Storm Cursed (Mercy Thompson #11) & Smoke Bitten (Mercy Thompson #12) by Patricia Briggs Review

I’m going to review these two books together because their plot is closely linked. These books are also best enjoyed if read back to back.

Storm Cursed sees Mercy and the pack trying to deal with a new gang of witches, The Hardesty Witches, black witches who are trying to take over their territory. They kill Elizaveta’s family and create zombies that start wreaking havoc all over the city. Ultimately Elizaveta manages to kill the witches with key assistance from Mercy. Though once she absorbs the Hardestys’ power, she becomes a real threat to the pack. It ends with Adam killing Elizaveta to keep his pack and their territory safe.

Smoke Bitten sees Underhill create a doorway right in Mercy’s backyard, because she wants to be closer to Aiden. There’s also a new monster running amok in the wild, one that can not only turn people to it’s will once it bites them, but also wear their likeness once they die. As if that wasn’t enough, there are rival werewolves who want to depose Adam and take over the pack and their territory. And to top it all off, Adam’s not behaving like himself, he has sealed the mating bond and almost appears to be avoiding Mercy. So clearly, there’s a lot going on.

We are on books 11 and 12. That’s a lot of books in a series and it’s not uncommon for readers to start losing interest at this stage. The characters have developed and grown as much as they can, and the plots become repetitive. Pretty soon you realise that you’re essentially reading about the same characters, they just have different names.

So how does Briggs keep this series engaging for the reader considering that the protagonist in all of these books remains the same? Well for starters, each of the Mercy Thompson books is self-contained. In that they have a monster/problem they must deal with and it gets resolved by the end of the book. But with each book, Briggs adds new characters, new layers to existing characters, deepens the dynamic between those characters. This allows Briggs to keep the characters and the setting fresh. With each new book, we learn a little more about the characters, it allows her to switch focus from one character to another thus making all of them familiar to the reader. You begin to get invested in them even though they’re not the main characters, you care about their well-being and you want them to survive whatever’s trying to kill them this time around.

But that’s still only half the battle. Great characters are definitely an asset but saddle them with a lumpy plot and those characters will only take you so far. Briggs is great with plots as well. The plots are consistently well realised, the stakes just high enough to worry the reader but not so high that they seem insurmountable. They never overshadow the characters. These books are the perfect blend of great characters coupled with a well thought-out plot.

There are two levels of plot, one that serves as the monster of the week and the other that focuses on the relationships of the characters. The former is relevant across the series as a progression of what the characters have over come. But it is the latter that is the heart of the series. With each book, we see the relationships unfold, in that respect, character growth becomes a part of the plot.

I absolutely adore Mercy, she’s just such an amazing character. She is unapologetic and so true to herself, almost to a fault. She’s not above being sneaky and using her unique set of skills to survive and win. She fights tooth and nail to protect the ones she loves, those she calls her family. I love that she doesn’t take crap from anyone. She’s one of the rare heroines in paranormal romance/urban fantasy who always takes time to think things through, especially when it comes to her romantic relationships.

Adam Hauptman is probably the best alpha love interests I have ever come across. I was rooting for him from the beginning and it was so gratifying to see him and Mercy come together, it felt so damn organic, like that was the only plausible path either one of them could have taken. But happy endings run the risk of getting boring and Briggs always manages to keep them interesting and really outdid herself with Smoke Bitten.

There is something wrong with Adam and he doesn’t trust himself around Mercy, certain that he’ll hurt her. In the hands of a lesser author, this could have come left of field and felt out of character because if there’s one thing you can be sure of, it’s that Mercy and Adam really love each other. But Briggs sprinkled enough hints about his insecurities throughout the series that his actions feel believable. All of this becomes center stage in Smoke Bitten but have their origin in Storm Cursed. Elizaveta’s dying curse was a genius move and it only worked because those doubts and insecurities already existed. His behaviour therefore, though frustrating also made sense. He didn’t suddenly turn into an overbearing asshole. It will be interesting how his monster persona plays into the future books. Adam and Mercy’s relationship is one of the best parts of the series.

The Mercy Thompson series is really so full of amazing characters. I love the usual suspects, Stefan, Zee, Tad, Jesse, Warren, Kyle, Honey and Ben. In fact, I like most of the characters and even if I don’t like them, they’re well written enough that I enjoy reading about them. But this time I have to add Wulfe to the list. He’s so weird and unpredictable and I love it. You never know who’s side he’s on (most of the time he doesn’t either.)

The only people who frustrate me are Aurielle and Mary Jo. Their unwavering loyalty to Christie is frustrating considering that she was afraid of ALL of them because of who they were. Their inability to see that Christie is manipulative and opportunistic seems tiresome now. If I had one complaint about this book it would be Mercy’s utter lack of female friends and that is a shame. It would be nice if they could pull their heads out of their asses for a change.

The Mercy Thompson Series is an absolute joy to read and Storm Cursed and Smoke Bitten were just more of the same. It is one of the few series that can always, without fail, drag me out of a reading slump. Patricia Briggs manages to keep the plot and characters moving in a way that is a perfect blend of the new and the familiar.

Aurora Burning (Aurora Cycle #02) by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff Review

Okay, for those who read Godsgrave (Nevernight Chronicles 02) by Jay Kristoff, do you remember the cliffhanger at the end of that particular gem? Well, Aurora Burning very nearly topped it, no small feat. Something to keep in mind in case you’re thinking of picking this up.

Aurora Burning begins with a bang, literally, Squad 312 are on the run, only now they’re not only running from the Global Intelligence Agency but also the Terran forces including the Aurora Legion, their own comrades. They are fugitives with no allies and an ever increasing horde of adversaries around every corner. And all the while the threat of the Ra’Haam looms larger, getting closer to blooming, covering the galaxy.

