House of Hades BY RICK RIORDAN Review

This review will contain two parts: The first without spoilers. The second will have all the spoilers, rants, fangirling, and so on.

WITHOUT SPOILERS

Wow. I can't believe I still love Rick Riordan after he put me through Hades.

Summary (Courtesy of Goodreads)

At the conclusion of The Mark of Athena, Annabeth and Percy tumble into a pit leading straight to the Underworld. The other five demigods have to put aside their grief and follow Percy’s instructions to find the mortal side of the Doors of Death. If they can fight their way through the Gaea’s forces, and Percy and Annabeth can survive the House of Hades, then the Seven will be able to seal the Doors both sides and prevent the giants from raising Gaea. But, Leo wonders, if the Doors are sealed, how will Percy and Annabeth be able to escape?

They have no choice. If the demigods don’t succeed, Gaea’s armies will never die. They have no time. In about a month, the Romans will march on Camp Half-Blood. The stakes are higher than ever in this adventure that dives into the depths of Tartarus.

So. I started reading a Percy Jackson book (again), preparing to have my heart ripped out (again), and end up sobbing throughout the book (again). Yep, it was totally worth the wait. One full year of teasers and everything. I got the last copy out of the bookstore too. Lucky me. To sum up this book in one word: DAM. For non-Percy Jackson fans who don't get that joke, it's pretty much phenomenal. 

I mentioned before that a flaw (if I must state one) of the Heroes of Olympus books is the jumble of characters. Introducing a lot of new characters in mid-series is always a hard thing to pull off. Well, it’s not really mid-series, since the start of a new series, but to us fans (or only me personally?) we/I think Heroes of Olympus is a continuation of the Percy Jackson series. That’s why I was really angry that the Lost Hero didn’t have Percy inside, and at first I honestly thought I picked up the wrong book. We didn’t really care about the new characters as much as the old ones (Percy, Annabeth, Nico, etc.), with perhaps the exception of Leo. Fangirls totally love him. He’s the best new character Uncle Rick made.

In House of Hades, the mess cleared up and the new characters are much more likeable. I can’t go exactly into details without spoilers though, but I will say that each and every character, especially the new ones, seems to grow very well.

So, what exactly are some flaws in the House of Hades? Not a lot can be said (without spoilers at least). But I think it’s kind of weird that each new character have their own chapter to shine and they develop so much in that part… and the rest, they’re just there, helping out, but never really that important anymore. And maybe it’s just me, but I’d like to see some more romance. I never thought I’d say that, but Percy and Annabeth’s journey through Tatarus wouldn’t go as it had without their love for each other. I don’t see that a lot. I know Percy had some encouraging comments, Annabeth is worried for Percy, a few kisses, but still.

Everything seemed... ordered in this book. They face a problem, it was really hard and they can't use their fighting skills to defeat it, then they come up with an Athena-worthy way to defeat it, then they move on to the next problem. 

The theme of this book... I'm always looking for what I learnt from a book. This one was awesome. The hardest part of a war is learning to let someone else take the sword for you. At least, that's the hardest part for someone that's not evil.

I feel so sorry for Percy and Annabeth. I think they're like, the best heroes ever. They should be having a tour through disney land (okay, maybe not), not a tour through Tatarus. They're kids. With so much responsibility it could break them. But they went on. Ah. Young love.

To wrap the non-spoiler part up, this is an amazing book, but personally I loved Mark of Athena more. Maybe it’s because it left me crying harder. Rick is correct: no cliffhanger is worse than Mark of Athena. So while I’m looking forward to the next book, I’m not dying for it.

WITH SPOILERS

Now this is where the fun begins.

Seriously, Uncle Rick? Do you have to rub it in our faces?

Let's do a character analysis!

Starting with the seven.

Percy- of course, our favorite demigod is back.

Annabeth- as awesome as always.

Jason- well, now we finally get to know what's going on inside his head and what he thinks of everyone saying he's the "golden boy". I like him better. Oh, and now he doesn't seem as much of a rule follower as before. I'm also glad he chose Greek. 

