Saturday, January 28, 2012

The Iron King

Sarja kaanekujundus on imeilus ja kutsuv.
Kindlasti üks minu lemmikuid kaanekujundusi.

Meghan Chase has a secret destiny; one she could never have imagined.

Something has always felt slightly off in Meghan's life, ever since her father disappeared before her eyes when she was six. She has never quite fit in at school or at home.

When a dark stranger begins watching her from afar, and her prankster best friend becomes strangely protective of her, Meghan senses that everything she's known is about to change.

But she could never have guessed the truth - that she is the daughter of a mythical faery king and is a pawn in a deadly war. Now Meghan will learn just how far she'll go to save someone she cares about, to stop a mysterious evil no faery creature dare face; and to find love with a young prince who might rather see her dead than let her touch his icy heart.


Young adult fictionis on viimastel aastatel väga populaarseks saanud üleloomulike võimetega tegelased ja fantaasiarikkad lood. Julie Kagawa haldjate sari kannab nimetust „The Iron Fey“. Ma pole varem ühtegi raamatut haldjatest lugenud, seega esmakordne kogemus. Jäin sarjaga rahule. Autor ei kirjelda vaid imelist haldjate maailma, vaid põimib loosse edukalt ka tänapäeva ühiskonna tehnikahulluse ja soovi lahendada kõik probleemid tehnika abil. Selles mõttes võib sarja lugeda ka veidi ühiskonnakriitiliseks, sest humaansus asendub praktilise mõtlemisega ja fantaasia hääbub. Sarjal on ka väga kaunis kodulehekülg.

Raamatust endast siis:
Mis mind häirib, ja see puudutab kogu noortekirjandust, on see, et peategelane on alati rikkumata, armas, noor tütarlaps, kes avastab maailma, kasvab ja areneb ning tõestab enda kiusajatele ja vaenlastele, et on võimeline suurteks tegudeks. Aga miks ei võiks vahelduseks olla selliseid peakangelannasid/-kangelasi, kes on rikkad, ärahellitatud ja enesekesksed? Palju huvitavam oleks jälgida nende arengut humaansemaks ja heatahtelisemaks inimeseks. Võib-olla on see vaid minu arvamus, aga liiga palju on stereotüüpseid karaktereid ja tahaksin lihtsalt midagi uut lugeda.
Tegelikult on Kagawa sarjas tegelane, kes on külm, kauge ja kergelt öeldes vihane ning kes kasvab sarja vältel imekspandavalt palju. Mulle meeldisid selle teose ideed, väsisin kirjelduste lugemisel, sest neid oli lihtsalt nii-nii palju ja mu pea ei jaksanud mitmeleheküljelisi detailseid kirjeldusi enam vastu võtta. Lugu iseenesest oli kaasahaarav, kuigi algus oli veidi igav.
Peategelane tundus esialgu nõrgana, kuid eks igaühel ole mõni katalüsaator, mis meid kiiremini tegutsema ja mõtlema paneb. Meghan tegi kõik, et oma venda päästa ja lõpus minu arvamus temast muutus.
Robbie on tegelane, kes suudab enam-vähem kõike vaadata positiivse pilguga ja suudab vajadusel ka iseenda üle nalja teha. Grimalkin ja Robbie ajasid mind vast kõige rohkem naerma. Puck meenutab mulle mingil määral Simonit TMI sarjast.
Kokkuvõttes oli sari hea, esimene raamat ei olnud nii köitev, sest juhatas lugejat sisse haldjate imelisse maailma ja seepärast oli tegevust kohati vähem kui kirjeldusi, ent see oli vajalik. Seetõttu ka selline hinne. Järgmised osad olid paremad. Aa, sarjas oli palju tundmatuid termineid, siin on võimalik nendega tutvust teha.

Katkendeid:


All right.“ I took a deep breath as my stomach twisted wildly. Fred Flinstone.“    – ajas mind mitmeks minutiks valjult naerma, väga ootamatu oli see koht

Puck stepped forward.
Ladies and felines,“ he stated grandly, gasping the doorknob,“welcome to Tir Na Nog. Land of endless winter and shitloads of snow.“
...

Charming,“ Puck commented, gazing around in distaste. I love the barren, dead feel they’re going for. Who’s the gardener, I wonder? I’d love to get some tips.“

Oh, we’re playing nice now? Shall we have tea first? Brew up a nice pot of kiss-my-ass?“

Take another step and it will be your last.“


Raamatu treiler. Hinne: 2,5/5

Lugemisjärjekord:
  1. "The Iron King"
  2. "The Iron Daughter"
  3. "The Iron Queen"
  4. "The Iron Knight"

City of Glass

To save her mother's life, Clary must travel to the City of Glass, the ancestral home of the Shadowhunters — never mind that entering the city without permission is against the Law, and breaking the Law could mean death. To make things worse, she learns that Jace does not want her there, and her best friend, Simon, has been thrown in prison by the Shadowhunters, who are deeply suspicious of a vampire who can withstand sunlight.

As Clary uncovers more about her family's past, she finds an ally in mysterious Shadowhunter Sebastian. With Valentine mustering the full force of his power to destroy all Shadowhunters forever, their only chance to defeat him is to fight alongside their eternal enemies. But can Downworlders and Shadowhunters put aside their hatred to work together? While Jace realizes exactly how much he's willing to risk for Clary, can she harness her newfound powers to help save the Glass City — whatever the cost?


Third book of TMI series was definitely better than the second one and, in my opinion, reached the level set by the first book. What I loved the most was Luke’s and Clarissa’s father-daughter relationship. Luke’s Clary’s father, because he’s brought her up and took care of the girl and her mother. Lucian may not be her father by blood, but has always been there for her and loves her like his own. It was a bright storyline in the middle of a chaos and their fight for their loved ones was a joy to read.
Idris. I sometimes imagined a fairy-tale land and, at times, pictures from „Charlie and the Chocolate Factory“ and „Hans and Grete“ (hose made of sweets)  popped into my mind. I was a little dissapointed, because it wasn’t that beautiful, but I still liked the idea of a secret world not touched by modern technology.
I knew from the start who Simon’s cell mate was. I felt for him, a little, but he was a coward and, in some ways, he deserved his punishment and faith.
Again, Magnus. Cannot get enough of this guy!
I was very much moved by the book. I liked the idea of enemies overcoming theis insurmountable dissensions and fighting together for a good cause. How is it said.. Enemies of my enemy are my friends/allies? Sure looks like it.
The story of Lightwoods moved me to tears. No one deserves this kind of midfortune and trauma. I wanted to go into the book and hug all the family members, including Jace, take away their pain.
In addition to the traumas, sadness and war, it was a very passionate book. I looked forward to something like the Manor House scene infront of the Wayland’s residence for a very, very long time and was more than happy that it took place, finally. Cassie later wrote (this) one of the most loved scenes from Jace’s POV. Also, there is Jace's letter to Clary, which was published with some copys of (the fourth) book.

Some excerpts, then:

"But you’ve never druk fresh blood. Have you? Well, aside from mine, of course,“ Jace said. "And I’m sure my blood is fan-tastic.“
Simon set the empty flask down on the arm of the chair by the bed. "There’s something very wrong with you,“ he said. "Mentally, I mean.“


"And quit baring your fangs at me. It’s making me nervous.“
"Good,“ Simon said. „If you want to know why, it’s because you smell like blood.“
"It’s my cologne. Eau de Recent Injury.“ Jace raised his left hand.


Book trailer. Rate: 5/5.

P.S. This link is not the trailer of the book, it's a video of Jace and Clary and Jace's letter to Clary. In the movie these two should be played by Jamie Cambpell Bower and Lily Collins, therefore, it's a pretty good video to watch. Also, Sia's song in the backround is just amazingly beautiful!

Reading order:
  1. "City of Bones"
  2. "City of Ashes"
  3. "City of Glass"
  4. "City of Fallen Angels"
  5. "City of Lost Souls"
  6. "City of Heavenly Fire

City of Ashes

Clary Fray just wishes that her life would go back to normal. But what's normal when you're a demon-slaying Shadowhunter, your mother is in a magically induced coma, and you can suddenly see Downworlders like werewolves, vampires, and faeries? If Clary left the world of the Shadowhunters behind, it would mean more time with her best friend, Simon, who's becoming more than a friend. But the Shadowhunting world isn't ready to let her go — especially her handsome, infuriating, newfound brother, Jace. And Clary's only chance to help her mother is to track down rogue Shadowhunter Valentine, who is probably insane, certainly evil — and also her father.

To complicate matters, someone in New York City is murdering Downworlder children. Is Valentine behind the killings — and if he is, what is he trying to do? When the second of the Mortal Instruments, the Soul-Sword, is stolen, the terrifying Inquisitor arrives to investigate and zooms right in on Jace. How can Clary stop Valentine if Jace is willing to betray everything he believes in to help their father?