One of the complaints that some had with the first book was that there wasn’t enough action. Well, Kristoff and Kaufman turned the notch up to 11 in this, the team barely has any time to slow down and take stock, to mourn, to just be. Aurora Burning feels like one long action-packed adventure. The pace slows down a little towards the third act before the no-holds-barred finale at the end.

The writers also split up the squad, a la The Last Jedi, with Tyler on his own, captured by the GIA and Scarlett and the rest trying to make sure that Auri stays safe. So while Tyler must try to escape their clutches, the others have their own mission, figure out what happened to Auri and what being the Trigger actually means.

Where book 1 was more concerned with slow and small revelations, book 2 builds on those revelations but with greater urgency. I loved that while the plot kept getting more and more intricate, it never got convoluted. There’s nothing quite as satisfying when all the carefully laid out foreshadowing comes together in a big pay off. Kristoff and Kaufman added quite a few twists and red herrings to keep things fresh.

We learn more about the Eshvaren, the ancient race who defeated the Ra’Haam all those centuries ago and are responsible for Auri’s powers. One of the best parts of the book was the all the mystery surrounding them, a race so ancient that most didn’t even think that they had indeed existed, instead treating them more like mythological beings. Then there are the Syldrathi and we finally meet the Starslayer. We already know he’s ruthless but he takes it to a whole different level. Speaking of, there are so many antagonists, you have the Ra’Haam, GIA and pretty much all Terran forces, the Unbroken but the Starslayer specifically, these guys just can’t catch a break.

As for Ra’Haam, it is unclear just how far they’ve infiltrated the GIA and what other worlds have already fallen. Thanks to the nightmare Fin had in Aurora Rising, we know that at least one other planet is definitely in peril; Trask. Although it seems to be safe for the time being.

It was also interesting to note that while the Ra’Haam does indeed take a person over, making them a part of itself, that original person is still present inside. Another aspect made clear in Aurora Burning is that once a person has been taken over, they cannot be saved, which makes sense when we consider what happened to Cat and explains why Aurora’s father still remembers her.

As good as Kristoff and Kaufman are with plot, they’re even better where characters are concerned. Aurora Burning gives us a deeper insight into the Squad with some very shocking revelations. Tyler is the captain, the leader of this rag-tag group, a master strategist, splitting him from the team, gave Scarlett the space to really shine. In the previous book, she was kind of relegated to being the caretaker of the group, well she really steps up to the task at hand and she does so admirably.

I’m normally not a fan of the whole “soulmates” romance, too often it feels like a shortcut, where 2 characters meet and immediately fall in love and I was afraid of what the Pull meant for Kal and Auri. But I needn’t have worried. The love story between them felt real and earned. I loved that while Kal experienced the full effects of the Pull, a near physical ache for Auri, he gave her the time and space to make up her own mind. His presence never overpowering but always close should she need any help. I loved their dynamic.

Finian was his usual charming self, king of sassy comebacks, second only to Scarlett but then let’s face it, she has it down to an art form. I loved his unashamed sexuality, he is clearly drawn to Scarlett but he also really appreciates Tyler and Kal. I’m curious to learn if he has some special abilities as well because how else do you explain his dream of the blue pollen on Trask? And let’s not forget that he dreamt about that before they even knew what they were dealing with.

But the breakout star of book was Zila. This girl knocked it out of the park. I loved learning more about her. Her past explains so much about her, her personality, her behaviour and it’s heartbreaking. She’s also so damn badass. I loved the way she could just blend in with the background, simply disappearing, a very useful talent. And she’s queer!

There are also a few new characters but the only one of note was Saedii, Kal’s sister. But unlike him, she was loyal to the Starslayer, utterly devoted to his cause, viewing Kal and his team with disdain, disgusted with what she perceives to be his weakness. By the end of the book, there is a slight change in her outlook but it’ll interesting to see where she lands up with the conflict in book 3.

I love the representation in this series, of the squad, Finian is pansexual and Zila is queer (I’m leaning towards lesbian given her obvious crush on Scarlett but we’ll wait for confirmation) and even Scarlett isn’t completely straight if her reaction to Saedii is any indication.

The 2nd books in most trilogies are among the weakest, they have to set up the finale so the conflict, if any, is usually small and contained, making them feel more like fillers than an installment that you could enjoy on their own. Aurora Burning is a great second book, it keeps the plot progressing at an excellent pace while still setting up the final book, raising so many new questions. And that cliffhanger I mentioned at the beginning? It could not have been worse and now I will have to wait, at the very least, till May 2021 to find out how things pan out. It’s worse because book 3 doesn’t even exist right now…

Birds of Prey (2020) Review

Birds of Prey Poster

I’ve seen Birds of Prey twice now and both times, it was an absolute joy to watch! Never have I enjoyed myself quite this much, I screamed, I shouted and laughed throughout the film. Birds of Prey was everything I hoped it would be and so much more.

Where do I even start with this film? I loved everything about it, the writing, the cast, direction, the action, all of it.

Now, lets get the negative out of the way, I’ve read some reviews that pointed out that the film has pacing issues and maybe it does but only if you’re looking for it. Birds of Prey is also operating from a place of disadvantage where other superhero films are concerned (predominantly Marvel) Barring Harley, whom we saw in Suicide Squad, the rest of the squad is not very well known. Birds of Prey had the tall task of introducing all of these other characters in a way that made sense and still have a reasonable run-time. Black Canary, Huntress, Renee Montoya did not have the advantage of having their own standalone films. Christina Hodson, Margot Robbie and Cathy Yan did a great job integrating all of these characters, their arcs and the intersection of said arcs.

The writing was so on point, it felt like the writers had a keen sense of the characters they were writing for and to an extent that is true. Robbie was part of the writing process and helped shape the film and it’s not surprising, I doubt anyone (barring those who write the actual comics) could have had a clearer picture of who Harley is. Cathy Yan does a great job of bringing the words to life and infusing them with an energy that was electrifying. It was a cohesive and coherent film, full credit to Hodson and Yan.

