Author L.K. Hill's Musings on Fantasia: Read-Along

Showing posts with label Read-Along. Show all posts

Showing posts with label Read-Along. Show all posts

Thursday, March 12, 2015

Book Review: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Hello All! We've just finished Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince in our Potter Head Read-Along. It's being hosted by Sheila over at Book Journey, and it's not too late to join in if you're interested in reading with us. Details here. As most people are all kinds of familiar with our boy-wizard's world, this won't be your average book review. I'll just talk about points that struck my fancy while re-reading.

(If you're one of the four people in the world who haven't read or seen HP yet, be warned there may be spoilers below.)

Ah book 6. So much good stuff, including a ton of tragedy! While there aren't really any new monsters or major characters introduced in this installment, there is still a lot of new stuff.

This is the first book in which we see Dumbledore allow Harry to take an active part in his mission to bring down Voldemort.

It's also the first time Rowling introduces a lot of history that is relevant to Harry. (Granted, we've seen the pensieve used to dispense fascinating history all the way since book 4, but this is history that is specifically relevant to the Harry/Voldemort relationship and how it will all end.) And of course we have romances budding all over the place. :D

We do see new characters in Tom Riddle's family, but they are in the past, rather than the present. I think Rowling was a genius to do it this way. We haven't known much about Voldemort before he became Voldemort up to this point. The only things we knew for certain was that he definitely attended Hogwarts, his muggle name was Tom Marvolo Riddle, and he opened the Chamber of Secrets. That's it. Even the diary (which we now know was a horcrux) was never fully explained. Now Rowling sends up on a treasure hunt, giving us only small nuggets, Easter eggs, if you will, about Voldemort's past.

I loved this book, even though Dumbledore passed at the end. It was so tragic, and I especially loved his funeral. Very beautiful and fitting.

Okay, I usually do a comparison to the film, so here goes. I really thought the actors in the film were great. I loved Jim Broadbent as Slughorn. (As with Umbridge, Broadbent really isn't ugly enough to be Slughorn, but there's an actor problem for you.) I also thought the romance was handled well in the film and adequately, even if the Harry/Ginny relationship could have been played up more. I also find I prefer the film scene where Harry gets the memory from Slughorn to the book one. They're basically the same, but the line from the film, "Be brave, Professor. Be brave like my mother," just gives me chills every time, and it isn't delivered that way in the book.

Mainly, there were just things that weren't included that I wish would have been. I would have liked to have seen the fight at the end. In the film, there was no fight with the Death Eaters. Snape and Voldemort's other followers walked right out the front doors while everyone (other than Harry) apparently slept through the invasion. I'm sure the film makers just didn't want to upstage the final, epic battle they knew was coming in book 7, but still. I felt like it was an injustice to both the plot and the characters.

Other things I would like to have seen: Dumbledore riding a broom, the history of Riddle's family, and Dumbledore's funeral. Especially given where the story goes in book 7 (not that we knew when book 6 first came out) I envisioned a scene where the adults in the Order of the Phoenix (McGonagal, Lupin, Tonks, the Weasleys, etc.) look at Harry, Ron and Hermione and say something profound like, "Those three are going to change the world" or "all our hopes ride on them" or something. Over the top? Maybe, but I felt like the film short-changed the end a bit. The tribute to Dumbledore with the wands was sweet, but I wanted to see more of what happened in the hospital wing and of course the funeral, as I said. I also wish they would have included more of the Lupin/Tonks unrequited love story. It was one of my favorite parts of this book, mostly because it so took me by surprise. Unrequited love, in my humble opinion, should always be done subtly, and Rowling did it masterfully.

Overall, I really loved this installment, despite the tragic ending. Snape's part, especially when you know his true history, was done really well here, and re-reading his role in Dumbledore's death just makes it all the more tragic.

I'll end with a story I heard Rowling herself tell. She was signing books after this installment came out. Up to her table came a very young boy. So young, in fact, that she was surprised he could even read her books on his own. But, he was precocious and very excited about the Harry Potter books, assuring her he'd read all the published volumes several times. He was so cute and enthusiastic that she talked with him for several minutes before handing him a signed copy of book 6. Just as he took his mother's hand to leave, he said, "Okay, whatever you do, just don't kill Harry and don't kill Dumbledore." As he walked away, she cringed and just mouthed, "I'm sorry" after him.

