The Testament of Loki (Loki, #2) by Joanne M. Harris

“Once more the Wolf at Hel’s gate greets Asgard’s heroes, one by one. Battle rages, Worlds collide. Stars fall. Once more, Death has won.” pg 5

Ragnarok has come and gone. It didn’t end well for any of the gods, goddesses or, everyone’s favorite Chaos demon, Loki. He begins this story in the same place we left him in the last one — a dungeon in the world of Chaos, wishing and dreaming for light.

What happens next is surprising and told in only the way that Joanne Harris can do it.

“Stories can do so many things. Build empires, topple kings. They can even raise the dead. I should know; they raised me.” pg 10

This wholly unique tale is more along the lines of what I had expected from The Gospel of Loki, but didn’t get. In the previous book, Harris rewrites Norse mythology in much the same way as it has always been told. I get it, she was giving us context. But, it wasn’t very much fun to read… just rehashing old stories.

In this entry, we see Loki in a whole new light with modern characters and his typical problems. It makes for a more cohesive and, in my opinion, entertaining story.

“You know, ‘crazy’ is such a negative word. I prefer ‘disordered.’ Order’s so dull. Chaos is where the party is.” pg 25

What has an immortal trickster god learned over his long lifetime? In The Gospel of Loki, he learned the only person he could trust in the world is himself. He learned what it was to be hated for what you were, rather than any actions that one may take. (Though, perhaps, he didn’t always behave in a way to endear himself to others. Not that Loki would ever admit that, of course.)

He learned that prophecies are tricky things and can be bent to be of use to those who deliver them.

“The Prophecy promised us new runes, new gods, a new beginning. And I mean to find those new runes with whatever resources this World can provide.” pg 68

Is it too late for Loki to learn new tricks?

It’s been awhile since I read Harris’ other fantasy series Runemarks, but from what little I can remember of it, I think this book leads perfectly into that one. Which is a curious thing, because Runemarks was published years before this.

Oh, that Joanne Harris. She’s so sneaky. I wonder if she planned that or was embracing a bit of chaos in her writing career. If there’s anything I’ve learned from this book and the last one, it’s that a little chaos can be a good thing.

Thanks for reading!

Life’s Too Short to Fold Fitted Sheets by Lisa Quinn

“Hello, my name is Lisa Quinn, and I am a recovering Martha Stewart junkie.” pg 7, ebook

Do you have a job, children, spouse, house, or none of those things and just want everything to look perfect all the time? Want to be the consummate host or hostess without working and stressing throughout the event? Are you wondering how they get it to look so perfect in the magazines?

Lisa Quinn, the author of this book, confesses to wanting it all. But she came to the realization that it is an impossible goal and she was losing her mind in the chase. This humorous self-help book is about embracing reality and understanding that it’s ok, really, to not be perfect.

“It’s my assertion that the real key to happiness is getting rid of your inner control freak, redefining what’s real and important in your life, and then lowering your standards for everything else.”

I think that’s solid advice. I, like many, used to demand more of myself than I could give in my housework, from my family, from everybody really. It made me a little bit crazy for a time. But then, I realized, it wasn’t worth it. The effort, the cost — both in time and emotions — and everything else, led to these moments that were forgettable once they were done.

I realized I would much rather dwell in the imperfect moment than forever be chasing the unattainable gem of a perfect moment. Because it never really comes, does it.

This book embraces the idea that no one is perfect. And it’s a lot kinder to realize that your life doesn’t have to look perfect to be incredibly enjoyable.

Quinn gives easy-to-follow tips on how to decorate, host parties, clean, cook and more. My favorite tip being to spray a good smelling cleaner near the door of your home before an event. You may not have hit every surface in the house but it will smell like you have. Genius really.

“House Keeping Myths Debunked… Myth #1: You must fold your fitted sheets. The real definition of insanity is folding a fitted sheet the same way over and over again and expecting it to result in anything other than a migraine and a huge turban. Quit stressing about it. Just wad it up the best you can, and shove it in the closet.pg 39, ebook

She keeps it real with the mega-popular topic of decluttering, pointing out that the easiest way to control the mess is to think about everything you bring into your home.