When I think about what happened in the secon book of the Mortal Instrument series, I remember only a few scenes, plotlines:
  • Simon and Clary, Clary and Jace
  • Seelie Court
  • Simon’s storyline
  • Gathering at Luke’s
  • The ship
Nothing else really comes to mind. At the same time, I remember details from the first one, so maybe CoA was not that memorable.
New characteres were introduced, Maia, e.g. One word: annoying! I lookd forward to reading more about the main characters and Maia got too much attention from the author, but I guess in some ways she’s an importat character and as the series progress, she has her own shiny moments. Maybe I wasn’t such a fan, because I was afraid she’d get in the way between Clary’s and Simons friendship, but of course, that would never happen. There’s noone more important than Clarissa to Simon.
Valentine. Bad ass villain! Well, he’s got good motives, but he’s blinded by power and greediness and won’t stop at nothing. He turns people against each other, enjoys their suffers. Selfish. I got to know him during the third book and, at some point, even felt for him a little, but while reading the second one, I was amazed by his cruelty. He destroyed lives, relationships, caused mental scars, which cannot be cured.
Magnus. Brightest star of the series. He’s not the frontline character, but he’s important. Magnus’s probably my favorite character from TMI and TID.
Frankly, I’m glad that Clare has the courage to discuss about gays, especially in young-adult fiction, because it’s kind of a taboo in youth literature. Malec has thousands of fans and I’m definitely one of them.
Cassie Clare has written a scene from Jace’s POV, again. This time it’s the scene from the Seelie Court.
Some excerpts then:


"Oooh, that was fun." 
"That does it,“ said Jace. "I’m going to get you a dictionary for Christmas this year.“ 
"Why?“ Isabelle said.
"
So you can look up ’fun’. I’m not sure you know what it means.“

"Well, I’m not kissing the mundane,“ said Jace. 
"I’d rather stay down here and rot.“
"
Forever?“ said Simon. "Forever’s an awfully long time.“
Jace raised his eyebrows.
"I knew it,“ he said. "You want to kiss me, don’t you?“

"Enormous?“ said Jace. "Did you just call me fat?“"It was an analogy.“"I am not fat.“


Side notes:
  • The ending of the book was not that great. The cliffhanger, I mean.
  • Although, I remember only a few scenes, they were major scenes, and the book itself was fast pace and interesting.
  • I started to like Simon more and more. Jace’s and Simon’s jokes and rivalry always makes me laugh.

Book trailer. Rate: 4/5.

Reading order:
  1. "City of Bones"
  2. "City of Ashes"
  3. "City of Glass"
  4. "City of Fallen Angels"
  5. "City of Lost Souls"
  6. "City of Heavenly Fire"

Friday, January 27, 2012

X-Men: First Class

To read in English, click on 'Read more'

"X-Men: First Class" on minu esimene filmielamus kogu X-meeste kupatusest. Pean tunnistama, et mulle meeldis. Polnud just kes teab mis filosoofiline, elutark ja õpetlik lugu, aga meeltlahutav küll.

James McAvoy on suurepärane näitleja ja suudab iga rolli atraktiivseks ja usutavaks muuta. Filmi peamine külgetõmbejõud oli minu jaoks bromance Jamesi ja Michael Fassbenderi teglaskujude Charlesi ja Eriku vahel.

Lisaks nautisin Jennifer Lawrence'i esitust. Imeline noor naine, usun, et ta saavutab oma elus veel nii mõndagi. Ootan huviga "The Hunger Games" trioloogia esilinastumist (juba 23. märtsil, mis ei tundugi enam nii-nii kaugel). Jennifer sobib Katniss Everdeeni rolli justkui valatult (selle põhjal, mida seni näinud olen). Olin hämmingus filmi lõpust, kus Lawrence'i tegelaskuju valis Magneto poole, ta ei jää sinna, ega ju? Loodan, et mitte.

Magneto on huvitav karakter ja Fassbenderi kehastus on suurepärane, kaasahaarav ja paeluv.
Kui Eriku ja Charlesi lood kõrvale jätta, ei rääkinud film just suurtest isiksuste arengutest, kuigi mõningad lood tekitasid huvi, jäid nad liiga pealiskaudseks. Tegevus ja lugu ise olid huvitavad ja ei tekkinud soovi magama jääda, olenemata hilistest öötundidest. Tahaksin nüüd teisi X-meeste filme näha ja kusjuures, lugesin, et 'first classile' peaks järg ka tulema, seega jään ootama.

Linateost iseloomustavad sõnad stiilsus, action, lahedad tegelased, humaansus, sortsuke huumorit ja kiire tempo. Mõnus sõpradega vaatamiseks või koduseks filmiõhtuks.

City of Fallen Angels

Kes armuvad ja kes leiavad end purunevast suhtest? Kes reedavad kõik, millesse usuvad?
Armastus. Veri. Reetmine. Kättemaks.
„The Mortal Instruments“ sarja neljandas osas on panused kõrgemad kui elaes varem.


Algselt oli sari mõeldud triloogiana, kuid Cassie Clare’il oli liiga palju ideid ja lugusid, mida jutustada ning need poleks mahtunud väikestesse katkenditesse ja seetõttu otsustas ta kirjutada sarja kuueraamatuliseks. See on mingil määral bittersweet. Olen väga rõõmus, et kolmele osale tuleb lisa, ent algne trioloogia oli niivõrd hea, võimas ja paeluv, et raske on selle tasemeni küündida. Neljas raamat oli mõnus nagu alati, ent jäi kõvasti eelnenutele alla. Põhjuseid oli mitmeid:
  • Raamat venis. Algus oli liiga aeglane ja tegevus soikus. Alles siis, kui 2/3 raamatust oli läbi, oli nii põnev, et ei tahtnud teost käest panna. Alles lõpus toimusid sündmused, mis olid ootamatud, hämmastavad ja tähtsad.
  • Jace’i ängst käis lõpuks väga närvidele ja tema identiteedikriis on esinenud terve sarja vältel, Clare võiks selle loo juba lõpetada ja Jace’ile mõne muu sisuliini anda.
  • Clary oli nii lapsik, kui üldse olla saab. Lõpuosas andsin talle küll andeks, kuid vahepeal oleks tahtnud tal õlgadest kinni võtta ja teda raputada ning küsida: „Mis sul viga on?!?!??!!!??“
  • Surnud lapsed. Pfff.. See oli tõesti jube. Surnud imikutest lugeda ei ole tore.
  • Selle osa villain polnud eriti bad ass. Jaa, ta suutis võidelda ja tema plaan oli suhteliselt okei, aga ta küündinud Valentine’i tasemele. Järgmises osas õnneks on uus ee.. kurikael.
  • Pidev mineviku meenutamine tegelaste poolt.
  • Magnuse ja Aleci puudumine poole teose jooksul tundub laisa kirjutamisena. Nad on üks loo peamiseid alustalasid ja uute tegelaste lugude jutustamine nende asemel ei toonud kindlasti lisapunkte.
Nüüd mõned head küljed:
  • Kyle. Mulle ta meeldis. Jah, ta tegi minevikus vigu, aga kahetseb neid sügavalt ja erinevalt Jace’ist üritab ta neid heastada, mitte ei mõtle ainult olnule tagasi ja ei ela ahastuses.
  • Isabelle ja Simon. Jep, Simonil on ka muid love intereste, aga loodan südamest, et ta on lõpuks Isabelle’iga. Mõningad momendid nende kahe vahel teose lõpus olid küll kurvad, ent armsad.
  • Simoni ja Jace’i bromance.
Hetkel tundub, et halbu külgi oli nii palju ja häid väga väge, aga tegelikult oli raamat hea ja ma ei jäänud võib-olla seepärast nii rahule, et teised raamatud olid lihtsalt nii-nii head, see oli lihtsalt hea. Kui eelmistes oli palju sündmusi, actionit ja tundeid, siis selles osas oli võib-olla rohkem kohti, kus valjuhäälselt naerda ja niisama muiata. Jah, hea on parim sõna „City of Fallen Angels’i“ iseloomustamiseks.
Katkendid (neid oli nii palju, aga valisin algusest, rohkem spoiler-freed):


“I think,“ Clary interrupted, raising her voice, “that you should let him try out.“
Simon stared at her. “Why?“
“Because he is superhot,“ Clary said, to Simon’s Suprise. “And your band needs some sex appeal.“
“Thank you,“ said Simon. “On behalf of us all, thank you very much.“

“One of your girlfriends?“ Kyle asked curiously. “Was that readheaded chick at the garage one of them? Because she was cute.“
“No. That’s Clary; she’s my best friend.“ Simon pocketed his phone. “And she has a boyfriend. Like, really, really ,really had a boyfriend. The nuclear bomb of boyfriends. Trust me on this one.“

Simon shook his head as if to clear it. Since when did he know Jace well enough to be able to identify which gestures of his were characteristiv? It wasn’t as if they were friends. “You look lousy,“ he said.
Jace blinked. “Seems an odd time to start an insult contest, but if you insist, I could probably think up something good.“

“Jesus,“ said Kyle. “You’re a Shadowhunter?“ He looked at Simon. “The cute readheaded girl who was with you in the garage – she’s a Shadowhunter too, isn’t she?“
Taken aback, Simon nodded.
“You know, some people think Shadowhunters are just myths. Like mummies and genies.“ Kyle grinned at Jace. “Can you grant wishes?“
The fact that Kyle had just called Clary cute did not seem to have endeared him to Jace, whose face had tightened alarmingly. “That depends,“ he said. “Do you wish to be punched in the face?“


Hinne: 4/5.