I thought that was a cute story. Poor kids. Poor all of us. She had the entire world wrapped around her little finger. At least she used her super powers to tell a fantastic story! :D

What did everyone else think of book 6?

Sunday, March 8, 2015

A Memory of Light Read-Along, Week8

Welcome to week 8 of our A Memory of Light Read-Along! This week we read Chapters 38-END. Our final week! :( Remember that everything in this section as well as everything that's come before is fair game for spoilers, so read at your own risk. I'm hosting this week.

1. Egwene speaks to Rand from beyond the grave and he has a hard time "letting go" of those who've died on the battlefield. What did you think of this part and it's solution?

I totally loved this part! (And by loved, I mean sobbed through.) I can just totally visualize Rand in his agony, holding onto his grief for dear life, and then the relief when he finally lets it go. In a way, Egwene's voice is the only one Rand would have listened to at this point, so she saved him even after she was dead. And I loved her speech:

"You march to your death. Yet you forbid anyone else from doing so?...Let go, Rand. Let us die for what we believe, and do not try to steal that from us. You have embraced your death. Embrace mine."

He let go...he let them be heroes... (pg. 808)

There's really no better argument she could have made!

Sunday, March 1, 2015

A Memory of Light Read-Along, Week 7

Welcome to week 6 of our A Memory of Light Read-Along! This week we read Chapters 37 (That's right: only one chapter this week, but it was double the number of pages we usually cover in a week. I know, right?!). Remember that everything in this section as well as everything that's come before is fair game for spoilers, so read at your own risk. Eivind Fonn is hosting this week and will probably post his answers over at Dab of Darkness. Hop over and check out his answers there!

1. What did you think of the structure? That is, one huge chapter with no breathers. Was it appropriate for the battle, or did you find the difference from before jarring?

I didn't mind the structure. For most stories/books it wouldn't have worked, but given the frenzied, epic nature of this battle, and how long we've been hearing about the looming Last Battle, I think it was a great way to put the reader inside the story. All the characters are surrounded on all sides by the battle, totally mired in it with no way out. Doing the chapter this way kind of gave the same feeling to the reader as we experienced the battle with them.

2.

Tuon orchestrates a fight with Mat, and decides to return only after some careful deliberations. Ice-cold gamble or foolhardy move by Mat? Am I the only one who thinks the Seanchan have gotten away with very little fighting so far?

Definitely a gamble, but I think if it pays off, it will pay off big. Militarily, I think it was genius, but because he isn't entirely sure of where he stands with Tuon, that makes it a little scary. Will she come to his rescue or leave him to his battle? So yeah, definitely a gamble.

As for the Seanchan, I agree that they've done very little fighting, though the Forces of the Light have made good use of some of the sul'dam/damane pairs on different fronts. Let's hope with Tuon heading for the battlefield once more that they live up to their reputation as Artur Hawkwing's descendants.

3.

Androl and Pevara (Don't they look super-excited! :D)
Source

Androl and Pevara spends much of the battle behind enemy lines to recover the seals, practicing telepathy and other fascinating effects. Why not another lava trick? Logain also challenge Demandred. What do you think of his motivations? Where will his glory come from?

I love these two! They're so great. I love how one of them will gasp or feel a spike of panic, and the other one goes, "What?! What's wrong!" That would be so hard to get useful, but it's also kind of charming. (I think these two need a couples name. Peverol? Andra?) Myself, I'd totally be down for another lava trick. I also loved when he would open a gateway to the trolloc army whenever anyone sent balefire his way. That's totally genius. If only he could have taught Egwene that trick. :(

I believe it was said last week that Logain is still nursing quite an ego. I think his glory and his humility may end up going hand in hand. I won't say more (and I only vaguely remember the details anyway) but I remember really liking Logain's story line here.

4.

In the meantime, Rand and the Dark One exchange visions for the future. What do you think of all these? Can Rand really kill the Dark One now?

I thought this was really interesting and well-written. I know that most of the very end of this book was actually written by Jordan before he passed. (Sanderson did some re-writes and editing, but the most of the ending was already written.) I don't know the details of what was and wasn't written by Jordan, but I think this part may have been. When he said he'd had the ending figured out for years, I think this is what he was referring to. It was never going to be a straight forward slaying of the DO by Rand. It was way more complicated than that.

