Lady Midnight

*Spoiler Alert – I’m not 100% sure how much I’ll be giving away in this review, but I do discuss things I don’t understand in the book. Which might contain sneaks and peeks at the book.

I have only read one of Cassandra Clare’s series so far “The Infernal Devices“. I absolutely loved the series and I feel so bad that it’s taken me such a long time to get around to reading another one. I feel like I should also point out that I do believe and it is highly suggested that Cassandra Clare’s Shadowhunters series are supposed to be read in a certain order which you can find here.

(My personal opinion here) The main players in this particular books are:

Emma Carstairs: a Shadowhunter,

Her parabatai (and “secret love” interest):  Julian Blackthorn,

Mark Blackthorn: who was kidnapped five years ago and now has been returned to the Blackthorn family after being kidnapped by the fairy people.

Breakdown:

The Dark Artifices series is the latest series in Cassandra Clare’s writings. In fact so far in this series there are only two books so far. The final and third chapter of this series should be coming out in fall of 2018. Look out for that!

This series is based around Emma and the murder of her parents from years ago, she did not believe that her parents death was a robbery gone wrong. She believes that there is more to her parents death than meets the eye, probably something even “supernatural”. Emma has been a Shadowhunter for a very long time and after her parents deaths she was then taken to live with the Blackthorn family. The Blackthorn have also lost their parents and live in the Institute with their strange Uncle Arthur.

Emmas parabatai is Julian Blackthorn, the now oldest sibling of the Blackthorn family, since the others were kidnapped or exile. Julian has been taking care of his younger sibling, Livvy, Ty, Dru and Tavvy since he was 12 years old. Julians older half  siblings, Mark and Helen Blackthorn are both half faerie, as their mother was of the faerie people.  Emma’s good friend Cristina also lives with the family and in the institute, she is only there for the year…As sweet as she is, no one really knows that much about her.

*For those who don’t know what a parabatai is, it as a pair of Nephilim warriors who fight together as lifelong partners, bound together by oath, regardless of their gender. Their bond is not reflected only in their closeness and willingness to lay down their lives for one another, but also in oath—one sworn in front of the Council. Parabatai cannot fall in love*

Positive:

I absolutely enjoy this book, can I just start off with.

It did reference the other books and what Shadowhunters word meanings are, so you do know what the words mean, as you are going into the book. It made it almost feel like you don’t need to read the other books before this one. (Please do though) The only thing that you would really have to read the other books for is about the attack on one of their Libraries, where a important document was stolen. As well as getting to know the other Shadowhunters as they pop in and out of the book, with a brief history of what their characters achieved.

What I enjoy about Cassandra Clare’s books is that you can get lost in a completely made up world, that makes you feel that this world could actually be possible. It’s why I think her books are so popular, it is fantasy, but ever so close to the real modern world. It’s kind of like Harry Potter and how we, as muggles, cannot actually see the world of Magic, but it’s always there.

Negative:

I always have a hard time picking on the things in a book that I’ve really enjoyed reading. There was one thing that I didn’t really understand and felt like it didn’t really need to be in it. It was right at the end “A Long Conversation”. As I mentioned above, there good be a reason why it was at the end of this particular book, but I felt like it didn’t really need to be there.

It also did bug me a little how I had always assumed that parabatai were supposed to know how the other was feeling at all times. That’s kind of the point of having a parabatai. Somehow though, and when it seems to suit, they completely have no idea how the other feels.

 

 

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Share Your World June Week 4

Share Your World … June 26, 2017

What goal are you working on now? Your goal can be something fun or extremely serious.  Have fun with this question.

I have a few that are serious one and a few that I would love to happen, but they don’t have too or they probably wont.

• A more permanent position in the Library field, rather than just casual.
• Leave Tafe for good!
• Finish writing the fiction story that I’ve been writing for the last few years…Whether I’ll try and get it published, is yet to be seen!
• Start a little “on the side” craft business. Which I hope would give a little bit more extra money. I don’t expect it too be a booming thing, but just something for a little more “pocket money”.

