Friday night, I had the privilege of watching most of the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games. I missed the beginning, but I saw more than half of the Parade of Nations and then watched it to the end. Here are some hightlights:
Sorry the video quality is not all that great. I had a hard time finding the right one.
Obi-Wan is thrilled. Qui-Gon has finally accepted him as his Padawan learner! They are on their first official mission together, to the planet of Gala, where they will help over-see the elections of the planet's new leader. But on their way, they run into a big problem: their ship is hijacked and they are taken to Phindar instead.
The citizens of Phindar are restless under their unfair leaders. An friend of Obi-Wan has asked the two Jedi to help the Rebels overthrough the opressive government. While the Jedi are not to help with these sort of uprisings, there might be more to the situation than meets the eye.
**Book 3in Jedi Apprentice**
Previous book: The Dark Rival
Next book: The Mark of the Crown
Title: The Orphan King Author: Sigmund Brouwer Series: Merlin's Immortals-Book 1 Pages: 213 Publisher: WaterBrook Press Genre: Fantasy My Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Thomas has been an orphan for as long as he can remember, living in the abbey at Rievaulx. But just before his nurse, Sarah, died, she revealed that she was actually his mother, pretending to be his nurse to hide. She gave him instructions to go to the castle Magnus, which had been taken from his family, and reclaim it. Now, Thomas knows it is time to follow his mother's advice. Bu tin order to complete his quest, he will need help. He devises a plan to free a knight condemned to the gallows. He also frees a boy accused of theft and a beautiful girl who is both deaf and mute. The four begin the journey to Magnus, but they first must learn to trust each other.
My Thoughts: I LOVED this book! Thomas is a strong character who wants to do what is right, but doesn't always know how. He wants to help everyone he can and has a hard time seeing the bad in some people. He wants to trust the knight, but doesn't know if he can. One thing I really liked about Thomas was that he wouldn't kill his enemies. When he took back the castle, he wanted the soldiers that opposed him to have the choice of pledging their loyalty. If they refused, they would be imprisoned, not killed. It must have taken great wisdom and strength to spare the men who might have been the ones who killed his family.
The book started out with a mysterious chapter, with the reader not knowing who was talking, or who they were talking about. This didn't really confuse me, it just made me want to read the rest of the book. The end set the scene for the next book, which I will be eagerly waiting for.
**Book 1 in Merlin's Immortals**
Next book: Fortress of Mist
Obi-Wan is terribly disappointed. His thirteenth birthday is approaching fast and Qui-Gon has refused to accept him as his apprentice. If he cannot find a master, he will have to give up life at the temple and work with agriculture. And that is just what the council expects, so they are sending him there a bit early. And to make matters worse, he has to travel with Qui-Gon.
But how can Qui-Gon take Obi-Wan as his apprentice when each day, he is reminded of the betrayal of his previous Padawan? On the way to his new mission, Xanatos comes back. He appears to sincerely want to help, but Qui-Gon doesn't trust him. Can Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan find out who is behind the sabotage of Bandomeer?
**Book 2 in Jedi Apprentice**
Previous book: The Rising Force
Next book: The Hidden Past
-Lovers of fantasy and dragons will not be disappointed-there is a dragon in each book.
-The covers are beautiful. Don't you want your friends to see you reading these lovely books?
-They have romance, but not the yucky stuff in the bestsellers you see in the store. It's fairytalish and does not overpower the story.
-Action fills the pages. With Princes battling dragons and monters, these are not boring books.
-Although these are written in a historical/fantasy setting, the issues are ones that we still face today-judging by appearence, focusing on what people think of us, rather than what is really important.
A New Hope= Eragon-Slightly whiny farm boy (Eragon and Luke) lives with his Uncle (and aunt in Luke's case.)
-He leaves home with some seemingly crazy (or really is crazy, depending on how you would like to look at it) old man (Brom and Obi-Wan.)
-*MAJOR PLOT POINT SPOILER WARNING, IF YOU HAVEN'T READ ERAGON AND PLAN TO SKIP THIS ONE* The old master (Brom and Obi-Wan) die.
-Luke/Eragon continues his journey with a stranger (Han/Murtagh) and the two rescue a beautiful elven girl (or princess) named Arya/Leia.
Empire Strikes Back= Eldest
-Eragon/Luke goes to an elven city/Dogobah to train to become a Rider/Jedi under Oromis/Yoda, the only other Rider/Jedi left.
-Eragon/Luke sees visions of impending doom through a scrying glass (Force Vision)
-Eragon/Luke then takes it upon himself to go save the world and not complete his training like a total idiot.
-*ANOTHER MAJOR PLOT POINT SPOILER* Eragon/Luke finds out that Morzan(A bad guy who basically had the same job Vader had)/Vader is their father. But we find out in the third book, Brisingr that Brom is really Eragon's father and that is where a difference between SW and Eragon occurs. xD Here ends the post. The following thoughts are mine. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Things that I noticed after reading this post: MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS
In A New Hope/Eragon:
-Luke/Eragon lives with his Uncle (and Aunt in SW) because he is being hidden from his father.
-The princess (Leia/Arya) is trying to hide something from the empire/king and the droids/dragon egg ends up with Luke/Eragon.
-Luke/Eragon leaves home because of what he found (droids/dragon) and when he return, agents of the empire have killed his family. Luke finds his house burned, Eragon leaves his house burned (at least in the movie)
In Return of the Jedi/Brisingr
-Luke/Eragon returns to complete his training. Soon, the mentor (Yoda/Oromis) dies, leaving Luke Eragon as the last of his kind (except for Vader & the Emperor/Murtagh & the king, who use the powers for evil).
