Don’t know if this is an official image of the book. Just thought it worked well enough given how the story unfolds. No Copyright Intended.
I love writing stories. But let’s face it. It’s a grind.
So, to take a breather from said grind (I say as I work on my project for next month) I decided to do something familiar and really easy for me and that might prove fruitful for my blogs analytics. A good ol’ review post.
This time though, instead of a fun video game or a meaningful and optimistic anime, I’m talking about Arthur C. Clarke’s Childhood’s End. A novel that might feel a little cynical at times but handles it ideas with a kind of reverence. As if it’s a book meant to be a eulogy for the funeral of humanity.
MINOR SPOILERS AHEAD (and some good ol’ existential dread!)
EARTH AND THE OVERLORDS
Cover art for the paperback edition in 1972 by Dean Ellis.
The novel sees a race of extraterrestrials that we call the Overlords coming to Earth with, seemingly, benevolent intentions. But as history unfolds and humanity flourishes from the technological and societal innovations thanks to the Overlords’ intervention, we see that the aliens’ reasons for coming to Earth run much deeper than any sense of altruism or even pity. And in the end, the reader of this book is left with an uncomfortable, even unnerving, thought; that humankind just isn’t meant for the stars.
The book is separated into three parts. The first sees the arrival of the Overlords and how their presence has the political and economic state of Earth in shambles. The second shows humanity as an Overlord guided utopian society, with some still questioning the high price of paradise. And then the thematic threads and emotional pathos of the novel come together in the final act to see the pressure release in a melancholic flourish.
The pacing could be a little everywhere throughout the book. The second part in particular I felt was quite slow but gains some traction in it’s last few chapters. And it sets up everything that comes in the third part really well. Of which, I’ll talk about in a minute.
There isn’t really a lot to the first part. It’s more of a happy friendship story that near completely counters the last act. But the first part establishes something about the book that remains consistent quite literally until the last page; there’s some heart to this story. And I don’t mean to say that the first part isn’t good, I liked it a lot. I think it served as a good introduction to the rest of the novel. But in the grand scheme of the whole story, I feel as though elements of it don’t quite fit in so well. Nevertheless, each part of the story flows together really well. Which helps a lot with feeling immersed in this near biblical tale that asks a lot of hard questions that, in any other book, would be really hard to swallow.
I guess I should hit on the writing style for a beat. I liked it. Clarke writes in a clear and direct way while also making almost every word flow together so nicely that one understands everything he’s saying. And I did. The ideas were very clear. They’re the centerpiece of this whole jewel. They’re what Clarke is writing about and so it makes sense that he would write in a way that makes those ideas very clear and easy to understand. And I really like how he balances the nihilism at play in these ideas with some genuine heart and soul. The characters are by no means the deepest I’ve seen in any book, but I still cared about their endeavors and desires. They actually felt like living, honest people despite only a few of them having any drop of characterization. Clarke puts effort into making the reader care about the world here, and I certainly cared enough by the end for it to have impact.
That said, there are some supernatural aspects within the novel that play a huge part in the denouncement of the story. I was pretty mixed on those elements. The book was written at a time when Clarke believed in the supernatural. He came to accept the opposite later in life, but it is what it is. Maybe it’s not so off-putting to anyone else, to me it just struck me as odd and out of place in a story that is playing in a specific genre ballpark where scientific fact is almost always in the foreground. Still, he made it work. And it lent its own qualities to the pathos of the final act.
It’s also worth mentioning that, being a product of its time, there’s some dated depictions/interpretations of gender and race throughout the book. They were irksome, for sure. But they were tolerable as long as they weren’t the most prevalent thing about the story. Which they weren’t, thankfully.
STRANGE TIMES ARE COMING
Cover art for the 1990 edition by Stanislaw Fernandes. No Copyright Intended.
This is a solid book. After nearly a year of a reading slog it’s nice to finally read something with impact. With so much philosophical as well as emotional interest.
Now, what do I think of the ideas in this book? I love the very thought of what the Overlords turn out to be. There’s such a fun quality about it that also makes sense in a fringe type of way. As for the main messages: if humanity isn’t meant for the stars, then are we doomed to die with the Earth? And if we sacrifice so much for Utopia, is there a way we can retain what makes us human even when we have everything? I feel like the main ideas in this book are more multilayered than that, but I think those are the main points that Clarke hits on. The idea about being doomed to die with the Earth is open to interpretation (I have high hopes that we’ll make space our home). But utopia is always an interesting topic of conversation. Many in this day and age are wondering where the flying cars and cybernetic implants are. And while we’re still at it in terms of technology, we are very much living in the future right now. There may not necessarily be anything utopian about the world we live in now, but as we work hard for such a future, as we move forward with creating a better world for ourselves and those around us, it might be worth asking what we’re sacrificing along the way.
Despite the grim nature of this book, Clarkes leaves behind an optimistic message, a Yin for the overall Yang. I’d intended for my first read of his to be 2001: A Space Odyssey. But, somehow, Childhood’s End just felt like a safer bet in terms of my first exposure to Clarke’s work. And I don’t regret this read whatsoever. This might end up becoming a book I read over and over again just to grasp the concepts at play, make my own theories, and just get lost in this grim but hopeful tale that is truly one of many that cuts down to the basics of what it means to be a human being.
Well, I survived post-book depression (see my mistborn posts) now I’m back to review another obsession of mine. One with a little more humor. A different kind of humor.
Most sitcoms chronicle the odd adventures of a bunch of self-obsessed yahoos living in one or two apartments and can’t seem to keep a single girl/boy-friend, even if it’s someone from the apartment they’re living in. Then there’s others that break the mold and flip those tropes completely on their heads.
Community is a show that aired on network TV (no, not streaming, network, as in TV channels and channel-surfing) in, I believe, 2008 (plz correct me if I’m wrong). Unlike most fans of the show it seems, I didn’t actually start watching it until earlier this year, avidly anyways. About a year ago I think, I checked out the first few episodes and never proceeded further. I don’t know why but I’m not as big a TV addict as I once was. That may be because of how badly Flash, Arrow, and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. soured my taste in TV. All of which got really bad after the first couple of seasons (except for S.H.I.E.L.D., that show lost traction immediately after the first season).
While I’m not as willing as I used to be to chance any dramatic TV shows, sitcoms have always held a special place in my heart as someone who loves to laugh. There were a few reasons I checked out Community beyond it being a sitcom, but I’m sure some of you are frothing at the mouth to know what I thought of the first 3 seasons, so let’s get into it.
WARNING: MILD SPOILERS AHEAD
BETWEEN HEAVEN AND HELL, IS GREENDALE
Yet again! No Copyright Intended!
The show follows an eclectic cast of characters with their own quirks that make them unique from each other. Each one is pretty much a stereotype that has been flipped on it’s head, making them feel more fresh and new. The jock with insecurities and his own passions outside football, the nerd whose developmental disorder not only makes him more nuanced and entertaining, but relatable and “cool”, the passionate and strong-willed blonde who’s actually hiding a lot of personal pain and self-loathing behind a curtain of passionate political anarchism. I think you get the idea.
While the series is told through the multiple perspectives of the core characters, it all starts with Joel McHale’s character Jeff Winger, who, after being exposed of having a fraudulent resume, is fired from his law firm and sent to Greendale community college to make up for the lack of education. Jeff is charismatic, self-indulgent, and narcissistic. Most of the time throughout the series he’s pulling strings to ensure he gets what he wants. Sometimes it works, sometimes he gets smacked on the head by a ceiling fan. However, upon meeting and befriending his oddball study group, he certainly improves from being the person he once was.
I love Community for a lot of reasons, the characters are certainly within those reasons as each one is truly unforgettable in their own way. Jeff is great but he is in a constant state of paradigm shift between selfish lawyer and good friend. His arc seems to be going somewhere in the first season, but right when you get into the second season it’s as if his growth arc was abandoned completely. Jeff has his moments, but more often than not he’s written as nothing more than “a k-niving son of a b&%ch”. That doesn’t make him the weakest character though, that credit goes to Annie in my opinion. Annie isn’t the worst character I’ve come across in any medium, she’s just one of the most unoriginal ones. Now, I realize that originality in fiction pretty much is non-existent at this point. When I say unoriginal, I mean to say the least subverted character in a show that’s all about trope subversion. Annie fits into the “happy go-lucky schoolgirl” stereotype almost perfectly. The only thing that makes her character entertaining is the fact that she’s a specific character trope in an environment far outside of a teenage rom-com. Her interactions with the characters and her roles in the eccentric storytelling makes her feel like something of a fish-out-of-water in a pleasing and satisfying way, not much is done to further subvert her archetype though. But that doesn’t mean she’s a bad character in any way. I like Annie, there’s just no investment. She can also be really annoying at times, I can’t stand it whenever she begins a sentence with “You Guys…!”
