Thief of Lives

Written By: Barb & J.C. Hendee

Copyright: 2003

Publisher:  Penguin, ROC

Pages 410

This will be my forth book in Quest The First.

Quest The First : Read at least 5 books that fit somewhere within the Once Upon a Time criteria. They might all be fantasy, or folklore, or fairy tales, or mythology…or your five books might be a combination from the four genres

This is the second book in the Dhampir series. To read my first review click here :D

 Magiere, Leesil, and Chap are happy in their home in Miiska. They're about to reopen the newly rebuilt Sea Lion and it seems that life will finally have some normalcy for the trio. 

 Since the burning of the main trade wherehouse the town is in dire straits, and its people have little to no money to live on. There are many who resent Magiere and her companions, although most realize the fire was a necessary sacrifice in order to rid their town of Noble Dead. 

When a proposal comes to Magiere from the city of Bela that would earn her enough money to rebuild the wherehouse and save Miiska, she can not refuse....or can she? The offer would require Magiere to become the hunter again, and that transformation is something she simply can't come to terms with.

The way I see it: This book is written so that even if you hadn't read Dhampir, you would still understand what's going on. It delves further into Leesil and Magieres' relationship, which forces both of them to battle their individual demons. It also exposes many of the hidden secrets behind Chap, Leesils "Dog" and the infamous Welstiel, the noble who taught Magiere what she truly was in the first story. 

The bad, the bad, and the ugly: A little too much background info from the first book IMO. Also in the first half of the book the Magiere/Leesil up/down, back/forth thing got a bit annoying. Lastly, the cover....In my mind, (and that's the one that counts right now...lol) these characters are a Lot better looking :D

Love it or Leave it: All in all...Gotta go with Love it. The initial annoyances worked themselves out. I also immensely enjoyed uncovering Chaps' story, as I find him to be highly entertaining :D

Things I've Learned NOT to do, from Movies and Books.

This idea came to me as I was reading a post over at Pen and Paper...
"YOUR DINNER IS IN THE DOG" The post was about occurrences that commonly go on in movies and soaps that would't generally happen in everyday life.
The following was actually the beginnings of my response, until I realized that human nature would instinctually force us to look back at our pursuer to see if we were still in danger. It's only this, and other stereotypical movie scenes that compel us to change what has evolutionally been bread into us as a survival instinct.
If I've learned one thing from horror/thriller movies, It's...Don't....Look....Back!!! Every time someone's being chased through the dark, creepy woods by an ax murderer, (generally, a scantily clad young women...lol) they make good progress for a while, and then Boom!!!...they look back. Of course, once they do, they trip over the proverbial tree root and the ax murderer does what ax murderers do...lol

In reality, is anyone really walking through the dark, creepy woods??.....NO! They're Dark... and Creepy, and usually have preceding stories about all the people who have been murdered there before the current unfortunate tripper.

So, if at any point in the future I am being pursued by ax murderers, monsters, ghosts or any other form of baddy...I shall condition myself to keep my sights forward....and wear more clothing :D

Covers That Make Me Say...Really??

 I'm writing this post because there are sooo many book, magazine, video, and even game covers that truly make me say....Really?? So I've decided to share :D

In complete fairness, I'll also add information, and/or reviews on the current apple of my eye. For although their covers may be an enigma to me, that is not to say that they aren't amazing works.

This week...Kiss of Snow
                       Author: Nalini Singh

                       Hardcover: 432 pages

Publisher: Berkley Hardcover (May 31, 2011)

Release Date: May 31, 2011

I was searching for new Science Fiction & Fantasy books when I came across this cover. Well, to say the least it made me p...a...u...s...e...lol After I came back to reality I read the summary on a few different sites and, low and behold...It sounds like an interesting story...no for reals, the story sounds good!
I think my "Really?" moment occurred because the cover is a bit soft porny to me.  It sounds like an entertaining read, and I'm sure it would hold it's own without such an "eye catching" cover. I'm not big on romance novels, but if you're a fan this could be a whole lot of fun.

