Review: King's Cage, War Storm (Red Queen #3-4)

Allegiances are tested on every side. And when the Lightning Girl's spark is gone, who will light the way for the rebellion?

The Red Queen series is a quartet of books, including two novellas, by Victoria Aveyard. This post contains reviews on the next two books: King's Cage and War Storm.

King's Cage is the third book in the Red Queen series. Mare Barrow is a prisoner, powerless without her lightning, tormented by her lethal mistakes. She lives at the mercy of a boy she once loved, a boy made of lies and betrayal. Now a king, Maven Calore continues weaving his dead mother's web in an attempt to maintain control over his country—and his prisoner. As Mare bears the weight of Silent Stone in the palace, her once-ragtag band of newbloods and Reds continue organizing, training, and expanding. They prepare for war, no longer able to linger in the shadows. And Cal, the exiled prince with his own claim on Mare's heart, will stop at nothing to bring her back. When blood turns on blood, and ability on ability, there may be no one left to put out the fire—leaving Norta as Mare knows it to burn all the way down.

War's Storm is the final book in the Red Queen series. Mare Barrow learned this all too well when Cal’s betrayal nearly destroyed her. Now determined to protect her heart—and secure freedom for Reds and newbloods like her—Mare resolves to overthrow the kingdom of Norta once and for all… starting with the crown on Maven’s head. But no battle is won alone, and before the Reds may rise as one, Mare must side with the boy who broke her heart in order to defeat the boy who almost broke her. Cal’s powerful Silver allies, alongside Mare and the Scarlet Guard, prove a formidable force. But Maven is driven by an obsession so deep, he will stop at nothing to have Mare as his own again, even if it means demolishing everything—and everyone—in his path. War is coming, and all Mare has fought for hangs in the balance. Will victory be enough to topple the Silver kingdoms? Or will the little lightning girl be forever silenced? As the saying goes, victory comes with a price.

I enjoyed the previous two installments so much (this is a much darker version of The Hunger Games) that I was curious to see how it would end. I literally binged on the last two books to figure out how the story will play out. I was rooting for Mare and Cal to reunite and maybe work together to bring democracy to the lands. Each book nearly averaged 500 pages, so you get a ton of action, suspense, and romance in this dystopian world of post-United States. Unfortunately, I was somewhat dissatisfied with the ending. I won't spoil the plot, but I thought there would be a more happily-ever-after situation. While the series concluded as expected, part of the story felt incomplete as well. So what happens next? Aveyard left readers on a cliffhanger on how Silvers and Reds (and newbloods) will interact going forward. The war is over, but what does this mean for the main cast? While i am glad to pick up on this series, I am a bit disappointed that the ending left many questions unanswered. Stay tuned for the anthology of short stories that explain what happens after the ending of War Storm, Broken Throne.

Review: Grave Destiny (Grave Witch #6)

Grave witch Alex Craft can speak to the dead, and that makes her a dangerous enemy for anyone with something to hide.

Grave Destiny, by Kaylana Price, is the sixth novel in the Grave Witch series. From the back cover:

Alex is still trying to come to terms with her changing powers and her growing ties to Faerie when a case she’d rather avoid falls right into her lap. A fae prince desperately needs Alex to investigate a politically sensitive murder. She reluctantly agrees to the case, taking FIB agent Falin Andrews along as her backup.

But as Alex begins to delve into the mystery, she realizes that the intricate web of alliances and intrigue in the Faerie courts is strained to its limits. War is about to break out, one that threatens to spill over into the mortal realm. This murder is tied right to the center of centuries-old arcane unrest, and if Alex isn’t careful she may follow the twisting path ahead of her right into her grave end.

Kalyana Price has done it again with her superb storytelling skills. This was one of the most amazing novels i have read in the Grave Witch series. Alex has matured a lot from her simple days as a grave witch and small business owner. She is now an independent fae who also happens to have planeweaving abilities! Over time, I have grown to adore Alex's witty and honest humor -- even if she had to adjust her language as she grows into her fae powers. Alex's life becomes more complex as she learns the truth about her fae origins, and being pulled into dangerous cases that go beyond simply raising shades of the dead. In this novel, this new case is nothing like she has dealt with before. As she is pulled deeper into Faerie politics, she learns more about her fae ancestry, the other seasonal kingdoms in Faerie, and hidden secrets about Alex's past--including a debt that must be paid. There is a lot of world-building that Price includes an overview of the structure and function of Faerie realm, but she does it in a seamless way that doesn't overwhelm her readers. Her tenuous romantic relationship with Falin, the Winter Queen's Knight, is tested when their feelings for each reveal themselves. Although this book feels like the conclusion of Alex's adventures, I am happy to report that there will be a seventh - and final -- book in the series. It is expected to be released in late 2020 or early 2021.

