The Gallifrey One Postgame Show, Part One: Learning the Ropes

Cosplaying as Femme!Five and stepping out of the TARDIS. Gallifrey One - I have arrived.

I started a blog post an hour after I got home from the airport yesterday - and it just kept going and going and going and it was then I realized that I needed to split this up.

What can I honestly say about Gallifrey One?  Well, I started crying during the Traveling the Vortex "Say Goodbye to Gallifrey" update podcast.  Now, if you don't know, I'm a sentimental dope by nature and cry easily at various things.  And, apparently, I can now add the ending of a fantastic convention to the list of things that make me cry (it's a long list).  But, I'm going to save the sentimentality for my third (or fourth - depending on how long I go with this) Gallifrey One recap post.  For now, I want to hit some of the highlights of my weekend -

(I'm purposely not telling everything that happened because I talked about a lot of this on Traveling the Vortex.  To be sure, there will be some repetition.  But if you want to get a more complete picture, go listen to the TtV Gally Updates: LobbyCon, Day 1, Day 2, Day 3)

The Classic Companions Panel. I predict that this will be the most understated panel of The 24 Hours of Gallifrey One.
But no less powerful. And I need a better camera.

Gallifrey One is sheer joy packed into one weekend.  The best instance of this happened Saturday night during the panel with the Classic Who companions plus Michael Jayston (who played the Valeyard - but we love him anyway).  We talked about that panel on the podcast, but it was a powerful moment - several powerful moments, really.  But it was at the end when the audience gave the stars a standing ovation - for being there to be the companions and give us this show that we all love so very, very, very much.  But then, the stars all stood up as well and applauded us, the fans, for being loyal and coming to see them.  There was a lot of love and admiration and friendship in that room.  And it makes sense the more I think of it.  Doctor Who is the little show that could.  It came into some pretty heavy opposition back in the day - I can't imagine working on a show that you enjoyed doing, but the Powers That Be were bound and determined to get you off the air.  Even the public seemed to write you off at the time and the fans more or less had to go underground (so to speak).  But here it is in 2013 and there is a room full of people who've been coming to see you, ask for your autograph, shake your hand - and are even dressing up as your character - how amazing is that?  As a fan, I was humbled by these stars' attitudes towards us.  We all have a deep love for this show - even while we're being silly with Paradox Apples and Tiki Daleks and Sylvester McCoy popping the bubble-wrap on a Zoe cosplay (I didn't see that firsthand for myself, but I heard about it and from what I did see of Sylvester over the course of the weekend, I am not surprised).

- The live director's commentary of "Dinosaurs on a Spaceship" with Saul Metzstein - This was an episode that I didn't really like at first, but I think I have some new perspective on it since then and this commentary certainly helped.  He even acknowledged that some fans were upset about the Doctor seeming to kill someone  What was funny was when Metzstein was talking about CGI vs. puppets and he dared us to find the puppet pterodon chasing the Doctor, Rory and Brian in the hydro-engines (the whole sequence went like this: "That's pretend... that's pretend... pretend... pretend... pretend... PUPPET!" We all laughed).

- Freema Agyeman on Sunday morning - So wonderful, so happy to be there, so amazed that so many people showed up for her second panel. And props to the audience for asking smart questions. I can't remember exactly what they asked, but I just remembered thinking that Doctor Who fans ask some really great questions of the guests (unlike some of the cringeworthy stuff that makes it into the Comic Con YouTube videos - guys, you're making us look bad!)

- The North American premiere of "Galaxy 4: Airlock" - I mentioned this on Twitter, but I loved watching an actual episode of Doctor Who with a huge room full of Whovians.  There was a smaller viewing room showing Doctor Who throughout the weekend, but it seemed silly to sit in a room watching TV while the convention was going on (sort of a strange thought, but there you are).  But the Galaxy 4 showing was different. It was in the main ballroom immediately after Opening Ceremonies, first of all.  Plus, this was one of the lost episodes that was found last... April, I want to say (nope, sorry - it was a year ago last November), so that makes it an even bigger deal.  I had seen a reconstruction of Galaxy 4 once. I liked it well-enough (for a recon, anyway) but seeing it as an actual episode was great! In this one short part, Vicki kicks ass, the Doctor snarks and Steven gets captured by a bunch of Amazon-type warrior women (oh, I feel so sorry for Steven). Maybe now that an episode exists, someone will make a better recon of it.  But if not, it was still cool to be part of the audience that got to see it at Gallifrey.

This was the line for Gallifrey 101, which is a panel for newcomers to the con. It went out the door and wound around the driveway of the hotel. Just to give you an idea of how many people were there (LineCon - I'm telling you!)

- I got in the autograph line for Sylvester McCoy pretty early on Saturday, so I was one of the first to see him.  But before the line officially opened, I met a lady who was at the convention with her 10- or 11-year-old nephew.  I was so impressed with this kid (and his aunt, let's be honest) - his favorite Doctor is McCoy and he was pleased as punch to meet him.  I talked with his aunt for a little bit, just that I was impressed that her nephew liked one of the Classic Doctors so much.  The kid had started with the new series, but he'd branched out into Classic Who and latched onto Seven.  And Sylvester was so cool with this kid  Really, I enjoyed talking to a lot of people when I was in line for various things.  Over and over, the Gallifrey One organizers kept asking for patience with the lines and whatnot, but I did not mind waiting at all.  Mostly because I could talk to people about Doctor Who and we were all on the same page.  We could talk about our favorites, our not-so-favorites and just have some wonderful conversation.  It's was like LobbyCon, but with less booze (maybe we should call it LineCon or something).

My First Photo Bomb - Nicholas Briggs was such a great guy

- Speaking of LobbyCon - THAT was a new experience.  It took me a while to warm up to the idea, but I was content to sit in the lobby and just watch everyone else interact for a little while.  I wore my Fifth Doctor hat on the plane because I didn't want it to get smashed in my luggage and I ended up keeping it on through LobbyCon and that became probably the best idea I had the entire weekend.  People came up to compliment me on it and ask where I got it/how I made it (bought a light straw Panama hat at Wal-Mart and made a new hatband with fabric from Spoonflower, if you're curious).  It was a great icebreaker!  I got to talk with so many people - and I got a picture with Nicholas Briggs while he was eating dinner more or less on a dare.  I met Sara and Sarah from Texas earlier and told them I wanted to get pictures with the guests, but I was still a bit too chicken to do it on my own.  Later when they were in the bar, they got me to come over and helped me get the picture. Nick was a great guy to do it too. He didn't act like I was bugging him at all - plus, I wanted to tell him how much I loved Big Finish as well as his work as the voice of the Daleks and he seemed genuinely touched that I would say something so nice (even though I'm sure he'd heard it before - but it's good to hear that people love you for your work, no matter how many times you hear it).

Sara and Sarah from Texas. I met them at LobbyCon and they were so great!
I need to find them on Facebook or something.

- I've got to talk about the time I spent with Shaun and Glenn and Mel.  First off, I met up with Shaun and Mel at LobbyCon and it was seriously like meeting friends I'd known for years, even though this was the first time we'd ever met in person.  Plus, they had the Traveling the Vortex ribbons and I directly credit them with helping me get a ton of ribbons that first night (it helps to have friends who make ribbons ^_^ - I'll make my own next year, don't worry).  Then I snagged Glenn before the opening Radio Free Skaro panel.  Really, it was great of them to let me tag along (and even record podcasts with them - THAT was fun!) and we all just ran around photo-bombing people and taking each other's pictures and having a grand old time (and came thisclose to getting an interview for the podcast with... somebody and I don't want to say who in case something else works out. But I was really bummed that we couldn't get it to work out because I was over the moon when Shaun and Mel came back saying they wanted me in the interview too).  I said that Gallifrey One is like a big family reunion, but I feel like the Vortex Boys (and the Vortex Girls, as we now seem to be shaping up to become) are like my immediate family within the larger, crazier Whovian clan.  Now we just need Keith and Sarah to come next year!

Farewell to Mel and Shaun. Glenn left before we could get a group photo - but NEXT YEAR!

