Review: One Foot in the Grave (Night Huntress #2)

"You can run form the grave, but you can't hide..."

One Foot in the Grave, by Jeaniene Frost, is the second novel in the Night Huntress series. Half-vampire Catherine "Cat" Crawfield works as a Special Agent for the federal government to depose rogue vampires and other supernatural beings. It has been five years since she has last seen Bones, her former vampire lover. She uses everything her former lover taught her in her professional role. With a new identity and new friends, her mother is under the best protection and Cat leads her own military team in expeditions. It was the best deal given her predicament in the previous novel. Nevertheless, her new life still feels empty.

When Cat finds herself the target of a failed assassination attempt, she must turn to the man she left behind. Her survival depends on teaming up with Bones again. No matter how much she tries to act professional, she realizes that her passion and desire for Bones grows stronger than ever. Furthermore, she may finally meet the man who is responsible for her existence. With this piece of news, there's no turning back for her, or her dearest friends may become his next targets.

Frost continues to impress me with her story-writing skills. I read this novel in three days; that's how much I enjoyed this novel. She also amps the magic with erotic sexual scenes that will make you swoon with passion. Vampire politics and hierarchies are explored in greater detail. Finally, the mysteries behind Cat's father and Bones' master are also revealed. How will Cat react in both situations?

Many years (five to be exact) have passed between the two novels. Now 27-28 years old, Cat is a mature professional woman who pursues her government job very seriously. Although she sacrificed the love of her life with this decision, she befriends new people and lives a stable life for once. Although she tries to date a human, a twist of fate occurs when Bones reappears in her life in the most surprising way. Surprised by his appearance, Cat almost loses her composure and feels relieved to be reunited with him again. With a bounty on her head, she needs his guidance and protection to live another day.

Stay tuned for the next novel in the Night Huntress series, At Grave's End.

Review: Seto no Hanayome (2007)

Seto no Hanayome ~My Bride Is a Mermaid~ (2007) is a Japanese comedy anime about mermaids. It contains 26 episodes. It also contains a two-episode sequel (2008-2009) in the form of an original animation video (OAV). It is based on the manga by Kimura Tahiko.

During his summer vacation at Seto Bay, a young teenage boy, named Nagasumi Michishio, enters the water for a swim. Fortunately, he is saved from drowning by a mermaid. Later, he tells the rest of the family about the mermaid. Soon, a young girl named Sun Seto, appears at his home and begs Nagumi to mary her.

Under mermaid law, either the mermaid whose identity was revealed or the human who saw the mermaid must be executed. She is followed by two large thugs and they take both Nagumi and his parents to Sun's home under the sea. It appears that Sun's parents are mob bosses. Nagasumi is left with the choice of either death or marrying Sun. In an attempt to save both of their lives, Sun's family reluctantly agree to the marriage.

Sun's father, Gōzaburō, is enraged about his daughter's sudden marriage. In fact, some members of the mob are determined to bring an end to their relationship. Between Sun's father constant attempts on Nagasumi's life and adversaries who want to torment him at school, Nagumi has a hard time transitioning into his eccentric married lifestyle.

This is a cute mermaid romance comedy. I congratulate the producers for taking on this project. Few mermaid shows currently exist, and Seto no Hanayome won't disappoint viewers. The plot is funny, wild and crazy. You wonder how does Nagumi survive and keep his sanity! The artists also took cues from popular classic films; some of the mob bosses resemble yakuza gangsters and cult figures such as the Terminator. The plot is surprisingly consistent for its length, and the violence and facial expressions are exaggerated for comic relief. While it is hardly epic (some scenes are flat-out idiotic and thoughtless), I highly recommend it for those occasions when you need mild humor to brighten up your day.


Opening: "Romantic summer" by SUN&LUNAR


Ending: "Ashita e no Hikari" by Asuka Hinoi

'Grimm' and 'Once Upon a Time' Renewed for 2nd Season

It's official news. ABC's successful fairytale romance drama, Once Upon a Time, has been renewed for a second season. In case you haven't seen the ending, it left little doubt that magic hasn't totally disappeared in Storybrooke.

“We have some ideas for Season 2,” One element of a second season will be the addition of the Little Mermaid character of Ariel, who was alluded to on the show a few weeks ago. “It’s been challenging to pull off (this show) every week because we’re trying to balance two worlds and thematically link them,” said Kitsis, who co-created the show with Adam Horowitz. “We were never interested in just retelling the old (fairy) tales. Kitsis also revealed that all Once Upon A Time cast members were the producers’ first choice for the roles. “Everyone that we asked (to be on the show) said yes.”

Meanwhile, NBC also renewed its fairy tale crime drama, Grimm for a second season. Great news for both shows. I'm expecting Fall 2012 premiere dates. Stay tuned for more updates.

UPDATE: Grimm will premiere on Monday, August 13, 2012 at 10:00 PM EST. Once Upon a Time will premiere on Sunday, September 30, 2012 at 8:00 PM EST. Enjoy the trailers!


Grimm 2nd Season Trailer


Once Upon a Time 2nd Season Trailer