Looking Glass Wars by Frank Beddor (Review)

This is a book I had stumbled unto after some research and I was longing to read it ever since. First of all it declares that everything we know about Alice in Wonderland is a lie, and the true story was twisted for profit and entertainment, instead of its real purpose which was to expose the reality of that world. That’s where the beauty of this book lies, in the twists Beddor has made to the classic tale. Where travelling takes place via reflective surfaces, where the White Rabbit is smart albino tutor named Bibwit Harte, where the Mad Hatter is skillful and dangerous bodyguard with a multitude of blades and sharp, hidden weapons, where The Smiling Cat is actually a malicious assassin and the Redd Queen is…well pretty much the same.

The plot is fairly simple. Alyss Heart was celebrating her seventh birthday much like any seven year old would, but her world was shattered when the kingdom of Wonderland was seized by her Aunt Redd. After a violent coup, her parents Queen Genevieve and King Nolan were killed, her best friend Dodge Anders was orphaned and Alyss herself was transported into our world, which was much different from Wonderland and where no one (in their right mind) would believe in the existence of her home. So with the future of Wonderland lying in this exiled princess, the story follows her life as she matures into an adult and the fate of Wonderland under Queen Redd’s rule.

Now the story is very straightforward, though the writing is so concise and simple that you could breeze through it in a short time if you wish. And the setting itself is very mature, with death, destruction, war and violence- which I came to expect when I first heard of the book. However the characters aren’t very engaging here- Redd is a very cliché villain, though it was entertaining watching people react to her temper. And Alyss and maybe Dodge to some extent are the only characters who grow somewhat as the story progresses. It was fairly good seeing her grow from a spoiled brat, to a humble and wise would-be Queen. But I would’ve still liked to see more- especially Hatter Madigan (luckily they’re two more sequels to check out).
All in all it’s a good read, especially for the world being presented here and hopefully the sequels would explore the characters a bit more. 3/5 stars.

Trinity Blood: Reborn on the Mars- Volume 1 The Star of Sorrow by Sunao Yoshida (Book Review)

Okay I've always been a Trinity Blood fan from the moment I heard about the anime. It just had such a unique art style that looked elegant yet violent at the same time. Combining themes from classics like Vampire Hunter D, Hellsing and even Trigun I couldn't help but be drawn in. Though the anime story was incomplete and to some extent so was the manga, mainly because the original writer Sunao Yoshida died in 2004 and thus couldn't finish the story. This came as a shock and bitter disappointment for me because I could see he was setting things up but was never given the chance to bring that huge plot revelation he wanted. Nevertheless as a fan I sought out any medium that could hint at something I didn't see in the anime or manga and it lead me to the original source material- the light novels. Unfortunately this novel isn't one of the new stories from the overall series, actually its pretty old within the first 10 eps of the anime. But I didn't mind reading it in its original form-always nice to see anime in literary form anyhow.

The synopsis goes like this, in the fallen capital of Istavan which lies in between the Methuselah (vampire) Empire and the Vatican (human) territory), life is ruled by the Marquis of Hungary Gyula. Gyula happens to be a vampire nobleman, one who spites humans to the point of inducing great suffering to the population with high taxes, martial law etc. But aside from this Gyula seems to have greater plans, plans that can put the entire world at risk. Now the protagonists of the story are split into two individuals, the first is a young nun called Esther Blanchett who secretly leads a rebel group of partisans under the alias Star to stop Gyula's obvious oppression. The second is a bumbling young priest Abel Nightroad who has been sent to Istavan by the Vatican to investigate Gyula and his secret plans while apparently having a much deeper persona.

Keeping away from most spoilers, I'll say that despite the story's episodic nature and the fact that I already knew what was going to happen (having seen the anime already) I was still entertained. The characters were very engaging with Abel acting very humourous and awkward but switching his personality at just the right moments, hinting at a sinister more all-knowing version of himself. Esther does well to be an innocent bystander unknown to the true nature of things. Even Gyula has great motivations behind his villainy and does well as a three-dimensional enemy. The minor characters are also interesting including Tres Iquis AKA Gunslinger the terminator-like gunman, and the very passionate Caterina Sforza who serves well as Abel's superior and shows the politics involved in the Vatican. Even the greater evil Rozencruz Orden does well to capture my attention.

Plus the series combines sci fi,fantasy and horror so masterfully. Only a few stories can rival it.

