Stephanie McKibben, Author
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Thanks for taking a look at my little  hodgepodge of a blog. Take a ganger at the bottom of the page to see the Categories. That will help to make sense of my short journal entries. The format and  subjects of my blog has changed through the years as it's my log of S.N.McKibben's writing journey. You've now been sufficiently ​forewarned, happy reading!
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1/20/2022

The Writer Dojo Podcast Review

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Larry Correia and Steve Diamond team up in a writing podcast that cuts through all the bad advice

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12/17/2020

Altered Carbon Review (Season 1)

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BLURB

After 250 years on ice, a prisoner returns to life in a new body with one chance to win his freedom: by solving a mind-bending murder.

Wikipedia version:
Altered Carbon is an American cyberpunk television series created by Laeta Kalogridis and based on the 2002 novel of the same title by English author Richard K. Morgan.[1] 

In a world where consciousness can be transferred to different bodies, Takeshi Kovacs, a former soldier turned investigator, must solve a murder.

The first season consists of ten episodes and premiered on Netflix on February 2, 2018.[2] On July 27, 2018, the series was renewed for a second season of eight episodes,[3] which was released on February 27, 2020, with an anime film set before the first season released on March 19, 2020. Though the series received generally positive reviews, it was canceled after two seasons.[4]
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Thoughts

So... a book, a series and then an animated series? I "get" a book, a movie and a series, but an animated series that goes over the first live action series makes me think money grab. 
But maybe not. 

I'm all in for:
  • A book, a movie, and an animated series.
  • A book, a movie, and either a series in anime or live action (not both)

But this just seems like they are trying to bank on everything and everything they can.

Reaching all different types of formats is okay... if the previous versions were successful. Why not spread it to as many versions as people want. It just seems that hashing the same thing over and over is exhausting.

Then again, tv series get canceled for no apparent reason to mass viewers.

Maybe, if the animated series was announced after the first season of the live action and before the cancelation after the second season, I'd think, okay, they are just going for a different medium so they can finish the story. 

But that's not the case, and I'm *squirrel*─ing again and this has nothing to do with the story. 

There is some grumblings about season 2 not being up to snuff from season 1 and I get what they are saying, but I have my own thoughts on that too. 
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Cast of Characters

Normally, I have the names and explanations of each character, but I found these and they explain the characters perfectly... I'm just giving you the short version of their role in the story. 

​The entire cast and crew can be found here: 
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https://m.imdb.com/title/tt2261227/fullcredits/cast

Quellcrist Falconer - Inspirational Leader (that started it all)

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Takeshi Kovacs - Main Character/Investigator

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Kristin Ortega - Investigator/Fake Antagonist

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Laurens Bancroft - Client

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Miriam Bancroft - Supporting Character

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Poe - Ally

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Reileen Kawahara - Antagonist

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Vernon Elliot - Ally

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Lizzie Elliot - Ally

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Review

This unique blend of cyber punk dystopia thriller has a classic and unique take on the future. 

I've been introduced to a new genre called Transhumanism. Transhumanism is based on the premise that the human species in its current form is not the end of our development but rather a comparatively early phase.

Plainly said, humans will advance technology to the point that we will learn how to live forever.

Fascinating stuff!

Altered Carbon addresses the conflicts, ideas, and benefits of Transhumanism. It touches on points of Space Colonization, Artificial Intelligence, and the potential of living forever expressed with the technological optimism of an entitled teenager. ​

It's has me thinking and researching more about transhumanism and where not just the genre could go, but how feasible it is to take the next evolutionary step in our lifetime.

More Thoughts

There are some things I find unrelatable or down right implausible with Altered Carbon's themes.

Such as wide access.

It's easy to think that only the super rich has access to things, but the super rich is only 1% of the entire population. There is more money within the middle class because of numbers. According to Investopedia, 52% of the population is middle class.

Now, you can certainly make a living off of selling to the 1%. But ask yourself, how did the 1% get there?

Think about this... 52% is higher than 1%, right?
 
Technology has always been available to the masses because its more profitable. 

Only the super Elite in Altered Carbon are able to be post-human because of the currency value of a body. Which, in RL is about $160 (according to CounterPulse.) 

What the fuck happened to the economy and inflation that $160 is too expensive for all the material of a body? Seriously, I would expect bodies available for "sleeving" to be like a smart phone. Even the ultra poor in third world countries have fucking smartphones. 

I mean, fuck, we can duplicate dogs for $50K. I can't even get a house for that but I can have fluffy live forever for that much. If Amazon can store meat in stadium sized freeze lockers, we can store human bodies. 


While in Altered Carbon you can get a "sleeve", it makes no sense that the posthuman realm can only be explored by a few elite (or that's what is implied). 

The full realization of the core transhumanist value requires everyone should have the opportunity to become posthuman. It would be sub-optimal if the opportunity to become posthuman were restricted to a tiny 1%.

And while ya'll think that everyone out there is a bad person and looking out only for themselves, I see a fuck-ton of star-gazers that want to heal the world. When they get out there and realize it's not the planet, but humans that need saving, they will work on the transhuman issue. 