Piper- she starts off in the book duck-taped. About a quarter through the book she starts becoming helpful in her one chapter to shine. After that, then meh. Her charm and her growing sword skills are fine, so I guess I'm starting to like her more.

Leo- him. I love him. Seriously. Now I totally ship him and Calypso. OTP worthy relationship. "That didn't happen" and "okay". Oh my gosh. And it shows how, without his humor, the seven wouldn't be very happy. He matured a lot.

Frank- Okay, he became more handsome. That's cool, I guess. And Ares/Mars yelling inside his head... gods, that must be annoying.

Hazel- So. She became a sorceress. That's awesome. I loved how she played a bigger role in closing the Doors of Death. And Hectate turned up! I'm not sure what to think about the goddess though. I guess I'll just stick with Hazel's opinion. I never loved her, but now I definitely like her more.

Other characters

Nico- ah, it kind of pains me to see this boy like this. He's fourteen. I'm surprised Rick put a homosexual character in a children's book, but I'm glad he did. I always loved him, but now for some reason I like him even more. It's especially heartbreaking to see how he starts off as this innocent, happy boy playing mythomagic to this pale, brooding person who lost his sister and went through tatarus and had to live with the fact that someone he loves is going through tatarus.

Coach Hedge- Awww, a baby! I thought he was going to betray them when we first saw him send those messages, but I'm glad he didn't. Mellie and Hedge is just so sweet.

Somethings I thought about:

-I wonder what happened to Arachne. 

-Hey, I want a prophecy. I get it, you're following a big one, but can't we have a small one?

-Nico's POV would be very interesting. 

-So... everybody's happy? No one dies? I'm very happy that they have a happy ending, don't get me wrong. But despite all the change inside each character, no one dies or obtain any physical damage. I was positively terrified when Annabeth went blind, and I thought it would stay that way. I know it's going to be horrible, but that would make it a good story. (Still, if she did go blind forever, I would curse Rick.)

Also, Percy and Annabeth isn't that worse for wear after coming out of Tatarus. It left Nico shattered, and he practically lived among the dead. I know Percy's a *stronger* demigod than Nico, but still. This is a horrifying experience.

-Foreshadowing was obvious. They talked about Bob, Bob came. After that it didn't play around much with foreshadowing. Some things were a bit predictable. I knew that when Leo met Calypso, they would fall in love even though they didn't like each other at first sight.

-I find it too much of a coincidence for both of them to be at the doors of death at the same time, considering the fact that even time in Tatarus doesn't flow the same way as time in the mortal world. So unless there is some divine force (not impossible) making them come at the same time, it seems a bit fake. But I didn't think about that during the book; it didn't trip my mind over or anything. I just thought about its weirdness afterwards.

-I know it's a children's book, but do bad guys always have to talk before doing something. You know it just gives time for the opponent to do something.

-I can't keep track of everything that happens in the book. All the names and places are really hard for me to remember in order. Of course, I remember the highlights (Leo and Calypso, Percy and Annabeth with Damasen, etc.) Still, all the fast paced and action packed events are what makes the book so fun.

-As much as I hate to say this, I think Leo is gonna die when he swore "An oath to keep with the final breath." Jason is gonna go ahead a fulfill the line "to storm (or fire) the world must fall." But Rick hinted this a bit, so I guess it's not really going to happen that way since prophecies never turn out the way we expected it to.

Little things fangirls notice:

-Reyna gets her last name. Yay!

-Hello, Grover and Rachel! It's awesome to see them even if they're in a dream.

-Again, we notice how easy it was for the gods to get away with things even after they swear on River Styx. Like how Zeus sired Thalia and got away with it. Calypso is still marooned on the island and nothing seems to be happening to the gods.

-Rachel kept the blue brush! 

-Connor Stoll burns M&M's to his dad. That's adorable.

-The word "homosexual" or "gay" isn't used in this book. 

So, the countdown starts again to the Blood of Olympus. Leave a comment below and may the gods be with you!

