Book Review: Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

You know what's weird? I've had Shadow and Bone on my to-read list for about 3 years but I still read Six of Crows, which is set in the same universe but was released much later, first. Anyways, Shadow and Bone was a book that originally caught my attention as it was listed as a recommendation at my local library. It took me forever to actually pick it up and read it though. After reading Six of Crows (you can check out my review here) I decided that I really wanted to learn more about the Grisha and dive back into the world that Leigh Bardugo created. Luckily Shadow and Bone is the first book of the original trilogy so I settled down to read it as soon as I could.

The country of Ravka was divided many years ago when the Dark Heretic created the Shadow Fold, an area of impenetrable darkness that separates West Ravka from the rest of the country. Within the fold, live creatures that were once human known as Volcra. Corrupted by darkness, they feed on the human flesh of travelers and soldiers that make the dangerous trip into the Fold. Enter Alina Starkov and Malyen "Mal" Oretsev. Both orphans due to the Border Wars that Ravka raged against its neighboring countries, Mal is a tracker with the First Army of Ravka while Alina is a mapmaker. During their first trip into the void, they are attacked by Volcra and it's during this attack that everyone witnesses a display of Alina's powers. Deemed a Grisha, practitioners of the "Small Science" and akin to sorcerers, Alina is whisked away into a world of politics and power.

Ok, that was a pretty lame summary but really, I can't tell you much without giving it all away! Shadow and Bone was a book that I read in approximately three hours. I was actually completely ignoring my schoolwork and just devouring this book! It's an easy read and fast paced so that every time I stopped, I did so begrudgingly because something was always going on. I liked its fast pace and I especially liked the realistic way in which Alina was portrayed. She went from, "Idk what I'm doing, I'm going to fail so horribly at this" to "Come at me bruh." Mal was difficult to figure out, and while he had some character development, I felt like I wasn't 100% sold on this character even at the end. Other characters were similar in that I felt like I had only skimmed the surface with them. And that's actually ok, because as the first part of a trilogy, I think it's acceptable to do so. While the books get reviewed as separate entities, they're all telling a part of one overarching story, so I hope that I see more of the supporting characters and more character development in the following books.

On: AKBGroup Election Results Part II

*Part I*

Undergirls

Continuing on from my last post, I will share my reaction and general thoughts on the results of the 2016 AKBGroup Election. Undergirls is a group that SKE48 has dominated for a number of years. I fully expected the same to happen this year (and actually expected quite a few SKE girls to rise into senbatsu itself as well) but SKE didn't dominate nearly as much as they had before. Neverthless, it was nice to see Souda Sarina (SKE), my favorite draft member rank so high. Churi dropping out of senbatsu was sad, but I kind of expected it. Nao dropping in rank rather than rising into senbatsu like I had hoped just sucked. Nao is a younger member of SKE and will be one of the members to support Jurina as a front girl in the years to come - SKE really needs some of these younger girls in senbatsu or at least high Undergirls. *sigh* But hey, Takeuchi Saki ranking so high was a definite plus in SKE's ranks - maybe the fans are hinting that they want Saki to take the center lead rather than Ryoha? 

NMB having two members rank in Undergirls is definitely an improvement but they really need a second name in senbatsu. Shiroma Miru may be the best bet for next year. Nako ranking in was nice, poor girl works so hard (and she's super young still!). Mio dropping was meh for me. I knew she didn't have a good year and I don't like her, but I was a bit surprised to not see her higher. Her fans seem to be extremely loyal to her. Regardless, I was pretty ok to see where she was. It's not a terrible position, but it was clear from her speech that she expected a higher rank for sure. Undergirls overall though, was a win for AKB in my opinion. Oshima Ryoka, Kawamoto Saya, and especially Komiyama Haruka show that they're definitely the future of the group, jumping straight into Undergirls. Kato Rena rises - just a bit - but she keeps her position as a lead member of the group. Iriyama Anna, although this is her last election, managed to rank at #18, her highest yet and Kojima Mako gracefully took the #19 spot showing that she is poised to enter senbatsu by next year. Overall, I was satisfied with Undergirls and so happy that this shows that the main group's girls may not be as overshadowed by sister group members after all. 