I have a very packed week with work and stuff and while I have so much more to talk about, it will have to wait until tomorrow (or the next day). Stay tuned for further Gally recaps! (including autographs and cosplaying and the Dealer's Room and whatever else I can dig up in my brain)

91 Ribbons! Not bad for a newbie.

Gallifrey One, Baby!

Tomorrow, I leave for Gallifrey One.  I'm pretty stoked about this. I've wanted to go since I caught all the antics of the convention two years ago on the internet (helped that Peter Davison was there that year and there was TONS of stuff posted online - not the least of which was this awesome video).  I've written about how I felt that I was part of the event, even from the comfort of home - yet I still wanted to go someday.

I am not a traveler by nature.  I would actually be a horrible traveling companion for the Doctor.  In my entire life, I have only been on four trips that required me to board an airplane.  It's not a fear or anxiety or anything - I'm just a homebody.  And I like to drive myself places (but I wouldn't be caught dead driving in California. Actually, if I ever drove in California, I would end up dead).  So, even a simple direct flight from Salt Lake City to Los Angeles is a big deal for me.  And I'm going by myself, which makes this an even bigger deal.

But I think it's going to be worth it.  I have heard nothing but positive things about Gallifrey One - everyone there is your best friend, they get awesome guests and panels for the convention, you're all there for the same reason, the hotel is fantastic, etc.  Yes, there are going to be hiccups (an event this big - I would be surprised if there weren't), but I'm hoping for a good experience (I don't have many needs or expectations, really).

I have every good intention of keeping notes of what goes on so I can come back and regale you all with my tales of adventure and whimsy.  Barring that, I can guarantee there will be pictures on Twitter and Instagram.  Keep an eye out for the #Gally1 hashtag - there will definitely be posts from others as well.

I hope I can help bring people from home into the experience as well.  That's how I got all gung-ho for attending Gallifrey One myself.  I saw how much fun people had and how amazing it was and I wanted to see it in person.  Which I will in about 19 hours, more or less (registration starts at 6:00 tomorrow - and then there's Lobby Con, which is going to be a strange new experience - sort of like the Doctor and his companions landing on an alien planet).  I'm sure once I get there and get all settled in, I won't want to leave!

It remains to be seen if I'll make it to Gallifrey One 2014.  Funds and time and other considerations have to be taken into account.  But for this year at least, I'm off to Gallifrey, baby!

(And it's going to be wonderful to get out of this sub-freezing weather. Ugh. Winter has certainly outstayed it's welcome).

Oh, If My Twelve-Year-Old Self Could See This...

Holy crap! 2013 - HOW I LOVE YOU!! Not only is a new Sailor Moon anime reboot slated to be released this summer, there is also news of a brand new Powerpuff Girls special coming to Cartoon Network!

This is like middle school all over again! Minus the snotty bitches gossiping about me and the awkward puberty issues and the idiotic teachers... you know, this is nothing like middle school. That was a horrible comparison.

But HOORAY! New Powerpuff Girls! *happy dance*

In Which My Librarian Cred Is Seriously Jeopardized

The Newbery and Caldecott and all those other nebulous book awards were announced today.  Here's the list if you're interested.  Me, I took one hard, long and intense look at the list... and I didn't recognize a-one of those titles.  Recognized a few authors, but I had never seen any of those titles in my life.  And bear in mind - I work for the library. I read books for fun.  Not only have I never heard of these books before today, I've never even seen the covers!  And I work at the library!

I have a love/hate relationship with these national book awards (there are so many different medals and so many categories it's hard to keep track of all of them).  My first real exposure to a Newbery winner was in fourth grade when my teacher read "The Giver" by Lois Lowry to the class.  To this day, that book is on my personal list of Greatest Books In All Of Our Lifetimes and Beyond (along with "To Kill a Mockingbird" and "Pride and Prejudice" - it's a short list so far).  But after "The Giver"... there were never any other books with shiny medals on them that I wanted to read of my own free will and choice.  Even when "Holes" came out, I only read that one because they made a movie of it.  And I only read "The Graveyard Book" because Neil Gaiman wrote it.  Didn't give a crap that it had a big medal on the cover.  Same with Caldecott.  I read "The Polar Express" because my aunt gave me the book for Christmas, but I was never that impressed by what the American Library Association thought I ought to be impressed by.

You want my honest-to-goodness assessment of national book awards?  This has been in place since I was ten and I haven't seen any real reason to change my opinion since (with very, very, very few exceptions) - these awards are given by this nameless, faceless committee based out of New York or Chicago or Los Angeles or New Orleans or some other exotic city I've only seen on TV.  None of these people give a steaming pile of cow manure what some little farm girl from the Utah sticks likes to read.

I'm not the only one who sees this, either.  The "Death By Newbery Medal" trope wouldn't exist if regular people flocked to these books (I find the quotes section of that page particularly damning).

I'm not here to whine that nobody ever pays attention to me and why am I ignored and there should be a special medal for books about kids like me (thus creating a shortage of gold-leafing to print medal stickers on).  I am certainly capable of finding books that appeal to me and my situation.  I just wonder if these awards are more for the people giving them out and less for the people that the books are intended for.  If I - with all my bookish tendencies and voracious appetite for reading - rarely give a fig for the winners of these awards, what about the kid who hates reading, period?  The same thing happens with the Oscars and all those other "fictitious" award shows - they aren't for the larger audiences, they're more for the select few that get to pick them and then pat themselves on the back for selecting things that the so-called "great unwashed" will never understand (to which I ask, if these are things that normal people won't understand, why must we promote this stuff?)

(Larry Correia has a nice takedown of these literati elites that I quite loved.  Yes, he's talking about the Hugos, but these awards are all the same when you get right down to it).

Another thing: Teachers often give assignments to read Newbery winners and write book reports on them.  And I've had moms haul their ten-year-old boys who love video games and running around outside into the library and ask me for a Newbery book that has action and adventure and none of that touchy-feely-girly crap (this was an actual reader's advisory request I had posed to me by an actual mother and her son - except the mom asked a bit nicer than that). Thank goodness "The Graveyard Book" won that one year or there wouldn't be a darn thing to give to kids like that (and even then, there's a chance that the kid won't like the fantasy aspect of it).  Personally, I'd rather a kid choose to read "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" and love it than have to read "Dead End in Norvelt" and completely hate it.

Speaking of "Diary of a Wimpy Kid," the first time I read that book I remember thinking "If Mo Willems can win a Caldecott Honor for 'Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus,' why can't a book about a snarky middle-schooler drawing comics of his family and friends in his diary JOURNAL get a nod?" Of course, Greg snarking on the Newbery Medal itself probably doesn't endear him to the nominating committee (probably for the best, now that I think of it.  Would probably ruin a perfectly good book series).

And that brings me to the Honor awards.  Honestly, I think the Honor books are better than the books are actually win the medals.  "Princess Academy" comes to mind, as does "Charlotte's Web."  I've heard tell (from second- and third-hand sources, so who knows how reliable this is, but it sounds legit) that the Honor books are the ones that individual committee members really, really, really LOVE, but they can't get the rest of the committee to agree, so the actual winner is really a compromise (the committee has to be unanimous on the winner or it doesn't become the winner).  So, really, the Honor books are the best and the Winner is a cheap compromise.

Look, I don't want to dog on these award winners.  Earning any kind of recognition like this takes talent and hard work and I don't want to take that away from anyone.  But I do have issues with the book becoming the focus rather than the reader.  I became a librarian because I love to read and I want to help kids and adults love reading as well.  I do have a make judgments about the books I read - everyone does, not just librarians even though that's a large part of our jobs.  But those judgments are in the interest of helping people find something they'll love to read (and if I enjoy something along the way, that's just icing on the cake).  If I ever become overly-focused on the book rather than the reader who may or may not love the book, feel free to drum me out of the service.

(I am so going to Library Hell for this).