In Return of the Jedi/Inheritance
-Luke/Eragon is taken to the Emperor/king and forced to fight Vader/Murtagh in front of the "throne."
-Luke/Eragon is able to convince Vader/Murtagh to turn from evil and help him defeat the emperor/king.
In Expanded Universe/The Inheritance Cycle
-Luke/Eragon is faced with the task of training new Jedi/Dragon Riders.
-Arya becomes a Rider and will probably marry Eragon later. Mara Jade becomes a Jedi and marries Luke.
-Xanatos kinda reminds me of Murtagh. (I would say it the other way around, but I knew Eragon before SW)
Selena, Eragon's mother, was known as The Black Hand. She served Morzan and King Galbatorix. Mara Jade was known as the Emperor's Hand before she married Luke in the EU.
So, yes, Star Wars and Eragon are very similar. But it does not make me hate Eragon. I love them both. The details of Eragon are much different than Star Wars, anyway. (Where are the dragons and elves in SW?)
Title: Eye of the Sword Author: Karyn Henley Series: Angelaeon Circle-Book 2 Pages: 233 Publisher:WaterBrook Press Genre: Fantasy My Rating: 3 1/2 or 4 stars
Summary: Maelaia only recently discovered that she is the daughter of the angle, Dreia, and the King of Camrithia. Being the heir to the throne is not easy, especially now. She loves Trevin, but her father wants her to marry Prince Varic of Dremooria for a peace treaty.
Trevin loves Melaia as well, but he fears they will never be together. As a newly appointed comain, he is sent by the king to find the missing comains, and he also seeks the harps Melaia needs to restore the angels' gateway.
Secrets, lies and hidden pasts complicate things even more. Can Trevin complete his quest and return in time to save Melaia from the heinous Dregmoorian prince?
My Thoughts: Karyn Henley has written an amazing story. I couldn't put it down! The characters are easy to identify with and the action keeps you on the edge of your seat. The surprising plot twists kept me guessing what would happen next. I will definitely read book 3.
Things I didn't like: -Drinking. in the opening scene, Trevin finds his brother drunk with some Dremoorians. Also, there is a dink called gash that people drink to "stay young." It keeps them looking young, but eats away at them, from the inside. We see the affects of gash addiction in a few characters. -On pg. 11, Trevin is late to dinner because of an incident with the Dregmoorian soldiers. The gatekeeper assumes that he was "with a lady" and she "kept his tunic." This is not true. though. -Family trees: **SPOILERS** Malaia is the daughter of Dreia and the king of Camrithia. Jarrod is the son of Banasin and Dreia. Trevin is the son of Arelin and Stalia. Varic is the son of Stalia and his father is not mentioned (that I remember)
-Varic kills a few men, and then blames Trevin for the murders.
-Varic and his men kill children. Apparently, young blood mixed with gash makes the drink more affective.
**Book 2 in the Angelaeon Circle**
Previous book: Breath of Angel
Next book: Throat of the Night
In the fall, I will have to go to an audition for a musical, and I need a song to sing. The last two years I did A Whole New World from Disney's Aladdin, but I think I need something new.
The director usually wants something from a Broadway show, but I think if it is good enough, she'll take anything.
I wanted to do something from Mulan, but I think the range is too low.
Maybe I can sing In Dreams or May It Be.
I would appreciate some suggestions. I'll let you all know what I choose sometime in August.
Thank you.
2) Tell us how the idea of making a blog popped into your head and why you continue it:
A couple years ago, my english teacher asked me to start a blog about the books I read, and so I did. Before that, I don't think I knew what blogging was. She helped me start Need2read, a blog deticated to all the books I love. I keep it up because I want to help other book lovers find more books that they might like. It also helps me stay updated on new books that are being released. This year, I became a HUGE Star Wars fan and started The Ultimate Star Wars blog. I wanted to be able to write about what I love and find out more about it. I keep this blog going because I want to provide other fans with information, plus I can talk about SW even when I am not with my other friends. Blogging helps connnect me with people around the globe who share the same interests I do.
3) A normal day in my life:
Wake up, eat breakfast, brush my teeth, get ready for what ever I have to do that day. Of course, i eat lunch and supper in there too, and think about SW :) Then I go to bed when the day is over . . .
4) Best collaboration with bloggers:
I don't really know what this is supposed to mean. I don't think I have one . . .
5) Worst collaboration:
???
6) What this blog means to me:
I love being able to write abou the books I love, find out about new ones, and even talk with my favourite authors on their blogs!
When Hal and the Heron Brotherband fail to protect the Skandians' most prized possesion, the Andomal, they set off to track down the pirate who stole it to redeem themselves. They cannot return without it, or they will be punished. But a fierce storm comes up and they are forced to stop their search. While they wait, they train for their encounter with the pirates.
When the storm finally lets up, they track the pirate to a nearby village. With some unexpected help, can they liberate the village and get their prize back?
**Book 2 in The Brotherband Chronicles**
Previous book: The Outcasts
The Princess of Trelian by Michelle Knudsen
437 pages
Princess Meg is bonded to a dragon, Jakl. She loves Jakl and knows he would never try to hurt her people, but they think otherwise. The people of Trelian are uneasy and don't want a dragon princess to rule them some day. So Meg's parents put restrictions on what she and Jakl can do.
Lately, Meg has been easily angered, and when she is, her dragon is, too. She doesn't know what is going on, but she knows it has to stop. A nearby kingdom has accused Jakl of killing farmers and their families, but Meg knows it's not true. Can she and her friend Calen find out who it really is? And will they be able to stop the evil Mage Krelig from coming out of exile?
