Smorgasbord Fantasia

I confess I have never read anything by Kiersten White - and this book, And I Darken that is the opening salvo into an alternate history epic, The Conqueror's Saga - was a complete surprise package for me. I picked this up on a whim - wherein I read that the book is a twist on the historical facts about Vlad the Impaler and the tyrannical rule of the Ottoman Empire. What if Vlad had been female? But as I read the sampler, I realized Kiersten digs much deeper than just alternating the gender of Vlad, building up an entire world around these characters that are nothing more than just side-notes in the annals of history. There is rich detail, vivid imagination and scrumptious world-building at hand as Kiersten peels off the layers from that age of history where women were relegated to the Harems and siblings killed each other for the throne, bringing us a well-thought picture of what could have been. The first book follows the life of Ladislav Dragwlya known as Lada, daugh...

The Marvel universe within Netflix is hinged around this blind man, who knows no fear and is fighting tooth and nail everyday to save his city, Hell's Kitchen, either from mysterious ninja-gods or larger-than-life villains orchestrating moves from within prison walls. And I daresay, Season 3 is a welcome comeback for Daredevil , possibly the best outing yet. In many ways - bringing us back to the streets of Hell's Kitchen that becomes the bloody chess-board for a game of cat and mouse, between the Devil and hold your breath, the Kingpin [ The villain we love!] and the introduction of Bullseye as the King's daring key-piece to upset the whole board. See, apart from Daredevil, the other "superheroes" haven't really set our pulses racing quite like Matt Murdoch 's alter-ego. There's something heart-breaking and immensely loveable about Charlie Cox 's brilliant portrayal of this vulnerable man, questioning his faith in God and his own abiliti...

The DC is pinning a lot of hopes on the Aquaman to take off and salvage the tottering universe. And after having watched this, I totally love the feel that comes out of this whole extended trailer and can't wait to watch the movie. Hopefully this one delivers. Jason Momoa is in bristling form!

Book choices, are especially hard for me. With so many new books and authors coming out, it's usually a struggle. But when a Brandon Sanderson book comes out, the choices become simple. You drop everything else and just dive into it.  Skyward - is a Young Adult novel about a young girl and her starfighter. Based on Top Gun, How to Train Your Dragon and Ender's Game, as claimed by Sanderson himself. If you have been fans of these ‘originals’, then you realize that the influence of these references are pretty strong as you tear through the book. But Brandon hasn't just referenced these stories. In true mastercraft form, he's created yet another blazing masterpiece - in terms of the standout characters, the worldbuilding and the amazing plot. Be it Spensa “spin” nightshade, the rebellious young fighter pilot, or Detritus - the abandoned planet that has become the only world for the future of the humanity or that rollicking plot featuring mysterious alien ra...