Thoughtful Thursday: Reading Acknowledgements?

Every book has an acknowledgement written by the author. But since it's an extra part of the book and often has nothing to do with the main content of the book, it's usually skipped. Do I read acknowledgements? Well, not often.

When will I actually read acknowledgements? Only when the author who has written this is one of my all-time favorites. I mean, sometimes(though not often) you can see a glimpse of what the author's really thinking when reading acknowledgements. And sometimes acknowledgements can be really hilarious. But all these cases doesn't happen a lot. In fact I skip most of the words while skimming through the pages of acknowledgements. But at least I know some of the contents about it.

Sometimes I will skip all the contents of the acknowledgements. Either that is a book that I thoroughly don't enjoy or I have nearly no profound thoughts about the book. For some reason reading acknowledgements in a book that I don't like only annoys me more. And of course I don't care about reading acknowledgements in a book that I have nearly no feelings about.

Even the format of the book affects the chance of me reading acknowledgements. Yeah, that sounds weird. But I have this... reading habit. If that's a book that I can actually hold with my hands (i.e. paperback or hardcover), the chances are smaller. It's just that when there's a "to-be-continued" or "the-end" blank, I will instinctively close the book and not pay any attention to whatever after the final page of the story. But there are two exceptions in which the chances of me reading it are higher. First is the book having a sneak peek of a sequel or a new installment after the end of the story. Normally you can't help but (at least) skim through the acknowledgement contents. Second is it being placed before the story starts. Again you can't help but at least skim through those pages. That doesn't apply to e-books, though, because I can just skip it by clicking "chapter one" on my e-book reader.

If it's a e-book, than the chances might be higher. Because normally after reading the main story, I won't just close the e-reader but skim through the rest of the pages and might actually read acknowledgements. Especially when there's a sneak peek after the end of the main story. But if the acknowledgement is placed before the story starts... well, like I said, I will totally skip it.

Do you read acknowledgements? If so/not, why?

Thoughtful Thursday: The Midnight Heir

Warning: Avoid this post if you haven't read The Midnight Heir (or Clockwork Princess)!!!

Yesterday I read The Midnight Heir. And a ton of question rose up. Thus a lot of theories. It's been a while since I post theories about stuff and this time, it's more about TLH and TMH (because they are related).

First is the big bad question: How can Lucie Herondale marry Jesse Blackthorn?

Yeah apparently Jesse was already dead. So how can he marry Lucie Herondale?

But hey, there's a twist. Check out this excerpt:

"I had one child, my beautiful boy, my Jesse, but he could not be trained to be a warrior. He was always so weak, so sickly. I begged them not to put runes on him - I was certain that would kill him - but the Shadowhunters held me back and held him down as they burned the Marks into his flesh. He screamed and screamed. We all thought he would die then, but he did not. He held on for me, for his mama, but their cruelty damned him. Each year he grew sicker and weaker until it was too late. He was sixteen when they told me he could not live." --- The Midnight Heir, Location 569/760

and this:

"And the Nephilim had no power to save my son."--- The Midnight Heir, Location 590/760

Those sound like Jesse was dead for 9 years. Right? Nope. Just because the Shadowhunters told Tatiana that he could not live when Jesse was sixteen doesn't mean he was NOT living. He could still be alive, maybe very sick and weak, but he could be alive. You might ask: "Then why Tatiana want Magnus to kill 5 Shadowhunters?" For revenge is totally the answer, but that still doesn't mean Jesse was dead. Magnus only assumed that Jesse was passed away but he actually didn't know so. And from the second excerpt, just because the Nephilim had not power to save Jesse doesn't mean others had no power to do so.I think this little excerpt can prove that Jesse might not be necessarily dead:

"The only reason she could have to go to a warlock was if she wanted to use those deaths, to alchemized Shadowhunter lives into magic for a spell. It would be the darkest of dark spells, and the fact that Tatiana knew of it told Magnus this was not the first time she had turned to dark magic." --- The Midnight Heir, Location 590/760

(And I think I see Jesse in this picture drawn by Cassandra Jean based on this description:

"His eyes were a deep, still green, like a woodland pool hidden under the overhanging leaves of a tree, never exposed to sun or wind. He had dark hair falling, as fine spun and straight as silk, across his brow..." ---The Midnight Heir, Location 530/760

And check out this photo here (I can't upload it for some reason):

http://24.media.tumblr.com/23fd640e95cd727b3d0fdeaa2ed0d97d/tumblr_mme2r8hhpP1r3oy4vo1_1280.jpg

I think I saw Jesse there."

