HEA: It is not so much the destination as it is the journey.

Okey, I'm one of those readers who likes my HEA or happily-ever-after. I'm an escapist reader, so I don't really want a lot of reality intruding into my fantasy. My ideal story therefore would have a very good semblance of reality but have an HEA in the end. And that is not real, that is fantasy. Because real life almost always dishes out a non-HEA. So a good author weaves me a realistic HEA. Sound simple? Probably. But not a lot of authors can pull that off. In fact, only a few can... "HEA", we know the ending anyway, so where is the thrill there? Aha! This is where the "good author" comes in. A very good tale spinner can make the story a very good journey, indeed! As Captain Jack says:

"It is not so much the destination, as it is the journey."

That is why I am always on the constant prowl for good authors. What is your take on HEA?

Review: THOR

THOR

About THOR:

In 965 A.D., Odin (Anthony Hopkins), king of Asgard, wages war against the Frost Giants of Jotunheim and their leader Laufey (Colm Feore), to prevent them from conquering the Nine Realms, starting with Earth. The Asgardian warriors defeat the Frost Giants and seize the source of their power, the Casket of Ancient Winters.

In the present, Odin's son Thor (Chris Hemsworth) prepares to ascend to the throne of Asgard, but is interrupted when Frost Giants attempt to retrieve the Casket. Against Odin's order, Thor travels to Jotunheim to confront Laufey, accompanied by his brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston), childhood friend Sif (Jaimie Alexander) and the Warriors Three; Volstagg (Ray Stevenson), Fandral (Joshua Dallas) and Hogun (Tadanobu Asano). A battle ensues until Odin intervenes to save the Asgardians, destroying the fragile truce between the two races. For Thor's arrogance, Odin strips his son of his godly power and exiles him to Earth, accompanied by his hammer Mjolnir — the source of his power, now protected by a spell to allow only the worthy to wield it.

Thor lands in New Mexico, where scientist Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), her assistant Darcy Lewis (Kat Dennings) and mentor Dr. Erik Selvig (Stellan Skarsgård), find him. The local populace finds Mjolnir, which S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Phil Coulson (Clark Gregg) soon commandeers before forcibly acquiring Jane's data about the wormhole that delivered Thor to Earth. Thor, having discovered Mjolnir's nearby location, seeks to retrieve it from the facility that S.H.I.E.L.D. quickly constructed but he finds himself unable to lift it, and is captured. With Selvig's help, he is freed and resigns himself to exile on Earth as he develops a romance with Jane.

Loki discovers he is Laufey's son, adopted by Odin after the war ended. When Odin, overcome with stress, falls into the deep "Odinsleep" that allows him to recuperate, Loki becomes king and offers Laufey the chance to kill Odin and retrieve the Casket. Sif and the Warriors Three, unhappy with Loki's rule, attempt to return Thor from exile, convincing Heimdall (Idris Elba), gatekeeper of the Bifröst - the means of traveling between worlds - to allow them passage to Earth. Aware of their plan, Loki sends the Destroyer, a seemingly indestructible automaton, to pursue them and kill Thor. The warriors find Thor, but the Destroyer attacks and defeats them, prompting Thor to offer himself instead. Struck by the Destroyer and near death, Thor's sacrifice proves him worthy to wield Mjolnir. The hammer returns to him, restoring his powers and allowing him to defeat the Destroyer. Kissing Jane goodbye and vowing to return, he and his fellow warriors travel to Asgard to confront Loki.

In Asgard, Loki betrays and kills Laufey, revealing his true plan to use Laufey's attempt on Odin's life as an excuse to destroy Jotunheim with the Bifröst Bridge, and thus prove himself worthy to Odin. Thor arrives and fights his brother before destroying the Bifröst Bridge to stop Loki's plan, stranding himself in Asgard. Odin awakens and prevents the brothers from falling into the abyss created in the wake of the bridge's destruction, but Loki allows himself to fall to his apparent death after realizing that he disappointed Odin once again. Thor makes amends with Odin, admitting he is not ready to be king, while on Earth, Jane and her team search for a way to open a portal to Asgard.

In a post-credits scene, Selvig has been taken to a S.H.I.E.L.D. facility, where Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) asks him to study an unnamed device, which Fury says may hold untold power. Loki, invisible, whispers to Selvig to agree, which Selvig does.

