21 Feb 2012

Currently Reading


Previously Reading: "The Dragon Heir" by Cinda Williams Chima
Rating: 4/5
Favourite Character: Though Leander appears, my favourite character was Maddie.
Favourite Scene/Chapter: I absolutely loved when Maddie absorbed the power within the Dragonheart.
Favourite Sentence: "The only other creatures who don't flee a killing field are the scavengers who come after the fact." (narrator, chapter 31 "Armageddon on the Lake")
Observations: I was not excepting that end!!! Review to come!
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Currently Reading

Name: "The Golden Age: A Novel of Queen Elizabeth"
Written by: Tasha Alexander
Plot: "The reign of Queen Elizabeth I was a time of war, passion, and spectacular achievement. Elizabeth: The Golden Age finds Elizabeth facing bloodlust for her throne and familial betrayal. Growing keenly aware of the changing religious and political tides of late sixteenth-century Europe, Elizabeth faces an open challenge from the Spanish King Philip II, who is determined to restore England to Catholicism with his powerful army and dominating armada.
Preparing to go to war to defend her empire, Elizabeth struggles to balance ancient royal duties with an unexpected vulnerability: her love for the seafarer Sir Walter Raleigh. But he remains forbidden for a queen who has sworn body and soul to her country.
Yet as she charts her course abroad, treachery is the rot behind the glittering royal throne. Her most trusted adviser uncovers an assassination plot that could topple the throne, and the traitors may even include Elizabeth's own cousin Mary Stuart."
Buy Book: [UK][USA][Portugal - Original Edition][Portugal - Portuguse Edition]
Goodreads Page: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13447443-elizabeth-a-idade-do-ouro
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Name: "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde"
Written by: Robert Louis Stevenson
Plot: "A good man takes a potion that turns him into a freak of pure evil. A reasonable scientist is transformed - through the agency of science itself - into the living embodiment of unreason. Like the vampire and the werewolf, the sundered personae of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde have worked their way into our collective unconscious, expressing both our ambivalence with science and our deepest questions about what is knowable in human nature."
Buy Book: [UK][USA][Portugal - Original Edition][Portugal - Portuguse Edition]
Goodreads Page: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/51496.Dr_Jekyll_and_Mr_Hyde

9 Feb 2012

Arshad - Girl on Fire


Reaction:
I like it... and I love the fact they used a lot of feelings and lines from the book. I believe this song does justice to the main plot... plus the fact it's called "Girl on Fire" which is Katniss's nickname.

COME ON!!! I NEED TO SEE THE BLOODY MOVIE... NOW!!!

Currently Reading


Previously Reading: "The Hobbit" by J.R.R. Tolkien
Rating: 5/5
Favourite Character: Bilbo Baggins and Gandalf (couldn't resist in adding the coolest wizard on earth)
Favourite Scene/Chapter: I loved the chapter where Bilbo finds the Smaug for the first time. Really thrilling.
Favourite Sentence: "Never laugh at live dragons, Bilbo you fool!" (Bilbo Baggins, chapter 12 "Inside Information")
Observations: Review to come!
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Currently Reading

Name: "The Dragon Heir"
Written by: Cinda Williams Chima
Plot:"The covenant that was meant to keep the wizard wars at bay has been stolen, and Trinity must prepare for attack. Everyone is doing their part -- Seph is monitoring the Weirwalls; Jack and Ellen are training their ghostly army; even Anaweir Will and Fitch are setting booby traps around the town's perimeter. But to Jason Haley, it seems like everyone wants to keep him out of the action. He may not be the most powerful wizard in Trinity, but he's prepared to fight for his friends. When Jason finds a powerful talisman --a huge opal called the Dragonheart--buried in a cave, his role takes on new importance. The stone seems to sing to Jason's very soul -- showing him that he is meant for more than anyone guessed. Trinity's guardians take the stone away after they realize that it may be a weapon powerful enough to save them all. Without any significant power of his own, and now without the stone, what can Jason possibly do to help the people he cares about -- and to prove his mettle? Madison Moss can feel the beating heart of the opal, too. The desire for it surges through her, drawing her to it. But Maddie has other things besides the Dragonheart on her mind. She has a secret. Ever since absorbing the magical blow that was meant to kill Seph, she's been leaking dark powers. Although Maddie herself is immune to magic, what would her friends think if they knew what kind of evil lay within her? Trinity's enemies are as enthusiastic about her powers as she is frightened. They think they can use her to get to the Dragonheart -- and they'll use anyone Maddie cares about to make her steal the stone for them. Moral compasses spin out of control as a final battle storms through what was once a sanctuary for the gifted. With so much to lose, what will Jason and Maddie be willing to fight for -- and what will they sacrifice? Every man is for himself in this thrilling conclusion to the Heir trilogy."
Buy Book: [UK][USA][Portugal - Original Edition]
Goodreads Page: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2866413-the-dragon-heir

5 Feb 2012

Blog's Birthday


"A Wings Tale"
is proud to announce its 4th birthday in the Blogsphere universe.

