Anime review: "Blood Lad"

Few months ago I saw an announcement for the "Blood Lad" and got an impression of some vampire-otaku comedy, which sounded nice, so I decided to add it to my wishlist. In the meantime I saw few good review of this series and I gave it a try last week.

"Blood Lad" starts with showing Staz, the main character, loosing time. He is a boss of a province in the demon-world and a vampire. But more important for the show, at least in the beginning, he is obsessed with Japanese culture, plays eroge, collect figurines and reads manga. So when his underling brings him news that alive Japanese girl, Fuyumi, is wondering his section of demon-world, he is in frenzy to meet her. Coincidentally, during this encounter he gets challenged by some upstart and while he has no problem in defeating him, unfortunately Fuyumui loses her life and becomes a ghost. Staz, being more or less a good guy, promises to bring her back to life, which will put him in line against female space-jumpers, his estranged and sadistic brother, demon world's aristocracy, etc.

"Blood Lad" starts very shounen and slapstick, and it stays like this during whole this season. So if you don't enjoy first one or two episodes, you will not like it later. You know the recipe: powering ups, big fights, lots of falling down, crazy costumes or character's designs... But for me, it hits the spot. It stays goofy, but it does get more serious later, as more complex plot elements start, so it can be enjoyed by more mature viewers. On the other hand, if has some pretty violent scenes. There are few nice jokes referencing other anime, manga and games - like "Dragon Ball".

Plot starts very simple, with Staz's quest to restore Fuyumi to life, but it soon becomes apparent that there are deeper currents going around. Not that Staz is necessarily aware of them. Unfortunately, the season ends when it starts to get very interesting. So I join the other reviewers - give us another season! I watched the OVA - it is direct continuation of the series, but also doesn't give a satisfactory (or any) conclusion.

There is not much to say about characters. They are typical for shounen anime: shallow, one-dimensional, somewhat ridiculous. But that is exactly what you need sometimes. There are constant additions, so we will have to wait for next season to see how they hold up.

When I started watching "Blood Lad", one of my first questions was "boing?". Yes, it definitely is. But even though this show has all female characters drawn anatomically dubious and it gives occasional fan service scene, it is far from ecchi.

I really like the visual side of this anime: bright, vibrant colors, good design of characters, fast-flowing animation. But here, voice acting is also very good! I especially liked Braz, who has a great voice - like a real vampire, low, quiet and snake-like.

To summarize, if you like wacky shounen anime with some fights and fanservice, "Blood Lad" is an anime for you. Especially that it has only 10 episodes, so you can finish it in a day or two.

Anime review: "Monogatari Series: Second Season"

I've been eagerly waiting for next season of "Monogatari" series since first seeing early announcement for it. I like a lot of anime and genre, but if I had to pick, this kind of weird-humor series would be my first choice (like "Durarara!!", "Baccano!", "Tatami Galaxy", "Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei"). So I felt unreasonable joy and expectation before watching the last season!

I first waited for all episodes to come out - I didn't want to be forced to wait. And before watching "Monogatari Series: Second Season", I did a rewatch of all previous shows, in order they came out: "Bakemonogatari", "Nisemonogatari", "Nekomonogatari (Kuro)". First, it was a good thing I did it, because I really did miss two episodes in first season, because they were released as specials. And second, it really put me in the mood for fresh season.

The new season, "Monogatari Series: Second Season" consist of five arcs. Surprisingly, all these arcs deal with previous girls, while I expected introduction of new characters. But don't take me wrong - this is a superb show and there is no feel of recycling old themes. It's hard to write a one-paragraph blurb since all arcs are very different, but if you liked old seasons (especially if you like original "Bakemonogatari") you will love this one!

First arc came as a surprise. First, there is no Araragi - he is absent and is only mentioned. This means that we see story first time from other people's eyes and it give us a different perspective, especially on Senjougahara and Hanekawa. And Senjougahara is very funny here.

I was again reminded how this show greatly uses nonlinear storytelling. We see (or they are mentioned) a bunch of new characters and previous events that we know nothing about, but everybody talks about them as they were shown. And later when they really are displayed, they came out completely different that we expected. Like constant mentions of first meeting between Araragi and Shinobi (which should be shown in announced movie "Kizumonogatari"). Also, a lots of stories remain unresolved (I hope they are saving it for later). This first arc uses another dirty trick by those missing Black Hanekawa scenes - you will know what I am talking about, believe me.

Another trait of this season is that it the show lost much of it cuteness and became more morbid, serious and violent. It always did have these elements, but they were not so evident mixed with playfulness and fanservice. This is so evident that even the faces changed - Tsukihi is much more rugged than in "Nisemonogatari".

Second arc is good, but not as epic as other ones. I didn't expect a time-travel/zombies story - it didn't really fit in my idea of "Monogatari". But it was quite good in the end. I especially liked Oshino's letter to Araragi.

Next comes the third arc, with introduction of that ominous Oshino Ougi and with Sengoku Nadeko. I never liked her in previous shows, but I really didn't expect what happened here. It is another arc that is not told from Araragi's POV and where he is almost nonexistent.

Fourth arc is similar to second one - not so epic, but good in its own way. We learn much about Shinobu's past, which was a surprise to me. We also spent more time with two new characters. Well, Ononogi Yotsugi was introduced before, but only shortly. She was a great character in this season, especially with her strange ways of talking. The other one was Gaen Izuko - very mysterious characters who adds several layer of confusion to all that has happened. We will see more of the in the future, mark me. Also, this arc is a pretty sad one.

And then came the last arc, the masterpiece! It is told from point of view of Kaiki Deishuu! Yes, him. The one man I would never expect to told a story, especially concerning how he lies to everybody including himself. Add to that the fact that this arc is told in by-the-book noir style (including the raincoat), it is really something. I was swept with last two episodes (especially the cliffhanger in penultimate one).

It reveals some unexpected facts, about relationship between Senjougahara and Kaiki. I was surprised how Araragi was made to look like a child in last episode - let an adult resolve the situation! I later realized that this arc had not one ecchi or fanservice scene. Anyway, now they have to make a sequel, they can't be so cruel not to reveal further story.

Now, little bit about technical side. There are 26 episodes in this season, but episodes 6, 11 and 16 are just recaps, so feel free to skip them. The visual side of anime is on the standard level for this series, maybe somewhat darker and rugged. There are several OPs and EDs, of which I really liked only one. Be careful, because there is sometimes more story after ED and sometimes there isn't. Oh, and I didn't like the short haircuts.

