Monet Edmundson's Blog
November 2, 2018
Sarah J. Maas’s "Kingdom of Ash" Dissolves Fans Into Tears
"Kingdom of Ash" is the final book in the fantasy "Throne of Glass" series, and it’s 984 pages of battles and heartbreak. The series is written by Sarah J. Maas and the final book was released last month. Fans have been waiting for the conclusion to the series since the first book, "Throne of Glass," was published in 2012. Eight books later, "Kingdom of Ash" was published as a conclusion to the story of Celaena Sardothien and her court of warriors and sorcerers. The "Throne of Glass" series is a significant addition to the young adult fantasy genre, as it focuses on creating and developing empowered female characters.
It’s a feat for any author to write a book that contains a huge array of characters and give them an equal amount of time to shine. In "Kingdom of Ash," every characters’ perspective is shared, sometimes multiple times in the same chapter. Instead of this being confusing, it ends up bringing together plot points and character development, creating a multi-layered story. After several books worth of practice, Maas knows what she is doing.
It’s necessary to give the characters individual time to shine, as several stories were left unfinished in the preceding book, "Tower of Dawn." In "Kingdom of Ash," nearly all the main characters are separated from one another. The protagonist Aelin, the heir to the kingdom of Terrasen, is locked in an iron coffin. Her allies are spread thin, either trying to locate her or off on a separate mission of their own. When the book begins, Dorian, Manon, and the Thirteen are searching for Crochan witches. Rowan, Lorcan, Gavriel, and Elide are actively searching for Aelin all over Erilea. Meanwhile, Lysandra and Aedion are with Aelin’s army trying to protect what remains of her kingdom. At first, the sheer size of the book and the number of characters can seem overwhelming. However, once you start reading, you become absorbed in the atmosphere and energy that "Kingdom of Ash" radiates.
As the story moves along, the reader follows the events of Aelin’s capture and the adventures of her friends. First of all, Aelin is captured and tortured for two months. During that time, Aelin begins to deteriorate emotionally and physically.
While these chapters were powerful, they also dragged on endlessly. You become so emotional after reading about Aelin’s imprisonment. By the time I read about the final battle, all my emotions have been spent on Aelin’s capture. I expected Aelin’s final battle to pack more of an emotional punch. The one unexpected storyline of Aelin’s imprisonment was her blossoming friendship with Fenrys. Both are captured and form a strong bond at this time, which is felt throughout the entire book. This platonic love that they develop for one another is unexpectedly moving. Personally, I felt that it was the most heartfelt storyline in the book.
Once Aelin is out of the evil queen Maeve’s clutches, Aelin deals with severe PTSD. As devoted readers know, Aelin’s life has consisted of horrific and torturous experiences up to this moment. She has shown signs of PTSD before, but not to an extent that it was a part of her character.
However, in "Kingdom of Ash," this comes to a head. Immediately following Aelin’s release from imprisonment, she is unrecognizable as the character we’ve come to know. Her swagger and confidence are shattered. This is for two reasons: she can’t stop reliving her physical abuse and she can’t escape her bonds. She is strapped in handcuffs that can’t be broken and she is forced to wear an iron mask. I didn’t expect much from Aelin’s escape, but the scene where Aelin is freed and tries to remove her shackles and mask was heartbreaking. Out of all the moments in the book, this was the one that affected me the most. I normally don’t cry while reading, but the way Maas conveyed Aelin’s panic and hopelessness was overwhelming, and I felt close to tears. Aelin had already suffered and lost so much as a heroine, and at this moment, the reader wishes that they could help her.
While the focus of "Kingdom of Ash" is more on the war that’s taking place, Maas did spend some time focusing on Aelin’s internal struggles. Aelin’s had these internal debates with herself since Book 1 in the series. By the time that we reach "Kingdom of Ash," I had hoped that some of these struggles would have been resolved by now. Aelin was going around in circles and nothing was coming from it. The book would have been better if Aelin wasn’t blaming herself for everything and relieving her past mistakes.
When it came to the battle scenes, Maas pulled out all the stops! Some moments were in slow motion, where the reader could absorb every detail and interaction between the soldiers. Maas took great care to follow every character into battle, and the result was an array of gripping and exhilarating moments. I’d go as far to say that "Kingdom of Ash" has some of the best fighting sequences in the series. It was satisfying to see Aelin rebuild her strength and use some of the assassin moves she employed back in Book 1.
