by Penny Angeles-Tan | Feb 8, 2022 | Book Reviews
Princes of Ravenwood by Bryant is a departure from the werewolf tales that Bryant is known for. It follows the life of Riko Shiraishi, a high school senior, and her burgeoning relationship with the Frost triplets – Darius, Elijah, and Forrest.
This book made me breathless! While I, personally, cannot fathom how I would handle three identical hotties, I can see how Riko can fall in love with all of them. It is like they are one person split into three! How do I (in her shoes) choose between them?
Each triplet’s personality is so different from the other that it makes me wonder why most people can’t tell them apart, including their parents. Sure, they are identical, and, sure, they like to pretend to be each other to fool people, but one would expect that close friends and especially family would know who is who.
Riko is the first person to see each of them as individuals and could immediately tell them apart. This, perhaps, is the main reason why Darius, Elijah, and Forrest were quickly drawn to her. Polyamory is a complicated relationship dynamic but I get it. And I don’t think I would be able to love just one of them either if I were Riko. In her shoes, I would not be able to pick just one of them either.
While this story is a reverse harem romance, at the same time it does fall under the young adult/teen category so … more story, and less heat but it still gets pretty hot. You can read Princes of Ravenwood by Bryant on Goodnovel or on Amazon where it is available in Kindle and paperback format.
by Penny Angeles-Tan | Aug 4, 2016 | Book Reviews
This blog post about Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is a review, of sorts. I will try my best to avoid spoilers when I can help it so that those of you who intend to read it can still enjoy it spoiler-free (from me, at least).
When the last movie version of the Harry Potter story, The Deathly Hallows Part 2 hit the theaters there were rumors about another story in the making, presumably the Cursed Child. Some said it was going straight to film, while others said it would be a short story. There have even been rumors of a play and even animated shorts. But the one thing everyone was clear on was that JK Rowling did not intend to write another book that involved her much-loved character, Harry Potter. After all, if I recall correctly, JK Rowling herself said so. 🙂
But the epilogue of The Deathly Hollows left her fans expecting more.
Nineteen years after the Battle at Hogwarts, we see Harry married to Ginny, and Ron to Hermione. We see that all of them have children, including Harry’s school nemesis, Draco Malfoy. We discover that Neville now teaches in Hogwarts. But what brings our tiny hearts a-skipping is this scene …
We get to see Harry’s son! And he was blessed/cursed with:
- having Harry for a father, and
- being named after two of the biggest heroes in the history of the wizarding world: Albus Dumbledore and Severus Snape.
And right then and there we just know that the story has not ended … but in what medium it will appear, we still didn’t know.
The Cursed Child
JK Rowling, author of the Harry Potter series
JK Rowling did not disappoint her fans. She later announced that, yes, there will be another Harry Potter installment … but it will be a stage play. This news was met with mixed emotions.
Those who resided in the UK and those who can afford to go to the UK had no problem (other than how much the tickets would cost). For the rest of the world, though, we mostly felt sadness and regret and resigned ourselves to the fact that it may take years before we would be able to enjoy The Cursed Child ourselves.
And then, sneaky JK, announced in Pottermore that they will be publishing the script of The Cursed Child. Oh, gladness! Yes, I realize she said SCRIPT, not book, but for bookworms like me who grew up reading Shakespearean plays it didn’t really matter. Reading a book for me is like watching a movie in my head. And reading a script actually helps me in blocking my characters in the scenes in my head.
Of course, I realize that JK didn’t write the script herself (it was actually Jack Thorne who wrote it) but JK was part of the process from the beginning. After all, this is her “child” we are talking about. Additionally, the finished product has her stamp of approval and that is good enough for me. 😀
The Cursed Child Unboxed
So on July 31, 2016 (Sunday PHT) Harry Potter fans from all over the world prepared to go to their favorite bookstore for the worldwide unboxing of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child … which opens at the same time as the play itself!
