Jessica Jones Season One

Posted by cat2002116 on November 25, 2015
Posted in: Reviews, Television. Tagged: , . Leave a comment

Jessica Jones

(This review may contain spoilers).

Having been on a Marvel ‘kick’ for a while now, I was intrigued when I saw the trailer for Jessica Jones… more so when I realised I recognised the lead actress in it. I did think I would get Jessica confused with Chloe… but when I started watching, I felt that Jessica’s character was so vastly different, I could have mistaken the actress for a different one.

It was very obvious quite early on that Jessica had a lot of problems. I really liked seeing her interacting with Trish… and it was nice to see some flashbacks to when the two of them were teenagers. I thought it was interesting to see the effects of Trish being a celebrity, but that she also dropped everything the moment Jessica needed her.

I liked the fact that the Kilgrave storyline ran right through all of the episodes. Kilgrave’s character made my skin crawl… I think David Tennant is an awesome actor; but Kilgrave was just disturbing. But played really well. There were times I wavered and almost felt a bit of sympathy for him. Of course, that did fade quickly.

It was interesting to see the morally grey areas through this series. I liked the fact that the characters could and did get hurt… and I was never sure who was going to survive.

I did have a strong dislike for Hogarth for a lot of the episodes. She came across as quite a hard person and I really hated that she was cheating on her wife. Fall out of love with someone and in love with someone else? Fine. But having an affair is totally wrong. I could understand how Wendy was feeling completely. And although Pam was an interesting character… she was still the other woman and knew Hogarth was married.

I really liked Malcolm. I felt sorry for him at first, but as the series developed, it was good to see him evolve. I liked the almost redemptive-arc storyline… and how he was protective over Jessica.

I have some mixed feelings about Simpson. I really liked that he felt bad about what he’d done while being controlled… and I enjoyed seeing him form a relationship with Trish. But by the end of the series, he just made my skin crawl.

I liked Hope, too. She was a really sympathetic character and I was able to empathise with her a great deal. It was nice to see her and Jessica bond.

There was a lot of violence in this series, as well as lots of gore and instances of drug use and alcoholism. It definitely isn’t a family-friendly show, but it’s gritty and real. The connections between the characters feel real and there are some good tie-ins with the rest of Marvel. I would definitely be interested in seeing a second season of this show… along with Luke Cage’s series. I really liked his character and I felt he had a lot of depth to him.

NaNoWriMo: 50,000 words

Posted by cat2002116 on November 25, 2015
Posted in: NaNoWriMo, Writing. Tagged: , . Leave a comment

NaNoWriMoWinnerBanner15

So… I did it. I just reached 50,000 words on CCCD: The Lady’s Knight!

I still have more of the story to go. I’m not at the end of the first draft yet. But unlike last year, I think I’ll actually be able to finish this book. (Seriously. I tried to write two characters attracted to each other last year… and they had zero chemistry. At least I’m not fighting a losing battle with Kay and River-Falcon…)

So… as per my promise, here’s the next front cover that was kindly created for me.

Front Cover5

Well… it was more like the cover was adapted; but I still really like it. The lettering on the title is really cool.

So… I have a series of goals to complete between the end of this year and next year:

  1. Finish the first draft of CCCD: The Lady’s Knight.
  2. Finish Ice Warriors: Key of Midgard and begin submitting it to publishers.
  3. Finish the first draft of Mary Mary, my horror movie script.
  4. Edit CCCD: The Lady’s Knight, ready for submitting to publishers.
  5. Edit Mary Mary for submission.

Yeah… that’s kind of a long list, I know. I’m behind with Ice Warriors: Key of Midgard… but if I can’t get it ready by the end of this year, I’ll settle for the end of January.

Review Opportunity: UnCommon Bodies

Posted by cat2002116 on November 23, 2015
Posted in: Books, Review Opportunity, Reviews. Tagged: , , . Leave a comment

UnCommon Bodies

(I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a review).

(This review may contain spoilers).

I wasn’t completely sure what to make of this book when I first read the blurb. Even though I do like logic in my stories, I was drawn by the concept of these short stories.

The first short story did a really good job of setting the tone of the rest of the collection. I thought the connection between Mary and Millie was creepy, but also a bit sad at times… even though it took me a little while to figure out exactly what was with them.

I felt All The Devils was an interesting version of the Jack the Ripper and it was easy to see the fear the main character experienced… but also her emotions later, in being drawn into something she didn’t understand, but felt the pull towards.

Skin was especially disturbing. I had a lot of sympathy for Patricia’s character, but by the end of the short story, I did develop a strong dislike for her. Then again, I could understand why she flipped so much, due to what she was driven towards.

I did find Mermaids quite a confusing read. Although it was intriguing and had some nice imagery, the ending raised a lot more questions.