Lugemisjärjekord:
  1. "City of Bones"
  2. "City of Ashes"
  3. "City of Glass"
  4. "City of Fallen Angels"
  5. "City of Lost Souls"
  6. "City of Heavenly Fire"

City of Glass

Et päästa oma ema elu, peab Clary minema Klaasi linna, Shadowhunterite esiisade koju, hoolimata, et loata linna sisenmine on seadusega keelatud ning keelust üle astumine tähendab surma. Mis veel hullem, Jace ei taha Clary't sinna ja tema parim sõber, Simon, on Shadowhunterite, kes on hämmingus päevavalguse käes seisvast vampiirist, poolt vangistatud.

Clary uurib oma perekonna minevikku ja kohtub Shadowhunteri Sebastianiga, kes teda aitab. Kui Valentine kogub jõudu, et allutada kõik Shadowhunterid igaveseks, on nende ainus võimalus astuda liitu kauaaegsete vaenlastega. Kuid kas Downworlderid ja Shadowhunterid suudavad oma viha hetkeks kõrvale panna ja koos töötada? Kui Jace mõistab, kui paljuga on ta valmis Clary nimel riskima, siis kas samal ajal suudab Clarissa päästa valla oma võimed, et päästa Klaasi linn, ükskõik mis hinnaga?

„The Mortal Instruments“ sarja kolmas osa oli parem kui teine ja minu arvates võrdväärne esimesega. Kõige enam meeldis mulle Luke’i ja Clarissa vaheline isa-tütre suhe, mis sest, et nad pole vereliini kaudu sugulased. Luke on Clary isa, sest ta on tüdruku üles kasvatanud ja hoolitsenud tema ema ja tüdruku enda eest. Lucian on alati Clary kõrval ja armastab teda kui oma tütart. See oli kohati sünges loos üks heledamaid valguskiiri ja nende kahe võitlust kõige nimel, mida nad armastavad, oli lausa rõõm lugeda.
Idris. Vahel kujutasin endale tõesti ette muinasjutumaad, mõnikord ilmusid mu suletud silmade ette pildid filmist „Charlie ja šokolaadivabrik“ ning muinasjutust „Hans ja Grete“ (maiustustest ehitatud maja). Olin veidi pettunud, et see polnud nii kaunis, kuid mulle siiski meeldis nö kaasaja tehnikast puutumatuna kujutatud saladuslik maailm.
Heh, teadsin kohe, kes Simoni kongikaaslane on. Veidi kahju oli temast, aga samas oli ta liiga suur argpüks ja mingil määral oli tema saatus talle ka paras palk.
Jälle: Magnus. Temast ei saa küllalt!
Sarja kolmas raamat liigutas mind väga. Kõige enam läks mulle südamesse viis, kuidas ühis vaenlase nimel suudeti erimeelsused seljatada ja koos võidelda. Kuidas see lause nüüd ongi.. Minu vaenlase vaenlased on minu liitlased/sõbrad? Tuleb nii välja.
Lightwoodide lugu liigitas mind isegi pisarateni, mitte keegi ei vääri sellist ebaõnne, traumat. Ma oleks tahtnud raamatu sisse pugeda ja kõiki perekonnaliikmeid, kaasaarvatud Jace’i kallistada ja nende valu ära võtta. Isabelle’ist on kõige rohkem kahju.
Lisaks traumadele, kurbusele ja sõjale, oli see raamat ka väga kirglik ja seda sõna igas mõistes. Ootasin midagi sellist, mis juhtus Waylandide maja juures, väga pikka aega ja olin rohkem kui rõõmus selle toimumise üle.
Cassie kirjutas ka selle raamatu ühe armastatuima stseeni, Manor House scene'i, hiljem Jace’i vaatenurgast. Lisaks on võimalik lugeda Jace'i kirja Claryle (ilmus mõningate trükitud eksemplaridega), mida raamatus ei avaldata. Katkendeid teosest:


"But you’ve never druk fresh blood. Have you? Well, aside from mine, of course,“ Jace said. "And I’m sure my blood is fan-tastic.“
Simon set the empty flask down on the arm of the chair by the bed. "There’s something very wrong with you,“ he said. "Mentally, I mean.“


"And quit baring your fangs at me. It’s making me nervous.“
"Good,“ Simon said. „If you want to know why, it’s because you smell like blood.“
"It’s my cologne. Eau de Recent Injury.“ Jace raised his left hand.



Raamatu treiler. Hinne: 5/5.

P.S. See link ei ole raamatu treiler, video on Jace'ist ja Clary'st ning Jace'i kirjast Clarissale. Filmis peaksid neid kahte kehastama Jamie Campbell Bower ja Lily Collins ning seetõttu on see video üsna hea. Lisaks on Sia laul, mis taustaks kõlab, lihtsalt imeline!


Lugemisjärjekord:
  1. "City of Bones"
  2. "City of Ashes"
  3. "City of Glass"
  4. "City of Fallen Angels"
  5. "City of Lost Souls"
  6. "City of Heavenly Fire"

City of Ashes

Clary Fray soovib, et tema elu muutuks tagasi normaalseks. Aga mis on normaalne, kui sa oled deemoneid tappev Shadowhunter, su ema on maagiliselt koomasse langenud ja sa näed järsku libahunte, vampiire ja haldjaid? Kui Clary jätaks Shadowhunterite maailma seljataha, saaks ta rohkem aega veeta oma parima sõbra Simoniga, kes tundub rohkem kui sõber. Aga Shadowhunterite maailm pole veel valmis temaga hüvasti jätma eriti kena väljanägemisega, vihale ajav Jace, kes, nagu hiljuti selgus, on tema vend. Clary ainus lootus oma ema aidata, on peatada võimas Shadowhunter Valentine, kes on tõenäoliselt hull, kindlasti halb ja ühtlasi ka Clarissa isa.

Lisaks tapab keegi NYC's Downworlderitest teismelisi. Kas Valentine on kõige selle taga? Kui jah, siis kuidas teda peatada? Kui teine Mortal Instrumentidest, Hinge mõõk, kaob, saabub inkvisiitor asja uurima ning süüdistab Jace'i. Kuidas saab Clary Valentine'i peatada, kui Jace on valmis reetma kõik, millese ta usub, et aidata nende isa?


Kui mõtlen tagasi sellele, mis sarja „The Mortal Instruments“ teises osas toimus, meenusid vaid üksikud stseenid, sisuliinid:
  1. Simon ja Clary, Clary ja Jace
  2. Seelie Court (haldjaste esindus/kohus)
  3. Simoni lugu
  4. Kogunemine Luke’i majas
  5. Laev
Muu hetkel ei meenu. Samas esimesest raamatust mäletan detaile. Võibolla polnud CoA lihtsalt nii meeldejääv.
Tutvustati mõningaid uusi (tähtsamaid) tegelasi, nt Maia. Üks sõna: annoying! Ta tüütas mind nii ära, tahtsin lugeda rohkem algsetest tegelastest ja Maiale omistati liiga palju tähelepanu, kuid mingil määral oli ta siiski vajalik tegelane ja hiljem on tal suur roll kanda. Võib-olla ei meeldinud ta mulle seepärast, et Clary ja Simon on parimad sõbrad ja Maiale meeldis Simon juba esimesest silmapilgust ning kartsin, et võib-olla jääb Clarissa seetõttu Simoni elus tagaplaanile, aga oleksin pidanud vähem mõtlema, sest Simoni jaoks polegi kedagi teist nii tähtsat peale Clary (v.a. tema õde ja ema, kes sarja esiplaanil ei figureeri).
Valentine. Bad ass villain! Tal on head motiivid, kuid teda pimestavad võim ja ahnus ning ta ei peatu millegi ees. Pöörab kõik üksteise vastu, tunneb rõõmu kannatustest ja on isekas. Kolmanda osa vältel sain temast veelgi rohkem aimu ja tundsin mingil määral talle isegi kaasa, aga teises osas olin lihtsalt hämmastuses, kuidas saab keegi nii võigas ja julm olla, valetades kokku kõikvõimalikke lugusid omakasupüüdlikel eesmärkidel, hävitades elusid ja inimestevahelisi suhteid, põhjustades hingelisi arme, mis jäävad igaveseks.
Magnus. Ta on sarja säravaim täht ja kuigi ta pole esirea tegelane, on ta vajalik. Magnus on vast minu lemmikuim tegelane nii TMI kui ka TID sarjast.
Mingil määral mulle isegi meeldib, et young-adult fictionis arutletakse gayde temaatika üle, kuna see on noortekirjanduses justkui tabu. Malecil on tihandeid fänne ja ka mina kuulun nende hulka.
Cassie Clare on ka sellest raamatust ühe stseeni lugejate rõõmuks hiljem Jace vaatenurgast kirjutanud, seekord on selleks siis Seelie Courti stseen. Mõned katkendid teosest:


