What is Speculative Fiction?

When I think of Speculative Fiction, I think of science fiction and fantasy, and all the genres that fall under those umbrellas. Everything from paranormal romance to dystopias to cyberpunk. Things that don’t fall under the rules of our world. I’ve been asked about the fiction I write recently by a couple of different sources. The novel I’m working on right now is gothic fiction, but the novel I’m querying is epic fantasy. Both fall under speculative fiction, so I thought I’d try to define it; find out what it means to me and maybe what it means to others.

I like the definition I found from Southern New Hampshire University: “With subgenres like fantasy, science fiction, horror, alternate history and more, speculative fiction is an encompassing genre that freely explores possibility and impossibility alike.”

Pretty much what I thought, right?

My question then becomes: is all “fantasy, science fiction, horror, alternate history…” speculative fiction? After some searching on the internet (a very dangerous pastime), I saw that any alternate history, even one without fantastical elements, can be considered speculative. But not all historical fiction is not speculative. Not all science fiction or horror is speculative. All fantasy is, though. As I searched, I came across this simple, yet fantastic diagram by Annie Neugebauer.

Does it answer my question? Yes. I write speculative fiction. Generally speaking, I write fantasy, horror (gothic) and a little sci-fi. They all have some sort of element that is not bound to the rules of our world, whether or not those rules are explicitly stated. There has to be some sort of “world-building”, but not necessarily the epic fantasy, Lord of the Rings style. There should be an explanation (hopefully woven well into the story) about how the story’s world is different from the real world. The definition that Annie Neugebauer comes up with excludes science fiction and horror that doesn’t “speculate”. Basically, science fiction that is based on current technology isn’t speculative, and horror without any supernatural elements isn’t speculative.

This also means that speculative fiction can change over time, as technology and our understanding of the world changes. Genres have been changing for ages. New subgenres are added all the time, (some of which I plan on exploring in my Substack/newsletter – What is Gaslamp?)

Did you know there is a “MasterClass” article on speculative fiction? They call it a “super genre”, which I think is pretty accurate. They cite Margaret Atwood, J. R. R. Tolkien, William Shakespeare, and Euripides as speculative fiction writers.

A few speculative books I’ve enjoyed recently:

• The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy, by Megan Bannen
• Network Effect, by Marta Wells
• Under the Whispering Door, by T.J. Klune
• An Ember in the Ashes, by Sabaa Tahir
• Silver in the Wood, by Emily Tesh
• Wayward Son, by Rainbow Rowell
• Dragons Don’t Eat Meat, by Kim McDougall
• Legends & Lattes, by Travis Baldree

I could go on, but I won’t. Network Effect is very different from Under the Whispering Door, but they were both AMAZING. They were all great books, all with something speculative.

 I hope this helps anyone who was hoping to better understand Speculative Fiction. Do you write/read speculative fiction? Do you have any questions about it?

Resources:

https://www.snhu.edu/about-us/newsroom/liberal-arts/speculative-fiction 

https://annieneugebauer.com/2014/03/24/what-is-speculative-fiction/ 

https://www.masterclass.com/articles/what-is-speculative-fiction-defining-and-understanding-the-different-genres-of-speculative-fiction 

https://bookriot.com/what-is-speculative-fiction/ 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speculative_fiction 

It's January!

Happy New Year! This is my second day back in the real world. I took time off with the family. I have to take the time while the children are still young, when they actually want to spend time with me. I dread the day when they’re too cool for me.

Since I’m back in the world, I wanted to share what I’ve been reading and watching. I’m halfway through The Hacienda by Isabel Canas. It came in from the eLibrary the other day and I’m loving it. The story is amazing; the characters are so real and Canas writes beautifully. I feel like I’ve picked out 100 amazing sentences already!

Before that, I read Crumbs, by Danie Stirling. It is the CUTEST. I loved it so much.

Before that, I was swimming in holiday tales, including The Girl Who Saved Christmas, by Matt Haig. Not only was it sweet, but real, it reminded me that I needed to read The Radleys.

I also just finished watching The Ways of the Househusband, an anime of Netflix. I needed something fun during the craziness of the holidays. I’ve watched a few cute animes on Netflix in recent months. Romantic Killer and Blue Period, to name a couple more.

