Alice Madness Returns Review

Prelude

I checked my blog over the holidays and saw the old one for Revenge. This one was not here. I argued that I had posted it sometime in December. The cat told me to shut up and that I'm crazy and have no concept of time or reality and daydreaming. 

Alice: Madness Returns and American Mcgee’s Alice

Let me tell you how much I loved the original American Mcgee’s Alice. I had an original boxed version, the brown one with the extra case booklet (which is still a fascinating read, you must know). I bought it at a time when I did not have much money. Alice from Lewis Carroll’s Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and its sequel Through the Looking-Glass and madness, especially in women, is a huge interest in my life (along with a bazillion other unoriginal girls in the world, I know). And here was a game, that looked somewhat scary, with Alice as the original character, and she is undeniably MAD. I brought it home and popped it in the disk tray of my computer...and my computer could barely run the title screen. It was possible to play a bit, but it would randomly crash or glitch non-stop. Ugh! But I LOVED it. I had AMA dreams that were bloody and knifey and wicked. In the end though, it was impossible to finish the game.

I searched so many “fixes” for have a computer with a criminally low amount of RAM, but even all the fixes in the world could not upgrade my video card. My life was the image of tragedy. Needless to say, it was a LONG time before I could scrape together the money for more RAM and a better video card (and looking back, I should have just bought a new computer). But I did it. And then...it was borrowed, and someone borrowed it from the first person, and it was lost (or stolen, or sold, who knows). And I was left with diddly-squat, and told not to be mad. Err....ha ha, very funny. It was another stretch of ages before I got my hands on another copy...and then my computer could barely run it. But it did! And I was obsessed. I played it over and over and didn’t sleep to play because, really, who needs to sleep? Kids at school knew I was obsessed and liked scary games (though nothing about it is really that scary). I was badass. Sort of.

And I desperately wanted a sequel, on a console (I was beyond tired of trying to get computers to run stuff), with more storyline other than Save Wonderland! I’m not going to say how many years it was, but it wasn’t until 2011 that I finally got a sequel...

Alice: Madness Returns         

To be blunt, it was better than I ever expected it to be. The world is much more macabre than the original and more dark in story.  

On Normal, the game wasn’t particularly challenging. I rarely died, and while I wasn’t keeping track, I am certain that around 95% of my actual combat related deaths was from the boss where you have to learn to use the umbrella. I died over, and over...and over and over...on some of the platform jumps. Luckily there is not any kind of repercussions for dying. In a way, I think that made me less careful and made me rush.  

Stuff That Irked Me:

The controls aren’t perfect...but I don’t feel the need to gripe endlessly about the controls like other sites have, particularly because I did not find them that bad.

DON’T, under any circumstances, press any buttons while the Executioner is teleporting you. I wondered if I was supposed to dodge it, and when I teleported and the gamed loaded in the new area, I wasn’t in it. The area’s pink wormy tongue things were moving, but the camera was stuck. Luckily I could reload from right there exactly and Alice actually showed up. But there was that sickening moment when you think, I bet this ruins my save file.

When I first started the game, the denizens of London bothered me with the heavy use of stylizations. Alice looks normal and pretty realistic (her eyes are GINORMOUS) but other people have some weird appearances that remind me of Tim Burton, but in a realistic setting, they just do not mix well.

The cut scenes that are in the illustrated/pop-out book style. Why could those cut scenes not be uniform with the other cut scenes? They are BEAUTIFUL, but why? I would rather see the in-game graphics, which are also BEAUTIFUL. Having too many different styles is jarring.

Mild Spoilers...

Stuff That I Pleased Me:

The ending that takes place in the real world. It is not a hyper reality scene that I thought it would be. It is emotional, powerful, and low key. I expected her to pull out a knife similar to the Vorpal blade and just go nuts. But no. What she does do is absolutely stunning. She walks up, does one simple thing, even though she is not terribly strong, and that is it. 

Changing dresses. Yes, I like costume changes. It’s just...I get bored with looking at the same character all the time. I also did not mind buying the pack, though I hesitated because though awesome, they had special traits that I believe is somewhat akin to cheating, but the game was not that hard to begin with. I wish you had the option of turning off the special traits and just have the costume, though.