Speaking of throwbacks to the first book, "Kingdom of Ash" has plenty of them. If you’re someone who enjoys references and Easter eggs, then this is the book to read. There were an astonishing amount of references to the first book in the series. Aelin returns to Endovier, both Dorian and Chaol remember Aelin as the assassin she once was, and Nox Owen returns. Specifically, there is a special moment between the original three characters; Aelin, Chaol, and Dorian, who have been friends since the beginning. Long-time fans of the "Throne of Glass" series will appreciate these emotional and beautifully written moments.
Additionally, fans of Maas’s writing will need a sharp eye to spot a reference to her other series, "A Court of Thorns and Roses." There is a moment that Maas snuck into "Kingdom of Ash" that honestly came out of nowhere. For fans who haven’t read Maas’s other work, the moment might seem like a waste of time. However, for those us who have enjoyed reading "A Court of Thorns and Roses," the moment referenced in "Kingdom of Ash" was worthwhile and touching to read.
The last issue to address is character deaths. Maas isn’t known for mercilessly killing off her heroes and heroines, but "Kingdom of Ash" has its fair amount of death. When we last left off in "Tower of Dawn," there was no hope left for our little band of heroes. Yet in "Kingdom of Ash," some villainous characters finally get what was coming to them. While this is fulfilling to the reader, several character deaths are teased in the process. So many main characters are “about to die” in several moments. This takes away the shock factor of their eventual deaths if they do die.
All in all, "Kingdom of Ash" was a well-plotted and dramatic conclusion to the "Throne of Glass" series. There were plenty of filler moments and professions of love I could have done without, but the character development was amazing across the board. Maas will have more fantasy books published in 2019, and she plans to continue writing in the future.
The "Kingdom of Ash" hardcover is $19.99 and is available now through Bloomsbury Publishing.
April 23, 2016
Shakespeare Scones
Four hundred years ago today, William Shakespeare became a legend. That is to say, today celebrates the day Shakespeare died, and brings us to the last day of Shakespeare week. I’ve had a blast writing these posts each day and maybe I’ll do something like this again in the future (Jane Austen’s birthday anyone? :) Anyway, I decided early on that I would do something to end the week with a funny surprise. I’m a huge fan of baking, and I’ll been working on traditional English desert recipes lately. So here is a picture of the Shakespeare Scones I whipped up. They’re pumpkin-flavored with glaze/icing that spells out “Shakespeare.” Each scone has a letter and pictured here is the letter “S.” Alongside it are some of my favorite Shakespeare-themed belongings, namely my copy of 1937 The Works of William Shakespeare Complete, my copy of William Shakespeare’ Star Wars (A New Hope), and a Macbeth pendant. The 1937 book is a cherished book sale find, totally unexpected, and it houses all of the plays in a small and light edition. I haven’t yet read the rest of the Star Wars Shakespeare books, are they as good as A New Hope? The Macbeth pendant I happily discovered at a flea market by a woman who creates gorgeous, handmade book pendants. It’s so vintage and fun to wear, because then I get to explain to people what my necklace is.
Here is a link to a picture of the Shakespeare Scones: https://www.facebook.com/TheLincolnSp...
Continuing yesterday’s topic, today I’ll finish up with “Favorite References Part 2.” However, the set-up for today is going to be a little different. Where for Part 1 I focused on the most recognizable modern references to Shakespeare, some which have become classics themselves, for Part 2 I’m going to share my own favorite references to Shakespeare.
TV Show: Shakespeare Uncovered by PBS
Adaptation: “Anonymous”
Podcasts (I want to try): Folger Shakespeare Library: Shakespeare Unlimited, BardCast: The Shakespeare Podcast, and No Holds Bard
Side Note: I realize now that I listed a lot of responses for the podcasts category, but there are just so many new and exciting Shakespeare podcasts out there that I want to try. I can’t decide which one to start with first, so any recommendations are welcome.
Shakespeare Uncovered is a versatile documentary/tv show that analyzes Shakespeare’s plays over two seasons. It manages to be easy to follow, quick, and in-depth all at the same time. My favorite episode was the one they made for A Midsummer Night’s Dream, narrated by Hugh Bonneville. As for adaptations, there have been many I’ve enjoyed, including “Shakespeare in Love” and “Taming of the Shrew” starring Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton. (Kate is another one of my favorite heroines.) Yet Anonymous was so fresh, shocking, and unknown to me. At that point, I’d read some of Shakespeare’s play, none of his poetry, and I knew little about his life. Although the movie isn’t historically accurate all the way through, it beautifully captures the struggle of a writer to belong in a world with normal people. The movie depicts the main character as a genius who relies on the voices of his characters to help him through life. Even though the movie introduces the idea of Shakespeare not writing the plays and sonnets he’s famous for, instead they were written by the Earl of Oxford, his works are largely represented in the play. Needless to say, the costumes and filming of the movie is lovely. As a writer, the movie resonated well with me.