What’s next in my reading/watching life? Probably Lumberjanes #10 or Love on the Brain. Maybe Wednesday.

What's Been Happening - Summer 2021

The summer was busy. Maybe busier than I was prepared for, since 2020 was a COVID summer.

This year, I did a couple really good things that I wanted to share.

I participated in Culture Days. The WCYR (the writing community I volunteer with) put together a recording of 10 writers reading from their work. I was excited to be included. I was also quite nervous. You can check out me and the other participants here. You can learn more about Culture Days here.

I think one of the most important things I did was post "Where Are You From?" in June. The title seems innocuous, but it is not an innocuous question when the person asking refuses to take your first answer at face value. I was nervous. I hope no one can tell. I haven't actually watched myself yet. BUT - Check out the post for some of my feelings on that.

I received an evaluation on a manuscript I've been working on. I'm going to rewrite about half of it. Good times.

The best books I read were probably Barack Obama's, A Promised Land, and Kelley Armstrong's Lost Souls. Two very different books. I thoroughly enjoyed them both. I couldn't recommend them enough. A Promised Land also cemented for me that non-fiction is my preference for audio books. Lost Souls reminded me that I am enamoured by Gabriel Walsh and I need to finish the Cainsville series.

Movies - I watched Black Widow. What else? It's escaping me. The Half of It on Netflix. I thought it was going to be cute - and it was - but I also cried a little.

Television - Hmm... I watched Godzilla: Singular Point, an anime. I thought the two main characters were adorable. Also anime, Dota: Dragon's Blood. Have you watched The Dragon Prince (I'm waiting on the next season)? Dota is The Dragon Pince for grownups. I've also been obsessively re-watching Avatar: The Last Airbender. I still love that show. My daughter loves as well. We're always looking for shows we can watch together.

Like, Loki. We're all in on Loki. Forever. Let's smash the sacred timeline.

The Dota: Dragon's Blood trailor:

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I Learned Something About Myself

The Pouch of Douglas (be warned). I was watching Hannah Gadsby’s show, Douglas on Netflix. Now here we are. (The bit is at the end of the post.) Really, I think it's important. I learned about a part of my body that I didn't know existed. Also, it came during a part of Hannah Gadsby's show that had me feeling like, why had men named all the things? and, couldn't they come up with better names? If you have watched Douglas (and if you haven't, I recommend that you do), another part that made me laugh so hard and wonder so much, was that piece of fabric up a lady's bum in a renaissance painting. It was a choice. The artist chose to take the time to paint that!

What else did last week bring me? A re-watch of the last three episodes of Lucifer on Netflix. Because, why not?

My daughter is obsessed with Julie and the Phantoms. Have you seen it? It's cute. Great for teens and tweens, I think. The music is enjoyable and will have you singing along. It's a hidden gem. A song from episode 2 below.

I finished Maya Angelou's Complete Poetry. It's brilliant. If you haven't read her poems, I highly recommend them. Some are fun, others are heartbreaking. They're beautiful, lyrical, and take you on a journey.

With a vacancy in my reading list (not reall), I started Meg Cabot's Mediator series. The first book is Shadowland, featuring a teen protagonist who can see ghosts. She even punches one! It's also giving me some 90's feels. It was published in 2000, which means it was likely written a couple years before. The late 90's were some good years. Maybe that's one of things I like about Julie and the Phantoms. The Phantoms died in the 90's. I also just enjoy Meg Cabot's books.

I have been advised that should start a newsletter. What would I write in it? That I have a new blog post up? Bits from those posts? Link to books recs? Other bloggers? Could I include things from the WCYR? How long would it have to be? It's already giving me anxiety and I haven't even started anything yet. I'd need some kind of email signature/logo, which also has to be done.

The sky is darkening. Maybe it's time to stop thinking about things that make my tension level increase.

It's Been A While - Looking Back at 2020

At first, nothing really changed for me.

My day job is work from home gig. I was already home everyday. The biggest difference was having the children at home. Initially, I blogged (among other things), more than I had in a while. It felt good. I was sharing what I was doing/watching/reading. It was nice to share again.

I wrote a lot. I finished a draft of my work-in-progress and started editing. I discovered I might have a mild obsession with my characters' hair. I mention hair a lot.