Now, my favorite, and probably the most beloved character in the whole cast, is of course Abed. As someone who struggles with his own form of autism, I can relate to Abed in so many ways. His fixation on pop-culture and social-awkwardness being the key traits that make me feel so equalized with him. But there’s also qualities about him I look up to. He has so much confidence in himself that he genuinely doesn’t care what other people think, he knows he’s weird and embraces that fact. While this leads him to think that he can do whatever he wants, he’s learning all the time how to be better. He learns from the others how to have empathy and how to be a good friend. No words can describe how refreshing it is to watch a character I can truly level with. As a matter of fact, Abed was the main reason I decided to get into the show anyway. Definitely a worthwhile decision. Along with that, I can’t get enough of his friendship with Troy. Those two are a match made in nerd heaven!
I enjoy Shirley and Pierce most of the time, but I don’t really think much of them. Shirley’s a fun personality for the others to bounce off of but she’s not very compelling to me, and Pierce is just a perfect storm of every type of ethnical, racial, sexual, and cultural discrimination you can think of (he has his moments though). Not bad characters, but the least interesting in my mind. Chang was all sorts of fun in the first season, but then you get the sense that the writers didn’t really know what to do with him. They do fun stuff with him, but I mostly enjoy the days when he was the groups psychotic Spanish teacher, at least then everyone knew his role and place in the show. Aaaaand, well, Dean Pelton is Dean Pelton.
You know what, to all my fellow Community fans…the heck happened to Duncan, the British professor! That’s something I genuinely wonder about.
COOL COOL COOL!
No Copyright! Do I have to say “Intended”, does it not count if I just say “No Copyright”?
I know, I know. I’m quite critical about the content I consume. But all things considered, this is a Good Show!
Dan Harmon (the show’s creator) really is a talented storyteller. In every episode, some cultural trope or stereotype is being flipped, spun, prodded, and more, in the most fun and entertaining ways. Whether these subversions are used for humor or character development seems to be inconsequential, you’re going to enjoy it either way. I love that so much about this show. Also, if you’re a fan of the show yourself, I highly recommend watching the blooper reals on YouTube. The cast seem to genuinely enjoy themselves and it’s super fun to watch their on-set shenanigans. However, I am aware of the problems that occurred behind the scenes, especially with Chevy Chase. I personally found those the problems they had with him to be disheartening.
All-in-all, this is a great show! And I probably watch a little too much of it.
I honestly feel like I just lost some very near and dear friends. I REALLY didn’t want it to end…but it did. In the most satisfyingly heartwrenching way I’ve ever read in a fantasy book so far.
Hero of Ages takes all of the plots and themes setup throughout books 1 and 2 and ties them in a neat little bow, albeit an imperfect one, but a nice one regardless.
We follow Vin, Elend, and the rest of the crew spread-out among Elend’s New Empire bringing other lands and duchies under his rule to amass an army big enough to stop the force Vin unleashed in the last book and potentially find a key to defeating said force by figuring out clues left by the Lord Ruler for this very occasion.
The book moves at a much more brisk pace as it alternates between slow and fast, much like book 1 did. And, if Final Empire was a crime fantasy heist story, and Well of Ascension a hard-boiled political thriller, Hero of Ages is just flat-out Epic. Everything that unfolds leads to an action-packed and heartbreaking finale that I’m still reeling from not 4 days after I finished the trilogy. However, part of that heartbreak comes from how flawed the story is. I believe it was around this time that Sanderson was knee deep in Stormlight Archive, his fantasy magnum opus, and because of that, I wonder if he stopped putting as much effort into Mistborn as he is with Stormlight. There are some glaring flaws with Hero of Ages, but there’s also so much beauty to this story with the characters and their plotlines being all wrapped up. But it’s somewhat undercut by unbalanced and needless perspectives and plotlines.
NOT ENTIRELY FLAWLESS
Nooooooooooooooooooooooooo copyright intended. It’s not even an actual scene in the book! ARRRRRRRRGH!!
We pick up with Elend, a completely changed man. The time he’s spent as the new emperor trying to keep the world from collapsing has forced him to become something he’s not proud of, to the point where he’s comparing himself to the Lord Ruler. Who, while not an evil man, was certainly a ruthless one. This also weighs down on Vin as it’s, understandably, difficult to watch your husband struggling to stay upright when there is so much responsibility threatening to flatten you. While this has so much potential to make for an outstanding character arc, it’s never fully explored. In fact, Elend’s character development is never really shown, it’s told. Your told that he’s struggling with these things, and then he’s told by Vin that he doesn’t have to be the Lord Ruler to be a good emperor and a good man, and then much later we’re told that he’s gotten much better at being the best of both worlds based on how he commanded a single person. Now granted, it’s possible to get a sense of a characters development based on a single interaction they have with another character, but it’s done in a way that makes it look like we’re just expected to believe that he’s improved. In fact, that one scene was supposedly the culmination of Elend’s arc, which resulted in it having as much depth as hardwood flooring. Still, Elend is plenty fun a character and I did enjoy the time I had with him, but his story is never given as much density as in Well of Ascension.
Now you’d think that Vin would be the most compelling of the cast, she is the protagonist and easily one of the best fantasy characters I’ve ever had the pleasure to read. But, like Elend, her story is sidelined. In fact there’s not much to her story in this final book than some major reveals tying her to the grand scheme of things involving Ruin and Preservation (more on that later). Elend and Vin, for me, feel like the biggest tragedy of this book since they’re not given nearly as much growth as in Well of Ascension. I will say though, they’re still great characters. Even though my investment in them had shrunk a bit, it didn’t completely disappear. So when the story ended the way it did, I might as well have had a pencil rammed into my gut, because it left me a broken man with a broken heart. Their love story is more well done in this book than the last, don’t get me wrong their romance in book 2 was good but it felt a little shallow at times, and while I would have appreciated to be shown more individual growth, they did have a very enjoyable husband and wife dynamic. And I will say that I read their dance scene a couple times because of how wonderful it is. These two characters are very near and dear to my heart and it makes me pretty sad that they didn’t get as much attention as they should have. Regardless, it absolutely destroyed me how they’re shared story ended.
Surprisingly enough, most of the attention is on Sazed.
Upon learning that everything he thought he knew was a lie, along with losing the woman he loved to the siege of Luthadel, Sazed undergoes a crisis of faith throughout book 3. As interesting as his character development is, I never once felt that Sazed was deserving of this much attention. I love Sazed, don’t get me wrong, but I miss him as a mentor figure and friend to Vin. I appreciated him more as a side character than one of the main characters. That’s just me though, making Sazed a more central player in the overall plot does make sense to me, and while his arc in HoA is hard to read because of how much a downer he is, it’s no less compelling and insurmountably shocking. Still, I would’ve appreciated this book much more if Vin and Elend, the characters I’m most invested in, had more story.
Now, let’s talk about Spook.
Spook, or Lestibournes (his real name), gets an interesting subplot where he’s sent by Elend to Urteau, a washed out city on the verge of collapsing in on itself because of the totalitarian rule of a Skaa man that fanatically worships Kelsier, and therefore takes the things Kelsier “preached” to extremes that Spook is not happy with. He basically becomes Daredevil, Spooks subplot is a cool, but not really necessary, crime/vigilante story where he’s even sporting a blindfold because he’s burned Tin so much that his body has permanently become over-sensitive to his environment. I like Spooks character development but, overall, this subplot just felt like excess time that could’ve been spent on the main plot with Vin and Elend, rather than being spent on a character that, in my opinion, didn’t need so much story.
THE PRODIGAL KANDRA
No copyright infringement intended, although I think someone should tell TenSoon here to cheer up.
The Kandra are fascinating!
I realize I’ve been quite critical up to this point, but I was actually very entertained by TenSoon’s narrative. In fact, it would’ve been just fine if the POV’s were Vin, Elend, and TenSoon. Through his eyes we see the world of the Kandra, a strange race of shapeshifters that are related to the even stranger Mistwraiths.