Phantom Pain had a couple of surprises that I wasn’t expecting, but I felt that a lot of the story was missing.

I felt a lot of sympathy for the main character in Unbreakable Heart. The ending was gruesome… but also understandable. I would have liked to know a bit more about the world she was in, but I found her easy to empathise with.

Syren was another character I felt sympathy for. It would have been good to get some background on her in Saltwater Assassin, but I still found her easy to empathise with. And the ending was violent, but I felt it did fit.

In Her Image was another confusing story at first, but by the end, I thought it succeeded in becoming quite creepy. It was an interesting concept, though.

I liked the fact that Undead Girl was a bit longer. I felt a lot of sympathy for her and it was nice to see her able to connect with someone… though there was a lot of mystery still to be expanded upon.

Don’t Touch Me was an interesting concept. There were a couple of things I wasn’t expecting and I thought the idea was a fairly unique one.

Although I don’t normally read poems, Three Poems was interesting with some good imagery. I didn’t really understand what was going on, but they were still well-written.

Ruby was especially disturbing to read. There was a good air of mystery in the story, but it was still gruesome… and I didn’t really understand why Ruby had to get her cut.

I would have liked to see UnTamed expanded upon. Leana was a sympathetic character, but the story seemed to have a rather abrupt end. There were hints and elements of the world that were really interestng to read.

Made For This was particularly disturbing at the beginning, but it was interesting to see how the man had to deal with what happened.

From The Inside was another fairly intriguing story in a world I would have liked to see more of. Anika was an interesting character, but I was confused about her self-mutilation. The concept of the tattoos coming out from inside, with living ink, was interesting.

Rudy and Deirdre was an interesting look into the thoughts of two different people. It was really short, but still an entertaining read.

I would have liked some more explanation in Daedalus’ Daughter. The concept of the feathers was interesting and it was good to see how someone else viewed what was happening to Isha.

The world of The Zealot was interesting and it was good to get something of the background of the storyline. While I still felt like I was missing a lot of the story, the characters were interesting and it’s a world I would have liked to see more of.

The Well-Rounded Head was an interesting concept, though I really hated the wife. I felt sorry for her husband.. but she was extremely dislikable.

I also really liked Reserved. There were some really sweet moments between Pete and Rory, even though I did think Rory was quite a stereotypical character. It was nice to see Pete respond to Rory and that the two of them seemed really good together.

Scars: First Session was really hard to read, but it did draw me in and I had a lot of respect for Abigail by the end.

All in all, this anthology was really interesting to read and I think a lot of the authors are ones I’d happily read more work from in the future.

Marvel’s Mightiest Heroes: Beast

Posted by cat2002116 on November 23, 2015
Posted in: Books, Reviews. Tagged: , , . Leave a comment

Marvel's Mightiest Heroes Beast

(This review may contain spoilers).

Having seen Hank McCoy in various different incarnations, it was nice to be able to see the comic book focus on him… but on an earlier version of his storyline, rather than a later one.

It was good that the first comic seemed to pull me straight into the action. I’ve become used to seeing Hank as a blue creature, but his first appearance in this first comic showcased a vastly different version of his character.

I thought it was cool that Hank was a scientist along with his mutation. It made him a unique character… and it was really awful to see the way his new mutation affected him. Even though he was being manipulated, it was awful to see him experiencing the mind of a predator… and although it was good to see him interacting with Iron Man (and being able to see both sides to Tony Stark), it was pretty awful to see the two of them on opposite sides. At the same time, later, I thought it was good that they were able to talk… and that Iron Man was understanding about the situation.

It was good to see that all of the comics were connected to each other and I liked the opportunity to see more of some of the other members of the X-Men… especially Angel. I did think that Professor X could have helped him, though.

The comics were, I saw, some of the older ones, so the artwork was a bit more juvenile. It was nice to see a variety of Hank’s different appearances included in the back of the comic book. It was also good to see the Hulk make an appearance in the final one of these comics. I did feel some sympathy for the Mimic, even though I wasn’t sure if he was meant to be one of the good guys or not. Still, by the end of the comic involving him, I felt bad for everyone involved.

The style of the narration in the comics seemed a bit clunky… almost addressing the reader through second person voice at first, but then slipping out of that again later. I thought it was interesting to see the Juggernaut… even though he was technically a bad guy. It would have been good to see more explanation of what was going on with him.

I would, in the future, be interested in reading more comic books with Hank in. I’d like to see more of him in the future.

Marvel’s Mightiest Heroes: Hank Pym

Posted by cat2002116 on November 23, 2015
Posted in: Books, Reviews. Tagged: , , . Leave a comment

Marvel's Mightiest Heroes Hank Pym

(This review may contain spoilers).

