TV Show Review: Z Nation

p15918390_b_v8_abZ Nation is a zombie TV show that aired for five seasons on Syfy which follows a group of survivors attempting to get the only known survivor of a zombie bite to a CDC lab in California. 

The series starts out three years into the zombie apocalypse where most humans have been killed and groups of survivors have figured out how to live in this world. Just before the world fell apart prison inmate Alvin Murphy was injected with an experimental zombie vaccine after which he was bitten eight time and did not turn it is believed that his blood holds the cure and the last hope for humanity. The series as a hole revolves around Murphy’s travels and a group of survivors looking to get him to help save the world.

In season one we are introduced to the main group lead by Lt. Roberta Warren who’s main focus become getting Murphy to California and the CDC. Citizen Z a NSA agent stuck at the Northern Light post in the Arctic Circle who guides the group through their journey and tries to figure out why different people are after Murphy. “Doc” a counselor and recovering drug addict who is the groups medic even though he is not really a doctor. “10K” a young man who is an amazing sniper and has vowed to kill 10,000 zombies. Addy Carver a young woman with a talent with radio equipment and uses a customized metal bat known as the Z Whacker. The main group stays mostly the same thorough the entire series with a few new character being add and some lost in each season.

The series starts out very much like its supost to be a very fun campy take on zombies and ridding on the fame of the Walking Dead. Though the series is pretty reduclus in how far zombies are taken and some story elements it does deal with emotional and hard topics while also trying to be as entertaing as possible. I didn’t love every season or epsiode but overall its an enjoyable show.  In the following paragraphs I will be giving a summary of each season which some spoliers will be included.

Season one is mostly just the group attempting to get Murphy to California and all the things and problems they encounter a long the way. Near the end of the season they met Dr. Kurian the creator of the zombie virus who wants to take Murphy with him and while Murphy escapes he triggers the launch of multiple nuclear weapons which turns this into a nuclear apocalypse not just a zombie one.

Season two starts with the group getting back together and attempting to find Murphy again. As the story progresses they run into a woman they had met before who is now pregnant with Murphy’s child. When the baby is born it becomes clear that because of the vaccine in Murphy’s blood and his mutation into a zombie/human hybrid that the baby is not fully human and Murphy finds a couple to leave the child, Lucy, with. At the end of the season they arrive in California and Murphy agrees to go to the CDC lab but not all is as it seems and Murphy has other plan for the future.

Season three is my least favorite of the entire series mostly because of 10K’s story line. This season starts with a two part movie episode introducing The Man, a villian, who will show up again and his connection to ZONA. However, the main story of season three is Murphy creating a cult of “blends” people who he has injected with his blood which he can then control, and Warren trying to figure out how they can stop Murphy and save humanity. Near the end they form a truce when they need to save Lucy from The Man and stop ZONA from getting her.

Season four starts two years after the end of season three where Warren was shot and infected by Murphy’s blood and they where both taken by ZONA. Warren and Murphy escape ZONA and meet back up with the rest of the group who are trying to get to Newmerica, a community that is trying to get the world back on track. However, Warren keeps having visions of the Black Rainbow and the destruction of the world so the group goes on a mission to stop it.

Season five is the last and at the moment final season of Z Nation. Following the ending of season four and the Black Rainbow, Doc, 10K, and Sarge, a newer member of the group, are leading other survivors to Newmerica while Murphy goes looking for Warren. The group meets up again after finding Newmerica and meeting George, an old friend of Warren’s. Because of the Black Rainbow the zombies don’t just walk some of them talk and understand what is going on. Which becomes the main conflict of the season what to do with the talkers and how will this change society going forward. The series ends with Murphy eating the brain of a scientist that figure out the cure and we are left to wonder what will happen next. There is enough loose ends for more season but Syfy did offically cancel the series and no one has pick it up.

March 2020 Wrap Up

In March I started reading more and doing other hobbies more as with the virus I’ve been at home more. I read six books in March which had been my best month so far this year.

Books:

36495876._SX318_Fullmetal Alchemist: Fullmetal Edition volume one by Hiromu Arakawa is the first volume of the Fullmetal Alchemist manga series. This is a special hardcover edition that the publisher has started to release. The story follows brothers Edward and Alphonse Elric who are attempting to restore their bodies after trying to bring their mother back to life and failing. This series is a reread for me and I still love the story as much as the first time I read it. I’m reading each volume as I collect these editions.

45899240Monstress volume four by Marjorie Liu and Sana Takeda is a fantasy graphic novel that continues the story of Miaka and how she is connected to the demon who lives inside her. This volume gives the reader more information on Miaka’s past and where the major conflict is heading. I can’t wait for the rest of the story.