"Oooh, that was fun." 
"That does it,“ said Jace. "I’m going to get you a dictionary for Christmas this year.“ 
"Why?“ Isabelle said.
"
So you can look up ’fun’. I’m not sure you know what it means.“

"Well, I’m not kissing the mundane,“ said Jace. 
"I’d rather stay down here and rot.“
"
Forever?“ said Simon. "Forever’s an awfully long time.“
Jace raised his eyebrows.
"I knew it,“ he said. "You want to kiss me, don’t you?“

"Enormous?“ said Jace. "Did you just call me fat?“"It was an analogy.“"I am not fat.“


Kõrvalmärkused:
  • Raamatu lõpp oli veits mage. Cliffhangerit mõtlen.
  • Kuigi mäletan vaid katkendeid, olid need suursündmused, raamat ise oli jällegi kiiretempoline ja huvitav.
  • Simon hakkas üha enam ja enam meeldima. Jace’i ja Simoni teineteise kallal ilkumised viivad alati suu naerule ja sarkasmist ning rivaalitsemisest puudust ei tule.

Raamatu treiler. Hinne:4,5/5.

Sel korral leidsin vähemalt normaalse pikkusega fan-made treileri, mis ei kesta piinarikkad kolm minutit (üldjuhul mina nt ei viitsi vaadata isetehtud treilereid, mis on 3+ min pikad). Hoiatan, muusika on suhteliselt kõvasti, aga üldjoontes annab see edasi lühidalt kõik, mis selles raamatus (ja sarjas) toimub.

Lugemisjärjekord:
  1. "City of Bones"
  2. "City of Ashes"
  3. "City of Glass"
  4. "City of Fallen Angels"
  5. "City of Lost Souls"
  6. "City of Heavenly Fire"

Monday, January 23, 2012

City of Bones


When fifteen-year-old Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder — much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. Clary knows she should call the police, but it's hard to explain a murder when the body disappears into thin air and the murderers are invisible to everyone but Clary.
Equally startled by her ability to see them, the murderers explain themselves as Shadowhunters: a secret tribe of warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons. Within twenty-four hours, Clary's mother disappears and Clary herself is almost killed by a grotesque demon.
But why would demons be interested in ordinary mundanes like Clary and her mother? And how did Clary suddenly get the Sight? The Shadowhunters would like to know....

It didn’t seem like a book I could enjoy, but due to having read all the books I wanted to and I had not found anything else to read, I really had nothing to lose, considering that there were recommendations and reviews about the series everywhere: tumblr, youtube, facebook, blogger etc.
It was enthralling from the very first chapter and extremely fast-pace. It’s cool that it was kind of written from different points of view. The writing style is not exactly as Stiefvater’s („The Wolves of Mercy Falls“), because in every chapter the story is told by different people (not like umm.. first chapter is told by someone and the next is from a different point of view, sometimes more than one people is the one telling the story. And it’s not from my-point-of-view, it’s written in the past form). It mostly consentrates of telling the stories of Clary, Jace and Simon, but there are other characters, whose stories are important in the series, important enough to have a few pages of their own.
At first, I thought it sure as hell is not going to be something I like, I mean, it’s too supernatural etc, but it consumed me from the very first moment I started reading. It’s contemporary. It all takes place in NYC (at least in the first book, that is). Interesting and very easy to read.
A lot of different characters and I think that everyone will find someone, from the series, who represents one’s emotions, thoughts, nature. Most of the characters are layered, problematic young adults, who are discovering themselves troughout this whole mess. Everyone of them is growing and developing, some even during the first book already. Moreover, there are some important characters from older generations and they, also, have their problems and torments they’re trying to run from, and maybe even make up for. Because I’ve read all (published) 4 books, it’s hard to write and not to give too much away, but I’ll give my best not to spoil anything.
What I liked in Cassandra Clare’s books, is that the Shadowworld is totally undiscovered territory (for me, at least). Shadowhunters are nephilims, but while they are usually described as the offsprings of fallen angels and they have lost the angels’ favor, they’re not like that in Clare’s books. Shadowhunters are blessed by the angels and, therefore, they’re the protectors of mankind. It’s interesting, also, that when going to a battle, Shadowhunters cover themselves with different runes, which (e.g.) make them run faster, increase their endureness. The runes are deathly for humans and Downworlders (vampires, wolves, faeries, warlocks). They’re deathly and dangerous for Shadowhunters, also, if put on too young, usually 12 is the age limit. I liked the originality of this world (I repeat, I’ve never read anything like this) and Clare’s fanciful descriptions  she’s using to describe this world. Frankly, it was hard to imagine Forsakens and demons, but it was still interesting to read.
It’s pretty difficult to predict what’s going to happen. I hate it, when after reading half of the book, I already know how it all ends. Why Clary and Jace cannot be together is intriguing, shocking, sad and dramatic. At times, „City of Bones“ reminded me of Agatha Christie’s criminal novels, where everyone’s my suspect. Although, some of them seem so innocent and I cannot believe they’re capable of coldblooded murder, it’s usually the most unexpected one, who commited the crime. Why I compared Clare to Christie? Because in Cassie Clar’s stories there were, also, unexpected plotlines and it was hard to predict them. Even if I predicted some, it was for totally different reasons they turened out to be.
I enjoyed Clary, Jace, Luke, Isabelle and Magnus. Clary’s stubborn and cares about her loved ones and would not betray them or leave anyone behind or in trouble. She’s a great friend. Jace, on the other hand, is somewhat the same, but while Clary lets people inside, Jace keeps everyone away with his sarcasm and anger. Luke is great, helpful and cares about Clary as his own daughter. I loved reading about his and Clarissa’s father-daughter relationship. Isabele.. Umm.. Troughout the whole book, sometimes she seemed like this icequeen, but at times, she was like Clary’s best friend. I cannot bring out a certain reason why she appeals to me so much, but there is something in her, like a magnet, which draws people to her. The more I read, the more started to like Isabelle Lightwood. Magnus Bane. The High Warlock of Brooklyn. Mostlikely my favorite character. Witty, original, smart, caring, good-hearted (although, I have to admit, at first, he doesn’t seem like it, but I’ve read all of the books from TMI series, which are published, and I’ve also read „The Infernal Devices“  2 books and Magnus is in each of them, therefore, I can say that he’s caring and good-hearted). I cannot even express in words how much I like him. He’s just too freaking awesome. I would not mind if Clare decided to give Magnus his own bookseries.
As for Simon, I started to lik him in the sequels, but in the first one, he got on my nerves too much, although, he had his shiny moments, too.
Okay, here are some exerpts from the book and I’ll add the Greenhouse scene from Jace’s POV in the end, too. Hope you’ll enjoy.


“Do you remembr back at the hotel when you promised that if we lived, you’d get dressed up in a nurse’s outfit and give me a sponge bath?“
“Actually, I think you misheard,“ Clari said. “It was Simon who promised you the sponge bath.“
Jace looked involuntarily over at Simon, who smiled at him widely. “As soon as I’m back on my feet, handsome.“

“Hello’ is girly,“ he informed her. “Real men are terse. Laconic.“
“So the more manly you are, the less you say?“
“Right.“

Jace said, “Unfortunately, Lady of the Haven, my one true love remains myself.“
“At least,“ she said, “you don’t have to worry about rejection, Jace Wayland.“
“Not necessarily. I turn myself down occasionally, just to keep it interesting.“

“So when the moon’s only partly full, you only feel a little wolfy?“ Clary asked.
“You could say that“
“Well, you can go ahead and hang your head out of the car window if you feel like it.“
“I’m a werewolf, not a golden retriever.“



And here’s ’the Greenhouse scene’ from Jace’s point of view, which Clarenrecently published as a reward for her fans for voting for Clary (and Tessa).

Rate: 5/5.

Reading order:
  1. City of Bones
  2. City of Ashes
  3. City of Glass
  4. City of Fallen Angels
  5. City of Lost Souls (8, May 2012)
  6. City of Heavenly Fire (2013)

I could not find any believable trailers and Clare’s production team has not done any for the books, so, I won’t add a trailer. If one wants to watch them, it can be found from youtobe, for example. Oh, and they’re making a movie, the project has started already, so far, Lily Collins (Clary) and Jamie Campbell Bower (Jace) have been cast.

