Jessica Jones: Season One

Jessica Jones is one of several TV shows set within the Marvel Cinematic Universe just like Daredevil which came before it, and it stars Krysten Ritter as the titular character. Also like Daredevil while it is set within the MCU it is far enough that it can come up with its own stories and also very street level, so don't go expecting Iron Man or Captain America to help her out. She also has powers in which she can jump real high and has unbeliavle strength.

Now for the series, its AWESOME. Now let me tell you why. First of all, Krysten Ritter is Emmy worthy for her performance and knows how to be what is supposdly an unlikable anti-hero. Also she plays a charcter that has dealt with a signifacnt trauma which is bascially rape and also deal with PTSD and guilt for what she has done. Also very good, David Tennant as Kilgrave or the Purple Man and he plays what I think is one of greatest villians in comic book adaptation since Heath Ledger as the Joker from The Dark Knight. As a Doctor Who fan it blows my mind how David Tennant can go from the charming Doctor to the predotory Killgrave.



Another character is Luke Cage played by Mike Coultor, He will get his own series as well. But even though he has a few great episodes I am already impressed and can't wait for his new series coming this year.



What makes the show great is not just the great cast but the fact that as a comic book show it doesn't feel like a comic book show. It is more of a film-noir that just so happens to have people who have powers. I am very excited with the next Marvel netflix series.

Season MVP: Krysten Ritter and David Tennant
Best episode: A.K.A Sin Bin and AKA 1000 cuts
Grade: A

Transparent Season 2: Review

Now I want to discuss a TV show I really love. This one is Transparent brought to us by Jill Solloway, who was a writer/producer of another show I really love; Six Feet Under.

The story of Transparent tells us the story of Maura Pfefferrman (Jeffrey Tambor), who was once Mort, and is coming out as trans very late in life to her children; Sarah (Amy Landecker), Josh (Jay Duplass), and Ally (Gaby Hoffman). Season one was a very good season, and focuses primarily on Maura journey as a trans women and  going through their transition. My main problem is that while Maura's story is great, the children arent as well developed. During season one Sarah divorces her husband for another women Tammy, who she met in college. That storyline was very rushed. Josh, who is a music producer deals with his group and the fact that one of his clients had an abortion that was his baby, also very rushed. Ally, I feel was one of the only children that had significant develop, delaing with the fact that she is broke and in between jobs with no direction in her life until her Moppa transition she wants to go back to school.

Season 2 picks up right at Sarah and Tammy's wedding, in which Sarah has had second thoughts about. Josh who is in the process of settling down with a Rabbi named Raquel who he met the previous season, and Ally is starting graduate school. This is the season where I feel that the characters are getting much more development, and acting is getting much stronger. I thought that this show would suffer from the "sophomore slump" in which a show with a strong first season, has a lesser second season. For examples see "Empire" and "True Detective". If I were to pick a favorite story line it would be the Germany flashback. At first it would feel random but it actually ties in to the Pfefferman's story, as Glittel (Hari Nef, real life transgender model) is going through a similar transition in Nazi Germany. Another great story line is Maura's relationship with Davina and Shea, as she discovers their transgender experience, and acknowledging her own privilege as a trans women who has a loving family. I think this was a faboulous season and cannot wait till season 3.

Season MVP: Jay Dupless and Jeffery Tambor
Best Episode: Man on the Land
Grade: A

Lunar Chronicles Book 2: Scarlet by Marissa Meyer

Summary via goodreads.com
Cinder, the cyborg mechanic, returns in the second thrilling installment of the bestselling Lunar Chronicles. She’s trying to break out of prison—even though if she succeeds, she’ll be the Commonwealth’s most wanted fugitive. 

Halfway around the world, Scarlet Benoit’s grandmother is missing. It turns out there are many things Scarlet doesn’t know about her grandmother or the grave danger she has lived in her whole life. When Scarlet encounters Wolf, a street fighter who may have information as to her grandmother’s whereabouts, she is loath to trust this stranger, but is inexplicably drawn to him, and he to her. As Scarlet and Wolf unravel one mystery, they encounter another when they meet Cinder. Now, all of them must stay one step ahead of the vicious Lunar Queen Levana, who will do anything for the handsome Prince Kai to become her husband, her king, her prisoner.