This brings an end to Shakespeare week and this last blog post. Thanks everyone for reading and if you’ve enjoyed these post, please feel free to check out my first book, The Lincoln Spy, here on Goodreads.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
Here are the links for all my previous posts for Shakespeare week.
April 18th post all about heroines:
https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog...
April 19th post with Macbeth manipulations:
https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog...
April 20th post where fairies and donkeys take over a forest:
https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog...
April 21st post for why Shakespeare is a sonnet master:
https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog...
April 22nd post for what Disney, rock bands, comedies, singing, and the Bard have in common:
https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog...
Here is a link to a picture of the Shakespeare Scones: https://www.facebook.com/TheLincolnSp...
Continuing yesterday’s topic, today I’ll finish up with “Favorite References Part 2.” However, the set-up for today is going to be a little different. Where for Part 1 I focused on the most recognizable modern references to Shakespeare, some which have become classics themselves, for Part 2 I’m going to share my own favorite references to Shakespeare.
TV Show: Shakespeare Uncovered by PBS
Adaptation: “Anonymous”
Podcasts (I want to try): Folger Shakespeare Library: Shakespeare Unlimited, BardCast: The Shakespeare Podcast, and No Holds Bard
Side Note: I realize now that I listed a lot of responses for the podcasts category, but there are just so many new and exciting Shakespeare podcasts out there that I want to try. I can’t decide which one to start with first, so any recommendations are welcome.
Shakespeare Uncovered is a versatile documentary/tv show that analyzes Shakespeare’s plays over two seasons. It manages to be easy to follow, quick, and in-depth all at the same time. My favorite episode was the one they made for A Midsummer Night’s Dream, narrated by Hugh Bonneville. As for adaptations, there have been many I’ve enjoyed, including “Shakespeare in Love” and “Taming of the Shrew” starring Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton. (Kate is another one of my favorite heroines.) Yet Anonymous was so fresh, shocking, and unknown to me. At that point, I’d read some of Shakespeare’s play, none of his poetry, and I knew little about his life. Although the movie isn’t historically accurate all the way through, it beautifully captures the struggle of a writer to belong in a world with normal people. The movie depicts the main character as a genius who relies on the voices of his characters to help him through life. Even though the movie introduces the idea of Shakespeare not writing the plays and sonnets he’s famous for, instead they were written by the Earl of Oxford, his works are largely represented in the play. Needless to say, the costumes and filming of the movie is lovely. As a writer, the movie resonated well with me.
This brings an end to Shakespeare week and this last blog post. Thanks everyone for reading and if you’ve enjoyed these post, please feel free to check out my first book, The Lincoln Spy, here on Goodreads.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
Here are the links for all my previous posts for Shakespeare week.
April 18th post all about heroines:
https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog...
April 19th post with Macbeth manipulations:
https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog...
April 20th post where fairies and donkeys take over a forest:
https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog...
April 21st post for why Shakespeare is a sonnet master:
https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog...
April 22nd post for what Disney, rock bands, comedies, singing, and the Bard have in common:
https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog...
April 22, 2016
The Shakespeare Revival
As of now, it’s Day Five of Shakespeare Week and I can’t help imagining what the Bard would think about all this commotion. I mean, how many people get a whole week to celebrate themselves? Yet to see such enthusiasm for a writer that has been dead for centuries is hopeful. It’s hopeful that readers will continue to show such loyalty to an author’s works, even after that author can no long create new masterpieces.
For Friday, it’s worth exploring the impact William Shakespeare has made on the world today. He’s influenced popular culture in too many ways to count, and if I did list all the examples here, the blog post would be too long and no one would want to read it. So I thought I’d first focus on the most recognizable modern references to Shakespeare, some which have become classics themselves. I’ll be diving into “Favorite References Part 1.”
Movie: "The Lion King"
Song: "Ophelia" by The Lumineers
Book: Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead by Tom Stoppard
Musical: "West Side Story"
Side Note: I realize now that three of these references are for Hamlet alone, but the storyline from this play is used all the time anyway, and it’s created some singular works.