Well, in the end, there is not much to say that I consider "Monogatari Series: Second Season" the best anime of 2013 (with "Shingeki no Kyojin" on second place). Even better than the original "Bakemonogatari"!

Book review: "The Air War" by Adrian Tchaikovsky

Last week I finished another book in "Shadows of the Apt" series by Adrian Tchaikovsky.Again I must say, this series keeps getting better and better...

Following its usual cycle, which I mentioned in my review of "Heirs of the Blade", "The Air War" is a larger-scope book, as expected from even-numbered books. And this one really has a big scope: an all-out invasion of Lowlands and environs by the Wasp Empire! We see that all the preparations in previous books has come to fore and it is again time for war. Two armies are set for the Collegium, from two different directions. But this time it is also another kind of war: the air war, the war of technology and machines... But at the same time, the world that has been focused on advance and science for the last centuries, the Apt, is on the brink of reversal. The Wasp Empress Seda targets another throne: the Queen of old magic, and to reach her goal she won't hesitate to wake an old darkness...

"The Air War"  doesn't just feel like a large and long book (like its predecessor), it really is. To fully enjoy the book, you should be fairly familiar with the setting. So if you haven't had a reread, now would be fine time to have one. The book has a very military setting - Tchaikovsky really make a good tension of preparation for war, with logistics, numerous characters and jumping around the world to show how Wasp Empire affects everything and everyone. The book was superb from the beginning and I just couldn't stop reading. There really is no point to getting deeper into details of plot - it is what you could expect from Tchaikovsky's previous works: war, espionage, command chain, old vs. new, etc.

There are quite a few new characters introduced here, and they don't feel at all forced. They successfully freshen up the cast. The book doesn't focus on Stenwold, even though it is in essence his book, but more on little characters. Presenting both sides of the conflict, Tchaikovsky made a great ambiguity - who to cheer for? Seda, Stenwold, Laslo, Totho, those Fly-bombers,...??? But it is more complicated than just two sides; when you add Rekef, other secret intelligence, and other involved parties, you get a pretty mess of morality. There was a scene that with a big moral question in the book (the murder of that Fly) - will Collegium become like Wasps if they defend themselves successfully or will they manage to retain their ethics?

When the series started, it always had just enough magic in it to be properly called fantasy. But it usually focused more on technology, thus belonging more to steam-punk. So I was surprised when this series became so explicit with magic. And as Tchaikovsky was inventive with his technology, like torsion engines, compressed-air guns and so on, so original he is with his magic. And I think he has even bigger surprises for us in later books. On the other hand, the technology gets a large upgrade. He was obviously inspired by World War I air-battles.

There is a great and intense big battle in the end of the book. It is simultaneously displayed from many different POVs with fast changes, which makes it very exciting and intense. The book ends in a cliff-hanger - not a big one, but certainly nothing is resolved yet.

With "The Air War", Tchaikovsky had reached a level of quality that I haven't expected from this series when I first started with it. He mixes an original setting with a set of quality characters, all set in an interesting and intense plot. Again, a recommendation to all fans of his previous books!

Book review: "Emperor of Thorns" by Mark Lawrence

I don't usually read sequelling books immediately one after another, but like to spread them over some time, maybe insert a reread now or then. But after reading "Prince of Thorns", I just couldn't resist reading "King of Thorns", as I also couldn't resist reading "Emperor of Thorns" immediately it was published last week. With this, I finished "The Broken Empire" trilogy by Mark Lawrence.

"Emperor of Thorns", similarly to KoT, has three plots-lines. The main one, the present, is happening two years after Jorg Ancrath's defeat of Prince of Arrow and becoming a King of seven nations, instead of just one. As the book starts, Jorg is just preparing for a journey to the Congression, a meeting of rulers that happens every four years and on which the Emperor can be chosen. Jorg is going there pretty sure he will be selected Emperor, because if he is not, he will pretty upset... Second plot continues immediately his adventures at Horse Coast, expanding them eventually to continent of Afrique. And while in KoT we had Katherine's story, here we have Chella's story, a POV by character opposite to Jorg from the first book.

If you have read first two books in "The Broken Empire" trilogy, you know what to expect: blood and violence. In my review of "King of Thorns", I said one or twice that Jorg felt softer than in "Prince of Thorns", not killing or maiming people randomly. This is also true here; as Jorg says, he has overgrown killing people on whim, but it doesn't mean that he will balk of anything necessary to protect those he cares about. And people, Jorg actually openly cares for somebody in this book. This makes him at the same time softer and harder than before. Softer, as I said, because he is not a loose cannon anymore; but harder, because he will not stop at anything defending what is his.

I really have to congratulate Mark Lawrence for making Jorg develop so much, but making it feel so natural. And also for successfully making such brutal and unique character, more evil than villains in some books, a protagonist and a person to root for. Because, it is quite impossible not to root for Jorg. And if you have any liking for anti-heroes, gray-morality or for gritty literature, you will just adore this book.

I see that I am not lonely in this sentiment, because my e-book edition had more highlights than last 10 books I read together. And consider that the book was out only few days when I have read it... This will be one of the top books of this year.

The plot is pretty interesting, especially the main one. As the book was coming to close, I kept wondering how Lawrence will be able to resolve all the started threads, but I have to admit that he did it magnificently. This book and trilogy has just a great ending - it leaves just enough questions unanswered, but gives a decent resolution of the story. Jorg keeps pulling rabbits out of his hat, but rarely it feels like something forced - Lawrence makes him pretty believable and consistent. The pace if constantly intense and there is not time for leisure. There are just so many powerful and memorable scenes in the book.

A small objection could be raised that the identity of the main villain is revealed pretty early in the book. Not openly revealed, but there are enough clues to guess it almost at the start. But this doesn't hurt the story much. Also, the plotline dealing with events in Afrique belittles the events in "King of Thorns" a bit, revealing Jorg knew about future more than enough to fix a score...

Setting was vastly expended in KoT, compared to PoT, and in "Emperor of Thorns" it gets filled decently. As I said, enough questions are with no answers to keep us waiting for more, but there are no inconsistencies. When I started reading this series, I would never be able to guess how perfect blend of SF and fantasy it would turn out to be in the end.

Again, I have to repeat my opinion that "Emperor of Thorns" will be one of the top books of this year: thrilling plot, superb main character, with unique and gritty way of presenting the story. A big recommendation for this book and the trilogy to anybody who likes dark stories!