In the Philippines, Scholastic (the U.S. Publisher) partnered with National Bookstore for local distribution. And it was at the Glorietta branch of National Bookstore that Hogwarts Philippines (the official fan club of Harry Potter in the Philippines) invited Potter fans from all over the metro to join in the fun and excitement of being the first to own and read this much-awaited publication.
Fully Booked also came out with their copy of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child but, apparently, they are the distributor of the UK Publisher, Little Brown UK.
My personal opinion …
My sister and I split the cost of the book and bought it and then tried to take turns reading it as we had free time since she worked at night and I worked during the day. My sister actually started reading the book immediately while I was buying a cool beverage. 😀
I do not recommend that you do that, by the way. It is difficult to read a play unless you read it all the way through. It’s like stepping out of the theater for a potty break and then coming back a few minutes later and missing your place.
As I said at the beginning, I will try my best not to post spoilers but I cannot always tell if what I will say is a spoiler or not so if you are unsure then you can stop reading right now. 🙂
Ebony wand pen and bookmark were giveaways at the unboxing event.
It is a script of a stage play. Transitions are fast and it lacks the setup narration of regular books but, as I said … it is a stage play. The script of a stage play usually just gives a brief description of the scene, then focuses on the dialogue of the characters plus some direction on what possible action/emotion the character is supposed to portray. This is so that the directors and the cast have leeway to infuse the story with their own special brand.
For people who are unused to reading plays, this book will be confusing. They will go, “Wait! didn’t he just get on the train as a first-year? How come he is a second-year a page later, and THEN a 3rd-year another page later? Where are all the Hogwarts years?”
Ok, my first advice to this person would be “catch a play sometime”. I don’t mean to be rude. It’s just that understanding it is a play and knowing the mechanics of a play would make them understand the transitions better.
My second piece of advice would be “don’t fixate. It only means the ‘action’ does not happen until later so there is no need to take the slow route.”
Friendship
Scorpius and Albus
Just as with the original Harry Potter books, the main theme of this story is friendship. And in this story, centers on the friendship between Albus Severus Potter (Harry’s second child) and Scorpius Malfoy (Draco’s son).
They create a bond from the very beginning … on the Hogwarts Express as they share a compartment on their way to school. Because of his parentage, Scorpius is shunned by his peers as most are under the impression that his real father was Voldemort. Albus, on the other hand, is burdened by his legacy … of being the son of the famous Harry Potter.
Hermione, Harry, and Ron
It also shows us how the friendship between Harry, Ron, and Hermione has grown over the years as they assume their roles as responsible adults and parents.
Harry and Hermione work at the Ministry of Magic (only to be expected, don’t you think?) and Ron, well, I don’t want to spoil it so let me just say Ron is doing something else.
Father and Son
Harry and Albus
It also tackles the relationship between Harry and Albus. Think of Albus as the rebel — the misunderstood kid that his parents couldn’t understand. Because, in a nutshell, that is what he was. He didn’t fit in at home, he didn’t fit in at Hogwarts.
Where his dad, Harry was Mr. Popularity, Albus’ only friend was Scorpius.
Perhaps it is because they are so alike that made it difficult for them to understand each other. And just like his dad, Albus wanted to do the right thing and right a wrong that happened many years ago even before he was born.
If at first, you don’t succeed, try and try again. And THAT is how the trouble began.
As I continue reading, though, I found myself wondering who was really the cursed child. Initially, of course, I assumed it was Albus, because, the title did say Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, which kind of implies it would be his son. But then knowing Scorpius’ story I couldn’t help but think that is it possible that it is actually him?
I got choked up
Call me sentimental but my heart soared at the cameos of some of my favorite, much-loved, or even drool-worthy characters. I laughed, I cried, and I had to pause to wipe my tears. My heart was squeezed in a giant fist and seeing new heroic moments in my head was just phenomenal! Even if they turned this play into a movie, it just won’t be the same without them.