I loved that all of the women are badasses without exception but the film also gives them time and space to be vulnerable. These are not male characters in a female body. These characters are feminine and lean on their emotions instead of shutting them down. The ass-kicking aspect is amazing, the action set-pieces are fucking fantastic but it was equally gratifying to see the women be supportive and protective of each other. They quickly became a sisterhood once they came together and that was a pleasure to see on film.

Birds of Prey is feminist, explicitly queer, diverse, irreverent, brash, unapologetic and a no-holds-barred female power fantasy, it is wish fulfillment at its finest. It was so gratifying to see the female characters defy conventional, patriarchal expectations time and time again. They are allowed to be messy and flawed, they make mistakes and bad decisions and they are better for it.

Margot Robbie has made Harley hers in a way that I doubt another actor could match in any capacity. I loved her journey, I loved that she was a mess after her breakup and she needed time and space to truly heal, to discover her worth, independent of her partner. I loved that she is canonically bisexual in the film. Her action sequences are some of the best in the film and she is amazing in them but I loved that we also saw her pain and loneliness, her desire to be a part of something and be appreciated for who she is. Her act of blowing up Ace Chemicals, while not thought through completely, is symbolic of her beginning to break away from the shackles she placed on herself.

Jurnee Smollett-Bell as Dinah Lance / Black Canary was amazing. You can see her feel torn between her need to survive and the terror and disgust she feels for Roman Sionis. Plus the Canary Cry was fucking epic and I wish we’d gotten more of it.

Rozie Perez as Renee Montoya was perfect, she brought dimensions and layers to the role that a younger actor would not have, the film is richer for having her in it and I am glad that both Yan and Perez fought for it. She had the right amount of cynicism and weariness that her role needed, like she’d been doing this for a while and though she was great at her job, she rarely got the credit she deserved. I also loved that she was also explicitly gay in the film and we even meet her ex-girlfriend.

Mary Elizabeth Winstead as the Helena Bertinelli / Huntress was plain delightful! I wish she’d had more screen-time. She was the right amount of socially awkward paired with someone with deep-seated rage issues. But she never loses herself to that rage, case in point, when the women are fighting together in the amusement park, she takes a moment to speak to Cassandra, give her something to ground her, to distract her from the violence and brutality.

Ella Jay Basco was great as Cassandra Cain. I loved her spirit and her interactions with Harley and the gang.

Ewan McGregor as Roman Sionis / Black Mask was equal parts spoilt brat and sinister and he played it so well. He was unpredictable and that’s what made him so menacing, you never knew what could set him off (snot bubble) And then there’s Chris Messina, brilliant as the unhinged Victor Zsazs, they were perfect for each other, 2 peas in a pod, each feeding the others’ sociopathy.

The action in the film is one of the best parts of the film, it is beautifully choreographed and you can feel the impact. All of the women get their time to shine, given that each has their own individual approach to how they fight. I also loved the costume design, I loved that NONE of the women were sexualised or objectified. They all looked amazing! But they were practically dressed, the way one dresses in real life but with more flair. Credit to Erin Benach.

Films like Birds of Prey that are written, produced and directed by women, for women are sometimes held to an unrealistic standard, almost as if they need to be perfect films (such a thing does not exist)They are held to standards that films made by men are not, which is why a man can make one mediocre film after another and no one blinks but if woman makes a film and it’s anything short of spectacular then it’s labeled a failure and used as an excuse to dismiss other proposals / pitches by female content creators, that is a deeply misogynistic approach and it needs to change. But we also need people to go out and watch films like Birds of Prey, Wonder Woman so that we can have more diverse voices and experiences reflected on screen. So please, if you haven’t already seen the film, make sure you do, go with your friends, mothers, sisters, whoever and watch it. It is a joy and a delight to watch.

Now, can we please have a Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy team up! Please, I desperately need it And while we’re at it, I need to them to get romantically involved. Pretty please

Sex Education – Seasons 1 & 2

When the first season came out, I watched one episode and decided it wasn’t for me, I thought that it was fickle and flaky, superficial stuff. Recently, I decided to give it another go, mostly because I wanted to watch something that wasn’t too intense and not an emo drama. Well, Sex Education is an amazing show and while it sucks that I didn’t watch it sooner, the timing could not have been more perfect, I binged both seasons back to back.

The show took me by surprise in the best way possible. I was struck by how relatable it is. The writing is impeccable, the gender balance where directors are concerned is fair and there aren’t more than 3 directors per season, which means that each directs more than one episode. This may not seem like a big thing but it is actually pretty significant. Every director brings their own sensibilities and treatment to what they’re going to direct. So if you have a different director for each episode, each episode will feel different. And on a show with just 8 episodes per season, that soon turns into a detriment. 3 directors means that the season has a consistent tone in terms of story-telling and pacing, those directors are also more familiar with the narrative arc and characters so plot and character development often feel organic and coherent.

Of the 2 shows from the recent past about teens navigating high school, Euphoria and Sex Education could not be more different- both are brilliant, though Euphoria feels a whole lot more bleak. Sex Education tackles a lot of the same problems but with a healthy dose of comedy, and it is way more inclusive. Another thing worth noting is that the characters in Sex Education look and behave like kids. That’s in stark contrast to Euphoria where everyone looks so much older (with the exception of Lexi) they are hypersexualised, a characteristic typical of American television shows.

What I loved was the character portrayal, it was the best aspect of the show. I loved the way every character was humanized. Through every episode we learn a little bit more about the characters and it gives us an insight into their lives. Everyone from Otis (the protagonist of the show) to Ruby (the resident mean girl) gets a background story. Mind you, at no point does the show normalise bad behaviour but it does serve as a reminder to the audience that these are all human beings with imperfect lives, they’re all struggling with their own demons.

