Review: The Sword of Summer

The Sword of Summer by Rick Riordan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Rick Riordan is one of my favorite writers and one of those I can't be impartial. I just adored Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard even when he repeats the same formula used for Percy Jackson. We find that Magnus even mocks Percy in various passages. I was dying to read this story because I am so into Norse gods at this very moment and I truly enjoy the way in which Riordan tells a story. It seems much coincidence that within a family of three siblings, two of them fall hard for gods from different mythologies, but well, I give it to him so we all can have a massive apocalypse where the Kanes, Percy and Magnus (and all those who come with them) face the ultimate peril. I know that the fact that is much the same pace and sometimes character of Percy may be the reason why many grew bored of it, but I simply love it. Riordan is a safe play for me and I couldn't put down this book.
Since I have a major crush on Loki (Marvel one) it was really refreshing to see him as a mastermind and puppeteer that talks with a silvertongue. He is ruthless with punishing the ones that failed him. He tricks people and his own spawn into his plan and I love that. He is a portrait of what I wish to see in Norse Loki.
And I also adored Thor, he's a tv junkie so easy going and amicable that I died!!! so reckless also, I identified a little with him and his need over Wi-Fi and TV. But the stage was definitively taken by Otis his goat, c'mon! he goes to a therapist because he gets killed and revived every day. Otis is my favorite!
And Jack! let's talk about that sword. It is amazing and vibrant. Jack is a thing.
Oh yes, Odin was great with his mystery shopping technique to assess Hotel Valhalla. He reminded me a little of Lockhart from the Harry Potter series.
I wish Annabeth and Chase talked before so they could share being demi-gods before Magnus gets killed, I am eager to read what's next.

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Review: The Land of Stories: Beyond the Kingdoms

The Land of Stories: Beyond the Kingdoms by Chris Colfer
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I gave it 3 stars because I liked this book, don't get me wrong, but this is a mere transcitional book. It is about the same lenght that the previous one but this one serves only for settle the ground for the next adventure. There were few, (really few) chapters about Bree and Emerich and their background story is also interesting and I wished we coudl have gotten more of them, but I totally get it that in future installements they will play a part in the quest for balance in all realms.
I what made me decide on 3 stars is that I expected more of the stories in the cover: Merlin and Robin Hood to be more heroic and invested with the twins, also Peter Pan to have a fight or two, and certainly the Queen of Harts to have more lines than just "off with his head".
In the first chapter we are introduced to Hans Christian Anderse and his relation with the Fairy Godmother, It seems there that he got his stories completely from him and not from another world, which does not explain why at the end, the Ice Queen and Ursula appear in front of the witches (I don't even recall the Sea Witch from the Little Mermaid to be named). And that was some unsolved plot this book left on me.
I think Chris went too ambitious and could not concrete much with all the stories he intended to include. However his writing is fluid and interesting with a good pace, that makes it enjoyable and not boring at all... but I am not so fond of transitional books. I wait eagerly to have the next one and see which characters will Carter bring to the table. And I truly wish Charlie Charming to be saved and to live happy ever after.

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Review: Assassin's Creed: Renaissance

Assassin's Creed: Renaissance by Oliver Bowden
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Wow. este libro no es lo que pensaba. Lo comencé a leer en un momento que quizá fue malo para mi, ya que lo dejé pendiente por unos meses, pero cuando lo retomé realmente me sorprendió. Mi interés en esta historia surge del videojuego, el cual no he jugado porque soy malísima en él. La narrativa asemeja la narración del juego durante la mitad del libro, por lo que las situaciones se van desarrollando vertiginosamente. De repente, han pasado 10 años desde la muerte de la familia Auditore pero la sensación de que Ezio es el mismo joven continúa hasta el final del libro. Mas o menos por la mitad, las acciones se empiezan a narrar más como novela que juego y es ahí donde me enganchó completamente el libro, cuando Ezio va por la Italia del siglo quince deshaciendo los planes de los templarios para hacerse con el poder y los artefactos que indica el códice.
La verdad es que el final me sorprendió completamente, el hecho de que pudieran insertar el camino del héroe de libro en la historia y que Ezio fuera el profeta de los Assassins no me lo esperaba. Tampoco que el Español se convirtiera en Papa para obtener uno de los objetos mágicos y que a final de cuentas, los juntara para entrar a la bóveda me sacó del ritmo de los libros, pero me pareció interesante. Creo que Bowden trata de ser muy filosófico en los intereses de la Orden de los Assessinos (aunque puede ser que todo venga del juego) y falla en incorporarlos fluidamente a la historia. Las meta referencias me encantaron, como cuando Maquiavelo dice que escribirá algún día un libro sobre el príncipe perfecto y también cuando Minerva se refiere al destinatario final del mensaje del cual Ezio es solo el medio.
Me gustaría decirle a Minerva que definitivamente su medio fue efectivo y me llegó el mensaje. Estoy más que encantada de acompañar a Ezio en cualquier misión a la que se tenga que enfrentar y también de seguir a la Orden. Fue extraño encontrarme del lado de Maquiavelo en esta novelización, casi siempre es el enemigo, como en los Secretos de Nicholas Flammel donde es quien busca a los gemelos de la profecía y hace todo por vencer a Flammel, pero aquí es un personaje agradable, a veces infantil, aunque nunca lo pude sentir como malévolo y enemigo. Interesante que dijera que debería haber una palabra para describir a los hombres como Ezio y que haga referencia a maquiavélico, un término muy utilizado a raíz del libro "El Príncipe".
Reitero que este libro me sorprendió de manera positiva, y lo recomiendo a quienes les gusta el juego, y a quienes como yo, quisieran jugarlo pero son malos en él.