Source: Info in the About THOR was taken from Wikipedia at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thor_(film) on 13/05/2011.

My Take:

The movie wasn't that stunning to me. It was entertaining enough, but not the sort which makes me want to go back to see it again and again. Now Chris Hemsworth and Natalie Portman are both good actors but they just didn't sizzle. Individually they are big presence on the silver screen. But somehow, together they just don't spark. They look very platonic. Staid. There is more spark between Sif and Thor than there is between Jane and Thor. And one of the central points of the story is suppose to be about the heartbreaking circumstances of two hearts yearning to be together but cannot be between Jane and Thor, but they just wasn't able to pull it off in this film. It came through flat. However I do like Chris Hemsworth's abs! :)

Movie Links:
Official Thor site (US)
Wiki
IMDb

Trailer

Review: BOUND BY DARKNESS

Bound By Darkness by Alexis Morgan
Book 7 of The Paladins series

Genre: adult urban fantasy

About Bound By Darkness:

Caught between two worlds, a powerful warrior must choose between impossible destinies when he meets a woman whose love will either make or break him. . . .

As the daughter of a Regent, Sasha has long known about the secret underworld of the Paladins and their work protecting her kind from the dark forces on the other side of the energy barrier. So when she is sent on her first solo investigation, on the path to becoming the first female Regent, she is determined to get the Seattle Paladins in line. Offering sanctuary to their Kalith enemies is simply unacceptable!

But when she meets Larem, she is inexorably drawn to a dark and valiant warrior who is not at all what he appears to be. As the power struggle between Regents and Paladins rages on, someone starts making attacks on her life. Sasha must choose between loyalty to her own kind and the warrior she loves . . . with the very fate of humanity hanging in the balance.

Source: Info in the About Bound By Darkness was taken from the author's website at http://www.alexismorgan.com/boundbydarkness.html on 17/04/2011.

Review:
I read this book right after Deafeat The Darkness so there is continuity in the reading process. So this book started off alright. Then it became slower as I progressed. That has to be strange! Like, I expected to finish this book within a few days, a week the most. But it's been like, what, a month? That's slow! I have to give the pace a lower rating than the other Paladin books with that. The book is not bad, it's just not a quick read for me. Or it could be that my reading experience has been affected by my having the flu.That flu was one heck of a virulent one. It knocked me down flat for two weeks!! Having said that, the pace still felt a bit slower compared to the other books in the series though. However I still like the story telling quality of this author and will continue to read other work by Alexis Morgan. Like the way she tells a story!A lovely enough read that I would give it a 4 out of 5. But this being book 7 in the series, I would suggest that you read the previous books first before reading this one because it will give you a better understanding and greater appreciation of characters and events.

Story telling quality = 4
Character development = 4.5
Story itself = 4
Ending = 3.5
Cover art = 4
Pace = 3

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 cherries


Books In The Series:



Thank you to Simon & Schuster for the review copy received.

WW28: BLACK WINGS

WW28
A chance to showcase your favourite!

• First you grab our Wicked Wednesday pic.
• Then you grab a book. Turn to page 28. Take the first sentence. And then you post it in your site with a link back to WW28.
• Come back to Cherry Mischievous - WW28 and give us the url of your post (in a comment at a WW28 post) so that other WW28 readers can find your WW28 offering.

WW28 book offering : Black Wings by Christina Henry

Page 28, 1st sentence is so boring that it virtually means nothing at all... so instead, I will share with you my favourite quote :)

"I was pretty sure that I do not have an undiscovered talent for breaking and entering."

This is the main protagonist talking to herself.  :)

About Black Wings:

Escorting souls into the afterlife leaves Maddy little time for socializing-until devilishly handsome Gabriel Angeloscuro agrees to rent the empty apartment in her building. But when demons start appearing on Maddy’s front lawn, she realizes there’s more to her new tenant than meets the eye.

Source: Info in the About Black Wings was taken from the author's website at http://www.christinahenry.net/?page_id=43 on 10/01/2011.

I SO WANT TO READ THESE: THE WATERGIVER SERIES

The Last Stormlord by Glenda Larke
Book 1 of the Watergivers series

About The Last Stormlord:

Shale is the lowest of the low-an outcast from a poor village in the heart of the desert. In the desert water is life, and currency, and Shale has none. But he has a secret. It's the one thing that keeps him alive and may save all the cities of the Quartern in the days to come. If it doesn't get him killed first...
Terelle is a slave fleeing a life as a courtesan. She finds shelter in the home of an elderly painter but as she learns the strange and powerful secrets of his art she fears she may have traded a life of servitude for something far more perilous...