Then I stopped blogging. I'm not sure why. I was still blogging for the WCYR and doing other work for them/us. I love my writing community. Many like-minded people coming together for the love of writing. We share our ideas, our quirks, unique habits. We're a support and a resource for each other. I'm glad I found them years ago and that I'm now a part of them.

Exhaustion gets me at inconvenient times.

I still did a lot. I attended online meetings/seminars. I read. I watched movies and television. I continued to work at my job. 

Months have passed in this new normal and I find I want to blog again.

Here I am.

I have used Goodreads to track my writing progress for many years. I really like how they put together my year in review. It's a nice way to look back on the books I've read, remembering favourites from January or February, seeing where my reading trends took me. I read by feelings, cravings, imaginings.... 

I read a lot of rom-coms/romances this year. I guess I needed some "Happily Ever Afters". Some favourites? Get A Life, Chloe Brown - I may have cried. The Friend Zone - Not what I expected. Wrapped Up In You - That's 2 for Talia Hibbert. Boy Toy - That title, plus a post-baby body. Meet Cute - The main characters needed so many hugs. 

I also read a lot of fantastic fantasy. Deceptions - Kelley Armstrong making me long for the characters. The Ghost King (The Legend of Drizzt) - Surprisingly sad. Six of Crows - For the win. Rebel - Giving me an amazing end to Day and June's story. Carry On - Surpassing expectations.

I also read All Systems Red - Science-fiction at its best, I think. I read some graphic novels (Wonder Woman, Captain Marvel, Lumberjanes, Avatar, Hawkeye). I read three more Stephanie Plum books. I just realized I didn't read any In Death books this year. How did that happen?

I watched Mulan and Wonder Woman (yes, I paid the premium price). I watched Lucifer. I was sad when Flash and Supergirl abruptly ended in the spring. I enjoyed My Next Guest Needs No Introduction (RDJ has llamas). Nostalgia had me watching War on Cybertron. The need for laughter had me watching Mr. Iglesias. I've been watching Star Trek: Discovery. I loved Star Trek: Picard. I watched the final seasons of She-Ra and the Princesses of Power and Anne with an "E". 

Though 2020 could have been [a lot] better. It also could have been worse. I've come out of it with my health and the good health of my loved ones. I know that can't be said for everyone, so I'm more than grateful for that. 

Will the coming year see me back on my blog? I hope so. I'd like to think so. I've always enjoyed writing out some thoughts here. I know I'll have to tell someone when I read the next Murderbot book. 

Now, for the traditional picture of books.

What I Read Last Week #3

I read 2 novels last week. One mystery/comedy, and one YA retold fairy tale. 

High Five, the fifth book in the Stephanie Plum series, by Janet Evanovich. It was fun, exciting, and had an ending that drove me a bit crazy. I think that Stephanie is such a ridiculous and interesting character. She's so full of bad luck. Will things ever get better for her?

Of Curses and Kisses was and was not a fantasy. It was a retelling of Beauty and the Beast. It was kind of mean. I liked it, but the end was not my favourite. I wanted more. I'm hoping because it's a series, the next book will tell me what happened with Jaya and Grey. Because his father was awful and her "friend" was very manipulative. I'm also really interested in the secondary characters. They were all really interesting.

Assassin Eco-Corpses

I loved Grinder. I had to say it. I don’t know what it is, maybe “biker with a big heart”, but he got to me. I know Junior is fun and spunky and unique. I can see how she would be someone’s favourite character. She’s awesome and I very much enjoyed her and her interactions with Hazel, but Grinder is the one for me. Cuthbert is another great character. A dapper man with a biker partner, and occasional English accent, he seems intriguing. All the characters do. I feel like Assassin Eco-Corpses was just a taste of who all these characters are.

I don’t want to give anything away, but I appreciated the villain twist. It wasn’t what I expected, and I do enjoy the unexpected. “Eco-Corpses” really start to make sense. I also appreciated the story taking place somewhere I was familiar with. I know that won’t be the case with every reader, but I liked the little details, seeing the different parts of town the corpses traveled.

