Magical Places: Bridge of Immortals, Huangshan, China

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Huangshan, literally translated as “yellow mountains,” are an epic range of steep jagged granite peaks nestled in eastern China. It is one of China’s major tourist attractions and is often a subject of traditional Chinese paintings and literature, as well as modern photography.

It is not, however, for the faint of heart.  Many of the foot paths wander along high steep cliffs, and there is even a section that must be traversed by walking across narrow planks while gripping a chain anchored into the rock. But the pay out is worth it. The tops of the peaks look out over an amazing landscape above a sea of clouds.

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It is rumored that James Cameron found his inspiration for the landscape in his movie Avatar from a visit to the Huangshan.

The Bridge of Immortals is the world’s highest bridge, putting visitors above the clouds. It leads to a cave carved deep into the rock. Part of the lore around the mountains is that the Yellow Emperor. Emperor Xuanyuan, the legendary founder of the Chinese nation and ancestor to the nationalities of the central plains, attained enlightenment there and became immortal.

To learn more about Huangshan, and the Bridge of Immortals check out these links:

To see more of the Fantasy in Real Life series, click here!

My New Feathered Babies

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IMG_3323In place of a fascinating post about fantasy or science fiction, here is a picture of my new feather babies.  I’ve always wanted to have a pet and because of allergies it hasn’t been an option. With chickens, they can stay outside, they are smart and loving, and in time they will give fresh eggs.  What could be better than that? My kids are head over heels in love with their chickies and each are in charge of one. My oldest named his buff orpington Nacho (after Notch in Minecraft, and, well, nachos.) My daughter named her black star Active Black, but then was talked into calling it Twila instead (like twilight – not sure the best way to spell that yet.) My youngest named his tiny Rhode Island red Poopy Butt, and was talked into Petey, but now wants it to be Umizoomi Pete. I’m sure it will change again. Mine is a silver wyandotte named Millie, which is secretly short for Maleficent.

Happy Easter Weekend to all!

Book of the Month: Existence by David Brin

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Some books are meant to sweep readers away into another world where they can live another life. Then there are those books that exist on a different plane where the concepts are foreign and bizarre and it takes hundreds of pages to start understanding what is actually happening.  Existence is one of those books.

If I were to compare it to other books I’ve read I’d call it Cloud Atlas meets Ender’s Game. It is similar to Cloud Atlas because it combines a handful of storylines that all have a few sparse threads in common. The characters come from vastly different walks of life and most of the interest lies in trying to figure out what’s actually going on. It takes hundreds of pages to find links between the different storylines. It resembles Ender’s Game, not in the edge of your seat thrill ride, but the way that the author introduces his philosophies and ideas about the vast unknown.

To be fair, I haven’t finished reading Existence, yet. It’s long and requires focus and persistence to keep going forward. I can see why many people recommend it, Brin possesses a deep understanding of his world and a keen intellect which is demonstrated in the distinct characters that each play a role in the story.

Do I like it? Yes and no. Yes, the world is fascinating and I really want to see what will happen. I like the questions it asks about the nature of existence and the possibility of life on other worlds, and how to communicate with said life. And no, it’s slow going and almost too intellectual to be a read in a way where the reader can feel truly immersed. The story is so fractured among the different characters that the reader only gets a taste of what’s happening before being shoved somewhere else. To fracture it even further, between each chapter are different seemingly random essays on different facets of existence, discussions between scientists, or meandering thoughts of an autistic person.

I’m looking forward to finishing, nothing would make me happier than for the story to unfold into a brilliant and hard-hitting climax that gives the reader what they came for!

Have you read Existence? Come share your thoughts in the comments!

Movie of the Month: Big Hero 6

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I’ve been super excited to see Big Hero 6 ever since the buzz started about it, and honestly I knew nothing about it.  I mean nothing.  I saw the trailer with a cute huggable robot and instantly assumed that the whole plot was wrapped around a child who had a family member who suffered from a terminal illness – thus requiring the need of a nurse robot in the home.  I even went on to imagine when the family member died that the child went on to have some sort of relationship with the robot. Sort of like Hachi: A Dog Tale, except the dog is an adorable robot. My writer sense kicked in a bit too soon, and boy was I wrong.

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Warning: There be Spoilers Ahead (but, I’ll do my best to be fairly vague…)

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Big Hero 6 is an action superhero movie.  There is a villain, there is lots of techno science, there is revenge, and there is a fluffy innocent robot whose primary concern is the health of Hiro.