When I first heard about the sequel, I thought it would focus primarily on the new character Scarlet, which it does but it also continues the story of Cinder, who this time is aided by another new character Carswell Thorne, who is basically a younger version of Captain Jack Harkness of Doctor Who/Torchwood; who also THANK GOD, is not a suitor for Cinder by an ally to her, which I appreciate Marissa Meyer of doing is not having a love triangle in the story. 

Scarlet's story begins with her trying to find her Grandmother, and in her search discovers that she may have been taken by Lunar werewolves , and is helped by one of them named Wolf. This story is a retelling of Little Red Riding Hood. The reason why the Lunars want her grandmother is one of the conspirators who assisted Cinder when she was a baby. Like Cinder, the relationship between Wolf and Scarlet is very well handled, and while it has the cliches its still well handled.

With Kai, I like the fact that he is actually the Emperor. Usually in most stories regarding princess', once the King and Queen are out of commission, the princess is still called princess. Here he is actually the emperor and still has to deal with not just Levana, and their wedding, but also Levana declaring war on earth. While there is not a lot of chapters dealing with Kai, I like that there is actual character development with him. 

I know there is a lot of things I left out, but this book is a great follow-up to Cinder which does a good job at introducing new characters, while developing returning characters.

Rating: 4.7/5

Lunar Chronicles Review: Book 1: Cinder by Marissa Meyer (Spoilers)

Cinder is the first book of Marissa Meyers Lunar Chronicles which consist of fairy tale retelling. Which mainly consist of Cinderella, Red Riding Hood, Rapunzel and Snow White. The first book Cinder is a retelling of Cinderella, and basically follows the same formula. However the book and series itself takes a lot of twists and turns with the story.

Plot Summery from Amazon:

Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl.

Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future

What I love about this book series, is that it does a very good job retelling the story of Cinderella, while offering some new twists and turns with the story. Cinder is one of my favorite book characters because she has an arc, in just the first book. Also the romance is also well developed without the "insta-love" that happens in many YA novels and have Kai not be just a guy for Cinder to fall for, but also has his own arc; dealing with the death of father, being forced to marry Queen Levana, who plans on killing him after the wedding. The twist in the novel; that Cinder is not just a Lunar but also the lost princess Selene, I kinda saw coming ever since the fact that the lost princess exists, obviously an homage to Sailor Moon, that Marissa Meyer is a fan of. What this book did was make me excited about whats gonna happen in the next book, and is an amazing start to a great series.

Score: 4.5/5

A Court of Throns and Roses By: Sarah J. Maas

Summary (Via: Goodreads):

A thrilling, seductive new series from New York Timesbestselling author Sarah J. Maas, blending Beauty and the Beast with faerie lore.

When nineteen-year-old huntress Feyre kills a wolf in the woods, a beast-like creature arrives to demand retribution for it. Dragged to a treacherous magical land she only knows about from legends, Feyre discovers that her captor is not an animal, but Tamlin—one of the lethal, immortal faeries who once ruled their world.

As she dwells on his estate, her feelings for Tamlin transform from icy hostility into a fiery passion that burns through every lie and warning she's been told about the beautiful, dangerous world of the Fae. But an ancient, wicked shadow grows over the faerie lands, and Feyre must find a way to stop it . . . or doom Tamlin—and his world—forever.

Perfect for fans of Kristin Cashore and George R. R. Martin, this first book in a sexy and action-packed new series is impossible to put down

My thoughts:

I was very excited when this book was announced because I am a huge fan of her Throne of Glass series, and I wanted to see what more she can do, and she didn't disappoint. While still in the high fantasy genre she took us into the world of  the Fae and used it to retell Beauty and the Beast. Feyre, serves as a Belle stand in, and I like Feyre, almost as much as I like Caelena from Throne of Glass. She's smart, and doesn't really put up with Tamlin's crap. Sarah J Mass also does a good job with world building as it is extremely hard to do so especially in the fantasty genre. Another main character is Tamlin, who is the Beast, and when he if first introduced it is almost like when the Beast first showed up in Beauty and The Beast. 