Basically, Jordan understood that their had to be opposition in all things and people have to have free will (and something to choose between) or else they cease to be human. Despite Rand's heroic intentions, his way of thinking was flawed. He wants to defeat the DO (and we want that too) but he has to find a way to do it that doesn't mess with free will. Hmm...

5.

Tinker woman (Source)

Some choose not to fight for various reasons. What do you think of Ila's thoughts on violence, now, at the Last Battle? Did you expect the gai'shain to fight? Any difference between them and the reluctant mercenaries from the prologue?

I have really mixed emotions about this. On the one hand, if someone really can't or doesn't want to fight, I don't judge them for that. There are other ways to contribute and as long as they are doing something to contribute to war effort, I don't have a problem with that. What I do have a problem with is them judging others for deciding to fight, especially if those people are keeping them alive. When Ila's husband even looked at a weapon, she went into this I-can't-believe-he's-even-considering-this mode, as though she might decide not to love him anymore if he did. Really? I was a little bugged by that.

With the gai'shain, I'm not surprised they won't fight, given their history and how rigid they are in their traditions. Because Rand has more or less fulfilled their toh and changed the need for that kind of servitude, I think it would be perfectly okay for them to shed the white and take up weapons without losing honor, but the Last Battle will probably be over by the time you explain that to all the gai'shain, so you might as well just let them contribute in another way.

The mercenaries are worse, in my opinion, because they have been fighters of some sort their entire life. They don't have any beliefs or religion that would keep them from it. Which means they're just being lazy.

6.

Faile and Co. make it to the battle, only to be betrayed by Aravine. Do you think anyone other than Olver made it out (Faile, especially)? What did you think of Bela's heroic death? Where does the Horn go from here?

The Aravine thing was pretty sad. I felt for Faile and how hard she took it. Poor Olver is trapped beneath a trolloc talon, and everything's pretty much gone to hell. (What else is new?) And poor Bela! I'm so glad they gave her a part in the Last Battle, given that she's been with one or another of our heroes since book 1. I loved that she rode like the wind to help save her rider before her heart gave out. I think it was a fitting (if tragic) end for the loyal, shaggy little mare. Loved her! Will totally miss her. (While Nynaeve is my fave character and I disagreed with the results, I must say I had to smile when I saw a pole for 'your favorite WoT character' where Bela actually got more votes than Nynaeve. :D)

7.

Gawyn, Galad and Lan all decide to challenge Demandred. Gawyn pays the ultimate price: foolish move, or a reasonable gamble to remove the most dangerous enemy on the field? Galad tries to avenge him, and fails, only for Lan to do the deed and finally fulfil his series-long death wish. What do you think of these events?

Oh this whole thing was so sad! It may not have been the best decision on Gawyn's part, but I thought he was heroic all the same for trying. Then Galad tried and failed as well. I remember reading it the first time and thinking, I can't believe Demandred got both of them. Both brothers! So. Stinkin'. Sad!

The part where Lan runs up there is probably my favorite moment of the entire book, and quite possibly the entire series. I loved that Loial had to go bear witness to it. I loved that before heading toward his death, he sent Nynaeve his love through the bond. I loved his line: "I didn't come here to win. I came here to kill you." Only someone who wanted to kill him more than he wanted to live could have prevailed. Gawyn, and also to some (if a lesser) extent Galad, were in it for the glory as well as the triumph over a Forsaken. Lan wasn't. The evil needed to be killed, even if he died trying. End of story. Lan is just a freakin' BAMF!

Best. Part. Ever!

8.

Egwene, having lost her warder and husband, slays M'Hael (WITH a sa'angreal) and then lays waste to the Sharans, and kills herself, Lews Therin style. Did you expect Egwene to be the first out of the original crew? Was her fate sealed already when Gawyn died? What will her legacy be, as Amyrlin? And what of this new weave---the Flame of Tar Valon?