This Nick Bostrom dude that has a PhD says it way better than me and you can find his words here: https://www.nickbostrom.com/ethics/values.html

No only is wide access the ethical, humane, and economically viable solution, there are other reasons supporting everyone being able to live forever: 
  • to reduce inequality
  • because it would be a fairer arrangement 
  • to express solidarity and respect for fellow humans 
  • to help gain support for the transhumanist project 
  • to increase the chances that you will get the opportunity to become posthuman 
  • to increase the chances that those you care about becoming posthuman
  • because it might increase the range of the posthuman realm that gets explored 
  • and to alleviate human suffering on as wide a scale as possible

The wide access requirement underlies the moral urgency of the transhumanist vision. Wide access does not argue for holding back. On the contrary, other things being equal, it is an argument for moving forward as quickly as possible. 150,000 human beings on our planet die every day, without having had any access to the anticipated enhancement technologies that will make it possible to become posthuman. The sooner this technology develops, the fewer people will have died without access.

Consider a hypothetical case in which there is a choice between allowing the current human population to continue to exist, and having it instantaneously and painlessly killed and replaced by six billion new human beings who are very similar but non-identical to the people that exist today.

All that experience, all that knowledge, all that these people have to contribute─gone. 

Such a replacement ought to be strongly resisted on moral grounds, for it would entail the involuntary death of six billion people. The fact that they would be replaced by six billion newly created similar people does not make the substitution acceptable. 

Human beings are not disposable. 

For analogous reasons, it is important that the opportunity to become posthuman is made available to as many humans as possible, rather than having the existing population merely supplemented (or worse, replaced) by a new set of posthuman people.
 
The transhumanist ideal will be maximally realized only if the benefits of technologies are widely shared and if they are made available as soon as possible, preferably within our lifetime. 

Does that sound like a dude that just wants money or the uber elite to have access to foreverness? Go ahead, I dare you to say "yes". Just look at this:

TABLE OF TRANSHMANIST VALUES

Core Value
  • Having the opportunity to explore the transhuman and posthuman realms
Basic Conditions
  • Global security
  • Technological progress
  • Wide access
Derivative Values
  • Nothing wrong about “tampering with nature”; the idea of hubris rejected
  • Individual choice in use of enhancement technologies; morphological freedom
  • Peace, international cooperation, anti-proliferation of WMDs
  • Improving understanding (encouraging research and public debate; critical thinking; open-mindedness, scientific inquiry; open discussion of the future)
  • Getting smarter (individually; collectively; and develop machine intelligence)
  • Philosophical fallibilism; willingness to reexamine assumptions as we go along
  • Pragmatism; engineering- and entrepreneur-spirit; science
  • Diversity (species, races, religious creeds, sexual orientations, life styles, etc.)
  • Caring about the well-being of all sentience
  • Saving lives (life-extension, anti-aging research, and cryonics)

Smart people are already working on you and I living for a long damn time. They aren't going to restrict access. In fact, it wouldn't help anyone to restrict access or have too much of a financial barrier because (case in point) if technology was too expensive for most people then nobody would have an iphone. Besides, Elon Musk only being able to talk on his smart phone to Jeff Bezos, Bill Gates and Warren Buffet might get boring.  

But for why am I harping on this?

Because I am tired of people bitching about their slow internet (myself included) and pissing all over technology. We wouldn't be able to say screw you Covid if it weren't for guys trying to improve technology. 

Enough about that though, I have a question.

If we are just animals to begin with, and our needs and wants are still basically food, water and shelter, then how will society and human enlightenment benefit from living forever?

Or will we become deranged and perverted like how the meth's are in Altered Carbon?

Some believe our involvement in society will change, morph and become MORE involved with each other. Maybe not in like my neighbor knows what time I get up in the morning but supportive on a global scale. Check out this article.

As if we will become one with what I call THE ALL. THE ALL is what I believe is where thought is collected.

I'm gonna get deep here but I need to if I'm going to explain this right.

THE ALL is where everyone's thought is collected. If you need to think of it as a cloud of thought─then there's your visualization.

THE ALL is how we are connected. It goes into the 100 Monkeys phenomenon. Where 100 Monkeys learn to wash their hands and then monkeys across the world, with no contact with each other, start washing their hands. That thought had to come from somewhere. The somewhere is the unconscious consciousness of THE ALL. 

So now that I've gone off on a tangent (...squirel) it makes sense (or maybe I've just confused you) that we would experience empathy on a global scale. We would experience others adventures, horrors, sadness, hope and life through VR, computers and technology. 

But can we evolve with our needs still as what they are? 

We've become domesticated animals with our homes, medicine, abundance─even our worries are not where our next meal will come from (for most of us) and more about what next to watch, what to write about, what next to ponder upon. We might become even more fluffy bunny (more domesticated? How does that happen?) if death is no longer on the line as a consequence. 

I Would Recommend Altered Carbon to Fans of: 

Cyber Punk

Transhumanism

Dystopian

Complex Stories

Epic Series

Evolutionary Concepts

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Galley of Favorite MEME's, GIF's and Images

To see more reviews on shows I'd recommend, click on "WHAT I'M WATCHING" under Categories in the side bar.
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S.N. McKibben

Will Write for Puppy Chow!

