A Book Review of Never to Live by Just B. Jordan

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They said she was a monster. Now she has become one.

Imprisoned, Elwyn endures torture so horrific she drives herself insane to elude true madness. She finally escapes, but at the deadly cost of the only remaining friend she has. Now, unless her broken mind is playing another cruel trick, she discovers she is turning into the monster she despises most of all. Amidst fighters and fairies, demons and dragons, traitors wear the face of friend as she searches for the lost fragments of her mind.

Elwyn is the only one mad enough to face the Monster of the Kings, but she is more likely to destroy herself before even finding him.

Genre: YA Fantasy
Publisher: Enclave (November 1, 2013)
Page Count: 661 pages

Every year I had attended Realm Makers, I'd see this book sitting on a table for purchase and for a while I had to choose other books over it, but last year I finally purchased it. Honestly, what interested me a lot was the panther on the cover. I love panthers (Bagheera for the win!). However, after reading it I'm conflicted about how I feel about this book.  

So Your Characters are Twins ... Featuring Annike & Zoe @ Twintales

Just a few years back I got the first set of twins in my family for this generation. Two boys. They're so cute. ^ ^ I've known a set or two of twins, but I've never been close to them. I've always wondered what it would be like to be a twin which is why I'm happy to have Annike and Zoe!

(Images aren't mine)

Why Comic Relief Characters Often Don't Make Good Main Characters

Many comedic relief characters are the most well-loved but not all of them have what it takes to be a main character. I thought that animation studios got the notion to make comic relief characters protagonists out of their system with flops such as The Lion King 1/2, Kronk New Groove, and Mulan II, but now they're coming back with a vengeance with Minions, Finding Dory, and a little while back Cars 2, which all didn't do very well either. 

As writers, we can be tempted to make a side arc with a particular comic relief character or even do a sequel or spin-off with them as the main character, but does this comic relief character have what it takes to be the center of the story. Protagonists need to have a definitive goal, the potential for character growth, and well, they need to be interesting people and not just funny or one other characteristic, so I'm going to explore the three latter films I mentioned and why the protagonists didn't work.

A Book Review of Blood for Blood by Ryan Graudin

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For the resistance in 1950s Germany, the war may be over, but the fight has just begun.

Death camp survivor Yael, who has the power to skinshift, is on the run: The world has just seen her shoot and kill Hitler. But the truth of what happened is far more complicated, and its consequences are deadly. Yael and her unlikely comrades dive into enemy territory to try to turn the tide against the New Order, and there is no alternative but to see their mission through to the end, whatever the cost.

But in the midst of the chaos, Yael's past and future collide when she comes face-to-face with a ghost from her past, and a spark with a fellow rider begins to grow into something more. Dark secrets reveal dark truths, and one question hangs over them all--how far can you go for the ones you love?

Series: Wolf by Wolf (Book 2)
Genre: YA Alternative History
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers; Reprint edition (September 12, 2017)
Page Count: 592 pages

I adored the first book, so I was so excited to read the conclusion of Yael, Luka, and Felix's story! Here we go!

So Your Character is From Latvia ... Featuring Anna @ Anna's Little Thing

It's time for this week's So Your Character is ... Post! This is a weekly segment where I interview lovely volunteers from around the world to give you a firsthand account of being a citizen of their respective country or having a disability. I'm hoping to encourage international diversity, break stereotypes, and give writers a crash course on how to write a character from these different places on our planet. If you haven't checked out last time's So Your Character is from Bosnia & Herzegovina ... be sure to hop on over there and give it a read!

Disclaimer: The content below may be culturally shocking to some. Each of these posts is as uncensored as possible to preserve the authenticity of the cultures of each of the interviewees.

(None of the Images are Mine)

Some of My Favorite Things: A Blog Hop

"Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens." ^ ^ That's what I immediately thought of when I saw Sara created this blog hop. I'm excited to talk about my favorite things!

A Book Review of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling

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Harry Potter is leaving Privet Drive for the last time. But as he climbs into the sidecar of Hagrid’s motorbike and they take to the skies, he knows Lord Voldemort and the Death Eaters will not be far behind.