When we pick up with TenSoon he’s being tried by his own people for murdering a fellow Kandra and breaking his Contract for Vin. There’s already so much worldbuilding in this book, even three books in and Sanderson hasn’t covered every aspect of it, which goes to show how phenomenally dense this world is, but the Kandra world I found to be immensely interesting. It’s eluded that they’re supposed to be subservient creatures, only sticking to the shadows and never inciting conflict. They’re supposed to treat each other with respect and uphold the traditions they created, they pride themselves on being an almost perfect society. But, as we see through TenSoon’s perspective, the Kandra are so caught up in these traditions and they’re way of life that they are oblivious to the world above. Some of them, even, have grown cocky and pretentious. Which I find to be so interesting, here’s this race of disturbing yet fascinating creatures with a somewhat foreign lifestyle that is so familiar because of how human their social structure is. A good enough amount of time is spent deconstructing the Kandra and what it’s like being a Kandra, and I found it all endlessly intriguing. It helps that most of it is through TenSoon’s entertainingly wry perspective, it’s not as fun as, say, Murderbots POV, but it’s still a treat to experience events through TenSoon’s perspective.
The biggest thing that irks me about it though is the fact that Vin and TenSoon never reunite!
Again. I realize I’ve been pretty critical of Hero of Ages for this post. Alone, it’s definitely flawed but nonetheless masterful. It’s place in the trilogy? That’s a different story.
Mistborn is a flawed masterpiece. The characters are compelling and relatable but to a degree. The storytelling is immaculate but could use some polish. The themes of love, trust, and hope are executed in the most brilliant ways, and they’re all connected to the characters in satisfyingly intimate ways. For all my criticisms, I love this trilogy. I loved watching Vin learn to trust in others and love them enough to make sacrifices for them. It was hard for me to get behind her ideals about making such sacrifices for the greater good, as it often made her look cold and rigid, but I love her devotion to the people she cares about and that she was capable of feeling such strong emotions and maintain these connections after so many years of hiding and being beaten for no good reason. She’s strong and capable, but paranoid and slow to trust. She often assumes that people have more intended than they’re letting on, that it’s better to keep your heart to yourself so your not inevitably hurt in the future. And yes, she is hurt many times in this series, but she reaches a point where she would rather feel the pain of being betrayed than lose the people she deeply loves. She spends a lot of time trying to decide who and what she is; street rat, noblewoman, or mistborn warrior. In the end, she’s all of these things and much more. Even though I feel like we could have gone much deeper into her character, Vin is an amazingly fleshed out character that I wish so bad I could meet and hug. Same goes for Elend, someone who wants so badly to do the right thing but lives in a world that makes doing so harder than is necessary. That doesn’t keep him from doing what he can though, and it continues to impress me that Sanderson crafted such a great character when he easily could’ve been nothing more than something for Vin to kiss incessantly.
Gosh I miss these two.
I will definitely re-read this trilogy in the future, but I also plan to get into Wax & Wayne (the sequel series that’s set 300 years after Hero of Ages). However, it’s hard to say which I will do first, as I think it comes down to how I feel after Stormlight. Will I re-read Era 1 after already reading something as, if not likely more, epic than Stormlight? Will read Wax & Wayne instead as a breath of fresh air after all that epicness? It’s hard to say. But for the time being, Mistborn is something truly special. It’s a story that is going to be apart of me for the remainder of my years on Earth.
I can’t emphasize how much I need a Mistborn video game right now.
Not my image. No copyright intended. I appreciate how cool it is, however.
A few months ago I read the first book in the Misborn series by Brandon Sanderson. Which I had very positive feelings about. Now, recently, I finished The Well of Ascension, the second book in the series. And not only does it add so much depth to the world and characters set up in the first book, it is a thrilling adventure that, while having some weakpoints, is a worthy sequel to a great first novel.
BEWARE! I will make a brief, non-spoiler paragraph about my overall thoughts of the book, but after that I strongly recommend not continuing if you don’t want any spoilers, because I’m not sure how I can review this book without spoiling the heck out of it. YOU’VE BEEN WARNED, SPOILERS ABOUND.
NO SPOILER PARAGRAPH
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. The character arcs, Vin and Elend’s in particular, are immacualte. Vin grows from being a lonely, insecure girl from the streets to a strong, lion hearted young woman with endless devotion to the people she cares about. Elend goes from starting out as a naive young boy that’s constantly unsure of himself to a confident and capable man that no longer needs others to speak for him. The others, Sazed, Breeze, and even Spook, get some well deserved character development as well, but Vin and Elend are where the story really shines. Even though this book is much slower than Final Empire, and very politically heavy, enough is happening to keep you on your toes and it’s very much worth it for the ending.
Now let’s get into some spoilers!
CITY ON THE EDGE
No copyright intended, it is a very cool image though.
Well of Ascension takes place a year after the events of the first book. Kelsier’s gone and has left Vin and the crew to look after Luthadel. The Lord Ruler is dead himself, killed by Vin. Ever since then, the Final Empire has been in chaos. Elend Venture, Vin’s lover, is now the king of Luthadel. He has a chance to fulfill everything he’s dreamed of doing, which is to make the world a better place. But when multiple armed forces come knocking to take the throne from him, Elend finds himself having to learn to be his best self, the best leader he can be, to save his city. As for Vin, despite the pressures they face as a result of several armies seeking to dethrone Elend, she’s content with the man she loves and the family Kelsier gave her. But, as events progress and tensions rise, Vin must confront the demons of her past in order to be what Elend, and the people of Luthadel, needs.
Let’s start with the thing that really determines whether or not you’ll love or hate this book: the pacing. If Final Empire was a fast-paced fantasy heist adventure, Well of Ascension is a slow but tantalizing political thriller. Vin, Elend, and the remainder of Kelsier’s crew deal with constant scheming both outside and inside Luthadel. The intrigue not only gives the plot an edge of suspense, but it plays a vital role in Elend and Vin’s character development, Elend especially, as he’s the one trying to create a more unified empire without compromising his core values. Of course, this means the plot moves at a shockingly slow pace. There were indeed times when the story moved so agonizingly slow I wondered when something would just happen. So much happens though that I had to stop at certain points and process it all. Like when Vin blows a guys freaking head off!
The general consensus among fans of the series is that the Well of Ascension is the weakest of the series because of how jarringly slow it is. Still, it’s also many peoples favorite because of how much story is in this book.
Vin’s character arc, while not the best part of the book (imo), revolves around her getting over the trauma she suffered her whole life as a street urchin. Which I really appreciate since this book pretty much confirms that she struggles with severe PTSD and, possibly, depression. Of course, it’s not explicitly said that those are her struggles, but you definitely get the idea that all those years of abuse and neglect have left her mentally and emotionally damaged, which is something that, I feel, was left out of the first book. Thanks to Kelsier though, and the life and friends his actions allowed her to have, she’s managed to heal some. But that doesn’t mean she isn’t flawed. Even with how much her life has changed since Kelsier took her under his wing, She’s still paranoid and slow to trust. She’s devoted to her friends and is determined to keep Elend safe at all costs, to the point where she risks her own health and well being. When Elend starts to grow into his own man and no longer requires her constant protection, it sends her into a tailspin. She finds herself questioning her relationship with him and her place in the crew. Which is compounded by the pressures of facing several armies, being deitized as the “lady heir” by the religion Kelsier’s sacrifice spawned, and befriending an enigmatic Mistborn such as herself who intentionally fuels her doubts about Elend and herself. Vin’s arc was such a treat, I loved seeing the growth all that internal turmoil forced her to go through. By the end of the book her and Elend’s love for each other is stronger than ever and she’s much more open and warm. However, there are some draw backs.
Vin is constantly in her head, and while by no means is it bad to go through what a character is thinking and feeling, a chapter in Vin’s perspective was often an exhausting experience as she was frequently playing a mental game of does he love me or does he love me not? there was also Do I love him or no? and what does this thing mean? She was just constantly going through the motions in a near endless circle of thought and it made me quite confused at times. Despite that though, I often found myself dreading a chapter in someone else’s POV. It felt like there was a massive imbalance between perspectives in this book, even though it was third person, and even now I feel like there could’ve been more Vin. As exhausting her perspective could be, I valued her character development more than anyone and I was desperate to know what she was feeling at these critical times. That could, however, be due to the lack of chemistry between some of the characters. It feels like much of the charm from the first book died with Kelsier, and in it’s place are some interactions that feel a bit static. Vin and Elend’s relationship in particular feels like it could use some more Oomf (that’s coming across as very sexual, now that I think about it). I loved Elend and Vin’s romance arc but it feels like there’s a barrier, a lack of romantic chemistry, that kept there love for each other from feeling as real and tangible as the characters themselves do.