I'm Back With Pictures That Will Make You Smile

So I've been MIA lately... Wow. When was the last time I posted? Oh right, Wolverine review. A month or so ago. So much has happened since then. No, I'm not dead. Yes, I'm thinking about blogging everyday. I hope you guys are still there.

Life has been crazy for me lately. I have so much to do, but I don't want to stop posting, so I thought I'd just pop in and say hi for a moment. Talk about fandom news and my personal life.

So, what's new?

I've read so much more books. I've moved to a new country. I started freshman in a new school. Everything is different. The only thing that remains the same is my good old fandoms. Of course, I've gained some new ones too.

I still haven't watched City of Bones and Sea of Monsters, which is totally freaking me out right now. I need to watch it. Almost as much as I need air to breathe. I also really got into the Fault in our Stars. I've read it a long time ago, but you can blame Troye Sivan for making the song based on the book that got me bursting into tears. You've got to listen to it. I don't think I talked about the Maze Runner Trilogy in this blog too. The books are amazing. You can just feel the character's pain at the end of the Trilogy. Their suffering reminded me of the Hunger Games- how they will always carry the weight of sorrow in them for the rest of their lives, but they lived on. This morning, I was also thinking about the Matched Trilogy. And you can't forget Unwind. That trilogy deserves more recognition. Oh, and Legend. Anyway, I'm on my 120th book this year. At the end of the year I'll post the list of books I read.

And did you hear that Harry Potter is going to have a new movie? Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find them? THE HARRY POTTER FANDOM IS REBORN!

On the other hand, I feel like crying under my bed, not only because I haven't watched City of Bones, but because City of Ashes is being postponed. Not a good day for the Mortal Instruments fans.

But my other fandoms are not disappointing me. I'm excited for Catching Fire. Shailene Woodley looks great in the new Divergent stills, and I can't wait for Allegiant, the final book in the series. Woodley is also playing the The Fault In Our Stars. Awesome. I can't wait for the Maze Runner movie. And no, I didn't forget Desolation of Smaug. Taylor Swift's new song- Sweet than Fiction- is coming out soon and I can't wait. So that pretty much sums up my fandom life.

I've gained so many new friends when I moved here. Here meaning Pakistan. Did I mention that? Anyway, here they seem to love books more than back in Thailand. I'm delighted. I've got friends to fangirl with. Not a lot of Star Wars fans though. Anyway, everyone here seems to be pretty strong in English, unlike back in my country where English is a second language to everyone, including me. But I'm doing fine in English class, except for that fact that I unfortunately do not have much appreciation of the classical books. I've tried to love them, but honestly, I can't get through The Scarlet Letter without sleeping. Maybe I'll understand someday. I loved Of Mice and Men though. Anyway, the teacher thought I was pretty good in class and gave me an extra book to read at home... which is another classic.

The other subjects, however, came easier for me. I felt like I already learnt all the stuff. I moved up to French 10 because I already learnt the textbook the grade 9 were using. That means I had to mess with my schedule and move my PE class to learn with the juniors, which is totally fine because we're learning Physical Fitness. It's much better than PE. We learn how to keep fit through our adult life, and we can play whatever sports we want unlike how PE just lets us learn the concepts and each team sport. I moved to learn Chem/Physics with grade 10 too. That's fine since in my old school we do Chem/Physics in grade 9, not Earth/Bio. Oh, and I also moved my art class (I'm horrible at art, but at least not everyone here is that great either). And there's Math. I was really bored in math 9 so I took the final exam and went to Math 10. I love the grade 10 teacher. I hate math, but the teacher here's amazing. He gave out sweets and welcomed us during lunch time and after school if we don't understand anything. I came after school on my first day in Math 10 and he dedicated an hour or so to explaining it only for me. That's why I aced my math test. In History class, I already learnt the things the teacher taught us. The teacher's really awesome, though. I just sit through the class learning about things I already know. History's fascinating. Trench warfare in WWI, French Revolution, and all that stuff.