I was SO shocked by this the first time I read it. It was always implied that she would be a legendary Amyrlin that would take the world into the next Age of Legends. Legendary? Yes. Survive the Last Battle? I guess not. This is the second time I've read this and I cried both times. It was so epic and inspiring and sad and just... *sigh*

I actually do think her fate was sealed, not when Gawyn died, per se, but when he decided to leave her. One of the dreams she had was of a kind of door closing on her. Gawyn was on the other side of it and she knew the interpretation: that if Gawyn let that door close, she was dead. I didn't even remember that reading this final book the first time, but re-reading it, I read that dream and went, "Omg. The door's gonna close! That's why she dies!" But of course I didn't want to say that back then. So yeah, really sad.

I think the new weave will be a big part of her legacy. She will always be the Amyrlin that healed the schismed Tower, saw the world into the Last Battle, killed the M'Hael (thank goodness! Somebody needed to! I so wanted to smack him when he did the whole how-dare-the-Amyrlin-defeat-me thing. What a doofus!) and discovered this weave, which pushed back the darkness, perhaps just long enough to allow Rand to succeed? I mean, because of the balefire, the Pattern was actually unraveling and she stopped it! She found the opposite of balefire which will be a way to counter it from now on. Go Egwene!

This will always be a very sad twist for me, even if it was very inspiring. I so wanted Egwene to survive! I also thought it was tremendously sad when Rand felt her die, relived some of things he said to her back in book 1 when he still thought he'd marry her, then xxxxxxxxxxxxx. (Yeah, I wrote something there but it was from a later chapter. I read ahead one chapter so I deleted what I said. I'll put it in next week. :D) Like I said, I cry over this part a lot.

9.

Elayne, having suffered huge losses for the whole battle, is taken by Mellar, threatening to cut her babies out. What will come of this? Is Birgitte now permanently dead, or is she just waiting on the other side for the Horn to blow?

Holy World War II-level war atrocities! Somebody kill Mellor! There isn't a name bad enough for a guy who threatens to cut babies out of the womb. And Brigitte! I was so shocked by this when it happened. As we near the end, I suppose we ought to expect things like this to happen, but it happens so suddenly, after we're so used to having Brigitte around, that it totally takes your breath away. I won't say anything else about this story line, but keep in mind that Brigitte was a hero for the Horn before she was Elayne's warder, and Olver is trying desperately to get that horn to Mat...

10. Anything else you feel I missed? Ogier? Dragons? The beautiful Shendla? Demandred's approach to the battle? All the minor deaths: Hurin, Mr. and Mrs. Bashere, Bryne and, dare I say Siuan? Min's spy-hunting? Leilwin?

I love the Ogier! I love that Loial and Erith are fighting side by side. It was so sad when he said he was still deluding himself that he would get to write his book. He totally thinks he's going to die. Poor Loial! The dragons are holding up better than anyone had any right to expect. (Go Aludra!)

The Last Battle (Source)

The beautiful Shendla smacks of another aspect that Jordan wanted to expound on more, but obviously didn't get the chance. She's interesting, but very brief.

I thought all the minor deaths were terribly sad too, but I liked the way they were handled. It would have been too wordy (already an 800 page book!) to go through each death in individual detail. Having Rand see them from afar and pass over them quickly might have actually packed a heavier punch in a way. I loved that. Siuan and Bryne were super-sad too. Like Egwene and Gawyn, if one of them had to go, I'm glad they went together.

Two of the four Great Generals are gone. I think the fate of the battle rests squarely on Mat's shoulders now.

And Leilwin. She's already done great service to Egwene, but now Egwene has left her in charge of breaking the seals at the right moment. (No pressure or anything.) Obviously keeping Leilwin close was not only a smart decision, but absolutely necessary.

Extras:

Don't have much to say here. (Shocking, I know.) But I think we covered everything pretty well. Just, I loved this whole chapter and cried. A lot.

What other bloggers thought: Dab of Darkness Coffee, Cookies & Chili Peppers

What did everyone else think of this gargantuan chapter?

Sunday, February 22, 2015

A Memory of Light Read-Along, Week 6

Welcome to week 6 of our A Memory of Light Read-Along! This week we read Chapters 29-36. Remember that everything in this section as well as everything that's come before is fair game for spoilers, so read at your own risk. Sue over at Coffee, Cookies & Chili Peppers is hosting this week. Hop over and check out her answers as well!