What is one thing you’re glad you tried but would never do again?

A couple of years ago and luckily my birthday present came in time for a future bad breakup. One of my friends gave me a gift certificate towards swimming with Dolphins. These weren’t like “trained” Dolphins, we went out on a boat, in the ocean, and we had to hang onto these ropes and look into the ocean (with Goggles). It was a very surreal experience, but I didn’t love hanging onto a rope to keep us near the boat, in the ocean, that was very scary too me. I went out a couple of times and then spent the other half sitting on the boat, watching the Dolphins swim by. Plus I was by myself, I felt pretty lonely.

Did you choose your profession or did it choose you?

I feel like I have had to fight to get into the Library profession, but my Gran keeps telling me that she thinks that I was supposed to do something else. Like the writing or acting, or something like that, and I kind of agree with her, but I’m not brave enough to get out there yet and find out what that is. I can’t really see myself doing an 9-5 job. I think I’d go nuts!lol

Have you ever gotten lost?

All the time! Both literally physically and mentally. I was born and raised in the city I still live in and I still got lost all the time. I have people from interstate ask me for directions and I pretend that I am from interstate as well, or that I’ve just moved into the are myself!lol

Share Your World …. May Week 4 2017

Share Your World … May 29, 2017

What is the most famous landmark or building you have ever seen?

The most famous that I have probably seen is the Blue Mountains in New South Wales, and they are gorgeous! It also the same location as the Three Sisters. Which I was honestly unaware of that they were even in the same location. The three sisters got their name from a Aboriginal Legend.

Do you like long vacation or lots of mini-vacations?

I like both to be completely honest,lol. I do prefer longer vacations (which I haven’t had in a few years) A lot of the holidays that I’ve had probably in the last 5 years have been mini/weekend type vacations. Where you don’t really feel like you’ve had a vacation, and you need a vacation from your vacation, because you’ve packed a lot into a small amount of time.

What is your favorite National or State Park?

I haven’t actually been to a National or State park, both in Australia and the time when I visited the United States and England.I think that we only have about three or four National Parks in Australia, half of them are right in the outback.

What is your fantasy vacation?

If I had all the money in the world I would love to travel to Disneyland and World! Stay there for probably a good month and really get to take it in. I had family go there recently and they were there for about two weeks and they said that you need longer, it goes so quickly! From there I would visit places like Greece and Rome and visit all the ancient sites that completely fascinate me.

Shipping

No, I don’t want to stat building boats, or start sailing…I get all of the motion sicknesses…That would be a VERY bad idea!

“Shipping” meaning by Wikipedia:

initially derived from the word relationship, is the desire by fans for two or more people, either real-life people or fictional characters (in film or literature) to be in a relationship, romantic or otherwise. It is considered a general term for fans’ emotional involvement with the ongoing development of a relationship in a work of fiction. Shipping often takes the form of creative works, including fanfiction and fan art, most often published on the internet.

 Shipping in the nerd type world, to break it down, is when you have two favourite people who you see as a couple. These can included people from the book, or sometimes you can even cross couple from different fandom and from completely different genres.

Some couple even get their own names, when you combine the two characters names together.

Except for brother and sister…or brother and brother, sister and sister, or parental with child…That’s just gross…Except in a purely familial way. 

So, for example, some of my favourite “shipping” characters are:

• Thorin Oakenshield and Morgana from “Merlin”.
• Tessa Gray and Will from the Infernal Devices.
• Mary and Gideon from Reign (I still like Francis, but Gideon seems a little more “grown up”)

 

Lets Share: Do you “ship” any couples? Even ones we may have not thought of before. 

How a Book is Made Tag

(This tag was created by WritingMime over on YouTube. I am totally stealing this from The Orangutan Librarian Please check them out!)