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Review: El Gran Gigante Bonachón

El Gran Gigante Bonachón by Roald Dahl
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Le doy 3.5 estrellas. Quizá no era mi momento de leerlo para amarlo como otras obras de Dahl que me fascinan, pero si lo disfruté. Como es costumbre con las historias de Dahl, se limita a contar los acontecimientos de una aventura y de ahí nos tenemos que imaginar lo que rodea a dichos sucesos. En esta, comenzamos con Sofía, una niña que se despierta a la hora mágica y ve a un gigante en las calles de Inglaterra el cual procede a llevársela al país de los gigantes para que nadie sepa de su existencia.
La parte más difícil del libro fue leer correctamente las incorrecciones del habla del gigante, en cierta forma me costó acostumbrarme a dichas incorrecciones, me recordó un poco al proceso de adaptación en la Naranja Mecánica, nada más que este libro es para niños.
La forma en que Sofía involucra a la Reina de Inglaterra me recordó mucho una historia que cuentan de un hombre que de repente se apareció en el Palacio de Buckingham con la reina pidiendo un analgésico para la resaca, más o menos así se aparece Sofía de repente en la habitación de la Reina para contarle la historia de como los gigantes comen guisantes humanos cada día.
Y sin duda alguna, las últimas palabras son mis favoritas, me recordaron mucho el final de otra de mis obras favoritas, Momo de Michael Ende, donde al final de cuentas, escuchamos la historia de la voz de uno de los protagonistas de la misma aventura.
Me entro la curiosidad por leer este libro por el lanzamiento de la película, sin duda alargarán partes como las luchas entre gigantes y la forma en que los atrapan los ingleses... y también confío en que harán muy visual y mágica la caza de sueños, pero me parece una historia muy sencilla y espero que no la cambien como hicieron con Matilda, que quedó irreconocible.
Una de las cosas que me gusta de Roal Dahl es que no menosprecia a los niños ni ofende su intelecto, me gusta que de vez en cuando tiene algunos tintes de humor negro, como el de no arrojar botana/alimentos a los gigantes cuando se caen 3 hombres a la fosa, o lo relacionado con el mayordomo y el desayuno, creo que por eso es de mis autores favoritos.

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Review: Ever After High 3. Un mundo maravillástico

Ever After High 3. Un mundo maravillástico by Shannon Hale
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This third book is Ok. I still like the way in which Shannon Hale writes (I've read other series by her), but this story made no sense to me in the Royals/Rebels/choose your destiny topic. The plot of this book centers in Cedar and Lizzie affirming who they are and where their loyalties lie. So this time, the Jaberwoky is lose in Ever After and is turning everything a strange hybrid with Wonderland, so the three Wonderlanders: Lizzie, Kitty and Maddie are the only ones that have not been completely affected by poisoned magic becoming thus the only ones that can save the day.
I think it was a nice touch that with the Jaberwoky magic every student turned into their name or the main characteristinc of their story: an axe, a slipper, an apple or a raven. And I definitively adored the vow that Maddie recites to become a narrator. It was interesting to know that Hale knew Daring's destiny before we discover it in the show. Here it makes total sense that he's a smal beast.
So it was a nice reading, but not helping us forward in the path of the pursuit of our destinies in Ever After.