There’s also some inconsistency to there relationship. For instance, when Elend joins the Church of The Survivor, the religion/cult dedicated to Kelsier, to gain the favor of the Skaa so he can regain the throne after being deposed, it clearly makes Vin uncomfortable. Which is understandable, since Kelsier was like a father to her and that’s all she ever viewed him as. It’s especially uncomfortable for her since Elend never told her what he did, he didn’t even find the time to ask her permission. Then, after Vin headbutts a guys face off (literally) during an assassination attempt, they never talk about it. The very next chapter Vin is thinking; I LOVE him so much! WHY did I let him see me like that!? What is WRONG with me!? While she’s recuperating from the fight. I’m exaggerating of course, well, sort of, but Vin and Elend never talk about what he did. they never talk about her, self-admittedly, feeling betrayed by Elend’s actions.
This is not to say that Vin, Elend, and their love story are bad, like I said earlier I loved them all-together. But there’s SO much inconsistency and static chemistry that their romance doesn’t reach the heights that it could have.
Let’s switch over to Elend Venture himself now, easily one of the most genuine and interesting characters in the story.
HEAVY IS THE HEAD…
This is not an actual thing from Mistborn, though it kind of looks like it could be an art still for World of Warcraft. No copyright intended though. On all accounts.
Ah, Elend. It could have been so easy. It could have been so easy for you to be a spoiled brat with good looks and attachment issues. Instead though, you became an endearing character with an equally compelling story arc.
There wasn’t very much to Elend in Final Empire. He’s Vin’s love interest, that much was obvious, and he’s a nobleman’s son, cuz why the heck not they’re usually fancy pansies aren’t they? But there’s more to him than that. While he’s most certainly the Prince Charming to Vin’s Snow White, Final Empire did a good job of setting him up as a very nuanced version of a character trope we’re all too familiar with and it established him as someone with much potential. That potential is explored in great detail here.
Noblemen in Luthadel are mostly self-obssessed and haughty aristocrats that were nothing more than pawns to the Lord Ruler. But Elend’s an interesting case. He’s obsessed with political philosophy and has his own ideas on how Luthadel should be run. Now that he’s king, he has that chance. But the crown is a heavy burden to bear.
The crew often pokes fun at Elend for being the idealist he is, which I think is so fun because it’s so true. His character arc in the book revolves around duty and responsibility, themes that fit him so well as he starts out being the laid-back, self-critical young noble we’re familiar with in the first book. Then Tindwyl comes around, and hours of entertainment ensue. I enjoyed Elend and Tindwyl’s relationship. In a ways, she’s the confident and lordly kind of person that Elend aspires to be and the kind of woman Vin thinks Elend deserves. I loved the scene where Tindwyl commands for Elend’s hair to be cut but he’s not having it. Then he gets a look at himself in his fancy new outfit.
“Alright. Cut it.” He says.
That’s another great thing about this book, it’s packed with amazing moments.
Tindwyl’s guidance allows Elend to become the man he always wanted to be and quite possibly was always meant to become. The struggles he endures throughout his journey, and the growth he experiences as a result of those trials and errors, is like chocolate and marshmallows. Here’s someone trying his very best to make his world a better place but no one will let him. He’s also stuck between holding on to his power and maintaining his relationship with Vin, as I said before though there’s a lot of inconsistent and confusing things about the romance plot in this book so it doesn’t help much, in fact that struggle isn’t really explored in full detail I think.
Coupled with the intrigue, adventure, and romance this book brings to the table, Elend’s story becomes oh so compelling and is a character I did not expect to have so much respect for.
Of course though, there’s a few more things I need to talk about.
By far the most interesting character in the book and a perfect foil for Vin was Zane. Like her, he was dealt a very crappy card in life. Suffering abuse and neglect that would drive anyone insane. I kinda like to think of him as a measuring stick for how bad Vin could have been. At least she’s trying to get over the trauma that left her the insecure and reserved orphan she was, Zane is convinced that Mistborn are meant to be so much more than just “knives” for others and their games. He tries to lead Vin away from Elend and everything she cares about, poking at her insecurities and using them to question her life as it is. It all comes to a head in a final scuffle that I couldn’t pry my attention away from.
And that twist with OreSeur! Or TenSoon I should say. Sanderson might as well have dropped a mic at that very moment because I was shocked beyond belief.
I did also really like OreSeur/TenSoon, him and Vin had such an enjoyable friendship.
LEGACY
No copyright intended, I am indeed just grabbing images off the internet. Also, whoever drew this and stirred up emotions I don’t want stirred…screw you.😭
Vin has some pretty big shoes to fill. But, thankfully, she comes to a point where she realizes that it’s better to be yourself than trying to be what you think the people around you deserve. Just like how her Elend’s growth is comparable to eating chocolate and marshmallows, Vin’s growth is like rocky road ice-cream with chocolate and caramel sauce. Decadent.
Well of Ascension added so much depth to characters I’ve come to deeply love and appreciate. I don’t have as much to say about Allomancy though. It is given more density but for the most part it’s still Allomancy. It’s still burning super metals that give you super powers and it’s still a joy to read and imagine.
If you loved Final Empire, then you might love this. However, because of the abrupt shift from fast-paced heist adventure to slower-paced political thriller, I can’t say that it’s for everyone. I can only say that it’s worth checking out for the intoxicating amount of story and brilliantly shocking character moments. The ending, too, is very much worth the agony.
Thank you for your time. That was a lot of ground to cover.
No Copyright Intended, I Just Love Me Some Monsters.
As time goes by we’re straying away from the original kaiju filmmaking method of just sticking a guy in a monster costume and recording him, and other costumed wonders (three heads or otherwise), duke it out on a landscape model. These days, CGI and Motion-Capture are the reigning champions of general modern action-filmmaking. Even if they’re tremendously overused. These modern methods have, of course, been used to produce a shared Godzilla/King Kong universe. So far they’ve been surprisingly enjoyable, starting with Godzilla in 2014, followed by Kong: Skull Island in 2017, which was a cool departure from what’s typically seen in a Kong movie, and then Godzilla: King of The Monsters, which was a step up from Godzilla-2014 in my opinion. Now, in a day and age where going to the movies is considered a health risk, Hollywood has taken a crack at having two iconic movie monsters hash it out on the big screen (or little screen if that’s your preference). I’ll say this much about the attempt, it’s better than Alien Vs. Predator.
A DISHARMONY OF TITANS
It’s going to be difficult but I’ll keep this as spoiler-free as possible.
Obviously Godzilla Vs. Kong is about…Godzilla Vs. Kong! The movie is mostly a Kong movie though, he’s pretty much the central character. We follow him and his humans embark on a literal journey to the center of the Earth in the hope that they can find him a new home. Meanwhile, Godzilla is attacking with seemingly no reason in his mind. But, as Maddison (Millie Bobby Brown’s character from KOTM), her friend Josh, and a conspiracy theorist suspect, he’s actually attacking areas with “Apex Technologies” written all over it. Eventually, as events unfold, it all leads to a violent clash between the king of the monsters and the king without a home. And a lot of insurance claims on Hong Kong’s part (first robots and monsters and now lizards and apes, how about we give Hong Kong a break guys).
A still from the film that I claim no ownership of. I like that they make him look older in this movie than he did in Skull Island.
We follow two separate plotlines. The first and main plotline being with Kong and his human friends. Skull Island has been swallowed up by the storm surrounding it. Killing many, if not all, of the creatures that lived on it. The only home Kong has is a giant testing facility that’s more like a cage than a house to him. When a washed up author comes to Skull Island looking for help getting to the mysterious “Hollow Earth”, a concept that scientists and conspirators seem to have tossed around frequently in this universe but never able to confirm it’s existence, Kong’s friends take this as an opportunity to get him a proper home. This is definitely the plotline with the most story in it. Since more effort has been put into giving Kong more depth-of-character you end up caring more about his side of the films narrative than that of Godzilla’s. The humans in his story aren’t all that exciting, the characters I liked the most were the washed up author played by Alexander Skarsgard and the little girl who’s Kong’s friend (fun fact: the girl who played her was actually a mute, a mute actress…so cool!). Other than that, I was mostly interested in how they would get to the Hollow Earth and what Kong will find there. And of course when he and Godzilla would fight again.