Ishmael/Moridin (Source)

1. Finally, Graendal’s Compulsion of the Great Captains has been uncovered. Do you think that Mat’s medallion will protect him from her ‘advances’? It seems as if Ituralde was the only Captain to resist the Compulsion: any ideas about why that might be?

I hope Mat's medallion will protect him, but I think it really depends on whether or not Graendal was actually using channeling to do it. His foxhead protects him from weaves, but Graendal was using dreams and T'A'R', so I suppose we'll just have to wait and see.

I don't know why Ituralde was the only one to resist. (Can't remember, specifically.) It could be that the others did resist in their own heads, but we just didn't see it. Maybe it had something to do with being close to where Perrin was (as the wolves turned up to help save his forces). I don't know. Hopefully we'll know soon.

Sunday, February 15, 2015

A Memory of Light Read-Along, Week 5

Welcome to week 5 of our A Memory of Light Read-Along! This week we read Chapters 22-28. Remember that everything in this section as well as everything that's come before is fair game for spoilers, so read at your own risk. I'm hosting this week.

1. What do you think of the Sharans so far? You can address fashion, choices, attitude, class distinction, the fact that one of the Forsaken leads them, whatever you want, or all of the above.

Well we know what Demandred was up to all along. I thought this was a sufficiently huge twist given how bad this is for our super heroes. He's managed to integrate himself into their legends and beliefs, which means he's been working on this for a while. He's dedicated. I'll give him that. As for their culture, I thought Egwene's observation that the more intricate tattoos on the lower-class people can't be removed, so there's no upward mobility. Interesting concept. We thought the Seanchan were immoral, but obviously this culture is even worse.

The detail here smacks of something Jordan was never able to fully flesh out. I even wonder if he would have done a POV from a character in Shara and explored the culture more through their eyes, but then as the series became it's own monster, it got away from him and he just never did it. Then, of course, he wasn't around to write the final installment, but he obviously had lots of detail fleshed out for these people. I think the details are all great, and am kind of sad we didn't get more of this culture throughout the story.

Sunday, February 8, 2015

A Memory of Light Read-Along, Week 4

Welcome to week 4 of our A Memory of Light Read-Along! This week we read Chapters 15-21. Remember that everything in this section as well as everything that's come before is fair game for spoilers, so read at your own risk. Susan of Dab of Darkness is hosting today. Hop on over to check out her answers as well.

1) Mat and Tuon finally consummate their marriage. Do you think it was all Mat hoped for? Will Tuon's ideas for him in her empire pan out? Tuon gets to keep her damane: how do you think Mat will deal with or adjust to this in time?

I thought this whole part was pretty funny. Mat seemed to enjoy himself, and I loved how he was all embarrassed the next day. You'd think someone who sleeps around so much wouldn't be so bashful about it. Tuon's plans for him sound grand, but Mat has a way of putting his own twist on other people's plans for him. Too bad the series is ending soon. I wouldn't mind a book all about Mat and Tuon's married exploits. Let's hope they can temper each other. Maybe he can actually help her see reason where the damane are concerned.

2) Rand and Tuon have their meeting. Feel free to comment away! Also, Mat and Rand have a quiet little bragging contest. What other characters would you enjoy seeing in a bragging contest?

I loved the bragging contest. So funny! This whole section made me smile, both because they seemed like their old selves from the Two Rivers, and also because some things never change. Guys will always try to out-do one another. I think all the characters should brag. Not that it would ever happen, but it would be funny to see our ladies brag. Nynaeve vs. Egwene vs. Elayne, perhaps? Or maybe get Rand's three girls together. That would be interesting. LOL.

Sunday, February 1, 2015

A Memory of Light Read-Along, Week 3

Welcome to week 3 of our A Memory of Light Read-Along! This week we read Chapters 8-14. Remember that everything in this section as well as everything that's come before is fair game for spoilers, so read at your own risk. Eivind Fonn is hosting and will probably post over at Dab of Darkness. Hop on over to check out his answers as well.

1. Rand is traveling around, giving precious gifts to Elayne and Lan (so far.) Is this his way of saying goodbye, his final will? Do you think he is being unnecessarily fatalistic?