Anime review: "Berserk"

"Berserk" is among the first anime I have ever watched (among first 10, of more than 200 that I watched until now) and it was one of my favorite ever. I even read the manga, at least the published volumes at the time. Curiously, the manga is still ongoing after more than 20 years! So when I saw that something new from the franchise has been coming out, I was excited. My excitement waxed when I saw it was a collection of three movies with the same material as the original anime series, but there was no chance in me missing that. So when the movies were finally dubbed, I jumped right at them...

These three movies in "Berserk" franchise depict the youth of the main protagonist, Guts. A parent-less child, he has grown up with a mercenary band and later become a freelancer wielding in impossibly big sword. During one his jobs, a siege, he single-handedly slays a famous mercenary. This attracts the attention of the Band of the Hawk and their charismatic leader, young Griffith. Initial reluctant, Guts is forced to join them, but later he distinguishes himself and become one of the leaders, strucking a great friendship with Griffith and love-hate relationship with Casca, another young, but female leader. The Band exploits the long-lasting war between Tudor and Midland, so much that King of Midland promotes them to nobility...

I realized that I almost described the whole plot of the movies... The reason for it is that these three movies depict only the "Golden Age arc", which is only the prequel of this story. The real action actually starts after, but this story is also very interesting. Especially when the more fantastic elements of it come forward: the Crimson Behelit, Zodd the Immoral, the God Hand... After mostly classical medieval fighting anime, this aspect of anime is very surprising and increases the tensions... Especially when the Eclipse comes!

"Berserk" belongs to dark fantasy and action genres, with lots of fighting, blood and violence. It is somewhere between shounen and seinen series. I really liked the setting, which changes much from realistic medieval to full fantasy, including a lot of themes. As setting, character change and grow (or descend) during the anime. It is no wonder this is one of most appreciated mange for lots of people.

But this is all applicable to the series itself; but what about these three movies?

The movies are pretty much true to the manga, but they skip some of the details. To those unfamiliar to prior anime or manga, this shouldn't mean much by itself. But on the other way, the original anime, "Kenpuu Denki Berserk", which was 25 episodes long, had much more room to show details and establish a more complex setting and provide the viewers with full "Berserk" experience.

Also, the "Golden Age" arc is not the beginning of "Berserk" manga. Mange starts with current Guts (I will avoid spoilers) and his fight against Apostles, and then he has a long flashback to his past - which is actually the "Golden Age" arc. Original anime follows this principle so it is more successful in hooking new fans. These movies concentrate solely on the "Golden Age" which, in my opinion, is poorer choice. Because, if they have any attention to continue the plot with new movies (and I read rumors that they do plan so), they will be forced to skip this part.

One of the most notable aspects of this anime is the very extensive use of CGI animation. While I don't like it myself, some people do - but I think that most will agree it was done not so good here. It just doesn't look natural. It has some advantages, like that architecture is very detailed and realistic, but moving people are just bad and too generic.

The anime stays true to violent nature of "Berserk", which means that there is a lot (really, a lot) of blood, nudity, sex, violence. When I saw the animation, I though they will "adapt" the show to wider audience; but they didn't and I appreciate that.

I don't remember the music from the original anime, but here is very good.

The final verdict? Even though I liked this new adaptation of "Berserk", I would not really recommend it. For those unfamiliar to the series, I would direct them to the original anime "Kenpuu Denki Berserk", which captures the feeling and experience of manga much better - this version is inferior in this respect. The movies are not bad, but I would really recommend the only to those who haven't watched or read "Berserk" for long time and just want a quick reminder. To everybody else, go watch the original.

Book review: "King of Thorns" by Mark Lawrence

Since I was at vacation the Monday I finished "Prince of Thorns" by Mark Lawrence, Tuesday next day, I continued with reading its sequel "King of Thorns". I must say that it's been long since I have read with such enthusiasm, leaving everything else besides! I was able to finish it at Tuesday after noon.

After getting his revenge in "Prince of Thorns" and becoming a King of Renar Highlands (one of the smaller and poorer regions in the neighborhood), Jorg is still not peaceful because there is another his unfulfilled ambition: becoming the Emperor (of the World, just to mention it).Four years after and he is sitting in his (only) castle, waiting for his future bride (whom he never met) and slowly becoming surrounded by army ten times bigger than the one he has. And to his greater chagrin, this army is led by Prince Orrin of Arrow, favorite by people and nations (for being good and caring ruler), descendant of last Emperor (while Jorg's line descends only from his Steward), and most important, favorite of all magicians and soothsayer (the real power behind thrones). So, what does a person in Jorg's position does? He attacks, of course...

"King of Thorns" is a different book from its prequel. First, it's longer: around 500 pages, where PoT was some 300 pages. While PoT had two timelines (the main one, and one four years ago describing how Jorg becomes what he is), KoT has three. First, there is again the main one, which I described in last paragraph. Curiously, this line of events get only sporadic chapter, at least until the end, when it really hits. Again, there is one happening four years ago, describing what Jorg did after coming to Renar Highlands and what lead to his "quarrel" with Prince Orrin. I was very surprised with this part, because after PoT, I didn't expect to find a classical fantasy quest/journey, where Jorg travels around the country, meeting new and old people, and does some "training". And third, a minor plot-line is a collection of excerpts from private diary of Katherine, who Jorg met in last book and who become his object of... Well, we'll not call it love, so call it obsession. I like it when storytelling is nonlinear and there is lot of wandering during it. So, definitely a plus.

Another thing that differs this book from previous part is that it is much softer. While "Prince of Thorns" was full of raping, murder and torture, "King of Thorns" is much lighter. Jorg is still cynical, dark and "practical", but he doesn't even meaninglessly kill anybody in this book (well, there's maybe that part with the lion...). His band of Brothers is still here, even though much smaller, but they also grew accustomed to some other principles. One could say that this is a complete reversal, but Lawrence wrote it so well that is feels very natural. On the other hand, there are still lots of graphical descriptions and not-so-honorable acts (hello Miana) that we all like so much.

Even so, Jorg is much softer. Not only in his conduct (he in now just a political psychopath, instead of a literal one), but is his skill also. While in PoT there was no task impossible for him, here we see some of his limits. But don't worry, Jorg is a resourceful one. Now he plays for larger scales that just revenge: strength of his country and army, position in game of thrones, even seeking alliances. This book is full of his retrospectives and memories of childhood. Even a happier childhood, in some instances...

As I said, I liked the traveling sequence, especially when he comes in the south - it reminded me to some other, more classical fantasy books when our hero trains to become a hero. If you gave only this few chapters to someone who haven't read "Prince of Thorns", he could have thought this a regular fantasy book... I also liked the part when they met the Circus.