“Resist the temptation to buy little knickknacks, pillows, throws, and paintings just because you like them. That is not reason enough. Each item you bring into your home should be special. It should have a purpose and a specific place in your home.” pg 64, ebook

I also enjoyed her variations of recipes that can be done with a deli-cooked chicken. Talk about easy…

“Listen, if I’m able to convince just one other mom out there to take herself a little less seriously a little more often, then I’ve succeeded at what I set out to do.” pg 108, ebook

This book isn’t just for moms. It’s for everyone who needs to cut themselves some slack and just shove those dumb sheets in the closet. I won’t tell.

Thanks for reading!

Reborn: Book One by Mark Millar

Beautiful artwork highlights a so-so story about a woman who dies, only to be reborn into a fantasy-themed world where a perpetual war of good versus evil rages on.

I think the basic idea of this graphic novel is fascinating. What happens to us after we die? We have faith, religion and all sorts of near-death experiences to fall back on, but who can say with any certainty.

From an interview in the back of the book with Greg Capullo, one of the creators: “What I loved about the story is that it deals with all of our fears about what happens when we die, but amidst the fear and the sorrow, we have this spectacular adventure that takes place in a fantastic and exciting world — a world I got to invent.”

Some of my quibbles with this story include that the good versus evil theme makes all of the characters seem so simplistic. You can predict almost exactly what they’re going to do before they do it — no gray areas. Also, everything is based around Bonnie, one character, and she becomes the savior archetype for the entire tale.

But, on the other hand, if you take this book, as a whole, for a metaphor of what happens after death, it works. Like so many near-death experiences, it all boils down to one view point, that of the newly departed. If you consider it like that, of course the story would be based around one person. She is seeing the next world entirely from her point of view, everything is interpreted through that lens.

It’s a curious phenomena, those who have had NDE’s, generally describe imagery and a storyline that makes sense to them culturally and fits within their framework of faith. Bonnie didn’t want to die, but when she does, she sees a world so similar to where she just came from, except it contains people who have died before she did.

Bonnie’s relationships with the people she knew before her death determine so many of the other character’s roles in the story. She has a curious relationship with the “faerie queen” which I found interesting.

I can’t decide if I’m reading more into this story than is actually there, or if it was actually touching on some of the larger themes I mentioned. As I said, I got bogged down in the predictable characters.

At least the artwork is pretty…

I’m interested to see where Netflix goes with this, as I read in Variety that they’re developing it into a film starring Sandra Bullock.

Thanks for reading!

Windhaven: the Graphic Novel by George R.R. Martin, Lisa Tuttle

Windhaven is a world of small islands, connected by messengers who fly with intricate metal wings. The culture of the “flyers” is a closed one, with wings handed from messenger to his or her first born child.

Maris is not the child of a flyer, but that’s not going to keep her from joining their world.

“You don’t bother me. Maybe when you grow up, you can help the flyers like my friends here. Would you like that?” “No.” ” No? What then.” “I want to fly.”

Photo by eberhard grossgasteiger on Pexels.com

And when she does, things will never be the same.

This graphic novel was based off of Windhaven, the first book in a fantasy series by George R.R. Martin and Lisa Tuttle. Readers get a “Game of Thrones”-ish feeling from this book in the political machinations between the flyers and those they call the “land bound.” But it lacks the intricacy and extraordinary cast of characters that is “Game of Thrones”.

Having never read anything by Tuttle, I’m not sure how she and Martin blended their visions.

“Don’t waste your time on foolish dreams! I won’t have my daughter be a woodwings!”

The artwork by Elsa Charretier is pretty and I enjoyed how she aged Maris throughout the book.

The scenes of the flyers themselves, especially a few of the chase scenes, must have been difficult to draw. Charretier had to make the characters look like they were in motion for it work. I think she did well, but the wings look kind of chunky in some of the pages, rather than the slick, technological wonders I pictured in my mind.

As for the story itself, I was surprised by the actions of some of the characters, but for the most part, it all seemed inevitable. Maybe that’s what the authors were going for — Maris’ fate was more destiny than choice.

Thanks for reading!

Stepping Up: How Taking Responsibility Changes Everything by John Izzo

“You know people who accept responsibility — aren’t they great to be around?” vii, from the forward.

The focus of this book is a worthy one. The author, John Izzo, provides many real life examples of people stepping up and doing the right thing and how it has helped their lives and businesses.

Unfortunately, it just reads like one cliché after another and I had a difficult time connecting with it.

Stepping up is seeing a need and deciding YOU are the right person to do something about it.” pg x.