Fatalistic? Definitely. We know he believes he won't survive the Last Battle. Whether it's unnecessary or not remains to be seen. I think he's giving these gifts for many reasons, though. Partly they're tokens of thanks for those who've always stood by him. Since having his epiphany and gaining all the wisdom and insight at the end of ToM, he's more sentimental than he used to be. But yes it's also a way of saying goodbye. Just in case. I think the idea of a final will is interesting as well.

I really liked that he gave one to Lan. The obvious recipients will be his three ladies, but I was glad he remembered his old, loyal friend. He's known Lan longer than the others, and I thought it was sweet that he included a crown for Nynaeve. That shows a glimmer of hope from him, despite his fatalism concerning his own fate.

Egwene holding Vora's sa'angreal. (Source)

2. Egwene stands strong in Kandor, but the other two battlefields are suffering setbacks. Do you think the Light has to do something drastic, or will they be able to weather the storm with the current plan?

Chances are the current plan will only last so long. From the history we have of what happened before, prior to Lews Therin going into Shayol Ghul to seal the Bore, we are seeing a pretty decent parallel so far. Back then, the shadow gained ground and gained ground and gained ground, until Lews Therin felt he had no choice but to do something drastic or the shadow would win. We're seeing that again so far, so let's hope Rand and the forces of the light can do something transcendent on the battle field. :D

Then again, they may be willing to sacrifice everything on the battlefield just to give Rand the time to face the DO. It's kind of a scary prospect because everyone and everything else will be in jeopardy while Rand conducts his epic duel.

3.

Source

Mat joins the story, on his way to Tuon in Ebou Dar. Will the “Seanchan Question” finally be resolved? Rand seems to be hesitating, too...

Well, Mat's done just about everything the prophecies foretold he would...except deal with the Seanchan. I can't imagine he's got much else left to do. Given that Tuon still plans to dominate the White Tower, though, he has quite a task on his hands. Let's hope his luck is with him.

4. Rand takes his turn on the battlefield, but is turned back. Do you expect him to try again, or is this the last we see of him on the field before the invasion of Shayol Ghul?

I don't remember if he tries again before going to Shayol Ghul. There is the Black Tower to deal with, but for the most part, he seems to be focused on Shayol Ghul and the Dark One, so I think the majority of his attention will go there for the time being.

5.

Perrin + Hammer (Source)

Perrin leaves and takes the battle to the World of Dreams... in the flesh. Do you think it is as evil as it's claimed? Did you like his speech? Was it wise to bring Gaul, untrained, to this fight?

I think it might be a bit like the Tower of Genji--not evil as the Shadow is evil, but so different from the way humans experience the world that it seems evil to us. That said, the Tower of Genji seemed pretty evil there at the end. I think the Wise Ones think it's evil because the dangers are just not worth the risk. The risk to one's life and soul are just too great. Think of it like hard drugs in our world. Is every junkie out there evil to their core? Of course not. But why risk something with so much potential to endanger you on every level. This is how I think of entering T'A'R in the flesh. Plus Slayer does it regularly, which doesn't much recommend it either.

On the flip side, Perrin said it wasn't evil, and I trust him. He made a good point about how he could smell evil, and it wasn't that. So obviously, it's very dangerous, but not evil. Perrin feels he has little choice at this point. It's the final installment and Slayer STILL hasn't been taken care of.

"The good options are gone, Rand. Better to do something desperate than to do nothing at all." (pg. 281)

Word, Perrin. Word.

I LOVED his speech. This final installment is so full of amazing speeches and deeds. I'll be just reading along, ho-hum, and then one of them will pop up and I'll be in tears. I loved the whole part where he and Rand said goodbye. I can totally see a film version of it, intercut with 1-second flashbacks to them as lads in the Two Rivers. You can't help but think of how far they've come, both together and as individuals.

Best line EVER:

"We'll remember those who fell, and we'll tell our children how we stood when the clouds turned turned black and the world started to die. We'll tell them we stood shoulder to shoulder, and there was just no space for the shadow to squeeze through." (pg. 278)

*wipes tears* Geez, Perrin! When did you become a poet!

I'm loving Gaul more and more too. He's such a loyal guy! He went with Perrin, even knowing the dangers of entering T'A'R in the flesh; even after hearing Perrin ask the Wise One about it. He still went. And he's awesome. Love Gaul!