Or Jesse wasn't really Jesse. Maybe the real Jesse was secretly being other person (that can happen according to Cassie). Although I can't imagine how this was possible. I don't think this is a changeling thing, because in Clockwork Princess, the changeling Adele Starkweather was DEAD when she was applied Marks. Jesse was not dead right away then.

Or Jesse was truly dead, but Tatiana was about to, what, resurrect him by killing five Shadowhunters and use their blood or whatever life they had to resurrect him? And when he waked/was better/whatever, he would still be 16, and since Lucie might only be 1 or 2 years younger than James (According to the family tree, Lucie is 5 years younger than James, but there's no way Cordelia Carstairs will be Lucie's parabatai because Cordelia is 6 years older than Lucie.), the age difference won't be so wide. (Though I seriously don't think the age difference will stop a Herondale from loving anybody.) And the excerpt about why Tatiana might want to use Shadowhunter lives to perform dark magic might be proof to this theory.

Or Jesse stayed dead, and Lucie married some other Shadowhunter. He can be a Blackthorn, though. Hey, we don't know about the Blackthorn family tree. How can we assumed that there aren't any offspring of the Blackthorn family in 1903 other than Jesse? But if he's not a Blackthorn, than who is he? And worse yet, the Blackthorns in 2012 aren't even Blackthorns. Jeez.

This is getting so messed-up I'm already anticipating for TLH before I even read TDA. But hey, maybe something in TDA will link back to TLH. Who knows what Cassie is thinking?

Another question: Who the heck is Grace?

Grace is adopted by Tatiana. And she claimed herself as a Blackthorn. But look at the description about her appearance:

"Her hair was the color of the pearl too, palest ivory with a sheen of gold on it..." --- The Midnight Heir, Location 483/760

Can I assume that this Grace is the girl at the center in the same photo I mentioned above? If that's true, she is a Cartwright. (And don't tell me she's soothing Jesse... yeah I think the guy that the girl/Grace is holding is Jesse. Because I somehow find that really gross.) It's no surprise that she might be adopted because Shadowhunters often die young and her parents might have been dead. But how did she end up with Tatiana when there's the London Institute?

And what is she? Because there's something seriously wrong with her, like she's nothing but a shell made of ice, detached from any human feelings. She might be a Shadowhunter, but that doesn't she was accustomed to dark magic.

Uh, everything is so confusing right now. How can we wait 5+ years for TLH?

Thoughtful Thursday: What If I Can't Read Books In The Future

Weird topic, right? And you might think, "There's no way you will not be able to read books in the future!" Maybe I should modify the topic to "What If I Have To Read Fewer Books In The Future". Yeah.

I'm a book lover. Although I like blogging and enjoys the anticipation and excitement of sharing things and feelings with someone alike, reading books is my real thing. But here's the problem. I am going to be a secondary 4 student after this summer holiday, which means in the US I will be a high school student soon. You might say, "hey, that means your life will official start soon!" In places like the US, it might be true. But while my life will official start in the coming September, my torture also will.

See, the education system in this city aka HK is very different from countries like the US, Canada and so on. Students in our city can never enjoy themselves much in their, um, senior years. Our lives become all these: studying, studying, and more studying. Boring, huh? Very on some levels, and definitely not on the others, because our time will be so occupied by huges waves of homework and tests and exams and trips and projects and everything you can think of involvin academic works. Hell, we don't even have time to sleep much during the upcoming three years. I'm really afraid I can't read much in this three years and this thought is very, very irritating. I hate not being able to do something I truly want to do because of something that is considered "mandatory" but never "satisfactory".

And here comes the other question: How to deal with it?