​Stephanie reads for the love of words, and writes fiction about Dark Hearts and Heroes revolving around social taboos. Her whole life can be seen through a comic—sometimes twisted, sometimes funny, but always beautiful and its title is adventure.

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9/24/2020

Moon Blood 5 Review - Game Over

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Blurb

They were unique among their kind.

Ancients were the first-born of the originals. They didn’t seek out destruction or evil. It sought them, challenged them, and tried to possess them.

Kane de Medici is the powerful first blood son of Brogio, the original vampire. Devoted to learning, he has chosen a life of knowledge and experimentation. After centuries of war and battle, he longs for peace and fulfillment with those he loves.

Moon, Kane’s hybrid wolf progeny, is loyal to him above all, while Enzo, her magical spirt wolf, is devoted to her protection.

Zandra Moretti is the first born of King Lycan, the original werewolf. She and her ten brothers are hybrid vampire Lycans committed to not harming innocents and to fighting for what is right. Kane is the love of Zandra’s existence, and with him, she and her brothers will give their lives to fight against the evil that endlessly seeks to capture or destroy him.

Anointed as God’s chosen warriors, they are pitted against Satan and all manner of evil from their past.  Giving their all to protect each other and humanity, the de Medici vampires must face the ultimate test of their strength, skills, and intelligence. Underneath it all, love and loyalty are the keys to victory with Moon and Enzo showing them the way.

​The ultimate clash of Good against Evil plays out in Moon Blood Book 5, the culmination of the First Blood Son Series. 
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Inside Scoop

This is the last of the Moon Blood series, but another shall arise. 

Brogio has Snow Blood.
Kane has Moon Blood.

Who is next?

The "Z" brothers?
Zandra?
One of the coven leaders?

We have to wait and find out which lucky vampire or hybrid gets their own wolf!
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Review

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This is sadly the last of The First Blood Son series. 

It's also the one with the most monsters, the highest stakes and yields the greatest reward.  

After centuries of war and battle, Kane longs for peace and fulfillment with those he loves.

I never really saw Kane as a fighter, though he holds his own. He was always the mastermind, the dandy─the free spirit. But being the head of the coven has changed him. He's more like Brogio, and Brogio while still controlling, is calmer and seems happy. 

This was a roller coaster that went so far up the downhill never stopped until the very end. When you get on this ride, be prepared not to stop until it's done. 

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I Would Recommend this to Fans of:

Vampires

Lycans

Hybrid Vampires

Wolves

Action

Paranormal Worlds

Greek Mythology Fiction

Angels

Mythology

Bible Mythology


Teaser

sample from Moon Blood 5
© 2019 Carol McKibben
Enzo’s shaggy black fur shimmered in the Tuscany moonlight. His golden eyes transfixed on nothing. His body stood frozen in place. I knew the signs. My spirit-turned-corporeal wolf was experiencing another vision.

The forest around us just outside my master Kane’s Italian wine estate was silent save the laughing voices of Zandra, her brothers, and James, her newly turned hybrid vampire Lycan, as they hunted for prey in the far distance. They had no need to be quiet as their vampire speed allowed them to take down the fastest prey. Through my preternatural connection to Kane, I alerted to my sire taking down a large bull moose and sating his thirst at the beast’s jugular. I longed to have a taste.

Instead, I padded to Enzo and pressed against him until his eyes focused and he shook his head. I sat back on my haunches as he gazed into my eyes.

We will have little rest. The worst approaches.

His warning shook me to the core. I twisted my head at the one I loved only second to Kane and wondered, What could be worse than what we have experienced? Enemy werewolves, flesh eaters, shifters, and zombies have attacked us repeatedly. Lilith, the original succubus, has tried to control us. Satan has tried to destroy us. Prior to ever meeting you, human greed captured and tried to use us.
​
Before he could telepathically respond, we both lifted our noses to the air and took in the stench of danger lurking around us.

An arrow whizzed past my right ear. A sharp sting and the whiff of deadly silver alerted me as a chunk of my furry white ear sailed through the air.

Enzo whirled and placed his backside to mine. We circled as some twenty men dressed in brown leather pants and boots surrounded us. They carried axes, crossbows, and swords. Their faces and bodies reeked of hate.

My injured ear stung. The insidious burn of it seeped inward from the minor cut. Liquid fire ran down the rest of my injured appendage numbing everything it touched. I feared silver poison but ignored it and sprang just missing the sharp side of an axe intended for me. I went for the hunter’s weapon-wielding arm and bit down.

The man screamed, convulsed, and foamed at the mouth. He died before he hit the ground.

Behind me, I heard Enzo tear into several others. Skin and cloth ripped. Screams of humans being devoured rang through the air. The spirit wolf’s throaty growls and gnashing teeth mingled with their cries.

A few of the enemy backed off momentarily in surprise at Enzo’s ferocity and their comrade’s death from my one bite. They must not have known that I had inherited my biological father Snow Blood’s deadly bite. I took off to my right, grabbed the extended arm of one man, and ripped it from his shoulder. He shuddered and fell face first into the budding spring ground cover. I whirled and this time bit into the leg nearest me. Knowing I had killed again, I moved on and sprang, tearing out the throat of a third victim.

The screams of those Enzo attacked were short-lived. His powerful jaws ripped throat after throat. Dead bodies littered the forest ground. The smell of their blood incited me. The bloodlust within me overpowered my senses.