While Otis serves as the main protagonist of the show and also a stand-in for the audience, the cast of characters is rich and diverse. The rest of the supporting cast are all important to the plot and have their own independent arcs that are not tied to him, they each have their own individual struggles and journeys.

I loved the show’s treatment of sexual assault, it was dealt with sensitivity and care often lacking in mainstream shows for adults. And it’s also an accurate depiction of trauma where initially Aimee seems to be fine and it’s only towards the end of the day that you see the toll it’s taken. I loved that at no point did any one tell her that it wasn’t a big deal or question her behaviour.

Season 2 avoided a lot of pitfalls that other shows fall for. It introduced a few new faces but it largely stuck to older, more established characters, those that the audience was already familiar with and focused on adding depth and backstory for them. The writers/directors made sure that every character had their time to shine.

I loved the gradual growth of Adam, one of the other highlights of the show. It took its time and made no excuses for his toxic attitude and the abuse he aimed at Eric. It made time for his growth, for him to accept himself and accept that he’s not a screw-up and unlovable.

I like all the characters, special mentions for Otis, Eric, Aimee (an absolute sweetheart), Ola, Jackson, Viv, Jean Milburn, Jacob. All of these guys are amazing but my favourite is Maeve WIley. I love her with all my heart and I really hope that she catches a break next season. I love her wit, I love how smart she is, her dry sense of humour, her love and loyalty for her friends. I even love her flaws because they make her human. Also, while I was starting to like Isaac, he turned into an ass at the end. Logically I know that whatever he hopes to start with Maeve won’t last because it’s based on deception but it was still frustrating.

Anyway, this show is a gem and more people need to watch it. I really hope that we get another season and soon…

Update! They got renewed for another season!!!

Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo Review

Ninth House marks Bardugo‘s entry into writing Adult Fiction and it is a very worthy entry. She’s also one of the few authors capable of dragging me out of a funk. Her plot and characters are like black holes (in the best sense possible) and before you know it, you’ll be sucked in.

Blurb:

Galaxy “Alex” Stern is the most unlikely member of Yale’s freshman class. Raised in the Los Angeles hinterlands by a hippie mom, Alex dropped out of school early and into a world of shady drug dealer boyfriends, dead-end jobs, and much, much worse. By age twenty, in fact, she is the sole survivor of a horrific, unsolved multiple homicide. Some might say she’s thrown her life away. But at her hospital bed, Alex is offered a second chance: to attend one of the world’s most elite universities on a full ride. What’s the catch, and why her?

Still searching for answers to this herself, Alex arrives in New Haven tasked by her mysterious benefactors with monitoring the activities of Yale’s secret societies. These eight windowless “tombs” are well-known to be haunts of the future rich and powerful, from high-ranking politicos to Wall Street and Hollywood’s biggest players. But their occult activities are revealed to be more sinister and more extraordinary than any paranoid imagination might conceive. (via Bardugo’s website)

At Yale, Alex is part of a society called Lethe, who are tasked with keeping the other secret societies in line. Though, not nearly as powerful as the other societies, Lethe still has a few tricks up their sleeve. Their other members include Daniel Arlington, Pamela Dawes, Dean Sandow and Abel Turner (though he was probably the most unwilling member they had). With the exception of Turner who is a local law enforcement officer, the rest are either students or affiliated with the university in one capacity or another.

Bardugo herself is a Yale alumna and it’s evident in the way she infuses a certain life in her descriptions of the university, it’s buildings, it’s streets- transporting the reader not just to a place but to one that feels familiar. The place feels alive and becomes an integral part of the plot.

Ninth House is also non-linear. A bulk of the book weaves back and forth in time, inter-cutting from present to the past. I think this treatment enhances the plot and mystery at the heart of it. Bardugo lets us know from the beginning that there’s more to Alex than meets the eye and takes her time unveiling her secrets. The execution was spectacular.

Bardugo is an exceptional writer and I love that her books are beautifully layered. Ninth House was gripping and intense and she managed to maintain that intensity from beginning to end without it ever getting overwhelming.

The plot also seamlessly weaves in class divide and the entitled attitude of the rich. Universities like Yale, Harvard and the like take pride in that they are not for everyone, they have an elitist attitude present and Bardugo doesn’t pull any punches making it crystal clear. The secret societies are exceptionally well-connected, deal with powerful magic without worrying about repercussions because they know that there won’t be any real consequences even if they did go too far. Too much money and prestige is connected to these societies.

There are also themes of sexual assault, rape and drug abuse and are treated with respect. There are some parts that are infuriating but they conclude in a way that is deeply satisfying. But if any of these themes are triggering for you, then please proceed with caution.

The best thing about Ninth House is the mystery and its characters. There are two central mysteries; who and what is Alex Stern and Who killed Tara Hutchins. We learn more about Alex Stern as the plot progresses but the other mystery is so well executed that it every time we learnt something, it also raised new questions. There were so many red herrings and every time I felt like that we finally knew what had happened, some new information came along that upended that theory.

Daniel Arlington or Darlington as he’s often called is a little harder to read. Not the most open person, he has his own struggles to get past. Darlington comes from Old Money, he’s never been exposed to the kind of struggle that Alex has seen since she was child. Yet you know that he’s trying to do the best he can. He feels some bitterness because of Alex abilities but he soon recognises all the ways it hurt her as well. He’s a stickler for rules and authority, always wanting to do things by the book. He thrives in an organised environment, unfortunately for him, Alex is chaos personified, though that’s not exactly her fault.

I really liked Dawes. Though she was closer to Darlington at the start of the book, her tolerance of Alex gradually gives away to partnership, to something akin to friendship. They are so different from each other yet they find common ground and learn to work together. I also really liked Mercy, Alex’s roommate. She seeks her out when Alex is at her lowest and doesn’t let her disappear. She cares about Alex. Detective Turner was a bit of a surprise. My impression of him changed as the book progressed.