Disney basing the plot of "The Lion King" around Hamlet is easy to realize once you notice the similarities. I like this example, as I’ve always wondered what would’ve happened if Prince Hamlet had got a happy ending. The song “Ophelia,” besides sharing the name of a Shakespearean character, also has some remarkable resemblances to the plot of the play encased in its lyrics. Pay close attention to the line about Ophelia in the “flood,” the singer’s regret about losing her. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead was recommended to me and it’s on my to-read list, so hopefully I will get to it soon. As for "West Side Story," I was forced to watch this musical for a music class I had in middle school. I’m not much of a musician, so these classes always bored me. Nothing personal against the teacher, just as a writer, I would have rather been writing than studying music. However, learning about the history of music and watching Story made this specific class stand out. For someone who’s not a Romeo and Juliet fan, I found myself rooting for the young couple while watching the musical.
There are unlimited sources of information to pull from for a blog post on Shakespearean references in popular/modern culture. However, I tried to include all I could in today’s post, which is why I split this topic into two parts. Tomorrow I will conclude this topic, and my Shakespeare-themed blog posts, with “Favorite References Part 2.” That’s not all, though, that will be included in the post, there will be some surprises as well.
In the meantime, here are the links for all my previous posts for Shakespeare week.
April 18th post all about heroines:
https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog...
April 19th post with Macbeth manipulations:
https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog...
April 20th post where fairies and donkeys take over a forest:
https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog...
April 21st post for why Shakespeare is a sonnet master:
https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog...
For Friday, it’s worth exploring the impact William Shakespeare has made on the world today. He’s influenced popular culture in too many ways to count, and if I did list all the examples here, the blog post would be too long and no one would want to read it. So I thought I’d first focus on the most recognizable modern references to Shakespeare, some which have become classics themselves. I’ll be diving into “Favorite References Part 1.”
Movie: "The Lion King"
Song: "Ophelia" by The Lumineers
Book: Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead by Tom Stoppard
Musical: "West Side Story"
Side Note: I realize now that three of these references are for Hamlet alone, but the storyline from this play is used all the time anyway, and it’s created some singular works.
Disney basing the plot of "The Lion King" around Hamlet is easy to realize once you notice the similarities. I like this example, as I’ve always wondered what would’ve happened if Prince Hamlet had got a happy ending. The song “Ophelia,” besides sharing the name of a Shakespearean character, also has some remarkable resemblances to the plot of the play encased in its lyrics. Pay close attention to the line about Ophelia in the “flood,” the singer’s regret about losing her. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead was recommended to me and it’s on my to-read list, so hopefully I will get to it soon. As for "West Side Story," I was forced to watch this musical for a music class I had in middle school. I’m not much of a musician, so these classes always bored me. Nothing personal against the teacher, just as a writer, I would have rather been writing than studying music. However, learning about the history of music and watching Story made this specific class stand out. For someone who’s not a Romeo and Juliet fan, I found myself rooting for the young couple while watching the musical.
There are unlimited sources of information to pull from for a blog post on Shakespearean references in popular/modern culture. However, I tried to include all I could in today’s post, which is why I split this topic into two parts. Tomorrow I will conclude this topic, and my Shakespeare-themed blog posts, with “Favorite References Part 2.” That’s not all, though, that will be included in the post, there will be some surprises as well.
In the meantime, here are the links for all my previous posts for Shakespeare week.
April 18th post all about heroines:
https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog...
April 19th post with Macbeth manipulations:
https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog...
April 20th post where fairies and donkeys take over a forest:
https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog...
April 21st post for why Shakespeare is a sonnet master:
https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog...
April 21, 2016
The Indecisive Poem
Welcome to Day Four of Shakespeare Week! I’ve seen plenty of hilarious parodies online marking the celebration, ranging from the Bard in Lego form, to Shakespearean quotes being used in Gnomeo and Juliet memes. I’ll never forget the day I walked into my local Barnes and Nobles and saw a book of Shakespeare plays rewritten as text messages. That was a great laugh. Needless to say, if you Google #ShakespeareWeek, you see some amusing pictures.
This Thursday I’ll be chatting about what I believe to be the most complex work ever created by Shakespeare. This “Favorite Poem” is a sonnet where characteristics of love are debated. The characteristics are debated throughout the entire poem, long enough for the reader to conclude that the narrator is either extremely fickle, senseless, or a genius. This poem is Sonnet 116, also called “Let Me Not to the Marriage of True Minds.” To demonstrate my loyalty to this poem, I have two copies of it organized in front of me while I write this post. They are from the books A Treasury of Poems and Pocket Book of Poetry, in case anyone is looking for excellent poetry collections.
It could be needless to have two copies of the same poem, but I’m a writer who does their research, even when typing up a casual blog post. Disclaimer: When I read poetry on my own time, I don’t mull over the rhyme schemes, meter, or literary devices. I read it for unaffected fun, because no one ever interprets a poem the same way.