Hiro is a brilliant 13 year old who is intent on amusing himself instead of using his amazing mind. I love that his name is Hiro and sounds like Hero, because that is quite literally what he makes himself, but I’m getting ahead of myself.

Hiro’s biggest inspiration is his older brother Tadashi, who is also a brilliant robotics engineer. It is Tadashi who finally inspires Hiro to makes something of his life and encourages him to work toward joining the acclaimed “Nerd Lab” at the university.  Hiro’s resulting invention is so groundbreaking that he is offered acceptance to the university on the spot.

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All this changes when tragedy strikes. Hiro is left grieving and has a hard time moving on. The registration period for the university comes and goes and classes have started. One day, Hiro accidentally activates Baymax – the cuddly health care robot and Tadashi’s final project.

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Baymax serves as the much needed catalyst that gets Hiro moving forward once again and also reveals the villain.  After that, it’s a roller coaster ride of thrills, adventure, and danger, combined with just enough humor to keep it fun for all ages.

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Needless to say, I loved it and my kids loved it too. My three year old randomly quotes from it saying, “Hi, I’m Baymax, your personal healthcare companion.” Everyone is doing the Baymax fistbump. We are pumped about this movie, and the world is as well.

All images are used here under Fair Use for discussion, review, and educational commentary. They belong to their respective copyright owners.

Featured Artist: Danielle E. Shipley

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For this month’s featured artist I’ve chosen the inventive and feisty Danielle Shipley. Danielle and I became acquainted when we were both part of the same fantasy anthology THE TOLL OF ANOTHER BELL, published by Xchyler.  Not only does she write terrific short stories, she also writes novels and posts all sorts of cleverness and snark over at her blog Ever on Word. Trust me, go check it out and follow, it’s bundles of fun.

Now for the part you’ve all been waiting for – The cover reveal of Danielle’s latest offering!

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The Surrogate Sea is the sixth installation in the Wilderhawk Tales series and follows along in it’s predecessor’s fairy tale footprints. There are princes and princesses, kings and kingdoms, and magic found in the strangest places.

About – 

The Surrogate Sea is about the pursuit of love and the many misunderstandings that can take place along the way. Young Princess Liliavaine has outgrown her childhood love and seeks a man with whom she can make a life with. However, her childhood love has feelings of his own and instead of dimming with the years, it has only grown stronger. The interaction of these two causes ripples throughout the entire world, including the realms of the elemental beings that rule over air, water, and land.

In this world, it is possible to mix humankind with elemental kind. Liliavaine’s sister wed the lord of the moon himself. In fact, one of the other books in the series deals with the bout of insanity caused by looking into the moon’s face. One of these elementals is Muirigan, the great sea who falls in love with a prince.  However, she is trapped by her own beaches and cannot seek him out. She finds another to take her place (thus the title, the Surrogate Sea) and the problems spiral out from there. Throw in a spiteful South Wind, and you have quite a story.

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Surrogate Sea Launch Week Tour Pics, Review

I love a fanciful and innovative fantasy story and so The Surrogate Sea was a delight to read.  My favorite aspect of the book are the interactions of the elemental characters with the human folk.  Danielle excels at making fascinating and well-rounded characters, this is especially true when it comes to her more magical characters.

I’m not crazy about complicated love triangles, but I know a good one when I read one, and this one has enough twists and turns to keep you guessing how it’s all going to work out.

There is always a concern when reading a book in a series without reading the earlier books. I hadn’t read the earlier books in the Wilderhawk Tales and so there were several references in this book that I didn’t fully understand, only because I hadn’t read their stories.  However, the book is well enough constructed that it is still very readable without having to read the rest of the series first.

Overall I give the book 4 out of 5 stars – The beginning starts slow as we wait for all the characters to be re-established and re-introduced. The true heart of the conflict isn’t revealed until much later.  Once you get there then you can’t put it down.

If you like fairy tale stories, love triangles, unique magic, princes and princesses, and a whole lot of mischief, then this book is sure to please.

I received a copy of Surrogate Sea in exchange for an honest review.

Surrogate Sea Launch Week Tour Pics, Author

While you’re here check out Danielle’s Linkies: Website ~ Blog ~ Facebook ~ Twitter

Want to buy The Surrogate Sea? Here are some handy links!