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

City of Bones


Sarja kaanekujundused on minu meelest
üpriski lahedad.
Kui 15aastane Clary Fray läheb Pandemoniumi klubisse New Yorkis, ei oota ta õhtult mõrva tunnistamist, veel vähem ootab ta eest leida mõrva, mille sooritavad kolm tätoveeringutega kaetud ja imelike relvadega varustatud teismelist. Clary teab, et peaks helistama politseisse, kuid raske on kirjeldada mõrva, kui laip kaob jäljetult tema nina ees ja ta on ainus, kes mõrvareid näeb.
Hämmastunud Clary võimetest neid näha, seletavad mõrvarid, et nad on
Shadowhunterid: salajane hõim sõdalasi, kes võitlevad deemonitega. 24 tunni jooksul kaob Clary ema ja ta ise peaaegu et tapetakse groteskse deemoni poolt.
Aga miks peaks deemonid temast, tavalisest inimesest nagu Clary, ja tema emast huvitatud olema? Ja miks Clary järsku Nägi? Shadowhunterid tahavad seda samuti teada..

Üldse ei tundunud minulik, aga kuna olin teised pooleli olevad raamatud juba läbi lugenud ja miskit uut silmapiiril ei leidunud, siis polnud ka midagi kaotada, arvestades, et igal pool – tumblr, facebook, youtube, blogspotid ja kõik muud võimalikud kohad – oli TMI („The Mortal Instruments“) reviewsid, soovitusi jms. Juba esimesest peatükist alates kaasahaarav ja väga kiiretempoline! Lahe, et tegevus toimub erinevatest vaatenurkadest. Mitte päris stiefvaterlik stiil, ent igas peatükis toimub tegevus kellegi vaatevinklist, ning vahel isegi mitme tegelase silmade läbi ühe peatüki vältel, ja peaaegu igale (rohkem) tähtsamale tegelasele on omistatud leheküljed, kus tegevusliin toimub tema silmade läbi. Enamik keskendub siiski kolmele peategelasele: Clary, Jace, Simon.
Arvasin algul, et see pole absoluutselt minu maitsele, liiga supernatural, aga lugu haaras mind esimesest hetkest endasse. Tänapäevalik. Tegevus toimub New Yorgis (vähemalt esimeses raamatus). Kerge ja huvitav oli lugeda.
Väga palju eritüübilisi karaktereid ja arvan, et igaüks leiab sarjast kellegi, kes annab edasi tema emotsioone, mõttemaailma ja käitumisviisi. Enamik tegelastest on mitmetahulised, probleemsed noored, kes otsivad kogu selle segaduse vältel iseennast. Igaüks neist kasvab ja areneb, mõni juba esimese raamatu jooksul. Lisaks esineb tähtsaid tegelasi ka vanematest põlvkondadest, neilgi on omad mured ja piinad, mille eest nad põgeneda üritavad ja mida nad heastada proovivad. Kuna olen juba kõik (ilmunud) 4 tk läbi lugenud, siis on raske kirjutada nii, et ma liigselt vihjeid ära ei anna, kuid annan endast parima, et mitte spoilida.
Mulle meeldis Cassandra Clare’i raamatutes see, et nn Shadowworld on tegelikult täiesti avastamata (vähemalt minu jaoks). Shadowhunterid on teisisõnu nefilimid ja paljudes teistes teostes kujutatakse nefilimeid just langenud inglite, kes on inglite soosingu kaotanud, järeltulijatena, ent Clare’i sarja(de)s on nad just inglite poolt nö õnnistatud ja seepärast on nad inimkonna kaitsjad. Huvitav on ka asjaolu, et enne lahingusse minekut katavad nad end  erinevate ruunidega, mis (näiteks) panevad neid kiiremini jooksma, teevad vastupidavamaks jne. Tavainimesele ja ka Downworlderile (vampiirid, hundid, haldjad, warlockid (mulle ei meenu nende eestikeelne nimetus hetkel)) on need surmavad, samtu võivad ruunid Shadowhunteri hulluks ajada, kui esimesed ruunid kirjutatakse nahale liiga noorelt, üldjuhul on vanusepiiriks 12. Mulle meeldis teose puhul selle maailma originaalsus (kordan, mina pole varem midagi sellist lugenud, võib-olla on keegi enne juba taoliselt kirjutanud) ja fantaasiarikkus, millega Clare Shadowhuntereid ja neid ümbritsevat kirjeldab. Kui aus olla, siis igasuguseid Forsakeneid ja deemoneid ei suutnud ma ette kujutada, aga sellegipoolest oli üpriski põnev lugeda.
Tegevusliine on suhteliselt  raske ette aimata. Vihkan, kui juba poole teose läbimisel aiman, mis lõpus juhtub ja kõik lähebki täpselt nii, nagu arvasin. See, miks Clary ja Jace ei saa koos olla oli suhteliselt šokeeriv, kurb ja dramaatiline. Mingil määral meenutas „Citi of Bones“ mulle Agatha Christie detektiiviromaane, sest neid lugedes kahtlustan alati kõiki, kuid mõned tegelased tunduvad nii süütud ja no kohe kuidagi ei taha uskuda, et nad suudaksid külmaverelise mõrva sooritada. Lõpuks selgub ikka ja jälle, et just need, kelle saab kindlasti välistada, on tegelikult hoopiski 100% süüdi. Miks just Christie ja Clare’i võrdlus? Sest Cassie Clare’i lugu kulges samuti ootamatuid radu pidi ja süžeepöördeid oli raske ette ennustada. Isegi, kui aimasin mõningaid ette, siis motiivid nende taga olid hoopis teised kui need, mida arvasin olevat.
Mulle meeldisid väga Clary, Jace, Luke, Isabelle ja Magnus. Ok, võib-olla mind häirib veidi, et pidevalt on peategelased young-adult raamatutes 16aastased, aga samas välismaal on inimesed ka vast veidi küpsemad, vähemalt suurlinnade elanikud ja võib-olla pole nad nii naiivsed ning on pidanud kiiresti suureks kasvama. Siiski, mõnikord tundub ebareaalne, et 16aastased suudavad maailma nii mõista või siis tunduvad nad kuidagi väga lapsikud. Igal juhul, Clary on isepäine ja hoolib oma lähedastest ning ei reedaks ega jätaks kunagi kedagi hätta, ta on hea sõber. Jace jällegi on mingil määral samasugune, ent kui Clary laseb inimesi endale ligi, siis Jace ei suuda seda teha ning tema sarkasm, viha on just sellest tingitud. Luke on südamlik, hea ja abivalmis, ta hoolib Clary’st kui enda tütrest ja mulle meeldis lugeda tema ja Clarissa vahelisest isa-tütre suhtest. Isabelle – mmmm.. Kogu teose vältel tundus ta vahel kui jääkuninganna, ent mõnikord jällegi kui Clary parim sõbranna. Ma ei oskagi tuua välja kindlat põhjust, miks ta mulle nii väga meeldib, aga temas on midagi, mis tõmbab kui magnet enda ligi ja temast õhkub autoriteeti. Mida rohkem lugesin, seda enam Isabelle Lightwood mulle meeldis. Magnus Bane. The High Warlock of Brooklyn. Tõenäoliselt minu lemmiktegelane. Vaimukas, omapärane, tark, hooliv, heasüdamlik (kuigi jah, pean tunnistama, et algul nii ei tundu ja ta teeb kõike teatud põhjustel, kuid olen lugenud kõik seni ilmunud 4 „The Mortal Instruments“ sarja raamatut läbi, lisaks ka mõlemad ilmunud „The Infernal Devices“ teosed ja igaühes neist figureerib ka Magnus ning tean temast juba nii mõndagi, seetõttu võin väita, et ta on heasüdamlik ja hooliv). Ma ei suuda sõnadesse panna, mida tunnen, kui tema kohta loen, sest ta lihtsalt on liiga lahe kuju, et eksisteerida. Kusjuures olen uurinud Cassie Clare’i kodulehte ja ka muid infoallikaid ning tundub, et Magnuse fanbase on päris suur. Mulle ta meeldib ja mul poleks midagi selle vastu, kui Clare otsustaks kunagi Magnusest eraldi raamatu/sarja kirjutada.
Simonist nii palju, et järgedes hakkas ta mulle üha enam ja enam meeldima, aga esimeses osas käis ta vahel lihtsalt närvidele, kuigi ka temal oli säravaid momente.
Lisan veel mõned värvikamad katkendid (ilma olulisi spoilereid anmata) ja ka Jace’i vaatevinklist kirjutatud kasvuhoone stseeni. P.S. Vabandust, et need on ingliskeelsed, raamatud pole eestikeelsena ilmunud ja ma ei viitsi neid ümber tõlkida, pealegi, mõnikord võib midagi olulist või naljakat ka tõlkes kaduma minna.