Endings can make or break a story for me. I read a book recently where one of the sub-plots left me wanting. Not that I need everything to be wrapped up in a bow, especially with a series, but there needs to be a level of satisfaction with the ending. Assassin Eco-Corpses ended with emotion, surprise and curiosity. It also ended with possibility, which is what will have me looking forward to the next D.E.M.ON. installment.

Another Sequel, A Finale, and Women Who Need To Talk

These three books are very different... and two of them are library books! I've been reading a lot from the library lately. I'm embracing library books in a way I haven't before. I'm running out of space in my house. I also feel like I can try out more new authors without the worry of money/space. Libraries are just so awesome!

Two For The Dough

Janet Evanovich is a genius at pacing her novels. Two For The Dough was full of excitement. Even the exposition passages were seamlessly woven into the intensity. I can't get enough of Stephanie Plum and Joe Morelli. I also really like how so much of the adventure takes place in the area where they live and grew up. Everyone knows everyone, including the bail jumpers on the run.

X-Men '92: Lilapalooza

There are so many characters in X-Men '92: Lilapalooza, a lot of favourites, many from the previous X-Men '92 books, but also others I was unfamiliar with. There were also a lot of "X's" in general. X-Men, X-Force, X-Factor, X-Brood. I still had fun with the comic. My nostalgia is strong. I loved seeing all my favourite characters from the 90s in their bright, colourful outfits.

I'm a little sad/disappointed though. Lilapalooza is the last book. The series was cancelled and know I don't know what happens with Xodus. Is there another comic that wraps it all up? I want to know what happens!

Women Talking

Women Talking was heartbreaking, fascinating, and made me so sad. Mariam Toews' novel is about Mennonite women deciding how to move forward with their lives after they are sexually assaulted by a group of men in their community. The story starts in the aftermath. The men have been caught, and arrested. The impression the women give is that this is for the men's protection, some of the women would have killed the men for what they did. I empathized deeply with these women. It wasn't just adult women who were brutalized, but their daughters too. As amazing as this story was, it's hard for me to think about. Women Talking is based on a true story about a real community. Part of me feels like Toews wrote the ending as she would have liked it to be, not what actually happened.

It was a wide range of stories for me. I am glad I read each of them. I like interspersing the serious with the fun. My heart can't break with every book I read, after all. 

Three Novels Beyond the Real

I was reading Shiver, when as I neared the end, two books came in for me at the library. Bloodfever and Glory In Death. In that order. I was so excited. Two sequels to two books that had me staying up past my bedtime reading. 

Shiver

Wow. I think I use that word too much, but that ending was a definite wow. After reading The Raven Cycle I knew I had to read more from Maggie Stiefvater. Shiver did not disappoint. I was a little hesitant to read a werewolf tale, but Stiefvater's take on werewolves is not one I've read before. It's tragic. Beyond the supernatural "issues", it was the characters that got me. The characters are rich and real. They are believable and relatable. Grace is a wonder. She is unique and deserves love. Sam is sad and warm and kind. I really enjoyed the alternating points of view, but Grace was the centre for me. I often enjoy that stylye and Stiefvater does it well. 

Bloodfever

I am loving the Fever series. Bloodfever is Karen Marie Moning's sequel to Darkfever. I think I enjoyed the second book more. I loved Mac more. I loved watching her grow and learn more about herself. I liked that she didn't just fall in with whoever was making her promises. She trusted herself more. I'm in this series until the end. I want to know who/what Barrons is. I want to know more about the sisterhood. I want to see Mac get her revenge.

Glory In Death

Lt. Eve Dallas is still amazing. Glory in Death is the sequel to JD Robb's Naked in Death, a novel about a hard-ass detective, set in a future New York City. Glory in Death makes me so happy. Eve is the same, but growing, as is Roarke. He surprises her and himself. She puts it all on the line for her cases and for people she cares about. Watching her relationships grow, not just with the man in her life, but with her best friend, and her new reporter friend. Eve Dallas has me hooked. I don't know if I'll ever get tired of reading about her - and there are a lot of books in this series.

Each of these novels have a lead character who is strong, yet vulnerable. They learn and want to know more. They are three completely different worlds that these characters live in, but they adapt and seek to understand. They are compelling, consuming reads and I can't wait to read more about each of them. 