In conclusion …
I loved it! I had to repeat it from the beginning and then read it straight through to the end for five hours straight. I only took short breaks in between to shift position on the bed and to go to the toilet. Would I read it again? Absolutely! But I will wait until the rest of my family has read it, too. 🙂 We are mostly theater enthusiasts so I am confident they will enjoy it as well.
I do hope the play comes to Manila, too.
How about you? How did you like Harry Potter and the Cursed Child? Share your thoughts below.
- All photos from the play were taken from Rappler.com.
by Penny Angeles-Tan | Oct 6, 2007 | Book Reviews
In the Incarnations of Immortality series by Piers Anthony, I would have to say that For Love of Evil is my favorite book. I read this book a long, long time ago in paperback and it got me thinking about how we perceive people and deities.
We have to understand first that in this series, concepts like death, war, time, mother nature, fate, good, and evil are offices and the person holding the office was once human, and therefore, not infallible. In this book, the Devil was usurped by a good man, later called Lucifer.
For Love of Evil will most likely make the reader see Satan in a different light. Personally, I like this angle very much. A good wizard, becomes a priest, rises in the clergy, is seduced by a succubus, and in his doting age assumes the role of the Lord of Evil and turns hell into a rehab center. In other words, he is a good man doing a necessary function to maintain the balance between good and evil.
He tries to enlist the help of the other incarnations but because he is the incarnation of Evil, he is abused, sneered at, and at the very least, ignored. He is troubled by the nature of good versus evil and decides to end it all in a death duel with God.
This is a really exciting book. Actually, the whole series is exciting and will make you think. For Love of Evil is the 6th book in the Incarnations of Immortality series by Piers Anthony. It was a great effort from Piers Anthony to humanize the devil. I don’t know if there are ebooks out there but you can definitely get the paperback version on sites like Amazon.
by Penny Angeles-Tan | Oct 2, 2007 | Book Reviews
Bearing an Hourglass by Piers Anthony is the second book of the Incarnations of Immortality series and focuses on the Incarnation of Time.
Of all the Incarnations, As a human, I think this would be the most difficult to adjust to. Being the Incarnation of Time means having difficulty having friends even with the other Incarnations as you don’t move in the same direction as them. Imagine living backward while everyone else lives forward. Knowing the future and yet not knowing what happened yesterday for everyone else.
This is a lonely existence indeed. So, how will any person last as the Incarnation of Time?
I still have this paperback, though our copy is quite tattered. If you would like to read this wonderful story by Piers Anthony you can grab a copy at Amazon in Kindle, paperback, and hardcover versions.
by Penny Angeles-Tan | Oct 1, 2007 | Book Reviews
On A Pale Horse by Piers Anthony is the first book of the Incarnations of Immortality series that puts a spotlight on Death.
The Grim Reaper has compassion! That is a pleasant thought. And he only comes for those souls in balance. Other souls can make their own way to heaven or hell, depending on their “accumulated points” of positive or negative thoughts and deeds.
Somehow, death isn’t as scary a thought as it used to be. This anthropomorphism of the concept of death is unique for its time. It tells us that death is not a killer. He is just there to fetch souls.
When we (meaning my sisters and parents and me) read this book in the 80s we had quite a philosophical discussion. It also led to us actively seeking out the next books in the series.
It’s an old book so you might be able to find On A Pale Horse by Piers Anthony at a thrift shop or you can just go to Amazon and get a copy in Kindle, Audible, hardcover, or paperback.
We get to see Harry’s son! And he was blessed/cursed with:
We have to understand first that in this series, concepts like death, war, time, mother nature, fate, good, and evil are offices and the person holding the office was once human, and therefore, not infallible. In this book, the Devil was usurped by a good man, later called Lucifer.
Bearing an Hourglass by Piers Anthony is the second book of the Incarnations of Immortality series and focuses on the Incarnation of Time.
The Grim Reaper has compassion! That is a pleasant thought. And he only comes for those souls in balance. Other souls can make their own way to heaven or hell, depending on their “accumulated points” of positive or negative thoughts and deeds.
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