If any of you have had "Really??" moments...I'd love to hear them :D

                      Goodreads Summary

New York Times bestselling author Nalini Singh's exhilarating world of shapeshifters and psychics is "paranormal romance at its best" (Publishers Weekly). Now comes the story of an alpha wolf named Hawke used to getting exactly what he wants--and of the only woman who dares tangle with him.

Blassreiter

Directed by: Ichiro Itano

Studio: Gonzo, Nitroplus

The series premiere: April 5, 2008 –September 27, 2008

Episodes: 24

This is my second Quest on Screen review.

Rules: Stories are not just limited to the printed page. Many entertaining, moving, profound or simply fun stories are told in the realm of television and film. To participate in this quest simply let us know about the films and/or television shows that you feel fit into the definitions of fantasy, fairy tales, folklore or mythology that you are enjoying during the challenge.

Demoniacs are creatures that were once human. They're able to merge their bodies with just about any technology. Cars, motor cycles...even computers. They use them as a means to purge human kind from the face of the earth, starting with Germany. Oh, did I mention they're an epidemic...yes. They're producing more of their kind through the people they come in contact at an alarming rate. And the worse part is...no one knows how. Their ultimate goal, (aside from wiping out the human race) is to find the ultimate demoniac called the Blassreiter.

That's where the XAT , (Xenogenesis Assault Team) comes in. They're an organisation that attempts to contain the demoniacs and ascertain how they're able to spread so rapidly. Little do they know, they're not the only organization out there who has an interest in the demoniacs.

The way I see it:  There are demoniacs that use their power for good....and not so good to say the least. Some, who have come to this power by choice, and some whom it was forced upon. They also have different levels of consciousness, ranging from mindless drone to pathological, (yet delusional) genius. 

This series has a Large cast of characters, centering around Joseph, who may, or may not be the hero of this tale. All of the characters' stories are introduced at some point in the series, (both human and demoniac) and...much like life...you gain a greater understanding of their actions in looking past the surface. 

The bad, the bad, and the ugly: As I watched the first episode, I wasn't sure I was going to enjoy this series. It was mainly about a motorcycle race and I didn't feel like it had much depth. In anime however, I've learned that the first one, or even the first several episodes are very much like the cover of a book...it doesn't always do justice to the story inside. So I continued :D

Love it or Leave it: Overall, I'd have to give it a Love it. There were many instances when I wasn't sure who, (for lack of a better term) the "bad guys" were. It really kept me guessing and did it in a way that I wasn't annoyed...lol Also the character stories were integrated almost seamlessly. I enjoyed learning about their past, and the trials and tribulations that created them and were the catalyst for their actions.

The Outstretched Shadow- Obsidian Trilogy, Book One

Written by: Mercedes Lackey and James Mallory

Copyright: 2003

Publisher: Tor

Pages: 711

This will be my third book for Quest The First.

Quest The First : Read at least 5 books that fit somewhere within the Once Upon a Time criteria. They might all be fantasy, or folklore, or fairy tales, or mythology…or your five books might be a combination from the four genres.

Let me begin by saying that this is my second time around with The Obsidian Trilogy, but I've never reviewed it. I had the itch to read it again and thought it would be perfect for the OUaT Challenge :D

Kellen is the only son of the Arch-Mage of Armethalieh, The Golden City of the Bells. As such he is expected to set the standard in both mage craft and behavior. Kellen however, is sorely lacking in both areas, and continues to be a disappointment and an embarrassment to his father.

Living in a "perfect" Armethaliehn society is a challenge for Kellen, who is stifled by the complete control the mages have over every detail, from music and weather, to the very knowledge each citizen poseses. 

While searching the lower market for clues of his city's past, he happens upon a set of books that will forever change the course of his life. Through them, he encounters creatures he believed to only exist in wondertale, and begins an adventure that will effect the fate of all. 

The way I see it: This is a book about choices. You get the very strong idea that the future of every race is weighted heavily on each choice that Kellen, and his fellow characters make. You also get insights into his thought process and how he weighs the pros and cons of these decisions. It's a birds eye view of the mind set of a 17 year old who has never been very good at anything and is completely unsure of himself. As the story progresses Kellen finally starts to understand who he's meant to be, and what sacrifices he's willing to make for the good of his world. 