American McGee’s Alice

I got the DL for the original game and you know what...it really did not live up to my expectations. The controls are horrible and it really just did not age well. I still love all of Cheshire’s banter, though. I am glad it was free, because I still have my disk to play on my computer.  

Stuff That Irked Me:

Dear god, the controls! Why did the transition to the controller suck so badly!? There are just some things that work only half of the time, like grabbing ropes. I now officially hate ropes.

The first game could have used something extra, even some different costumes, at least. There are oodles of youtube videos of modded Alice costumes, so it is possible to do.

Overall:

I’m looking forward to playing Alice: Madness Returns on Hard mode and collect all the memories. American Mcgee’s Alice probably won’t be revisited for a while, especially because I played it last summer on my computer. Oh...and I REALLY want the Vorpal blade t-shirt from the Alice2store (http://alice2store.com/alice-apparel/alice-ladies-apparel/ladies-vorpal-blade-tee).  

 Edit: I unlocked all achievements for this game probably within the next week. It was not hard, even on Nightmare difficulty. It was my first 1000. I also found a store in RL (I know...I WENT OUTSIDE THE HORROR!!) that sold a Madness Returns Wallet. Epic love.  

Revenge, The Television Show I Can't Miss!

Revenge 

CityTv, Airing 2011.

Emily/Amanda Works Her Magic

I do not get the opportunity to watch much television just because of my schedule. One week I might forget, or I am too busy, and once I miss an episode, I hate watching the next episode, trying to piece together what I have missed. But for Revenge (aired on Wednesdays on CityTv), I make certain that I can watch it. I have a soft spot for stories about revenge and abused children, especially those who are locked away by insidious people.

Locked Away By EVIL HEARTLESS JERKS.

Revenge is about one woman, Amanda Clarke, enacting her revenge on the Hamptons social elite who were responsible for ruining her father’s life, which in turn ruined her life. David Clarke was wrongfully convicted of terrorism and died in prison. At the age of 18 Amanda inherited her father’s fortune, changed her name to Emily Thorne, and decided to take revenge on those who knowingly contributed to the destruction of her life. The series is an adaption of The Count of Monte Cristo.    

“Nothing’s random, Noland.”

The trailers gave me the impression that she was physically harming them. Secretly inside I wished she was a serial killer, but no, she is not. She gets revenge by ruining people. You might think that this would get stale fast, but depending on the person, ruin takes on different forms and witnessing the downfall of such cruel people is quite satisfying. She is also pretty manipulative, which makes me question her current relationship, and it makes me want to see more!

I highly recommend watching it. Thus far there is no gore or swearing (at least as far as I can recall for the swearing), but it is not overly girly either. The show is thick with plot and there are no wasted moments. After watching an episode I am amazed at the idea that someone could plan her revenge for so long. It makes me feel lazy, though.
And this is the awesome music that plays in Episode 4: Riverside - Obél

FEAR Files, FEAR 2, and Fear 2: Reborn Rant

A while ago I finally finished up Perseus Mandate, FEAR 2, and FEAR 2: Reborn. And I am finally making myself post this before I forget.  

Perseus Mandate

Perseus Mandate was definitely better than Extraction Point, in my opinion. At least PM tries to give the player a different experience, though it is ultimately very similar to FEAR 1. This one has a different FEAR team investigating Armacham's Perseus Project with the unnamed protagonist (this time he is a Sergeant, but he is basically the same as Point Man from FEAR 1) and two AIs, Captain Raynes and Lieutenant Chen. What I like about this is that your comrades do not make the whole game an escort mission. For an expansion pack, I liked the two characters. I especially liked the end and what takes place on the helicopter...for those who know, yeah, I bet you think it was corny. I liked it. It gave me goose bumps. While this game is not cannon, it is not terribly deviant like Extraction Point was (by killing, oh, everyone). Yes, I do question why the Sergeant has the special abilities that the Point Man has. And quite frankly, it is because this system is what the FEAR series is based on (or was, until FEAR 3). When I scoffed and said that the Sergeant was a (game play) clone of Point Man, he might as well be a clone by the grace of the story as well. It’s not explained why he has the ability, though the Nightcrawlers say some things like “He’s been augmented!” Uh....really? Ok, fine.

Spoilers Ahead!

