BOOK REVIEW: Feast of Fools

This review is part of the Morganville Vampires Reading Challenge.

 Feast of Fools by Rachel Caine is the fourth book in the Morganville Vampire series. It was published by Allison & Busby and is 352 pages long.

PLOT

In the town of Morganville, vampires and humans live in relative peace. Student Claire Danvers has never been convinced, though, especially with the arrival of Mr. Bishop, an ancient, old-school vampire who cares nothing about harmony. What he wants from the town's living and its dead is unthinkably sinister. It's only at a formal ball, attended by vampires and their human dates, that Claire realizes the elaborately evil trap he's set for Morganville.

WHAT I THOUGHT

The story of Morganville continues with this the 4th book of the series. Clare is continuing to grow and mature though still has what has become an incredibly annoying habit of saying "But..." and "You can't do that" at points where you might expect someone of her massive intellect to simply know better.

The story is moving along well and keeps you the reader interested some plots could be resolved sooner though that whole Michael/Shane thing could drive the sanest of us of mad the way they back and forth over whether or not they hate each other.

Also I expected a lot more reaction from her parents as to the whole big Vampire reveal it could have provided some comic relief or at least fleshed out their characters. We don't seem to know whether or not they have jobs or what it is they do. I am a firm believer that if a character is worth giving voice to then we should know a little about what motivates them.

I like this series and I am sticking with it give it a chance.

Up and Coming Celebrities - Polldaddy

So in my ongoing quest to get someone to actually read this blog I thought I would try a poll feature. This is more of a test than an actual post but feel free to vote and comment.

MUSIC - Yes I Do Listen To It

So I don’t often talk about music on here probably because my taste is so weird my preoccupation with J-POP and K-POP for instance but I like to change things up so this will be a quick music post. Let’s start with a young YouTuber who is a pal of mine, my say so may not have the clout of say Simon Cowell but hey you’re reading this so punch the play button and see what shakes loose, this is her doing a Katy Perry Cover.

 Now we’ve all been there haven’t we were some piece of music just seems to appear as if by magic in our heads. I find this most often happens with Anime shows. The last time it took place though was a Korean action show by the name of IRIS which by the way is DEFINITELY worth watching. This song is from that show and used as a type of theme during it. One of the actors from the show is part of the band that released this.

TV Shows - Teen Wolf Premiere Discussion

Teen Wolf is an American television series that currently airs on MTV. It is based on the 1985 film of the same name. The series premiered on June 5, 2011, following the 2011 MTV Movie Awards.^[1] The series follows Scott McCall (Tyler Posey), a high school student and social outcast who is bitten by a werewolf while looking for a dead girl in the woods. The show recently returned for a second season.

This is my write-up for the 2 Hour Premiere.

WHAT I THOUGHT

First thing to say is that supernatural teen dramas like to take their time in establishing their story so we initially get some plot development in finding out what happened after the finale of last year when Derek killed the Alpha after he killed Crazy Aunt Argent. Big Papa Argent really doesn’t want his daughter anywhere Scott and communicates this through dragging him out of a car through the window and threatening to blow his brains out. You would have thought that might be enough but teenage hormones are a powerful thing so Scott and the Argent Archer are still sneaking around.

Stiles is still pining for his one true love, Lydia who is in the hospital but seemingly on the mend before she has a Teen Wolf patented vision/dream thingie and takes off out a window. I am not going through the whole episode but that is a flavour of the opening act.

There are so many questions to be answered this season but given the nature of shows like this it is likely we will be waiting till the end of the season or so to find out what has really happened to Lydia and what will happen to Jackson. Along the way though there is more than enough comedy and action to keep us watching usually. I can only hope that we don’t spend too much time with Scott and the Argent Arrow because that tends to drag a little onscreen in my opinion. It might just be me thinking they don’t have chemistry but I can’t be sure.

Derek wanting to make a new pack seems a reasonable enough idea but choosing Jackson was a seeming mistake while the other guy who was being physically abused seemed a lot more sensible, anyone who has seen the trailer or the ‘more to come’ bit at the end of the first episode knows that he also turns a girl who was seemingly pretty ill beforehand but we have not met her yet so she seems a sensible choice.

Finally I need to visit the issue of Colonel Tigh becoming the new principal which is what I like to term a large ‘writing’ stretch to be sure. I can understand grief at losing daughter but using that to justify the destruction of all werewolves seems a little weak especially after she killed an entire family by burning them alive.

THEORIES

Why is Jackson fighting the Bite. I think it makes sense that this is down to way back when Derek was slowly dying from the Wolfsbayne wound (or was it another drug) anyway while he was creeping around school doing his sex offender impression he clawed Jackson so perhaps the drug being in his system was passed onto Jackson and that is why now he didn’t take to the bite. Remember also Jackson had a few Teen Wolf Visions after getting clawed.

So overall this season of Teen Wolf so far is looking to be keeping up with the first season.

TV Review: Continuum

Continuum is a Canadian Sci-Fi Show currently being shown on the Canadian channel Showcase. It consists of a 10 episode season and stars Rachel Nichols and Victor Webster known for Alias and Mutant X respectively.

PLOT

Vancouver City Protective Services (CPS) Protector Kiera Cameron (Rachel Nichols) is transported from the year 2077 to 2012 when a group of terrorists from her time escapes execution by fleeing to present day. In order to track them down and stop them from endangering the past, Kiera joins the local police force and uses the skills of a young tech genius, Alec Sadler.

WHAT I THINK (so far)

So I’ve only seen 1 episode so this is more of a preview than a full fledged review as the season is set to be 10 episodes long. However what I have seen so far looks intriguing, Rachel Nichols as the star is an interesting choice somewhat unexpected but she is well known and if someone like Anna Silk can carry if off then Nichols shouldn’t have any problems.

The story is an interesting one and is clearly far more about the politics than the cool electrical stingers that Kiera Cameron has installed in her body. The view of the future seems a somewhat oppressive one where corporations run the world and countries no longer mean what they used to. So it is clear that they would like us the viewer to be unsure whether or not the terrorists are not terrorists but instead freedom fighters.

I only have a few questions on how it can be that easy to say you’re  a cop and not have anyone notice you’re lying. I am thinking though the hacker might be able to firm up her back story. Overall it looks like an interesting cerebral entry into the Sci-Fi market which at the moment is all too thin on the ground. Let’s hope it goes the way of Lost Girl and not the way of Endgame.