The first time I was exposed to “Minds,” I heard the poem quoted in a movie. I only heard a couple lines, but I was inspired to find this poem in its entirety. To me, the narrator begins the poem reciting the control of love and its immovability. Yet I don’t think this is what the poem is all about. The narrator admits that while love can be steadfast, every version of love is different for each person. It takes diverse forms and falls under no one’s authority. Throughout history, love has been present and will be until the end. In the last couple lines, the narrator seems to reflect on his/her own opinions presented thus far, admitting that they could be wrong, but then love would have been non-existent in the first place. The most important piece I took away from “Minds” is that everyone experiences sentiments differently, so the reader shouldn’t be quick to categorize feelings.
Hopefully I didn’t go too deep with today’s post, I actually couldn’t figure out how to organize my thoughts on Shakespeare’s poetry. As he’s such a celebrated writer, I find that people feel intimidated when giving their opinion on his works. Either that, or we all need to read his text message books to understand half of what he’s saying. :) Tomorrow I’ll be discussing some more modern Shakespeare references with plenty of popular culture allusions.
In the meantime, here are the links for all my previous posts for Shakespeare week.
April 18th post all about heroines:
https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog...
April 19th post with Macbeth manipulations:
https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog...
April 20th post where fairies and donkeys take over a forest:
https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog...
This Thursday I’ll be chatting about what I believe to be the most complex work ever created by Shakespeare. This “Favorite Poem” is a sonnet where characteristics of love are debated. The characteristics are debated throughout the entire poem, long enough for the reader to conclude that the narrator is either extremely fickle, senseless, or a genius. This poem is Sonnet 116, also called “Let Me Not to the Marriage of True Minds.” To demonstrate my loyalty to this poem, I have two copies of it organized in front of me while I write this post. They are from the books A Treasury of Poems and Pocket Book of Poetry, in case anyone is looking for excellent poetry collections.
It could be needless to have two copies of the same poem, but I’m a writer who does their research, even when typing up a casual blog post. Disclaimer: When I read poetry on my own time, I don’t mull over the rhyme schemes, meter, or literary devices. I read it for unaffected fun, because no one ever interprets a poem the same way.
The first time I was exposed to “Minds,” I heard the poem quoted in a movie. I only heard a couple lines, but I was inspired to find this poem in its entirety. To me, the narrator begins the poem reciting the control of love and its immovability. Yet I don’t think this is what the poem is all about. The narrator admits that while love can be steadfast, every version of love is different for each person. It takes diverse forms and falls under no one’s authority. Throughout history, love has been present and will be until the end. In the last couple lines, the narrator seems to reflect on his/her own opinions presented thus far, admitting that they could be wrong, but then love would have been non-existent in the first place. The most important piece I took away from “Minds” is that everyone experiences sentiments differently, so the reader shouldn’t be quick to categorize feelings.
Hopefully I didn’t go too deep with today’s post, I actually couldn’t figure out how to organize my thoughts on Shakespeare’s poetry. As he’s such a celebrated writer, I find that people feel intimidated when giving their opinion on his works. Either that, or we all need to read his text message books to understand half of what he’s saying. :) Tomorrow I’ll be discussing some more modern Shakespeare references with plenty of popular culture allusions.
In the meantime, here are the links for all my previous posts for Shakespeare week.
April 18th post all about heroines:
https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog...
April 19th post with Macbeth manipulations:
https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog...
April 20th post where fairies and donkeys take over a forest:
https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog...
April 20, 2016
Keep Calm and Blame Puck
Starting tomorrow we are halfway through Shakespeare week and I have to say, I’m thrilled with how much press the Bard is receiving. Countless teenagers are forced to read his plays and poems and later become adults who dismiss the author. Of course Shakespeare is still hailed as one of the greatest writers of all time, but I believe too many people go their whole lives without giving him another chance. I form completely different opinions from plays I read on my own time, versus how I rushed I was to read them in school.
Speaking of rereading Shakespeare’s plays, today’s post is regarding a “Favorite Play.” I confess that when I was deciding on the topics for each of the blog posts, it was hard to choose the so-called “favorite” heroine, villain, etc. However, I could choose my favorite Shakespeare play with my eyes closed while being subjected to fairy potions and turned into a donkey. (Out of all the animals Shakespeare could have chosen, why a donkey? I get that he probably wanted to make fun of Nick Bottom, I mean at that point, I think we all did, but still. I think by doing this, Puck fell to an all-time low.)
That’s right, A Midsummer Night’s Dream is the play I’m referencing. Earlier I discussed the character of Helena who’s featured in Dream, but she’s not the only reason I enjoy the play. The witty interactions between the four main lovers, the magical atmosphere in the forest, the oafishness of the players, and the perplexing ending impresses me to this day.