Stay tuned for the next novel in the Grave Witch series!

Summer Update: Weekly Blog Posts Beginning June 2019

Starting in June 2019, I will publish blog posts weekly. This summer will be busy for me as I go on vacation and shift my focus to completing projects in my personal life. It will also give me a chance to catch up on other book series that are on my to-read list. I will return to publishing two blogs a week in September 2019. If you have suggestions on new titles--whether anime, TV shows, or books--that I should consider, please leave a comment!

New TV Series based on All Souls Trilogy by Deborah Harkness

Great news for All Souls Trilogy fans! A Discovery of Witches has been adapted into a television series! The first season premiered in September 2018. So far, the first season contains eight episodes. The show premieres on Sky One (UK) and AMC (USA). From Digital Spy:

Seven years later and a TV series inspired by the book has finally materialised. Filmed in Wales, but also on-location in Oxford, Venice and New York, Sky One's A Discovery of Witches stars Teresa Palmer (Hacksaw Ridge) and Matthew Goode (The Crown) in the lead roles of a witch and a vampire who find themselves inexorably drawn together.

Here is the plot in case you have not heard of the book series:

Reluctant witch/historian Diana Bishop discovers a bewitched manuscript in the Bodleian library. As she attempts to unravel the secrets this book holds about magical creatures, she is forced back into the world of magic, full of vampires, daemons, witches and forbidden love. Forming an unlikely alliance, geneticist and vampire Matthew Clairmont helps Diana to attempt to protect the book and solve the riddles within, while at the same time dodging threats from the magical creature world.

Finally, fans of All Souls Trilogy finally have a TV adaptation of this best-selling fantasy series. I highly recommend the book series before diving into the television series. It is such a great book. Check out the trailer below:

Review: Howl's Moving Castle (2012)

Note: This review is about the English dub release.

Howl's Moving Castle is a Japanese animated film by critically-acclaimed director Hayao Miyazaki. Here is an abstract:

Sophie (Emily Mortimer) has an uneventful life at her late father's hat shop, but all that changes when she befriends wizard Howl (Christian Bale), who lives in a magical flying castle. However, the evil Witch of Waste (Lauren Bacall) takes issue with their budding relationship and casts a spell on young Sophie, which ages her prematurely. Now Howl must use all his magical talents to battle the jealous hag and return Sophie to her former youth and beauty.

I watched this film as part of the annual Studio Ghibli Fest at the local AMC Theatres. I loved Miyazaki's ground-breaking visuals and masterful storytelling. This is the same director who won an Academy Award for the film, Spirited Away.  This is not your ordinary cartoon for children; this Japanese animated work is a treasured masterpiece for all ages. The story's background reminded me of Victorian England at the advent of the Industrial Revolution. It felt both magical and suspenseful, something that is often missed in 3-D animated films. 

I was pleasantly surprised to see an A-list cast (e.g. Jean Simmons, Christian Bale, Lauren Bacall) with famous Hollywood names in this film. I expect it from a Disney or Dreamworks production but not in a Japanese animated film. I also believe the plot itself with English-language names and places made for a smoother transition to North American audiences than most Japanese anime with Japanese-language characters. It brings me hope that maybe Japanese anime is gradually moving towards acceptance rather than a niche audience in North America. The recent Alita: Battle Angel (2019) is another example of Japanese anime gradually making its prime-time theatrical debut on American movie screens. I look forward to watching future Studio Ghibli Fest films!

Watch the English-language trailer below:

Viz Media: Sailor Moon Stars home video to debut in June 2019

I saw fantastic news on Twitter this week. Viz Media will officially release the first volume of Sailor Moon Stars in English for home video in June 2019!

Originally, DiC Productions and Cloverway (who owned the rights at the time) released the English-language adaptation of Sailor Moon  through season 4. As a result, Sailor Moon fans had to turn to the Japanese version with English subtitles (episodes 167 to 183) to watch the final season. From what I heard over the years, Season 5 contained visual content that was considered too inappropriate for children to watch on television in the 1990s. The English-adaptation in the 1990s contained heavy censorship (especially DiC episodes) to meet federal rules for TV programming to children. While I enjoyed Sailor Moon as a child in the 1990s, I can see how this decision to censor and remove episodes was met with disdain among fans in my adult years.