One of strong-points of "Prince of Thorns" was its setting. "King of Thorns" tops it by a good margin. You can see it by map, which is much larger. But you also get more information about its history and present. Magic "system" also gets extended, and some new enemies have their introduction. I have never met Jack Vance's "The Dying Earth" stories, even though I hear much about them. I read some reviews mentioning that post-apocalyptic part of the setting is strongly influenced by this works, so I will definitely read them in future.

While "Prince of Thorns" was a great book, "King of Thorns" is even more so. I can sincerely say that it was one of best books I have read lately, in range of R. Scott Bakker, Joe Abercrombie's earlier books, Patrick Rothfuss. If "Emperor of Thorns", which is due for publishing very soon, be a book good as this one, "The Broken Empire" series will be one of the best ever! Definitely a recommendation to fans of first part, but also for all those who like a darker fantasy.

Book review: "Prince of Thorns" by Mark Lawrence

I have noticed "Prince of Thorns" by Mark Lawrence immediately after it came out, even though I don't remember how (I think of Tor.com), and it's been sitting in my Amazon wish-list ever since. My initial enthusiasms dropped after reading few reviews describing it as grimdark and unnecessary gritty. But last Sunday I decided to give it a try - and finished it at Monday's morning...

"Prince of Thorns" is told from first point of view and narrated by Honorous Jorg Ancrath. When the story starts, he is fourteen years old and a leader of brutal and violent bunch of bandits called the Brotherhood. Killing a brother for challenging him as leader is a normal occurrence. Attacking villages, burning people and raping their women is what the Brotherhood do - and Jorg is a scariest of them. But Jorg is a more than a simple bandit: Prince Jorg, the only heir of kingdom of Ancrath. Jorg was always a precocious child and had the best of tutors. But when he was 10 years old, his beloved younger brother and mother will brutally killed in front of his eyes. Thrown in the bush of briars, he accidentally survives, but something has snapped in his mind... After his father the King decides not to seek vengeance against Count Renar and accepting some material amends, Jorg escapes from home in seek of revenge, but as the book progresses, it will turns out that there are more complex game being played around...

First, if you want to enjoy this book, you just have to accept that Jorg is fourteen and leader of bandit gang. We could now discuss psychological and physical problems of a teenager leading bunch of big old men, but this is out of the point - it is fantasy after all. If you can accept it, you are ready for one hell of a ride.

This book is really grimdark - very brutal and graphically violent. Killing and burning people, raping and visiting whorehouses, unstable relationships in families - you have it all. But after you finish the book, you can notice that most (but not all) of this brutal stuff is in first part of book. Like Lawrence wanted to make a state about this being a gritty book and wished to make an impact. He succeeds in both point very well, and I noticed that "Prince of Thorns" is very successful book, so you can presume that people very hungry for it. Hype for "Game of Thrones" and ASoIaF proves it, as it does the success of Joe Abercrombie's "First Law" series and its sequels, and Richard Morgan's "A Land fit for Heroes" series.

This is not just the story of revenge. It first starts as it, but as it goes on, you will notice that Jorg has other goals of just revenging himself against Count Renar. He wants to prove himself to his father (who is maybe even bigger psychopath than Jorg, in class of Tywin Lannister), but more than that he wants to "win the game" and become the Emperor (we will get back to it later). But he is not the only with a larger agenda, especially when you meet Sageous. The story in general becomes much wider after they return to the Tall Castle. Another interesting thing is the parallel story of four years ago, that explains what happened after Jorg's brother and mother were killed, how he escaped and how he met the band. It also gives more background and explains how Jorg became the man (he is definitely no child anymore) he is.

The characters are also very deep. Since it is told from first POV, you get to know Jorg the best. He is just a crazy and violent psychopath at first, but you will soon see that there is more to him... You know that typical young fantasy hero, who is strong and tall good with sword, has natural affinity to magic, and it is also intelligent, outspoken and charming? Well, Jorg is exactly like that, only he is the anti-hero, using all this traits for getting his goals through, never mind who gets killed or injured along the way. He is terrible, but you have to root for him on account of his gutsiness and "never bend" attitude. Nevertheless, Lawrence is smart enough writer and makes him have some weaknesses, not to make him irritating. It reminds me much on Richard Morgan, whose Ringil is also so confident, but you see him afraid and insecure sometimes. Other characters are interesting and have several shades to them, but Jorg is the star of the book. I liked the short descriptions of Brothers before chapters - they were quite funny (in gristly sort of way). There was also a touch of Black Company camaraderie and Croaker's humor in Jorg's descriptions of his fellows.

Another surprise is the setting. In the beginning, Ancrath is just a typical medieval kingdom, and so it the world. Sure, there are some ghosts and some, let's say magicians, but this is typical fantasy at first. But as the book advances, you realize that this is actually a post-apocalyptic world!! The story takes place in Europe, castles are actually skyscrapers, and some of the magic is actually technology. I liked this turn of events very much. There is some really magic here also, but it fits very well.

Lawrence writing was very easy to read, without being too simple, and the book has very fast pace. Unfortunately, it is quite short - only 350 pages. But, at least is very intense read. Another small objection I have is that Jorg is sometimes just too lucky, even for a fantasy-story protagonist.

So, it can definitely be said that "Prince of Thorns" is not just a "gritty-book". It starts very violently and simply, but it expands in every way: story, characters, setting. For fans of Martin, Abercrombie and Richard Morgan...

Movie reviews: "Jack Reacher" and "Iron Man 3"

This week I have watched two movies.

First I watched at my friend's place, "Jack Reacher". Before watching, I knew that it starred Tom Cruise and I didn't have any expectations from it.

After a former US sniper-specialist James Barr gets framed for murdering of 6 innocent people in broad-daylight, his only chance is Jack Reacher, an ex-military policeman and investigator. Together with his defender Helen, he tries to find how and why did Barr get framed. What they discover will endanger their lives...

"The law has limits. He does not." This writes on the movie poster and describes the movie perfectly. The movie starts as a thriller and ends as a action movie with big gun-showdown. And throughout the movie, Tom Cruise is best in anything he does: he is a brilliant investigator with photographic memory, a confident ladies-man, a skilled martial-artist and of course the impeccable marksman.

If Tom Cruise's character was replaced with a team of three or four people that shared his skills, this would be very believable movie. But even so, "Jack Reacher" is not a bad movie. It has a nice and intriguing plot that keeps you guessing what will happen next, few comic scenes and nice action. If you don't have big expectations, you could have a nice time with this film, as I did.