Thank you to all my readers, friends and family who are still reading my posts after all this time. You've made it all possible ^_^

3 Feb 2012

R.I.P Podas

My Ipod just died... and I am so very sad it kind of hurts (exaggerating... or not).

R.I.P... you were a good Ipod for 7 years.

1 Feb 2012

Game of Thrones Season 2

31 Jan 2012

Tuesday Score


Title: "Vale Decem"
TV-Series: "Doctor Who - The Specials" by Russell T. Davies
Composed By: Murray Gold
Year: 2009
Time: 3:19
Classification: **** (3 stars)
Observations: The video is a live version of the song played at Royal Albert Hall. It has also the track "This is Gallifrey: Our Childhood, Our Home".


__________

Released Date: 4th October, 2010
Classification Of The Album: **** (4 stars)
Buy Album: [Portugal - not available][UK][USA]
DISC 1:
1. "Vale" (1:37)
2. "A Victorian Christmas" (1:34)
3. "Not the Doctor" (3:19)
4. "A Bit of a Drag" (1:23)
5. "In the Sea of Memory" (0:44)
6. "Hidden in the Closet" (1:51)
7. "The Wonder of Balloons" (1:23)
8. "A Forceful Intelligence"(1:12)
9. "The Greats of Past Time" (5:04)
10. "The March of the Cybermen" (4:13)
11. "Goodbyes" (5:04)
12. "A Disturbance in the Night" (0:38)
13. "The Cat Burglar" (1:30)
14. "Alone in the Desert" (3:19)
15. "A Special Sort of Bus" (2:19)
16. "Stirring in the Sands" (1:58)
17. "Lithuania" (1:48)
18. "Letter to Earth" (2:15)
19. "By Water Borne ..." (2:23)
20. "The Fate of Little Adelaide" (5:05)
21. "Altering Lives" (3:23)
DISC 2:
1. "We Shall Fare Well" (1:26)
2. "A Frosty Ood" (2:51)
3. "A Dream of Catastrophe" (1:18)
4. "All in the Balance" (0:55)
5. "A Ruined Gaol" (1:22)
6. "Wilf’s Wiggle" (0:43)
7. "Minnie Hooper" (1:31)
8. "The End Draws Near" (3:46)
9. "Gallifrey" (2:32)
10. "Final Days" (1:43)
11. "The Council of the Time Lords" (0:41)
12. "The Master Suite" (4:33)
13. "The Ruined Childhood" (3:27)
14. "A Chaotic Escape" (2:59)
15. "The World Waits" (5:18)
16. "A Longing to Leave" (1:18)
17. "A Lot of Life Behind Us" (4:20)
18. "Dealing with the Menace" (1:35)
19. "Speeding to Earth" (1:18)
20. "The Time Lords’ Last Stand" (3:27)
21. "The Clouds Pass" (1:53)
22. "Four Knocks" (4:04)
23. "Song for Ten (Reprise)" (2:21)
24. "Vale Decem" (3:19)
25. "Vale" (4:20)
26. "The New Doctor" (1:07)

30 Jan 2012

The Wizard Heir Review

The Wizard HeirThe Wizard Heir by Cinda Williams Chima
My rating: ★★★☆☆ (more like 3,5 stars)
Read it in: English

*SPOILERS ALERT*

“The Wizard” heir was an amazing continuation book to “The Warrior Heir” even though I found the beginning a little bit of a challenge to me. Not that I didn’t liked it, but it was rushing its way to the main plot, at the Havens, and I felt that the characters were developing very fast.

However, as soon as Seph said no the ritual to Leicester and the nightmares and torture began, that’s when I began to dive into the story and was really looking forward to know why all those things were happening to poor Joseph McCauley.

I found Seph an extreme tortured soul, all his life he wanted to know how to control his magic which has caused him so many troubles. His character seemed a bit of an arrogant boy due to his childhood and orphan life, but as soon as he met Jason Haley and he managed to get a hold of his problem source, I’ve realised he was a nice guy with a true and honest heart. Actually, after his recue by Linda Downey and his changing life in Trinity, you get to know a completely new Seph, a brand new wizard with a great, though damage, soul.

The fact that we didn’t know who his parents were – not a total surprise to me at the end since there was something that lead me to discover it soon enough – made us deep into the story, wishing he would find his true family and know why they left him. When we finally know it – knowing it before Seph – and we begin to understand the reason behind their decision, we cannot feel but sadness and pure joy.