I can think of some plans, some are very satisfying but I know I will never be able to carry out, and some are really not satisfying which makes it hard to carry out.

1. Decrease my time in sleeping and use the excess time to read: That is a very satisfying thought. I mean, if I could choose not to sleep with my will then I would probably never going to sleep. But the problem is, I suck at copping with my drifting eyes. Few can stop me when I want to sleep. That means, little time for reading.

2. Decrease my time in studying....?!: I very much want to, but the harsh reality keeps pulling me back from this fantasy because these three years are key to my enrollment to college three years after and if I fail, that will definitely suck butt. So while I very much want to carry this out, I can't. You know, the mandatory shit and all.

3. Decrease my time in reading: Apparently that's the only way out. In fact I (painfully) decreased my time in reading in the final exams earlier on. I know what needs to be done for the greater good, but let's just say a part of my brain/heart/soul/whatever resents and despise this idea so much. Yep, this is the only way out, but that doesn't mean I have to even remotely like it. Damn, I hate that idea so much.

Okay, done with the senseless blabbering and cursing. Life is thick with little pains (nah, that is a huge pain in my ass, but whatever). Back to my... nope, not studying, not doing homework. My Whatsapp account. 

Thoughtful Thrusday: Hardcover vs Paperback vs Ebook

Almost every reader has this problem: Shall I buy a hardcover book, or a paperback, or even a ebook? I certainly have this problem because I'm not living in the US so sometimes I can't buy actual books (you know, with the shipping taxes and all). Here are the pros and cons about me buying the 3 types of books:

1. Hardcover

Pros:

• Beautiful (Admit it, a hardcover book is usually more beautiful than the other two)
• Easy to store (With its hardback, it's harder to actually destroy the book and definitely easier to preserve)
• Can store for a longer time (Hardcovers do not wither as easily as paperbacks do)
• Kissable (Actually this is my own personal pro. Yeah, I love hardcovers like that. XD)

Cons:

• More expensive (With a hardcover binding, it's usually more expensive than a paperback version and... I'm not old enough to have my very own credit card and a part-time job so I have to rely on my parents and they are... a little strict of me spending so much money on buying books. Irony...)
• Heavy (Yeah, it's heavier. And since we have to bring one book back to school to read sometimes, it's also harder to carry a hardcover book)
• Hard to read (I like to read on my bed. And reading a hardcover book is really difficult because they're so hard to grab on sometimes. You have to read in on a table and trust me, I don't really like this idea)

2. Paperback

Pros:

• Less expensive (Yeah, you know what I mean. Just check Amazon.com or TBD)
• Easier to carry (They're infinitely lighter comparing to their hardcover counterpart. That is, if they even have a hardcover edition at all. The Covenant series and Lux series by JLA is definitely one of those which don't have hardcover version)
• Also kissable (well, maybe not as kissable as hardcover books. But still)
• Easier to read (It's easier for me to hold a paperback than a hardcover)

Cons:

• Easier to wither (Yeah, that's one hell of a problem. Since it's paperback, it's harder to preserve and protect the book, especially the cover)
• Might not be the original cover of the book (e.g. The UK version of Under The Never Sky. Don't get me wrong, they are really beautiful. But I prefer originally stuff unless under special occasions)

3. Ebook

Pros:

• Infinitely easier to carry (Yep, I have a e-reader to read .epub and .mobi (Kindle) books, so I can read them wherever I want)
• Much less expensive (Again, check Amazon.com)
• Can store for a infinite time (they are digital versions, so technically they will not wither. But if the file's broken, then I can do nothing about it)

Cons:

• Not as kissable (I like the smell and the feel of holding a real book in my hands)
• I read slower (It's a weird problem. Sometimes I have the digital version AND a hardcover/paperback version of a book. But I read slower with e-readers. Maybe it's because staring at a constantly lighting screen is not that appealing to me?)
• Have to wait for some time, sometimes (Yeah, there might be a case in which the hardcover/paperback version releases earlier than the digital version)

What I prefer if given a choice:

Hardcover and Ebook

I'm a little greedy but it's the truth. Hardcover, because I like reading an actual book and I love having real books. Ebook, because I can read wherever and whenever I want and you can't carry a hardcover book everywhere when your school bag/handbag is/are always stuffed with thick textbooks and stationery and personal belongings.

