Tag: Fantasy

Excessive Reader

Coraline by Neil Gaiman

I am getting used to late review now 😉

My school’s library has a book that I have been eager to read, Coraline by Neil Gaiman. Coraline, for me, till this day is still the best western animation I have ever seen (I said western because for me best of all animation belongs to Spirited Away). So dark, so unpredictable, so creative and magical…the kind of animation that easily attracts me. I have long known that Coraline is based on a book under the same title…but I never had a chance to read it till last January.

I have finished the book more than a month ago…and that’s why this is a late review #sigh

CoralineThe story is basically same with the animation BUT the details are different.

In the movie, Coraline went to the other world several times till she was finally locked by her other mother…in the book, she only went once and already knew something was not right in the other world.

Let’s begin from the beginning.

Coraline is an only child and lives with her unique parents. Coraline seems like a lonely child with super busy parents who hardly even notice her. Her mom rarely cooks proper food and her dad, though working at home, is always busy. She is left alone to explore or visit the neighbours. Continue reading “Coraline by Neil Gaiman”

Novroz9 Comments
Aqeela and Me

Aqeela and Me – Chapter 10 – The Hole Keeper

Image belongs to cool-tery.deviantart.com
Image belongs to cool-tery.deviantart.com

Before I continue my serial, I have to share a bit of this sad news. Alice Audrey who came up with the Serialist blog hop decided to close the serialist 😦

Although I didn’t read much the serials by other serialists (I have two blogs and a busy job, it’s hard to keep up with everybody -sorry) but I (once in a while) still managed to find time to read them, especially Robin’s Hawaiian story…but it’s still sad to see that blog hop go away. The people there are the one who always read my serialist.

I will continue writing my serial no matter how far the distance between each chapter but I have to finish what I have started and it’s a good practice.

*********************************

Previous Chapter: The Sniffing

*********************************

All I wanted to do was to jump from the tree and ran away. Whatever or whoever came to that pack of loud hairy centipedes creep the hell out of me. I wanted to stay as far always as possible. I was ready to jump when Aqeela held me tight and motioned me to stay still. She didn’t say anything but from the way she gave me the eye, she urged me to stay….no, she begged me to stay. Those eyes gave me strength to stay on tree even though every bit of my brain was screaming run…run away.

Inspired from this pic

As the figure got nearer, I could finally see clearly. The figure was a man (or maybe a woman) in a very dark brown hooded cloak; like the one monks used to wear. He reminded me of the Ringwraiths in The Lord Of the Rings but the cloak was brown instead of black and it wasn’t as ragged as the Ringwraiths’. He was a bit bent like he had been looking down for ages.

He touched one of the hairy centipedes and instantly they all stopped making sound. They all backed away to give him space to move inside the circle. He squatted and inspected what the hairy centipedes had found. He was squatting so long with both his hands touching the ground. He moved his hands here and there. Abruptly, he started sniffing the ground. He sniffed in ever direction. Continue reading “Aqeela and Me – Chapter 10 – The Hole Keeper”

Novroz4 Comments
Aqeela and Me

Aqeela and Me – Chapter 9 : The Sniffing

Previous Chapter: Their First Argument ********************************* Up on the tree, I saw something slithering down there. It was the most unusual being I had ever seen. At first, I thought it was a snake as it slithered like a snake but I noticed that it had legs, lots of legs, it was more like a centipede than snake. But, unlike centipede this thing below me … Continue reading Aqeela and Me – Chapter 9 : The Sniffing

Novroz9 Comments
Aqeela and Me

Aqeela and Me – Chapter 8 : Their First Argument

Image belongs to cool-tery.deviantart.com
Image belongs to cool-tery.deviantart.com

Previous Chapter: The Dream

*********************************

We had been walking for hours without any break, Aqeela was leading me on to somewhere in great hurry. I kept telling her that I needed a break but she kept ignoring my wish because we were still in dangerous territory. She was constantly looking to her right and left with her right hand clasping upon the hilt of her sword. Just by looking at the way she moved I know we were in constant danger but I am not a warrior like her, I really need a break.

“Aqeela, I can’t walk anymore! My feet ache and every single bone in my legs is screaming for a rest. Can we just sit for a few minute?”

I begged her for the past one or two hours. She kept hushing me till at one point my request really irked her. “Shut up!! How many times should I tell you that we CAN’T stay here! This isn’t a safe place!!”

She was leaning so close to me with her green eyes full of fury looking straight at me.