6.

Source

Lanfear makes another plea to Rand, and he lets her into his mind to prove he is over her. She then appears in the World of Dreams to pester Perrin. What game is she really playing at?

Yeah it was pretty cool that Rand could open his mind to her without fear. He could show her that he didn't love her--never had--and that she couldn't use him. Obviously when the truth of that became undeniable to her, she had to find someone else to latch onto. And who better than ta'veren #2, who also can and currently IS navigating the World of Dreams, a domain she has often made great use of?

So what's her game? I think whatever she wanted from Rand when she first started the damsel-in-distress routine, she's now trying to get from Perrin. Good luck, honey. Perrin's got bigger fish to fry. I mean, uh, wolves to avenge.

7. We find out how people are turned to the Shadow. What do you think of this mechanism? Are the turned really turned, or just taken over, as Androl seems to think?

Hard to say for sure at this juncture. We all want to think that maybe they're just trapped in there and can be saved. Poor Androl and his men. They shouldn't be forced to do the DO's bidding, as Androl said. But this is something that has been touted as really, REALLY evil time and again, which doesn't bode well for a potential reversal. Still, the taint is cleansed and Nynaeve healed madness (we really need to get her and Androl a dinner date) so you never know. Maybe Taim's victims can be redeemed.

8.

Asha'man in battle (Source)

It appears Taim and his cronies are finally ejected from the Black Tower, although Taim is still alive. What do you think of how this went down? Will we now see the good Asha'man lend their strength to the fight? Could that turn the tide of the war?

I'm super-excited for this story line. I remember reading this first bit about Androl the first time and being a bit annoyed. I couldn't understand why they'd introduced this eleventh-hour character and then were giving him so much POV time. As it goes on, though, it just gets better and better. Now it's one of my favorite story lines in this book, not least because of the unlikely pairing of mad Asha'man and Red Sister. We'll see Androl and Pevarra work together more and their relationship progress, in often hilarious ways.

As for the rest, I won't spoil. Can't wait, though! :D

Extras:

Poor Lan! Having to the leave the Gap to the Shadow was so hard for him. Despite knowing that it was the right and only thing to do, talk about having to abandon his homeland for the second time was super-sad. The grief and guilt of that, especially for someone as honor-heavy as Lan, must really suck.

Is anyone else super-depressed at the cities they're losing? First it was Caemlyn--Caemlyn!!!--and now the Borderlands are going under. There's so much history there. Not just in terms of ancient Randland history, but also of the series. In book 1, our super heroes visited Fal Dara, where they first learned of Lan's origins and the truth of Padan Fain's depravity. Faile's homeland is, of course, Saldea. And the Borderlands at large have always been very admirable. Now their very cities are falling to the shadow. It always strikes me as supremely sad.

What other bloggers thought: Dab of Darkness Coffee, Cookies & Chili Peppers

What did everyone else think of this section?

Monday, January 26, 2015

Book Review: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

Hello All! We've just finished Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire in our Potter Head Read-Along. It's being hosted by Sheila over at Book Journey, and it's not too late to join in if you're interested in reading with us. Details here. As most people are all kinds of familiar with our boy-wizard's world, this won't be your average book review. I'll just talk about points that struck my fancy while re-reading.

(If you're one of the four people in the world who haven't read or seen HP yet, be warned there may be spoilers below.)

The biggest thing I always remember about book 4 is that it's the one that made me an all-obsessive, totally die-hard Potter fan. I didn't read these until my first year of college, and I remember my older sister giving me crap for reading "kids books." I didn't care, though. I just wanted to read book 1 to see what all the hype was about. Of course I really liked it, and continued onto book 2. The first two books were really cute to me and interesting enough that I wanted to keep reading, but only that. Book 3 upped the ante a lot. But book 4...oh good heavens. I remember waking up early to finish reading the end of the 4th book before going to an early class. Yup, actually waking up early to finish the "kids book." And the epic-ness of the ending just left me reeling. I couldn't believe how...OMG!!!...it was. It was definitely my favorite installment up to this point, and still one of my faves overall.