Things That Irk Me:

Fettel’s glowing green genetic material. Really? You know, it would look more believable if it were in a vial or something besides THE GREEN LANTERN. The real ending to the game is when the Green Lantern walks in at the end and punches them in the face to get his lantern back.

Not even trying to explain the protagonist’s abilities. JUST SAY HE IS A CLONE OF POINT MAN. After FEAR 2: Reborn, you know what? IT MAKES SENSE.

I actually do not mind that Fettel makes some ghost/apparition/ash guy appearances. I know that in FEAR 2: Reborn we hear that he is dead, but dreaming, and waiting to be reborn in a physical body. To say he is only dreaming means that he has not been “in” the world since he died, in my opinion. But seeing him like he appeared in EP and FEAR 1 did not bother me too much. It was not much of a stretch to think that his psychic presence allowed him to briefly reappear. Though I like Paxton just a little too much...    

I can’t recall which instalment of the FEAR Files this took place in, but in one of them I could grab items through glass. That’s right. I did not have to break it. I guess I was a ghost. Or Shadowcat. 

FEAR 2: Project Origin

I remember submitting an entry to the Name Your Fear contest in 2007. Funny, because I was hyped enough to do that but ultimately I did not play it for the first time until last summer (2010). In a strange occurrence, I enjoyed the game much more the second time around. It is probably because I played FEAR 1 on the computer and then went to FEAR 2 on the Xbox 360. Bad idea for someone who can’t really play FPSs. Anyway, the protagonist actually has a name! Michael Becket, part of a Delta Force unit called Dark Signal. Yup, he even has a little bit of a back story too, though not much (he was bad in school but rocked in the military). While he is not part of a FEAR team, he gets his reflexes (or perhaps enhances what he already has?) when he is captured and made to be part of project Harbinger, which is meant to make candidates for the telepathic Replica commanders without being born from Alma. Pretty cool...but you know, you would think Armacham would rethink making random military people capable of controlling THIER ARMY. Although he does not appear to be in control of the Replica soldiers (the game would be totally different if you could), it would be difficult to abduct people and make them subservient when they can psychically tell some big buff army guys with guns to shoot their captors and help them escape. This game gives the player some glimpses into Alma’s tree swing, her music box, and the moment they took her away. You see the image enough, and although it makes me sad, I would like to see more of Alma as a child, especially the dynamics of her and her father, Harland Wade.

 

Spoilers Ahead-ESPECIALLY THE ENDING!

Stuff that Irked Me:

The aiming system. Yes, I know it is probably more realistic to actually see through the gun’s scope or...whatever they have (I am certainly not a gun person. I am a lazy person too lazy to look at Wikipedia). But it was so much easier in FEAR 1! /Whine.

At the end of a mech sequence where you have to get out, I pressed X and hopped out...and...my character was suck in some rubble or something. Could not move or jump or get back in the mech. I killed myself with a grenade. While this game wasn’t as bad as its predecessors for getting stuck on random things, I had never gotten stuck to the point where I had to commit suicide.    

So the ending...Becket gets raped by Alma, who becomes pregnant. Wait, what? How is that possible? She does not have a real body anymore. She is like...disembodied psychic energy. When she appears as a child, she is making a psychic manifestation of her body as it was. When she appears as the emaciated woman, that is the psychic manifestation of her real body. She also goes into the manifestation of the beautiful woman, whom she has never really been, though she might have if she was never locked away in The Vault. My point is that without a physical body, she should not be able to get pregnant. I would really like to discuss this with some fans who know more than me, because I would like to understand this! 

FEAR 2: Reborn

DLC that rocked my socks. You are Foxtrot 813 (I call him Foxy because we’re pals), a Replica soldier. Yes, the protagonist, you, are that cool. Becket is still with Alma (presumed) and you are dropped in Auburn to reinforce a unit. Then you go crazy and accidently kill your other Foxtrot guys! “Opps, sorry, my bad, guys. You guys mad?” Oh yes, yes they are.

I know that intro was short. But it is a short DLC. But at least it is explained why Foxy is different and has special abilities! This takes ONE HOUR to complete and it explained more than PM did! AND THE ENDING WAS AWESOME.

Things That Irked Me:

TOO DAMN SHORT. I had fun. I know it was only 800 points, but seriously, I would have paid for a full game of Foxy trying to outrun his former allies, listening to Fettel guide him.  

