Posts Tagged "Fantasy"

“These violent delights have violent ends
And in their triumph die, like fire and powder,
Which as they kiss consume.”
—Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare

Juliet Capulet didn’t take her own life. She was murdered by the person she trusted most, her new husband, Romeo Montague, a sacrifice made to ensure his own immortality. But what Romeo didn’t anticipate was that Juliet would be granted eternity, as well, and would become an agent for the Ambassadors of Light. For 700 years, she’s fought Romeo for the souls of true lovers, struggling to preserve romantic love and the lives of the innocent. Until the day she meets someone she’s forbidden to love, and Romeo, oh Romeo, will do everything in his power to destroy that love.

The world’s greatest love story ever told is a lie. Romeo and Juliet didn’t commit suicide and die for their love, Romeo murdered her. Her one true love, the one she trusted and wanted to be with more than anyone else in the whole world, betrayed her and took her life in an act of brutality Juliet isn’t able to escape. Not even now, in present day, and she jumps from body to body.

Seven hundred years on, Romeo is still working for the bad guys, and Juliet is still ambling through her existence, trying to save true love from the grips of hell. She hates her life, but after seven hundred years, she’s pretty used to it: invade a body, conquer and make love happen, escape and move on. But when Juliet invades Ariel’s body, she never ever expected that she might be the one to fall in love with her subject. It’s unheard of and absolutely forbidden. It feels like Juliet has met his soul before, encountered him in another life … but its impossible, right?

Meanwhile, Romeo will stop at nothing to get to his Juliet. His love is of the sadistic kind, and although he seems hell bent on destroying her life, in his sick way, he does love Juliet. And she’s slipping from his grasp. He’ll stop at nothing to prevent that from happening.

As a huge fan of Romeo and Juliet, I was deathly afraid that this story would butcher the classic for me. I was, however, pleasantly surprised. Yes, I struggled seeing Romeo in such an evil capacity, but it … worked. Juliet seems to hold some of that hopeless romance she carried in the original tale, but what I was happiest about was her strength. In the original classic, Juliet takes charge of her life, decides what she wants and finds a way to make it happen. Although Juliet in this story is a slave to her circumstances, she does find a way around her pitiful situation and goes after what she wants. I was happy to see that element of her character remained true.

Thus, Juliet Immortal  did not ruin the classic tale for me. It was a really enjoyable representation, actually. I think those that even hate the original tale will get a kick out of this one.

I take my hat off to the jacket designer. The cover is perfect, and was actually what made me pick it up in the first place. The red dress against the murky, restless ocean really struck a cord with me.

Pages: 306

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Publication date: 2011

Teaser Quote: Life is precious – his life especially – but there are worse things to lose. I turn back to Ben, brush his hair away from his ruined face, a part of me wishing he was conscious so I could say goodbye, the other part glad that he’s beyond feeling pain.

“Ruby said I’d never drown – not in the deep ocean, not by the shipwreck, not even by falling drunk into someone’s bottomless backyard pool … It sounded impossible, something no one would believe if anyone other than Ruby were the one to tell it. But Ruby was right: The body found that night wouldn’t be, couldn’t be mine.

Chloe’s older sister, Ruby, is the girl everyone looks to and longs for, who can’t be captured or caged. After a night with Ruby’s friends goes horrible wrong and Chloe discovers the dead body of her classmate London Hayes floating in the reservoir, Chloe is sent away – away from home, away from Ruby.

But Ruby will do anything to get her sister back, and when Chloe returns home at last, she finds a precarious and deadly balance waiting for her. As Chloe flirts with the truth that Ruby has hidden deeply away, the fragile line between life and death is redrawn by the complex bonds of sisterhood.”

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It has been weeks since I finished reading this. Literally, weeks, and I still have no idea how to explain it? Is it contemporary, or is it paranormal? Or is it a mixture of both? This mess of a masterpiece leaves you thinking, literally, for weeks on end.

Chloe discovers fellow classmate, London’s body in the reservoir and is quickly stowed off to her father’s, leaving her best friend and sister, Ruby behind. Two years later, Chloe is back, and things are very different. So different that London has managed to come back from the dead.

I have no idea of what I think about the plot. The plot is so many things, and yet so few things as well. It’s a basic story of sisterhood, yet the underlying themes and added extras to the story make it so much more (and even more confusing). Despite having no real idea about the plot, it was an enthralling read that enchanted my eyes every single page of the way.

I’ll admit that at first, I really didn’t like Chloe, or Ruby. Both of them really, really annoyed me. Chloe seemed like the typical tag-along little sister, and Ruby just seemed stuck up, and both really frustrated me to no end. But their development was astounding and once I better understood them, it was much more intriguing. Despite the fact that I still had issues with Chloe by the end of the book, her whimsical narration was powerful, as well as unforgettable.

This leads me on to the writing. The writing, much a like Wither is so very lyrical. Executed beautifully, and quietly compelling, the writing was something out of a fairy tale with a very subtly haunting undertone. There’s really no other words for it except hauntingly lyrical.

This novel, in all its plotting mess, is a mesmerising and poignant read. With its strange characters, and off-kilter attitude, Imaginary Girls is an insanely good read for the weird. Or, really anybody.

Pages: 348
Publication Date : June 201
Publisher: Dutton Juvenile
Challenge: n/a
Rating: :

Myra McEntire is the debut author of Hourglass, which will be available in May. Without spoiling anything, Myra took the time to answer a few questions and open up about what went into writing Hourglass.

How does it feel to publish your first novel? Is the publishing process everything you expected?