What do you prefer? Do you like hardbacks or paperbacks? Or do you prefer books in e-readers?

Thoughtful Thursday: The One by Kiera Cass

The Elite was released on April 23 this year. And damn if it isn't one pain in the ass hell of a read. Okay, sorry 'bout the pain-in-the-ass but that is how I felt when I finished the book. \

Check my review of The Elite here: http://smoking-hot-books.blogspot.com/2013/04/the-elite-review.html

Okay, moving on to the finale of the trilogy, The One.

Avoid this post if you haven't read The Elite.

The title:

Personally, I think the title is way too spoilery. It's like declaring Maxon/America forever and I'm like "meh". Come on, neither of the boys deserve America. Unless you are telling me America is the ONE who overthrows the kingdom through rebellious ways. That will be much better (Although I highly doubt its possibility).

The cover:

Um... if the whole she's the future princess/queen thing is true, then I'm really expecting a wedding gown. Not that it is definitely white, but it might actually be a freaking wedding gown. But... white? A white book? That's a little hard to imagine....

What I expected would happen (HUGE SPOILERS AHEAD! DON'T READ THIS IF YOU HAVEN'T READ THE ELITE YET!):

1) America vs Clarkson: Oh, if you remember the last scenes, it's Clarkson declaring war on America to get her out of the palace. I believe more word battle and glaring eyes will come alive in the third book

2) Rebellion: They will definitely be more savage/determined/desperate, especially when the Southerners are seemingly so... fond of America. That will be an interesting twist. I can't wait to see how this will be carried out

3) The Italians: If you remember, the Italians said that they will help America to get the crown if she asks them. I think this might actually happen since... if America truly wants the crown, getting help from the Italians is so much better than facing the obstacle alone.

4) Girl-fights: I have a feeling that girl fights might not be that intense in this book because America might be busy preparing to overthrow the caste system AT LEAST. I'm so freaking tired of Celeste.

5) Kriss: Yeah, the nice girl. I have a feeling it's either Kriss or America for Maxon. Although I will be more than okay for America to join the rebellion group...

6) Romantic moments: I'm the most unsure about this out of all. Personally, without Maxon screwing being with other girls, the romantic moments will be more pure. As for Aspen... I don't really give a damn to him. But I have a feeling that Maxon will find out "Officer Leger" and America sooner or later... (and Clarkson will have an excuse to kick her out of the palace. Duh.)

7) How it will end: I can think of two right now: Either America will be the future queen and promote revolutionary policies or America will achieve the fall of caste system through rebellious acts. I think the former is more likely than the latter, although I like the latter much better...

What are your thoughts? Feel free to sound off in the comment area below :)

Thoughtful Thursday: The Downfall of Dystopian Novels

A sad but true story.

Remember the trends of YA/NA novels. Back when the insta-love thing is so common in YA novels, like The Immortals series by Alyson Noel (by the way, I can't even remember what is in the books anymore.)? And then love triangles rises up, like The Mortal Instruments, The Iron Fey and the most famous of all, The Infernal Devices (aww, talk about pulling your hair from your head!). And then the vampire romance thing (like, what, Bloodlines?), which I never really dwelled on because of Twilight. And then now, the start of the downfall of dystopian world. The saddest of all.

I think my first real dystopian novel I read is Divergent. And man, did I love the story! Back then I was like a lunatic, constantly searching for more dystopian novels. But now, a year later, I'm wary of any new dystopian releases. Because things are getting worse and worse.

Before I started, I would like to say something first. First is my all-time favorite dystopian novel list:

1. Divergent trilogy by Veronica Roth
2. Delirium trilogy by Lauren Oliver
3. Under The Never Sky trilogy by Veronica Rossi
4. Shatter Me trilogy by Tahereh Mafi
5. Legend trilogy by Marie Lu
6. Blood of Eden trilogy by Julie Kagawa

Second is my confession. No matter what, I still love dystopian world and the all-time favs I mentioned above and the base of the whole thing. I just think that new releases are getting less and less exciting.