I leapt for another would-be victim but was taken down by a silver arrow to my spine. The pain shot through every nerve ending, and the deadly metal surged through my core paralyzing me. Four more attackers surrounded me and began to slash and hack at me with both swords and axes. A blade bit deeply into my shoulder. I yelped in agony. The pain became intolerable.

Enzo instantly jumped them and became a killing machine. Body parts flew in the air. A head rolled next to me. The man’s blank, dead eyes stared at me. An arm plopped down just next to the head. A headless torso took flight and smashed against an oak tree.

I struggled to stand as another blow landed on me from behind, taking my hind legs out from under me. I whirled and took off the offending hand with one bite. The soft appendage still wiggled. My body began to morph into my inner demon, but blood poured from me. I fought to keep my eyes open and was sinking fast. I felt my life slipping away.

As another attacker bent to slice my throat, I sprang with all my remaining strength and tore out his. With nothing left, I slid toward the earth. As the world went dark, I heard Kane’s voice. Hold on, girl. We’re here.
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Buy Links

Amazon U.S.
AMAZON INTERNATIONAL
iBOOKS
Barnes & Noble
KOBO
ALL RETAILERS

About the Author - Carol McKibben

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Carol's love of animals, especially dogs and horses, is obvious in everything she writes. When Carol isn’t feeding her horde of canine rescues, she’s out riding her beloved Friesian on the plains of Texas. Her love of animals leads her to write through a dog's eyes. Carol’s message is clear. "If a dog can love us unconditionally, why can't we do the same with each other?" And, her paranormal stories are often filled with characters that might be the most difficult to love.

Carol's writing career began at 14 years of age when she started telling her stories to Labrador Retrievers, Basset Hounds, and any stray that happened by. It wasn't long before people stopped to have a listen as well. Now, Carol writes for people and speaks to large audiences, dogs included. 

Contact Carol at http://www.carolmckibben.com or join her on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/CarolMckibbenAuthor

Where to find Carol McKibben

Website
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8/1/2019

The Rook Review

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Blurb

When a woman wakes up surrounded by dead bodies with her memory erased, she must uncover her mysterious past to learn the truth.


And that, ladies and gentlemen, is how a premise should be. Short, intriguing and just enough information to pique your interest.

Now, here's the blurb from the book:

Myfanwy Thomas awakens in a London park surrounded by dead bodies. With her memory gone, she must trust the instructions left by her former in order to survive. She quickly learns that she is a Rook, a high-level operative in a secret agency that protects the world from supernatural threats. But there is a mole inside the organization, and this person wants her dead.

Battling to save herself, Myfanwy will encounter a person with four bodies, a woman who can enter her dreams, children transformed into deadly fighters, and terrifyingly vast conspiracy.

Suspenseful and hilarious, THE ROOK is an outrageously imaginative thriller for readers who like their espionage with a dollop of purple slime.
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Welcome to The Checquy. Won't you come in.
Here's my low-down:

Myfanwy (as in Mif-anny, rhymes with Tiffany) wakes up with amnesia in the middle of the Millennium Bridge in London during a rainstorm with 6 dead bodies surrounding her. What's the first thing you would do in this situation?

Myfanwy finds a note to herself and does what her previous self says to do─run. 
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The STARZ original follows the book by Daniel O'Malley but the TV show has gone a tad more serious route than the books. Daniel O'Malley's cheekyness is a little lost in translation. 

I know a lot of big wigs have poo-poo'd this series (like Rotten Tomatoes) saying the dour tone and convoluted machinations overshadow its intriguing premise. But I do wonder if Stephanie Meyers (yeah, that Stephanie Meyers of Twilight) directing (or apparently being involved and then tapping out as the filming began) has anything to do with it.

Maybe they just have it in their heads that it's going to be bad. Maybe they were expecting it to be just like the Daniel O'Malley's book. Maybe they wanted purple slime. Whose to say.

What I do know is that when you go in with expectations it has a larger than a mountain potential to ruin the experience.

Main Characters

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Awaken the Power Within

Protagonist

​Myfanwy Thomas

​Myfanwy (Mi-fan-ee) is an important member of Britain's last truly secret service, the Checquy.

In the first episode, she wakes at the base of the Millennium Bridge, surrounded by dead bodies and has a void in her memory.

​The first season answers the questions swirling around her past, her mysterious power, and the events leading up to the night her memory was erased.

As a recovering OCD sufferer, I identify with Myfanwy (rhymes with Tiffany) and her "other" self's neurotic personality. As she enters the fray, I admire her tenacious resolve for finding answers. 
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Suspects and Allies

Linda Farrier

Myfanwy's mentor and ally (or is she?).

​As the head of the Checquy, designated "King", Farrier must defend her tenuous hold on the agency's secrecy and many secrets of her own.

Farrier is a no-nonsense leader that seems to genuinely care for Myfanwy. I like her─but I don't trust her. Her true motivations are yet to be revealed. But I will watch this series and figure them out!

​Though she's a strong leader, I fear she may not know what all is going on in her department. She has yet to show any type of special powers, but they may just be too subtle to notice. 
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Conrad Grantchester

​Suave and charismatic "Queen" within the Checquy. Deputy to Farrier, he challenges her role as King ans he unravels the mystery surrounding Myfanwy Thomas.