Now, of course the book is way more detailed than the film, and I definitely prefer it. While I thought they did the actual ending--Cedric's death and the graveyard scene--really well, there were other things I wasn't a fan of. Of course the house elves and S.P.E.W. are totally nonexistent. That's the kind of thing that I understand why they would cut it, for time, but I still really like that story line.

One thing I really didn't like was I didn't think they gave the beginning scene--the chaos at the world cup--enough attention or emphasis. It was just sort of there and gone in the film, but in the book it was the catalyst for the entire plot. I thought they should have done that a bit better in the film.

Also, the films aren't so great at doing history and back story. The pensieve was done fairly well, but as in the 3rd film, the history of Barty Crouch and his son, along with Karkarof's role, could have been much more clear.

And I always wish we could see more of the Dursleys in the films. Even though they are essentially minor villains, they serve as the bookends for Harry's adventures, and I always feel like the films are somewhat incomplete without them.

As I said, though, the film does a superb job with the ending, though I do prefer the way in which the book explains ?? better. It's sweeter and more clear. I also, I have to admit, wasn't the biggest fan of Michael Gambon as Dumbledore. As I re-read these books, I picture Richard Harris in the role, even though he was no longer alive for these films. I just think he exemplified Dumbledore much more.

All the other actors used in the films are fantastic, though. Brenden Gleeson as Mad Eye? Awesome! Miranda Richardson as Rita Skeeter? Perfect in a love-to-hate-her sort of way. And who better to play the epic villain than Ralph Fiennes himself? Let's face it. The cast is awesome. (Yeah, I'm gonna pointedly ignore typical jokes made about the fact that Robert Pattinson plays Cedric. :D)

To speak about the book itself, I really think this was the first installment in which we saw Harry as more man than boy. Of course he's still a teenager, but he's facing this terrible evil and tragedy, and we see his very real and heart-rending bond with his parents. I think that's what connected me so much to the series. Before, it was a cutsy (if still compelling) story about a young wizard. At this point, it became so much bigger than that. From here on out this will be a full-fledged, good-vs.-evil, epic fantasy (My favorite kind) that just happens to be experienced through the eyes of teenage and child wizards.

I'll say it again: J.K. Rowling is a freaking genius!

(Trailer for Harry Potter and Goblet of Fire film.)

What's your favorite HP installment? How do you think they did with this film?

Sunday, January 25, 2015

A Memory of Light Read-Along, Week 2

Welcome to week 2 of our A Memory of Light Read-Along! This week we read Chapters 2-7. Remember that everything in this section as well as everything that's come before is fair game for spoilers, so read at your own risk. Sue over at Coffee, Cookies & Chili Peppers is hosting this week.

1. Pevara and Androl has done some mutual Bonding, which seems to have created a rather uniquely intimate link between the two. Do you think that the other Aes Sedai / Asha’man pairs could create something similar, or do we have an example of mushy, romantic specialness in this case? Have you been surprised by the Red’s ability to work with male Channelers, or do you think that she is unusual for her Ajah?

I loved that they did this totally by accident, and they fight like an old married couple.

"You bonded me?" she said, horrified.He groaned, rolling over. "You did it to me first."

If they can do this, I think others can, and inevitably will. I actually think this is really cool and will end up being a strength, rather than a weakness, even though they both seem very uncomfortable with it right now.

Sunday, January 18, 2015

A Memory of Light Read-Along, Week 1

Welcome to week 1 of our A Memory of Light Read-Along! This week we read the Prologue-Chapter 1. Remember that everything in this section as well as everything that's come before is fair game for spoilers, so read at your own risk. I'm hosting this week.

Looks like Mordor, doesn't it? (Source)

1. We get a terribly interesting chapter from Isam's POV in the Town below Thakandar. So many things we could talk about here, including the pointy-toothed Aiel. What stood out to you? What did you think? What do you want to know more about?

I want to know more about EVERYTHING!!! All we've really known about Luc/Isam is that they were pretty much raised in the Blight. Now we know where. Why haven't we heard anything about this Town before. You could write an entire book based around it. It sounds terribly sinister, and I can only imagine how twisted a child raised her would turn out to be. In that respect, it makes a lot of sense. But how did these corrupted Aiel come to be? How did Luc/Isam meld and become the hunters they are? (Histories, Man! I need histories!)

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