And finally we have Alex Stern, the protagonist and the narrator. Stern has been able to see Grays (ghosts), since she was a little girl, something that set her apart from her peers and isolated her. She is a survivor, she survived her traumatic childhood, drugs, toxic relationships and anything else the world threw at her. Her one silver lining was her friendship with Hellie. Bardugo writes that friendship and Hellie so well that you fall in love with her just as Alex did. I love Alex’s drive, her resilience, that she refused to back down even when it would have been easier to do that.

There is a dark undercurrent that runs throughout the course of Ninth House, like a dark, ominous cloud. It’s not exactly an easy read, nor a particularly happy one but one that draws the reader in nonetheless. There is a simmering rage in Alex that, unfortunately, a lot of women can identify with. The rage borne out of feeling helpless in the face of violence, both overt and otherwise.

This book resonated with me in a way few have, it feels like parts of it have settled in deep my core. Perhaps, it is Alex’s relentless drive to keep fighting even in the face of much greater odds. Or perhaps it has something to do with the way Alex and the other girls take back their agency, refuse to let the world run them down, dismissing them as collateral damage for the ambitions of men. Or perhaps it is the satisfaction of seeing Alex come into her own, take full ownership of her powers and abilities, no longer afraid.

Ninth House is easily one the best books I’ve read all year and it’s one I know I will revisit soon. It was the perfect balance of superb writing and imperfect characters that will burrow deep into your skin and stay there.

Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker

I’ve been sitting on this for a while. I saw the film on Friday and I’ve spent the days since trying to come to terms with what I saw. While there was a healthy dose of skepticism especially after the mess that was GoT Season 8, I was still hopeful that Star Wars couldn’t possibly go that route, there was no way. I’m sad to say that while I did not hate the film, I didn’t quite love it either.

First the good, there were more than a few parts of the film that I loved. I loved that we saw Leia training to be a Jedi, I loved that she had her own lightsaber. I loved Rey and Ben together, each trying to reach the other. I loved that there was an internal conflict within her, something she had to actively work on. I loved that Ben returned to the light and both of his parents were involved. I loved that we got Reylo, something that quite a few of us had already predicted. I loved that Finn was Force Sensitive. But that’s about it.

There are massive plot holes in the film that are simply not addressed. How had Palpatine survived all those years? Was Palpatine always planned to be the final big bad? Because I don’t see it. The set-up came too late with little to no time for a satisfying resolve. Whichever way you look at it, it would have always felt too rushed. Where was the build-up? You needed at least 2 films to do the whole thing justice, especially with the way the film was planned. You don’t introduce a villain that big and then bump him off in 1 film.

I was unhappy that they made Rey a Palpatine. One of the best aspects of TLJ was that she was a nobody. She was a regular person, like everyone else. She didn’t come from an über powerful family. That was a novel idea, it broke from the old Star Wars tradition where everyone is linked to the Skywalkers in some capacity or another. Her struggle with the Dark Side could have still been a key component without connecting her to a Palpatine.

Where do I even start with Finn and Poe? They were relegated to the background and their entire arc was fairly messy. They served a purpose but there was no emotional payoff. The entire Resistance plot felt undercooked.

There were too many new characters for a film that was serving as the finale for a franchise roughly 40 years in the making. This should have been about wrapping up the story, not adding new elements that you didn’t have any time for. Having said that, I did like Zorii and Jannah. I liked that there were Storm-troopers who had rebelled against their training.

Then there was Ben Solo/Kylo Ren. Full disclosure, I’ve liked his character from the beginning and I loved the way Driver played him. All that unchecked rage at odds with the vulnerability of a lost and lonely boy. His fate seemed especially cruel. We learn in TROS that he was manipulated by Palpaltine from the very beginning, since he was in Leia’s womb. His own parents didn’t understand him, his uncle/mentor tried to kill him. He finally broke away from all that negativity only to die at the end? That seems harsh. What’s the message here? Ben Solo deserved to live a life of peace. The one silver lining is that he died protecting the woman he loved. It was a choice he made.

It is also not surprising that JJ and Terio killed him off. TROS plot, in a lot of ways, feels like a check-list and it shows. They tried to put in a little something for everyone from the fanboys to the shippers (so long as they were not Finn-Poe) They had to redeem Kylo Ren, that was always going to happen but they also probably feared backlash from the majority fan-base. They probably figured that that would appease both Kylo haters and those who saw Bendemption in the cards.

But this is Star Wars and no one ever really dies. If Ahsoka Tano can be brought back from the dead then so can Ben. It’s even more likely in his case because he and Rey share a soul, they’re literally soul mates and that kind of bond doesn’t just disappear. I’m hoping and praying that there are canon books in the works where we see this happen. If not, there’s always Fanfiction.

The end with Rey taking the Skywalker name seems even more disingenuous. You’re going back to the legacy family, implying that the name makes her special. She was Rey and that was enough. She survived on Jakku for years, relying only on her wits and resilience. There was no Force there to help her out, no Jedi masters. Rey is enough, she did not need to take on another name. And while we’re on the subject, if anything, it would have made more sense for to take on the Solo name. She was close to Leia, Han and Ben. Luke wasn’t exactly nice to her when she trained with him, they weren’t close. Why the hell would she take on that name?

TROS would have been Carrie Fisher’s film and I will forever be heartbroken that we never got to see it what that could have been.

The Last Jedi was a revolutionary Star Wars film in so many ways from the narrative arc to the cinematography, it felt new. TROS went back to the formulaic way of the earlier films and it was poorer for it.

I did not hate Star Wars, I can’t, there’s too much emotional investment for that. But this film fell woefully short on many fronts and that is deeply disappointing.

To Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Kelly Marie Tran, Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher and the entire cast, I want to end by saying a heartfelt thank you. In your own way, you made these films special and that will always remain.

Darkdawn (The Nevernight Chronicles #03) by Jay Kristoff Review

I’ve laughed, cried, raged at the powers that be, all in the space of a few hours. I’m still processing the masterpiece I just finished reading. Everything about Darkdawn was perfect even as things were at their most painful. Let’s get on with the review…

Fair warning, Gentle friends, this is a long one.

A brief summary-  at the end of Godsgrave, Mia was finally reunited with her brother, Jonnen, the same brother she thought dead. But the truth was far more horrible, Julius Sceava had taken Jonnen after doing away with Darius and Alinne and was raising him as his own son. And then things get even worse, because not only was Scaeva Jonnen’s biological father, he was Mia’s too. To compound the situation further, Mercurio had been kidnapped by the Red Church and Tric was back from the dead.

I won’t lie, there were parts of Darkdawn that gave me serious bouts of anxiety, bad enough that I had to put down the book for a few minutes. But I’ve never been happier that I stuck with a book than I am with Darkdawn.

I’ve read a lot of series that start off brilliantly, the first and even the second books are great but many falter where the conclusion is concerned. You’ve built these amazing characters over the course of two books and now you must conclude their tale in one, tall task to be sure. Darkdawn is one of the best if not the best conclusion I’ve ever read. Deeply satisfying and heartbreakingly sad all at once.

I firmly believe that Jay Kristoff books should come with a disclaimer “Not one of the characters you’re about to meet are safe” I learned my lesson the hard way while reading The Lotus War series and The Nevernight Chronicles and Darkdawn specifically doesn’t disappoint in that regard, literally no one was safe.

Now, one might wonder, if that’s the case, what’s keeping the reader from staying un-invested in the characters’ fates? But one can’t truly enjoy a book unless one is invested, as a reader you must care about the characters otherwise what’s the point? Kristoff creates such beautiful characters that you can’t help but fall in love. And it applies to both primary and secondary characters. Each character is crafted with such exquisite care that it’s apparent.

Darkdawn was also so damn eventful with something happening every few pages that there was no chance of a respite. If you’re looking to read something relaxing and light, this book is not for you. It will grab you by the scruff of your neck and take you for a ride. And once it gets going, it doesn’t slow down. Darkdawn is an emotional and mental roller-coaster with all the accompanying thrill one expects from such a ride.

Darkdawn sees Mia facing her old mentors from the Red Church and with so many enemies around every bend, Mia had no hope of surviving on her own. Our Little Crow has always had enemies but with every book, she also gained allies, friends. Friends who were loyal to her not out of fear but out of love, because she protected them when she didn’t have to, when she risked her own life to save theirs. And that was the primary difference between her and her enemies. Because for all her darkness, Mia was good and decent at her very core, always wanting to do the right thing and it was apparent to those she saved.

Will I ever love a character more than Mia? Probably not, at least not till Kristoff releases another book. I love everything about her, her goodness, her decency, her selfishness, her rage, all of it. I love that she doesn’t pretend to be something she isn’t, she hates just as fiercely as she loves. With everything that she had been through, it would have been so easy for her to become cold and callous, like the Shahiids at the Red Church. But she didn’t, she kept going, always had a sliver of hope even if she’d never admit to it.

I fell in love with Tric in Nevernight, was heartbroken at his death, then I came to terms with it, only for him to come back and with much flair and drama. He was a shadow of his former self, not quite dead and yet not quite alive either. He fought his way back to Mia from the literal afterlife, that’s how much he loved her and yet never treated it like an obligation, like she owed him something because he came back.

And then there’s Ash. Where do I begin with her? Words fail me. I won’t lie, I fell for her the minute she stepped on the page in Nevernight and only fell deeper in Godsgrave but Darkdawn was something else entirely. I love everything about her, her brash attitude, her fearlessness, that she gave back as good as she got, her fierce love and loyalty to Mia. But for all of her love for Mia, she wasn’t afraid of pushing her or calling out her bullshit. I loved how soft and vulnerable she was with Mia, letting her know how much she meant to her, as if she didn’t have to hide any part of herself. She never judged Mia for her actions either, loved all of her, warts and all.

One of the best aspects of Darkdawn was the love story between Mia and Ash and I was so worried that Tric was back in the mix. I desperately hate love triangles, they’re never truly triangles and I’m doomed to root for the one who doesn’t get picked. But Kristoff handled it beautifully. For people like me who are wary of the looming love triangle, worry not, you’re in good hands.

Our favourite Luminatii are also back and it was wonderful to see them again, the whole odd bunch. We also had a pirate crew this time around and they were all delightful. Jonnen started the book as a spoiled brat but he grows on you, I loved seeing his growing bond with Mia. I loved Mercurio, that grouchy old fussbucket, being an absolute pain in the ass for the Red Church. I would be remiss to omit Mister Kindly and Eclipse. Though they claim to hate each other, I feel like that that was just their way of interacting, hurling insults at each other. I absolutely adore their sass.

And how can I forget Julius Scaeva. He was a spectacular villain, a shrewd politician and a master tactician, he was a worthy opponent to Mia, matching her wit for wit. I hated every cell in his body.

The list of fallen is long and painful because over the course of these books you’re invested not just in the main characters but the supporting ones as well. Every death was unexpected and with every chapter, I could not help but hope that the remaining ones made it alive, that they got a chance at a happy ending, at peace.

Anything I say pales in comparison to just how strongly I feel about this book and it’s characters. The characters feel like flesh and blood, like they’re real. I loved every minute of this book. I will revisit it soon, and perhaps this time I’ll be able to take my time, truly savour it, spending a few more turns with this spectacular group of characters.

Never Flinch, Never Fear. And Never Ever Forget.