Okay, so I said I was wary about new dystopian releases. Ain't that the truth. Back when I first fell in love with dystopian novels, I was searching for those novels constantly and they live up with my expectations... until Mystic City. Yeah, I gave a high rating back then, but when I read it for a second time, I have to say this is NOT a dystopian novel that can fit into my expectations anymore. It gets flat. But that's just one, so I wasn't bothered by it and still searching for more (although not as eager as before). And the second let down is... Black City. I remember I gave a high rating. And seriously, Black City is slightly better than Mystic City. But still, it's far from my expectations. Since then I'm wary of new releases.

There were a few hopes. One of them is Blood of Eden. I so do remember the excitement of The Immortal Rules. Another is Legend. Legend and Prodigy worth the place of New York Times bestselling list base on just the whole Republic of America thing. But then major letdowns happened. First is The Selection. A dystopian lite. I was like WHAT? Don't get me wrong, I mean it when I say the competition thing is tolerable. But I also mean it when I say rebel attacks as a side plot is a major "meh" part. The second is Taken. Damn, I was so excited for Taken. It was like a brutal hit in my chest because it did NOT match my predictions. At all. But I gave it a relatively fair rating then. But when I read it for the second time, it was more of a let down than before. Now I learn my lessons. Being wary of new dystopian releases is never wrong.

It's a sad fact because I can still remember clearly the moment when I fell for Divergent. Hard. But dystopian worlds are starting to get more... cliche? and the excitement of new releases just vanishes. The shift of trend is unstoppable, I know. When something gets too common, the focus will be on somewhere else. And the trend shifts to contemporary. For the first time, I'm not exactly happy for the change. Maybe because I'm not even fifteen yet so I still have no desire to read more NA novels?

NA novels are rising. And I only read one (or three, because I'm not sure if the other two are contemporary) . But only because I love the author so much I will not miss every book she writes. I think I might read If You Find Me sometime in the future, although I'm not sure when because I know that my life will only get busier and busier after this academic year. I just hope that the downfall of contemporary (I'm not wishing for its downfall. It's inevitable and you know it. The trend shifts and everyone starts to move on) in the future will not be as disastrous as the downfall of dystopian novels.

I hate to say it, but if you are a newbie on dystopian novels, be wary because not every novel you encounter on your way will be a good one.

P. S. I'm planning to read Gone series by Michael Grant sometime soon in the future. I think it can be really awesome. But then, I discover one thing: Releases in 2007- 2010 are often based on new ideas and good plots. Jeez, maybe I should change the title of the post into "The Downfall of New YA Writers". No offense involved. Seriously.

Thoughtful Thursday: Early Theories of TLH and Unknown Sekrit Project by Cassandra Clare

I've been waiting for this for ages! I can't wait to discuss the announced trilogies with you guys :)

(Warning: Avoid this post if you haven't read Clockwork Princess yet)

The name of the trilogy:

Well, there's no way we can know the name of the Unknown Sekrit Project in the foreseeing future, since Lady Midnight isn't even release yet. So this topic is dropped.

TLH, is another story.

There are tons of names circulating Tumblr and many of them are... bizarre, yet very funny. But let's get serious here. The first that popped up in my mind is The Lost Histories. I mean, it sounds reasonable, right? But I don't think things are that simple in TLH. Maybe there are cooler names out there that I haven't known yet.

The setting:

Again, there's nothing to discuss about the timing of the two trilogies. TLH will be set in 1903, and the Unknown Sekrit Project is set in 2015 (apparently). But the location settings are interesting. Especially when it comes to TLH.

Okay, again, Lady Midnight is not even released yet, so we have no way to know the location setting in the Unknown Sekrit Project. But in TLH, there are two places that I can think of: London and New York. Both are equally reasonable guesses. London is a reasonable guess because it's about the next generation of the characters in TID, and James Herondale is apparently in TLH as well. But New York is also a reasonable guess. I mean, do you recall the two snippets in The Bane Chronicles? If James Herondale is one the the characters in TLH, he will surely meet Magnus at some point. And Magnus, at that time, is in New York, as he told Will he would be in at the end of Clockwork Princess. But I have something a little more crazier than this: What if this is THE generation that moves to New York? 