52186666._SX318_SY475_The Deep by Alma Katsu is a historical fiction with supernatural elements focusing on the Sinking of the Titanic. The story follows maid Annie Hebbley who survived the sinking and is working as a nurse on Titanic’s sister ship Britannic during World War I and her connection to soldier Mark Fletcher. I loved the concept of the story but felt that it switched perspectives too often for me to connect to the characters. I received this book from the publisher by winning a Goodreads contest and there is a full review on this blog and Goodreads.

33116011The Race to Save the Romanovs by Helen Rappaport in a historical nonfiction book about the different plan to possibly save the Romanov family and the ideas to get them out of Russia. While good I prefer historical books about the family directly than events that they didn’t have any control or input on so not my favorite book about the Romanovs. It would be a great resource for anyone studying this time period.

44660930._SY475_Five Nights at Freddy’s Fazbear Frights #1: Into the Pit by Scott Cawthon is the first in the series of Five Nights short story collections. All of the stories take place in the world of Five Nights at Freddy’s and show different elements to the previous books and game. All the stories are very creepy and good for teenagers. They remind me of R L Stine’s and Darren Shan’s series and books. As someone who is into the lore surrounding the games and story I do plan an reading the next books in the series.

26114463Nevernight by Jay Kristoff is the first book in an adult fantasy series following Mia Corvere to train to be an assassin and kill those who destroyed her family when she was a child.  I loved this book even though it took me quite a while to finish. The first hundred pages before getting to the Red Church are slow but it pick ups from there. I love Mia and Tric’s relationship and its one of the strongest parts of the book. I also have a full review posted.

TV Shows:

Series12Promo2(1)Doctor Who: I finished Doctor Who series twelve this month and I liked it much more than series eleven. At times it still didn’t feel like Doctor Who to me and I felt that there could have been more fun stories that didn’t need a message but I liked the dynamics between all the characters and the companions being fleshed out more. However, the Timeless Child story line was dumb and was not something that the series needed. The fact at the end of the series that it had no impact and nothing really changed meant that the writer had no reason to add it in. I do plan on watching the next series but I generally wait to binge watch it.

Movies:

downloadKong: Skull Island: I watched Kong: Skull Island because I heard that I wasn’t bad and I want some mindless entertainment one night. Though the plot isn’t all that interesting the acting is good and the visual effects are great. The ending sets up the idea that Kong and the other monsters like Godzilla all exist in the same world and I’m interested in where movies that these ideas.

February 2020 BaeCrate

IMG_0311Bae Crate is a adult romance book box that includes at least one romance book with an author letter and signed book plate as well as four to six items that go with the monthly theme.IMG_0314

February’s box theme was Bite Me and focused on vampires. Due to the corona virus situation this box was delayed and the travel jewelry box had to be switched to a duffel bag inspired by Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The other items included a red lipstick, a glitter face mask, a Bite Me cuff bracelet, and a pink scarf.

Sadly, I didn’t like many of these items. Everything except the duffel bag felt cheep and are not things that I think I would use. The cuff bracelet does not fit and feels like it was meant for a teenager, I don’t know the brand of lipstick and would not use it with out knowing more, and glitter has no place in skin care in my opinion.

IMG_0317The books included where Wicked Bite and Shades of Wicked by Jeaniene Frost which are the first two books in the Night Rebel series. Since I love vampire paranormal romance books and this is a series that I have never heard about I look forward to reading them but I wish the box as a whole was much better.

Book Review: Grave Peril By Jim Butcher (Dresden Files #3)

91476Grave Peril by Jim Butcher is the third book in the Dresden Files series. The story once again as always follows Harry Dresden, a wizard living in Chicago who helps the police with supernatural crimes. This time ghosts are causing trouble all over Chicago and many people affect are somehow connected to Harry.

The story starts out with what seems to be typical for Dresden at the moment trying to stop ghosts from killing anyone but as the story progresses there is a connection to a demon who Harry defeated before and their might be bigger problems coming.

Many people say that book three is where the series starts to get good and I agree that Jim Butcher has found his footing with the series and the stories he wants to tell. Grave Peril starts to give the reader more information about Harry’s backstory and the supernatural world that is connected to our modern world. The supernatural elements are better fleshed out and the stakes are being raised in this book as we see what Harry will do to protect the people he cares about.

As if the other books in this series, I read it as an audio book which is brilliantly narrated by James Marsters which makes me like the series even more. Unlike, the first two books I completely enjoyed the story and can’t wait to continue on with the series.

 

 

 

 

Book Review: Full Moon by Jim Butcher (Dresden Files #2)

91477Full Moon by Jim Butcher is the second book in the Dresden Files series. The story once again follows Harry Dresden, wizard living in Chicago who helps the police with supernatural crimes. Dresden is down on his luck with no work when a mutilated corpse, strange paw prints combined with a full moon drag him into a murder investigation. Based on the title and summary this time Dresden is going up against werewolf’s but maybe not the ones we know from fiction.