Madison Moss was a character that, at first, I didn’t like. I thought she was some kind of spy sent by Leicester to capture Seph in the most brutal way: by falling in love with her. But she proved not to be a spy but something rare and special in the magical world. However, after the battle at the Second Sister and her strange behaviour afterward, she changed (I understand her reasons though) and I’m hoping to know a little bit more about her and her reasons in the third volume.

This book helps us understand the wizards better. While in the first volume we have a glimpse of what wizards can do, in this one you get to know the full power deep within a wizard’s heartstone and his unlimited power when linked to others – that would be the evil Leicester, the most hated character in this book for me.

We can also understand how the unfair justice of the wizards is and why Linda and Hastings were trying to modify it. The meeting at the Second Sister was a really good way to get to know how the other guilds feel about having the wizards as the top and high power. Linda nailed in that reunion, I must say. I was literally hooked and not only because she’s an enchanter but because she was in pain and she managed to talk from the bottom of her heart.

Overall, this was a very good sequel to “The Warrior Heir” letting us know more and more about the fantastic world Cinda Williams Chima created without getting us lost in time and space. It was good to see old characters from the first book and meet new ones. Now I cannot wait to get my hands on the third book “The Dragon Heir”.

I gave this book 3,5 stars because of the slow beginning.

View all my reviews in Goodreads

29 Jan 2012

Currently Reading


Previous Reading: "The Wizard Heir" by Cinda Williams Chima
Rating: 3,5/4
Favourite Character: Leander Hastings
Favourite Scene/Chapter: I would have to say that I pretty much liked the entire chapters after Seph met Jason... that's when things became really excited.
Favourite Sentence: "Tyranny is the most efficient form of government. But I would suggest that due process has a purpose. That there is a difference between efficiency and justice." (Linda Downy, chapter 21 "Wizard Discipline")
Observations: Review to come!
__________

Currently Reading

Name: "The Hobbit"
Written By: J.R.R. Tolkien
Plot: "Bilbo Baggins was a hobbit who wanted to be left alone in quiet comfort. But the wizard Gandalf came along with a band of homeless dwarves. Soon Bilbo was drawn into their quest, facing evil orcs, savage wolves, giant spiders, and worse unknown dangers. Finally, it was Bilbo-alone and unaided-who had to confront the great dragon Smaug, the terror of an entire countryside...
This stirring adventure fantasy begins the tale of the hobbits that was continued by J.R.R. Tolkien in his bestselling epic The Lord of the Rings."
Buy Book: [UK][USA][Portugal - Original Edition][Portugal - Portuguese Edition]
Goodreads Page: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/838638.The_Hobbit

28 Jan 2012

Lacuna Coil and Adrenaline... Dark Adrenaline!

Dark Adrenaline:
1. Trip the Darkness
2. Against You
3. Kill the Light
4. Give Me Something More
5. Upsidedown
6. End of Time
7. I Don't Believe in Tomorrow
8. Intoxicated
9. The Army Inside
10. Losing my Religion (R.E.M Cover)
11. Fire
12. My Spirit


Oh well, another album from the freaking awesome Italian band Lacuna Coil and, of course I needed to have it since I'm a big fan of the band. People normally say that "Shallow Life" was weak, the worst album of the band so far and all, but I truly liked the album even though it was slightly different from their work. However, this album really brought a bit of the old Metal of Lacuna though the sound is still more rock than Gothic/Metal as people classify the band.

What did I thought about the album "Dark Adrenaline"?
At first it didn't really sounded something from Lacuna but I admit that the first "going-through-the-album" was somewhat quick and without paying attention to lyric and melody. Now, after spending two days listening nothing more but the wonderful Cristina Scabbia and the freaking cool Andrea Ferro, I have to admit to all of you that I like it... a lot.

My favourite tracks are, perhaps, "Intoxicated" and "The Army Inside". Andrea's vocals on both songs make me want to marry his voice. Of course that Miss Scabbia's vocals are always great... as usual. Actually, "The Army Inside" fits well enough on the plot of the books I'm reading... I might add it to "A Cup of Coffee and a Book" new meme for Saturday... we'll see!

I just don't particularly like R.E.M cover since "Losing My Religion" is one of my favourite songs. Though I loved Lacuna's cover of "Enjoy the Silence" by Depeche Mode (don't kill me), this one didn't work out that well... sorry guys.
I also don't really appreciate "End of Time"... reason? I don't really know but it's a track I keep skipping.

Other song that I think is pretty amazing in "My Spirit". It kind of remind me of "Oblivion" from their previous album... and the Italian part of the song is so beautiful (and I found it easy to understand apart from certain words... hopefully, next year I'll begin Italian at the University and be able to fully get it).

Overall, I think the album sounds like Lacuna Coil since "Karmacode" but the old band is also there, underneath the layers. I recommend it to all if you like Lacuna or if you happen to like the genre.

8/10
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