The bad, the bad, and the ugly: After reading this for the second time, I still have the same opinion...you have to get through the first few chapters for the excitement to begin. There's no instant gratification, but once it starts, it doesn't end :D

Love it or Leave it: OMG!!! Love it! It is one of my very most favorite series and it's starting out just as good the second time around. I find myself laughing out loud at times, and Kellen is absolutely endearing. Not wanting to give anything away, I didn't delve into detail about the other characters, but I have to tell you... the supporting characters are just as amazing.

OMW...Ghost Story

"On My Wishlist is a fun weekly event hosted by Book Chick City and runs every Saturday. It's where I list all the books I desperately want but haven't actually bought yet. They can be old, new or forthcoming." 

This looked like a very enjoyable meme indeed, so I thought I'd give it a go. 

I originally spotted it through Serendipity's Blog. So Shout Out!!

Written by: Jim Butcher

Copyright: 2011

Publisher: Roc

Pages: 432

Release Date:  July 26, 2011




 From JimButcher.com : When we last left the mighty wizard detective Harry Dresden, he wasn’t doing well. In fact, he had been murdered by an unknown assassin.

But being dead doesn’t stop him when his friends are in danger. Except now he has no body, and no magic to help him. And there are also several dark spirits roaming the Chicago shadows who owe Harry some payback of their own.

To save his friends — and his own soul — Harry will have to pull off the ultimate trick without any magic…

I CAN NOT WAIT!!!! 

I have read all of the Dresden files and also the Codex Alera series by Jim Butcher. Loved them all :D

Harry Dresden is one of my all time favorite characters. He's very...imperfect :D The Dresden Files are what I would describe as "easy reads" But that could just  be because I enjoy them so much. Simplistic, funny, action packed, and a wee bit sarcastic...lol Just can't get enough!

My Cinematic Alphabet

I saw this one over at Polychrome Interest and thought it might be fun :D
So here we go....
I thought I should preface this meme by saying that these are not the greatest movies of all time, with the best acting, special effects and movie scores. (Although some of them are, in my opinion :) These are movies that, If they're on...I'm watching them. They're also movies that, if they're not on...I put them on once in a while. In essence, I never get tired of seeing them :D

A is for Annie: Love the 1982 version with Carol Bernett and Albert Finney.

B is a tie between Blade Trinity, and Best in Show...both of which contain Parker Posey.

C is for Conan the Destroyer...oh, yes is is :D

D is for The Dark Crystal

E....The Empire Strikes Back

F= The Fifth Element

G stands for...Goonies

H...Hocus Pocus

I can only be Indiana Jones...What, you want me to choose...Raiders :D

J (after much deliberation) shall be JASON AND THE ARGONAUTS

I know...he's fighting skeletons!!!!

K: Krull, Krull, Krull

L .... One L to Rule them all, One L to Find them, One L to bring them all, and in the Darkness Bind them

Lord of the Rings

M :D My Neighbor Totoro

and I can't forget

Meet me in Saint Louis

O...nce again The Divine Miss M

Outrageous Fortune

P is for Princess...Bride that is

Q...Shhhhhh, The Quiet Man

Rrrrraising Arizona

and a qiuck shout to Resident Evil

it'S Singing in the Rain

Woof I <3 me some Gene Kelly...yummy

T...R....E....K's

 

Double Woof Captain Picard

U have to love Underworld

Vaaaannn  Helsing

And I also have to add Christmas Vacation...I HAVE too

W Is for When Harry Met Sally

X-Men Too easy

Y I love Lucy...

Yours, Mine and Ours (1968)

Z..for me

Zoolander..I know, but really...Zoolander

Seirei no Moribito-Anime at it's Best

Directed by:  Kenji Kamiyama

Studio: Production I.G

                                              The series premiere:  United States,  August 24, 2008

The series premiere:  Japan, April 7, 2007

Episodes: 26

This is my first Quest on Screen review.

Rules: Stories are not just limited to the printed page. Many entertaining, moving, profound or simply fun stories are told in the realm of television and film. To participate in this quest simply let us know about the films and/or television shows that you feel fit into the definitions of fantasy, fairy tales, folklore or mythology that you are enjoying during the challenge.