And this weekend I went to the movies to watch the new "Iron Man 3". I am not very versed in "Iron Man" setting, but when I learned that this movie features Mandarin, his arch-enemy, it made me have big expectations.

The "Iron Man 3" is set after the last (and first) "The Avengers" movie. Tony Stark is without any real occupation, wasting time in his basement and suffering from anxiety attacks that are the consequence of events from "The Avengers". But now USA is threatened by a new villain, a terrorist known as Mandarin, who is somewhat connected with the group called AIM and biologist Maya Hanses, one of Stark's ex-conquests.

Well, without wading into spoilers, let's just say that Mandarin was a the same time a disappointment and hilarious surprise. My girlfriend, who had no expectations, found it (and the movie itself) great, while I was mildly dissatisfied.

The movie is fun, fun, fun with occasional action. Robert Downey Jr. really goes well with Iron Man role and is very funny in it. I also expected more focus on Iron Man suits, but the movie goes, let's say, back to the roots.

Of course, the movie is technologically ridiculous: there was something about "recalibrating the ISDN servers on van's roof". Also, the whole idea a mechanic can make and repair a suit is nonsensical, but you just have to accept it.

From some scenes at the end of the movie, it can be implied that this is the last movie in this sequence. But I just checked on Wikipedia and it says that we can expect at least one more movie with Downey Jr. as Iron Man (although it is not confirmed).

But all in all, "Iron Man 3" is a funny and exciting movie and I would recommend it to anybody who wants to enjoy an evening in nice action, humor and special effects.

Anime review: "Hyouge Mono"

I don't really remember how or when it started, but I know that I have been eagerly waiting for this show to be subbed for months, maybe even more than a year. I always had a liking for historical-based items (be it books, movies or anime) and "Hyouge Mono" looked like one. On the other hand, I had some similar expectations from "Sengoku Basara" (which disappointed me very, very much) and even more so from "Souten Kouro" (which took a completely different direction than I expected). But "Hyouge Mono" fitted those expectations perfectly: a complex and deeply historical anime with a bunch of characters and realistic details.

"Hyouge Mono" is set on the eve of Sengoku period in Japan, starting somewhere in last years of rule of Oda Nobunaga. In the anime we follow the important events in Japan's history for next ten years, including the wars, politics and cultural life. This is seen primary from the eyes of Furuta Sasuke, who starts as a lowly vassal to Oda Nobunaga. What differentiates Furuta from bunch of other warriors and vassals is that he is actually more of an aesthete than a warrior. But to enjoy life of an aesthete, one needs to have money. Luckily for him, aesthetes, especially those interested in the way of tea, are on the rise in this time...

Sengoku period is a very turbulent time for Japan, a time of constant warring before final unification of Japan. Of course, such times gave rise to many popular warriors and leaders, like Oda Nobunaga, Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Tokugawa Ieyasu (to name the most prominent). And as such, it is a ripe pool of ideas for anime.

There are several obvious and important aspects that make this anime different from your usual one. First one is that Furuta is in no way the main character - the show doesn't actually have one. Furuta is only the means through which we follow the events, plot and other characters. He is not even an important man, especially at the beginning of the show, and he has to bend toward the will of others. In the end, he is just a conveniently placed close to important people with small influence on the events. This is a somewhat common occurrence in books (let's only mention Guy Gavriel Kay, who use it all the time), but I don't remember seeing it in anime much (maybe in few josei anime). Actually, there is even less focus of Furuta in later parts of anime.

Secondly, it cannot be said that this anime has a plot in classical sense. We are suddenly immersed in an ongoing world full of events, we follow it for some time (10 years and 39 episodes) and then we leave it without the feel on conclusion you have when some show is finished. At one time, somewhere around 25th episode, I have made a note "totally don't know where the plot is going", because I expected first part to be the introduction and second the real revelation of the story, but I was wrong.

And third, the biggest difference is the level of historical accuracy and details. In my 200+ anime that I have watched, I don't remember ever watching such anime. I can't say that I am a student of Japanese history, since most that I know about it came from common knowledge, anime, Wikipedia and articles on Internet and magazines. There is even a warning at the start of every episode that this is a work of fiction. But on the other hand, every character, important event and even things and concepts can be found on Wikipedia or other online encyclopedia. Yes, a lots of events, or better said, reasons behind events are made more dramatic or romantic (not in sense of love), but nevertheless, the amount of accurate historical details is astounding. Interesting, characters even speak with slightly archaic speech, and subtitles that I had reflected that.

Of course, the theme of anime is strange also: the Japanese tea ceremony. I never encountered this before, and I thought it to be completely fabricated. I was very surprised when I went to Wikipedia and found out that it isn't. This gives the anime a somewhat slow and serious, but at the same time funny aspect. Furuta's tea-obsession looks ridiculous from our perspective, but I see it was a serious business at the time. There is a lot of details about tea ceremonies and talk about elegance and aesthetics. If there is a message that this anime wants to convey, then it is something like: "Always do your best in everything, but never fret about it - be elegant and relaxed". This is evident for Furuta's character that is, as I said, obsessed, pretentious and overeager to become famous as aesthete, even contrary to his sincere liking of the way of tea. Later he grows much and becomes more relaxed and enjoys the tea and beauty for itself.

This brings us to another topic: characters. There is really a bunch of them and it takes time to become familiar with them (especially since lot of them change - this is war, after all). It helps if you are familiar with the Sengoku period. They change appearance, clothes, hairstyles. But more important, they really change during the anime. Furuta, Rikyu, Hashiba - at the end, they are very different people from those who they were when we met them. I even like them more in the second part of the show, when they are more mature and relaxed...

Even though "Hyouge Mono" is a serious and historical anime, there is really a lot of humor. A lots of it steam from Furuta's obsession for art pieces, and the faces he makes (I was delightful to see that Troll-face in episode 16, during the shrimp-mongering dance). Also, it is funny when someone pricks his bubble of self-importance. But it is interesting that there is some humor that is not intended toward viewer (so that we laugh at characters), but it is more the humor between the characters so the viewer can laugh with them (like when Furuta steals the tea-jar lid). On the other hand, it is easily to forget that this funny little man is actually a warrior and veteran but we are reminded of that on few occasions.

The ending was really something. It was a slow rise during few episodes to a glorious culmination - a powerful and emotional ending. It was delighted to see that mange that anime is based upon is still ongoing - which means I can hope for eventual sequel.