On: 2016 AKBGroup Election Results Part I

THE. RESULTS. ARE. IN.

Regardless of who you voted for or if you voted at all, there is no question that this year's election had a wide array of surprises for many. It's an election that many thought they could predict and in the end, fell into (generally) complete chaos. Girls who had always ranked didn't rank. Newer girls ranked in. SKE's voting power was acknowledged but did not impact rankings as it had for years. NMB took a stand but ultimately, was unable to compete with the sister groups and HKT is a whole mess of drama and rivalries on their own. So let's get started on my general reactions shall we? We'll start with the member(s) that didn't rank and that I think totally should have. 

TANO YUKA! If I have any serious gripe with this election it was this - Yuka. did. not. rank. HOW?! Tano Yuka is my 3rd oshi in AKB and in terms of sousenkyo voting, is posed to become my #1 by next year. I didn't vote for her this year because I thought, "she'll surely make it into at least Next Girls. She always has and she's awesome. I. was. wrong. And I'm so utterly sad and disappointed. Yuka is a future ace. She can sing, dance, act and has that quirky personality where she says whatever is on her mind. Even though she may come off as rude, I love her outspoken personality and the fact that she's not afraid to say, "Yes, I'm good at what I do." She deserves a comeback next year and goodness, please don't graduate because of this~!! 

Ugh. Ok, now onto the results themselves (yes, I only really care that Tano didn't rank in. Disappointed in myself really). 

Jpop Mix: Morning Musume '16 - Utakata Saturday Night, The Vision, Tokyo to Iu Katasumi

With a new year, Morning Musume has evolved from MM '15 to MM '16. Their first single with a 12 member line-up after the departure of 9th generation member Sayashi Riho is also the final single for 9th generation member Kanon Suzuki (pictured front row, center, in the blue outfit). Suzuki's final single is a triple A-side single, each with a distinct flavor showcasing the flexibility the group and also showing a gradual changes in musical and presentation style(s). 

The main A-side single is Utakata Saturday Night. This song has a disco vibe very reminiscent of Golden Era Morning Musume. As Morning Musume has mostly promoted EDM songs, this was a breathe of fresh air and served as a great farewell song to Suzuki. She has always been praised for her smile and her positivity, therefore this song reflected her personality well and even allowed her to have a special solo part just for herself! The choreography of this song is fun and wacky, once again mirroring Golden Era MM where members didn't have quite the same level of dance skill as the current lineup does. The "do it" dance has to be one of the most fun and yet also amusing parts of the dance. The music video is amazing, I absolutely loved it (I mean that explosion at the end? Awesome!). 

On: AKB48 2016 Election Prediction(s)~

The faces of the 48 groups from left to right: Kato Minami (NGT48), Matsui Jurina (SKE48), Sashihara Rino (HKT48), Watanabe Mayu (AKB48), and Yamamoto Sayaka (NMB48)

IT. IS. TIME. 

THE. 2016. 48GROUP. SENBATSU SOUSENKYO IS HERE!

What is the senbatsu sousenkyo you ask? Well, as I explained in my more detailed post last year here, the election gathers all the members of the 48groups that are eligible and choose to participate into what is essentially, a popularity contest. There are 80 spots available with over 200 girls from AKB48, SKE48, NMB48, HKT48, and NGT48 competing for a spot. Ranking not only is a huge honor, but often brings attention to girls that management had ignored or had not promoted as much. Ranking in senbatsu, "the chosen ones" which is the top 16 spots, allows you to promote the next AKB single, and opens up various new work opportunities which helps the girls solidify their careers for after they graduate. The #1 girl or center, is giving mass media attention and essentially, reaches a legendary status within the group itself. 

Last year I voted - a lot. But this year, I decided to vote a lot less and chose to place all votes for one girl: Watanabe Mayu. Last year, she fell to the #3 spot and this year, the preliminaries placed her at barely taking #1, less than 1,000 votes above the #2 spot, Sashihara Rino and approximately 6,000 votes away from the #3 spot, Matsui Jurina. Now, it wasn't my intention to vote at all this year, but after watching the preliminary, I felt that I had to vote. I just really want Mayu to keep her lead and while I know it's a longshot, with the fact that Sashi has an extremely loyal and powerful fanbase, I hope to contribute at least a bit in bridging that gap. 