I first read this play in middle school and it was the first Shakespeare play I ever read. The first time I read it, I was mildly amused. By the second time, I was enchanted. During that time I was mostly reading Jane Austen and her novels were my main exposure to witty dialogue in literature. I had yet to try reading young adult books, so Dream stuck with me and became the only source of teenage angst I could admire, or the closest thing to it. The forest backdrop reminded me of my favorite play of all time, Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie, and the play’s quotes were memorable. I’ll never forget the lines said by Puck to close the play, as they challenged my perception of what I had read. Then again, that was Puck’s job, to make the reader question themselves, as he was the trickster fairy. He made Bottom, a confident individual, even question his sanity from his donkey experience. He demonstrates that even the most confident, exasperating person can made mistakes (Bottom), sometimes with a helping hand from a fairy (Puck).
Before I finish up this post for the day, I wanted to give a quick shout out. After my class read Dream, my school organized a production of the play by the Gamut Theatre Company. It may sound silly, but while watching the play, I felt utterly spellbound. I just wanted to say thank you to those actors and actresses, wherever you are now. It was a magical performance.
On Thursday, I’ll break away from the subject of plays and move onto discussing Shakespeare’s poetry.
In the meantime, here are the links for all my previous posts for Shakespeare week.
April 18th post all about heroines:
https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog...
April 19th post with Macbeth manipulations:
https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog...
Speaking of rereading Shakespeare’s plays, today’s post is regarding a “Favorite Play.” I confess that when I was deciding on the topics for each of the blog posts, it was hard to choose the so-called “favorite” heroine, villain, etc. However, I could choose my favorite Shakespeare play with my eyes closed while being subjected to fairy potions and turned into a donkey. (Out of all the animals Shakespeare could have chosen, why a donkey? I get that he probably wanted to make fun of Nick Bottom, I mean at that point, I think we all did, but still. I think by doing this, Puck fell to an all-time low.)
That’s right, A Midsummer Night’s Dream is the play I’m referencing. Earlier I discussed the character of Helena who’s featured in Dream, but she’s not the only reason I enjoy the play. The witty interactions between the four main lovers, the magical atmosphere in the forest, the oafishness of the players, and the perplexing ending impresses me to this day.
I first read this play in middle school and it was the first Shakespeare play I ever read. The first time I read it, I was mildly amused. By the second time, I was enchanted. During that time I was mostly reading Jane Austen and her novels were my main exposure to witty dialogue in literature. I had yet to try reading young adult books, so Dream stuck with me and became the only source of teenage angst I could admire, or the closest thing to it. The forest backdrop reminded me of my favorite play of all time, Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie, and the play’s quotes were memorable. I’ll never forget the lines said by Puck to close the play, as they challenged my perception of what I had read. Then again, that was Puck’s job, to make the reader question themselves, as he was the trickster fairy. He made Bottom, a confident individual, even question his sanity from his donkey experience. He demonstrates that even the most confident, exasperating person can made mistakes (Bottom), sometimes with a helping hand from a fairy (Puck).
Before I finish up this post for the day, I wanted to give a quick shout out. After my class read Dream, my school organized a production of the play by the Gamut Theatre Company. It may sound silly, but while watching the play, I felt utterly spellbound. I just wanted to say thank you to those actors and actresses, wherever you are now. It was a magical performance.
On Thursday, I’ll break away from the subject of plays and move onto discussing Shakespeare’s poetry.
In the meantime, here are the links for all my previous posts for Shakespeare week.
April 18th post all about heroines:
https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog...
April 19th post with Macbeth manipulations:
https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog...
April 19, 2016
Ladies Hold a Grudge
Happy 2nd day of Shakespeare week! Already I have a ton of Goodreads articles concerning this theme stacked up to read later and I heard that BBC might be arranging something amazing on this Saturday for the Bard's birthday. :) Hopefully this is more than a rumor, because BBC creates genius.
Anyway today's topic is focused on Shakespearean characters that make readers shiver, scream, and want to run in the other direction. I've noticed that the male villains in Shakespeare's works get a fair amount of attention, but the females can be just as manipulative and sly. Without a doubt, my "Favorite Female Villain" would be Lady Macbeth.
I read Macbeth first outside of high school. At the time, teachers had told me that I wasn't yet old enough to read the play. However, I threw caution to the wind and quickly became enthralled with the text.