​Within the first episode you understand that Conrad will use his powers to get what he wants. Yet, through his moral corruption, he too seems to genuinely care for Myfanwy. He even went out of his way to threaten people on her behalf─without telling the "King" and without letting Myfanwy know either. 

Right away I started thinking of theories as to why he would nearly kill a person with his special talent to prevent Myfanwy from being harmed.   
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Monica Reed

​Monica is from the U.S. Bureau of Variant Affairs (the American agency that mirrors the Checquy). Upon hearing the mysterious incident at Millennium Bridge, she arrives in London to investigate the death of one of the victims which is also her former lover. 

Monica is treated as an outcast in the U.K. Bureau and probably not because she came in search of her lover on her own personal time. These two power houses seem to play their cards close to the chest. 

One thing seems clear to me by the end of episode 2─people want those with a certain talent that Myfanwy have and are selling these people as slaves on the black market. 
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Alex, Teddy, Eliza, and Robert Gestalt

Gestalt is the "hive mind"─four siblings sharing one consciousness. Thus why I've grouped them as one below.

Alex and Teddy (identical twins), Eliza and Robert appear to be individuals, each with distinctive manners and tastes in dress but this distinction is a facade to enhance their value as agents. They are, in fact, one person, silently sharing every thought. 

Their oneness is fascinating and creepy and the actors play it so well! I look forward to their interactions especially with Myfanwy. *SPOILER ALERT* Talk about a moresome!  
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My Review

The premise is intriquing and the mystery is there to be unfolded TO you. I realize it's hard to put the inner editor away, but if you can, you will have an enjoyable time.

While I can't help but try to figure out what's going on, the events of Myfawny's "past life" comes creeping back while she tries to put things in place and find simple questions like─who's trying to kill her, much less, why?

This is the type of story I love to noodle on. Unraveling the mystery is fun from the couch. 

I found the show keeping my interest to where I'll follow this season till it's end because STARZ has "promised" we get to find out. 

From here I go into spoilers. 

I spoke about Conrad and his protection of Myfawny. His actions seem more protective while Farrier seems like she's an ally, she may have ulterior motives for her Rook. Conrad doesn't tell Farrier about a certain encounter which makes me wonder if he's going to make a power play for the King seat. Monica seems very invested in the death of her former lover and seems to be sticking around for revenge. But everyone keeps a cool head.

Except for Teddy Gestalt. Teddy is getting angry over the fact that Myfawny is not broken hearted and fighting for him─them─to further their relationship. Plus Myfawny is acting weird. Of course she is─she's no longer who she used to be. She's forgotten all the experiences that made her. In my mind the Gestalt's appear to be different emotions of the same person.

Update

8/28/2019

Season 1 has concluded and the very last episode wraps everything up and comes full circle to the Millenium Bridge. However, the pace that was set during the rest of the season makes the ending feel a little abrupt.

We're left with more questions for Season 2─which is great! I want another season─but the "finality" of the season's end felt rushed. It makes sense and yet I have a niggling of dissatisfaction.

​I'll ponder and think upon what it is about the ending that has me feeling this way, and if I reach a conclusion, I'll post an update! Or if you agree and have "put your finger on it", tell me in the comments! I'd appreciate someone to noodle about it. 
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I Would Recommend This to Fans of:

Paranormal

Government Thrillers

Amnesia

Murder Mystery

X-Men

Mutants

Science Experiment Gone Wrong
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To see more reviews on shows I'd recommend, click on "WHAT I'M WATCHING" under Categories in the side bar.

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7/4/2019

NOS4A2 Review

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BLURB

I got this off the Amazon website for the book. I'm not sure if AMC is going to follow the book precisely. But this blurb does tell you what the story is about. The third paragraph seems like it would be the second book of the series since the AMC series is about Manx hunting Vic.
​ 


Victoria McQueen has a secret gift for finding things: a misplaced bracelet, a missing photograph, answers to unanswerable questions. On her Raleigh Tuff Burner bike, she makes her way to a rickety covered bridge that, within moments, takes her wherever she needs to go, whether it’s across Massachusetts or across the country.
​
Charles Talent Manx has a way with children. He likes to take them for rides in his 1938 Rolls-Royce Wraith with the NOS4A2 vanity plate. With his old car, he can slip right out of the everyday world, and onto the hidden roads that transport them to an astonishing – and terrifying – playground of amusements he calls “Christmasland.”
 
Then, one day, Vic goes looking for trouble—and finds Manx. That was a lifetime ago. Now Vic, the only kid to ever escape Manx’s unmitigated evil, is all grown up and desperate to forget. But Charlie Manx never stopped thinking about Victoria McQueen. He’s on the road again and he’s picked up a new passenger: Vic’s own son.
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I found this blurb for the television show:

Based on Joe Hill's New York Times best-selling novel of the same name, "NOS4A2" is a different kind of vampire story. It follows Vic McQueen, a gifted young woman who discovers she has a supernatural ability to find lost things. This ability puts her on a collision course with the evil and immortal Charlie Manx. Manx is a supernatural villain who feeds off the souls of children and then deposits what remains of them into Christmasland -- a twisted place of Manx's imagination where every day is Christmas Day and unhappiness is against the law. Vic strives to defeat Manx and rescue his victims -- without losing her mind or falling victim to him.