...But It Was An Ending - Review of "A Memory of Light"

Title: A Memory of Light
Authors: Robert Jordan, Brandon Sanderson
Publisher: Tor
Release Date: January 8, 2013

Synopsis (via Goodreads) -

Since 1990, when Robert Jordan’s The Wheel of Time® burst on the world with its first book, The Eye of the World, readers have been anticipating the final scenes of this extraordinary saga, which has sold over forty million copies in over thirty languages.

When Robert Jordan died in 2007, all feared that these concluding scenes would never be written. But working from notes and partials left by Jordan, established fantasy writer Brandon Sanderson stepped in to complete the masterwork. With The Gathering Storm (Book 12) and Towers of Midnight (Book 13) behind him, both of which were # 1 New York Times hardcover bestsellers, Sanderson now re-creates the vision that Robert Jordan left behind.

Edited by Jordan’s widow, who edited all of Jordan’s books, A Memory of Light will delight, enthrall, and deeply satisfy all of Jordan’s legions of readers.

The Wheel of Time turns, and Ages come and pass. What was, what will be, and what is, may yet fall under the Shadow. Let the Dragon ride again on the winds of time.

My Review:
Oh hey - I've got that cover image on two blog posts in a row. There aren't rules against that, are there?

Funny story - Two weeks ago when I was fangirl-gushing and keysmashing over "A Memory of Light" on Facebook and Twitter, a friend asked me if I was going to write up a review.  I said "Absolutely!" And then two seconds later, my brain caught up with my mouth and I thought "How in the Seven Hells am I going to do that?"

(oh crap, now I'm getting "A Song of Ice and Fire" into my "Wheel of Time" discussion. Wrong doorstopper fantasy series, dear!)

It's really hard to discuss "A Memory of Light" without getting in all the particulars of the entire "Wheel of Time" series.  And while I am a fan, I realize that my readers (all five of you) probably don't want to sit through a blow-by-blow description of what happens and why (and if you do want something like that, may I point you in the direction of the lovely and talented Leigh Butler and the Wheel of Time Re-Read).

My non-spoiler review is: I was satisfied.  I now want to read the entire series from beginning to end, just for the feeling of having done it.  Not everyone will love this (or has loved it), but I do.  And poo on them that don't *raspberry*

(I may be a legal adult, but deep down I'm still seven).

Okay, now I'm giving the big fat SPOILER warning.  You know me - I gush and I rant and I weep and I keysmash.  Beyond this point I have no filters, so proceed with caution.

One more thing, though - while I was re-reading the Wheel of Time last year, I also discovered The Piano Guys.  And somehow, the two have become connected in my head. In fact, if HBO or whoever decided to do a TV miniseries of The Wheel of Time, my vote would be for The Piano Guys to do the music (probably wouldn't happen, but I can dream).  I even think of their rendition of "Rolling in the Deep" as the theme for the Dragon Reborn (the character, not the book).  So, it would give me much joy and squee if you listened to it as you read my review - just because I'm strange like that.


To be honest, I have no illusions that passive readers will pick this book up on its own. When I tell people the series is 14 books long, they look at me like I'm batcrap insane (I mean, moreso than they usually do) and there is no way in frozen hell that they are going to read this series. And that's perfectly fine. It's not for you. This ending is purely for the fans (at least, the people who cared enough to stick around this long).

But this is what I will say - I was satisfied.  This series has spent 14 books and 20 years building up to the Last Battle and the (presumptive) end of the world and that's exactly what we got (except the world didn't quite end the way it was advertised - spoilers!)  If you don't know, the last three books - The Gathering Storm, Towers of Midnight and A Memory of Light - were initially meant to be one ginormous novel.  After Robert Jordan passed away and Brandon Sanderson was asked to complete the series, Sanderson decided that in order to do the ending justice, it needed to be split into three books.  So, you really have to think of these last three books as part of a bigger picture - which is why Mat's and Perrin's storylines in "Towers of Midnight" are so far behind Rand's and Egwene's in "The Gathering Storm."  But everyone's caught up to each other by the time they start gathering for the Great-Big-Hairy Showdown at the Fields of Merrilor and the Last Battle.

Just to illustrate just how Great-Big-Hairy this whole showdown is - the chapter entitled "The Last Battle" was nearly 200 pages. That's one chapter, kidlets.  One. Chapter. Two. Hundred. Pages.  That's the climax (more or less - it gets wrapped up in the concluding chapters).  But you know what? I think it's fitting.  I know people whine and complain about how long the books in this series are and maybe I'm showing my complete and abject weirdness by saying this, but I like books that are long and involved and take me forever to read (except I read "A Memory of Light" in a little over twelve hours, so much for that theory), especially if I like being in that fictional world.  And the Wheel of Time world is so intricate and detailed that I feel like I'm actually there - or that this is a place where I could go.  That's one of the ways I know I've read a wonderful book - I don't want to leave, even though I know I have to go do dishes

The narrative during the Last Battle jumps from character to character so we get to peek in on what the other characters are doing in their various locations.  I feel like they all got fairly equal representation, with two glaring exceptions.  Nynaeve and Moiraine are the two female channelers Rand asks to come with him to the Dark One's prison because those are the two he feels like he can trust the most to help him use Callandor.  I, for one, was looking forward to these two having to work together because they both had been at each other's throats since book 1 (except for the time Moiraine spent being not-dead - long story) and Nynaeve is easily my favorite Aes Sedai (hell, she's my favorite, period, end of story).  And... there wasn't much narrative given to their involvement in sealing away the Dark One (erm... again).  Moiraine did lend her voice to getting all the monarchs to quit squabbling because HELLO, IDIOTS! LAST BATTLE, END OF THE WORLD HERE! COULD YOU QUIT THROWING YOUR STUPID TWO-YEAR-OLD FITS AND GIVE THE DRAGON REBORN A LITTLE HELP HERE?? so, I'm more forgiving of any slight (perceived or otherwise) on her part.  Nynaeve... well... not so much.  I realize there was a ton to deal with elsewhere and it can't be easy to keep track of it all, but... she kind of felt M.I.A. for a while there.

Let me talk about what I did like!

Mat. Mat getting to be Big Time General In Charge of the battles.  Which is funny, because it took me a loooooong time to hold any kind of love in my heart for Mat Cauthon (I always had a thing for Perrin - more on that later).  But for a guy who spent a good deal of the series trying to get out of fighting in the war, he didn't do so bad.  And he even threw some smarmy verbal swipes at the Seanchan bastards, which is never a bad thing.

Speaking of the bug-helmeted Bizarro World - how about Egwene dropping the hammer on Tuon over that whole enslaving women who can channel thing?  That Egwene once escaped Seanchan captivity was a big enough shakedown of the Empress's world (may she be infested with the fleas of a thousand camels), but that Egwene ALSO (and ABOUT DAMN TIME, I might add) let slip that women who could control damane had the ability to channel as well, thus (hopefully) shaking the Seanchan's faith in the one thing that keeps their civilization together.  Do I think that would totally take down Seanchan overnight? Hell no.  Do I think Seanchan will break down eventually. Yes, indeed.  And this was the beginning of it.

(I am fully aware that some Seanchan learned of the ability to channel in sul'dam before Egwene went toe-to-toe with Tuon.  I was just happy that it was Egwene who got to lay it out for the Empress, may the bird of paradise fly up her nose).

While we've got Mat and Egwene (and others, but mostly those two) running battle tactics and stuff in the real world, my favoritest dear friend Perrin gets to kick ass and take names in the dream world of Tel'aran'rhiod.  You know, I've had a soft spot for Perrin since book 1 that's never really gone away.  And if there is one thing that kind of miffs me about the internet fandom it's that Perrin never seems a get a fair shake from them and that annoys me.  But I'm not going to lay the smackdown on anyone for not liking my favorite characters - just making an observation.  If there is one littel complaint I have about the Wheel of Time series, it's that Perrin didn't get a whole lot of moments to shine in the middle books.  But his big moments in "Towers of Midnight" and "A Memory of Light" make up for it and that makes me happy.  Taking out Slayer (who turns out to be one of the Forsaken - which we more or less already knew) in the dream world with just himself and Gaul (and then Gaul gets left behind, which might make him a bit more badass) - yeah, that was just cool.