Not a still from the movie, but a good image regardless that I have no intention of Copyrighting.
As I said before, Godzilla is attacking random places for reasons that elude even the best experts. But, making a return from King of The Monsters, Maddison suspects that there’s more to his behavior than everyone thinks. So she drags a friend along with her to find an inquisitive conspiracy theorist that himself suspects that there’s a definitive reason for Godzilla’s attacks. This side of the movie is unquestionably the most boring part of the film. The only thing it does is build up to the big final battle at the end of the movie rather than add some depth to Godzilla as a character, an action I continue to long for. In fact, Godzilla’s not really in it. He’s not in this movie much at all. We just follow Maddison, who’s kind of given the Michael Bay hot girl treatment in my opinion, and her buddies figure out what’s wrong with Godzilla. It’s not the most compelling mystery, and the characters not being that interesting doesn’t help much.
These narratives aren’t as separate as I’m making it seem. There is an external force that weaves these plots together and leads to several epic events in the climax. However, before you get there you have to go through an hour-and-a-half of exposition and, albeit, some neat worldbuilding. Plus a cool ocean battle between Kong and Godzilla.
I’m more curious about how a giant ape could exist than a giant, radiation spewing lizard. Oh yeah, no copyright intended.
Godzilla Vs. Kong isn’t anything super special. If your craving a good monster battle, definitely give this movie a go. It’s certainly not for everyone, personally I enjoyed it for the action, the worldbuilding, and the cool imagery. I still look forward to what they have next in store for Godzilla. what’s going to happen as a continuation of KOTM and GVK?
It’s not one of the best films I’ve seen, but it’s great action and cool monsters make it as satisfying as a box of vibrantly flavored chocolates. Just like this blog post…I hope.
Thanks for reading and do let me know what you though of the movie itself!
Nightwing (Dick Grayson) is one of my all time favorite superheroes. Once a Robin, a Titan, and now a hero in his own right, Dick Grayson is fully committed to his career and is determined to fight crime in his own way, and escape Batman’s hard-to-breathe shadow. He has an unwavering devotion to his friends and family and would gladly lay down his life for them, even Batman himself, an imperfect father, but a father to Dick nonetheless.
Before these first two volumes Grayson already had a pretty hefty reputation on his belt. The first Robin, leader of not one, but two Teen Titan teams, and, overall, just one of the most likable guys in the superhero community. In this series, Dick goes out of his way to prove that he is his own man, and what better way to do that than to move into a city that is said to be WORSE than Gotham.
Don’t know who’s this is but I mean no Copyright infringement whatsoever.
THE CITY OF BAD PEOPLE AND WORSE PEOPLE
When you begin volume one it doesn’t actually start with Dick jumping ship to Bludhaven, that isn’t until the fifth issue (or the fifth chapter, I guess, for non-comic-aficionado’s). It actually begins with a story written by a different writer than Chuck Dixon, who writes the ensuing ongoing series. The first four issues are just, kind of, meh. It isn’t the most exciting story to ever happen, but it does provide some background on Dick’s career up to that point. It also shows the origin of Dick’s awesome blue and black suit. So while it’s not the best Nightwing story, it does serve as a good introduction to the character, though I wouldn’t blame you for skipping it and getting straight to Dixon’s run (If you do stick around, though not required reading, I would recommend reading the annual in the second volume right after reading those first four issues for A) additional character building and B) ponytail continuity).
Once I got past those first four issues it was mostly uphill from there.
The stories depicted in these collections show Grayson working to be his own thing, to fight crime the way Nightwing would rather than the Batman would. When Batman himself has Dick investigate a crime to, though not said is very clearly the motive behind his choice, prove that Nightwing can handle things on his own. He goes to Bludhaven and from the first issue onward, Nightwing does what he can to make this city a better place, despite knowing that it’s practically hopeless.
Believe it or not, Bludhaven is said to be far worse than Gotham, and I think I believe it. Corruption and crime are pretty much the norm in this city, and while the same could be said about Gotham, at least Batman’s turf has him and Commisioner Gordon, along with the GCPD in general, to strike a balance. Bludhaven? It’s all bad. Sure there are no Joker’s or Two-Faces, but, as Nightwing has stated himself, the corruption gripping Bludhaven runs from the mayors office right down to the streets themselves, which basically means that no one is safe in Bludhaven. And yet, Dick makes his home there anyway.
What’s most interesting about these volumes, I’d say, is how Dick works so hard to make it his own and get it through to Batman that he is his own man. Unlike most heroes in the DC universe, Nightwing is so relatable in his struggles for independence and happiness. He stumbles just as we all do through life, whether it’s as Dick Grayson or Nightwing, and he always works so hard to do things right, between catching criminals and staying close to those closest to him, even though his efforts to maintain independence can make him come off as a bit of a jerk. In that sense, he’s very human in how he approaches life as himself and as a hero, and it can make for some entertaining and heart-felt reading. He’s also just…awesome. You know how Batman is just awesome because he’s Batman, Dick is kind of the same way. He’s just awesome.
SAVIOR OF BLUDHAVEN
No lawsuit necessary, I didn’t mean any Copyright stuff.
While this isn’t the strongest comic I’ve read, it’s one of the most entertaining. The first volume is a good introduction but it’s in the second volume where great moments pop up left and right. Dick’s character is given so much depth, we see him contend with bad guys of various shapes and sizes, and his interactions with his (bat) family is a treat to experience.
It’s held back a bit by typical 90s storytelling, and don’t even get me started on the thought bubbles (they’re not the most annoying thing but I can’t tell how tired I am of seeing them so ingrained in a scene and making the reading experience clunky), but, if you’re a Nightwing fan, or are wanting to get into Nightwing and the Bat-Family in general, this is a great place to get started. I really enjoyed these volumes and I do look forward to seeing what happens next. Two down, six to go.
This movie is so gosh-darn pretty! No Copyright Intended!
Some movies are worthless cash-grabs, some are decent action/romance/drama/adventure movies…and some are just masterfully crafted works of art that burrow their way into your heart and never come out. Hey, I just rhymed!
Please don’t let the fact that this is an amine movie discourage you from checking it out, at the very least stay for the beautiful imagery. However, if you’re not a seasoned anime viewer and/or have never watched a Christopher Nolan movie in your life, you might want to hold off on this one.
WANT TO SWAP BODIES?
The story follows two teenagers, Taki and Mitsuha, who, one day, wake up one morning to find one-self in the other’s body. Taki wakes up in Mitsuha’s body, and she in his. They then have to adjust their lives around one another. A difficult task (especially since they can’t seem to stand each other at times), but as their emotional connection grows, all they want is to meet each other in person. Only to be separated by something far more complicated than distance.
As fleshed out and enjoyable as the characters are, they are only the tip of the iceberg. The art, animation, music, and even the humor work together to tug at your heart-strings and evoke emotions you probably wouldn’t expect to feel from an animated movie. The imagery is so breathtaking you might as well be looking at an actual lake or cityscape. The music is solemn and poignant, and, as I said before, works astonishingly well with the art and animation.
I don’t have much experience with body-swap stories, but even I can tell that how they handle the trope in this film is unlike anything we’ve seen before, or…at least…that I’ve seen before. The film doesn’t spend a whole lot of time chronicling their adjustment period, which I actually appreciate, given the fact that there’s a lot of ground to cover in this story, spending the first hour or thirty minutes watching them get used to the body-swapping, and each other, would’ve just been unwanted fat and made the movie longer than it needed to be. Not that it would’ve been terrible if it was two-and-a-half-hours long, but the filmmakers clearly knew what they wanted and they achieved it to their, and my, satisfaction. They also do a nice job building up Taki and Mitsuha’s relationship throughout the film, so don’t worry if they don’t spend enough time developing it before the one-hour mark.
A TALE TOLD OVER A THOUSAND YEARS
This is an actual shot from the movie. I don’t claim ownership of it, no copyright intended. I just reeeeeeally like it.