MAIN CHARACTERS

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We follow three main characters in the AMC television series. 

Charlie Manx (left), Maggie Leigh (center), Vic "The Brat" McQueen (right) 

PROTAGONISTS

Victoria "The Brat" McQueen

"Starving Artist" Vic McQueen is on her last year of high school and looking to go to RISD─a prestigious art college. She helps her mother clean houses and while her mother pushes her to clean houses for a living, her father encourages her to got to art school. 

Her parents are not perfect people but she loves them. However, things go even more sideways when she discovers she has the ability to find lost items. You name it, she can find it through a creepy old bridge that seems to be a figment of her imagination. But people can see the bridge but they can't go through it without her. 
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Maggie Leigh

The orphan librarian has abilities of her own. With the exception of Zachary Quinto's makeup job, Maggie Leigh's (played by Jahkara Smith) effect with reaching into her bag of tiles like a Hermoine's bottomless purse is both fascinating and creepy.

Maggie is a medium, which is different from "creatives" like Vic and Charlie. But she talks to tiles and they tell her things so that's a cool gift.

She is Vic's consciousness in trying to save these kidnapped children that Charlie Manx absconds with. 
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ANTAGONIST

Charlie Manx

Already people are asking if Charlie Manx is really a villain. He kidnaps children of abused homes and takes them to Christmas land─a place where unhappiness is against the law. 

But a highly moral person would argue that he's taking these children from a bad situation and putting them into a worse predicament.

He sucks the life from these children to make himself immortal and then dumps them back out. 

The makeup transformation of Zachary Quinto is amazing. The two photos on the right are the same guy. 

Amazing! 
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REVIEW

After some research, I’ve come to the conclusion that the origin of Nosferatu was a word inspired by a talented writer who founded the word anew. This writer found the word cool and put it in with their scary story. Mr. Talented Writer named their type of vampire a Nosferatu and thus it became synonymous with vampire.

I’m not talking about the 1922 film that added “A symphony of horror” to the definition of Nosferatu either. This was way before that. So long in fact, the origin of the word can’t be found and is so different from “vampire” which makes me come to this conclusion.

Forward to 2019 and we have NOS4A2—a clever license plate and a very fitting one for a 1938 Rolls-Royce Wraith. It’s also fitting that the driver sucks the life out of children.
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The stories mystery and fresh twist on “abilities” is spellbinding. Answers do not abound in the episodes but enough information is given to figure out the details. Do not haphazardly watch this show or suffer confusion. Only those sharp and vigilant catch the subtle clues left behind. Horror, children in peril, a reluctant hero, a determined medium and a villain that twists the circumstances to justify his actions, makes for a sophisticated story that will stand-up to an age.

Season End Update

08/28/2019

This show ended way too soon, I wanted more! And, with an "ending" like NOS4A2 it looks like we will get more! 

As the season progressed, we got to see more of Charlie Manx's world. It was interesting and pulled some pieces together. It also brought a family issue to a head that also tore them apart. I had a few issues with a few things that happened in which I argue with myself, justifying the choices the writer's made. But I'm not giving spoilers so that's all I'm going to say.

All-in-all, I would watch Season 2 and anticipate the shows return. *cross your fingers*

I WOULD RECOMMEND THIS TO FANS OF:

HORROR

CHILDREN IN PERIL

TEENAGE SLEUTH

COMING INTO SUPER POWERS

SUPERHERO ORIGIN STORIES

MURDER/MYSTERY

VILLAIN POV

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To see more reviews on shows I'd recommend, click on "WHAT I'M WATCHING" under Categories in the side bar.

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6/6/2019

Mune: The Guardian of the Moon Review

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Mune

THE GUARDIAN OF THE MOON

Blurb

NOTE: I've combined a few synopsis together to give you a better idea of the story-line.
​When an evil magma demon and his minions steals the sun of a magical world, the new guardians of both the sun and the moon must embark on a quest to retrieve it and save their world from disaster as the moon faces destruction as well.
As legend has it, the first Guardian of the Sun threw a harpoon into the cosmos and roped the sun to bring light and warmth to all of humanity. Then the Guardian of the Moon lured the moon to the Land of Darkness to provide a balance to the sun and supply the world with dreams.

At a momentous ceremony to appoint the two new guardians, the heir apparent is passed over, and the title Guardian of the Moon is bestowed on the waif-like Mune, a small and frightened forest faun who seems wholly unprepared to take on such a weighty responsibility.

This news excites Necross, the nefarious ruler of the Underworld, a corrupted ex-guardian who decides to take advantage of Mune's weakness and steal back the sun for himself. Now it is up to unlikely hero Mune and his friend Glim - a headstrong young girl with wax for skin - to save the sun and restore order to the world.

Main Characters

MUNE

Loveable misfit.
​
In a description, Mune is described as a fawn. I personally, don't see it. I also prefer to see these animorphs as unique and not comparable to animals on earth.

But Mune is special in that he can curb dreams into whatever form he wants. He can change nightmares to pleasant sleep and even has the power to calm things when awake. He is in essence the moon itself.
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GLIM

The girl made of wax.