Balsa is a spear-wielding warrior. She refers to herself as " a simple bodyguard" yet is obviously much, much more. Balsa has made a vow to save the lives of eight people. Her reasons for this atonement are hinted at, and then finally revealed as the story progresses. Upon entering a new city, she saves a young boy, (who happens to be the Second Prince of the imperial family) from droning. Shortly there after she is secretly called to the palace by his mother the Second Queen. She asks Balsa to take the prince away and guard him for the rest of his life, for his father the Mikado will murder him if she does not. You see it has been for told by the master star readers that the prince will be the bearer of a water demon that will bring drought and ruin to their country. Balsa agrees and she and Chagum begin their perilous journey together.

The way I see it: Rich, deep, complicated characters. Beautiful to the eyes, and compelling to the mind. Classic anime always contains a plethora of emotions and textures. Love, humor, betrayal...it's all there. The animators (ARTISTS) have simply outdone themselves in this series. The use of light and shadow, coloration, layering and movement are amazing. Fight scenes...to-die-for.


The bad, the bad, and the ugly: I just can't find anything about this series I don't like. Maybe that it hasn't been made into an RPG yet...lol

Love it or Leave it: A Ginormous Love It!!!!In my humble opinion.... It's a must see :D

The Dark Griffin

Written by: K.J. Taylor

Copyright: 2009

Publisher: Penguin...Ace Fantasy

Pages: 369

This will be my second book for Quest The First.

Quest The First : Read at least 5 books that fit somewhere within the Once Upon a Time criteria. They might all be fantasy, or folklore, or fairy tales, or mythology…or your five books might be a combination from the four genres.

And my quest continues...This story begins with the early life of the dark griffin and his struggles to survive after his mothers untimely death.
It then switches over to the life of Arren, a griffiner, and the youngest to obtain that title. Although born free, he's also a Northerner by blood. A people known for their black magic and warlike nature, most Northerners are now slaves.  Arren, although born in the South, still carries the black hair and eyes of his race. Eluna, his partner, a white griffin, is the only thing that keeps the southern prejudices at bay, for the black robes as they're called, are truly loathed and feared by the southern people.
 In order to repay a debt, Arren and Eluna are given the opportunity to capture a wild griffin. This is where our characters meet for the first time, and where both of their lives are turned completely upside down.

The way I see it: The dark Griffin is a character of voraciousness and also an abundant amount if innocents. Both ferocious and childlike, I thoroughly enjoyed him. His emotions were quite simple, very black and white. Arren on the other hand has a great deal of conflicting emotions about who he is and where he truly belonges. He does everything he can to deny that part of himself so hated by the people around him. I believe they balance each other very well. It's a love hate relationship, but one of mutual respect. The real kicker to this book is finding out who the mastermind is. I was surprised to find out who actually put the wheels in motion, and how devious the plot really was.


The bad, the bad, and the ugly: Hmmmmm, well, although I believe the background info on the characters was needed, I wish they would have gotten together a little earlier in the story. I found myself waiting with baited breath....and then waiting some more.

Love it or Leave it: Even though the "actual story" had a bit of a slow start, I'd have to give this one a love it. The later parts of the book made it well worth the read. I found myself up much later than I should have been trying to finish it :D I'm very much looking forward to the next in the series.

Dhampir

Written By: Barb & J.C. Hendee

Copyright: 2003

Publisher:  Penguin

Pages 375

This will be my second book in the Once Upon A Time challenge and my first for Quest The First.

Quest The First : Read at least 5 books that fit somewhere within the Once Upon a Time criteria. They might all be fantasy, or folklore, or fairy tales, or mythology…or your five books might be a combination from the four genres.

And My Quest Begins....Magiere had been raised by her aunt. She had heard the stories of her father. The whispers among the villagers named him as unnatural. Her mother died giving birth to her, and her father moved on, not wanting to be burdened with an illegitimate child.
Ostracized and taunted by the villagers, the only kindness she knew was from her aunt. On her 16th birthday she was given a falchion and two mysterious necklaces, left to her by her father.
This is where her story truly begins.

