Hello, everyone! I’m sorry I haven’t been posting as frequently for awhile, but this will serve as both a Christmas aesthetic and announcement that I will be a taking a hiatus until the new year. In the meantime have a wonderful holiday, and I wish you all an awesome incoming year full of reading and writing!
Synopsis in a sentence: A half-human, half-fae woman must solve the murder of a fae countess and in doing so, is pulled back into the very world of dark magic and danger she has been trying to avoid for most of her life.
As a fan of Ilona Andrew’s Kate Daniels series, I have been looking for another good urban fantasy world to delve into and after hearing so many interesting things about the October Daye books, I was excited to try Rosemary and Rue. The plot was relatively straightforward enough and the world building was as intriguing as it was gritty. With that being said, I struggled to connect with Toby throughout the novel. While I liked how this protagonist for once isn’t a stereotypical “chosen one” character with amazing superpowers far above those of everyone else, I couldn’t help but find her almost not capable enough. In other words, throughout especially the last half of the novel, she can’t seem solve any helpful pieces of the case and in the end her constant series of mistakes leads to innocent side characters’ deaths—characters that barely receive any development in the first place, but whose deaths seemed unnecessary to the overarching plot as well. As a result, by the end of the first book, I found myself feeling detached and disappointed by the ending rather than excited to read more about Toby’s other adventures in the following novels. With that being said, Rosemary and Rue was a fast and easy urban fantasy read for anyone looking for just that.
📚✔︎ Would recommend for fans of urban fantasy.
This book reads like a…modern fantasy noir
Check out the official summary of Rosemary and Rue by Seanan McGuire on goodreads.
My rating (out of 5 stars): ★★★
When witches go riding
And black cats are seen,
The moon laughs and whispers
‘Tis near Halloween.
-unknown
Image found on giphy.com. https://media.giphy.com/media/ahJwlqK2lMC7S/giphy.gif
Not surprisingly, Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets is a visual masterpiece. The amount detail in nearly ever aspect of the scenery and special effects was amazing. Unfortunately, the same attention was not given to the development of the plot or characters themselves, and this fact ultimately is what kept me from really loving this movie.
In summary, the film revolves around government agents Valerian and Laureline who are sent to the space station Alpha—a.k.a the City of a Thousand Planets because it contains every species known to exist in the universe—to find and stop the threat lurking within its core. This main plot seems simple enough, however, its execution is sloppy and convoluted. The characters don’t actually arrive to the Alpha Station until what seems like an hour into the film, and when they finally do embark on the mission, the over overabundance of special effects actually distracts the viewer from focusing on what the characters are supposed to be doing.
This ultimately leads me to the overarching issue with the film as a whole: the two main characters and the acting. According to the dialogue and plot, the titular character of Valerian is supposed to be the best agent of his kind as well as a playboy and lover to Laureline. Dane DeHaan was not believable as any of these. Sure his character didn’t seem bad at his job by any means, but never once did he do anything to make him stand out as being the best in his field. In fact, Laureline seemed to outshine Valerian on all fronts, considering she had more screen time and was simply portrayed by Cara Delevingne as being more likable and real. The supposed romance between these two characters, however, was one of the weakest points of the film. The flirty dialogue was so corny it was cringeworthy, and instead of enhancing the plot, the romance seemed to hinder it from gaining any momentum. The best acting performance actually went to Rihanna whose portrayal of Bubble was one of the most touching and well-executed even though the character’s involvement in the overall plot, like so many other aspects of the movie, seemed extraneous.
🎬✔︎ Would recommend for those looking for a visual treat but no story or emotional investment.
My reaction after seeing it: I have no idea what I just saw.
★★★/5
Hello once again, everyone! I’m sorry I haven’t posted in so long, but life’s been a little crazy. During the hiatus, however, I actually started TWO NEW MANUSCRIPTS! Right now both of these stories are centered around strong heroines, so for my first post back, I chose to discuss a film that did the same: Wonder Woman!
1. Themyscira & the Amazons
From the moment my eyes fell on the beautiful green island surrounded by a turquoise ocean, I was entranced. Every scene and detail of this paradise and its fierce inhabitants was breathtaking. I also loved how the first part of the movie set in Themyscira wasn’t rushed so that the audience was able to gain a full sense of the Amazons’ culture and traditions while still wanting to learn more.
2. Gal Gadot
This breakout actress was truly remarkable. Not only did she portray Diana’s bravery and strength wonderfully, but she also brought out the character’s vulnerabilities and compassion in a way that was touching and real.