The characters:

James Herondale is 16/17 in 1903. So he can be a perfect (main) character for TLH. And if he's there, Cordelia Carstairs will definitely be there, as well. And Christopher Lightwood can be there as well, since he's 15/16 in 1903. I have a feeling we will see more Blackthorns in TLH. I don't really believe that City of Heavenly Fire and The Dark Artifices are the only places that the Blackthorns actually shows up. That will be weird.

And I believe that there are new main characters that are from other families. Why? Do you remember the timing set in the Unknown Sekrit Project is 2015? The TMI characters will only be in their mid-twenties and the TDA characters will only be in their early twenties. I don't supposed that's a story of them. So there MUST be new characters in the unknown sekrit project. And I think the closest connection with the sekrit project is TLH (since TLH is full of possibilities)

Will TID characters be in TLH as well? I think this is a definite possibility, since it's about the generation next to Will's. Maybe we will see Will in there as well. And Tessa, although that would be super awkward (you know, Tessa's immortal). Or maybe Jem as well, but I think my heart will break into a million pieces when I actually see him in TLH (well, my heart was broken into shards when I re-read City of Lost Souls days after I read Clockwork Princess). But anyway, I think there's a possibility that we will see some TID characters in it, even though they will not be the main characters.

***

I know my theories sound crazy, and it IS kind of crazy, since I don't have much information on my hands now about the two trilogies. But I think things will get clearer, at least after TDA. And somewhere in this post, I have no idea what I've said.

Thoughtful Thursday: TLH by Cassandra Clare

So now... do you remember what I said in this post?

http://smoking-hot-books.blogspot.hk/2012/12/surreal-sunday-another-shadowhunter.html

It's not surreal anymore! Looks like it's myth freaking confirmed (MythBusters mode here)!  There's a sekrit project that Cassie's working on. And here's those tweets (squeeeeee)

Here's what I've picked up:

1. TLH is set in 1903
(Wait, does that mean I get to see TID characters? *cough* *cough* Will *cough* Aww, I'm already squeeing right now)

2. The main characters in TLH are 16, 17
(If you have the collector's edition of Clockwork Princess, do a little math based on the family tree and see who will be 16 or 17 in 1903, although I have a little doubt that those characters will be in TLH. I hope they will be, though)

3. TLH is something without a deadline
So that means... Is there a possibility that they will be released at the same time as TDA? My body is so ready.

4. Five Shadowhunters series!
Four trilogies and TMI! Aww, I'm so gonna read all the books. That means... 18 Shadowhunter books. (Wishful thinking already)

5. There will be some The Bane Chronicles characters
Magnus? But Magnus was heading to New York! Unless.... wait, I have a theory. What if that's about Shadowhunters in 1903 MOVING TO NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES? And I totally want more Magnus! Although that won't be confirmed until sometime in the future...

6. The chronological order of the series.
TID - London, 1878
TLH -Unknown Place, 1903
TMI - New York, 2007
TDA - Los Angeles, 2012
Unknown sekrit project - Unknown Place, 2015 (from TMI source)

I am really curious about the sekrit project. It's set after TDA... future Shadowhunters? Yes please! I can't wait to see technology vs Shadowhunters, if that's the case.

***

Thoughts about the five series:

Well, Cassandra Clare is one of the greatest authors since mankind is created. The Shadowhunters are just fascinating and I can never get enough of the smart jokes from characters. TMI is the first series I read and I started Clockwork Angel right after I read City of Fallen Angels. And those books captured my heart right when I turn on the very first page of City of Bones. And now, I've finished The Infernal Devices trilogy and painfully ('cuz March 1 is so far away!)  waiting for City of Heavenly Fire, I know I will never get tired of Shadowhunters. And now, Lady Midnight will be released in March 2015, and there's TLH and an unknown futuristic sekrit project. I will probably be like this:

Sorry I can't hear you over my shrill screaming :D

Thoughtful Thrusday: Emotions in 2013 (Jan to Apr)

So many series will come to an end in 2013. And so many series will start in 2013. Here's a prediction of how I will react in 2013.

