HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!!
haha. Good night everyone!
Saturday, July 23, 2011
Friday, July 15, 2011
City of Bones
I promised I would do a review of Clockwork Angel and I will. But first I need to do a review of City of Bones. You will see why soon.
Ever hear of Cassandra Clare? If you reside on fanfiction.net you might have. Cassandra Clare used to write a lot of LOTR and Harry Potter fanfiction. Her favorite character was and probably still is Draco Malfoy. This is important to keep in note because (a) she uses a lot of her own fanfiction material within her own books and (b) you are going to see a lot of Malfoy in these books, just with a different name and in a different setting.
Okay. So what is the plot of City of Bones? Well have you ever seen Star Wars? Star Trek? Harry Potter? Buffy? Lord of the Rings? Twilight? You have? We are already half way there!
Here is how the first book begins. Clary Fray and Simon Lewis (her bff and token Jew) go to a club to have a good time. There Clary witnesses a bunch of teenagers covered with all sorts of tattoos basically waste a demon. Problem is, she is the only one who can see what is happening. Simon Lewis and the other humans can't see what is going on. (Is Clary on acid? Oh, if only. This would be a much better book!) Turns out that there is this whole "Shadow world" where all sorts of humans and creatures reside together. The three teenagers are Shadow Hunters, demon hunters whose role is rid the human and magical world of all sorts of nasty, evil things. There is Isabelle Lightwood (resident fashionista), her brother Alec Lightwood (your resident gay character and the ever loyal sidekick), and the douche bag himself Jace Wayland. Jace Wayland seems to have all the mannerisms and characteristics of Draco Malfoy. He is arrogant, wealthy beyond reason, very sarcastic, blond, and has his own stern father who was a huge bigot and taught him to "love is to destroy" and all of that crap. The father trained and spoiled his son in equal measure. Wayland is a lean, mean killing machine with enough ego and attitude to rival the size of Texas.
As a Shadowhunter, the teenagers use things called steles, a wand-like object that can pick locks, draw tattoos, and do all sorts of magic. (Its called a wand Miss Clare. Just because J.K. Rowling used it does not mean you cannot use it too.) So about 16 years ago there was this guy called Lord Voldemo--- erm, Valentine Morgenstern who wanted to get rid of anyone and anything who wasn't a pureblood --- I mean... uh... get rid of anyone nonhuman. So his plan of action was to attack the government of Idris (the super special magical place where all the Shadowhunters either come from and or currently live and work at). The plan failed, HORRIBLY, and Valentine (supposedly) died along with his wife and child. His supporters (in a group called The Circle... wait the Circle? You couldn't find anything better than that? Really? Sorry, moving on) either died in the attack or turned themselves in. They were somewhat co-opted within the government, but never really truly trusted or respected again.
Clary, as expected, turns out to be connected to Valentine. Her mother, Jocelyn, was Valentine's wife (I am giving away major plot points away here because even I could see these things coming from a mile away. Anyone could!) and she was his child. And guess what?? Turns out Jace Wayland was a child of Valentine as well. This is a little problematic because Jace and Clary have the hots for each other. (But like I said, if you have ever seen Star Wars you know where this is going.) And it turns out Valentine never really died! He pretended to be Michael Wayland, Jace's father, and raise and make him into the douche bag demon-fighter he is today. DUN DUN DUN.
Valentine eventually sends demons after Clary and her mother and succeeds in capturing Jocelyn. Clary goes to Hogwarts -- I mean the Institute where she learns the truth about her family, her past, and her destiny as a Mary-Sue who can grasp concepts and tactics as easy as picking up flowers. Reviewer Morgan L. Meyers put it best when she said the story combines some good elements like "friends, a knowledge of occult mythology, sectarian groups and violence, fun villains who may or may not be related to you, etc --- but that does not mean it's original." You can take a lot of pretty things and overused ideas and "blend them together to come up with something generically pretty" but that does not mean it will be good.
The side characters (like Isabelle, Alec, and this warlock Magnus) are more fleshed out and far more interesting then the main characters. Clary is kind of bitchy with a major side of cardboard flavoring and Jace... UGH. I wanted to shove him out a window every time he came on the page. That said... the book has a lot of potential. It is up to you whether you like or not, and whether you can gain some inspiration off of it. Read it for yourself.
(NOTE: I used the Amazon review from Dreamsend to write my own review.)
Ever hear of Cassandra Clare? If you reside on fanfiction.net you might have. Cassandra Clare used to write a lot of LOTR and Harry Potter fanfiction. Her favorite character was and probably still is Draco Malfoy. This is important to keep in note because (a) she uses a lot of her own fanfiction material within her own books and (b) you are going to see a lot of Malfoy in these books, just with a different name and in a different setting.
Okay. So what is the plot of City of Bones? Well have you ever seen Star Wars? Star Trek? Harry Potter? Buffy? Lord of the Rings? Twilight? You have? We are already half way there!
