Reviewing the Evidence! - Printer's Devil Court

Title: Printer's Devil Court (US Link)
Author: Susan Hill
Genre: Horror, historical fiction, ghost story

A few starting notes:

This is a novella from modern master of the period ghost story, Susan Hill - author of similarly spoopy (I'm sorry purists - I, of course, mean spooky) tale, The Woman in Black.

Premise:

Hugh Meredith is a medical student at the turn of the last century (I think - it's never made all that clear to be honest,) when his fellow students suggest something which usually ends so well - raising the dead. Cue poop hitting fan and ghostly goings-on.

Best bits:

The atmospherics are pretty damned awesome here - this is something that Susan Hill can do. Gothic setting? Check. Shiver down my back? Check. Ghosties? Check.

It's also illustrated - giving it an authentic-style old-timey feel in its mimicry of the old plate illustrations in Victorian/Edwardian books/periodicals.

The entire thing is inherently readable - short, illustrated, and gothic. Awesomeness.

Not so great bits:

There's no excuse for the degree of typos folks, there's just not. You say there are two other doctors and then name three? It will jar you right out of the story. It's just not on, and I hope it's different in other editions.

The time-frame is never made all that clear - and I have some time perception issues that would've benefitted from clarity. Also, what level of technology and setting are we supposed to be imagining? Time period makes a difference when you're writing historical fiction - you can't leave it all fuzzy-wuzzy and up in the damned air!

Also, given the subject matter, I would've expected some mention of Mary Shelley - whose book Frankenstein was definitely in print at the time in which this is set; bit of an ever-loving heffalump in the room.

Verdict:

I enjoyed this - if it wasn't for the practical problems (typos, fuzzy time-periods, etc.,) I would've looked on it far more kindly, but it is inherently a very good book. Any fan of gothic horror and/or ghost stories will love it.

Nerd Church time!

Hello my lovely nerdy peoples! For this week's edition of Nerd Church I will just leave you with this beautiful quote:

“Of course it is happening inside your head, Harry, but why on earth should that mean that it is not real?”

Words to live by, if ever there where some. Keep looking for inspiration in the pages bookworms, and happy reading!

Original image courtesy of debspoons at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Friday Fics Fix! - Poetry Edition!

For this week's Fix of the Fics you crave, I decided to select some poetry fics - just because I felt like it, to be perfectly honest with you lovely people. I like poetry. I (cautiously) like fan-fiction. Why not explore a smooshing of the two?

I'll try not to let it get too disturbing.

So, your Fics...

The White of Winter by Bucky da Bae Barnes

OK, so this is a little dramatic. But it's pretty cool, all in all. I like people who are brave enough to write a sonnet about Bucky Barnes (Avengers/Captain America fandom) and his conflict with identity issues - write on dear author! Write on!

Always by SuzanneSuperFan

This is a love poem from the Harry Potter fandom. As you may imagine, it's about Snape and Lily and makes use of two of the most beautiful lines in English literature. (Potter fans know what I mean.)

For You by Darth Soror

This is a poem based on the beautiful film Tim Burton's Corpse Bride (one of my favourite films from now until forever.) The poem is actually quite well-written - not a literary prize-winner by any means, but not to be sniffed at all the same.

I Believe by StorySongs

OK, at first glance this is perhaps nothing special. But read it again. And again.

Do you see it? Maybe you don't but I think it's actually bordering on brilliant. But then, poetry is a very subjective thing (and Sherlockians are notoriously odd...let's face it.) I think it's actually really good this one - a battle cry merging urban betas with poetic tradition. Still just me? OK...I'll shut up now.

And, just because it made me smile, I give you a Pirates of the Caribbean poem entitled My Peanut by Scotland's Fiery Rose. I shall be back next week with more fan-fiction to keep you insane!

Reviewing the Evidence Time! - Sweet Evil

Title: Sweet Evil (US Link)
Author: Wendy Higgins
Genre: paranormal, romance, ditzy, angels, ya
Series: The Sweet Trilogy (#1)

A few starting notes:

So, this was a random library haul selection - according to the blurb there were angels and much ditzy goings-on, according to the cover there was a freaking huge red dress and a bloke staring moodily over a girl's shoulder, so I decided to give it a shot.