I was a bit disappointed by Date Masamune's appearance and mannerism, who looks like he escaped from "Sengoku Basara". On the other hand, he was very funny, and in the end did fit with the rest of characters.

Animation and colors in nothing over the top, but it is very good. Design of characters and care for details (I mention clothes and hairstyles) are on the other hand superb. As is the voice-acting.

It's been a long time since I gave some anime 10 on AniDB (I gave them all around when I was younger), but "Hyouge Mono" definitely deserves it: complex and detailed, historically based with realistic characters, no good guys, no main character, almost a slice-of-life in turbulent times - this really an unique seinen anime. Unfortunately, I don't think it will be deservedly appreciated because it will be too hard for majority of viewers. But if you consider yourself a fan of seinen or historical anime, give this a try.

Book review: "Red Country" by Joe Abercrombie

This weekend I finished reading "Red Country" by Joe Abercrombie. It took me only three days - not that the book was short, but it was so good I just couldn't leave it. I was really into "The First Law" trilogy, but its sequels "Best Served Cold" and "The Heroes" were not as good, so I had fears that all future books will be each a bit worse than one before. Because of that, I wasn't really following the hype around "Red Country" and didn't know much about it, which turned out a great thing because there is one big surprise in here!

"Red Country" has two main characters, which has most of the POVs. Shy South, a young woman with dark past, lives at a farm with his brother Pit and sister Ro, and their stepfather Lamb, in a region called the Near Country. After Shy and Lamp come back from bartering one day, they find out that somebody burned their farm and kidnapped Pit and Ro. There is nothing left for them but to follow the trail that will ultimately lead them to the Far Country, a place with no laws and under gold-rush. Shy is at first fearful that her violent past will surface, but the somewhat fall in background as she slowly realizes that her stepfather, quiet and cowardly Lamb, has a violent and bloody past of his own, none bloodier... Unknown to them, the Near and the Far Country are soon to be visited by famous and notorious mercenary Nicomo Costa, and his even more notorious Company of the Gracious Hand. Important member of this company is Temple (the second main character), their lawyer, a man who always takes the easier path. But even he is slowly realizing that sometimes you can't take the easy path, as the Company plow through the Countries in search for gold, spoils and rebels...

I somewhere read that Abercrombie models his books to different style every time: "The First Law" trilogy was classical epic fantasy, "Best Served Cold" was film noir/thriller, "The Heroes" was (anti) war book. Following this pattern, "Red Country" is a western, but placed in Abercrombie's fantasy setting. We have the almost desolate Far Country made of far-stretching planes (Wild West), nomadic savages Ghosts (Indians), trappers, lawless city full of saloons and whorehouses... I am not really a fan of westerns (not that I dislike them, though), so I had some second-thoughts about this book, but Abercrombie colors everything with his gritty style so everything ends well (or bad, if you are a character in his book).

In my post reviewing "The Heroes", I wrote that Abercrombie is not so good with plots, but that he is great with characters. Well, here he is still great with characters, but he is also very good with the plot. I wasn't able to guess where the plot will take us next during whole book, which is a very good thing. This gets especially interesting somewhere after the middle of the book - you have a big fight that fills like a finally, but there is still another half of the book and you have no idea what you can expect.

Both new and old characters are very good. Shy and Temple are very complex, expressing doubt at their every action, never sure in anything. Abercrombie really makes you feel like you are in their heads. And occasional POV from supporting characters are very interesting. Especially that little stream of POVs before the battle with Ghosts on the plains.

But the biggest news is that this book features HIM!!! And by him I mean one of your favorite characters from "The First Law" trilogy, whose name I will not mention to avoid spoilers. I was completely unprepared for this fact, so it came as a big surprise. Even more so, Abercrombie plays with his old readers by giving hints to whether it is him or not. But when he reveals him completely, there is really no doubt about it - it is him in all his vileness and complexity.

"Red Country" is as gritty as Abercrombie's books usually are: blood, sex, violence, cursing, general evilness of the world... All is here. I was surprised though with how this book reminds me of "The Black Company" books, with its sentiment of melancholy, how things are never going be the same. There are a lot of older characters here, characters that are out of their prime, but still have to give everything because there is no one else... Also, as usual, there is a minimal use of magic - actually, except brief showing of Magi Zacharus, there is no magic even in mention.

In conclusion, I was surprised with how good "Red Country" is, if you are into darker and grittier fantasy. Wonderful characters, very interesting plot and style, and of course, one of your favorite characters. This is recommendation for both fans and non-fans (even though they should better start with previous book than here). I will expect the next book with big hopes this time.

Book review: "Iron Angel" by Alan Campbell

I was very busy this week (had two whole-day trips) so I didn't found time before today, even though I finished "Iron Angel" by Alan Campbell last weekend. This is the second book in trilogy called "Deepgate Codex", and sincerely, I haven't expected much from it. You know the drill: new author, first trilogy, second book - it usually ends badly. But "Iron Angel" just proved me wrong...

"Iron Angel" is separated in three parts. First part is what I expected - after defeating and killing god Ulcis, ex-Church angel Dill and ex-Spine (Church assassins) Rachel Heal are on the run from Deepgate. Even though they finally come on friendly terms with immortal and invincible Carnival, her craving for blood separated them, so now they are on their own. Chased be Spine, who took over things in Deepgate, they will soon learn that there are other enemies to consider. Rys, god of flowers and knives, had sent his elder brother Cosnipol, god of brine and salt, to investigate Ulcis' death and avenge him.

So far, if you have read enough books, this is a pattern you probably recognize - after defeating the big bad in first book or season, our heroes find themselves in trouble after finding out that big bad was only a captain. With defeating him, they just forced his superiors (real big bad) so turn his attention toward them. Another trope is when it is revealed that big bad was not so bad after all and he was actually keeping poor and weak people from the real big bad (e.g. "Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann" in anime, or "Mistborn" trilogy by Brandon Sanderson in books). First part of the book follows the first trope, while second and third are closer to the second one.

Reading second part was like reading a totally new series. Only things connecting it to "Scar Night" was Dill as main character and seeing things from his POV. In third part we lose even that, although some old characters come back. Plot and setting expansion introduced in these two parts is quite big. As you noticed, I am trying to avoid spoilers, so you will have to believe me that they are both great. I am only sorry that I didn't reread "Scar Night" before reading "Iron Angel" (I didn't expect such turn-around), so I can't be sure if setting is consistent. I was especially surprised and delighted by resolution regarding PRC management - I am only sorry that the effect will be spoiled in my second reading. There are some real clever details that make this setting very complex. Plot in general is very interesting and completely unpredictable.

