⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
from GoodReads
After half a millennium, Tathea prepares for the final battle
For five hundred years, Tathea has lain asleep, imprisoned in the forest. Once the Empress of Shinabar, she was pushed out of power when a coup took her husband’s life—a tragedy that led to a miracle. While roaming the wasteland, she learned of the unending battle between good and evil, and a book that could stop the demon Asmodeus forevermore.
It takes centuries, but at last the world is ready for the final battle—the Armageddon that will purge Tathea’s kingdom of evil. The coming of the war is marked by the birth of a child, Sadokhar, who will lead God’s armies into the fray. A battle is looming, and it’s up to Tathea to prepare Sadokhar for Armageddon.
The sequel to Tathea is much darker with wars going on and lives including the animal and plant kingdoms annihilated. Armageddon needs to happen while the devil is unprepared in order to finally defeat him and his minions. The novel is filled with symbolism and philosophy that seem to warn that removing God from people's lives creates wars, chaos,and desolation on earth and possibly beyond. There are great battles between good and evil in this novel. The conversation between Asmodeus and The Man of Holiness is fascinating.
The book was written in early 2000 and I find it a bit prophetic. Currently, worldwide, there are man-made forest fires, bio weapons created in labs, race related anarchy, looting and riots, pedophilia, satanism, etc. These will be man's undoing due to lack of faith and religion among the young and old alike.
The demon Asmodeus [he resembles a real evil person who finances violent riots around the world] to one of his Lords of the Undead:
"Get out! Go and prove your worth! Spread the corruption of tyranny, violence, greed, and oppression until Camassia also tears itself apart! You wanted Armageddon without waiting for me. So go and forge it then. Create it! Reap souls for me. Bring me the cruel, the cowardly, the betrayers, the deceivers, bring me the corrupt to the core!"
Two people are poisoned to death by hydrogen sulfide at hot springs located in different regions. The police ask Aoe Shusuke, a geochemistry professor, to determine whether the deaths were caused by freak accidents or were murders. While investigating the cases, Aoe Shusuke comes across a young woman, Uhara Madoka who guesses correctly that a natural phenomenon will take place. The police begin to suspect Uhara Madoka might be related to the deaths.
Takashi Miike directing a murder mystery movie based on a novel by Keigo Higashino - how can I not love it. It's a 2-hour movie full of twists and turns, and a lot of intelligent dialog. It's hard to guess the who and why and my early assumptions are all proven wrong. As in Higashino's previous novels, the story uses mathematics and science, hence the title Laplace's Witch, from the writing by French scholar and polymath Pierre-Simon Laplace, Laplace's Demon. 2 young people who underwent procedures to have precognitive abilities as described in Laplace's Demon help in solving the murders.
Highly recommended.
Eun-young is an ordinary school nurse with an extraordinary secret: she sees strange and beautiful jelly creatures that no one else can see. She’s not particularly fond of this gift, but when the school comes under attack, it’s up to her and fellow teacher In-pyo to save the day. Question is, does she feel like saving the world today?
After watching this new Netflix 6-part series from South Korea, I felt as though I have just walked into Haruki Murakami/David Mitchell/Takashi Miike universe. It is fantastically weird full of weird people competing for the most weird one. Eun-Young, the school nurse has a gift of seeing jellyfish-like creatures which are visible to her only. She uses her plastic toys, a retractable sword and a gun to kill the jellies. She is a ghostbuster protecting the school kids from evil spirits roaming the school. When a swarm of bugs appeared, again only visible to the nurse, a female high school student appears out of nowhere. She was never born to human parents and has lived many lives as a male and for the first time is living as a female enrolled as a new student in the school. She is a bug eater which is beneficial to humans much like green lacewings and ladybugs eating harmful insects to protect plants. This character dies every 20 years and is reborn as a high school teen so she or he never ages. The series is absolutely entertaining.
I just wished the male lead is older. Nam Joo-Hyuk is 26 years old, 12 years younger than the female lead actress. I like both of them, just don't do a romance story line later if there is a second season. I wish McKenzie has more screen time because he's a very interesting character. Or maybe it's just me because the actor playing him, Yoo Teo, is good in all the shows I've seen him in specially as Ragaseu in Arthdal Chronicle and as Kwon Min-Seong in Chocolate, both streaming on Netflix. All 6 episodes are streaming on Netflix and now I can't wait for the second season. I have to re-watch.