“Do you remembr back at the hotel when you promised that if we lived, you’d get dressed up in a nurse’s outfit and give me a sponge bath?“
“Actually, I think you misheard,“ Clari said. “It was Simon who promised you the sponge bath.“
Jace looked involuntarily over at Simon, who smiled at him widely. “As soon as I’m back on my feet, handsome.“

“Hello’ is girly,“ he informed her. “Real men are terse. Laconic.“
“So the more manly you are, the less you say?“
“Right.“

Jace said, “Unfortunately, Lady of the Haven, my one true love remains myself.“
“At least,“ she said, “you don’t have to worry about rejection, Jace Wayland.“
“Not necessarily. I turn myself down occasionally, just to keep it interesting.“

“So when the moon’s only partly full, you only feel a little wolfy?“ Clary asked.
“You could say that“
“Well, you can go ahead and hang your head out of the car window if you feel like it.“
“I’m a werewolf, not a golden retriever.“


Hästi, siin on kasvuhoone stseen Jace’i vaatevinklist, mille Clare hiljuti kirjutas.

Hinne: 5/5.

Lugemisjärjekord:
  1. City of Bones
  2. City of Ashes
  3. City of Glass
  4. City of Fallen Angels
  5. City of Lost Souls (08.05.2012)
  6. City of Heavenly Fire (2013)

Ma ei leidnud ühtegi usutavat treilerit ja raamatule endale pole Cassie Clare’i production teami poolt ühtegi ka tehtud. Seega ma ei lisa ühtegi, kes tahab, võib ise youtube’ist või muudest infokanalitest uurida. Aga nii palju veel, et filmiprojekt on juba käima lükatud ja seni on castitud Lily Collins (Clary) ja Jamie Campbell Bower (Jace).

Monday, January 16, 2012

Bloodlines


Blood doesn't lie...
Sydney is an alchemist, one of a group of humans who dabble in magic and serve to bridge the worlds of human and vampires. They protect vampire secrets - and human lives. When Sydney is torn from her bed in the middle of the night, at first she thinks she's still being punished for her complicated alliance with dhampir Rose Hathaway. But what unfolds is far worse. Jill Dragomir - the sister of Moroi Queen Lissa Dragomir - is in mortal danger, and the Moroi must send her into hiding. To avoid a civil war, Sydney is called upon to act as Jill's guardian and protector, posing as her roommate in the last place anyone would think to look for vampire royalty - a human boarding school in Palm Springs, California. But instead of finding safety at Amberwood Prep, Sydney discovers the drama is only just beginning...


I’ve read all of the books from „Vampire Academy“ series and it’s my #1 book when it comes to vampire stories. Interesting plotlines, complicated and layerd characters, happiness, sadness, suffering . Richelle is an amazing writer: flowing, easy style, which encourages her young readers to pick up the next book. Rose, who is the narrator in VA, is my favorite heroine next to Katniss Everdeen. She’s strong, independent, stubborn, sometimes overdaring, at times vulnerable, also, loving, caring and her heart is in the right place. Rose Hathaway does everything she possibly can to make people she cares about happy, protects them, whatever it takes, even if it means giving up her own happiness. After Rose’s story it was hard to get used to the narrator, Sydney, in „Bloodlines“, where a lot of the characters are familiar to the readers from VA books, because she’s kind of stoic and does not open up to a lot of people. She never breaks the rules. At times, Sydney seems emotionless and cold. As the story progresses, she opens herself, of course, and grows as a person. Although Sydney is eager to learn, smart, loves books (and history), it was hard for me to connect with her or feel for her. Maybe it’s because it’s all about alchemists in „Bloodlines“ (and, of course, vampires, too) and they did not interest me at all in the VA books.
In „Bloodlines“ we meet some new characters and get to know some of the old ones form „Vampire Academy“ , such as Eddie, Jill and Adrian, who, by the way, is one of my favorite characters form the VA series. His one-liners are hilarious and sarcastic. He is not afraid to be himself and to express himself, his pain, caused by Rose, is heartbreaking. I liked Adrian's lost chapter even more than the „Bloodlines“ itself, to be honest. During the novel one can get to know him a little better and maybe understands him now. One can see how his growth and progression. The love stories in „Bloodlines“ feel  kind of forced to me.
I’ve never actually been that interested in Eddie’s storylines, I’ve considered him a good friend (I’d very much like to have him as a friend) and he’s a loyal, good person, but he hasn’t won my attention so far. I’ve grown to like him. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that everything turns out well for him. I’ve never been impressed by neither Jill or Sydney, so I’m hope, I’ll grow to love them too.
The plotline itself is quite interesting and exciting. One does not know who to trust, who to suspect. I mean, I suspected about three-four charcters, and one of them actually turned out to be the villain, but not for the reasons I expected. However , I understood what was going on before Sydney did. I was pleasently suprised about Sydney’s resistance and fighting spirit, but I realized I missed Rose even more than I thought I did.
I wasn’t sure I wanted to read the sequel, because although it was a decent story, I could not connect to it and I did not find any reasons, besides Eddie and Adrian, to continue. At least, that’s what I tought. Until the very last sentence of the book. Oh, my!! I literally stood my mouth opened until I felt the corners of my mouth quirking up and I just could not stop smiling for the next five minutes. „Golden Lily“ – it better be, thanks to the ending of „Bloodlines“, exciting, funny, intense, with unexpected plotlines, rivalry. I’d really like Richelle Mead to bring back Christian Ozera for a change, he’s my favorite character from the VA series, but it seems unlikely at the moment. One can only hope. For now, I’m pleased with Adrian, Eddie and ... ;).
I still Richelle’s writing style and I’m pretty satisfied with some new obstacles our beloved characters must surpass and I’m definitely going to read the sequel „Golden Lily“, and we’ll see, if I pick up the third one, too. It was a descent start to the series. Oh, and why 2,5 then? Because I did not connect with Sydney, but all the other elements were great and I cannot claim that I did not like „Bloodlines“, it’s just that I didn’t like the narrator as much as I did in the VA. That’s why it’s just 2,5, otherwise it would have been a 3.

Book trailer. Rate: 2,5/5.

Hate the trailer, by the way. But it is what it is.

Reading order:
  1.  „Bloodlines“
  2. „Golden Lily“

Bloodlines

Veri ei valeta... Sydney on alkeemik: üks neist inimestest, kes harrastavad maagiat ja tegutsevad kahe maailma, vampiiride ja inimeste, ühendamisega. Nad kaitsevad vampiiride saladusi ja inimelusid. Kui Sydney ühel ööl oma voodist äratatakse, arvab ta, et teda karistatakse keerulise liidu pärast dampiiriga Rose Hathaway. Selgub, et tegelik põhjus on palju hullem. Jill Dragomir – moroi kuninganna Lissa Dragomiri õde – on suures ohus ja ta tuleb ära peita. Sõja vältimiseks peab Sydney hakkama Jilli kaitsjaks ja valvajaks, esinema tema toakaaslasega kohas, kust kuninglikku vampiiri kõige viimasena otsitaks  – erakoolis Palm Springsis, Californias. Arvates, et Sydney ja Jill on ohutus paigas Amberwoodi seinte vahel, avastab Sydney, et jamad on alles algamas...