3. Chris Pine
I really enjoyed Chris Pine’s portrayal of Steve Trevor, though several times I couldn’t help but get a decidedly Captain Kirk vibe (not that I’m complaining though!). Despite being Diana’s love interest, Pine managed to present Trevor in heroic but relatable way. Unlike Diana, Trevor isn’t gifted with unearthly strength or a destiny to defeat a vengeful god. He is only human, and yet by the end of the film, it is his acceptance of his own limitations that ultimately empowers him.
4. The Romance
What I loved about the romance between Diana and Steve was that it was gradual and based on a stable sense of friendship before it transformed into something deeper. Even more importantly, it was presented in such a pure way. Sure, both Diana and Steve have a number of disagreements and challenge each others beliefs, but never once did I doubt they truly cared for each other. This is the kind of love story that fairy tales should be made of.
5. The Action
From beginning to end, the fight scenes were beautifully choreographed and executed in way that was visually satisfying. I loved how the Amazons’ fighting style was a mixture of fantastically inhuman moves (such as high flips in the air or soaring off clifftops to shoot bows) and gritty combating techniques. Aside from basically every scene involving the Amazons, some of my other favorite action sequences included the scene where Diana saves Steve in the alley with her bullet-deflecting bracers and her awe-inducing race across the trenches of “No Man’s Land”.
6. The Sets
As I said before, the architecture and scenery of Themyscira was visual eye candy at its finest. The Amazons’ armor was a perfect mixture of historical and fantastical attire, and in the process, Wonder Woman’s iconic outfit received a perfect upgrade. However, I also liked the stark contrast between the natural environment of the island filled with greenery and clear blue water and the industrial gray of London and the trenches.
7. Wonder Woman
Lastly, but most importantly, the best part of this film is the development of Wonder Woman herself. Patty Jenkins did an outstanding job in incorporating a level of artfulness and ingenuity in her storytelling that many of the latest superhero movies have been drastically lacking. As someone who has never read the comics and knew basically nothing about this iconic character beforehand, by the close of the story I had a full understanding of who Wonder Woman was and how she became this way. Even more importantly, I wanted more. More action. More storytelling. And definitely more Wonder Woman.
For those of you who have seen the movie, what were your thoughts?
Thank you so much judiththereader @readandreview2016.wordpress.com and @storyscope.wordpress.comfor nominating me for the Liebster Award! The rules are:
Display The Award
Answer All 11 Questions
Nominate 5 Worthy Blogs Which Have Less Than 200 Followers
Create 11 New Questions For Them To Answer
1. When did you start blogging?
I first started a book and writing blog on tumblr at writing-the-dream.tumblr.com before creating my wordpress website in January!
2. Why did you start blogging?
I wanted to create a platform as an aspiring author. I’m currently writing a YA fantasy novel and hope to publish it one day!
3. What is the best book you’ve ever reviewed?
I would say A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas is the best novel I’ve ever reviewed. I usually rate books on a scale of 1 to 5 stars, but I loved it so much I gave it a score of ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️+ because it was so amazing!
4. What is your favourite genre?
Fantasy will always be my first love, however, I have a soft spot for certain types of science fiction as well.
5. What is a genre you’ve stayed away from?
Though I have read some inspiring non-fiction books, I rarely ever pick them up.
6. What was the best book-to-film adaptation you’ve ever watched?
I am so obsessed with the Lord of the Rings movies! No matter how many times I watch them, Middle-Earth always feels like home.
7. How do you organise your bookshelves?
I basically have only two bookshelves: 1) the FAVORITE bookshelf, where the books I feel really changed me are placed 2)the bookshelf where I keep everything else
8. Do you do anything whilst reading: do you listen to music, eat, drink?
I’ve been known to do all of the above (especially the eating), however, I’ve found the best books I’ve read⎯the ones I can’t seem to put down⎯are so amazing that I don’t want to eat, sleep, or do anything else before finishing them altogether.
9. If you could meet any author, who would it be?
I would love to meet either Cassandra Clare or Sarah J. Maas!
10. What is the weirdest book you’ve ever read?
The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender by Leslye Walton is by far the most bizarre novel I’ve ever read, and yet I couldn’t help but love the unique beauty of the language and story. Needless to say, it made the FAVORITE bookshelf.
11. How do you keep track of your TBR?
I don’t really keep track…? I’m really bad about buying books that I think I’ll love and when I don’t, I stop reading and never pick them up again. While I have restarted books I’ve taken a break from and found some real treasures, my TBR pile is still huge and probably won’t be shrinking anytime soon. When a book becomes more frustrating than enjoyable to read, then it’s not worth the effort to me.
My Nominees:
@ literarylands.wordpress.com
@ ashleyreadsit.wordpress.com
@ whatemmasreading.wordpress.com
@ daniellawrites.com
Fantastic Books and Where to Find Them @ youngadultfictionreviews.wordpress.com
My Questions:
writingthedreamblog 