England, 1884 - a world on the brink of change. On the morning of her 16th birthday, Enola Holmes (Millie Bobby Brown) wakes to find that her mother (Helena Bonham Carter) has disappeared, leaving behind an odd assortment of gifts but no apparent clue as to where she's gone or why. After a free-spirited childhood, Enola suddenly finds herself under the care of her brothers Sherlock (Henry Cavill) and Mycroft (Sam Claflin), both set on sending her away to a finishing school for "proper" young ladies. Refusing to follow their wishes, Enola escapes to search for her mother in London. But when her journey finds her entangled in a mystery surrounding a young runaway Lord (Louis Partridge), Enola becomes a super-sleuth in her own right, outwitting her famous brother as she unravels a conspiracy that threatens to set back the course of history.
I didn't expect to love this movie but I did. It's full of action, mystery, and maybe a hint of romance at the ending between 16 year old Enola and the very young Viscount Tewskebury, Marquess of Basilwether. Millie Bobby Brown is wonderful as smart-as-Sherlock and feisty Enola. She is all grown up and so pretty in Victorian clothes. Henry Cavill as Sherlock is actually good and Helena Bonham Carter as their mother looks lovely and ageless. I didn't even notice the 2 hours running time. I was totally engaged and entertained the whole time, laughing at the comedic scenes. I hope there's a sequel.
I didn't know the story is based on a novel written by American author Nancy Springer. There are 6 books in all and the movie is based on the first one, The Case of the Missing Marquess, published in 2006. I might check them out to see if they are worth reading.
Highly recommended.
Piranesi lives in the House.
Perhaps he always has.
In his notebooks, day after day, he makes a clear and careful record of its wonders: the labyrinth of halls, the thousands upon thousands of statues, the tides that thunder up staircases, the clouds that move in slow procession through the upper halls.
On Tuesdays and Fridays Piranesi sees his friend, the Other. At other times he brings tributes of food and waterlilies to the Dead. But mostly, he is alone.
Messages begin to appear, scratched out in chalk on the pavements. There is someone new in the House. But who are they and what do they want? Are they a friend or do they bring destruction and madness as the Other claims?
Lost texts must be found; secrets must be uncovered. The world that Piranesi thought he knew is becoming strange and dangerous.
The Beauty of the House is immeasurable; its Kindness infinite.
tags: adventure, allegory, fantasy, mystery, philosophical, spirituality
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
from Amazon
Exiled from her palace by a bloody coup, an empress travels the dangerous wilds of her kingdom in search of enlightenment—and righteous vengeance
The empress Tathea is awakened by the sounds of insurrection. The army, the aristocracy, and the royal guard have all turned against her husband, and stained the palace with his blood. Were she an ordinary ruler, she might follow him to the grave, but Tathea is a child of the wild lands. She comes from the desert, so to the desert she flees.
Across the kingdom she travels, searching for shelter, friendship, and an explanation for the tragedy that destroyed her old life. As she fights to stay alive, she finds a book whose message might tip the scales in the battle between good and evil, changing the world forever. If her life is to have meaning, Tathea will have to spread the word.
I like it better after rereading because I seem to understand the story more. It's over 500 pages, yet the story easily pulled me in and I couldn't put it down. Tathea is a combination of fantasy, adventure, self discovery, and friendship while forming and spreading a religion, trying to survive from evil forces. The book is written well and I love the colorful description of the fictional countries and their people. Some of the scenes in the book eerily describe the ongoing chaos, destruction of properties, and anarchy going on in the USA and around the world. I find it prophetic and I see the devil in someone's face *cough G. S. cough*.
It sometimes reads like a sci-fi novel but with heavy religious themes. This book is not for everyone and might trigger readers who don't like religion specially Christianity, or any mention of God. Anne Perry has been a long time member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, or Mormon Church. The Book of Mormon might be the inspiration in writing this book. I will read the sequel, Come Armageddon, and will review it next month.
A city is infected by a mysterious virus, which causes the city to spiral out of control. Joon-Woo (Yoo Ah-In) and Yoo-Bin (Park Shin-Hye) struggle to survive in an isolated apartment complex from those infected with the virus. Everything including internet, phone, and electricity has been disconnected around the apartment.
Yes, a new zombies movie from South Korea. How can I not love it. It stars 2 of my favorite actors, Yoo Ah-In and Park Shin-Hye. They are the only 2 people, aside from the zombies, in almost 85% of the entire movie. It wasn't boring with just the 2 of them really. There's a subtle comedy here and there that reminds me of another South Korean survival movie, Exit, only with hungry ugly zombies. Park Shin-Hye's character is the smarter of the two and sometimes rolls her eyes at her co-survivor not knowing what to do. She's very creative and skillful using contraptions and an axe to kill or chop off limbs of the monsters. There are some impossible to believe scenarios but this is just a movie. You have to suspend disbelief with any zombie movies.
Recommended for Korean, zombies, survival, action, and horror movie fans.
**************************************************************************************
Currently streaming on Netflix:
Yoo Ah-In movie Burning and drama Chicago Typewriter
Park Shin-Hye dramas Inheritors and Memories of the Alhambra