Game of Thrones Series Finale

This episode was such an epic mess that I don’t even know where to start. All that foreshadowing over the years, the subtle hints, the build up, all of it flushed down the drain in one fell swoop. The episode felt like a fuck you to the characters, the story, the audiences. I have yet to come across a human being who liked the episode.

Dany’s death was by far the cheapest shot. By this time, everyone knew she had to die, but it was the way she died that left a really bad taste in the mouth. I thought the show made it clear that she no longer trusted Jon in episode 5. Why then, did she have a change of heart in this one? Why was she suddenly all in love with him again? What did I miss?

The fact that she died while being kissed by the man she loved is just utter and absolute shit. It could not have been executed worse than this. And that she died literally 10 mins (at least that’s what it felt like) into the episode was also supremely disappointing and anticlimactic. There was no build up!

Where do I even begin with Jon! Except to say that his character was perhaps the most fucked up. What was up with the “she is my/our queen” litany? Who was he trying to convince at that point? The fact that she straight up murdered thousands of innocents and he was still backing her! All of his actions season 7 onwards are out of character. The Jon we saw is not the same guy he was in season 6.

If he really was in love with her, in which case it was one of the worst executed love story ever in the history of cinema and television, what was the point of asking Sansa if she had any faith in him? What was the show trying to achieve? Why frame Jon and Dany so badly that literally none of their scenes together as a couple felt right? It makes no sense!!!!

What’s the deal with Tyrion? He’s made one mistake after another. He backed a foreign invader. Why are the lords of Westeros even listening to his advice? His advice should be worth shit considering just how badly he’s been doing. Why is he The Hand? How is that justice? He’s complicit in the genocide, he’s a criminal, why isn’t he at the Wall with Jon?

Bran is the king of the six kingdoms. Please hold while I try to wrap my head around this asinine idea. How? Why? As the TER, he should be an objective observer. He has no business holding power. I thought the whole point of the story was to dissolve The Seven Kingdoms! But seriously Bran the Broken? What the everflying fuck! Even high on weed, I would have had a tough time swallowing this shit!

Bronn is on the small council, again why? What has he done to deserve the honour? He didn’t kill Tyrion and his payment for that was High Garden. He was a sell-sword and remained one till the very end. Why is he on the small council and Master of Coin at that!?

How did Sam become the Arch Maester? How is he qualified?

What happened to the Ellaria Martel and her daughter? The show conveniently forgot about them.. Who was Varys writing to? What did those letters achieve? Did he even manage to send them?

Sansa as Queen in the North was perhaps the only thing that made sense. This was the only part I liked. But I didn’t like the execution. The most important day in her life and none of her family is around? There’s no Arya, Bran or Jon, no Brienne or Yohn Royce! The fact that you didn’t see one recognisable face among the Northmen is telling. Hell, even Lord Glover was absent. It lacked the scope and scale of the first 2 coronations. Why did Brienne leave Sansa and go south? In the end, Sansa is alone.

What was up with all that Jonsa framing? They were framed as a couple always. What was the point of Ned telling Sansa that someday he’d find someone who was brave, gentle and strong , frame Jon as exactly that and then serve this shit? Why frame Jon and Sansa as couple in everything except name? Why frame Sansa as clearly being jealous of Dany? Why frame Sansa and Dany as romantic rivals? WHAT WAS THE DAMN POINT!!!!!

Arya is off to explore the world and I don’t mind this, but why not have her with Sansa when she’s being crowned? All because D&D wanted a cool intercut between Sansa, Arya and Jon? It wasn’t cool. What was the point of The Lone Wolf Dies but the Pack Survives? The pack broke up, they all went lone wolf. What was the damn point?

What were D&D smoking when they wrote this shit and why did everyone else who read it think this is good? How did nobody raise any red flags? Did no one think this is garbage? Or were they so impressed with themselves that they could no longer see that what they’re writing is unadulterated putrid shit. D&D can’t write original stuff to save their life, they did okay so long as they had GRRM’s books to adapt. As soon as that dried up, the show slowly went from bad to worse. They wrote themselves into a corner and then had no idea how to get out of it. Dany needed more time to devolve, more time for the threat of her to be realised. They needed at least 3 more episodes and better writers.

Now I can only hope that the books are better and that GRRM finishes writing them. In the meantime, there’s fan-fiction and I have never needed it more than I do right now.

Aurora Rising (Aurora Cycle #01) by Jay Kristoff and Amie Kaufman Review

Here’s the thing you should know about Jay Kristoff and Amie Kaufman’s books, they will leave you a mess by the time you’re done reading their book. I just finished Aurora Rising and I’m still in the middle of processing just what I read.

I am also an idiot for reading this book right now when there’s no sign of book 2, not a tentative release date, not even a damn blurb!

Aurora Rising’s format is very different from The Illuminae Files. We follow multiple POVs; Tyler, Scarlett, Cat, Finian, Zila, Kal and Auri. Like The Illuminae Files, this series too, takes place in deep Space, far into the future. Mankind has learnt to travel to distant galaxies using the Fold, literally folding time and space. As they traveled farther and farther away from home, they encountered other inhabitants and potentially habitable systems, replacements for a dying Earth.

Aurora Rising is about a band of misfits who are forced to work together to survive and instead of simply co-existing, they form deep bonds of friendship.

Tyler is the star pupil of Aurora Academy, nearing graduation, he’s supposed to be getting ready for his draft. As their highest ranking student, he could have his pick of the crew. But all his carefully laid plans get shot down since he ends up missing it when he decides to rescue a strange girl, the sole survivor in a graveyard of a ship that disappeared two hundred years ago. So now, with the exception of Scarlett and Cat, his sister and childhood friend respectively, he’s saddled with the recruits that no one wanted.

The plot is a wee-bit vague but I guess it makes sense since it’s only book 1. I understand unveiling the mystery slowly and organically because Auri’s character is central to the plot. She’s the catalyst that gets all the intergalactic wheels in motion. She, the team and the audience all learn together, we are with them every step of the way.