The Stormlord is dying in his tower and there is no one, by accident or design, to take his place. He brings the rain from the distant seas to his people. Without a Stormlord, the cities of the Quartern will wither and die.

Their civilization is at the brink of disaster. If Shale and Terelle can find a way to save themselves, they may just save them all. Water is life and the wells are running dry...

Source: Info in the About The Last Stormlord was taken from GoodReads at http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6765788 on 01/05/2011.

Stormlord Rising by Glenda Larke

Book 2 of the Watergivers series

About Stormlord Rising:

Shale Flint is forced to help the devious rainlord, Taquar Sardonyx, in his quest to create rain - even though Taquar′s lust for power threatens to consume all that stands in his path.

Terelle leaves the Scarpen with her great-grandfather, Russet ... his painting of her future has trapped her into doing his will. Obsessed with regaining his status as a Watergiver lord in his homeland, it seems that Russet will go to any lengths to attain his goal.

Meanwhile, Ryka Feldspar has been captured and taken as a concubine by a Reduner tribemaster. Desperate to escape, she discovers her Rainlord husband, Kaneth, in the slave lines ... but, to Ryka′s despair, he has no memories of their time together.

Source: Info in the About Stormlord Rising was taken from GoodReads at http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7812372-stormlord-rising on 01/05/2011.

The Stormlord's Exile by Glenda Larke
Book 3 of the Watergivers series

About The Stormlord Exile:

Reduner nomads have massacred the Quartern's Rainlords, leaving its cities vulnerable to the relentless desert. Now Stormlord Shale must stretch his powers to bring rain, or his people will die—if they don't meet a Reduner knife first. However, Shale can't hold out alone for much longer, and those who seek to exploit him are closing in. Rainlord Kaneth has spurned these politics for war, and plans to defeat the Reduner leader from his desert stronghold. But there are spies in Kaneth's camp. Terelle has been Shale's secret weapon until now, covertly boosting his powers. But her Uncle's magic compels her to travel to distant Khromatis—and if she disobeys him it will destroy her. Yet Khromatis gave the desert its first Stormlord, so Terelle may find hope there as well as great danger…

Source: Info in the About The Stormlord's Exile was taken from the author's website at http://glendalarke.com/books/watergivers/stormlords_exile on 01/05/2011.

IN THE MAIL: SKIN GAME

I would like to thank Jackie B of HouseWife Blues And Chihuahua Stories for hosting a contest which made it possible for me to win a copy of Skin Game by Ava Gray which arrived the other day!

Skin Game by Ava Gray

Book 1 of the Skin series

About Skin Game:

A beautiful fugitive—wanted dead or alive.
Kyra is a con woman and a particular kind of thief. She steals with a touch, but she only takes one thing: her target’s strongest skill. Which means she can be a fighter, an athlete, a musician, an artist—anything she wants… for a limited time. Heartbroken, she turns her gift toward avenging her father’s murder; with deadly patience, Kyra works her way into casino owner Gerard Serrano’s inner circle. After pulling off the ultimate con, she flees with his money and his pride.

A hit man who never misses the mark.
Reyes has nothing but his work. Pity for Kyra, he’s the best and mercy never sways him once he takes a job. He’s been hired to find out where Kyra hid the cash—and bring her back to face Serrano’s “justice.” Dead will do, if he can’t locate the loot. He’s never failed to complete a contract, but Kyra tempts him with her fierce heat and her outlaw heart. So Reyes has a hell of a choice: forsake his word or kill the woman he might love.

Source: Info in the About Skin Game was taken from the author's website at http://www.avagray.com/books/skin-game/ on 07/05/2011.

HARRY POTTER: THE DEATHLY HOLLOWS Movie Trailers

What is this? The year of fantasy movies? What does that say about this generation? Anyhow, tell me, who is not looking forward to watching the final installment of Harry Potter??

The Deathly Hollows 2 trailer:
Movie Release Date: 15 July 2011

Deathly Hollows 1 trailer:
Movie Released: November 2010

The main Deathly Hollows trailer: