Azalea Forrest's Blog, page 5

Afterlands: Betweentimes by Boots: A Forrest Review

Betweentimes is a series within the Afterlands series between novellas. Volume 1 consists of four vignettes of the time between After the Harrowing and After the Return. They’re not mandatory readings to enjoy the main novellas, but add character depth, development, and enjoyable slice-of-life elements.

Afterlands: Betweentimes: Best Foot Forward

Best Foot Forward:

Best Foot Forward takes place directly after After the Harrowing. The Bad Rain has been stretching on and Nix is not do...

All Bite by Alexa Windsor – A Forrest Review

Here’s another indie book review: Alexa Windsor’s All Bite is book one in a current three book dog-walking mystery series. Book three was my first read of Windsor’s, as it was an editing project for me, and I knew I’d want to read the others! I’m glad I did, because All Bite is a treat.

Walking dogs for wealthy clients is the perfect job for animal lover April Gladdis. She lives a quiet life in Chicago, walking dogs by day and watching her favorite web series with her best friend/next-...

Only Yesterday – A Forrest Review

A continuation of my Ghibli Marathon, Only Yesterday is film number 8. As I’ve already done a review, I’m reblogging this post from last year. Read my review below!

A Forrest Writes

Only Yesterday is an animated drama produced by Studio Ghibli, written and directed by Isao Takahata, with Hayao Miyazaki as the general producer. It is based off of the 1982 manga of the same name, by Hotaru Okamoto and Yuko Tone. Only Yesterday was released on July 20th, 1991, and today it still has a 100% ...

Afterlands: After the Harrowing – A Forrest Review

Afterlands: After the Harrowing is an indie novella following the Beforetimes short stories by Boots. Though they aren’t necessary to enjoy After the Harrowing, they’re a wonderful addition to the world and characters. Boots writes a fantastically woven tale of love, friendship, and traversing the intricacies and nuances of a land ravaged by war.

Afterlands: After the Harrowing cover. “This is fine.”

A half-feral scavenger, a once-celebrated warrior, a fearsome and fearful fire-starter,...

Tales from Earthsea – A Forrest Review

Tales from Earthsea is an epic high-fantasy film by Goro Miyazaki, produced by Studio Ghibli. It is a conglomeration of the first four Earthsea books by Ursula K. Le Guin, as well as Hayao Miyazaki’s manga series: Shuna’s Journey. 

I’ve only read the first two Earthsea books, and I’m 62% through The Farthest Shore, but I noticed some similarities between Goro’s film and Le Guin’s series. But it is not Le Guin’s series: it is its own unique story.

This film…is not a bad film. I say this bec...

Metanoia by Juniper Lake Fitzgerald – A Forrest Review

The Fifth Yanai is a story of the value of free will, the triumph of love, and the fight to live life on one’s own terms. Metanoia is the first installment.

In a world ravaged by famine, kindhearted Cultist Ohkai lives in the wilderness serving his Gods, when he is sent from his Sect on a Calling of divine origin. He travels into the heart of a society that opposes the very existence of his kind. But what he expected to be a simple test of his devotion will bring him face to face with his...

My Neighbor Totoro – A Forrest Review

My Neighbor Totoro is an animated fantasy film from 1988, produced by Studio Ghibli, and written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki. Satsuki and Mei move to a new home in rural Japan in the 1950’s with their father, while their mother is recovering from illness in the hospital. They happen upon soot sprites in their home, and later furry spirits of the forest. 

MNT is a very adorable children’s film. I love that it is entrenched with spirits alongside everyday life, and that the father is so enco...

Nausicaa – A Forrest Review

Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind is a Japanese animated film written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki in 1984, based on his manga of the same name from 1982. The film was released before Studio Ghibli had been founded, and so was produced by Toei Animation, but is considered the first Ghibli film and is part of the Studio Ghibli Collection DVD & Blu-Ray. 

Nausicaa is a world full of toxic jungles and giant insects. Humans are constantly struggling to survive in most parts of the world, as the...

The Red Turtle – A Forrest Review

The Red Turtle is an animated film from 2016, co-written and directed by Dutch animator Michaël Dudok de Wit and produced by Toshio Suzuki from Japan. The film is a co-production between Studio Ghibli and several French companies. A lesser-known film, The Red Turtle is still a Ghibli film, and this was my first viewing, so I wanted to be sure and include it in the marathon! One of the main producers was Isao Takahata, who produced both Tale of Princess Kaguya and Only Yesterday. The film is abou...

Indie April Book Sale!

#IndieApril Book Sale! Fantasy, science fiction, and horror

Hey everyone! It’s #IndieApril, a month celebrating and boosting indie authors. We’re having a huge sale over on Narratess, where there will be 45+ fantasy books, 30+ science fiction, 10+ horror, and 10+ anthologies! I’m so excited to see everything. The sale starts April 18th until April 22nd, that’s this coming Monday!

I’m especially excited because A Bitter Drink will be on sale at this time! The ebook will be available for .99...