And I can't gush about Perrin without giving mad props to his wife, who deserves glowing praise in her own right.  At first, I thought Faile would just be relegated to tactical support while the main characters saved the day (and I couldn't really find fault with that, seeing as she wasn't exactly part of the first wave of Emond Fielders who started this whole thing and deserved most of the action - but still!)  But then her supply train accidentally ends up Traveling out to the Blight and we all go Oh. Shit.  And given how bad Perrin broke down was Faile was simply captured, I didn't see things turning out good for my top Superboy if Faile actually died (I was prepared to chuck the book out the window if that happened, by the way).  But no! Faile - who brought in the cavalry in the Two Rivers and who weaseled her way into the circle of that one-chick-who-tried-to-steal-Cairhien-from-Rand-and-I-can't-be-bothered-to-remember-her-name and who kept it together during her Shaido captivity - Faile gets out of the Blight, oh and she had the Horn of Valere which was needed to call the Heroes of the Age of Legends to the Last Battle - almost forgot that little detail! (Actually, I thought it was a nice callback to have Faile deliver the Horn of Valere to the Last Battle, seeing as she was first introduced as a Hunter for the Horn clear back in "The Dragon Reborn").

There's a lot more I could go on and on about (Bela's death - HOW COULD YOU? - Olver sounding the Horn, Egwene becoming the Flame of Tar Valon) - but really, this boils down to a fantastic conclusion to a wonderful story.  I wish more people would give it a chance, even pushing through the so-called "slow parts" in the middle books.  The build-up is worth the time and emotion and energy you invest in the story and there is no reason to be disappointed (though I guess I've spoiled everything if you've read this far. Oops).  I think I'll re-read the whole series this year, just to see what it feels like to read everything from teh beginning through to the end - and even imagine what happens after Our Heroes ride off into the sunset.

After all, there are no endings to the Wheel of Time.  This is just an ending.

"There Are Neither Endings Nor Beginnings" - A Retrospective of "The Wheel of Time"

Tomorrow, January 8, is the day that A Memory of Light will be released. This is the last book of The Wheel of Time series by the late Robert Jordan (and was finished by Brandon Sanderson, who is an amazing author in his own right).  And, United States Postal Service willing, I will have my copy in hand tomorrow and will probably have a tough time concentrating on anything else (apologies in advance, anyone who tries to engage me in regular conversation tomorrow - I may be standing in front of you, but I won't be mentally present).

This is kind of a big deal for me.  And, it turns out, for a lot of people, but it was only recently that I discovered how big of a following The Wheel of Time series had.  A few weeks ago, Leigh Butler (she of the Wheel of Time re-read) posted her spoiler-free review of A Memory of Light. In the comments, many of the long-time, hardcore fans went on at length how they’ve been with the Wheel of Time series for over 20 years. My relationship hasn’t been quite that long (hell, I’m only 27 - I was reading “Little House on the Prairie” 20 year ago!), neither did I get into the WoT internet fandom until recently, but Wheel of Time has been substantive in my life. I guess I always kept this one thing to myself - it was something I loved and I didn't want other people messing around with it.  The Wheel of Time is quite special to me, mostly because of the circumstances in which I discovered it.  And when I re-read the series last year in anticipation of the fourteenth and final (holy crap!) installment - a lot of those tender memories came bubbling to the surface.

What is The Wheel of Time, you ask?  Well... heh... um... here - this is an official promotional video that the Tor Books put out that includes a bare-bones summary of the story. Much better than I could, anyway -



The Wheel of Time came to me at an interesting point of my life.  Telling this story involves me admitting something that people who've known me my whole life know, but newer friends and associates don't typically find out about me because I never talk about it.  When I was seventeen, I moved with my family to a new town and a new school. Honestly, it was the best thing that could have happened to me, even though I was unsure about it at the time.  My parents gave me the option to stay where I was, but it was my decision to go.  And I'm very glad that I did.  This high school was drastically smaller, but the students were much more accepting and friendly than I had ever believed possible.  I think I made much better friends in that short year than I did in twelve years at my old school.  Also, considering how small West Desert was, they had a school library For The Ages.  As a fantasy nut, I felt like I’d died and gone to heaven.  I was very familiar with Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings, but West Desert High School’s library had Terry Brooks’ Shannara series and Brian Jacques’ Redwall and Diane Duane’s “Young Wizards” and, of course, Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time.

So, out in West Desert, there's not a whole lot to do.  There are no movie theaters or shopping malls - hell, we don't even have a gas station.  There's school and church and sports and farm chores and whatever other fun you make for yourself - which is what I did before I moved (we lived on a farm two miles out of town, which may have been my saving grace in my growing-up years).  I guess I shouldn't be surprised that a bunch of farm kids from the sticks were reading books because that's what I always did.  But the concept that these were kids from school doing this was new and quite exciting to me.

At first, I was a little unsure of how much of my geeky side I should show to my new schoolmates.  After all, my geekiness got me into some uncomfortable and downright embarrassing situations before (most of which, I now realize, happened because the people around me were jackasses and looking for any reason to beat me down - there's more to the story than that, but not for this venue).  But imagine my surprise when my fellow seniors were passing around The Eye of the World (which is the first WoT book) and saying "This is awesome, everyone should read this!"

By this time, basketball season was in full swing.  Something you need to know is that West Desert High is really far away from most of the schools in the state (people from Salt Lake think it’s the edge of creation and give me the funniest looks when I tell them where I’m from). As a way of saving the school district gas money, the girls and boys teams would take road trips together and play the same schools the same night.  We’d all be on the bus together and some of our parents would follow the bus to the games.  And those trips were LOOOOOONG.  One school we played was on the other side of the freaking state (West Desert was near the Utah-Nevada line; our farthest opponent was East Carbon, which was closer to Colorado).  Some of the kids got up the usual “making out in the back of the bus” hijinks (typical teenager stuff)  Me? I read. And so did some of my friends.  And the ones who were further along in the story discussed the Wheel of Time (with me pointedly ignoring them because I didn’t want to be spoiled).

The one that really hooked me was The Dragon Reborn, mostly because I’m kind of oblivious to a lot of things and I had no idea that Rand was the Chosen One that everybody went on and on about (I don’t know what I thought, really.  Maybe I figured the Superboys were just supposed to help find the Dragon Reborn and go on Spirited Adventures while doing so.  To be fair, my Powers of Literary Deduction were in their infancy at this stage in life).  THEN - came the Epic and Torturous Waiting for Mike to Finish Reading The Shadow Rising All-Freaking-Ready!!!1!!!ELEVENTY!!  I think I bugged the poor guy so much about it that he stopped reading partway through and let me read it first (sign of a true friend, there).

By this time, track and field season was upon us all.  During one of our track meets (and I can’t even remember where this was), I snuck off to a nearby Barnes and Noble and bought “The Fires of Heaven” because I didn’t want to have to wait for that one.  Lord of Chaos and A Crown of Swords soon joined my collection.

Then - came the part I hate.  Because I was heading off to college and it was either study and do well in school or read Wheel of Time.  Like any dutiful academic, I chose the former (much to my deep regret).  All during my college years there would be periods where I’d try to pick up the series where I left off, but something else would take me away - school or work, another fandom, social life (blech, social life, I spit in your eye.  Why do I need to date, anyway?  Boys are stupid).  Even so, I remember where I was when I heard the news that Robert Jordan had passed away.  And even though it had been some years since I’d picked up a Wheel of Time book, I still felt a keen attachment to the story and its creator and I was heartbroken by the news.  Even some years later when I finished Knife of Dreams, I felt an overwhelming sense of grief when I realized that was the last volume to be solely written by Mr. Jordan.