Extra Ranty Goodness!!

Why I like the FEAR series: Alma and Paxton Fettel.

At first I am always all “DAMN RIGHT, ALMA. GET YOUR REVENGE YOU SCARY, SCARY LITTLE GHOST GIRL.” But then she tries to basically infect the world with her...scary world? Seems a little Silent Hillish to me (though Alyessa only bends the Otherworld), but that’s ok. Two days before her eighth birthday she is put into The Vault, made to have two children, and basically left to die in The Vault. Yes, she is totally a candidate for revenge, in my opinion. In my mind, she is like Samara from The Ring. Go get revenge on the people who hurt you. Then she starts killing everyone in Armacham, even the maintenance people. And then she is destroying vast amounts of land in FEAR 3 and killing more people. Uh...nope, I take it back! Revenge is bad! BAD GHOST GIRL!    

   

I like Paxton Fettel just a little too much. For some reason, I just think he is so bad ass. “Won’t tell me your secrets? Fine, I’LL JUST EAT YOUR FACE.” Having someone eat your face AND learn all your dark secrets while doing it is pretty scary. But I find his sheer presence to be interesting. I like his dialogue. I like his back story. I like his voice (his terribly sexy voice). Is there a Paxton Fettel anonymous group for addicts that I should be aware of?

Thoughts on FEAR 3:

Sounds like bad fan fiction.

I’ve been watching  LtMkilla’s Let’s Plays of it on Youtube (Part1 here) and it seems even more FPS.

I’ll pick it up when it is not still $70-80 used. Right now I’m playing Alice: Madness Returns, and it’s not making me miss FEAR 3, anyway. 

F.E.A.R (and FEAR Files) rant

Has Spoilers!
I've been playing F.E.A.R (further typed as FEAR because I can't be bothered with periods) and the FEAR Files. I love FEAR. I had the first one (Gold Edition) for the PC and I really liked it, but my computers have never been able to run it properly. Last summer I played FEAR 2 on the Xbox 360 but damn, the jump from mouse to keyboard was brutal for me. I don't play FPS...ever. Except FEAR. Because FEAR is that cool.

Except when you get stuck on random things. Like the corner of a chair and no amount of jumping or struggling will free you until that demonic chair is ready to release you. Is it normal in FPS to get stuck awkwardly on things?

So I finally got the first FEAR for the Xbox 360 and I played that over and over (on moderate difficulty, don't judge!!). I got FEAR Files as well, and I had only played the first expansion, Extraction Point, on the computer. One thing I noticed about both expansions is that the doors are now springy-that is, I can open them and they will close by themselves. WHY?! Sometimes I need the door to stay open to slink back in and use the door frame for cover. Now I turn back and smash my face into the door. No. This doesn't happen in real life. Unless a ghost, like Alma, is closing the doors, this shouldn't happen. You're ruining my strategies.

Extraction Point was ok, but as it wasn't canon I can't really get into the story. I bet they had fun killing off a bunch of characters though. And why the hell is Norton Mapes in there? Like he just walked away from the events from the first game...Uh...Norton, you got shot. You're not Van Gogh, you just don't pick yourself up and go home. You're not that cool. And even then, why bother with him? He's there for like 30 seconds to unlock a door and he's not seen again. Whatever, he's a ghost that unlocks a door. It makes more sense than he being alive. Other than that, Extraction Point was alright. A little repetitive, but what do people expect? I had a lot of fun doing the final fire fight on the roof of the hospital though.    

I never played the second expansion, Perseus Mandate, until a few days ago. To be honest it was interesting at first. You are the second Point Man (like in the first game) and you are investigating the ATC. You have some comrades, Raynes and Chen who are more than cardboard cutouts, at least. But...why the hell does this guy have SlowMo? Thanks for not explaining. And then BAM! there are enemies that have SlowMo too and I swear the first time I encountered one it wouldn't die, no matter how much I shot it. Arg! Am I the only one who noticed that before you actually get to Armacham  there are just so many health kits and light body armours? If health kits and body armour were cake in this game, this guy would be obese. Seriously. Up until Armacham, there wasn't much reason not to have 100% health and full armour for 90% of the time. And you can't say that I'm just too good for moderate difficulty because I suck pretty badly. Aiming? What the hell is aiming? I try and without SlowMo I would probably die in the first five seconds.