I was quite eager to read Hank Pym’s comic books when I got to know him through the other issues. It was really good to see his first appearance as Ant-Man… and how he formed alliances with the ants after he was shrunk. It was good to see that, despite being intelligent, he did make mistakes… though some seemed to have further-reaching consequences than others.

I thought it was interesting to see Loki as a woman in the second set of comics. While I know he’s a shapeshifter, that’s the first time I’ve seen him in the comics as anything other than male. I also liked being able to see Hercules… though I felt he didn’t come across as a very complicated character in this.

I wasn’t really sure if Hank truly cared about the world, since he mainly seemed focused on his experiments. While it was good to see him finally agree to work with the other Avengers, it was a bit confusing about why exactly them… though given what was revealed, there were probably other reasons.

I was also intrigued by the relationship Hank seemed to have with Jocasta. It was interesting to see the Vision as a ‘younger’ version… but it was disappointing not to see him with Wanda, since I had a particular fondness for their relationship.

I would have liked to see more of the young Avengers and how they were connected to the older ones. It was nice to see one of the younger Avengers join the new team, along with the Vision. And I really liked seeing the Fantastic Four… as well as Iron Man.

In the second half of the comics, I very much felt that a lot of the characters came across as quite damaged. I’m not sure I really liked Pietro in these comics. Although he did say all the right things… his thoughts made it clear he wasn’t really on their side.

It was good to see the different variations in Hank Pym’s different costumes at the end and I liked seeing the contrast in the two different types of artwork. And it was good to see more of the events after the Superhero Registration Act.

I would like to see more of Hank Pym in the future. I’m interested enough to look into buying extra comic books with him involved.

Bloodline

Posted by cat2002116 on November 22, 2015
Posted in: Books, Reviews. Tagged: , . Leave a comment

Bloodline

(I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a review).

(This review may contain spoilers).

When I read the blurb of this book, I felt immediately drawn to the storyline described. I liked Alex’s character and I found her really easy to understand and empathise with.

I thought it was really cool to see the descriptions of the meteor shower, even though it brought the virus. I found it easy to see how difficult things were for Alex and how she and her brother were affected by not only their mother getting sick, but everyone around them.

I really enjoyed seeing Alex’s relationship with Jacob and I liked that he remained a priority to her. I did think that there wasn’t enough foreshadowing in this book, though. There was too much in the way of things suddenly being revealed from the past, rather than earlier in the book. It was very much a case of, ‘Oh. That was a bit convenient’.

I liked being able to see some of the characters before the virus took hold, since it was good to see the contrast in their personalities before and after. I would have liked a bit more information about how Baxter seemed able to sense something was wrong… whether it was something unique to dogs, or if all animals could sense it.

There were some really good elements of mystery in this book and it was good to see that Alex wasn’t as good at fooling her mother as she’d hoped. I was a bit disappointed in her father’s friend. He came across as kind of a jerk and completely contrasted with how he’d come across before. (And there was the lack of foreshadowing again…)

It was interesting to see the dreams that were helping Alex to figure things out, but I couldn’t tell if the dreams were her subconscious or whether there were supernatural reasons behind them. I also liked seeing Alex’s interactions with Chris. It was nice to see that, although she was attracted to him, that didn’t take over the book. It was also good to see her and Chris forced to grow up and take on responsibility.

I would probably be interested in reading the sequel to this book in the future. It would be good to see how people will deal with the aftermath of everything.

NaNoWriMo: 40,000 words

Posted by cat2002116 on November 20, 2015
Posted in: NaNoWriMo, Writing. Tagged: , . Leave a comment

So… I reached the next hurdle, in reaching 40,000 words of The Lady’s Knight! Yay! So, as promised, here’s the next cover that was kindly created:

 

Front Cover4

I like all of the covers created for me, but I like this one because of the medieval theme to it. Although the majority of the book is set in a dystopian world, Sir Gawain comes from a world of knights and ladies… where fighting is about as natural as eating or sleeping.

So… I’ve still got a ways to go. I don’t know how many words I’ve got to get to, because I don’t know how much more is going to happen before the end. What I do know is that I’ve reached a point that I’m not sure how to get my characters out of. Not without resorting to drastic measures.

Prophase: A Present Tale

Posted by cat2002116 on November 20, 2015
Posted in: Books, Reviews. Tagged: , . Leave a comment

Prophase A Present Tale

(I received a free copy of this book, through NetGalley, in exchange for a review).

(This review may contain spoilers).

Ideally, I’d give this book 2.5 stars out of 5. I can’t quite give it 3. I thought the blurb was really intriguing and I really did adore the front cover. I thought that the book did start off promising… but it quickly went downhill when Piper came into her abilities.