A year or so ago, I was finishing up my Master’s Degree and working at the library.  An audiobook copy of The Eye of the World checked in.  I looked at it, realized that I was veeery close to the end of my academic career and I would soon have some extra free time to do what I'd resolved to do since my freshman year of college.  I checked it out and re-read (well, listened to) what I had read all those years ago in high school and finished up what was available.  The series was just as wonderful and brilliant as I remembered (yes, there were some low points, but what series doesn't have those?).  It reminded me of my last year of high school, which was a pure and unadulterated joy.  It seemed fitting that I was getting back into this world - which had been like a warm and comforting friend as my teenage years were coming to a close - just as my adult life was close to taking off.  I later discovered Leigh Butler’s aforementioned Re-read and found all kinds of new ideas and opinions about the series - some I agreed with, some I’d never thought of before, some I didn't care to hear again.  But also, I found that I wasn't the only one who loved this story.

Fandoms come and go.  Book series start and finish.  But I remember all of them with joy and fondness (probably more fondness than the people I’ve lost touch with).  The Wheel of Time is special because I found it just as I was experiencing a new phase of my life, so it will always be associated with that.  I’m excited to find out how things turn out for Rand, Mat, Perrin, Egwene, Nynaeve and the rest (there are so many wonderful characters, but I will always have a love for the original core cast).  I may not have been with the series since the beginning, but it still has made an impression on me. Whether good or bad, joy or tears, it’s been a fantastic ride from start to finish and top to bottom.

Connecting to Real Life and Real Love - Review of "Girl Parts" by John M. Cusick

Title: Girl Parts
Author: John M. Cusick
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Publication Date: 2010
Summary: (from Goodreads) - 
David and Charlie are opposites. David has a million friends, online and off. Charlie is a soulful outsider, off the grid completely. But neither feels close to anybody. When David’s parents present him with a hot Companion bot designed to encourage healthy bonds and treat his “dissociative disorder,” he can’t get enough of luscious redheaded Rose — and he can’t get it soon. Companions come with strict intimacy protocols, and whenever he tries anything, David gets an electric shock. Parted from the boy she was built to love, Rose turns to Charlie, who finds he can open up, knowing Rose isn’t real. With Charlie’s help, the ideal “companion” is about to become her own best friend. In a stunning and hilarious debut, John Cusick takes rollicking aim at internet culture and our craving for meaningful connection in an uberconnected world.

My Review:
This book came to my attention via a review written by Shaun of Traveling the Vortex (his review is here). He talked it up and I decided to give it a shot.  After all, I'm a (aspiring) teen librarian - I ought to know what the kids these days are reading.  While I agree with Shaun on the point that a major theme of this book is about being too connected through gadgets and not so much through meaningful personal connections, something else floated through my mind as I was reading this book.  So, I'll let Shaun's review stand as the conversation about the over-saturation of technology in our lives and I'm going to go a slightly different route.

Recently, I read the book "Why Gender Matters" by Leonard Sax, M.D. Ph.D. I didn't write a review of this book because, frankly it's hard to write a good review of non-fiction (at least, it is for me).  But that book brought up some interesting discoveries made in recent scientific studies.  Dr. Sax's work is aimed at helping parents and teachers understand why young boys and young girls learn differently and the differences in their emotional development.  Turns out, yes, male brains and female brains are hard-wired differently and that accounts for such vast gender differences (I'm speaking generally here, as does Dr. Sax - there are always exceptions to - and that prove - the rule.  I clued in to a few differences in myself that explained a lot about things in my own life).  It's a fascinating read, one I would highly recommend to anyone interested in the subject.

I mention Dr. Sax's book because there are some things that happen in "Girl Parts" that Dr. Sax talks extensively about - namely, how teenage boys and teenage girls form relationships and how some of the things that are perfectly normal and natural for teenage boys can seriously harm teenage girls (well, it probably harms them both, but girls' reactions are much more harmful to themselves).

The premise of "Girl Parts" is this - in the not-too-distant-future, a counselor at a boys' school figures out that many of the students are disconnected from the world around them.  Pretty much everything they do is online - school, socializing, play.  The solution? Prescribe each boy a female companion robot that is just like an actual human female - with several key components removed (after all, these are horny teenage boys we're dealing with here).  Each robot has a built-in Intimacy Clock that tells the robot when it's time to increase intimacy with her boy.  If the boy tries to go too far too soon, the boy gets a shock.  Otherwise, the robot is a perfect companion - she is programmed to learn what her boy wants in a girlfriend and how to connect with him and create a meaningful friendship).

(Personally, I sense a disconnect in this company's logic - to teach a boy how to socialize with other people, you give him a computerized robot to hang around with? Nope... still don't get it).

Anyway, two boys at this school are prescribed robots.  David's parents give him the robot because, hell, they can't be bothered to worry about the emotional well-being of their son. Make some artificial intelligence do it.  Besides, they can afford it.  Charlie, on the other hand, may be a loner but his dad thinks the robot is unnecessary.  So, Charlie doesn't get one and he gets to bumble through life and relationships just like the rest of us (after seeing what happens to David after he got his robot companion, there is no sarcasm in me when I say Charlie is the lucky one).

Something I love about this book is something that Cusick could have easily left out without losing a bit of the story, but I give him mad props for going this route - after Rose, David's robot companion, is powered up and starts learning about her surroundings, the narrative starts to follow her around the same way it does with Charlie and David.  She's not treated like a fix-it-quick machine that's supposed to cure David of his social ills - she learns, she has her own thoughts and feelings, she falls in love, she has an emotional connection with David.  Yes, she's programmed to do so, but that makes the rest of the story intriguing when she actually starts to think like a real human female and we as readers get to see her character development.

The scene that I had the hardest time with - emotionally - was the scene where David discovers that his robot companion, Rose, is not equipped to have sex.  For a month, the two of them have formed a close emotional bond because Rose's Intimacy Clock program won't let David get what he wants.  So, while Rose thinks she's really got something special with David, David's really just counting down until he can get himself a piece of that.  So, when David finds out that he can't even do what he's boasted to his friends what he's going to do with Rose, he storms out and leaves his robot behind (yeah, just a stinking robot, huh?)  But Rose is devastated because she loves David and he suddenly doesn't want her because she can't give him what he wants.  She runs off, having been rejected utterly by the boy she was literally built to love.  Lucky for her, Charlie finds her out in the woods and they become friends and develop a relationship that's built on trust and sincere caring for each other and not just posturing for the guys in the locker room.

Rose is very much damaged by David's reaction to her deficiencies.  She finds a friend in Charlie, even though he has his own insecurities to deal with (although, he doesn't go full-on George McFly "I'm Your Density" levels of awkward at any point, he's still more or less a loser.  But a very endearing loser).  Both Charlie and David create an interesting contrast in how they treat other people - not just girls, but also how they interact with other teenage boys, their parents and other authority figures.  By the end of the book, I knew which boy I'd be more willing to trust with my teenage daughter (that is, if I ever have a teenage daughter).

What I like about this book is also what makes it hard to recommend - I like that it talks about sex and relationships between teenage boys and girls and puts real faces and emotional consequences to it.  This book will promote a lot of discussion about teenage sexuality and relationships, but only if you're mature enough to handle it.  And I'm not just talking about if teenagers can handle such frank discussion, but also if the adults in their lives can handle it as well.  As a general rule, I wouldn't give this to anyone younger than 16, and even then I would have to account for individual maturity and tastes.  Sadly, the people who would benefit the most from this kind of story are the ones who wouldn't take it seriously and the ones who would take it seriously don't need to hear it.

Bottom Line: "Girl Parts" is a fascinating commentary on many aspects of modern teenage culture, whether that's how much technology runs your life or how you treat other people.  If taken in the right way, it can be an effective way to illustrate why some behaviors are better.  Sad thing is, I'm not sure everyone is grown-up enough to handle that.

What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?