Anyway, have I finished Perseus Mandate? Nope. I have to restart. Once I got into Armacham it all went to hell for me. For awhile I had 25 health, no bullets on any guns, no body armour, and no grenades. Awesome. And now that Replica mech is chasing me through the labs and there are three mini-rocket launchers to get him with. I can make it explode, and a whole bunch of enemies come through the nearest door. And I have nothing but a rocket launcher, and no HP after the mech fight. Basically, the enemies kill me or I accidentally blow myself up. So I'm going to restart and go after some of the easy achievements, like not letting your flashlight die and getting all the upgrades...though I've noticed that they are mostly in the most obvious places.

Some interesting things about Perseus Mandate? Armacham, the evil guys, have Dell computers. This product placement wasn't there in the first game (or at least I never noticed) but it's in this one. I understand product placement and unless it is blatantly obvious and in my face and out of place, I don't really care. I actually liked the EB Games signs in Prototype. But Dell on the Armacham computers? I just find it funny that Armacham  are the ones who started everything and are now trying to kill you. It's not just because I hate my Dell printer. Other things are that Perseus Mandate has no scares. At all. It's a good thing I was intrigued by the story or you know...I wouldn't be playing it. I like survival horror/horror-I LIKE being scared. I'm not interested in playing a FPS. I'll try Perseus Mandate again, but I'm really wanting to play FEAR 2 again, now that I have a much better handle on the controls.
Favourite thing in the expansion? The mini-gun. And the mini-turrets. Yay. The mini-turret is so cute...when I don't accidentally throw it on the floor instead of the wall.

ThunderCats Reboot Episodes 1-3

When I was a kid, I did not have the opportunity to really watch ThunderCats on television, as it was just slightly before my time. My partner was able to rent the movie when he was a child, but could we watch the television show? Nope. Sucks to be us, I know. At least some people were able to watch the movie. I know I had seen some form of animation, as I knew about the epic “thunder...thunder, thunder-HO! We have since bought the dvds, but it would have been cool if I had the memories of watching such a fun series as a kid. And to be clear, I love the old series.
For those of us who were not around in 1985, Warner Bros. Animation has created a reboot of the series. I know, the reboots of late have been tragic. But in my opinion, this one...
...was awesome.
No, really, it was. Cartoon Network airs them on Friday mornings. I can only hope that they air them on Fridays instead of Saturday mornings because school is out for elementary students anyway. Saturday morning cartoons are...not my cup of tea anymore. Anyway, this...Friday morning reboot of an epic cartoon is fantastic. It’s really worth the watch. It updated the character designs (Lion-O doesn’t have that awkward “abs window”) and yes, it did change some things, but for the better. Thus far, I am really enjoying it and I encourage people who dread the evil “reboot” word to give it a chance. I think cartoons are missing the fantasy genre lately, going mostly for randomness, and this is a nice reprieve from that.

Beyond this point will be spoilers of varying degrees...you have been warned!

The Ch-ch-changes...
At least to episode 3, there have some noticeable differences. In the original, the ThunderCats flee their planet of Thundera to find a new home, and are attacked by enemies on the way. They eventually get to Third Earth to start life anew, although only Lion-O, Snarf, Cheetara, Tygra, WilyKit, WilyKat, and Panthro make it, and it takes a long time. They go to sleep in capsules that stop aging, except Lion-O’s, who aged slowly and is now in the body of an adult but is really a child. On Third Earth they encounter their new enemy, Mumm-Ra.

I am manly! (Old version)

No abs?! (New version)

In the reboot, they do not leave their home planet. Simply put, Mumm-Ra destroys their kingdom. No space travel, and frankly, the space travel felt very late 80’s comic-book story, which is not bad at all, but it is very dated. This means that Lion-O does not age. So in the reboot he is a young adult(?). Yay. Because in the original, as a kid in an adult’s body, he just comes off as dumb. In the reboot, yes he is young and makes stupid decisions at times (please see episode 3) but he is learning and he will make mistakes. He has more depth now. But Tygra...oh god. Poor Tygra. He is Lion-O’s “brother” now (yeah...clearly adopted) and man they play up the “I’m better than you and I would make a much better king” way too hard.