Book Review: Lady Midnight by Cassandra Clare

Following on my last post that reviewed the show, "Shadowhunters" based on The Mortal Instruments series, I decided to finally write up a review of the first book in Cassandra Clare's new series taking place in the Shadow World, The Dark Artifices. This new trilogy takes place five years after the events of City of Heavenly Fire, the final book in the Mortal Instruments series. The first book of this new trilogy is Lady Midnight, and it introduces a new crew of Shadowhunters, fighting new forces of evil and with copious mentions and cameos of characters from both The Infernal Devices and The Mortal Instruments.

Lady Midnight primarily follows Emma Carstairs, the last surviving Carstairs family member (yes, she's a descendant of Jem Carstairs from the Infernal Devices, although not directly), after her mother and father were murdered. Emma actually makes her first appearance in the series during City of Heavenly Fire, along with her dear friend and now parabatai Julian Blackthorn. Parabatai, in case you weren't aware, are a pair of Shadowhunters that have chosen to be bounded to each other; they move in battle as one and can often feel each other's pain as well as know instinctively when his/her parabatai is in trouble. Among Shadowhunters, it's considered to be a very special bond and a duty that should not be taken lightly.

The plot of Lady Midnight is two-fold: first, there's Emma's thirst for revenge. She is positive that her parents were not casualties of the war incited by Sebastian Morgenstern and when she gets a lead, she pursues it relentlessly, placing herself, Julian, and the other members of the Blackthorn family in danger. The second part of the plot is in regards to Emma and Julian's feelings for one another. As parabati, they're forbidden from falling in love with one another, a rule that is set because of the consequences that can result. The details of what happens when two parabatai fall in love is, for some unfathomable reason, never shared with anyone. Emma is able to learn what it's and she has to struggle with the fact that she shouldn't reciprocate Julian's feelings despite her urge to do so. It's romance and action tangled into one complicated web against the backdrop of Los Angeles and the Shadow World.

On: Shadowhunters: The Revival of a YA Urban Fantasy

A few years ago, I decided to read the first book in the Mortal Instruments series, City of Bones, by Cassandra Clare. My main motivation was that the movie was about to be released on DVD. I had wanted to watch it while it was in theaters but didn't have the time to read the book. So, I proceeded to read not only the first book, but the second, third, fourth and fifth! Then, I waited patiently for the release of the 6th and final book. While I waited, I watched the movie and to be honest, I was pretty neutral on it. I felt like certain aspects of the story were well portrayed and I liked the casting for Simon, Jace, and Clary, the 3 main characters of the show. However, the movie didn't do so hot and a sequel was trashed. After having watched the movie at least 10 times, I read the Infernal Devices, a series that takes the same universe from the Mortal Instruments, but is set in 1800's London. With the release of the final book in the series, I considered the story of Jace and Clary to be mostly done (a third series, the Dark Artifices is in the works and the first book was released this year. More on that later). 

But! I was wrong. Freeform picked up the series for a TV Show and the first season just wrapped up so I'm here to talk reactions/thoughts/general musings on the show. Now, in the world of the Mortal Instruments, there is a "Shadow World." The shadow world consists of all manner of legendary creatures - werewolves, vampires, warlocks, and fairies, referred to as "Downworlders." They're very real, but are able to hide themselves in plain sight. Along with the Downworlders, there are demons that wreak havoc in the human world if left to their own devices. To keep the Downworlders in line, kill demons, and protect mundanes (aka mortals), Shadowhunters also exist in this world. Half human, half angel, Shadowhunters are a race of incredibly strong, supernatural beings that hold tight to their traditions and interestingly enough, have a general disdain for both downworlders and mundanes. They're not tied to any specific religion, but train ever since they're young to fight demons. They use wand-like glass objects called seraph blades, to burn runes into their skin (kind of like getting a tattoo) which gift them with various powers depending on the rune - among these are swiftness, the ability to see across long distances, endurance, and healing. The Mortal Instruments follows the story of Clary Fray, a young girl who one day finds out that her mother was a Shadowhunter and that everything she thought she knew, was a lie.