I did think that Piper became a much more unlikable character after her transformation. Although she claimed to care about and love her friends, I didn’t really see much evidence of that. I thought most of the characters came across as quite immature… which I guess they were meant to be, but I couldn’t really form an emotional connection to Piper. And I felt that her friends didn’t seem to exist outside of her; mostly because I was only ever told what they were thinking and feeling through Piper, without having the chance to see it for myself.

While I did like Charlie’s character, I was disappointed that Piper seemed to drop him as well, despite apparently seeming to care for him at various times. For most of the book, I felt that Piper was vapid and shallow. There was the ‘soulmate’ connection with Dev, which I felt was used rather than any real feelings developing between them.

I did like the fact that Piper was so good with Jaxx, even though it didn’t take me that long to figure out the secret. I liked Esther… and I did like Lisa; at least what I saw of her that wasn’t mad on Chet. Or other boys.

I didn’t like how Piper treated Tess… but I wasn’t really that keen on Tess, either. There was too much glossing over of events at the beginning of the book… and I felt the first chapter written from a different first person perspective wasn’t necessary and didn’t add anything to the story.

There was a lot of potential in this book, such as the deeper aspects to Rob. Unfortunately, it felt like it was more important for Piper to become a ridiculously over-powered character than in forming any attachments that felt real and had meaning.

I don’t think I’ll be reading the next book/s in this series.

Release-Day Blitz: UnCommon Bodies

Posted by cat2002116 on November 19, 2015
Posted in: Promotion. Tagged: . Leave a comment

NEW RELEASE: UnCommon Bodies is a collection of stories curated by Pavarti K. Tyler that span across genres to explore the lives of the odd, the unbelievable, and the impossible

UCB CoverSUMMARY: Step right up to the modern freakshow — We have mermaids, monsters, and more. You won’t be disappointed, but you may not get out alive.

UnCommon Bodies presents a collection of 20 beautifully irreverent stories which blend the surreal and the mundane. Imagine a world where magic exists, where the physical form has the power to heal or repulse, where a deal with the devil means losing so much more than your soul.

PRE-ORDER NOW for Release on 11/24. FREE on Kindle Unlimited. Amazon.com

INCLUDES STORIES BY: Philip Harris, Sessha Batto, Robb Grindstaff, Brent Meske, Sally Basmajian, Robert Pope, Keira Michelle Telford, Jordanne FullerMichael Harris Cohen, Deanne Charlton, P.K. Tyler ,Bey Deckard , Vasil Tuchkov, Laxmi Hariharan, Samantha Warren, Rebecca Poole, Daniel Arthur Smith, S.M. Johnson, Kim Wells, Christopher Godsoe, and Bob Williams

You can see the full summaries of all the stories on GoodReads: smarturl.it/UCBGoodreads

To Celebrate, the authors are hosting a Facebook Party on 11/24 Join the Fun! https://www.facebook.com/events/495176633996990/

And there’s more! What? Yep! The Authors are also giving away a Kindle! Enter below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway
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Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2

Posted by cat2002116 on November 19, 2015
Posted in: Movies, Reviews. Tagged: , . Leave a comment

Hunger Games Mockingjay Part 2

(This review may contain spoilers).

I’ve just come back from watching the midnight showing of this movie… and I have to say, it did meet my expectations. Although it didn’t deviate from what I remember of the events of the book, I actually preferred that. It was nice to see it stay true to the source material.

I thought it was good to see some sweet moments in this movie, along with the horror and violence of the war they were fighting. I felt that the movie did a good job of portraying Coin as someone who wasn’t a perfect answer to the problems… but towards the end of the movie, there was one scene in particular where I lost quite a bit of respect for Katniss.

Although the atmosphere of this film was vastly different to the first two in this franchise, I thought that there was an equal amount of tension… perhaps more, since there were no guarantees that even one person would survive. I enjoyed seeing Pollux’s relationship with his brother and although he couldn’t speak, I felt he was still able to get what he needed to across.

I enjoyed seeing some of the nice scenes, particularly with Finnick and Annie. Finnick, Johanna and Cressida are probably my favourite characters in this movie. Although Johanna didn’t appear a great deal, it was nice to see her when she did. And I thought she was a lot stronger than she was given credit for.

I did feel a lot of sympathy for Peeta and the confusion he was facing. It was nice to see him and Katniss interacting and him struggling to understand what was between them. I did like Gale… but I still believe that the love triangle was taken care of in a slightly lazy way; there didn’t feel like much of a ‘choice’ on Katniss’ part.

There were some really sad moments in this movie, as well as some that were kind of creepy. I was drawn into this movie and felt myself absorbed into the storyline. It was a nice end to the franchise and I felt it contained some good elements… even though I felt they could have shown more to do with the characters. Still, it stayed true to the book and is a movie I wouldn’t mind watching again… if only to see more of my favourites.