Also this individual story ended in a complete way hinting at a greater plot which should be continued in further novels or volumes. I just wish that this story did have some sort of ending because I personally think it could've been one of the greatest vampire stories out there, even surpassing Vampire Hunter D in some respect.

3 1/2 out of 5 stars

Avatar -Movie Review

Ok I know my new M.O was to update my blog with book reviews, I've been so touched by the new Avatar movie that I had to write something. James Cameron's new CGI Sci Fi epic just grips you from the first second and keeps you engaged even till after the credits roll. Simply Magnificent.

Plot Synopsis goes as follows: After Jake Sully mourns the loss of his twin brother, he is approached by the company that his brother worked for to take his mantel on some special project on the Planet Pandora. The project involves the use of these bioengineered Avatars made from human DNA and the DNA of the native inhabitants of Pandora called Navi. Now Jake knows nothing about this field of work, his brother was a talented researcher while he was just a marine grunt- now useless because he's in a wheelchair. Nevertheless because he shares the same blood as his twin brother, he's eligible to continue the project and he agrees because it gives him a chance to get his legs back via high priced spinal surgery. As he uses the avatar he's thrust into the world of Pandora with all of its dangers until he's taken in by a Navi Tribe the Omiticuya (i think thats the name ). There he learns their culture and way of life and is soon thrust in between the two races as conflicts and tensions rise.

Now I don't want to give too much spoilers I stuck to what was in the trailer. But theres more here, albeit subtle. The plot isn't all original since ive seen the same themes in Surrogates, District 9, Dancing with wolves , Battle for Terra and others. However the beauty in Avatar lies within the characters, many of the characters were engaging and had great individual stories. Jake lies in the shadow of his brother, and was only good as a marine but now as a cripple he thought he'd lost most of his worth. But the minute he received his new body he was given a new sense of freedom and it is displayed throughout the film, until the end when his mistakes begin the reveal themselves. Then there's the Neyeteri who has so much expectation as the village chief's daughter but finds herself attached to this alien abomination- meaning Jake. And even the secondary characters,Parker is more than the typical company director as he moves from being driven by greed to seeing the inhumane nature of his choices. Then theres Spellman who weaves between supporting enthusiastic colleague, to a petty jealous man, and then finally rises above to a heroic character of his own. And not to mention the Colonel Miles Quaritch- who was an excellent villain- albeit he wasn't very three-dimensional but very entertaining.

Its not the most original film, but the effort on all points, story, visuals, art design, direction,score, sound direction. I mean wow this film was a gem and worth the ten years wait. James Cameron never disappoints and I'm glad he came to the helm in bringing serious CGI animated films in American Cinema and moved away from the typical Pixar film.

5/5 Go see it

His Dark Materials; The Subtle Knife by Philip Pullman (Book Review)

After reading this sequel to the Golden Compass (AKA Northern Lights) I can say that the His Dark Material Series has now grown immensely in scale and evolved to an adventure that puts the fate of life as a whole in the balance.

The story follows a new protagonist by the name of Will Parry, who is a boy around Lyra's age- albeit more mature- and his quest to find his father (John Parry) who disappeared when he was just a boy. From the very get go we are exposed the the child's maturity as he not only has the presence of mind to make sure his mentally ill mother is well taken care of. But he also does well in covering his tracks after accidentally murdering a man who was pursuing him and his family. Eventually Will meets up with the original protagonist Lyra Belaquia and the two soon realize that their fates are intertwined in a goal that maybe so important that all of mankind depends on it. Now I am deliberately being vague about the plot because one of the best things about the book is finding out just how large the conflict has become. Spanning not only Lyra's world where people walk around with daemon companions, but our own human world in the present and also the world of Citagazze where adults are plagued by the treacherous Specters of Indifference where only pre-adolescents remain safe. Furthermore as there are countless worlds throughout the universe, one can only gather that everything in existence is at stake.

Now one thing I like about this sequel is that it moves away from Lyra, at many segments of the book the narrative focuses on other characters. Besides Will Parry- Wielder of the Subtle Knife- we have an expanded perspective of some old faces- namely the century old witch Serafina Pekkala, the Texan Aeronaut Lee Scoresby, along with some new characters such as the Physicist Mary Malone and the Shaman Dr. Stannislus Gruuman- all of which have some great purpose in the overall plot. I especially love the fact that we get more incite into the characters' motives, beliefs and pasts and in some cases their relationship with their daemons- especially Lee Scoresby. I also like the way Lyra realises that she's getting older, that she can no longer take foolish risks and hope to lie her way out of them like she did in her world. This is also reinforced by the fact that her daemon is becoming more stable and pretty soon she'd be an adult. Whether Will's presence sparked this change or not remains to be seen but it is a great transition from her careless ways of the past.