Magiere abandons the place of her birth, and the memories that went with it. Living her life on the road, she soon meets  Leesil, a pick-pocket...or should I say, catches him, and his traveling companion, a wolf like dog named Chap. As they journey together, they conceive a plan that gives them a reputation for being vampire hunters. After "saving" yet another village Chap senses something stalking them and Magiere finds herself doing battle with a creature unlike anything she's ever encountered. As the battle goes on she finds herself ....changing. Not understanding what's  happening to her, she feels a hatred that she's never known. Magiere knows only one thing she must kill this creature at any cost.

The way I see it: It's interesting, I started out with one impression of the characters in this book, (not just Magiere and Leesil) and ended up with a completely different one. The authors introduced attributes of their personalities and pieces of their past in careful layers, which changed my opinion of the characters ever so slowly. For all that, I still found it to be a fast read, do in part, to the fact that I couldn't put it down at times...lol The biggest mystery of all of course, is Magiere who knows neither who, nor what she really is.

The bad, the bad, and the ugly: The only thing that bothered me a little bit about this book was the fate of two of the main vampire characters. I like to feel that characters deserve what they get, one way or another....greys are not my thing. I still wasn't sure of that at the end of this book...but then again, neither was Magiere.

Love it or Leave it: Looooved it :D I very much enjoyed the evolution of the characters. Especially Leesil, It took a while before I really "got him" if you know what I mean, and he was quite a funny fellow as well. I'll absolutely be purchasing the next book in the series.

On to my next book in Quest The First.

Bookcases

Well, the time has finally come...I have more books and games then home...actually that time has been in existence for many years BUT...I've finally done something about it. And my solution is...Da da da daaaaa..Bookcases :D. Yes..I've built them, much to the extreme pleasure of my husband. And here they are

It took me about two weeks total as I had to do them custom, (they're almost 9 feet) but but I'm really pleased with the results. As I told my husband...they're exactly as I'd envisioned them.

Once I got them done, I realized that building them was indeed the easy part. It seemed that EVERY room in my house, and in every nook and cranny, there was some sort of literature, video or game. It took forever to find everything and I'm pretty sure I've missed some...lol Most of the books went on the double shelves and I decided to store the majority of the baby books as my youngest is now 11, but some of them were too dear to me to part with in storage, so they stayed :D

Anyway, things are much neater now, and It worked out so well, I've decided to do some built in in this room as well...Quite the adventure

The Cloud Roads

Written by Martha Wells

Copyright: 2011

Publisher: Night Shade Books

Cover art: Matthew Stewart

Pages: 278

This is my first book in the Once Upon A Time Challenge. And also my very first review.

My Journey begins, and the rules are:

By signing up for The Journey you are agreeing to read at least one book within one of the four categories during March 21st to June 20th period. The categories are fantasy, folklore, fairy tales, or mythology.

Moon had always lived in fear of people finding out what he truly was, although he himself wasn't really sure. What he did know was that he was a shape shifter. His Groundling form enabled him to blend in with most societies, at least for a time. His shifted form however, very much resembled the Fell. A race of beings that all others lived in fear of.

Alone from the time he was very young, Moon struggles to conceal his secret and has given up on finding others of his own kind. Then, expelled from yet another settlement and left to die, he's taken by a creature that he believes to be a new type of Fell, and Moon just knows he'll be it's next meal.

The way I see it: Moons story is one of an outsider, always being different and wanting desperately to belong...even if he would never admit it. As a human being, the emotional trials Moon goes through are easily relatable. Lies, deception, fear of the unknown, abandonment...The author gives us a view of Moons very personal thoughts and shows us how he relates...or doesn't relate, to the world around him. Humor is used to lighten some of the darker aspects of Moons adventure which. To me makes his story even more enjoyable.

The bad, the bad, and the ugly: Having to find something I didn't like about this book isn't an easy task. But if I had to...and I do, I'd say that there were quite a few characters that at times were hard to keep track of.

Love it or Leave it: Definitely love it. It's one of those books that at times you just can't put down. It's what I would consider an easy read but has a lot of meat to it. The story is humorous, exciting, relatable and edge of your seat at times. I enjoyed it tremendously...big kudos from this reader.

Thus ends my first Journey. I believe I shall continue on with Quest The First :D