Premise:

Anna Whitt is a girl from Georgia (the state, not the country,) who is a little quirky. She's the ultimate good-girl, a rule follower to a T. Except she also sees other people's emotions - and can remember being born...and the time before she was born. Inevitably, she meets a dude that's a little bit quirky like her - bad boy Kaidan Rowe - and everything turns into this whole angels/demons complicated thing.

Best bits:

Anna is actually likeable - something not to be sniffed at in YA paranormal romance. Sometimes she can be a little stupid - but she is 16, and does require plot-points to happen, so we can excuse her the slip-ups. Although I have to admit, I would've attempted to get in touch with my biological parents at about the point where my senses got hyper-charged - not several years later. She's worryingly un-curious about herself.

The whole angels and demons set-up is quite interesting, and managed to keep me reading - which is what you want really.

The whole book is entertaining and enjoyable, and I read it in a couple of days. It draws you on through the story, and doesn't require any deep levels of attention to enjoy.

Not so great bits:

Anna's modesty bugs me. I don't like her statement about dressing modest because she understands how difficult it is for teenage boys to deal with their hormones. Let them deal with them. Dress however the hell you want - it's for you, not them. Women should not have to consider what blokes think of their clothing - it doesn't matter.

There's a bunch of issues that are touched upon or referenced: abortion, drinking, drugs, adoption, suicide, lust, sin, rape, etc... Because it's angels and demons based there's a lot of pondering the nature of sin etc. etc. It's also religious in places (no big surprise,) which may not be to everyone's taste. I personally found the preoccupation with Anna's 'virtue' more than slightly annoying - particularly as for a book that's so prude-y in its attitude, it never seems to stop mentioning sex.

I also think the romance would've been better off more subtly nuanced and that demons weren't blamed for everything that could possibly go wrong, but that would be asking a bit much I suppose.

Verdict:

It's enjoyable, it's different - it does (occasionally) make you think. It's also an easy read for the train. I liked it - I may even consider reading something by this author again - but it's a take-it-or-leave-it kind of book.

Nerd Church is in Session...

...let me talk to you about Luna Lovegood.

Original image courtesy of debspoons at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Luna as a Harry Potter character is a fan favourite - and I adore her. Because she taught us that what makes us different can make us such incredibly beautiful people. She's the dreamer, the lover, the pure soul - and she remains so even through all the s**t that Hogwarts throws at her. She doesn't sweat the small stuff, and is unflinchingly loyal and a shoulder whenever anyone needs her.

In the films, Luna is played by the equally beautiful Evanna Lynch - who has battled through anorexia to become one heck of an actress, and an inspiration. Her accent is also really pretty :)

So, amongst the other many, many things that Harry Potter taught us, is that the weird kid? She rocks, has been through hell (Luna saw her mother die when she was a little kid,) and is still one of the most observant and naturally incredible people you will ever meet. Luna is a symbol for all of the dreamers and the different ones, the ones who don't quite fit in (even in a school full of witches and wizards) - you are beautiful, and people will see that eventually.

Hope you enjoyed this week's small slice of Nerd Church - finding the deep and meaningful stuff in the books and stories that we all love :)

Friday Fics Fix!

It's time again for Friday Fics Fix!

Something a little different this week - I've decided to highlight only one Fic. (What?! Only one fic!!! How will we survive without your recs????)

Luckily though this is a WIP (work in progress) and currently sits at a lovely 7 chapters long - with (hopefully) more to follow. This is very much an M - there's rape, drugs, torture, etc. - do not read this if you are under 18 (and don't break the law, stay in school, don't do drugs, always brush your teeth, etc. Please don't pretend I didn't warn you.) Also, don't read this if you get deeply affected by issues such as these - to be honest, any issues. They're probably all in there somewhere.