Surrogate Sea Launch Week Tour Pics, Giveaway

Thank you Terry Pratchett

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The more time you spend working to become an author and to publish, the more you realize just what a big deal it is for your name to be known among the general population. Think about it, there are millions of authors out there who are published, and several million more who are working to become published.

Knowing an author’s name, even if you haven’t read them, means that they have attained a level of success that few can even dream of.  Stephen King, Dan Brown, JK Rowling, and Neil Gaiman, are now household names.

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Terry Pratchett is one of those authors who have  broken the mold among the fantasy community. Over the course of his career he has published  an astounding 66 books. Forty of these books belong to the globally popular Discworld series.

What makes Pratchett’s writing unique is his firm grasp on satire and knowing just how far to push an illogical situation. Some of his most iconic images are in fact the most silly, such as the Luggage, which is described as this:

The Luggage is a large chest made of sapient pearwood (a magical, intelligent plant which is nearly extinct, impervious to magic, and only grows in a few places outside the Agatean Empire, generally on sites of very old magic). It can produce hundreds of little legs protruding from its underside and can move very fast if the need arises. It has been described as “half suitcase, half homicidal maniac” (Sourcery paperback p22).

Terry Pratchett died in his home last week after a long battle with Alzheimer’s. His courage and wit have inspired millions, including me.

Thank you Terry!

Favorite Fandom Memes

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It’s Friday, and it’s a pretty great day to celebrate some of my favorite fandoms.

mf-130227-2705983186812539392I’ve always been more of a Trekkie than a Star Wars fan, although I appreciate the latter for the sheer scope of its franchise.

mathjoke-funnypics-haha-humor-math-mathmeme-meme-lotr-lordoftherings-elvish-calculusI loved Lord of the Rings before it was cool. I read the books in college and in high school. Naturally, the first movie came out I was living out of the country and I had to wait.

harry-potter-memes-amenAs evidenced by my previous post, yes I do love Harry Potter. I am guilty of dressing up as Hermione for line parties and even as Lockheart’s personal assistant for local magic shows. As an unrelated side note, there are a LOT of really great Potter memes.

frabz-Trust-me-Im-the-Doctor-8b7624I recently dove into the Doctor Who universe and am currently up to series 4. I’ve heard you either love Doctor Who or hate it, and I can wholeheartedly say I love it.  I think I have a little crush on David Tennant as well… Don’t tell my hubby.

There’s also Warehouse 13, Sherlock, and Once Upon a Time that I watch, but have yet to develop true feelings for.  They are entertaining and often well written, but I wouldn’t cry if they disappeared for some reason. Well perhaps if Cumberbatch disappeared…

What about you, dear reader? What fandoms are you a part of?

Let me know in the comments!

A Case of the Feels: Severus Snape

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Every once in a while there is a character that has such depth, such surprising tenderness, that it catches you off guard. The Harry Potter universe is filled with people and creatures that have captured the imagination of this generation. It has become a household name.

There is one character that deserves more time in the sun than he has received, and that is Severus Snape. In the earlier half of the story we were led to believe that Snape was the enemy and in league with the Dark Lord himself.  However, as the story unfolded we started to see an entirely different person hiding beneath that tightly buttoned exterior.

And I love JK Rowling all the more for it.  It would have been so easy to keep Snape as a stereotypical villain, all bad and moody and foul. But no, she injects a passion and a humanity in his character with his love he had for Harry’s mother, Lily.  A passion that is carried over onto Harry himself after her murder. Suddenly, he becomes this conflicted and wonderful character with a huge depth of feeling that must be keep suppressed at all times.

Brilliant YouTuber Kcawseome13 created a montage of all of Snape’s key scenes in chronological order that perfectly demonstrates the true nature of his character. If you have 14 minutes, I recommend it.  Not only is it fascinating to watch, but it is created beautifully. Have a tissue handy!

TV Talk: Downton Abbey Season 5

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Season 5 of PBS’s smash hit Downton Abbey wrapped up this week with a feel good, everyone (well, nearly everyone) ends up happy, finale episode.

It will be hard to tell about this season without dropping a few hints, so be warned. THERE BE SPOILERS AHEAD.

First let’s meet a few of the new faces that surface during this episode – 

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Simon Bricker – Played by the talented Richard E. Grant, enters the scene as an art authority interested in a priceless art piece of the Grantham estate by the Renaissance artist Piero Della Francesca. His visits to the Abbey come more frequent as it seems another beauty has caught his eye.