Wonder Woman: War-Torn

I started out pretty frustrated with Wonder Woman: War-Torn. I was wondering what Meredith Finch and David Finch did to this series that I had been seriously enjoying until now. The ending saved the book. Not just Diana getting more in touch with the island, but her final battle with Donna Troy and the flashback chapter. Oh, Hippolyta.

Irony: "She's everything they used to mock me for."

I don't agree with quite a few of Diana's decisions in this story, not that I have to in order to enjoy it. Diana seems to be that "wonder woman" who aims to do it all. She is a member of the Justice League, Queen of the Amazons, and God of War. Can I be honest? I would give up being a member of the Justice League, at least a full-time member. I'd keep in touch, help when the big things are happening, like alien invasions or whatever, but both God of War and Amazon Queen seem like full-time positions. I think that's what frustrated me. Also, when Diana was dealing with First Born, where was the League? I get that it was an Olympus problem, but this involved the FATE OF THE WORLD. Even Orion came from ANOTHER PLANET to help. Sorry for all the All Caps. I have feelings about this book.

Speaking of Orion, where is he? I missed him. I missed Zola and a bunch of the characters from the previous story arc. I know there is a new writer and artistic team, but still! Also, if they want to see who has Hera's favour, Diana couldn't just ask her to stop by? That would have saved lives, no? As I mentioned, the end saved the entire story for me. There were some touching moments. I wonder about Wonder Woman's relationships with Superman and Batman, and if they'll be explored the next two books. I also wonder if all those characters I loved will come back and what these new creators will do with them.

Visions

I don't think I could have loved Kelley Armstrong's Visions more. Visions had everything I wanted. I love Olivia. She's just amazing. Her attitude, personality, acceptance, fight, she is a strong character who is taking charge of her destiny. It is Owl versus Raven, with one side telling her to stay close to Gabriel and the other saying stay close to Ricky. Olivia has no plans to give up either. With both relationships, she is going in with eyes open. She knows who Ricky is, at least as much as he knows about himself. She knows who Gabriel is and has accepted a while ago that she is not going to be the woman to "change" Gabriel Walsh. She is happy with their friendship, they both are, and they both don't want to ruin it.

There were so many revelations in Visions. I wondered how both Olivia and Gabriel were going to handle it. Olivia did a very normal, human thing, which I appreciated. I don't want to say sensible, because that sounds boring, but sometimes I really do appreciate when a character makes a sensible decision. Olivia's decision at the end led to something lovely, and then something heartbreaking. It was a fantastic ending for the second book in the Cainsville series. It had me reaching for Deceptions, wanting to make sure that I had it available for when I was ready to read it.

I'm going to need a bit of a break. I had a lot of emotions and Visions sucked up a lot of my time. I could barely put it down. I had to re-read the end, just so I wouldn't be done, so I could spend a little more time with Olivia and Gabriel. Ricky is nice and everything, but I'm all about Gabriel. When  his exterior cracks he's fun and funny. Olivia has managed to get passed it.

I'm a little worried about  the ex-fiancé though. James seems like he's going to be a problem. Olivia is finding out who she really is. She is making new friends and forming new relationships. James is trying to pull her back to who she was. That's just not going to happen. He doesn't seem like he's going to accept that. 

Visions was a complete, wonderful, intriguing story. It has also left me wondering what crazy thing is going to happen to Olivia next.

The Invasion Of The Tearling

That ending was amazing. The Invasion of the Tearling had me reading past my bedtime a lot. Last night was no exception. I was only going to read for 20 minutes before going to sleep, since I was planning on getting up early, but nope. I couldn't put the book down. I finished it and it was fantastic. One of my predictions happened, but that's okay, because there were a few surprises waiting too.

Queen Kelsea Raleigh Glynn is amazing. She's changing and growing. She is trying to be the best queen she can be. She is trying to save her people. She also wishes she could just be a regular young woman. Kelsea is only 19 and she wants to be 19, which comes with its own emotional turmoil.

I'm a little in love with Pen. I wish I could get to know him more. He is the Queen's Shield, fiercely loyal and truly cares for her. Pen has done his own growing and changing. He tries to deal with his emotions, but not in a way that really works. I am hoping we get to spend more time with him. I also hope he ends up happy.

