On: VIKINGS (and serious fangirling)

Over the first part of 2016, I picked up a number of new television series, mostly out of boredom. I know, I know, I should have picked up Fairy Tail again or another anime series. But like, I really wanted to watch these shows ok? And along with Shadowhunters, I started to watch this amazing gem that I can't get enough of: Vikings. 

Vikings is produced by the History channel, but unlike other History channel shows, Vikings plays out like a drama, bringing to life the legendary tales surrounding Ragnor Lothbrok, the farmer-turned-king. At the beginning of the first season, we meet a young farmer named Ragnor who is an amazing warrior that has sworn fealty to Earl Harldson, for whom himself and his brother Rollo raid. But Ragnor is not satisfied raiding lands that he says, are often just as poor as them - he wants to travel West, a journey no viking has ever successfully completed. Undeterred by the Earl's dismissal of his attempts to sail West, Ragnor asks his good friend Floki to build him a ship. And using the knowledge he gained from a wanderer on how to sail West using the position of the sun, Ragnor sets sail on his own with a crew of men. The success of his raid will set him onto a path of power and politics as two languages and cultures - those of Christians and pagans - clash. 

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.