Here is how the first book begins. Clary Fray and Simon Lewis (her bff and token Jew) go to a club to have a good time. There Clary witnesses a bunch of teenagers covered with all sorts of tattoos basically waste a demon. Problem is, she is the only one who can see what is happening. Simon Lewis and the other humans can't see what is going on. (Is Clary on acid? Oh, if only. This would be a much better book!) Turns out that there is this whole "Shadow world" where all sorts of humans and creatures reside together. The three teenagers are Shadow Hunters, demon hunters whose role is rid the human and magical world of all sorts of nasty, evil things. There is Isabelle Lightwood (resident fashionista), her brother Alec Lightwood (your resident gay character and the ever loyal sidekick), and the douche bag himself Jace Wayland. Jace Wayland seems to have all the mannerisms and characteristics of Draco Malfoy. He is arrogant, wealthy beyond reason, very sarcastic, blond, and has his own stern father who was a huge bigot and taught him to "love is to destroy" and all of that crap. The father trained and spoiled his son in equal measure. Wayland is a lean, mean killing machine with enough ego and attitude to rival the size of Texas.
As a Shadowhunter, the teenagers use things called steles, a wand-like object that can pick locks, draw tattoos, and do all sorts of magic. (Its called a wand Miss Clare. Just because J.K. Rowling used it does not mean you cannot use it too.) So about 16 years ago there was this guy called Lord Voldemo--- erm, Valentine Morgenstern who wanted to get rid of anyone and anything who wasn't a pureblood --- I mean... uh... get rid of anyone nonhuman. So his plan of action was to attack the government of Idris (the super special magical place where all the Shadowhunters either come from and or currently live and work at). The plan failed, HORRIBLY, and Valentine (supposedly) died along with his wife and child. His supporters (in a group called The Circle... wait the Circle? You couldn't find anything better than that? Really? Sorry, moving on) either died in the attack or turned themselves in. They were somewhat co-opted within the government, but never really truly trusted or respected again.
Clary, as expected, turns out to be connected to Valentine. Her mother, Jocelyn, was Valentine's wife (I am giving away major plot points away here because even I could see these things coming from a mile away. Anyone could!) and she was his child. And guess what?? Turns out Jace Wayland was a child of Valentine as well. This is a little problematic because Jace and Clary have the hots for each other. (But like I said, if you have ever seen Star Wars you know where this is going.) And it turns out Valentine never really died! He pretended to be Michael Wayland, Jace's father, and raise and make him into the douche bag demon-fighter he is today. DUN DUN DUN.
Valentine eventually sends demons after Clary and her mother and succeeds in capturing Jocelyn. Clary goes to Hogwarts -- I mean the Institute where she learns the truth about her family, her past, and her destiny as a Mary-Sue who can grasp concepts and tactics as easy as picking up flowers. Reviewer Morgan L. Meyers put it best when she said the story combines some good elements like "friends, a knowledge of occult mythology, sectarian groups and violence, fun villains who may or may not be related to you, etc --- but that does not mean it's original." You can take a lot of pretty things and overused ideas and "blend them together to come up with something generically pretty" but that does not mean it will be good.
The side characters (like Isabelle, Alec, and this warlock Magnus) are more fleshed out and far more interesting then the main characters. Clary is kind of bitchy with a major side of cardboard flavoring and Jace... UGH. I wanted to shove him out a window every time he came on the page. That said... the book has a lot of potential. It is up to you whether you like or not, and whether you can gain some inspiration off of it. Read it for yourself.
(NOTE: I used the Amazon review from Dreamsend to write my own review.)
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
B + N
Favorite store = B + N. Even if the books and journals and the food there is overpriced. It is okay B + N, I still love you. :)
I saw a bunch of great books there. I did not buy any. I could have, but I figured I might as well read the book before I buy it. What if I end up hating it or losing interest?
I always forget to bring a pad of paper and a pen so I can write down all the book titles. So as I was leaving the store I was repeating all the titles of the books I wanted to read to myself so that when I got home I could remember them all. That way I can read them later! I have the books I want to read on reserve at the library and now I am waiting for them to come in. :)
I still have to do a book review that I promised to do in like... May? Wow am I lazy! LOL. I will try to get on that this week, I promise!
I saw a bunch of great books there. I did not buy any. I could have, but I figured I might as well read the book before I buy it. What if I end up hating it or losing interest?
I always forget to bring a pad of paper and a pen so I can write down all the book titles. So as I was leaving the store I was repeating all the titles of the books I wanted to read to myself so that when I got home I could remember them all. That way I can read them later! I have the books I want to read on reserve at the library and now I am waiting for them to come in. :)
I still have to do a book review that I promised to do in like... May? Wow am I lazy! LOL. I will try to get on that this week, I promise!
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