Lily Mayhew was certainly an interesting and important storyline. As soon as Tear appeared, I knew who she was though. She is so important. I wish Kelsea and Lily could have interacted more. I feel like Lily is the key. I hated her husband. I loved her bodyguard. I think they had the potential to be best friends.

Also, what happened between Row Finn and the Fetch? What will happen? What will happen between Finn and Kelsea, and Fetch and Kelsea? Who is Kelsea's father? Does it matter? There are so many questions by the end of the book. Invasion of the Tearling is the quintessential "middle book". There's growth, action, a bit of set up, a few new characters, and a cliffhanger. I appreciate that the ending gives me room to breathe though. I'm still thinking about it and I know it's will not be long before I finish off the series, but the ending didn't drive me crazy. I'm excited to see what Erika Johansen has in store for her readers.

Lumberjanes: Out of Time

The more I read the Lumberjanes series, the more I love them. These are some fantastic girls. Their personalities shine. They are so different, and they love each other so much. They love Jen. I was glad we got to spend more time with her. Being their Camp Counselor must be so hard! They are always getting into trouble, sneaking out, or fighting the supernatural! What is Jen to do? Jen understands the girls more in Out of Time, and she learns more about Rosie too. I think this is the most we've seen Rosie. Rosie is usually this overarching presence, without being involved directly in what the girls do. This time though, Rosie finds herself in the midst of not just saving Jen and the girls, but the whole forest.

I really liked that we got to see more of the forest and what lives in those woods. Is every creature living there evil? Are any of them? We learned more about the Bear Woman too. I feel like there's so much more to that story.

What about Abigail? When are we going to see her again? Because she's not done with the forest or Rosie. What happened to her was sad, but she did not deal with it well. She was an interesting character, a real contrast to those we've met so far. 

Jo was a stand out for me too. She always seemed like such a leader to me, sure of herself and her place among the group. In Out of Time we got to see her have doubts. She had to deal with one of the Scouting Lads from earlier in the series. April befriended Barney and we got to see him return with his kitten (which was a call back to the brainwashing story, so that was fun). Barney wants to be a Lumberjane so much, he wants to go on adventures and thinks these girls are amazing. Through this interaction, we get to see Jo grow as a person, become more mature and reflect on herself. We also get to see her call her Dads and what that reveals about the camp the girls are in.

Lumberjanes: Out of Time was the fun and uplifting story I wanted it to be. I'm so glad I have more Lumberjanes waiting for me. I've introduced them to my daughter too. I'm excited to start talking to her about these fun and fantastic stories.

Deadpool 2

The after-credits scene is a must. If you walk out before you see it, you're missing out.

I laughed and cringed my way through Deadpool 2. It was fantastic. Was it better than the first? I don't know. I'll just have to watch the first again to find out. The maximum security prisoner was amazing. All the new characters were great. I loved Domino. I loved Yukio. I loved how it all connected. All the main characters go through some kind of growth. Not just Wade, but we see Cable, Domino, and Colossus all learn and grow. They find something in themselves and in each other. Even though the movie is extremely violent and funny, we can see how much caring there is in the way the characters treat each other, even if they are being a$$holes.

You know, we never see Deadpool sharpen those katanas, but they are extremely sharp. Just a thought.

I do have to mention that Vanisher was hilarious, all the cameos were amazing. 

This might be one of my shortest posts. I don't know what else to say about the movie without giving things away. If you were a fan of the first, you will definitely be a fan of the second.

Omens

I love Olivia. She's amazing. She's smart, but sweet and also ruthless. Omens was perfect. I loved every scene. I loved her. I enjoyed each character. I don't know if Olivia's parents are guilty, but she is certainly going to have a crazy adventure finding out. Gabriel. Damn. He is also amazing. An intriguing, beguiling character. I can't imagine meeting a person like him in real life.

I am without a doubt hooked on the Cainsville series. I also can't believe this is the first book I've read by Kelley Armstrong. I'm a fan now, though. I am going to read all the Cainsville books. I want to read the Otherworld books. I also picked up Sea of Shadows, so it looks like I will be reading Age of Legends too. Basically, after reading Omens, I'm a fan.