Glim is basically, a candle. She believes in magic and the stars, the moon and the forest. 

While she has a sweet side, she's determined to help when the moon is in need.

She's also mischievous and cunning in getting what she wants. Good thing she's on Mune's side or else she'd be a formidable opponent. 

However her sacrifice for the greater good of her world places her firmly in the heroine category. 
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SOHONE

Representing a lion which is very appropriate since he's the guardian of the sun.

Typical jock attitude. He trains every day in the event that the sun ever snaps the harpoons and gets away from the traveling temple that carries the sun around the world. 

While good at being admired, he has a hard time seeing Mune as an acceptable counterpart especially when things with the Temple of the Moon go awry. 
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Supporting Characters

Glim's Father

Perpetually worried that Glim will melt, her father follows her into the sun after she sneaks away to watch the Moon/Sun guardian exchange.  

​Definitely a helicopter parent. 
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Leeyoon

The original understudy of the Moon guardian. Leeyoon expected to supersede his predecessor. The "lamb" that chooses the guardian had other ideas. 

Leeyoon is reasonably upset that he studied hard, dedicated himself to becoming the guardian then right as he was about to achieve his goal, it was snatched away at the last moment.
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Phospho

*SPOILER ALERT*

Phospho was the original guardian of the moon until he was shamefully abdicated. 

He guides our heroes and heroine to Necross, the evil dude who wants to steal the sun. 
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Temple of the Moon

To explain this guy you have to know that the temples are moving creatures controlled by the guardians but independently stay on course.

The temples are fascinating creatures that add to the lore of the world. The moon and sun are "chained" to these huge walking temples thus each satellite is pulled around the world in a methodical pace. 

The two temples hardly ever meet. But when they do, the effect is a division between light and darkness.
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Antagonist

Necross

The first ever Guardian of the Sun turned bad. Corrupted by eels and twisted into a vengeful exile, Necross seeks to gain the sun because some people just want to watch the whole world burn. 
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Antagonist Minions

Pain and Angst

Or depression and anxiety─I'm not sure. One wants to serve Necross because... pain. The other goes on like an evil Eeyore. Comic relief that doesn't work for me.
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Review

Mune was a film that took me a good fifteen minutes to adjust to the animation. The story was one either made up or that I'm not familiar with but I loved the concept. The creativity within this project needs a huge applause. 

The voices were perfect. I enjoyed each and every scene. I can't say enough about the imagination that went into this story. While it took me a while to realize Mune was a faun, I noticed the resemblance Sohone had to a lion straight away. Temples pulling the sun and moon were a new and fascinating concept for me. 

What threw me off further was the inanimate objects being sentient such as Glimer (Glim), who was made of candle wax, but she seemed to be the oddball. Most other creatures were representatives of real animals. But they were drawn more like people. 
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Drawing animals as people is tight.

Each new scene brought with it a whimsical, fantastical world I will enjoy again and again. It felt new while also being the typical hero's journey. I fell into the world, the characters and the second time around I might be able to see more than just wondering what Glim was supposed to be. It took me a bit of watching until I finally "got" that she was a candle despite the obvious implications at the beginning of the movie. It was both a ahhh... duh... moment. Thankfully the awesome overshadowed my perplexity. 

In the end it gave a happy ending kiss that didn't seem all that necessary but sweet. After searching the internet for images, I know fujoshi fan's went in their own direction despite the implication of Glim and Mune coming together at the end. (No pun inteded)  :) Boys love forever! Sohone ♥ Mune.
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I would like to add that the voices for the characters were superbly done. This feature was a surprise for me and I really enjoyed the story line. Unique. Bold. Refreshing. Something you won't find elsewhere. If you get the chance, and you like animation, this is a must see for at least the world development ideas it presents.  

I Would Recommend to Fans of:

Mythology
(even though it has myths unto itself and not related to any culture that I can tell)

Animation

Animorph Stories

Unique Worlds
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To see more reviews, click on "Review" under Categories in the side bar.

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3/7/2019

Crow saves the World from Everlasting Winter

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**Award Winning** CGI Animated Short Film: "Crow: The Legend" by Baobab Studios


Blurb

The Legend is an exciting new animated short movie starring John Legend as Crow, the most popular and admired animal in the forest with his magnificent colors and beautiful voice. But when the very first winter arrives, can Crow make the ultimate sacrifice to save his friends?

Inspired by the original Native American legend, this story of sacrifice and community features Randy Edmonds, Kiowa-Caddo tribal elder and founder of the National Urban Indian Council as Narrator and Sarah Eagle Heart, CEO of Native Americans in Philanthropy, as Luna.

Starring John Legend, Oprah Winfrey, Constance Wu (Crazy Rich Asians), Tye Sheridan (Ready Player One), Diego Luna (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Narcos: Mexico), and Liza Koshy.

Created by the director of Madagascar and the Emmy-winning animated films Invasion! and Asteroids!. Executive produced by Baobab Studios, Get Lifted, and Native Americans in Philanthropy.
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Review

Short. Simple. Enjoyable. 