The protective charm that has kept him safe until now is broken. But the Dark Lord is breathing fear into everything he loves. And he knows he can’t keep hiding.

To stop Voldemort, Harry knows he must find the remaining Horcruxes and destroy them.

He will have to face his enemy in one final battle.

Series: Harry Potter (Book 7)
Genre: YA Fantasy
Publisher: Arthur A. Levine Books (July 1, 2009)
Page Count: 784 pages

 I've finally finished the Harry Potter series! Woohoo! I've heard many good things about Deathly Hallows. I remember when the movie came out and being bummed when I couldn't go see it, so I was really excited to read this!

So Your Character is From Albania ... Featuring Xhorxhina @ Inner Exploration

It's time for this week's So Your Character is ... Post! This is a weekly segment where I interview lovely volunteers from around the world to give you a firsthand account of being a citizen of their respective country or having a disability. I'm hoping to encourage international diversity, break stereotypes, and give writers a crash course on how to write a character from these different places on our planet. If you haven't checked out last time's So Your Character is from Bosnia & Herzegovina ... be sure to hop on over there and give it a read!

Disclaimer: The content below may be culturally shocking to some. Each of these posts is as uncensored as possible to preserve the authenticity of the cultures of each of the interviewees.


(None of the Images are Mine)

10 Superhero Tropes and How My Hero Academia Blows Them Out of the Water

First of all, I love superheroes and superhero tropes. Jack Kirby and Joe Simon pioneered these modern superhero stories in the 1940s that have been loved for generations. These tropes are signature for the two big comic heads DC and Marvel, but it’s also refreshing when an author can take such a well-loved concept and make it feel so fresh. That’s what Kōhei Horikoshi did with My Hero Academia. Obviously, this man loves his American comic books because it’s very evident how much western influence is in this anime. He’s done his research and as a result, he’s created a manga and subsequent anime that has made superheroes feel newer than they have in a long time. I understand not everyone is into anime but if you’re writing a superhero story at all, these tropes and twists on tropes are good to be aware of.

The First Language of Worlds Linkup!

I was hoping the July/August Language of Worlds would be up by now, so we're doing a throwback to the first one so I can catch up! I'm going to be focusing on the sequel of Red Hood which is Silver Hood with the least spoilery of the first book answers I can. I'm going to focus on Claes since he is a dual protagonist with Mor in Silver Hood and he needs more attention. Thank you, Liv K. Fischer, for hosting this! Check out her post to see how to participate!

So Your Character is From Bosnia & Herzegovina ... Featuring Azra @ SimpleSerenity

It's time for this week's So Your Character is ... Post! This is a weekly segment where I interview lovely volunteers from around the world to give you a firsthand account of being a citizen of their respective country or having a disability. I'm hoping to encourage international diversity, break stereotypes, and give writers a crash course on how to write a character from these different places on our planet. If you haven't checked out last time's So Your Character is from Bahrain ... be sure to hop on over there and give it a read!

Disclaimer: The content below may be culturally shocking to some. Each of these posts is as uncensored as possible to preserve the authenticity of the cultures of each of the interviewees.

(None of the Images are Mine)

Writing Lessons from Movies: The Lion King

Before Frozen, The Lion King was Disney's highest grossing animated movie to date and it's for good reason! This film has been in the hearts of children for a generation. All of the songs are so memorable and the story is powerful. If you don't know the premise of this movie, you had a crappy childhood. I'm getting right to it!

Warning: Spoilers, but you've seen this already haven't you?

My First #WIPJoy Recap!

I've known about this hashtag for a long time and now I finally managed to participate. I saw a friend doing it and so I decided to join in. It was fun! And I definitely want to do it again, though next time I think I'll implement TweetDeck instead of trying to do it daily. XD I've copied and pasted my tweets into the post with some edits to fix typos. Also if you want to follow me on Twitter, check me out here! I mostly tweet writing-related stuff. This time I focused on my steampunk fantasy novel Red Hood! Also follow Bethany Jennings, the creator of this meme, so you can see when the next #WIPJoy comes!