Just a little something to get the New Year's weekend going (h/t Evil Blogger Lady) -



I knew Zooey Deschanel could sing, but Joseph Gordon-Leavitt? Wow. (I guess I just don't pay much attention to that area of pop culture)

Thumpety-Thump-Thump - Review of "The Snowmen"

I didn't get to watch the "Doctor Who" Christmas Special until just a little while ago because I was with The Fam watching "The Dark Knight Rises" - and having to explain some of the finer points to my mother. But do you know how weird it is to go from a Christopher Nolan Batman movie to "Doctor Who?" Two words: Mood Whiplash. Anyway - spoilers for "The Snowmen" beneath the video of a decidedly non-killer-alien-whatever snowman -

 

(Just a thought - now with three under their belts, the Matt Smith/Steven Moffat era Christmas Specials have all taken cues from beloved classic stories.  Yes, "Frosty the Snowman" is a bit of a stretch - but there was living snow and the Doctor had a top hat. I'm going to say it counts).

I believe this is the first Christmas Special since New Who began that might actually have some real bearing on the rest of the storyline.  I say that, keeping in mind that Donna's return from being a one-off in "Runaway Bride" was not pre-planned - it just sort of happened.  But this has been in the works since before they started working on "Asylum of the Daleks."  That doesn't mean that "The Snowmen" doesn't have a distinct "rompy" feel to it.  Just that some of the romp-ness get played down in favor of introducing a new companion and created new mysteries and mind-bendy stuff that I have actually missed during the first half of Series 7 (yeah, I know - we fans are unpleasable creatures).

First, the obvious - JLC is a wonderful Clara Oswin Oswald (and I am happy to say that I CALLED IT!! Well, I thought that Clara's last name could be either Oswin or Oswald - but we got both!).  I loved her introduction!  Every time a new companion has been introduced in New Who, there has always been an element of wonder and magic and I think Clara's introduction took that up to eleven (no pun intended).  Either the Doctor is playing up the wonder and newness for Clara for kicks or he's actually acknowledging its existence.  Plus, he's making bargains with the Universe - which is an interesting direction for the story to take (not one that I am displeased with, though I'm certain some more cynical fans are going to get all butthurt about it).

Vastra and Jenny were wonderful and (judging from the Coming Soon trailer) will be a great addition to the Every Once In A While companion roster.  Strax... I'm still not completely sold on his status of Was-Dead-But-Is-Now-Alive (the explanation wasn't quite there).  But maybe it has something to do with Clara being dead twice over and All Will Be Explained.  But later (sort of like why the TARDIS exploded in Series 5 - holy cow, that was so long ago).

I'm not even going to begin guessing at what Clara's deal is - why she was Souffle Girl or why she's an erstwhile barmaid and governess in Victorian London.  I don't have enough information to even think of what she is.  She's certainly not all she seems - even before she meets the Doctor.  She's got secrets that she says nobody would believe.  It's like River Song all over again, but this time Clara's secrets probably have very little to do with the Doctor (unless she turns out to be a Time Lady - but how many times has that theory been hashed and rehashed again?)

"The Snowmen" - very enjoyable, very memorable and a great way to get us out of our "The Ponds Are Gone *sob*" funk (though I liked the nods to the Ponds in Vastra's "One Word Test" - that's another question - how would the mere mention of "Pond" bring the Doctor out of his retirement?  Just the Universe sending out little hints and coincidences to get him going again?  Hell, if that's all there is to it - I love it!)

ETA: CRAP! I forgot to talk about the new opening titles! (well, there was other stuff going on, wasn't there?)  They are totally and completely new - but there was a Classic Who feel to them as well.  Sort of like the new TARDIS interior (and exterior - Dear Sweet Scorby, Sexy could use a new coat of paint, couldn't she?)  The colors reminded me of the Pertwee era and there were planets and stars like in the 80s - oh, of course we had the Doctor's face ever so briefly reflected in the cosmos.  Anyway - changes are great, love them and I'm going to go see if there was anything else I missed.

One More Sleep...

Hope you all have a very Merry Christmas! I've got some things in the pipe for 2013, but for now enjoy the Christmas season with family and friends.

I have a bit of a confession to make - I had never heard of the song "O Come Emmanuel" until this year when The Piano Guys made a Christmas video AND Luke of The Minute Doctor Who Podcast used it for his TMDWP Advent Calendar. I sort of feel like a terrible person now because this song is really good and I can't believe I've never heard it before. Anyway - here's both The Piano Guys' video and Luke's final installment of the Advent Calendar (which you should check out all the videos for because it really was a lot of fun).




Happy Christmas to all and to all a Good Night!

Read This Series! (You're Welcome) - Review of "The Riyria Revelations"

Titles: 1- Theft of Swords (Salt Lake County Library Reader's Choice Nominee, July-October 2012)
            2 - Rise of Empire
            3 - Heir of Novron
Author: Michael J. Sullivan
Publisher: Orbit Books
Publication Date: 2011, 2012
Summary (from Goodreads of Theft of Swords) - Royce Melborn, a skilled thief, and his mercenary partner, Hadrian Blackwater, make a profitable living carrying out dangerous assignments for conspiring nobles-until they are hired to pilfer a famed sword. What appears to be just a simple job finds them framed for the murder of the king and trapped in a conspiracy that uncovers a plot far greater than the mere overthrow of a tiny kingdom. Can a self-serving thief and an idealistic swordsman survive long enough to unravel the first part of an ancient mystery that has toppled kings and destroyed empires? And so begins the first tale of treachery and adventure, sword fighting and magic, myth and legend.

My Review:
STORY TIME!!

Twice a year, Salt Lake County Library (where I work) holds their Reader's Choice program.  For four months, readers are presented with a selection of books chosen by the Reader's Choice committee and those of us who have volunteered to review and help whittle down the list.  The books that get chosen are ones that the committee and reviewers feel would appeal to a wider audience.  If you're not typically interested in genre fantasy, they try to choose novels that would be considered fantasy, but have more literary qualities or other aspects from other genres so they'll appeal to more people, to varying degrees of success.  There was one book featured a few cycles ago that was more slutty romance than fantasy and I couldn't finish it.  You don't love all the books on the RC list, but there are some gems that are worth searching out.

The last RC cycle was my favorite so far.  I substituted at the Bingham Creek Library for a few days the last week of June and they asked me to help unpack the new Reader's Choice books.  And there were a quite a few books that I saw that I wanted to read, but the one I knew I just had to read was Theft of Swords by Michael J. Sullivan.  I had never heard of it before, but reading the synopsis and finding out it's just the kind of high epic fantasy that I like, I knew I had to read it and vote on it so the RC committee might be persuaded to include more of that genre in the future.

Now, you all are thinking "But you hadn't read it yet! How could you know you'd love it?"  Honestly - I didn't.  But I wanted to give it a fair shot since I knew a lot of other people wouldn't.  When I tried to (very kindly and gently) suggest it to people, they were kind of put off by how long it was, even after I explained it was two books in one and that it read really quick.  But I will say this - in my job subbing at all the county libraries, I caught glances of many of their vote tallies.  And everyone that submitted a ballot for Theft of Swords gave it a 4 or a 5, that being the highest you could rank it. And that ranking is well-deserved (too bad more people read the shorter rom-com novel about the guy spying on his co-workers' emails and voted on that - even if it was good...)

You all know what I read and watch.  I am a high-epic-fantasy nut to the core.  I'm counting down the days to the final Wheel of Time book (20 days, everyone!) I've read and re-read Lord of the Rings and I'm all geeked-out over The Hobbit.  Harry Potter's in my wheelhouse, so is anything Terry Brooks has ever written - and I love Brandon Sanderson's novels.  I'm an ardent supporter of Shannon Hale and Jessica Day George and tons of other great YA fantasy authors.  I'm also the tiniest bit of a snob, though.  The fantasy I choose to read has to be good.  I have to be interested in it right off the bat or I'll put it aside (you do a lot of reading as a librarian and you have to mix-in your "Fun For Me" reading with your "I Have to Read This For Work" reading).  As with any major genre, you're going to run into good stuff along with complete and utter crap, so you do have to be careful.

Since I started working at the library, I've been more choosy about the books I buy.  In the past, I've bought books that I thought I'd like, but it turns out I hated them and I was mad because I spent money on stuff I didn't like.  But since I can get anything I want for free at the library, only the very best get a place on my shelf.  After I finished Theft of Swords, I read Rise of Empire and Heir of Novron.  And I immediately wanted the whole series for myself.  I got Theft of Swords after Reader's Choice ended because the library puts excess RC books on the book sale, so I was able to get that one for cheap.  Once Christmas is over and I have some gift card money to work with, I am going to purchase the other two because the whole series is certainly worth owning.