As I said before, It’s better to be a seasoned anime viewer, have at least watched Inception twice or thrice, and know/appreciate a bit of Japanese culture (as there is a lot of that influencing the story). Because this movie is Complex! The plot is structured in a very non-linear way, which makes it a bit confusing, but also super fun. It’s like a puzzle, as you watch it, you’re trying to piece the series of events in the correct order. Some pieces go in an obvious spot, and some are a bit trickier to place. You have to watch it a few times to understand where everything goes. But once you have the complete picture, you realize that this isn’t just a story of two lovers desperately seeking each other out. This is a saga of nature, love, family, and the ties that bind us together.
This is so much more than just a romance. I would actually say it’s more of an adventure story. Taki, Mitsuha, and their friends journey way outside their comfort zones in favor of a higher purpose. The two leads want nothing more than to be together, and their friends want nothing more than to help with whatever crazy nonsense is going on so that their friend can be happy. This movie truly is a story about the connections we make in this life, and how massively important they are.
I know I’m making it sound like this is just an animated soap opera, but it absolutely is not. The actions and reactions of the characters feels genuine, the themes are about so much more than just the power of love, and…well…y’know. It’s a gorgeous movie.
A BREATHTAKING VIEW
No copyright intended. No quip either, I feel much too solemn for that right now.
Your Name came out in 2016, and it made WAVES in Japan. Earning more money than Hayao Miyazaki’s Spirited Away, of which I haven’t watched but am well aware of it’s notoriety. At the time though, I didn’t know that. In fact, I’m not sure I even knew about this movies existence at the time it came out. All I know, is that one day, I was surfing through Amazon, just looking around, and stumbled upon this gem. I didn’t know that it was so immensely popular, I didn’t know that it had impacted an entire country’s entertainment industry in profound ways, I didn’t know that you could actually go to the locations seen in the film (which many people have already done) and feel like you’re going to walk by someone you swear you’ve met before. All I knew, was that the premise was interesting, the cover art was pretty, and it had a ton of awards and nominations (which, kind of contradicts what I said about me not knowing how popular it is, but, oh well).
I love this film because of how much grander it is compared to any tongue-in-cheek romantic comedy. It gave me such heavy senses of melancholy and nostalgia. I can’t say exactly why that is, maybe it’s because I’ve just always had an appreciation for Japanese culture, maybe the Japanese aesthetic brings back memories of a time when I would watch Godzilla movies religiously, maybe that Japanese aesthetic is apart of me more than I think. Whatever the case, this movie was a very pleasantly surprising experience for me, and it’s shown me that great stories come in more than one form. It’s given me an appreciation for anime that I think I’ve always had, but never gave any depth.
So if you’re an anime fan, or are a casual movie-goer looking for something different or unconventional, look no further than Your Name. I love this movie and I, for sure, am going to keep an eye out for any more projects by Makoto Shinkai (the film’s writer and director).
Have you seen Your Name? Did it make you feel a certain way, or am I just insane? Leave some comments, have friendly discussions (I’ll try to be a part of them as much as I can), and if there’s someone you’re interested in getting to know…well…just start with their name.
I don’t own this image! I don’t! I love it. not mine. someone else’s!
Me: Okay, almost there, this is a good stopping point. We’ll take a break and then-
Brain: NO!
Me: Whu-?
Brain: YOU NEED TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS NEXT!
Me: …You’re right I do! LET’S DO IT!
1 HOUR LATER
Me: Good Crap that was amazing!…I should’ve taken my time with it!
I’m sure many of my fellow readers can relate with me on this one.
BTW, potential spoilers? I tried not to be too spoilery, but if you really don’t want to know anything about this book…well, then, go get it and read!
WELCOME TO LUTHADEL
Mistborn follows a crew of thieves, specifically the crewleader and his protégé, as they attempt a particularly bold and dangerous job…overthrow the tyrant that has tainted the land for over a thousand years.
Much like Warbreaker (another great work by Brandon Sanderson) the series of events that occur in the book all happen, mostly, in the city of Luthadel. Where the looming shadow of the Lord Ruler resides. If you couldn’t tell from the artwork above, it’s an interesting place. It’s also here that we meet our colorful cast of characters.
When we first meet Vin, the protagonist, it’s clear that she’s been dealt a very crappy card. All her life she’s been abused and neglected by the crew of criminals she’s a member of. But when a local legend in the form a charming, good hearted man named Kelsier comes around looking to recruit her, her life changes for the better. Serving as their spy in the noble houses governing Luthadel, Vin finds herself amongst people who actually care for each other, and they care about her. While she starts out as suspicious of everyone, unwilling to believe that there’s such a thing as good people, she gradually comes to realize that love is a thing that exists, and she is more than capable of feeling and giving love herself. She receives it in the form of the friendship she builds with the crew and the support she gets from Kelsier whenever they train together with Allomancy (which I’ll get into pretty soon), she receives it from the strong connection she builds with one of the noblemen she’s spying on, A romance that I am super excited to see deepen in future books, and, eventually, she gives it by taking action to rid the world of the Lord Ruler. Vin’s story in this book is outstanding. We see her go from a lonely, sad, bitter street rat to a strong, confident heroine. She still has many flaws, by no means is she perfect. But for that reason, the fact that she is imperfect but still so good at heart makes her just a treat of a character to follow.
Kelsier himself is also super compelling. Right when we meet him we get the sense that he’s just a guy wanting to do the right thing. He carries many scars, both internal and physical, that have altered the way he sees everything. Usually he hides all that trauma behind a curtain of charm and nonchalance, which just makes him all the more fun to read, but there are very subtle hints throughout the book that there’s more to him than just a pretty face and a wise-guy sense of humor. His relationship with Vin, while maintained for the most part as a teacher/student relationship, develops into a tear-worthy father/daughter connection that gets to me even now.
While there are many characters to love in this book, Vin and Kelsier are no doubt the highlights. They both benefit from their connection, Vin grows as result of Kelsier’s compassion and Kelsier grows as a result of Vin’s evolving belief in good people. Which is less narrow-minded than Kell’s belief’s.
I’m putting a lot of spotlight on Vin and Kelsier when the connections and interactions between all of the characters, even the villains, are just spot on. I could gush all day about how great these people are and how much I wish they were real people! But I think it’s time I moved on to what the author is most well known for, before someone starts yelling at me for taking too long on the characters (VinisgreatandiloveherromancewithElendandKelsierissomuchfunandSazedisthebomb!).
I WANT A SUPER METAL!
This isn’t mine either, it’s someone else’s. Though it is pretty dang cool isn’t it!
If anyone is even remotely familiar with the name Brandon Sanderson, then you may or may not know that he is notorious for dense and complicated magic systems and worldbuilding.
Allomancy is a form of magic, a science really, that takes typically seen metals (i.e. iron, steel, bronze, copper, etc.) and gives them special properties that allows those who ingests them to gain supernatural abilities. For example, if you swallow and “Burn” iron you can pull all kinds of metals towards you. Steel is the same way but vice versa, with steel you can push metals away from you. Like “Breath” in Warbreaker, Allomancy works in complex ways that is super fun and interesting to deconstruct while reading the book. And it’s more fun to see how the characters utilize this “science” in combat and espionage. There also appears to be a second magic system in this world that works in a similar vein as Allomancy, but I’ll let you see for yourself how it works. Besides, with the added complexity of the first magic system and my iron-clad devotion to the characters and story, I wasn’t really able to pick up on all of the details.
As if the engaging story wasn’t enough, Allomancy just adds to the experience. Making Mistborn a truly unique book that made me feel things I hadn’t felt in a long time. Though I will say that Sanderson does tend to get a bit info-dumpy when describing Allomancy, or anything about the world for that matter. It’s not a huge problem, not enough to detract from my experience with this wonderful book, but there were plenty of times when the characters would launch into these monologues about how the magic works that came pretty close to crossing the border between enjoyment and boredom. But, Sanderson was careful not to spend entire pages describing how it works. Just a few of paragraphs did the trick. Still, it did grate on me a bit. For a while I felt like he was spending too much time showing off and over-explaining his cool magic system when he could’ve spent more time building the characters, the connections, and the story in general. Thankfully though, Sanderson has been doing this long enough to be considered a master of his craft. And in the end I came out satisfied with both the narrative and the magic.
GOOD ALWAYS COME AROUND
Just seeing these two in this image is making me slightly emotional. Also not mine.