I don't want to say too much about Omens because I feel like I'll give the story away. The book starts off with the big revelation that this well-to-do socialite is adopted and actually the biological daughter of serial killers. She discovers this and her world is shaken. The paranormal aspects of the story is subtle, woven in slowly, only becoming more substantial as the story progresses. I enjoyed the light sprinkling, slowly building. I imagine it will continue to build like this throughout the series.

Seriously though, I NEED to know what is going to happen with Olivia and Gabriel. There is something there, right? Maybe by the the end of Visions I'll get to see it. Maybe it will take the whole series. They are what are going to keep me coming back. Olivia is so interesting and intelligent. Gabriel is mysterious, but infuriating (in a good way). Their dynamic is special. Also, Patrick. Who is he? What is he? How will he influence Olivia's life? Will Grace have a larger role? Also, gargoyles. I can not resist a good gargoyle.

X-Men '92: The World Is A Vampire

The nostalgia factor is high every time I open up an X-Men '92 comic. X-Men '92: The World is a Vampire is not in the same continuity as the rest of the the Marvel Universe. These are the X-Men I grew up watching. (I wish the show was still on Netflix.) Just looking at the cover makes me happy. I'm so happy with the art too, the way everyone is drawn may not be exactly the way they looked in the cartoon, but the essence of the characters are still captured, they feel how I want them to feel.

As the title suggests, the X-Men find themselves battling vampires. They are also without Cyclops and Jean Grey. Cyclops has decided to retire and Storm is in command. They have reopened the school, so there are students to worry about when Alpha Red comes knocking. I love the addition of Psylocke and Bishop, two amazing characters and two characters who do well balancing out Storm and Beast's thoughtfulness. Side note: look who is in love with Storm, not that I can blame him. The battles were exciting. Relationships were tested, new ones were forged. I really hope we get to know the students a little bit more. This edition of X-Men '92 was what I wanted it to be.

I was a little less happy with the final part of the graphic novel, Jean and Cyclop's story. It was still exciting and saw the characters having a pretty big revelation at the end. It was just missing something that the rest of the novel had. Maybe because it was so short, the story didn't get to fully develop. That stuff with Mr. Sinister was creepy though. Something about Jean's hair too. I know that's superficial, but it's just an example of how the art was different and didn't flow from the previous parts of the graphic novel. Maybe it was fine, being a different story, with completely different things happening to Scott and Jean (no vampires), but I don't know, her hair just bothered me.

All together, X-Men '92: The World is a Vampire hit all the right notes. There was the call back to the show in the '90s, and there was also Storm, Beast, Pylocke, and Bishop all being amazing. Wolverine and Jubilee were great. I'm excited to read the next (and final) X-Men '92 installment.

*If you search for, "the world is a vampire" Smashing Pumpkins comes up, not this book. I had to make sure I included "X-Men" to get what I wanted.

https://youtu.be/8-r-V0uK4u0

Avengers Assemble: The Forgeries Of Jealously

Based on the goodnight thank you poem by Kelly Sue DeConnick at the end of this collections, I think Avengers Assemble: The Forgeries Of Jealously is the last Marvel book DeConnick worked on. I really enjoyed seeing the Avengers through Spider-Girl’s eyes. I also loved how each partner she had was trying to teach her something. Team Lady-Spider was pretty funny. I loved Spider-Girl and Logan. I like how there was some other big global crisis going on (one of stories from earlier in the series?), but the Avengers were still taking the time to help Spider-Girl find her missing teacher. It was a good, fun story.

Two things bothered me just a little about the story. I don’t feel like the art always fully conveyed the emotion or thoughts of the characters. Maybe it was just the style. I don’t know. It was still good, it just didn’t hook me the way other artists have in the past. The other was the final end. I think I expected something more exciting, like Avengers Assemble, or funny like Science Bros. It was good, emotional, and it showed the connection Spider-Girl made with the team, but it was still missing something for me. Maybe I’ll find it on a re-read. Because I did enjoy it, like I did with the entire Avengers Assemble series. I definitely see myself flipping through these pages again.