This is about sacrifice but it has a Happy Ever After so don't think this is a glum story. You'll recognize the voices, and the song is an ear-worm so be prepared to think about this short for a long time. :)

The art is beautiful. The story has a moral lesson for children. And getting to hear and see an American Indian folklore is inspiring.   

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I Would Recommend this to Fans of:

Children's Stories

Native American Folklore

​Beast Fables
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2/7/2019

Dog Demon with an Angel's Heart

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InuYasha

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Blurb

Suddenly finding herself in feudal Japan, schoolgirl Kagome teams up with half-demon Inuyasha to retrieve the scattered shards of a sacred jewel.
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Main Characters

What we have in this story is the "traveling angel" plot. Like Michael Landon in Highway to Heaven, there is/are "angel/s" character/s going around solving Other People's Problems. 

In addition to InuYasha solving OPP, the collection of travelers are set on revenge on this one guy AND to collect shards of the four souls jewel... that was shattered by one of the main characters. It has a lot of good plot going on which creates a good enough series to keep me involved in the two seasons of the tv show.  
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InuYasha

In the first five minutes you see InuYasha destroying a village and reaking havoc so obviously the antagonist,  right?

Not so much, it turns out. 

His story goes deeper than what the first 5 minutes lets on. 

I liked his introduction and how his backstory weaves into the series. But one thing I have to ask... what's up with the bare feet?

If you're interested more about the meaning of his name, I found this wonderful Fanon:
http://inu-fanon.tumblr.com/post/67102045516/the-meaning-of-yasha

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​Kagome Higurashi

​"You're wrong! That's not why Kagome was born! Kagome taught me how to smile, how to believe in people! Kagome was the reason I could make friends and rely on those friends! To shed tears for others, to understand true strength and kindness…They’re all things I learned from Kagome! Kagome was born to meet me! And I was born for her!"
―Inuyasha admitting Kagome's significance to him.
Kagome is InuYasha's conscious, and allows him an excuse to be a "good guy". She pulls out the distrust he had in humans and transforms him into a half-demon that can wield a sword that is only used (for the most part) in service of humans by the power of friendship.
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Supporting Characters

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Shippō

If you're going to have the Traveling Angel theme, you need travelers to go with that angel who travels... thus, Shippō joins Kagome & InuYasha when seeking revenge from the duo, the Thunder Brothers, who killed his demon father.

Being a half-demon himself, 
Shippō understands InuYasha and while they fight constantly, Shippō admits it's because they are very close.
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​Miroku

Miroku is a priest whose grandfather was cursed by Naraku (the antagonist of the story). Miroku was passed his wind-tunnel palm when his grandfather died. Miroku now seeks revenge for his family. 

He is also the one who reveals to InuYasha that Naraku is the one responsible for his current misfortunes with humans.

The wind-tunnel curse is also a powerful weapon that Miroku uses to defeat demons. He has a good heart if not a bit flirtatious. Miroku seeks "companionship" through the series, often receiving trouble instead.
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Sango

Fierce demon killer, Sango, joins the InuYasha team after Naraku convinces her he's responsible for the destruction of her village and the death of her family. 

She nearly succeeds in killing InuYasha even though she's not at her full strength, but in the end, InuYasha reveals that she's being tricked and used.

Once Naraku's deceit is discovered she teams up with the pack and helps hunt down Naraku. 

She seems to have luke-warm feelings for Miroku but doesn't want to get involved─probably for fear of getting distracted from her mission.

If you're wondering... Sango's weapon is called a Hiraikotsu ("Flying Return Bone").
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Antagonists

There are many opponents and henchmen InuYasha and his crew come against but there are two main guys the pack goes after. 
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Sesshomaru

InuYasha's older brother seems like a bored god wandering aimlessly for purpose. He thinks more power is a good goal to obtain but lacks passion and seems to roam the land in this listless desolation after his one attempt at obtaining the tessaiga (inuYasha's sword) is thwarted.

I feel pity for him. Which doesn't make him a great antagonist but still, maybe he'll gain purpose someday. 

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Naraku

This guy has the will, ambition and a plan for his evil mission (unlike Sesshomaru) and he's powerful enough to do just about anything to collect all the shards of the shikon jewel. 

He wants the jewel to become as beautiful as possible which means that his pawns must use the shards for evil ends. Then he'll become the most powerful demon ever. 

At least he's got motivation and nearly every episode is about what he can throw at InuYasha and is pack to achieve his goal.

My Review

It was my guy who started watching InuYasha and got me interested in it. 

The first 15 minutes of the show I was at my desk trying to work. I noticed he'd been trying to satisfy his samurai craving but this was the first anime he started watching on Netflix. 

One thing I loved was the English dub was available. Anime is so much better when I don't have to read it. AND I love the voice actors that play the characters. Many times I don't like the voices and listen to the Japanese version and read the sub. 

So right off the bat & a smile from InuYasha, I was hooked. 

It's classic traveling Angel plot, collecting allies, barely defeating one foe in a surprisingly entertaining saga. 

​I'm on to Season 2 and it hasn't gone off the rails yet, so I have high hopes that this serial has closure. I'm looking forward to finding out. 
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I Would Recommend this to Fans of:

Fantasy

Swords & Samurai's

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Sesshomaru might be dispassionate about life, but he's still pretty to look at. 

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