Okay, done with story time - Actual Review! (and it goes without saying that Spoilers Abound! Not to mention Excesses of Readerly-Gushing).

Short Answer:  I've made it my unofficial goal to get as many people as possible to read this series because it deserves to be read and loved and passed around to all my high-fantasy-loving friends and neighbors.

Slightly Longer (and More Entertaining) Answer: The Riyria Revelations follows two thieves - Hadrian Blackwater and Royce Melborn.  Hadrian and Royce are about as different as two guys could be, but they are best friends.  Hadrian has a sunny, winning personality (which creates a bit of a mood whiplash when he starts killing people).  Royce is that Little Dark Raincloud and he doesn't have much in the way of people-skills.  They call themselves Riyria (which in this world is Elvish for "two") and they hire themselves out to whoever needs something stolen.  They live for their next job and not much else.

One of the best things about these guys? They are every that your typical Epic Fantasy Heroes are, but they also can be snarky and sarcastic when the occasion calls for it - and even sometimes when it doesn't. These books didn't take me long to read, but I would have spent less time reading them (and probably enjoyed them a lot less, let's be honest) if I wasn't laughing so much.  The characters would be having a serious conversation when either Royce or Hadrian would throw in a zinger at just the right moment.  The humor in this is along the lines of Firefly or The Avengers (now that I think of it, if these ever became movies, Joss Whedon would be a great choice to direct) - there are some dead-serious moments to be sure (the end of Heir of Novron just about tore my heart out - it's the end of the series. No one is guaranteed to survive), but there is plenty of humor and heart to get you through the tough parts.

The rest of the chracters are just wonderful.  I love Myron, the monk of Winds Abbey.  He's the third son of an earl and he was shipped off as a boy to the Abbey because his father already had his heir.  He's spent his entire life dedicated to the Abbey and Maribor, the God of Men.  Consquently, Myron knows little of the world and is completely naive to everything (including women - the scene where he sees a girl for the first time is absolutely precious).  Myron also acts as moral compass of the group and he has very few inhibitions about speaking his mind.  Without spoiling too much, there's a scene at the end of Heir of Novron that had me jumping up and down going "YAY MYRON!" because it Was. Just. So. Awesome! (and Myron probably didn't even realize how awesome he was - but he was).

Who else - oh! The siblings Essendon! Alric and Arista are phenomenal   There was a point where I wasn't quite sure if I was supposed to cheer for them or not. Alric was kind of a spoiled brat at the beginning, but he turned out to be a pretty good king of Melangar.  Arista - I loved Arista throughout the entire series.  She felt like a real person with her own fears and worries and second-guessing of herself, but she still does what she thinks is right - even if it turns out that she gets tossed in a prison by a man she thought of as a second father (damn you, Saldur! I'm glad that bastard got killed off).  By the end, Arista almost becomes the third member of Riyria. Not because Royce or Hadrian say she can (okay, maybe Hadrian has a thing or two to say about it) - she just sort of fits in with the heroes of the story.

Another thing I love about Riyria is that each book stands on its own.  Yes, there are strong plot threads running through the whole series, but each installment has its own episodic stand-alone story.  The only thing I can think of to compare it to would be the Russell T Davies Doctor Who seasons where each episode (or two-parter) has it's own adventure, story and characters, but there's a common theme building up to a Big Damn Finale.

There is just enough world-building in this story that you're aware that it's a fantasy world, but it doesn't become too bogged down in it's own "specialness" (I have no idea what else to call it).  Don't get me wrong - I love a well-thought-out and meticulously crafted fantasy world as much as the next geek.  But sometimes, it's nice to focus on the characters rather than the maps and various other minutiae.  I do feel like there could be more exploration of this world in another series, if Sullivan chose to write more (and I would not complain if he did - oh look, there's a prequel series set to be released next summer).

Shut up and take my money!!

Speaking of covers - the cover art for these is fantastic.  One complaint I've had as a fantasy fan over the years is some of the cover art for fantasy novels doesn't exactly scream "READ ME! I'M AWESOME!"  Yes, yes, I know you're not supposed to judge by outward appearances and stuff, but it would be nice if cover artists would take into consideration that I may be reading these books around my relatives who give me sour looks when they see that (A) I'm reading again and (B) I'm reading something weird. Luckily, I don't have this problem with Riyria because I could stare at that cover art all day (not like that, you sickos!)

This is something that comes under If I Only Had More Hours In The Day, but I love that this series was initially self-published.  This is the kind of success story that gives me hope that one day, that book that I keep writing and re-working and re-tooling (and re-screaming over - is that a word?) could see even some moderate success (I don't presume to think that what I'm working on is half as good as The Riyria Revelations, but stranger things have happened).  I would love to go through some stuff on Smashwords and other self-publish outlets, just to see what's out there.  I'm certain there are some other treasures piled in the self-published ebook bin (granted - there's a lot of crap I'd have to sift through) and it would be cool to be someone who finds this stuff early (I have a few hipster tendencies, you know. Not a lot, but a few).

Bottom Line: This series deserves to be sitting next to people's copies of Lord of the Rings and Wheel of Time and I can give no higher praise than that.

Adventures Make You Late for Dinner - Review of "The Hobbit"

The first time I read "The Hobbit" was back in sixth grade after our class read a script version from our textbook (the book was immensely better).  I loved "The Hobbit" so much that I tried to go straight into "Lord of the Rings."  I was eleven.  I didn't get very far.

(Fear not, those who have great faith in my reading comprehension - I was able to get through LotR by the time I was in high school).

"The Hobbit" and "The Lord of the Rings" are such vastly different books that, even though they were written by the same author and take place in the same world with many of the same characters, it would be foolish to think that movies of both books would be similar. I say this because I don't understand why the elitist critics (those in traditional print media and those who write for big-time pop culture and fantasy websites) are panning "The Hobbit."  It seems like they expected to be wowed by this simply because it's Peter Jackson adapting JRR Tolkien's classic story for the big screen.  And maybe they were just underwhelmed by the fact that there really isn't a whole lot new about the special effects.  Seems like all anyone wants is George Lucas or James Cameron (or even Michael Bay - he does plenty of special effects orgies - and just about as messy) - knock-your-socks-off-special-effects, but not much in the way of story.

Well, I was wowed.  And not by special effects or any of that technical stuff (though the technical stuff was impressive and about par for the course for PJ and company.  Even this technical agnostic - that's the one that doesn't care, right? - noticed some improvement in the CGI).  But the most impressive this is that the cast and crew didn't give into the pressure/temptation to the "Lord of the Rings: The Prequel."  They told the story of "The Hobbit."  And "The Hobbit" is not a story about Frodo Baggins being forced to take Ultimate Evil out of the quiet and peaceful Shire in order to save the quiet and peaceful Shire (and the rest of the world, come to think of it).  "The Hobbit" is a story of Bilbo Baggins being taken out of his comfort zone for no good reason and learning Valuable Lessons about himself along the way.

I have to give Glorious and Mad Props to Martin Freeman in this movie.  I'd seen him play John Watson in BBC's "Sherlock" and thought he was brilliant there.  He does the Fish Out of Water thing so well, but I think his portrayal of Bilbo Baggins takes that Up To Eleven.  It's one thing to be the odd man out and just stumble along, relying on dumb luck when the plot requires it.  But in this story, I felt that Bilbo was more proactive in his reliance on dumb luck.  Yes, that makes no sense whatsoever, but hear me out for a moment -

Some of the best scenes in "The Hobbit" are between Bilbo and Gandalf when Gandalf is trying to persuade Bilbo to go on this journey with the Dwarves.  Bilbo is adamant that Gandalf has the wrong hobbit; Gandalf is adamant that Bilbo is not living up to his potential.  There is a moment during Gandalf's "...and subsequently invented the game of golf!" speech in the midst of all the audience laughter where Bilbo actually looks guilty and a little bit ashamed of himself.  Tell me none of you have felt that when your parents or relatives or some other authority goes on about how an ancestor or a sibling or a parent or a friend is doing/has done OH SO MUCH BETTER than you and why can't you be more like them and you're such a loser for wanting to stay behind in your comfortable chairs and filled pantries and overflowing bookshelves (yeah - this hit a little close to home. I admit it).  Even if no one has said it to you, don't you ever say it to yourself?  I do.  Lots of times. And even when Bilbo takes off out of the Shire with the Going on a Quest With Homeless Dwarves Contract fluttering behind him, he still doesn't really feel like this was such a good idea.