1. Should you participate in National Novel Writing Month to create a book?

I have never participated in NaNo myself, but I have known a lot of others who have. I think that it could definitely help to inspire, but I don’t think people should pressure themselves to try and create the next “Harry Potter”. It should be a good start though!

2. Self-publishing or traditional publishing?

I would always want to try traditional publishing first, but I can totally see why someone would want to self-publish. When I think of someone like JK Rowling and how many times she got rejected. I could see why someone might turn to self-publishing.

3. Write one idea at a time or write all the ideas at once?

I have this “habit” where I’m trying to focus on something, but then I might see something out of the corner of my eye and get distracted. What I try to do now though is send a text to myself, or write a note somewhere and come back to it later…If I remember! If I want to focus on different parts of a story I’m writing, for example, having two ideas at once for two different chapters. I will try my best to write bits and parts at the same time for each section. Even if it’s just a sentence here or there, something that when I came back to it later, I’ll remember what I was writing.

4. What genre is the easiest to write?

Well I haven’t tried writing for ALL genres, but I would suspect it’d be the genre that you enjoy writing the most. For me, it’s Fantasy. I can’t draw what I see in my head, so I write instead. I love to read crime, but I would be really bad at writing for it. I’m secure enough to admit that I am not nearly clever to write in some twist at the end.

5. Where do you need to write to get the work done?

I could write pretty much anywhere. It’s more about my mind space.

6. Where do you find your inspiration?

Like the Orangutan Librarian I can find my inspiration everywhere! Bad, Sad, Mad, Happy, Wonderful, Bright. I do have a set playlist on YouTube though, it usually helps me to stay focus on my writing. All nice and inspirational music. Mainly Celtic.

7. What age do you start writing?

You can start at any age, once you’ve started to learn to write of course.

8. What’s easiest to write? Short stories, stand-alones, series, etc.

Personally I find it easier to write novels. I have tried writing short stories but my imagination takes over and I end up writing longer stories and longer descriptions and the story just tends to keep growing.

9. Do you mill your books or take years to write a book?

I am still writing all my books, none of them are done. I am actually thinking of continuing on with a “tv script” that I started years ago when I started role playing online…via AOL…So long ago!

10. How fast can you type?

Very! When I think about it I get a really bad accuracy score, when I just do it I get a good score,lol.

11. Do you write in the dark or in the light?

I write whenever I can, or when inspiration hits and I have access to write.

12. Hand-written or typed?

I am usually a typer, sometimes though I write down things and then type them up later, but usually I’m a typer.

13. Alone or with someone else?

I am assuming about this is in reference to writing books etc. I like to write alone, I find I spend most of the time to trying to negotiate what should or shouldn’t be written in. It’s too constrictive.

14. Any typing hacks?

Nope

15. Are you already published?

No, hehe…As I’ve written above (see Question 9) I haven’t even finished writing a book yet. I would love to be though…If could finish it off!

16. When did you first consider being an author?

I have been writing for years. I can’t even remember what really made me consider it. I grew up around Libraries, so I guess it kind of just started there? I never really went “this is it”…If that makes sense? The writing has just kind of happened.

17. How many books do you have in draft form?

All of them I guess? I have one major one going and the rest are in total beginning stages. Idea forms.

18. Do you outline or no?

19. What’s your favourite note-keeping strategy?

I actually text myself a lot, I find it handy when I am out and about. When I’m at home I do it even then. I also have Word documents with notes, explaining character relationships to each other, mainly so I don’t get myself confused.

 

20. What do you think about writing in different genres?

I have no problem with it, I just don’t think that I would very good at writing in different genres. I mainly, actually pretty much all of my writing is in Fantasy.

I tag:

Anyone else who wishes to do this!

Beauty and the Beast Trailer is finally here!!!