Sailor Moon fans in North America can rejoice because we will have a complete collection in English dub! Viz Media has been faithful in restoring the Sailor Moon anime series to the original Japanese release -- that means no censorship or removal of content in the episodes. It may have taken nearly two decades for this project to prevail, but the timing couldn't be better. I cannot wait to watch it myself. You may pre-order the home video set on RightStuf. Here is a synopsis:

Sailor Moon and the Sailor Guardians are about to face their greatest challenge yet — high school! But as the girls take their next big step in life and Chibi-Usa prepares to return to the future, a mysterious force frees the evil Queen Nehalennia! While the struggle to contain her old enemy will be difficult, it may be Mamoru's year of studying abroad that hurts Usagi the most. But there's even more to take Usagi's mind off of long-distance love with the arrival of the villainous Sailor Anima Mates and the heroic Sailor Star Lights! Who could be behind this new wave of evil? And why are the Star Lights resistant to working with Sailor Moon? Usagi has her hands full, but she'll always make time to write a love letter to her beloved Mamo.

Pre-order today! Now for 90s nostalgia -- here's the video for the opening theme of the final season of Sailor Moon!

Review: Vampire Royals (Books #1-3)

A royal wedding is coming, but which contestant will be the bride?

Vampire Royals is a new teen paranormal romance series by Leigh Walker. The first three books include The Pageant, The Gala, and The Finale.

The Pageant is the first book in the Vampire Royals series. In a dystopian future, young women from every settlement in the land are being handpicked to enter The Pageant. Gwyneth West's social-climbing mother wants her to compete, but Gwyn isn't so sure... The Pageant is government-sponsored. If you're lucky enough to be chosen, participation is mandatory. And then there's the prize... Dallas Black, otherwise known as The Dark Prince, will propose to the winner. Dallas is the son of King Black, who won the last world war and governs the new settlements. The Royal Family is mysterious.. Rumor has it they avoid the sun. Rumor has it they're immortal. When Gwyn is thrust into The Pageant, she fights to survive the competitive nature of the other contestants. But even if she wins...can she survive a vampire fiancé?

The Gala is the second book in the Vampire Royals series. The pageant is four weeks long, and 20 contestants vie for the Crown Prince's attention. The Pageant is almost over, and Gwyneth West knows she can win—except the prince is a vampire, and some of the other contestants are turning out to be quite beastly. Struggling to hold onto her position in the palace, Gwyn knows her vampire prince could slip through her fingers in an instant. And when human rebels threaten to storm the vampire royals once more, Gwyn finds herself caught between two worlds: her people, and the vampire she loves.

The Finale is the third book in the Vampire Royals series. Gwyneth West is a finalist in The Pageant, the dating competition that’s gripping the settlements. Down to the final week, the dashing Prince Dallas Black will choose one young woman as his fiancé. One small issue: Gwyneth’s a human and the prince is a vampire. What’s worse? Gwyneth’s family are sworn rebels, out to take back the settlements and overthrow the crown. What’s worse than that? Gwyn’s own rebel brother is a prisoner in the castle dungeons, but the king and queen don’t know his true identity. Gwyneth and Dallas want to show the settlements that vampires and humans can live together in peace. But as their differences threaten to tear them apart, Gwyneth discovers her love puts the prince at risk. How do you choose between love and duty?

Leigh Walker's Vampire Royals series is literally The Selection meets Twilight. I liked Gwyn as a character as she is torn between duty for her family and love as she falls for Dallas. The pacing was good, and the Gwyn became a formidable protagonist. This is not an easy task given her circumstances. Gwyn and Dallas also turned out to have good chemistry together, which is important because their relationship evolved naturally--it didn't feel forced despite the competition being about finding a future wife for the Crown Prince. Walker also added humorous elements to keep the story interesting (who knew I would be rooting for Eve to support Gwyn?). Overall, Vampire Royals was a good teen paranormal romance series that actually felt like an improvement over the original The Selection series. I look forward to future books by this new author. I also recommend the two subsequent books in the series that focus on one of the contestants in the pageant: Blake Kensington. Find out what adventures lie ahead for as she accepts the position of Goodwill Ambassador of the North.