Set that idea aside for a moment (I'll come back to it).  I love that there is so much more stuff in this movie than what was originally in the book.  I admit that I was skeptical of stretching this story out over three movies - what if it just feels like useless padding?  But the "padding" - hell, I loved it!  Radagast the Brown was awesome!  Kind of in the neighborhood of Luna-Lovegood-Awesome - kooky and quirky and just plain fun (and damn, those rabbit can book it!  Next time someone carps about Delta High School's mascot being a rabbit, well, I'll just point out that a bunch of overgrown rabbits kicked a bunch of Wargs' asses in Race For Your Life Across Middle-Earth).  But the most memorable added-in scene came from the council between Gandalf, Elrond, Saruman and Galadriel.  I didn't know this at the time, but evidently the scenes added in actually came from Tolkien's later stories from "The Unfinished Tales," which explain a lot of behind-the-scenes stuff that was going on with the Dwarves' quest that Bilbo didn't know about.  The one line that I loved in this scene was when Gandalf is asked (and it's stupid that I don't remember who asked this) "Why the halfling?"  And Gandalf says "I don't know. But it feels right." (or something along those lines).

This kind of plays into foreordination (which is different than predestination), which is something I believe strongly in.  I believe that everyone has Something To Do in this life.  None of us know what that something is and part of our purpose is to discover for ourselves what that is and either accept it or reject it - the choice is completely up the person (which is why it's not predestination - that implies it's fate and it's fixed and you can't get out of it.  Everyone has the ability to choose).  It could be something big and it could be something small.  I don't think we're meant to discover it all at once and it may take a lifetime to figure it out (and perhaps some people fulfill their missions simply by searching).  Bilbo may have been "foreordained" (if you will) to go on this quest and find the Ring so Frodo could go on his own quest to destroy it.  No one knows or understands why - and maybe they never find out the reason (though I think there could have been more answers at the Grey Havens - which plays into another belief of mine, that in the afterlife we will understand everything that we don't understand now and there will always be more to learn and understand as the eternities go on).  But Bilbo is the best person to do this thing and the Universe (Creator, whatever it is in Middle-Earth) decides it.

Anyway - I didn't mean to get into a big philosophical discussion and I'm sure people have little holes that they're going to poke in my beliefs (they always do), but these are the things that really rung true for me as I sat and watched this movie (which was entirely too short for all the good things I was getting from this, so Take That stupid jerks who complain about the time length).

I loved all the Dwarves.  One thing I missed about Lord of the Rings is that we get a pretty thorough exposition to Elves and Men, but we never see much of the Dwarves - how their civilization works and what their ordinary people look like (even though Gimli had his "Dwarf Women" discussion with Eowyn in "The Two Towers").  But in "The Hobbit," we actually get to see the Dwarven Kingdom under the Lonely Mountain.  And - in it's own way - it is gorgeous.  The Elves have this otherworldly, magical, floaty, sparkly element to them, but the Dwarves are very much grounded in reality.  Kind of like Men, but more so.  I love that all of Thorin's Company each has their own personality.  At first, I was afraid I wouldn't remember which Dwarf was which, but I figured it out quicker than I thought I would (I totally missed the ax permanently embedded in Bifur's head, though).  Of course, Kili was the best eye-candy (dark-haired one of the right) and Thorin wasn't too bad to look at either :) (I wondered how they'd work that in, since LotR had so much For the Ladies and Dwarves don't always lend themselves to good lookin' fellas. Yeah, I said it).

(Holy cow - I went from a poignant discussion of The Purpose of Life to fangirl gushing about how hot some of the Dwarves were. I said this would be madness, didn't I?)

The music in this movie was spectacular.  I loved the Dwarves' song about the Lonely Mountain (the text of which was lifted right from the book and just given a drool-worthy bass melody).  I didn't get to stay for the entire credit sequence, but that song was great too.  I will be purchasing the soundtrack in the near future (either after payday or use any Christmas gift cards I receive).

I have to talk about Riddles in the Dark, which is actually my favorite chapter in the entire book.  I've had this weird fascination with Gollum since sixth grade - sort of in the way the world is fascinated by the wreck and story of the Titanic.  Bilbo meeting Gollum and finding the Ring is THE turning point of "The Hobbit" and  "Lord of the Rings," but it's such a simple thing (if a strange cave-dwelling creature threatening to eat you can ever be simple) that it gets overlooked sometimes in favor of "HOLY CRAP THERE'S A DRAGON ATTACKING US!!"  It goes back to entire lives turning on small moments - that nothing ever happens without consequences, whether those consequences have positive or negative effects.  Of course, this whole scene is played out beautifully by Martin Freeman and Andy Serkis.  I actually think Gollum looks more like Andy Serkis this time around - at least, in the facial structure.  That was one special effect I noticed had improved since LotR.  The Riddles scene is playful, yet dangerous; innocent, but also has an air of peril and I loved the whole thing (and I'm glad it didn't get intercut with the Dwarves in trouble with the Goblins, because that would have sucked).

The ending was fantastic.  It gave the movie a place to stop without feeling like you were just dropped in the middle of nothing.  I loved the emotion after the fight with the Orcs and Wargs - even knowing that the Dwarves and Bilbo survive this, I was scared for them.  Especially Thorin.  I haven't talked about Thorin much, but Richard Armitage really surprised me here (I actually wasn't sure who Richard Armitage was before I saw this, but he was great!)  I love that Thorin isn't so much a self-centered jerk that he comes across as in the books, but he's more of a world-weary warrior who's seen too much and just wants to go home already, but he knows where his duty lies.  And even though Bilbo has had so many doubts about himself - and Thorin has had plenty of doubts about this odd little halfling that's tagging along with them - Bilbo steps up and saves Thorin from the White Orc.  I think that transformation actually starts back when Bilbo decides not to kill Gollum in his escape from the caves.  Bilbo was scared and reactionary - but then he steps back and proactively makes the decision not to kill Gollum, even though there's nothing about Gollum worth saving (so he - and the entire audience, really - thinks).  Bilbo has found some courage in himself and uses that to save Thorin from being killed by his old enemy.  By the end of the movie, Bilbo has proven his worth to his friends and to his audience - but most of all, he's proven his worth to himself.

Of course Bilbo Baggins is the star of this story - he's in the title, for crying out loud!  But he is the star in more than just being the main character - he is the star in showcasing his own failings and foibles and weaknesses, but overcoming them anyway.  And this movie portrays that beautifully.  I love the movie poster image above.  Bilbo is holding his sword (okay, it's more like a dagger, but it's a hobbit-sized sword).  In a similar poster for "Return of the King," Aragorn looked tough and heroic and about to kill anything that got in his way.  Bilbo, by contrast, looks kindly and a little wimpy and not sure why he's holding a sword at all.  But there's also a strength there that you can miss if you don't look beyond "Oh, there's just another little guy who thinks he's tough."  That image is Bilbo - he is kind and sort of shy and there's not much on the surface.  But when push comes to shove, he shoves hard and for all the right reasons.  But he can still go back to the Shire and be comfy old Bilbo again (though very much changed by his adventures).  For anyone who has felt like their efforts and work in life hasn't amounted to much, Bilbo Baggins can be a hero (bear in mind, Bilbo becomes addicted to the One Ring and Gandalf has to force him to give it up).  He's a meek and unassuming hero, but a hero nonetheless.

That's worth going out of your door.