“It’s just for a few minute! Five minutes the most!! I AM NOT LIKE YOU!! I am not a warrior who had been trained to do this, I can’t walk for hours without rest…I AM NOT YOU!!” I was beginning to shout at her. Continue reading “Aqeela and Me – Chapter 8 : Their First Argument”

Novroz19 Comments
Aqeela and Me

Aqeela and Me – Chapter 7: The Dream

Before I start Chapter 7, I need to say I am so sorry that I haven’t had time to continue my serial. It’s quite hard keeping up with job and trying to be creative. Thank you for waiting and continue reading my long delayed serial…thank you. Previous Chapter: The World in Between ********************************* “Mia! Mia!! Wake up!” mom was calling me and knocking on the … Continue reading Aqeela and Me – Chapter 7: The Dream

Novroz16 Comments
Aqeela and Me

Aqeela and Me – Chapter 6: The World in Between

Previous Chapter: The Witch and The Guardian ********************************* “Guardian of me? You mean you are my guardian?” “Yes!” We were inside a big rock, that reality alone hurt my head a bit and now this girl in front of me was saying that she is my guardian. I felt like I have fell into a dangerous trap. “Why?” “I can’t tell you why I have … Continue reading Aqeela and Me – Chapter 6: The World in Between

Novroz15 Comments
Aqeela and Me

Aqeela and Me – Chapter 5: The Witch and The Guardian

Previous Chapter: The Gate

*********************************

Image belongs to cool-tery.deviantart.com
Image belongs to cool-tery.deviantart.com

She was the most beautiful girl I have ever seen, I would have fallen in love with her at the first sight if I were a boy. She had beautiful bright green eyes that clearly showed her intelligence. Her face showed the beauty of a princess and the strength of a warrior at the same time. She reminded me of Xena the warrior princess but she was much prettier than her. Clad in various gradations of green colours, a bow and dozens of arrow on her back and a sword on her hips clearly shown that she was not an ordinary girl. This beautiful warrior caught The Gate Keeper before she fell to the ground.

She took a vial from her belt and poured the liquid inside the vial into The Gate Keeper’s mouth and then she put her head gently on the ground. She stood up and looked at me intently. The way she looked at me made me nervous because I felt like I was being judged by her. She just stared at me without saying a word, it felt like hours before she finally said something. She was speaking in a language I couldn’t understand. Her voice was firm and questioning.

“I’m sorry, I don’t understand a word you’re saying,” I tried to cut off her words because it would be useless for her to keep on speaking.

She said something else while pointing at the unconscious Gate Keeper. I could only shake my head and shrugged. I could see that she was as frustrated as I am but she kept making a gesture trying to say something and I was terrible at guessing.

Suddenly, we both heard someone laughing and it was the Gate Keeper. The Gate Keeper said something to her and the two talked in language I have never heard before. She helped the Gate Keeper to stand up. The Gate Keeper took something from her pocket. It was a bottle of green powder. I wondered why everything was greenish in this world. She poured the powder onto her palm and began chanting. The green powder started rising up from her palm and moved slowly toward me. I took a step backward but the girl with the bow gestured me to stay still. The powder surrounded my head and before I could do anything it went inside my ears and my nostril.

“What the …,” that was the only thing I can say. I tried to stick my fingers into my ears, trying to get that powder out of my ears and I also tried to cough it out. “What did you do to me?” Continue reading “Aqeela and Me – Chapter 5: The Witch and The Guardian”

Novroz11 Comments
Aqeela and Me

Aqeela and Me – Chapter 4 : The Gate

Previous Chapter:  The Girl In the Photograph

**********************

Image belongs to cool-tery.deviantart.com
Image belongs to cool-tery.deviantart.com

When the girl in the photograph – she called herself the Gate Keeper – slowly opened the gate to her world, I instantly knew that the cabinet would be the gate. I half expected it to be like Narnia but I had used the cabinet since we moved to the house and there was nothing behind the cabinet.

She said that the photograph was the key and I could understand why she said so as the gate slowly appeared in front of me. She, the Gate Keeper, pointed the lantern in her hand at the cabinet. The light from her lantern was so bright and so white; it reminded me of burned magnesium, something I did in science class. As the bright light shone upon the cabinet, I could see the cabinet slowly changed into a new shape. The cabinet was now a gate. The light became dimmer once the gate had fully formed.
Continue reading “Aqeela and Me – Chapter 4 : The Gate”

Novroz17 Comments
Aqeela and Me

Aqeela and Me – Chapter 3 : The Girl In The Photograph

Previous Chapter: The Photograph.

Image belongs to cool-tery.deviantart.com
Image belongs to cool-tery.deviantart.com

************************

It’s been a week since I found that photograph of a girl with a lantern in her hand. I kept it in my drawer and had forgotten about it due to all the chores and schoolwork I had to do. Not having mom around was no fun at all. I missed the days when she was always at home working in front of her computer yet she still managed to keep the house clean and cooked for us. She always said that her job was a perfect job for housewives as she was a translator. But now, mom had to do two jobs to support us. She insisted that all the money from our dad’s books were put safely away for our college.

In my opinion Dad was a great writer and not only because he was my Dad. Unfortunately that wasn’t what the world thought of my dad’s books. They didn’t sell as well as Harry Potter and Twilight. The publisher told my dad that his books were too surreal. Fortunately he still had small group of fans who kept buying his books. And that would help us later.

I was rereading one of my dad’s books when mom knocked on my door.

“Mia, I am going to the store, Andy needs something for his school’s assignment. Would you like to come or want me to buy something for you?” asked mom.