The ultimate question pondered in the this story that is blatantly asked on the cover of the copy I got is “Can an evil that has ruled for one thousand years be defeated?”
When you begin the book, you learn that there are, seemingly, two types of people in this world. Those who have it all, and those who have nothing. You follow Vin, Kelsier, and the rest of the crew as they enact a bold plan to free the Skaa people from the oppression and hopelessness the empire has forced on them. You are reminded time and again that the aristocracy, and the Lord Ruler himself, are not good people. Well, most of them aren’t.
Nearly everyone in Luthadel, the world even, thinks it’s impossible to kill the Lord Ruler. He’s not only seen as a powerful dictator, he’s generally accepted to be a god. Even Kelsier’s crew thinks it’s a fool’s errand to try and take down someone as powerful as the Lord Ruler. Which circles around to one of the many themes of this book. The obvious theme that is told to you through the progression of the story and the actions of the characters, to me at least, is: “Evil never lasts forever, good always comes around.”
But there are many more life lessons you could pick up from this book, which I really appreciate. I think it’s much more satisfying for a story to have multiple themes rather than just one. What the characters do and how they change over time can convey a message oh-so-beautifully if done well. Vin’s story alone, for example, conveys messages about trust, love, and hope. So far, she is one of the best characters I have read in any book. I hope that as I read the next two books her character just gains more and more depth.
Mistborn was very much an unexpected treat for me. I started reading it while in a bit of a reading slump. I wasn’t enjoying everything I was reading and I was almost desperate for a good book to read. Cue BrandoSando.
Between multiple engaging story arcs, and a magic system that is all kinds of fun to even think about, Mistborn is not only a great fantasy story, it’s great espionage, adventure, you name it. This is not just a great fantasy book, it’s a great book!
I had such a good time reading it, I only wish that I had savored more of it rather than just binge-reading it everyday. Currently it’s been nearly a week since I finished it, and I CANNOT stop thinking about it. It left me in a such a warm, satisfying emotional state while also hungering for more. I will for sure review the next two books, but I can’t recommend the first book highly enough. Check it out! It is well worth your time.
Thank you for reading, I hope you’re having a good day!
Well, that’s it I suppose. This is a review blog. Not just movie reviews now, book reviews. Honestly, I really enjoy speaking my thoughts on a piece of fiction, so yeah, I’m gonna keep doing reviews.
And this time, I’m reviewing the best and worst Young Adult fantasy trilogy I’ve read so far: The Grisha Trilogy by Leigh Bardugo…or, perhaps, The Shadow and Bone Trilogy by Leigh Bardugo. I don’t know whichever you like best I suppose.
MAGIC AND TEENAGE ANGST…YAY
Shadow and Bone follows 17 year old Alina Starkov as she deals with the changes in her life upon discovering that she has innate magical abilities and becomes a Grisha, magic users that serve as the military for the fictional world of Ravka.
It’s hard for me to talk about the whole series without spoiling it as, not only is it hard for me to not vent my frustrations through this blog, but even describing the premise for the second book will be very spoiler heavy. So I’ll split this into two parts, spoiler-free and spoilers.
Note that I’ll be talking some smack about these books, but in no way do I think Leigh Bardugo is a terrible writer or person for that matter. If she ever ends up in my neck of the woods, I am there to get an autograph. I may have mixed feelings about her work, but, near as I can tell, she seems like a wonderful person and I do hope to meet her one day.
Anyways, let’s do it.
SPOILER-FREE/THE JOURNEY OF A PETTY CHILD
The first book is actually pretty good. While Alina isn’t the most interesting protagonist, her arc in this book still manages to get your attention. We follow her as she learns to control her powers, grapple with loneliness, and discover more about the Small-Science (the magic system) and Ravka’s history. There’s also plenty of entertaining side-characters (Genya. is. the bomb!). Still, it moves at a pretty slow-pace. Everything between the climax and the complicating incident is the most action filled, but the story and worldbuilding were just enough to keep me going.
Things really heat up in the second book. Even though it has a pretty unwholesome ending, it’s probably the strongest entry in the series. After everything went to heck in the first book, Alina now has to learn to be a leader while trying to keep the one thing in her life that made her feel at home wherever she goes. It doesn’t end well. Again, some slow pacing, but overall this might be the most tense book in the series.
The third book is where it really drops off. Kind of typical isn’t it, the third entry being the worst. Alina is broken, and the closest thing she has to allies is a band of misfits that she’s not entirely sure she can even trust. She has some growth in the book, but she’s not actively making decisions that moves her internal-arc forward. She’s just following everyone to the thing that they hope will end their struggle with the villain. At one point in the book while in her own thoughts, she tells us about how her friends are her Achille’s heel because the villain can use them against her. I instantly daydreamed about her packing her bags and venturing off on her own to find the thing she wants herself so her friends would be safe. I would’ve really enjoyed that, it would have been so necessary for her arc since, the whole book, she struggles to accept help from the people who care about her. Instead she remains passive and is just following everyone’s lead. It’s not any better at the climax either. It’s the big, final battle and she’s still being passive and uninteresting. Icing on the cake, it’s the worst ending I’ve ever read! An ending that was not suited to the narrative at all.
While the good and evil theming of the series is interesting, and the dynamic between Alina and the villain is compelling and entertaining, plus fun character interactions, like pretty much all teen-fiction writers, Bardugo just couldn’t seem to keep herself away from the tropes typically seen in YA fantasy. The whole series is just Alina being petty and inactive toward her goals, all while pining over her childhood friend. Not to mention the fact that the ending is almost a crime against storytelling. I don’t necessarily hate Happily Ever After’s, they work sometimes. But here, it was completely unnecessary.
SPOILERS/WHAT COULD’VE BEEN
If you weren’t clued in by the title, this section of the blog is mostly for anyone who HAS read the trilogy. So unless you’ve read them, or are one of those weirdos that likes spoilers, then I urge you to read Six of Crows (I haven’t read Six of Crows yet but I just know that it’s better).
Spoilers in 5…
4…
3…
2…
1…
Mal and Alina should have died. Or at least just Mal.
I can’t tell you guys how much I didn’t like the ending of this series, even though I think I just did in the spoiler-free section. It wasn’t exactly shocking, but it was interesting, to find out that Mal was the third amplifier. It opened a lot of doors for how him and Alina could settle the tension between them, and how the story could end. While the former’s execution was…fine, I guess. As I’ve said, the latter was a freaking travesty.
A while ago, I read the description for King of Scars, the sequel to the Grisha trilogy, and how it follows Nikolai and Zoya trying to make Ravka a less crappy place. Nikolai? As a main character? okay. But Zoya? What? The only thing she succeeded at in the trilogy was being Alina’s bully and a comic relief.
Now I haven’t read King of Scars, and I probably never will because the ending of Ruin and Rising has almost unhooked me from the Grishaverse. But, if you will, let me briefly write how Ruin and Rising should have ended.
I think Alina should have lived while Mal went six-feet-under. That way she could be the main character of the Grishaverse in general. Now, I know Alina isn’t everyone’s’ favorite, I understand believe me, but whether she became queen or went ahead and faked her death, either could bring her to King of Scars where she’s helping Nikolai fix Ravka, while growing from the grief and trauma she suffered in the S&B trilogy. Depending on how much effort Bardugo would’ve actually put into her arc, I think it would’ve been super entertaining to see her go through these internal changes. While, of course, still being a bit prickly.
But, that’s not what we got. I wish it was, because Alina had so much potential to be a really interesting character. But nope, she faked her death and got married to a guy that, frankly, loves her body more than her heart.
Mal wasn’t all that interesting either. I think that’s a no-brainer.
I think that’s enough negativity. How about what I liked about these books. My favorite characters, honest to Davy Jones’ grave, are Genya and The Darkling, or Aleksander (I wanted it to be Thomas). Genya is pure fun and definitely has the most compelling arc in the trilogy. And The Darkling just makes for a good villain…when he’s not seducing Alina. In fact, another missed opportunity. It’s eluded that DK loves Alina, but never officially confirmed. That would’ve made things so interesting, especially given their dynamic. Oh well.
Another big thing like, and pretty much the reason why I kept reading, was the world. As a fashion designer herself, Bardugo’s descriptions of the settings and what the characters were wearing are, usually, beautiful. I don’t actually know if it was her prose (which was pretty straightforward), but there were many times while reading that I got these vivid images of the scenes that I was reading, of a weird, dark world full of interesting characters and magic. I loved it when these moments of lush, vivid images appeared in my brain, and the world of the Grisha itself is pretty fascinating.