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Igor Kuragin – Played by Croatian actor Rade Serbedzija, is a displaced prince from Russia’s bygone era of glittering balls and endless evenings of dancing.  Events that the Dowager Countess lived for. Political turmoil separates Kuragin from his wife and forces him to live as a refugee.  He finds an unusual ally at Downton Abbey to aid him in his search for his lost wife, but it is uncertain is that is what he truly wants.

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Atticus Aldridge – Played by Matt Barber, is the son of the wealthy Lord and Lady Sinderby.  He is charming and delightfully shy and finds love in Lady Rose. He finds her open-mindedness and innocence appealing.  However, one crucial element cannot be overlooked.  He and his family are Jewish immigrants, and a mixed union is certainly frowned upon.

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Lord Sinderby – Played by James Faulkner, is a severe man of few words.  Those he does say are well placed and unapologetic. He is a proud man, and has worked hard for his success.  As a Jewish immigrant he is wary of anyone outside of the faith, and the appearance of Rose in his life is a direct challenge to his beliefs.

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Lady Sinderby – Played by Penny Downie, is the mother to Atticus Aldridge and is warm and affectionate, making her a perfect compliment to Lord Sinderby’s austere manner.

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Gladys Denker – Played by Sue Johnston, is the new Lady’s maid to the Dowager Countess, and a very experienced one at that. Her quarrels with Spratt are a constant source of amusement and annoyance for the Dowager.

About the season itself –

The fifth season is filled with a lot of one thing. Relationship changes. Nearly every single character faces a serious relationship change or drama. This includes a surprising number of proposals, I counted three but I might have missed one. One of these proposals does result in a wedding, although with it comes plenty of drama and intrigue. The issue surrounding Mr. Green’s murder continue, making life for Anna and John Bates difficult. Also the intrusion of Simon Bricker into the lives of the Granthams is a cause of turmoil.

Dear Edith continues with her struggle to be a mother to a child she wasn’t supposed to have.  She does her best to find inventive ways to be a part of little Marigolds life but they ultimately fail. Edith spends the entire season very glum and depressed because of it.

And then there’s Mary. What to do with Mary?  She’s clearly still hurting from her loss of Matthew, but also ready to move on and explore her options. This causes even more drama when she can’t seem to open her heart to love again, even when there are suitors that deeply care for her waiting for her to simply say “yes.”

In contrast to other seasons, this one thankfully does not end on a cliffhanger. No one dies at the last-minute. Don’t get me wrong, there are still plenty of issues that need to still be resolved. But in contrast to other seasons, this one ends on a generally happy note for almost everyone.

The season is filled with intrigue, delightful characters, drama, and all the great things that make a costume drama fun to watch.

All images are used here under Fair Use for discussion, review, and educational commentary. They belong to their respective copyright owners.

Magical Places: Palace of Fine Arts, San Francisco

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Image credit: Wearableworldnews.com
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The Palace of Fine Arts is one of the few sights of the Fantasy in Real Life Series that I’ve actually visited.  Located in the marina district of San Francisco, this stunning structure is a magnet for photographers and artists alike.

The Palace was originally built as a part of the Panama-Pacific Exhibition, a world fair that ran from February 20th to December 4th in 1915. This particular fair was to celebrate the completion of the Panama Canal and also showcase San Francisco’s recovery from the 1906 earthquake.

The Palace of Fine Arts was one of ten separate palaces that dotted the over 600 acre exhibition, the other nine palaces were for education, liberal arts, manufactures, varied industries, agriculture, food products, transportation, mines and metallurgy, and machinery.

The exhibition was not built to last, the Palace of Fine Arts was built primarily of wood and then covered with a mixture of plaster and burlap-type fiber.  The original intention was for all the palaces to be torn down at the end of the fair, but the Palace of Fine Arts was so popular that the Palace Preservation League was formed before the end of the fair.

Despite their best efforts, the Palace fell into ruin and fell to vandalism.  In 1964 the original Palace was torn down save the steel structure of the exhibit hall, and rebuilt using newer more durable materials, like lightweight poured-in-place concrete. In 1969, the exhibit hall became home to the interactive museum, the Exploratorium.

To learn more about the Palace of Fine arts, check out these links below:

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