Pace of plot is very fast, maybe even a bit too fast. I wouldn't mind this book being a hundred or two pages longer (it is only 500 pages long) - but I am a fan of complex settings and I am always hungry for new details. But on the other hand, that would make "Iron Angel" less impressive book - such hard pace make it very intensive and it's not letting you relax. One of best points of this book was its description of Hell (whole second part) and characters connected to it. It was done really originally and the effect of it was surreal. Or maybe weird. In any case, it was great and unexpected. You should be warned that there is a lot of graphic violence, and even more blood. Blood is actually one of its structural elements.

Characters are very nicely written and interesting. They remain a bit mysterious because their reasons and motivations are left hidden. But when Campbell devotes himself to them, he makes them feel believable and real. There is a bunch of new and important characters: Hasp, Alice Harper, Mina Green, John Anchor... My only surprise was that Carnival was almost nonexistent in this book - but maybe she will have a larger role in the last book.

The biggest surprise comes at the end - and then book ends with an enormous cliffhanger. It almost made me immediately go to Amazon and buying its sequel, but I was able to stop myself.

"Iron Angel" was a terrific book introducing massive amount of new elements, a big surprise when I expected weak and tepid sequel. If last part, "God of Clocks", is good as this one, "Deepgate Codex" will be promoted to one of my favorite short series of all time. A recommendation to everybody who searches for a bit of unconventional fantasy.

Anime review: "Fate/Zero" 2012

Last week I finished watching "Fate/Zero (2012)". I don't think there was any real reason to split this in two seasons because it directly continues first, unfinished season that ends in cliffhanger. These two should be watched together, as one anime with 25 episodes - even the numbers of episodes confirm this.

(some cool picture I accidentally found)

As I said in my first review, it is a fighting anime featuring a contest for Holy Grail between 7 pairs of Masters and Servants. It includes magic associations and mages, Church, legendary and real heroes (Gilgamesh, Alexander the Great, "King Arthur"), mercenaries with guns, and many other elements. The premise is simple, but plot is complex (for an anime) and fast, full of convoluted plans, and it is interesting to follow.

This second part of "Fate/Zero" anime is much more intense than the first one, and it actually contains some real fights between Servants - all fights in first part ended in draw or were interrupted. I already said that it is much faster than first, and it is also much more violent and crueler. I was surprised several times with what happened to characters, especially with Emiya Kiritsugu in his recollections. Characters are the same and there are no new additions, but we learn more about history of few of them. I was very pleased and surprised with the ending - also, I found the scene with nude Gilgamesh quite hilarious.


This part finally explains the connection between "Fate/Zero" and "Fate/Stay Night", but you can learn even more from Wikipedia article. I also caught some references to "Kara no Kyoukai".


Anime retains high visual and audio standards set by first part and are really good. I was impressed how CGI was inoffensive (I usually hate when they use CGI of generate large number of doll-like soldiers...).


All in all, everything good I said about first part, stays good in second or gets even better. "Fate/Zero" (both parts) is one of best fighting anime I watched, a superb dark fantasy set in contemporary setting and combined with much violence and action, all packed in impressive animation - as its over-9.00 AniDB rating proves.

Anime review: "Fate/Zero"

As I said, I am taking little break from reading and the first anime I watched is "Fate/Zero". I have watched anime called "Fate/Stay Night" few years ago, which was a good but unexceptional fantasy/action anime revolving around some contemporary fight for the Holy Grail, with seven human Masters and seven mythical heroic Servants. So when last year "Fate/Zero" went out, with the same theme and same characters (at least some of them), I thought it was just an alternative version with better graphics, and decided that there is no reason for watching it. But as usually, good rates on AniDB and several good reviews, combined with a lack of tempting new anime made me change my mind.

First thing, I am a bit confused about the relationship between "Fate/Zero" and "Fate/Stay Night". What is certain is that they are set in the same setting. As I said at the beginning, they share a lot of plot and characters (who have same names, but are different), so I would be more inclined to the idea of this being an alternative version, as I thought first. But AniDB states that "Fate/Zero" is a prequel to "Fate/Stay Night". And if we consider that happens in this anime, this could even may be true. Of course, if we consider that fact that I watched "Fate/Stay Night" several years ago, I could be completely off.

And what happens is in this anime is: nothing! First episode is actually a double one and it is blatantly an info-dump, where the setting is explained and main characters are introduced. The rest of the episode servers only to build-up characters, their motives and the setting. For example, we have one episode dedicated to a completely minor character. Considering this is a fighting anime (Masters and Servants FIGHT against other in BATTLE for the Holy Grail), there are exactly three real fights: two ended in a draw and one was done so fast that you are left wondering what just happened (especially in context what happened in second episode).

My best guess is that "Fate/Zero" is a prequel, but that next year there will be a new "Fate/Stay" that will keep with this continuity. This is a good place to mention that next season of "Fate/Zero" is playing right now, called just "Fate/Zero (2012)".

But never mind that: this is a pretty good for anime where nothing conclusive happens and that ends in a cliffhanger. And that is established with unbelievably great atmosphere: dark and violent. Also, combination of grittiness and shounen chivalry somehow works great. I would really like to see what an adult and really gritty version would look like (probably something like "Kara no Kyoukai", a really SUPERB anime sharing this setting with nonlinear plot; if you watch it and like it, consider watching "Denpa Teki na Kanojo"). We have a lot of darker tones - most of the important stuff happens in the dark. Also, background sounds and music are very good and effective.

Characters are the other half of the reason why this anime is so good. They are all mysterious and surprisingly deep. Yes, they are stereotypical shounen character, but this is more a show about them than one about the battle for the Holy Grail. They are definitely more developed that in "Fate/Stay Night". Well, except Gilgamesh: he was intolerable prick then and he is one now (or vice versa). But even him I liked more in F/Z that in F/S. There is much more minor characters and what is even more better: not one of the main characters is an unaware high-school student. They are almost all mature people with their own histories.

About technical stuff, nothing less than you would except from modern action hit anime: great visuals with a touch too much CGI. And as I said, sounds and background music are very good (and I usually don't notice this stuff). There are 13 episodes; first is a double one and one last half again as others.

So for conclusion, although "Fate/Zero" share maybe too much with "Fate/Stay Night", if you like fighting anime, or dark fantasy is a pick for you (even more so if you didn't watch the latter). Not best out there, but good enough that I will watch the second season.