CONCLUSION
S&B isn’t the best fantasy trilogy I’ve read, but certainly not the worst. Even though it’s filled to the brim with tropes and Alina herself isn’t a very interesting protagonist, for the most part it’s still an enjoyable read.
Even though there’s plenty not to like, Shadow and Bone is special to me because it’s the first book I read that got me into fantasy, maybe reading in general. I wasn’t, completely, aware of the typical tropes seen in YA fantasy at the time. All I know was that I was intrigued by the story and world, it was unlike anything I’d experienced before, and at some point I thought “Wow. Reading is super cool, I should do this for…the rest of my life!”
The Grisha trilogy isn’t my favorite book series, but it is very near and dear to me, particularly the first book, because it showed me just how wonderful reading is, and it revealed the amazing and criminally underrated world and possibilities of the Fantasy genre. It doesn’t matter if you’re 6, 15, 25, not even 40. There’s something for everyone in Fantasy, and I highly recommend giving it a chance. (Warbreaker, read Warbreaker, please read Warbreaker!)
Thank you for reading. What did you think of the Grisha trilogy? What do you think of the Grishaverse as a whole? I’d be interested in seeing your opinions, and I hope you’re having a good day.
It seems like they don’t put as much effort into filmmaking as they used to these days. Sure, you could make a good movie without beautiful imagery, some of the marvel movies are an example of this, what with the overuse of CGI and green screen. But it doesn’t hurt to have every shot in your movie a portrait, in fact, your movie would be all the better for it. In 1992, one of many legendary filmmakers Francis Ford Coppola realized this fact and put out a movie that favored the old school ways of filmmaking, illusions and forced perspective, in a time when the modern ways of filmmaking were just coming into the spotlight. In 1992, he made a beautifully made, and very sexually charged, adaptation of Bram Stoker’s Dracula. A film that, because of the aforementioned illusory ways of which it was filmed, may very well be the last of it’s kind.
THE SHADOWS ARE ALIVE!
The Set of Bram Stoker’s Dracula. They favored practicality over digital effects.
To touch on the filmmaking of this movie, Bram Stoker’s Dracula came out in a time when the use of digital effects were starting to bloom. Everything that seemed impossible to put on screen at the time could now be done on computer. But that’s not what Coppola wanted. He wanted darkness and shadows of the variety that only practicality could give him. So, he fired everyone who insisted he go with the newer ways, and formed his own ragtag group of artists to create a criminally underrated visual gem.
This is a film where pretty much every frame is a portrait. It is nearly impossible to take your eyes off of the screen. The lighting, the sets, and the costumes!
The costuming is where the movie really shines, and it’s intentional. Coppola actually said himself that “the costumes are the sets”. If you’re wondering how pretty a piece of clothing can be, search up the movie and look at what the actors are wearing. Try telling me then that you couldn’t stop gawking (if you really couldn’t, you’re fine, I usually don’t see the appeal in pretty clothing either).
Beyond stunning costumes and great use of light, how this film was made goes against the very essence of ‘traditional’ in the modern sense. Not one bit of CGI or green screen or anything was used in this movie. Everything you see in this film is pure, good-ol-fashioned illusions. It’s practically a love-letter to the old ways of filmmaking where, in order to make it look like a character disappeared on screen, you had to cut, move the actor out of the shot, and then action. Some smoke to make it more appealing.
Coppola knew what he wanted, and though it was a painstaking task of bringing that vision to life, he stuck to it. He brought together a crew of very talented people, even his own son, to create a visually stunning story of a fallen hero.
THE THINGS WE DO FOR LOVE…
Traditionally, Count Dracula has always been portrayed as a cunning, no-good, bloodsucking, doer of evil. In ‘Abbott and Costello Meets Frankenstein’ he resurrects(?) Victor Frankenstein’s monster for…I don’t know, evil? At the time that’s generally how he was portrayed and therefore how people saw him, a moustache twisting villain that does bad things for the sake of being bad.
But Coppola did something different. In a way, this is one of those villains you find yourself rooting for.
Dracula in this film is a centuries old war hero that fought for God and his country. But after losing his wife, and being told very non-chalantly by the priests around him that she is in hell, he renounces God and becomes the bloodsucking creature we all know and love to hate. Jump forward to turn-of-the-century England (Late 1800’s-early 1900’s) Dracula has come to London not only to get a decent meal, but to win over a married-woman that is the spitting image of his late wife.
None of the things Dracula does in this film he does because he’s evil-and-loving-it. He does them because he’s in a state of constant heart-ache. He never got over the loss of his wife, he chose and continues to choose being an inhuman…thing. I find calling him a monster a very loose description. A monster in my mind is…well…classic Dracula, Someone who does evil things and doesn’t care about how those actions affect others. The Count in this film certainly isn’t a good guy, he’s the antagonist (Not a villain, antagonists are characters that oppose the protagonists, a villain is someone like, say, ‘The Wicked Witch of The West’), he opposes everyone looking to protect their loved ones from him. But in the end, he’s just a man with a broken heart. Everything he did in this film he did because he’s in love. He lost that love once, and, as a result, he chose to drown in his misery and gave up on God and humanity.
Coppola’s Dracula is a tragic hero. A man that lost his way, and, clearly, when we see him again after the prologue, he is far from saving.
Also, the character is played oh-so-brilliantly by Gary Oldman. If you don’t know who that is…what are you doing with your life!
Speaking of characters, the rest of the cast in this film is, mostly, stellar. We’ve got the always-so-lovely Winona Ryder as Mina Murray, Keanu Reeves in his less than ideal role as Jonathan Harker, And Anthony-Freaking-Hopkins As Abraham Van Helsing! How perfect is that!
There are of course many other actors that lend a lot to this movie, but these are the ones I thought would ring more bells to most people reading this blog.
Winona Ryder’s role in this film isn’t anything too special in terms of performances. She plays Jonathan Harker’s fiancé Mina, who ends up getting too close Dracula. Keanu Reeves as Jonathan isn’t one of his best roles, his monotone voice and demeanor, not to mention a lousy English accent, don’t lend a lot to the role. On the other hand, if it weren’t for this movie, perhaps, he wouldn’t have ended up being as well known as he is and playing roles that are actually suited to him (i.e. John Wick, Neo, etc.). Then there’s Dr. Van Helsing, played by easily one of the greatest actors of all time who shows no sign of stopping what he does best, Anthony Hopkins. Younger people may know him as Odin from ‘Thor’ and the Marvel Cinematic Universe. But before then Hopkins was…well…playing on his strengths and acting as side characters with, maybe, a few screws loose. This was a year after ‘The Silence of The Lambs’ so his performance as Hannibal Lecter is probably what motivated the crew most to pick him as Van Helsing. And boy was it a good choice. Van Helsing in this movie is just a looney old man with seemingly intimate knowledge of vampires that is very beneficial in hunting Dracula.
I couldn’t help but appreciate the cast in this film, they all bring something to the table and many of them really wanted to be apart of this film. Gary Oldman joined so he could work with Coppola, and so he could say “I have crossed oceans of time to find you”.
OVERALL
The Dead Don’t Die
If you’re going into Bram stoker’s Dracula thinking that it’s going to be an entertaining horror flick like ‘Alien’ or ‘The Thing’ then you’re probably in the wrong mind-set. While it has horror elements, it’s barely a traditional horror movie. It’s a gothic romance with vampires. It’s a soap opera about a man who was once good, but was consumed by darkness upon losing everything dear to him.
So don’t watch it expecting jumpscares every minute or tons of sexual tension (though there is plenty of that), watch it for the visual appeal and the most entertaining antagonist that I’ve ever seen so far.
Fun Fact: The character of Dracula took some inspiration from Vlad The Impaler, a Romanian ruler that was known for his brutality in war fronts. They pay homage to him in the beginning of the film and it’s great.
Have you seen Bram Stoker’s Dracula? Have you seen any Dracula movie? If so, which is your favorite? The list of questions goes on, and I’d love to know what you thought of this movie. For me, it’s great. Though I can see how it wouldn’t be everyone’s cup of tea.
Thank you for reading, and I hope you’re having a good day.
Seth's Creative Cabin 