Nearly all the characters I found fascinating, but Lady Macbeth impressed me the most with her outright boldness and clever nature. She was much more impressive than any of the scheming high school girls I had known. I honestly believed she could take over an entire kingdom without the help of her husband. Her character appealed to me in a world filled with witches and high-stakes politics. I'd enjoy reading a book from her perspective that details her quest for power, as I view Lady Macbeth as a role model for Maleficent, just less made up by Disney.
For me Lady Macbeth really came alive when I saw her in the Macbeth opera. Maybe this display drew me in because of my Italian roots, but it still showed a mature heroine who wasn't like all the other characters around her. Sometimes it can be scary and thrilling to realize that you're the most apt and determined person in the room.
Tomorrow I'll explore a specific work written by Shakespeare.
Until then, here's the link for yesterday's post all about heroines:
https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog...
Anyway today's topic is focused on Shakespearean characters that make readers shiver, scream, and want to run in the other direction. I've noticed that the male villains in Shakespeare's works get a fair amount of attention, but the females can be just as manipulative and sly. Without a doubt, my "Favorite Female Villain" would be Lady Macbeth.
I read Macbeth first outside of high school. At the time, teachers had told me that I wasn't yet old enough to read the play. However, I threw caution to the wind and quickly became enthralled with the text.
Nearly all the characters I found fascinating, but Lady Macbeth impressed me the most with her outright boldness and clever nature. She was much more impressive than any of the scheming high school girls I had known. I honestly believed she could take over an entire kingdom without the help of her husband. Her character appealed to me in a world filled with witches and high-stakes politics. I'd enjoy reading a book from her perspective that details her quest for power, as I view Lady Macbeth as a role model for Maleficent, just less made up by Disney.
For me Lady Macbeth really came alive when I saw her in the Macbeth opera. Maybe this display drew me in because of my Italian roots, but it still showed a mature heroine who wasn't like all the other characters around her. Sometimes it can be scary and thrilling to realize that you're the most apt and determined person in the room.
Tomorrow I'll explore a specific work written by Shakespeare.
Until then, here's the link for yesterday's post all about heroines:
https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog...
April 18, 2016
A Most Depressing Helena
Today is the official start to Shakespeare Week on Goodreads and if you still don't know what that is, here's a link to make the rest of the blog post make sense.
https://www.goodreads.com/blog/show/6...
For day one I decided on a topic that is controversial, at least to me. William Shakespeare created some incredible heroines and female villains in his plays, from Rosalind to Lady Macbeth. Then he included some female characters that are just...there. This introduces the today's topic of the "Favorite Heroine." I'll say straight off the bat that Helena would fill this category for me.
I should explain this choice. After all, Helena is not a particularly brave, clever, or kind character in A Midsummer Night's Dream. By all accounts, she's the most lovesick, annoying character in the entire cast. Yet something made me admire her when I first read the play in middle school. Besides Dream being my favorite of Shakespeare's plays, Helena has two qualities unlike any I've noticed in other characters created by Shakespeare.
Helena is loyal to her aspirations and dreams in a completely innocent way. She never attempts to hurt anyone, except in a few mean-spirited remarks she throws at her friend Hermia. Honestly, Hermia was equally as lively as Helena.
There's something admirable in Helena's simple, hopeful personality that she will not give up. She never lets anyone tell her or force her to give up the life she wants. That's a trait I believe has trickled down into the personas of many young adult heroines today.
Tomorrow another Shakespeare-themed blog post will be released, this time unmasking some of the more deceitful characters in the Bard's plays.
https://www.goodreads.com/blog/show/6...
For day one I decided on a topic that is controversial, at least to me. William Shakespeare created some incredible heroines and female villains in his plays, from Rosalind to Lady Macbeth. Then he included some female characters that are just...there. This introduces the today's topic of the "Favorite Heroine." I'll say straight off the bat that Helena would fill this category for me.
I should explain this choice. After all, Helena is not a particularly brave, clever, or kind character in A Midsummer Night's Dream. By all accounts, she's the most lovesick, annoying character in the entire cast. Yet something made me admire her when I first read the play in middle school. Besides Dream being my favorite of Shakespeare's plays, Helena has two qualities unlike any I've noticed in other characters created by Shakespeare.
Helena is loyal to her aspirations and dreams in a completely innocent way. She never attempts to hurt anyone, except in a few mean-spirited remarks she throws at her friend Hermia. Honestly, Hermia was equally as lively as Helena.
There's something admirable in Helena's simple, hopeful personality that she will not give up. She never lets anyone tell her or force her to give up the life she wants. That's a trait I believe has trickled down into the personas of many young adult heroines today.
Tomorrow another Shakespeare-themed blog post will be released, this time unmasking some of the more deceitful characters in the Bard's plays.