I do agree that all of our power lies in ourselves. Blame doesn’t fix problems. Waiting for someone else to do it doesn’t do the trick either.

“The consequence of having a seismic shift towards victim thinking means more of us feel that the future is not in our hands but in the hands of forces outside ourselves. And since internal locus of control is positively correlated with happiness, success and initiative while external locus of control is related to anxiety and depression, it’s pretty clear that most organizations and society as a whole would be better off if more of us believed we could change things.” pg 21

Photo by Aleksandar Pasaric on Pexels.com

What it comes down to is understanding that at the end of the day, the only person you can entirely control is yourself.

“Beginning where you are and doing what you can with your unique set of skills is critical.” pg 80

What are some of the methods Izzo suggests for “stepping up”? He counsels focusing on what matters, challenging your internal assumptions and find one thing, anything, that you can do immediately to address how you may have contributed to the problem.

“Think about this for a moment: everything that has EVER been accomplished began with someone taking a single step.” pg 71

It’s common sense stuff. Which is fine, but not exactly what I was expecting from this one. I suppose I’ll take responsibility for my internal assumptions about what I would learn from Stepping Up. It’s not YOU, book, it’s me.

“But here is the truth. There is a 100 percent guarantee that nothing will change if you don’t step up.” pg 33

Photo by Andrea Piacquadio on Pexels.com

What is my solution to this problem? On to the next book, my friends.

“Once you step up, somehow that act of taking initiative drives you to find the resources you need inside and outside yourself.” pg 119

To the library! 🙂

Thanks for reading!

Shades of Magic Vol. 1: The Steel Prince by V.E. Schwab

V.E. Schwab has penned a graphic novel about Maxim Maresh, one of the ancillary characters from The Shades of Magic series.

I was very excited to read this. The tidbits Schwab dropped about Maxim in the trilogy were enticing. We learned he had a storied past. He fought notable outlaw figures. Somehow he developed an extraordinary control of his powers, which others had not been able to mimic.

Under his reign, a certain magician opened the doors between the worlds to act as emissaries and messengers. But also, exposed the worlds to the greatest danger that they had ever faced.

“Before he was the King of Arnes, Maxim Maresh was a young, head strong prince with a penchant for metal magic and a lot to learn about the world beyond Red London. Banished by his own father to Verose, a city on the dangerous Blood Coast, Maxim was plunged into a world of danger and adventure.” Foreward, by V.E. Schwab.

So, who was this man? This graphic novel series sheds some light on an enigmatic figure.

“Why would you see those doors pried open again?” “Because sooner or later, all spells fail. And one day the doors to those worlds will open whether we wish it or not.”

What did I think of it? It was the first in a series. It’s hard to give all of the contextual information of a new story without it turning into an info dump or neglecting to develop the characters.

Schwab does a good job of avoiding these pitfalls, but I wanted more depth and development.

We do get to see something of “bone magic,” one of the more terrifying of the magics from Schwab’s stories. Bone magic, unlike the elemental basis of the other magics, allows the user to literally control the actions of those around them.

Bone magicians can make you throw yourself onto their enemies or your friends. Hold still while you’re tortured. Stick a knife in your own eye.

Bone magic, the removal of free will, is the idea that has continued to haunt me from the Shades of Magic series and Schwab uses it to good effect in this story.

That being said, Maxim, at first, acts like a brat and doesn’t understand the complexities of real life, running headlong into the “royalty removed from the world” trope. This focus of his character doesn’t lend itself to likability. Perhaps that will change as the series goes along. Also, we get to see so very little of his extraordinarily abilities and more of his mediocrity.

However, the artwork is stunning. I hope to read and enjoy the next volume. But I can’t say I was knocked off my feet by this installment.

Recommended, of course, for fans of the Shades of Magic series.

Thanks for reading!

The Help Desk

Sharing reviews and deep thoughts about life.

Month: April 2019

The Testament of Loki (Loki, #2) by Joanne M. Harris

Life’s Too Short to Fold Fitted Sheets by Lisa Quinn

Reborn: Book One by Mark Millar

Windhaven: the Graphic Novel by George R.R. Martin, Lisa Tuttle

Stepping Up: How Taking Responsibility Changes Everything by John Izzo

Shades of Magic Vol. 1: The Steel Prince by V.E. Schwab

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