On the plus side - despite somehow managing to get more heart-breaking with every chapter and putting the characters through hell - this is suitable for the fandom-blind (those who aren't familiar with this specific fandom) as it's set in an AU (alternate universe) which takes the characters from Thor in the Marvel Cine Universe and completely re-writes their history into a regular human family - well, maybe not regular, but human.

Carry Home My Wayward Soul by wbss21 is one of those fics which you come across every so often and just go - wow.

Ok, so there's some extreme s**t going down (remember kids, no-one under 18 please,) and there are some grammar and spelling mistakes (the bane of fan-fiction everywhere) but it has heart and there really is some good-quality prose in here. No, really - there's some writing here that the author should truly be proud of. Either that or the amount of fan-fiction I've been trawling through lately has actually completely warped my brain - which is a possibility, and I wasn't completely normal to begin with.

Honestly though, the interplay between characters is awesome - wbss21 has got the relationships down, and, with encouragement, who knows what they could do? (I say they because I don't know the gender of the author, it is possible that they are male, but you will find that fangirls make-up (anecdotally) the vast majority of fanfic writers.)

So, I hope you enjoy this one - again, just one this week (it's so long I felt like it would be mean to pile more on you,) but if you're easily upset you might want to give it a miss. Some very bad things happen to Loki. And, for the last time I'm giving you a warning - no-one under 18, no-one struggles with these issues.

Deadpool trailer review!

OK, unfortunately my people this review is going to be for the 'green-band' - i.e. not 18+ - trailer. If you want to watch the red-band trailer you're going to have to convince Youtube you're over 18 (and be over 18, don't do drugs kids, stay in school, etc...) The red-band trailer has more of the Deadpool-ness: much swearing, adult jokes, and a brief sexy moment (plus mentions of bits of the male anatomy - can't have that in green-band, of course not.) Red-band is essentially the green-band extended to include the naughty bits, so I'll review the green-band and hope to get enough of the Deadpool-spirit over to you.

So, here's the green-band trailer...

 

Wait, did he say cancer?

 

Yes, yes he did. See, that's the thing with Deadpool - never lets something like a terminal illness get him down, or make him serious, or shut his mouth...

 

Ooh, drama!

 

I know, it starts out pretty normal for a superhero origin story. Then Wade gets into the script...and we're treated to that excellent brand of Wade Wilson humour.

 

They left in the overpass from the test footage!

 

Yep, I was soooo happy. And he's drawing his own fanart!!!!!! Yes, it's altered from the test footage - but it kept the awesome Deadpool-humour of that first beloved footage that made us all hope again after they sealed his f***ing mouth shut in Origins: Wolverine.

 

Was he talking to the camera? Did a bullet go through him?

 

Let me clue you into a few things about Deadpool: 1) He can't die. 2) He's aware that he's fictional, and breaks the fourth wall - a lot. That's part of the reason we love him - he literally talks to us. Plus, none of the other characters know their fictional and it just gets so very, very awesome.

 

Wasn't that Spider-man's quote? Only, different?

 

Wade Wilson is all about the references - and the irresponsibility. And in the comic-book world he and Spidey are hilarious together - in the fandom world they have sex a lot (it's called Spideypool.)

 

Violence!!!!!

 

Deadpool is more an anti-hero than a superhero. He's a mercenary. He also likes violence - maybe a little too much! It wouldn't be a Deadpool movie without a high body count.

 

Did he just encourage us to find the red-band trailer (and call us munchkins)?

 

Ladies and Gentlemen - Wade Wilson!

 

So...the Verdict...

 

This movie is not going to be for kids. But that's the point. He's pretty much the darkest Marvel canon (official) that you're going to get. But he still has one wicked sense of humour.

 

Deadpool is a psycho - and one we totally love. He's the part of us that says 'f**k this' and goes and does whatever the hell we want. That is Deadpool. When you ain't got much left, you just decide to go full-frontal and go for it - that's the Deadpool spirit. He's like the love-child of every Internet meme you ever saw and thought 'Huh...?' And, particularly if you see the red-band trailer, the studio might actually do right by him this time; fingers crossed.