Black Panther

Black Panther was amazing. I loved it. I don't think I could have enjoyed it more. I was so excited to see it. As a Walking Dead fan, I was excited to see Danai Gurira as Okoye. She was badass. She was tough, intelligent, and loyal. She was multidimensional, not just T'Challa's general, but also his friend. Okoye had her own life beyond that of serving the king. Danai Gurira was just amazing. I loved the Queen Mother and Nakia too. For me though, the stand out was Shuri. She is a genius. She is young, but I bet should would give Tony Stark a run for his money. I loved her relationship with T'Challa. They teased each other just like siblings would. They love each other, support each other, and would to anything for each other. It doesn't matter that they are the prince/king and princess. They are family.

T'Challa was amazing. He learned so much about himself and his family. He grew as a person and a leader. He is definitely the leader to take Wakanda into the future. Killmonger and Klaue were amazing villians. They were multidimensional, especially Killmonger. I had some mixed feelings about him, in a good way. 

The characters made this movie for me. Yes, the action was fantastic. I loved the fights, the chases, the explosions. The story was interesting, the plot was well-paced, with great reveals and subtle sub-plots. But the characters drove the story. Everyone from T'Challa, to Agent Ross, to M'Baku. I want more Black Panther. I'm excited to see some of the same characters in Infinity War, but I'd love to see another Black Panther movie. I'm not sure what it would be about, but I'm sure it would be great.

The Trailer (in case you haven't seen it).

https://youtu.be/xjDjIWPwcPU

The Rules of Magic

I've been doing really well with the books I have won from Goodreads. Like The Shadowland, The Rules of Magic is one of the best books I've read this year. The Rules of Magic hit all the right feelings. It was an emotionally charged tale of three siblings, though Franny was the star. I loved Jet. I adored Vincent. Since this is a prequel to Practical Magic, I knew the tale would end with Franny and Jet living in the Owens house together. I still hoped for a different ending. I wanted them to be the ones to break the curse. I wanted them to find love and live happily ever after. In this prequel, Alice Hoffman gave so much more depth to Franny and Jet, to their stories. Though, I have only seen the Practical Magic movie, after reading novel, I want to read the book.

Endings are so important to me. The ending can change how I feel about a story. Sometimes I delay reading the end because I have a feeling something bad will happen to a character I love or because I want to hold on to the characters for just a little while longer. Both were the case with The Rules of Magic. I wanted to keep Franny, Jet and Vincent. I wanted to keep Haylin, William, Raphael and April. I wanted so much to know more about April. I wonder if Hoffman will ever write April's story. I liked learning about the Reverend and more about the curse and feud. I liked learning more about the town and the Owens' place in it.

Hoffman's writing was beautiful, flowing from one image to the next. I could see Franny and Haylin swimming, I could see Vincent and his guitar, Franny carrying daffodils, the children listening in on their father. I could see the garden and the box of lettuce, the vines and wild hair. Hoffman transports you into the lives of the Owens', from childhood to adulthood, eating chocolate cake for breakfast. The Rules of Magic has made me a fan of Alice Hoffman and made me more of a fan of the Owens' family. 

X-Men '92: Warzones

When I found out there was a series called X-Men '92, I knew I had to have it. I talked about it so much with my Hubby. These are my X-Men. These were the X-Men that was on TV when I was young. This cartoon series probably led me to loving comics, and probably led me to being more of a Marvel girl, than a DC. The television series is on Netflix and I've been rewatching it with my Hubby (who also loved this cartoon) and our own children. The nostalgia is strong with this one.

Knowing that this volume was a Warzones collection, I knew that the book wouldn't find the X-Men in the world I was familiar with. These X-Men live on Battleworld with our Lord Doom. They fought a war and won. The world they won seems to be the one that the X-Men from my youth were fighting for. Mutants are free and the X-men are heroes. Baron Kelly certainly seems to like them. They seem to be happy. I want them to be happy, but then it wouldn’t be a good story if they stayed that way

What we learn is that there is a mutant rehab centre for “evil mutants”. The X-men didn’t know about it and they don’t trust it. Even though Baron Kelly reassures them, they have to investigate. I was not surprised by what was going on, but surprised by other things. I was also very excited to see another awesome group of mutants show up.

X-Men ‘92: Warzones was fun and fantastic. It hit the nostalgia where I wanted it too, but also had a great story driving it. I’m excited to read the next books in the series.