Olen lugenud läbi kõik „Vampiiride Akadeemia“ kuus osa ja sarjadest, mis räägivad vampiiridest, on minu jaoks see kindlasti kohal nr. 1. Põnevad süžeeliinid, huvitavad, keerukad ja mitmekihilised tegelased, vaimukus, kurbus, kannatused. Richelle Mead kirjutab suurepäraselt: voolav, kerge stiil, mis õhutab noori lugema ja ka järgmist raamatut kätte võtma. Rose,kelle vaatevinklist sarjas toimuvat edasi antakse, on mu lemmik kangelanna Katniss Everdeeni järel. Ta on tugev, iseseisev, jäärapäine, kohati hulljulge, vahel haavatav, armastav, hooliv ja tema süda on õiges kohas. Rose Hathaway teeb kõik selleks, et tema armastatud oleksid kaitstud, terved ja õnnelikud, isegi, kui see tähendab enda õnnest loobumist. Pärast Rose’i lugusid oli raske harjuda uue nö spin-off sarja „Bloodlines“, kus paljud tegelased on lugejatele tuttavad juba „Vampiiride akadeemiast“, peategelase Sydney’ga, kes on üsnagi stoiline, kinnine. Peab reeglistest alati kinni. Sydney tundub kohati emotsioonitu ja külm. Teose arenedes ta muidugi avab end ja kasvab seeläbi isiksusena. Kuigi Sydney on õpihimuline, tark ja armastab raamatuid (ja ajalugu), siis on mul ikkagi raske temaga samastuda või talle kaasa tunda. Loodan, et sarja järgmises osas „Golden Lily“ suudan teda rohkem mõista ja tundma õppida. Võib-olla on asi selles, et „Bloodlines“ keskendub paljuski alkeemikutele, kuid „Vampiiride akadeemias“ ei tundud ma nende vastu mingit huvi ja millegi pärast ei suutnud Mead minus ka selle teosega nende vastu huvi äratada.
Kohtame uusi tegelasi ja tutvume põhjalikumalt ja „Vampiiride akadeemia“ kõrvaltegelastega nagu Jill ja Eddie, lisaks ka Adrian, kes on üks minu lemmikuid tegelasi VA sarjast. Tema one-linerid on vaimukad, sarkastilised ja põhjapanevad. Ta ei karda olla temaise ja Adriani valu Rose’i pärast on südantlõhestav. Mulle meeldis Adriani „kadunud peatükk“  tegelikult rohkemgi kui „Bloodlines“ ise. Romaani vältel mõistab lugeja Adriani rohkem kui varem ja näeb, kuidas ta kasvab, areneb. Armastusliinid tunduvad mulle selles teoses kuidagi sunnitud.
Eddie pole mind varem eriti huvitanud, olen pidanud teda heaks sõbraks, keda endalegi tahta ja lojaalseks, heaks inimeseks, ent ta pole mu tähelepanu väga püüdnud. Nüüd hakkas ta mulle aga meeldima ja ma hoian pöialt, et tal kõik hästi lõppeks. Jillist, nagu Sydney’stki, pole ma eriti vaimustuses, ent loodan, et järgmises osas suudavad nad mind enda poolele võita.
Lugu iseenesest oli põnev. Ei teadnud, keda usaldada, keda kahtlustada. Õigemini, kahtlustasin umbes kolme-nelja tegelast, üks neist oligi halb, ent mitte nendel põhjustel, mida ootasin. Kuigi mõistsin enne Sydney’t, mis vastase motiivid on. Olin positiivselt üllatunud Sydney vastupanust ja võitlusvaimust, kuid tundsin Rose’ist rohkem puudust, kui oleksin arvatagi osanud.
Kahtlesin, kas tahan järgmist osa lugeda, kuna kuigi teos oli korralik, siis jäi ta minu jaoks liiga kaugeks ja peale Adriani ja Eddie polegi põhjust, miks tahaksin jätkata. Vähemalt sedasi ma arvasin. Kuni viimase lauseni. Oh, my! Olin suu ammuli ja järgmisel hetkel tundsin, kuidas suunurgad kerkivad ja ma ei suutnud viis minutit naeratust näolt pühkida. „Golden Lily“ – parem oleks, et tänu „Bloodlines’i“ lõpule on see põnev, vaimukas, pingeline, ootamatute süžeepöörete ja rivaalitsemisega. Tahaksin, et Richelle Mead took vahelduseks tagasi ka Christian Ozera, mu kõige lemmikum tegelane „Vampiiride akadeemia“ sarjast, kuid see tundub hetkel ebatõenäoline. Loodan siiski, et mingil hetkel on see võimalik. Seniks piisab mulle Adrianist, Eddiest ja ka ... ;).
Naudin siiani Richelle’i kirjutamisstiili ja olen üpriski rahul armastatud tegelaste uute katsumustega ning loen kindlasti ka juunis ilmuvat järge „Golden Lily“, eks siis näis, kas võtan kätte ka kolmanda raamatu. Korralik algus sarjale. Aa ja miks 2,5? Sest ma ei tundnud piisavalt suurt tõmmet Sydney suunas, kuid muud elemendid olid korralikud ja ma ei saa öelda, et mulle „Bloodlines“ ei meeldinud, mulle lihtsalt ei meeldi mina-tegelane niivõrd kui sellele sarjale eelnenud „Vampiiride akadeemia“ peategelane. Seepärast 2,5, muidu oleksin pannud hindeks 3.

Raamatu treiler. Hinne: 2,5/5.

P.S. Mulle absoluutselt ei meeldi selle raamatu treiler, aga eks peab leppima sellega, mis on.

Lugemisjärjekord:
  1.  „Bloodlines“
  2. „Golden Lily“

Forever


The conclusion to #1 bestselling Shiver trilogy. In Shiver, Grace and Sam found each other. In Linger, they fought to be together. Now, in Forever, the stakes are even higher than before. Wolves are being hunted. Lives are being threatened. And love is harder and harder to hold on to as death comes closing in.

The beginning of this one was just too slow for me. At one point  I found myself cheering for Cole and Isabel more than for Sam and Grace, because for the 2/3 of it Sam was alone and depressed, Grace, well, she was a totally different case. Most of the time I didn’t have a clue what was going on with her. The end of the triology suprised me, because I was sure everyone was going to make it out alive, but during the last chapter I wasn’t so sure of it anymore. Tom Culper really got on my nerves, ugh. By the way, at first, I was convinced that the police officer, who agreed to help Sam, was going to betray the wolves and guide them into a trap, therefore, I was pleasently suprised when he sided bravely with the wolves and protected innocent (well, some of them weren’t that innocent.. cough, cough, Shelby, cough) people, who had to live with this curse of changing. I was literally on the verge of tears at the end of the book when only three of them made it out alive. I liked the friendship between Sam and Isabel and between Isabel and Grace. Grace was the heart of these four young adults. She was the connection between them, connecting three totally different strings: one silky, but ice cold, one black and torned, and one, beautiful and yellow, but a little dull. Isabel was distant and cold, but opened up to Grace and, in my opinion, she was the one who grew the most. Cole was not icy exactly, but careless: he did not care about anything else than himself and Grace (as Sam and Isabel) helped him understand, why caring about people is important, how much it helps one to reach out to others. After all, lets be honest, human beings are social animals and do not stand to be alone for a long time. Sam was caring and loving, but he would not let people inside his world, Grace on the other hand, offered him everything, what seemed to be missing in the first place. She encouraged him and kind of showed him the way towards brightness. To a road without the fears of his past which were holding him back. She helped him get over his fears, caused by childhood traumas and the fear of lonelyness. I think that it’s hard to pick a favorite character out of everyone in this series, because it the end, they all won my heart, but I guess the story that moved me the most was Isabel’s. She was a complete stranger at first (in the „Shiver“). Superior, selfish, cantankerous. She grew the most during the series (well Cole did too, I guess). Finally she had real friends and she became caring, compassionate and strong. I was extremely glad that it turned out good for her.

Book trailer. Rate: 4/5

Reading order:
  1. „Shiver“
  2. „Linger“
  3. „Forever“
In conclusion, I can say this: I read all the three books and the first one was my favorite. The other two just didn’t reach to the level set up by „Shiver“, but it was a pretty good series.  It wasn’t that supernatural actually (well, fine, there are no werewolves in real life, but it was pretty  modest compared to some other books/shows I’ve read/watched). It was more of a story about growth, progression, emotions and revealing the souls of these characters. I LOVED the descriptions in the books. They were interesting and easy to read, created a wonderful milieu and therefore it was easy to melt into the book.

Sunday, January 15, 2012

Igavesti

UK kaanekujunduse näide. Eestikeelse
pealkirjaga niikuinii hetkel pole.

Lõpp bestsellerist trioloogiale „Värin“. Esimeses osas leidsid Sam ja Grace teineteist. Teises võitlesid nad kokkujäämise nimel. Nüüd, kolmandas osas, on panused kõrgemad kui kunagi varem. Hunte jahitakse. Elud on ohus. Ja armastusest kinni hoida on aina raskem ja raskem, sest surm tuleb aina lähemale.