Clearly adopted. (New version)

Once got high (Old version) 

Snarf does not speak at all in the reboot, which I like. I think he is much cuter just saying his name (like a pokemon) than being annoying. Yet so far he has not really done anything, and at least in the original series, he did things. Now he’s more like, “hey, remember me? I’m the pet you had before your kingdom got burned to the ground. Thanks for....uh...waitwat?” Yeah I never saw Lion-O actually save Snarf. He is absent during the fights and such, yet he is later just following around Lion-O and the surviving gang. Did I miss something?
 Anyway, my partner is not a fan of the new one. He liked the corny dialogue that Snarf gave.

ThunderKittens (Old version)

We're just following (New version)

WileyKit and Kat are back, but have not done much but act like kids so far. I’m interested in knowing what they will do with the two characters, as I really liked them in the original. I like their update, though, except the new WileyKit's non-existent dress.

 Gruff and "dead" (New version)

Russell Huxtable (Old Version)

Panthro is ...sorry, they say from the get-go that he is dead. But let’s put it this way-he is “dead.” As in, he is totally not dead, and you cannot make me believe that they would kill him off.

Badass lady (New Version)

 I'm from the 80s  (Old version) 

Cheetara has returned and she has some more depth to her, rather than her one and only character trait being “female.” Her original outfit and hair is very 80s, and I rather like her with long hair, though I’d like it if she put some clothes on.

Sharp teeth, clearly evil (Old version)

Sits like a thug, clearly evil (New version)

Lastly is Mumm-Ra. I actually like this one more as an evil, hunch-back thing. My partner prefers him in the original with his comical evilness, whereas I found that a little corny. I think the old one suffered from the “I’m evil, therefore I’m a little bit stupid” syndrome. Time will tell if Mumm-Ra will turn out like his predecessor, though. Lastly, I would like to add that so far, the format of the show has changed. Originally, the show was very much like the “monster of the week” format, and rarely did an episode have actual relevance to an overarching story. Thus far, this is not so, which is quite refreshing. All three episodes follow each other directly.

Things That Irk Me
Lion-O only did the full “thunder...thunder, thunder-HOOO!” once! ONCE. Seriously! They cut it down to a measly “Thunder HOO” probably just to save time. And there was the weirdest change between his “young” voice and his “manly battle” voice. Arg!
All in all, I think these changes are good, for the most part. Hopefully the series will continue to be this good and not crash and burn in remake hell!


And...did you guys know that the ThunderCats did a PSA against kids drinking? Oh 80’s cartoons PSAs...I miss you so much.ThunderCats PSA (Youtube). 

Darren Shan, Vampire Blood trilogy-Cirque du Freak, The Vampire's Assistant, and Tunnels of Blood

Its been a long time since I posted anything to this blog, but I swear it’s not because I am lazy. And it’s definitely not because I’ve been playing video games in my spare time. I mean...what spare time?! I don’t have any spare time!? Give me your spare time!

What I have been reading are the first trilogy of books of the Darren Shan Saga: Cirque du Freak, The Vampire's Assistant, and Tunnels of Blood. I was originally interested in them for my younger brother, whom everyone has pinned him down Goosebumps books and nothing else (not that there is anything wrong with Goosebumps, of course). I just thought he might like something different. Not wanting to give him something blindly, I read the book to make sure it was a suitable reading level and foremost, to make sure it wasn’t boring.

Cirque du Freak

So I bought the first one and read it, and I have to say I personally liked it. The first book, Cirque du Freak was engaging and had enough character development to make the reader care. There is the main protagonist, some of his friends (the most important one being his best friend Steve Leonard), his little sister Annie, and Mr. Crepsley, the vampire. I found Mr. Crepsley a little thinly written, but he appears basically at the end of novel anyway. Furthermore, not knowing much about him makes the reader want to read the next book. As the title suggests, the book is about the Cirque du Freak and it is not truly focused on the vampire. There were some terribly dry moments that I thought could have been cut or perhaps better written-the sports scene is the one that most sticks out in my mind on that complaint. One thing that I have noticed was that nearly every chapter ends with a OMG SOMETHING BAD IS GOING TO HAPPEN FML! cliff-hanger, which get tiring. However, I know that perhaps young readers need that hook.