I joined the swim team, like I did in my old school. The difference is that I totally sucked there, and here I swim as fast as the senior boys. Wow. Ping Pong here is the same, though. I played and won and everything. At first the boys were reluctant to play with me- since this is Pakistan, a male dominated country, and boys and girls don't really mix. But after awhile they loosened up and it was fun. It's almost like my old school. I'm joining the yearbook club so I can do photoshop, which I haven't done in awhile due to my mounting piles of homework. I'm also gonna do NaNoWriMo. I haven't had a good writing exercise in awhile. I don't even know what's going to happen the novel I'm writing right now. Oh, and I'll be joining MUN. I don't know about the choir, though. It'll be nice to go into many clubs, since it's good for university and all, but I'm a bit shy about my voice.

Despite everything being so nice here, I still feel like I belong in Thailand. Which is probably understandable, but I haven't told my parents since I chose to come here in the first place. I don't regret my decision, but I still feel loyal to my old school and I don't have any interest in making this school famous through sports or whatever. My old friends from Thailand moved on, but I still keep in touch with some best friends.

There's some violence in this country, but honestly I think it's exaggerated on the news. I've seen a particularly bloody car crash, but you find that in many countries in the world. Africa was worse. On the whole, I'm happy here. I've got a great room (I keep everything very neat) and last Friday night I sat out in the stars eating barbecue and all that. I've got friends. Even if I don't, my books and fandoms are there for me. Sure, I've got so much chores to do. Sure, homework is crazy (I should really be getting into it now). But it's okay. I write stupid song lyrics, chat and smile with my old friend Bill, paint my nails, have a few rounds on my airsoft gun (courtesy of my brother), read, and do whatever it is I usually do.

Anyway, I'm sure you're all bored of me talking about my personal life. Have you smiled today? I've gotta post some random pictures that'll make you smile.

I'll leave you with my favorite picture right there. I wish it shows Maze Runner. Star Wars and LOTR is a bit before my generation though, but that doesn't mean I don't like it.

Anyway, I hoped you smile. Please leave a comment below; it makes my day. May the Force be with you!

Wolverine

I will try to keep this as spoiler free as possible, but consider yourself warned. Another thing, I am not good at reviewing movies, but here we go anyway.

Summary from IMDb: Summoned to Japan by an old acquaintance, Wolverine becomes embroiled in a conflict that forces him to confront his own demons.

To start off, I enjoyed to movie very much. I have not read the original comics, and therefore I cannot compare it with the movie. I do not know anything about the previous movies and hardly had any idea of the plot before I sat down and watched it. Yet, I understood the story perfectly. It could be a stand-alone movie.

The opening scene is probably the most awesome thing in there. I probably gasped aloud. And that plot twist at the end- woah. “I buried my grandfather” I knew there was something sinister going on, but I thought it was just the ramblings of a dying man.

All the action scenes are just amazing. I especially enjoyed the silent ninja fight, and the train fight seemed so realistic. However, nearing the end of the movie I couldn’t concentrate due to my full bladder and my unwillingness to get up. The drinks, popcorn, and first-class bed didn’t help either.

Yukio (played by Rila Fukuhima) has a lot of character depth. I had my doubts about her at first, but I can’t help but like her as the story progresses and more of her past is revealed. While she didn’t show any outward sign of hurt when she was said to be “just a toy”, I felt bad for her. Besides, you can’t help just liking girls that are badass.

On the other hand, I cannot feel for Wolverine himself at all. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed his character development immensely, but I just like characters I can relate to. The ending of the movie seems fitting to me- how he had finally come to peace- or as close to it as possible- with his own immortality. That raised a lot of questions in my head. As the Mortal Instruments books put it (sorry, I’m still not over the fact that City of Bones comes out so SOON), staying [young] forever sounds good until you really think about it.

As I said, I’m not much of a film critic, but I do have something to say about the focusing. Sometimes the keep focusing on the front and leaving the back blurred and switching it over and over that it makes me feel weird. On the other had, the action scenes were perfect. I don’t like too many shaking camera moments, and this one played out perfectly- shaking only on action scenes and such. Another thing I wish to have on the film is more humor… preferably ones that aren’t sexual. But the humor that is already in the film made me laugh well.