And the ideas in this book are thrice as impressive as the first.Aside from daemons we are introduced to the existence of many different worlds including our very own, and how they are all similar in some way. And also the item known as the Subtle Knife which can cut through any substance even the fabric of space itself. Along with the Specters of Indifference, the true nature of Dust and the nefarious goal of the ambitious Lord Asriel who dares to do what mere humans would've never done before.

I can go on and on about this novel but I probably would end up making one myself. The writing is top notch as always, with the style changing according to the situation. With a darker mood surrounding the plot, where death is rampant and children are exposed to horrors, violence and real danger. And the themes are so wide now that it changes the entire scope the first one had.

All in all I am tempted- o so tempted to read the Amber Spyglass- but I have other books on my list to check out sadly. But it was an excellent read.

4 1/2 stars.

Golden Compass AKA His Dark Materials- Northern Lights by Philip Pullman (Review)

Ok just finished golden compass and I will say that I thoroughly enjoyed it. First of all Pullman has a great writing style, his sentence structure is done in such a way that it grips you and makes you share the suspense and the ambience of that world.

But even better than his writing style are his ideas! First of all this takes place in an alternate reality, the main difference from our own is that every human has a daemon accompanying them. A daemon is described as the human soul in animal form which serves as more than a companion but probably half of a whole. As such the animal is a best expression of a persons character- for example the meek and subservient have mice and pups for daemons while the devious and deceptive have serpents as daemons. Also before a human reaches adolescence their daemon much like their personalities often change form with their emotions- and believe this device is used very well to describe Lyra (the main character's) state of mind.

Also their is the concept of Dust- which i wont spoil. Basically Pullmans world is one which is a joy to discover as you read on.

The plot for this is all but simple but the gyst is that it follows the main character Lyra Belaquia. Shes a twelve or eleven year old girl who has a daemon called Pantalamion. In her adventures around her home of Jordan College she witnesses a murder attempt on her Uncle Asriel, but warns him before any damage is done. Then after eavesdropping on the meeting between her Uncle and the other professors she finds out about the mystery of Dust and so forth. From that point her uncle leaves, and shes given this althieometer (the golden compass) which is a mystical item which allows one to read the future. However the item is rare and shouldnt be allowed to fall in the wrong hands. Meanwhile this clandestine group called the Oblation board (AKA Gobblers) have been behind the mysterious disappearance of children all across england, including Lyras dear friend Roger. And the head of the organisation; Mrs. Coulter has taken a special interest in Lyra and thus an adventure begins with Lyra being on the run from the Gobblers while searching for her kidnapped friend and her Uncle.

Now this is a bad synopsis really the plot is actually pretty great with a huge twist which caught me offguard and the movie didnt get a chance to show. Part of why the plot is deep is that it incorporates many races and cultures *Polar Bears ROCK!!!!!!!* and witches for example. Furthermore the secondary characters are very intriguing example Iorek Bynirson- the falled Polar Bear Prince, Lee Scoresby the happy-go-lucky yet enigmatic aeronaut, John Faa and Father Coram- the Gypsy Heads, Serafina Pakkala- one of the century old witch clan leaders etc etc all just make me wanna check the sequel to see if any light is shed on them. Though I have my doubts if that'll actually happen-_-

Anyway- all I'll say is that its a great book im dying to read the sequels as the world has sucked me in much like Potter. And one more thing I must add Lyra has to be one of the most likeable main characters ever- shes brave and crafty with a bit of a stubborn brat streak but man she just doesnt give a damn about adults. The ending especially just has me so excited considering how much of a harda** she could be lol.

Anyway 4 and a half stars !!!

Vampire Hunter D by Hideyuki Kikuchi (Review)

Just finished reading this and I must say I enjoyed it quite alot. The reason I picked it up was because I was a fan of the anime movies and I often wondered how an anime would be written as a novel. Needless to say the transition is seemless as the action is plenty and swift much like the movies and the descriptions are spot on.