January:

Emotions: Anticipation + Anxiety + Frustration

January is the start of all crazy stuff. It starts with Boundless and Through The Ever Night and Shades of Earth. And god, did that ever lure me into anticipation. They are from three of my favorite series. There's no way I can't be excited about it.

The anxiety is because of the whole waiting thing. Not just waiting for the book but also waiting for the awesome part while reading the book. Anxiety always build in me very easily. Guess I need to find a way to ease this or I will probably go nuts soon.

You'll probably ask why frustration? Well, the timing of the release dates are so not right. It just come across my Post Examination. So not a good timing here. And I wanna punch somebody in the face cuz there's no way I can concentrate on YA novels when this year's Post Examination is so freaking important.

February:

Emotions: Souped-up Anticipation + Souped-up Anxiety + A Little Bit Fangirling

February gets even crazier. Unravel me will hit stores in February. That means more Juliette, more Adam, more diary-like words, and more Warner. Anticipation gets even more intense. Not just because of Unravel Me, but also because of March, which will be the craziest month in 2013. And the reason for the intensified anxiety is the same.

And fangirling? Well, probably because of Clockwork Princess (UGH!!!), Requiem, and Obsession. Come on, these books are by three of the most awesome author on Earth. How can you not fangirl about this?


March:

Emotions: Probably Intense Sadness + Frustration + Anger + Heart Break + 5 million other things

March, like I said above, is probably the craziest month in 2013. Let's start with Clockwork Princess. There's a great chance that either Will or Jem (or both) will die in CP2. Clockwork Princess' epilogue sets in London, 2007. And all the heartbreak from Will, Jem (maybe), and Tessa. Ah, I can't.

And second is Requiem. Alex just popped up out of nowhere in the end of Pandemonium. We still don't know what status he's in. There's a freaking war brewing, and Lena and Hana might reunite. Good cliffhanger in Pandemonium, Lauren Oliver. You make my heart jump like hell.

Third is Obsession. It sets between Opal and Origin (Origin!). And according to what JLA said, Obsession will change our point of view towards Luxen and Arum. So maybe Luxen isn't all good, and Arum isn't all bad. Anticipation is killing me on this one.

How can I survive through March? I still have to go to April!


April:

Emotions: Heart Break + Awe + WTF + OMG + Anticipation

Apollyon will be released in April. And gods, did I ever want Apollyon in my hands. You know what? The whole thing in Deity and Elixir kills me. I, seriously, have no idea what Aiden will do next for Alex. And the whole Alex-might-be-the-God-Killer thing? I still can't get through it. I mean, come on, you know that every god in the universe will stop at nothing to try to kill her if she becomes the God-Freaking-Killer.

Ugh, JLA is killing me at this point. Officially.

Thoughtful Thursday: Seth Special

Anyone who read Covenant series knows that there are three main characters: Alex, the tough, reckless and snarky Apollyon girl. Aiden, the sweet, self-sacrificing and caring Sentinel, and Seth, the also snarky, tough and mysterious Apollyon guy.

And since that Seth's probably the most mysterious in three, he deserves a special article. Here I will sum up all my thoughts about him and my predictions about his future (which will possibly involve in Alex and Aiden's future)

He's Hot:
Of course he's hot. No one can deny that. Yellow eyes, Gold hair, good build. There's no way we can say he's not one of the smoking hot dudes. But he's definitely not my favorite guy. Out of all the hotness with yellow eyes in YA novels, he's definitely not one of my beloved characters (Jace is definitely the champion among all the yellow-eyes)

He's Mysterious:
Another thing that cannot be denied. First off, we still don't know his last name. We only know he's Seth. We don't know his past, which is probably the very reason that Lucian can get under his skin and control him. And I don't know his exact thoughts. And most important of all, we don't know if he truly loves Alex or not.