Overall, it’s a nice film to watch if you want something to enjoy. I really didn’t think about it much after leaving the theaters. However, the (spoiler) fate of the viper women is something to think about.

My Anticipated Movies List

It's been awhile since I made a good post, and this has been in my mind for quite some time. I thought I'd share my thoughts with you all on this. I'm going to put them in three categories: what I want to watch (as in, I'd die if I don't watch it), what I'm interested in watching (but if I don't get to watch it, that's okay), and what I already watched this year. In each category I ranked them from my favorite to my least favorite.

Want to Watch

Mortal Instruments: City of Bones 

Just seeing the posters made me erupt in fangirly fits. You have no idea how excited I am for the movie. I may not talk much about the Mortal Instruments in this blog, but trust me, the feels I get from this book series is as much as Percy Jackson or any other awesome book series. At the end of Clockwork Princess, you would not believe how hard I cried. Even more than Percabeth being thrown into Tatarus. I didn't know that it is possible to cry both happy and sad tears at the same time- for fictional characters. Now I'm ranting. (Note to self: Do a Mortal Instruments appreciation post and rant there)

Excuse me while I go erupt in fangirly fits even after watching the trailer a hundred times.

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

You may ask, why is this second on my list, and not first? Well, around winter time, I was high on Percy Jackson feels, around spring time, I was high on Hunger Games feels, but that moment is over. Now, I'm high on Mortal Instruments feels. It's like, at this time of my life every day I wake up thinking about the Mortal Instruments. I guess it has something to do with recently finishing Clockwork Princess.

Anyway, this is about Hunger Games. I'm seriously excited for this. Even if my "feel level" isn't as high as it was a month ago, it doesn't mean I don't like Hunger Games anymore (Like, I hardly experience Star Wars feels that intensely, but it's still my #1 fandom). Watch the trailer; it says it all. 

I guess another thing about why it isn't first on my list is that I liked the second book the least in the trilogy. Katniss was breaking down, it took half to book to develop the plot and they were only in the arena for a short time, and there were hardly any shades of grey. The whole book was good and evil. Don't get me wrong- it's still awesome. I'm just stating the worst points of the books.

The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug

I was high on The Hobbit back, ah, last year December. But since I can tell most of you here likes the Hobbit, the fangirl fits we share is mutual and I don't need to explain much. Some things though: LEGOLAS IS BACK AND TAURIEL LOOKS AMAZING. I HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS MOMENT SINCE ROTK.

Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters

Percy Jackson is like, up there with the best books in the history of the world, but I can't say the same about the movie. The Percy Jackson and The Lightning Thief movie disappointed most fans, and I haven't set very high hopes for this movie, but that doesn't mean I don't fangirl over it.

The changes are noticeable even in the trailer. Why is Tyson there when he's supposed to be making his wedding gown? But well, at least they made Annabeth blonde.

Thor: The Dark World

I. Have. Been. Waiting. For. This. Ever. Since. Thor. Ended. Like. That.

That's all I could say.

Despicable Me 2

Despicable Me is one of the first movies I remember going to the theaters to watch. It was very funny and it had a meaning at the end of it. I can't wait until I get to watch this- even though the film already came out, I haven't had the chance to watch it yet. Even only watching the trailer made me burst into laughing fits.

Interested in Watching

Olympus has Fallen

Fast & Furious 6

Man of Steel

Zero Dark Thirty

A Good Day to Die Hard

Already Watched

Iron Man 3: This is by far the best movie I have watched this year. While full of action that may be a bit fake, it's an awesome superhero movie.

Warm Bodies- On fandom pages it had a lot of hype, plus the book was pretty good and meaningful even though it was gory. The movie wasn't really bad.

The Host- You may know that the book is written by Stephanie Meyer, author of Twilight. Honestly, though, I didn't feel anything from watching this movie. Personally I actually even enjoyed Twilight books better than this particular book/movie.