The real stars of the book are the characters. Having read The Illuminae Files and other books by the authors (but especially Mister Kristoff) I knew that I should not get too invested in the characters since none of them are safe but they’re just so well written that I couldn’t help but fall in love with every single one of them.

Tyler is the Alpha, the team leader, he’s charismatic and a natural leader. He’s a great tactician and values his team even though it’s not the team he wanted. He’s stoic and willing to make tough decisions for the better of the team.

Scarlett is the Face, the diplomat and Tyler’s twin. She was one of my favourite characters. She’s got plenty of sass and sarcasm and she’s not afraid of using every weapon in her arsenal if it gets her and her team what they need. She was also the most caring in the team, aware of each member, their needs. She genuinely cares about them.

Cat is the Ace, their pilot and she was the best in the Academy. While she trusts Tyler and Scarlett since she grew up with them, her demeanour with the rest of the team can be a little harsh. While the others start to get over their distrust of Aurora, Cat is the last person to get over that. But despite that, she still puts her life and career on the line to try and keep her safe with the rest of the crew.

Finian is the Gearhead, he’s the one responsible for the maintenance of their ship. He probably has the best lines in the book. He suffers from a disability which is why he needs to wear an exosuit. It is the source of his insecurity and he overcompensates for it by sometimes antagonising those around him. He is also canonically bisexual, made evident by his clear appreciation of both Scarlett and Tyler (he has excellent taste!)

Kal is their Tank, the warrior, their combat specialist. Kal also comes from a race of aliens and a clan that excels in combat making him even more lethal. He’s trying to be different from what his history dictates. He’s been a loner but he learns that perhaps he can depend on his team and these people.

Zila is their Brain and is in charge of keeping the team safe should they get injured or fall sick. She is perhaps the least vocal of the team, rarely speaking and sticking to facts and logic. She doesn’t always understand those around her and they don’t always understand her but this team is the one place where she feels she fits in about as much as she can.

Aurora or Auri is the one we know least about. She wakes up after being in cryosleep for about two hundred years. Everyone and everything she knew has been dead for decades. The world has changed. By the laws of space travel, she should not be alive and she should definitely not be sane and here she is, alive and seemingly sane. All mention of her family and the new settlement on another planet have been wiped clean, no records, digital or otherwise.

Add to that, she seems to have developed strange powers that defy all explanation. She and the team undertake a mission not only to protect her but also to uncover the mysteries that surrounds her.

I have to hand to Kristoff and Kaufman, after creating that strange virus in Illuminae and then the lanima in Gemina, one would think that they wouldn’t actually be able to top that, in terms of the creepy factor. But outdone themselves they have! I won’t say what it is, I’ll let you discover that for yourselves. But boy, was it creepy!

I have no idea when the next book will be out or whether it’s a duology or trilogy but I can’t wait to read more about the Squad 312 and their exploits. The only upside of reading Aurora Rising so early, I get to reread it closer to the release book 2.

The Lovely and the Lost by Jennifer Lynn Barnes Review

If I can count on a Barnes book to do one thing, it would be to pull me out of a reader’s block. I’ve been stuck, unable to read/finish a book and its been long enough that I was starting to get frustrated. Thankfully, once I started The Lovely and the Lost, I was hooked from beginning to end.

The Lovely and the Lost focuses on Kira who was rescued from a forest when she was a young child. Now, nearly 18 years old, she still faces the consequences of the trauma she suffered all those years ago. Her adoptive mother, Cady works in Search and Rescue along with Jude, her adoptive brother. All three excel at training dogs who can be instrumental in finding those lost in forests. They have one more member of this team, Free, who is part of the family in all but blood.

The family is pulled to Cady’s home town when her father comes to her to help find a child gone missing in the nearby forest, it’s dense and covers a lot of area, they need all the help they can get and Cady is one of the best in the world.

This book follows one narrator, Kira and everything we see is from her point of view. She’s not someone who speaks freely so we spend a lot of time inside her head, with her thoughts. This can sometimes hamper the pace of the book but not here. It’s a well-paced book and while I’m not yet sure whether it’s a stand-alone or part of a new series, the way the book ended, leads me to believe that we could possibly get a duology.

Barnes is exceptionally good at writing characters, they’re all so distinct and even though we haven’t been with these characters long, they’re incredibly well fleshed out and layered. Their personal dynamics are well defined, they’re so different from each other and that’s a good thing because it makes them fit like a jigsaw puzzle, making up for each other’s weaknesses.

If you’ve read other books by Barnes, especially the more recent series, then you’ll find certain similarities between those characters and the kids in this one. Not to say that she’s recycling characters but that she has a way of writing them that’s become recognizable.

I loved the dynamic between Kira, Jude and Free. Where Kira spent most of her time inside her own head and was a woman of few words, Jude was the eternal optimist and free with his words and Free was unpredictable and capable of jumping from one topic to another. Together, they made up the Miscreants. I loved Cady and learning about her own life from before. I loved Mac and even Bale (Cady’s father) Ness was harder to figure out, her character feels a little inconsistent. I liked Gabriel as well and I’d like to see more of him if there are any additional books in the series. I hated the Sheriff and I was bummed that he didn’t get punched unconscious.

I appreciated the way Barnes handled Kira’s trauma and her way of dealing with it. It felt real and visceral. I admire the fact they she treated it with respect. Kira suffered nightmares and flashbacks but she fought with every fiber of her being to get better. I loved that she had a support system around her, people who knew and loved her unconditionally and let her know that she was loved.

But, by far, the true MVP of this book are the dogs, I loved all of them but my favourite was Silver. They were all adorable with personalities as different as those of their humans. I thoroughly enjoyed The Lovely and the Lost and it is a great book.