Book review: "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin

Well, I finally finished reading "A Dance with Dragons", right after read the first four books in "A Song of Ice and Fire" series by George R. R. Martin. I can say that this book and series really wear me out. Since I had a lot of work while reading these books, my sleep and college tasks were suffering; I am quite thankful that I can finally get a good night sleep. Since the last book in "The Wheel of Time" series is coming out sometime after New Year, I was planning to a reread of complete series before it. But I don't think I will be capable of doing that, except if I somehow found myself with few weeks of free time - which is not very probable. So I will probably read only last three books (from "Knife of Dreams" onward). And now, I will be taking a few weeks hiatus of reading. I will watch few anime, maybe read some manga. After this complaints, let me just say that aDwD is a terrific book! Although, when I look back at first three books, I would have never guessed where the events will take us.

Without getting into spoilers (well, I expect that you have read first four books), this book focus on what we expected (since Martin announced it in "A Feast for Crows"): the events of the Wall and those around Daenerys. There is more, actually. First part of the book revolves exclusively around the Wall and the East, focusing on characters like Jon, Daenerys and Tyrion (as we expected it), but also on some new and some old characters that were a surprise to me. And in second part, characters from "A Feast for Crows" reemerge, meaning that the time span of this book reaches after aFfC.

As I said, there will be no spoilers. I liked the plot really much, mostly because it was quite surprising: fast in few places I would expect it to linger longer, while slow in parts that I didn't see lasting more than a chapter or two. This is a long book, almost as "A Storm of Swords", so there is a lot happening. I would say that there is more of the Norths in first parts, while the second is focused on East, especially toward the end. Tyrion's parts were most surprising for me. For some reason, at the beginning I decided that one thing "must" happen to him, so every chapter that this didn't happen in was infuriating to me (but in good way, somehow). Daenerys' POV was also unexpected - I didn't expect her to develop in such way and she felt almost like a stranger to me. But ending brought her to a more familiar track. And Jon's part... Well, somehow his part was most linear, expected and predictable. Not in any way bad, but familiar enough to lull you in. But don't become too relaxed, because you are in for biggest shock and cliffhanger in this complete series so far!!! I this was anybody else, I would have an inkling what is following, but since this is Martin, anything (and really, anything) is possible. Well, I have few theories of my own...

My strongest impression about this book is that it is not a book that will give you fun. Oh, this is a great book, beautifully written, complex and intelligent, no doubt about it. But it is really no fun - it left me weary and tired, and in serious doubt of humanity (as collection of humans) and humanity (a human trait) of George R. R. Martin. "The Riftwar Cycle", by Feist, is my favorite example of books that are not really so good, but are immensely enjoyable and you can have a lot of fun with them. "Malazan Book of the Fallen" is completely different, a big, ultra-complex series full of philosophy and suffering - but it is also an optimistic, enjoyable and funny. "A Dance with Dragons" is neither: it is dark, violent, stark and bloody. I thought that Abercrombie and Morgan are gritty, but Martin surpassed them both. Again, make no mistake, this is a great book. But when you encounter a fun chapter (these mostly involve Tyrion), be glad because of it, because you are in a long read until the next one. I don't think there is a more than few characters for which you can say that their situation improved in this book (I can remember only two): for big majority this book saw them downgraded, killed or jumping from pan to fire.

Another thing I noticed was how East was developed here. Until now, each book would give some of the details (aGoT dothraki, aCoK Quarth, aSoS Slaver's Bay), but this is a first time that we have such encompassed description. Also, I got a feeling that with these parts Martin approached some more common fantasy tropes. Well, at least was my feeling in the beginning, later all my predictions broke on the crags of Martin's imagination. Anyway, setting in the series got a lot broader than before.

I would now write how this book is not really a complete entity, but rather just a part of the big story, but Jo Walton said it better here. Also, I really can't see how Martin plans to finish it in two books.

So in conclusion, I can say that "A Dance with Dragons" brought ASoIaF back to greatness (contrary to "A Feast for Crows") and that is one superb book, although I don't think it will be one of my favorite ones. And remember one thing: from now on, I wouldn't put anything off for conclusion of this series, including the unhappy ending. I can just imagine Martin doing this to us, with laughter and dry-washing hands (just joking).

ASoIaF reread: "A Storm of Swords" by George R. R. Martin

I have finally finished reading "A Storm of Swords", the third book in "A Song of Ice and Fire" series, and I am thankful for it. Not that I object to its quality or enjoyment it provided me with, but this book is soooo long, it's no wonder there are split editions available! First when I started reading it, I was surprised with how much I have forgotten. I read this book at least three times, but it was few years ago and it looks like the time affected me more than I expected. Sure, I knew the events in general, even few of the specific minor events, but I lost a picture of the book as a whole. I wasn't sure what will happen next, and I forgot which events happened here and which in "A Feast for Crows". But as I was approaching second half of the book (I even forgot there were two parts), things finally settled in my head and I once again had a good clear picture of this book. And even then, I was surprised how long it was.

This is a point in series where things start to spiral down, not in quality but in... let's say level of optimism. You can't say that events in first two books fared well for the "main characters" (e.g. Starks, Tyrion...), but they had a few victories and there was a feeling of cautious optimism regarding their future. But this is where things change from bad to worse for them, and Martin really slams it down for them and makes us question what worse can happen. Of course, the bleak autumn (constant rains, floods, death) helps to achieve really depressive feeling, especially in second part. Lost is the fell of summer and optimism, just as Catelyn predicted in "A Clash of Kings"...

Also, this is when Martin forces us to leave any prejudices we had about who is good and who is evil (not that he encouraged them in first two books). He does with adding Jaime to the list of POV characters. Jaime, one of most arrogant and least honorable persons in first two books, a person who killed those who he sworn to protect, throw kids from towers, talked with scorn to everybody and anybody. Now we are forced to follow him from the inside and see that is neither bad nor pitiful, just a victim of events as anybody else. As in Malazan Books of Fallen, and I think this is a mark of really great books, nobody is really evil. People are cruel, ambitious, insensitive; they got blood-crazy when they go to war, or they fight with members of their family; but except in few notable exceptions, this behavior can be explained, whether by the society they live in, or by mistreatment of their parents, or by some other reason that force people in real world to behave evil.

As with first two books, "A Game of Thrones" and "A Clash of Kings", "A Storm of Swords" is another great book in this great series.

Few days ago I found this post: Game of Thrones Reimagined. I think that images are great, but this is not even close of how I imagined the characters. In my mind, Starks are, well, starker, with lanky hair and pale faces, while Daenerys is much younger and fragile. All in all, all characters depicted are looking too glamorous.