I fan-girled so hard this morning, and finally something happy today…I haven’t been this excited for a movie since the last Hobbit film came out…I may have watched this trailer a few times today,lol

Uploaded by: Disney Movie Trailers

Published on 14 Nov 2016

Watch the brand new trailer for Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast,” starring Emma Watson & Dan Stevens.

See the film in theatres March 17, 2017!

Official Site: http://disney.com/BeautyandtheBeast
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DisneyBeauty…
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/beourguest
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/Beautyandthe…

15 Bookish Facts about Me

After reading through the fascinating post written by the amazing Blogger Addlepates and book nerds (Go and check them out!) I decided to “steal” and write up my own list, especially after what I wrote with my last post last week about having a Reading Block. I went with 15 instead of 25 because I kept stopping and starting and realised this was about to post!lol

1. I am yet to try out Kindles and e-readers. It’s not that I am totally against the idea, it’s more that I haven’t really gotten around to it. I’ve asked for one for Christmas and Birthday and nothing yet!
2. Like my previous post suggests, I either read a lot or not at all. I can’t just seem to read a chapter or so. I either start and don’t stop, or I don’t start at all!
3. I don’t really enjoy pure romance novels like “Mills and Boons”, but I would never discourage someone from reading them either.
4. My Grandmother was a really good Library Manager and when I was little I used to visit her at the Library all the time and joined in all the holiday activities.
5. I still have a lot of books from my childhood, but a lot of them are now in boxes. I still love pulling them out and reading them.
6. Talking about childhood books, there’s always a couple of them I read every single year.
7. I’ve just recently thanked everybody who bought me books when I was kid, they are expensive!
8. I want more bookcases…Who doesn’t though!
9. My favourite author is Jodi Picoult, I love the research she does and how she can write a story from every point of view.
10. I once wrote a few episode ideas for a TV show based on a fantasy online role playing games I was playing at the time. Think X-Men Evolution. Except, instead of mutants, you had sorceress, elves, and humans, etc. I think it’s somewhere still in my house.
11. Writing about writing, I currently have a book I’m writing for fun, based on a character I played in a game called Monster Hunter.
12. I was the only Year 12 (Senior at High School) who understood what Shakespeare was talking about.
13. I can enjoy a book and the movie adaption without hating the other. I can see them as their own work. Except for making Fili and Kili’s death all about Tauriel!!! I didn’t even mind her until that happened.
14. I try to buy at least new three books a year. Which probably doesn’t sound like a lot, but I’ve got no space either. I very rarely throw any out.
15.  I find that there is a book quote for every single thing in life. It’s one of the reasons I started “Weekly Random Literature Quotes”.

Just like Addlepates and Book Nerds, I am also going to tag the last five people who followed me. In no particular order:

• Your Sentence Here
• MomentD1Pose
• Spiritually Promiscuous
• Bay Art
• Baby Animal Love

Libraries are Magic!

Libraries are still a magic places to visit, especially for the children. My grandmother was a Library Manager and I used to spend a lot of time at her Library and I guess it’s what has inspired me the most. It just feels like such a shame that more Libraries just don’t have the funding to make their Libraries looks like these.

The most magical children’s sections in Libraries – Goodreads

Take your children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews to your local Library today!…Right now…GO, GO GO!

Fantasy is a necessary ingredient…

Winter Moulin Rouge

I found out Moulin Rouge (IMDb) was on the television tonight. Now this is one of my favourite movies of all time! I wanted to watch it, but my partner wont let me…We have to watch Harry Potter instead. As much as I may like Harry Potter and I know that I have Moulin Rouge on DVD and it’s on Australian netflix. They play the Harry Potter series all the time, they usually finish off the series and then start the series on another channel.

There is just something special about your movie being on television, or is it just me? I could literally have every single format of Moulin Rouge and I would still want to watch it when it plays on tv…I could even have taped it previously on tv and I’d still want to watch it again on tv.

Be thankful people who are single…You can watch whatever you want, whenever you want.