partially trained for battle, Ainu must reach deep inside herself to find the wisdom and courage to save her people.

Will the journey of Ainu Nine-Tail help Emma find the strength to confront the school bullies and win back her confidence? 

 

My Review 

Oh, wow—another awesome Chinese heritage tale by Camille Picott! I like this one even better than Raggedy Chan. It has all the excitement and thrill of a big-budget classic Disney animated film with cute Chinese fantasy animals as its main characters. 

This story is all about teaching kids how to deal with racially motivated bullying, as it draws from the annals of San Francisco's history of Chinese discrimination. I don't know anything about it, but apparently, back in the 19^th century, Americans wanted the Chinese immigrants to leave because they were taking away jobs, food, and commodities from San Franciscans. 

In a gorgeous and wonderfully creative allegory using white nine-tail foxes and black, horned leopard-like creatures, Picott tells the story of how a young female fox named Ainu manages to defeat the evil and deceitful Chih-Yu, a spirit-world monster that feeds on and grows stronger from the hatred of the corporeal world's inhabitants. His purpose is to destroy all the descendents of General Nine-Tail, which Ainu Nine-Tail happens to be. 

In the story, this allegory is being told to ten-year-old Emma Chan-McDougal, who is half-Chinese-half-American, by her Auntie Gracie, a Chinese immigrant living in San Francisco. In her own loving and tolerant way, Auntie tells Emma not to get discouraged by the bully at her school who calls her a squint because she has the physical features of a Chinese. That “friend” has only been tricked by Chih-Yu, who makes Americans hate Chinese people, and in the tale, she relates exactly how Ainu defeated Chih-Yu so Emma can do it, too. 

Needless to say, it does the job wonderfully for the young girl. I really enjoy this story, as it flings you right into the action and devastation of the first Act, which left me in early tears. Then, more tears as Ainu leads the way for her fellow Chinese animals, and helps to ensure that Chih-Yu will never regain the power of hatred ever again. 

I think anyone who loves epic tales of heroism, much like what you see when you watch a classic Disney cartoon, will adore this novella. Although this is completely different from Mulan, Ainu displays a very similar sort of courage and bravery to Mulan's, which will leave you feeling proud and satisfied in the end. It's a fabulous read for any child, whether bullied or not, Chinese or not. In fact, people of all ages would enjoy this and should read it. 

* I received this complementary copy from the author in exchange for an honest review. 

My score: 5 out of 5 stars. (I loved it!)