The first half is very devoted to the character development of both Feyre and Tamlin, and them getting to know each other and also fall in love. Mass does a very good job with the believably of them being in love rather then the insta-love which is found in many YA novels. The second half is more action packed with Feyre being forced to go through trials in order to save Tamlin, from the evil Armantha, who is a pretty decent villain, just the down side is that she was killed by the end of the book, and would of mainly wanted her to be the series main villain. 

Also there is a maybe love triangle between Feyre, Tamlin and Rhysand. As a hetero male I would go for Tamlin, mainly because she went through everything for him. Rhysand, I would describe as Eric, from True Blood, Damon from Vampire Diaries with little bit of Loki, and while that may turn girls on, I think Feyre and Tamlin are end game. 

This book was a very good start to what could be great series, which did a fantastic job mixing the romance elements with the fantasy elements

Score: 4.7/5

An Ember in the Ashes: Book Review (with Spoilers)

Summary(via Goodreads):
Laia is a slave. Elias is a soldier. Neither is free.

Under the Martial Empire, defiance is met with death. Those who do not vow their blood and bodies to the Emperor risk the execution of their loved ones and the destruction of all they hold dear.

It is in this brutal world, inspired by ancient Rome, that Laia lives with her grandparents and older brother. The family ekes out an existence in the Empire’s impoverished backstreets. They do not challenge the Empire. They’ve seen what happens to those who do.

But when Laia’s brother is arrested for treason, Laia is forced to make a decision. In exchange for help from rebels who promise to rescue her brother, she will risk her life to spy for them from within the Empire’s greatest military academy.

There, Laia meets Elias, the school’s finest soldier—and secretly, its most unwilling. Elias wants only to be free of the tyranny he’s being trained to enforce. He and Laia will soon realize that their destinies are intertwined—and that their choices will change the fate of the Empire itself.

My Thoughts:
First of all, THIS IS NOT A STAND ALONE, just the way it ended it has too many loose ends that needs to tie up, but thank god a sequel was announced and I am excited. This is one of the best books I read this year. I was skeptical at first because the book was very hyped up, and most times when anything is hyped up it usually disappoints, but this was not the case. 

The book does a very good job world building, and giving us a good setting and an idea of the conflict that is going on.  The characters are also very well written and developed. Laia gets pushed into the story by trying to help her brother after a raid kills her grandparents and arrests her brother, and is forced to work as a spy for a rebel group. Elias, wants to escape the Empire, and be free. It reminded me a lot of Legend, which also has two POV protagonists, both on opposite sides of  Empire spectrum. Another favorite character is Izzi, who Laia befriends while working at the Academy, and what is missing from alot of YA books is friendships, while romance is what sells books, friendships develops the characters. Other characters include an Augur named Cain, who is one of my favorite characters , the Commandant and Elias's mother who I would describe as a crazier version of Queen Cersie from Game of Thrones, Marcus, who is almost a Joffrey like Cadet and Helene, who I like to describe as a mix of Hermione and Annabeth.

The plot is also great as, Elias, and his other school mates are forced in what is basically a Hunger Games version of the Triwizard Tournament, which also further is relationship with Helene another school mate in the Trials, with Laia spying for the rebels. 

Yes, this book kinda has a love triangle, but its not a stupid love triangle or could be a love rhombus, between Laia, Elias, Keenan and Helene, but their characters are actually fully developed so its actually alright.

I know, there is so much more I should cover but honestly just read the book, its a great read, I give the book a 4.8 out of 5.

Introduction

Hello everyone,

Welcome to my blog; my name is Darnell and I am a student living in Boston who likes books, movies and tv shows, and this blog I give mt reviews and thoughts on them.