Safe Haven- The only reason I watched it is because I read the book, even though it's romance. Hey, I had nothing else to read at that time. Nicolas Sparks is a good writer, but I'm not into romance novels even if this had a bit of action and suspense.

You see, my list is not exactly THAT big, since I don't usually watch movies. Maybe I'll do another post on what I want to read, but I'm still on reading Star Wars books and books that have already been published for awhile now. The only new books I'm really dying to read is like, Mortal Instruments: City of the the Heavenly Fire, Heroes of Olympus: House of Hades, Fall of Five from I am Number Four series, and Allegiant from Divergent, and so on. I'll save that for later. What are your thoughts and what movies do you want to watch this year? Comment below & MTFBWY!

Liebster Award

I haven't posted in awhile and I don't like to neglect this blog longer than I already had. It's time to catch up! So here we go.

Thank you to Edessa for awarding me!

My 11 random facts:

1) I'm going crazy because Pakistan blocks YouTube, and I really need to watch Desolation of Smaug trailer.

2) For that reason, I can't wait to get back to Thailand to watch it.

3) The last time I cried and wasted a thousand tissues is when reading the Fault in Our Stars. Seriously, I don't think I ever cried that hard before. I hate you, John Green. My fandom heart is broken by the feels.

4) I'm listening to a classic country song. Taylor Swift's unreleased song "Your Anything" is now stuck in my head. "I'll be an angel giving up her wings..." ladadada.

5) I seriously miss my friends. 

6) Why number five? Not just summer vacation, but I'll be starting my freshman year in Pakistan. One more year until I meet my best friend. I hope I'll still be close to him when I get back.

7) I am seriously getting nostalgia 24/7. I keep thinking of happy memories in grade eight. I think that's the best year of my life.

8) I can play guitar a bit now. Just enough to play most songs. I want to try finger style, but I need to switch chords faster first.

9) I am currently starting to read Safe Haven by Nicolas Sparks.

10) All my graduation photos make me look like a have a pumpkin face. Sad.

11) I just came back from trekking through the Himalayas. The view was breathtaking- but the toilets were... eh. I won't even start.

1.  If you could go anywhere in the world for as long as you'd want to, where would you go?

Canada.

2.  What's your least favorite food?
Chocolate.
3.  Biggest pet peeve?
My brother.
4.  What's the best movie and/or video game and/or tv show you've ever watched/played?

Star Wars.

5.  Do you prefer "junk movies" (movies just for enterainment's sake) or deep, complex ones?

I can watch anything.

6.  What's one of your most favorite memories?

Oooh, nice one. I'd have to choose the time when my best friend invited me to play tennis with him. He's awesome at that. I supposed he's happy to beat me in tennis, since I beat him in ping pong. 

Oh, the nostalgia.

7.  Where do you see yourself in five years?  Ten years?
In five years I see myself in a good college, still close to my friends, and having published a good book. In ten years, I see myself living a good life- married, writing books in a house near the wilderness. I hope the book would be as famous as Percy Jackson and Harry Potter. 
8.  What is your number one fandom? 
Star Wars9.  Would you rather be stranded on a deserted island with Deadpool or Wolverine?
Wolverine.10.  Describe your room in three words.

Don't. Have. One. 

11.  What's your dream job?

Author.

My Random Questions
1) What advice would you give children today?
2) Whom do you consider to be the hero of our generation?
3) Have you ever saved someone's life?
4) What was the last song you heard?
5) Where do you go for advice?
6) Which countries have you been to?
7) Would you rather live without your favorite fandom or the internet?
8) What talent would you like to have?
9) What is one thing you would like to change about the past?
10) Where does all your money go?
11) What is the most dangerous thing you have ever done?

I'm going to tag some people that has already been tagged... and anyone who wants to do this.

Faith
Shena
James
Covert Knight
Padmé
James Junkers
Voronda
Jamie
Helen
Tahl
And... I tag Edessa back.

That's it... May the Force be with you! :)