The basic plot is simple. Baron Byron Balazs is a member of the vampire Nobility and has hired a bodyguard to protect him while on his journey to Krauhausen to slay his own father. That bodyguard is none other than D who as a hunter is strangely accepting the task to protect the very being he has sworn to kill- and also being a reknowned dhampir - (half vampire half human) himself. Along the journey they meet a couple characters who accompany them- the first being a vampire noblewoman by the name of Miska who happens to detest everything human. The acrobatic siblings May and Hugh and a runaway assistant by the name of Taki. These characters add some life to the quest as they have varying conflicts, personalities and backgrounds but theres nothing here on the level of say Harry Potter. Not to mention D himself isnt very talkative though I couldn't say the same for his left hand... (you'll know when you read it)

As mentioned earlier they're plenty of battles throughout the book and they're are all awesome and thoroughly explained. Each time I assume the enemy is unbeatable and yet somehow the characters manage to win with relative ease- especially D. Thus it makes the reader and other characters wonder just who this Dhampir is and perhaps who the Baron or Miska are also- theyre backgrounds are fairly hazy but there is a past which must be delved into.

The unfortnate thing is- that since they are two more parts to this story nothing is settled in this book:( Everything is just beginning with a nasty cliffhanger waiting for you once you reach the end. That being said it was a great read- the writing style was to the point and easily understandable even through the translation. Plus the world itself is very intriguing having interesting technologies, creatures and history which the author takes sufficient time to explain before moving on to the next plot point.

I'm glad to read it- was a great change from Potter and It iterates my previous opinion of Vampire Hunter D being one of the best vampire stories ever made

Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card (Review)

Was recommended this book via forum when I asked about books with detailed action scenes *this was before I read dresden files and vampire hunter D of course). Anyway now that I finally sat down to read it as my first sci fi read in ages, I come to categorize it as one of the best books I've ever read. From the very first chapter I realized the concept was similar to a few ones I've seen before but in the thriller genre and instead of pretty boy teenagers, the genius was in the form of a 6 year old kid- that alone warranted me to finish this book.

Plot: As said before the book is centered around 6yr old Andrew (Ender) Wiggin and his trials as a third born child in the family. The law at that time in the future was that no family is to have more than two children without government permission otherwised they'd be taxed heavily etc. However this family wasn't normal, as the first two kids were both geniuses and Ender wasn't any different. The world in this book is steeped in a war between the human race and this alien raced termed 'Buggers' who have far superior numbers, technology and intelligence than us humans. Well at least that's what was thought however mankind has invested years in creating this school which harvests child geniuses and prodigies and rear them from as early as eight to become the admirals and generals of their fleet to fight the Buggers. And this is where Ender's story begins, as a third whose very existence is to fight the Buggers and the fate of mankind rests on him.

It may sound a bit typical from the premise but I assure you it is not. From the very get go there is a huge psychological thriller going on between the characters. For one Peter; Ender's older brother who is just as brilliant as Ender but perhaps crueler has had this secret wish to destroy his little brother and doesn't keep it a secret. While Ender's older sister Valentine shares the intelligence but has more compassion for most people especially Ender. * Bare in mind these characters are less than ten years old.* And this sort of isolation and jealousy continues as the story progresses and Ender develops more into the genius killer he is needed to be. With new characters setting their sights on the boy and pushing him to the limit. I could go much deeper but I'm trying to keep spoilers to a minimum.

The books style is engaging too, with every chapter beginning with a conversation between military higher ups regarding Ender's education and a sort of insight on what twisted plans they have for the boy. And the chapter then deals with how Ender handles that plot and eventually how it helps him to grow as a soldier. I also loved the hidden meanings behind the dreams and games which Ender has, and how they relate to each character interaction he has and how he is influenced as a human being.
It truly is a deep deep book.

Only one thing bugged me really and stopped me from giving it a full 5 stars. The imagery was very very bland at times I almost felt like the characters were in a world of white. But then again the environment hardy mattered because I was so caught up in each person's mind and conflicts that I could care less where they were in my head. And as I mentioned the battles, I will say these are some brilliant strategies here and when Ender is ruthless and efficient its almost astounding. The recommendations were definitely not out of place in this one where battle was concerned.

All in all its a great book, I'm going to measure all my sci fi reads with this unconsciously from now on. And I am resisting the urge to read the rest of the series simply because I have started too many other series already lol.

4 1/2 out of 5 stars !