Kolmandat osa on hetkel (veel, tõenäoliselt ilmub see lähiajal ka eestikeelsena) võimalik lugeda vaid ingliskeelsena (või ka mõnes muus keeles, kui välismaalt tellida ja inglise keelt eriti ei oska). Raamatu algus venis ja venis ning leidsin ühel hetkel, et elan rohkem kaasa Cole’i ja Isabele’i loole kui Samile ja Grace’ile, sest Sam oli 2/3 teosest üksinda ja masenduses, Grace, well, temaga olid hoopis teised lood. Enamiku ajast ei teadnudki, mis temaga toimub. Trioloogia lõpp hämmastas mind, sest olin alguses kindel, et kõik pääsevad eluga, aga viimases peatükis polnud ma selles üldse nii veendunud. Isabeli isa ajas mul vahepeal närvi ikka nii mustaks, et õhh. Arvasin kusjuures, et see politseinik, kes Samile abi pakkus, reedab neid ja ajab hundid lõksu, seepärast olin ka positiivselt üllatunud, kui ta vapralt huntide poolele asus ning süütuid (niivõrd-kuivõrd, mõni neist polnud just väga süütu.. khm-khm, Shelby, khm-khm) inimesi, kes muundumise needusega elama peavad, aitas. Mõtlesin tõsimeeli, et ainult kolm peategelast pääsesid eluga ja lootsin südames, et võib-olla on õhkõrn võimalus, et see pole nii, aga olgem ausad, olukord tundus (ja oligi!) väga lootusetu. Olgem ausad, olin kurb. Mulle meeldis Sami ja Isabeli sõprus ning Isabeli ja Grace’i sõprus.Grace oli neliku süda. Ta sidus omavahel kokku justkui 3 erinevat nöörijuppi: ühe siidise, ent jäiselt sinise, ühe musta, rebenenud lindi ja ühe, mis oli imeilusalt kollane, kuid määrdunud ja tuhmunud. Isabel oli külm ja kauge, kuid avas end tänu Grace’ile ja kasvas isiksusena kõige enam. Cole oli see-eest mitte just külm, aga ükskõikne, teda ei huvitanud miski muu peale iseenda ja Grace (ning ka Sam ja Isabel) aitasid tal mõista, miks teiste eest seismine ja nendest hoolimine on tähtis, kui palju see inimesele pakub. Lõppude lõpuks on inimene ju sotsiaalne loom ja ei talu üksindust. Sam oli armastav ja hooliv, kuid ei lasknud just palju inimesi endale ligi, Grace suutis talle pakkuda kõike, mis Sami elust varem puudus ja suunas teda teele, kus paistis tulevik, mitte ainult mineviku armid, mis poissi kammitsesid. Ta aitas tal üle saada hirmudest, mis olid põhjustatud lapsepõlvetraumadest ja üksinduse hirmust. Arvan, et lemmikut tegelast sarjast on raske esile tõsta, sest lõppkokkuvõttes võitsid nad kõik mu südame, aga võib-olla läks kõige rohkem hinge Isabeli lugu. Ta oli algul täiesti võõras (esimeses osas). Üleolev, isekas ja jäärapäine. Ta kasvas kolme raamatu jooksul kõige rohkem (Cole samuti). Sarja lõpuks olid tal sõbrad. Isabel oli arenenud hoolivaks, kaastundlikuks ja tugevaks inimeseks ning mul oli hea meel, et tema jaoks kõik siiski hästi lõppes.

Raamatu treiler. Hinne: 4/5

Lugemisjärjekord:
  1. „Värin“
  2. „Palavik“
  3. „Igavesti“
Kokkuvõtteks võin öelda nii palju: lugesin kõik kolm raamatut läbi. Enim meeldis esimene. Teised kaks ei küündinud sellele tasemele, ent kokkuvõttes võin öelda, et üpriski hea sari. Polnud eriti supernatural tegelikult (hästi, päriselus ju libahunte ei eksisteeri, aga arvestades, milliseid raamatuid/sarju lugenud/vaadanud olen, siis oli see ikka väga tagasihoidlik), põhines rohkem emotsioonide edasi andmisel ja tegelaste sisemaailma paljastamisel. Väga meeldisid kirjeldused! Need olid lihtsalt loetavad, aga huvitavad ja omapärased. Tekitasid mõnusa miljöö ja seetõttu oli kerge raamatuga ühte sulanduda.

Linger

The UK version of the cover. Something
different for a change, perhaps

In Shiver, Grace and Sam found each other. Now, in Linger, they must fight to be together. For Grace, this means defying her parents and keeping a very dangerous secret about her own well-being. For Sam, this means grappling with his werewolf past . . . and figuring out a way to survive into the future. Add into the mix a new wolf named Cole, whose own past has the potential to destroy the whole pack. And Isabel, who already lost her brother to the wolves . . . and is nonetheless drawn to Cole.
At turns harrowing and euphoric, Linger is a spellbinding love story that explores both sides of love—the light and the dark, the warm and the cold—in a way you will never forget.


In my opinion, the sequel was weaker than the first book and although I started to like Isabel in the first one, I felt like her coldness and compassionless, while the story was being told by her point of view, left me compassionless towards her. I could not create any kind of a bond with Cole St. Clair and I guess it’s the main thing I didn’t like about the book. His dark past did not affect me at all, neither did his efforts to get away from his past and apathy towards the people encircling him. The whole continuous drug addiction, coldness and apathy just lost all its value, appeal and I just got tired of reading it. As for the end of the book, I started to have some empathy towards him and I was curious, I must admit, but it was superficial. There were some moments in the novel which shined brightly, but everything else was just like a black stain on a white cloth and it ruined all the other parts. It’s just my opinion and I’m more than sure, that there are a lot of people who enjoyed the sequel and maybe even considered it better than the first one. I liked that the roles changed and that the ending of „Linger“ was sad and desperate. It wasn’t that much of a shock, because Stiefvater was trying to sail this boat towards this kind of an ending and she tried to keep the tension and suspicion, I kind of expected it, but I still felt for all four of them. At the end of it. When it comes to Grace, than I had a mixture of feelings: on one hand, I was happy about her, because it was something she had always wanted, since she was a little girl, but on the other hand, I was sad, because she had everything she wanted and it all came crashing down just in a few moments. Moments! Overall, the sequel was progressing pretty fast, if I all the parts of Cole's past are not considered, and I do not regret reading it, but if I ought to read about the wolves of Mercy Falls again some day, I’d probably just read the first one. Still, it was a great piece of writing to read, while trying to escape from reality and just imagine yourself being in a completely different environment, and I’d say overall, I quite enjoyed it, but I just wasn't satisfied.

Book trailer. Rate: 3/5

Reading order:
  1. „Shiver“
  2. „Linger“
  3. „Forever“

Shiver

There’ve been a lot of books written about wolves, but usually they’re not really truthful, I mean, everything’s over the top and even if the plotline is amusing, it’s literally too hard to believe it to be realistic. But I guess it’s why they call it fiction and they’re considered fantasy novels. Maggie Stiefvater, an american novelist, has written a series named „The Wolves of Mercy Falls“ and she’s used the basic laws of nature really well in her writings. The story of the wolves felt real, because:
  1. There is no bloodline-curse or anything like that (Twilight e.g.). One changes after one’s been bitten.
  2. The change itself is based on temperature (and seasons): the more colder it is (and little cold breezes affect one, too), the more likelihood that one will change to a wolf, during summertime one can be a human.. The more one’s been a wolf (umm.. the more time it’s past from being bitten), the less time one can spend time as a human, which means that by every change one  will stay longer as a wolf and at one point, one will never change back to human. Kind of tragic, I think.
There are 3 books and Stiefvater has stated that there will be no other (although, she made a joke on her facebook page, where she claimed that there will be a fourth book called „Litter“ coming soon, but I advise not to believe it, because it was meant as a joke (April, 1)). The three books are, as followed:
  1. „Shiver“
  2. „Linger“
  3. „Forever“

„Shiver“

For years, Grace has watched the wolves in the woods behind her house. One yellow-eyed wolf—her wolf—is a chilling presence she can’t seem to live without. Meanwhile, Sam has lived two lives: In winter, the frozen woods, the protection of the pack, and the silent company of a fearless girl. In summer, a few precious months of being human… until the cold makes him shift back again.
Now, Grace meets a yellow-eyed boy whose familiarity takes her breath away. It’s her wolf. It has to be. But as winter nears, Sam must fight to stay human—or risk losing himself, and Grace, forever.


I liked the first novel the best, it was quite original and gripping. At first, I was pretty sceptical and thought that the love story between Sam and Grace was moving too fast, but it didn’t bother me a bit while reading. I’ve read „My Sister’s Keeper“ by Jodi Picoult and I wasn’t a huge fan of the writing style in that particular book. I didn’t like that it was written in different people’s points of view and I felt like I ouldn’t connect with the characters when there were too many to connect with (all of the family members, the lawyer and the socialworker). This book was much easier to relate to. It was written in both – Sam’s and Grace’s – point of view and it contributed to the storyline. It was easier to cheer them on and to feel for them. Easier to understand their actions and feelings, their past and present. I liked that neither of them was perfect or okay, one was tortured by one’s parents in one’s childhood and it still haunts one. The other one is 17, yes, but had to grow up quickly, is independent and a lot of the time has to be the parent to one’s parents. They help each other and are there for each other. Not needing or wanting anything else, than just somebody to love and adore, someone, who’s willing to listen and comfort. They find it in each other and while reading, I really didn’t want it to end, but I knew that there were some things even love cannot conquer. I was pleasently suprised by the ending and while it binded all the loose ends, it also left room for your own imagination. It was touching. I thought that this should have been just this book and no more, I don’t regret reading the other two, but they, honestly, didn’t reach the level set by „Shiver“. When you do not want to read all of the three books, I highly recommend the first one. By the way, I thought the cover is absolutely beautiful, breath taking and it really catched my eye! It’s one of my favourite covers.

Book trailer. Rate: 5/5

Reading order:
  1. „Shiver“
  2. „Linger“
  3. „Forever“