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Review: Demigods & Magicians: Percy and Annabeth Meet the Kanes

Demigods & Magicians: Percy and Annabeth Meet the Kanes by Rick Riordan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I read the first of these 3 stories in the Kane's series but it was nice to remember the time when Percy and Carter met while battling the Son of Sobek. At first I thought that this stories diverted from the main theme of Riordan's books: Mythology; and focused on the demigods and magicians meeting just for the sake of it. But I was wrong, this was another opportunity for us to learn about Mythology and how Ptolomey tried to merge Greek and Egiptian gods into a new cult. The characters themselves share similarities and work together perfectly to assure that Setne does not become a god. Percy is questined for his decision of rejecting godhood.
I sometimes forget that Percy and Annabeth are around 17 years old... the same with the Kanes, and I also forget some of the details of their previous quests. Here they revisit some characters from the Kane's Chronicles mainly, the story is driven by what we have read about the Egiptian gods. Nonetheless, greek words and magic is important for the development of the actions, and I loved Percy calling chicken to Carter because of his avatar of Horus. I wonder if the fact that Percy has been used as channeling for a vulture egiptian goddess will change him in any way? I guess I'd have to keep on reading Riordan's works to find out.
As all that Rick Riordan writes, is a delicious reading for me, still, I did not like much the drawings of the boys and girls because I think their faces were not well drawn, but it was a nice touch to have some color pages in there, just to remember how the characters look like.

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Review: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by J.K. Rowling
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I have to confess that even though I am a Potterhead through and through and whist I enjoyed "Harry Potter and the cursed child", I did not love it. There are too many irregularities that are not minor plot-holes that prevented me to fully embrace the story.
In the epilogue, I saw a Harry Potter that was comprehensive and good father to his sons, he was understanding and even proud of Albus Severus, named after two Headmasters and one of them Slytherin. I was shocked to learn that Albus felt he was a disgrace because he was a Potter in Slytherin. I believe that the adults were well portrayed but they distantiated themselves from the ones they were 19 years ago and I wonder if we change that lot within time.
Scorpius was my favorite character, he had the characteristics of a nerd (not a geek as stated around three times throughout the play) and to be caring and tender, I imagine Astoria Malfoy to be that way and show compassion and love for her son and husband. I understand that she had to die, but it was hard to see Malfoy turned in a single parent.
Now, I think it was a nice idea to work with the notion of "what if", but is my perception that by asking that question, we start the fanfics. I was not expecting a fanfiction work, but a play that continued the line set by the 7 novels of Harry Potter. I was sorry to read about the conflicts between Harry and Albus, they seemed out of place. Likewise, I thought that between Malfoy and Potter there was cordiality, so I was surprised with the measures taken to separate Scorpius and Malfoy.
Other of the reasons why I thought about fanfiction while reading was that the beloved characters such as Snape and much hated Umbridge appeared in a different timeline. It was heartbreaking to read about a reality where Cedric turned into a Death Eather that caused the fall of Potter and the rise of the Dark Lord with all that that implies. But among the heartache, it was lovely that Snape felt love from Potter because he was honored in the person of Albus.
I understand the story was about family bonding, and also about putting family above all, it was quite important for Harry to take the decision of not to interfer in the killing of his parents and watch it all next to his son and wife, but it was also a bit extreme. The ending was lovely, because I believe that Albus finally understood how Harry has come to terms with all the deaths that have happened in his life, and how sorry was he to see Cedric's death. It is not easy to be a Potter, as it is not easy to carry the legacy of our families within, that we can relate and I hope Albus can understand. It is funny how an event can change completely the future, and how fixed points in time are important even when they are painful.
Now, my biggest problem with this (after all the previous rant) is ... DELPHI. I cannot understand how come she to exist and how come Malfoy not knowing about her (being her niece). I mean, I could never see it coming, a daughter of Voldemort and Bellatrix. That sounds impossible, because yes, Bella adored him, but she was a bit crazy and he did not care at all about love. He was the being that could never feel love, that distroyed him, how could he even care enough to have a child?
Where did she grew up? Was she loved or abused? because even with all his childhood, Harry turned out to be perfectly fine, but her? She was so dissonant that even when I was surprised by the plot twist, I could not buy it. She was a deux ex machina to me and cheapened the story. It reminded me a bit of the Joker and Harley Quinn in an abusive relationship where Harley loves the Joker insanely and the Joker only uses her. But he is mad and abusive, Voldemort was evil not mad, that disturbs me and its my major objection to this play.
There were fun bits and nostalgic bits also, but it did not stand up to the legacy of the franchise.
Still, it was entertaining enough for me to award 3 stars.

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