“I think I’ll stay here as I don’t need to buy anything. Is Andy tagging along with you, mom?”

“Yes, you know how he is! He wants to make sure I buy the right thing.” Mom rolled her eyes and smiled. Continue reading “Aqeela and Me – Chapter 3 : The Girl In The Photograph”

Novroz12 Comments
Aqeela and Me

Aqeela and Me: Chapter 2 – The Photograph

Previous Chapter: The Castle.

Image belongs to cool-tery.deviantart.com
Image belongs to cool-tery.deviantart.com

******************

We have lived in this house for a couple of weeks now. We, surprisingly, had already tidied up all our stuffs. When we moved to the house we have just left, we needed over a month to tidy up everything even though there were four of us back then. I guessed the tidying up sort of made Mom, and us I supposed, able to forget the fact that Dad wasn’t with us anymore.

Mom was right when she said that our new house was bigger than the old one. My room was twice bigger than before. There were a wooden cabinet and a bed left by the previous owner. We kept the cabinet but got rid of the bed. Mom thought that the cabinet looked antique and still in good condition, so she decided to keep it where it was. The bed, on the other hand, already looked very old and Mom didn’t like the look of it. She changed it with my own bed.

The cabinet was empty and clean, the previous owner was kind enough to not leave any junk in it. It had four rooms and two drawers on the bottom. I put my clothes on the four rooms and used the drawers to put my other stuffs. The cabinet was dark brown and didn’t have many craving. I thought the cabinet was really good and I wondered why they left it. Mom said maybe it was too bothersome to bring along. I thought it was not a good reason considering the house was empty except for the cabinet and the bed in my room.

A good house with mysteries, I thought, or maybe I was just imagining things. I was full of imagination, she said, and it came from my dad’s side.

“Mia. What are you doing?” Mom caught me staring at the cabinet, “I told you to get ready half an hour ago!”

“I am still thinking which shirt to wear.”

“Just wear anything! You have ten minutes young lady!” Continue reading “Aqeela and Me: Chapter 2 – The Photograph”

Novroz16 Comments
Excessive Watcher

Back to Back Neil Gaiman : Stardust and Coraline

neilgaimanI am not sure when was the first time I heard Gaiman’s name but I do remember the first review I read, it was Graveyard Book in both TBM’s blog (50 Years Project) and Caroline’s blog (Beauty is a Sleeping Cat). They were having a readalong. I really enjoyed their review/discussion but still at that point even though I am curious but NOT curious enough.

And then I was quite surprise to find his name as the writer of The Doctor’s Wife, Doctor Who’s Series 6 episode 4. His episode was really good. I like the connection he made between The Doctor and his TARDIS. Upon seeing that, I became more curious on Neil Gaiman…or as Alice would say curiouser and curiouser. Neil Gaiman also writes last week’s episode of Doctor Who called Nightmare in Silver (Haven’t seen it yet)

Then I asked someone who also loves Stephen King as much as I am whether he has ever read Gaiman’s book and he told me that Gaiman is one of his favorite authors.

So…I finally bought American Gods (will read it after I finished my Stephen King’s book) and found 2 movies based on his books…in short, 1 one them blew my mind while the other was just a fun watch. Continue reading “Back to Back Neil Gaiman : Stardust and Coraline”

Novroz15 Comments
Aqeela and Me

Aqeela and Me – Chapter 1: The Castle

“We’re here! Wake up kids!”

I wasn’t even sleeping, I was only closing my eyes to avoid any unnecessary conversation. I hated the fact that we have to move to this God forsaken land. Away from everyone I know and everything I am comfortable with. She kept telling us that our new house would be much bigger than the old house. She was so eager to move here and so happy to ruin my perfect life. I didn’t mind small house as long as I could hang out with my friends. She was the one who wanted a bigger house but pretended that it was also better for us. I hated her for this.

“Mia! Andy! Wake up!” Mom shook us, “Look! Isn’t that house pretty?” she was beaming with happiness.

My brother took one look and shrugged,  “yeah, it’s not bad.”

“Not bad? You’ve got to be joking! Wait until you see your rooms!”

The house was indeed much bigger than our old one. I actually like its light blue color, it had the same color as the sky, my favorite color. To be honest, I quite like the house but I wasn’t about to admit it to her. I kept my mouth shut as Mom eagerly pushed us toward the house.

Inside the house was warm and comfy. The furniture that came with the house was a bit old. Mom took us straight to second floor. She wanted to show us our rooms.

“There are three rooms here,” she began like a tour guide, “this one is mine.” She was pointing to the room near the stairs. “Those two are yours. You don’t have to share room anymore,” her smile showed her genuine happiness. I love her smile and it made me smile back at her despite the fact I still hated her for taking us here.

“Mom! Can this be my room?” Andy opened the door right next to mom’s room. “This room is awesome!”

“I know you will like that one.” Continue reading “Aqeela and Me – Chapter 1: The Castle”

Novroz20 Comments