July 10, 2014
Author interviews and Q&A
Two new great parts of being an author have occurred that I want to let readers and authors know about. Ok, first is the opportunity that I had to be interviewed on this wonderful book site. Here is the link: http://wordswithletidelmar.blogspot.c...
And I'll even get a review of my book before the summer ends too! A great site in total.
Also I am enthusiastic of the new feature Goodreads added which is a Q&A for authors and readers, for which I have already read some responses by authors that I admire. My Q&A feature is loaded on at this link: https://www.goodreads.com/author/7738...
I'm open to answering questions:) and I keep on writing.
And I'll even get a review of my book before the summer ends too! A great site in total.
Also I am enthusiastic of the new feature Goodreads added which is a Q&A for authors and readers, for which I have already read some responses by authors that I admire. My Q&A feature is loaded on at this link: https://www.goodreads.com/author/7738...
I'm open to answering questions:) and I keep on writing.
May 3, 2014
An Introduction
This post will simply provide a brief introduction to the author of The Lincoln Spy and basic information about the series.
The Chasing Fools Series is a collection of four time traveling stories (the last three yet to be published) that tell of the adventures of three time traveling agencies: the P.O.I.H.F. agency, the Thieves Brothers agency, and the Gold's Fool agency. Teenagers Amelia Raht and Otto Ray are the main characters who grow into accomplices, then friends as the saga continues as they strive to save the world from the evil, twisted agents belonging to the Gold's Fool agency, led by some of the most feared villains in history.
The Lincoln Spy, the first book in the series, was published (ebook version) early in 2014 and is now on goodreads.com. The plot of this first book is centered around Amelia and Otto's first mission to protect the lives of the some of the most beloved Presidents in United States history. This book's leading genre is historical fiction, but some sci-fi elements are added in, as well as humor, action, and adventure.
As an exclusive part of this blog, the author (Monet Polny, or just me) will release some unidentified facts not known till now:
1. Multiple Gold's Fool agency locations were revealed in the first book, but no P.O.I.H.F. agency destinations were verified. Their main building is located in a discreet, rarely visited town in Washington D.C. without tourists.
2. Amelia Raht's backstory before becoming a time traveling agent will be revealed in the sequel to The Lincoln Spy.
3. The name Otto was shared by the name of an ancient king, Otto the Great, and means: "prosperous."
4. The destiny of the character of Ava Nar, another agent character, will be explained later in the series as being the only way her existence could be placed to protect an agency secret. Her name means: "immortality and hope for others' peace."
5. Otto Ray's backstory as to which agency he truly belongs in, will be revealed in the third Chasing Fools series book.
That's all for now, so I hope you've enjoyed reading this post and the new info given about this new series.
Here's are links to the first book:
The Lincoln Spy
http://www.amazon.com/The-Lincoln-Cha...
The Chasing Fools Series is a collection of four time traveling stories (the last three yet to be published) that tell of the adventures of three time traveling agencies: the P.O.I.H.F. agency, the Thieves Brothers agency, and the Gold's Fool agency. Teenagers Amelia Raht and Otto Ray are the main characters who grow into accomplices, then friends as the saga continues as they strive to save the world from the evil, twisted agents belonging to the Gold's Fool agency, led by some of the most feared villains in history.
The Lincoln Spy, the first book in the series, was published (ebook version) early in 2014 and is now on goodreads.com. The plot of this first book is centered around Amelia and Otto's first mission to protect the lives of the some of the most beloved Presidents in United States history. This book's leading genre is historical fiction, but some sci-fi elements are added in, as well as humor, action, and adventure.
As an exclusive part of this blog, the author (Monet Polny, or just me) will release some unidentified facts not known till now:
1. Multiple Gold's Fool agency locations were revealed in the first book, but no P.O.I.H.F. agency destinations were verified. Their main building is located in a discreet, rarely visited town in Washington D.C. without tourists.
2. Amelia Raht's backstory before becoming a time traveling agent will be revealed in the sequel to The Lincoln Spy.
3. The name Otto was shared by the name of an ancient king, Otto the Great, and means: "prosperous."
4. The destiny of the character of Ava Nar, another agent character, will be explained later in the series as being the only way her existence could be placed to protect an agency secret. Her name means: "immortality and hope for others' peace."
5. Otto Ray's backstory as to which agency he truly belongs in, will be revealed in the third Chasing Fools series book.
That's all for now, so I hope you've enjoyed reading this post and the new info given about this new series.
Here's are links to the first book:
The Lincoln Spy
http://www.amazon.com/The-Lincoln-Cha...