Many people say that the Dresden Files books don’t start getting really good until book three and I agree that Full Moon is not Butcher’s best work. I love the world he has created and Harry Dresden as a character but this book board me at best and annoyed me at worst. I disliked all the scenes with Murphy and until close to the end of the book I didn’t care about what happened or the stakes.

I listen to these books as audio books because even if I’m struggling with the story James Marsters as the narrator make me want to finish the book. However, even with the issues I sometimes have with this series there is something that keeps bring me back and I do plan on continuing with the series.

Book Review: Nevernight by Jay Kristoff

26114463Nevernight by Jay Kristoff is an adult fantasy novel that follows Mia Corvere on her quest to train to be an assassin and kill the men who destroyed her family when she was a child. The world of Nevernight is one with three suns that almost never set and Mia has powers over shadows which will aid in her quest to kill those who harmed her and her family.

The story is told to the reader through a narrator who is never named but does tell us Mia’s fate on the first page and goes on to describe her journey to become a feared assassin.  The first chapter starts out comparing Mia’s first time having sex to her first kill which sets the tone for how dark this book will get.

The first hundred pages or so are slow as we, the readers, are learning about Mia, her past, and her journey to the Red Church but once we get to the Red Church the pace picks up. Most of the story is Mia learning to be an assassin and who her life is going to change. However, there is a killer among the students of the Red Church who is killing other students and Mia might be in danger. The best thing is Mia as a character even with her being overwhelmingly smug, and Tric. Mia and Tric’s relationship is one of the strongest aspects of the story overall.

One of the biggest criticism that Nevernight get is Jay Kristoff’s use of footnotes throughout the story. The footnotes don’t have to be read to understand the story all they do is add more to the world building by informing the reader more about the world, society, and religious aspects of this fantasy world. However, I feel like they add to the experience and don’t have an issue with them. I will admit that as a trained historian I’ve read many historical books that for research purposes you have to read the footnotes or endnotes (which are the same thing but one is at the end of the book requiring you to flip back and fourth). Endnotes are the bane of my existence so I much prefer footnotes.

Nevernight is a wonderful dark adult fantasy that would be great for anyone interested in assassins or dark fantasy in general.

 

March 2020 OwlCrate

IMG_0292Owl Crate is a young adult book subscription box where every month you receive one new hardcover book and an assortment of bookish goodies connected to the monthly theme. Some of these items are very practical and some are better suited as decor or for a pin/builtin board. March’s theme is Music of the Night.IMG_0296

Each box includes different bookish goodies that fit the theme of the month and are connected to other books. March is the five year anniversary of OwlCrate so there are some extra goodies this time. This months bookish items include OwlCrate socks, a Phantom of the Opera poster, an OwlCrate wireless speaker, and a Monsters of Verity wooden art print. Some other items where a set of bookplate stickers, a Wintersong inspired candle which smells like winter berries, and a Twilight inspired lip scrub. I love when there is more practical items in boxes as I get more use out of them in comparison to decorative items. Though I wish the Phantom items was more than just a poster and I will not be using the book plates in books but as planner stickers.

Every month Owl Crate has a new young adult hardback book that has an exclusive cover, is signed and comes with a letter from the author. The enamel pin that is in every box is also inspired by that months book. This months book is The Kingdom of Back by Marie Lu which also comes with exclusive sprayed edges. The book is a historical fantasy following Nannerl Mozart, the sister of the famous Wolfgang Mozart, and her quest to make sure history doesn’t forget her.IMG_0298

April’s theme is Full Moon Magic.

Book Review: The Night Circus by Erin Morgerstern

9361589The Night Circus by Erin Morgerstern is a adult literary fiction and fantasy novel that follows two main protagonists, Ceila and Marco, who are competing against one another at a magical circus and try not to fall in love.

It took me awhile to get through The Night Circus not because it bad at all but because its a fairly slow book and I needed things that were fast paced at the time. The book is beautifully written and would be a good book for those who might not be fantasy readers. The main story covers multiple characters and time frames but focuses on the circus that all the main character live and work at which is where all the magic is.

Though Ceila and Marco are being pitted against each other because of a challenge their magical teachers have constructed they don’t have much of a real conflict with each other. Their story is more of show casing their magic and through learning more about each other trying not to fall in love.

Though the plot revolves around the circus, its traveling and how this contest has trapped all those who work at the circus the real focus of the book is about the stories we tell and the power they have.

I absolutely loved the Night Circus but I think I would have loved it even more if I hadn’t been in a slump and I look forward to reading it again.