Emerson is a very sarcastic and witty person. Are you or is someone you know that sarcastic?

Read Kiona’s review of Hourglass.

Three angels are sent down to bring good to the world: Gabriel, the warrior; Ivy, the healer; and Bethany, a teenage girl who is the least experienced of the trio. But she is the most human, and when she is romantically drawn to a mortal boy, the angels fear she will not be strong enough to save anyone—especially herself—from the Dark Forces.

Is love a great enough power against evil?

When Beth arrives on Earth, she’s got just one thing on her mind – the mission. It’s her first time on Earth, and her first assignment as an angel. She wants to impress. As she gets used to her earthly body and the things that come along with being human, such as the need to eat, sleep, use the restroom etc… Beth realizes she actually quite enjoys human life. Apart from having to keep her wings folded up inside her clothing, being human has many perks.

Then she starts attending classes at the local high school and life takes an unexpected turn. She meets Xavier – the guy everyone wants, but no one can have. After Xavier’s girlfriend died in a house fire a couple of years ago, he’s pretty much kept to himself. He doesn’t date anymore, and although he still participates in school life, he’s pretty much detached himself from social circles.

Until now.

Something about Beth catches Xavier’s attention and he’s drawn to her immediately. Fortunately for him, Beth is also taken with the boy and finds herself experiencing all these weird emotions and attachments that Angels just don’t feel. Before she even understands what’s happening, Beth has completely fallen in love with Xavier and can’t stay away from him – a big no no as far as the Angels are concerned.

Will Beth’s new human feelings for Xavier stand in the way of her mission? Now that she has Xavier, does the mission even matter anymore? Does anything even matter anymore?

Alexandra Adornetto was only fourteen when she published her first noel in Australia, and now at eighteen, Halo is her American debut. Her writing style is phenomenal, especially for someone so young. Her knowledge of the world shines through her writing and her prose is an absolute pleasure to read.

Although it’s not completely riveting, Adornetto has worked out the intricacies of her plot well. Unfortunately, her characters fall a little short. Although I liked both Xavier and Beth, their connection and their romance seemed a little flat. I didn’t feel their passion or their desire like I’d hoped to and they didn’t step off of the page like strong characters should. Having said that, I’m supremely interested to see how her writing develops so I’ll definitely be reading the next book in the series. I suspect we will be seeing outstanding things from this author in the years to come.

Publication date: 2010

Publisher: Feiwel & Friends (US)

Pages: 484

Challenge: n/a

Rating::

Hey yaReaders!

It’s been a long time since you have heard from me. I’m still around helping out with the forum and bookclub, but I’m making a special event out of this yaFlicks review. Why? Because it’s the review of the latest Chronicles of Narnia flick, the Voyage of the Dawn Treader. It’s the third film instalment of C.S. Lewis’ seven? books, and I’m here to give my thoughts on the film. (And I promise I won’t gush too much over Ben Barnes!)

The film opens with wartime Cambridge, where Edmund and Lucy Penvensie are staying with their cousin Eustace, while their Peter and Susan are in America with their parents. You get the sense that it has been quite a while since the last adventure to Narnia. Before long however, they are drawn back to Narnia through a painting that looks much like a Narnian ship. This time, Eustace is dragged with them.

Cue the first look at a now older Caspian and his crew who are sailing the very ship that was seen in the painting. The visual design on the ship was stunning, and it made it even more special that I got to see that ship in person. (For those who don’t know, I live in Queensland, Australia, which is where the ship was built for outdoor exterior locations – I have pictures to prove it!) That was one of the things that I was worried about, was how much of the design would change between the previous two films and this one. Needless to say, the design was a magnificent and visually stunning feast. The costumes were authentic (to Narnian standards) and the visual effects superb.

Skandar Keynes and Georgie Henley have also matured and that can be seen in their acting. It has improved since the first two instalments. Newcomer Will Poulter as Eustace was brilliant, being every bit annoying as the character needed to be to develop to who he was at the end. Ben Barnes was as brilliant as ever. Was interesting to note that this time round he used his natural British accent rather than the Spanish influence accent seen in the previous instalment. (And every second on-screen reminded me why I think he would be a perfect Dimitri Belikov!)

For those that have read the book, the movie follows very much in its episodic nature, with one mini-adventure after the next. It was very much a quest to find the goal, which in this case was Aslan’s Country. It was worth the 112 minutes with it being one of the most enjoyable films I have seen this year. A film full of light-hearted fun, with a captivating story and brilliant imagery that made the time fly past. I recommend that everyone see this, if not for the actors alone.

Length: 112 minutes
Format:  3D (where available) and 2D
Year: 2010
Rating::

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Christina’s Thouhts: Hey guys, thought I’d hijack Katie’s post and include  my two cents as well.

Even though I have read all the Narnia books I stopped expecting the movies to be like the books when they cast Ben Barnes as Caspian (when he’s meant to be a blonde little boy), not that I’m complaining.

So, keeping an open mind to the storyline, I really enjoyed Voyage of the Dawn Treader, much more than the second film and the visuals were truly amazing. Since it was filmed in Australia, I felt a bit of patriotic pride for the beautiful locations.The acting was great (Eustace was a highlight), the storyline didn’t stray too far from the book, though naturally, some things were condensed and left out. I found the sword fighting to be a bit boring but mostly because that’s just not my thing. I’m also glad Ben Barnes (Caspian) got rid off the Spanishy accent, MUCH better with the English.

Would I have enjoyed it as much if he wasn’t in it? Possibly not, but in saying that……..Ben Barnes in 3D, hell yes! For some of us, that’s as close to the real thing as we’re gonna get.