The Vampire’s Assistant

            Out of all three, this one was my favourite in terms of story. Admittedly, I usually find the first of a series the best and go from there. But the first is my second favourite. Weird. Anyway, I actually preferred the day-to-day dynamics of Darren’s new life as the vampire’s assistant. It has even more colourful characters than the first, though some of them are introduced and you don’t really see them again. Between the second and third books I found I really liked Evra Von, the “snake boy.” I liked his back story, his personality, and how the book describes how he looks.   

            Without spoilers, I liked the end of this book best as well. The first ends with (hopefully) a desire to read the next one because they are actually moving on and there should be more to see. This one ends on a more emotionally powerful note than the others, in my opinion. And that’s all I’ll say about that.

Tunnels of Blood

            First off, this was my least favourite book (but I’m not saying that it wasn’t good!) and I’m saying that the title isn’t as great as it could be. I get where the “tunnels” come from, I get the vampire and blood stock words. Could it have been titled something better? Probably.

            That aside, this book introduces the Vampaneze. Sounds a little lame, but it’s a welcome addition at this point. As the reader progresses in the trilogy, vampires suddenly aren’t terribly scary anymore. Darren, a half-vampire, isn’t frightening, Mr. Crepsley arguably isn’t scary by the third book, the other vampire you see in the third book is quite friendly. The series really needed the Vampaneze as the frightening, uncivilized, other. The reader gets to know how normal vampires really aren’t bad at all and eventually accepts them.

            And because I like Evra, I do have to say that he is in this one alongside with Darren and Mr. Crepsley, so the reader gets to see a lot of him. The book gets into a groove within the universe. The concepts of the universe are not new (except the Vampaneze) so there is more action as situations no longer have to be constantly explained.    

Stuff That Irks Me

I am going to try to keep the next part as spoiler free as possible, so I’m going to be vague, but once you read the first book you’ll know what I’m speaking of. A character is introduced in the first novel, whom the reader gets to know, stuff happens, and he threatens to return and haunt Darren. Let’s just say, he hasn’t come back in the first trilogy. It feels like one of those plot points that writers bring up and let die (Heroes season 3, anyone?) and I would say its pretty bad writing. While he could show up in the last of the four trilogy books, couldn’t there have been something to let the reader actually take him seriously? Remember, we’re supposed to be afraid of this person for Darren. And I’m not, because I really forgot about him by the third book.  

The characters (Darren, mostly) flip-flop in their emotional positions. I trust you, never mind I don’t trust you, I trust you again, never mind you’re a vampire and I hate you...it gets repetitive and boring, and after a while I just really didn’t care. I wonder though, is there some theory out that claims that this is necessary for younger readers? The self-loathing is grinding as well, and not in a Louis de Pointe du Lac way. I hate myself, I can’t drink blood, I’m not evil, I want to go back, wah wah wah. Because these books are aimed at a younger audience, I don’t think a proper self-loathing would have held the audience’s attention. His loathing might be valid, but he doesn’t seem to even think about these issues fully. Maybe I’m crazy, but I think I thought about whatever angsty issues I had just a tad more.     

Final Verdict

            The first three are fantastic, even considering the things that irk me. Sometime down the road I’ll try to get around to reading the next trilogy. Great characters, though this trilogy suffers from a high turnover in characters. The ones that stay are interesting. Supposedly my brother likes the first book I gave him, so I hope to speak to him about the books in the near future. I would recommend this to 12-14 year old boys, but in high school I knew an 18-year-old young man reading the series who quite enjoyed them. 

LA Times Article-Librarian Interrogations

Anne Rice shared a link on Facebook and I thought I would share. It is found on the LA Times website here. 

It is about librarians having to defend themselves in a court (which is set up in a basement). What are they defending? Their jobs. They have to be teachers to also be librarians in their state, and they have to have taught in the last 5 years. Clearly, someone doesn't understand the role librarians should be playing, which does include teaching children how to access information. Let us consider how many adults do not know how to access information. If a school librarian is doing their job, there is no need for this-especially to make them defend themselves in front of armed police officers and a judge.

Seriously? I'm glad it's not like that in Canada. I just want to be a librarian, not a full teacher, and I don't want to have to defend myself even more than I already do.