He's Snarky:
Yeah. He's famous for his word war with Alex. Always bickering with each other. Which is really fun to read in Half-Blood, Pure and the first chapters in Deity. But sometimes his words got so freaking annoying that sometimes even I, a relatively peaceful person then Alex, wants to punch him in the face but is amused at the same time. Ha.


Here's the million dollar question: Does Seth truly love Alex?

Well, for starters, he surely likes Alex. I can totally see that when he doesn't like/hate someone (like Aiden), he will either ignore him completely or just punch him/her in the face for starters. So when he use so much energy to bicker with Alex, obviously he likes Alex.

And maybe in some ways he cares for Alex too. I'm not sure if all his actions in Pure was real. But I think in a way he cares for her. Otherwise he will not be so angry that Aiden hurt her in Pure. Or he will not pull away when Alex is on Brew.

But does he love Alex? I think it's more like a need than love. According to Clotho (in Elixir), Love is a reckless creature. So obviously only we can control our love for one another ourselves. But there's a freaking godsdamn bond between Seth and Alex. And even Alex, in her snarky-and-homicidal situation, still admits that she needs Seth. So obviously that's a need more than love.

You may argue that, "hey, what about the swimming pool kissing scene? Isn't that a proof that Seth loves Alex?". Well, first off, I'm NOT saying that he doesn't love Alex. I just say that it's more like a need. Maybe in a way he does love her, but definitely not the way Aiden loves her. And even he can't be sure if that was the bond or something else that brings his mouth to hers.

My intention to say all these things is not to piss off member of Team Seth, because obviously there are some. I'm just expressing my point of view. And I bet few can deny that Aiden's love for Alex is false.


Another million-dollar question: What will happen to Seth in Apollyon?

I can see that at first he will be extremely thrilled by many reasons. 1) Alex is connected to him and he can control her freely. 2) If Alex comes to him he can transfer her power to him and make himself the God Killer. 3) He will be free to kill Aiden. But I seriously doubt that his happiness and excitement will last long because there are two snippets from Apollyon that apparently shows that Alex is not controlled by him anymore. And even worse, she's preparing to fight him.

Link to those snippets:

http://smoking-hot-books.blogspot.hk/2012/11/apollyon-teaser_25.html
http://smoking-hot-books.blogspot.hk/2012/11/apollyon-teaser_21.html

And will he be killed in Apollyon? I highly doubt it. Otherwise there will probably be no fifth book. Unless you wanna say that the gods declare war on Alex in Sentinel even after Seth's death. That the gods still wanna kill her nontheless because she's an Apollyon even though she is not a threat to gods, or they still wanna kill her because she's a God Killer. But back to my point. If he'll be killed in Apollyon, then he will be killed. I have so many crazy ideas when he is still alive in the end of Apollyon.

One, his power is transferred to Alex but he's still sort of alive. This is the most ridiculous of all because I don't think Alex can be a God Killer (although that will be an awesome twist). If that's the case, maybe it's because of the fact that Alex should be the First? And is there a need to kill him when his power transfers to her?

Two, the bond is broken but Seth's power doesn't lose a bit. Obviously the bond will be broken somewhere in Apollyon. And I'm really curious about how he will react when the bond is broken. Will he go crazy? Will he go mad? And I really think that there will be an epic battle between Alex and Seth. So I really doubt if Seth's (or Alex's) power doesn't lose even a little bit.

Three, which is the more ridiculous one, is that he will become a daimon Apollyon. I doubt it will happen because daimon problems is already not the most pressing problem since Deity. And I really doubt how he can be changed into a daimon when he can just smash a daimon's guts right when the daimon charge to him. Maybe there's only one way. Dionysus change him into a daimon, which I highly doubt it's possibility.

Four, which is the most ridiculous of all, is that he becomes the God Killer (or almost) and Alex's still alive miraculously. If he's the God Killer then Alex will be long dead. And there will be no Sentinel unless there are Aiden's pov? That will be another awesome twist because Sentinel will become extremely interesting if this happen.

But the confirmed one is this:

Their bond will be broken at some point.

So what are your thoughts about Seth? Tell me whatever you like!